Since this year's Super Bowl is being played as a mere formality, it's a safe bet that more people than usual will be watching strictly for the commercials. Last year wasn't the best group, but did give us a few memorable ads, including the Snickers man-kiss and Federline's Nationwide ad.
This year, 30-second spots are going for $2.7 million, up $100k from 2007's record. The AP has a few previews of what to expect:
-Mike
If you don't know history, you don't know jack. I'm pretty sure that's a real saying. Maybe not. Either way, it never hurts to know a few key dates and/or important figures from the past, you know, in case Trebek ever calls. That goes for you too, alcoholics!
WatchMojo.com covers the history of beer in America in this fine clip.
-Mike
WWSLD (What Would Saint Lazarus Do)? In Cuba, and in Catholicism in general, it's all about the saints. Catholics love them some Jesus, but the saints, especially his mama, are where it's at.
Many protestants accuse Catholics of worshiping idols and consider praying to saints to be a violation of the belief in one God. I say: Mind ya business and loosen up. Chaining heavy stones to your feet and dragging yourself to church doesn't sound like a good time to you? It's religious drama, party pooper.
Check out all the self-torture in the name of devotion some faithful Cubans put themselves through in this AFP video.
-Ricky
Some sweet young ladies in New York decided to take a chance and acted on a dare to vamp it up on New York City's subways. They broke out the sexy scarves, the hot pants and the sex appeal and turned the heat up on New Yorkers' morning commute. The skanky performance paid off, they won $10,000 for doing the stunt, filming it and posting it online. The subway performance was really similar to the Pussycat Dolls "Wait A Minute" video. Art imitating life or life imitating art? Watch the AP video below.
Oh, Internet. What would we do without you?
-Ricky
Journalist and author Alan Weisman has offered a haunting (and hauntingly beautiful) answer to the question "what would the world look like if human beings suddenly disappeared?" This animation shows what will happen to the average American house after 500 years without human occupants.
After seeing the mold problems this house develops, I don't feel so bad about that growing mildew stain in my shower.
- Evan
The Catholic Church is really onto something with its latest tactic in fighting the much publicized sexual abuse that has plagued the Church recently. They've decided to give the kids coloring books! Wow! How innovative! How revolutionary! How life-changing!
The coloring books are being handed out to good little Catholic boys and girls in schools and at churches in the New York Diocese. The books warn children to avoid being alone with strangers, beware of online predators and that there are certain parts of their body that are no-no zones. Gee, we covered most of that in kindergarten with our "Beware of Strangers" campaign.
One criticism I have, and is apparently shared by others, is the vagueness with which they address the entire priest sex abuse issue. Rather than state outright that if a priest touches you, he's not a good priest and you need to tell somebody, the book sidesteps the whole priest scandal. That's a pretty ludicrous move, considering the scandal is the reason the coloring books were made in the first place. Perhaps it's a sign that the Church still hasn't learned its lesson that it needs to be just, forthcoming and honest when dealing with issues like this.
Another criticism I have is the guardian angel bit. By putting the guardian angel in there and saying that she's there to protect the reader, you're immediately setting kids up to lose faith and suffer from self-esteem issues. What about those who already have been abused? Why didn't the guardian angel protect them?
If my devoutly Catholic Portuguese grandmother were here I'm sure she'd be dismayed at my criticism of the Catholic Church but I call 'em like I see 'em. Desculpa-me avó.
Check out the coloring book story yourself from the AP.
-Ricky
It seems like whenever PETA members want to protest, they've gotta get naked and show some skin. While I'm all for showing what you got, I have to wonder whether it's an effective tactic.
Either way, I've got to give these crazy folks credit. They stood out in the cold in nothing but their undies, or their skivies as they say in the UK, and stood up for what they believed in, holding some very threatening signs I mad.
While I'm not necessarily anti-fur myself I kind of sympathize with their cause. It's kinda creepy to wear an animal's skin and fur. It has a morbid feel to it. No offense, J. Lo. For example, when the guy from "Silence of the Lambs" was making masks out of human skin, that was kind of morbid and creepy...
Check out these images from the protest.
-Ricky
In light of the upcoming holiday feast, enjoy this editor's pick of Thanksgiving-related news. We've got Bush pardoning turkeys, Thanksgiving yoga and some cool recipes for all you wannabe chefs.
-Ricky
It's a dog-eat-dog world out there, and by world, I mean the online dating world. Before, finding love online was a taboo and seen as desperate. But now, millions of people hook up online and click their way to each other's hearts. But sometimes, rejection happens and sometimes hearts get broken. One of those people who got burned was John Fitzgerald Page. (You know only important people get referred to by three names, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Johnathan Taylor Thomas, and Jennifer Love Hewitt.)
Apparently, a woman on Match.com contacted him and they got to talking. He began talking about his cars, his money, his job, his workout regimen, his IQ and on and on. See sent a reply back that she wasn't interested and he flipped out on her, calling her fat and informing her that he scored an 8.9 on Hot or Not, was a member of MENSA, could bench/squat/leg press over 1,200 pounds, drives a Beamer and other immature, self-obsessive qualities. Gee, I wonder why this humble, modest guy is still single. The whole thing blew up in his face when it got posted on Gawker.com and now he's infamous in the blogosphere.
Check out his interview with CBS News.
-Ricky
And who wouldn't? All it takes is an entire day of your life and thousands of dollars. Too bad the self-esteem boost only lasts until your next shower.
- Evan
Japan burns through a lot of forest to make fresh chopsticks to go with those lunchtime Bento Boxes. European underwear company Triumph has come up with a novel alternative to tossing all those those chopsticks in the landfill. Fashion forward or fashion faux pas, Triumph's idea is certainly an uplifting approach to recycling.
- Evan
Wouldn't it be great if it was your job to judge rumps and get paid for it? Most people check out asses for free. If it were my job to attend a booty judging contest and report on it, I'd be one happy reporter. In fact I'd be bragging to the reporter stuck in Iraq about how Miss Brazil just dropped it like it's hot. What's that about an IED? I'm sorry I can't hear you, "Ms. New Booty" is playing.
Swiss underwear-maker Sloggi is behind this rump-baring contest, and I have to say that those darned Europeans really know what they're doing. Hanes, step your game up. Reuters gives us a peek at all the derriere posturing.
There's no doubt about it: the female winner Kristina Dimitrova from Bulgaria has one fine backside. Its shape, its tone, dare I say it, but her lady lump is a work of art. The men are represented by a Romanian with the douchiest name I've ever heard, Andrei Andrei. Sheesh, and here I make fun of people who go by Ray-Ray or Pookie.
-Ricky
After winning the best butt competition in Japan, 18-year-old Kaho Watanabe is ready to take on the world. While looks are important, it takes an entire body of work to earn the award of Japan’s best backside. So kudos to Watanabe and her donkey. Winning in Japan was a great accomplishment, but it sounds like the world championships in Munich will be a more difficult process. Why doesn't ESPN broadcast this show of athletic prowess?
-Dumont
Once known as the finest luxury car brand in the world, Cadillac suffered mightily during GM’s Go-Go (To Pot) 80s. Cimmaron, anyone?
In recent years though, Caddy has been something of phoenix rising up from the ashes of its destroyed reputation. Billions of dollars in investment have left the brand with some products that are actually competitive against the formidable likes of Audi, BMW, Lexus and Benz. And of course that all-mighty Escalade, the embodiment of American decadence, has done wonders for the brand’s bottom line. Lesson? You can invest billions making sport-tuned touring cars that people actually want to drive, but don’t forget to sheathe a Chevy Tahoe in half-a-herd’s worth of leather while you’re at it.
- Evan
What is going on in Russia? First we have this incident, now comes a report that a Russian man found a condom wrapper and a "suspicious" piece of rubber in his beer. I just hope that the wrapper didn't get in there because someone was trying to "deflower" the beer bottle.
Anyway, as a result of this, the man suing claims to be traumatized and says he can no longer drink from bottles anymore. He's suing for almost two million dollars. Ha! Two million? Modest Russians. If this had happened to an American, I'm sure the suit would be for no less than 10 million - not to mention a lifetime supply of these.
-Ricky
In the spirit of Lorena Bobbitt, but from Russia with love, Newscom brings us a tale of a passion crime that got real hot.
Apparently, a woman decided to light her bedridden ex-husband's groin on fire because he watches too much porno and has affairs. This scenario leaves me with several questions.
1) Why are they living together, even though they're divorced?
2) Why does she care if he watches porno or has affairs if they're divorced?
3) Why is it even a question as to whether she will face assault charges?
I don't know about you guys, but I've learned from this article that it's never a good idea to continue shacking up with your ex.
-Ricky
Last week, a man walked into an exhibit at Graceland and stole Elvis’ handgun from a display case. Days later, the gun was found in a port-o-john nearby.
That’s it. That’s the whole story. Man steals gun, janitor finds it. It makes for good video, and of course produces TV news stories that consist of The King’s discography dumped into a TelePrompTer. More importantly, it gives us the chance to ruminate on that most annoying of fan, the Elvis fan. You know who I’m talking about – the ones that hope the guy is still alive, the ones that led the “old Elvis” versus “young Elvis” stamp debate, the ones that actually get married by Elvis impersonators without irony – these people are literally the worst appreciators of anything ever. See, it’s not about the music with them. How could it be? No one who really likes music can possibly “hate Elvis”, just like no one who really likes music could possibly “love Elvis” either. The man was a pioneer in the true spirit of the white people that settled America – he saw something that a darker-skinned ethnic group was already doing and he stole it. That’s it. That’s the whole story.
My guess is this guy stole the gun because he knew some Elvis crazy would fork over wads of cash for it. And who wouldn’t? That gun could have been in the hands of a morbidly obese man wearing a unitard only seconds before this crowning moment in rock and roll history.
- Evan
A business-savvy Sir Mix-A-Lot superfan and clothing retailer in Arizona has installed booty cams in the dressing rooms of his store. He explains that the cameras help the customers make sure the pants hug all the curves in the right places. What, the full-length mirror doesn't do the trick?
I just hope that the store owner doesn't hold on to these booty exhibition tapes and populate a new channel on YouTube with them. Yikes, I think I might've just given him an idea.
- Ricky@TheEntertainmentDesk
Picture this: You're at a great party, the music is bumpin', everybody is looking nice and there's a steady flow of drinks coming from the bar/kitchen/bathroom (don't ask about the bathroom. People do strange things at college parties.)
Someone comes up to you and smiles warmly. You return the smile and they ask, "Hey, you want a Dirty Sanchez?"
You recoil in horror, you're shocked, you're repulsed, you think to yourself, "Oh hell no!" Then the person holds up an alcoholic beverage, "Taste it, the Dirty Sanchez is delicious."
You breathe a sigh of relief.
Check out drinksTV's guide to making your very own Dirty Sanchez. Then go try and get people to let you give them one.
- Ricky@TheLifeDesk
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety – the car insurance industry trade group – just released results from its latest round of crash testing. As reported by the AP, the IIHS found that the Korean-made Kia Amanti performed better in a side impact crash than the classic Bavarian road rocket, the BMW 5 Series. One of these cars is race-tested on the famous Nurburgring and the other is, well, a Kia. So now we’re faced once again with that age-old question – is it better to die looking cool or live to drive a Kia another day? Ponder that while you watch these cars get smashed.
~Evan@TheEditor’sDesk
We're just hours away from the iPhone launch, and I think it's safe to say that the hype leading up to this event has surpassed everyone's expectations. We knew it would be huge, but not camping out in the streets huge:
-Mike@theTechDesk
In honor of Gay Pride Month, the Pentagon has announced it has no plans to weaponize rampant homosexuality.
No, that would be ridiculous. Really, the Pentagon has announced it has only one plan to weaponize rampant homosexuality, and it probably won’t be used in combat. Because it wouldn’t work.
Now if there WERE a way to force a person chemically to jump the nearest breathing being, it would be back-page news in magazines all over the country, and you would be getting emails about it from Consuela N. Tremayne. So we know there isn’t. Otherwise, though, it’s a GREAT plan. Make love, not war! Or rather, make other people love, and then kill them!
Such a weapon might actually force the military to revise their Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, as Stephen Colbert suggested Thursday night. Because it is one thing to keep your sexuality a secret, and quite another to keep your sexuality a secret after you and your commander have been sprayed with gay. (Actually, you could probably keep your job if you just didn’t ASK your commander, and after all it is rude to talk with your mouth full.
If the Pentagon DID create a gay bomb, well, it wouldn’t be too long before it fell into civilian hands. And if gay-rights activists got hold of it, well, late at night in the oval office, George and Dick might be reaching for the same slice of pizza, bampa chicka wow wow…and the next morning they would wake up with a whole new domestic agenda.
- Rachel @ theLifeDesk
Google's Street View is out, and it's creating quite a stir. The short version is that Google drove vans with 360 degree rotating cameras down every street in five major cities. Use their service to type in any address in one of those cities, and you'll see high-res video of the exact location frozen in time. Here's a link to to NYC - 34th Street looks just like it did when I attended j-school there a couple years back. For a detailed overview of what Google's Street View does, and why people are upset, check out the CBS video from TheNewsRoom.
What do you all think? Should the angry woman shown on her cell phone be upset that she's online for all to see? What about the sunbathers in the park? Or the man visible through his window, fast asleep?
Personally I think if you're walking down a public street, you should always expect to be on camera. Public actions are public domain, whether we like it or not. So is this really a big deal?
- Daniel @ the US NewsDesk
I remember when I first started exploring the internet (remember when “surfing the web” was the cool term to use?), I was all of 14 years old and I mainly enjoyed looking at Dragonball Z fan sites, looking up the lyrics to my favorite songs and chatting in chat rooms, all the while picking up internet slang such as “LOL” and “ttyl”.
At the time, the news that I came across on the web was pretty much limited to newspaper sites, which were pretty much just online copies of the print newspapers. It was cool having access to the newspapers online, but the sites didn’t draw me in like online news does today. Now we can filter, listen, watch and participate in the news and it’s instantly updated with new news as it becomes available. Not to mention the number of talking heads and self-proclaimed “experts” has increased tenfold. The 24-hour news cycle has become the norm; perhaps in an effort to keep up with our ever-demanding and fast-paced lifestyles.
TheNewsRoom works much in that same spirit by giving people customizable and up-to-date news in text, video and image formats. You can put together your own news by putting together news clips and packaging them for viewing on your blog. This essentially means you get to make your own news products.
Which got me to thinking: what if TheNewsRoom was a reality show? I imagine it would be called America’s Next Top Journo and Dan Rather (He’s still looking for a job isn’t he?) would act in the same role as Tyra Banks does on America’s Next Top Model. I hope he would be a little less theatrical and dramatic than Tyra, but who knows perhaps Rather has a mean inner diva he’s just waiting to unleash. Judges would include Connie Chung, with the caveat that we keep her away from any evening gowns and grand pianos; Geraldo Rivera, hey if Paula Abdul can judge people’s singing on American Idol….; and a blogger from Huffington Post or Politico thrown in for good measure.
Contestants would be thrown into newsy challenges like this one:
BREAKING NEWS: Paris Hilton has announced that she’s running for president. Put together a news package with images, articles and video and put it on your news blog under an hour.
After the challenge is over, imagine a faux NewsRoom, full of eager faces, with Dan Rather coolly flipping open a laptop with a mashable video of one of the contestants, saying: “Congratulations, your news package was riveting. You’re still in the running to become America’s Next Top Journo.”
Hey Viacom, don’t steal my idea.
- Ricky Ribeiro
