Starbucks' New "Trenta" Cup Can Hold An Entire Bottle Of Wine

That's a shitload of coffee...or just the right amount of wine, if you know what I'm saying.

Glee Preview - 'When I Get You Alone'

I posted a blurb about this last night, but the video was pulled from Youtube.  To be sure I have a copy of the video that doesn't get yanked by Fox, I am posting four copies of the same video from four different sources.  All four videos are the same, so you only need to click on a working one.  Regarding the video, it's encouraging to see the rest of the Warblers, gay, straight and otherwise, helping another gay student ask a boy out.  Television needs to show that kind of unity between gay and straight characters.  Gay characters need to have more inclusion with other characters on the show, instead of always being seen as the "outsider".

Today In Insensitive Advertising

Shoe designer Kenneth Cole sent the following tweet yesterday morning:

Within minutes, the advertising and blogging community were in an uproar.   Not only did it make Kenneth Cole look like a douche, but it made the American people look like they were either mocking the protests in Egypt, or that they didn't care about them in the first place.

Later this afternoon, Mr. Cole took to his Facebook page to apologize for his earlier tweet:

I apologize to everyone who was offended by my insensitive tweet about the situation in Egypt. I’ve dedicated my life to raising awareness about serious social issues, and in hindsight my attempt at humor regarding a nation liberating themselves against oppression was poorly timed and absolutely inappropriate.

Kenneth Cole, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer

The damage had already been done.  Oh, and by the way, he doesn't "dedicate his life to raising awareness about serious social issues".  He designs shoes.  At last count, he had twelve pages of comments below his apology.  About 97% of them included the words "asshole, bastard, idiot or douche".  Instead of apologizing on Facebook, he should be apologizing directly to the Egyptian people on Al Jazeera.  Just my opinion.

Preview Of This Sunday's (Yes, I Said Sunday's) Glee

For those of you that are looking for something to watch besides football on Super Bowl Sunday, I've got good news and bad news.  The good news is that Fox is airing a special new episode of Glee Sunday night.  The bad news is that you'll have to wait until after the Super Bowl is over until you can see it.  Glee and the game are on the same network, Fox.  Glee airs immediately after the game.

In this week's episode, Blaine, Kurt and the rest of the Warblers take a shot at Destiny Child's 'Bills, Bills, Bills'.  I never thought I would hear a male lead sing this song, but it is surprisingly good.

I found a clip and had it ready to go of Blaine and the Warblers singing Robin Thicke's 'When I Get You Alone' in of all places, a Gap store.  Blaine is hitting on an employee and the group is backing him up.  It's a scene from the upcoming Valentine's Day episode.  It was pulled within an hour of me viewing it though.  Hopefully, I'll find it again.  If this is the case, though, does this mean that a love connection between Kurt and Blaine isn't in the cards for season 2?  

An Urgent Message For Hosni Mubarak

In related news, it is believed that the majority of the violence perpetrated against journalists was done by police forces disguised as pro-Mubarak protesters.  Anti-Mubarak protesters have set up entry checkpoints into Tahrir Square today and are requiring identification for entry into the Square.  State issued ID displays the persons occupation in Egypt, making it impossible for undercover police officers to infiltrate protests on such short notice.  Journalists are being welcomed in the protests today with open arms.

The White Stripes Officially Call It Quits

After more than 13 years together, six critically acclaimed LPs, five Grammy awards and a shoe in spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the dynamic duo from Detroit have finally decided to call it quits.  Yesterday on their official site, they announced that The White Stripes are no more.  Though they have been on hiatus since the Fall of 2007, believed to be due to acute anxiety that Meg was suffering from, it was rumored that they were planning on returning to the studio to record a follow up to their 2007 album, 'Icky Thump'.

Since their hiatus, Jack has gone on to have a pair of highly successful side projects, The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather, and seems to have the Midas touch when it comes to anything in the music industry.  The White Stripes had the reputation of having intense live shows.  My wife and I had tickets for a show of theirs in Albuquerque in October of 2007.  They went on "hiatus" and canceled the show.  Looks like I'm going to have to add it to my "bucket list" of concerts now.

The last time that Jack and Meg performed together was on Conan O'Brien's final episode on NBC, in February 2009.  It took some searching, but I found the clip of that broadcast:

The White Stripes on Conan

Myspace | Myspace Video

What a crap performance for one of the greatest rock bands of our time to go out on.

Michael Jackson Is Alive!

Alive and well, driving a cab somewhere on the streets of Brazil.  See for yourself:



Astonishing.

Powerful Video Of The Egyptian Protests

"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible, make violent revolution inevitable." - John F. Kennedy

Janis Joplin Had A Lot Of Shit In Her Purse

In the summer of 1970, a writer for named David Dalton was assigned to write a cover story about Janis Joplin for Rolling Stone.  Janis was touring Canada on the 'Festival Express' tour with a chartered train, touring with The Band, Buddy Guy, Sha Na Na, and The Grateful Dead.  Sounds like an endless party.  Joplin was 27 and only three months away from her untimely death.

For Dalton, it was an "Almost Famous-esque" experience.  He turned his experiences of that summer into a book called 'Piece of My Heart'.  The following is an excerpt of the book that takes place in the back of a limousine:

"Now where in the hell did I put that lighter…? Probably left it in that bar. I'm real sloppy. Lose more damn things in bars. Left a wallet with a grand in it in a bar last week. Just can't seem to hang onto anything, man. In desperation Janis dumps her bag onto the floor of the limo. Its contents are truly awesome. Janis has a baglady's compulsion to carry her whole life with her. There are: two movie stubs, a pack of cigarettes, an antique cigarette holder, several motel and hotel room keys, a box of Kleenex, a compact and various make up cases (in addition to a bunch of eyebrow pencils held together with a rubber band), an address book, dozens of bits of paper, business cards, match box covers with phone numbers written in near-legible barroom scrawls, guitar picks, a bottle of Southern Comfort (empty), a hip flask, an opened package of complementary macadamia nuts from American Airlines, cassettes of Johnny Cash and Otis Redding, gum, sunglasses, credit cards, aspirin, assorted pens and writing pad, a corkscrew, an alarm clock, a copy of Time, and two hefty books-Nancy Milford's biography of Zelda Fitzgerald and Thomas Wolfe's Look Homeward, Angel." 

The book has been optioned into a movie.  It's called 'The Gospel According To Janis'.  It's due in theaters sometime in 2012, and it stars Zooey Deschanel as Joplin.  Sounds like a promising movie.

If musical genius is judged by the amount of stuff in your purse, I have a feeling that my wife is the next Mozart.

Two Word Tuesday

Spencer's Journey

Spencer's Blog
Spencer's Youtube page

Please Help Kacey The Cat

Hi everyone.  My wife is a volunteer at Desert Paws Animal Rescue.  She received an urgent email this morning regarding a new intake named Kacey.  From their website:

Kacey the Kat arrived at Desert Paws Rescue in extremely poor condition.  She was emaciated and there was obviously something drastically wrong.  An X-ray revealed that she had suffered a severe pelvic fracture that had healed on its own but was restricting her bowel.  Kacey had evidently been hit by a car, went through the healing process alone and somehow managed keep herself alive long enough to end up with Desert Paws Rescue.  An expensive surgery to shorten the bowel will allow her to live a normal life.  We have only had this cat for a few days, but have already grown to love and admire her strong spirit and will to live.  If you would like to make a tax deductible contribution towards Kacey’s surgery click on the “ChipIn” button for PayPal or credit card contribution or send a check made out to “Desert Paws Rescue” to:

Desert Paws Rescue 
Attn: Dan Hadley 
P. O. Box 50594
Mesa, AZ 85208 

Any help would be appreciated.  Thank you in advance for your generosity.  

Monumental Day Of Protests In Cairo

The world watched with anticipation.  Many with doubt.  Organizers promised one million protesters this morning in Tahrir Square.  Yesterday, Egyptians started their pilgrimage to the capital.  The government shut down the train service and all forms of public transportation.  That didn't stop them.  They continued walking and finding alternate means of getting to Cairo.  This was the result:



Al Jazeera initially estimated the crowd at two million people.  They have since revised it to unknown but "well over one million".

This is what a TRUE DEMOCRATIC REVOLUTION looks like:

Preview Of Two Word Tuesday - Spencer's Journey

Typically, a post for 'Two Word Tuesday' consists of two words, followed by a link or a video.  This week's post will be no different.  However, this week, I wanted to tell an important story.  It's the story of a 30 year old guy named Spencer from Melbourne, Australia.  I learned of Spencer a few days ago from a video on Tumblr.  The video led me to his Youtube page.  I was able to look into someone's world from a perspective you don't often see, and I had to share.  It's fascinating.  It's educational.  It's something that mainstream media doesn't show you.

Spencer is an FTM (female to male) transsexual.  The video I saw was of him at his plastic surgeon's office getting his bandages removed after having his breasts removed.   It was the latest step, and for Spencer, perhaps the final, in his journey.

For every person that decides to enter the FTM process, their course may be different.  The common starting point is wearing a binder, clothing that either minimizes or hides your breasts.  Depending on what you choose to wear, it can be very uncomfortable (sweaty, itchy), and sometimes very painful.  Binders come in all shapes and sizes.  A lot of FTMs use the "do it yourself" variety, by using a tight sports bra or Ace bandages to lessen the appearance of breast tissue, then wear loose fitting layers on top.  There are also a number of companies that offer professionally made binders online.

The next step is commonly hormone therapy, often referred to as "T" (for Testosterone).  Depending on what part of the world you're in, before getting a prescription for T, you may have to go through psychiatric counseling and get cleared by a psychiatrist.  That was part of Spencer's process in Australia.  Then, a medical doctor prescribes Testosterone to be injected at home every two weeks.  This increases muscle mass, deepens the voice and aids in hair growth.  For Spencer, he started at a dosage of 100mg every two weeks, and eventually went to 250mg every two weeks as his treatment progressed.

Once Spencer started building muscle mass, he ordered P90X, an extreme upper body workout program from the U.S., designed to quickly lose fat and gain muscle.  He also started preparing for the next chapter in his story.  One that would take him almost 10,000 away from his home to a doctor's office in Sunrise, FL.

Spencer and his girlfriend came to Sunrise to see Dr. Charles Garramone, a board certified plastic surgeon, to have his breasts removed.  Like I said before, the video I saw was after the surgery.  The results.  But wait until you see Spencer and his girlfriend.  They're so excited, so proud.  It's a dream come true for him.  You can't help but smile.  And the results.....amazing.

Everyone's "journey" is different.  It's not known if Spencer is going to stop his where he's at now, or if he's going to have gender reassignment surgery.  It doesn't matter.  In his mind, in his heart, and now, to the rest of the world, he's a man.  In a way, he always was.  Keep that in mind the next time you see someone that, to you, may look like a girl, but wants to be referred to by a boy's name.  It's a matter of respect.  Regardless of where he may or may not be in his "journey", it all comes down to respect, and I think you'll understand after watching these videos later today.

Keep in mind, this is the story of one person.  There are millions of others worldwide like him.  For more information about the FTM transgendered community, visit FTMInternational's website.  They are one of the leading advocates and organizations for the community.  For any FTMs themselves who are reading this that are looking for resources, a nice place to look would be Hudson's FTM Resource Guide.  It has everything from grooming tips, information on Testosterone, surgeries and urinal etiquette.

Just a note:  None of the videos that I will be posting later today contain nudity, nor do they contain any bloody surgery stuff.  At the top of the post, I will add a link to Spencer's Youtube page, and his Tumblr blog.

"You Are Responsible For Your Self-Esteem"

Most Americans aren't familiar with the name Beth Ditto.  Though she was born in Arkansas, and now lives in Portland, OR, her band, Gossip, gets no airplay in the States.  In the UK, however, the media follow her every move.  She's the most famous female singer to hit England since Madonna.  She's also one of the most outspoken.

She's an out lesbian and very vocal on LGBT issues.  She is also seen as a role model, spokesperson and champion of the fat positive movement.  At one time, she ran a regular column in The Guardian called 'What Would Beth Ditto Do?'.  One question in particular caught my eye.  As a size 20-22 woman, how can I stop worrying about my weight?  This was her response:

"If I ever happen to be, say, in an antique store and stumble upon a dusty lamp and polish it, because, well, it's dusty, and to my surprise, pink smoke puffs from the spout and a genie pops out and grants me three wishes, this would be one for sure. I would wish that all the people who are dissatisfied with their bodies be granted immunity from all the bad feelings.

Thanks to capitalism, the importance placed on beauty has never been so manipulated. We are the guinea pigs force-fed ads that tell us how pathetic we are: that we will never be loved, happy or valuable unless we have the body, the face, the hair, even the personality that will apparently be ours, if only we buy their products.

Believe it or not, I don't wake up every day feeling weightless. There are days when it is harder to fight the lie, but telling the truth gets easier all the time. It is about de-programming yourself and telling yourself you are a human, a living, breathing creature.

You've heard the saying that hate isn't something we're born with, its something we learn. Well, that goes for your body as well. The first step to letting go of the hatred is to stop blaming yourself for your body. Step two is accepting that not everyone will agree with you. You will have to defend yourself regularly. People will ask you constant questions about your health in an attempt to convince you that you are unhealthy. Remember, you are responsible for your self-esteem. Self-love starts with stopping the negative thoughts as soon as they begin.

I can't stress enough that it is hard work, so don't expect to wake up tomorrow feeling like a new woman. Instead, pat yourself on the back for your daily progress.

I was born fat and have always been, which was just fine and even healthy and cute until I turned ten or so. Puberty hit like a hurricane and brought a new set of rules. All of a sudden it was my fault I was chubby. The prefix "baby" fell away from fat, a little word that hung around and haunted me until one day, in my late teens, I decided that I was either going to spend the rest of my life trying to change myself or accept myself as I was. I chose the latter. I believe I owe all the best parts of my adulthood to embracing my imperfections and showcasing them.

Reclaiming the word fat was the most empowering step in my progress. I stopped using it for insult or degradation and instead replaced it with truth, because the truth is that I am fat, and that's ok. So now when someone calls me fat, I agree, whereas before I would get embarrassed and emotional.

Start by wearing clothes with the intention of reclaiming your self-esteem, clothes that make you feel good, confident, sexy even, instead of clothes meant to hide your body. You can also look at your body more. A lot of us ignore our bodies. Connect with your body instead, especially when naked.

Finally, the key change that would help everyone in our situation feel a little better would be if all the skinny people who talk so nastily about fat people would stop being "

I would much rather see that on magazine covers than some skinny movie star revealing how they lost "those final 6 pounds" to People magazine.  Those covers make me sick.  To imply that 131 lbs just isn't good enough.  We need more honest commentary from people like Beth.

Stupid Is As Stupid Broadcasts

The following image was broadcast today on Fox News:

Something's not right.  Isn't that supposed to be Iraq, not Egypt?  Isn't Egypt supposed to be that big country over on the other side of Saudi Arabia, across the water over there?  

And you wonder why a study came out in December saying that Fox News viewers were the most "misinformed"(stupid) than viewers of any other news channel.  If you sell stupid as the truth, people believe stupid, thereby creating stupid people.