Tuesday, May 31, 2011

A Motorcycle-Styled Motor Scooter



Not everyone likes to change gears on a motorcycle. In fact, gear changing can be where many first time motorcycle riders get themselves into some difficulty. Or, maybe you just like the lazy way of not having to shift gears. Regardless, Scooter Depot is offering a motor scooter based design with motorcycle styling that should please more than a few riders.








The Chinese-built design features the same sort of reliable CVT transmission design that you see in most other motor scooters, except in a motorcycle-styled frame. And the size is compact as well, and just as easy to park as other motor scooter. And for around $1600, this model offers a lot of fun potential for a very reasonable price. China builds more than half the world's 50 million motorcycles ceach year, with many of their scooter and moped designs a very good value for the money. Some major companies like Honda rely on China to build their scooter engines because of their durability and proven design.



With $4 a gallon gas pretty much here to stay, the up to 80mpg fuel economy even puts those hybrid automobiles to shame. And the peppy 150cc engine has enough power to propel this guy to 60+mph, which is freeway legal most places. That's not too bad!




Okay, it might not be some huge-ass engined Harley or something. But, hey, for some riders this ain't too bad. It sure beats walking, huh? Check Scooter Depot's Website out for this and more good toys, tailor-made for some Summer fun. It's nearly June you know?

Monday, May 30, 2011

"Motorcycle Mama" Sarah Palin Joins Rolling Thunder Biker Veterans



Sarah Palin was seen rolling into Washington, D.C. for the annual Rolling Thunder veteran's tribute on the back of Harley. However, some of the veteran's group bikers were confounded who actually invited Sarah Palin to the event, because some felt that her presence was a political publicity stunt that seriously detracted from their annual honor for fallen soldiers. And her black leather biker jacket's slogan read that, "I LOVE THE SMELL OF EMISSIONS", was seen as being absurd, if not overly rude and insensitive to air quality issues by some. If the appearance as a biker mama on a Harley was supposed to gain Palin some political points, then it actually had mixed reactions by many attending the rally.






Palin's appearance at the biker rally also marks the start of her "One Nation" bus tour as well, which is viewed as the likely start of her 2012 run for president. However, her appearance at the veteran's biker rally just didn't seem like an appropriate place to kick off the start of a political campaign by many, and will remain controversial.






Politically, many bikers tilt right of center. However, respect for veterans is very important amongst them, as even organizations such as the Hells Angels have roots with WWII military veterans, where a large majority of members of many motorcycle clubs are military veterans. Sarah Palin might have seriously misjudged when it's appropriate to campaign or not. To many, active campaigning during an event to honor veterans is a real taboo. Sarah Palin may have actually hurt some of her support among bikers with this pandering political stunt during this veteran's event. Then again, good political judgment has never been a real strong suit of Sarah Palin, unlike other more seasoned professional politicians who more carefully manage their actions.

THE HANGOVER PART II Tops Weekend Box Office



THE HANGOVER PART II was the easy winner this Memorial Day weekend with a more than $86 million dollar gross. The screwball laugh at loud comedy easily topped Jack Black's KUNG FU PANDA 2 which topped $47.8 million dollars, even though PANDA played in 3925 theaters compared to THE HANGOVER, which opened in 310 less theaters, but managed to better pack in the audiences. The first HANGOVER film was made on a $35 million dollar budget, and grossed more than $497 million, making it real smash, and really encouraging this sequel to be made. The sequel has a much bigger budget of $80 million, and reportedly made more than $177 million so far.










Some critics such as Roger Ebert didn't really like THE HANOVER PART II, seeing it as a raunchy attempt to milk laughs. However audiences seemed to well like the show which should make plenty of money in both theaters and in later DVD and BluRay disc release versions.










THE HANGOVER PART II also faced some legal hurdles. The designer of Mike Tyson's tattoo filed a lawsuit to prevent the release of the film claiming that the tattoo in the film was a ripoff of his claimed copyrighted design. However, a judge allowed the film's release to go ahead while the merits of the tattoo lawsuit will be decided some other day.










PETA was also up in arms that little Crystal, a capuchin monkey, appears to be smoking a cigarette in the film, however this smoke was digitally added. However, reports are that the American Humane Society's disclaimer about no animals being harmed during the filming of the movie are missing according to one report. However, it is unlikely that any animals were harmed in this film. Further, Crystal is a star animal, also appearing in both the NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM films.










Last week's #1 film, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES, slid down to #3 this past weekend, taking in $39.5 million, or a 56% slide in box office gross, although actually appearing in nine more theaters than last week.










BRIDESMAIDS, last week's #2 film, slid down to #4, taking in more than $16.5 million dollars, still proving that it's one of the most successful vehicles for recent SNL stars in recent memory. BRIDESMAIDS also expanded to a few more theaters as well, while audiences are slowing slightly for the new release.










THOR came in at #5 this past weekend, taking in more than $9.5 million, slipping from #3 last week. THOR played in 3296 theaters, down by 628 theaters from a week earlier.










Other top ten also-rans were #6, FAST FIVE, at $6.4 million and #7, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, which is doing much better in it's second week at $1.9 million, because of playing in more theaters than the week before. #8, this week as well as last week is SOMETHING BORROWED, taking in more than $1.8 million. #9 and #10, are RIO and JUMPING THE BROOM, both taking in $1,825,000 million. So you can flip a coin and decide which one is stronger than the other.










#11, is PRIEST, at $1.7 million, who is unlike any priest that I've seen. And, no he doesn't give out communion either. WATER FOR ELEPHANTS came in at #12, taking in a little bit over one million dollars.










It's pretty clear that comedies dominated this holiday weekend's box office, with a few big winners like THE HANGOVER PART II really walking away with the gold medal.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Zsa Zsa Gabor In Coma After Another Week Of Serious Health Problems



Legendary celebrity Zsa Zsa Gabor is facing her most serious health crisis ever. She reportedly has fluid in her lungs and has slipped into another coma. The 94 year old actress reportedly had emergency stomach surgery after she developed internal bleeding. Her feeding tube became accidentally dislodged, leading to a frantic 911 call from her husband.






It's deeply sad that so many serious health problems are building up for the veteran actress. With her advanced age, and so many serious issues at this time the fear of many of her fans is that her luck cheating death could some day run out. Zsa Zsa Gabor has proved very durable before. Let's pray she can pull through this latest crisis.

THE ROCKI WHORE PICTURE SHOW?




Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery. And reportedly the newest smash hit on the adult video charts is a masterfully done parody of the cult classic ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. Immediately, the adult film parody has soared to the top of the charts because it includes musical numbers as well as a big cast and a big budget. AVN(Adult Video News) reports that the new film has also been given five star ratings by critics, meaning that fans of the old ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW will probably want to give this adult film a try because it's the best parody of the film ever made.






With the adult DVD industry battling with the effects of the lingering recession, and much lower sales, the industry has battled back with some recent high buck, well produced parodies of popular movies and TV shows that have proven some popularity outside of the normal buyers of adult films, as fans of these shows want to see a parody of their classic.




A parody also has more constitutional protections than other adult films, although most films that merely portray on-camera sex aren't considered legally obscene in most of the U.S. Generally, only some fringe material that depicts some really outlandish conduct might be viewed as obscene these days. In a few places such as Utah, legal authorities, under pressure from the Mormon Church pretty much suppress most adult DVDs except for the censored hard R or soft X rated cable TV versions which they legally can't suppress. This is part of the reason that Utah has the highest per capita adult website subscription rate in the U.S.






As good of a parody as THE ROCKI WHORE PICTURE SHOW is, you probably won't see it in a few parts of the U.S. But, look for it almost everywhere else. But, a well made film parody like this is good for a few lusty laughs as a popcorn movie with your loved one. And who knows, there might be a few benefits after the movie as well. And who wouldn't want that?




Well, Damn it, Janet?

Friday, May 27, 2011

Cd Review: Lady Gaga BORN THIS WAY



Lady Gaga's latest anticipated album is perhaps her best effort ever, available in both standard 14 track and expanded 22 track versions. It's both very listenable and enjoyable with plenty of great songs that are danceable as well as lyrics that offer encouragement and upbeat messages. The title track, BORN THIS WAY, is available in two different versions on the expanded album, but other remixes, etc. exist of this song as well. While a great piece of pop music, that reminds some of Madonna's EXPRESS YOURSELF, the lyrics are a favorite of some groups such as LGBT community as well, who have embraced the song's message.






There's so much strong material here, including the opening track, MARRY THE NIGHT, the controversial JUDAS, THE EDGE OF GLORY and more. There's a lot of great material here, where Lady Gaga seems to have inherited the pop diva crown from both Madonna and Britney Spears, producing a great effort recorded at London's Abbey Road Studios.






With so many disappointing new album releases so far this year, it's so good to see an album of great infectious rhythms and danceable numbers. This is a joyful and upbeat positive album that will make her fans very happy. And the album has reportedly sold over 1 million copies this week alone. That's darn good. But, this is a darn good album.






The Bottom Line: Lady Gaga really strikes gold here with an album that's probably her best ever. It's a very good album. +++1/2 Stars, or nearly excellent. Buy this album and love it to death!






Troubled Actor Jeff Conaway Dies At 60



Jeff Conaway who appeared in both the movie GREASE as well as the TV series TAXI and later BABYLON 5 has died at the age of 60. He was hospitalized this week, but taken off life support once he appeared to be brain dead. Despite a respectable career as an actor, he eventually slipped into years of substance abuse problems.






By 2008, Jeff Conaway was featured Dr. Drew's CELEBRITY REHAB program on VH1 because his drug and alcohol problems had grown so out of control. Conaway also appeared on Howard Stern's program complaining that he was depressed because his 21 attempts at suicide were unsuccessful. It was a deeply sad final years for the troubled actor that finally ended this week.


Jeff Conaway had no children, although he had been married twice, including a marriage to Olivia Netwon-John's sister. His latest relationship with a girlfriend was an on and off relationship, probably because of his own substance abuse problems.




Jeff Conaway once seemed so promising as an actor. And while never a top tier actor, he nonetheless gained some respect for his roles and will still be missed by many. But, it seems that his personal life just continued to unravel.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Kim Kardashian Engaged To NBA Player Kris Humphries



Kim Kardashian is now officially engaged to New Jersey Nets basketball player Kris Humphries. In a romantic moment at the Beverly Hills home of Kim Kardashian, Humphries got down on bended knee amid rose pedals that spelled out Will You Marry Me? and popped the big question. Of course, she said yes. What girl's heart wouldn't be melted by this romantic scene.






The two have been dating for six months. It will the second marriage for Kim Kardashian who is 30. Humphries is just 26, and reportedly gave Kim a beautiful custom designed 20.5 carrot ring made by master jewelry maker Lorraine Schwartz.






Kim first tied the knot back when she was just 19 years old, when she married record producer Damon Thomas. That marriage lasted just four years. Since then, Kim has been dating a small string of celebrity men, including Ray J, whom the two were in a notorious sex tape together.

Big Time Sissyass Stuff: False Prophet Harold Camping Brags About Heading Off To Cayman Islands With $80 Million In Donor Money



Incredible! Absolutely incredible! After televangelist huckster Harold Camping created controversy for himself by creating a false "rapture" prophecy for May 21, he now is publicly bragging about heading off to the Cayman Islands with $80 million in tax free donor funds that his Family Radio televangelist network earned.






Camping was asked in an interview why he was still here after his claimed "rapture" would occur on May 21, and he smartly responded that, " Why I'm still here is irrelevant; all I can do now is take the $80 million surplus my organization has collected from religious donors to the Cayman Islands where I intend to work tirelessly spreading the word of God before the End Of Days in October". Absolutely outrageous! You brag about collecting millions in tax-free donations from good hearted donors, and then you beat it to the Cayman Islands to live like a king for the rest of your life. Is there a special place in Hell for religious scammers like this or not?






Camping even further claims that the "rapture" of the 144,000 faithful actually occurred this past Saturday but "went unnoticed", and now the world is just waiting for the October destruction of the Earth, giving Camping a few more months to raise millions more in donations to "spread" the word about this end of the world scam he's running.






Hey, maybe the fact that Camping wasn't part of his self-proclaimed "rapture" and now needs to work "tirelessly" on his scam from the Cayman Islands might well prove that there's no rest for the wicked afterall. Maybe that's a little consolation.






Some religious radio stations that were formerly associated with Harold Camping's Family Radio are now turning against him including Redeemer Radio which has canceled his programing on their station and is now calling Harold Camping's teachings "Satanic" and urging his followers to turn back to Christ. Sadly, Redeemer Radio noted that some persons who followed Camping's teachings hurt their marriages and some killed their family pets. Perez Hilton reports several suicides because of Harold Camping. And there are reports of others who lost their life savings. That's pretty sad. What Camping has done reaches far beyond normal sissyassdom. It should probably be criminal.






How many true believers will continue to follow Harold Camping is a good question? But, his house of cards is beginning to fall down as he enjoys a luxury working retirement in the Cayman Islands. He's an incredibly bad person. The only problem is that some gullible folks learned that too late.






Chris Meloni Quits LAW AND ORDER:SVU



NBC is probably pretty blue today. After negotiations for a 13th season for actor Chris Meloni broke down to return to LAW AND ORDER: SVU, it was announced that he'll be leaving the show, leaving the producers looking for a high profile name to replace him in the series. And things will only get worse for NBC as Mariska Hargitay plans to exit next season. Reportedly, Jennifer Love Hewitt is already wooed to sign on as a replacement for Hargitay.






However, both Chris Meloni and Mariska Hargitay seem like irreplaceable presences in this great series. Without either actor, the show just won't be the same.






It seems like all good things come to an end. And with the end of LAW AND ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT and the failure of LAW AND ORDER:LOS ANGELES, it seems like the once powerful LAW AND ORDER series franchise might just be reaching near it's twilight. And that's very sad.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Big Time Sissyass Stuff: Anti-drug Legislator Arrested On Drug Charges



A Rhode Island state representative who made a special effort to be known as tough on drugs has been arrested for driving under the influence of marijuana, drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia. Representative Robert Watson(R-RI) was driving his car which was randomly stopped at police sobriety checkpoint, and police immediately noticed a strong scent of marijuana smoke in the car, leading to the arrest of the state legislator.






Tests proved that the legislator's blood alcohol level was below the legal limit. And the legislator now admits that he has in fact been using marijuana to treat a medical condition he claims to have, although the police acted with probable cause based on the strong marijuana scent in the car. The legislator claims that he hadn't used marijuana that day, although the strong marijuana scent pretty much guts that claim.






Watson also claimed that he had several drinks that day, but wasn't legally drunk, which the blood alcohol test did confirm that he was a little below the legal limit.






Hey, don't you love legislators who are against things before they are for them? Where have we heard that one before? Nothing like electing hypocrites to office like Bob Watson, who use drugs themselves, but want to jail others who do the same thing, and then lie when they're arrested themselves for laws that they helped to write. It takes all types it seems.

Pippa Middleton's $5 Million Dollar Porn Offer



Kate Middleton's sexy sister, Pippa Middleton, has been offered a $5 million dollar contract by Steven Hirsch of Vivid Entertainment to do porn. However, don't expect her to seriously take up this offer. Steven Hirsch is famous for making mega-offers to many celebrities who routinely turn him down, but at least getting some major mainstream news publicity out of at least making the offers. Further, if a celebrity would actually accept, then Hirsch would profit that way. For Hirsch it's a win-win proposition.






Pippa Middleton will no doubt get some serious offers to act as a celebrity spokesman for some products or other offers. And being both wild and sexy, she will no doubt offer many hours of scandal sheet and celebrity news fun for all.






Nothing is much better than a goofy sibling who makes the news. And sexy Pippa is a tailor-made fit for that role!

Music Legend Bob Dylan Turns 70



If anything further acts as an example of the aging of the 60's generation, it's the fact that Bob Dylan is turning 70. The music legend has set the standard for many genres of music including folk, rock, blues, country and gospel. He's proven one of the most influential musicians and songwriters of all time, and was even a huge influence on other music legends such as Jimi Hendrix who even adopted part of his look from Bob Dylan, as well as recording his own version of "All Along The Watchtower".






Although Bob Dylan's music has continued to evolve over the years, fans have stayed true to the legend. And critics have always been in awe of each powerful new metamorphosis of the artist. Like a butterfly emerging for the first time, Bob Dylan provided endless new directions to his music, while remaining one of the greatest songwriters of all time.






Dylan evolved from a protest singer-type folk singer roots in early years to more progressive rock influenced efforts such as HIGHWAY 61 REVISITED and BLONDE ON BLONDE. In 1966, after being involved in a motorcycle crash, the singer took a long break from the spotlight and later emerged with a new voice and sound that energized his work with The Band and his album NASHVILLE SKYLINE. In 1969, Dylan appeared on Johnny Cash's variety TV show and appeared to be showing a definite country influenced sound.






But by 1970, some critics were confounded by Dylan's constant and seemingly unpredictable musical directions. But Dylan continued to produce new music such as the hit single, "Watching The River Flow" to satisfy his fans. By 1972, Dylan even signed up for a role in PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID, another Sam Peckinpah classic. Dylan played the role of "Alias" in the film as well as providing songs for the soundtrack.






Bob Dylan briefly jumped ship from his long relationship with Columbia Records to briefly record with Asylum Records. Two albums, including PLANET WAVES came from this brief encounter with another record label before Dylan was lured back to Columbia Records to record more albums, some more inspired than others including the great BOB DYLAN LIVE AT BUDOKAN. In 1978, Dylan released the great album "STREET-LEGAL". But, in 1979, Dylan made a turn towards a born again Christianity phase, releasing two albums, SLOW TRAIN COMING and later, SAVED, in 1980. His single from SLOW TRAIN COMING, "Gotta Serve Somebody" won Dylan a Grammy Award for Best Male Vocalist, proving that many fans and critics are willing to trust Bob Dylan no matter what he attempts. SLOW TRAIN COMING peaked at #3 on the U.S. album charts.






Although Bob Dylan continued to offer albums in the following years, it wasn't until TIME OUT OF MIND, LOVE AND THEFT, MODERN TIMES and TOGETHER THROUGH LIFE that Bob Dylan hit a string of successive top ten albums. Both MODERN TIMES and TOGETHER THROUGH LIFE were Dylan's first #1 albums since 1974's PLANET WAVES and BLOOD ON THE TRACKS.






Happy Birthday, Bob Dylan. You've given fans a lifetime of great music. Here's to many great releases through your 70's and beyond.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Arnold Schwarzenegger-Maria Shriver Divorce Could Break The Bank



The likely divorce of actor and former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver may cost Schwarzenegger a near record $100-200 million dollars, making it one of the most expensive breakups of all time. The actor had a prenup agreement drawn up in 1986, however both the factors of the cheating as well as more than 25 years of marriage could pretty much gut the terms of the prenup and leave Arnold Schwarzenegger with a much lighter wallet according to family law experts.






There is a previous legal history of prenuptial agreements being thrown aside in divorce courts when factors such as cheating or a long marriage are factored in.






Arnold Schwarzenegger may learn one lesson from all of this: extramarital affairs aren't too cheap when you're a wealthy married celebrity. And although, the divorce settlement isn't an amount quite big enough to bail out the state of California's money problems if it went to that end, up to $200 million is nonetheless a staggering figure out of just one pocket......Arnold's.

British Soft Porn Pioneer Dead



Gordon Sergeant was an unique soft porn pioneer. While American soft porn pioneers such as Hugh Hefner loved classic nudes of beautiful young women, Gordon Sergeant turned his fetish fantasy love of seeing young adult women being spanked into the little JANUS Magazine and bookstore empire. JANUS was always a very tame magazine, and never very explicit. It was always a very soft core approach to adult entertainment, and had a small following worldwide of men who enjoyed Gordon Sergeant's peculiar little fetish magazines. JANUS survived for decades in the U.K. with only a small circulation and a bookstore on Old Compton Street that sold the magazine and other similar fetish magazines and videos. It was funny that such a specialized fetish business could find enough of a market to stay in business as long as it has.






Many larger publication companies offered fetish magazines over the last few decades that specialized in young adult women being spanked as a sexual fetish, but almost all have folded or went out of business. It just seems like such a boorish and politically incorrect fetish these days, although many adults certainly practice some sort of fetish conduct in their own private bedrooms with their lovers. Even magician David Blaine has bragged about his love of spanking his then-girlfriend Fiona Apple as sexplay before, so adults do more unusual things in the bedroom than most will admit.






While most porn in the Western World has grown into hard sexual penetration stuff, Gordon Sergeant's softcore fetish magazines always seemed like a peculiar little approach to porn for older men and never seemed to appeal all that much to young men. Many of the stories and features in JANUS seemed oddly like some old British history lesson more than anything. Yet, the magazine was odd enough that it has a collector's appeal and back copies on Ebay sell for good money.






As tame as JANUS was, it still faced many legal challenges in the UK, although most often the models in the magazines obviously weren't being really harmed at all. JANUS was just some old man's fantasy magazine and was about as safe as milk. The magazine and bookstore continue to exist today as one of the very few surviving fetish magazines that specializes in the spanking fetish. Bondage and related fetishes seem to be a much larger market by comparison, with strength in the both the straight and gay communities. But, some of that stuff gets pretty hard compared to very tame approach that JANUS has always taken. JANUS was about as softcore as it could be, just like PLAYBOY is the most softcore of the mainstream men's magazines.






Gordon Sergeant was above all a classic English gentleman. He fluently spoke several languages, and was a great marksman. He reportedly loved Jeffrey Bernard which he would drink at the Coach And Horses pub in London. In no way did he match any crude stereotype of some pornographers. He leaves this world making a peculiar little mark in the history of softcore porn. He also never seemed to have a shortage of finding beautiful young adult women willing to be paid to model for his softcore spanking fantasies in his magazines. Many seemed to be eager participants. And that's the bottom line.



Celebrity Camel Toe Moment: Heidi Klum



German Supermodel Heidi Klum always looks so awesome, even if the clothes don't quite fit. Like today especially. But, I doubt any of her fans will complain much. I think they might actually approve.


I guess that supermodels have super camel toes?

Sunday, May 22, 2011

FAMILY GUY Wraps Up Season Finale Tonight With Third STAR WARS Parody



FAMILY GUY, one of the greatest animated shows ever to air, wraps up it's season with a third parody of STAR WARS tonight at 9:00. The season finale is entitled EPISODE IV: IT'S A TRAP. Expect more masterful and irreverent humor that pushes the envelope tonight from this great program. The Griffins' own twisted version of STAR WARS will certainly leave you laughing with one clever joke and sight gag after another. FAMILY GUY is great entertainment.






Don't miss the latest misadventures of the Griffins in a galaxy far far away. You know that nothing can possiby go wrong with the genius of Peter Griffin at the helm, don't you?

How Long Before Charlie Sheen's Broke?



Without a new large steady source of income such as his huge $1.25 million per episode from TWO AND A HALF MEN, it only seems like a matter of time before Charlie Sheen has financial troubles. Sheen reportedly borrowed $10 million from Warner Bros. at the start of this past season of the show. This seems incredible because it means that Sheen was already tearing through huge amounts of money even with the biggest weekly salary of any TV series star.






Sheen no doubt has plenty of assets and probably investments as well. But, his free spending ways will have to slow down significantly. He just can't spend so freely without a new regular gig.






And the question remains that with so much erratic behavior this past year, will any producer want to take a chance on Sheen. Hasn't he really hurt his marketability big time?






Financially, Sheen is no doubt fine for today and for tomorrow. But how long can that last? Something has to change.

Big Time Sissyass Stuff: False Prophet Harold Camping Leaves His Supporters With Light Wallets



Harold Camping has grown a televangelist radio empire from $22 million in assets in 2002 to more than $117 million today by collecting donations from the gullible who have been taken in by his false claims that he's somehow a prophet, er, is that a profit? Yesterday, the latest claim of the end of the world didn't happen, as expected. Today, Harold Camping is mum and is nowhere to be found. But, then again, who in their right mind would follow some wacky radio preacher who looks like he's descended from a rat? The only thing that Harold Camping did for many was to reassert some belief that maybe evolution is a correct theory after all.





Camping spent $1 million on a billboard campaign to proclaim his alarmist end of the world message. Not only didn't the rapture not happen, but he brought a wave of fresh ridicule on the Christian faith which is too often publicly characterized by kooks and nuts like Camping who proclaim absurd things or stubbornly promote bizarre views on politics, claiming God's support for their actions. The ultimate in religious extremism was also characterized by Osama bin Laden and his followers who used God to justify terrorism and murder. By comparison, Harold Camping is much more benign, although he has fleeced his listeners out of millions of dollars.






Part of the problem with Harold Camping's views is that the "rapture" isn't even mentioned anywhere in the Bible. It's totally a made-up concept that some modern self-styled Christians have invented. Further, in the Old Testament book of Ezekiel, the coming of a Messiah was meant to rescue Jerusalem from a certain fall to enemies. The fact of the matter is that the Old Testament and especially the book of Ezekiel are the history of Israel and it's people. Christians hijacked this religion in the first century and the centuries beyond, not wanting to wait until Jerusalem fell again in modern times, wanting a Messiah now, looking to Jesus, creating many unusual new beliefs far beyond what was actually written in the New Testament including a belief in a "rapture" in which 144,000 of the most faithful are taken up to Heaven before the Earth is destroyed. However, the scientific reality is that the Sun that heats the Earth should last for about 3-4 billion more years before this star collapses and destroys the Earth and all of the planets in this solar system. If humans don't find a way off this solar system by then, meaning that life on this Earth is doomed. But that's a long long time from now. Urgency isn't an issue here.





The real end of the Earth is most likely billions of years into the future when the Sun finally dies like so many other stars that have died. That's a long time after Harold Camping and all of his followers will have passed away. But for today, Harold Camping has made himself a millionaire by proclaiming false prophecy. Today, a lot of people are laughing at Harold Camping, probably including God as well.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Celebrity Camel Toe Moment: Paris Hilton



Sometimes a celebrity just doesn't make a good judgment call on what to wear, other times wardrobe malfunctions do occur. Sometimes a celebrity just doesn't care what shows. But, when Paris Hilton had this photo shot, we just think she wanted to be naughty. And naughty it is indeed.






Gee, Paris, do you buy all your shorts from the little kids department a few sizes too small or what? How long can you wear shorts that tight without suffocating? Regardless, I don't think that her fans will mind a bit. No, not at all.






Okay, Paris, you can breathe now.

Very worst Celebrity Moments: Chris Brown's "Too Much Information" Onstage Mishap



Sometimes you don't know why celebrities bother to share some really horrible moments. But sometimes they do. And Chris Brown decided to share something that clearly falls under the "too much information" category.






Chris Brown revealed that when was 17 performing on a world tour he was very sick one night with food poisoning, and while dancing onstage a horrible diarrhea moment suddenly struck. As bad as this sounds, Brown had to further note that it was "running down my leg".






Oh God, why share this story, Chris? On the other hand, sometimes celebrity crap is much worse than usual.

Friday, May 20, 2011

SNL Has Lady Gaga And Justin Timberlake Star Power For Season Finale




NBC is rolling out the star power to end SNL's season tomorrow evening. Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake should both be bona fide ratings gold for NBC, in this can't miss event. And you know that the regular SNL crew has worked real hard all week to go out on a high note as well. Expect both Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake to turn in a few news worthy moments.








For Heaven's sake don't miss this big event. This SNL has all of the makings to be their best episode this season, bar none.

The May 21 Rapture, The 2012 Election And More Outrageous Predictions





Those wild crystal ball readers and false prophets are working overtime the last few days, offering plenty of predictions the last few days. Self-proclaimed prophet Harold Camping might be chief among those who are going way out to make a wild prediction of the coming "rapture" on May 21. Strangely, Camping believes that it's going to a "rolling" rapture, which will happen at 6:00pm everywhere, meaning that God somehow respects time zones. Okay? Now real crazy talk seems even more disturbed.










Strangely, not a single factor seems to be in place for any sort of a "rapture" to take place. Where's the claimed anti-Christ? Where's the nation of Israel surrounded by enemies about to close in on Jerusalem? Where's a united Russia and China waging world war on the world as others claim is a prerequisite condition? None of these factor exist.










The Christian faith for all intents and purposes is a one-off religion based on the old Jewish faith, sometimes with some very bizarre followers . And the Jewish Old Testament prophet Ezekiel viewed a rescue by God as a necessary condition to prevent the fall of modern Jerusalem to after the modern state of Israel would be re-established in 1948. The prophet Ezekiel at least has had a 100% accuracy record predicting the history of Israel unlike other modern self-proclaimed prophets like Harold Camping.










Camping and some others think that 144,000 of the most faithful persons will be taken up to Heaven in their sleep, while others are not so sure. Even Jehovah's Witnesses and Seven Day Adventists believe that most persons will live forever on a renewed Earth with Jesus as their king and God the father as chief executive officer. At any rate, you can almost surely expect May 21 to come and go as any other day with nothing major happening and Camping and his followers looking for some new crazy explanation why the rapture just didn't happen.










If believing in crazy rapture predictions isn't your cup of tea, then you might be interested in some of those wacky Torah or Bible Code followers who now claim that the death of Osama bin Laden was foretold in the Torah Code. Yet, strangely it was only after the death of bin Laden that this information was revealed. Suddenly it appears that amazing Torah Code predictions are only revealed after they already happen. How utterly incredible!










And if wacky religious screwball predictions isn't really your thing, then maybe you'll be impressed with knowing the outcome of the 2012 presidential election and not having to wait. Justin Valuable likes to post updated electoral college prediction maps on-line. He claims at this point that President Obama losses by 217-321 to some unnamed Republican challenger. However, this includes some interesting predictions right here such as pretty reliable Democratic states of Iowa, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and New Mexico all voting Republican in 2012. Certainly, Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio and Florida could be seen as swing states that could all vote GOP in 2012 dooming Mr. Obama's re-election hopes. Ohio always pretty much determines the winner every presidential election. Whoever wins Ohio wins the election.










Justin Valuable bases his prediction on independent voters abandoning Mr. Obama in 2012 in droves because of high gas prices, high food prices and a view that the economy hasn't really improved very much under his watch. Certainly a lagging economy sank the re-election hopes of both Jimmy Carter and George Bush 1, both of which lost many voters for their failed re-election attempts.










Predictions are always interesting. However, some predictions such as a 2010 one that the U.N. will appoint a delegate to space aliens has proved itself real wrong. The U.N. just hasn't had any contact with E.T. so far, so please tell him to phone home soon, huh? Okay?




















Wednesday, May 18, 2011

NBC Finds Their VOICE



NBC has a lot riding on THE VOICE. It's their only top 20 hit according to the Nielsen ratings, while CBS, FOX and ABC all manage a number of entries in the top 20. The formula of THE VOICE is meant to give NBC a hit show much on the order of AMERICAN IDOL, which does considerably better. AMERICAN IDOL's ratings top 25 million, while THE VOICE only tops 12 million viewers. But, by NBC's standards those are blockbuster numbers.






THE VOICE's formula varies a little from AMERICAN IDOL enough to be different. The two shows are decided different enough, although both are singing competition shows. NBC is just happy to have this hit, even if it's little more than a naked attempt to create it's own AMERICAN IDOL knockoff. Even critics agree THE VOICE is good entertainment.






Like nearly all new sensations, the ratings on THE VOICE will almost likely fall at some future point beyond this current season. But, you can expect THE VOICE to be back next season for sure, even if the ratings might be a little softer than this premiere season when the concept seems new and fresh.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Big Time Sissyass Stuff: Pennsylvania School Punishes Students With Cafeteria Food



How God awful are those cafeteria sandwiches? Well, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania it now appears that one school is punishing students by having them eat those cafeteria sandwiches. WTF? It appears that some students were complaining about the awful quality of the hot lunches, so then school officials decided to punish those students by having them eat those cold cafeteria sandwiches instead.






Memo to the school in Harrisburg: If your food is so God awful terrible that you consider it a punishment by merely serving it, then maybe you actually need to improve the food. When your food actually ranks right there with detentions, the paddle, writing lines and other classic school punishments it ought to tell even half-conscious school officials something.






No wonder kids will risk detention by leaving the campus to find a nearby fast food joint. That must be like fine dining by comparison. When your school cafeteria food isn't much better than thumbscrews or the iron maiden, and kids set escape plans just short of digging tunnels to McDonalds it should be pretty clear that something is seriously wrong in the school's kitchen.

FOX Cancels AMERICA'S MOST WANTED



For 23 years, AMERICA'S MOST WANTED was a fixture on the network although the program wasn't a money maker for FOX . It was mainly pleas for sheriffs and other law enforcement officials that kept the show on the air. Now FOX has decided to cancel regular weekly episodes of the true life crime show hosted by John Walsh, and replace it with other programming such as NASCAR racing and sports. But, AMERICA'S MOST WANTED will air a few specials once in a while to satisfy fans of the show and law enforcement officials who will regret the end of the regular series.






Strangely, AMERICA's MOST WANTED was always a favorite among many in jails in prisons as well, many of the prisoners deeply disgusted with the crimes that some commit as any other citizens might be.

Osama bin Laden's Sexy Mistress




Sexy Kola Boof, the Egyptian-Sudanese-American author and poet was the claimed former mistress of Osama bin Laden. While claiming that she was never a sex slave like a story that is circulating that bin Laden also kept a Pakistani women as a sex slave, Kola Boof does admit to a sexual relationship with the former terrorist leader. Boof was also a former spy at one time, working for the SPLA organization(Sudan People's Liberation Army).








Kola Boof freely flaunts nudity on her own biographical website where she tells much more of her own amazing life story. She also refers to herself as a "womanist", which seems to mean that she's a sort of feminist. Kola Boof also views the Arab Muslim religion as being oppressive of women in Africa, being an even worse evil than "Western imperialism". She subscribes to more traditional African women's religions instead.








It's an amazing story, how one woman was once the sexual companion of one of the world's most wanted men. Kola Boof has many radical political views, so it only seems that her life would involve much controversy. But, she's an intelligent woman who has many opinions. And she takes pride in being sexy as well.

It's Official, Arnold Schwarzenegger's Now A Kennedy!



Shocking new news is that Arnold Schwarzenegger fathered a child with a member of his household staff leading to the breakup of his marriage with his wife Maria Shriver. Shriver separated from Schwarzenegger after she found out the awful news.






For his part, Arnold Schwarzenegger is now an official Kennedy. Marrying into the family wasn't good enough. Getting himself into a great adultery scandal has stepped things up to the next level, matching some of the best scandals of the Kennedy clan. Congratulations, Arnold! You gave it that good old college try and succeeded!

Monday, May 16, 2011

Androgynous Magazine Cover Censored By Barnes & Noble



Leave it up to American book and magazine distributors like Barnes & Noble and Borders. But, they became overly skittish over the cover of the latest issue DOSSIER which featured androgynous model Andrej Pejic topless so they took liberties to censor the magazine in their stores.






BTW, Barnes & Noble and Borders, Andrej Prejic is male you know, but with some definite fine features similar to a beautiful woman. He's a dude, although "dude looks like a lady"! Yet, you have to ask Barnes & Noble and Borders why some dude wearing George Washington's powdered wig topless makes the photo so darn offensive to display in their stores? WTF?






Congratulations, Barnes & Noble and Borders you just moved society back into the late 1800's where men wore near full body bathing suits that covered nearly the whole body except for the hands and face. That's some way cool social advancement mojo you got working! Those jerks at Morality In Media would be so proud of you Barnes & Noble and Borders!

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Phoenix Suns President Reveals That He's Gay



The president and chief executive officer of the Phoenix Suns, Rick Welts, has revealed to NBA Commissioner David Stern that he's gay. It is not certain how fans in the conservative Phoenix, Arizona area will feel about this latest news, however Welts has had a 40 year career in sports and is certainly a top flight professional where his sexual orientation alone shouldn't really be an issue. But this new news does raise the question whether when L.A. Lakers star Kobe Bryant called a referee by an antigay derogatory remark last month and was fined $100,000, whether it was somehow connected to the meeting of Sterns and Welts just the day before. Will the NBA be dishing out more fines now for players who make now make remarks seen as insensitive of gays?






On one hand, Welts sexual orientation shouldn't become an issue. It's his own life. On the other hand, is the NBA now going to become more sensitive or even overly sensitive to this issue? Ever since professional basketball became integrated years ago, it has always been sensitive to promoting good positive race relations and fans many years ago accepted integration notions while much of American society lagged on such issues. In many areas, such as entertainment, homosexuality has become commonplace and accepted. In women's sports, it has been quietly accepted for years that some players might be gay, although it has never publicly became an issue. But, the news about Rick Welts breaks some new ground in professional men's sports.






Let the discussion begin.....



NBC Cancels LAW & ORDER: LOS ANGELES Series



NBC has officially canceled the ailing LAW & ORDER: LOS ANGELES series that it hoped would be able to freshly build on the popularity of the old LAW AND ORDER series which ran for 20 seasons. Producer Dick Wolf even tried unsuccessfully to retool the show, by promoting excellent actor Alfred Molina into a more central role in the show, but to no avail.






The show's demise represents a real embarrassment for both Dick Wolf and NBC, proving what a mistake it was to cancel the successful old Law & ORDER series and quickly offer this replacement without a pilot show to prove whether the new concept worked or not. Because of his strong relationship with NBC, the network simply acted on trust that Dick Wolf's new show would be a success. There wasn't a decent attempt to really examine whether the new LAW & ORDER spin-off was really good or not. You can't really schedule shows without a little more thought than this.






LAW & ORDER: SVU will continue next year on NBC as the sole remaining part of the franchise. LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT is ending it's series over at NBC's sister USA Network site.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION: A XXX PARODY



Like some crazy Sci Fi nerds wet dream, adult filmmaker Sam Hain has masterfully combined his love of science fiction and adult material into a masterful parody of STAR TREK. The result is a very clever and well done parody far above most of the slam-bam-thank you, mam porn that so predominates the market. Sam Hain actually hopes that his new STAR TREK parody will lead to a new career in mainstream film-making. Hain is quick to remind people how both Wes Craven and one of the producers of the MEN IN BLACK series started in adult film-making, leading to successful careers in more mainstream material.






Even Carson Daly was so impressed with the efforts of Sam Hain, that his late night show featured a segment about Hain and his new STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION: A XXX PARODY. That's pretty good. It proves that Hain is getting the mainstream respect that he was hoping for. A mainstream film career might be just around the corner.






Meanwhile, more than few nerds will be having some wet dreams as a result of this latest STAR TREK parody effort.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Cd Review: The Cars MOVE LIKE THIS



The late 1970's new wave inspired rock band The Cars are back again with their first new album since 1987, MOVE LIKE THIS, which includes all the original members except for bassist Benjamin Orr who died of pancreatic cancer back in 2000. Orr sang lead on former hits such as "Just What I Needed", "Let's Go" and "Drive". However, Ric Ocasek manages well enough with lead vocals duty with his unique new wave influenced vocal quality. But, that hardly helps a mediocre return by this legendary band where few songs have anywhere near the magic of the debut album THE CARS from 1978.






"Sad Song" is the first single from the new album which debuted this past week. It's not a bad song. But the album could use more high points like the first album had. The debut album by The Cars was a classic, while this is merely an acceptable album by comparison. Part of the magic of glory days of The Cars was the vocals of Benjamin Orr. His more versatile rock style than Ric Ocasek was about to sell a ballad song like "Drive", while able to carry off the up-tempo hits like "Just What I Needed" and "Let's Go". Ric Ocasek's vocal style always sounds decidedly more new wave by comparison.






It's great to hear The Cars again. But, I had much higher expectations than this effort. I expected a few tracks to grab me just like the old days. But, none really did. And even "Sad Song" is far from the best single this group has ever released. But, I'm still happy I purchased this album.






The Bottom Line: Acceptable enough, but hardly a classic album. The return of The Cars is a little short of glorious, but still welcome. ++(Two Stars, fair. If you're a fan of this group, you should still buy this album, otherwise this latest effort will do little to make you a new fan).

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Arnold Schwarzenegger And Maria Shriver Separate



For the sake of his political career as California's governor, the marriage of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver must have been held together by a slender thread. But, now the famous couple has announced their separation. It appears that for at least two years that Maria Shriver has felt serious frictions in the marriage due to Arnold's ego and his womanizing ways. Soon after this separation was announced, even a TMZ photographer was able to capture Arnold Schwarzenegger kissing an unknown woman on the street.






Perhaps this was always a troubled marriage. Arnold and Maria always seemed like the political odd couple, as well as two far different personalities. Both are held in high respect by the public, which is no doubt sad to hear this news.

Monday, May 09, 2011

Meredith Vieira Announces Her Retirement From TODAY



As expected, Meredith Vieira announced that she will retire to spend more time with her husband who has had some medical issues. Ann Curry will be promoted to co-host with Matt Lauer and Natalie Morales will move in to the news desk. It appears so far that some early rumors that Matt Lauer would also depart were wrong. He appears to be staying with the show at least through the end of his contract.






THE TODAY SHOW needs this stability. As the top morning news show, it gives NBC one of few bright spots in it's schedule where some of it's shows run as poorly as fourth place in the ratings, behind CBS, ABC and FOX.






Vieira leaves THE TODAY SHOW in June and will be greatly missed. She is also the host of the syndicated version of WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE as well, but so far there is no information on the fate of that show or whether Vieira will continue to host that. But, she's a very nice person. And, I'm sure that everyone here at Wizbang Pop wishes her the very best.

Lindsay Lohan's Lawyer Will Enter A No Contest Plea Tuesday



Facing probable conviction for a grand larceny jewelry theft related charge, Lindsay Lohan's lawyer, Shawn Holley, will enter a "no contest" plea on her behalf tomorrow in Los Angeles court clearing the way for Lohan to serve a 120 home confinement with a monitor sentence. In reality, due to overcrowding in the Los Angeles jail system as well as "good time" figured in, Lohan probably gets as few as 14 days of home confinement, which isn't too bad for considering the value of the jewelry involved.


Lohan's lawyer will enter the plea on her behalf to avoid another circus day at the courthouse where extra sheriffs and security are needed to control all of the extra reporters and journalists and sightseers. It's as if the Los Angeles courts are being punished themselves for having a celebrity trial of this sort.


So let this be a lesson you dastardly would be thieves: Steal more than a $1,000 in Los Angeles and prepare to spend two weeks at home similar to some grade school kid who's just been grounded by their parents, except you call watch TV, go on-line, text, and do everything the kid can't do. Who says Los Angeles isn't real tough on crime. No wonder the city is so successful deterring drugs and gangs and has practically no crime at all!

Taco Bell's Cheesy Double Decker Taco Gets An F



Taco Bell has sure struck out big time this time. I couldn't even eat one of Taco Bell's new Cheesy Double Decker Taco without a feeling of nausea. It was simply the worst fast food version of Mexican food that ever I've eaten in my entire life. And I love Mexican food. I need to show Taco Bell how to cook good Mexican food. They could learn something from me.






For starters, this new monstrosity from Taco Bell looks absolutely nothing like the product in their ads. I know that for 89cents you can't expect a lot. But, there is almost no meat in these tacos, mostly beans. And these tacos are about as dry as the Mohave desert as well. And the sauce from Taco Bell didn't help much either, it was horrid as well, almost no real taste just way too much spice. I just wasn't impressed at all. This was the worst fast food I've eaten in a long time. By contrast, Taco Del Mar will custom wrap their excellent tacos in a nacho wrap similar to this horrid mess from Taco Bell, and unlike Taco Bell's version, the Taco Del Mar version actually tastes very good.






The Bottom Line: If you like your Mexican food dry, tasteless and downright nauseating, then this new Cheesy Double Decker Taco mess is for you. But, for most normal people, avoid this awful new entry like the plague. What I had wasn't good at all. Grade: F

Sunday, May 08, 2011

Los Angeles Lakers Hurt Their Moms On Mother's Day



The Los Angeles Lakers sure knew how to disappoint their moms on Mother's Day. They turned in one of the most stinking playoff performances of all time, in their crushing 36 point loss to the Dallas Mavericks. The crushing loss was also a sour send-off to the final head coaching game of Phil Jackson as well. It's too bad his children were invited to watch this.






The Dallas Mavericks proved real strength in their convincing 122-86 crushing defeat of the Lakers at home to win the series 4-0. Previously, the Lakers were the NBA champions the last two years, meaning that the NBA will have a new champion this year.






But in all seriousness, the lopsided loss of the Lakers was so shocking because the team hardly appeared to be competitive against the Dallas team, totally outmatched in every aspect of the game. As bad as this loss was for the Lakers, it actually wasn't quite as bad as one 39 point playoff loss to Boston some many years ago. But, a good son should never make his mom cry on Mother's Day. And the Lakers sure did that today.

Veiless Babes! Osama bin Laden's Sexy Niece?



Wafah Dufour couldn't be more upset at her close relative Osama bin Laden. The 35 year old beauty changed her last name from bin Laden after her relative made a famous name for himself with the 9/11 attacks which completely horrified the Los Angeles born Wafah who holds a degree in law and lists her occupations as a singer among other things. A few years ago, GQ Magazine featured the attractive Wafah Dufour in a very sexy photo feature including nude in a bathtub. Her infamous uncle certainly would have not approved of this. He'd probably turn over in his watery grave.






You guys in the West don't know how great it is to live here. Some guys can only dream about veiless babes. In this day and age, many guys still go to bed horny in the world.

60 MINUTES Features Exclusive Presidential Interview On bin Laden Events



60 MINUTES is looking for another ratings home-run this weekend with an exclusive interview with the president on the events surrounding the successful Navy Seals mission to kill top terrorist leader Osama bin Laden. Last week, CBS drew heavy interest with an exclusive interview with Lara Logan explaining her brutal mob beating and sexual assault. Minutes later, Lara Logan returned to CBS live on West Coast with the surprise news that Osama bin Laden had finally been tracked down and then killed during a covert Navy Seals raid.






The interview with the president will be the longest interview conducted about the successful covert mission granted by the White House. It will no doubt offer some important new details that will become major news. CBS is no doubt grateful to score such a ratings boosting interview. Talk about a May Sweeps coup!






If you can't wait for tonight's full 60 MINUTES interview to air, then a short preview video is available over at CBS today before the show airs later this evening.

Saturday, May 07, 2011

Dallas Mavericks Push The Lakers To The Brink Of Elimination



The reigning NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers are sitting on the brink of elimination today, in the aftermath of another shocking loss to the much tougher than expected Dallas Mavericks. Each game, Dallas has been able to topple the Lakers by the end of the fourth quarter despite the very best efforts of Kobe Bryant and his supporting cast. Los Angeles fans have to in shock with their beloved Los Angeles home team sitting right on the brink of Summer vacation rather than another NBA championship.






Each night out in this series, Los Angeles has proven that their defenses aren't near good enough to stop the offense that Dallas has been able to mount by game's end. Los Angeles has to quickly learn how to respond to this crisis or else learn to say bye bye.






Even Jay Leno had to joke, that both the Lakers and bin Laden have one thing in common. A rotten last week.

Thursday, May 05, 2011

Mummified PLAYBOY Playmate's Remains Found In L.A. Home



Yvette Vickers was a 1959 PLAYBOY Playmate, who later became a B-movie actress in films such as ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WOMAN and other laughable films such as ATTACK OF THE GIANT LEECHES. This week, her badly decomposed and mummified body was found in her Los Angeles home in nearly unrecognizable condition.






For the July 1959 PLAYBOY , famed big breast connoisseur, Russ Meyer personally photographed the young model who later went on to her new career as a minor film actress. In the 1990's she embarked on a late career as a jazz singer, releasing a jazz Cd.






In the 1950's, Vickers was considered to be hot enough that several other men's magazines besides PLAYBOY also featured her as well, making her a popular one-handed reading material queen in those days when side view breasts with no nipples were the usual norm in most men's magazines.



Wednesday, May 04, 2011

Natasha Wang Wins 2011 U.S. Pole Dancing Championship



The U.S. Pole Dancing Federation has recognized Natasha Wang as the top awards winner for 2011. The sport which grew from it's roots with nightclub strippers as barroom entertainers has grown into a true athletic sport because of the high skills involved in the sport. Natasha Wang danced to her own choreographed routine, and bested many other challengers in the competition held on May 2.




Congratulations to Natasha Wang who has helped to elevate this sport to far more than just some drooling guys stuffing dollar bills into G-strings of half naked dancers at the neighborhood bar. Now, these same guys might be viewed as serious judges for a serious athletic competition. No telling how long before pole dancing becomes an Olympic event though.






BTW, I'm more than willing to offer myself as a judge for the 2011 lap dancing championships. You don't have to thank me. I'm a totally selfless person, although some lap dancers sure know how to rub a guy the right way.

TIME Magazine Crosses-Out Osama bin Laden



In carrying out a tradition started since the death of Adolf Hitler in WII, TIME Magazine's new cover will feature a crossed-out picture of al Qaeda terrorist founder Osama bin Laden. Other TIME Magazine covers over the years featured Saddam Hussein as well as Iraq's leader of al Qaeda who was killed by American forces.






Good guys get honored by TIME Magazine, but the bad guys get the dreaded "cross-out", which also means death. That's an incentive to being good, huh?

Tuesday, May 03, 2011

DVD Review: Seth Rogen's GREEN HORNET Debuts On DVD Today



Although Seth Rogen's GREEN HORNET has been reviewed before here as a film when it was new and in theaters, it's worthwhile to take another look at this DVD release. As could be expected, Seth Rogen is totally miscast in any true action movie, so this version of THE GREEN HORNET gets largely played up for laughs, although there is still plenty of action here. However, unlike BATMAN, SUPERMAN, SPIDERMAN or any of the more serious action superhero enterprises, it would be hard to see many sequels coming from this lukewarm comic send-up of classic crime fighter tale that started as a radio show back in 1936.










Although, THE GREEN HORNET television series ran just one season, it was far more true and faithful to the original radio story than this latest Seth Rogen project. The original "Black Beauty" car from the television series was a customized 1966 Imperial Crown which cost $50,000. It was a beautiful custom from master car customizer Dean Jeffries. The 2011 Seth Rogen film also featured a customized 1960's vintage Imperial as "The Black Beauty" as well, but with some more wild features such as machine guns that would pop out from under the hood.










Taiwanese singer-musician Jay Chou really shined in this film as Kato, the sidekick of The Green Hornet. His acting was worthy enough to compare with the legendary Bruce Lee who played the role in the TV series.










For the $120 million dollar investment budget on the film, THE GREEN HORNET did gross more than $228 million in return which is pretty good and a hit by any standard, although the film is far from any masterpiece. Yet, as a popcorn movie, THE GREEN HORNET is acceptable enough of a film to enjoy for the thrills as well as laughs, as it provides a lot of both. The Blu-Ray comes as a three disc set with a 3D Blu-Ray version of the film, along with a 2D Blu-Ray as well as a DVD version of the film. There's a cool cutting room floor game included that allows viewers to edit their own car chase scene as well as other cool features included in the Blu-Ray package all for a $49.95 list price. Naturally, two cheaper Blu-Ray and DVD release versions will be available as well.










The Bottom Line: If you're a sucker for 3D films(as I am) then you'll probably want to lighten your wallet by nearly $50 springing for this major 3D release. However, if you're looking for a film really worthy of the 3D treatment here, then you're leave a little bit disappointed. THE GREEN HORNET isn't a great film. It has good moments. But, it's no masterwork. ++1/2 stars, or a little better than fair, or a little less than good. If you want to collect 3D films, then buy this one. Otherwise, look for $1 Redbox machine and rent this movie once to be satisfied.

Monday, May 02, 2011

Moment Of Triumph: Lara Logan Returns To CBS News To Announce The Death Of Osama Bin Laden



Talk about a grand return for brutalized reporter Lara Logan! But, Lara Logan made her return to CBS News Sunday night, announcing that a raid by Navy Seals ordered By President Obama resulted in the death of arch-terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden. Lara Logan had disappeared from the public view since she was the victim of physical and sexual violence back on February 11, when a crowd of as many as 300 Egyptian men attacked her while reporting on the successful uprising to topple Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak from power.






With so much time passing since her brutal attack, fans of the popular CBS head foreign reporter wondered when she might return to the news. However, Lara Logan gave some details of her injuries which took time to heal such as the crowd of men pulling on her limbs creating numerous muscle and joint injuries, although she didn't suffer any broken bones. Lara Logan suffered numerous other physical injuries including sexual abuse by penetration with hands as well as injuries from being punched, pinched and whipped with flagpoles that needed time to heal as well.






Lara Logan was the subject of a 60 MINUTES segment Sunday night, but then made a surprising return to CBS News only minutes later on the West Coast as the news of the death of terrorist Osama Bin Laden was announced. It was a big night for Lara Logan, and her many fans so happy to see this fine journalist back again, looking as beautiful as ever.

Sunday, May 01, 2011

LAW AND ORDER: C.I. Opens 10th And Final Season Tonight On USA Network



LAW AND ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT opens it's 10th and final season tonight on the USA Network, NBC's sister cable network. IN PLAIN SIGHT, the excellent witness protection series based off a character who appeared in a LAW AND ORDER episode also premiers tonight as well. Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe both agreed to reprise their past roles in the series for the final run of the show.






Cost cutting moves at NBC at NBC led to the producers hiring Jeff Goldblum to play the lead in the series up until August 2010. Then the producers were faced with the decision whether to bring the series back for another season. It was then decided to bring back D'Onofrio and Erbe to complete the series with a season 10.






Financial woes at NBC also led the network to end the popular MONK series last year as escalating production costs led the network to look for cheaper ways to fill the schedule with lower cost original programming yet to maintain decent ratings. LAW AND ORDER: C.I. has always been a fan favorite, and seemed too attractive for the USA Network not to give it more season as DVD sales should also be respectable as well.


Vincent D'Onofrio has always been an awesome actor. He manages to play his character Detective Robert Goren with amazing complexity. On one level, he's a police detective with incredible abilities, although he seems mentally troubled and disturbed just enough to understand the psychology of criminals. It's an incredible acting job from one of the best actors in the business.