Monday Weisblog: Movie history for sale

A reliable source has told me that a piece of movie history can be yours … if the price is right!

Several months ago, in one of my initial blogs, I wrote about staying in Jackson, GA at my wife’s relatives’ house. I mentioned how peaceful it was and how it was close to the area in which the movie “My Cousin Vinny” was filmed.

One of the photos I used at the time was this picture – of the Sac-O-Suds convenience store, where the crime took place in the movie, (where the two “utes” were incorrectly accused).

Well, I’ve been given word that the Sac-O-Suds – a REAL establishment – is now closed up and has a “for sale” sign on it.

I think that’s kind of sad, really. There is just something so unique about rural Georgia convenience stores.

I remember once driving past one that had unique product offerings on their sign. On one side it read, “Hot biscuits and propane,” while the other side advertised, “live bait and hot pizza.” Talk about versatility!

Then there was the one near a big dam, appropriately called “The Big Dam Store.”

And last but not least, let’s not forget “Crazy Ed’s Convenience Store” right in the heart of Jackson.

But there’s only one Sac-O-Suds, and unless someone opens it back up and returns it to its former glory, Joe Pesci and the gang will only be an afterthought in a place where one of the funniest comedies in recent memory was shot.

Friday Weisblog: Determination pays off for Kevin Laue

Kevin Laue

Kevin Laue is six feet, 10 inches tall. He played last season at Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia. He recently found out he got a Division I basketball scholarship to Manhattan College.

Big deal, you say. Ordinarily I’d agree with you, but there’s something unique about this very tall young man (other than the fact that he is 6′ 10″).

He’s missing his left hand. When he was born, the umbilical cord cut off much of the circulation in his hand.

Laue’s situation did not deter Manhattan Coach Barry Rohrssen from recruiting him. “We take chances on kids who have poor academic histories, who have disciplinary problems both on the court and off the court,” Rohrssen said Tuesday. “We give opportunities to players who don’t appreciate them, who take them for granted. For all the right reasons, Kevin deserves this chance, and he should make the most of this opportunity.”

In case you’re wondering – and you probably are – he uses his upper arm to help him catch passes, and after that he can easily palm the ball with his other hand which, as you can imagine by his size, is quite large.

“He can run as well as anybody,” Arritt said. “He can jump as well as anybody. You don’t need two hands to block shots around the basket.”

As for Laue, he’s certain he’ll get the job done for the Jaspers. “I’m a risk. Coach Rohrssen was willing to take it,” Laue said. “He has no reason to worry.”

Here’s hoping everything works out well for Laue. If so, it’d be one great feel-good story!

Tuesday Weisblog: Thank you, veterans!

During holidays such as Memorial Day, as well as Veterans Day and the Fourth of July, my mind wanders to those who have served our country in the armed forces.

I hope that we never take these people for granted, despite the fact that it’s very easy to do. I think part of it is because the war we’re in is not on our own soil; I think another part of it is just plain selfishness and apathy on the part of people in our country.

Before you start lobbing insults at me, I will admit that I am just as guilty as everyone else. You are so busy dealing with family stuff and job stuff that, unless the war is right in your face or someone you know is affected by it, you don’t think of it as often as you should.

That’s why this blog is the ideal opportunity to say thank you to those who have served in one of the branches of our armed forces. People like my father, who served (and was wounded) in World War II; people like my friend Mike B., who joined the Marines out of college and was in Operation Desert Storm; and especially those who have given their lives to protect our freedom.

Whether or not you agree with the war – and I’m not here to debate that – you have to pause long enough to give credit to our soldiers, who deserve every bit of praise that they get.

May we never take them – or our freedoms – for granted, lest we take our eyes off the liberties they fought so hard for and lose them.

Friday Weisblog: It should be hide-a-key time for one irresponsible teen

Parents, you wanna know why your teenagers’ auto insurance rates are through the roof, even if you have teens that are good drivers?

It’s because studies show that some teens’ brains aren’t fully developed until they reach adulthood. Not all of them, mind you … just some of them. I happen to have two in my house whose brains appear to be just fine; however, some parents as not quite as fortunate.

Such is apparently the case with the parents of 17-year-old Katelyn Blaylock of Lutz, FL. It seems that young Ms. Blaylock got in an accident recently. That in itself is no big deal as long as no one is injured – after all, it is called an accident.

But where she did not exercise common sense is the fact that she rear-ended the police car being driven by Tampa Police officer Tanya Manning.

Oh yeah, and she was allegedly TEXT MESSAGING at the time! And wait … that’s not all! They, along with rear-seat passenger Ashton Longworth, 17, were all skipping school.

“I really didn’t even, like, realize it was a police car until I got out of the car. I was freaking out. I called my mom and I’m like, I just got in an accident,” Katelyn told ABC Action News.

Ms. Blaylock and her passenger, Alexis Suda, 18, suffered minor injuries when the airbags deployed. Damage to both vehicles came to about $3,000.

Officer Manning gave young Ms. Blaylock a ticket for careless driving and had the kids transported by police car to their school. (Bet I can guess what the text message was then … I’m, like, in a police car and I’m like, so stressed out. This is sooooo not cool.)

It is my sincere hope that Ms. Blaylock’s mother takes away her phone, her keys and her driving privileges for awhile.

Thursday Weisblog: Not good horse sense

William C. Wilson spent Tuesday night in a Batesville, Arkansas motel room (not the Bates Motel).

Mr. Wilson must have REALLY felt that he needed to go to sleep.

When police found him in his room two nights ago, they also found three syringes and a bottle of horse tranquilizers. Sheriff’s Deputy Anthony Carter said Mr. Wilson informed him he’d used the drugs at least FIVE TIMES during that day to try to make him go to sleep.

A local veterinarian by the name of Mark Williams said that these are powerful drugs, and that Wilson is lucky to be alive.

I hope when he’s released from the hospital (if he hasn’t been yet), they place him in a psychiatric ward. Assuming he wasn’t trying to harm himself – which is not necessarily a safe assumption – he still is showing some exceptionally poor judgment, and they need to find out the root cause of insomnia so bad that he is taking horse tranquilizers.

I’ll resist the urge to make jokes about him being “saddled” with insomnia and just say that I wish Mr. Wilson all the best.

Wednesday Weisblog: Roger that!

Today’s blog comes with a disclaimer: IF YOU ARE AN ANIMAL LOVER, READ TODAY’S BLOG AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Still here? OK, here goes …

Roger Goodell is the commissioner of the National Football League. Michael Vick is the deposed former quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons who is soon coming to the end of serving a sentence for taking part in a dogfighting organization.

This dogfighting was so grisly that if the loser didn’t die during the fight, they were often electrocuted, drowned, shot or even hanged. The NFL suspended Vick indefinitely, and he was sentenced to 23 months in prison. Sometime soon he’ll be getting out a little ahead of time for good behavior, time served and all that good stuff.

There’s never been anyone who has denied that Vick is a gifted player. He’s not the most prolific pure passer around, but he made up for it with his quick feet and elusiveness. As you might imagine, Vick is getting ready to start training for a comeback.

As for Goodell, the man who has the power to reinstate Vick (or keep him out of the league for another season), he says he not only needs to hear an apology, he needs to see actions that prove he is remorseful.

Vick will soon be working with the nationwide branch of the Humane Society on an anti-dogfighting campaign. He has met with animal-rights activists. He arranged a meeting with Tony Dungy, the former Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach, who is perhaps one of the most respected leaders of men that the league has ever seen. He is doing all the right things. He’s gone on public record saying his actions were “heinous.”
(Oh yeah, and he got busted with some marijuana just prior to going to prison.)

But is he truly serious and contrite? If he was given a healthy dose of truth serum and had to answer what was in his heart, you might very well hear that he’s only sorry he got caught.

Do I think he should be reinstated? Believe it or not, I say he should. Whether or not his sentence was harsh enough or not is not relevant to this discussion. The bottom line is, he’s served the time the judicial system said he should serve, and thus I believe he should be allowed to work again.

But am I buying what he’s selling in regard to his new attitude toward dogfighting? Not just yet. I don’t know for sure what the man is thinking, but I do have a hard time believing that he suddenly “saw the light” while languishing behind bars.

Convince me, Mike. Convince me. In fact, convince us all!