My Sick Mind

If you are like me (which I seriously doubt) you have been asking yourself why there are suddenly so many Meteorologists on television lately. It comes to mind because local television stations devote an extraordinary amount of time to the weather. So much so, that it is often the lead story, especially when there is snow in the forecast. On our local ABC station, Action News weeknight meteorologist Cecily Tynan gets top billing. She majored in journalism and politics at Washington and Lee University in Virginia. For those non-local readers, in the Philadelphia area, the mere mention of the word snow (as in "Snow Flurries", "Snow Showers", or even the dreaded "Chance of snow flurries or snow showers") drives the locals into a frenzy that would only be rivaled by a full-out nuclear holocaust. Local grocery stores face exhausted supplies of milk, eggs and bread; as if we fear being unable to make French Toast when housebound. What I've noticed is that t...

It would seem as though the great powers of the American Idol machine have once again lured you into a televised trance of simulated enthusiasm, and like the prison colony at French Guiana, there is no escape. All day, seemingly intelligent people on the radio, TV, newspapers and at work have been complaining because some performer they liked was supposedly voted off of America's favorite talent show. What these people failed to realize is that they are being manipulated by the largest media conglomerate in the world - Fox . Please, I beseech you , do not allow the powers at the most powerful media outlet in the world to manipulate your feelings. Chances are, the joker who was seemingly voted off of this ridiculous charade of a television show was done so because it would get a rise out of you. In that respect, you have fulfilled their expectations. Congratulations - you have been had. You are talking about the show, which was their intent from the start. Please do not allow you...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. crude and gasoline futures ended sharply higher on Thursday as kidnappings in Nigeria and refinery snags in the United States stoked supply worries even though inventories rose last week. International Energy Agency director Claude Mandil said on Thursday he was surprised record high oil prices had not had more impact in curbing demand. "Maybe that's due to a time lag," Mandil said. "It needs recognition by the general public that they have to save energy ... It would be a good thing for demand to decrease." ----------------------------------------------- It seems as though the oil companies will use any excuse at their disposal to raise the price of a barrel of crude. Unrest, kidnappings, heat, cold, uncertainty, inflation, the Phillies winning, increase in demand or decrease in supply - whatever it takes, they will do whatever it takes because we will take whatever they give us. Why? Because we have no choice. We have to get to work ...

Hold onto something: ORLANDO , Fla. - Could there be a third President Bush? The current chief said Wednesday that younger brother Jeb would make a great one, too, and has asked him about making a run. The first President Bush likes the idea as well. A great one too? That would imply that the second one has been great . His own father says no one believes him when he says he's not interested in running at some point. Former President Bush told CNN's "Larry King Live" last year that he would like Jeb to run one day and that the son would be "awfully good" as president. Go figure, his own father thinks he would be awfully good. Well, he's half right. Jeb Bush has dealt with a lot of high-profile issues including hurricanes, immigration and sprawling development in one of the most important political states. I wonder how he feels about flies... HONOLULU — Twelve species of rare flies known for their elaborate courtship displays and found only in the Haw...

T wo recent "news" articles offer concerned Americans conflicting viewpoints on what and where they should eat. Digesting the news is sometimes more difficult than digesting the food. Let's try. On Tuesday, McDonald's announced the creation of a Global Moms Panel to provide guidance on such topics as balanced and active lifestyle initiatives, restaurant communications and children's well-being. The nine women come from six countries and include four former Olympic athletes, among them U.S. speedskater Bonnie Blair and Italian cross-country skier Stefania Belmondo, as well as a childhood development expert, a chef, a librarian, an artist and a Parent Teacher Association president. The company said it wants their input in order to better serve the needs of moms and families worldwide. The folks at the Golden Arches have assembled a veritable Gilligan's Island panel of experts to ensure that fat kids and fat adults get healthy choices when they visit their nei...

I was forced to subject myself to the misery of the neighborhood supermarket today. As in the past, it was a typical experience in life's great consumer melting pot, where folks of all shapes, sizes and methods of behavior infest what appears from the outside to be a grocery store, when in fact, it is a test. It is a test of our mettle as both consumers and people, and the longer I am there, the more difficult the test becomes. First , there's the joys of walking in, past and around the above-ground mine field of cars, trucks and mini-vans parked in the "No Parking Zone", which is clearly marked by diagonal yellow stripes which, by now are worn down from the constant rub of automobile tires. They are parked, engines running, driver inside, dutifully waiting for their equally lazy counterparts to emerge from the supermarket with a cart full of junk. At first glance, one would think that it was impossible to find a vacant parking space but, on further review, we see tha...

S omehow today, the topic came up of what a great job Rick Steves has. He travels around the world, writes books and does a TV show - and gets paid for it. I guess my high school guidance counselor failed to recognize that job on the list of possible occupations I might pursue, but I suppose I could forgive him, since I would probably want to keep that Rolodex card for myself. What a sweet gig! Wander around, find interesting little quirks about places all over the world and write them down, so that they are exposed as interesting little quirks, thus spoiling the quirkiness for everyone. This annoys some travelers, since, generally speaking, once something is popular, it's time to find something else. So, Rick works at crossed purposes. He has to find strange things for travelers to do, but as soon a he finds them, they become too popular for people to do. But, I suppose that's what keeps our economy going, and it's certainly what keeps Rick going. Although there may be an...