So, if you live in the Tampa Bay area and you’re looking for a network of PHP developers who are learning or who can be learned from, I strongly encourage you to join and attend one of our meetings.

This is actually kind of a good show. For the first four seasons I hadn’t realized that this wasn’t a show that focused on actually cooking food: it’s about who can make food better. It doesn’t really matter what dish is being prepared as long as it fits the requirements of the competition and that it is made flawlessly.

In the first few episodes of this season, I felt most certain that Arianne should go home. But she seems to have completely redeemed herself beginning with the Thanksgiving turkey she prepared for the Thanksgiving dinner prepared for the Foo Fighters.    

Unfortunately, by the time we got to the 12 Days of Christmas competition, everyone totally went down the tubes. Apparently, Hosea, Jeff and Radhika brought it home with Hosea winning the competition. Let’s not forget that Hosea and Radhika both lost their proteins to the fridge not being closed properly and pretty much had to start all over. Hosea made smoked pork and Radhika started with duck breasts and wound up with duck legs and thighs for their dishes. Once again, Jaime, got an attitude when her dish was faulted and Gene got a real hair up his butt about his dish being faulted. But at Judge’s Table it was decided that since all the cheftestants helped Hosea and Radhika get their dishes prepared, no one would be sent home for Christmas.

This should make for a very interesting new episode. There is a new judge coming to the table and the first competition will send two of the cheftestants home. Of course that sounds shocking that two should be sent home…um…no one was sent home last episode.

Top Chef New York is on Bravo Wednesday nights at 10pm Eastern.

In addition to all the weight she lost, she lost quite a bit of emotional baggage as well. Season 6 of The Biggest Loser consisted of eight family teams. Michelle and her mother, Renee, struggled through week after week of losing weight, getting healthy, and restoring their relationship. Michelle learned that she wasn’t the cause for her parents breakup and that even though she hadn’t had a real relationship with her mother for five years, her mother still loved and adored her.    

Just as astounding is the weight lost by Heba. Heba was the heaviest woman at the start at 294 pounds. She went on to win the at-home side of the contest and lost over 130 pounds. Both Heba and Ed, her husband, were left for the viewer’s choice and the viewers opted to send Heba home.

Throughout the contest you could see wheels turning to see who was going to turn on who and how the week was going to shake out. For a few, this was a total game with only the $250,000 as a goal. For most of the others, this was an opportunity to get their life back, to get healthy, and for Ed and Heba, a chance to start really thinking about having kids.

Without question, I don’t think I would have enough strength to compete in something like The Biggest Loser (even though my friend Kelley continually threatens me that she’s going to sign me up), but I must admit that I wouldn’t mind having a chance to get healthy again - maybe lose all these unnecessary aches and pains. And all these unwanted extra pounds…

The Biggest Loser Couples starts Tuesday, January 6th at 8pm Eastern on NBC.

It was confirmed that the remains of Caylee Anthony were indeed found less than a mile from the home she shared with her mother, Casey, and her grandparents.

According to ABC News online 12/23, the funeral has not yet been set, but the grandparents are planning to have a public memorial service. The Orange County Department of Corrections has deemed that Casey Anthony is not eligible to attend the viewing or the funeral. You mean there are cases where an accused is eligible to go to the funeral of the one they are accused of killing?    

I don’t want to dwell on all the things that are wrong with this case. I’m just glad that a little girl who tragically lost her life, allegedly at the hands of her mother, will have a chance to rest in peace.

So these are my thoughts about the Atlanta housewives…

The thing that annoys me most about Sheree is that she puts across this attitude that she’s entitled to her life and that she’s worked so hard to achieve it. For what it’s worth - how hard can it be to marry and then divorce a professional ball player and then take his money? Now hang on a minute - before you get all “well you don’t know what her married life was like” - no I have no idea what her life was like. That’s not my point. My point is that she tries to put on this air that she’s earned all of what she has. It was her husband her earned the money she now has. So tired of these ball players that have to give up what they’ve bled and sweat for. About She by Sheree - I respect that fashion designing and having a fashion line may have been something that Sheree has wanted for a long time - but to say that great fashion designers don’t do their own sewing and sketches and stuff? Oh puh-leeeeeze. Once again I guess menial tasks are beneath some…

I think Kim would absolutely die if she actually had to do even a minute’s worth of real work. I don’t care that almost everything on her body is fake, but I do care that she thinks she’s entitled to a rich lifestyle when she doesn’t do anything for it. I think she’s setting a bad example for her kids and I just pray that when they grow up they learn and do better for themselves. Relying on others to provide your lifestyle is so totally the wrong way to go. Ok and this whole thing that she wants to be a country-western singer? I’ve listened to better drunken karaoke singers…

Deshawn is ok. No real opinion about her. She lives the lifestyle that her husband provides. One thing that does annoy me is that she says that when her husband is away that she feels like a single parent and therefore she needs to employ a full staff to help take care of her house and home. How many other true single parents do you know of that have a full staff to take care of their house and home? Um none?

I love NeNe. Although she also comes by her lifestyle by way of a successful and wealthy husband, she had to suffer through an abusive relationship. When she talks about her family, she does exude a motherly love for her children and she does have a seemingly genuine love and affection for her husband. The thing I admire most about NeNe is her refusal to put on airs. One thing about NeNe is never ask her for her opinion unless you’re prepared for her answer. This girl pulls no punches. Oh and her friend Dwight is just so wonderful - great attitude and spirit. Seems to know exactly how to tell someone to go to hell and they’ll ask for directions. And let’s not forget about NeNe’s Twisted Hearts Foundation. Unlike Deshawn’s foundation, Twisted Hearts brings domestic violence into focus and having suffered through her own abusive relationship, she can offer insight and true heart to her foundation. It’s almost like I wish I could contact NeNe and offer to build her foundation a website free of charge. Get the name out there even more and provide maybe a social network for men, women and children who need help but think they don’t have anywhere to go.

Last, but certainly not least, is Lisa. The most admirable thing about Lisa is that even if she and her NFL husband were to divorce tomorrow, she can provide her own living. She has so many of her own successful ventures going that she really is her own woman. She wants to have fun and hang with the girls, but doesn’t want to get all caught up in the drama. She has her own opinions, but would rather save someone’s feelings than hurt or offend. She’s just a great chick.

In any event, even though right now Bravo is showing the Real Housewives of Orange County, I so totally recommend this show. I really hope they bring back the Atlanta housewives for another season.

But, rather than dwell on all the things that are wrong with my life, I will take a quick moment to remember the things that are right with my life and how they will help me to have a better 2009.    

First would have to be the friends that I have. Without them, in many cases, I probably wouldn’t even be sitting here writing this post. They give me the will to carry on. No, no, no - I’m not at all suicidal. But I can and do suffer from the whole woe is me syndrome. My few friends remind me that “that which does not kill us makes us stronger.” Or, “God doesn’t give us anymore than we can handle.” I’m hoping that God has finally found my breaking point and won’t pile anything else on lol.

But, thanks to my friends - Kelley, who opened her home to me when I needed it most; Dave, who continues to ask for the most inane things on his website which force me to learn more about web design and development; Ed, who appreciates me so much more than I never knew; Robert, who is truly my partner in crime and keeps me smiling; Rick, who continually finds just the right baseball cap for me to wear - and remembers that I won’t wear a team hat that doesn’t have the appropriate authenticity stickers; Sam, who as a new friend, inspires and empowers me to be better than what I am; Brandon, who has taught me more than I ever would have hoped to learn about PHP; Adam, who provides me with interesting tools and ideas for better site designs and provides useful critiques on designs and thoughts for designs; Karen, who was gracious enough to take in my babies when I had nowhere else to turn and has provided a wonderful temporary home for them and for other cats who are less fortunate and far less healthy; and to so many others that to try to list them would be nearly impossible - Walter, Rob, my Uncle Peter…

Second, I suppose, would have to be my health. My hip and thigh hurt almost all the time now, and I seem to have done something bad to my right shoulder that will make me see stars if I move the wrong way. But, even though I have lots of little pains, I can still walk and breathe and see and hear and all those other glorious things that remind me that I’m still alive.

I’ve already decided that since 2008 wasn’t so great, then 2009 must be mine. It’s time once again for me to take ownership of my life and take ownership of the obstacles that I’ve so long allowed to own me.

To everyone and anyone who graces my blog with their presence I wish a very happy and prosperous new year!

But I think the part that bothers me about this show is Jillian. I understand that many, if not all, of the contestants are unaccustomed to exercising or thinking positive about themselves, but I think Jillian tries to take them there in a really harsh way. I was completely blown away by her reaction in last night’s episode because her team hadn’t done their “homework.” Homework is the exercising the contestants are supposed to be doing outside of the regularly scheduled routine. She got completely bent and totally lost it on the team.    

Don’t get me wrong - I understand what she was trying to do but I know that if it was me I would have been packing my bags on my way home. And maybe that’s why I have a problem with her. Maybe it’s her directness about how she feels about how her team is performing that turns me off. Maybe it just feels like this is all her competition and she has lost the concept that even though it is a competition and there’s money to be won in the end, the ultimate goal is to help these people to get healthy - that when one of her team is sent home it’s a total reflection on her and her abilities as a trainer.

The very best part of the show - the part I really enjoy - is the weigh-in. Of course I don’t like to see any of the contestants fall below the yellow line, but I do love to see how the teams work hard all week and see how they are rewarded with a minus when it’s all said and done.

The past two episodes have involved sending one member of a team home if they fell below the yellow line. Last week the yellow team, Jerry and Colleen, fell below and they had to choose between themselves which would go home. They decided that Jerry would go home because he was having many physical difficulties and they felt that Colleen would do better if she stayed. It was heartbreaking to see these two broken up, but while Jerry was sent home, he was not eliminated from the competition. When contestants are sent home, they continue to train and compete, they just don’t get to share in the special prizes contests and they don’t get to be a part of the group at the ranch. But they do get a trainer and education at home so that they can still lose weight and continue on the journey toward a healthier lifestyle.

I’m not completely down on this show - although I could do without all the commercials and all the nail biting. I think it’s kind of a fun show to watch. I think I’m just completely turned off by Jillian. And that is probably because she’s spouting all the things I don’t want to hear…

The story is about the life of diamond mine workers, smugglers, and civil war in Sierra Leone. I don’t know that I completely bought DiCaprio’s accents, but this is probably the most mature role I’ve ever seen him in. I was totally disappointed in his performance in The Man in the Iron Mask and I don’t even want to talk about Titanic. Those two movies are probably the only reason I don’t watch Leonardo DiCaprio. Can’t stand that wingey kinda whiney voice when his character gets upset.

Djimon Honsou. Do I really need to say more? Ok, I suppose I should expand a little more on what it is that I like about him. Aside from the fact that I think he is probably one of the sexiest men I’ve ever seen. Amistad and Gladiator are responsible for that I think. I’m not really sure what it is about him that makes him so sexy. His accent, his intent stare, strong jaw? I really don’t know.

The two main characters, Danny Archer (DiCaprio) and Solomon Vandy (Honsou) are not completely balanced, but the story works well enough.    

The story itself is about a village fisherman, Solomon Vandy, and how his village is overrun by rebels who take the men to work in diamond mines and the children are recruited into the rebel army. Solomon is taken to work in a river to pan for diamonds and his son, Dia (Kagiso Kuypers) is taken to train as a rebel. Dia is exposed to images of inhumane murder, torture, and outrageous violence. The rest of the family is thrown into a refugee camp.

While panning for diamonds in a river, Solomon finds a large pink diamond and finds a way to smuggle it from the river he was panning. The overseer finds him trying to stash the diamond and is about to punish him, but is instead knocked down and out by a blast by the government army. The overseer winds up in a government jail where he tells about the diamond that Solomon found and hid. Danny Archer (DiCaprio) knows that he can command a huge sum for the diamond and gets Solomon to agree to swap the diamond for getting his family and son back together.

Danny Archer convinces an American journalist, Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly) to help them to find Vandy’s family and son in return for a huge story about the diamond trade in Africa.

When Vandy, Archer and Bowen find Solomon’s family in the refugee camp, Solomon becomes quite distressed to learn that his son was taken away to train in the rebel camp. By the time they find Dia, he has fallen into the rebel groove and does not accept his father or his rescue. He has come to believe that the rebel army is his family and will provide for him and keep him safe.

Throughout all of this, Archer is beginning to have a crisis of conscience because on the face of it he could care less about the Vandy family. His only concern is getting that diamond and the huge payoff it will provide for him. I think it’s toward the middle of the movie that I finally recognized the talent that DiCaprio has. He pulled off giving his character a soul and therefore made his character more believable.

We all regard diamonds as a highly prized jewel. Aside from its industrial uses because of its being the hardest material known to man, a diamond is a symbol of love, of status, a measurement of wealth, and it is ever-lasting. It takes millions of years for a single diamond to form, and yet so much is destroyed in mining them. Powerful businessmen and corrupt governments do everything in their power to mine diamonds of all sizes and peddle them to the highest bidders and as a society we save and save so that we can afford to buy one.

Don’t get me wrong - I love diamonds just as much as everyone else (my preference is sapphires). But never for a second doubt the turmoil in diamond-producing countries isn’t real. Men, women and children lose their lives for these precious gems. Civil wars are financed by these precious gems.

I’m sorry - I went off on a tangent there and I didn’t mean to. But in the event that the storyline of the movie didn’t quite get the message across about the civil war in Sierra Leone and the diamond traffic that goes on in Africa.

DiCaprio and Honsou did a great job at portraying equally opposite characters where one who was out for himself learned to go out for someone else and one who was all about his family embraced an outsider as he learned how to survive outside of his village.

I’m almost looking forward to seeing DiCaprio’s upcoming movie with Russell Crowe, Body of Lies, which is scheduled to come out October 10th.

Even though The Oblongs are on the Cartoon Network, there’s a reason that they’re only shown during Adult Swim - this is definitely not a cartoon for children. And probably just as much reason why they don’t come on until 2 AM.

The Oblongs are based on a group of stories developed by Angus Oblong, ‘Creepy Susie and 13 Other Tragic Tales For Troubled Children.”    

The Oblongs are a family that live in HillValley where the water is polluted by toxins and there’s a meteor that provides a nice glow around the town. The parents, Bob and Pickles (voices provided by Will Ferrell and Jean Smart), provide a completely dysfunctional home for their three…err…four children: Biff and Chip, Milo and Beth. Biff and Chip are conjoined twins with three legs and three butt cheeks; Milo has every conceivable childhood malady; and Beth has this thing growing out of her head. According to Oblong’s site, the thing growing out of Beth’s head is NOT a penis…

Do not be fooled by Pickles’ large, yellow, Marge Simpson-looking do - she’s bald and the yellow thing is a wig. She drinks and smokes way past excess and of course doesn’t see a problem with it.

Bob has no arms or legs, but he can smoke a pipe. Nope - don’t try to understand it.

Milo has some really weird friends - Peggy the Mutant who has no lower jaw and a single boob; Helga, an overweight rude pig of a girl; Mikey who has very droopy butt cheeks - like they droop below his knees; and Creepy Susie, a goth girl who floats six inches above the ground.

At school, Milo and his friends cannot find any acceptance from the other school children and the Debbies make everyone’s life miserable. The Debbies are a group of six girls that are completely identical in everything they do and the way they look. They are the debutantes of the town and anyone who looks or acts different from them is completely beneath them.

If you have a twisted, sick sense of humor, I thoroughly recommend seeing this show at least once.

I just celebrated by 40th birthday two weeks ago and even though several people at my “party” told me they would have thought I was still in my 30’s, I’m beginning to feel older and older with each passing unemployed day. My confidence level is dropping and dropping and bringing my mood right down with it.

I keep trying to find ways to at least improve my mood so that I can have a positive attitude to bring with me on a job interview. Oh wait - I can’t even get an interview…    

About three weeks ago I started on a freelance project that I thought would take about a week. I over-thought the project and it turned into a two and a half week long project. It actually worked out quite well because the client was quite pleased with the “admin” section I had developed for him. Absolutely no changes were made at all to the original design. Even though I wasn’t a huge fan of the design (lots of bright yellow), after speaking with Delayne about working on his project I found that the content and the design really fit him perfectly. If I would have thought about a trendier design I think it would have seemed kind of like false advertising.

There’s another freelance project that was supposed to have started about seven months ago. They’ve finally gotten to the point where they are ready to start to actually have me work on it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to matter that I’ve been hanging out here waiting for more work and I’m expected to leave the project at the price I quoted at the beginning. Fortunately, they also had a brochure designed independent of the new design style I had come up with and they preferred the brochure design over mine. Why is that fortunate for me? Quite honestly, I wasn’t huge on my design at all. I like the design of the brochure and I’m looking forward to incorporating it into the site design.

So…needless to say I’m at a point now where I need to start thinking about finding a temporary home for my kitties. My friend Kelley has said that I can flop at her place until I get back on my feet. LOL like I can really get on my feet working at McDonald’s or Burger King? Not bloody likely that’s for sure. And while it’ll be great to have a place to stay, because of cat allergies and her two VERY playful Dalmations there’s no way can I bring my kitties. I hope they’ll understand and forgive me for breaking up our family for a little while.

On a positive note, I do have another freelance project coming my way and I haven’t been evicted yet. Kelley is going to go with me to try to get unemployment or welfare - whatever it takes to help get me through until I can find a job worth getting up for in the morning.