Here in tropical Buffalo (38 degrees and cloudy. Nice…), they love to toot their horn about being the home of the wild wing. The “Buffalo Wild Wing” was apparently discovered in 1964 by the lovely & talented Teressa Bellissimo for her son & his buddies. As the legend goes, her son, Dominic, was hungry so she took some chicken parts that usually went into soup, fried ‘em up and then dumped some hot sauce on them. Voila! Hot wings were founded.
And they are, without question, very good.
But now…my question. I realize that New Yorkers will argue that they have the best pizza in the world, and Cincinnati will claim to have the best chili, and Memphis/Nashville/Kansas City/Houston/”American city of your choice” will claim to have the best BBQ…and so on and so forth. But seriously…hot wings are hot wings…right? I mean, it’s chicken parts fried and drenched with hot sauce, right? How much better can it possibly be?
So the original hot wing was made at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY. Beyond that…I can’t imagine that ANYONE can say they have the best hot wing in the country because aren’t they all basically made the same? What would make a better hot wing? Someone leaves them in the fryer longer? Maybe a hotter, wetter sauce? Whatever…
Hot wings are hot wings. You might have a restaurant that you prefer to frequent, but there’s no way any one is better than the other. Except at Hooters. Obviously THOSE hot wings are better for a reason. Right guys?
Watching the AMA’s the other night and there were all of these horrendous performances and dancers flying everywhere and artists that looked orange and were setting stuff on fire and then…out of nowhere…a little bird fluttered in and stole the entire freakin’ show. Just like she did the MTV Music Awards and the CMA’s and just about anything else she does. Taylor Swift has this country by the neck and is…not…letting….GO!
Look…I’m not a Taylor Swift hater. Honestly…I don’t know anything about her really other than she is SUPER popular and Kanye West obviously hates her videos. Other than that, I don’t own any of her songs and I know only what I hear about her on television or on the internet. I’m an old guy who loves rock n’ roll. But you know what she DOES have that appeals to an old fart like me who has been taking some serious crap from Lady GagGag fans? She is modest and unassuming and about as nice a young woman as you’ll ever find. And I find THAT to be appealing in pop music these days. And apparently so do many others.
Like I said…I don’t know much about her but what I have seen of her I like more and more. She comes across as a normal, everyday person who is working hard to get her music out there. She seems like she is very appreciative of her fan base. And, as far as I know, she has never lit her instruments on fire, worn a balloon costume or an owl costume or or a Kermit the Frog costume. I don’t think she’s ever hung herself onstage while dripping in blood…but I’d have to look that up. I’ve never seen her in a dominatrix suit, never seen her hump a dancer onstage or have pyrotechnics flare out of her bra. I’d even go so far as to say that she has never had to hide her true self behind anything other than her music.
As a matter of fact, it seems to me that Taylor Swift has gotten so many accolades mostly due to the fact that she WRITES AND PERFORMS the kind of music that many people can appreciate. Doesn’t matter whether you like country music or not, Taylor Swift comes across as a class act and that says something in this day & age. “Class” is something that this generation of pop musicians have forgotten. Nowadays it’s all about who can top the other and that was painfully obvious in last night’s AMA performances. The music was below average and every artist was either lip-synching or those who chose to sing sounded out of key. It was horrendous trying to watch some of those guys onstage! And then Taylor Swift won “Artist of the Year” and I felt a little vindication. Sure…Kings Of Leon didn’t win (my choice). But neither did the spectacle known as Gaga or Michael Jackson, who hasn’t had a new album in forever or Eminem, whose latest album is all about drug rehab.
So I’m just gonna leave it at that. Even though I don’t know if I consider her to be the greatest artist out there right now (I’ll leave that one up for discussion), what I WILL say is that Swift appears to be in a class all by herself when it comes to knowing her fan base and her age group . With her, you get what she gives you…and that is pop-country music that is heartfelt and personal. And THAT, my friends, is quality music, no matter whether it appeals to you or not. It’s what music is all about. And sooner or later, the Gaga’s will disappear (they always do) and the musicians will remain.
This horrible haircut has taken FOREVER to grow back. It seems like I’ve been wearing a baseball cap for the last 4 months. But finally the sides have started to grow out and today I could actually use a brush to comb it back and guess what else I got to do today?
I got to pluck a long gray hair out of the front of my head.
Yep. A LONG gray hair. This wasn’t the run-of-the-mill “partially brown, partially gray on the tip” hair either. This was a full-blown, long & gray…gray hair. And it was staring at me in the mirror saying, “Ha ha! I have finally caught up with you! You are getting old and I am coming and I am bringing all my closest friends! We will NOT be stopped!” It was evil as it stood there, so proud on the front of my noggin. So I got out my tweezers and yanked that sucker right out of there. But this raises the question…
How long before more of them decide to storm the castle?
How long have I got? Is there a time frame on gray-hairedness? I figure I have fought them off for long enough. I mean…I AM 40 (gonna be 41 soon enough). So eventually they had to make an appearance. And it’s not like they haven’t been around. Whenever I get my hair cut there they are, just softly peppering my sideburns. But then my hair grows out and POOF…they’re gone! But not THIS one. This one was different. This one was tall & proud & sticking straight up out of all the others. This one had seen the light and was not gonna back down. This one was out to show me who is boss. Fortunately, I am much bigger than it and so a gentle yank caused me very little anguish but now I’m worried about the next time. Are gray hairs like ants? Do they scout out for oldness and then once they see it you can’t get rid of the damn things?
I dunno.
But I will NOT go down without a fight! I think Dylan Thomas said it best when he wrote the following…
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Or was that Rodney Dangerfield? Whichever…it is now my rally cry! You will not deter me, gray hair! You might win the battle…but I shall win the war! You will not take my youth without a fight! And if the battle rages on, I have a secret weapon…and it’s called Grecian Formula. And I WILL use it!
But please don’t make me use it…I hear it smells awful…
I’m all for youth and looking younger and all…but is it just me or is Donny Osmond just a freak? Seriously…he SAYS he’s 51 (quoted from last night’s “Dancing With The Stars” episode) but I gotta believe the guy is going on 61. I mean…he’s been around FOREVER. I swear when I was 5 he HAD to be at least 16. And then I remember having a couple of hits in the late 80’s (“Soldier Of Love” & “Sacred Emotion”) when he HAD to have been in his 30’s. And NOW he’s popped up on “Dancing” and I swear the guy looks like he’s 28 years old!
There has got to be a secret here. Is Donny really a cult leader, sacrificing virgins to the evil god of youth? There’s not a grey hair, there’s not a wrinkle, there’s not a sign of slowing down. There’s something amiss here people…and I want answers!
Donny Osmond is up to something and it needs to be investigated. Because there is NO WAY this guy is ONLY 51 years old. And dancing with some hot starlet like he’s 19 again.
NO WAY OSMOND!
You are up to no good and I know eventually the secret will be discovered that, not only have you been dancing with the stars, but you’ve been dancing with some kind of devil also. The gig is up dude! And you are an evil, evil man.
Damn you Donny Osmond…making me feel all old and crap…
We all know the hot water Rick Pitino has gotten himself in. He had sex at a bar (eeew?) with a woman who probably approached him while he was drinking and they found themselves doing the deed and now the deed has been done and then she got pregnant and asked him to help out with the abortion so he gave her 3 grand and that was supposed to cover up the whole deal but it didn’t and she cried “rape” but it wasn’t and now Pitino finds himself trying to smooth over the whole situation with his wife and family (5 kids? Seriously Rick?) and the media. It’s a story not necessarily new to the rich & famous. It’s called “golddigging” and it happens quite often, I’m pretty sure. Women are attracted to rich & famous guys. They give it up to rich & famous guys to SAY they gave it up to a rich & famous guy. And rich & famous guys take the bait…hook, line & sinker.
Eventually common sense gives way to drunken stupid guy-ness and a celebrity gets into a mess like this. It’s dumb. And in the case of Rick Pitino, not the smartest thing to do in one of the more religious parts of the country. Seriously…in Kentucky…there’s a church on every corner, on every dirt road, in every tiny town in appalachia. You just don’t go hoein’ around and get caught without people breaking out the pitchforks and wanting some kind of retribution. So Pitino stuck his tail between his legs and proceeded to announce that he HAD made a mistake but the allegations that he had raped this woman were absolutely false. And so that makes it better. Right?
And then he had a press conference yesterday where he said this…and I quote…
“Enough’s enough…everybody is tired of it. We need to get on with the important things in life like the economy and really crucial things in life like basketball.”
This is a direct quote taken from the Cincinnati Enquirer today.
Um…yeah. I don’t know who he thinks he’s fooling. I realize HE’S probably tired of hearing about it. It was HIS mistake. So for the media and the people of Kentucky to just up and forget about it? It’s not gonna happen. You were stupid and you are a very public figure. You’ve lived in the spotlight in this state for years and you have deserved it. You are an iconic figure in the history of 2 prolific basketball schools and you have done great things with each program. So you screw around with that (no pun intended), then you just expect people to NOT want to know about it? Don’t be an idiot.
And then you say we need to get on with MORE important things…like the economy…and BASKETBALL? Just an FYI to you, Mr. Pitino…basketball is NOT crucial in life. Basketball is a sport. It is played or enjoyed by fans only for entertainment purposes. To lump basketball (or any sport) into the “crucial” things in life is misguided and stupid. Or maybe you’ve overestimated what your purpose really is. Your purpose, celebrity or not, is to coach young men and to help guide them in a path that leads them on to be better people. Whether they go on to play professional basketball or own their own business or collecting trays at the local McDonalds, they need to have someone to look up to who is a strong person. Someone who is a father figure at a crucial time in their lives. I imagine when you pitch to parents to lure their kid to your college to play basketball THAT is in your sales pitch. That you can be the father away from their home.
Well…you’re not MY father. And I don’t look up to you in any way. You are a basketball coach who screwed up. The only people you truly need to answer to is your wife, your kids, and the young men on your basketball team who thought you were above this mess. Anyone can make a mistake. You did and you are paying for it. But to make statements like the one above is brash and arrogant. You’re a public figure. We are the public. We love you when you’re winning. We criticize when you’re losing. And when you make stupid comments like this one…well…we think you’re a putz. Suck it up and deal with it.
Now…I gotta go and start looking at my fantasy basketball team for this year. Apparently it’s CRUCIAL that I concern myself with these things…
Find a penny, pick it up. And all day your day will suck.
I realize that for many, many years, there has been a money system in place here in our country. You have dollars and cents. The coins are basically quarters and dimes and nickels and silver dollars and half dollars and…pennies. I’m not sure, but I vaguely remember there being a petition at some point to do away with pennies because, quite frankly, there’s no need for them. 1 cent nowadays holds absolutely no value anywhere. Used to be, you could buy gum balls or a newspaper or a glass of lemonade or any number of things with the copper coin. It had VALUE. Nowadays…ya can’t buy a damn thing with a penny and the only way it has any value is by collecting a large number of them. Otherwise, the only thing pennies are good for is to clutter up that coin collector in your car or to toss into that cool circle thing at the mall which is like a black hole and you can watch it spin & spin & spin &…
Nevermind.
Anyways…so yesterday a penny totally ruined my day. Not that I was having a great day to begin with, however a penny basically took my day and COMPETELY ruined it. Allow me to tell the tale…
I got off work last night and was walking to my car when I got a text message. “Listen to your voicemail and call me” it said. This is basically my wife’s way of telling me there is bad news and she needs to warn me that my head might explode and she wants it to happen BEFORE I actually talk to her. So I did. And the message went something like this…
“You daughter swallowed a penny. I am taking her to the hospital for x-rays. Call me when you get this.”
Obviously there was more to the message but you get the idea. So my first inclination was to laugh. I mean…it’s a penny, right? Ava didn’t fall 3 stories and break a leg, she wasn’t kicked in the face at the playground, she hadn’t suffered head trauma when she got her head slammed in the car door by her brother. Nothing like that. She basically ate…a penny. So I chuckled. Then I got thinking about it…and the conversation in MY head went something like this…
“Oh no! I hope she’s okay! Wait a minute…THE $@%#$ HOSPITAL???”
And the rest was all dollar signs. Because our insurance, like most Americans, really sucks. So my mind immediately drifts to money whenever a doctor or a hospital is concerned. And I’m not talking pennies…I’m talking hundreds, possibly thousands of dollars. So immediately I feel my temperature start to rise, my blood pressure spiked and then my head blew up all over my car. So I had to get THAT taken care of…
And then I called my wife. Turns out, Ava was fine. The x-ray found the coin in her abdomen and it should pass…eventually. We need to watch her and if there is any pain we are to take her back to the hospital where they can charge us again for their miraculous services. Ugh.
So let it be stated right now, that if MY daughter has any kind of medical issue due to a penny, I will sue the government of the U.S. of A. for keeping these damn things in circulation. They serve absolutely no purpose anymore. They are a waste of a ductile metal that we, as a culture, could do without. Round up, folks! It’s a lot easier! And it makes fiscal sense. Not CENTS! I said “SENSE”. We don’t need these vile coins laying all over our sidewalks and taking up space in jars across our country! Do away with the penny, America! And then our children will be safe…finally…from this horrible, horrible element. And I won’t have to worry about my daughter ever again.
At least…not until she decides she wants to find out what a $20 bill tastes like…
Aromatic espresso beans are freshly ground, right before your eyes. Rich chocolate syrup splashes in. Next, luscious milk is artfully poured into your cup. Then comes the irresistible whipped cream, sculpted perfectly. And it’s all drizzled with thick, velvety chocolate. It’s a McCafe mocha masterpiece, made-to-order. And it’s hand-crafted, just for you. Try one steaming hot or over a landscape of ice.
Mmmmm…sounds mighty tasty, don’t it? And I guess it might be. But here’s the thing…this little bit of artfully sculpted writing isn’t for a 4-star restaurant or even Starbucks. This is from a placemat at McDonald’s. And it does sound tasty, right? Velvety chocolate, irresistable whipped cream, rich chocolate, luscious milk. All written very…adjectively. But here’s the thing…you are McDONALD’S. Not Caribou Coffee or Starbucks or any other chain of coffee purveyors. You are basically a chain based on your delicious and not-so-good-for-you french fries. Sure…coffee is great and if you wanna throw it into the mix, that’s fine. Like with your egg McMuffins (which are deliciously delicate with but a hint of rubbery ham) or with one of those egg burrito thingies. But as far as marketing coffee alone as one of your delicacies? Um…no.
Hey…you can do whatever ya want. But here’s my deal…if I want coffee at a premium price (the iced mocha at Mickey D’s is over $3), I sure as hell am not going to McDonald’s for it. I’m not saying it ain’t decent coffee. I don’t mind a cup of joe from the golden arches. And for a buck-fifty, it’s not a bad deal. But for $3.50? Nah. That’s Starbucks /Caribbou/enter YOUR favorite coffee shop territory there. And all the adjectives in the world aren’t gonna change what the product is…it’s basically Maxwell House with chocolate syrup and ice in it. And that’s fine if I’m at home in my jammies and reading the morning paper. But for $3.50 or such, I want something a little more fine-tasting.
So you’re not fooling me with your elaborate writing, Mr. McDonald’s. I’m onto your scheming ways. And thanks for thinking about me with the new coffee products that have taken up a fifth of your menu sign up at the drive-thru. But I’m still not buying it. Coffee is coffee, doesn’t matter how you spin it. And for over 3 bucks a pop…I’ll go shop at the local gas station and get it for $1 or less. Thanks!
I understand everyone is trying to make a buck these days. Times are tough and pennies are being pinched. I get it. I understand. But the other day I took my daughter & niece to see “Monsters vs Aliens” at the dollar theater and, much to my surprise, it ain’t a dollar anymore!
It is now $3 per person. So that’s $9 for the 3 of us. And that’s fine. But the REAL shocker is the concession stand. And this is where movie theaters are going CRAZY anymore! So I buy the tickets and then we go to get popcorn and a couple of sodas. Total cost? $14.
FOURTEEN DOLLARS?!?! For 2 small sodas and a medium corn??? Are you serious? That is INSANE!
And the kicker is that this place is a dump! I mean, the seats are all ratty and it has that old, nasty, grungy feel to it. I LOVE old theaters, but this place is a box with seats. No personality at all. So if they are gonna charge ridiculous prices for concessions, wouldn’t you think they might want to upgrade some of the amenities of their property?
This is a classic case of gouging, and I’m not gonna put up with it! So needless to say, I won’t be going back there and I imagine, at some point, that business will go under like so many other businesses before it. Which is a real shame. I like the idea of taking my kids to a cheaper theater for 2nd run films. But not at the expense of being slammed when my kids want a box of gummie bears. There’s a reason there are so many OTHER options when it comes to movie-going these days. For MY money, bring back the drive-in! I miss the days of hanging with my family in our family car, playing at the drive-in playground before a double feature. Eating buttery corn and spilling soda on the car seat. Wait a minute…soda and candy in the car seat?!?
Nah…forget that! I guess 1st run films are the way to go!
Okay…it’s been like…4 years now? Can’t we please get rid of these giant sunglasses that women seem to think are so cool but actually make you look like giant praying mantises? Or the Sleestacks from “Land of the Lost”…
I mean seriously…that look went out over 40 years ago! Jackie O might have gotten away with it, but YOU look simply ridiculous. It’s time to put these things away. They are SO big that you have a sunburn that goes from your chin to your forehead in the shape of a giant circle. You’re scaring the kids. And men think you look stupid. And they aren’t safe. Really. If you are walking too fast you might tip over and hurt yourself or someone walking near you.
Let’s move on to the NEXT big fad (no bra maybe? That would be awesome!) and leave this one with the zipper shirts and the sequined gloves…shall we?
Monday through Friday, I take my daughter to school. My daughter goes to a montessory school for 3 hours a day. She has learned to read words and count numbers and now she has learned some new swear words because every damn day, as I take her to her school, I have to sit in traffic at a crossroad on Buttermilk because there is construction and IDIOTS ARE PARKED IN THE INTERSECTION AND TRAFFIC GRINDS TO A COMPLETE STOP! AND WE SIT THERE FOR 15 MINUTES!?!
What the hell is WRONG with you people?!?! Look…there is CONSTRUCTION going on here. It’s a major intersection and everyone is trying to get where they are going. I understand that. But you can SEE that if you pull forward you are gonna be blocking traffic. You can see that! So why do you do it??? It’s not like sitting through one more light is gonna cause you THAT much delay! I mean, is it really all to much to ask for you to pause, check out the situation, and then assess that maybe you shouldn’t pull into traffic and block the flow just so you can sit there in the intersection and look like a complete ASS while you have 3 lanes of traffic basically going nowhere because you are an IDIOT?!?!
And then you give ME a dirty look because I’m staring you down with hate in my eyes? You’re lucky I didn’t just sit with my right hand on my horn and my other hand with a certain finger raised out the window…you JACKASS. Why oh why are people stupid? Why oh why do I have to drive among you? Why oh why didn’t your driving instructor see that you are a complete MORON and that you are not fit to drive a tricycle, let alone a motorized vehicle. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?!
Ahh….screw it. There’s nothing that can be done. What has happened has happened and I’m willing to let bygones be bygones. But I swear…if I see you in that intersection again, blocking traffic with your big honkin’ BMW or your stupid trash truck…so help me…I WILL think about honking my horn! And I WILL curse you out under my breath. Several times! You…you…you…STUPID BUTT!
Now get out of my way so I can take my daughter to school so she can learn something. Obviously YOUR parents didn’t.
I like me some decent pop music. I don’t mind when a pop star breaks through and makes a single that hits it on the chart and gets played a gazillion times and sells a bunch and kids like it and what not. But this month in Blender magazine, they interviewed pop artist Lady GaGa and can I tell you…this chick is as pretentious as they come!
Let’s set the record straight here…if you are Bob Dylan, you can talk about the importance of your music. If you are Bruce Springsteen, you can discuss the political ramifications of your lyrics. If you are Bono, you can talk about the effects that your music has on the world. Hell…if you are Madonna you can talk about how your music has influenced female roles in music today.
But if you are Lady GaGa…you cannot talk about…well…mostly about how great your music is. YOU are a pop star who has had a couple of singles on the pop charts. YOU have sold maybe a bunch of ITunes downloads, but your album is filled with pop/electronic music that people will forget when the next “you” comes around the corner. You cannot say things like this…(quotes from Blender)
“This evening I’ll probably stay in and listen to this new song I recorded today. I like to roll around in bed with my songs and figure out what feels good.”
“I was very excited because my room is this gorgeous penthouse with a white baby-grand piano in the living room. When I saw it, I started to cry. I played for a couple of hours, then gave my assistant a heart attack because I wouldn’t take a shower. I was like, ‘I’m not showering. I’m being brilliant and writing.”
“When you make music or write or create, it’s really your job to have mind-blowing, irresponsible, condomless sex with whatever idea it is you’re writing about at the time.”
First off…what the hell is she talking about? Secondly…your music is NOT mind-blowing OR anything like having sex. It’s POP MUSIC with no significance other than to fill time between commercials on the radio. Is it catchy? Maybe. But like I said…you are one of many who can do what you do. Let’s not let it go to our head….mmmmkay?
ADDITIONAL NOTE: September 19th
So, for whatever reason (most likely a Google search) you are reading this blog. It was written in March. Since then, Lady GaGa has now up to 3 popular songs that have charted on the Billboard 100. Quite a few people have an opinion on this artist and I think that is great. However, I stand by my comments. I say, if she can make it 5 years, I will totally retract what I said about her longevity. However I will not correct what I have said about the particular statements that she made about herself and her music in this Blender interview. It’s pop music. Doesn’t matter HOW theatrical or how talented she is. It is still only pop music. Enjoy it for what it is! And she should learn to “Just Dance”…not talk.
ADDITIONAL NOTE: November 19th
I’m STILL getting a lot of folks Googling this artist and finding this picture high in the search. So they come here and post stupid comments like this one…
“i stopped reading this nonsense about half way down the line of comments. the dude who wrote this claims that he doesn’t have time for Lady GaGa anymore and he has a busy life, but yet he still takes it upon himself to respond to the mostly meaningless comments attached to this article. Since this guys post, Lady GaGa has soared to superstardom, and his little pointless article (that only says how much of a life he has outside of his opinion of Lady GaGa) means nothing to anyone. This guy just needs a life. I also saw where he mentioned Dave Matthews and Kings of Leon?!? they suck, majorly! sorry, but no one with a brain likes them. And Lady GaGa’s music is out there, but that’s what’s awesome about it, because no one in the pop genre has ever done what she’s doing! She is changing the face of pop music to a beautiful new thing. She also writes her own music, 99% of all of it. Name me five pop artists, who were actually good, who did that? You can’t. Celine Dion is amazing, but she barely wrote any of her music. It’d be nice if this moron just picked up his shit and left, cause bro, you suck mega ballz! big time! go rape an orangutan!!”
So these are the kinds of fans that this artist has…people who think she is amazing because she writes her own lyrics? I got news for you…I CAN name more than 5 artists who do write their own music. And it’s not hard to figure out. Look…I don’t care how much you think I suck and that you think I’m an idiot. I could care less. Seriously…I DO have a life and I enjoy the witty back & forth I have had with a few, well-informed commenters. But do you honestly believe that Lady Gaga is the next great thing because she has the ability to write crap like this…?
Rah rah ah-ah-ah!
Ro mah ro-mah-mah
Gaga Oo-la-la!
Want your bad romance
I want your ugly
I want your disease
I want your everything
As long as it’s free
I want your love
Love-love-love
I want your love
I want your drama
With the touch of your hand
I want you leathe-studded kiss in the sand
And I want your love
Love-love-love
I want your love
Love-love-love
I want your love
You know that I want you
And you know that I need you
I want it bad
B-B-Bad and bad
The lyrics from her latest “hit” are not what I would call all that difficult to come up with. And the music? Well…for all the arguing about her talent on a piano, this song (from what I hear) doesn’t have any piano in it. It’s a generic electronica beat with a lot of bleeps and noise. It’s terrible. You might not like any of the artists that I have decided to pit against Lady Gaga (Bob Dylan, Kings of Leon, DMB), however I think maybe you should check your taste in music if you honestly believe this artist is anything special. She’s not. She’s a pop artist and not a very good one at that. You can enjoy whatever kind of music you want. It’s America. It’s a free country (for now), however you come on my site and make slanderous comments you’re gonna get both barrels. From now on, anyone who wants to present their opinion may do so, but I’ve just about had it with idiots who come on here and decide to write that I suck balls and I should go rape a harmless monkey. So here’s to all of the Lady Gaga fans out there who feel this incessant need to defend her….You don’t NEED to. She is gonna keep on doing what she is doing and it doesn’t matter what I think. My opinion is MY opinion. Your opinion is YOUR opinion. I’m cool with it. You can go download all of her music 8 times over for all I care. But you fucking come on here and write this crap and it’s just gonna get deleted. So…from here on out, I’m censoring all the BS. Gimme an argument and I’ll be more than happy to discuss. But the other stuff? It’s over.
ADDITIONAL NOTE: November 23rd
Oh look…Lady GagGag DIDN’T win “Artist of the Year” on the AMA’s last night? What happened??? I thought for SURE she would win the way most of the fans talk about her. Oh wait…you mean she got beat by an artist who has CLASS and actually WRITES and SINGS her OWN music??? Wow…who woulda thunk it. Oh…and what do I think of that artist who apparently snuck up and STOLE Lady GagGag’s thunder? Well go read about here and weep, fans of the Lady GagGag. And Taylor Swift IS better and always will be…
For years now, magazines have been trying to come up with ways to get you to purchase their product. Lots of gimmicks abound ranging from lowering prices for a week to paying millions to have pictures of a celebrity baby. But I am confounded by this one particular gimmick that has been going on for years…multiple covers.
Now…I am not one to begrudge a company from doing whatever the heck it wants to, but I am wondering…do they honestly believe that I am going to go out to Target or Wal-Mart or any other store where I might purchase their magazine and buy 6 different versions of the same magazine for the cover? Or am I missing something?
This month, Entertainment Weekly has 6 covers with characters from the new movie “Watchmen”. Now I realize that there are a lot of sci-fi geeks out there who are all revved up about this film…and I am one of them. But I truly can’t believe that there is a kid somewhere who is just DYING to get his hands on ALL 6 COVERS of EW so he can pin the covers up on his bedroom wall and stare at them for the next couple of weeks until the movie hits theatres. I mean…seriously…not even the most massive fanboy in movie history is gonna do that! It’s just dumb!
So I don’t know what to make of this kind of promotion. EVERY magazine has done it at some point. From Reader’s Digest to TV Guide (who might have invented it!), someone has to get these guys on the horn and let them know that multiple covers is STUPID! No one CARES about your covers! It’s not gonna get me to buy more than 1 copy of your stupid magazine! So stop promoting it like it’s some big deal or something…’cause it’s NOT! Get over yourselves…
Oh…and how about dropping the cost again because THAT’S the best promotion that you can possibly have! You drop the price AND have multiple covers…then we’re talkin’!
I realize that everyone is freaking out and companies are laying people off at an alarming rate and prices keep going up and the world is looking like it is gonna come to an end. I realize all of this. And yet…there are a few things in life that I have determined will not be compromised in these trying times. A few of them are…
I will continue to buy milk. Doesn’t matter what the cost.
Bananas are a great deal for the price! Buy them for snacks! The kids love ‘em! And they are cheaper than the candy and other crap that you could be giving them…
I will continue to buy toilet paper with aloe because…well, quite frankly…my butt prefers it over the other brands of cardboard that I could pay less for.
My wife WILL be getting her hair colored and cut probably once every 1.5 months. I must learn to deal with it.
I can only use a certain type of deoderant. Sure it costs a little bit more, but I break into a rash otherwise!
And I thought, at one point, that there was one more thing that would NOT be compromised. But today, as I was rolling down the aisle with my IPod in my ears and my list of groceries that I had been sent to collect, I decided enough was enough. You have to just say no at some point, otherwise it’s just gonna continue to get worse and worse. So as I passed through the condiments aisle, on my list of things was “A-1 Steak Sauce”. Do you realize that there are, quite literally, maybe 3 brands of steak sauce out there? Well….there might be more. But MY grocery only stocks A-1, another brand that I have never tried but is equally expensive and something simply called “Steak Sauce”. Oh sure…it SOUNDS kinda generic (seriously Kroger marketing…can’t you come up with something a bit more…elaborate?), but who am I to judge a product that I have never tried and is a whopping $3.70 LESS??? Are you KIDDING me?
First off, let me tell you that I love a great steak. Nothing better! And I generally like to dab it in a little bit of the ol’ A-1 sauce. Gives it a little kick! However…now I am thinking I need to re-evaluate. Because for almost 4 bucks less, I can get the generic Kroger brand and then I can also afford another box of cereal and a candy bar on the way out!
So today I bought the Kroger brand “Steak Sauce”. Will it come back to haunt me? Who knows. But I can tell you this…for the makers of A-1 Steak Sauce…just so you know…YOU are a CONDIMENT! You are not something that my family HAS to have! So…to you I say…I am drawing the line here. No more will I be paying almost $6 for a bottle of A-1 goodness. No MORE, I say! You are NOT aloe toilet tissue! You are an overblown ketchup sauce!
So there. I drew the line. Now…let’s hope this stuff doesn’t suck or else I’m gonna have to crawl all the way back to the grocery and buy some A-1 sauce…and THAT’S gonna be reeeeeal embarrassing…
HUSBAND READER: Look…I realize that ‘Sports Illustrated’ has to sell magazines in order to meet it’s quota. And the Swimsuit edition is the “Super Bowl” in it’s arsenal. Scantily-clad models and sports figures, some wearing swimsuits, some wearing body paint, some not wearing ANYTHING (but positioned juuuuust right). So I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by this year’s cover. I mean…we KNEW it would come to this, right? So now…we have a really good-looking bikini model poised to take it all off, right here on the cover?!? Seriously???
I mean…she’s almost got it down to her hoo-ha, for crying out loud! And we can see that she has a tan line…but do we really need to? I mean, she would have looked just fine with her bikini bottom up and her hands on her hips. She is definitely a good-looking covergirl! Why get all “Playboy” on us? Now I can’t go buy this because my wife will think I’m bringing smut into the house!
Someone has to talk to the guys over at ‘SI’ and explain to them how this works. Wives do NOT want smut in the house. Wives do not CARE about sports magazines. So if you want me to buy your magazine, you can’t be having some hot chick flashing her…private AREAS…all over the cover! I can’t bring that home! I would be in the doghouse for MONTHS! You want me to buy your magazine, right?!?! Then tuck THIS picture somewhere in the middle! Maybe a pullout or something. ‘Cause then it’ not out there for the whole world to see! Geezuz…what are your editors thinking???
GUY READER: To the editors at Sports Illustrated…this cover is SMOKING HOT! Way to go!!!
HUSBAND READER: Hey! Stop that! Get back in my brain!!! Okay…so we’re clear here…hot pictures on the inside. No women’s hoo-ha’s on the outside. Right? Right…
GUY READER: Whatever. Awesome cover. You guys ROCK!
I realize that we are all out of unique and entertaining forms of television. Not a day goes by where I am flipping through stations (because that’s all I really do when I watch tv…change the channel…CONSTANTLY) and I come across another game show or reality show that’s not really reality or another stupid sitcom that wants to be the new “Friends”. Whatever they are putting in the water in Hollywood ain’t working because, quite frankly, it all sucks. But it is somewhat telling about the state that we are in when I can find radio shows being broadcast on television.
“Bob & Tom”, “Mike & Mike”, “Howard Stern” (used to be…I’m not sure if he still is), and I imagine others that I have not seen have hit the tube and are filling time while doing their radio show. Why? It’s radio for a reason, folks. There are 2 guys (or one guy taking calls from phone in callers?!?)…and they talk about sports, goofy stuff, world headlines…whatever. And they are sitting there talking. Just talking. Into mics. And not moving…at all.
WTF?!?! Who came up with THIS hairbrain idea? Except for maybe Stern (who regularly has strippers and porn stars on his XM Radio show), there ain’t nothing these guys are gonna do that can be considered entertainment. They are TALKERS. They get paid to TALK for a living! They are NOT television people! They sit and talk and do not move for hours at a time! Oh sure…Mike & Mike have a bunch of bobbleheads on their desk. So I took some time and tried to figure out whose bobbles they had up there. But beyond that? I have no idea what they were talking about. Oh I’m sure it was something that I might have been interested in…but who can listen when I am…falling…asleep…because it’s…soooooo…boooooring….
ENOUGH ALREADY! Gimme something to watch or else I’ll keep changing the channels and NO ONE will get my attention. And then the ratings will sag and then pretty soon EVERYONE is OFF THE AIR!
Well…except for sports. Can’t go without that…right people?!?
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