Alright, I just had to share this one with the world. I could not stop laughing. This clip almost made me sorry for loser male stereotypes everywhere. Thankfully, I don't know many men that fit into this category. Although, I could dedicate it to someone "special".
I've finally got around to making a tutorial on painting in Photoshop. This one is on making a shirt. Hopefully, I'll get around to doing one on pants and dresses soon.
I've been an avid follower of VH1's Dr. Drew rehab reality series since it began a few years ago. To my surprise, they have broken away from handling drug addiction and slid over to the more obscure area of sex addiction in Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew. I must admit that the idea of someone being addicted to the wonderful world of copulation sends me into a fit of giggles that makes my stomach cramp. However, it was clear that the therapists on the show didn't find it funny at all. According to VH1 Blog, 3%-6% of the American population are battling this little known addiction.
Although I have never known any one in my life in rehab for sexual issues, you can easily look to the celebrity world for such tales. In August 2009, E! Online confirmed that David Duchovny, the actor known for his roles in XFiles and Californication, was in a rehab for sex addiction. If you have a really good memory, you'll remember that movie actress Halle Berry accused the R&B singer Eric Benet of being oversexed and in serious need of rehabilitation. (I'm still wounded over that one. How could ya Eric!) Least we not forget, Michael Douglas has also been slapped with the sex addict moniker.
Premiere Show Highlights:
One of the rehab facility's workers checked porn star Penny Flame's(aka Jennifer Ketchum) luggage for sexy contraband such as sex aids, skin mags and knee pads(yea, knee pads). During the search, she confiscates a rather large phallic device nicknamed "Ron Jeremy".
Surfer James “Jamie” Lovett was shocked to find out that he had a growth in his throat that could mean he has the sexually transmitted virus, HPV.
Playboy Playmate Nicole Narain admitted to suffering a masturbation marathon that lasted all day with a total count of 18 orgasms.
Musician Phil Varone claimed to have slept with at least 3000 women.
After watching the show, I was left with a persistent thought. It seems that if someone does feel that their sex life is spinning out of control that they will have a serious battle to get it back to a normal level. Even the rehab environment offers extra obstacles. A crack addict doesn't have to sit and socialize with a bag of crack. However, sex addicts see possibly attractive sex partners everyday in the hallways and group therapy sessions. Temptation surrounds them.
I still don't know if I believe in sex addiction, but maybe the show will enlighten me as it progresses. I'll stay tuned.
Some months back, I became interested in making some small tutorials to help my Second Life customers operate some of my gadgets. After playing with a few freebies and demos for pricey programs, I discovered that I liked the screen capture video software called CamStudio the best. It was unbelievably simple to use and gave me the results I wanted. The one issue is that you have to set the settings properly, or you'll get a lot of crashes that will make you want to pull your hair out. Check out this How to Create a Video Tutorial with CamStudio page for settings, tips and post-production program suggestions.
Other Uses: machinima, instruct friends or co-workers on the use of a favorite program, demonstrate how to use your digital product to customers
Who new that the divine drug of chocolate had its own day?! I'm a bit late but this sort of awesome occassion still needs to be celebrated with something equally sinful and succulent. (Granted this poem isn't about chocolate. But, it does have the word mentioned ... err ... once.)
What's for Dinner?
The smell of strawberry syrup
Drifts through the house as the cake cools
On the antique ebony table.
You are drawn by the sugary scents
(ones you haven't smelled in awhile).
Your Cool Water cologne enters first
Then I sense your heat from behind
As you fix your hands on my hips
In that familiar way
And run your overworked hands
Down the curves of my hips and thighs
That are hidden in the sheer
Wispy cloth of summertime.
I turn around, inhale in the
Exhilarating aromas
Then gently nibble your bottom lip
As I savor the taste and heat.
You pick me up by my waist
In that familiar way
(that men show their sensual strength)
And sit me on the table's edge.
My chocolate kissed legs wrap around you
And pull you in closer to me.
You slide a succulent strawberry,
Drenched with juices and cream,
From the cake as you carefully
Place it between my open lips
You pull me in near. Your lips are
so close that your breath trembles me
As you say, "What's for Dinner?"
I swear just when I've thought I've seen it all another crazy story crawls out of the woodwork. So, there I was browsing news stories when I find an article about a man that was arrested for an indecent exposure charge. Of course, my first thoughts were of some pimple faced loser lurking near a young girl's window or flashing ladies at the supermarket. But oh no, this man was in all places ... his own house.
Eric Williamson, the accused, claims that he was making coffee in the nude like he did most mornings and didn't even notice a woman and child cutting through his lawn. Apparently, the unnamed woman glances over to his window and goes, "ZOMFG ... sinful nakedness! Call the Police!!"
I mean I have been aware for a long time that the prudish conservative sect seem to find something intrisically sinister about the nude human body. God forbid someone take a non-sexual picture or make a painting of someone in the buff. Surely, the mere sight will spark craven lust and rape in the streets.
We all know the world is filled with drama llamas and alarmist. But the scary part of this story is that the cops actually arrested this man in his own home over such a flimsy claim. Perhaps, they should have suggested to the woman not to walk through other people's lawns and stare in their windows.
Perhaps, we should all start taking showers in our undies. You never know when your neighbor might walk by, hitch up a ladder to your window and claim they were scarred by witnessing your naughty nakediness.
So, the other day, I learned a new phrase - "Shopping While Black". I do love to learn but this one surely didn't bring sunshine to my morning. Of course, I (and most any other black person in America) know this phenomenon. The number one clue to its appearance is when store clerks magically appear out of the wood work with pinched faces and crossed arms waiting for the undesirables to steal a Dooney purse. Hardly inviting, eh? However, I was unware that the common racial incident had gotten a catchy name tag.
The inspiration for this post was watching ABC's 20/20 Shopping While Black - Social Experiment. Basically, the show took three actors, one black and two white, and set them up in a trendy Soho clothing store in New York. The white actors played a racist store clerk and security guard while the black actress played an abused shopper. As you can imagine, the experiment was to see how the actual shoppers in the store would react if they witnessed the "shopping while black" situation unfold before their very eyes.
The Negative News:
As I would have guessed, the vast majority of patrons said and did nothing. They went about their merry way shopping, chatting and giving an occasional awkward look over at the chaotic scene. Once out of the store and the show revealed itself, they could only offer the pathetic "it wasn't my business" excuse while still giving money to an abusive establishment (at least that was what they witnessed while in the store).
In one segement, the store clerk actress draws a male customer into the conversation. She pulls him aside and engages him in a chat about the black woman. After which, he drops the "race card" bomb. Despite him actually witnessing the clerk being obviously discriminatory, the first thing to comes to his mind is that the black woman was in the wrong.
Not surprisingly, once he was in front of the unhidden cameras. He pretends that he felt sorry for the black actress. Perhaps, he is schizophrenic? Doubtful. I tend to think that what he uttered while he "thought" he was hidden was his true feelings not what he regurgitated to sound politically correct in full view of the public.
The Positive News:
Oh yes, there is a bright side! There were some people that actually took a stand in defense of the black shopper under siege. Not only did they show a black patron confronting the clerk, two white women came to her aid and actually escorted the perceived victim out of the store. The beautiful part was that other shoppers followed suit. Thankfully, the show cleared up the matter after the people got outside and saved the store many sales.
Also, I have to mention the one woman that was so upset by the interaction of the actors that she started crying. Like they had done previously, the actors attempted to draw in a nearby customer into the situation. Yet, this woman found the idea of racism so disturbing that she became highly emotional. It was truly endearing to see someone that actually cared so deeply about an issue that didn't effect her directly.
What Did I Learn:
So, I have to ask myself what does this tell me about American society as it stands today. On one hand, I expected that no one would care about the plight of this woman being humiliated and insulted in public simply because of the color of her skin. I mean apathy is a national disease in general. "It's not my problem" should be the national slogan.
However, it warmed my spirit to see those that did take a stand for what was right. They didn't sit by and pretend that it wasn't happening while rewarding the store with their purchases. I was left with the feeling that there is still some hope for humanity.
Don't get me wrong. I don't think that the vast majority of people that did nothing are racist. But, by keeping silent and continuing to shop, they enable racism and discrimination in all its forms. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it."
We stared across the barbed wire
Where the massive trains
Whistled and whirled
Across those tracks
Leading to someplace-
Somewhere north of monotony.
It started as the thought,
became the dream
then the reality.
The Thought
On the other side of the fence,
Grew the bluest berries
This side of the Mason-Dixon.
Held just beyond
The grasp of our tiny fingers.
The Dream
Capture the elusive berry.
Bypass the "Keep Out" sign.
For these berries MUST be
The sweetest of them all.
After all...
They are on the other side of the fence.
The Reality
We scaled the fence,
Bloody hands and all,
Savored our treasure.
Salvation was at hand.
We tasted of the bounty.
But to our surprise,
There was no treasure or mystery
Only a plain blueberry covered in blood.
A couple of recent incidents have brought the issue of nudity and the American mindset to my thoughts lately. Of course, there is the controversy and apparent upset about the nudity in ESPN's Body Issue that came out October 9, 2009. According to various sources, some Christian groups are disappointed with ESPN (which is owned by Disney) because they perceive this issue as using sex to sale. However, I see one glaring flaw in this theory. There is no "sex" in the ESPN special issue.
Frankly, I would venture to say that most men that stroll to the bathroom with Playboy and Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue would not pick up Body Issue from the magazine rack for their extra curricular purposes. The photo spread includes athletes such as Sara Reinertsen, a female amputee that completed the Ironman competition, Byambajav Ulambayar, a 341 lb. sumo wrestler and Michelle Carter, a quite muscular Olympic shot putter. Needless to say, these are not the figures gracing skin magazines. But beyond that, it is obvious that ESPN is highlighting sport physique not sex.
The tragedy is how some people take the beauty of nudity and instantly associate it with sexuality. What exactly is base, lewd or profane about the human body? Why exactly is it ok for children to watch a violent sport like football or hockey but a travesty for them to see a woman's nipple? The answers to these questions aren't black and white. But, I do think it represents a strange sickness in American culture fueled by the fundamentalist religious crowd.
Perhaps, these people should ask themselves why they feel this magazine is obscene. After all, God molded the beautiful and amazing forms that grace the covers of these pages.
Ever since ESPN released their first ever Body Issue magazine on October 9th, the Net has been abuzz with criticism of Serena Williams going the full monty on the cover. I admit that after first hearing about this I was pretty shocked. Since she is my second favorite tennis player(Venus Williams is my favorite), I've always had a tremendous amount of respect for her and her accomplishments. I'd never imagine her stooping low like many celebrity females and trading their bodies for stacks of cash and fame.
So, of course, I searched for these supposed outrageous pictures in fear of having my ideals of a strong woman dashed into the pavement. Low and behold, when I actually viewed the photographs, I found very tasteful and beautiful images of a fit athlete. There was nothing at all sordid, trashy or disgraceful about them. Consequently, this lead me to my next meandering thought.
Why is it that Williams was singled out when there are several other female athletes in the same magazine nude? Is it because the visage of such a proud, fierce and voluptuous black woman is too much heat for the American public to handle? Is it more racist backlash from those who despise her for residing at the top of women's tennis? Is it the haters from her own race that can't breath if another sister succeeds? I really don't have the answer, but it surely seems fishy to me.
Side Note: egyptsaidso.com reported that Williams could possible be banned from tennis and receive a fine for participating in this nude magazine issue. However, I could find no other report to substantiate the claim. So, I won't comment on the insanity of that prospect and treat it as a rumor until I see otherwise.
Since yesterday was National Coming Out Day in the United States, I decided it would be a good time to take a look at what President Obama's take is on the issue. Consequently, President Obama made a speech Saturday that expressed his views on equality for homosexuals and transgendered people. I, for one, was happy to hear that he takes the issue of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identification seriously.
Many politicians take the easy and cowardly path by avoiding this issue to appease the fundamentalist religious ilk that would be more than happy to continue living in the dark ages and oppressing those different from themselves. I think that President Obama clearly realizes that you can't be the land of the free and equality while still actively oppressing a group of people. Why can't other seemingly intelligent people comprehend this simple concept?
In the speech, President Obama made it clear that he would use the power of the Presidency to try and make change happen when it comes to this controversial issue. He went on to explain that he wants to pass an inclusive hate crime bill that will be named after Matthew Shepard, the University of Wyoming student slain because he was gay in 1998. The bill has already passed in the House and is expected to pass in the Senate. Likewise, he plans to address the shady "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" military policy that has only managed to be a hapless band-aid on the gays in the military issue.
Obviously, it will take time to truly make lasting change in the area of homosexual equality. Hatred and ignorance towards gays goes even farther back than racism. It is tangled in the very fabric of many societies across the world. Yet, this is one of the many steps in the fight for equality, and I hope President Obama stays courageous and follows it through to the end.
Last night as I was watching the newest episode of Diddy's Starmaker show, I was stunned to see that MTV had a Hottest MC's in the Game top 10 list. After the show, they performed the big reveal of the top 4 MCs according to the Brain Trust. Who are these guys anyway?? (However, I must note that there was also an audience poll involved as well.)
I couldn't help but laugh at the string of sucker MCs in the list. It never ceases to amaze me how the truly talented rappers waste away in the obscurity of the underground while talentless hacks flourish in the light. Clearly, Gift of Gab from Blackalicious could school over half that list of booty poppin', tired rhyme spittin' MCs with only half his brain functioning.
But I digress ...
The real shock of the night to my mind was the 4th place position of Kanye West. I can only imagine that hardcore rap fans had an insatiable need to scratch their own eyes out or at the least storm MTV's studios with pick axes and torches. Although, I personally think that some of West's rhymes have an incredible depth, social significance and good flow, I like most everyone else in the world find the guy ... annoying.
Often, I've wondered what it is exactly. Is it the hint of punkassness, the propensity to whine like an infant during a diaper change or the outlandish ego? I'm not sure, but I do know that he's had to scratch and claw for the golden fleece of street cred. Perhaps this MTV ranking will finally give him a tiny measure of respect among the masses of hip hop fans. So in that, I suppose the list isn't completely useless.
Low and behold, when I wake up this morning after getting only four hours of sleep, I turn on twitter and notice Lily Allen is listed as a hot topic. So, instantly, I knew it was either some truly fantastic news or something that would probably piss me off. Sadly, it was the latter.
Why oh why, did I have my morning ruined by the news that Lily Allen is "possibly" retiring? Well, it turns out she has decided to pitch a petulant fit over the state of illegal downloads. Apparently, she even started a blog to talk the controversial issue which she took down in day mind you. Don't get me wrong. I hate ratfink digital pirates as much as the next person that makes a living from music, movies and digital content.
But!
Throwing childish temper tantrums is hardly the answer to the problem. What I would like to ask Miss Allen is ... what about the true fans? Some of us actually slap down the price to buy legal downloads on Itunes, and there is also the sainted few who even fork over the exorbitant price for the whole CD. Why exactly would you give all of us the big heave ho because of the minority that have virtual sticky fingers?
I truly hope that this is only a silly publicity stunt to shed light on the pirating problem or to get hype for a new project. At least then, I can just hate on her a little while before playing "Smile" again.
I just got around to writing my first tech tutorial. So, since I am working on a Blender project at the moment, I decided to write one on the often overlooked skill of texture baking. It has a highly useful technique if you work with game engines, Flash 3D or virtual worlds like Second Life.
While browsing the net today, I was dismayed to read about yet another case of a rape hoax. The 18 year old Hofstra University student, DanmellNdonye, accused four young men of gang raping her on September 13, 2009. However, she turned right around and recanted the whole sordid tale 3 days later only after the police found out that the incident had been recorded on video. Apparently, Ndonye appeared to eagerly enjoy the bathroom sex romp.
Reading about such cases always fills me with a swirling mix of sadness and anger. Not only has she caused these men and their families a considerable amount of grief and heartache, she tarnished their names in their own community. Forever, their names will be associated with a rape case despite the charges being dismissed. There's no doubt that some of them will have serious issues trusting women in the future. If I were one of them, I'd want signed contracts of consent before even thinking about getting to third base after that nightmare.
However, the real lasting damage will be for date rape awareness and the countless victims of this crime. False witnesses like Ndonye perpetuate the stereotype that women only cry rape because they have guilt about their sexual behaviour. What will happen the next time a woman comes forward with a rape claim at Hofstra University or anywhere else for that matter? Some will point at her case as a shining example of why date rape is a fantasy.
The tragic truth is that many date rape victims never step forward because they don't want to be categorized as just another tart with remorse after the beer wears off. They don't want their lives picked apart moment by moment to judge if their sexual purity is worthy enough. Indeed, they fear that no one will believe them.
I can only hope that Ndonye will be prosecuted by the State of New York for her false claims. Perhaps then, she will see that she has placed one more detrimental hurdle in the way of real date rape victims.
I couldn't finish a Patrick Swayze dedication without mentioning one of my all time favorite Saturday Night Live skits of all the time. The whole idea of Swayze and the late comedian, Chris Farley, having a strip-off for a Chipendale audition is enough to make me fall onto the floor and laugh for days.
After hearing about Patrick Swayze's death on September 14, 2009, I was more saddened than I could have ever imagined. I had really taken for granted the impact he had on my life where it concerned love and romance. Not only was he the man that captured some of my all time sensual and loving moments on film, but he was the man that accomplished the impossible by maintaining a strong real life love story with his wife, Lisa Niemi, for over 30 years.
Being the hopeless romantic that I am, I'd like to celebrate his life by taking a moment to remember two pop culture classics that made the women pray to god that the sort of passion and love he exuded on the screen wasn't just celluloid fairy tales.
After all these years, I can still remember my reaction to the dirty dancing club scene towards the beginning of the film. The raw sexuality that flowed from Swayze's character, Johnny Castle, was enough to make a naive young girl want some of that titillating energy once she became a woman. But beyond the obvious sensual currents in the film, the powerful romance of the finale has forever shaped my dream of the modern day knight saving the damsel. When he uttered the memorable phrase, "Nobody puts Baby in the corner.", I knew with every fiber of my being that I wanted a man of my own just like him someday.
Although I'm not actually in love with this film as a whole, I am in love with Swayze's character, Sam Wheat, in it. Yet again, he had a marvelous way of bringing the ladies to their knees with another steamy scene. Who knew that anyone could make a pottery wheel sexy? As someone that has played with plenty of clay, I can tell you it isn't the most romantic environment.
However, any woman that saw that seen would tell you she would have given her right arm to have been that lump of clay in his hands. The scene was both extremely sexy while simultaneously being one of the most loving depictions of a couple I have ever seen. Needless to say, Swayze's portrayal of a man so in love that even death couldn't dilute his passion will always hold a special place in my heart.
So, cheers to Patrick Swayze. He immortalized the high capacity of love that a man can have for a woman in fiction while showing that sometimes art imitates life in a most beautiful way.
... Ah, yes, a new award show and a new silly Kanye West outburst ...
While I was clicking through one of my favorite social networks this morning, I noticed that someone asked what people thought about Kanye's inappropriate VMA upstaging last night and his subsequent mea culpa on his blog later that night.
I wrote the following:
I must say that I wasn't all that shocked to see Kanye West make a sheer spectacle out of himself at an award show ... once again. He obviously feeds off of being the center of attention. Of course, it wouldn't be a vast stretch to see these recurring outbursts as just wily marketing ploys. However, I tend to think it's a mix of marketing and just a plain infantile personality.
It's pretty sad that he didn't take into account Taylor Swift's age or the fact that that was her first VMA award. Thank god that Beyonce showed class and professionalism by allowing Swift to have her moment in the end.
As for his apology, who knows if it is sincere. Personally, I was more struck by how it sounded like something written by a 15 year old. One would expect that if he was sincere that he would have sat down and truly contemplated the moment. He wouldn't have made pitiful excuses on his blog like "I'm just real sorry for that".
I suppose no one told him there is a time and place for everything.
Yesterday, I actually had no intention of watching MTV's Video Music Awards. Frankly, I had gotten bored with the stale musical award show years ago. However, I was intrigued by the idea of seeing Janet Jackson's planned tribute to her brother, Michael Jackson, who died on June 25, 2009. Despite my mixed feelings about the King of Pop, I, like many others, acknowledge the great loss of talent to the music world. So, quite naturally, I assumed that Janet, another great entertainer, would put on a fantastic tribute to her brother.
Long story short, I did end up watching the VMA show with every intention of changing the channel after Janet's performance. But, too my shock, the show was actually... dare I say it... entertaining. From the Kanye West/Taylor Swift melodrama to Pink's amazing aerial act, I actually didn't get the anxious need to channel flip. Without further ado, I'll just hit on my favorite and wtf moments.
My Highlights
Janet Jackson and the Michael Jackson Tribute
Obviously, I would have to start with the Michael Jackson tribute that began with a speech by Madonna. To be honest, I was fully prepared to hate her speech once it started, but I must admit that it turned out to be a touching and thoughtful one. This was followed by a stage show filled with dancers in Michael's most famous costumes and performing his signature moves. It really was a yawn moment. Although they were great dance moves, the emotion and spectacle was lost with so many panning cameras and dancers stretched about the large stage.
I breathed a sigh of relief once Janet Jackson finally burst forth on to the stage. She performed a somewhat synced rendition of the Scream video with her brother who was on a widescreen behind her. It was as emotional and powerful as I suspected it would be. But, I was disappointed that it was so short. In retrospect, it may have been the powerful nature of the performance that convinced her to keep it short and sweet in the fear that she might get too emotional and lose it. Either way, her performance saved the tribute section from totally tanking.
Lady Gaga
Out of all the gossip and buzz about the program, Lady Gaga's appearance caused me the most curiosity. I haven't really followed her career closely since I don't really feel her musical style. Yet, I do find her fashion and personal style intriguing from a performance art point of view. Needless to say, she didn't disappoint with a plethora of weird costume changes throughout the show that the cameramen were nice enough to showcase every time they could. I wasn't sure rather to be impressed by her bold, unique fashion choices or whether to run from the TV creeped out.
As for her performance of her hit song, Paparazzi, I wasn't crazy about the new musical composition. Don't get me wrong, I understand why they slowed it down for theatrical effect to match the high drama stage show, but it still wasn't that pleasing to the ear. Yet, I still give it points for keeping my attention with Lady Gaga's performance intensity and the seriously random blood gush at the end. The girl has diva drama on lock.
Beyonce
To my joy, Beyonce performed her song, Single Ladies. I don't really love this song musically but I adore the video/music combination. For that reason, I think it was quite perfect that she won the Best Video Award for it. It's the epitome of what MTV is about ... the synergy of pop music and visuals to create something spectacular on a visceral level.
During her stage performance of the song, I was up on my feet dancing along the whole time. The beat as well as the dance moves were infectious and had me going from beginning to end. This was no real surprise since she always brings her A game to these events.
Pink
Pink is an artist I have followed since forever. Being a punk at heart, her music has always touched me. However, her performance at the VMA blew my mind. I would have never have expected a poignant aerial acrobatic show to come from her. But, she pulled it off stunningly. No one can claim that her performance was the same old cookie cutter award show trash.
Other Notables: Green Day and Muse
Last but not least, I'd have to mention the two groups that represented for rock. Green Day and Muse proved that the rockers can still impress at an award show with the sheer power of kick a** music. Like Beyonce's performance, I couldn't stay still during their time on stage. Not only were the crowds going crazy with excitement, the bands flowed with electric energy.
WTF Moment
Predictably, Kanye West showed yet again that he is the most classless person in all of celebrity. For those living in a cave, Kanye upstaged Taylor Swift while she was accepting the award for Best Female Video. Granted, I wouldn't have picked that video in a million years to win that award, but it surely wasn't appropriate for Kanye West to jump on stage and grab the mic from a teen girl. Geez, blogs are talior made to rant on such silly award giving travesties. Try blogging first so you don't have to post childish apologies on your blog after the fact, Kanye.
In the end, I felt the MTV Video Music Awards weren't a total waste of a couple of hours. I'm not sure if the improved show was a testament of a better crop of artists this year or better programmers at MTV. However, I just may give the VMA show another chance next year ... maybe.
So, after over a year of friends and family pestering me to start a blog, I've finally decided to give it a go. You may be wondering what you will find here after stumbling onto the page. Well, mostly it will be my rants on politics, the insanity of American culture and anything else I find moronic on any given day.
Of course, I'll toss in some random viral videos and naughtiness for the poops and giggles. ^^
