Riot Watch! enviro-edition, a nightmare World Series on tap and evidence that deer hate Chinese food

- Riot Watch! Riot Watch! Okay, so it wasn’t exactly a riot and not even a violent protest, but it’s still impressive that thousands of people around the world joined forces Saturday to stage a string of demonstrations to call for urgent action on climate change. A group called 350.org organized the events, which took place at wide-ranging locations including the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, a snow-covered slope in Wanaka, New Zealand and banner atop Vinson Massif, the tallest mountain in Antarctica. The group’s name refers to the parts per million of carbon dioxide it considers the safe upper limit for our atmosphere. The stated mission for 350.org is to "inspire the world to rise to the challenge of the climate crisis" and specifically to do so ahead of the United Nations climate change conference in December. That’s why divers, skiers, snowboarders and hikers around the world were seeking out exotic and highly visible locations from which to proclaim their message. Whether it was Zimbabwe, Bermuda or Guatemala, the battle cry was the same: Address climate change now. All told, more than 5,400 rallies and demonstrations were scheduled to take place around the world. "We had no idea we would get the overwhelming support, enthusiasm and engagement from all over the world that we're seeing," said Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org. "It shows just how scared of global warming much of the planet really is, and how fed up at the inaction of our leaders." McKibben got the idea for 350.org from the number of 350 ppm from a NASA research team headed by American climate scientist James Hansen, which concluded that atmosphere containing carbon dioxide above 350 ppm couldn't support life on earth as we know it. "It's a very tough number," McKibben said. "We're already well past it -- the atmosphere holds 390 ppm today, which is why the Arctic is melting and the ocean steadily acidifying. To get back to the safe level we need a very rapid halt to the use of coal, gas and oil so that forests and oceans can absorb some of that carbon." Other members of the 350.org movement are Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Bianca Jagger and David Suzuki. Maldives President Mohammed Nasheed, who is also part of the movement, joined Saturday’s goings-on as part of his campaign to save his own country from rising seas that are threatening to submerge the Maldives for good. "If we cannot save 350,000 Maldivians from rising seas today, we cannot save the millions in New York or Mumbai tomorrow," he said in a recorded statement released by 350.org. "Climate change is happening, and it is happening faster and with greater severity than previously thought." Agreed and agreed. Now let’s see if we can’t put our best efforts toward finding a real solution…………

- So apparently deer aren’t big fans of Chinese food. Well, at least the deer in Middletown, Pa. aren’t, because one of their own trashed the inside of the New China restaurant early Tuesday. A handwritten note by property manager Tom Germak on the damaged restaurant’s front door explained that it was closed because of "deer damage." Some time early in the morning, an angry, Chinese-food-hating buck crashed through the restaurant’s front window, cutting itself in the process but managing to overturn several tables, spill some blood on the floor and walls, damage a computer and destroy several other valuables in the process. Germak seems to think that the incident wasn’t an example of angry deer hating on Chinese food, but rather an accident attributable to the deer, a four-point buck, seeing its reflection in the window, thinking it was another male and charging. Because it’s mating season for deer, Germak (erroneously) thinks the restaurant-wrecking buck felt the “other” deer was a threat to his territory. "Well this has happened a number of times before in this area," Germak said. "It happens quite frequently. And when he got in, he cut himself severely and ran throughout the building, trying to find a way out." At first, the owners of the restaurant believed that someone broke into New China to rob the place. "I don't know how to describe it actually," said Jianan Cao. "It's just a mess." The deer involved in the incident was injured so severely the local animal control officers had to put it down once they found it. So I suppose we’ll never know what really happened at the New China restaurant in Middletown, whether it was one angry deer raging back at the system or simply a case of mistaken identity gone awry…………

- The phenomenon that is "Paranormal Activity” continued its charge toward the top of the box office heap this weekend, scaring up $22 million in its first weekend with a full wide release to earn the top spot for the weekend. Capping its first month in style, the sci-fi thriller won the weekend with its modest total and pushed its cumulative total $62.5 million despite being made on a five-figure budget. Plus, you have to figure that with Halloween weekend coming up, plenty of people will be eager to see a spooky, scary film and that momentum could push “Paranormal” past the $100 million barrier. Another scary movie, "Saw VI," was second with $14.8 million and the worst opening in the 'Saw' franchise's history - just half the $30 million that “Saw V” opened to one year ago. Maybe this is just me, but could the “Saw” franchise be tired, played out an in need of a retirement ASAP? Close behind was the love it/hate it phenomenon that is "Where the Wild Things Are," which pulled in an estimated $14.4 million in its second weekend for third place. Because that’s a 56 percent drop from its debut weekend, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that at this point, the haters are outnumbering the lovers. Gerard Butler’s “Law Abiding Citizen” was fourth with $12.7 million, while the first non-serious, non-torture-porn movie on the list was “Couples Retreat” at No. 5 with $11.1 million. The most noteworthy flop was unquestionably t sci-fi animated film "Astro Boy," which bombed out with $7 million and a sixth place finish. “The Stepfather” saw a 43.9 percent drop in its earnings and finished seventh with $6.5 million, followed by another disappointing newcomer, "Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant,” which made just $6.3 million for eighth place. Wrapping up the top 10 were “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs ($5.6 million) and “Zombieland” ($4.3 million). Ending up just outside the top 10 and No. 11 was the critically ripped, universally loathed "Amelia" with a mere $4 million in 818 theaters. Overall, box office revenues were down 10 percent from last year, when the train wreck known as "High School Musical 3" was the source of cinematic pain for parents nationwide……….

- Glad we got that over with. As a big baseball fan, there is nothing I hate more than seeing the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox win a series. The fact that the Yanks won the American League Championship Series over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in Orange County North of San Diego is bad enough, but of course weather had to intervene and rain out Game 6 on Saturday night, dragging out the agony of the inevitable Angels’ series loss for another day. The Yankees cashed in (and never has the phrase “cashed in” been more appropriate than when speaking about the Yankees) on their second chance to close out the series with a 5-2 win at Yankee Stadium tonight. Thanks to their high-priced talent and the strong pitching of veteran and longtime Yankee Andy Pettite, the Bronx Bombers base-hit their way to the win against Anaheim starter Joe Saunders. Now it’s on to a Yankees-Phillies World Series, which is of course a nightmare scenario for anyone who doesn’t enjoy baseball being played in freezing temperatures and postponements on account of snow. Both L.A. teams were in their respective LCS, but the Dodgers were pounded into dust by the mighty bats of the Phillies, losing in five games, and now the Angels have succumbed to the conglomerate of all-stars that is the New York Yankees. The World Series could be particularly agonizing for Cleveland Indians fans, who will likely be cursing and throwing anything they can find at their television sets when former Indian CC Sabathia starts Game 1 for the Yankees against former Indian Cliff Lee, who will start the game for Philadelphia. The Indians traded Sabathia to Milwaukee last year when he was the reigning Cy Young winner in the American League before he ultimately whored himself out for the biggest possible contract and signed with the Yankees following the 2008 season. Lee was also the reigning AL Cy Young when the Indians got raped in a trade with the Phillies in July. So it will be a painful World Series on several fronts and I will be hoping for a four-game sweep, preferably by the Phillies…………

- How would you feel about a naked, gay barn dance party across the street from your home and in plain view of your family and any neighborhood kids out and about? That’s a question Monty Stanley of Wilton, Calif. had to answer Saturday. Stanley spotted a party raging in a field across the street from his home that will soon be full of Christmas trees. The party was thrown by a group called The Capitol Crossroads Gay Rodeo Association and it featured a dance contest in which contestants' names were called out as men's bare butts and frontal regions are exposed. "They were dancing under the stars," said Stanley. "You can't have man on man, woman on woman, men on women; you can't subject these children to looking at that kind of stuff." Making matters worse, Stanley’s children had friends staying the night at his home while the dance took place and those poor kids had to see a bunch of pervy freaks ditching their clothes and getting their drunken dance on in public, more or less. "I was sickened by seeing men on public display there...in clear view of children," said Stanley. The problem for Stanley is that The Capitol Crossroads Gay Rodeo Association had a legal permit for the event. The Sacramento County Sheriff's department is aware of what took place, but the department says it is not yet sure if this is a case of public indecent exposure. Star Weubbe owns the property where the freak fest took place, says she didn't know naked dancing would be involved. "That was something that I certainly would not have permitted," Weubbe said. The bottom line here is that Monty Stanley may not get legal satisfaction for his troubles, but I’ll suggest a different tactic for him: selling the video for profit. Find some freaky porn production company or Web site, sell them the video and at least try to make a buck off of it. That’s the least you can do for yourself after subjecting your retinas to….well, to the sights of The Capitol Crossroads Gay Rodeo Association doing what they do………