Monday, June 30, 2008, 7:33 PM // 0 comments

Shelley Ploe - Burke Real Estate Agent

Military families on frontline of foreclosure crisis

My friend Shelley Ploe was recently seen in a NBC Nightly News report about how there is no law to protect active duty military homeowners from foreclosures, which are at an all-time high near military bases. Shelley, a Burke real estate agent, is featured discussing how these foreclosures are effecting Northern Virgina.



Visit Shelley Ploe's real estate website.

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Tuesday, June 24, 2008, 8:49 AM // 1 comments

George Carlin: Class Clown

Remembering Mr. Conductor

George Carlin - Class Clown - altobelliI was very sad to hear that George Carlin passed away. He may not be on my top-ten list of comedy influences but I would say he has a special place in my funny bone. Carlin's 1972 landmark recording, Class Clown, was the first comedy album I ever owned. Actually, it was a cassette that I had recorded by placing my tape deck up against a speaker at Michael Carty's house. His older brothers, Joe and Tom, owned the album and Michael and I stole the album to so we could record it. The big attraction, of course, was Carlin's Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television. As funny as that bit was - Michael and I found Carlin's routines about attending Catholic grade school even funnier. Carlin's observations about God, confession, nuns, and the bible were dead on and - as two Catholic school students - Michael and I never laughed so hard.

Over the years Carlin's style of comedy changed. He was one of the few comedians who was not afraid to say what was on his mind and most of the time, I found that I agreed with him.

Rest in peace George Carlin and thank you for turning me on to the bilabial fricative.

Enjoy George Carlin's Class Clown.

Listen / Download:
1. Class Clown
2. Wasting Time: Sharing a Swallow
3. Values: How Much is That Dog Crap in the Window?
4. I Used to be Irish Catholic
5. The Confessional
6. Special Dispensation: Heaven, Hell, Purgatory and Limbo
7. Heavy Mysteries
8. Muhammad Ali-America The Beautiful
9. Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television

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Tuesday, June 17, 2008, 9:23 PM // 2 comments

Deaths Out of Left Field

I didn't even know he was sick

I added "Meet the Press" moderator Tim Russert's name to a mental list I've been keeping for a while now. The list contains names of famous people who died unexpectedly and made you say, "wow I never expected (insert deceased name here) to die." But, as with most of my lists, I do have rules. Celebrities over a certain age are not eligible (ie Bob Hope , George Burns, etc.). Presidents, world leaders, and politicians are off the list for obvious reasons. Cancer victims and celebrities who contract AIDS or other diseases are also off the list. The announcement of the illness may be unexpected but by the time the death comes we're prepared. Finally, the entire Kennedy family is ineligible. That family is cursed and unexpected Kennedy death is a expected.

So here's the list starting with the most recent unexpected death and then grouped according to cause of death. Please feel free to comment.

  • Tim Russert (heart attack)
  • Robert Palmer (heart attack)
  • Richie Ashburn (heart attack)
  • Elvis Presley (heart attack)
  • Jim Fixx (heart attack)
  • Jerome Brown (car accident)
  • Pele Limburgh (car accident)
  • Jessica Savage (car accident)
  • Princess Grace Kelly (car accident)
  • Princess Diana (car accident)
  • Jayne Mansfield (car accident)
  • James Dean (car accident)
  • Patsy Cline (plane crash)
  • Jim Croce (plane crash)
  • Ricky Nelson (plane crash)
  • Roberto Clemente (plane crash)
  • Payne Stewart (plane crash)
  • Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, Big Bopper (plane crash)
  • Lynyrd Skynyrd band members (plane crash)
  • Aaliyah (or is it Ashante?) (plane crash)
  • Rocky Marciano (plane crash)
  • John Denver (plane crash)
  • Stevie Ray Vaughn (helicopter crash)
  • Bill Graham (helicopter crash)
  • River Phoenix (drug overdose)
  • Heath Ledger (drug overdose)
  • Marilyn Monroe (drug overdose)
  • John Marzono (fall)
  • Ahmet Ertegün (fall)
  • Dr. Robert Atkins (fall)
  • Phil Hartman (murdered)
  • John Lennon (murdered)
  • Lee Harvey Oswald (murdered)
  • Selena (murdered)
  • Jim O'Brien (skydiving accident)
  • Reggie White (cardiac and pulmonary sarcidosis)
  • Sonny Bono (skiing accident)
  • John Ritter (aortic dissection)
  • Natalie Wood (drowned)
  • Steve Irwin (stingray barb)
  • Jim Hensen (streptococcus pneumonia)
  • Duane Allman (motorcycle accident)
  • Freddie Prinze (suicide)
This list represents unexpected deaths that you knew were eventually going to happen:
  • Kurt Cobain
  • Anna Nicole Smith
  • Janis Joplin
  • Jim Morrison
  • Keith Moon
  • Dennis Wilson
  • Brian Jones
  • Jimi Hendrix
  • (reserved for Amy Winehouse)

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Friday, June 13, 2008, 11:20 PM // 1 comments

iMac + Bluetooth + My Phone = Cool

I recently figured out how to "beam" photos from my cell phone to my iMac. Here's a few of my recent cell phone photos.
$10 of gas sure doesn't buy you much these days.

Slick wall mural off Broad Street

Slick Willie Penn

Slick Joey Altobelli

Check out the outside temperature.

Another Dollar Dog Night at "The Ball Park" - Phillies 20 Rockies 5
(also see Opening Night 2008 - Philadelphia Phillies)

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Thursday, June 05, 2008, 8:25 PM // 0 comments

Beth Mann - Artist Extraordinaire

One of the more interesting people on this planet is my friend Beth Mann. Beth is an artist but not in the way you might think. The world is her canvas and she paints it with her writing, singing, humor, cable access show, blog, MySpace page, company, video, and photography.

Today, Beth sent me an email I thought I'd share. It made me laugh out loud. My suggestions to her questions are followed in red.

Ruby and I have a few new list ideas we've been tossing around. Tell me if any of them stand out for you and if you have any additions or different titles (the title is half the funny). I'm probably only going to focus on one or two. What thinks you, brethren?

Performers With their Sex On (or Well-Known Horny People?)
such as: Aerosmith, Van Halen, Mick Jagger, Prince, Marat Sade
- James Brown - he wrote "I'm a Sex Machine"
- Jimi Hendrix - his guitar was an extension of his penis

Bands I Used to Like but Don't Anymore for Some Reason
such as: The Police, The Beatles, Jeff Buckley
- Styx - outside of "Boat on a River," their music has not stood the test of time
- Bad Company - see above.

Old Men I'd Have Sex With (come on guys, toss in your two cents)
such as: Donald Sutherland, Bill Clinton
- Robert Redford - I have to admit I have a man crush
- Harrison Ford (who wouldn't want to say they nailed Indian Jones?)

Additionally, I'd like to add that Sofia Loren, and Susan Sarandon are G.I.L.F.'s


Bands I Thought I Wouldn't Like by Now But Do...Maybe Even More
such as: Led Zepellin, Pink Floyd
- Allman Brothers - the older I get the more I love this band
- Phish - I sure do wish I could have seen them back when they toured.
Thanks Beth for the blog post idea.

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About Paul Altobelli

Paul Altobelli is a veteran Internet, marketing and technology professional with considerable expertise in search engine marketing, web site development, design, implementation and project management. [more]

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