"Venus Is Too Close…"

The words in the title of this post were spoken by one of my favorite all-time television characters portrayed by the late Carroll O'Connor-- Chief William O. "Bill" Gillespie on "In The Heat of the Night."  At the end of the episode "Bounty Hunter," the Gillespie was telling one of his officers that weird things happen when Venus comes too close to Earth.

Venus (black dot, lower right) transits
in front of the Sun on June 5, 2012.
Click photo for larger view.

This isn't weird, but is pretty darn cool.  As I write this posting, Venus is passing in front of the Sun, visible to us here on Earth.  Venus is the big black dot you see on the lower right of the Sun.  I'm watching a live stream of the event provided by the University of South Carolina's Melton Memorial Observatory as seen through the specially filtered lens of a telescope.  Folks, this won't happen again for 105 years!  If I live to see the next Venus transit, as the event is called, I will be 152 years old.  Now, that would truly be weird!

Oh, Good Evening!

American Idol 11: And, The Winner Is...

Another American Idol season has come to an end. CONGRATS to Phillip Phillips on winning the title! It was, truly, the best possible result for both he and Jessica.

Phillip Phillips
Photo: FOX

The final competition show was, as I expected, very BORING. Phillip was his usual steady self, which is my way of saying he was good, but VERY safe. It seemed the song choices for him were designed to present him at his best. Interestingly, I felt the song choices for Jessica did just the opposite. Instead of playing to her season-long strengths, she sang songs that amplified her vocal flaws and you could hear her young nerves as well. Setup? Arsenio Hall would say, "Hmmm…." 

But, not winning is really the best thing for Jessica Sanchez. Now, it will be up to the recording execs to do what Randy Jackson suggested-- make sure they play to her strengths when picking songs, recording them and mastering the tracks. They need to let Jessica be Jessica and stop trying to turn her into the next Beyonce or Rihanna.

Do NOT try this at home!

After watching WIS News Saturday Morning for an update on local news, I turned on CBS This Morning Saturday just in time to see co-host Rebecca Jarvis doing a segment about unusual uses for vodka with guest Alex Bandon who is the online editor for This Old House. Bandon says you can use vodka for things like:

-Deodorizing shoes/boots
-Cleaning hard water stains on chrome
-Deodorizing laundry
-Cleaning rusty screws
-Cleaning tile grout

See more uses here.

During the segment, one bottle, each, of Smirnoff and Absolut was on the counter.  WHY would I use GOOD VODKA for these purposes?!?!?!?  Why would I use ANY vodka for these purposes?!?!?

Deflated Tire, Inflated Faith!

My new year got of to a shaky start after I rocked into 2012 with 20,000 other folks who attended the first-ever Famously Hot New Year celebration in Downtown Columbia featuring Dr. Funkenstien, himself, George Clinton and his P-Funk All-Stars.  Following the party, I joined several friends as we gathered at the home of one of our "crew" members for breakfast.  We had a great time preparing and eating the scrambled eggs, sausage (patties, links and veggie links), biscuits, juice and various "other" (translated: "adult") beverages.

As we all departed to head home at 4am, I get in my car and proceed to head to SC-277 for the drive to Northeast Columbia.  Shortly after entering the highway at Sunset Road, I hear a big "bump" while changing lanes.  A few moments later, my car isn't acting right. It's vibrating and not steering correctly.  I make my way off the freeway and get to a nearby car dealership with a well-lit lot.  I get out and discover what I feared-- a flat tire!

I get the tire off, hoping that whatever caused the flat is something that can be repaired.  However, upon inspection, I see that the tire will have to be replaced.  (You may now insert EVERY appropriate cuss word in the English vocabulary and a few from other languages that you may know!) I put the spare tire on and get home okay.

After a few hours of sleep, I wake up and stew over my situation while watching my beloved, playoff bound Detroit Lions lose their regular season finale to the Green Bay Packers, wondering where I am going to come up $300+ for a new tire.  Well, this morning, I go to my tire place near Downtown Columbia.  They install a new tire and fix another tire in which they found a nail.  When I go to pay them, the bill was a whopping $41.28!!!!  It seems that the road hazard warranty I purchased with the original tire took care of the replacement.  Because the original was less than a year old, with fewer than 10,000 miles on it and plenty of good tread left, I only had to pay for labor, disposal fees and new hazard warranty!!!

PRAISE GOD!!!  I really needed that blessing and am most thankful to have received it!!!

Oh, Good Evening!

Open Mouth, Insert Feet

Jerry Sandusky
(Photo: attorneygeneral.gov)

Does former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky have incompetent legal counsel?  The man accused of sexually molesting young boys for years, as described in a grand jury presentment, continues to grant interviews that, clearly, are NOT helping his case.

First, he spoke to NBC's Bob Costas by phone and was, let's just say, less than convincing.  Now, he has granted interviews, spanning four-hours over two-days, to the New York Times in which he comes off worse than he did in the NBC interview.  What strategy is his lawyer embracing by allowing this to happen?!?!?  If Sandusky really believes he's innocent and hopes to be vindicated in this sordid, tragic story, he is NOT doing himself any favors by continuing to grant these interviews in which he opens his mouth and inserts BOTH of his feet!

CBS aired this story Saturday morning on "The Early Show".  You must see this for yourself!

Since Sandusky's attorney won't tell him this, allow me: STOP TALKING! DON'T SAY ANOTHER WORD! Do you remember what agents said to you when they arrested you?  "Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law" STILL APPLIES! JUST SHUT UP!!!  You might want to consider hiring a new lawyer, too.

Oh, Good Evening!