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December 31, 2008
The Bullseye from Entertainment Weekly
Not to be outdone by the ZOMG!ulator, Entertainment Weekly put our their year ender of all the pop culture happenings of 2008... Check out which ones were dead on, and which well... weren't.
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The ZOMG!ulator from Rolling Stone
The folks at Rolling Stone put together a end-of-year ZOMG!ulator of the things that rocked 2008 and things that FAILed. I particularly enjoy the "meh" at Shia LeBeouf's appeal.
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Happy New Year's Eve!
Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009! Hope you all have a safe and happy new year!
Check out what happened "On This Day" in history, created by yours truly!
Happy New Year!
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Check out what happened "On This Day" in history, created by yours truly!
Happy New Year!
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December 30, 2008
5 Types of New Year's Eve Parties
I've had this conversation with several people in the last few weeks... but is it just me, or does it seem like there aren't many New Year's Eve parties this year? Maybe it's the economy... maybe it's weather... maybe it's the fact that my friends don't want to clean up bags and bags or crushed Tostitos and flipped over drink carts (wasn't me!) but for some reason it just seems quiet this year. So, what will you be doing when 2009 arrives?
I'm totally ganking this from Richard Lawson over at Gawker.com. Amazing article on the 5 types of New Year's Eve parites... Which one are you going to this year?
New Year's Eve—the most important drinking night of the year—is almost upon us! What kind of party are you going to? ...
Party Type 1: Oh, This Is Nice
You usually end up at this party after Tanya can't come into town after all and cancels or you were just too darn busy to make good plans, real plans, ahead of time. So you put on a sweater you got for Christmas or the cocktail dress you bought for Debbie's engagement party that you never wore again, and drag some poor unwitting sap of a friend to the party where you don't really know anyone. It's super awkward at first and you just stand by the cheese and crackers, nodding your head to the music, furtively gulping room-temperature chardonnay and furiously wishing for midnight. That way you can hug and kiss the host—she's Tom's friend from work—on the cheek and be on your merry way. What you forget, of course, is that everyone at this party is awkward, and everyone is furtively gulping booze so round about 11:15 er'body's crunk and having deep, sloshy meaningful conversations with each other and your friend is making out with some dude in the hallway and it's sort of the best-slash-worst party you've ever been to. See, the key is to not expect much from New Year's eve. Then it has potential to be great fun. Until you wake up the next morning and you vaguely remember telling that cute guy with the glasses about the time you peed your pants on the R train and you might have cried at one point and oh god you can never, ever see any of those people ever again.
Party Type 2: There's a Place Just a Few Blocks Up
Another product of poor planning. You've cobbled together a group of friends, some are visiting from out of town!, and you're psyched and ready to go except no one made dinner reservations and oh fuck aren't you supposed to like pay a hundred bucks to get inside a bar and stay there all night or something? No worries. There's this Italian place on 7th that's always empty and maybe that bar we went to that time won't be so full. What you end up doing is eating a hasty, bad, too-expensive meal then trudging from bar to bar to bar because everything is too crowded. You're blessed with one friend who keeps complaining that you guys are walking too fast and her shoes are killing her and another who is suspiciously shitfaced. (The culprit is later revealed to be a well-hidden flask). Then everyone gets mad and starts snapping at each other and someone finally yells "I just want to be somewhere, anywhere inside, at midnight. Not wandering around on the street." So you go to the worst, first bar you can find and have a couple beers and hug meekly at twelve then drink some more, and then the secret ninja drunk is trying to coax a stranger at the bar to do untoward things so it's time to take them home and who's going where and let's split cabs maybe? No? OK, fine. Good night. Let's actually make a plan next year, and ugh. You hate New Year's. It's never what you want it to be.
Party Type 3: At the Clurrrrrb
You paid $150 for an unlimited fount (if you can ever actually get to the bar) of watered-down well vodka and sodas! There are swirling lights and meaty guys with shimmer-shirts fist pumping and yelling "you my boy!" or "Ima wreck you, son!" and zomg, Kim Kardashian or someone is hosting! These are the worst kind of New Year's Eve parties, in my opinion, because you're trapped in a terrible place with terrible people but you spent all this money and what else would you be doing anyway? (see above) The celebrity-hosted ones (though they may be in short supply this year) are the worst because they're getting paid a ton to be there and act like they're having fun, while you are paying a ton to be there and act like you're having fun. Will you be enjoying New Year's Eve this year at Marquee in New York City? The celebrity emcee is none other than Dancing With the Stars runner-up and Wedding in Las Vegas megastar Mario Lopez. Your straight boyfriend will just love that, won't he. Disco dancin' while some half-a-fag Carebear stares his dimples at all the ladays. Enjoy it.
Party Type 4: Oh, We Went to Bed at 11
This is mostly your parents. Or it was mostly your parents and, shriek!, now it's you. You are tired and who wants to spend the money anyway. You put the bottle of champagne that someone brought over for a party months ago into the freezer and sit on the couch watching Father of the Bride: Part II, flicking back occasionally to the Dick Clark/Ryan Seacrest annual Times Square is a Miserable Shithole Rockin' Eve and vow to stay up and watch the ball drop and call your friends (or kids) who are out enjoying themselves. Maybe you're with one other person, I dunno. What ends up happening is that you fall asleep on the couch, snore through midnight, wake up with a start at 1:15, turn off the TV (which is now showing a M*A*S*H rerun), and shuffle off to bed. The next day you'll spend some time cleaning the broken champagne bottle glass out of the freezer then walking around the corner to get a bagel. It'll be like the opening in Shaun of the Dead when he doesn't realize everyone else is zombies. An empty, slightly destroyed cityscape and just you alone, strolling along. Because you didn't go out last night. And you're not sure if you're sad about it.
Party Type 5: Auld Lang Syne
And then sometimes it just works out. Your house party is awesome and everyone comes and has a great time. Or it was just the perfect bar. Or the couch was just fine and you (and, if you're lucky, someone special) curled up and enjoyed being home. And then at midnight everyone around you felt very close by, and those who couldn't make it felt very far away, and you smiled and hugged and maybe sang and just gushed about how wonderful New Year's is, really how wonderful. When else throughout the year, throughout life, do we ever all gather to celebrate the passing of time, rather than mourn it? It's a good, ancient thing. And something we should do more often.
Or maybe you're just drunk and it's just another nice night. And that's enough to be happy for.
Happy New Year!
Related Things:
I'm totally ganking this from Richard Lawson over at Gawker.com. Amazing article on the 5 types of New Year's Eve parites... Which one are you going to this year?
New Year's Eve—the most important drinking night of the year—is almost upon us! What kind of party are you going to? ...
Party Type 1: Oh, This Is Nice
You usually end up at this party after Tanya can't come into town after all and cancels or you were just too darn busy to make good plans, real plans, ahead of time. So you put on a sweater you got for Christmas or the cocktail dress you bought for Debbie's engagement party that you never wore again, and drag some poor unwitting sap of a friend to the party where you don't really know anyone. It's super awkward at first and you just stand by the cheese and crackers, nodding your head to the music, furtively gulping room-temperature chardonnay and furiously wishing for midnight. That way you can hug and kiss the host—she's Tom's friend from work—on the cheek and be on your merry way. What you forget, of course, is that everyone at this party is awkward, and everyone is furtively gulping booze so round about 11:15 er'body's crunk and having deep, sloshy meaningful conversations with each other and your friend is making out with some dude in the hallway and it's sort of the best-slash-worst party you've ever been to. See, the key is to not expect much from New Year's eve. Then it has potential to be great fun. Until you wake up the next morning and you vaguely remember telling that cute guy with the glasses about the time you peed your pants on the R train and you might have cried at one point and oh god you can never, ever see any of those people ever again.
Party Type 2: There's a Place Just a Few Blocks Up
Another product of poor planning. You've cobbled together a group of friends, some are visiting from out of town!, and you're psyched and ready to go except no one made dinner reservations and oh fuck aren't you supposed to like pay a hundred bucks to get inside a bar and stay there all night or something? No worries. There's this Italian place on 7th that's always empty and maybe that bar we went to that time won't be so full. What you end up doing is eating a hasty, bad, too-expensive meal then trudging from bar to bar to bar because everything is too crowded. You're blessed with one friend who keeps complaining that you guys are walking too fast and her shoes are killing her and another who is suspiciously shitfaced. (The culprit is later revealed to be a well-hidden flask). Then everyone gets mad and starts snapping at each other and someone finally yells "I just want to be somewhere, anywhere inside, at midnight. Not wandering around on the street." So you go to the worst, first bar you can find and have a couple beers and hug meekly at twelve then drink some more, and then the secret ninja drunk is trying to coax a stranger at the bar to do untoward things so it's time to take them home and who's going where and let's split cabs maybe? No? OK, fine. Good night. Let's actually make a plan next year, and ugh. You hate New Year's. It's never what you want it to be.
Party Type 3: At the Clurrrrrb
You paid $150 for an unlimited fount (if you can ever actually get to the bar) of watered-down well vodka and sodas! There are swirling lights and meaty guys with shimmer-shirts fist pumping and yelling "you my boy!" or "Ima wreck you, son!" and zomg, Kim Kardashian or someone is hosting! These are the worst kind of New Year's Eve parties, in my opinion, because you're trapped in a terrible place with terrible people but you spent all this money and what else would you be doing anyway? (see above) The celebrity-hosted ones (though they may be in short supply this year) are the worst because they're getting paid a ton to be there and act like they're having fun, while you are paying a ton to be there and act like you're having fun. Will you be enjoying New Year's Eve this year at Marquee in New York City? The celebrity emcee is none other than Dancing With the Stars runner-up and Wedding in Las Vegas megastar Mario Lopez. Your straight boyfriend will just love that, won't he. Disco dancin' while some half-a-fag Carebear stares his dimples at all the ladays. Enjoy it.
Party Type 4: Oh, We Went to Bed at 11
This is mostly your parents. Or it was mostly your parents and, shriek!, now it's you. You are tired and who wants to spend the money anyway. You put the bottle of champagne that someone brought over for a party months ago into the freezer and sit on the couch watching Father of the Bride: Part II, flicking back occasionally to the Dick Clark/Ryan Seacrest annual Times Square is a Miserable Shithole Rockin' Eve and vow to stay up and watch the ball drop and call your friends (or kids) who are out enjoying themselves. Maybe you're with one other person, I dunno. What ends up happening is that you fall asleep on the couch, snore through midnight, wake up with a start at 1:15, turn off the TV (which is now showing a M*A*S*H rerun), and shuffle off to bed. The next day you'll spend some time cleaning the broken champagne bottle glass out of the freezer then walking around the corner to get a bagel. It'll be like the opening in Shaun of the Dead when he doesn't realize everyone else is zombies. An empty, slightly destroyed cityscape and just you alone, strolling along. Because you didn't go out last night. And you're not sure if you're sad about it.
Party Type 5: Auld Lang Syne
And then sometimes it just works out. Your house party is awesome and everyone comes and has a great time. Or it was just the perfect bar. Or the couch was just fine and you (and, if you're lucky, someone special) curled up and enjoyed being home. And then at midnight everyone around you felt very close by, and those who couldn't make it felt very far away, and you smiled and hugged and maybe sang and just gushed about how wonderful New Year's is, really how wonderful. When else throughout the year, throughout life, do we ever all gather to celebrate the passing of time, rather than mourn it? It's a good, ancient thing. And something we should do more often.
Or maybe you're just drunk and it's just another nice night. And that's enough to be happy for.
Happy New Year!
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December 29, 2008
"Creature" by Andrew Zuckerman
For Christmas this year I received two new giant books to add to my coffee table collection. Both are from photographer and filmmaker Andrew Zuckerman. The first book is called "Wisdom" and features portraits and interviews with 50 well-known older folks sharing their life's wisdom with the world. Clint Eastwood, Judy Dench, Madeleine Albright and others are included. I haven't had time to give it a thorough read yet, but I'll give you and update once I do.
There are no interviews and few words in "Creature." In fact, many of the pages adjacent to the photos are blank. The cool thing about the book is that the photos aren't of the typical wildlife variety. They are portraits of some familiar (and not-so-familiar) animals that bring out the coolest and grossest details that most likely go unseen by the average eye. Here are some shots from the book of a baboon, owl and rooster. You have to see them in person to get the full effect.
Both are really amazing books, but I spent a good hour going creature-by-creature through this particularly huge book. If you're interested in animals or photography you should definitely get your hands on a copy of "Creature", or at least stop by and look at the one in my living room.
The second book is called "Creature", which I did have time to peruse while home for the holidays. The book showcases some amazing animal photography.
There are no interviews and few words in "Creature." In fact, many of the pages adjacent to the photos are blank. The cool thing about the book is that the photos aren't of the typical wildlife variety. They are portraits of some familiar (and not-so-familiar) animals that bring out the coolest and grossest details that most likely go unseen by the average eye. Here are some shots from the book of a baboon, owl and rooster. You have to see them in person to get the full effect.
Both are really amazing books, but I spent a good hour going creature-by-creature through this particularly huge book. If you're interested in animals or photography you should definitely get your hands on a copy of "Creature", or at least stop by and look at the one in my living room.
December 28, 2008
Maura Hates Santa
Last night I got to babysit the world's cutest kid, Maura. Sorry to disappoint everyone (including her dad, Kevin) but I didn't take any photos! I know, what's wrong with me?
Luckily I received a new batch of Maura photos the other day, including this gem of Maura with Santa... it didn't go so well.
I said it before, but kids hate Santa.
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Luckily I received a new batch of Maura photos the other day, including this gem of Maura with Santa... it didn't go so well.
I said it before, but kids hate Santa.
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December 23, 2008
Happy Holidays!
Happy Holidays, everyone! I'll be traveling around for the next week or so, so posting might be a little slow... but Carolyn and I decided to record a "happy holidays" vlog before we parted ways. Check it out!
Here's what Foghorn Leghorn looks like, if you're curious.
Have a safe and happy holiday!
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Here's what Foghorn Leghorn looks like, if you're curious.
Have a safe and happy holiday!
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December 22, 2008
End of An Era: Goodbye, NBC Commissary
Tomorrow at 2pm the NBC Commissary (fancy word for cafeteria) at 30 Rock shuts down for some much-needed renovations. The Comm is a place near and dear to my heart, and to those of my fellow former NBC pages. To commemorate the Comm's closure I invited several of my closest old pagey friends for one last lunch in the spot that we dined for that fateful year in the program.
Only Jeanette came.
We took some photos.
Goodbye, Comm. The two of us will miss you.
Jeanette re-enacts when she fell and knocked over the divider wall.
Best. Memory. Ever.
The newly-implemented steel reinforced wall connector to avoid future catastrophes.
"Hmm... what type of item goes here?"
REFUSE the garbage?! I can't possibly be pronouncing this incorrectly.
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Only Jeanette came.
We took some photos.
Goodbye, Comm. The two of us will miss you.
Jeanette re-enacts when she fell and knocked over the divider wall.
Best. Memory. Ever.
The newly-implemented steel reinforced wall connector to avoid future catastrophes.
"Hmm... what type of item goes here?"
REFUSE the garbage?! I can't possibly be pronouncing this incorrectly.
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Kids Hate Santa
OK, maybe kids don't hate Santa... I mean he hooks them up with gifts every year... well, maybe not this year *coughrecessioncough*... but they certainly do not enjoy getting their pictures taken with him! Please enjoy these hilarious photos of terrified children!
The horror... the HORROR!
I think they're more confused than scared...
So many levels of creepy
Ok, this one might be my fave
Even Santa gets scared sometimes, too!
Happy Holidays!
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The horror... the HORROR!
I think they're more confused than scared...
So many levels of creepy
Ok, this one might be my fave
Even Santa gets scared sometimes, too!
Happy Holidays!
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Spice Girls in Concert
If you've been following my blog for a while you know that I went to see the Spice Girls several times when their Return of the Spice Girls tour hit New York in February of 2008. Four times, to be exact. I took many, many photos from the shows (which can be found at the bottom of this post) but I just uploaded some video clips that I had forgotten about. I'm sure you're excited :)
"Spice Up Your Life"
Victoria & Mel B's solo numbers
"Wannabe"
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Victoria & Mel B's solo numbers
"Wannabe"
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- Return of the Spice Girls (Night #1)
- Return of the Spice Girls (Night #2)
- Return of the Spice Girls (Night #4)
- Melanie C at the Manhattan Center
- More things from concerts
December 19, 2008
TODAY Bloopers
Here's something to get your day started- Bloopers from America's favorite morning show, TODAY! I freakin' love bloopers (none are as funny and Tandi and I's from our "On the Road" series in college). As the year draws to a close TODAY is highlighting some of their most funny and memorable moments of 2008. Check it out:
They also highlighted some of the most breathtaking photos of the year. Check those out, too:
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They also highlighted some of the most breathtaking photos of the year. Check those out, too:
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December 18, 2008
It's That Time of Year Again!
I first posted this last year, but I think it's going to become a holiday tradition. Come look at the tree!
And yes, I decorated my fake ficus air purifying tree again. It's magical. Charlie Brown ain't got nothing on me.
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And yes, I decorated my fake ficus air purifying tree again. It's magical. Charlie Brown ain't got nothing on me.
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December 17, 2008
"Billy Elliot the Musical"
Although I may have been a theatre minor in college (I know, right?) I am not a super big fan of actually going to the theatre, especially for musicals. I'm way too easily cheesed out. So, take this from a person who is not particularly inclined to go to Broadway shows: If you see one show in NYC you must go see "Billy Elliot the Musical." The show is based on the 2000 film of the same title and has been adapted for the stage.I'm not going to give it a big write up or anything (read specifics here), but I'll give you my layman's review. Basically the whole show was just magical. Billy, who was played by Kiril Kulish when I saw it (it rotates between 3 boys each night) is such a magnetic character. No wonder the role must be shared by 3 actors, because Kulish danced and sang his ass off for almost 3 hours. The other kiddies in the show were fantastic, especially Billy's scene-stealing best friend, Michael. And Billy's dance instructor, Mrs. Wilkinson, is nothing short of awesome.
The contrast between Billy's blue collar family life (set during the British National Union of Mikeworkers strike of 1984) and his fantasy world of dance was powerful and moving. And when Billy is denied the privilege of dance class and breaks into the "Angry Dance" I actually felt his rage (as much rage as a little boy can have). Billy's father and grandmother are also fantastic characters and each get their own moment to shine. (Also the actor who plays the father looks like my super).
Although the show was a little long I had an awesome time and I recommend that you get your butt to the Imperial Theater as soon as possible. I was literally in the last row of the balcony and loved every second. The music was fun and moving, the dancing was phenomenal and Billy will steal your heart! Ok... maybe I can handle a little cheese afterall.
Here are the 3 Billys, David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik and Kiril Kulish, when they were on TODAY in fall 2008.
Have you see "Billy Elliot the Musical?" What did you think?
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December 16, 2008
VLOG: We Love 'Jon & Kate Plus 8'
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I LOVE JON & KATE PLUS 8!
Phew, okay... I feel better now. There are many blogs and videos out there about the Gosselin family, both pro and con, so Carolyn and I decided to make a vlog specifically dedicated to our favorite large family (up yours, Duggars!)
Jon & Kate Plus 8 airs Monday nights at 9pm on TLC.
Do you watch Jon & Kate Plus 8? What do you think of the show and its stars? Leave a comment!
Phew, okay... I feel better now. There are many blogs and videos out there about the Gosselin family, both pro and con, so Carolyn and I decided to make a vlog specifically dedicated to our favorite large family (up yours, Duggars!)
Jon & Kate Plus 8 airs Monday nights at 9pm on TLC.
Do you watch Jon & Kate Plus 8? What do you think of the show and its stars? Leave a comment!
December 15, 2008
What's Your Blog's Personality?
Found this site many moons ago after reading in on Matthew's blog.... Typealyzer analyzes the content of your (or your favorite) blog and then gives a diagnosis on its personality. Exciting, right? C'mon... humor me.
Clearly I put ABlogAboutThings into the analyzer, and here's the outcome!
Um, ya I think that is me and/or my blog 100%. Especially the part about starting new projects but not finishing, and having trouble sitting still or in one place for a long period of time. *gets up and walks around* Here's some stuff about my brain:
Yes, I love order and habit and details, but I HATE MATH.
Put in your site and let me know what your "type" was!
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Clearly I put ABlogAboutThings into the analyzer, and here's the outcome!
Um, ya I think that is me and/or my blog 100%. Especially the part about starting new projects but not finishing, and having trouble sitting still or in one place for a long period of time. *gets up and walks around* Here's some stuff about my brain:
Yes, I love order and habit and details, but I HATE MATH.
Put in your site and let me know what your "type" was!
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December 12, 2008
A Personal Bee Dog Story
Earlier today I posted this entry about some creatively groomed poodles and casually mentioned one of my favorite sites, BeeDogs.com. Well, apparently the site is already changing the lives of my readers. Take a look at this email that I just got from my awesome friend, Melissa:
Real life Bee Dogs for the win!
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Pat,Here's the attachment:
You know I'm a fan of your blog. But today's entry was more validating than ever. While the poodles were entertaining, it was the website beedogs[.com] that changed my life! Suddenly I don't feel so alone! Please see the attachment. It's Sean and my Halloween message that we sent out this year. The star of the message is our dog, Molly!
-Melissa
Real life Bee Dogs for the win!
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Creative Poodle Grooming
Fun or frightening? I will let you all be the judge on this one but I had to share these. Check out these pictures of poodles creatively groomed into some wild and wacky forms...
A Dangerous Dragon
A Clever Camel
AN EFFING NINJA TURTLE! Amazing.
I'm sure there are probably like... animal rights issues here... but let's just look at the creativity behind this. I give Sandy Paws some credit for doing these wacky designs. Click here to check out some of the other creations on her Web site.
I still prefer Bee Dogs, but this is a close second.
[thanks, Brian]
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A Clever Camel
AN EFFING NINJA TURTLE! Amazing.
I'm sure there are probably like... animal rights issues here... but let's just look at the creativity behind this. I give Sandy Paws some credit for doing these wacky designs. Click here to check out some of the other creations on her Web site.
I still prefer Bee Dogs, but this is a close second.
[thanks, Brian]
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December 11, 2008
The Importance of Proof Reading
I've been known to make many-a-typo on my blog (thanks to Matthew for always correcting me) but some mistakes can have disastrous effects! Take, for example, this headline I read moments ago on PerezHilton.com.
No, it wasn't Macaulay Culkin that died, but his sister, Dakota, which you find out once you get past the headline and ominous photo. Very sad news, but see how leaving out that one simple, but VERY important word can really change a story?
You gotta proof, people!
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No, it wasn't Macaulay Culkin that died, but his sister, Dakota, which you find out once you get past the headline and ominous photo. Very sad news, but see how leaving out that one simple, but VERY important word can really change a story?
You gotta proof, people!
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December 10, 2008
"Shine On Me" by Chris Dane Owens
Okay, so I'm really mad at myself. The always-funny and talented Jeanette over at The Boob Tubers shared this video with me last week and I have been holding on to the post ever since with the hopes of not getting scooped by anyone else. Well now stupid Michael K at DListed beat me to it (you're not stupid, Michael. Thank you for always writing me back with mildly inappropriate comments when I send you stuff)!
This is a real, non-parody video from recording artist and apparent gallivant Chris Dane Owens for his song "Shine On Me." PLEASE do yourself a favor and watch the video. Then tell me exactly what you just watched. I dare you to explain it.
This video is nothing short of magical. Check out the embedded clip, but for the full experience you need to watch the large high quality version here.
It's actually kind of a good song... if this was 1984.
I think Jeanette put it best, and I quote, "It's like if Lord of the Rings was actually a Cinemax softcore porn." Bravo, J. Bravo.
Related Things:
This is a real, non-parody video from recording artist and apparent gallivant Chris Dane Owens for his song "Shine On Me." PLEASE do yourself a favor and watch the video. Then tell me exactly what you just watched. I dare you to explain it.
This video is nothing short of magical. Check out the embedded clip, but for the full experience you need to watch the large high quality version here.
It's actually kind of a good song... if this was 1984.
I think Jeanette put it best, and I quote, "It's like if Lord of the Rings was actually a Cinemax softcore porn." Bravo, J. Bravo.
Related Things:
The Whopper Virgins
I'm almost dumbfounded from the latest round of marketing material from Burger King. Yes, Burger King. It was almost a year ago to the day that I wrote about their "Whopper Freakouts" campaign, where they told customers that the Whopper was no longer available and secretly filmed their reactions.
Now, BK has gone to some of the most remote locations on the planet to find "Whopper Virgins" aka people who have never had a Whopper. The interesting thing is that not only have these folks never had a Whopper, they've been completely sheltered from all Western fast food advertising. In fact, none of them even seem to know what a hamburger is, which is demonstrated by their suspicious poking and tearing of the burgers. The whole concept was to decide if truly unbiased individuals prefer Burger King's Whopper or McDonald's Big Mac. Check out the video.
I find this piece so fascinating! Just watching these people's reaction to this strange American cuisine is fascinating. They have no clue how to just pick up the Whopper and shove it in their mouths like a real American! The cultural clash and glimpse into an isolated world is so interesting, yet the thought of capitalist corruption is kinda sad. I give it 5-10 years before these poor little towns are all morbidly obese.
Beyond my love of fast food (I immediately went to BK to get lunch after I watched this for the first time, not joking) I think this is a really amazing experiment. Burger King REALLY went out of their way to find unbiased patrons. I wonder how much of a carbon footprint they left trekking all of the crew and the "specially made broilers" to the remote regions of Asian and Europe. Hope it was worth it.
Thoughts?
Related Things:
Now, BK has gone to some of the most remote locations on the planet to find "Whopper Virgins" aka people who have never had a Whopper. The interesting thing is that not only have these folks never had a Whopper, they've been completely sheltered from all Western fast food advertising. In fact, none of them even seem to know what a hamburger is, which is demonstrated by their suspicious poking and tearing of the burgers. The whole concept was to decide if truly unbiased individuals prefer Burger King's Whopper or McDonald's Big Mac. Check out the video.
I find this piece so fascinating! Just watching these people's reaction to this strange American cuisine is fascinating. They have no clue how to just pick up the Whopper and shove it in their mouths like a real American! The cultural clash and glimpse into an isolated world is so interesting, yet the thought of capitalist corruption is kinda sad. I give it 5-10 years before these poor little towns are all morbidly obese.
Beyond my love of fast food (I immediately went to BK to get lunch after I watched this for the first time, not joking) I think this is a really amazing experiment. Burger King REALLY went out of their way to find unbiased patrons. I wonder how much of a carbon footprint they left trekking all of the crew and the "specially made broilers" to the remote regions of Asian and Europe. Hope it was worth it.
Thoughts?
Related Things:
December 9, 2008
Jimmy Fallon Makes His (Web) Debut
Jimmy Fallon officially takes over the Late Night reins on March 2, 2009, but he's getting in a little warm-up time by doing a nightly Webisode (which he calls a blog, which it's not) until the air date. Last night was Fallon's first Web show... It was a quick 90 sec spin through his unfinished studio at Rock Center, and at the end he reveals his pretty famous house band. Check it out.
How do you think Jimmy will do taking over for Conan? How do you think Conan will do taking over for Leno? How do you think Leno will do with his BRAND NEW 10pm weekly chat show (ya, they're just moving him up an hour every night!) How do you think poor Carson Daly feels being stranded at the 1:30am timeslot while everyone else gets a promotion?
Leave a comment!
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How do you think Jimmy will do taking over for Conan? How do you think Conan will do taking over for Leno? How do you think Leno will do with his BRAND NEW 10pm weekly chat show (ya, they're just moving him up an hour every night!) How do you think poor Carson Daly feels being stranded at the 1:30am timeslot while everyone else gets a promotion?
Leave a comment!
Related Things:
December 8, 2008
This Rocks My World (of Goo)
This past weekend Carolyn and I spent hours and hours (literally) playing an awesome new game I got for Wii. I downloaded "World of Goo" following the recommendation from Matt over at Mattsign.com and found it to be just as engaging and fantastic as he described. Watch the trailer for the game and tell me you're not intrigued.
The basic gist of the game is that you build the blobs of goo into architecturally sound structures to reach drainpipes in some precarious locations. Once the goo reaches the pipe they are sucked up and move on to the next level.
Beyond the actual game play is the artistic element to "World of Goo." The animation is not only whimsical, but seems to allow the fictional blobs of goo to actually follow the laws of physics. The music is also a huge part of the experience—giving you the right balance of anxiety/dread and hopefulness/success. When Carolyn and I actually reached the drainpipe at some of the harder levels we screamed with excitement! (Okay, we scream a lot.)
"World of Goo" is only $15/1500 points from the WiiWare Channel and downloads right onto your console. You can play alone or with friends, which is much more enjoyable.
Related Things:
The basic gist of the game is that you build the blobs of goo into architecturally sound structures to reach drainpipes in some precarious locations. Once the goo reaches the pipe they are sucked up and move on to the next level.
Beyond the actual game play is the artistic element to "World of Goo." The animation is not only whimsical, but seems to allow the fictional blobs of goo to actually follow the laws of physics. The music is also a huge part of the experience—giving you the right balance of anxiety/dread and hopefulness/success. When Carolyn and I actually reached the drainpipe at some of the harder levels we screamed with excitement! (Okay, we scream a lot.)
"World of Goo" is only $15/1500 points from the WiiWare Channel and downloads right onto your console. You can play alone or with friends, which is much more enjoyable.
Related Things:
December 7, 2008
SNL Digital Short: J*zz in My Pants
Could there be another Emmy in store for the Digital Short folks of SNL? Last night's episode featured a music video for the wonderfully titled song "J*zz In My Pants" and it was both really funny and really catchy. Oh yes, also probably very offensive. Watch it here!
Nice cameos from Molly Sims, Jamie Lynn Sigler and Justin Timberlake
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Nice cameos from Molly Sims, Jamie Lynn Sigler and Justin Timberlake
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Virgania Horsen's Pony Express
Kristen Wiig is really funny. Did you know that? I mean, it's a fact.
Moving on from her wildly-successful hot air balloon service, Wiig is back as Virgania Horsen to show us a commercial for her new Pony Express mail delivery system. It's pretty enticing.
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Moving on from her wildly-successful hot air balloon service, Wiig is back as Virgania Horsen to show us a commercial for her new Pony Express mail delivery system. It's pretty enticing.
Related Things:
December 5, 2008
Working From Home
I'm working from home today (yes- I actually work when I'm working from home!) and thought I would just give everyone a glimpse at all my work-from-home glory.
You should notice that my home desk isn't that different from my work desk. 2 computers, giant honking scanner/printer, multiple beverages of varying temperatures, etc.
If only I could wear those sweet pj pants and be unshowered every day!
You should notice that my home desk isn't that different from my work desk. 2 computers, giant honking scanner/printer, multiple beverages of varying temperatures, etc.
If only I could wear those sweet pj pants and be unshowered every day!
December 4, 2008
Momtourage on TODAY
Hey there... this is mostly for my family to check out, but I wanted to share some clips of a few things I have been working on. Check out 3 of my segments for Momtourage.com that have been on NBC's Today show in the last few weeks.
Top Chef's Antonia Lofaso shares holiday kid's recipes
Cute holiday crafts & gifts for kids
Access Hollywood's Nancy O'Dell shares some thoughtful gift ideas
Enjoy!
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Cute holiday crafts & gifts for kids
Access Hollywood's Nancy O'Dell shares some thoughtful gift ideas
Enjoy!
Related Things:
December 3, 2008
Pet Peeve: Stuff on Seats
Monday morning I was at an undisclosed location for work. It was a big waiting room-type space where everyone involved has to wait their turn. There were 3 huge couches, a long leather bench and more than a few individual chairs for people to sit, yet I had to stand. Not because there were so many people there that there weren't any seats open, but because everyone's STUFF was taking up all the space. Literally there were maybe 3 people sitting in 20 seats and every other space was filled up with bags, jackets and purses. RUDE. You just can't do that, people!
The same situation goes for public transportation like buses, trains and subways. I get it -- It is everyone's life's goal to never EVER have to sit next to another human being, but let's be decent here. Especially in New York City, you just CAN'T take up more than 1 seat per person. If you have some carry along items with you please put them on the floor or on your lap, you jerk.
Thank you.
December 2, 2008
Britney Spears Performs "Circus" on Good Morning America
Okay... Eventually I'll stop writing about Britney Spears, but everyone keeps asking me what I think about everything recently, so this is the best place to share. (here's my reaction to her documentary, if you care)
Today is Britney's birthday, and she was on Good Morning America to perform both "Womanizer" and her new single "Circus." Here's the performance of "Circus" in case you missed it:
Britney LOOKED AMAZING. Her body is back, but her flare is not. Her eyes were worried. At certain points of the performance I saw flecks of her VMA gig in 2007. At points where I was waiting for her to be dancing her heart out she was just walking back and forth, making some half-hearted hand gestures and hip rolls. Watch the dancers... that's how Britney is supposed to be dancing.
It's no secret that Britney is the queen of lip syncing, but gone are the days where the general public are going to stand for it. We allow people like Britney and Janet Jackson to lip sync because they are known for delivering unbelievable dance routines. If Britney is just going to push play on a CD and walk back and forth on stage I don't think we're going to tolerate it.
Related Things:
Today is Britney's birthday, and she was on Good Morning America to perform both "Womanizer" and her new single "Circus." Here's the performance of "Circus" in case you missed it:
Britney LOOKED AMAZING. Her body is back, but her flare is not. Her eyes were worried. At certain points of the performance I saw flecks of her VMA gig in 2007. At points where I was waiting for her to be dancing her heart out she was just walking back and forth, making some half-hearted hand gestures and hip rolls. Watch the dancers... that's how Britney is supposed to be dancing.
It's no secret that Britney is the queen of lip syncing, but gone are the days where the general public are going to stand for it. We allow people like Britney and Janet Jackson to lip sync because they are known for delivering unbelievable dance routines. If Britney is just going to push play on a CD and walk back and forth on stage I don't think we're going to tolerate it.
Related Things:
December 1, 2008
UPDATED: Britney: For the Record
Did you watch Britney: For the Record on MTV tonight Sunday night? Carolyn and I watched the live (aka completely pretaped) interview with Britney Spears and Damien Fahey before the documentary and then the doc itself. We're going to be doing a vlog about it tomorrow (it's too late tonight) but I wanted to leave my initial thoughts. Here's our vlog on the show:
To me, it basically boils down to this analogy: Pretend that all of the world is a high school and we are its students. Britney is like the nice girl who went and did something horribly wrong. Maybe she got pregnant or got caught with drugs or was canoodling with a teacher, so her parents pulled her out of school and did homeschooling for a year. We never saw Britney except for a few awkward times at the mall or church or the Dairy Queen. A year later, Britney is back in public school with us, but we all know what she did and can't forget it. She knows everyone remembers her bad deeds, but is uncomfortably trying to return to class unnoticed, knowing everyone is judging her for her past mistakes.
I'll post the vlog as soon as it's up... but what do you think?
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To me, it basically boils down to this analogy: Pretend that all of the world is a high school and we are its students. Britney is like the nice girl who went and did something horribly wrong. Maybe she got pregnant or got caught with drugs or was canoodling with a teacher, so her parents pulled her out of school and did homeschooling for a year. We never saw Britney except for a few awkward times at the mall or church or the Dairy Queen. A year later, Britney is back in public school with us, but we all know what she did and can't forget it. She knows everyone remembers her bad deeds, but is uncomfortably trying to return to class unnoticed, knowing everyone is judging her for her past mistakes.
Related Things:
Yahoo!'s Top Searches of 2008
The end of the year is approaching, and today Yahoo! has announced it's top searches for 2008.
It's not really shocking to see that Britney Spears is the top searched item for 2008. It's been a crazy year for Britney, so I think it's safe to say that no one is surprised that Internet users have been hungry to info about her.
I think it's funny that our new President Elect was only the #3 ranked search and was beat out by World Wrestling Entertainment. Who knew the WWE was still so popular? I also thought it was interesting that Sarah Palin wasn't on the top searches (although she was #2 in politics), but I guess she didn't even come onto the radar until 8 months into 2008.
Click here to read the full list of 2008's top searches, including celebrities, news makers, influential women and the economy and check out Yahoo!'s Web Life Editor Heather Cabot talking about the top searches on the CBS Early Show.
What do you think of the results? Anything you're surprised to not see on the list?
Related Things:
It's not really shocking to see that Britney Spears is the top searched item for 2008. It's been a crazy year for Britney, so I think it's safe to say that no one is surprised that Internet users have been hungry to info about her.
I think it's funny that our new President Elect was only the #3 ranked search and was beat out by World Wrestling Entertainment. Who knew the WWE was still so popular? I also thought it was interesting that Sarah Palin wasn't on the top searches (although she was #2 in politics), but I guess she didn't even come onto the radar until 8 months into 2008.
Click here to read the full list of 2008's top searches, including celebrities, news makers, influential women and the economy and check out Yahoo!'s Web Life Editor Heather Cabot talking about the top searches on the CBS Early Show.
What do you think of the results? Anything you're surprised to not see on the list?
Related Things:
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