I came across this site a couple weeks ago and it's is literally the best. site. ever. It's funny, it's sad, it reaffirms your humanity. So good, in fact, that it merits posting for the first time in 5 or so months.
Read the secrets and see how many you identify with. For me, it made me feel much less alone.
So, I typically view these "Get a FREE Ipod!!!1!!1" ads with a healthy level of skepticism. Meaning, of course, that I completely ignore them. That is, until I came across someone whom I chat with online that had, in fact, tried one of these offers and had, in fact, gotten a free Ipod. I still maintain a healthy skepticism, but the allure of my own very free very shiny Ipod is enough to get me to actually try it. My sister owns such a device and let me tell you, they're magical.
The idea is that you try out one of a list of offers and get five other people to try out an offer as well. Now, if this required any actual money on my part, I would pack up and move on. Some of the offers do in fact require you to spend actual money and I am not one to spend even $5.95 to procure a $300 Ipod. Fortunately, many of the offers are free. For example, a free no-obligation 2 week trial at Blockbuster.com fulfills the requirement. Blockbuster.com strikes me as reputable enough (and free enough) to be worth trying out for a $300 Ipod. After the 2 weeks, you can just quit and not pay anything. So, try it out I shall.
Now, I need 5 other suckers (er... discerning consumers) to try this with me. If anything, you can consider it an investment in a grand scientific experiment. Can wondrous things such as Ipods actually be obtained for free? A scientific mind demands to know...
You probably wouldn't know it from this blog, but I'm actually fairly aware of current political events. I don't watch much of it on TV because the spin annoys me and when I come across it in print I can just skim or skip it it's too nauseatingly partisan. I do, however, listen to talk radio in my car and read various news sites, blogs, etc. on a daily basis. Talk radio isn't much better than TV, but it's better than nothing when I'm on the road. Unfortunately, I often find myself in the car for Bill O'Reilly (occasionally tolerable) or FoxNews' Hannity (never tolerable).
So, I'm listening to Hannity talk about political cartoonist reactions to the appointment of Condoleeza Rice to Secretary of State and just ranting on and on about how racist and offensive they are. So I'm thinking, fair enough. Like Condi or not, bashing her race is definitely not the way to go and fairly hypocritcal for leftish commentary. So, I go to Hannity's website (shudder) to view the aforementioned strips and it refers me to Rush Limbaugh's website (triple shudder). Here's what I found:
Forgive me if I'm confused here, but for something to be "racist" does it not have to, in some way, be race related? As far as I can tell Oliphant (the cartoonist) is expressing a fairly common criticism that Rice is nothing more than Bush's Yes (Wo)man who tells the president what he wants to hear and tells the public what he wants them to hear. Debate that on its own merits all you like, but how is that racist? Just because she is an African-American woman, does that make all criticism of her racist? If I don't like how someone does their job and that person is of a different color than I am, does that make me racist? It seems to me that such a claim is more racist than anything. As near as I can tell, the only people who are making an issue of her race are the people who are blaming everyone else for making an issue of her race. Am I the only one who finds that hypocritical?
Then to read Limbaugh's commentary on this strip... it's just nauseating. I say this as an open statement to anyone who believes that Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity provide intelligent and reasonable commentary... You are all idiots. (And for fairness sake, the same goes for Michael Moore and Alan Colmes fans.)
Best photoshoot photo of the night goes to Hunter, yet again...
Good for him! I especially enjoyed the comments tonight from the other "models" about how his stripper side came out. If only they knew.
This episode also marked Tate's final appearance. Let's all take a moment to honor his accomplishment in making it this far. Because, let's face it, for someone that ugly to make it this far, he had to have been performing an exceptionally large number of sexual favors on judge model Bruce. And to spend that much time face in crotch with such a smarmy asshole... well, let's not diminish the sacrifices he made for his career.
Your new cover of John Lennon'sImagine is awful. Just awful. It might be the worst thing I've ever heard, ever. You owe all of us one great big apology.
Here's my latest mix CD. I post it so that everyone can make their own just like mine and be as cool as I am. You know you want to...
-- Crush (1980 ME Version) by Darren Hayes - An 80's style mix of an already 80's style song by one half of the former Savage Garden. Of course, everyone knows this, and has Hayes' debut solo album Spin. Right?! Of course you do. Happily, Hayes has a new album out. Sadly, it is not available in the U.S. Yet. Pity me for wanting so many import CDs which cost $30 bucks here, or require me to wait for a trip to Japan where they're still like 20 bucks. Why can't record labels just import the albums that I want?
-- The End of an Act from Team America: World Police - I was so-so on the movie itself, but the music was great. This is one of my favorites. "I miss you like Michael Bay missed the mark, When he made Pearl Harbor... I need you like Ben Affleck needs acting school; He was terrible in that film..." Great stuff.
-- Deep Enough (Remix) by Live - Live has a "Best of" album out now. I want it, even though I have pretty much every song on it already. It has lots of good stuff on it, but I'm a little disappointed that two songs in particular weren't included. This is one of them. I didn't really expect it to be, as it isn't technically one of their "hits," but I still like it a lot. Also missing is Rattlesnake off of Secret Samadhi which, during certain moods, qualifies as my favorite Live song ever. I was pleasantly surprised, however, to see that The Beauty of Gray from Mental Jewelry made the cut. Great song, and much less known that a lot of their singles.
-- Superman by Lazlo Bane - This song gets cool points for being the opening song to Scrubs, albeit only a tiny tiny clip of it. I'm not sure if I'm totally in love with this song because I'm totally in love with the show, or if I would like it on its own merits. Why over-analyze though? Also, check out the video for it on the NBC Scrubs Website directed by the man of my dreams, Zach Braff. Swoon.
-- Somnambulist by BT - This song has made many a mix CD, and I still never get tired of it. I heart BT.
-- In the Waiting Line by Zero 7 - I'm on a Garden State kick because I saw the movie again last night. Love the movie, love the music, love Zach Braff. I think I might have mentioned that somewhere before...
-- Over and Over by Nelly (ft. Tim McGraw) - Gotta love the randomness of an R&B song featuring a country star.
-- Run by Collective Soul - I discovered the other day that Collective Soul has a new album coming out on the 16th. I expect that I'm probably 1 of approximately 3 people who are excited about this. That's fine with me though. This, incidentally, would be my favorite of all Collective Soul songs.
-- Let Go by Frou Frou - Frou Frou is a girl. Or maybe it's a band and the lead singer is a girl. I'm not sure which. I was confused on the gender though, until my roommate cleared it up for me. Thanks Stephanie!
-- Winter by Joshua Radin - I discovered him based on a recommendation on Zach Braff's blog, which I have mentioned before. I don't feel that I have mentioned, though, my feelings on Zach Braff. I can barely contain my erection every time I see him on screen. I'm not proud of this, but it's true.
-- Another Race by Eiffel 65 - Because Eiffel 65 is fun.
-- Don't Say Goodbye, Say Goodnight by Binocular - I found this guy a long time ago at a Tower Records soundbooth. I love Tower Records for the listening stations, but the prices can sometimes suck. More than once I've discovered an album I like at Tower Records and then have driven to Best Buy to actually buy it. I know, I know, I'm a bad consumer. I make up for it at the Tower Records in Japan, though. It is typically my goal to purchase at least one CD on every floor, which equates to approximately 500 CDs.
-- Counting the Days by Collective Soul - This is the new single from the aforementioned new album. I haven't had a chance yet to determine if I like it yet, but chances are good that I won't hate it.
-- New Slang by The Shins - Another Garden State song. They performed it live last night on that Jimmy Kimmel show. (On which, Zach Braff appeared. Remind me to talk about him some time.) They are not so good live. They record well, though, and that's enough for this mix CD.
-- Long Way Down by Guster - My favorite Guster song off their last album. I am, by the way, on the Guster mailing list. Yes, yes I am.
-- Automatic Lover by Jay-Jay Johanson - Ever seen this guy? He's scary skinny. Not attractive in the slightest. And his voice is weird. This song is good though. Really good.
-- All My Life by KCI & JoJo - 90's flashback!
-- Before the Goodbye by Britney Spears - Another mix CD veteran for me. It's my all time favorite Britney Spears song, was mixed/produced by BT, and of course, like all things I like, was never released in the U.S. There's an anti-me conspiracy out there in the U.S. music industry, I swear it.
While I obviously am prone to the posting of racy pictures, I would say that I would draw the line at displaying such pics as Manhunt's Brett as a Chippendale dancer, Hunter as a gay stripper, or Ron doing full-frontal. This guy, however, goes where I won't, and while I won't show them, I'm certainly not above linking to someone who will.
So, unless you're living in a cave, you surely have heard of Tuesday night's travesty. I watched in disbelief as the right men for the job were sent packing, while a frat boy and his stooge were given a majority vote of confidence.
I had so much faith going into it... a hope and belief for a better outcome. It seemed to me that there was only one sane choice, that these two couldn't be rejected. Now I find myself reevaluating my values, doubting my peers, and questioning my very place as an American.
For if Hunter and Paulo can be sent home on Manhunt, while Tate and Kevin P. are allowed to stay, then something, my friends, is seriously wrong in this country. Please observe:
These two...
Paulo
Matt
... are sent home, while these two...
Tate
Kevin P.
...are allowed to stay.
Now, I realize that techinically Kevin P. can't go home because he's the embedded model and blah blah blah. But I really want him to. He's useless and irritating.
I would predict now that it will come down to the Pretty Boy Surfer and the Closet Gay Dude, but clearly I'm out of touch with reality here. Up is down, right is left, Tate is hot, Matt is not... I just don't know what the hell is going on...
...
As for that other Tuesday night travesty... I'm too angry to talk about it.
