Thursday, July 27, 2006
Various news tidbits from the world of entertainment...
Metallica finally ended it's long holdout and allowed its songs to be downloaded on Itunes. Good call guys, I mean it's not like Itunes doesn't charge, trust us you're not getting hosed. When asked why such a long holdout I was told, "because Lars is a dick."
Prince and his second wife are getting divorced. Apparently she was tired of all the Diamonds and Pearls. Or perhaps she feels 22 positions in one night is a little too much like aerobics.
A California radio station has changed it's format from Christian rock to "porn radio". Oral goes Aural I suppose.
Pam Anderson slated to be wed to Kid Rock on Saturday in the South of France. This to me is a perfect example of why life is not fair. This pair of no talent ass clowns have managed enough success to get married in France. I'll be lucky to get married someplace where they serve French Toast. Sigh.
Prince and his second wife are getting divorced. Apparently she was tired of all the Diamonds and Pearls. Or perhaps she feels 22 positions in one night is a little too much like aerobics.
A California radio station has changed it's format from Christian rock to "porn radio". Oral goes Aural I suppose.
Pam Anderson slated to be wed to Kid Rock on Saturday in the South of France. This to me is a perfect example of why life is not fair. This pair of no talent ass clowns have managed enough success to get married in France. I'll be lucky to get married someplace where they serve French Toast. Sigh.
It's a sad day...
Harry Olivieri, inventor of the Philly cheesesteak has passed away at the age of 90. Harry and his older brother Pat, were the owners of Pat's King of Steaks in South Philadelphia. Harry is credited with inventing the cheesesteak by accident in 1933. One night he fried up some steak for dinner at the family hot dog stand. A passing cabby smelled the sandwich and demanded to buy it, and thus the first steak sandwich was sold in Philadelphia for 5 cents. RIP Harry, our hearts and our stomachs are with you.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Lance likes to take it in the Bass...
Former N'Sync member Lance Bass has revealed that he is gay. I'm not sure one could have handled the dulcet tones of such standards as "Bye, Bye, Bye" and "This I promise you" without rebelling against their inner y chromosome. And look at his hair, it just screams gay. Of course this also explains his affinity for large rockets. Perhaps he was confused about the meaning of the word cosmonaut. Oh well, not all former Mickey Mouse club members can lead dull lives, just ask Britney Spears.
Gonna catch him ridin' dirty.
Gonna catch him ridin' dirty.
Milestones...
Only 37 days, 21 hours and about 40 minutes until Georgia's first football game. (How bout 'em!)
Only 20 days until Snakes on a Plane hits theaters. (Hells yeah)
Only 5 days until the baseball non-waiver trading deadline. (Please JS, get another reliever, please Gillick don't make Abreu a salary dump.)
Only 5 days 18 hours 'til I head to Amish Country. (See ya soon, Uncle Gordie and Aunt Carole!)
Oh, and as of yesterday, I've been with Kelli for 8 months. (Yes, I remembered)
Only about 4 hours 'til I see Smoltz pitch.
Good times.
Only 20 days until Snakes on a Plane hits theaters. (Hells yeah)
Only 5 days until the baseball non-waiver trading deadline. (Please JS, get another reliever, please Gillick don't make Abreu a salary dump.)
Only 5 days 18 hours 'til I head to Amish Country. (See ya soon, Uncle Gordie and Aunt Carole!)
Oh, and as of yesterday, I've been with Kelli for 8 months. (Yes, I remembered)
Only about 4 hours 'til I see Smoltz pitch.
Good times.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Every once in a while comes along a story...
so bizarre, that it just warrants mentioning. Take this gem on MSNBC. In a not so surprising move, the federal government has decided to fund programs designed to 'encourage' marriage. This is not a newsflash, the Bushies have long lauded the "culture of marriage"(at least for straight people), to go along with the "culture of life"(for the unborn) and wrapped it up in their larger view of religion(Christianity, preferably in supersized groupthink oriented churches).
What is new in this article is some of the justifications given for encouraging marriage, which let me say are just priceless. The Bush administration sees marriage as a type of welfare reform. You see if you get the huddled masses to huddle in families, the thought is with multiple incomes, they'll no longer need government assistance. Furthermore says a Bushite spokesperson, welfare reform would cure all sorts of social ills:
"Children who grow up in healthy, stable, married households don't wake up one day and decide they want to run away to Hollywood and become street prostitutes," said Wade Horn, the Bush administration's point man for welfare reform. "Couples in a healthy, stable married relationship don't come home one day and decide they want to abuse their children. This, in my view, is an exercise in limited government."
Right so if a child's parents are married and living together, they will automatically resist the temptation to become harlots. While undoubtedly prostitution is caused by many things, my guess is that single parent households are not high on the list. Further, this just another indication of the right wing obsession with sex. Rather than worry about social ills like, drug usage, child abuse, violence against women, and lack of economic opportunity in poor communities(ya know, the stuff that actually could cause prostitution). They are worried about the sex trade itself, not curing the ills that might actually have something to do with it.
In addition the government's efforts to encourage marriage seem disingenuous at best. Instead of taking the usual government route -- undertaking a national study of marriage and divorce practices, then setting up top-down programs to help encourage marriage and discourage divorce -- the government is providing grants to private organizations. The example cited in the article is almost comical:
Marriage Mentoring Ministries, which works with church groups, already has obtained one grant for $50,000, which McLain used to hire a part-time employee and to purchase a computer and printer as well as other supplies. He used the equipment to make thousands of leaflets about the benefits of marriage.
Leaflets! Yippee problem solved!
Not to mention the fact that the religious right's goals work in direct opposition to one another. For example, by forcing a culture of abstinence before marriage, you're actually encouraging prostitution. If you can't be with the one you love, pay someone to love you. Further, no sex before marriage also causes younger people to marry in a quest to fulfill their prurient desires. This leads to marriages based on lust, not love, which are much more likely to fail causing divorce and more single parents, that other great Republican social ill.
Of course a government funded study would probably reveal these trends, and it might even suggest ways to help married people below the poverty line. But hey, that would be big government, we should just pay someone to print pamphlets.
What is new in this article is some of the justifications given for encouraging marriage, which let me say are just priceless. The Bush administration sees marriage as a type of welfare reform. You see if you get the huddled masses to huddle in families, the thought is with multiple incomes, they'll no longer need government assistance. Furthermore says a Bushite spokesperson, welfare reform would cure all sorts of social ills:
"Children who grow up in healthy, stable, married households don't wake up one day and decide they want to run away to Hollywood and become street prostitutes," said Wade Horn, the Bush administration's point man for welfare reform. "Couples in a healthy, stable married relationship don't come home one day and decide they want to abuse their children. This, in my view, is an exercise in limited government."
Right so if a child's parents are married and living together, they will automatically resist the temptation to become harlots. While undoubtedly prostitution is caused by many things, my guess is that single parent households are not high on the list. Further, this just another indication of the right wing obsession with sex. Rather than worry about social ills like, drug usage, child abuse, violence against women, and lack of economic opportunity in poor communities(ya know, the stuff that actually could cause prostitution). They are worried about the sex trade itself, not curing the ills that might actually have something to do with it.
In addition the government's efforts to encourage marriage seem disingenuous at best. Instead of taking the usual government route -- undertaking a national study of marriage and divorce practices, then setting up top-down programs to help encourage marriage and discourage divorce -- the government is providing grants to private organizations. The example cited in the article is almost comical:
Marriage Mentoring Ministries, which works with church groups, already has obtained one grant for $50,000, which McLain used to hire a part-time employee and to purchase a computer and printer as well as other supplies. He used the equipment to make thousands of leaflets about the benefits of marriage.
Leaflets! Yippee problem solved!
Not to mention the fact that the religious right's goals work in direct opposition to one another. For example, by forcing a culture of abstinence before marriage, you're actually encouraging prostitution. If you can't be with the one you love, pay someone to love you. Further, no sex before marriage also causes younger people to marry in a quest to fulfill their prurient desires. This leads to marriages based on lust, not love, which are much more likely to fail causing divorce and more single parents, that other great Republican social ill.
Of course a government funded study would probably reveal these trends, and it might even suggest ways to help married people below the poverty line. But hey, that would be big government, we should just pay someone to print pamphlets.
