The Sexiest

I don't know if these people are the sexiest in the world, but I find them sexier than those on the lame FHM list.

Women:
Gwen Stefani
Diana Krall
Sarah McLachlan
Natalie Portman
Drew Barrymore

Men:
Ted (Queer Eye for the Straight Guy)
Johnny Depp
John Cusack
Avery Brooks (Captain Sisko, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor, Smallville)

Britney isn't squat compared to the above ten.

WTF Department: Britney is the Sexiest?!

As Tek Whore points out, Britney Spears has been rated the sexiest woman in the world:

Are You Kidding Me?

Are you freakin' kidding me? Britney Spears? Argh! And someone described her voice as "sultry"? How about whiney? I'll generate Derek's List of Sexy People in my next post.

You Can be Gay, But I Don't Want to See it

That's the attitude perpetrated by most of the mainstream media outlets. We can see gay men teach straight men about fashion, food, decorating, hygiene, and culture, but we don't want to see them kiss. We can see a gay man be Grace's best friend, but we don't want to see him in an actual relationship. Quit acting like you're all accepting and multicultural, people! The truth of the matter is that most people are still wildly intolerant of gays and lesbians. Oh, you'll hear people speak of acceptance, but in practice they'll fall woefully short.

In fact, it was hard to leave it on for the length of time required to research this piece since not only is Playing It Straight ideologically offensive, it's also colossally boring.

Give Me Something for Which to Vote

When Senator Kerry emerged as the only serious Democratic contender in the race for the White House, I turned to Kathleen and said, "I'll probably piss off quite a few people, but I think I'm going to for myself on this year's Presidential ballot. Kerry definitely doesn't represent my interests and beliefs. He's Bush-lite. I wish Nader would run. He's the only person who talks about issues important to me." A few weeks later, I got my wish: Nader announced his candidacy. Within seconds of Nader's announcement, various Democrats spoke out against Nader. People said, "If you vote for Nader, you're jeopardizing our chance to take back the White House. You can't possibly be serious about supporting Nader! This isn't about Kerry, this is about defeating Bush!" Is it just me or does that sound suspiciously close to a "lesser-of-two-evils" argument? Let me get this straight, I'm not supposed to vote for the candidate who best represents my interests? I'm supposed to vote for candidate who I don't see as being significantly different from Bush? Here's the deal: voting for the lesser of two "evils" is still voting for "evil." Duh.

John Kerry can take is I-Voted-For-No-Child-Left-Behind-NAFTA-Patriot-Act-Military-Action-In-Iraq attitude and forget about my vote. When I run down his voting record, Kerry looks pretty damn similar to President Curious George.

Check out the following article for more wonderful tidbits about Senator Kerry:

Support My Positions!

Oh, and for those who despise President Curious George, like me, you can stop at Buzzflash for your daily dose of rage. Truth be told, I quit reading the page a couple months back. One stop at Buzzflash and I'm furious the rest of the day.

Icelandic Elves

The perfect vacation destination for the Lord of the Rings obsessed:

Pixies, Trolls and Viking Gods

I must confess, a trip revolving around the folk tales of Iceland has a certain appeal to me.

Sprinting Zombies?

Uh, aren't zombies supposed to be slow-witted and slow-moving menaces? Not anymore:

Turbo Zombies

While I enjoyed 28 Days Later, I did lament the loss of creeping zombies. There's something terrifying about a mass of unrelenting undead slowly overwhelming a victim.

Must. Not. Give. In. To. Dark. Side.

The offical Star Wars site has posted a description of Episode III:

After three long years of relentless fighting, the Clone Wars are nearly at an end. The Jedi Council dispatches Obi-Wan Kenobi to bring the deadly leader of the Separatist droid army to justice. Meanwhile, back on Coruscant, Chancellor Palpatine has grown in power. His sweeping political changes transform the war-weary Republic into the mighty Galactic Empire. To his closest ally, Anakin Skywalker, he reveals the true nature of power and the promised secrets of the Force in an attempt to lure him to the dark side.

Episode III

I'm trying to go spoiler free for the final episode. I honestly don't know if I can do it. I visit a number of Sci-Fi websites every day and whenever I see a SW headline, the cursor is automatically drawn in that direction. Must. Resist.

Only 429 days, 12 hours, and 29 minutes until opening day. I'll never make it.

Classic Rockin' and Roadin'

During the 80s, when my teenage peers were listening to the likes of Prince, Culture Club, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Madonna, and Cyndi Lauper, I hung out with a group of guys who listened to classic rock. Looking back, embracing rock and roll from the 60s and 70s was our way of rebelling against hegemonic musical tastes. The four of us (sometimes five or six, depending on whether Tommy and Steve were around) spent countless hours traversing the gravel roads of Weld County Colorado smoking cigarettes, drinking beer, bemoaning the trials and tribulations of teen life, and learning the meaning of friendship. During that all-too-fleeting two year period of the mid 80s, classic rock and roll provided a unique soundtrack to our journey. Almost 20 years later, any song by the The Beatles, The Who, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Boston, Led Zeppelin, Janice Joplin, Queen, The Steve Miller Band, and a multitude of others, brings back a few fading memories. I think I might even remember each of our favorite bands (this might be pushing it): Jay--Yes, Saul--Three Dog Night (at the very least he went through a Three Dog Night phase), Chuck--The Eagles, Steve--Chicago (he also had all of Rick Wakeman's solo albums), Me--The Beatles, Boston, or Queen's soundtrack to Flash Gordon (?). To be honest, I can't remember my own favorite band during my high school years. How odd is that?

What conjured these memories to mind is an article about one of the classic rock and roll acts of the 70s. Oddly enough, the band has experienced a degree of longevity that most classic rock acts can't match.

Fleetwood Mac: Going Their Own Way

I wonder if I still have a copy of Rumours round here somewhere?

Going Down

Several weeks ago, I had a discussion with my friend Bob about the Nuggets' playoff hopes. He predicted they'd back into the playoffs as an 8th seed. I had this to say:

"If the Nuggets lose their next home game--I think they're playing Indiana--they will not make the playoffs."

Well, that next home game was indeed against Indiana and the Nuggets lost by 9. After lost night's loss to Detroit and Utah's win against Cleveland, the boys in dainty metallic blue are clinging to a playoff spot by a 1/2 game. As I've been saying to Nuggets' fans all season, enjoy the much improved basketball but don't get your hopes up for the playoffs. There's still a lot to be done to make this a winning basketball team.

True Compassion

True compassion is not based upon any expectation of a reward for the act done.

--The Dalai Lama

Dork Cool

Last week, Kathleen gave me a hilarious birthday card. The card reads, "You're always on the right side of that fine line between cool and dorky." I can live with that.

Dork cool rules!

Propaganda Model: Reliance on Government Experts

According to Herman and Chomsky's propaganda model, there are five filters through which media dispersed information must pass before reaching the public. The third of these filters is the reliance on government/corporate/institutional experts for information. As the following article attests, relying on these "experts" can be problematic. When attending a government press conference, for example, information can be manipulated or witheld.

Michael Wolff, a columnist for New York magazine, drew hearty applause from reporters when he asked Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks, one of the command's chief spokesmen, during a briefing why we should attend when so little information was forthcoming.

Every reporter I knew concurred with the evaluation of the press center that appeared in Wolff's next column: "It takes about 48 hours to understand that information is probably more freely available at any other place in the world than it is here.

Randomness

I bought some Soy Candles at last weekend's Metaphysical Fair. Unlike their petroleum based counterparts, soy candles give off zero soot. Kathleen bought a small labradorite pendant. Labradorite reputedly enhances self-awareness, promotes balance, and brings clarity to inner sight.

I'm presently reading Star Trek: The Sundered, Discerning the Subject, and Performing Rites: On the Value of Popular Music. Any guesses as to which book is for pleasure and which are for my academic writing?

While I turned 36 last Thursday, I feel like I'm still in my mid 20s. I received Aveda Clove Shampoo and Clove Conditioner as one of my birthday gifts. I love the way cloves taste and smell.

A waiter at a local restaurant recently approached me and said, "You look like the lead singer of the Ramones." I thanked him for the compliment, then turned to Kathleen and said, "Is that guy stoned? I don't look anything like Joey Ramone." My in-laws were lost during the entire exchange.

I have been clean and sober for 3,940 days. I haven't smoked in 288 days.

Rock and Roll Crayons

One of the music sites I visit, Olympian Shadow Farm, is having a contest of sorts. The contest revolves around creating a box of rock and roll, punk, and jazz based Crayola Crayons. The idea is to create an entire box of music inspired crayons. Pretty cool, eh? Here are the colors I submitted to the contest:

Blondie (a light, almost white, yellow)
Johnny Rotten Apple (dark rust)
Osmond (metallic purple, like Donny's socks)
Starship Trooper (metallic black)
Blue Oyster Cult (blue tinted mother-of-pearl)
Muddy Waters (creamy brown)
Rocket Man (red glitter)
Pinball Wizard (silver)

Submit your own colors via comments!

I should also note that Steve Davis, a member of many of the Olympian Shadow Farms bands, is my cousin. Steve is not only a talented guitarist, but also writes a semi-regular column for the site:

Here Goes Nothin'

The WTF Department

This is too damn funny. Just what every woman wanted to know.

A Woman's Guide on How to Pee Standing Up

Be sure to check out the multiple methods!

Which Personality Disorder Do You Have?


obsessive compulsive


Which Personality Disorder Do You Have?
brought to you by Quizilla

There's a bit of truth in that description.

Horrid

Last post was about a great comic book cover. This post includes some of the worst.

Ugh

Chaplains at War? Did anyone really read that?

The Hulk vs Iron Man!

Talk about a cool comic cover!

Whoa

Are those hip pods I see on Iron Man? How long has it been since the Iron Man armor sported hip pods?! A new armor firmly rooted in the past. I love it.

Escapist People

Are geeks really all that socially inept? Do we all retreat to our fantasy realms, hiding in the expanses of the Star Wars universe, the realms of Middle Earth, or the time-space continuum of Dr. Who? According to this piece, geek cool could be the end of humanity.

And the Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth

Balderdash! If anything, geek cool is humanity's path to salvation. To be perfectly honest, the only people with whom I keep in touch consider themselves geeks. We talk movies, comic books, on-line games, literature, and all things fantasy/science fiction. Most of the same people enjoy those artifacts because they have substance. Have you taken a look at television (the pastime of "normal" folks), lately? Sitcoms and reality television? Vaccuous nonsense. There isn't a redeeming quality to most television programs. Question: What's the consistent theme of Friends? Answer: Stick with the same friends long enough and eventually everyone will sleep with everyone else! Question: What's the message behind The Apprentice? Answer: Do anything to win! Sex and questionable ethics are fair game if it means avoiding Trump's board room. Contrast any sitcom with the spiritual messages of Star Wars (redemption), Lord of the Rings (good triumphs over evil), or even Spiderman (with great power comes great responsibility), and I think you'll find the more substantive message in the realm of science fiction/fantasy.

Personally, I can't wait for the day when everything is run by geeks.

Hangover Blues

Maybe it's because I haven't had a drink in almost eleven years, but isn't the following list missing the most obvious hangover cure?

Hangover

The most obvious cure: DON'T DRINK TO EXCESS. Would you believe I've gone over a decade without having a hangover? Amazing! No liquor = no hangover. It defies logic!

The second most obvious cure (and one that I used several times a week during the good old days): take four ibuprofen, fill the bathtub with steaming hot water (it should kind of hurt to get in), and lay on your back so only your nose is above water. Bake for fifteen minutes. If you don't fall asleep and drown, the old bathtub-head-bake should serve you well. Follow up with a 32 oz Diet Pepsi and a pack of Winterfresh gum.

I used to think the gum masked the smell of alcohol on my breath. Today, I realize I probably walked around smelling like wintergreen schnapps. Mmmmmmmm. ::wretch::