The Significance Of The Rainbow Flag

Many people out there don't even recognize it, but to the queer community, it represents a great importance. There is also Stonewall. The bear near the bottom of my blog is a called 'Stoney', after the Stonewall Inn Riots in New York. My best friend brought it back from San Francisco for me. (I took a picture of it).

In the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, the police raided the Stonewall Inn, a dingy, Mafia-run "private club" on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village with a predominantly gay clientele. The event is still a hot topic of debate in gay circles, with much disagreement about what actually precipitated the violence and who took part in it.

One legend holds that Judy Garland's funeral, held June 27, 1969, in Manhattan, fanned the flames of gay rage. Other versions of the story claim that dozens of sequined drag queens and a mysterious, unidentified butch lesbian were at the forefront of the street rebellion. But a few facts seem certain.

The inverted Pink triangle is also a symbol for the GLBT (gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and trans-gendered). The inverted pink triangle (rosa Winkel) was a symbol used by the Nazis during the Holocaust to identify male homosexual prisoners.

It was often larger than the other identifying triangles so as to allow homosexuals to be avoided and singled out at a distance. Between 10,000 and 600,000 gay men and women died in the Holocaust. In the 1970s, gay liberation groups resurrected the pink triangle as a popular symbol for the gay rights movement.

Not only is the symbol easily recognized, but it draws attention to oppression and persecution -- then and now. Today, for many the pink triangle represents pride, solidarity, and a promise to never allow another Holocaust to happen again.

Click on the flag above to find the reasons behind the rainbow colours.

The Confused Philosopher

Should crematoriums give discounts for burn victims?

If a mute kid swears does his mother wash his hands with soap?

And whose cruel idea was it to put an "S" in the word "Lisp"?

If a man stands in the middle of the forest speaking and there is no woman around to hear him... is he still wrong?

If someone with multiple personalities threatens suicide... is it considered a hostage situation?

Is there another word for synonym?

Isn't it scary that doctors call what they do "practice"?

Where do forest rangers go to get away from it all?

What should you do if you see an endangered animal eating an endangered plant?

If a parsley farmer is sued do they garnish his wages?

Would a wingless fly be called a walk?

Why do they lock gas station bathrooms? Are they worried someone will steal the toilet?

There's so much comedy on television. Does that cause comedy on the streets?

Why is "abbreviation" such a long word?

If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest have to drown too?

Will the information superhighway have any rest stops?

Whatever happened to preparations A through G?

What hair color do they put on the drivers licenses of bald men?

If you take an Oriental person and spin him around several times, does he become disoriented?

Who coined the phrase: 'To coin a phrase'?

How come only fat people drink diet cola?

If books get dog-ears, do dogs get book-ears?

If love isn't a game, why are there so many players?

If 7-11 is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, why are there locks on the doors?

Why are there D batteries, C batteries, AAA batteries, AA batteries, but no B or single A batteries?

If an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and a stitch in time saves nine, would surgery cost less if only healthy organs were removed?

Why do kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

A point to ponder...
The Lord's prayer is 66 words. The Gettysburg Address is 286 words. There are 1,322 words in the Declaration of Independence but the government regulations on the sale of cabbage total 26,911 words.

Guide ponies catching on in the US

A handful of blind people in the US have opted for a guide pony instead of a guide dog to help them live their lives.

One of them, Shari Bernstiel, depends on two-feet tall Tonto to help her get about.



The pony, who guides his owner on shopping trips and even visits to the cinema, has a life expectancy of 40 years.

Tonto cost $2,500 and took a year to train at the Guide Horse Foundation in North Carolina.

That means Bernstiel can stick to the one animal for most of her life instead of changing dogs several times. Tonto even has his own pair of trainers to give him better grip on shiny floors.

A similar scheme using Shetland ponies started in the UK last year, says the Daily Mirror.

Brain Teasers

Try them first, then if you give up... Click on the picture of the brain:

Number 1:

Can You Solve It?

10, 4, 3, 11, 15...

What number is next?

a) 14
b) 1
c) 17
d) 12

Number 2:

Can You Solve It?

AALLLOUGNINCEACELSSSEANRYTELNETCTEERS

If you cross out all unnecessary letters in the above string of letters, a logical sentence will remain. Can you read what it says?

Number 3:

Can You Solve It?

Imagine you are in a sinking rowboat surrounded by great white sharks. How would you survive?

Click on the brain for the answers

Improvement

Little Tommy was doing very badly in math. His parents had tried everything; tutors, flash cards, special learning centers, in short, everything they could think of. Finally in a last ditch effort, they took Tommy down and enrolled him in the local Catholic School.
After the first day, little Tommy comes home with a very serious look on his face. He doesn't kiss his mother hello. Instead, he goes straight to his room & starts studying. Books & papers are spread out all over the room and little Tommy is hard at work. His mother is amazed. She calls him down to dinner and to her shock, the minute he is done he marches back to his room without a word and in no time he is back hitting the books as hard as before. This goes on for sometime, day after day while the mother tries to understand what made all the difference.

Finally, little Tommy brings home his report card. He quietly lays it on the table and goes up to his room and hits the books. With great trepidation, his mom looks at it and to her surprise, little Tommy got an A in math. She can no longer hold her curiosity. She goes to his room and says: "Son, what was it? Was it the nuns?"

Little Tommy looks at her and shakes his head "No".

"Well then", she replies, "was it the books, the discipline, the structure, the uniforms, WHAT was it?"

Little Tommy looks at her and says, "Well, on the first day of school, when I saw that guy nailed to the plus sign, I knew they weren't fooling around.

*Askmen.com

"New Male Beauty Product"

Are you fat?
Are you ugly?
Are you short?
Are you balding?
Are you sick?
Are you stupid?
Work for the Canadian Wheat Board?
Do ladies call you macho . . . or jerk?
Are you over 30, 40, 50, or even 60?
In general, have ladies lost interest in you?

Do not despair. A German company has come out with a new "Male Beauty Product". This is such a revolutionary product that it gives fast and effective results instantly! If you purchase this product, and use it, even if only once or twice, you will see that the most beautiful and sexy ladies can not resist your charms.

This is the best "Male Beauty Product" on the market and is available in select stores now!

Take a look for yourself . . ..

The MacBook Wheel

True...True...

THINGS THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO SAY WHEN YOU'RE DRUNK:

Indubitably
Innovative
Preliminary
Proliferation
Cinnamon

THINGS THAT ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO SAY WHEN YOU'RE DRUNK:

Specificity
British Constitution
Passive-aggressive disorder
Loquacious Transubstantiate

THINGS THAT ARE DOWNRIGHT IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY WHEN YOU'RE DRUNK:

Thanks, but I don't want to have sex.
Nope, no more booze for me.
Sorry, but you're not really my type.
Good evening officer! Isn't it lovely out tonight?
Oh, I just couldn't. No one wants to hear me sing.
Sorry I'm being such a jackass.

Everybody Have Fun Tonight

Click above to check out how.

Use your 'Back Button' to return to 'OZ'

Data!

*Thanks, Calvin

Go ahead and Double-Dip!

Just watched 'Mythbusters' - there is more bacteria in the salsa already than the amount contributed from your mouth by double-dipping. Seinfeld was wrong!

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Try Something New And Fun!

Build a city! Click here.

New Stealth Fighter!

Cool Site 'O The Day

"Where did your remote go? That's right - I got it!

And I saw your wife naked, too!!!"

Click here.

RED SKELTON ON MARRIAGE

1. Two times a week, we go to a nice restaurant, have a little beverage, then comes good food and companionship. She goes on Tuesdays, I go on Fridays.

2. We also sleep in separate beds. Hers is in Ontario and mine is in Tucson.

3. I take my wife everywhere, but she keeps finding her way back.

4. I asked my wife where she wanted to go for ourm anniversary.

"Somewhere I haven't been in a long time!" She said. So I suggested the kitchen.

5. We always hold hands. If I let go, she shops.

6. She has an electric blender, electric toaster and electric bread maker. Then she said "There are too many gadgets and no place to sit down!" So I bought her an electric chair.

7. My wife told me the car wasn't running well because there is water in the carburetor. I asked where the car was, she told me "In the Lake."

8. She got a mudpack and looked great for two days. Then the mud fell off.

9. She ran after the garbage truck, yelling "Am I too late for the garbage?" The driver said "No, jump in!"

10. Remember. Marriage is the number one cause of divorce.

11. Statistically, 100% of all divorces start with marriage.

12. I married Miss Right. I just didn't know her first name was Always.

13. I haven't spoken to my wife in 18 months. I don't like to interrupt her.

14. The last fight was my fault. My wife asked, "What's on the TV?" I said "Dust!

2009 Saskatoon Fireworks Festival

These are 2 videos that encompassed the entire performance:

INTERESTING FACTS OF CRYSTALS AND GEMSTONES

The most ancient jewellery was found in Queen Pu-Abi's tomb at Ur in Sumeria and dates from the third millenium BC.

The Egyptians believed that an emerald would break if a marital infidelity occurred. They also ground malachite to wear as eyeshadow.

Julius Caesar was said to have been an avid collector of gemstones.

To drink from an amethyst encrusted goblet was believed to protect against drunkenness.

The Ming dynasty favoured semi-precious stones such as amethyst, agate, quartz and jade. White jade was the stone of divinity and symbolized heaven.

In the middle ages a ruby ring worn on the left hand was thought to protect its owner from seduction.

The Maoris handed down the jade tiki as it was believed to contain the wisdom of the ancestors.



Diamonds were used to cut stone as early as 4000BC.

Crystals are believed to be the connecting force between heaven & earth. Often used for scrying or crystal ball gazing to tell the future.

1 guy/ seven parts/ Michael Jackson medley

*Thanks, Gary

Riddle Me This!

What is this?

Click above for the answer.

Give me a fin, will ya?

What is the origin of the slang term for money: fin?



A fin (short for "finnif") is slang for a five-dollar bill. It is derived from the Yiddish word for "five" ("finf").

A Trip to COSTCO

Yesterday I was at my local COSTCO buying a large bag of Purina dog chow for my loyal pet, Biscuit, the Wonder Dog and was in the checkout line when a woman behind me asked if I had a dog.

What did she think I had an elephant? So since I'm retired and have little to do, on impulse I told her that no, I didn't have a dog, I was starting the Purina Diet again.

I added that I probably shouldn't, because I ended up in the hospital last time, but that I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive care ward with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms.

I told her that it was essentially a perfect diet and that the way that it works is to load your pants pockets with Purina nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry. The food is nutritionally complete so it works well and I was going to try it again. (I have to mention here that practically everyone in line was now enthralled with my story.)

Horrified, she asked if I ended up in intensive care because the dog food poisoned me. I told her no, I stepped off a curb to sniff an Irish Setter's ass and a car hit us both.

I thought the guy behind her was going to have a heart attack he was laughing so hard.

Costco won't let me shop there anymore.

Better watch what you ask retired people. They have all the time in the world to think of crazy things to say.

*Thanks, Gary

Man Jumps off Carnival Cruise Ship Gets Rescued By Disney

A Disney cruise ship came to the rescue of a man who fell overboard from a Carnival ship in the Atlantic off the coast of south Florida early Thursday morning.

The Disney Wonder came close enough to the man, about 30 miles off Port St. Lucie, that it was able to rescue him around 12:45 a.m.

The ship was responding to a notification from the Coast Guard and the Carnival Sensation that the 34-year-old man had gone overboard. The Disney Wonder was in the area and joined a U.S. Coast Guard search.

Late this afternoon*- The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office now says it believes the man jumped overboard intentionally, reports Fox in Orlando. The story does not go on to elaborate other than to say he was hospitalized for minor back injuries and will receive a mental examination.

The man was reported to be “physically exhausted" after treading water for about an hour and a half before being brought to the hospital.

Disney "spokeswoman Rena Langley tells USA Today, “We're incredibly proud of our crew members who were able to locate the individual in distress and bring him safely aboard the Disney Wonder.”

Both of the ships were on their way back to Port Canaveral after a Bahamas cruise.

In a statement Carnival said, “Carnival wishes to extend its thanks and appreciation to the officers and crew of the Disney Wonder, as well as the U.S. Coast Guard, for their assistance.”

Passenger, BigHeadDennis, as he is known in his Twitter profile, tweeted he could hear the Carnival passenger screaming in the water.

*InjuryBoard.com

twitter comments:

"A (drunk?) guy fell off a nearby Carnival ship. We could hear his screaming from the water. We stopped and dropped a lifeboat overboard."

"The Captain got onto the PA system and asked everyone to keep quiet, so the lifeboat crew could pinpoint the guy from his yelling.

"The lifeboat crew scooped him up from the water before the Coast Guard helicopter over flight even reached us."

"Safe and sound. I witnessed all of this while sitting on my balcony (girls asleep in the stateroom). WOW."

"Guess that Disney Magic is REAL."

*Thanks for the pictures, Darcene!

ASK ME JUST ONE MORE TIME

Ask me just one more time. Ask me just one more time.
Now I can tell you, Why I'm not married.
So ask me just one more time.

I always thought when I grew up
I'd marry
I'd raise a fam'ly, settle down and carry On like all the rest of the world.
Just like the rest of the world.
Please God. like the rest of the world!
I tried, I worked very hard
To be the model child
I tried to please the world
to please everyone
To make them think I was the one
The beautiful daughter. the promising son, The perfect achiever.
"Bravo! Well done!"
Well I discovered I'm not the same
And it doesn't matter,
There's no one to blame.


Ask me just one more time. Ask me just one more time.
Now I can tell you, Why I'm not married.
So ask me just one more time.

I always heard them talk of fag and fairy,
The preacher frowned and said "You all be wary,
Don't be like the rest of the world,
Oh sinner, no, not like the rest of the world"
Oh brother, please God, not the rest of the world,
I tried, worked hard to repress
Prayed God to hear my distress
But nature knew my heart
and the more I denied
The more my spirit was crushed inside,
The pressure to treat the girls like toys,
To be winsome and charming
To all the boys
Well, I've discovered, I'm not the same,
And it doesn't matter,
there's no one to blame.

Ask me just one more time. Ask me just one more time.
Now I can tell you, Why I'm not married.
So ask me just one more time.

Won't lie, "too busy'" once more.
Won't sigh, "Can't find the right one."
My love will speak it's name
And if I'm not married
Well, that's no shame.


Ask me just one more time.


*David L. McIntyre, Watershed Stories, (as sung by the Prairie Pride Chorus)

Posted on a MAC

6 Reasons to play Golf

Q and A

Q: What country was the first to air the soap opera on which the U.S. sitcom Ugly Betty is based?



A: Colombia, from 1999 to 2001. The show was called Yo Soy Betty la Fea, which in English is “I Am Betty the Ugly.”

Posted on a MAC

BELLY BUTTON

Be thankful it wasn't your kid who came home with this one...

*Thanks, DW

Posted on a MAC

TROY - The Latest Strip

--Wizard's Note: I have updated all the TROY posts to reflect Michael Derry's new domain. Links are no longer broken--

This a gay-themed comic



Click Above Then choose 'Current Strip'.

Troy #236 "Go Time" is out in the magazines and up online. Rigo and Troy meet up with Eddie at the LA county courthouse just in time for the fun to start.

And Michael's book “Troy: From 1 to 200 The First Ten Years” is now available on Amazon.com. What a great book for the beach or just relaxing by the pool, huh?

Posted on a MAC

***PRESS RELEASE***Ben & Jerry’s Renames Legendary Flavor to Celebrate Freedom to Marry

Ice Cream Company Renames “Chubby Hubby” to “Hubby Hubby,” for the Month of September to Celebrate Gay and Lesbian Couples Getting Married in Vermont

BURLINGTON, Vt.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ben & Jerry’s, known for its euphoric ice cream flavors and dedication to social justice, celebrates the beginning of the freedom to marry for gay and lesbian couples in Vermont with the symbolic renaming of its well-known ice cream flavor “Chubby Hubby” to “Hubby Hubby.” In partnership with Freedom to Marry, Ben & Jerry’s aims to raise awareness of the importance of marriage equality and, to show its support, will serve “Hubby Hubby” sundaes in Vermont Scoop Shops throughout the month of September.

Ben & Jerry’s has a long history of commitment to social justice, including gay rights. Its partnership with Freedom to Marry, a national leader in the movement for marriage equality, aims to raise awareness of the importance of marriage equality and to encourage other states to follow the blazing trails of Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, and Maine. Freedom to Marry promotes the national conversation about why marriage equality matters and brings together partner organizations into a larger whole – a shared civil rights campaign.

“At the core of Ben & Jerry’s values, we believe that social justice can and should be something that every human being is entitled to,” said Walt Freese, Chief Executive Officer of Ben & Jerry’s. “From the very beginning of our 30 year history, we have supported equal rights for all people. The legalization of marriage for gay and lesbian couples in Vermont is certainly a step in the right direction and something worth celebrating with peace, love and plenty of ice cream.”

To kick off the celebration, Ben & Jerry’s and Freedom to Marry will be publicly supporting the first marriages of gay and lesbian couples in Vermont and raising awareness for marriage equality and how to take action by driving consumers to freedomtomarry.org. By logging onto the site, people can show their support, sign a Marriage Resolution Petition, have conversations about why marriage matters and learn more about how they can support the cause.

“It’s not polite to talk with your mouth full, but the most important thing that all us ice cream lovers can do to support the freedom to marry is speak with the people we know about why marriage matters and the need to end marriage discrimination in every state”,” said Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry. “Thanks to Ben & Jerry’s, starting those needed conversations has never been sweeter – and thanks to Freedom to Marry, we all now have a great excuse to eat more ice cream.”

For more information on why marriage equality matters and to take action in your state, please log on to freedtomarry.org. To find your local Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop or learn more about Ben & Jerry’s social mission, log onto www.Facebook.com/benjerry. Also, don’t forget to visit us on www.benjerry.com.

About Ben & Jerry’s

Ben & Jerry’s produces a wide variety of super-premium ice cream and ice cream novelties, using high-quality ingredients including milk and cream from family farmers who do not treat their cows with the synthetic hormone rBGH. The company states its position on rBGH on its labels. Ben and Jerry’s products are distributed nationwide and in selected foreign countries in supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, franchise Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shops, restaurants and other venues. Ben & Jerry’s, a Vermont corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Unilever, operates its business on a three-part Mission Statement emphasizing product quality, economic reward and a commitment to the community. Contributions made via the employee led Ben & Jerry’s Foundation in 2008 totaled over $1.9 million. Additionally, the company makes significant product donations to community groups and nonprofits both in Vermont and across the nation. The purpose of Ben & Jerry’s philanthropy is to support the founding values of the company: economic and social justice, environmental restoration and peace through understanding, and to support our Vermont communities. For the full scoop on all Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop locations and fabulous flavors, visit www.benjerry.com.

About Freedom to Marry

Freedom to Marry is the gay and non-gay partnership working to win marriage equality nationwide. Launched in 2003, Freedom to Marry is headed by Evan Wolfson, nationally recognized as a central "architect of the marriage equality movement." Freedom to Marry guides and focuses this social justice movement on a nationwide level, serving as a strategy and support center for national, state, and local partners, a catalyst that drives and shapes the national debate on marriage equality, and an alliance-builder fostering support from non-gay allies.

Disney Trivia

What is Mr. Smee's rank onboard Captain Hook's ship, the Jolly Roger?

Smee is Hook's bo'sun

Posted on a MAC

Same-sex marriages begin in Vermont

By The Associated Press

(Duxbury, Vt.) After 17 years together, Bill Slimback and Bob Sullivan couldn’t wait another minute to get married. So they didn’t.

With Vermont’s new law allowing same-sex marriage only a minute old, they tied the knot in a midnight ceremony at a rustic lodge, becoming one of the first couples to legally wed under a law that took effect at midnight Monday.
Dressed in suits, saying their vows under a large wall-mounted moose head, the two Whitehall, N.Y., men promised their love, exchanged rings and held hands during a modest 17-minute ceremony. Moose Meadow Lodge co-owner Greg Trulson, who’s also a Justice of the Peace, presided.

“It feels wonderful,” said Slimback, 38, an out-of-work Teamster who is taking Sullivan’s last name as his own. “It’s a day I’ve been long waiting for, and a day I truly honestly thought would never come.”

Slimback said he and Sullivan, 41, have long wanted to cement their relationship with a wedding, but since they couldn’t legally marry in New York they chose to wed even before Vermont’s gay marriage era officially dawned.

Vermont is one of five states that now allow same-sex couples to marry. Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Iowa are the others.

Vermont, which invented civil unions in 2000 after a same-sex couple challenged the inequality of state marriage statutes, was a mecca for gay couples who to that point had no way to officially recognize their relationships.

Since then, other states have allowed gay marriage, as did Vermont, which in April became the first state to legalize gay marriage through a legislative decree and not a court case.

Some couples - including many who obtained civil unions in Vermont - plan to return to the state to get married. But most are in no rush. City and town officials say only a handful of licenses had been issued to same-sex couples in anticipation of Tuesday’s start.

“We’ve waited a long time to do this - basically, our whole lives,” Slimback said Monday. “We’ve been waiting for a chance to actually solidify it,” he said. He and Sullivan said they never wanted to obtain a civil union because they believe that’s a kind of second-class recognition.

Posted on a MAC

Elmo Takes On Swine Flu

Am I the only one who hates Elmo? The message he gives is a great one and could even be the right one to choose for kids. But I can't help thinking that they could have picked a better mascot to help educate the kids with swine flu information. What about Cookie Monster or The Count? Do you hate Elmo? Take the quiz here to find out.

Also... why are the media still referring to it as The Swine Flu and not always H1N1?

Posted on a MAC

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

Featured Reviewer: BRUCE KIRKLAND -- Sun Media

Starring: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje ... Heavy Duty

Christopher Eccleston ... McCullen / Destro

Grégory Fitoussi ... Baron de Cobray

Joseph Gordon-Levitt ... The Doctor / Rex

Leo Howard ... Young Snake Eyes

Karolina Kurkova ... Courtney A. Kreiger / Cover Girl

Byung-hun Lee ... Storm Shadow

Sienna Miller ... Ana / Baroness

David Murray ... James McCullen - 1641

Rachel Nichols ... Shana 'Scarlett' O'Hara

Kevin J. O'Connor ... Dr. Mindbender

Gerald Okamura ... Hard Master

Ray Park ... Snake Eyes

Jonathan Pryce ... U.S. President

Dennis Quaid ... General Hawk

Synopsis: Warning! This synopsis contains spoilers

The film opens in France, in 1641. The Scotsman Klan McCullen has been accused of selling weaponry to both the Scots and French. Rather than being executed for treason, the jury brands his face with a white-hot mask in order to humiliate him. In the near future, weapons expert James McCullen (Christopher Eccleston) has created a nanotechnology-based weapon capable of destroying an entire city. His company MARS sells four warheads to NATO, and the U.S. Army is tasked with delivering the warheads. Duke (Channing Tatum) and Ripcord (Marlon Wayans) are delivering the warheads when they are ambushed by the Baroness (Sienna Miller), who Duke recognized to be his ex-fiancee Ana Lewis. Duke and Ripcord are rescued by Scarlett (Rachel Nichols), Snake Eyes (Ray Park) and Heavy Duty (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje). They take the warheads to The Pit, G.I. Joe's command center in North Africa, and upon arriving rendezvous with General Hawk (Dennis Quaid), the head of the G.I. Joe Team. Hawk takes command of the war-heads and excuses Duke and Ripcord, only to be convinced to have them join his group after Duke reveals that he knows the Baroness.

McCullen is revealed to be using the same nanotechnology to build an army of soldiers with the aid of the Doctor (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), planning on using the warheads to bring panic and bring about a new world order. Using a tracking device, McCullen locates the G.I. Joe base and sends Storm Shadow (Lee Byung-hun) and the Baroness to retrieve the warheads with assistance from Zartan (Arnold Vosloo), inflicting casualties on several G.I. Joe soldiers. After a fight, Storm Shadow and the Baroness retrieve the warheads and take them to Baron DeCobray, the Baroness's husband, for him to weaponize and use them to destroy the Eiffel Tower to serve as a showing of the warhead's destructive power. Making their way to Paris, the Joes pursue them through the streets but are unsuccessful in stopping them from launching the missile. Duke manages to hit the kill switch, but in doing so he is captured and taken to McCullen's base under the Arctic.

G.I. Joe locates the secret base and fly there as McCullen loads three missiles with nano-mite warheads. After Snake Eyes takes out one, Ripcord pursues the remaining missiles in a prototype Night Raven jet while Scarlett and her group infiltrate the base. While Scarlett and Snake Eyes attempt to shut down the Arctic base, with Heavy Duty leading an attack on Cobra's forces, Duke learns that the Doctor is Rex Lewis, Ana's brother believed to have been killed on a mission led by Duke four years ago. He was trapped in a bunker with Doctor Mindbender (Kevin O'Connor), disfigured in the blast which everyone presumed had killed him. The Baroness tries to free Duke but the Doctor reveals he has implanted her with nano-mites which has put her under his control for the past four years, admitting his amazement that she is resisting the programming. Attempting to kill Duke, McCullen ends up being facially burned as he flees with Rex to an escape vessel. Duke and the Baroness pursue him while the Joes fall back when Rex activated the base's self destruct sequence.

Rex then heals McCullen's burned face with nano-mites, encasing it in silver as he christens McCullen "Destro" and assumes the identity of Cobra Commander before they are captured by G.I. Joe soon after. On board the supercarrier USS Flagg, Baroness is placed in protective custody until they can remove the nano-mites from her body. Meanwhile, Zartan, having been earlier operated on by Rex, infiltrates the White House during the missile crisis and assumes the identity of the President of the United States.

Review: by BRUCE KIRKLAND -- Sun Media

Busy little boys with big bad toys: G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is all testosterone, mad science and military might.

In the midst of real world conflict that looks ugly on TV, G.I. Joe glorifies an exciting fantasy version of good vs. evil. It is wish fulfillment. The good guys are ready to kick bad guy butt in what is called "the not too distant future."

The movie is all spectacle. If you already love the Transformers series and you want your summer movies to be brainless adrenalin rushes, then G.I. Joe is more of the same, only different.

The same, because both came from Hasbro action toys and each franchise is designed to sell more merchandise.

Different, because Channing Tatum's hero character in G.I. Joe is so bland, in comparison to Shia LaBeouf's quirky performance in Transformers.

The same, because things blow up real good in both movies. Why bother with character development when you can destroy something, like a car, a truck, a train, a reputation, an iconic landmark or a whole city?


Different, because G.I Joe is all about humanity, while Transformers uses Earth as a playground for alien conflict.

The same, because the storylines are simple minded, the jokes are cheesy and the people are caricatures.

Different, because G.I. Joe has delusions of 007 grandeur, while Transformers steals more from the Terminator series.

As toys, the G.I. Joe line was launched in 1964, later morphing into a comic book and cartoon series. Video games followed, and now we have Mummy creator Stephen Sommers' expensive big-screen adaptation.

Sommers plays fast and loose with the imagery, weaponry and origins stories from the comics and cartoons. He mostly gets away with it because the the Joe world is less established than other comicbook heroes, such as Batman.

Other than the boring Tatum, the Joe casting works. Sienna Miller is eye-candy in black leatherette as good-bad girl the Baroness. Ditto for Rachel Nichols as redheaded heroine Scarlett.

Among the men, Dennis Quaid does his usual gruff authoritive thing as General Hawk, while Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje commands our attention as Heavy Duty. Christopher Eccleston is all brash bravado as the arms dealer McCullen, while Joseph Gordon-Levitt is suitably creepy as the madman doctor.

For comic relief, Marlon Wayans plays Tatum's soldiering sidekick.

Mentioning the actors, however, might give the impression there is acting in the movie. Not really. There are archetypes, actors posing just long enough to establish a character, get into the body armour and start the action by kicking, punching, running or shooting.

Didiom - On helluva great application!

The Wizard just installed Didiom Desktop and Didiom BlackBerry. This is an outstanding program!



Once you download the desktop program, then you sign up (a free account!) - then you download and install Didiom for your BlackBerry.

What the program does is:

1) Allow you to stream media from your PC to your BlackBerry (IE: Your Music collection)

2) Buy songs via Credit Card or Paypal (Though neither are necessary to stream music to your BlackBerry...)

From Didiom's website:

With Didiom, you can use your BlackBerry® or Windows Mobile® phone to access music, podcasts and audiobooks stored on your computer, through wireless streaming. Just download Didiom Desktop and Didiom Mobile, choose the folders where you store your audio files and playlists on Didiom Desktop, and make sure your PC and phone are connected to the Internet. You’ll be surprised how quickly your library shows up on your phone. Then, when you add new audio files to your computer, Didiom Desktop automatically scans them and makes them available for wireless streaming on your phone.

With over 2 million tracks, the Didiom MP3 Store lets you shop for music and audiobooks whenever you want, directly from your phone. You can name your own price and download to your mobile, PC or both. The mobile download will be available to your phone, and the PC download will be available online. There are never any membership or service fees. You only pay for the music and audiobooks you download through our secure, credit card service.

We recommend that you ask your carrier about an unlimited data plan before downloading and using Didiom. This way, you can enjoy getting your music, podcasts, and audiobooks without having to worry about any extra carrier fees.

I have about 7000 mp3's/wma's on my home PC and have found the program easy to use and no blips or buffering. There was an outage today - likely due to the fact the program was advertised heavily in Wired Windows magazine (Favourable review, I might add) - but it seems to perform flawlessly now.

Note: You have to download and install BlackBerry AppWorld (a free program) - to be able to download Didiom. As per Didiom's website - it IS perfectly legal and ya gotta like that!

The Wizard of 'OZ' gives Didiom:

Get it today! http://www.didiom.com/default.aspx

Wicca - The Old Religion

No, tell me how do you really feel?

*Thanks, Darcene