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EPSOM, N.H. (AP) — A New Hampshire man is raising money for wounded veterans by putting in some long hours at the free-throw line.

David Cummings, of Epsom, plans to sink 1 million free throws and raise $1 million for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. He’s asking for donations in exchange for making the foul shots.

He started on Veterans Day in 2009 and says he can reach his goal by Veterans Day 2011 by sinking 1,370 shots per day. On one day recently he sank 7,000 shots in ten hours.

Cummings says he keeps a pair of empty sneakers near the basket, symbolizing the men and woman who have died in war.

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MCNUGGETS ARE THE NEW CRACK

Police were called Friday to the restaurant in Toledo.

Police say 24-year-old Melodi Dushane was treated for injuries, then jailed. She pleaded not guilty to a vandalism charge. She was released on a recognizance bond and ordered not to have contact with the restaurant. The phone number for her home address isn’t listed.

A manager at the McDonald’s declined Monday to discuss the incident.

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GOATS LOVE CHRISTMAS TREES, BUT HATE PEPPER

KING-TV in Seattle says the trees were taken to the New Moon Farm Goat Rescue and Sanctuary, where the evergreens were fed to about 38 goats.

Sanctuary owner Ellen Felsenthal says people like the idea of turning trees into goat food. She says she’s looking for good families to adopt the rescued goats.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — He may have been dressed all in fur from his head to his foot, but this Santa was no saint.

According to Metropolitan Nashville Police, a man wearing a Santa Claus suit — including hat, beard and mustache — and dark sunglasses robbed a SunTrust Bank on Tuesday morning, demanding money from the teller at gunpoint.

After the teller complied, the man fled in a gray midsize car.

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I refuse to do a Top 10 list for everything this year, especially for movies. There just weren’t enough really good movies to compile a list like that, and I don’t want to be like every other writer, blogger, and Twitterer that is making a rundown of everything that happened in the past 365 days and ranking them.

Instead, I’ll hand out some awards for the films of 2009 and title them all Jonezie Winners. That way, only 2 million other people who claim the same last name can copy me…

Best Movie I Didn’t See: “Where the Wild Things Are” - The buzz around this movie should’ve encouraged me to pay $7.50, but I never got around to it. Once the DVD comes out, I’ll let you know what I, and probably you too, missed.

Movie I’m Most Unsure Of: “Avatar” - I have never sat down for nearly three hours and did something, and then look back on it with such uncertainty. Visually, this movie is a sensory overload…spending $300 million to make a 3D stunner will do that. But as far as the story goes, it was predictable, but still lovable. That’s why my jury is hung.

Locked-In Oscar Winner: “District 9″ - Made at a fraction of the cost of “Avatar”, this alien movie took a similar theme, but with a much different spin. A documentary-style film that’s set in a very realistic South Africa, it makes you think about what being human really means. 

Best Summer Surprise: “Star Trek” - I didn’t have much giddyness with my popcorn for this one. I’m a “Star Wars” nerd, not a Trekkie. But J.J. Abrams blew my mind with his storytelling and emotional tie-ins, and an hour into this thriller, I was entranced.

Worst Summer Surprise: “Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen” - This sequel took the first masterpiece and robotically urinated on it. It was nothing more than big explosions, too-quick and too-forced attempts at teen humor, and annoying screams. Not even Megan Fox’s slow motion runs could make me give this movie a thumbs up.

Best Storytelling Film: “Inglorious Basterds” - All of Tarantino’s movies are a bit odd, and this one was no exception, but it made it even more interesting. The back and forth between the Nazis and the Basterds brought it into the public’s eye, but it was the slow, dialogue driven plot that really sucked in audiences and stunned critics.

You Can’t Ignore This: “Up” - Even for a kids’ movie, this one won over everybody. Though I wouldn’t consider it a new classic, like “Wall-E”, I still thoroughly enjoyed it…and I really didn’t want to.

What Just Happened Movie of the Year: “Zombieland” - There are at least three moments in this film where you’re left wondering…did they just do that? And the best part of it…is yes, they did. You have to see it for yourself, I won’t ruin it for you.

Worst Movie of the Year: “Bruno” - When I say worst, I mean it in every sense of the word. It is the only movie that I have EVER thought about walking out of.

The Must-See Movie, Must-Have DVD of the Year: “Hangover” - The rewatchability of this movie will only be proven over time, but make no mistake about it…this is a comedy classic. You can’t go wrong with missing teeth, babies wearing shades, tigers in the bathroom, Mike Tyson, naked Chinese men, and a lost camera with obscene pictures galore only to be seen while the credits roll. Vegas will always be the same…

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It’s hard to remember a year in which so many dumb things were said. It’s sad to say the sayings were said at a sad time to say them. But looking back on them, makes them even funnier.

5. “The governor is hiking the Appalachian Trail.” Spokesman for South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford regard Sanford’s disappearance on June 22. Come to find out, he was just enjoying a little adultery time in Brazil.

4. “The Cambridge police acted stupidly.” Obama, commenting on a white police officer’s arrest of black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. at his home in Cambridge, Mass., at a news conference July 22. This lead up the “Beer Summit” in the backyard of the White House…and the crazy news conversation over what beers each person was having.

3. “Um, you guys said that we, um, did this for the show.” Falcon Heene, during an interview on CNN about his parents’ balloon hoax on Oct. 15. Balloon boy captured the nation for at least two weeks straight, and just goes to show you that with a drive to succeed and no shame: you too can become a worldwide mockery of a parent.

2. “I’m going to let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time! One of the best videos of all time!” Kanye West, interrupting Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 13. Watching this go down on that fateful night, I literally spit out my ice water laughing. In all the Twitter craze and media frenzy that followed, Kanye did more for his career with a bad deed than perhaps anybody…besides maybe Paris Hilton. Her bad deed? Being born.

1. “You lie!” Wilson’s shouted retort to Obama’s address before a joint session of Congress on Sept. 9. A grand and intellectual point that heckled the President turned into a poo-storm for good ol’ Senator Wilson. This well-thought out move cost him any credibility from here on out because everybody will always remember him as the jack-donkey who couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

Posted under Current Affairs

CAMDEN, N.J. - Campbell Soup Co. said Monday that it will cut the amount of sodium in its SpaghettiOs canned pastas by up to 35 percent, as food makers increasingly try to make healthier products for children.

Last week General Mills, which makes Lucky Charms, Trix and Cocoa Puffs, announced that it planned to lower the amount of sugar in its cereals marketed to children.

Many food companies have been increasingly watched by consumers, regulators and health groups over the nutritional value of their products as the U.S. continues to battle a growing childhood obesity problem.

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My initial reaction to this was, ”Uh Oh Spaghettios!” If I was 12 years old, this would be true…but instead, my initial reaction was pure outrage. 

Just because kids these days lack the motivation to move away from the computer, TV, cell phone, and/or combination of all three, I have to suffer from taste reduction. Our childhood obesity rate is rising, and I agree that we should do something about it, but changing food isn’t going to matter…GET THEIR FAT DONKEYS UP AND MOVING! It’s the lack of exercise that’s the problem, not the food they’re eating.

My second fit of rage comes with the assumption that kids are the only ones eating Spaghettios. This is a horrible misconception, because millions of adults love the easy cookin’ goodness, too. Read my past blog on why it is still socially acceptable to chow down on canned food in your mid-20’s by clicking here.

Lucky Charms lowering the sugar in their cereal is the last step in my progression to the Incredible Hulk. I’m currently writing this wearing only some tattered jeans, surrounded by a stockpile of salty Spaghettios and sugary cereal…get them while you can!

FREE OUR TASTEBUDS!

Posted under Food and Drink

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Santa may not need Rudolph’s red nose this year.

Residents in Colorado Springs have been reporting a deer with a tangle of Christmas lights wrapped in its antlers. Neighbors have tried to chase the buck to remove the lights, with no success.

State wildlife officials say it’s not unusual for deer to get tangled in outdoor decorations.

Wildlife authorities say they had reports two weeks ago of another deer in Colorado springs with lights caught in its antlers. Wildlife managers say they simply leave decorated deer alone unless they hear reports of deer with cords caught around their necks or mouths.

Residents have been asked to use shorter strings of lights and to keep lights off trees and bushes.

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