As I've mentioned before, I love my reality television. I watch for two reasons - pure enjoyment and to watch morons make asses of themselves. The latter was the reason I watched the premiere of MTV's newest show, Bromance. If you haven't heard about this one, it "stars" fame-whore Brody (son of Olympian Bruce Jenner) who first starred on the "reality" show The Hills. It is basically the male equivalent of Paris Hilton's search for a new BFF.

All I can say about this show is MTV must think our young people are dumb. Ryan Seacrest should be ashamed that his TV production company is producing this garbage. For starters, like Real World, they have a confessional room. They use a bathroom and call it the "can-fessional". Secondly, they will have "group dates" and "one-on-one dates" with Brody. Some of the clips about the season even show butch guys "crying". Is this a search for friends or a boyfriend? Finally the creepiest thing about this show is that the elimination takes place in a large hot tub. How homosexual is that? Not saying that's a bad thing but come on. This is a search for a new entourage member - not a bathhouse! Oh and the winner? Brody will move them out to Los Angeles and give them a house to live in. Is this desperation or him looking for a "boy toy"?

MTV has picked up six episodes of this series - I hope MTV doesn't let it go that long!

Actor Patrick Warburton - Daddy material!

My friend Karen introduced me to a relatively new celebrity chef named Curtis Stone. Surprisingly, I had never heard of him. I say it is surprising because he has a show on TLC called Take Home Chef and I've never watched it even though I watch TLC very often. Now I am not knowledgeable about his cooking background, but I know Karen likes him because he is "a hot guy with an Australian accent". Having never watched the show personally I cannot vouch for his cooking expertise but I have seen one clip of his and he seems okay. Take a look for yourselves:

For you ladies out there - he is 31 and single and based in Los Angeles. The dish he is making in the video clip seems good to me. Not sure I will try to make it but I know Karen will be. Want more info on him? Check him out on the TLC website.

Now, I am definitely NOT a fan of Beyonce - she is WAY overrated. As y'all probably know, everyone and their brother or sister has made their own video/parody of her recent video. Thanks to Curtis over at Sweetie's Blog, I saw what has to be the fiercest copy. Hell, I think it is 100 times more fierce than Beyonce herself!

Hershey takes pieces of crunchy candy and places them in a peppermint flavored white chocolate. My friend Jen ran out of them and had to take a trip to Wally World to get more. In fact, she bought every bag she could find! Fortunately for her, they had the Christmas candy 50% off. If you like mint and chocolate - get to your local store to get some before Jen gets there!

I found this on PerezHilton today. I'm not a fan of Jerry O'Connell or Rebecca Romaijn... but it is hilarious.

I'm sure by now all my readers have heard about a song/parody that has been promoted by Rush Limbaugh called "Barack the Magic Negro". I heard about it today and I wanted to find the song to post to find out what y'all think about it. Now the argument right now is, is Limbaugh getting a free ride? You may remember last year when Don Imus made comments regarding the Rutgers University Women's Basketball team and was fired from his job. The stand by Limbaugh and his defenders is that this song is 'political satire' while Imus' comments were just racist remarks. What do y'all think?

Tonight I watched a documentary on TLC about an 8-year-old girl who has a rare condition called sirenomelia. The condition is when a baby, still in the womb, has their legs fused together. It is very rare that these babies survive childbirth and the few that have survived have had their legs separated as babies. Shiloh Pepin was a different case. Doctors did not expect her to survive birth let alone 8 years.When Shiloh was born, she had no genitalia, 1/4 of a kidney, almost no large intestine, no bladder and only one ovary. Just that she was alive at birth was a miracle. At 4 months of age, her small kidney failed and she received her first kidney transplant. She spent 3 years on dialysis until she received her second kidney transplant in August 2007. She survived again. Over 8 years, she has had over 150 medical procedures. You would think a child that has gone through all this would be on upset little kid.

You would be wrong.

She is one of the happiest kids you will ever come across. Watching the show, I was amazed at her attitude. Most 8-year-olds throw tantrums for trivial things like having to eat vegetables. Shiloh looks at her condition and is happy to be "the mermaid girl". In fact, recently the family had to make a decision about whether or not to separate her legs to prepare for impending puberty and complications involving her spine. Her parents decided it should Shiloh's decision despite her age. Shiloh would have had to have 13 years worth of surgery to complete the separation process. That is a lot to ask an 8-year-old to go through.

Shiloh decided not to have the surgery - to just enjoy life. Many of us could learn a lot from this little girl. Though she was dealt an awful hand - she has managed enjoy life to its fullest.

If you would like to make a donation to help the family with medical bills, visit her website. Check your local listings to check out this documentary on TLC.

I don't know how many of y'all know the 1977 Disney film Pete's Dragon but it is one of my all-time favorites. I'm a sucker for a good musical (No I do not go around singing Judy Garland or anything). Those who know me know that I like to sing along. This is a clip of my favorite song from the movie.

Howdy readers! I am now back home in Biloxi after my week in NY and Christmas in Louisiana. I cannot tell you how glad I am to be back in my own bed. When you have health issues like mine, your mattress can become your best friend and mine sure has (Thank you for the mattress Brent!). Fortunately, Darin's parents have a topper for their bed that is similar to my tempur-pedic but my gram's guest room bed is incredibly hard.

Unlike when my buddy John went on his vacation to Florida, I don't have anything near as exciting to report (no 3 days worth of posts on this one!). I didn't expect to do a whole lot while I was there but I had hoped for more than I got. Right after getting there, my mom lost her job. She was 1 of 100 who were laid off from the college where she worked. Of course, she always needs to be the center of attention (mainly trying to get people to feel sorry for her) and this was no exception. She was immediately in a pissy mood. She got 3 months severance AND they hired a company to help those laid off to find new jobs. My partner lost their job and got NONE of that. But I don't get to be upset but she can be. Yes, please be pissy to someone who has it WORSE than you do. Nothing unusual for her there.

My dad procrastinated as usual and thanks to the weather, our dinner never happened. And there was the weather. 22+ inches of snow over the week. 8-10 inches twice! The highlight of the week was my family all getting together for what will probably be my gram's last Christmas at home. That was the main reason I was flying up there for the visit. It would have been nice to get out to do more than just go to Walmart.

After spending 8 days in NY, it was time to fly home. Of course, my 2nd flight was cancelled and instead of leaving at 6am (I was there at 4:30am), I was now leaving at 5:20PM. The guy tried to blame it on the weather and decided it was ok for him to give me attitude for showing up 12 hours early. Well, no one notified me that the flight had to be changed. I even called at midnight the night before and nothing had been changed. So, he wasn't going to compensate me in any way. Of course I was ticked about that. Fortunately when I checked in for the new flight, they didn't charge me the $40 for the luggage. That's all I wanted in the first place!

The flights were uneventful and then we had a 2 hour drive to the in-laws. God it was nice to get into bed! Is it horrible that I would rather spend Christmas day with the inlaws rather than my own family (You excluded Erin!)? Now we just get to start packing up the house now that we are home. More on that later...

That's right kids - I'm up here in Upstate NY. I managed to find an unsecured network to leech off of - that dial up was WAY too slow. I wish I could say that I've done some exciting stuff (I'm living vicariously through you John) but we've basically just stayed here at the house. I did go to Super Walmart though! (Yes I know, that is sad.) We've already had 3-4 inches of snow and oh boy! 10 more inches is coming our way (get you mind out of the gutter boys).

Not much more will happen while I am here except for the family coming on Sunday for an early Christmas dinner. Of course, there has to be drama with that. God forbid the adults could be adults for a change. I would love to know how children of divorced parents deal with having both parents at holiday meals - our situation is complicated but of course one parent now being in a love with a new person is too much for the other to deal with. Oh, and they set the other one up with that person! Seems to me they cannot be upset about it now but of course, they are.

Okay time for me to go watch some television before bed. See y'all again once I am back in Mississippi! Enjoy your Christmas everyone!

I just wanted to make sure to remind y'all that I am heading north to visit the family in NY today. So that means I probably won't be able to blog for the next week since my gram doesn't have Internet at her house (that's who I am staying with). Yes, I will be in withdrawal! Also, we may be moving to Pittsburgh at the end of the month - we will know this week. If we are definitely moving, I will stay in NY for an extra week or so and just travel from there to PA. Sooooooo it could be a few weeks before y'all hear from me again. I know y'all will be okay. Just tell yourself, it's just a week. ha!

Merry Christmas everyone just in case I don't get to post until after!

This was on television a while back but gosh it was funny.

I wouldn't call myself a big fan of Family Guy but sometimes I will tune in and have a good laugh. These day, I'm looking to laugh as much as possible. Tonight, on a repeat episode, I found a bit called "prom night dumpster baby" which is just 'terrible'. You tell me, funny or going a little too far?

Thanks to my friend JewJewBee (see my featured blog!) for showing this to me... It's free to make your own and trust me, it's hilarious!!

I've been blogging now for a few months and I have noticed that I don't get many comments. Fortunately I know it isn't because people aren't reading. In fact, I'm almost to the 1500 visitor mark! While that makes me excited, I kind of wish more would leave comments. I have a few who comment a lot (thanks John, JC, CB!) and I have some who leave me comments on Yahoo Messenger - but please let me know what y'all think of my posts. I'd like to know what y'all like or don't like please!

Also - I have added a comment function to the blog. It's right over ---->> in the upper right hand corner. Please tell me how I'm doing! Also, I will probably not be able to blog when I get to NY so if I am missing for 2 weeks don't be alarmed!

Thanks all for the continued support!

Well we finally have witnessed winter down here in the South! We have had some chilly weather - and even gotten in the 30's a couple times but nothing seems to stick. Today at noon I took the dogs out and I could see my breath! When I checked the weather, it said it was 37 with a wind chill of 29 here in Biloxi! We didn't even get the brunt of the winter weather here ... Here is what Baton Rouge had today:

Trust me, I saw a lot of this growing up in New York - but I had only seen snow once in the 10 years I have been down here in the South. I kind of wish we got snow here in Biloxi but I know we're in for more than out share once we move.

Well, life has dealt our family another blow. A few months ago, my disability company decided to screw me over. Now my partner's employer has screwed him over. After being told repeatedly that his job was safe, he was let go yesterday. Just when things seemed to be looking up for us, this had to happen. I wish people would just be honest. Had they been honest with him, he could have been more prepared.

Fortunately for us, his old boss started a new job in Pennsylvania a few months ago. Why good for us? Part of his job is to bring in a new team of chefs, etc, to run the culinary department at a resort. We knew in a couple months we would probably be moving so Darin could take a director job there. After they heard what happened yesterday, they moved quickly and before the afternoon was over, Darin was promised a job. Not only that but they will provide us housing in a condo on site through the winter season! (Now we just have to convince them to let us bring our pets!)

Since I was going to NY on Monday anyways, I will get to spend an extra week with my grandmother and then take the train to Pittsburgh. The resort wants him there by the end of December - so money won't be as tight as we thought it would be. Not having to pay rent for a couple months will allow us to save up as well which helps ease my mind a great deal. My biggest worry at this point is finding a new doctor in time before my medication runs out. Fortunately I have until the middle of January before that happens.

So please - send a few prayers up for us as we begin this transition. Also - Darin has never had to deal with winter - please pray for his driving abilities. ha!

Well, I have begun therapy again. Yes, this is a good thing. I was in therapy for awhile this past year but the therapist I was seeing decided to take a job with the military (for more money) and dumped all her clients - she didn't even refer me to anyone. Basically she helped open a lot of wounds but never helped me fix anything. The whole reason I was there was because I was extremely depressed (thanks to my disability) and as a kid I had never learned how to cope with things properly. So even though it appeared I was doing okay, deep down I know that I wasn't.

We found a clinic in the county that makes it possible for me to see a therapist/psychiatrist for only $10 a session - and they will help me get medication for as cheap as possible. This is something I had been praying about for some time. I have been getting more depressed for a long time now. The new therapist talked about the "depression down spiral" which ends with being stuck in the "I'm worthless" thinking and believe that nothing will get better, etc. Fortunately for me, I still have a shred of positivity left to grasp onto. She is also sending me to Al-Anon. As I've mentioned before I do not have a good relationship with my mother. She's an alcoholic but I never thought her drinking ever affected me since I was never around it. I've come to find out that she has personality traits/behaviors that precede the drinking that would have affected me negatively.

As I told her, my goal is to "get better". I'm not putting a quantity or percentage component on this - this way even if it is 1% better, it is still a success. As I am going through this therapy, I will post updates and such on here.

OK - Here's a diet even I wouldn't try. But god it makes you hungry...

I just saw the new Planters commercial and I have to say it's one of the best I have seen in years! Far better than even the SuperBowl commercials! And trust me, normally i change the channel to avoid commercials!

After two crazy weeks, Boy George was just found guilty of chaining a male escort to a wall -- nekkid -- and beating him. Now, George could face jail time for the hand-cuffing and attacking of a 29-year-old man-whore in the singer's London home last year. George tried to explain himself using several incredible defenses -- including the "I'm too fat and out of shape to beat up someone" excuse. Nothing flew with the judge though, and now he's totally screwed - but not the way he was looking to be. The question now is - will he receive jail time and if so, how long until he is someone's bitch?

I don't know how many of y'all have seen the independent movie CAMP but it's actually a pretty good movie - especially for us Broadway geeks out there! Basically the movie is about a camp which centers around drama and music - and little on typical camp stuff. There's actually more to it than just geek drama kids. If you get a chance to watch it - you should. It's one of my secret guilty pleasures ha! This is my favorite song from the movie - and it says a lot about being ourselves.

Hazing isn't anything new. What gets me is that people continue to do it even though so many get caught. The latest incident of hazing nationally has been reported in Baton Rouge, LA at Southern University. "Mellow Phi Fellow" is the unofficial 'fraternity' for the French Horn section of the Jaguar Marching Band. Police have arrested six Southern students for '"ritualistic torture" and aggravated second-degree battery and ritualistic acts' and police anticipate a seventh arrest.

According to police reports, victims were blindfolded, stripped of their shirts, doused with water and struck with open hands. The worst part is that they were then beaten with a wooden paddle. Two students were hospitalized and a third was treated after being struck more than 50 times with the paddle.

I have two things I am wondering about in these instances. First, why would the students allow the upperclassmen to do this garbage to them? I was part of a fraternity and the excuse that hazing "builds brotherhood" is a crock. We did team building excursions and seminars and I don't think hazing could have created the same type of bond. Secondly, why are only the upperclassmen charged with these crimes? Seems to me the so-called victims condoned the behavior of the older students - until they were injured. Now if I was getting hazed and hit with a board 50 times - why not refuse to continue? Usually in hazing situations, the "hazed" have the opportunity to leave the group.

Now I know the answer to these questions - the 'victims' are people with low self-esteem with a strong need to belong. Parents - where are you? Teach your kids they do not need to degrade themselves in order to belong.

I have had my fill of going to doctors. For the past 3 years, I have been to the doctor far too much and I'm really getting tired of it. Anyone who has had to deal with Pain Management clinics can relate. They always have too many patients and the wait time is horrible. They never can give you enough attention and you leave feeling like you were just taking up too much of his precious time.

The doctor I have been going to I started seeing merely because of the insurance company. Now that my insurance ran out, I think it is time I found a new doctor. Fortunately, I am starting to see doctors at the free clinic in town - one of the best around actually - but I'm afraid they will tell me that they don't do chronic pain management. Regardless after today's experience it is time to get away from Dr. Procedure. I think of him as that because he really only sees patients who are willing to do worthless procedures - ones that cause the rest of us to have to wait 2 or more hours when we go. Hello - we are there because we are in pain! Yes, we love waiting for 2 hours and leaving in more pain than when we came in!

Today's was the worst because I was there for 3 hours waiting. After all that time, they had only given me my prescriptions but never examined me. Did not even ask me about my current pain, problems, nothing. To top it off, the disability insurance company had sent a form basically asking if the doctor thought I could work at all and if so, for how long. He told me - after 3 hours and a month of the form sitting there - that he does not do disability evaluations. It isn't an evaluation! And the funny thing is - if you look on his list of prices for services it lists disability forms! When I asked him why he had me there waiting for 3 hours to tell me that and why they didn't tell me that a month ago he just said "whatever you want me to do you need to submit in writing - goodbye". He gave me an entire minute of his time. So, he can expect something from the state medical board once I submit my complaint about this complete idiot.

One of the most famous bars in the world will celebrate their 75th anniversary on Wednesday Dec. 3, with a block party on St. Peter St. The Pat O'Brien's Block Party starts at 5 p.m. PAt O's is one of the most visited bars anywhere thanks to signature drinks and a guaranteed good time for all who enter. Congrats Pat O's!

Marc Shaiman and Adam Shankman created this musical (maybe a bit late guys?) and got a lot of star support including Jack Black (as Jesus), John C. Reilly, Allison Janney, Margaret Cho, Neil Patrick Harris (YUM!) and more.

Last night, I was up late not because I couldn't sleep (this is an amazing thing) but because Darin wasn't feeling well. After getting back up to help him out, I was wide awake so I turned the television back on and then there was a loud bang. I thought maybe it was Darin having trouble but he came to check to see if I was alright. We went to investigate the noise but we found nothing. I figured it was just an animal outside or some equally simple explanation.

Wrong.

This morning I went to get something from the fridge and purple liquid fell on the floor. That was odd. Then I found it - a can of grape soda had frozen and exploded in the fridge. So yes, there is purple all over the inside of the refrigerator - thankfully a lot of it was still frozen. Just our luck that something that stupid would happen!

This is hilarious!

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The Christmas ornaments for sale at the Miller Park Zoo's gift shop are partly manufactured by reindeer. Honest!

If you haven't yet watched Animal Cops or Animal Precinct on Animal Planet, you really should sometime. It's amazing to see what people do to their animals but it's even more amazing to see the efforts made to save animals and efforts to improve the live of animals. Plus, you get to see this guy:
This is Max Mixson. Who wouldn't want to watch him??

Have you ever wanted to say something to someone but you knew that it would go in one ear and out the other or that it would just be forgotten 24 hours after you said it? That's how I feel right now and I want to just scream but I know that wouldn't do any good either.