Dat Boy Funny

Andi and I enjoyed an evening out at one our favorite fun spots, the DC Improv, to see the very funny John Witherspoon. Noooo, not the representative who signed the Declaration Of Independence. I'm talking about the comedian/actor known for his appearences in movies such as Friday, House Party, and Fatal Instinct, the TV show The Wayans Brothers, and one of the Eastern Motors commercials (below).

As always, we had a great time. John Witherspoon is very funny, not only for his comedy routine, but for the character he plays. For those not familiar with him, John is known for wearing loud, old man outfits, that usually consist of bright colored pants held up with a white belt, a plaid or polka-dot shirt, and a bright bowtie. He's also known for often eating soul food and licking his fingers in most of his roles.

My only problem with the evening was at the end. Normally after the shows at the Improv, the comedians will hang out in the lobby and sign autographs and take pictures. However, Mr. Witherspoon ended his act by letting us know that we could line up at the left edge of the stage where we could pose for a Polaroid picture with him that we could then purchase, along with an autographed pictured holder, for $15.

That upset me a little because I would have thought that he'd be at a level where he wouldn't have to worry about peddling pictures. I'm hoping that maybe he does that to keep better control of his image and/or to keep crowds at bay.

A Serious Topic, For A Change

My buddy sent me an interesting link to the website The Root. You know I run a pretty light-hearted blog, but I find this topic very interesting. Check it out.

The End Of Black History Month

Now, if that opinion piece sounds familiar, it's because I posted a similar opinion here on BruDog Haven last year. BTW, it generated quite the discussion on the comments board.

My Black History Month post.

A Valentine's Treat

OK. You know I'm not a fan of Valentine's Day, but I had to share with you this blast from the past.

Extra Thin Mints, Tagashorts, and Do-si-don'ts

I read some disturbing news recently. Due to the economy, the Girl Scouts of the USA are having to skimp on some of their cookies this year. Tagalongs, Do-si-dos, and my favorite, Thin Mints, will have a few less cookies in the box. Woe is me, not my Girl Scouts cookies too.

Now, apparently this was the solution to a price hike or a switch to cheaper ingredients, so I guess that's a good thing, . . . but gee, not my Girl Scout cookies too. And really, it only amounts to a couple of cookies per box, . . . but still, not my Girl Scout cookies too.

BTW, as much as I love Girl Scout Cookies, I hate spending that much money on them. Not because the Girl Scouts aren't worth it, but because I fear that the troops don't get much of that money. Personally, I'd just rather give the $3.50 to the troop directly.

Man, not my Girl Scout Cookies too. . .

Killer Hamster

Punxsutawney Clause

OK, last night I past by three houses that still had Christmas lights up. One of which actually still had a tree up in the window. Folks, come on. Please. It's February 2nd. It's time to figure out how much longer winter is going to be. TAKE THE DECORATIONS DOWN! Maybe I should print out my Rules For Outdoor Holiday Lighting and drop it in their mailbox. Ugh!

Fire It Up!

Picture it: Mid-Winter. . . Cold. . . Snow. . . Ice. . . Perfect weather for

GRILLIN'!

That's right. Yesterday, I fired up the grill and threw a nice thick juicy steak on it. There's something about standing over a hot grill in the freezing cold that makes a brutha feel all manly, although when I tried to explain that to Andi, she didn't seem to get it. Am I alone here?

May I Take Your Order Please

I came across an interesting article online about drive-thru workers being outsourced. Evidently, the fast food chain Jack In The Box has been using call centers to take drive-thru orders at some of their Charlotte, NC locations.

Confused? Basically, you drive up to Jack... You get to the drive-thru menu board. A voice greets you over the speaker. It's an operator in Texas. . . (at least, that's where the company claims their operators are located). You place your order. The operator sends it to the restaurant. The restaurant fills the order. Got it? Good! Now, here's my question. . . Why?

According to Jack..., it's meant to "improve speed, accuracy and service, freeing up restaurant employees to process orders, accept payment and address other needs." I guess I don't understand why you would need that person at a totally different location as opposed to at the restaurant itself. And, fast food workers don't make that much money, so I don't see a cost advantage. And, what happens if the restaurant screws up your order? Does the operator fix it.

Imagine driving up to your favorite fast food joint and hearing a voice over the intercom saying, "Welcome to [insert restaurant here]. We are currently experiencing high vehicle volume. Please remain in your car. Your order will be taken in the order received."

Cartoons! Cartoons! Cartoons!

I have a new addiction. I've recently subscribed to Direct TV. One of the channels I've gained with the service, that I didn't have with my previous Comcast subscription, is the Boomerang Network. For those not familiar with the channel, it's the Cartoon Network's outlet for classic cartoons. And let me tell you, I love it!

I recently wrote a post about how the Fox Network decided to do away with Saturday morning cartoons in favor of infomercials (Saturday Mourning). Well, now with Boomerang, it's like Saturday morning every day for me. Just the other day, I watched Tom and Jerry, Scooby Doo, Johnny Quest, Popeye, Smurfs, Huckleberry Hound, and Jabberjaw. Kinda makes me want to grab a box of sugar cereal and a big ol' bowl.

A Message

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction....The chain reaction of evil -hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars - must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.


Martin Luther King, Jr., 1963