Tonight's Big Story

On Action News tonight the big story was about a woman who was once a man - unfortunately for her, she is a public school teacher and therefore needs to deal with the current generation of parents that fear (and meet about) everything. Every night on TV there's some school board meeting about something. It's as if they have nothing better else to do. These parents are trying to get rid of a teacher that has done nothing wrong. One parent said that the children will know something is wrong. Yes, because you called attention to it. Give me a fucking break.

Since when does having a child mean that you have the right to take away rights from others?

Reason to look forward to Mondays

Spencer's back!

The only reason to look forward to Monday's is 24. No spoilers, but tonight's episode was the best in a long while and next week - 2 Hours! I talked to a friend last night that seemed to be falling off the bandwagon, tonight's episode hopefully changed that. As I've said before - 24's intensity and forthcomingness makes me enjoy Lost less.

Sorry for the short post - will rectify soon.

New bathing suit for men

A friend of mine sent this and I felt it was too good to not share. I never thought I'd see somethng worse than a speedo at the beach - but of course I was wrong.

Enjoy!

Michael Penn and brother Chris Penn

I believe this picture is from the MP4 (Days from a lost time accident) sessions

As a candidate, he makes a great wide receiver

So Lynn Swann won the Republican nomination for Pennsylvania Governor this weekend (surprise, surprise). I, like many men my age, idolized Swann as a child watching the acrobatic catches he so routinely made. Being that Swann has no political experience or background, Swann's selection by the Republican party as the person to go up against Ed Rendell seems to be a desperate attempt to fool the people of Pittsburgh into voting for their candidate.

Swann is as hardcore a conservative republican as they get. In the past weekend he said he would sign any law outlawing abortion as well as coming out against an increase in the minimum wage (apparently the state's competitive advantage is tied to the backs of the workers who can least afford it). That Swann would then talk about the "lip-service" that the Democratic Party gives to minorities that automatically vote for them, is laughable with so many minorities living below the poverty level and earning this minimum wage. The lip-service that Democrats pay minorities is is a step up from the out and out ignorance that the Republicans generally give. While coming out against the minimum wage increase, he wants to cut business taxes. Maybe Swann has been a part of the elite too long to know, that you can't expect that favors that benefit businesses will trickle down to the employees. We've been down that road before.

Swann talks about Pennsylvania values in his vision for the state. His vision boils down to favoring businesses, improving education, and Roe V. Wade. Apparently Pennsylvania values have nothing to do with children being able to go to school without being shot. Apparently a living wage is also outside the values of Pennsylvanians. Health care reform? Nope - we apparently we don't value that either. Swann should be careful, the Pennsylvania he blasts in his vision is the same Pennsylvania that has had a Republican legislature for as long as I can remember.

Pittsburgh and Allegheny County will probably be the key to the election. Rendell can count on overwhelming support from the Philadelphia area and the Swann will ironically count on support from the middle of the state (where flying the confederate flag isn't as embarrassing as it should be). This leaves Pittsburgh which generally votes Democrat - but can they vote against a football hero in a year where Pittsburgh is all about football?

Let's hope so.

The Shining Remixed

Sorry even more Youtube. If you have seen the Shining Remix, here it is. It's awesome.

Top Gun 2: Brokeback Squadron

Pretty funny. As if there would be a lot of editing needed to make Top Gun into a gay action movie.

"Customer Service" calling

If you're like me you've probably been frustrated trying to talk to a real person when you call customer service. It seems impossible to get past the voice prompts and computers that protect customer service reps from talking to customers when called. The following site should be a help. It gives tips on how to talk to a real person when you call customer service. Also a place to share your stories with others that a frustrated.

Click for Gethuman.com

Missing Vanity Fair Photos

I know everyone is looking for the missing photos from the Scarlett Johansson, Kiera Knightly Vanity Fair photo shoot - here's one:
















Now everyone knows what I was doing in NYC all the time.

Someone better frisk Kanye

So Wednesday is the Grammys and Kanye West has said that he would be pissed if he didn't win. Now honestly I don't pay much attention to the Grammys since it happens to suck but reading Entertainment Weekly last week I discovered the album of the year nominees and now I know why Kanye would be pissed; if he loses to this crap it's just theft:

• The Emancipation Of Mimi - Mariah Carey - Give me a fucking break. Is this one of the best of 2005?
  
  
• Chaos And Creation In The Backyard -Paul McCartney - Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, now McCartney. They have to nominate an old man to steal the award. Nevermind that the best years are behind them
  
  
• Love. Angel. Music. Baby. - Gwen Stefani - See Mariah Carey above
  
  
• How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb - U2 - Not even in U2's top 5 - barely in their top 10

• Late Registration - Kanye West - By far the best of this sorry lot
  

It's funny how the Grammy Awards have become the American Music Awards - at least the American Music Awards of my youth. One can only imagine the drivel that that show has become. Their nominations are lazy and marketing driven. I don't mean marketing in the sense of the Oscars where there is out and out campaigning for awards. Look at that list above - it's a demographic wet dream. Curvacious black R&B singer. Boomer rock star (and former Beatle). White pop chick. Current rock icon. Finally the rap superstar of the moment. This was put together by some men in a back room.

For note - I'll be watching Lost and then Veronica Mars. Thank god no one's afraid to program against the Grammys anymore.

Yowza - Scarlett Johansson Vanity Fair

Scarlett Johansson on the cover of Vanity Fair nude!














A moment of silence please. (Yeah, yeah Kiera Knightley is on the cover too. Rachel McAdams backed out at the last second).

(when can I buy a copy?)

Greedy NFL Bastards - Alumni edition

If you noticed that former Super Bowl MVP's Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana were a no show for last night's pre-game cerimonies - it comes out today that they didn't show because of money - or rather a lack there of. Apparently Montana demanded $100,000 to show and when the league didn't cave he didn't show and said he had to attend an important basketball game. Bradshaw said he wanted to spend time with his family.

Give me a break - what important basketball game runs counter to the Super Bowl? And Terry - your family could have spent time with you at the Super Bowl - how cool would that be to walk in and be honored at a Super Bowl where your former team is participating?

While Bradshaw could never really sink lower in my opinion, my opinion of Montana takes a huge hit with this.

BTW - Congratulations to the Steelers. While one for the thumb doesn't mean shit to me when my beloved Eagles don't even have one, I'm glad to see Jerome Bettis and Bill Cowher win and a generation of fans that have gone without a championship, finally get one.

A message from Michael Penn

I got the following message from Michael Penn last week. He wanted me to send it to those that expressed condolences.

I want to thank you all so very very much for your thoughts and prayers over the last week.

I loved my brother very much. I will miss him terribly. It's a very sad time for us all.

Again, thank you for the outpouring of love you have given me and knowthat it has truly meant a lot.

Book Review: Everything I'm Cracked Up to Be

Just finished reading Everything I'm Cracked Up to Be the new book by singer-guitarist Jen Trynin. Never heard of her, Jen Trynin was supposed to be the woman that brought attitude to womens rock. In the mid-90's pre-Alanis, pre-Phair, pre-every other rock chick, there was a bidding war for Trynin.

Everything I'm Cracked Up to Be details what happpened and why Trynin isn't an household name. Along he way you learn a lot about the music industry and how deals are made (and artists screwed). Highly recommended for music fans.

BTW - as you're reading note that some names are changed. Most amusing is the name of the singer-songwriter Shalah!; no such singer exists. Shalah! is in fact Paula Cole. I always knew Cole was pretentious, but she doesn't come out looking good in this book.


Jen Trynin - Gun Shy Trigger Happy (iTunes)

Jen Trynin Website

What's in my iTunes Library?

Following in the footsteps of Suze here is my iMeme, based on my iTunes tracks.

Total number of tracks: 8,609 - trying to move as much to hard drive as possible.

Last 10 songs played:

1. Jenny Lewis With The Watson Twins - Melt Your Heart
2. Audible - Sunday Bell
3. Sleater-Kinney - Entertain
4. Sleater-Kinney - Words and Guitar
5. Sleater-Kinney - Oh!
6. Sleater-Kinney - Rollercoaster
7. Pixies - No. 13 Baby
8. Michael Penn - Walter Reed
9. Green Day - Whatsername
10. Green Day - Homecoming

Sort by song title
First Song: "? Vs. Rahzel" by The Roots
Last Song: "Zurich is Stained" by Pavement

Sort by time
Shortest Song: This was tough because of sound effects and interludes - I discounted thouse and the shortest would be I've Got A Theory/Bunnies/If We're Together from Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Once More with Feeling at 18 seconds
Longest Song: Slide Show y Travis at 18:31 ( a lot of blank space in there)

Sort by album
First: 'Tis The Season For Los Straitjackets - a Christmas CD that is a bit off and good
Last: Zucchero And Co. - fooled on this - it SUCKS

Top 10 Most Played Songs (yes, I like Radiohead a little)

1. Go To Sleep (Little Man Being Erased) - Radiohead Hail To The Thief 158 (play count)
   
2. There There (The Boney King Of Nowhere) - Radiohead Hail To The Thief 130
3. Paranoid Android - Radiohead OK Computer 127
4. Santa Monica - Everclear Sparkle And Fade 125
5. Until The End Of The World - U2 Achtung Baby 124
6. Quicksand - Travis 12 Memories 118
7. Everlong - Foo Fighters The Colour And The Shape 117
8. 2+2=5 (The Lukewarm) - Radiohead Hail To The Thief 115
9. Where Is My Mind? - The Pixies Surfer Rosa 111
10. Airbag - Radiohead OK Computer 111

First five songs that come up on Party Shuffle

1. Chinese Baby - Clem Snide The Ghost Of Fashion
2. Girlfriend - Matthew Sweet Girlfriend
3. Sean Flynn - The Clash Combat Rock
4. The Ballad of Michael Valentine - The Killers Hot Fuss
5. Climbing Up the Walls - Section Strung Out on OK Computer: The String Quartet Tribute to Radiohead

Number of search returns for:
sex: 50 (I guess my favorite would be Tired of Sex by Weezer)
love: 425
you: 972
death: 33
hate: 37
wish: 18