Sunday, July 30, 2006

Mark's Health Report

I've lost 65 pounds in 65 days. I used to eat steaks that weighed that much.

The whole countdown is over here.

• Posted at 6:43 PM · LINK

Recommended Reading

A pastor in Minnesota is steadfastly refusing to mix politics with his religion...and getting mixed reactions for it. Go read.

• Posted at 1:52 PM · LINK

Recommended Product

I recently bought one of these for my mother and we're both very happy with it. It's the Uniden EZI996 900 MHz Cordless Phone for the Visually or Hearing Impaired — a one-line telephone that's perfect for someone who has trouble hearing or reading the buttons. The ringer and the handset volume can be cranked up to high levels and both the base and handset have a light that will flash when the phone rings or when a voicemail message is waiting. The thing has pretty good sound, too. You can read more about it or even order one here.

• Posted at 11:16 AM · LINK

Recommended Reading

If you have TimesSelect, go read Frank Rich. If you don't, you'll have to settle for me quoting his first two paragraphs...although if you do a little searching on the 'net, you should have no trouble finding someone quoting the whole thing.

As America fell into the quagmire of Vietnam, the comedian Milton Berle joked that the fastest way to end the war would be to put it on the last-place network, ABC, where it was certain to be canceled. Berle's gallows humor lives on in the quagmire in Iraq. Americans want this war canceled too, and first- and last-place networks alike are more than happy to oblige.

CNN will surely remind us today that it is Day 19 of the Israel-Hezbollah war — now branded as Crisis in the Middle East — but you won't catch anyone saying it's Day 1,229 of the war in Iraq. On the Big Three networks evening newscasts, the time devoted to Iraq has fallen 60 percent between 2003 and this spring, as clocked by the television monitor, the Tyndall Report. On Thursday, Brian Williams of NBC read aloud a "shame on you" e-mail complaint from the parents of two military sons anguished that his broadcast had so little news about the war. This is happening even as the casualties in Iraq, averaging more than 100 a day, easily surpass those in Israel and Lebanon combined.

• Posted at 9:18 AM · LINK

Today's Video Link

This one runs a bit over five minutes and it's improperly squeezed and a little out-of-sync. Still, it'll please folks who are fans of surprise cameo guest appearances. If you're one, take the time to click on the arrow.

The clip is from The Dean Martin Show and it features Petula Clark. I always thought Ms. Clark was a terrific performer and there was a period there when Dino's producers obviously felt the same way. She was on so often, I suspect they were pushing her for her own series. If they were, no network took the hint.

So enjoy the parade of celebrities...and let's give a shout out to one of them. Dom DeLuise has been in poor health lately and we sure hope he gets better. A very nice, funny man.

• Posted at 12:08 AM · LINK