Letting the domain name die

Just got notice from Yahoo that the Propagandasifter.com domain is about to expire. I just haven't had the inclination to continue blogging lately. Too much time playing Call of Duty 4, Mass Effect, and The Orange Box on Xbox 360. So, henceforth, you can find entries here at propagandasifter.blogspot.com. That is, whenever I decide to start blogging again....

----------------
Now playing: Radiohead - Where I End and You Begin (The Sky Is Falling In)
via FoxyTunes

Larry Craig Fucked Me In The Ass!!!

Oh, the humanity.

[Bear Witness Comes Forward]

CIA Plane Crashes in Yucatan (with 3.3 tons of cocaine on board)

Sounds awfully fishy to me.

[CIA Plane Crash]

If YouTube Comments Were Real (NSFW)

Turn down your volume if you're at work. Pretty bad language, but funny as $&#%&!

Miss South Carolina's Pageant Answer

Insanely Crowded Japanese Wave Pool

How would you like to be a lifeguard at this place?
I'm seriously astonished how more people don't drown, sue the place and close it down permanently.

Video: Man Beats Children

Kinda funny.

[Father Sons Ninja Battle]

Haiti UFO Video

This gave me the creeps.

EXTREME!!!!

Iron Man, Starring Rober Downey Jr.

Direct from Comic Con.

I don't even like Iron Man. But this looks really exceptional.

Some Drudgereport Propaganda

Just thought I'd share this ludicrous link I found on Drudge.

I'm curious. Who the hell did they poll for this piece of farce?

They obviously didn't ask any real red-blooded Americans.

A New Kind of Movie Intro

If only....

Which Plane Seat is Best for Surviving a Crash?

It looks like the research has finally been done and the conclusion is: sit near the back of the plane.

[Popular Mechanics]

Crazy Japanese Commercial (nsfw)

Cats are Democrats, Dogs are Republicans

Funny cartoon [here].

A Bad-Ass Dog

It'll make YOU fetch.

[Schwarzenndoggie]

Daft Dance

Bust Portland

Light Graffiti

Some very nice stuff at this flickr gallery.

[photo slideshow]

Amy Winehouse - Tears Dry On Their Own

One of my least favorite Wino songs. Still, the video is noteworthy and she's always fun to listen to.

Dramatic Chipmunk - Sparta Remix

This is mad stupid.

Let the Bodies Hit the Floor

This is just bizarre.

The Fall of America - Immigration Raids

Cruelty to families knows no bounds in the Bush Administration, apparently. Why deport working aliens who have been here for many, many years, often with an established family? This only causes hardship for the kind, hard-working immigrants who really want to benefit America as future citizens. The government needs to acknowledge that they collect plenty of tax monies from illegal aliens. These people often contribute their taxes just like the rest of us, often at the cost of their own future economic stability, because they are unlikely to ever collect on the social security benefits they have earned.

Of course, violent criminal aliens don't belong here. But how can the government justify sending away 120+ men who were not here because of ignored visas and "attempted murder" charges. Isn't a sudden deportation of a person to another country (where many aliens have lived fewer years, at this point) a bit criminal? Isn't that a form of attempted murder of another human being? Does that not damage a family?

When did America become a nation of assholes? Because humane individuals don't goad on such disgusting, political antics. Only a nation of sociopaths could be so brutal to women and children.

The name of the linked article is "Scores arrested in California immigration raids". I would change the title to: "175 people arrested in California immigration kidnappings".

[Scores arrested in California immigration raids]

Theremin version of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy"

This is way cool.

Video: Opera Singer Part II

Here's that Brittish Opera singer performing in the semi-finals of Britain Has Talent.



And here's the final.

Video: Dramatic Chipmunk

ZOMG!

Flute Hero

Okay, so you've heard of Guitar Hero. Now try doing it with a flute. Much more difficult than it sounds. By the way, the game is in a foreign language. To play, use your ten number buttons. Press the button labeled Nyt Spil to start.

[Flute Hero]

Unexpected Opera Master

Hitler Banned from XBox Live (nsfw)

On Vacation Thru June 9th

Going to Hawaii (again). This time heading to Honolulu Monday - Saturday. Chance of blogging while I'm there: slim. Please pay us a visit in mid-June, or better yet, subscribe to email updates --->

Mahalo.

LOLCats Meets Craigslist

This is hilarious.

[LOL:craigslist]

History We Weren't Taught in School

Real US Foreign Policy.

[America and the World]

Are We Living in a Kakistocracy?

Christie over at Life at the condo was watching the National Spelling Bee when the word Kakistocracy came up. I think she may be onto something here....

Paula Abdul Gets Tipsy on TV Again

Okay, so maybe she wasn't drunk. Maybe it was pain meds for her broken nose. Regardless, one would think her publicist would be bright enough to keep her away from cameras when she's looking all Courtney Loved intoxicated.

[Paula Abdul Falls Off the Wagon]

Kevorkian Freed

After 8 long years in prison, Dr. Death is back! He has long been a personal hero of mine. Hopefully he'll use his superpowers against our administration.

[Kevorkian Out of Prison After 8 Years]

Support the Troops

Indeed....

100 Words Every High School Grad Should Know

This list is the stupidest thing I've ever seen. I have a Master's Degree in English and even I don't know some of these words. Methinks the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries are suffering from a case of inflated ego. A few of the words:

abjure
abrogate
abstemious
bowdlerize
expurgate
jejune
lugubrious
moiety
obsequious
orthography
pecuniary
unctuous

Honestly, I've gone through 35 years of living and never even heard these words used in conversation. More importantly, they are rarely used in writing as well. Why on earth would I bother wasting several Megabytes of brain capacity learning to use archaic words that are worthless in day-to-day usage? To display "linguistic superiority" over others? Only a silly dictionary editor could come up with this crap.

As a former Technical Writer, I think it's more important to stress how to use language simply. Tossing vocabulary at people is merely confusing for most of the population and leads to problems and lack of communication, especially when writing instructions or directions for people who speak English as a second language. Proposing words like this is nothing short of ignorant.

[100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know]

Secret Celebrity Scientologists

Cracked.com has a list of secret celebrity Scientologists. You will be surprised.

[The Top 10 Secret Celebrity Scientologists]

Charles Nelson Reilly R.I.P. (1931 -2007)

This old queen gets props for being featured in a Dead Milkmen song.

I'm Into Clippy... nsfw

Microsoft Word's "Clippy" makes him hot.

---

[More Phonesex Pranks]

Mark Twain's "War Prayer"

Over at the Daily KOS, they have a copy of Mark Twain's "War Prayer"

Mark Twain kicked ass and took names.

Chairman Mao Lookalike

This is just creepy. Even moreso when you realize it's a woman.

[Chairman Mao Lookalike]

Celebrity Fit Club Gets All Violent - nsfw

I'd like to see Screech get his beat-down for rolling that little dude from Welcome Back Kotter a few years back. Karma is a bizzle.

Video: UFC: Liddel vs. Rampage UFC 71

For all you MMA junkies, check out Liddel vs. Rampage: UFC 71.

Video: Tokyo Conveyor Belt Sushi

This is one of the best ideas ever. Go into a conveyor belt sushi place and put your camera on the track. This being Tokyo, no one bothered to steal it.

This type of long shot would be great as an opening sequence for a movie. It's almost surreal as each face is captured in perfect focus by the camera, as it travels into the kitchen, and finally back out again.

11-year-old Bags Gargantuan Hog

Unbelievable.



[Wild Hog article]

Dude Tests Tazer ... On Himself!

Dumb-ass.

[Bitch**SlaPP dot com]

Why is His Microwave Hot?

This is why it's hot. Keep an eye out for a crunk appearance by the Flying Spaghetti Monster.



[Microwave Hotness]

Review of New Frank Black Album - Blue Finger

First off, thanks to Todd for hooking us up with the new Frank Black album, Blue Finger. We love us some Frank Black and, before his solo sucksess, we worshipped at the altar of The Pixies with devotion. I've always loved Frank Black's lyrics and energy. Blue Finger certainly doesn't lack his trademark lyrical insanity or guttural punk yelping.

But the question I keep asking myself is: has the great Black Francis lost his touch, or has his sound just grown tiresome? I think it's the latter, really. There's nothing really cutting-edge here, which isn't really a bad thing. But it's not a good thing, either. Despite the lack of Pixies lushness on most of these tracks, Frank solo still rocks pretty hard, and the lyrics are as cryptic as ever. There's just something ... missing.

What's lacking from Frank Black hitting it big with all these albums he's released over the years? I mean, the formula is the same for what he produces on his own and what he puts out with The Pixies. I've come to the conclusion that it's the chemistry of Kim Deal's back-up vocals that are lacking, really. Kim Deal added a soothing layer (a near-mantra of chorus) to Frank's quirky screeching, and I think he's starting to realize this, as he has notable female back-ups on many of these songs ("Lolita," my favorite on the album does it well, while "You Can't Break a Heart and Have It" falls into its own ambitious punkishness with a flop). Nevertheless, the female back-up doesn't make a good enough impression when executed correctly to push things over the edge into the 5-star Ipod zone.

Joey Santiago's skilled guitarism's are also missing from the equation. During The Pixies reunion tour, it was very evident during an incredible guitar solo just how influential Joey's sound is to the band. And even if Frank manages to get a good female back-up singer, I think he might be dead in the water without an actual Joey on guitar. For a prime example of how this hurts his sound, give "She Took All the Money" a spin. Now, imagine what this song would sound like with Joey on guitar.... Whole different animal.

These songs are conceptually great. I would like to see what The Pixies could do with these songs if they all worked on these pieces together, as there is a notable lack of detail to some of the songs (most notably, "Your Mouth Into Mine"). "Blue Finger" seems to be cryptically prescient when Frank belts out "If my choices are poor, I made them, I made them. And who's knocking on my door, I paid them. I paid them!"

Frank needs to dust off his ego and cement the dominance of The Pixies, once and for all. Doing otherwise only dooms his poetry to obscurity, and that's the opposite of what the world could use.

Sifted: 6.5/10

Battle of the Dorks: American Idol Winner is...

Jordin Sparks.

Tonight was more than mildly entertaining.

First off, Kelly Clarkson should stick to gowns, not wear halter-tops and low-rise hip-huggers that showcase her muffin top. Jenny Craig or cocaine. Pick one.

Jordin Sparks won, as it should be. The girl has pipes, and considering she's only 17, I expect we'll be seeing a lot of her. She's so endearing and annoying at the same time, kind of like a younger sister.

What seemed peculiar about the show was how Britney Spears was a no-show. God knows, we watched the entire show in dire expectation that she would make a puke-worthy performance "grand" appearance.

Speaking of "grand appearances," what was up with that Slick Rick Dougie Fresh/Blake joint? That was actually noteworthy and left us wondering: WHY THE HELL DIDN'T HE DO THAT LAST NIGHT?!?!?

We're pissed off because the show ran long and our DVR ended a full 5 minutes before they announced the winner. WTF? That's just not cool, FOX. Think of the millions of people who came home to watch your bogus show only to be disappointed by your lack of premature congratulations. End on time, dammit!

Fatty Gets a Suck Job

You dirty-minded pervert.

Cat that Eats with a Fork

Something tells me the cat could care less about Tiger Woods.

The Hood Internet

Excellent site for music mash-ups. You can listen or download with just a few clicks.

[The Hood Internet]

Why Kucinich Can't Win

Face it, Kucinich has a HOT wife.

She's Lord of the Rings princess of the Elves, Galadriel, hot.

Meanwhile, Kuciznitch himself looks like Gollum on red bull.

He'd be the first president to die in office from a Viagra overdose.

Animal Battle Royal

This is better than Animal Planet!

Waterboarding

No, it's not a sport, unless you're participating in the Sadistic Olympics.



Since when is torture allowed by the Geneva Convention? Er, do we even follow the Geneva Convention anymore?

Passive-Aggresive Notes

This reminds me of the long treatise on proper bathroom etiquette at my former job. Someone felt the need to explain how to use a plunger. Oy.

[Passive-Aggressive Notes from ...]

Operating Notes for Dispensing Machine

Classic.


[Operating Notes for Dispensing Machine]

Finishing Moves Def Jam Icon Missed

It's simple enough to look at a game and see what's good about it, but on a recent gaming session with Def Jam: Icon, I found myself wondering what was missing, and why.

• Why can't I pull my opponents jewelry right off his neck? I mean, if you're giving your adversary a major whoop-ass, shouldn't you be able to diss a bitch by ripping off his tin?
• Why can't I pull my shirt off and flex? I should be able to lift my arms and flaunt my armpit deodorant, ala LL Cool J on MTV's Unplugged.
• Why can't a hard punch knock somebody's grill straight out they mouf?
• Shouldn't I have a dance of victory after I'm done rollin' somebody?
• No homies to have my back? Even my boo ain't there to cheer me on?
  
• If you can beat me to a bloody pulp, why doesn't that ruin my fly gear? Why don't that shit spill on the floor? Cuz I'm bad-ass, that's why.
  
• If I can attack somebody with the sound coming out the stereo speakers, why can't I cause them to have a burst eardrum, or something novel like making them pee or puke themselves?
• No weapons?
• Rap without gunfights is like Disneyland without Goofy.
• What, no nappy-headed hos or stripper sluts to cheer me on after I lay the smackdown?
  

Isn't it a little bizarre that a fighting game can be made so sanitized and just plain boring? I mean, I can beat somebody until they're literally black and blue, but I can't have my character smoke a blizzle with my adversary after we're done with our fisticuffs? Talk about boring. I'm surprised the cops didn't show up to break up all these stupid confrontations. Clearly, that's what's needed in Def Jam: Icon II. Puhleeze.

Don't hate. Just keepin' it real.

Neuromancer Coming to the Big Screen

William Gibson's seminal sci-fi classic, Neuromancer, is finally going to be made into a film. I somehow doubt it will be any good, but at least someone will try to make that grand vision a reality. Now if only they could get Ridley Scott (of Blade Runner fame) to direct it!

[Neuromancer to be made into movie]

Cthulhu for President - 2008

He's got my vote.

Bizarre, Creepy Rabbit Animation

Too strange!

What the hell?

I don't know whence this hell spawn of a video came from, but it's kinda catchy, if you like dentist drills, that is.

Imax 3D

Apparently, when you see a movie in Imax 3D, it makes boobs bigger.

[Harry Potter Sexified by Imax 3D]

Spider Ear

Why doesn't it surprise me that this happened in Oregon?

What Does $456 Billion Buy?

Things your government could have bought you instead of tossing the cash at Iraq.

[What does $456 Billion Buy?]

David Blaine Parody

Check it out here.

DRM Group Vows to Fight Bloggers

Talk about a bunch of morons. They already lost the battle before it's even gotten started! What, are they gonna go erase the entire internet in the hopes that no one will get their grubby hands on their precious numbers? Talk about stupid.

[Dumbass Article]

Clone Movies: Similar Movies Released Within a Year

A must-read for movie lovers.

[Attack of the Clones: Suspiciously Similar Movie Showdown]

The Return of Absinthe -Now Legal in the US

Expect this to be the trendy drink at the bar for the next decade. Lucid Absinthe now legal in the US. Available starting next month ($59.95 for 750 mL).

[Absinthe: The American Remix]

Lolcats meets Star Trek

Tribbles.... This is pretty humorous.

[LolTrek]

Rage Against The Machine Thrashes Administration

Rage never disappoints. Sunday's performance at Coachella had Rage calling for the treasonous death of the Bush Administration. Why can't every band be so passionate?

[Rage Against the Machine Rages at Coachella Music Festival]

Kucinich Rankles Opposing Dems at Debate

I had a dream last night where I wondered about the state of our politicians and why none of them have recently aligned themselves with the founding principals of our nation, of protecting the rights of citizens as put forth by the Constitution or the Bill of Rights. Aren't we supposed to vote for someone who represents us?

Christian Art Protest Results in Classy Comeback (NSFW)

You'll want to turn your audio way down if you're at work. **Warning** Explicit Language.

Extreme Ping-Pong Pointage

No words....

Extreme Bunny - NSFW

My new favorite cartoon character. I think I'll have to get a tattoo of this guy!



Here's a link to the uncensored version. Beware. Highly Offensive and hella funny.

Creepy: Blogger Predicts V. Tech Shooting

[The Copycat Effect]

The Art of Book Sculpture

One of my favorites.

Simply Beautiful. More pics at the link.

[Fun Forever]

Video: Weng Weng Rap

Aw Yeah!

Interactive Gun Crime World Map

In light of the Virginia Tech massacre, here's some perspective on gun crime around the world.


[World Gun Crimes]

What's Wrong with This Picture?!?!

WTF?!?!?

There are too many problems with this photo for me to even comment.

The 100 Unsexiest Men of 2007

Ann Coulter's in there!

[The 100 Unsexiest Men of 2007]

Off the Hook! MC Nutz Busts Some Wordsworth

Bettah ask somebody!

[Wordsworth]

More Addictive than Hot or Not - Famousr

Who is more famous?

Getting a streak going can be difficult. On the hardest setting, I made it to 31 and was titled as someone who "Reads the Tabloids" with 419 points. Maybe I need more practice.

[Famousr]

The Most Controversial Films of All Time

Excellent list. Having seen several of them, I will say it's a pretty good list.

[Most Controversial Films of All Time]

Video: Amy Winehouse - Back to Black

It's unfortunate that her reputation is so negative because I truly think she is one of this decade's greatest artists ever. The marriage of those old style sounds with her modern lyrics create something entirely timeless.

TV: Painkiller Jane (SCI)

Time to embrace the suck. The Sci-Fi channel has been so busy gushing over this program that it was bound to be a disappointment. Kristanna Loken, though pretty, just doesn't have the wherewithal to be the ball buster her role demands. Her face is simply not expressive enough, so her acting was nowhere near superb, and her double-lazy-eye trick has already grown tiresome after the lame-ass pilot episode. Are you flirting with me or are you just tired?!?!

The story is formulaic as hell, with the typical tactical squad composed of the brute, the hacker, the nerdy doctor, and the boss. The black guy, who was supposed to be some sort of backup/support agent has already been killed off. How many ways can you say cliché? And none of these blokes has an ounce of a personality! With characters this boring, it's obvious this show won't make it to a second season. Hold off on buying that condo in Malibu, guys.

Last but not least, just how successful can a story be about a heroine with the powers to heal herself?

So she's indestructible. Big Freakin' Deal!

I would be more interested in a character who could spontaneously make burritos out of his own toe jam. What on earth could make these guys at the Sci-Fi channel grasp at so tenuous a straw? Seriously.

In a city with a thousand stories, why can't Hollywood find one that's even mildly entertaining anymore?

The Landlord

I need to get my drink on!

Hilarious World of Warcraft Comic

This is totally hilarious.

[World of Warcraft Comic]

The Power of Makeup

Astonishing.

[The Power of Make-Up]

Imus Shows Us the Strength of the 1st Amendment

I confess, I'm not a fan of shock radio. Imus has never graced the airwaves of my radio or television. Quite frankly, his words hold little meaning to me or most of the members of my generation (x), which has generally moved on from listening to radio or giving it much weight in our daily lives.

So I'm a little awestruck over the reaction his silly, racist comments have conjured up. Certainly, I think it's an awful overreaction to evict him from his job. I don't respect CBS or anyone else involved in taking away this man's livelihood. This is America, after all.

I think Americans have lost their perspective when it comes to discussions of race, sex or homophobia. Now, even a lighthearted comment can mean the end of a person's career. And while it's certain that the "awful white male" has had his day of suppressing others, I think this backlash is overboard.

It's time to put this in perspective. To be blunt, Imus' stupid comments don't hold enough power to change the life of a single little black girl who dreams of joining the WBA. His comments don't hold enough power to do more than make most people chuckle in discomfort. But the 40 million dollars his yearly Radiothon raised for good causes hold much more sway in the real world of little black girls. These are 40 million dollars that will no longer be there to help humanity.

We need to stand up for our right to say whatever we choose, be it racist, ignorant, homophobic, anti-authoritarian, or sexist. And just as I would not support a company for firing someone because of religion or sexuality or race, I can't support a company that terminates a man's position because of a dumb-ass comment. Not this time. Especially not after he apologized! I don't see CBS's decision as noble. They have decided to eliminate 40 million dollars for needy people, just to make themselves look good.

Imus said nothing more demeaning than what has been uttered by 4 scores of rap stars since the early 80's. Yes, it can be argued that rappers evoke an artistic license when spouting their provocative lyrics, but what is Imus if not just a mild form of entertainment (one most people would say is less influential than rap)? His was never the realm of political activism. The invective he conjured up was merely intended to be vitriolic and condescending (to many people, mind you, not just black women). While he was certainly wrong (yet again), I think the good he did for people far outweighs the momentary slip of judgment he made this time around.

Give Imus his job back and stop ignoring the true horrors of our world, like what happened in Iraq this past week. MSNBC and CBS, you ought to be ashamed of yourself, not Imus' stupid commentary. Either give Imus his job back, or give 40 million dollars to the poor, disenfranchised people you are alienating by getting rid of him.

Movie Review: Turistas (2006)

Okay, so we didn't watch this one with the in-law, which was probably wise, because my laughter during some of the murder scenes would have probably made her feel more than a little uneasy about me.

If you enjoy horror films, you'll probably like Turistas. No, it's not great. No, it's not even that good. But it's entertaining and, some would say, even plausible.

Plot: A group of young American backpackers in Brazil find themselves stranded after a bus accident. They hike their way to an amazing, secret club/bar on the beach and decide to stay, only to find themselves out of their element, victimized by the locals. Teaming up with one local, they end up at a house of horrors.

This film is, in fact, a modern-day version of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, only not as good. It stars a bunch of relative nobodies, save for Josh Duhamel (who is still a relative nobody, I suppose), and Melissa George (who does a great impression of a D'Abo sister circa 1986).

There is some hearty subtext going here, with plenty of racial overtones regarding class and globalization, but it's pretty light-hearted and never really coalesces into anything preachy or worthwhile.

Turistas wasn't a bad film. It just wasn't very good. And in a genre of ever-increasing kill rates and psychotic methods of dispatch, this was relatively boring. In any event, it's worth a rental, but I would laugh at you if I saw this one in your DVD collection.

Sifted: 5/10

Movie Review: The Holiday (2006)

A visiting in-law means I've been privy to watching movies I would normally not bother watching. One of these is The Holiday (2006), starring Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jack Black, and Jude Law.

First off, I want to distance myself from having a jaded viewpoint about this film simply because I'm not its intended audience. This movie, despite being a chick flick Romantic Comedy, sucked in an entirely new way. Not because I was not the intended audience, mind you, but because the forced plot devices and gymnastics involved rendered this film simply torturous. In fact, they should translate this into Arabic and force the people at Guantanamo to watch it repeatedly. Surely, that would force more than a few confessions.

The plot causes this movie to fall flat on its face. From the get-go, the viewer is expected to suspend their disbelief long enough to accept the unlikely scenario that there are two women on opposite sides of the planet who happen to be having relationship problems. They BOTH decide to go on vacation at a moment's notice. They BOTH happen across the same website offering home exchanges (and instant chat, mind you, which is not only implausible, but downright forcing a scene that would have been smoother had it taken place via long-distance phone call). They BOTH decide to exchange their homes on a moment's notice, (Kate doing so site unseen) deciding to switch pads THE NEXT DAY (without any exchange of contracts or paperwork, apparently). Okay, so if you manage to accept that implausible occurrence, then you're supposed to simply accept the fact that neither of these two bothers to alert their closest kin and significant others. This, of course, leads to Jude Law just showing up out of the blue to meet Cameron Diaz and Jack Black making an appearance to hook up with Kate Winslet.

Even if you're stupid enough to manage through that mangled plot, you're then expected to accept any number of impossibilities, such as these couples falling for each other in less than a week, the Screenwriter's Guild putting on a show for an old Hollywood writer in less than a week's time, and Cameron Diaz's spacey character actually being together enough to own her own business making movie trailers.

Speaking of Cameron Diaz, her acting is atrocious and over the top. It doesn't seem to be grounded in character at all. Jack Black plays himself, albeit with a more serious bent than usual. His performance is adequate, but nothing special. Jude Law is charming, but his chemistry with Diaz's character just seems forced and unnatural. Kate Winslet's performance seems to be the one valuable thing in the whole movie and that's a cloudy gem at best.

Chick flick doesn't even begin to describe this celluloid disaster. It's not even smart enough to be a good Romantic Comedy, frankly. In fact, it's somewhat insulting that Hollywood would level this to young working women, many of whom will probably enjoy it. I don't know. When I watch fantasy, I expect to see more than a few pointed ears and wizard's caps.

If you want a good romantic comedy, watch Bridget Jones' Diary, Sleepless in Seattle, Pretty Woman, Notting Hill, hell, even Serendipity has this wreck beat!

Sometimes it's called a Comfort Zone for a reason; I wish I'd never bothered leaving mine. Unless you want to waste 1:38 hours of your precious day (which inevitably felt like 3 hours, mind you), bypass this one and go watch the Spike channel on the upstairs television.

Sifted: 3/10

UFC 69 Videos

The dudes over at MMA Fever are at it again, this time showing all the UFC videos from last night's bouts. Spoilers? Let's just say, it's a disappointing Easter.

[MMA FEVER: UFC 69 Videos]

The World's Largest Cadbury Egg

Check out Pimp That Snack and see how to make a big-ass Cadbury Egg. Man, if I'd gotten one of these when I was a kid, I wouldn't be alive now.

Meal or No Meal

Fun, especially for fans of the show. I really don't enjoy the show much; it seems like it doesn't require much skill and is way too dependent on the luck of the draw. Personally, I'd rather throw Howie Mandel into a wood chipper than watch, but this online game is actually entertaining.

[Meal or No Meal]

Bill O'Reilly vs. Geraldo

No one froths at the mouth as convincingly as O'Reilly does. Even Geraldo seems to be taken aback by O'Reilly's insane ranting.

Too bad Geraldo didn't let fists fly this time around. I would pay to watch that match up on Pay-per-view!



In case YouTube is not working, try here.

Kermit sings Hurt (NSFW)

This has to be one of the saddest videos I've ever seen. Kermit all huddled up in a fetal position in the shower will forever be ingrained in my head. Having technical difficulties with loading, so here is the link.

Dog Plays Virtual Soccer

Very nice!

Mudflap Man Sticker

Wow. Maybe this should be my new avatar. Lol.

Get them here.

Just a quote for tonight

Some people will tell you your cup is half empty; others will say it is half full.

I will always try to tell you: measure the volume of the cup and the liquid inside.

That should make it easier for us to determine a fullness or emptiness level.

Frosting!

Brush Your Teeth!

5 Minutes to Kill Yourself

Because who said games can't be cynical?

[5 Minutes to Kill Yourself]

Game Review: God of War II (PS2)

The people over at Ars Technica have gotten their paws on God of War II and already provided a review. Sounds intriguing, but as someone who never made it through the first God of War, I doubt I'll be partaking anytime soon. The original was great, but it eventually got too difficult for me. I've never been a fan of platform games, with their requirements for precise button mashing. Unfortunately, I have the dexterity of a penguin. Anyhoo, have a peek if it's something that interests you.

[Ars Technica Reviews God of War II]

Program: WordWeb

Lifehacker's download of the day is an excellent tool for writers (or for people who need help writing). CTRL + right-click a word to bring up a dictionary and thesaurus, as well as additional information you might find useful. Some words even have links to Wikipedia. Very useful when you want to further research an obscure word or etymology.

[WordWeb]

Greek Mythology Genealogy

Here's a link to a family tree of the Greek Gods. Nice.

[Greek Gods]

The Best Political Ad Ever Made

EXCELLENT!!! This wasn't authorized by Obama or his people, mind you. It's an excellent remix of an Apple 1984 Ad.

The Coolest Grandma in the World (NSFW)

This grandma kicks ass and takes names.

Joe Rogan vs. A Heckler (NSFW)

Joe Rogan has been all over comedy news lately. Apparently, he's releasing a new DVD within a month, so it's no surprise that he's working on exposure, whether good or bad.

First, with him calling out Carlos Mencia and accusing him of joke theft ...



Now, here he skillfully skewers a heckler who won't shut the hell up ....


Joe Rogan VS Heckler - Click Here for more great videos and pictures!

I've never been a fan of Joe Rogan's comedy, but he's quite funny here.

New Species Found - The Clouded Leopard

Talk about a cool name. The Bornean Clouded Leopard sports the biggest fangs in the cat kingdom. I guess a diet of monkeys, pigs and deer are good for your pelt because these cats are downright gorgeous. I wonder how long it will be before some a-hole kills one to turn it into a fur coat?

Website: Photo Archive

500 of the best photos on the internet. Excellent site for new wallpaper images.

[Photo Archive]

300: Beautiful Bigotry Writ Large

300 is one of the most visually stunning films ever made. It is easily the greatest visual masterpiece of the year. But as much as I loved the film, I hated it just as much. For all the lush colors and ultra violence, there's a disagreeable story lurking just beneath the surface. The subtext of the film is blatantly offensive and just plain bigoted. I would not recommend this film be viewed by impressionable teenagers, which is who it seems to unfortunately be marketed toward.

300 suffers from several flaws that make it disturbing to watch. Like eating a candied apple that has ground glass inside, you will probably enjoy it, then walk away from the experience feeling like something is terribly wrong.

Racism

I don't understand why Hollywood seems to insist its audience is entirely white, but 300's biggest flaw is caused precisely by this never-ending delusion. Not only are we to believe the Spartans are all Anglos (a matter the history books would disagree with vehemently), we're also expected to believe the Persians were a bunch of mulattoes and Negroids in eyeliner.

The Persians, in fact, are quite diverse, as opposed to the Spartan army. There are black envoys, ambassadors, and messengers from Persia. There are, of course, some Caucasians in the Persian army as well, and even a couple of Asians thrown in for good measure. There are also a number of freakish, monstrous-looking warriors and slaves in the Persian army. There are also any number of criminals associated with the Persian army. I gather, we're to equate diversity with ugliness, slavery, and criminality then?

The message seems quite clear almost from the start of 300: namely, that it's about the final, great white stand against an onslaught of racial hegemony. No, Matt Drudge, this isn't quite an analogy you can easily apply to the Iraq war, but it's an ugly allegory all the same.

Homophobia

Perhaps just as specious as the overt ethnocentrism is this underlying tone of homophobia that's more than blatant throughout the film. I won't draw a conclusion about Greek eroticism (it's been done), but we're led to believe the entire reason the Spartans choose to fight is because the Athenians chose to and they're a bunch of (ahem) "fag" philosophers. The Spartans, not wanting to be shown up, are obliged to enter this suicidal conflict against the Persians as a show of masculinity. In essence, gays are to blame for the Spartans getting involved. Sad scapegoating apparently goes back thousands of years.

This isn't the only outright homophobia in 300 either. At one point, we're treated to viewing Xerxes' concubine, which, of course, has a plethora of tongue-licking, erotic lesbians there as an enticement, and a number of activities that would make a typical S&M gathering look tame in comparison. Not to mention Xerxes himself, who's pierced to the nines and could easily double as a draq queen stand-in for Ru Paul, with all that makeup and those perfectly manicured long nails.

In other words, we're supposed to believe the Spartans are a bunch of masculine, white, heterosexual males fighting against an onslaught of diverse queers, freaks, and sexual deviants, despite the historical evidence that shows the Greeks were probably a bunch of pederasts who were probably more morally twisted than the Persians themselves ever were.

Conservative Politics

There is a strong undertone of "family values" being the drive behind the 300's choice to fight. They do so to protect their families and to ensure the sovereignty of Sparta. Supposedly, none of the Persians have families. Their only motivation is a bloodthirsty desire to bugger the residents of Greece and enslave all the hot Spartan women? Excuse me? Something just doesn't jive.

Fight! Fight! Fight!

Perhaps the biggest flaw with 300 was also the most obvious. So obvious, in fact, that most people won't notice it at all. Here we have 300 men in the Battle of Thermopylae squaring off against 1 million+ Persians. According to history, the 300 successfully vanquished around 20,000 Persians. This, of course, begs the question: what happened to all the blood?

The fight choreography is stunningly poetic. Limbs get lobbed off and digital blood goes flying everywhere in slow motion in several scenes. But why is it that none of the Spartans are covered in blood? Not even their hands? Even their weapons look clean after supposed hours-long battles. Not that I wanted to see the blood, but there's something disturbingly wrong about a movie that exhibits all this violence like it's a pleasant music video, but conveniently leaves out all the blood. It's almost as if it's trying to say the act of killing is clean when it's a Persian who's being killed. Blood is a powerful symbol in storytelling. The decision to leave it out is very telling.

Only Hotties live in Sparta

From the start, it's explained that defective babies (namely, runts and those born with deformities) were discarded by the Spartans by being tossed off a cliff into a pile of bones below. This, apparently, has resulted in the world's most skilled warriors. So skilled, in fact, that they all sport perfect 6-packs as they walk toward battle, shirtless in all their conviction. Hollywood seems to have forgotten there was such a thing as a bronze breastplate. There is no room for deviation, either. Hunchbacks and old folk have no place in the Spartan army. In fact, there are no fat people, no ugly people, and no people with deformities in Sparta. Oh, and the women? They were all perfect 10's. Even the peasant working women.

Sexism

If there's anything 300 wants to get right, it's the depiction of how Spartans treated their women. Spartan women were, in fact, the leaders of their society. It was necessary for the women to be able to run things while their husbands were off fighting wars. Sparta was one of the only places in the Classical world where a girl could get an education. What's sad about 300, however, is the lack of many women at all in the story. There is one powerful woman in the film (the Queen) and she's fairly powerless, and ends up being victimized (and later vindicated, fortunately). The entire concept of femininity doesn't seem to exist in Sparta. Women are nothing but baby-making machines, even if they do produce Spartan men. There's something very wrong about showing this to teenage boys, mind you.

Despite all these issues (and I'm sure there are more that I didn't catch), 300 is a solid piece of beautiful celluloid work. It's quite gorgeous to look at, kind of like a Haute Couture model who's hiding an eating disorder and a nasty coke habit. But just as you wouldn't want your kids hanging out with Kate Moss, you should probably keep them from watching this one unless they have a sound enough mind to think for themselves. Sure, it's fun to watch America's Next Top Model, but would you really want to bring one home to mom? Sheesh.

Sifted: 8/10

What the Death of Captain America Really Means

The death of Captain America was all over the news yesterday, but no one seemed to indicate the real meaning behind his death. The media was quick to show it as some sort of negative, unamerican, liberal plot device. They mixed it up as some sort of contrived "America-hater" conspiracy.

But Captain America's death actually signified the opposite.

See, toward the end of the Marvel Civil War series, Captain America had become a sort of liberal ideologue and leader of a resistance force of superheroes (the Secret Avengers) that were opposed to Iron Man and his Republican/fascist/Bush-like cronies. Captain America was leading a revolt against a Patriot-Act-like law requiring all heroes to register and identify themselves to the government. Captain America was not representing a conservative, republican morality toward the end of his life, but standing for the old, liberal ideals of freedom and equality. It's not so ironic that Captain America was assassinated by a sniper's bullet, reminiscent of the death of JFK, MLK, and Robert Kennedy.

His death was a political hit, most likely financed by the uber-wealthy, republican Iron Man and his grunts. And his death symbolizes what is happening to America today at the hands of the Republican party.

In essence, the death of Captain America is symbolic of the death of the old America we grew up knowing and loving.

Read the Premise for Marvel Comic's Civil War on Wikipedia for more background.

[MSNBC: Death to 'America']

Civil War Remixed

I was a comic book junkie when I was a kid. I haven't really followed the stories much since Jr. High, so the death of Captain America came as a mild surprise. Then I came across these parodies of the recent Marvel Civil War comics. I wouldn't even bother reading the originals, but these remixes with their incredible dialog would probably make me buy a few books just to satisfy the giggle factor.

Cool House in Brazil

Less than 2 meters wide.

Click through to the website for pics of the interior.

[Narrow Habitation]

R.I.P. Jean Baudrillard (1929 - 2007)

The French Postmodernist died a couple of days ago. Most people haven't realized his contributions yet. A sad day for reality....

[Wikipedia - Jean Baudrillard]

OMG! Rage Against the Machine is REUNITING!!!

I don't know how this juicy piece of information got past me, but it did. The greatest band of all time, Rage Against the Machine, is getting back together for this year's Coachella concert (April 29th)! This, after Chris Cornell decided to walk away from Audioslave citing irreconcilable differences. Apparently, the now defunct Audioslave decided to get back with Zack de la Rocha once the proverbial nail was in Audioslave's coffin.

I never did care much for Rage Against the Garden Audioslave. Their sound just didn't seem to mesh with Chris Cornell's ethereal vocals. Nothing against Chris Cornell, but he should really stick to his solo career and leave the heavy, dyspeptic rock to the original members of the Machine.

What is this, 1994? With the Smashing Pumpkins making a comeback, I might need to enroll in college again!

note: Woops. I got so excited, I forgot to add the link to the newspiece.

[Chris Cornell quits Audioslave]

The First Annoying Vegan

Too funny.

[GeekCulture.com: The First Annoying Vegan]

Grungy Gaye Gets It On

Check out this homeless dude as he hits it out of the park at the Apollo theater. Totally awesome.

Website: Scrib'd

It's like a YouTube for Documents, books, articles.... Check it out and sign up now to secure yourself a good nickname. This site is likely to be a big player down the line.

[scrib'd]

The Violence of the Lambs!

Check out this trailer for Black Sheep and chuckle until your diaphragm gets all numb and tingly. This makes Snakes On A Plane look downright amateurish.

Hey Matt Drudge, is this some sort of analogy for the rise of Christian Fundamentalism? Clearly, the scientists represent Atheists, right? Lol.

Cherokee Nation Ejects Slave Descendents

Perhaps no other American Indian nation garners as many smirks among other tribes as the Cherokee. The so-called "civilized" tribe has a history of vile behavior that other tribes have frowned upon for more than a century. One of these blunders of Cherokee history is the fact they owned black slaves prior to the civil war.

Okay, so every people has a few skeletons in their closet. But rather than rectify this problematic history, the tribe has instead voted to eject members who are descendants of former slaves belonging to the tribe. How pathetic.

I wonder about Cherokee identity, having never met a member who wasn't actually white.

Yeah, I said it.

In fact, if you ask 10 random white people about their race, you're bound to run into at least one who claims Cherokee ancestry. I wonder how much they paid for their newfound identity? And why weren't the slave descendants given the same option to buy into the tribe like white folk have been doing for decades?

How about if the other Native American Nations hold a vote and decide to eject the Cherokees as a tribe, once and for all? If it's about racial purity, after all, the Cherokee hardly qualify anymore anyway.

[Cherokees Eject Slave Descendents]

TV: Bizzare Foods with Andrew Zimmern (TRVL)

I tuned into this show because Anthony Bourdain was on the other night (I missed that show, unfortunately). This week's episode was in Morocco as the host, Andrew Zimmern, made his way across the country filling his fat American maw with a number of disgusting meats. I'm no vegetarian, but after watching Andrew snarf down a goat eye, I am seriously considering it.

This guy makes Anthony Bourdain's show look tame, but I suppose that's gonna happen, considering how Bourdain's show really focuses on the places he visits, while Bizzare Foods seems to be about finding the grossest food around the world. It reminds me of the Crocodile Hunter, but for culture and food, not animal conservation.

Mmm. Lamb's Head, Pigeon Pie and Stingray.... Andrew certainly has a talented for descriptions, saying this about Goat Cous Cous: "It's not so much that you can taste the hay and straw in the flesh itself, but if you close your eyes I think you can."

Bizarre Foods is on the Travel Channel at 6PM and 9PM on Monday nights. Don't say we didn't warn you.

MMA Hilarity - NSFW

MMA Fever continues to surprise us, this time by presenting a funny video featuring Reggie Warren, Jr. Funny, but definitely not safe for work, unless you're wearing headphones.

300 a Veiled Analogy About Bush?

Articles on the Drudgereport like this one really piss me off. It would seem the muck raker is trying to force the producers of the upcoming (March 9th) film, 300, to take a stance on the Iraq war, either pro or against. My biggest problem with it all is that sometimes, just sometimes, stories aren't really analogies for anything! 300 was obviously produced because of the success of Sin City, another Frank Miller masterpiece (that also wasn't some secretive plot against the Bush administration, mind you).

Why does this war film suddenly have to carry a deeper meaning, or to be a commentary on our modern lives? Because the main plot happens to be about war? It simply looks like a celebration of gore and battle cinematography. It doesn't need to be about anything else, really.

Does it?

Maybe, in fact, that's the entire point of the movie, for despite the success of the Spartan warriors to deflect the oncoming Persian army, the ultimate outcome is the same: Sparta fades away into a few paragraphs in our high school history books. Maybe that, in fact, is the point: for all the saber rattling, war is a waste of time, a sort of Superbowl before the invention of the proverbial football.

In other words, Matt Drudge, you're the messenger standing on the edge of the cavernous hole and those of us who actually think for ourselves are the guys kicking you down into it, all the while yelling "This is Sparta!" How's that for an analogy? Now go crawl under a rock and shaddap.

UFC 68!

Randy Couture is BACK!!! Unbelievable. Randy looked so good in his bout against Tim Sylvia that I was left wondering if Tim threw the fight. Randy dominated him on the ground AND standing. Not bad for 43 years old!

Watch last night's fights here.

[MMA Fever]

Excellent Snickers Commercial

Snickers: Stop and Go
Uploaded by Razorbuzz

Sorry for the delay in posting...

Blogger decided my blog was too similar to spam, so they blocked me for a couple of days while a human had a look-see to verify my smut was actually authentic. I guess I passed, so now I'm back.

Welcome to the Slave State

So , Colorado is going to start using inmates as slave labor to fill the migrant shortage. Apparently, this is the fallout from all the political posturing that has recently taken place regarding immigration.

Let's do the math:

• Inmates will earn .60/day working the fields. After a week's work, they can afford to buy a pack of cigarettes with which to commit gradual suicide!
  
• Farmers will spend more for the "privilege" of hiring inmates than they were spending on traditional farm workers.
  
• Many farmers are having to ask for government subsidies, again.
  
• Inmates will have to be supervised and few (if any of them) have the required experience to do the work.

So, if the workers are only paid .60/day, where is the rest of the money going?

What if they had field duty and no one came? Wouldn't it be nice if the guards had to do the labor themselves to fulfill the prison's contracts? That's a comedy script just waiting to be written. Somebody get on that.

And amidst all this, you can probably say goodbye to cheap produce for the rest of your life.

Jen Stark's Construction Paper Art

Quite pretty.

[Jen Stark]

Havidol: When More Is Not Enough

I need a refill on my prescription.

[Havidol]

I Always Thought Koalas Were Kinda Hot ....

Australia rocked by 'lesbian' koala revelation.

Gore's Reply to Drudge's Hysterics About Power Consumption

I don't know why he doesn't run again. Maybe he doesn't realize it would be a major national catharsis, a sort of cosmic "do-over" for us? If only we could undo the events of the last 6 years.... The least he could do is give Americans the chance to make things right.

[Think Progress - Gore Responds to Drudge's Latest Hysterics]

Smart Car Hitting a Wall at 70 MPH

Now show us what happens when a 2-ton GMC Pickup hits it from the side.


Online Videos by Veoh.com

MC Router's New Tattoo

Okay, so I have mad respect for nerdcore rap. And1337 GEEK BEAT is one of the greatest hip hop groups ever in the game, far as I'm concerned, but why ... why would you put this on your chest?

Girl, you crazy.

It doesn't even look fully colored in. Look at the light areas around the letters.... Couldn't you have tattooed a monitor screen on there or something?

Wow. That's all I can say.

Need New Wallpaper?

Here's an excellent site with 1,000+ background images. Very, very nice.

[Free Photos and Videos.com]

Sony PS3 Song

This is quite funny.

Video Games Made Me Do It!

Okay, maybe not....

Grandmother writes incredible letter about teen who killed homeless man and blamed it on video games.

[Penny Arcade]

Go Suck Start a Harley!

Who'da thunk it?

It's getting more plausible every day.

[Air Car Tantalizingly Close]

An Excellent Reason to Vote for Obama

None other than Leonard Peltier. The Clintons did not free him when they could (or should) have. Can you say Political Hypocrisy?

George Takei PSA

This is one hilarious video. George Takei taking Tim Hardaway to task for his homophobic rant.

15 Things You Can Do Right Now to Help Your Career

Some good, solid tips at The Simple Dollar blog.

[The Simple Dollar]

Guess Who's Actually Funny?

I caught Chris Isaak on The Tonight Show just now. He was doing interviews with celebrities on the red carpet as they were entering the Grammy's. He's actually got a great funny bone! He has a corny way of flirting with some of the celebrities that's funny to watch, and he's actually witty and quick on his feet. Somebody needs to toss him his own talk show.

Guy Buys Old Farmhouse, Discovers Barn Full of Cars!

Imagine: You buy a farmhouse in Portugal. You find a locked barn on the property. You open it and find this inside.

Talk about a treasure trove. This pic is dark, but there appear to be at least 150 cars in there, many of them classics in excellent condition.

More pics in this link.

Britney Spears Shaves Her Head!

And here's some CNN Video of Britney sporting her new 'do.

Clearly, this is a time-shifting moment in Hollywood history. Forever, we will be forced to divide the celebrity time line between the "Pre-Sheared Spears" and "Baldy Spears" eras.

I have to confess: I love her now.

Apparently, she got a couple of tattoos at the same time. How balsy is that?

Great Middle East Empires

This is a great video showing the empires that have controlled the Middle East throughout history.

[Imperial History of the Middle East]

Adventure Time

Apparently, they have a good supply of LSD in Hollywood....

Wheel of Food

Ever had trouble deciding what to eat for lunch?

Next time, use the Wheel of Food and never suffer from indecision again. Just enter your zip code and wish for the best.

I entered my zip code and noticed it was pretty accurate about the restaurants in the area. It even listed a few new options I would never actually consider. This is a very nice way to solve those office arguments over where to go for lunch.

Celtic Colonel Sanders Tattoo

Finger-lickin' awesome!