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I've had this article sitting in my post queue for almost a month, waiting for some other random tidbits to be posted along with it. Since I haven't gotten off my ass to actually find any other bits, I'm going to bite the bullet and post it anyway. I know! I'm throwing caution to the wind these days, people.

Apparently, Sega has decided that dudes need something to do while they're peeing so they're developing a selection of urinal games for them to play.

A pressure sensor in the urinal measures the strength and location of your flow and sends the feedback to a video screen mounted at eye level. The Toylet sytem has four different games you can play: "Mannekin Pis," named after the famous statue, that measures how hard you can pee; "Graffiti Eraser," where you act as a firehose washing graffiti off a wall; "The Northern Wind, The Sun and Me," where you, the deeply perverted north wind, encounter a busty girl in a nice dress and decide to go for a panty shot (the harder the wind blows, the higher the skirt goes); and "Battle! Milk From Nose," where your urine becomes milk being squirted from a nose, and your squirts are compared to those of the last person to use the urinal. If you're particularly proud of your pee and carry your USB drive to the bathroom, you can save your scores on the stick for later.

I guess men feel gypped that the line for the ladies' room is always so long so they've developed something to help them pass the time. Lovely. If only I'd known sooner, I could've bought Robert a special thumb drive for Christmas.

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I'm sure you've read or heard something about the current controversy surrounding Rush Limbaugh but last Thursday (the 20th) The Colbert Report did an excellent job of tying together many of Rush's most dickish moments in a nice little montage. I think it makes its point perfectly.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Rush Limbaugh Speaks Chinese
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes

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I have not yet watched the season premiere of Fringe but apparently it was quite the confusing episode. Reviews have definitely been mixed from what I can tell but the general consensus is positive. Anyway, TVGuide.com posted a Q&A with exec producer Roberto Orci this morning that address some of the more frequently asked questions about the premiere (and the series in general). Also, if you missed the pilot, FOX is re-airing it this Sunday, the 14th, @ 8PM... or you can watch it online here.

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L&O:SVU's Christopher Meloni stars in a new Nickelodeon movie this Friday night called Gym Teacher: The Movie. Chris plays Dave Stewie, a former Olympic gymnast who humiliated himself at the '88 games and thus approaches his current job as gym teacher with an unusual... zeal. It's supposed to be a pretty cute movie, though since I'm not its target demographic, I'm not sure I'd enjoy it. :o) I wasn't really all that into High School Musical, after all (but I did try it. I know. I'm sad.) I do like Chris, though, so maybe I'll TiVo it... Oh! I'm almost forgot the point of this post - there's an interview with Chris on msnbc.com that's worth checking out if you're a fan. He briefly touches on being a bit worn out on Elliot Stabler which is a bit concerning; he doesn't say he wants to leave exactly but he does mention that “[t]he sounds of what’s out there [acting-wise] are louder.” Boo.

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As you know, I've been feeling some TV lethargy for quite a while now. I'm bummed about new shows starting for a couple reasons: (1) I don't feel like having TV "homework." You know what's awesome about shows like Man vs. Wild? If I don't get to this week's episode this week, oh well! The season is short and the episodes are self-contained - if I have a couple pile up or I watch them out of order, it's not a problem. This is not the case with most series. Sucks. Once I have three episodes of one show on my TiVo, I start stressing. (2) I still have multiple episodes from various shows clogging up my TiVo. With the new season starting, I'm going to have to watch them! :o( Boo. Now, you may be thinking "If you don't want to watch them, doesn't that mean you should just stop watching that show?" Not necessarily. I tried explaining this to Robert and my dad earlier this week but they never got it so I don't expect you will, either. It's just that, even though I like certain shows (like Medium, SVU, Reaper, what have you) I just don't feel like watching them. They're good shows I just... don't want to expend the mental energy or something. I don't know; as I said, it's hard to explain!!

Just yesterday, however, I came across an article in Entertainment Weekly about this very topic. I am not alone!! I think this paragraph sums it up nicely:

[The episodes] sat in an orderly list on my ''My Recordings'' screen, glowering at me, reproachfully saying, ''You must watch me. I must be watched. Man up!'' I confessed this to a friend via e-mail, and she wrote back, ''I know just what you mean. This show is constipating my DVR!''

So true!!!! I know exactly what Mark (the author) is talking about! See - he feels my pain. I mentioned the article to Robert last night and he said he'd read a similar article recently about the most unwatched movies on peoples' Netflix queues. I think this is the article to which he's referring - it was published on Slate.com on Friday. I totally have movies I'm never going to watch in my queue, too, but I leave them there to remind me that I might want to watch them as a last resort if I ever have time. How stupid is that? Very. Still, I cannot bring myself to delete them. I have the iPod congestion, too, although I don't feel as bad about that for some reason. I don't know... my brain uses up a lot of energy stressing about stupid things! It can't be helped.

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I haven't had any good "personal" posts lately... I guess nothing interesting happens to me. I don't know. I'm going to the NIN concert at the Oracle Arena tonight, though, so I'll try to make that an interesting post early next week! :o) Until then, here is some random stuff to get you through the weekend:

I wish I could embed this clip but alas I cannot - I can only provide you the link. Jezebel has a post on a clip from Wednesday night's The Daily Show that is absolutely priceless. [I love The Daily Show... I really hope Jon isn't wooed away by CBS for a late-night show. :o( But I digress.] Here's the text from the post to give you the gist of the clip:

Have you noticed that ever since Sarah Palin was added to the Republican ticket, the GOP has been countering attacks on Palin's inexperience with a lot of "that's so sexist"? Remember just a few months ago when the GOP scoffed at the idea that Hillary was facing any sexism at all? Last night The Daily Show had an awesome segment where they showcased a Republican tendency for flip-flopping when they aired footage of right-leaning pundits like Karl Rove and Bill O'Reilly defending Palin, and then scrounged up footage from the past year where they use those same arguments to attack the likes of Hillary Clinton and Jamie Lynn Spears. Clip above.

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EW.com has an exit Q&A with Lady Lethah herself and adjsdljfodajfoi=]]]ghorighghdksjffffffff. Oh. I'm sorry. I fell asleep. (Actually, she's not as sour as I thought she'd be but... ugh. I just can't stand her!)

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Robert sent me this link to an article on the 10 Most Confusing Traffic Signs and pointed me to sign #9. Oh my gosh!!! Robert and I were JUST talking about this sign, I kid you not, on Tuesday on our way to see Nada Surf. Every time we see that sign we comment on how friggin' confusing it looks - and how the first time we happened upon it I think we were absolutely bumfuzzled and took the wrong turn. Granted, we are predisposed to find San Francisco driving confusing (people talk about L.A. being a difficult place in which to drive - HA! I'd take it any day over S.F.) but still... the sign definitely requires a long, hard look to decipher which lane you want to be in. Especially for poor Robert; the man is nothing if not utterly confused by street signs with arrows!!

9.) You Should Probably Just Turn Off The Car And Walk

Official Meaning of Sign: Drivers in the left lane can only make a sharp left; drivers in the lane second from the left turn either a secondmost sharp or a slightly less sharp left; drivers in the center lane make a fourthmost sharp left; drivers in the right-of-center lane turn the fifthmost sharp left or go straight; drivers in the far right lane go straight or right.
Unofficial Meaning of Sign to Us: Just follow along with the general pattern of traffic and hope you don't die.
Where it's Located: San Francisco, California

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EW.com always has amusing photo galleries with which to kill some time. The two I liked best this week:

17 Pop-Culture Questions for David Boreanaz and

Zack Attack! Mark-Paul Gosselaar Looks Back at 10 Roles

Both David and Mark-Paul are pretty funny guys but David is awfully outspoken. I especially liked the #2 photo in his gallery

When I came to Los Angeles in '94, the way I used to get into, like, the hardest place to get into, was saying I was Craig Sheffer. I would call up as his publicist: ''Sheff's showin' up with some friends. Put him on the list.'' [Laughs] Swear to god, this worked. Got the table and everything. The Sheff ref worked.

He totally DOES look like a poor man's Craig Sheffer!!! I have always thought so and was happy to see my feelings validated. :o) I do not, however, believe that the middle photo is the best one of Craig... he looks like Stephen Dorff's love child!! No, I think this is a better comparison:

(Admittedly not my best work but c'mon people - I'm under a time crunch!)

And I also liked these quotes from MPG -

On Screech's upcoming tell-all:

'I read that it was about sex, hardcore partying, and drug use, and I'm thinkin' well, somebody's gonna sell books. I can't wait to read it, 'cause I'd like to know what kind of hardcore partying I did and about this rampant sex that was happening. We were all very open with the fact that we all dated each other — we were kids — but...I can't wait to get an advance copy.'' Does he think he'll actually get one? ''No, because I'm still waiting for my T-shirt that I bought to save his house.''

On his assy long, brown hair:

In [Raising the Bar], Gosselaar plays a public defender who cares more about how his clients are being treated by the system — which includes his frenemies in the D.A.'s office and a power-hungry judge played by Jane Kaczmarek — than getting a haircut. ''I had no idea hair was such an issue for people. It's become a talking point,'' Gosselaar says. (He's actually had the controversial longer locks since NYPD Blue ended.)

He really should cut the hair. Pronto.

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Here's an interesting blurb from Candy Kirby on the book you know you want to buy that special guy in your life - The Re-education of the Female. Gosh. Does that sound like something I would love or what?! Especially with such charming anecdotes as this

“Men never really ask for anything. They command. And believe me, what you won’t do, 10 broads around the corner will.” Advising women to stay slim to attract men, Dante also writes: “When you go to the grocery store to shop, do you pick out the nastiest-looking, most rotten, smelliest fruit or meat you can find? Oh you don’t? Why not? It’s the same with men when they see … baby elephant-sized, out-of-shape women.”

The author, Dante Moore, is - shockingly! - single because, though he has had relationships (and has an 11-year-old child), he "has never found true love." (A comment which I'm sure pleased his current girlfriend of two years...) REALLY??? With such sweet talk as "baby elephant-sized, out-of-shape women" in his verbal repertoire?!!! Surely you jest.

And doesn't the cover just scream "class"? You know it does!

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Mini-blurb from TunaFlix re: potential villains in a third Batman movie (MAJOR SPOILER if you haven't seen the movie yet... though, why haven't you seen the movie yet?):

... [I]t’s time to talk Batman villains (and yes, I know Chris Nolan hasn’t signed on for another sequel yet). There’s been a lot of speculation recently that maybe Two-Face wasn’t really, really dead, but Aaron Eckhart rained on that parade via AICN, saying: “No. I’m dead. I couldn’t even get the words out of my mouth. ‘Hey, Chris, am I–?’ ‘No. You’re dead. You’re dead.‘ ”

And while Eckhart agreed that, “it’d be easier than anything to bring [Two-Face] back… it’s like Chris said on the tour. He wasn’t thinking about the next movie when he made [THE DARK KNIGHT]. All the vegetables were in this stew. I think that this franchise has shown that it doesn’t have to bring back characters. I mean, there’s still Catwoman. I’ve heard Angelina Jolie really wants to do Catwoman; I think that’s a fantastic idea. I’ll be a happy audience member this time.”

I really hope they don't bring back Catwoman. And I really hope it's not Cher. ;o)

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If you wound up reading the 1st chapter of Midnight Sun after I posted the link last week, I hope you didn't enjoy it too much - the author just released a statement saying that the book has been postponed. Indefinitely. Apparently, an incomplete draft was leaked online somewhere and now Stephenie Meyer is "too sad" to write anymore. Awwwww. Poor little rich authoress housewife. Life is such a burden!

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I haven't been a fan of Us Weekly for quite a while now but I did come across this game earlier this morning and it's kind of fun. A good time-waster... and a good way to refresh yourself on how incestuous Hollywood is! I've only played a handful of times so far and my best time is only 1 minute 47 seconds. That may sound good but I'm ranked, like, 1043rd or something. Ridiculous!

Six Degrees of Celebrity Dating
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Robert's wealthier doppleganger Daniel Radcliffe is on the cover of October's Details. You can check out the piece online here.

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Mini TV Tidbit: Zack is back on Bones. He won't be a full-time, regular character but he'll definitely be reappearing throughout the new season, which kicks off this Wednesday. Look for Zach's first episode sometime late September.

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JustJared has a sneak peek of the new cover of TV Guide featuring fall TV's hottest hunks. I concur with Simon Baker and Joshua Jackson (who looks ever so much finer now than in his Creek days!!!) but Christian Slater? Ehhhhh... maybe in '87. 20 years + Botox does not a hunk make in my book.

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The first official still from I Love You Phillip Morris was released on Jim Carrey's site earlier this week. Normally I could not care less about an upcoming Jim Carrey project... but this one stars #2 on my Freebie Five list, hot hunk of man flesh Ewan McGregor. Yaaaay! Though I must say that he's not looking too sexy in this photo (which does not bode well for the movie!). I posted about the movie back in April and I must admit that my interest level in the "Catch Me If You Can meets Brokeback Mountain" movie hasn't increased after seeing this photo. Or reading more about it. But who am I kidding? I sat through Down with Love, The Island and Miss Potter. I'll probably sit through this, too.

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If you have time, take a gander at LatinoReview.com's piece Celebrating the Hairstyles of Nicolas Cage. I'm always a sucker for bits on Nic's "hair" (as is evidenced by one of my earliest posts). It's hard for me to pick my favorite but I might go with

Raising Arizona (1987)



I think it's at this point in Cage's career when the top of his head started to take a life of its own and begin shedding like a snake. I'm imagining Nicolas Cage in the shower, bent over as he's pulling out long strands of hair. Sort of like the scene with Christine Taylor in The Craft when she starts to go bald from the curse the girls put on her.

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If you have any interest whatsoever in reading a (rough draft of) the first chapter of Stephenie Meyer's Midnight Sun, you can check it out here. (For the uniformed [like me!] Sun is a retelling of Twilight from Edward's perspective. Woo. Hoo. It's still being written so God only knows when the final masterpiece will be bestowed upon us.)

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Hmm... somehow I don't think this is a legitimate ad for Heinz ketchup. You?

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OH!!!! Am I good or am I good? Remember when I posted my thoughts on the possible-at-the-time-but-now-confirmed roster of 'stars' for the upcoming season of DWTS? And remember when I said, re: the selection of Ted McGinley, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Does ABC really the patron saint of Jump the Shark on one of their most popular programs?!" Hmmmmm????

Well, lookee here - TVGuide.com has a post up today titled "Is Dancing Shark-Proof? JumptheShark.com's "Patron Saint" Joins Cast."

Of course no one, myself included, truly believes that Ted can bring down the juggernaut that is DWTS... but I am a little impressed at my own prescience in commenting on Ted's 'shark'-ness before TV Guide. :o) Yay me.

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My old boyfriend Ronnie Kroell got a job!!! He's the cover boy for Instinct magazine's September issue. Granted, it's not the best photo of Ronnie but it is good to see that he's still doing stuff here and there. :o)

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Here's a mini Movie Morsel for you: According to JustJared, Michael Keaton is set to provide the voice for Barbie's boyfriend, Ken, in the third installment of Toy Story. Check the comments section for the (supposed) plot for 2010's Toy Story 3.

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Robert had mentioned to me a few weeks back that Hurricane - from American Gladiators, of course - was going to be in Beijing in the javelin. He'd read something about it in one of his magazines (Rolling Stone? I can't remember.) and said that, in the accompanying photo, Hurricane still had his doofy pink hair. (Ugh. He's really not one of the more intimidating Gladiators to begin with - does he really need to color his hair like cotton candy? After learning that he is dating fellow pink-haired Gladiator Phoenix, I thought maybe he matched his hair as a token of his love. Not so much - Robert said the article said his hair is always like that. Sweet.) Anyway, I came across the following photo of Hurricane (né Breaux Greer) with somewhat normal hair at Us Weekly's site and thought Robert might enjoy a peek:


Apparently, Breaux (dude, you're name is Ed. Get over yourself.) is actually a darn good javelin thrower. According to Wikipedia,

He is an eight time American Champion and American record holder for the javelin with a throw of 91.29 meters, achieved on 06/21/07 during the U.S. Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Indianapolis.

Not too shabby. Good for you, Hurricane! Now fix your hair.

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Concierge.com has posted a feature on the world's worst celebrity hotel guests. It has a lot of the people you'd expect to see on the list - Johnny Depp, Russell Crowe, Britney Spears - but also a couple surprises. It's worth a gander if you have time.

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Boo!!!! As most of you know, I hate change. So much so that I recently had someone liken me to a turtle - I'm ever so happy in my shell and content to just poke my head out once in a while to see what's going on. If I don't like it, I just bury myself back in my shell. I don't think this was a compliment. Anyway, my point is that I am at my most comfortable when surrounded by the known. You can imagine my displeasure, then, when I read that Hasbro is 'updating' Clue... by putting in a spa room and ditching the lead pipe (among other transgressions)!!! Good grief! That is just ridiculous. I don't really want to play Clue if it's taking place in The Hills or the Big Brother house, you know? Bleh. EW.com feels my pain:

Some of changes that make me cringe: The now-excessively pimped-out mansion will boast more rooms — including a spa and theater — and Colonel Mustard will shed his military garb in favor of a football uniform as a former sports star. And prepare to say goodbye to the lead pipe, which has been replaced by three new weapons — a trophy, a baseball bat, and an ax.

For me, the reason I stayed home on Saturday nights to play Clue loved the game was because it was so archaic. It was far more fun and silly to solve the crime when you imagined it being committed with such ridiculous turn-of-the-century objects as a lead pipe and a candlestick holder. (Michael Slezak, on the other hand, likes the addition of the ax, making his case with the irrefutable rebuttal, "Axes are hot.") Plus, Hasbro's going about this all wrong. Come on, if we're really going to make Clue modern, shouldn't Miss Scarlett — now with a first name: Cassandra — have a sex tape and her own E! reality show? And Hasbro should at least include a pair of sunglasses so players can tear them off David Caruso-style when they say, "Mrs. White, in the hot tub, with a bottle of Cristal. Looks like she showed her true colors."

Stupid young people. They ruin everything!!! Next thing you know, they'll get rid of Hungry Hungry Hippos because it promotes unhealthy eating habits. Gah!

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Now I have some Christian Bale news... yaaaaaaaay! ;o) Two quick things: (1) It turns out he will not face assault charges after all for his mother's crappy trumped-up allegations* (yes, we speak regularly and I know this for a fact, people); and (2) Robert is a wonderful man. He knew I wanted the UK edition of August's GQ (the U.S. version has Seth Rogen on the cover - that tells you a lot about the differences in our cultures!) so he looked and looked and finally procured one for me. *sigh* He's the sweetest.

*Even a statement by the CPS seems to corroborate this: "Whilst the CPS treats all incidents which take place in a domestic context seriously, it is important that the views of complainants are also taken into account when making decisions in such cases." It's crystal clear here, people - Christian Bale's mom sucks. Fact!



And just LOOK at who is on the back cover:

It's as if the magazine and I were meant to be. It's true.

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This has nothing to do with anything but I came across it yesterday and was reminded of just how funny it was. Robert and I really like Ricky Gervais' HBO show Extras and this episode was quite hilarious. (Robert loves one part in particular - can you guess what it is? I bet you can!) The clip below isn't the entire episode - it's just the bits with Daniel Radcliffe. But, really, do you need to see anything else to know it's a funny show? I think not.

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Mini TV Tidbit: According to Ausiello, "Aliens in America's Adhir Kalyan, is joining the cast of... CBS' Rules of Engagement. He'll be appearing in the recurring role of David Spade's new assistant, Timmy." This is good news because I'm glad at least one Aliens alum has gotten a job. It's bad news because this means David Spade will have a storyline on the front-burner. Bummer. I think he's funny (he's very good live, actually) and loved him on Just Shoot Me but he's just so creepy to look at... it's difficult for me.

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2nd Mini TV Tidbit: After much hemming and hawing, Bret Michaels confirmed that Rock of Lurv will be returning early next year for a 3rd season... to be filmed entirely on the road. On a tour bus. Yum. I figured he'd cave and do another season after he broke up with Ambre so I'm glad he finally did. I love the Lurv! I realize 9/10 girls who go on reality shows go strictly to be on TV and not to win whatever it is they're competing for... but statements like

"...he’ll never be over Ambre. Whoever he decides to pick from season 3 is going to have to accept that as well because she comes with it.” - Big John (Michaels' body guard)

do make the show seem all the more pointless!

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I thought this article on Yahoo! sports was quite interesting. It's by Janet Evans and it tackles a few topic pertinent to the Olympic swimmers this year: the new swimsuit, the effect of the schedule flip (NBC is ga-ga for Michael Phelps and so paid beaucoup bucks to get the IOC to move the swimming finals to the AM in China so they can be broadcast live here in the U.S.) and the effect of the too-close-to-the-Games U.S. Olympic trials on the athletes. I'm not a huge Olympic follower - yeah, I'll watch what interests me and sort of keep tabs on things on the Web but it's safe to say I don't keep my finger constantly on the pulse of the Games! - but I do like to watch swimming and found the article to be very enlightening.

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I won't spoil the results of last night's So You Think You Can Dance just in case you haven't yet seen who won... but there was a lot of chatter on the message boards about why Sabra was not featured in the alumni video. I did a little Web searching and found an article with season 3's Danny, Sabra and Neil (from a magazine Danny co-founded, I guess) - but it didn't mention what Sabra's doing now. Helpful. So, I wandered around and found this behind-the-scenes video filmed by season 2's Ivan:

I always feel bad for the dancers that got cut early on (*cough* Jamie *cough*) because no one really remembers them and they hang around for 2 or more hours and only get to dance a total of 30 seconds. And we, the viewers, probably only see their faces for, oh, 5 seconds of that 30 seconds. :o( Poor little losers.

Oh, and if you have seen the finale already, here's a link to EW.com's recap of the show... and here's a link to their recap of Wednesday night's show. I found the latter much more interesting, if only because the recapper really goes to town highlighting what could be the producers' (not so) subtle means of voter tampering. Well, voter bias-ing, I guess I should say. If that was a real word.

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James McAvoy is on the cover of this month's Arena magazine (too bad it's a British magazine and I can't get a copy... boo!!!). That is all.

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Here's another face quiz from Ayyyy.com:



This time it's all about TV food celebrities. And it's ridiculously hard, I think. I mean, I have watched a lot of food TV in my day - heck, I used to watch the Amish lady on PBS back in '91! - but I'm almost completely stumped on this puzzle. Foo. I posted my very few (and shaky) guesses in the comments section, as per usual. I promise I won't cheat and look at other peoples' guesses but I do reserve the right to update my guesses should a moment of inspiration strike!!

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I enjoyed this play-by-play from jezebel.com on the People.com unveiling of the Holy Twins last night:

7:40pm: I'm getting dinner. See you guys in the ayem.
7:33pm:Breaking: They look like tiny babies. Shiloh, up in the upper right-hand corner, is similarly nonplussed.
7:30pm: THEY ARE HERE HOLY CRAP
7:20pm Still no twins. $14 million dollars and still no twins.
7:15pm: People.com claimed that pictures of the almighty Jolie-Pitt twins would be revealed today at 7pm. (See? It says so right in the red banner.) Anna called me; I am sitting here waiting for these damn miracles (or "Infant Deities," as one commenter called them ). But right now it is 7:14pm and Knox and Vivi are no where to be seen. WTF.



This amused me because the stupid "Come back Sunday at 7pm EDT!!!!!" banner started running on the site on, like, Thursday. Ridiculous. And then People.com couldn't even get their crap together by 7pm EDT? C'mon, now. I expect better. (Tiny silver lining: People.com may not have posted the photos on time... but they did remove the banner right at 7. :o) )

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Charles Van Doren - notorious Twenty-One cheat and subject of the 1994 film Quiz Show - has broken his 50 year silence on the subject and published an article in the New Yorker. It's a loooong one (8 pages) but should be an interesting read (no, I haven't read the whole thing yet). EW.com reports:

...Van Doren goes into detail about how he was recruited to appear on Twenty-One, how the deception unraveled, how he lied to interrogators before ultimately coming clean, how temptation returned in the form of an offer to be a paid consultant on Redford's movie, how he felt about the finished film and Ralph Fiennes' performance as him, and how he learned over the years the differences between fame, celebrity, and notoriety. Two mysteries remain: why he agreed to the scam in the first place (he hints that money and fame were factors, but doesn't actually specify what made him so quick to compromise his integrity) and why he's suddenly willing to talk about it now. Still, Van Doren's account makes for a fascinating tale, especially given how much fakery there still is on television.

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Coldplay has released two videos for their track Viva la Vida, one of which was directed by Hype Williams. But who cares about that when the other one is an "attempt at a video cover version, made out of love for Depeche Mode and the genius of Anton Corbijn." Woohoo!!! EVERYONE loves the Mode!!! :o) You can check out the boring ol' Hype Williams version here. Or you can not waste you time and go directly to the Mode homage below:

Here's the video that inspired the above Chris Martin fest, DM's 'Enjoy the Silence':

Chris and co. totally should've gone for the cropped leather jackets!! I consider their 'video cover' quite incomplete without them.

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Yay! Keane's new album, Perfect Symmetry, is coming out October 13th. Wheeee!

(Unnecessary side note: it looks like Tom totally cut his hair. Boo.)

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HOW long has it been since a Hot Men post, hmm? I'll tell you - too long! (Actually, about 3 full weeks... if you don't count the Christian Bale argument-with-him-mom-blown-exceedingly-out-of-proportion story updates. Which I don't.) So, without further ado, please enjoy these photos of sexy beast Daniel Craig at the Pineapple Express premiere. I have absolutely no idea why he'd attend this particular movie's premiere but who cares? He looks HOT in that suit!! Yum.

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Maria turned me on to passiveaggressivenotes.com and I have to say - it is an excellent way to kill some time at work! It's basically a site that posts real notes left by and for real people like this:

As I said - it's an amusing way to kill time at work! :o) Anyway, I found the following comic at the site (the comic is actually originally from the New Yorker) and it struck a chord:


I HATE it when people do this! I mean, on the one hand, I'm happy that someone is actually bothering to hold the door open at all. It's definitely not a "sure" thing, as I'm sure many of you know. On the other hand, I absolutely feel like I have to scurry to make it to the door in time or else risk being rude and ungrateful. Conversely, if I'm walking toward a door and I can tell someone is behind me but they're at that just-a-wee-bit-too-far distance, I'll almost run to the door so I reach it just that much sooner. That way I don't feel like I have to hold it open for them and they don't feel like they have to rush. (If they're at a decent distance, however, I'll hold the door open; I'm no hypocrite, people!!) I know - my life is so complicated. It's no wonder I'm so tired.

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I always love the shorts that play before any Pixar movie in the theater - as I'm sure most people do. The most recent one, Presto (which debuted before Wall*E) is now viewable online at gamaniak. If you haven't yet seen it, you definitely should!!! Right now. Go.

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msnbc.com has a feature on Project Runway: Where are they now? Apparently, we're all really interested in people from last season.

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I think I've found Robert's dream alarm... if only it came with a cheese compartment. [link via neatorama.com]

Wake n' Bacon

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This should technically be posted as a "TV Tidbit," I guess, but I'm lazy so it's getting plopped here. Robert is infatuated with all things Amazing Race and I would be remiss if I didn't post what I just found on EW.com: the new season starts September 28th. Executive producer Bertam van Munster (Holy bejesus. If that isn't the Dutch-est name on Earth, I don't know what is!) gave a few peeks into the new season but I gotta say - it pretty much describes every season. Which isn't saying anything negative because I love the show! It's just that saying "There's old people! Young people! Outrageous adventures!" doesn't ring any season-specific bells, you know? Anyhoo, here's the scoop:

• The race takes 23 days, covers nearly 40,000 miles, spans five continents, and features some far-flung locales never before seen on the show, including Angkor Wat, Cambodia and La Paz, Bolivia.

• The youngest team is a tandem of two guys in their early 20s. “They’re made for television,” Van Munster says. “They’re supersmart — and they make terrible mistakes.” A pair of recent divorcees in their late 20s also vie for the million-dollar prize. “They were left with some financial debt, so they really have a motive to run around the world,” he says. And once again, expect a serving of granola — this time with a husband-wife squad of 60-something Oregon hippies. “They’re the real thing,” says Van Munster. “They come right out of the '60s. To a lot of people, it looks almost like they’re from a different planet.”

• As for the challenges, “We’ve really outdone ourselves in the department of outrageousness,” Van Munster declares. “We have a situation in Bolivia where we have the [contestants] go down a cobblestone hill on very, very primitive bikes, and it’s just the most hilarious thing you’ve ever seen in your life. It’s a truly bone-jarring experience.” (Another must-see detour: A by-train-or-by-bus scavenger hunt in Moscow. )

• One familiar thing actually did happen on this race: The producers didn’t predict the winner. Says Van Munster, “We’ve been wrong every time, across the board.”

Random Round-Up 11

Overthinkingit.com has a couple of articles on 'The Philosophy of Batman' that I thought were kind of interesting. Not fantastic or anything but definitely enjoyable reads. The first one breaks down the two dilemmas faced by our hero in the first and second movies: the trolley experiment and Prisoner's Dilemma, respectively. (Random side note: I had to do a ton of work with Prisoner's Dilemma as an Anthro major. A lot. In a nutshell, the best course of action is to confess.) The second article deals more with the psychology behind the back story put forth in Batman Begins. This article is not a quick read - 6 pages - and I confess I haven't read the entire thing yet. But the first page looks promising! ;o)

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I found this Brangelina entry from Gallery of the Absurd amusing. It's a long post but it's the comment excerpts that following the drawing that offer the most humor!

After reading blog comments under the announcement of the Jolie-Pitt Twins yesterday, I witnessed first hand the raving insanity of the frothing Brangeloonies. Similar to the Claymates in their blind devotion and ceaseless worship of famous people they don't even know, the Brangeloonies were out in full force yesterday practically declaring the birth of The Twins a national holiday and labeling anyone who dared to disagree as "haters" or "trolls". How very pre-school! A commenter might write something as innocent as "what's the big deal, so lots of babies were born that day" and within minutes a stomping crowd of torch bearing witch-hunters are at his throat. I found it perplexing, yet highly comical. Another curious trait of the Brangeloonie is the nearly unanimous vitriol aimed at Jennifer Aniston. Brad and Jen divorced 3 years ago, but in the snarling eyes of the Brangeloonie, somehow she's still an unwilling player. I collected some of the goodies from various blogs to share with you. And no, I did not make any of these up - they're all 100% real:

"I only want to celebrate and sing her praises. I have been down on my knees all morning, where I know she would want me to be, blessing this holy family. god bless the jolie-pitts!"

"OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG—– My life now has meaning. You guys, today is totally my birthday…. and my mom’s name is Vivian! (I know darling Vivienne is spelled differently, but still)This is the first thing I’ve been able to share with the blessed Jolie-Pitts. I am over the moon."

"The trolls are really losing it, they are dying of envy. I won’t even give a second of my time reading or posting about a person I don’t like. That’s the power of Angelina, they can’t get away from her."

"This is such exciting news and the lovely posts are a pleasure to read from you JP fans. Makes it easy to bypass the unhappy jealous hateful people who cant help but show their ugliness at such a blessed time. Nothing can take away our joy today."

"I’m really getting tired of being hated on just because I want people to be happy. Babies are a gift from God, especially from people as wonderful as Brad and Angie. All you Aniston (yuck) lovers out there are just jealous that he’s happy and successful now. I think she needs to adopt an Indian baby next or something even more exotic to add to the beauty that is their family. Maybe one from Romania?"

"I still think we should find a way to let Brangelina know that there are people out here who love them and want to wish them all the best… I wanna write a poem like some other people did but I’m not that smart. "

"By the crazy reaction from the haters, we know Jen Aniston is miserable and in pain right now. hehehe. Brad got really emotional as he cut the ambilical cords, awww. I couldn’t even imagine how thrilled they both are."

"This should be a day of celebration, yet everyone is just so MEAN. Why can’t the twins and the rest of the Jolie-Pitts have at least ONE nice day without so many people trying to ruin it? She just had TWINS for crying out loud. Angelina is such a beautiful matyr; I wish I could be more like her. Sure, she’s kinda shunning America, but I still luv, luv, LUV her!!! Anyone else want to start a petition to wish them the best luck in the world?"

The Brangeloonie Shrine is available exclusively at Babies R Us and Wal-Mart, but hurry, supplies are limited and rioting has already begun.

Celebrity Redheads Revealed

Ayyyy! posted the answers to yesterday's puzzle and here they are:


1. Nicole Kidman
2. Tilda Swinton
3. Julianne Moore
4. Susan Sarandon
5. Marcia Cross
6. Lindsay Lohan
7. Alyson Hannigan
8. Kathy Griffin
9. Reba McEntire
10. Bryce Dallas Howard

Just in case you didn't check out my answers yesterday, here they are:
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First off, no Cynthia Nixon or Gillian Anderson - they're natural blondes. SO... here I go:

1.
2. Tilda Swinton
3. Julianne Moore
4. Susan Sarandon
5. Rose McGowan
6. Lindsay Lohan
7.
8. Kathy Griffin
9. Marg Helgenberger
10. Bryce Dallas Howard

I'm not confident in #s 5 and 9 at all, but I think I'm OK with all the others. Nicole Kidman, Amy Adams, and Marcia Cross are the only other redheads I can think of at the moment (and does Kidman really count? She's like a strawberry blonde or something, right?), but none of the other hairdos look like any of those ladies. Hmmm.
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I suck. I only got 6/10. What a loser!!!! Especially since I pointed out that I thought of both Nicole Kidman and Marcia Cross but didn't think any of the above represented either lady's hair. Great. Moron. I am ashamed, truly. BUT... I did get a shout-out on Ayyyy! for one thing:

Congratulations to Alison for a near perfect score (with kudos to Lauren for working out the elusive no. 10)! We roundly applaud your seemingly effortly gift for recognising famous flame-haired females.

Woohoo!!! I'm at least a teensy bit awesome. :o) Yay me!!!

Random Round-Up 10

George Michael Reuniting with Andrew Ridgeley???

Oh!!! I'm jealous!! I'm going to start collecting for the "Help Send Lauren to London" fund imminently, so keep on the lookout!!! I didn't get there to catch Ewan on stage in Guys and Dolls a few years back but Wham! is a different story... They'll never be together again! Mew. My thirst to see one of my favorite 80s bands live will never be quenched. (The Smiths are my last hope but considering Morrissey would rather eat his own balls than reunite, I'd say the chances are slim to none. Given that he's a vegetarian and all.) Now I'll never get to hear 'A Different Corner' the way it should truly be heard. Boo. How will I sleep tonight? Not very well, I can tell you that.

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The Cheesecake Factory's 30th anniversary is tomorrow - and to celebrate their restaurants will be selling cheesecake for only $1.50/slice. The limit is one per person but still - YUM!

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This is a 'Natural Celebrity Redhead' quiz from Ayyyy! See how many you can pick out... the answers will be posted tomorrow, so I'll update this post then, too. Should you care to take a gander at my guesses, I'll include them in the comments section.

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Robert and I are a wee bit behind jumping on the Harry Potter train... we just finished the third movie last weekend. And we haven't read any of the books. (Though I have procured the first three from my mom. I also have to start the Twilight series... gah! I'll have three books working plus my two weekly magazines. Too much reading! Stressful.) I always thought I'd like the series but I also knew that once I started it I wouldn't be able to stop until it was done and that it would require a lot of dedication. (I'm sure my understanding and appreciation of the plot lines is somewhat tainted by viewing the movies prior to reading the books but oh well. Too late.) I am definitely someone who thinks too much while watching a movie or TV show or reading a book - I tend to make things more complicated than they need to be. Ask Robert. It drives him nuts. I'm never content to blindly accept something that is put forth; I always want to understand the why behind it (or else I think I'm missing something). It is quite annoying. (The only reason Robert and I even started the series now is that we had a couple of free hours while at Andy's during our recent Chicago visit. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was one DVD we could agree on.) ANYWAY, the point of my babbling is that now that my interest in the series has finally been piqued I am more aware of articles about it. As such, when I came across this article on the new trailer that debuts tonight I thought I should share it in case any of you also enjoy all things Potter. (I don't really understand why the glimpse of Tom Riddle in the trailer is such a big deal - we already saw the character in the second film. But I'm willing to take the article's word for it! I'll post the trailer sometime tomorrow...)

Random Round-Up 09

* I'm sure you've all heard about the U.S.'s denial of Boy George's visa for his upcoming tour (that is no more). This quote from Holy Moly!'s article on the incident made me laugh out loud. I don't know if I'm tired or what but I thought it was HI-larious! Judges?

At least George, whilst moaning at Paper Magazine, isn't at all bitter…"There are a number of public figures who are openly using drugs and they have no problem with immigration and I have seriously turned my life around." By selling T-shirts on a market stall? Quite a turnaround, that. Amy Winehouse might feel that her ears are burning at the moment. Mind you, she may well be asleep with a still-smouldering crack pipe pressed against the pillow…

Hee! Made me laugh. :o)

* Wedding, schmedding. I am definitely not a wedding-obsessed type of gal - but I'm also not a raving pro-feminism wedding basher, either. This article from mental_floss had some interesting tidbits on the patriarchal origins of several wedding traditions. It didn't really tell me anything I hadn't already heard or read before but it was still a humorous editorial read - and it offered access to this...

* The most awesome wedding cake ever. I don't think I'll have cake at my wedding but if someone plopped this in my lap, I'd make an exception. The photo is courtesy of alt text's Flickr photostream, which you can access here. It's definitely worth a look - such amazing detail!! It's fantastic. A little story as to the creation of the cake is also featured on the photostream's main page, so I highly recommend taking a gander if you have the time. (The groom also posted about it on his blog, should you want to read a bit more about it.)


I also feel the need to post my favorite user comment on the cake - this guy (or girl) is such a moron but they did make me laugh. I'm sort of a laugh whore, aren't I?

Yay Congratulations!...

...ON FORGETTING THE F&CKING GOOMBAS!!! I hope your marriage sucks as bad as Super Mario Brothers 2, and is GAME OVER in a month. How the f%ck could you forget the goombas? Have you ever even played a Mario game??? I hate this stupid cake.

Hmm... upon further investigation I see that this cake is two years old - and was, apparently, a mini-sensation when the photos came out. Whoops! Well, it was new to me so I will assume it's new to you, too. Here's a photostream of a newer Mario-themed cake from earlier this month.