Frog's House of Infinite Wisdom

With all of these so-called stars protesting the war, I thought it important that there are other voices out there. Like Bruce Willis. He actually contacted the White House to see how he could he in the war on terrorism. Click here to read the article and then do yourself a favor and rent or buy one of his movies!

Mr. Rogers, the amazingly calming and friendly host of "Mr. Rogers Neighborhood", lost his battle with cancer yesterday and passed away. When I heard the news, I was going through my own little bout with pain so I didn't really react but late last night as the discomfort dimmed a bit I saw an interview with him done by ABC news a couple of years ago and he came across just as nice and sweet as he does on his show. I grew up with this guy. He was one of the few influences in my life whose sole purpose was to let me know that people are wonderfully unique and should be loved unconditionally. He spoke of some of the letters he used to receive from people who told him that his show helped them through a childhood filled with abuse and pain. They felt loved by him. And he admitted that his motivation was to let the children know that he did love them. At the end of the interview, the cameraman, who had filmed actors, presidents and heads of state, broke protocol and asked Mr. Rogers for a picture. The rest of the crew soon followed.

You'll have to excuse me... I'm going to spend some time in "Neighborhood of Make Believe". Visiting an old friend.

(from reader Scott)

The DMV is authorized to give out (sell) your personal information to anyone: (name, DOB, phone number, address, SS#, Medical disabilities, etc.) with no problem. However, if you choose, you can go to the State of Florida web site and block the DMV from passing on any of your information to unauthorized users.

You can do this because the Florida Legislature passed a bill which allows citizens to protect their personal information on Florida’s motor vehicle and driver license data bases. Protected information includes:

• name
• address
• driver license or identification card number
• phone number
• social security number
• medical or disability information

The easiest way to protect against the DMV from giving out personal information to anyone is to go to https://www2.hsmv.state.fl.us/dlstatus.html and enter your driver's license number. The site will verify your license expiration date, verify if your driver's license is valid, and tell you if your license is blocked. It will also give you the opportunity to block it at that time by following the instructions. You will need to enter your birth date and year.

Sorry, but I'm sick today and just woke up an hour ago. It's odd how random sickness can be.

Night Of The Living Dead and it's clear that they ran out of money. The end sequence where the zombies take over the house is goofy. One of the guys that ran through didn't have any zombie makeup. And he didn't really have a "zombie" walk. He just kinda strolled through the scene. Struck me as funny.

I heard this story as sort of a rumor and raced to the internet to confirm its truthfullness. It's true. Flaming Lips, took the stage for a taping of "Top of the Pops" in England all wearing plushie animal outfits. During the middle of one of the songs, the bass player/animal took off his helmet to reveal he was actually Justin Timberlake on bass. Apparently, The Flaming Lips is known for their experimental collaborations, including a live performance with Ted Danson (on triangle) during a Conan O'Brian show performance and studio work with Steve Burns, the ex-host of the popular children's show "Blue's Clues", who has traded his signature striped shirt for a guitar and facial hair. The music ain't half bad, either.

Anyway, this gives J.T. many more cool points as far as I'm concerned. My thought is that he tracks something with them... not a whole album but maybe one song or two... it would be a great move for him in terms of earning true artist credibility.

I'm pretty sure there are at least six women posing as Norah Jones. I own the album (which is fantastic, by the way) and I've seen the videos and have also seen her in interviews and she looks different every time I see her. I saw a picture on CNN.com this morning and looks different still! What's the deal? Anyway, congrats to her because her record is really one of my favorites. Nice and relaxing and soothing. Pick up a copy... seriously.

David Hasselhoff, TV's Knight Rider, was injured along with his wife in a motorcycle accident. Click here for details.

So, I was hungry and walking down University Avenue when the idea to go to "Gator City" popped into my head. I hadn't been in that building since they took over for the legendary "Purple Porpoise" and I thought it would be open minded of me to give the new place a chance. Big mistake! For one, they had done nothing structurally significant to the place. A lot of new paint and wood paneling but nothing too exciting. Essentially, it was the "Porpoise", cleaner and with a slightly different color scheme. That's as "positive" as I can get at this point. Here is another one of my prized lists of things that suck:

• They didn't have any clean forks. At lunchtime. Fortunately, I ordered a burger.
• The waitress had a perpetual dazed look on her face, like someone just hit her with smelling salts
• It took the waitress 10 minutes to change the channel for me on one of the tv's. I was one of 5 tables in the room. Not busy at all.
• I ordered a "Sicilian Chicken" sandwich for my girlfriend, which was breaded chicken with marinara and ham. She brought a grilled chicken sandwich with no marinara and no ham. When I told her that that I thought the sandwich was wrong and to check with my girlfriend, I found out that the waitress told her that it was supposed to be grilled. So I asked for a "to-go" menu, which confirmed that I WAS RIGHT!!! In the case, the customer WAS always right!!
• Our waitress never asked my girlfriend if she wanted a drink. She ended up sharing my water.
• The waitress SHOULD have offered a drink to the pathetic excuse for grilled chicken that was served to us. It was so dehydrated, it didn't need water, it needed Gatoraid! Quite possibly one of the WORST chicken sandwiches I've ever seen and tasted.
• I was supposed to get a 10% discount but the waitress was so confused by the 20th century device known as a "cash register" that I figured that it was easier to not save $1.30 than to wait for her to figure out how to apply the discount.

This restaurant is ill prepared to serve lunch, period. There were a total of fifteen people in the entire restaurant and it was overwhelming the cook and the waitress. In fact, we got better, more attentive service from the OTHER waitress in the place... not from the one assigned to us! This place is destined to go under unless something drastically improves. Like changing the name back to "Purple Porpoise". It was obviously bad karma to change it in the first place!

BERLIN (AFP) - US actor Larry Hagman, former star of the television series "Dallas", slammed President George W. Bush as a sad but dangerous figure with little education. "If George Bush attacks Iraq, tens of thousands of people will die without reason," Hagman told Thursday's edition of the Tagesspiegel newspaper.

The actor, who played the notorious Texas oil baron JR Ewing in the Dallas series, said Bush was a "sad figure: not too well educated, who doesn't get out of America much. He's leading the country towards facism." When asked whether Bush would appreciate his accusation, Hagman replied: "It's all the same to me, he wouldn't understand the word facism anyway."

He said Bush and JR Ewing both came from the Texas oil industry but that the president was not smart enough to be like JR. "JR was so smart he always found a way to win without violence ... he ruined his enemies financially or socially.

Hagman, 71, was in Germany promoting his autobiography.

(Ok... brace yourself... here comes my comments...)

Wow. Are we really listening to some washed-up actor now? I mean, honestly? If we absolutely HAVE to listen to these people, can't we get quotes from some more relevant stars? Not just ones that need publicity? I mean, you're talking about a guy who used to have millions of fans who now must bash the President's education in order to get ANY sort of write-up, otherwise, no one would give a damn about him. (Incidentally, GWB is Ivy League educated with an MBA and Hagman attended Bard College in New York for one year...) Personally, I'd like to hear what Mariah Carey and maybe Vin Diesel thinks about the impending war. Can't be any worse than what Sean Penn has said! Anyway, here are some facts about this nutball, direct from IMDB.com:

• Has a ring made from the gallstones that were removed during his liver transplant. (Ah, how stylish!)
• He refuses to speak one day a week, simply as a test of his self discipline. (Should consider at least 3 days a week.)
• Requires autograph seekers to sing a song for him or tell him a joke before giving his autograph. He says that he does it so he gets something back from his fans. (Apparently, the income derived from these fans was not enough!)

Bravo, nutball!

At this point, you've probably already heard the news. A Rhode Island club featuring the band "Great White" was destroyed by flames started by errant pyrotechnics. Over fifty people were killed and around 150 people were treated at local area hospitals. According to initial reports, the club was near capacity but not over. The biggest problems that I can determine from initial reports was that:

• An exit was partially blocked by a table.
• The club was small enough that they were not required to have a sprinkler system installed.
• The club did not have a permit to allow pyrotechnics
• The band felt a stupid need for pyrotechnics in a club that small.

I know 20/20 hindsight is wrong, but why in the HELL would a band need flashpots on a stage where the ceilings are so damn low? Quite frankly, when a club can only handle 300 people, do you really need to have fire and explosions? The worst thing about this tragedy is that the people who were "into" this band, i.e. the people pressed up against the stage were possibly the ones with the worst chance of survival. It's all so horrible. And I'm not just talking about Great White's music.

I'm going to sound like a big old lady at this point but I want everyone reading this to look into your past and take note of every time you were in a crowded situation such as this and appreciate that this type of thing could have happened to you. I've seen too many concerts where I was packed in like canned tuna. And I know I've taken fire drills for granted. From now on, anytime you're out at a club, do a quick check of exits. It only takes a second and it could save your life.

This guy has the nerve to look SURPRISED?!!

Sami Al-Arian was arrested and charged with operating a global terrorist organization in a 150 page indictment today. According the the Feds, Al-Arian has ties to Islamic Jihad, one of the world's deadliest terrorist organizations. Click here and read about this loudmouth who has lived in our country, payed for by taxpayer money as a professor at USF and managed to create a thinktank with what ended up being the head of Islamic Jihad. Of course, he didn't KNOW that this guy was involved with that group.... complete shock to him...

UPDATE: According to the Alligator, UF's student newspaper, Al-Arian was scheduled to speak at a "UF Islam on Campus" meeting on Thursday. He's been here once before and it took every ounce of willpower to keep from going and protesting the last time. I would have most likely protested his visit but I guess I don't have to now. AH HA HA HA HA!!!

Al Roker dot com has pictures and a little writeup about the nation's favorite office linebacker. Yes, that's AlRoker.com. It's my new favorite site! And I'm joking!

We have a WINNER for the best interview of the year! The brain behind "brain-terminal.com" took his camera, microphone and best game face and braved the elements and crowds and went to NYC to interview some of the protesters to see if they really knew what they were protesting. Their answers will surprise you -- by how ignorant they are. Imagine standing and holding signs for a cause that you can't even intelligently defend. These people want to improve life in the world... and yet they spend their time holding signs that say "Bush is Hitler" and such. Hey! I've got an idea! Why not use that energy and spend it volunteering at a nursing home? Or a mosque? Or at a food bank? Or doing SOMETHING good for your country?!

Ok... calming down.... pulse... slowing....

Click here to see what I mean.

"I'm in my 2nd trimester.... it must be time to hit the dance clubs!!!

Ok... am I the only one who is shocked about this tragedy at the Chicago club for the reason that there were several pregnant women injured in the melee? I mean, just what the hell were pregnant women doing there? Is it old fashioned for me to think that it was completely irresponsible for them to be out in a dance club at 3am? I mean... I don't like the idea that anyone was injured and I think that the club owners are horrible... but... those pregnant women should have been at home!!! Just my 2 cents...

UPDATE: So, I had a conversation regarding pregnant women at nightclubs with some of my co-workers. One of them, who assumed the "devil's advocate" role, said that it might depend on how pregnant she was. Heck, she might not have been drinking at all. My response was that although I think people have the right to do whatever they want, I though it was irresponsible for ANY pregnant women to be selfishly concerned with going to a club that is notorious for being overcrowded. And it's 3 in the morning, for crying out loud! Anyway, I did some more research and although I wasn't able to nail down how "pregnant" any of these women were, I did find one eyewitness quote:

"You could see a mound of people," said Cory Thomas, 33, who went to the club to pick up two friends. "People were stacking on top of each other, screaming and gagging, I guess from the pepper spray. The door got blocked because there were too many people stacked up against it."
"I saw them taking out a pregnant woman," Thomas said. "She was in bad shape. I saw at least 10 lifeless bodies."

Now, I'm no "Encyclopedia Brown", but unless he knew that woman, she must have shown some real signs of being pregnant. Or she had a horrendous beer gut. In any case, I think it's fair to say that she was well on her way.

So, this guy ended up with a million dollars at the end. Big friggin' surprise. I predicted that Fox would give him a million dollars at the end of the show regardless of whether he ended up with a girl after he revealed the truth about his finances. Giving him a million made for the best possible ending because:

• If the girl hauled ass, she would look even worse for not doing the "honorable" thing.
• If she picked him, it showed that good behavior is ultimately rewarded.
• Since Fox kept it a secret from "Joe", he added drama because it forces him to confront the girls with what he knew to be the truth, that he was broke. True drama!
• We'll get to see how this woman will react when she knows that she gets to keep the money regardless of whether they stay together.

I can't wait to see the next show. I'm predicting that the relationship isn't working. I think this girl is savvy. She knew that saying yes to any proposal on national tv would make her look like someone who believed in the power of true love... and all that happy horsecrap. My prediction is that she breaks it off with him and splits with the money.

Click on this link to see the article and a copy of streaming video of a man that was shot in the head at a gas station. The assailant ran away and no one came to the victim's assistance. Reports say that one man actually stepped over his body to pay for his gas. Ultimately, he died from loss of blood and doctors say that he might have been saved had someone called 911 when they witnessed the crime.

Just exactly what the HELL is wrong with people? I don't think I could NOT help a guy that was shot and I get sick at the sight of blood. May those people at the gas station never get a good night's sleep again.

Two employees responsible for the transport of dead bodies to and from the coroner's office were arrested on suspicion of sexually defiling the corpse of a 4-year-old girl. All-County Transportation employees Donald Luis Cooper Jr., 32, and Chaunee Marie Helm, 30, both of Hesperia, were arrested and booked for the crime. According to one article I read, they might have video surveillance footage of the crime. This could quite possible be the worst thing I've ever read. I hope that these two get some special treatment while incarcerated.

Click here to see a shot of Christina Aguilera's butt crack.

Robert Kincaid, 84, found out during an x-ray exam that a bullet was lodged in his neck from when he was a 21 year old soldier during World War II! Yeeeeeeoooooowwwww!

Click here if you're a single guy with time on his hands and an up-to-date passport.

Hey kids... make sure you go to http://www.frogbrother.com to get the latest version of my site. That will redirect you to wherever I'm hosting my page... thanks!

This is written ESPECIALLY to that guy in the bathroom who uses the bathroom near our office and doesn't EVER flush. What the HELL is wrong with you?

So, I have this unusual, almost obsessive-compulsive method when I use the restroom. I usually use the stall and I always take my mp3 player with me. It's important that I not hear any of the usual bathroom noises when I'm in there and I just drown them out with music or news or something. Then, before I leave the bathroom I go to the hand towel despenser and (with my elbow) release enough paper to dry my hands. This is to keep from having to touch a dirty dispenser AFTER having washed my hands. I then wash thoroughly and get the now-dispensed towels and exit the bathroom, paper in hand and I use that paper to open the bathroom door. Because GERMS...ARE...EVERWHERE!!!

Oh yeah. Here's a link to more men's bathroom etiquette.

(This is ESPECIALLY for those weak, candy-assed French!)

Perhaps it is time for European leaders to pay a visit to Normandy: There, high above the sea is a cemetery where nearly 10,000 American soldiers are buried, row upon row upon row of young men who gave their lives to rid Europe of Nazi oppression.

It is due to American courage and generosity that countries such as France and Germany and other European states are today free, vibrant democracies. Were it not for the U.S., the U.K. and their allies during World War II, Europe would have remained under Germany's boot for generations. Instead, for 50 years after World War II Europe thrived under the protection of the U.S. while it confronted and defeated communism.

People may forget. Some countries in Europe may also forget. But there are older countries in Europe with longer memories; countries whose most recent memories are of the U.S.-led coalition that ended the tyranny of Slobodan Milosevic. We, the Albanians, do not forget.

This is why we support the U.S. in its effort to rid Iraq of Saddam Hussein and liberate its people.

Fatos Nano
Prime Minister of Albania
Tirana, Albania

Unless you're a guy, in which case you are to IGNORE this valentine!

Ok... I've added a randomizing script to the page so that the header will have a new face that pops up every time you log in. Isn't that neat? Yes? No? Maybe?

You might see some strange errors and stuff on this page today. I'm practicing my ASP and VBScript coding to make this page more "fun" and "entertaining" and "hip". Ask me about our 99 cent side salad.

If someone were to ask me what one piece of advice I would give a college student, I would tell them to stay away from credit cards for as long as you can. And ALWAYS pay the minimum balance. I've been listening to Clark Howard, a radio personality who specializes in consumer advocacy, and it's really help to change my thinking. Did you know that a negative credit report, such as a late payment on a credit card, can stay with you for seven years? I've become very paranoid about my finances now just thinking about that. The best thing you can do is pay off those high interest credit cards. Make it a priority. Imagine NOT having to pay out the 12 - 18% interest on that money you borrowed? Now imagine being able to put those payments you make to GOOD use... such as depositing it in a savings account or money market fund. Or a Certificate of Deposit?

Ok, enough preaching... just check out clarkhoward.com and he can teach you all kinds of stuff about saving money on travel, on the internet and how to protect yourself from scams.

Man, gas is expensive! I am fortunate in that I have a 5 minute commute to work so I only put gas in my car once every 2 or 3 weeks. I know that some of you aren't as lucky so I did a search to see if there was a way to find out what the gas prices are around the country. Check out Gas Price Watch. It has a database of gas stations based on the zip code and then relies on registered "spotters" to enter the daily gas price of the stations they see when they are around town. The more people involved, the better the system gets! You'd be surprised at the fluctuations in prices depending on what part of town you look at. For instance, gas always seems higher when you're closer to an interstate exit.

I know that it might not seem like a lot but this site hit a new one-day record with 97 hits! Please... if you're new, sign the guestbook! Let me know you're out there! Thanks...

UPDATE: I checked to see if the 97 hits included "reloads" and it would appear that they were 97 unique hits. Wow! Where did you all come from? If you are new to the site, please leave a message letting me know how you found me! Thanks!

I managed to find the Howard Stern radio program on Kazaa that was broadcast live on Sept. 11, 2001. It's really amazing and interesting to hear the reactions of people that were there near ground zero and to appreciate the confusion and fear that they felt. If you get a chance, look for this and take a listen.

Human error caused 1,800 gallons of Pepe Lopez Tequila to flow into the streets of Louisville this morning. True story. Can you imagine? It's an alcoholic's dream!

That's funny... he doesn't LOOK like a pothead...

Ben Curtis, the "Dell Dude", was arrested for marijuana possession today. Ah ha ha ha ha ha! Click here.

Squirrels are cute. Even students from Penn State agree. That's why they've documented their attempts to lure these adorable creatures using string and a peanut. Weeee! Click here.

In the grand tradition of the Oscars, the Razzies were created to bring attention to the worst in cinema. Click here to check out how many nominations Madonna has received for "Swept Away".

Here's Michael Jackson when he was cool and now. Take a look at that kisser! His mouth almost wraps around his whole head!

ABC had a two hour documentary on the "King of Pop" last night, "Living With Michael Jackson" and it did a pretty good job of showing Michael Jackson and his strange interactions with other people. I have to admit that I had some preconceived notions about him and some of them were true but I was also surprised that for someone allegedly "germ-phobic", he was not hesitant to hug and kiss some of the fans that had enough nerve to ask. I found him to be quite kind to the people that would gather to see him. My girlfriend noted that he was probably just playing it up for the camera but I tend to think that he's oblivious to the fact that he's being filmed, as was demonstrated by some of the nutty things I saw and heard later in the documentary.

Some things he said of note:

• He plans on living forever.
• He thinks it is totally cool to have little boys sleep in bed with him.
• He goes on million dollar shopping sprees. Bought a replica of King Tut's sarcophagus.
• Has his kids walk around with masks so they can't be seen or identified.
• Claims that his nose it the only thing that he's had surgically altered.

Oh yeah. He's just like one of us.

Click here to read the deposition from a 13 year old that claims to have had sexual contact with Michael Jackson. Oooooo! Shaaaamon!

This study makes no sense to me. I hate to shave. I have very sensitive skin. But I had no idea this was affecting my status as a "player"! Click here. And no, I don't plan on shaving more frequently, so don't ask.

An english-written newspaper from Norway with a name I can't pronounce is reporting that their national state railway has defective restrooms. By "defective", I mean that there is a slight, random chance that you will get drenched in sewage when using the sink. That last sentence took me 10 minutes to write because I was laughing too hard. Anyway, the official response from the NSR is that users should not be afraid of using the sinks and that if something went wrong they should inform the conductor. Can you just imagine calmly telling the conductor that there's something wrong with the bathrooms while bits of corn and peanuts are stuck to your lapel? Ick!!!!

Alcohol, sweet sweet alcohol, was the focus of a study from Tulane University, which is suspiciously close to the French Quarter. Anyway, the conclusion is that light to moderate alcohol ingestion can help reduce the risk of stroke and heart attacks. This, for those of you who try to compare cigarette smoking to drinking, is proof that alcohol consumption is normal and smoking is not. You'll NEVER see a study like this about cigarettes. Ever. Not even in moderation. Up with booze, down with cigarettes!

Last night, in front of a national audience, the (former) #1 ranked Florida Gators got cornholed by a tougher, more intense Kentucky Wildcats. In other news, Frog Brother's girlfriend screamed, punched a pillow and paced the room approximately 613 times.

This weekend, I traveled to South Florida to attend the Sheryl Crow show, which was sponsored by the NHL All Star Game. My brother's band, Big Sky, opened for her and I, with my trusty "all access pass" was able to take pictures during the show from the stage and from the pit in front of the stage. Click here to see my tasteful and artistic nude photos. Just kidding.

ESPN.com has both polls and the Florida Gators are ranked #1 in men's basketball. We rock! Well, at least until this night, when we challenge Kentucky in Lexington. Here's SI's take on the matchup.