Local filmmaker Dane Boedigheimer has won an online film festival at http://www.bolt.com/1mff .

Check out his mini-movie, it's hilarious! Although it makes feel sorry for every time I've fried an egg in front of the carton of all of his friends.

So on day two of my sore throat, I decided to return to my heavenly Starbucks. But it seems as if I've over-indulged. I made my order: "I'll have a grande chai tea latte with non-fat milk please." The employee misunderstood me: "An iced tea latte?" I repeated my order, "No, a chai tea latte." She said, "Oh, ok, I didn't hear the 'chai'."

I pulled up to the window. The gal handed me an iced chai tea latte. "That's not what I ordered. I wanted a chai tea latte." "That's what this is," she said. "No, I didn't want it on ice." "No ice? You want it hot?" "Yes, hot." "Oh, OK." She looked really perturbed as she handed me my new drink. Sorry to put you out lady.

No more Starbucks for me for a while. Oh, wait, I'm heading to Seattle on vacation tomorrow. STARBUCKS, HERE I COME!

I rarely go to Starbucks. I'm frugal and self-sustaining so I brew my own coffee at home. (GASP)

So Starbucks is a treat. Especially when I have a sore throat like I do today. It hurts to talk! When I feel like this, I definitely don't want coffee. So I decided to treat myself to a grande non-fat chai tea latte.

As I turned onto California Avenue from H Street, it was like a scene from the Ten Commandments. Leftover clouds from yesterday's unbearable humidity billowed behind the huge Starbucks sign, parting in a ring of brilliant light that shone down behind the sign like rays being sent from God's own hands.

It was a sign from heaven. I was meant to have my grande non-fat chai tea latte. I felt like I was speaking in tongues as I made my order, I was so overtaken by the omnipotent power of Starbucks. The angelic voice of the attendant over the speaker confirmed how much I was loved: "That will be $3.20 at the window please." I was happy to hand over my tithe, a pittance for the warm, sweet liquid I would soon sip from my cardboard chalice.

If this sore throat is my cross to bear for sinning over the weekend and smoking half a pack of cigarettes, then my grande non-fat chai tea latte is my resurrection. Praise the Lord!

Amen.

Last week while my boss, Davin McHenry, was on vacation, I took the liberty of cleaning his yucky desk to welcome the new computer being installed for him. Then I decided to go all out and decorate his cubicle in full Diva-style! I got flowers and ribbon from the discount bin at Michaels and scored an awesome lace chair cover at the Salvation Army store next door. With the help of co-worker Colleen Jiron, we made that desk all purty-like. And I think Davin liked it!

Forget the World Cup. This is fascinating!

Watch robo dogs play soccer!

http://current.tv/studio/me...

This has to be the best quote in the paper today:

"It doesn't seem like a guy running around in his underwear is really presenting a deadly threat," Magner said. "The guy was just trying to get out of the area."

Read the story here: http://www.bakersfield.com/...

Talk about faking a howl. One of our reporters has a story in the paper today about a woman who tracks kit foxes with a stuffed animal on wheels (a "coyote") that has a CD player inside of it so it can emit howling noises. It's controlled by a remote control.

It's hilarious!

Check out the story here.

Or for a good laugh, just download the video she and I made to go with it.

The day before the primary elections -- and the day of the devil -- 6-5-06 -- I took my little audio recorder around the various campaign headquarters looking for free snacks and pens. Take a listen and go on this treasure hunt with me!

I was in the check-out line at the grocery store the other day when I saw this gem on the rack: "Pregnancy for Dummies."

I'm sorry, but if you're dumb, please, please don't have a baby!

Dumb people should not be allowed to have children.