Happy Friday...

Babes In Toyland -- AKA March Of The Wooden Soldiers

It’s the only way to kick off the holiday season.

Old King Cole (the King of Toyland), Mother Goose, Little Bo Peep, Tom Thumb, a mouse resembling Mickey Mouse (and actually played by a live monkey in a costume). A mortgage on a shoe that is owned by the villainous Silas Barnaby (who is looking to marry Bo Peep). 100 wooden soldiers at six feet tall, (instead of 600 soldiers at one foot tall). True love, trickery, incompetence, burglary charges, dunking (in the ducking stool), banishment to Bogeyland, a wedding, a pignapping, caves, giant spider webs, secret passageways at the bottom of an empty well, an army of torch-wielding Bogeymen, an alligator infested river... this and much more is just part of another day in the life of our dimwit heroes Stan and Ollie (AKA Laurel and Hardy).

Babes In Toyland, AKA March Of The Wooden Soldiers, was renamed for its famous scene where the six-foot tall, toy soldiers, march in a stop-motion animation sequence which then changes to live action, attacking the Bogeymen with the bayonets of their rifles, defeating and trapping the evil Barnaby who is then covered by blocks that spell "rat", and driving the Bogeymen back into Bogeyland, where alligators appear to feast on them, eventually saving the kingdom of Toyland.

As the film concludes, Stan and Ollie give the Bogeymen a parting shot with a dart-filled cannon. Stan aims the cannon and lights the fuse, as Ollie turns away to avoid the loud blast, the barrel of the cannon flips backwards and unleashes the barrage of darts on Ollie, covering his back with darts. The film ends with Stan pulling them out one by one as Ollie winces.

All current prints of this film carry its re-release title MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS, though only the colorized version and the black-and-white version released by RHI International contain all the original footage (other prints delete the opening sequence with Mother Goose).

Original script written by Hal Roach, December, 1933. Final script completed July, 1934. Filmed February, August - October, 1934. Produced by Hal Roach. Directed by Charles Rogers and Gus Meins. 79 minutes.

Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Charlotte Henry, Felix Knight, Henry Brandon, Florence Roberts, William Burress, Kewpie Morgan.

STORY: Evil Silas Barnaby wants to evict poor Widow Peep from her giant shoe, marry her lovely and innocent daughter Bo-Peep, and, ultimately, destroy Toyland. He is thwarted at every turn by the efforts of toy-factory employees Ollie Dee and Stannie Dum, culminating in a battle between Barnaby's Bogeymen and an army of six-foot-tall wooden soldiers.

Mangia! Mangia!

Want a non-traditional Thanksgiving Day Stuffing?
How 'bout a White Castle Thanksgiving Day Stuffing?

Wishing all a safe, sane, nutritious and, most important of all, tasty holiday.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Missile: Impossible
http://www.thedailyshow.com/
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Rally to Restore Sanity

I'm Dreaming of a Black Christmas

Protect Your A$$-ets

Dow Downfall: Index to Fall Below 1,000

Read 'Not Possible'

1,000 on the Dow will literally wipe out 90% of the market cap of the greatest businesses in America, and arguably the world.

Going... Going... Gone

SOB

Into The Wild

Just follow the yellow brick road, bring $125...and have a nice day!

Does anybody really know what time it is?

In Memory of Ed

Tiger's Toadies - (real friends or real jerks?)

Q.) What do you call a person who purposefully surrounds themselves with ass-kissers so they can be king?

A.) King of the ass-kissers!


Tiger's 'pals' are toadies
By PHIL MUSHNICK
December 3, 2009

Hiya, kids! Your pal Tiger here again. Ready for your Be A Good Sport Tip of the Day? Today, let's work on our driving:

Say you're out for a spin at 2:25 in the morning and, oopsie, you smash up the car, knock over a lamppost and maybe a mailbox.

Now, when the police ask you to answer a few questions, do what Tiger does: Tell the police to buzz off!

And tell Mom and Dad you want Tiger Woods-signature Nike clothing and equipment for Christmas! Just Do It! Your pal - Tiger.

So what's the cost of good advice that it's too expensive for Tiger Woods? It seems that all he had to do was face the music before it became deafening. Disarm the alarm quickly, honestly, openly: "We're having some marital issues. Things, right now, are not good, but we hope to resolve them, one way or another. I've cooperated with the police in this matter. Thank you."

Chances are that much of what's blowing in would've blown itself out by now. Some of it wouldn't have even caught the wind. "Hey, from the start, he admitted his marriage is on the rocks, didn't he?" Or did Woods & Co. really think that they could keep the lid on a can of half-opened stink? Why, because he's Tiger Woods?

Woods was long ago attached to a climate-controlled, rep-firm-at-work immaculate image. Some recognized it from the start as nauseatingly bogus. It figures that Team Tiger on Saturday came up with a plan to send Woods into a bunker that no sand wedge, even in Tiger Woods' hands, could beat. But hadn't Woods & Co. always gotten its way? This would be just another sweet up and down to save par.

Playing the Phoenix Open in 1999, Woods, starting his third full year as a pro but already identified as extra super special, hit his drive behind a boulder. His approach to the green was blocked. No problem. A dozen spectators teamed to shove that boulder out of his way. A boulder that took 12 men to move was deemed, as per The Rules of Golf, "a loose impediment" -- it was for Tiger Woods.

On TV, that day, and for weeks to come, the announcers thought that boulder-shoving scene was great. Most media did, or so they claimed. So what that such an unnatural advantage wouldn't have been extended to some anonymous schnook who was trying to make a paycheck in that tournament, everyone loves Tiger!

But that was never the point. A few party poopers -- I was one -- didn't see the sport in what had happened. It set a bad example -- for Woods. He didn't have to deal with a boulder that was in his way; boulders are for the other guys to deal with.

I was hoping that Woods would have called the do-gooders off that rock, that he'd have recognized that such use/misuse of the rules is excessive, that it violated the "spirit of the rules" (failed the smell test).

But Woods passed on this golden opportunity to prove that he's a sportsman, that he'd do as everyone else must, that under the circumstances, he'd just have to do the best he could.

Ten years later, that boulder is back. This time, though, he had to deal with it, do the best he could. Unaccustomed to such circumstances, he didn't deal with them very well.

But when you grow accustomed to having it your way, every time, all the time, and you're surrounded by those who either serve that end or established it and maintain it, good advice isn't allowed past the gatehouse.

I've often wondered whether Donald Trump, for all his dough, has a real-deal best friend, the kind who can tell him when he's acting like a jerk and remain his best friend. Or does he surround himself with acolytes he confuses as friends, backslappers who tell him what he wants to hear -- or risk excommunication? I suspect it's the latter.

And I suspect that began to become Woods' reality, too. Woods' "pals" allowed him to think that he could beat this because he's Tiger Woods. A real friend wouldn't have allowed him to think such a foolish thing.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/jerk_pals_are_toadies_lfLSiR6Ryu4HUkRNrmLZPM
Copyright 2009 NYP Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.

Who is Rosi Golan?

Rosi Golan is an Israeli born singer songwriter who has made many stops in her travels, including Germany, Paris, and finally ending up in Los Angeles at the age of nine, where she grew up. During her travels, she not only managed to hone her infectiously melodic songwriting, but also learned to speak three languages fluently: French, Hebrew and English.

Rosi Golan is the sensuous voice behind the very popular TV commercial for State Street Global Advisors. You know...the one with the cute dogs and the buried treasure. Have a look.



Many have asked if the song in that commercial is available in it's full length, and for now according to Rosi the answer is...well, no...at least not yet. We need not worry 'bout that anyway, because Rosi is everywhere, and thankfully so. If you would like to hear or download a short uncut version of the Buried Treasure theme song here is the link from the State Street website. Buried Treasure

Buried treasure indeed. For more Rosi, check out her debut CD (2008), The Drifter and the Gypsy. An 11-song record that has already yielded 7 placements on such shows as One Tree Hill (“Come Around”, “Been A Long Day” and “Hazy”), Private Practice (“Lullaby”) and Ghost Whisperer (“Come Around”). Her song “Shine” is the anthem for the international Pantene campaign and “C’est L’amour” is currently licensed to Chicco Clothing with ads in Italy, Portugal and Sweden. You can also look for Rosi in an ad campaign this Christmas from J.C Penny.

Rosi, a Kobalt Music writer, has co-written numerous songs for other artists, including “Let Me Out”, a single from Ben’s Brother debut CD (EMI/Virgin). The song was featured on Grey’s Anatomy and nominated for the prestigious Ivor Novello songwriting award for Best Song.

Rosi has recently toured with William Fitzsimmons (who duets with her on “Hazy”) as well as Greg Laswell, Ari Hest and Jay Nash. She's been featured in Billboard Magazine and Performing Songwriter and her song “Think of Me” was the recipient of the ASCAP’s first Robert Allen Award for songwriting.

Here is the version of HAZY, featuring William Fitzsimmons...



If that doesn't get you, check out this beautifully performed cover.



Bravo! Very well done. I Thank you for that!

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Here are the lyrics and chords for Hazy:

HAZY - A song by Rosi Golan

It’s a pretty simple song.

GUITAR - capo 5th fret
INTRO - G-D-Em-C
VERSE - G-Em-C-D...repeat, then...C-D-C-D
REFRAIN - G-D-Em-C 3 times, then at "oh" ...Am-C, then at humming...G-C-G-C
STRUMMING PATTERN - down, up, up, down, up, up, down, up, down

Capo 5

INTRO: G-D-Em-C

VERSE:

G.............Em.......C...............D
I watched you sleeping quietly in my bed

G.............Em................C...................................D
You don’t know this now, but there’s some things that need to be said

C..................D
It’s all that I can hear

C.......................D
It’s more than I can bear

REFRAIN:

G...........D.................Em
What if I fall, and hurt myself?

..........C.................G
Would you know how to fix me?

D................Em
What if I went and lost myself?

......................C
Would you know where to find me?

G...........D..........Em......................C
If I forgot who I am, would you please remind me?

Am..............C
Oh, cause without you things go hazy

G-C-G-C
Humming

Repeats again with the guy singing.
Then with both singing the refrain to end the song.

It’s a very awesome song and great duet song. Enjoy :)

COCA-COLA: THE REAL STORY BEHIND THE REAL THING

A CNBC Original, "COCA-COLA: THE REAL STORY BEHIND THE REAL THING" will premiere on Wednesday, November 11th at 9PM. It will re-air that night at 10PM, 12AM and 1AM. (ALL TIMES ARE ET)

The show will also repeat on the following dates:

Thursday, November 12th at 8PM

Sunday, November 15th at 10PM

ABOUT THE SHOW

With unprecedented access, CNBC pulls back the curtain on Coca-Cola, the most recognizable brand on the planet. In an original one-hour documentary, "Coca-Cola: The Real Story Behind the Real Thing," CNBC's Melissa Lee reveals never-before-seen labs, secret archives and high-tech product testing. Cameras follow Coke's urgent campaign to reinvent itself after years of losing ground to arch-rival Pepsi in the race to develop new, blockbuster beverages. Meet the men and women whose mission it is to put the buzz back in the bottles and see how Coke gets its drinks into the mouths of people in the farthest corners of the globe. From the production line to "Cola Wars," discover the secret that makes Coke pop.

Coke’s Innovation Lab

People say “yes” to coke more than a billion times each day around the globe. But for Coke, that’s not enough. We visit Coca-Cola’s innovation lab --- a war room where Coke plots how to get you to buy more and buy it more often.

An American Classic

Perhaps no product is more embedded in the history of American culture than Coca-Cola. The classic curvy shape of a bottle of Coke is recognized around the globe. A visit to the company’s archives is a lesson in how powerful marketing can turn something as simple as soda into an icon.

The Pepsi Challenge

In the early 1980’s Coca-Cola began an epic battle with Pepsi. The Pepsi Challenge was all too real. Coke conducted its own taste tests and the order was given to change Coke’s 99-year old formula – resulting in one of the great blunders in American business.

Bottlers

The bottlers do something the Coca-Cola company doesn’t do: make Coca-Cola. Not only do the bottlers make the secret blend of ingredients that give Coke its flavor, but they also distribute the entire line of Coke beverages to retailers.

Show Time... Monday... 9:30 AM...

DOW 10,000: "We suspect the food is tainted..."

The stock rally could have legs after a line of better-than-expected third-quarter earnings reports, but Art Cashin, head of floor operations at UBS, said he isn't yet convinced.

"The banquet looks stupendous, I hear the wine is great," he said. "You guys can party on, but some of us are going to sit on the sideline like wallflowers."

High Places (((revisited)))

The Birdmen

In the latest craze that has killed several extreme adventurers, men don wing suits, jump off mountain tops and glide at speeds of 140 miles per hour.

60 Minutes' Steve Kroft reports, "Some people call them "birdmen," -- and we first learned about them on the Internet."

Transcript:

To the extent that Holmes and the others ever get nervous, it usually comes at a time that many people might consider one of the most mundane legs of the trip, when the end is in sight.

When asked what the most dangerous part of the jump is, Holmes said, "The most important thing is to open that parachute, you know. Just that moment, when you reach back. And throw the pilot chute out there, which extracts your parachute. That's the most critical thing. I mean, if you don't do that, you're not gonna live through it."

But getting down the mountain, which only takes a minute or so, is just part of the extreme sport. The much longer and arduous part involves scaling the mountains you are going to jump off.

"How long does it take to get up to the ledge where you go from?" Kroft asked.

"This one's about an hour and a half. But, you know, some of 'em are up to four, five, six hours for the big, big mountains around here," Holmes explained.

There are no chairlifts, which explains why Holmes, Julian Boulle, and Tom Erik Heiman are members of such a small and exclusive club. You have to be a skilled climber, an accomplished skydiver and an experienced outdoorsman to even attempt to do this.

"You know, it's that first view, looking over the edge that really hits you. You're like, 'Whoa, cool. This is an amazing spot to fly,'" Holmes said.

"Money can't buy you this experience," Boulle explained. "You've got to have the passion to do your time. If you haven't done the time, you just can't get there. You can't arrive with like $10,000 and buy a wingsuit experience."

"What do you have to know? What kind of skills do you have to have to be able to do what you do?" Kroft asked.

"You need to just have some mountain sense. You know, 'How long am I gonna be? What if something goes wrong? How long is it gonna be until I can get back if the weather comes in?' You need to know yourself. 'How much water do I need to have? Can I realistically walk up this mountain for two hours? Or is that not within my physical capabilities?'" Holmes said.

It looks spontaneous, but the birdmen put together a detailed plan every time they jump.

Full Transcript at CBS.com


(((Older Post)))

(((Base Jumping)))

Something you will never see

Not Your Ordinary Love Story:(

Capitalism: A Love Story is the newly released title of Oscar-winner Michael Moore’s latest documentary feature. In Capitalism, Moore returns to the issue that began his career: the disastrous impact that corporate dominance and out-of-control profit motives have on the lives of Americans and citizens of the world.

Moore has said that this film was made for an audience of one. When asked, what he means by that, Moore answered, "I wanted to scare Obama. I didn't make this for the general audience, I made it for him. I want him to know that we know, and that he is on notice. If he ultimately sides with Wall Street in all of this, my next film will make Fahrenheit look like a Disney movie."

So when all is said and done, I suppose we can look forward to at least one more docudrama from Michael Moore. May I suggest a working title? How 'bout calling it 'OOPS!'.

...............

"The main point Moore wants to make, the thing that drives him craziest, is his notion that capitalism, far from being a system that rewards excellence, is a scheme set up to make a profit on absolutely anything. "

Los Angeles Times
- Kenneth Turan

...............

"No matter what side of the political fence you're on or what you think of Moore as an activist and provocateur, a film that explores the economic meltdown and its historical roots is something most of us can get our heads around."

USA Today
- Claudia Puig

...............

Capitalism: A Love Story
Opened October 2, 2009 -- Runtime:2 hr. 7 min.
Rated R (language)

No tears for Polanski: here's my vote

You do the crime, you do the time -- or at least pay the bill.

Roman Polanski said he'd pay to end victim's lawsuit
Then failed to live up to the terms of the agreement
By Harriet Ryan and Joe Mozingo, Los Angeles Times

Roman Polanski agreed to pay the victim in his child-sex case at least $500,000 as part of a civil settlement, but then failed to live up to the terms of the agreement, according to court filings reviewed Friday. The documents leave open the question of whether the fugitive filmmaker has ever paid the money he promised in the confidential 1993 settlement with Samantha Geimer. In 1996, she was still trying to get the funds and even attempted to garnish his pay from movie studios. The deal they hammered out called, in part, for Polanski to pay Geimer $500,000 with interest no later than Oct. 11, 1995, according to filings by her attorney. The deadline came and went with no check from Polanski, her attorneys alleged in court documents. A court ordered a formal judgment against Polanski for the amount plus interest -- just over $600,000. The following year, her attorneys enlisted the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department in an attempt to garnish money intended for Polanski from movie studios, his agent and the Screen Actors Guild, the records show.