Heartaches

I woke up early Saturday morning and happened to catch a movie I'd never seen before, on Showtime Too East. The movie was called Heartaches and starred Margot Kidder (Superman), Annie Potts (Pretty in Pink) and Robert Carradine (Revenge of the Nerds). The cable guide labeled it a "feminist buddy movie," but it didn't feel femilicious to me. It was just a good, fun movie. The movie was released in 1981 and the synopsis is as follows: A young wife becomes pregnant, but the child's father is not her husband. Afraid to tell him, she leaves home, and meets an outgoing, free-spirited woman on a bus. Although the two are polar opposites, the wife moves in with the young woman, and finds out that they have much more in common than she realized.

First off, I miss cheesy poster art like this. It's bad, but it's so bad that I love it. I miss the era when movies used to have poster art. When any font was possible and good and bad drawings alike adorned video boxes everywhere. There's just something about the old poster art that really lent itself to the VHS format. It just looked right on a coverbox, whereas on a DVD cover, it loses something in the translation.

I have lots of favorite scenes from the movie, most of which contain Margot (who I've always loved):

• Margot wearing brown Converse shoes, lying on the couch learning Italian from a record and getting hammered.
• Margot on the bus in her big ol' sunglasses, getting plastered.
• Margot painting the apartment, while getting loaded.
• Margot outside the abortion clinic, getting tanked.
• Margott lying on the couch in her bathrobe and curlers, watching a movie about mutant ants attacking Los Angeles...while she's getting sloshed.

Margot's character loves the booze. AND, just for the record, unlike the movie poster, her T-shirt in the movie actually has the words: J'*Heart* Les Hommes. I love it! I guess the filmmakers thought the original wording would confuse the general public. C'est la vie.

So, if you get a chance, catch it on Showtime or buy a copy for under $5 over at Half.com. It's a fun movie you're sure to enjoy!

Searching for My Lost Shaker of Salt...

I looooooove me some Jell-O. My favorite flavors are Watermelon, Pineapple, Peach and Grape. And now you can add the new, "limited edition"-flavor: Margarita! You heard correctly, Jell-O has released a Margarita-flavored gelatin! I highly recommend that you go getcha some and be the envy of all your friends.

You know that song by The Cure, Friday I'm in Love? Well, baby, it's just Tuesday and I'm in love...with Margarita Jell-O! Mmmmm mmm!

Back to School

I love the time of year when it's time to go "back to school." For as long as I can remember, I always have. Like I've mentioned before, I LOVED school, it was the people I could have lived without.

One of the main factors that lead to my love of back to school is shopping for school supplies. I loved shopping for the "must-have" school supplies, to be the envy of all my classmates: the pencils with cartoon characters on them, the folders with the coolest images, the notebook paper, etc. And even though I have been out of school for many years now, I still enjoy browsing the school supplies section of the local Target or Walgreen's, just to see what they have. There's almost always something cool to buy. My personal affinity is for folders and notebooks. I'm not sure how healthy it is, but I have multiple, blank notebooks stashed away here at home. I like to think of them as "backups" should I get inspired to write something "brilliant" in them and/or just in case this whole blog thing ends up falling to the wayside.

*( All items are from Target, with the exception of the Napoleon Dynamite spiral notebook, which is from Walgreen's )

I also love the lunchboxes, or should I say used to. A few years ago there was a return, a resurgence, if you will, of the metal lunchbox. I remember seeing them at Eckerd's and going gaga over them. I bought a Scooby-Doo one (I collect metal lunchboxes, BTW...I display them in the kitchen), but I remember buying a Hot Wheels one for a friend, too. I'm positive I would have bought more, if only they had more "cool" ones. Well, apparently their time came and went because this year all I saw were those pathetic plastic and vinyl kind that they seem to pass off as "lunchboxes" now. I'll pass. I don't care if Lisa Frank DID make some of them.

But, never fear, REAL metal lunchboxes are still being manufactured! And, I don't mean those lame-ass mini ones or the ones with the shitball new, thinner handles, I mean the "old school" original-sized kind with the jointed, ridged handles, metal thermos, the works! And the really cool part is that you can get practically anything you'd ever want on a lunchbox these days. From slasher flicks to today's popular movies, as well as favorites of yesteryear. My current goal is to get the Napoleon Dynamite lunchboxes, but I DREAD going to Hot Topic to get it, since Hot Topic is located in the....mall. Aaaiiiggh!

By the way, DON'T be fooled by the cheap-ass lunchboxes that appear to be the good stuff. They are usually easy to spot, for their distinctive gray metal with only one image on both sides. They are nothing more than cheap generic knockoffs that some scam artist has printed out a sticker for and pasted on the side. Other signs of a cheap-ass, non-copyrighted lunchbox: No thermos and an unusually cheap price. Forewarned is forarmed.

And last, but not least, while we're on the topic of lunchboxes and lunch, I've noticed that I have a strange little ritual that I follow when it comes to cutting my sandwiches in half. I prefer to cut my sandwiches that aren't PB&J, diagonally, but I cut my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in half vertically. It's ingrained. I dunno why. Do you have any food idiosyncrasies?

Currently Reading

Shockwaves by Thomas Tessier © 1982

From the back cover: Beware The Blade: Pity about Jackie. She's trapped in a loveless marriage, isolated, alone. And then along comes a handsome stranger. Mysterious. Passionate. A perfect lover. But someone else has come to town. Someone who adores young women. He's the Blade. Savage. Relentless. A psychotic killer.

And tonight -- the Blade has a date with Jackie...

Comments: My friend Nathan picked this book up for me at a nearby used book store because he thought it looked like something I would like. Boy, was he right! It reads like a good ol' 80's slasher flick. I love it!

Fruit by Brian Francis © 2004

Courtesy of Booklist: Peter knows there are plenty of things wrong with his body. He is planning to start his diet any day so that he will be thin and normal by high school. But it's his deformed nipples, suddenly big and swollen as two cherries, that really scare him. He tries to strap them down. He even goes Catholic for a while and prays to the Virgin in his closet to shrink them--and to make the most gorgeous guy in his class give him a call. The time is 1984, but the dream of being "normal" is universal. Both hilarious and gentle, the young teen's voice is pitch-perfect, capturing not only his self-obsession and bedtime fantasies about being Brooke Shields in a shiny pink dress but also his family problems and his generous friendship with the foul-mouthed girl across the street. Without a didactic word, this first novel tells a funny, honest gay coming-of-age story about a boy who finally confronts his secret self.

Comments: I'd like to thank my friend Sarah for sending this book my way. It's a refreshing change of pace from the slasher book above. Thanks Sarah! :)

According to the 'Quick and Dirty' IQ Test...

Your IQ Is 105

Your Logical Intelligence is Above Average Your Verbal Intelligence is Genius Your Mathematical Intelligence is Above Average Your General Knowledge is Average

A Quick and Dirty IQ Test

*Found this over at Sara's. I don't get it. I so suck at math.

Elsie the Cow

Recently, I blogged about an Elsie the Cow lamp I wanted on eBay, and one of my readers commented, asking me if I knew that Elsie was "married" to Elmer, of Elmer's Glue fame. I told her yes and it inspired me to share with you a little history behind their union as well as Elsie's star-studded past.

Below, I have made a collage of some of the old Borden print ads commonly found in magazines throughout the 40's, though they continued on through the 60's. You'll see the evolution of Elsie's look.

The ads were like an ongoing story about Elsie and her family, often reflecting/dealing with real-world issues of the time. Elmer was almost always disgruntled-looking, outraged about something (i.e. the war, the recession, Elsie's independence, his teenage daughter's choice in music, etc.) but ultimately was a softie when it came to his wife and kid(s).

Looking over the old advertisements, I found the one where Elmer is intent on going to the White House to complain about the recession, when Elsie tells him: "But, Elmer," protested Elsie, "you can't blame Congress for the shortages." History really does repeat itself! My other favorite is where Elmer accompanies Elsie and their teenage bovine daughter, Beulah, record shopping at the department store. Naturally, Elmer dislikes teen daughter Beulah's taste in "music." Lol! Some things never change!

In 1936, Borden launched a series of advertisements featuring cartoon cows, including Elsie, the spokescow for Borden dairy products. In 1940, compelled by Elsie's popularity, Borden dressed up "You'll Do Lobelia," a seven-year-old, 950-pound Jersey cow from Brookfield, MA, as Elsie for an exhibit at the World's Fair. She stood in a barn boudoir decorated with whimsical props including churns used as tables, lamps made from milk bottles, a wheelbarrow for a chaise lounge, and oil paintings of Elsie's ancestors -- among them Great Aunt Bess in her bridal gown and Uncle Bosworth, the noted Spanish-American War Admiral.

When RKO Pictures hired Elsie to star with Jack Oakie and Kay Francis in the movie Little Men, Borden needed to find a replacement for Elsie for the World's Fair exhibit. Elsie's husband, Elmer, was chosen, and the boudoir was converted overnight into a bachelor apartment, complete with every conceivable prop to suggest a series of nightly poker parties. In 1951, Borden chose Elmer to be the marketing symbol for all of Borden's glue and adhesive products.

In 1929, the Borden Co. purchased the Casein Co. of America, the leading manufacturer of glues made from casein, a milk by-product. Borden introduced its first non-food consumer product, Casco Glue, in 1932. After World War II, Borden expanded into synthetic resin glues which did not use casein.

The product known today as Elmer's Glue-All was first introduced in 1947 under the brand name Cascorez, packaged in two-ounce glass jars with wooden applicators. Sales did not take off until 1951 when Elsie's husband, Elmer, was chosen as the marketing symbol. In 1952, Borden repackaged Glue-All into the familiar plastic squeeze bottle with the orange applicator top.

Elsie the Cow and her husband Elmer have two calves, Beulah and Beauregard.

Elmer's Glue-All is the best selling glue in America.

P.s. I went to the Texas State Fair a few years ago and they still have a live Elsie on exhibit in one of the buildings, still set up the same way! I love tradition!

Sorry

Breaking wind News: Televangelist Pat Robertson interprets billboard as a sign from God and literally pinches a loaf for Jesus! More updates on this breaking story as it becomes available!

Mental Goulash 9

Today's blog entry is about various products, some old, some new. It initially started out as something else, but the idea sat in my "Future Blog Ideas" folder for so long, I had to combine them into what you see today. That's the only down side to writing your posts weeks in advance, sometimes things that were new/topical at the moment, aren't by the time you get around to blogging about them. Oh well, that's the price you pay, I guess. Enjoy the "reviews."

[1] Sly is Sylvester Stallone's new magazine. It's like Men's Health magazine, but less interesting. I find it amusing that articles that boast "Stallone's (*insert body part here*) Workout" never seem to have Stallone actually performing the workout. Most pictures that accompany articles about Stallone are like looking through a scrapbook of his acting history.

And, the website...well, it doesn't remotely resemble the magazine at all. I dunno if the magazine's "concept" is in the process of being reinvented or what. Never a good sign, and I should know. I've had subscriptions to multiple magazines that have dramatically changed format (Bonkers and Stance, to name a few). Stallone is hot, but his magazine isn't.

[2] What's new in Pop Tarts? Strawberry Milkshake! Apparently (according to their web site's latest makeover) they are hawking the taste-sensation of freezing your Pop Tarts. Hmmm. I dunno 'bout that. I love the original strawberry, I might like this one as well. According to their site, Pop Tart currently has 32 flavors! Who knew?!

[3] Jesus Christ. You knew this was coming: Patriotic Pop Tarts. Oy vey. These "limited edition" Pop Tarts are Wild Strawberry flavor. I think I've seen it all now. First with the red/white/blue corn chips, then the Pringles, Mother's Iced Animal Cookies, etc. I'm holding out for the red/white/blue (think Aquafresh) Preparation H cream.

[4] While searching for the frozen ravioli recently at the local Kroger (they always hide the fuckin' frozen ravioli!), I saw this and knew I had to blog about it. Stored in the frozen food case were loaves of Ezekiel 4:9 bread. There were various varieties, too: Cinnamon Raisin, Organic Low Carb Savory (sounds delish! Not.), 7 Sprouted Grains, Carrot, Walnut, Sesame and plenty more. And get a load of this, there's even a (I shit you not) Genesis 1:29 bread.

[5] Hurray! I had no idea that Freezer Queen was even still in business, until I recently spied them at the Minyard's in south Arlington. I only go to Minyard's for certain things (Borden's ice cream and Del Monte spaghetti sauce...no one else here carries them), and now I have one more thing to go there for: Freezer Queen frozen entrees! Freezer Queen has been around since the late 50's. I am lovin' me some Onion Gravy & King-Size Beef Patties. They make for some tasty burgers! I just wish Minyard's carried more of a variety Chicken would be a nice change of pace.

[6] I used to tell tales of how in the mid 80's I went to a health food store with my mom, in our hometown, and bought a celery-flavored soda. No one every believed that such a thing existed. I recall how disgusting it was, but being a kid, I wanted it for the novelty factor. You know, kinda like how kids love blue food. It's a kid thing. Anyway, I recently found some (on clearance no less, naturally) at the Wal-Mart Marketplace. So it does exist and it's still being made! Weird. It's made by Dr. Brown's (the maker of my favorite Root Beer and Creme Soda) and is called Cel-Ray. Dr. Brown's has been produced since 1869. No self-respecting deli in New York would be caught without Dr. Brown's on hand.

[7] I normally hate Scott brand toilet paper, as well as "Angel" Soft (apparently angels are comprised of a low-grade sandpaper). Well, I recently have been seeing commercials for how much "softer" Scott allegedly is now, so I bought a few single roles. Um, I didn't even know anyone even made fuckin' SINGLE-ply toilet paper anymore! They're ad slogan should be "When rice paper just won't do." Geez, Louise.

[8] The dental hygienist gave me a sample tube of some Sensodyne toothpaste recently. I hesitate to call it the "dentist's" office since he rarely seems to make an appearance. Must be nice to have your minions do your work for you and just collect a check at the end of the month. Anyway, Sensodyne toothpaste tastes like shit. You'd have more luck finding something more flavorful by raking your toothbrush across a cat's ass.

[9] I have fond childhood memories of Aquafresh toothpaste. I normally use Mentadent, but recently I succumbed to the urge to harken back to my childhood days and bought a tube of Aquafresh. Let's just say the love affair is over. Wow. Let me preface this next sentence by saying, yes, I realize it is called tooth "paste" for a reason, but it tastes too pasty. Not smooth enough. Leaves a weird aftertaste/coating in my mouth. Me no likee. I miss the "old school" Aquafresh that I remember. Kinda like I miss the way Doritos used to taste. More like the taco-flavored ones! Mmmm taco-y.

What Do You Want On Your Tombstone?

War 'Slogans' On Troops' Graves?

(AP) Traditionally, gravestones for Americans killed in combat have included the minimum information necessary to identify the fallen soldier, sailor, airman or Marine. Almost all the headstones for the more than 2,000 troops killed in Iraq or Afghanistan, however, are inscribed with the slogan-like operation names the Pentagon selected to promote public support for the conflicts.

Families are being told they have the option to have the government-supplied headstones engraved with "Operation Enduring Freedom" or "Operation Iraqi Freedom" at no extra charge, whether their family members are buried in Arlington National Cemetery or elsewhere. A mock-up shown to many families includes the operation names.

Arlington was the first U.S. military cemetery and generally is considered the most prestigious. A huge majority of military gravestones from other eras are inscribed with name, rank, military branch, date of death and, if applicable, the war and foreign country in which the person served and died.

Families are supposed to have final approval over what goes on the tombstones. That hasn't always happened. Nadia and Robert McCaffrey, whose son Patrick was killed in Iraq in June 2004, said "Operation Iraqi Freedom" ended up on his government-supplied headstone without family approval.

"I was a little taken aback," Robert McCaffrey said, describing his reaction when he saw the operation name on his son's tombstone. "They certainly didn't ask my wife; they didn't ask me." He said Patrick's widow told him she had not been asked either. "In one way, I feel it's taking advantage to a small degree," McCaffrey said. "Patrick did not want to be there, that is a definite fact."

The owner of the company that has been making gravestones for Arlington and other national cemeteries for nearly two decades is uncomfortable, too. "It just seems a little brazen that that's put on stones," said Jeff Martell, owner of Granite Industries of Vermont. "It seems like it might be connected to politics."

The Department of Veterans Affairs says it isn't. "The headstone is not a PR purpose. It is to let the country know and the people that visit the cemetery know who served this country and made the country free for us," VA official Steve Muro said.

Since 1997, the government has been paying for virtually everything inscribed on the gravestones. Before that, families had to pay the gravestone makers separately for any inscription beyond the basics.

It wasn't until the invasion of Iraq in March 2003 that the department instructed national cemetery directors and funeral homes across the country to advise families of fallen soldiers and Marines that they could have operation names like "Enduring Freedom" or "Iraqi Freedom" included on the headstones.

VA officials say neither the Defense Department nor the White House exerted any pressure to get families to include operation names. They say families always had the option of including information like battle or operation names but didn't always know it.

"It's just the right thing to do and it always has been, but it hasn't always been followed," said Dave Schettler, director of the VA's memorial programs service.

VA officials say they have no record of how many families have opted to include the operation names. At Arlington, all but a few of the 193 gravestones of Iraq and Afghanistan dead carry the operation names. War casualties also are buried in many of the 121 other national cemeteries and numerous state and private graveyards.

The interment service supervisor at Arlington, Vicki Tanner, said cemetery representatives show families a mock-up of the headstone with "Operation Iraqi Freedom" or "Operation Enduring Freedom" already included and ask their approval.

Former Sen. Max Cleland of Georgia, who lost both legs and an arm in Vietnam and headed the Veterans Administration under President Carter, called the practice "a little bit of glorified advertising."

"I think it's a little bit of gilding the lily," Cleland said, while insisting that he's not criticizing families who want that information included. "Most of the headstones out there at Arlington and around the nation just say World War II or Korea or Vietnam, one simple statement," he said. "It's not, shall we say, a designated theme or a designated operation by somebody in the Pentagon. It is what it is. And I think there's power in simplicity."

*Click the image in this post to see what the new tombstones look like.

Upcoming DVD Releases Vol. 3

[R]= Rental [P]= Purchase [PVC]= Buy Previously-Viewed if Cheap

- Currently Available -

Dear Frankie [PVC]
Comment: I rented this recently and enjoyed it. Gerard Butler looks fuckin' H-O-T in this movie. Too bad he didn't get shirtless in a single scene. Daaaamn!

Saturday Morning With Sid & Marty Krofft [PVC]
The Complete Thin Man Collection [P]
The Muppet Show: Season 1 [P]
Sin City [P]
Life As We Know It: The Complete Series [PVC]
Nip/Tuck: Season 2 [P]
The Ring Two: Unrated Edition [R]
Trauma [P]
What's Happening!!: Season 3 [P]

- September 6 -
The Bela Lugosi Collection [P]
The Cabinet of Caligari [P]

Fat Albert's Halloween Special [P]
Comment: OMG, this is one of my all-time favorite Halloween specials. I never missed it when I was growing up. It ranked right up with with Raggedy Ann & Andy & the Pumpkin Who Couldn't Smile!

The Hammer Horror Series: The Franchise Collection [P]
Comment: I will finally be able to watch a Halloween tradition on DVD this year: The Brides of Dracula!

Millenium: Season 3 [P]
Ninotchka [P]

- September 20 -
Clone High: Season 1 [P]
Comment: I've been waiting for this one to come out ever since Undergrads was released to DVD. Now, if only Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist would come to DVD!

James Dean: Forever Young [P]
James Dean: Sense Memories [P]
Mind Hunters [R]

See Arnold Run [PVC]
Comment: Saw this made-for-TV turd on television. Suuuuucked. But, I like all the bodybuilder scenes from the 70's, so I'd buy it if it were cheap enough, which I'm sure it will be. I expect to be seeing this one in the previously-viewed bin for around $5-7.

- September 27 -
Lord of Dogtown: Unrated/Extended Cut [R]
Comment: I love my Johnny, but I'm gonna have to see this one first. I'll most-likely buy it used, simply because I own all his movies. I lurve him.

Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story [R]

- October 4 -
Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Season 1 [PVC]

The Amityville Horror [PVC]
Comments: *See my review here

Drawn Together: Season1 [P]

The Fog: Special Edition [P]
Comment: This harkens back to my complaint about multiple versions of DVDs beign released. This one is gonna have to be pretty special to warrant me to buy it. And if it has some kind of queer-ass featurette about the remake coming out in October, it's a no-go.

The Girl Most Likely To [P]
Comment: I looooove this movie. It's about time it was released to DVD! I LOVE Stockard Channing in just about everything she's done. This 1973 made-for-TV movie is about an ugly girl who undergoes plastic surgery and becomes beautiful. She then takes revenge on all the people who mistreated her when she was ugly. The 2001 slasher, Valentine pretty much followed the same premise.

Happy Tree Friends: Overkill [P]
Happy Tree Friends: Winter Break [P]
The Little Girl That Lives Down The Lane [P]

The Val Lewton Horror Collection [P]
Comment: I loooove Val Lewton's films and all of my favorites will be in this box set: Cat People, Curse of the Cat People, Bedlam and more!

The Velocity of Gary [P]

Wild Palms [P]
Comment: O-M-G. This was one of my major television events of the early 90's (1993, to be exact). I fell in love with this surreal, cyber mindfuck-based on religious principles rooted in corporatization. I even have the book and the CD soundtrack. Terrific!

- October -
Unleashed- October 11 [R]
Atomic Betty: Vol 1: Betty, Set, Go! & Vol 2: Betty To The Rescue-Oct.18 [PVC]
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: Season 1: Vol. 1-Oct. 18 [P]
House of Wax: 2-Disc Widescreen Edition- October 25 [P]
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers- October 25 [P]
The Wizard of Oz: 3-Disc Collector Edition- October 25 [P]

So Cute You Could Puke*

I had to take this picture because it made me think of that line from Steel Magnolias where the mother, upon hearing the names of the shades of pink the bride-to be has chosen for her wedding (Blush and Bashful), comments: "How precious is this wedding going to get, I ask you."

Well, that describes how I felt when I saw that the local Tom Thumb has labeled their mini bags of carrots. Not content with the passé "mini carrots," they've deemed them "mini carrettes."

I just felt my buttcheeks clench.


*Ripped-offInspired by Gatochy's series of posts.

Keyword Klatch & Link Updates: Vol. 7

Here are this month's favorite keywords that led people to my blog, according to StatCounter, as well as all new links that have been added. Enjoy!

• johnny knoxville sucks dick
• kojak the night stocker
• granny weener eater
• jumping into piles of dogshit

NEW LINKS

- Beefcake -
Amazon.ee [German]...I think
Curtis McGovert
Dan Decker
Dan Decker Official Website
David Dorsey
Greek Muscle
I Love Biceps!!
JimmyZ Productions
Lance M. Johnson (Perfection!)
Moustached Muscle
Planet Muscle

- Blog Resources -
49Media.com

- Books & 'zines -
Fantagraphics Books
Forbidden Library

- Celebs/Eyecandy -
Elijah Wood
Elijah Wood II
Matthew G. Taylor
Most Beautiful Man.com

- Ephemera -
PaperPit.com

- Food -
Freezer Queen

- Fun Stuff -
Stuff On My Cat

- Gay -
Pride Sites: Free image hosting (50 megs!)

- Movies & Television -
Kung Faux

- Music -
Red Hot Jazz Archive

- People -
Erica Mulherin
Ivan Brunetti
Jared Lim
Penny Dreadful

- Personal -
Jam Handy!

- Politics & Propaganda -
Get Your War On

- Pop Culture -
Mr. T and Me
Pop-Culture Artifacts

- Pulp & Kitsch -
The Temple ov Psychick Blah

- Blogs -
Angel Wishes
Bitchbook (And Assorted Mutterings)
The Blog of Hohmann
Fantagraphics Blog
Lips Like Sugar
More Than My Luggage
Nathan Exposed
PresentStorm's Corner
Red Monkey
San Antonio Sea Stories
TinaPoPo and Friends
Twisted Thoughts Within My Four Brick Walls
Why Hello, Kitty!
Yet Another Comics Blog

- Buttons -
AddPro: Free search engine submission
[Boxed Thoughts] (Found this via a comment left by JustAGirl. I love it! *The little green box directly beneath my adopted celebrities button)
Submit Express: Submit your site to the Top 40 search engines, FREE!

*By the way, if I've moved your blog's link to the "R.I.P." area of my links list prematurely, please let me know, but don't take it personally. I try to check in on everyone's blog that I link to at least 2 or 3 times a week and if I don't see updates for 3 weeks or more, I assume you've left the blogosphere. So, if that's not the case, lemme know and I'll move you back up to the 'active' links. Thanks!

Sucker Switch

I did something kinda sneaky this morning. I had another dentist appointment, this time because a piece of tooth chipped out when I was flossing. As it turns out I'm going to have to go in and get a crown for the tooth.

Anyway, as I was sitting there in the waiting room, I was rummaging through my "purse" (a little green, insulated lunchbox I carry my stuff in) and I realized that I had a small hoard of lollipops/suckers that I've accumulated from frequenting the drive-thru at the bank. All the tellers know me and often send me 1-3 suckers with every transaction. I don't usually eat them, but instead just put them in my bag.

Well, as I've mentioned before, at the counter where you get raped pay, there is a basket of sugar-free suckers and a little dispenser of vitamin C tablets... I casually tossed in the fistful of suckers I'd accumulated into the basket among the sugar-free ones, while the receptionist had her back to me, printing my receipt. Since they all look the same, no one even noticed. *tee hee* Naught-y. *looks coy*

Mouthwash, Pepsi and Post-its, Ohhh My!

Ah, the dream boys of summer...commercials.

A Behold the sleeping beauty of the new car wax from Armor All. The premise of the commercial is that you don't have to spend forever waxing your car now, with new Armor All Wax-It-Dry.

B Then there's one of my favorites, the Listerine hottie who is supposedly trying to withstand rinsing his mouth out with said mouthwash for 30 seconds, then spits it out, relieved, yet his mouth isn't wet. Amazing. Oh well, there's no room for reality in a commerical, anyway. He's still cute. BTW, I tried this test of willpower and it's pretty hard to do the first few times.

C Then there's the newest hottie on the commercial block, the guy in the new Diet Pepsi commercial. He is fuckin' H-O-T (I esp. love the second picture after he takes a drink and his lips are all squnched-up). The commercial is done to the tune of The Bee Gee's version of Saturday Night Fever, while the guy walks down the street, oblivious to all the attention he's getting (natch), sippin' on a Diet Pepsi. Click here to see the "Diet Pepsi Guy Watcher" commercial in its' entirety.

D Ah, the Post-it guy. He's a cutie and the commercial's concept is great, but the thing that's driving me crazy is that I can't place where I've seen him before! Aaaaiiiggh! I know he was in some movie I've seen, but, for the life of me, I can't place it! Argh!

E Then there's the guy who's trying to retrieve his "cheese" from his own fridge, via an ATM machine installed in the door. I forget what bank it's for (I wanna say Compass), but it's basically saying why pay a fee to get your own money out of an ATM machine. Here! Here! They claim they'll even refund any fees charged by other ATM machines. Wow!

F And last, but not least, the cutie from the Dentyne Ice commercial. The commercial is pretty lame, but the guy is hot. I also remember him from a Pringles commercial where he had the "greasy"/broken bag of chips and the little girl sitting next to him had the can of Pringles. She was such a smug little bitch, I wanted to punch her in the face. He, however, needs kisses. Mwah!

As I mentioned in a post around this time last year, I just love Kevin Christy. Sure he's "bookish and doughy," sure his teeth are "seriously screwed up," but I still love him. What can I say, I have a weakness for cute, bookish dorks. Sigh. The reason I mention him is because, as you can see, he is the new spokesperson for the new Crunchwrap from Taco Bell. I really miss seeing him on the short-lived TV series Good Girls Don't, which premiered on the Oxygen network last year and only lasted 8 episodes. Those bastards. Yet, they continue to produce more episodes of that bullshit excuse for a "reality prank" show with a menstrual cycle, Girls Behaving Badly. Ech. There is no justice in this world.

I dunno why really, but I find this guy kinda attractive. I think it's because he reminds me of Mario Lanza for some reason. He's in some commercial for some deli-style lunchmeat (he also played one of the frat brothers in Sorority Boys, fyi). The particular brand escapes me. All I know is I've bought some in the past and it's overpriced for what you get. You're definitely paying for the packaging. Save yourself some $ and go with the Dagwood's shaved lunchmeat or even good ol' Buddig.

Goodnight, Sweet Princess

Waaaah! I wanted this lamp that's up for auction on eBay so badly! However, when I went to bid on it the price went insanely high (to the tune of $202.50, last time I checked). How come everything I like is worth a mint? Lol! I love Elsie!

$edu¢ed by Sin City

Sin City went on sale this Tuesday, on DVD. I saw the movie at the theater and instantly fell in love with it, just like I knew I would. Absolutely beautiful film. For those who may not be familiar with the film, it's based on the comic book of the same name, drawn by Frank Miller. Here's a synopsis of the film, courtesy of IMDB: A collection of interweaving stories all based in the corrupt, crime infested hell-hole that is Basin City. Heavily influenced by film-noir, the main story lines concern a hulking brute called Marv (Mickey Rourke), who is seeking the murderer of a beautiful woman who was killed while asleep in bed with him; an ex-photographer called Dwight (Clive Owen) who accidentally kills a hero cop and has to cover it up; and a soon-to-be-retiring policeman called Hartigan (Bruce Willis) who is incarcerated for a crime he didn't commit. All based on the brilliant graphic novels "Sin City", "The Big Fat Kill" and "That Yellow Bastard", written and illustrated by Frank Miller.

The film is beautiful and owning the DVD is a no-brainer, BUT (daaaaamn, that's a big but!) let me let you in on a little something I didn't know before I bought my copy on Tuesday: The company that's releasing the DVD, Dimension Home Video is "double-dipping." In DVD terminology, that means they're releasing one version now, with the intention of re-releasing another "special edition" version later. Like the bastards over at Twentieth Century Fox did recently with Dodgeball. I love my Vince, but I'm not about to be duped into buying the new "special edition/unrated" version. The movie wasn't that great, and besides, it's a matter of principal. So, if you haven't bought your copy of Sin City yet, wait at least until you can find a used copy. I wish I had.

Personally, I'm beyond tired of all these not-so-"special editions" that seem to have flooded the DVD market lately. Initially, a special edition was just that; a special edition. I decided long ago (never to walk in anyone's shadow....heh, just kidding) that I was not going to be suckered into buying multiple copies of any DVD, especially if I already owned the "unspecial" edition. I've got to really love a movie to buy it again, and even then it better be worth my while, not to mention my money.

News Enchilada II

[ Click Image to Enlarge ]


*Click here to see Volume 1.

P.s. This one still pisses me off.

Love in the Afternoon

I stumbled upon this site by accident a few days ago and had to share it with you. Apparently people "remix" those cheesy romance novel covers and submit them. These were just some of my favorites. I was laughing so hard I was crying with some of them. The humor lies in the taglines as well as the titles and author's names. Brilliant! Enjoy!

[ Click Image to Enlarge ]

Tommy Lee Mystery

I found this picture over at Celebrity Smack a while back. What's with the fuckin' Burger King hat? I'm half expecting him to remove it and see Jiffy Pop come pouring out.

My question is how can someone look so hot (love the mouth) in the one picture (inset) and then look like this, being escorted from a brawl? Yeesh. Television really is magic.

Make Room for Possumkisses!

Well, I have good news. No, I didn't just save a bunch of money on my car insurance. I don't have rats...I think. I'm pretty sure, but I'm not positive. And here's why:

As I mentioned in a previous post, I've initially heard scratching/clawing inside one of my bedroom walls. This stopped once I plugged in one of those Sunbeam electronic pest control thingies.

The only other place I'm hearing scratching is inside the old metal heating duct in the floor, covered by a grate, in the living room.

So, from time to time I thought I heard hissing, but I was always in another room when it started, so by the time I got there, it would suddenly get quiet. Well, the other evening I was sitting in the living room and it started up again. I muted the TV and got near the grate and listened. It WAS hissing (Now I'm wondering what it was hissing at...gee, Kirk, neurotic much?)! I thought so! Well, I've heard this kind of hissing before and it's definitely a possum. If you've ever seen a possum on TV or in person, you know those little weirdos love to hiss. And yes, I know it's not a cat, like my mom suggested, because they sound very different. More gutteral. SO, I've come to the conclusion it must be a possum, and let me tell you, I am relieved. Don't get me wrong, I'm still calling an exterminator...eventually. But, that's just in case I do have rats.

The pros of having a possum hang out at your pad:
• They eat roaches, and lots of other insects (Hooray!).
• They eat rats (Yay!).
• They're clean kids (alot like cats...always grooming themselves).
• They're non-aggressive (no Ninja-style attacks while I'm sleeping)

So, with all these positives, I can put up with a little hissing and the occasional noncturnal hijinks...at least for a while. In the meantime, I am getting a lot more sleep. Whew!

Restored

Just a quick note to let you know that I have now completed restoring posts' images for the months of June 2004 - October 2004 and March 2005 - August 2005. For those new readers: I had another image host and they went belly up, so subsequently I lost all my images prior to June of this year. I have now successfully transferred the majority of the images in most posts. There are a few that I have either been unable to find files for, have not gotten to yet and/or need to find an image host that will not penalize me for uploading "explicit" images (I only have 2, geez).

So, for those who may have been disappointed that some of my older posts' images did not load, you're in luck. Now I just need to get November '04 - February '05 done! No small task! Thanks again for your patience.

Yes Sir! Yes Sir! Three Bags Full!

I found this over on Technicolor Day's blog. Make your own Wanted poster with the Wanted Poster Generator! Oh Johnny, you rascal you! Mwah!

Not-So-Gay Cinema

I don't own a lot of gay movies. However, I'd like to share with you 5 of my favorite gay-themed movies that I do own. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with non-mainstream gay movies, and by "mainstream" I mean movies like The Bird Cage, To Wong Foo..., Philadelphia, non-mainstream refers to the ones that most straight people would never even know about (much less go watch) if there wasn't some "name" attached to the lead(s).

However, in the real world, the majority of gay films fall into 4 categories:
1. Wacky, yet loveable drag queens who steal our hearts with their catchy, retro music and over-the-top fashions.
2. Someone overcoming (or succumbing to) AIDS
3. "Coming of Age" premises with some completely-unbelievable love object. Yeah, my high school was just swarming with "closeted" pectacular hunks just waiting to unleash their unbridled homo lust. NOT! Whatever.
4. The non-threatening gay underdog who is so average that straight people can't help but be won over by his Everyman charm.
5. The gay character who's fighting for his/her rights against all odds. Think Rocky with a lisp. Inspiring! Whatever. Life's not fair, get over it.

I've been trying to think of a way to convey what I like/dislike about gay movies, but it all comes out sounding like an "all-or-nothing" situation, but it's not that black and white. Let's just say I'm hard to please when it comes to gay movies. As you know, I like the beefcake as much as the next homo, but it doesn't take precedent over stuff like plot/characters. I know people who will rent anything (re: gay-themed movies) just because there is a "hot" guy on the cover. Whatever. Whenever the film companies market the OUTSIDES like that it's because what's on the INSIDE is sub par and they're banking on the shallowness of homos. And not-surprisingly, it works. Doi! I like the gay movies based on true stories. They ALL have unhappy endings, just like in real life! Some favorites include: Swoon, Soldier's Girl and Heavenly Creatures, just to name a few.

Rites of Passage © 1999
Synopsis: When lawyer DJ Farraday discovers his father has been having an affair, the two drive out to the remote family cabin to talk things over. What neither expects is that DJ's estranged gay brother Campbell will already be there, apparently planning a weekend retreat with his boyfriend. But father and sons are forced to put aside their grievances when two escaped convicts show up and put everyone's lives in danger.

Comments: I was initially drawn to this movie because of the dark, thriller-style quality. You rarely see a good thriller with gay characters (Apartment Zero being one of the exceptions), so when I saw the trailer for this one, I thought "alright!" I liked it a lot. I didn't quite buy the whole "My son is a hunk" thing, but like I mentioned before, that's how the cookie crumbles. Besides, even though Jason Behr (Roswell) was obviously cast to be the movie's eyecandy, I thought Robert Glen Keith was 10x hotter than he ever was. So there! Nyah!

The Sum of Us © 1994
Synopsis: An Aussie story about a father and a son both searching for love and sharing an unconventional bond. Harry, the father, is the caring and open-minded "mate" that borders on annoyance. His son Jeff unsucessfully searches for love, with the un-wanted guidance of his father.

Comments: I fell in love with this movie the first time I ever saw it. I ended up buying the VHS, the DVD and the play it was based on. It stars Russell Crowe (pre-ego inflation) and I'd have to say is my favorite gay movie. It's realistic (sans the gung-ho "My son's a big homo and I LOVE it!"-mentality of the father overkill), funny and honest. A must-see.

Big Eden © 2000
Synopsis: This is the story of Henry Hart, a successful New York Artist, who returns to the town of his childhood to care for the ailing grandfather who raised him. Back in Big Eden, Henry must come to terms with his relationship to Dean Stewart, his best friend from high School, as well as the object of his unrequited love.

Comments: First off, lemme preface this by saying I think Arye Gross is just that: gross. God, he couldn't be less appealing if he tried. BUT, I commend him for doing such a great job in this movie. I really, really loved it. There was enough realism that the parts that were unrealistic didn't bother me that much. I'd much rather see this kind of gay movie than the typical fodder that keeps coming off the assembly line. One reviewer at IMDB put it best when they said: "Perfect Recipe: Just enough heartfelt sweetness, and no "FABulousness"!! A film in which gay men were represented in all shapes and sizes, where they actually were OVER the age of 30, and where they were just regular guys! No drag queens, no fey lispy men snapping their fingers saying "you go, girl," no circuit boys and their designer drugs, no latest club hit from Cher, no stereotypes played for laughs." EXACTLY.

When I say I loved the movie, I really mean 99% of the movie because it did this weird thing at the end that I HATE when movies do: It kept going after the point where it should have stopped. Personally, I thought it should have stopped at the general store scene in the next-to-last chapter of the DVD. However, it just had to go on to do a totally-unnecessary kissing scene at the local jamboree. Oy. It really seemed tacked on, as if to show the audience to what extent Arye Gross was willing to get the role. Yeah, we get it, they're in love.

Love is the Devil © 1998
Synopsis: In the 1960s, British painter Francis Bacon (1909-1992) surprises a burglar and invites him to share his bed. The burglar, a working class man named George Dyer, 30 years Bacon's junior, accepts. Bacon finds Dyer's amorality and innocence attractive, introducing him to his Soho pals. In their sex life, Dyer dominates, Bacon is the masochist. Dyer's bouts with depression, his drinking and pill popping, and his satanic nightmares strain the relationship, as does his pain with Bacon's casual infidelities. Bacon paints, talks with wit, and, as Dyer spins out of control, begins to find him tiresome.

Comments: This is one fucked-up movie. And I love it. If you're remotely familiar with artist Francis Bacon's paintings, then you can only imagine what this movie is gonna look like. Dark, gritty, surreal, disturbing. If you're looking for a happy, shiny gay movie, keep looking. Hard-to-find, but recommended.

Happy, Texas © 1999
Synopsis: Two escaped convicts arrive in the town of Happy, Texas, where they are mistaken for a gay couple who is to host the town's Little Miss Fresh Squeezed beauty pageant. Enjoying the celebrity and using their skill as con-men, the two adopt their persona to take on the task.

Comments: I love the two leads in this movie: Jeremy Northam and Steve Zahn. I also really love Illeana Douglas, so renting this movie (and subsequently buying) was a no-brainer. In a word: Hilarious! Yeah, it's got a lot of the typical gay stereotypes, but there are also a few surprises. Any way you cut it, I guarantee it will crack you UP. Funny, original comedy.

Why Do Men Have Nipples?

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Have you ever wondered why your teeth chatter when you're cold, or if you could really catch a disease from sitting on a toilet seat?

New York physician Billy Goldberg, pestered by unusual questions at cocktail parties and other social gatherings over the years, puts the public's mind at ease in his book "Why Do Men Have Nipples?"

"It's really remarkable how often you get accosted," said Goldberg, 39. "There are the medical questions from family and friends, and then there are the drunk and outrageous questions where somebody wants to drop their pants and show you a rash or something."

The book, subtitled, "Hundreds of Questions You'd Only Ask a Doctor After Your Third Martini," (Three Rivers Press), is co-authored by humorist Mark Leyner.

"People tend to know so little about their bodies as compared to their cars or their laptops," said Leyner, 49, of Hoboken, New Jersey. "When I worked in a pharmacy in Washington, D.C., people would ask me medical questions all the time. I was just a 22-year-old cashier at Rite Aid."

Goldberg had compiled a list of nagging questions for several years before embarking on the book after meeting Leyner. The two met while working on a short-lived ABC-TV medical drama, "Wonderland," in which Leyner served as a writer, while Goldberg was its medical advisor.

And finally, why do men have nipples?

While only females have mammary glands, we all start out in a similar way in the embryo, the authors explain. The embryo follows a female template until about six weeks, when the male sex chromosome kicks in.

Men, however, have already developed nipples.

A Taste of the Orient

Today's post doesn't really have a purpose other than I've collected some assorted Asian-related items over the past month or so and thought I would compile them into one post and share them with you. Think of it as digitial Dim Sum, if you will. And remember: LaChoy makes Chinese food SWING American! Why not?!

[1] "A chubby baby smiles in front of the portrait of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong at the Tiananmen Square in Beijing a week before the start of the upcoming Communist Party Congress."

[2-6] How cool are these?! I stumbled across these totally fun new portable USB memory drives, which come in 32mb or 128mb size, while on one of my ritualistic image surfing expeditions. They are manufactured by a company called Dynamism. Go to their site to check out more images. The attention to detail is amazing! I just LOVE them! The same company also manufactures other novelty USB drives shaped like rubber duckies and even a thumb! Too cool.

[7] I ran across this hilarious image while looking for something else (natch) and had to download it. If you click on the image you can download this single image as well and use it to show your foes who just got OWNED!, biotch!

[8] Say hello to this totally cool (no pun intended) Hello Kitty oscillating fan! First the Hello Kitty toaster, now THIS! Such a fun use of design on an old standard.

[9] It looks like some creative (MK Carroll) has updated the "old school" toilet paper cozy into this totally fun new cozy that resembles sushi!! How cool is that?! Love it. God, now I really want one.

[10] Is this bedside lamp not the coolest thing ever?! I found it over at Urbanoutfitters.com. Naturally, anytime I like anything cool, they're sold out of it or it's been discontinued (as is this case with this lamp), but they do still have some great silk floral wall sconces that totally kick ass!

[11] According to the folks at National Geographic, a new rodent has been discovered, the first mammal family to be discovered in 30 years, at an Asian food market. According to the article: Although it's been called a rock rat, the name is misleading, says Robert Timmins, of the Wildlife Conservation Society, based in New York. "It's not at all closely related to typical rats and mice," he said, adding that the description "spineless porcupine" would be more apt. Funky.

I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing...

Domestic Partnership Meme from Sarafenix (*Questions 2-4 didn't apply, so I chose to only display the ones that do.)

1. Are you single or in a monogamous relationship?
I am single (shocker!). But, like Willona from Good Times once said "There's a big difference between being alone and being lonely."

5. If we are single, what would life with your ideal spouse/partner look like?
It'd look an awful lot like a Mentos commercial. Just kidding. Ultimately, I'd like to see us both be secure enough in our relationship to maintain our own dwellings, but not necessarily put limitations on where we spend most of our time together. We'd watch lots of movies, shop at lots of bookstores, eat lots of Chinese food and laugh a lot. In addition, we'd come to embrace our combined hatred of children and stupid people. In other words, we'd bring out the best in each other.

Craptastic Product Reviews

I go through phases where I have a craving for certain foods. Currently, one of my cravings is for apple sauce. I'm not sure why, but it tastes nice and cool on a hot summer day. However, I must warn you of accidentally buying (like I did) the "Natural" version of Mott's Apple Sauce. Bleah! You might as well be eating wet sawdust. Stick with the "Original" version with the green label. Mott's also makes a chunky style which has the consistency of vomit, so I think I'll be passing on that as well. I've never been a big fan of chunky-style anything, whether it be spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, etc.

Marvo already did a review of this on his blog, but I just tried the Jack in the Box Bacon & Cheese Ciabatta Burger. I discovered one thing: me no likee ciabatta bread. It was too thick and too dry. Also, it looked nothing like the photo with the exception that the lettuce was fresh, green and possibly delicious (I removed it...made the hamburger too "fluffy" and cumbersome). Also, the bacon "slices" were roughly the length of a stick of Wrigley's Spearmint Gum, but there were enough of them piled on to give your tastebuds the impression that there was indeed bacon somewhere in this burger. Overall, waaaay too dry. Methinks someone at JITB headquarters just fucked up and accidentally ordered too many ciabatta buns and had to find a use for them. I have a use for them: use them to do a faux painting effect on your wall. They're the right consistency and should hold a lot of paint. DIY was never so non-toxic!

I love graham crackers. I love Golden Grahams Cereal. So, when I saw that Life Cereal had come out with a new graham-flavored cereal, I thought "Why the heck not?!," so I bought some. I can describe it in one word: Blech. It totally didn't taste like graham to me. Instead, it tasted waaaaaay too much like vanilla. Now, I liked the original vanilla-flavored Cookie Crisp Cereal (back when the wizard "Cookie Jarvis" was still the spokesperson) and the vanilla Cap'n Crunch (both long discontinued, unfortunately), but this new Life Cereal tasted too vanilla-y. I HATE the scent of vanilla candles, etc., and this tasted like a vanilla candle smells. I might as well have poured milk over a bowl of vanilla potpourri. No thanks.

I bought this box of Fruit Punch at Target, merely for the novelty factor. They also had Peach Tea flavor, which I normally love, in any form, but the box was less fun that the Fruit Punch one, so I opted for the Punch instead. And when I say box, I mean box. You know, like those boxes of wine you can buy for parties. Same concept. Well, the box was easy enough to operate (spout et al) and initially the punch tasted "okay." I thought it was too flowery-tasting. Then came the aftertaste. It had a strange, but subtle aftertaste of chemicals. Me no likee.

I like Spam Luncheon Meat. I don't eat it often, but I do like it on occasion. I prefer mine browned in the skillet, in a sandwich with plenty of mustard. Well, I'm in luck because the makers of Spam have just come out with Spam Singles. How cool is that? What a great idea! Spam Singles are single slices that come in individual packages, like Starkist tuna. Very convenient. One slice is the equivalent of 2 regular slices of Spam. Finally, something I liked! Two thumbs up.

And last, and certainly least, Homemade Style Ragu Pizza Sauce, AKA tomato-based battery acid in a jar. I had a hankerin' for some mini English muffin pizzas last weekend. They're simple enough to make, just split an English muffin, dab on 2 teaspoons of pizza sauce, add toppings (I chose pepperoni), top off with cheese and bake for 10-15 minutes in the oven at 350º. I normally make these with spaghetti sauce and they are pretty delicious. However, I thought I'd get all fancycakes and listen to the little voice in my head that was telling me "The right tool for the right job." Stupid little voice.

So, I have a choice between the Ragu Pizza Sauce or the Contadina Pizza Sauce. Well, since I am not a big fan of the Contadina brand of tomato-based anything, stupid me chose the Ragu brand. To be honest, I didn't even know that anyone still made pizza sauce. I vaguely remember something delicious called Pizza Quick Sauce back in the 80's and I think it was also distributed by Ragu, but it didn't taste anything like this. Remember the jingle? "Open a jar, of Pizza Quick Sauce, and open your own pizzeria!" Well, this new "Homestyle" opened something up alright...my fuckin' larynx! I swear to god, I rarely experience acid reflux and/or indigestion, but this shit gave me the all-time worst case of acid reflux ever. If you ask me, I think the shit was old. It was darker than the usual tomato-based sauces I've seen, yet the expiration date was April '07. Avoid at all costs, unless you have a cast-iron trachea.

That's it for now. I'll keep you abreast of any future purchases.

Kung Faux

Recently, while making compilation videos for friends near and far, I stumbled upon this AWESOME (dare I say fuckin' awesome?) show called Kung Faux. OMG, it's the best thing to come along since Strangers With Candy and/or Mystery Science Theater 3000! What exactly is Kung Faux, you may be asking. Well, here's a synopsis courtesy of the Kung Faux site: Kung Faux is a series of classic Kung Fu films that have been individually re-cut down to standard television half hour lengths, re-scored with hit music, re-dubbed with the comedic voiceovers of Hip Hop personalities, and re-combined with comic book-style graphics and video game theme pacing for a complete sensory blast!

So far, I think my favorite episodes have been Pimp Stick and Mini Lee. Pimp Stick, favorite scene: the retarded kid (AKA "Retardo") who likes cheese and Mini Lee: where a sexually-confused Mini Lee (AKA "Hatcha"), in a drunken stupor tells his friend to "Gimme a hug. Gimme a hug in the balls." LMAO! This show is cracking me UP!

Though I'm normally not a big fan of Hip Hop, I am totally diggin' the music for the show. I just wish they would include who the artists are and the names of the songs at the end of the episodes! I'd be buyin' me some new CDs!

Currently there are 30 episodes and 15 volumes in development. Volume 1 is currently available for purchase at Amazon.com for around $20 and contains episodes 1 and 2: III Master and Boxcutta.

Kung Faux will be premiering on an upcoming new cable channel called Ripe TV (coming September 2005), but you can currently watch some of the episodes online at the Kung Faux site and/or if you have OnDemand with your cable company, you can find episodes under the "Cutting Edge" category. Hikeebah!

C'mon People Now, Smile on Your Brother...

Hey gang, not unlike ABBA, I'm sending out an S.O.S. On a recent trip to the public library, I signed onto one of their computers (PC) just for the heck of it, to see what my blog looked like on a PC. The library uses Internet Explorer as their browser, while I use Netscape. Anyway, I was dismayed to see that 1) All my post text/links are all centered! and 2) the post font is all in lower case. Me no likee. These areas of my blog appear completely different on my computer.

Well, here comes the S.O.S. part. I scanned through the blog template and tried a few things, but I can't seem to figure out what to change in order for the post/links text to align leftt AND to change the font to upper/lower case. My #1 priority though is aligning the text left (*I had originally typed 'right'...sorry about that). If anyone knows how to access the "page source" and could tell me what/where to make changes, I'd sure appreciate it! I'm not losing sleep over this yet, but I know how anal I can be when it comes to certain things, so I'm sure it's just a matter of time.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.