Mahna Mahna!

If this doesn't make you smile and tap your feet then you have no soul!

I searched for this classic clip online so I could show it to Nolan after he heard the Mahna Mahna song on the Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper commercial.

Here's a little history on this Muppet gem from Muppet Central:

"Ma-Na-Ma-Na"
Original Airdate: November 30, 1969

The now famous, Mahna Mahna was created specifically for this appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. He was designed as a symbol of free expression, a concept that was quite popular in the 1960's. The original song "Ma-Na-Ma-Na" was written by Italian artist Peter Umilioni.

Two cow-like creatures, the Snowths (a blend of the words 'snout' and 'mouth'), sing "Doo Doo Dee Doo-Doo". As the song continues, Mahna Mahna upstages the Snowths by excitedly repeating his name. A couple things to look for in this original rendition, Mahna Mahna winks quite a bit throughout this piece which adds to the humor. He also looks directly into the nose of each of the Snowths as he sings Mahna Mahna.

Mahna Mahna would also air on Sesame Street in 1969 and the first episode of the Muppet Show starring Juliet Prowse. A parody of Mahna Mahna was on the 1996 Sandra Bullock episode of Muppets Tonight. Mahna Mahna was also performed live in December 2001 at the Muppet Show Live during MuppetFest.

'Goblet of Fire' sneek peek

High-Res Footage of International GoF Trailer Online

The good folks at The Leaky Cauldron have posted a copy of the international trailer for "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," which is due in theaters later this year.

The film, which has earned a PG-13 rating, looks fantastic. I think I prefer "Prisoner of Azkaban" as a book, but "Goblet of Fire" looks like it might be the better movie (just ignore the French subtitles).

Class Reunion

I got the invitation today to my 15th high school class reunion. Kris and I are planning to attend.

It's going to be at Clinton's Ditch -- a new pub in Schenectady I've been wanting to check out -- on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

If you're a member of the Niskayuna Class of 1990 and didn't get an invitation, let me know I'll get the info to you.

A Day Out with Thomas

We had a choo-chooriffic day today. To mark Gotcha Day 2005 (which was actually Friday) we took the kids (and my mom) to “A Day Out with Thomas.”

The event was held at the Delaware & Ulster Rail Road in Arkville, N.Y., which is in the Catskills.

It took us about 2.5 hours to get there. We printed out directions from Mapquest, which were a little misleading in one spot. That resulted in me taking a wrong turn and going about 25 miles in the opposite direction before we realized we were off track. When we bought our “Day Out with Thomas” tickets we were advised to show up an hour early. Instead we go there 15 minutes early.

But it all worked out. We went straight to the train – which looked just like Thomas the Tank Engine – and climbed aboard. We sat in an old fashioned coach and took a train ride that lasted about 25 minutes.

Afterward we got out and went to take a good close-up look at the Thomas the train. Thomas the boy and his big brother Nolan were blown away to see this character in “real life!”

There were plenty of other things to do there too. There was an area where kids could sit and watch Thomas videos. There was a tent where performers were telling stories and singing songs. A tent called “the Imagination Station” had bunch of tables set up with Thomas toys for kids to play with and arts & crafts projects to do. There were also animals, a hay maze and – of course – a giant souvenir shop. We didn’t escape with buying some new Thomas toys.

The Delaware & Ulster Rail Road also has plenty of its own vintage engines and rail cars to check out.

Sir Topham Hatt (a human character from the Thomas stories for those of you without young children) was also there. Nolan says he saw him from a distance. I missed him and we never got a chance to go see him up close.

They were serving food, but there was no place to sit that wasn’t out in the open, and the skies were starting to look threatening by lunchtime. So we decided to leave and the rain began falling just as we started heading for our car.

We found a nice little diner in town to have lunch in and then headed home.

When we got back, Thomas went down for a nap and Nolan and I went to the library to pick out a new Thomas video. The kids are happily watching their show in the basement right now.

Homer's head

I recently got a copy of "The Simpsons: The Complete Sixth Season."

Personally, I kind of get a kick out of the packaging, which is shaped like Homer's head.

But apparently, enough people have complained that the new packaging design doesn't match their old "Simpsons" DVD sets that 20th Century Fox has agreed to send out new boxes that match the old style to whoever wants them.

What's funny is the way the website where you go to request a new box makes fun of these people. The opening message reads:

Welcome complainers, all those that fear change, and greedy people who like free stuff...

You have reached the Sixth Season Alternative Packaging Program

(click the button to receive a very derivative, old style, nothing new, just like before box)

Mall Molester

Boy molested in Crossgates bathroom
As a father, stories like this scare the crap out of me.

Boy, thank God they're keeping those pesky teenagers out of Crossgates so it can remain safe for everyone!

Gotcha Day 2005!

Today is Gotcha Day for the Rooney family -- the second anniversary of the day we got Thomas.

On Aug. 19, 2003 we drove down to New York City to meet this adorable 4-month-old little boy from Korea, who we had heard so much about and had been waiting so long to meet.

Pictured are Thomas and his big brother Nolan then and now.

It's been a great two years. Thomas is now a very happy 2-year-old. He loves choo-choos and music. Play a song, any song, and he'll smile and dance and sing along.

Like any 2-year-old, he is very inquisitive -- always asking "Why?" and looking for trouble to get into.

But Gotcha Day isn't just about Thomas. It's a special day for all of us, since this is the day our family became complete. And we have big plans to celebrate this weekend.


Both of the kids enjoy "Thomas the Tank Engine." Thomas really loves his namesake. He'll spend all sorts of time playing with his and Nolan's toy trains on their wooden track in the basement.

So Sunday we'll be taking them to "A Day Out with Thomas," where we have tickets for a ride on a train made up to look just like Thomas the Tank Engine! The event is at the Delaware & Ulster Railroad, which is almost two hours away. But it should be worth it just to see the look on his face when he sees that train!

Donkey Kong: Albany

The real reason the Dunn Memorial Bridge broke:


I suppose this would have been even funnier if Mario Cuomo was still governor.

Thanks, Eric.

Bargain hunting

The Hess station on Nott Street in Schenectady was a popular place this morning. According to albanygasprices.com they have some of the cheapest gas in Schenectady.

Granted it was reported as $2.46 yesterday and this morning it was $2.52. Nonetheless, there were still plenty of other people there when I showed up to fill up Kris' van.

It's hard to believe that just four days ago I was outraged to spend $2.53 and today I think $2.52 is a deal! The average price per gallon in the Capital Region right now is about $2.62.

Gas prices going up, up and away!

I spotted this on the Capital Region People blog and thought it seemed just about right.

I paid $2.53 a gallon last night. I don't know about you, but that's the most I've ever had to cough up for gas.

UPDATE: The gas station where I paid $2.53 yesterday jumped a dime overnight to $2.63!

I think we wil leasily be paying more than $3 per gallon by this time next year.

The Jerk-O-Meter

Beware of the Jerk
It's nice to see the brainiacs at MIT are hard work inventing useful things like...the Jerk-O-Meter. It's a program for cell phones that tells you how engaged in the conversation the person on the other end of the call is.

Extreme Lawsuit: Home Edition

Check this tidbit out from today's edition of Cynthia Turner's Cynopsis:

Another lawsuit naming ABC as a defendant was filed yesterday. This one stems from the re-building of a home for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Stay with me on this one ... Five siblings, ages 15-22, lose both parents in a very short period of time. A couple in the town who attend the same church, offered to have the children live with them, which they subsequently did. Enter ABC and EM: Home Edition. The show re-built the couple's home to accommodate all the new residents. Around the same time the show made it to the air, the five kids moved out, claiming the couple drove them from the house by treating them poorly, etc. Here's the part that seems to miss the mark - the five kids are suing ABC for break of contract and fraud, saying Extreme Makeover said they would build them a house, when in fact the house was built for the couple. Seems kind of thin. And I don't know if it helps that they kids are suing the couple as well.

Blog facelift

I decided to play around my blog template. What do you think?

I'm not sure if it will stay like this. I might play around some more. For that matter, I also might just put it back the way it was.

Let me know if you like the changes.

Catch of the day

Nolan enjoys fishing, even though he hardly ever catches anything.

He caught a fish the very first time he ever went fishing last year and hasn't caught another one since -- until a couple of weeks ago.

On Tuesdays in Central Park in Schenectady they hold a little "fishing clinic" for kids in the park's small lake. He went on the Tuesday after we got back from our vacation. The men who run it try give some pointers to the kids, but Kris says Nolan insisted he already knew how to fish!

And I guess he was right. He hooked this little sun fish.

He was quite proud of himself. He called me up on the phone as soon as he got home to tell me all about it.

He's been having quite the summer, filled with fun outdoor activities. But school is just around the corner...

Notsi, not Nazi

Maybe they could name the road Yahtzee?

Town nixes 'Notsi' name for new road

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (AP) - Officials in an Adirondack town have rejected a request that a road in a new subdivision be named Notsi (NAHT'-see).

Last night, the town board in North Elba -- which includes the village of Lake Placid -- sent the request back to the Essex County Enhanced 9-1-1. The agency had wanted two new roads in the John Brown subdivision to be given the Cherokee names of Atali -- which means mountain -- and Notsi -- spelled N-O-T-S-I. It means pine tree.

But town officials objected to the second name, saying it sounded too much like Nazi -- N-A-Z-I.

The county's 9-1-1 office has been asked to find more appropriate names. It's not clear why names from an American Indian tribe from outside the region were chosen.

The John Brown subdivision is named for the famed abolitionist who tried to organize an armed slave rebellion prior to the Civil War. He's buried just outside Lake Placid.

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Truly Tasteless TV

I just got done watching ABC News' breaking coverage of the death of anchor Peter Jennings.

After several minutes of coverage devoted to the life and death of the newsman, Charles Gibson tossed back to local programming.

And the first thing we see on WTEN is ultra-annoying car salesman Billy Fusello "floating" among the clouds, talking about his crazy HUGE sale in "Hyundai Heaven."

Does Peter Jennings get his own Hyundai in the afterlife?

Go west, young man!

On Kris' recommendation I tried out a new section of the bike path this morning. I drove to Schenectady County Community College and picked up the bike path there, heading west toward Rotterdam Junction.

That part of the path goes along I-890, Rice Road and eventually Route 5-S. It also follows the Mohawk River, passing Lock 8.

I rode five miles out to park next to the river where I took a water break and then turned around and went back.

It's always fun finding new places to ride and the weather this morning was beautiful.

I haven't been on my bike in a while, so I'm glad Kris encouraged me to try this out.

The sanctity of the sports bar?

Florida sports fan gets death for killing wife after sex
Apparently in Florida there is no law protecting drunk-bartender confidentialality.

Light the Night

My nephew Patrick and his family will be taking part in this year's Light the Night Walk for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

This is a national event with similar walks being staged all over the country, including here in Colonie on Sept. 30. Patrick will be the "Honored Patient Hero" at the Oct. 8 walk in Lexington, KY.

I've posted a link to his family's fundraising page. They're hoping to raise $1,000. Please do whatever you can to help them out!

UPDATE: I just received an e-mail from my sister, Mary Ellen. She tells me they attended the Light the Night kickoff event last night are now setting their goal at $20,000!

They will need all the help they can get. So please donate!

Pleased ‘Potter’ fan

I finished reading “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” last night (early this morning actually), and all I can say is: wow! J.K. Rowling has knocked another one out of the park!

I wish I could discuss the book openly here, but I know there may be some of you here who haven’t read it yet. And the things I’d most want to talk about are the things that should be most unspoiled!

Suffice it to say, I had my suspicions about the identity of the Half-Blood Prince. I was wrong. I had my suspicions about the identity of the rumored character to be killed off. I was wrong. I thought I knew where one character’s loyalties laid. I was wrong.

Rowling kept me guessing to the end. After reading “Order of the Phoenix,” I wondered what Book 6 would be like, since Book 7 is the one everyone is really waiting for – the one where everything is wrapped up once and for all. But this book was better than I could have hoped for and left me with no idea what to expect in the next (and final) installment.

I just hope the wait won’t be too long.

Meanwhile, after a week’s worth of late-night reading, tonight I hope to get a good night’s sleep.