Power Trippin'

A Baltimore cop is being sued by a surly kid after he was assaulted while taking a break with his friends during a round of skateboarding on the street. The details of why the cop went ballistic on the kid and proceed to manhandle him aren't exactly clear, but from watching the video of the altercation, it appears that the cop didn't need too much provocation after the 14 year old wouldn't stop addressing him as dude and man and generally just talking back and taunting him.
The sum, six million, which seems a rather ridiculous amount. What's even stranger is the fact that the kids parents only decided to get litigious on the cop 10 months after the incident occurred. There's no doubt that this cop is a bully and has anger issues. He was definitely excessive in his behavior toward the punk and I'll bet this isn't the first time this officer's gone off the rails with his temper. Anger management classes and some desk duty might be the best course of action for this dude.

Ponzi Schemer

As greed goes, no one had seemingly done it better than the fictional character, Gordon Gekko (Wallstreet).

He coined infamous phrases like:
The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed -- for lack of a better word -- is good.
Greed is right.
Greed works.
Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.
Greed, in all of its forms -- greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge -- has marked the upward surge of mankind.

Well, there is a real life person that would agree whole heartedly with these philosophies and that would be one Bernie Madoff, who headed up an investment securities firm catering to very high profile clients. While Mr. Gekko was into corporate takeovers at any cost, Bernie gained the trust of his investors, many of whom were "personal" friends and conned them out of millions of dollars, which he did very slowly and quite methodically.
Madoff's advisory business had $17.1 billion of assets.
As the supposed lone mastermind behind one of the largest investment fraud schemes, he was finally arrested in NY this week.
Among his prominent victims was Mort Zuckerman, owner of the New York Daily News and US News & World Report, who ran a fund with considerable sums invested. You can usually catch him sitting in on the political round table discussions at the weekend with the McLaughlin group. Something tells me he'll be MIA for a while, cleaning up his financial messes.
Also caught in this bilking was Steven Spielberg. His charity, the Wunderkinder Foundation, was a client.

Our current world economic crisis as it stands really didn't need any more casualties.
I guess there's a reason why greed is listed as the first of the 7 deadly sins.

Good job Bernie!

Xenophobic Fools

Within a very short period of time a gang of Russian skinheads committed 19 racially motivated murders and 12 assaults on "immigrants".
There are currently over 142 million people living in Russia and many of those citizens are not born nationals. This has many nationalists up in arms, claiming that "foreigners" are taking away their jobs and basic economic rights. This year alone, 86 people were killed in Russia based on "racial grounds".
The skinheads that committed the crimes were bold (or stupid) enough to record them on cellphone cameras and post them on the web.
President Putin was quoted as saying that Russia would crack down on racist violence after human rights leaders complained that the police were actively ignoring these attacks and doing nothing to protect the public.
Exile these guys to Siberia and be done with it!

Barbarians at the gate

I wish I could adequately express my disgust in the human race and wonder what it will take to shake people up to the reality that you can't go around acting like barbarians in this day and age...much less for a damn sale!
Black Friday certainly came in with a bang this year.
How ironic is it that the masses line up outside of retail shops to take advantage of drastically reduced sale prices just after the day they are meant to be giving thanks for what they already have and end up killing innocent people in the process.
Two morons outside of Toys R Us gunned each other down in California and a worker at Wal-Mart in NY was trampled and killed after a mob frenzy took place as they let 2,000 idiots loose into the store. These shoppers were so desperate to score on super low sales that they continued streaming into the store and just stepped over the workers body!
One woman said shoppers were acting like "savages." When officials said to the crowds that they had to leave, that an employee got killed, people were yelling 'I've been on line since yesterday morning..."They kept shopping."
A Wal-Mart spokesperson called the employees death a "tragic situation," but defended itself by saying it added staffers and outside security workers and put up barricades to try to prepare for the crush.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight!

Faithless

The Vatican has finally forgiven John Lennon for declaring that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus.
Lennon made the notorious remark to a London newspaper in 1966.
The claim angered Christians worldwide and led to Beatles' albums being burnt in huge pyres.
But in an article for the Vatican newspaper, the Catholic Church said the remark was a "boast" from a band at the height of their success.
"The remark by John Lennon, which triggered deep indignation mainly in the United States, after many years sounds only like a 'boast' by a young working-class Englishman faced with unexpected success, after growing up in the legend of Elvis and rock and roll," Vatican daily Osservatore Romano said.
The article, marking the 40th anniversary of the Beatles' The White Album, went on to praise the pop band.
"The fact remains that 38 years after breaking up, the songs of the Lennon-McCartney brand have shown an extraordinary resistance to the passage of time, becoming a source of inspiration for more than one generation of pop musicians," it said.

Unlike a virgin...

So it's official, Guy Ritchie and Madonna are getting a divorce. They've been together since the year 2000. She's apparently already involved with Alex Rodriguez (Yankees ball player). She's been married once before (to Sean Penn, though if you blinked, you missed it).

I was trolling through the tabloids and here's what I found...

Quotes on Madonna and Guy's Marriage:
Madonna about divorce rumors: "My husband and I are not planning on getting a divorce. I know Alex Rodriguez through Guy Oseary, who manages both of us. I brought my kids to a Yankee game. I am not romantically involved in any way with Alex Rodriguez. I have nothing to do with the state of his marriage or what spiritual path he may choose to study.”
Source: K.C. Baker, "Madonna: 'Not Planning on Getting a Divorce'", People.com, 7/06/08.

Madonna about Guy: "I had to marry a challenge because otherwise I would just get bored. Whatever else Guy is, he's never boring ... We're both there to help each other and challenge each other."
Source: David Sims, "Madonna Reveals 'Sex with Guy Is Incredible'", People.com, 4/02/2008.

Madonna, about marriage expectations and soul mates: "I got married for all the wrong reasons ... My husband did not turn out to be everything I had imagined him to be. I just wanted to end everything...there's no such thing as the perfect soulmate ... Your soul-mate is the person that pushes all your buttons-p****s you off on a regular basis ... It's not easy having a good marriage but I don't want easy. I thank God every day that I married a man who made me think. That's my definition of true love."
Source: Sify.com

Madonna about marriage: "I have a successful marriage. That doesn't mean I don't have my ups and downs, but I have an open and honest relationship, and we work things out. Guy and I understand that we've embarked on a journey together. There's no way our relationship would work if we didn't both think the same way."
Source: People Weekly, April 12, 2004 p82

Madonna about her marriage to Guy Ritchie: "I have two beautiful children and a brilliant, gorgeous husband. I have my work and my faith ... If that's boring to some people, I can't tell you how much I don't care."
Source: Imdb.com

The best quote heard on this subject:
I wonder if Guy Ritchie will get to keep the British accent in the divorce (?)

All that glitters is gold!

If you're looking for a treat, get to your nearest download site, plug your headphones in and listen to the brilliant folk/glam rock 70's throwback of Blitzen Trapper (Furr).
This Portland Oregon band are truly a wonder.
Their sound is heavily reminiscent of so many greats - but with a modern twist: Marc Bolan, Neil Young, Dylan, Beatles, Nick Drake, Gilbert O'Sullivan and as you listen to the track Black River Killer, Johnny Cash will come to mind.
Possibly the best album of 2008!

Whacked by the ugly stick

My brilliant bodyguard Niko Bellic found this juicy nugget this morning:
An Australian mayor who invited ugly women to move to his outback mining town, saying even they would find a man there, has won the top "award" for the most sexist public comment of the year. Mayor John Moloney of remote Mount Isa was chosen by the volume of boos, jeers and stamping of feet that greeted his nomination at the annual women-only Ernie Awards in the New South Wales parliament on Thursday night. Moloney won the Golden Ernie for telling a newspaper that his town, where men vastly outnumber women, was a place for "ugly ducklings to flourish into beautiful swans."He called on "beauty-disadvantaged" women to flock there, saying he often saw unattractive women in Mount Isa who looked like they were enjoying life in the northwestern Queensland town."Quite often you will see walking down the street a lass who is not so attractive with a wide smile on her face," he said. "Whether it is recollection of something previous or anticipation for the next evening, there is a degree of happiness. "He later told national radio that obese women could even lose weight under the gaze of Mount Isa males."There's a great incentive because there's that much attention focused on them and they become interested in looking better -- and in no time they just shed it. "Confronted by a protest by scores of insulted Mount Isa women, he said: "The protesters are blaming me for their looks."An unrepentant Moloney told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Friday that news of his remarks had sparked interest in Mount Isa among women internationally. "I had a lot of email responses from women around the world who wanted to come to Mount Isa and no doubt some of those people have come to Mount Isa and found the happiness they sought," he said. Western Australia's state Treasurer Troy Buswell won the Political Ernie for sniffing the chair a female staffer had been sitting on and snapping the bra of another. Nine Network television's news chief John Westacott won the Media Ernie for saying "Sheilas do health and consumer stories - you want your blokes, your main guns, doing the real news stories." The awards, now in their 16th year, aim to shame men for outrageous sexism. The Ernies' chief organiser, former state parliamentarian Meredith Burgmann, read out the nominees and judges decreed the winners based on the volume of jeering. "I think the message is ever vigilant, ever watchful, keeping people, keeping blokes on their toes and making sure that we name and shame them," she said.

This bloggers comment on the story killed me:
You know what they say; having sex with ugly women is like riding a Moped
- It's always fun until your friends see you...

Get on the bus!

I simply love this...
The American Humanist Association has started a new ad campaign -
Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake.
Basically it's a new holiday slogan that promotes a secular view point.
The atheist advertising group decided to post these on the side of buses and elsewhere in Washington, which has clearly caused an uproar within the religious community.
If for nothing else, you have to admire their big brass balls for doing this just before Christmas and in the nations capitol no less.

Flathead

My bodyguard, Niko Bellic sent this to me this morning.
As I always maintain, never under estimate the power of stupidity and ignorance.
This girl should have her S.A.G card removed, a muzzle put in place and her publicist fired for letting this kind of nonsense get published in the first place.

Lindsay Lohan refers to Barack Obama as 'first coloured president'

NEW YORK - Lindsay Lohan referred to President-elect Barack Obama as the country's "first coloured president" in an interview on "Access Hollywood."

Describing her experience on Election Day, Lohan said: "It was really exciting. It's an amazing feeling. It's our first coloured president." A spokeswoman for Lohan didn't immediately return messages left Wednesday.
Interviewer Maria Menounos didn't question the 22-year-old actress on her use of the term. "Access Hollywood" also didn't cite her remark in its online story, but did post an "extended interview" video on its website that included the remark.
A spokesman for the syndicated entertainment news program said in a statement Wednesday: "We believe the word in question that Ms. Lohan used was unintelligible."
Lohan blogged about her support of Obama during the presidential campaign.

Silent Bob makes a porno

Kevin Smith (a.k.a, Silent Bob) has made a movie called Zack and Miri Make a Porno which apparently has offended the precious sensibilities of some towns and their city councils.
The film's marketers decided to display posters using stick figures to represent the actors. Apparently it's not the stick figures that bother them so much, it's the word PORNO!
There are newspapers, tv stations and outdoor advertising companies that have all jumped on the ban-bandwagon.
Amazingly, the impetus for this ludicrous issue was down to a father who complained of having to explain to his young son, during a commercial break from a football game where the ad for the film aired, what the word PORNO meant.
The movie is about two platonic best friends (boy and girl) who decide to make their very own porn to get out of debt. Funny, right?
Well, apparently some people don't think so.

I read this just today:

Diane Levin, an education professor specializing in child development at Boston's Wheelock College, said the posters at city bus stops send a message to children that working in the porn industry is an acceptable occupation.

"It's drawing attention to a movie which is mainstreaming and normalizing pornography, saying if you need money, this is what you do," said Levin, co-author of "So Sexy So Soon: The New Sexualized Childhood and What Parents Can Do to Protect Their Kids."

The stick-figure images are especially appealing to youngsters, since "stick figures are something for children," she said.

A marketer for the film had this to say in their own defense:

"It's a comedy. It's a joke. We're not advertising a porno. It's not a porno. The word `porno,' it's not supposed to turn you on. It's supposed to make you laugh."

Finally, the voice of reason!

Crooked Grind

Well, the AST Dew Action Sports Tour cup finals were held this afternoon, wrapping things up with the skateboard park competition.
We were treated to some priceless commentary from Kevin Harkin, Paul Sitzer and Chris Miller.
Stand out riders from the day were Chaz Ortiz, Rodolfo Ramos and Paul Rodriguez.
Surprisingly disappointing: Ryan Sheckler who's usually a crowd favorite.
A lot of old school street style dominated the runs, with plenty of entertaining technical tricks (my personal fave, the Japan Grab).
Chaz Ortiz took the competition in the end and what's most astonishing about this is that he's all of 14 years old, making him the youngest on the tour. Last year he was considered an amateur and this year he's a pro...amazing!
One of the best moments - Jason My Name is Earl Lee and Chris Pastors dropped in to the commentators booth to watch the event. For those youngsters out there, before Jason became a famous actor, he was a pro skater back in the day.
Upon watching Chaz do his thing this afternoon, he had this to say: These kids are skating like their from another planet! It makes me so sad, I was never that good! Chaz Ortiz does his runs and tricks like he's making a sandwich in his kitchen! He makes it look so easy!!!
In the end, as Ace of Spades from Motorhead blared over the loudspeakers, the kids rounded things up after their two solo runs and took an additional 7 minutes of freestyle on the course. This is where they're judged on their makes, not their falls...Chaz was hands down, the best and took the day, going home with a purse of $95K!
Wonder how long it will take 'til he decides he's had enough of homework and wants to do this full time?

Adrenalin Jump

It's officially fall when the AST Dew Action Sports Tour has started. My favorite riders are back on the BMX scene - Corey Bohan, TJ Lavin, the best Brit Jamie Bestwick and the beautiful and newly svelt, Rob Darden, who really threw it down today with some technical tricks and jaw dropping stunts. Whatever your passion, be it dirt, park or vert, this tour has it all. Tonight is the skateboarding competition and I am seriously chuffed to see Bucky Lasek, Paul Zitzer and our very own Quebec boy - Pierre Luc Gagnon, who was, in 2005, ranked the number two skater in the world. He also gained notoriety for having broken his knee cap while skating at Tony Hawks house. As a result, he missed two years in a row of competition but surprised everyone later and came back as a champion. I for one know that I'd much rather be sitting in the bleachers in Florida watching this weekend, but the tv will have to do.

No speculation?

I've been traveling all week and the one thing I've noticed, there's little spending going on out there. Consumerism is at such a low point right now, it seems like there's no hope for change in sight. I visited a very posh mall in the Chicago area, replete with beautiful stores like Burberry, Max Mara, Coach, Neimans...and no surprise really - the place was dead!
Stephen Harper, just on the heels of his big re-election win, refuses to admit that we're in the same boat as our American cousins on the sea of imminent recession.
He says that the Canadian economic system and our banks are sound, but I honestly can't believe that this is true, considering how the US is faring and how incredibly frightened people are to buy pretty much anything these days. The number of seats occupied on my flight home was uncharacteristically low, as was the traffic in the airport itself - a bizarre thing to remark, since O'Hare is one of the busiest in the world.
Harper actually said that he refuses to "speculate" on the Canadian economy but given the volatility of the world market, as it stands right now, I think it pretty much means one thing, a national deficit and higher taxes for us all. I've read that the Canadian government have taken measures to secure our financial institutions and that we can't end up like the US...sorry, I'm not convinced.

Where's my golden parachute?

Upon further inspection of my financial portfolio during this millenial depression, the verdict is in, I will now have to work for the rest of my life.
I think I'll go lie down now, I feel sick.

Matters Liberal

A staff member from Stephen Harper's camp resigned after it was discovered that a speech he gave in 2003 was in fact plagiarized from an address days earlier by then Australian prime minister John Howard.
You can see it here
What a lazy sod.

Nerdlingers

This week, G4-tech tv conducted a poll.
They decided to ask male viewers (their target audience is typically a 17 to 36 year old gamer or videogame junkie) the following:
Would you agree to wear a cape and tights every day for the rest of your life if you were promised "mouth love" every night?

It seems that the nerds were eager to give their thoughts on this fantasy (come on, could it be anything else?), as it turns out that 61% of viewers chimed in with a resounding YES, while 39% said NO.
Wowza.

Ass'ociations

It seems that the Canadian government are associated with a less than upstanding supplier to the troops. Gear Up Motors supplies knives, flashlights and other equipment to the Canadian armed forces.
They took it upon themselves to post racist comments on their business website by referring to Muslims as "rag-headed and heathen bastards".
They've gone so far as to malign women, Liberals and poke fun at bilingualism and issues on global warming.
Officials from Stephen Harpers camp stepped in as best they could to have the company remove any signs of their association to them (ie. logos, coat of arms, etc...).

Although I am sure there are plenty who think this company should have their doors permanently closed, they are protected from this, as they are privately held and they have to date fulfilled their contractual obligations following their being awarded bids.
Their ignorance doesn't focus on the above issues alone, they have also stated these nuggets, which amazingly remained on their website until yesterday:

"Gear Up Motors is proud to be a fluently bilingual organization. We speak English and American"

They used this disclaimer on one product:"Not tested on animals - we use Liberals."

The website also included a "fairie tale" that took a poke at women.

"One day, long, long ago, there was a woman who surprisingly did not whine, bitch or nag. But this was a long time ago . . . And it was just for one day. The end."

And it ridiculed those who are concerned about global warming.

"Stop climate change: Donate to the 'Stop the Earth's Rotation' Foundation, administered by Gear Up Motors. You will not receive equal value in carbon credits."

It still includes so-called "words of wisdom."

"If you give a man a fire, he will be warm for that day. If you set a man on fire, he will be warm for the rest of his life."

"Stop climate change: Donate to the 'Stop the Earth's Rotation' Foundation, administered by Gear Up Motors. You will not receive equal value in carbon credits."

It still includes so-called "words of wisdom."

"If you give a man a fire, he will be warm for that day. If you set a man on fire, he will be warm for the rest of his life."

I suppose even a slight nuance to professionalism have escaped the minds of these entrepreneurs. Sad indeed.

Sticky Fingers

This weekend my bodyguard had me read an article in Details magazine entitled: Jerking Off Is The New Infidelity: Is your secret habit causing your marriage to slip through your fingers?

The article actually brought with it an element of surprise, mostly because I just didn't realize that pleasuring yourself could be construed as cheating.
In the past, I have been known to display my jealous side and I've always owned up to that (not that I have ever apologized for it mind you) as it usually involved a real live person who may or may not pose a threat, but I don't think I could fault anyone for relaxing and relieving themselves. To me, this is totally normal and frankly, expected. Let's be honest, you can't be in someones head, you can't control what they think or fantasize about and you certainly can't prevent them from doing what is and always has been a primal urge.

Now don't get me wrong, if someone were to do this exclusively and opt out of participating in a relationship altogether, then I would think something was horribly wrong. To isolate oneself from having a real interpersonal relationship and only derive pleasure from porn (or whatever happens to turn you on), speaks to greater problems than just wanting to "get off".

Here is the article in it's entirety. You be the judge:

Colin and Mia had been together two years when they hit their first dry spell. "We hadn't had sex in a few weeks, and one night before bed she asked me how I was dealing with it," says Colin (not his real name), a 38-year-old vice president at a Web start-up in Boston. "I told her I was masturbating," he says. "She asked me where and how." So Colin took a deep breath and told her: at the office, once a week or so, to Internet porn.

Mia (not her real name) freaked out. "She was fuming mad," Colin says. "She couldn't handle me leaving her out—it made her feel insecure." Mia adds, "Just imagining him there in his office on his own, it seemed like the ultimate act of desperation, something you'd only do if you didn't have a partner."

Mia was shocked that Colin was rubbing one out when he should have been crunching numbers, but she wouldn't have been if she'd looked at the stats: Most guys in long-term relationships continue to masturbate—even when they're having regular sex. A 1994 study found that nearly 85 percent of men living with a sexual partner masturbate, compared with only 45 percent of women.

And while the cliché is that it's the sex-starved husband who is driven to furtively spending some "me" time in the bathroom, research shows that most men's masturbation habits have nothing to do with how often they have sex.

Even so, when your wife finds out she'll hear a singular message: Our sex life isn't up to scratch. "Many women assume that if they catch their partner masturbating, it means they aren't doing their part to keep him happy. 'Why would he want to jerk off if I am right here?'" says Searah Deysach, owner of the Chicago sex shop Early to Bed.

What may bother your partner most of all, though, is just whom you're keeping virtual company with—an ex-girlfriend, the new girl in the office, Natalie Portman in Closer—while the bathroom door is locked. Which is why most women settle on a don't-ask-don't-tell policy regarding their partners' masturbatory fantasies.

Tony (not his real name), a 35-year-old small-business owner in Chicago, doesn't discuss with his wife what he fantasizes about. "If it's not about her, then it doesn't seem very helpful to anyone to bring that up," he says. "'Hey, honey, I jerked off while thinking about a hot woman I saw yesterday.'"

While some guys store everyday images and encounters to fuel their imaginations, many go straight for the porn. In a 2005 study, 25 percent of all men (and only 4 percent of women) reported having visited a pornographic website in the previous 30 days. Some women find this kind of fantasy easier to handle—you're not likely to bump into adult-movie stars at the office, after all. But others hate the idea of their partners' lusting after other women, even if it's just virtually.

"Women are way more threatened by things we think you're hiding from us than [things you're not]," says Jamye Waxman, author of Getting Off: A Woman's Guide to Masturbation.

However, as anyone in a relationship knows, honesty can be taken too far. "There's a difference between privacy and total secrecy," says Brian Zamboni, a Minneapolis sex therapist. "You can say 'Yes, masturbation is part of our respective sexualities, but let's agree not to go into all the details.'"

For many men, spilling the beans would ruin the fantasy anyway. "I think keeping it to myself is part of the appeal," says Scout (not his real name), a 49-year-old photographer based in New York. For some guys, secretly masturbating is cheating—safely, harmlessly, monogamously. And for those struggling with thoughts of infidelity, the reality that they can't share with their partner is that a little jerking off keeps their marriage on the straight and narrow.

For other couples, though, masturbation levels the sexual playing field. "My wife's desire fluctuates over the course of the month," says Charlie, 29, a chef in the Hudson Valley in upstate New York. "Sometimes all she can think about is being sexy. So when she's insatiable she can [take care of me], and when I'm more interested than she is I can take care of myself."

Colin and Mia resolved the mini-crisis prompted by Colin's jerking off at work by adding masturbation to their bedroom menu, and they've now been together for seven years and married for three. Colin assured Mia that his preference was to be with her and that masturbation was just an act of release when she wasn't around. "Then I showed her that this was something we could do together," Colin says.

Their sex life has improved, and the added benefit is that Mia no longer has to worry about why he's staying late at work.



-By Em & Lo (Details - October 2008)

Step Off, Gerry!

As if an outbreak of a deadly disease isn't bad enough, but add the Canadian Minister of Agriculture's idiotic and insensitive comments to it and you've got a recipe for disaster.
Gerry Ritz's first major gaff, which he said during a conference call:

"This is like a death by a thousand cuts. Or should I say cold cuts."

And when told about a new death in PEI, he also voiced this blunder: "Please tell me it's (Liberal MP) Wayne Easter."

The outbreak of listeriosis caused a recall and health hazard warning to be posted by the government. The highly publicized and very scary outbreak within Canada, which was linked to meat products from Maple Leaf, caused deaths and all this guy can do is joke about it.
Amazingly enough, he wasn't fired. However, there is an outcry by the public for this man to step down. He made a formal apology, but clearly that isn't enough. He definitely crossed a line and let's face it, others working within the government have been fired for a lot less in the past. Why he's received a "get out of jail free card" on this is beyond me.

The sky is falling!

What year is this? Are we on the bread lines? Is it 1930?
That's it, the great depression is coming!
The livelihood of every person who ever thought that their assets were protected by the banks have woken up in the last few days to a new nightmare.
The US government have basically done their public wrong.
One of the biggest failures in history is down to the US governments inability to put any kind of regulation into place that would guard against market instability.
The fed apparently has committed over a trillion dollars to bailing out several financial institutions. Just how much money does the fed have? How long can this go on?
Subprime mortgages, commercial real estate, car loans, credit terms...these all exist as fuel for the banks, but when money is borrowed and can't be paid back, what happens?
Well, you have monster Wall Street companies like Lehman closing, AIG requiring help from the government in order not to become defunct and so on and so on.
As the media has been saying all week From Wall Street to Main Street is inevitable.

The future is now

I have discovered Whirlpool's recently unveiled green kitchen design concept and it is truly amazing. They've thought of everything! This kitchen is smart and super energy efficient. I want one now!

Shaken, not stirred

I've always had a crush on Rick Mercer and watching him experience ice racing in Thunderbay, I like him even more! I love the crack about Montreal, especially since it's true.

Ready, Steady, Elect!

Against his original law, Stephen Harper has decided to hold an early federal election come October 14th. It will pit the conservatives against the liberals.
In past years, I can openly admit that I never voted for any party other than the liberals. This time round, the thought is inconceivable. Stephane Dion is, in a word, shifty.
His reactionary style to the leadership of Harper is hard to fathom. He speaks constantly about creating a greener nation and family values. Yet, the biggest gray cloud that looms over the liberal party is their ideas on the economy and increasing taxes. As a Canadian first but a Quebecer nonetheless, I am skeptical to trust the under dog, which clearly Dion is. And let's face it, you can't really understand a single word the man says!
It's hard to trust him, in that, he's a known separatist, which has always made any Anglo Quebecers very nervous. I'll always be under the assumption that he's got a hidden agenda. I don't believe in his politics and although he says a lot, it all sounds like a lot of filibustering to me.

Puppet Masters

If you buy just one album this year, let it be The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age Of Understatement...and here's why

Reality Check

Ok, so I'll admit it, I have a guilty pleasure, just like so many other millions of people. I love The Hills!
The drama, the clothes, the ridiculous conversations, the seemingly never ending cash-flow of the cast, the bitchiness...it's completely addictive!
I find myself waiting with bated breath for every juicy episode.
Once again, I don't know what it is with these millennial kids, but there is something very intriguing about their lives. They have things that most people only dream of, they are clearly treated differently than most (whether this actually has something to do with their parents bringing them up in privilege or creative writing on behalf of the show, is certainly up for debate) and they actually think that the "issues" they are going through now really matter. LC, Lo, Audrina, "Speidi", Brody...this cast of new reality stars have no clue what it's like to live in the real world and the beauty is, they really don't care! There are many critics of the show, espousing their views on the cast, coming down hard on them for being so clueless and focusing on nonsense. Come on, it's not like any of us are tuning into the show to see where their political affiliations lie, if they are pro choice or if they even know that there is a war going on in the Middle East. This is pure escapism and I can dig it!

Sex Type Thing

The McCain - Palin ticket is an anomaly to say the least. McCain reportedly met the Governor of Alaska (elected in 2006) only once before it was announced that she would in fact become his running mate. These two are so big on "family values", yet Palin's 17 year old daughter is now pregnant (and unmarried). So it makes things very confusing and wreaking of hypocrisy when the whole abstinence-only agenda has seemingly blown up in their faces. How do you spin this story? I honestly don't think you can. Part of Palin's very strong political agenda is bent on removing women's rights to have abortions. It's staggering that we're even still debating this issue in the 2008.
I read today that the Right has asked that the public and the press give the family some space and privacy during this time.
Give me a fuck'n break!

Eyes Wide Open

The makers of Ambien are back and they've brought with them a bizarre new ad campaign.
For those of us that suffer from insomnia, we can all relate.
It pits a rooster, in several odd situations, in the subconscious minds of the sleep deprived. My favorite is the single guy that can't sleep and is tortured by the rooster playing a drum solo in the basement.

Firewall

It's definitely a mad mad world out there. If Obama can go to the Middle East and make his pilgramage to the wailing wall, leave a note that is supposed to be between himself and his god, I would expect that we as humans could respect that and leave the man alone. I find it abhorent and sacraligious that someone, let alone a rabbinacle student, could go so far as to extract Obama's note from it's resting place and leak its contents to the press. Say what you will about his political campaign, but when you violate his personal space, you've gone too far.

Utterly Clueless

There is a phenomenon that has seeped its way into our culture that gets so far under my skin that I am surprised I haven't become violent as a result.
I can't tell you exactly when it started but there is one fact that remains, it's annoying and raises a lot of questions for yours truly.
Why do people constantly make statements in the form of a question?
You'll notice that it's predominant in young people, but there are plenty of "adults" who are guilty of this as well.
I am inclined to believe that this has everything to do with lack of confidence and sheer apathy rather than any other factor. It's pathetic! Where have basic speaking skills gone?
I notice it at least once every day. Someone, somewhere, no matter the conversation, will automatically end their sentence in an upward motion...sort of like a sing song.
When people make this social faux-pas, I am forced to say "are you asking me or telling me?"

Back in the saddle

I'm welcoming myself back to the fold.
I've been absent from writing for some time, but as I've so much to say, I decided that it was time to make a reappearance via my blogspot page. How exciting!
A lot's happened in the world since I've taken my sabbatical.
Most of it quite serious and life changing, but then of course there is always mindless reality television and all it has to offer the idled mind to fall back on.
I moved recently and with that, I had to subscribe to a new cable television company (zoning laws and all). So, I am now privy to MTV and all it' sister stations that have seemingly exploded on the airwaves. I remember when I was a kid (couldn't have been more than 15 years old) and MTV had one station and one goal...music videos, 24/7.
Well, to my utter surprise, the brains at the helm of this once innovative and entertaining station, decided to change the recipe and reduced the video programming and introduced a non stop fest of reality shows.
There is a new addition to the roster, called The Road To Exile which features young men and women who have been spoiled beyond anyone's wildest dreams and who have pretty much had their lives (and all the wonderful trappings) handed to them on a silver platter. This show is the spin off of MTV's other outrageous show called My Super Sweet 16, where kids celebrate their "monumental" birthdays with over top parties, repleat with ridiculous outfits, venues, star appearances and gifts that only a sultan would be satisfied with.
In order for these kids (usually two years later) to be brought back down to earth and be shown that life in the "real world" doesn't work like that, they receive a reality check from their family members and get sent off to various areas in the world to be taught what it's really like to live life, do chores, and basically learn how to take care of themselves and give back to human kind.
As one would expect, these kids don't exactly embrace their new surroundings or their required tasks which all take place in third world countries.
The whinning, the complaining, the tears, the tantrums...all great entertainment for those of us that truly believe that these millenial brats need a lesson (or 200) on how to really be in the world.
These kids are so helpless. They have virtually no responsibilities, other than to breath. They don't ask for things, they demand them!
I've always taken issue with people who swan through life with a sense of entitlement, but these kids really take it to a new level.
I for one am thrilled to see this kind of programming on the airwaves and I sincerely hope that there is more of it to come.