John Cusack in the Evil Room, ‘1408′
Filed under: Bizarre, Brilliant Stuff, Celebrities, just life
Here is a great spoof someone did of the movie, 1408 with John Cusack. The new premise seems to be that the reason room 1408 is so evil is because of the next door neighbors playing their music unbearably loudly! This is cleverly put together and actually really well done, especially when it comes to the audio. The guy who put this together didn’t just add music over the visuals, he sort of muted it and cranked the bass a bit to make it sound like it was coming through the wall!
Spoiler Alert! Watching this spoof could give away some things about this movie if you’ve never seen it. I don’t really like scary movies, usually, but this one was really different and I liked it – so recommend it. So keep the spoiler warning in mind when deciding whether to watch this spoofed trailer.
1408 Trailer – Spoof:
Boy-Butter Annnounces: Boy-Butter Bonerz
Boy Butter, known widely for their personal lubricants, marketed to gay men, has taken another step toward enhancing male pleasure. They announced today that they will be selling Boy Butter Bonerz (wow, that sounds like Boy Butter “boners” doesn’t it?) starting in February, both online and in stores.Wow, what a perfect item. What with feeling “…like a horny eighteen-year-old again” and that it lasts for “36 hours,” it’s the —- that keeps on giving. I guess this is one of those items that is for both of you. Kind of like when a man gives his wife or girlfriend a revealing negligee – who is it really for?
Of course, whether you can truly get boners from Boy Butter Bonerz is one of those “do herbal remedies really work” kinds of questions. And this is an herbal formula. Their claim is that it is “36-hours of fun in a safe, effective herbal formula without ‘speedy’ side effects. “What is different about Boy Butter Bonerz that sets it apart from other male performance herbal products? The answer to that seems to be simply marketing. Eyal Feldman, creator of Boy Butter, says, “… I noticed they are all targeted and compete for a generic male demographic. Using our Boy Butter branding, which is highly-recognized in the gay market, we packaged an excellent 36 hour formula with an unforgettable brand name, Boy Butter Bonerz with Boy-Agra.”
Any other difference from other herbal male performance remedies is unclear. I could not find anything on their site with a listing of ingredients. What I did find on their site (Boy Butter) said, “BOY BUTTER BONERZ is a truly revolutionary Male Performance Enhancer created from natural herb extracts offers a safe alternative to Viagra, Cialis, Levitra without a prescription.” They don’t say what is different about their product, they only state it is “truly revolutionary.” They claim, “You will experience larger erections due to increased blood flow.” And they offer a refund if you don’t experience “total satisfaction.” (I wonder how you can prove something like that. Maybe they just take you at your word.)
It seems the branding and marketing, and the fun, crazy, wacky name, will make this product a hit when it hits the marketplace. But whether or not it has staying power (pun intended) will be something that only time and customer loyalty can tell.There is a link from their site to purchase Boy Butter Bonerz in a single-capsule blister pack for a “sale price” of $5.99 (regular price $6.99). You can order now, but it won’t ship until the second week of February.
SOURCES:
- Press Release from Boy Butter
- Boy Butter Web Site
B.S. For Friday – Punctuation and Special Effects!
Filed under: Brilliant Stuff, digital image manipulation, just life
Brilliant Stuff for Friday, January 25, 2008:
Skills Improvement: Here is an exercise from the University of Bristol. This particular one is about using apostrophes. When you’re done with that exercise, there is a whole list on the left with links to information and other exercises.
Semicolon Savvy: I guess today’s entry is following a theme. Follow this for an easy explanation of proper use of a semicolon. It’s really not that hard!
Brilliant FX: Here is a YouTube video that shows someone using an application that traces objects in videos in order to render a model that you can do cool effects with. Fun to watch! The application is called VideoTrace.
Brilliant Stuff – Truth In Blogging
I’m sorry to say that I found nothing brilliant today. And I was really looking! I’m sure tomorrow will be better. Some days are just not so brilliant.
Tuesday’s Brilliant Stuff – Scary Story, Music-Maker, Einstein and Controversy!
Filed under: Art, Bizarre, Brilliant Stuff, just life, Television
Brilliant Stuff for Tuesday, January 22, 2008:
Very Short Story: I like this guy’s writing. I’ll have to post a link to the zombie story, soon, that one was actually even better. Oh what the heck – here are both of them Beat Yourself Up Over It and I Am A Zombie Filled With Love. I just love the zombie one….
Time Waster/Music Maker: Wow, how to describe this… It’s a little on-line synthesizer that is inuitive and easy to use. Cute graphics, and you make the music by pushing different keys on your computer keyboard. You can even record something, once you’ve established a bit of a song! I just love the keys that play bits of sampled rap. LOL Find it HERE
Brilliant Quote of The Day: “A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it.” –Albert Einstein
Propaganda: Here is a cartoon that best-describes the crux of the writers’ strike going on. Quick and to the point! I totally get it, and I totally support them! View it here. Brilliant!
Sunday B.S. – Fun stuff, clever stuff stats stuff, and a little bit of stupidity
Brilliant Stuff for Sunday, January 20, 2008:
WebSite: Inner Child Brain Modification - Tips and tricks to help you tap into those inner recesses of your mind where your inner child lives. Very childish and cool!
Picture: Someone went to a lot of trouble to line up the images on the backs of 5, 10, 20, and 50 dollar bills with the buildings themselves. Hard to explain here but really cool. Just go see it for yourself!
Tool: A database of census information by zip code. You can enter your own and see how close you are to average. You can also compare the stats side by side for different zip codes. Zip Skinny.
And now, for the Anti-Brilliant: This is one of the stupidest things I’ve ever seen in my life. I wonder if any of these people are still alive! Click here to be amazed by innovative stupidity in action. Definitely not-so-brilliant!
Do Starbucks and “Sugar In The Raw” Have A Strategic Alliance?
Photo Credit: Sherry Dedman
What is with the shameless pushing of “Sugar In The Raw” that seems to be going on at Starbucks? I’ve been getting the same drink at Starbucks – a Triple Grande No-Whip Mocha – for years now. And I usually just add the (white, normal) sugar at the little bar or whatever and leave.
But recently I decided I’d like to have the barista do it for me – seems more efficient and I wouldn’t have to mess with the lid and stuff. Starbucks coffee (or espresso, in my case) is really good, but I don’t really want to spend any more time there than I have to in the morning, “happily” chatting with people before I’ve had my morning caffeine.
Well, you wouldn’t believe the problems that the simple act of requesting sugar in my coffee (espresso, actually) has caused. Here are some of the ridiculous conversations requesting sugar in my coffee has caused:
ME: “Hello, I’d like a triple grande no-whip mocha with 4 sugars, please.”
Starbucks Barista: “Sugar In The Raw?”
ME: “No, just regular sugar.”
Starbucks Barista:“We don’t have sugar.”
ME: (I do a double take, then…) “You don’t have sugar?”
Starbucks Barista:“No, we only have Sugar In The Raw.”
ME: “Ok, whatever, 4 Sugar In The Raw, then.”
This was a conversation via the speaker at a drive-through (another reason I’ve taken to having the barista add my sugar for me – I finally found a neighborhood Starbucks in West Des Moines, Iowa, with a drive-thru. Oddly enough, a Starbucks with a drive through is incredibly rare in this frozen wasteland, where you would think drive-throughs would be the norm due to the weather, but I digress…..)
Anyway, so I drive up to the window and the cashier processes my card while telling me how much better Sugar In The Raw is for me. Whatever. I really don’t care. I just want my caffeine and don’t care to get into long discussions in the morning before I’ve had it. Just give it to me!
I finally get my coffee and drive away. And I drink it, and it’s like there is almost no sugar in it at all. I have to be on the road for the next 20 minutes or so to be to my destination in a timely manner, so I don’t really have any choice except to drink my not-very-sweet mocha as it is. (The add-shots of espresso of the “triple” are very intense and do need sugar or something to tame them.)
Er, anyway, it’s not-very-sweet until I get to the bottom…. Not only are the last few drinks exremely sweet, but they are very crunchy as well! It took me a minute to figure out that these little crunchies were ‘Sugar In The Raw’ bits that had never dissolved.
Never dissolved even after being exposed to scalding hot espresso and steamed milk and then stirred. After that it was sitting in this liquid for 20 minutes as I drank down my beverage, bit by bit, on my way to my destination. Ish. Still crunchy – as in non-biodegradable? Another question for another time… again, I digress…..
So the next time I ordered from Starbucks, I just put the sugar in myself, as I went inside. Why they have sugar at the little self-serve bar but not available to the barista is far beyond me, but whatever.
Soon after that, though, I needed to hit the drive-thru again. It was on my way, and I was kind of in a hurry. I needed my caffeine so decided I would live with whatever they gave me. I was resigned to “Sugar In The Raw” and did not desire a long conversation about it.
I ordered my drink at the speaker:
ME: “I’d like a triple grande no-whip mocha with 4 sugars, please.”
Starbucks Barista:“Sugar In The Raw?”
ME: “Well, since that’s all you have, then yes.”
Starbucks Barista:“We have Sugar in the Raw, Nutrasweet, Splenda….”
ME: “I don’t want an artificial sweetener, just sugar.”
Starbucks Barista:“Well Sugar In The Raw is not artificial!”
ME: (Shaking my head in exasperated disgust that this conversation had to happen again……) “Ok, I’ll take that, then.”
So I get to the window and am met by not only the cashier, but two baristas. One who says how much better Sugar in the Raw is for you. And another who says if I ask for him especially, he will measure out 4 measures of white sugar just for me after I tell him that Sugar In The Raw never dissolves well in my drink. It was a debacle.
As a side note, happily, they did remember to give me my coffee after all of their clucking, squawking, and quacking.
So the next time, determined never to have this conversation again, I ordered my coffee like this:
“I’d like a triple grande no-whip mocha with 4 sugars-in-the-raw, please.”
Cool. Works like a charm. Until I get to the window and the cashier says,
“Oh, you’re the one with the big ‘Sugar In The Raw Fiasco’ aren’t you? Did it taste all right? Did we convert you???”
WTF……. In stunned disbelief I thanked her grimly for my coffee and drove away, determined never to visit that particular Starbucks Drive Through ever again. In my mind I imagined a Starbucks company newsletter and a story in it about how to handle customers who want (gasp) sugar in their coffee, with a headline reading, “The Great Sugar In The Raw Fiasco of 2008.” And I am mortified.
So this morning…….
I walk in to a Starbucks. I order my usual. I say only “sugar” when I order, instead of “sugar in the raw” - just to see if they happen to have sugar packets. Maybe it’s only that one drive-through that does not have white sugar packets. I guess I’ll find out.
I order my drink. The cashier does not correct me when I say “sugar.” I feel optimistic. I walk over to the other end of the counter and the barista starts preparing my drink. She pulls out a little cup with all the sweeteners available to her.
Sugar is not among them. Sugar In The Raw is present in abundance. She takes 4 packets of Sugar In The Raw and empties them into my drink after the espresso and steamed milk are added.
She stirs. She stirs. She stirs. She looks up at me, still stirring her little heart out, and says, “I can still feel lot’s of little granuals down there.”
I say, “I know. Sugar in the Raw does not ever dissolve when it’s put into my drink.”
I try very hard not to show that I am restraining a bit of a rant.
I try very hard not to let on to her that her words were the “third base” punchline in a long-running Abbott and Costello routine. I try very hard, and succeed, to maintain my composure.
I thank her for my drink.
I leave.
20 minutes later I am crunching my little Sugar In The Raw granuals……
And I wonder – why does Starbucks push a sweetener that is not optimal for their main product?
The phrases “strategic alliance” and “I think I’ll put this in my blog” run through my head.
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch….. I suppose it could be worse. At least it’s not High-Fructose Corn Syrup….
Inserting A Photo Into A Word Press Blog
Filed under: blogging, just life, Web Design, Word Press
Don’t mind me. I’m just testing how to insert a photo into a word press blog. I’m going to experiment with alignment with the text and things. Not much to see here beyond a few photos! This is “baseline” alignment.
Stop removing my line breaks!
Stop removing my line breaks!
Don’t mind me. I’m just testing how to insert a photo into a word press blog. I’m going to experiment with alignment with the text and things. Not much to see here beyond a few photos! This is “top” alignment.
Stop removing my line breaks!
Stop removing my line breaks!
Don’t mind me. I’m just testing how to insert a photo into a word press blog. I’m going to experiment with alignment with the text and things. Not much to see here beyond a few photos! This is “middle” alignment.
Stop removing my line breaks!
Stop removing my line breaks!
Don’t mind me. I’m just testing how to insert a photo into a word press blog. I’m going to experiment with alignment with the text and things. Not much to see here beyond a few photos! This is “bottom” alignment.
Stop removing my line breaks!
Stop removing my line breaks!
Don’t mind me. I’m just testing how to insert a photo into a word press blog. I’m going to experiment with alignment with the text and things. Not much to see here beyond a few photos! This is “TextTop” alignment.
Stop removing my line breaks!
Stop removing my line breaks!
Don’t mind me. I’m just testing how to insert a photo into a word press blog. I’m going to experiment with alignment with the text and things. Not much to see here beyond a few photos! This is “Absolute Middle” alignment.
Stop removing my line breaks!
Stop removing my line breaks!
Don’t mind me. I’m just testing how to insert a photo into a word press blog. I’m going to experiment with alignment with the text and things. Not much to see here beyond a few photos! This is “Absolute Bottom” alignment.
Stop removing my line breaks!
Stop removing my line breaks!
Don’t mind me. I’m just testing how to insert a photo into a word press blog. I’m going to experiment with alignment with the text and things. Not much to see here beyond a few photos! This is “Left” alignment. Stop removing my line breaks!
Stop removing my line breaks!
Stop removing my line breaks!
Stop removing my line breaks!
3-Column Layout
Only took me a YEAR and nearly 3 hours just last night to finally do.
A 3-column layout of a website is not hard.
A 3-column layout of a BLOG on WORDPRESS is kind of HARD! Especially if you’ve had no college, nor formal training in .php, CSS, XHTML, etc…….
But I did it. Simple as it may be, it was the damned Holy Grail to me!!!!
Hope you all like it. I did it by myself!!!!
Countdown To Caucus: The World Is Watching Iowa
With the Iowa caucuses just two days away, news coverage explodes and all eyes are on Iowa.
Newspapers around the country and around the world have front page stories, today, about the Iowa caucuses. There is a massive magnifying glass on Iowa and its people. Oh, and some are covering the candidates, too.
The London Times Online: The Iowa Caucuses are front page news on both their local UK and global editions. The global edition features an in-depth article on the Edwards rally on Saturday night, December 29. Interestingly, they concentrate on his hiking boots and his haircut before getting to the issues covered. But then, so did he. It’s all about image and perception, and the author of this article did not miss that.
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer: The Iowa Caucuses are front page news here, as well, with several articles. The most prominent article was written by Joel Connelly. He takes a balanced, overall approach to describing the candidates and what each of their specific platforms seems to be. Then he dives deeper. Again, as a trend, John Edwards seems to be a stand out.
The San Francisco Chronicle: Interestingly, the front page article on the Iowa Caucuses in this newspaper concentrates on the people as opposed to the candidates. In an area with a reputation for being a bit “shallow” a lot of people might find that a bit of a surprise. The writer, Carla Marinucci, interviewed several people in Winterset, Iowa, and gave a voice to their concerns. One of the biggest concerns she concentrated had to do with money, layoffs, and the disappearing middle class.
The New York Times: The emphasis here is on how the Iowa Caucuses will impact New Year’s Eve! I guess that is not a surprise coming from the city where the ball is lowered in Times Square to mark the new year every year! To be fair, the article actually concentrates on the staff and volunteers who have run the campaigns for the candidates. It addresses the timing of the caucuses and campaigns and how it makes enjoying the holidays difficult. Not to mention the “thin and transparent… veneer of festivity.” Such as Barack Obama celebrating the bringing in of the new year with his staff and volunteers… via a conference call.
The New Zealand Herald: This article concentrates on the numbers and how tight the race is. It perceives Clinton and Huckabee to be the front-runners and quotes pollster John Zogby as saying the races are “too close to call.”
The Des Moines Register: A search on the word “caucus” on the Des Moines Register’s website reveals 7 stories with today’s date. The headlines range from campaign coverage to how the weather will be on caucus day.
The Concord Monitor: And of course New Hampshire is watching, as they caucus soon as well. Their front page is virtually all campaign coverage. An article specifically mentioning the Iowa Caucuses concentrates mostly on funding. John Edwards is saying that a win in Iowa could push campaign contributions sky-high.
Sources:
The London Times Online
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The San Francisco Chronicle
The New York Times
The New Zealand Herald
The Des Moines Register
The Concord Monitor
