The Sparest . . .

. . . of sparest birthdays is today. Andrew Ridgeley, formerly of Wham!, turns 43.

Cinderella Man, Reprise

Ok, one more odd note about the movie Cinderella Man. Without disclosing the ending (the movie is based on a true story), Russell Crowe's character, James Braddock, ends up fighting Max Baer for the heavyweight championship of the world. That name rang a bell for me. Come to find out, Max Baer fathered a son, Max Baer, Jr. who some of you may recall as playing Jethro Bodine on The Beverly Hillbillies. I had no idea. He didn't like the film.

They Could Have At Least Bought Us Dinner Before ....

ConocoPhillips announced today that, for the year, profits jumped to $13.53 billion, up from $8.13 billion in 2004. The increase was based upon an "increase in oil prices". Uh.......yeah.....but do any of these oil companies think about being competive and decreasing their profit margin/percentage? Or do we have an American OPEC among us?

My Favorite Ronald Reagan Quote

"There is no greater happiness for a man than approaching a door at the end of a day knowing someone on the other side of that door is waiting for the sound of his footsteps."

Super Bowl vs. The Big Game

Start listening for this: Over the next two weeks you will hear a ton of commercials referencing the Super Bowl. The NFL is such a giant that it will legally crush anyone who uses the copyrighted name "Super Bowl" without its permission (and paying a butt load of cash for the privilege of doing so). Thus, you will hear some commercials refer to sales/specials/discounts because of "The Big Game" without ever referencing "Super Bowl". Kill me now. But I could have sworn I saw the Messenger advertise a "Super Bowl Special" related to advertising the other day. Uh Oh.

Remind Me

When I'm on my fourth or fifth marriage, remind me to be sure to LOOK UP when I run out of the reception with my young bride. (Video).

Schooled

Stolen off the net: Richard Hatch, the "fat naked guy" who won $1 million in the debut season of the reality show "Survivor," was found guilty Wednesday of failing to pay taxes on his winnings. Hatch was also convicted of evading taxes on $327,000 he earned as co-host of a Boston radio show and $28,000 in rent on property he owned. But he was acquitted of seven bank, mail and wire fraud charges. Jurors deliberated for less than a day after more than a week of testimony. Hatch, 44, of Newport, faces up to 13 years in prison and a fine of $600,000.

Avril Lavigne - New

And, Then Depression Set In

Several news accounts indicate that this week contains "the most depressing day of the year." Boy, do I believe it.

Hooters

A Hooters has finally opened up in Waco despite "about 60 ministers [who] tried to stop the restaurant's construction." People are soooo uptight.

Remember "Bush Hates Black People"?

The photo from Rolling Stone magazine shows outspoken rapper Kanye West, with a crown of thorns atop his head, as Jesus Christ on the cover of the upcoming issue of Rolling Stone.(AP Photo/Rolling Stone)

Chris Penn Is Dead

Story here. You might remember him as Kevin Bacon's buddy in Footloose, but he has had quite the movie career. Oddly, I saw him in a guest appearance in HBO's Entourage last night and I hardly recognized him since he was so overweight.

Uh, We'll "T" You Up For That Cardiac Arrest

I missed this. Former UT basketball coach Tom Penders, now at Houston, collapsed onto the basketball court and was assessed a technical foul.

Hockey

The NHL announced yesterday that the 2007 All-Star Game will be in Dallas. (Official logo pictured) Since it will be televised on the OLN channel (quick, find it), I suspect there will be more people at the American Airlines Center than watching on TV.

They'll Check With The Vatican Before They Rule

If Alito is confirmed for the Supreme Court, which he certainly will, did you realize that five of the nine justices will be Catholic? (Shout out to a faithful reader for emailing the story).

Just In Case . . .

. . . you wanted to see the progression of the Katie Holmes / Tom Cruise love child, check here.

What A Coincidence, It's Campaign Season

AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry and three other governors visited Iraq on Tuesday to boost troops' morale and get a firsthand look at the situation facing their national guard units.

Bush and Brokeback

If you haven't seen it, you've got to check out Bush responding to a question at Kansas State about whether he had seen Brokeback Mountain. (It's the second video clip after "update"). Ya know, it's kinda hard not to like the guy in moments like these. He seemed to be thinking "I've got soooo many gay jokes, but, sheesh, I better not utter a single one."