You might not recognize the name, but you may remember the movie – The Killing Fields. I saw this movie in the movie theaters when it first came out in 1984. It was a surprisingly good film about the Vietnam War with a totally different take.
Dith Pran was born September 27, 1942 in Cambodia. In 1975, Pran and New York Times reporter Sydney Schanberg were in Cambodia covering the fall of the capital city Phnom Penh and its eventual takeover by communist forces known as the Khmer Rouge. The foreign reporters were allowed to leave, but Pran was left behind and exiled to what he called “the killing fields” – forced labor camps. He survived four years in Cambodia during the time the Khmer Rouge murdered 2 million of the countries 7 million inhabitants. Pran escaped to Thailand in 1979 and made his way to the United States for a tearful reunion with his family (who had left in 1975) and Schanberg.
Schanberg went on to write the story which eventually was made in the movie. The movie starred Sam Waterson as Schanberg and Haing S. Ngor, another Cambodian escapee, as Pran. The film one three academy awards including best supporting actor for Ngor.
Pran was hired as a photojournalist by the New York Times and became a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He also founded the Dith Pran Holocaust Awareness Project. The organization is dedicated to educating people on the history of the Khmer Rouge regime.
Pran died of pancreatic cancer on March 30, 2008 in a New Jersey hospital. He was 65 years old.
I have always loved the look of teak patio furniture, but I know nothing about teak! I decided to do a little research on teak.
Teak is a tropical hardwood tree found in Asia and southeast Asia. It is commonly seen in monsoon forest vegetation. The teak tree grows 30 to 40 meters (98 to 131 feet) tall. The wood is used to manufacture outdoor furniture, boat decks, flooring and veneer. It is very water resistant. It has natural oils that make upkeep minimal. Teak is used in India to make door and window frames and resists termite infestations.
At one point there were environmental concerns about the over harvesting of teak old growth forests, but planning and new plantings of teak forests have negated these concerns.
I haven’t watched the show all season, but for some reason I stayed up to watch the finale last night. Fortunately, they did show some old clips and I pretty much knew what was going on. The two finalists were Trace Adkins (country singer) and Piers Morgan (gossip editor and TV judge). Donald Trump announced that this was a contest of good (Trace) versus evil (Piers). It seems that Piers was not well liked, however, he was a tough competitor with good business sense. Trace was competent and an all around good guy. Each contestant had to choose two previous contestant to work with them. Piers choose Steven Baldwin (who looks like is was always stoned) and Carol Alt (former supermodel). Trace choose Lenox Lewis (I wonder if he uses legal steroids because he is still huge) and Marilu Henner (who looks great).
Piers choose to be in charge of the celebrity auction and he did a fantastic job raising almost $400,000 for his charity. Trace was in charge of entertainment. He received personal donations in the amount of $68,000. I did not see how this was fair. Each player should have been asked to provide items for auction and see how they could compete against each other.
It didn’t take me long to realize that Piers was going to win the contest. Why? He raised tons of money for his charity and would do almost anything to make sure his charity won. This is Donald Trump’s style. Trump loved Adkins, but would rather do business with Morgan. That is what it all comes down to in the end.
The big winners were both charities: Piers choose the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund which provides funds to military heroes and their families and has a state-of-the-art rehabilitation center for military personnel. Trace choose Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network. His 6 year old daughter suffers from severe food allergies that can lead to anaphylaxic shook and even death.
We think they are the best looking people on the earth. However, we usually don’t see them without their makeup! Celebrities have professional makeup and hair stylists that help them get there great looks. You never hear about them reading wrinkle cream reviews or shopping for zit cream. I have seen a few celebrities that look great with or without makeup. These are the ones that have a more natural look. And don’t be surprised, but the men are sometimes wearing makeup as well.
Before you think about changing your name, think about all the documents you will have to have changed. You will need a new driver’s license and passport. You will need to get your named changed on bank accounts, term insurance policies and health records. These items alone would take up too much of my time! Here is a list of people who decided to change their names to something, shall we say, ridiculous.
Jason Burrows decided to change his name to Jason Megatron Burrows. Guess he loves the transformers.
Scott Nail legally changed his name to Optimus Prime. No, the two don’t know each other.
Dan Miller, a performer, changed his name to “The Dan Miller Experience.” Dude, that should be the name of your band, not your given name. Do they call him “The”?
Karin Robertson changed her name to Goveg.com. Please!
The Burger King song from the 1970s is still in my head. “Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, special orders don’t upset us.” I found a clip of one of the old Burger King commercials. Don’t you just love their hats?
My friends are currently remodeling their home and they need some new fixtures and furnishings. I sent them over to directbuy to find a showroom close to them. DirectBuy is not an online store, but a members only showroom. You can find great discounts on furnishings for your home without the traditional retail markup.
If you want to try it before you buy, you can download a free visitor’s pass on their website.
Here is a classic treadmill from Citibank. The commercial came out a couple of years ago. It looks amazingly real. I wonder if this guy has any injuries from shooting this commercial. I sure hope they got it on the first take!
Yes, gas prices keep going up and up and up! Do you long for the days when gas was only 75 cents per gallon? Think again. You were probably paying more for gas than you think.
From 1918 to about 1960, gas prices hovered about the 25 cents per gallon range. However, if you take into account inflation, you were actually paying $2.00 to $3.50 per gallon. In 1918 a gallon of gas would have cost you $3.50 in today’s money. In 1981, gas was $1.25 per gallon – that is $3.25 in today’s money.
Of course, we may reach an all time high this summer, with gas in the $4.00 range!
One of my favorite television programs is The Office. The show is set in Scranton, Pennsylvania, population 76,415. I not too sure that the citizens of Scranton enjoy having their town the center of all that attention, but maybe business is booming now.
I drove through Scranton last year on the way to New York and noticed the town seemed to be hoping! Maybe the popularity of the television show has made the town more attractive. Unfortunately, I was watching what I was doing and almost slammed into another car. I am sure glad I didn’t hit them because I wouldn’t want a Scranton personal injury lawyer breathing down my neck.
Settlers came to the Scranton area in the late 1700’s from New England and the village was known as Slocum Hollow. In 1947, two brothers Seldon T. and George W. Scranton began producing iron T-rails for the railroad. Scranton was incorporated in 1866 and was the height of industry. After World War II, however, iron need decreased and nearby coal mines were closed down. Scranton’s stores and theaters were closed and shopping moved out to the suburbs. In the mid-1980s Scranton began a successful revitalization plan. Scranton is Pennsylvania’s 6th most populous city.
