Thank you Mom and Dad

I just hopped over to CNN to see what was going on in the world and here's a couple of highlights:

"Sect boys may have been abused" I guess forcing the underage girls into marriage and motherhood wasn't enough. One of the lucky teens just gave birth today.

"Sex offenders living at child care facilities, audit says" California cross-referenced the addresses of 75,000 licensed childcare and foster homes and found that the addresses of 49 sex offenders matched those of child care facilities.

"Baby found in house riddled with filth" This house had decay, waste, biohazards and no running water. Used condoms were found on the floor and there was a toilet filled with feces (yes I did chuckle when I read feces, so it's okay if you did). The baby was almost a year old.

"Crying 4-year-old found along highway" A 4-year-old was looking for his dog. No adults realized he was gone until a cop knocked on the door to say "Hey, we found your toddler on the interstate."

And then there's this guy:


Josef Fritzl of Austria (doesn't he kind of look like Donald Sutherland's ugly brother?) started abusing his daughter when she was 11. When she was 18 he lured her into the basement, drugged and handcuffed her and made her write a note to her mother saying she ran away. He kept her there as a sex slave for TWENTY FOUR YEARS. He fathered 7 children of hers, 3 of which were kept captive with her. 1 died and he burned the body in the furnace. 3 others were raised by him and his wife. He only got caught because their 18 year old son, who had never been out of the basement, got so ill he had to take him to the hospital, where the doctors discovered the truth. Messed up.

Then I went over to IBNLive to watch a 500 year old tradition of tossing babies off of a roof to a sheet 50 feet below. Crazy. You can watch it HERE.

So I was feeling pretty lucky and just wanted to say thanks Mom and Dad.

After the depressing stuff in this post, I suggest watching Boom dee odda again. It makes you feel better.

Boom dee odda Boom dee odda

For like a year and a half now, Marty is into the Discovery Channel, History Channel, Biography Channel, etc. Since I only get the remote control when he is not at home (even when he's sleeping he has a death grip on it), I therefore watch these shows also. I've gotten used to them and enjoy them too. Except for Nazi shows because he watches every one that comes on and there are like five million of them. Enough already. Anyway, I thought this was a cool commercial and thought I would share it. When I hear the song, I can't get it out of my head:

Trivia Thursday TV Sitcoms

It is once again Trivia Thursday. I will post a new set of trivia questions every Thursday. The rules are simple. Please put your answers in the comments section of the post and I will reveal the answers next week or whenever I feel like it. No Cheating! I trust that all of you will all use the honor system? That means you will not use Google, (or any other internet searches) or mooch off other peoples answers. Cheating is BAD. If your employer has somehow made it impossible for you to post comments (bastards), you may also email your answers to me at MCnMarty@hotmail.com.

Back to something a little lighter after my geography headache. TV Sitcoms. I tried to do a mix of 70's, 80's and 90's. Good luck.

1. On an episode of Seinfeld, Jerry cannot remember the name of a girl he is dating but he knows it rhymes with a part of the female anatomy. What was her name?
a. Mulva
b. Aretha
c. Bovary
d. Dolores


2. The theme song to what '80s sitcom began "Believe it or not, I'm walking on air"?
a. Greatest American Hero
b. Kate & Allie
c. Bosom Buddies
d. Silver Spoons



3. What was Dwayne's catch-phrase on What's Happening?
a. Dynomiiiite
b. Whatchu talking 'bout?
c. Right on!
d. Hey, HEY, Hey


4. What city did the Conners live in on Rosanne?
a. Dayton, Ohio
b. Harris, Pennsylvania
c. Detroit, Michigan
d. Lanford, Illinois


5. On Cheers, why did Eddie LeBec and Carla's marriage end?
a. Eddie was run over by a Zamboni
b. Eddie left Carla for a blond named Loretta
c. Eddie dumped Carla because she was a jinx on his hockey game
d. Carla left Eddie because he couldn't get her pregnant


6. On The Jeffersons, what did George Jefferson do for a living?
a. Owned a chain of restaurants
b. Owned a chain of men's clothing stores
c. Owned a chain of dry cleaning stores
d. Owned a chain of video stores



7. On Frasier, who is Niles in love with?
a. Roz
b. Maris
c. Lilith
d. Daphne


8. On Webster, what did Webster call his adoptive mom?
a. Mrs. Popadapolis
b. Katherine
c. Ma'am
d. Mom



9. On Happy Days, what was Fonzie's "office"?
a. The corner booth at Arnold's
b. The room over the Cunningham's garage
c. Richie's bedroom
d. The men's room at Arnold's


10. On Mad About You Paul and Jamie frequently ate at the same restaurant. Who was usually their waitress?
a. Mabel
b. Ursula
c. Phoebe
d. Riff



11. On Will & Grace, what was the name of Jack's original one-man show?
a. Jack Takes Manhattan
b. Jack 2000
c. Just Jack
d. Jack Attack


12. On Taxi, Tony Danza's character used to play what professional sport?
a. Football
b. Golf
c. Boxing
d. Baseball


13. On The Nanny, how did Fran meet the Sheffields?
a. Mr. Sheffield asks for directions in the bridal shop where Fran works
b. C.C. meets Fran at an art show and introduces her to Mr. Sheffield
c. Fran is the hairstylist for one of Mr. Sheffield's Broadway shows
d. Fran shows up on the Sheffields' doorstep selling cosmetics


14. All of the following shows were spin-offs of other '70s shows except:
a. Rhoda
b. All in the Family
c. Laverne & Shirley
d. Good Times


15. Which Spin City star played the original deputy mayor on the show?
a. Charlie Sheen
b. Heather Locklear
c. Richard Kind
d. Michael J. Fox


16. On Three's Company, Jack and Janet had three different blonde roommates. In what order did they appear on the show?
a. Cindy, Chrissy, Terri
b. Terri, Cindy, Chrissy
c. Chrissy, Terri, Cindy
d. Chrissy, Cindy, Terri


17. On Murphy Brown, Murphy had to constantly find a new:
a. Job
b. Secretary
c. Painter
d. Hairdresser


18. On an episode of News Radio, Matthew is fired from the radio station and returns to his original profession. He was a:
a. Acrobat
b. Hot dog vendor
c. Dentist
d. Bike messenger


19. What planet was ALF from?
a. Mypos
b. St. Olaf
c. Melmac
d. Ork


20. On Married with Children, Al once said, "Bundys are ___, not ____."
a. Bundys are winners, not cheaters."
b. "Bundys are perverts, not predators."
c. "Bundys are liars, not squealers"
d. "Bundys are losers, not quitters."



21. On Perfect Strangers, Balki Bartokomous frequently repeated the same catch phrase. What was it?
a. "I pity the fool ..."
b. "Don't be ridiculous"
c. Nanoo nanoo"
d. "Hey you guys!"


22. On the series finale of Newhart, Bob Newhart wakes up in bed next to:
a. Joanna Loudon, his wife from Newhart
b. Larry, Darryl and Darryl
c. Stephanie, the maid
d. Emily Hartley, his wife from The Bob Newhart Show


23. Who was the youngest daughter on Eight is Enough?
a. Susan
b. Joanie
c. Nancy
d. Elizabeth


24. Who was Alex P. Keaton's political idol on Family Ties?
a. John F. Kennedy
b. Richard Nixon
c. Ronald Regan
d. Jimmy Carter


25. On Welcome Back, Kotter, who was the leader of the Sweathogs?
a. Arnold Horshack
b. Vinnie Barbarino
c. Freddie "Boom Boom" Percy Washington
d. Juan Luis Pedro Philippo de Huevos Epstein



26. On Golden Girls where did Dorothy frequently threaten to send her mother, Sofia?
a. Sicily
b. Brooklyn
c. Shady Pines
d. St. Olaf


27. What brewery did Laverne & Shirley work in?
a. Ranier Brewery
b. Shotz Brewery
c. Milwaukee Brewery
d. Pabst Brewery


28. On the Facts of Life pilot, what actress played one of the original students at Eastlake Academy (later renamed Eastland Academy)?
a. Demi Moore
b. Ally Sheedy
c. Annie Potts
d. Molly Ringwald


29. In November 1972, Maude had a surge of popularity and jumped to fifth in the ratings. Why?
a. Maude's daughter died of cancer
b. Maude had an abortion
c. Maude had a baby
d. Maude was the first character to adopt a baby on TV


30. On a serious episode of Growing Pains, Carol's boyfriend dies in a drunk-driving accident. What now-famous actor played him?
a. Ben Affleck
b. Matthew Perry
c. Brad Pitt
d. Leonardo DiCaprio

Answers to GEOGRAPHY

OK. Next time I do Geography, I'm going to stick to the US. This was hard!!!! I made the questions and I still think I would have gotten a lot wrong just a week later. Here are the answers:

1. The Galapagos Islands are a territory of what country?
b. Ecuador
Galapagos means tortoise in Spanish. It was named this because of the giant tortoises inhabiting the islands.


2. With an economy that is totally dependent on tourism, this wee European nation is known for its elegant casino, spectacular scenery, princes and princesses.
a. Monaco
It is located by the France/Italy border. The whole country is two square km, which is less than one square mile!


3. Which two countries share the longest border?
b. USA and Canada
The border between the United States and Canada is the longest shared between any two countries in the world.


4. What is the largest city in the Caribbean?
c. Havana
Havana is the capital of Cuba, the only communist nation in the Caribbean. This is crazy: a couple of weeks ago, Cubans were finally allowed to have cell phones. Prior to that, only government officials could have cell phones.


5. Which has the longest coastline?
c. Japan
Japan's coastline is 29,751 km (18,486 m), that of the US is 19,924 km (11,999 m), New Zealand's is 15,134 km (9,404 m) and that of the British Isles (the UK plus the Republic of Ireland) is 13,877 km (8,623 m).


6. What lake is located on the border of Bolivia and Peru?
b. Lake Titicaca
I had to put this in here because it’s a funny name. Say it out loud. Fun.


7. What is the only Central American country not to have Spanish as its official language?
a. Belize
Belize was a British territory formerly known as British Honduras


8. What is the largest state in the United States?
Alaska, which was a former Russian territory.


9. What island nation has Nassau as its capital?
c. Bahamas
I heard it’s better there.


10. The world's smallest country is also the world's only country where Latin is the official language. Which country is it?
c. Vatican City (Holy See)
Located in the heart of Rome, Vatican City (Holy See) is the spiritual and administrative capital of the Roman Catholic Church. With an area of just 108.7 acres (about 0.4 sq. km), and a population of under 1000, Vatican City is easily the world's smallest autonomous state.


11. Sri Lanka lies just off the tip of the Indian subcontinent, but to which side?
a. East


12. What is the only country to speak Dutch in South America?
c. Suriname
Suriname was a former Dutch colony.

13. This city is often referred to as "The Gateway of India"
a. Mumbai
The Gateway of India was built to commemorate the visit of King George V to Bombay in December 1911. There is an "India Gate" in New Delhi.

14. What is the largest city in South America (population)?
b. Sao Paulo
Sao Paulo is the third largest city in the world(population) after first being Tokyo and second being Mexico City.


15. What is common to the capital cities of Washington DC (USA), Wellington (New Zealand), Canberra (Australia), New Delhi (India), Beijing (China) and Brasilia (Brazil)?
b. None of them are the largest cities in their respective countries
The largest cities are respectively New York, Auckland, Sydney, Mumbai (formerly Bombay), Shanghai and Sao Paulo.

16. What is the northernmost city of these four?
c. Reykjavik, Iceland
Reykjavik is the northernmost, followed by Anchorage, Helsinki and Vladivostok.

17. The countries of the Middle East are often in the news today. Which direction is Tehran, Iran from Kabul, Afghanistan?
c. West
Afghanistan is land-locked, bordered by Iran in the west, Pakistan in the south and east, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in the north, and China to the east.

18. Greenland is still a territory of what country?
a. Denmark

19. Which of the following three-letter combinations begins the name of the most countries?
a. Mal
The countries whose names begin with 'mal': Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali and Malta. Coming in second are those countries whose names begin with 'bel', namely: Belarus, Belau, Belgium and Belize.

20. Zacatecas is a state located in which country?
b. Mexico
Zacatecas is famous for its silver mines.

Mary S. said last week that she had the "I just failed a high school midterm" feeling. Mary, you kicked butt with 11 out of 20. Maria and Joe both got 7 out 20 and TT got 6 out of 20.

I promise this week's will be much easier!!!!!!

Talented family

The Star Ledger just named my nephew the lacrosse player of the week. The entire article can be found here, but I will copy and paste it as well:

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Rich Dupras, Immaculata Senior midfielder, 6-0, 175

Just the stats:

He scored the last five goals of the game, including three in the final 1:30 of regulation and the game winner 1:24 into overtime, in a 15-14 victory over Morristown-Beard last Wednesday. Dupras followed two days later with an eight-goal, four-assist performance in a 13-5 victory over Glen Ridge. During a timeout with 5:30 left and his team down, 13-7, against Morristown-Beard, Dupras proclaimed, "We still have a chance. We're not losing this one."

On his prediction: "I was pretty heated at the moment. I kind of opened my mouth, then figured I better do something about it."

Coach Tom Mott's words: "He stood in the huddle, said we weren't losing and he made it happen. I've never seen anything like that before."

On his eight-goal game: "I seemed to be in the right spot at the right time wherever I was on the field. That was the game of my life."

Other sports: He was a receiver and defensive back for Immaculata's successful football team.

Favorite sport: "Definitely lacrosse."

The spark: Started playing in first grade in the Hillsborough youth program that his father, also named Rich, helped establish.

Top influence: "Easily my dad. He was my first coach and he still coaches me from the sideline."

College plans: He will play at Stevens Tech in Hoboken, where he intends to study business technology.

Versatility: Dupras plays midfield and attack, faces off on occasion and even plays a long pole in man-down situations.

Toughest opponent: "Seems to be Hunterdon Central every year."

Favorite food: Macaroni and cheese.

Favorite movie: "The Wedding Crashers."

Favorite TV show: "Prison Break."

Favorite music: Hip hop and rap.

Favorite sport on TV: Giants football.

Favorite video game: "Call of Duty."

Three for dinner: Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan and Jerry Rice.

Way to go Rich!! I'm very proud of you, as I know everyone else is. And I love the very intimidating picture.

Pretty food

I love the warm weather because it means we cook on the grill. I love food off of the grill and grilling is the only time that Marty willingly helps with the cooking. Also, paper plates are totally acceptable with grilled food. Oh... and beer tastes glorious with all things grilled.

I normally don't worry about presentation when I'm cooking at home. I am no Julia Child (gravy anyone??) and I am super proud of myself if all of the dishes for one meal are ready at the same time. How do people get cooking timing down? That is an art.

I was so proud of myself last night though that I had to share my kabobs with you all. They were beautiful and tasty too! For your viewing pleasure:




I've been told that it is impossible to grill without a beer in your hand...


Our grilling glove looks like a whale and you can make the whale talk. In real life: hysterical. On the internet: probably not so funny.


Done and ready to eat:

Trivia Thursday GEOGRAPHY

It is once again Trivia Thursday. I will post a new set of trivia questions every Thursday. The rules are simple. Please put your answers in the comments section of the post and I will reveal the answers next week or whenever I feel like it. No Cheating! I trust that all of you will all use the honor system? That means you will not use Google, (or any other internet searches) or mooch off other peoples answers. Cheating is BAD. If your employer has somehow made it impossible for you to post comments (bastards), you may also email your answers to me at MCnMarty@hotmail.com.

I'm not quite sure why I put geography as an option. It is so not my best subject. So I had to do a lot of homework to write up these questions. Good luck!

1. The Galapagos Islands are a territory of what country?

a. Peru
b. Ecuador
c. Colombia
d. Panama

2. With an economy that is totally dependent on tourism, this wee European nation is known for its elegant casino, spectacular scenery, princes and princesses.

a. Monaco
b. San Marino
c. Andorra
d. Morocco

3. Which two countries share the longest border?

a. Chile and Argentina
b. USA and Canada
c. USA and Mexico
d. Brazil and Peru

4. What is the largest city in the Caribbean?

a. Santo Domingo
b. Port-au-Prince
c. Havana
d. Kingston

5. Which has the longest coastline?

a. The United States
b. New Zealand
c. Japan
d. The British Isles

6. What lake is located on the border of Bolivia and Peru?

a. Lake Poopo
b. Lake Titicaca
c. Lake Maracaibo
d. Lago Argentino

7. What is the only Central American country not to have Spanish as its official language?

a. Belize
b. Panama
c. Costa Rica
d. Guatemala

8. What is the largest state in the United States?




9. What island nation has Nassau as its capital?

a. Trinidad and Tobago
b. Haiti
c. Bahamas
d. Aruba

10. The world's smallest country is also the world's only country where Latin is the official language. Which country is it?

a. San Marino
b. Malta
c. Vatican City (Holy See)
d. Monaco

11. Sri Lanka lies just off the tip of the Indian subcontinent, but to which side?

a. East
b. South
c. North
d. West

12. What is the only country to speak Dutch in South America?

a. Bolivia
b. Guyana
c. Suriname
d. Paraguay

13. This city is often referred to as "The Gateway of India"

a. Mumbai
b. Calcutta
c. Madras
d. New Delhi

14. What is the largest city in South America (population)?

a. Rio De Janeiro
b. Sao Paulo
c. Buenos Aires
d. Lima

15. What is common to the capital cities of Washington DC (USA), Wellington (New Zealand), Canberra (Australia), New Delhi (India), Beijing (China) and Brasilia (Brazil)?

a. All of them were planned from the outset as capital cities.
b. None of them are the largest cities in their respective countries
c. All of them are named after famous people in their countries' histories
d. All of them contain their countries' major historical monuments

16. What is the northernmost city of these four?

a. Helsinki, Finland
b. Anchorage, Alaska
c. Reykjavik, Iceland
d. Vladivostok, Russia

17. The countries of the Middle East are often in the news today. Which direction is Tehran, Iran from Kabul, Afghanistan?

a. South
b. East
c. West
d. North

18. Greenland is still a territory of what country?

a. Denmark
b. France
c. Britain
d. Netherlands

19. Which of the following three-letter combinations begins the name of the most countries?

a. Mal
b. Bur
c. Cam
d. Bel

20. Zacatecas is a state located in which country?

a. Canada
b. Mexico
c. Brazil
d. Jamaica