I saw the preview for "Against the Ropes". It's about a woman who becomes the manager for a boxer by buying his contract for $1. She doesn't know much about managing and he knows even less about boxing. The interesting part is that during the entire preview, I didn't quite recognize the manager. She had very long, straight hair and I kept thinking that it looked like a young Meg Ryan. Even the facial expressions were often the same. As it turns out, it is Meg Ryan. She looks great. Unfortunately, the movie looks not so great, but I'll probably see it just to watch her.

What's green and lounges around the yard? Paddy O'Furniture.

Kimberly Caldwell is back on American Idol. She was the singer that I liked in the initial tryouts, but was dropped in Hollywood. She's one of the three wild cards picked by the three judges. She is now in the final twelve. After seeing all of them perform last night, I don't think that she will win. There is a woman named Carmen who is also a wildcard who sings better, I think. Also, a few others who have better voices. Even so, it's nice to know that I'm not the only one who thinks Kimberly has talent. I've always had a pretty good ear for women's singing voices.
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I think that it is kind of funny that a few restaurants are beginning to rename French fries as Freedom fries. This because France has been opposing the United States in the U.N. When asked to comment about the action, a French diplomat replied that fries are actually from Belgium. You just can't ruffle those French people. I wonder what they'll start calling French toast. Also, if French fries really come from Belgium, I wonder where Belgian waffles come from. What should you call Peking duck now that Peking has been renamed Beijing?

I just watched a tape of last weeks survivor episode. I think that I withdraw my support for Heidi. She may be from Missouri, but she's as conceited as any big city girl. She seems to think that she is in a beauty contest instead of a test for survival. I'm a little tired of hearing how her little clique is younger and better looking and have better bodies than the rest of the women on the tribe. Somehow, she feels that this gives her the right to be lazy. Now, I am still rooting for Butch from Illinois and I will be rooting for the deaf woman, Christy. She probably doesn't have much of chance, but I wish her well.
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I started reading "Hard Eight" by Janet Evanovich. I read her first seven Stephanie Plum novels in order and this is the last of the series until number nine is published. I wonder what it will be called. I can't think of any natural sounding titles with the number nine. Number ten could be Hanging Ten like the surfer term of having all ten toes over the edge of the board. Perhaps Fine Nine would be a good title. I guess I'll just have to wait. Then again, maybe she gave up on the numbers. Her Christmas book was actually number nine.

I watched the President's News Conference last week. I thought that he made a compelling case. Of course, no sane person wants war. It would be a wonderful world if all nations would disarm and seek peace. That doesn't seem likely any time soon, however. A dictator who would kill 500,000 people with chemical weapons would not think twice before using nuclear weapons. I'm somewhat comforted that Mr. Bush prays to God before making important decisions. So far, I think he's made the right ones.