BAMF Of The Week

I have decided to try out a couple of new regular weekly posts and see how they go.  I originally had no intention of posting one entitled "BAMF of the Week" until I saw a two and a half minute video of an 8 year old boy from upstate New York.

For those of you unfamiliar with the term BAMF, it was coined by comedian Dane Cook a few years back.  The word BAMF is an acronym for Bad Ass Mother Fucker.  Believe me when I say that this kid fits the bill.

His name is Stevo Poulin, and there are two things about him that are for certain:  1.)  He knows how to sport a righteous mohawk, and 2.) he is a nightmare on the wrestling mat.  I have never, and I mean never, seen talent of this caliber from someone even twice his age.  It is staggering to see how easily this 8 year old boy gets himself out of holds, does reversals, and just tosses his opponents around like their nothing.  His confidence is uncanny.  It is remarkable.

Here is a montage of some of his matches in the last few months.  It's nothing short of amazing.  My two favorite segments are at the 1:35 mark where he playfully stalks his opponent...it's funny.  Then, at the 2:10 mark where he throws the other kid down like a ragdoll, and slams him, as if he's saying, "Stay down".  The other kid doesn't come back up.

Stevo has 5 or 6 compilation videos on Youtube, all listed under his name.  You may want to watch all of them on mute or low volume.  They all have very bad soundtracks.  The one below has the best music of the bunch (and it's not very good).  Consider yourself warned.



Remember the name Stevo Poulin.  I have a feeling we'll be seeing him in the 2020 or 2024 Olympics.  His parents must be proud.

600 Pound Restaurant Spokesman Dies...As A Result Of Being Restaurant's Customer

Everyone, meet Blair River.  1999 Arizona state high school heavyweight wrestling champion and financial advisor for the University of Phoenix.  He was also part time model and spokesman for Chandler, Arizona's Heart Attack Grill.  For his time on the camera, he received $100 an hour and all he cared to eat, anytime he wanted for free at the restaurant.  

That's actually a misnomer.  Blair had been receiving all of his meals at the Heart Attack Grill for quite some time prior to working as a spokesman for the company.  In fact, hundreds of Phoenix area men and women eat there for free on a monthly basis.  You see, the H.A.G. has an interesting gimmick to attract customers.  If you weigh 350 pounds or more, you can eat as much as you want, as often as you want, at no charge.  It's gluttony at it's best.

Since opening in 2005, they've gone with a tongue in cheek doctor shtick.  The owner calls himself a "doctor".  The waitresses are dressed up as sexy nurses.  There's an ambulance parked outside in the parking lot.  All of the menu items are "heart attack" or "bypass surgery" themed.

I live minutes from the restaurant, and have been tempted a time or two to try it.  At one time, I even "qualified" to eat there for free, but the menu is just too much to handle....even for me.  Their "bypass" burgers come in single, all the way to quadruple versions.  Each patty weighs a half pound.  The buns are soaked in pure lard.  Not butter....but lard.  If you order the "quadruple bypass", expect 2 pounds of fatty, not lean, hamburger, eight slices of American cheese, a whole sliced tomato, and a half of an onion sliced, all on a lard soaked bun.  The burger comes in at 8,000 calories.  And that's just the burger.

Their "flatliner" fries (I'm not making this up) are fried in lard, too.  Oh, and don't expect a Dr. Pepper or a Mountain Dew at the Heart Attack Grill.  Those are considered "diet drinks".  They only serve Jolt Cola and Mexican Coke.

For those of you that aren't familiar with Mexican Coke, corn syrup exports from the U.S. are taxed so highly that Mexican soda companies cannot afford to put corn syrup in their product.  Instead, they stick to pure sugar.  It's much sweeter than their American counterparts and higher in calories.

That not all, folks.  They also advertise that they sell milkshakes with "the world's highest butterfat content".  If that's not enough, they sell cigarettes directly off the menu (unfiltered only, of course), and candy cigarettes for the kids.

The Travel Channel profiled the restaurant in 2009 in the aptly titled 'Extreme Pig Outs'.  Here is a clip for those of you that aren't familiar with this bastion of human decency.



So, what does this have to do with Blair River?  He died last Tuesday.  He was only 29 years old.  He was 6'8" tall, and depending on the news source, weighed anywhere from 570 to 600 lbs at the time of his death.  He had the flu the previous week and it developed into pneumonia.  He died from complications a couple of days later.

"OK, Adam", you're saying.  "He didn't die of a heart attack, or complications from type 2 diabetes.  What's the problem here?"

Well, a study was released last April that determined that men with a BMI of 30 - 34.9 were 40% more likely to catch pneumonia when ill.  Those with a BMI over 35 were twice as likely (200%) to catch pneumonia.  Regardless of height, I would say that 600 lbs is higher than a 35 BMI. 

 I am no one to talk.  I am 6'4" and some change, and, depending on my stress levels and diet, I'm anywhere from 300-320 lbs.  If you have been reading my blog, you know that I am fat positive.  But there is a clear difference between being fat positive and being exploitative and promoting an unhealthy lifestyle.  Just take a look at the last commercial that Blair recorded for the Heart Attack Grill.  The "warning" at the end of the ad advises that "mild death may occur".  Four months after recording this ad, Blair River is dead.

I understand that ultimately, every individual is in control of his or her physical health.  It makes it difficult to make smart and healthy decisions when someone is offering you something for free.  Eating healthy is expensive.  It's much cheaper and takes less energy to go through the drive thru sometimes, than to stand over a stove and cook something nutritious.  When you're offering an obese individual the option to come in, eat a single meal with the equivalent of your recommended daily caloric intake for four days, at no charge, as often as the want, you're an accessory to murder.   You are slowly killing that individual.

The restaurant may have thought they were starting a funny gimmick, but a husband and father is dead now.  They are partially liable for his death.  The gimmick needs to stop.  It's not cute anymore.

Phil Collins Announces His Retirement

It really saddens me to write this post.  It's quite depressing actually.  Not because of the announcement itself, but how he came across in announcing it.

Early Friday morning, Phil Collins officially called it quits in an interview with FHM Magazine.  Over the last couple of years, Collins has been dealing with a number of medical problems, including "hearing problems, a dislocated vertebrae, and nerve damage in his hand", brought on by 40+ years as a drummer.  He once disclosed that the only way he was able to continue playing the drums was by taping drumsticks to his hands.

The musician, who has sold over 150 million albums, thinks now is "a good time to stop", adding "I don't think anyone's going to miss me."  He continued in the interview,

"I look at the MTV Music Awards and I think: 'I can't be in the same business as this'.  I don't really belong to that world and I don't think anyone's going to miss me. I'm much happier just to write myself out of the script entirely.  I'll go on a mysterious biking holiday and never return. That would be a great way to end the story, wouldn't it?"

Later, he added,

“It’s hardly surprising that people grew to hate me. I’m sorry that it was all so successful. I honestly didn't mean it to happen like that.”

Keep in mind, this is a man that had nine #1 singles, seven Grammy Awards, and an Academy Award as a solo artist.  That does not include any of the work that he did as a member of Genesis.   He also had more Billboard Top 40 hits than any other artist during the 1980s.

If these quotes were attributed to Tone Loc, or that guy that sang that 'Hot Hot Hot' song, I would understand that.  This is Phil Fucking Collins.  This is a man that would routinely sell out stadiums within minutes.  Hell, a character was created for him simply so NBC could get him on 'Miami Vice'.

It has been speculated that he has been battling depression for some time.  In the November 2010, Rolling Stone, Collins was quoted as saying,

"I sometimes think I’m going to write this Phil Collins character out of the story. Phil Collins will just disappear or be murdered in some hotel bedroom, and people will say, ‘What happened to Phil?’ And the answer will be, ‘He got murdered, but, yeah, anyway, let’s carry on.’ That kind of thing"

The rest of this post is going to be video heavy, but for an important reason.  First, I want to pay respect to a portion of Phil Collins' body of work.  Secondly, it seems that Collins himself feels as if he has nothing to offer the world.  To think that his music has become irrelevant or trivial is beyond absurd.  It's tragic when someone that is as influential as Mr. Collins looks at the music industry, and doesn't see the mark that he has made in it today.

For example, take a look at this brilliant live performance of 'Against All Odds' at Live Aid in 1985.  It's just Phil and a grand piano.  He has a little flub in the first verse, but otherwise spectacular.



Nineteen years later, The Postal Service covered the song for the 'Wicker Park' soundtrack.  They obviously put their spin on it, but it's clear that they're heavily influenced by, and are fans of Phil Collins.  It's one of the better covers I've heard in recent years, simply because of their take on the classic.



Here is, hands down, my favorite Phil Collins song ever.  In fact, it's my favorite duet of all time.  I have probably sung it myself on stage dozens of times.  'Separate Lives' was recorded with Marilyn Martin for the 'White Nights' soundtrack and reached number one in the U.S. in November of 1985.  It was later nominated for an Academy Award.  It was not written by Collins, but, looking back, would not have had the emotional impact it had if sung by anyone else.



Now this, is from Maroon 5's 2007 song 'Won't Go Home Without You'.  In my opinion, it's the perfect pop song...



The melody.  The chord progression.  That single piano note leading up to the chorus.  Perfection.  Notice any similarities?  I absolutely hear a Phil Collins influence.  I do in almost every one of their songs.  So to say, "I don't think anyone's going to miss me", is bullshit, in my opinion.

I'd miss you, Phil.  We all would.  Your music has always been an influence to me, whether I've tried to sing like you, or play the drums like you.  I'm sure I'm speaking for millions in the world in saying, "Thank you".  Thank you for giving us a lifetime of music to laugh to.  To cry to.  And to beat on our steering wheel to during the drum solo (you know the one).  You have impacted our lives much more than you'll ever know.  

Mazda Recalls 65,000 Vehicles Due To Spider Infestation

Yeah, you heard me, FUCKING SPIDERS!!!  Mazda has confirmed 20 cases so far, in which a particular type of arachnid, the Yellow Sac spider, has been found forming webs in the car's evaporative canister vent line. For some reason, it's only this species of spider that are attracted to the Mazda's fuel lines.  The webs gradually get thick enough to where they block the line, causing pressure problems in the fuel tank as it tries to purge vapors.  Eventually, the tank may crack and cause gasoline to leak from the vehicle.

These are the little bastards responsible for a 65,000 vehicle recall.

The recall involves a simple fix.  The service centers at local Mazda dealerships will open up the evaporative canisters.  Hopefully, their won't be any spiders inside.  If there are, the canisters will be cleared of spiders and any webs.  The dealership will then install a small spring which will prevent the spiders from crawling into the canisters and spinning their webs.

Until today, the issue had not led to any injuries or deaths as a result of an accident.  As of the time of the writing, however, 23 people had died in various accidents related to the recall.  When hearing of the recall on the morning news during morning commutes, drivers of Mazdas nationwide simultaneously did this:

Lady Gaga Premieres 'Government Hooker' At Mugler Show

Lady Gaga has padded her resume' quite a bit over the last couple of years.  Grammy Award winning singer, activist, philanthropist.  As of yesterday, you can add runway model to the list.  The "mother monster" herself walked the catwalk at Thierry Mugler's Paris women's collection.

The catwalk layout was impressive, to say the least, featuring an immense network of gothic wooden archways.  The models criss crossed each other, back and forth, as they made their way toward those in attendance.  The soundtrack was provided by Gaga, featuring a new track entitled 'Government Hooker', reportedly recorded specifically for the event.  It was then followed by a remix of 'Born This Way'.  Toward the end of the show, even "Zombie Boy", Rick Genest made an appearance on the catwalk.



In the last few weeks, one thing has become abundantly clear in the fashion industry:  Thierry Mugler and designer Nicola Formichetti know how to put on one hell of a show.

Charlie Sheen Sets New Guinness World Record

...And, believe it or not, it's not for "Fastest Career Suicide By A Celebrity".  That record is still proudly held by Mel Gibson.

No, Sheen officially set the record for reaching 1 million followers on Twitter in the shortest amount of time.  He received his 1 millionth follower yesterday, 25 hours and 17 minutes after setting up his personal Twitter account, @charliesheen.

I'm sure that you've heard some of Charlie Sheen's manic, wholly WTF, 'Beastmaster'/'Highlander' inspired ramblings within the last week.  How could you have avoided them?  They're everywhere.  For some reason, 

he's now ending all of his tweets with the hashtag #tigerblood (don't ask me folks.  I just report this shit.).  It's now the top trending hashtag.

Oh.  Dear.  God.

I'm Not Hiding Anymore

When I stopped communicating with my mother a few years ago, I practically went into hiding.  When it came to my personal beliefs, I had stopped considering myself a Jehovah's Witness by the latter part of 1996.

In August of that year, I took the last $600 I had in my bank account and purchased a one-way airline ticket from Phoenix, Arizona, to Las Vegas.  It was my intention to indulge myself in all of the vices that I was forbidden to do as a Witness in the previous 21 years of my life, and when my money had run out, commit suicide.  Within three hours of touching down at the airport, I had smoked, drank, and gambled for the first time in my life.  An hour later, I lost my virginity.

August 24, 1996  Room 1614 of the Las Vegas Hilton - Don't ask me how I remember the date and the room number of the hotel I lost my virginity in.  I guess when you're looking forward to an event for so many years, you tend to remember some of the details.

Sufficed to say, I didn't commit suicide.  The "wicked world" that I had suddenly found myself in wasn't so wicked after all.  I encountered one stranger after another that offered their generosity to me.  Four months later, I returned to live in my parents' home, but I never stepped foot into a Kingdom Hall again.

For the better part of the next ten years, I did the same thing I had done for the previous ten.  I led a double life.  Being out of the church gave me the freedom to live the life that I wanted, to some degree.  But, in order to keep an ongoing relationship with my immediate family, my personal life was an unspoken agreement of "Don't Ask Don't Tell".  I was never disfellowshipped from the congregation, and I did not submit a formal letter of disassociation.  I just stopped showing up.  As far as my mother's conscience was concerned, as long as she didn't know any details of my personal life, or of any of the "gross sins" I was committing, she wasn't obligated to cut off communication with me.

It's one thing to have to keep your private life a secret from the people that you work with.  It's another to have to keep it from the people that are closest to you.  What made it exceptionally hard for me was the fact that, for a number of years, my family were my coworkers.  I was forced to act like I was still a "good Christian boy" practically 24/7.  It finally became too much to handle.

I quit the family business, and speaking to my family, in January of 2006.  When that happened, as I said, I pretty much went "off the grid".  I changed all of my email addresses.  I changed my phone number.  I wanted to make sure that if I posted something online, it couldn't be traced back to me if my mom or my brother or sister was snooping around.  For those of you that are reading this that are ex-JWs, I'm sure you can understand where I'm coming from.  Especially if you were raised in the organization, and grew up in the same  area for a number of years, it seems like you're constantly looking over your shoulder for the first couple of years that you're out.  Many times, you don't even realize that you're doing it.  I've been out now for 15 years.  I don't even think I would be recognizable to the people I grew up around, and I still catch myself scanning restaurants on the West side of Phoenix when I walk in.

When I had my little girl in 2008, I reached out to my mom.  I wanted to give her a chance.  We started communicating by email.  Then by phone.  She even came out to Phoenix to see my daughter when she was around 8 or 9 months old.  Then her "conscience" kicked in.  Keep in mind, nothing had changed between the time that we had stopped talking in '06 and when she came out in early '09.  She started saying that she wasn't sure that she could trust me because of "what I've done".  She also started to refer to me as an "apostate".  She admitted that she had no knowledge of any derogatory things I was saying of the organization, and I told her that I had not spoken negatively about JWs or their doctrines.  She said she believed me, but due to the fact that I was baptized as a Witness, and no longer believed in the church's teachings, that made me an "apostate".

She had a solution to her dilemma.  She said that she no longer felt comfortable talking or associating with me, but she wanted to continue communication with my wife and my daughter.  In fact, she asked if it was possible for me to send her some pictures of my little girl, she would appreciate it.  Um...yeah, no.  I tried to explain to her, and to this day she doesn't understand, that when it comes to my family, we don't come "a la carte".  You either have to take us all, or you get none of us.  You can't pick and choose how you can and can't keep.  That's not the way my family works.

So, we stopped talking.  I started this blog in September of 2009...anonymously.  I didn't reveal any names or locations.  I didn't give any specifics about myself or my family.  I went into hiding again.  This time, I hid behind my moniker.  For the next year and a half, I was Twitch.  It wasn't my name, it was one of my conditions.  My picture across the internet became a stuffed Domo, with all of my daily medications spilled out in front of it.  In fact, if you Google my name, you'll find my Domo before you find my actual picture.  My mother thought I was an apostate before?  Just imagine what she would have thought of The Daily Twitch.

In time, I found my confidence.  I found my voice.  I found the support of all of you out there on the net.  I realize now that I don't have to hide anymore.  Odds are, my mom has been reading my blog for months.  If not, she knows who I am by now anyway.  About six months ago, I sent her an email telling her about my PTSD diagnosis due to the child abuse I received from her and my dad.  I also came out as bisexual.  It felt like coming up for air after being underwater for years.  I have no secrets anymore.  I have no reason to hide. So here I am.

My name is Adam Hall.  I live in Mesa, Arizona, with my wonderful wife, Jessi, and my daughter Lennon.  It's nice to finally meet you all.  I still plan on writing under the name of Twitch.  The name of the blog is The Daily Twitch, after all.  I have made the decision, however, to not publish any photos of my daughter.  Not only do I want to protect her from my mother and that crazy religion, but I also know how desperate my mother is to see her.  I'm not blackmailing her by any means.  I just believe that you cannot conveniently select which family members are worthy of your affection.  It may be tough for her to swallow, but some lessons in life are.

Tweet Of The Day

Speaking of Dr. Seuss' birthday, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accomplished a feat rarely seen on Twitter by a politician.  She simultaneously incorporated a quote, a birthday wish, and a political jab in a single tweet.

The quote comes from Seuss' 1958 book 'Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories'.  She sent the tweet directly to Wisconsin governor Scott Walker.  The quote is in direct reference to the ongoing battle over collective bargaining rights for teacher and other public workers.  

I don't know if Pelosi tweets herself, or if she has a staffer do it for her, but one thing is for certain.  This one was undeniably epic.

  

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss

Thank you for inspiring children to read and to imagine for the last 74 years.

 
"A person's a person, no matter how small." - Dr. Seuss 

2011 Box Office Promises "The Summer Of Timberlake"

Over the last decade, Justin Timberlake has proved himself to be an accomplished singer and record producer.  In 2006, he made his big screen debut in Nick Cassavetes' 'Alpha Dog'.  He received critical acclaim for his role as Frankie "Nuts" Ballenbacher, who is involved with the kidnapping and subsequent murder of another character in the film.  The film is based on the true story of the kidnapping and murder of 15 year old Nicholas Markowitz in 2000.

Though not releasing an album since 2006's 'Future Sex/Love Sounds', he has made quite a name for himself as a frequent host and regular surprise guest on 'Saturday Night Live'.  The following videos are funnier than shit, but NSFW.  Seriously, unless you want your coworkers to hear you jamming out to the uncensored version of 'Dick In A Box', you may want to wait until you get home to watch them.



Timberlake has four movies scheduled to be released this year, two of them this summer.  The first one on the calendar is a comedy with former girlfriend Cameron Diaz, called 'Bad Teacher'.  Diaz plays the embodiment of the "couldn't care less/don't give a damn" teacher.  Timberlake comes into the school as the substitute teacher that isn't doing the job for the money, but to truly make a difference.  It's going to be interesting to see what kind of chemistry the two have with each other on film, considering the two carried on a romantic relationship for three and a half years.  The two trailers in this post are red band trailers.  They are NSFW due to adult language.



'Bad Teacher' comes out on June 24th.

On July 22nd, he stars in a comedy with 'Black Swan's' Mila Kunis in 'Friends With Benefits'.  It's about two friends that decide that they can enter into a sexual relationship without it ruining their friendship.  Wow.  OK. That sounds familiar.  Didn't that just come out a month ago?  It had Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman in it, and it was called 'No Strings Attached'.  Isn't it strange that Mila and Natalie both had starring roles in 'Black Swan' together, and then the following movie for both of them is a "fuck buddy" flick?  I haven't seen 'No Strings Attached', but based on the trailer, 'Friends With Benefits' looks much funnier.  Again, this is a red band trailer.  It's NSFW.



Later this year, Timberlake has a Sci Fi/thriller coming out in October called 'Now'.  The plot seems a little strange.  It's set in the future where people buy things with time instead of currency.  It stars 'Inception's' Cillian Murphy.

Then, in late 2011/early 2012, 'Lay the Favorite' should be released, starring Timberlake, Bruce Willis, and Catherine Zeta Jones.  It's about a thirty something woman that gets involved with a group of geeky fifty something men that figure out a way to rip off a Las Vegas casino sportsbook.

I'm assuming, more screen time in the theaters will equate to more screen time on 'Saturday Night Live'.  There have also been rumors swirling on the net in recent months that JT has been secretly recording new material for an album that could possibly be released by year's end.  In other words, hope you like Justin Timberlake, because whether you do or not, you're going to be seeing a lot more of him in the upcoming months.

The Four Best Moments Of This Year's Oscars

I was really looking forward to seeing this year's Academy Awards telecast.  I am a big fan of both James Franco and Anne Hathaway, and I was curious to see how they would handle themselves as Oscar hosts.  Sadly, I wasn't impressed.  It doesn't appear that many were.  I don't think it's right to fault Franco and Hathaway necessarily.  They had writers.  It wasn't all ad lib.  Heck, they had a hologram of Bob Hope introduce Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr.

In my opinion, this year's ceremony did have a couple of high points.  First of all, Christian Bale is a nice guy.  Who knew?  And get this....he's British!  I don't think anyone has caught him on camera using his actual speaking voice since 1987's 'Empire of the Sun'.  I don't know why it came as such a shock, like I was expecting him to give his Best Supporting Actor acceptance speech in his Batman voice, or with a Boston accent, but it was unusual to see Christian Bale as, well, Christian Bale.  And it sounds like he's a caring dad too:

Best speech of the night.  I got goosebumps again watching it as I was posting it on the page.  Well done, Christian.

Second highlight of the evening, and one that I have personally been waiting for for more than twenty years:  Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails wins an Academy Award.  The best part is that the award was not for Best Original Song.  So his Oscar legacy is not going to be with the likes of a bunch of singing mermaids and lions in Disney films, or that god awful 'Titanic' song.  Reznor won the Oscar Best Original Score for 'The Social Network'.  He beat out nine time Academy Award nominee, and this year's favorite, Hans Zimmer, and his work for the film 'Inception'.  If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend hearing, downloading, or purchasing the scores to both 'The Social Network' and 'Inception'.  They are both very unique pieces of work for film scores, and not your standard "over the top symphony" types of works.  Inception's score is, at times, unusually complex, and The Social Network's is dramatic and very subtle at times, while holding on to Reznor's industrial roots.  In 1989, when I first heard 'Pretty Hate Machine', I knew that Reznor would have a long, celebrated future in the music industry.  I never would have guessed that he would have been winning Oscars for film scores.  And, let me just say, the man looks pretty damn good in a tuxedo.  Am I right?

Yeah, that's his wife with him.  Her name is Mariqueen Maandig.  Some guys have all the luck.

The best parts of the evening, though, didn't happen during the telecast.  If you were watching the Oscars on ABC, you probably saw the first one a dozen times.  Unless you were actually sitting at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday night, you probably didn't even know the second event even take place.  ABC ran a commercial for their Wednesday night comedy 'Modern Family'.  I personally don't watch the show, though I know the premise. 

 The really attractive Latin woman is the dad's new wife.  She has a son that is about 9 or 10 years old, from a previous relationship.  Then you have the siblings in the family, which consist of this woman whose husband thinks he's cool, but is seriously out of touch, and her brother, who is gay, and has an adorable chubby husband.  They've recently adopted a little girl from China I think.  Based upon the commercial, the brother and his husband take Oscar night charades a little too seriously.  They're dressed up in tuxedos.  Between the Academy Awards and watching it on Youtube, I have probably seen this promo 20 times.  I still crack up every time I see it:

The best moment of the Oscars, that you probably have not seen, happened after the cameras were turned off Sunday night.  It was a musical performance from the choir of Staten Island, New York's, PS22.  They have been the darlings of Youtube for years.  Choir director Gregg Breinberg, started having the school's fifth grade students sing popular songs during choir practice since 2000.  Over the last 11 years, the students have garnered the attention of countless celebrities and musicians, as well as having nearly 30 million views on their Youtube page.  Sunday night, Oprah Winfrey invited them to sing Katy Perry's 'Firework', as well as a couple of other songs, for those in attendance after the telecast.  Unbeknownst to the children, a special guest was waiting backstage.  Take a look:

Right before the first chorus, Katy's voice comes in over the speakers, and you can start to see the confusion amongst the kids' faces.  Then the crowd starts to cheer, and everyone stops singing for a few seconds.  They're all turned around and in shock.  It takes them a moment to regain their composure, but as you saw, they kicked it up by the power of 10.  What a wonderful video.  Oprah is even teary eyed at the end of it.  Hell, I'm crying at the end of it.

All in all, it was one hell of a night.

Tweet Of The Day

Via John Stamos:

When Uncle Jessie starts making fun of you, you know you've hit rock bottom.

Who Is Lady Gaga's New Tattooed Muse?

Who is this man?

That is a question that has been floating around the internet for the last six weeks.  He first achieved notoriety when he was featured in Gaga's remix video for 'Scheiße', in collaboration with Thierry Mugler's recent men's fashion show (in which he was also a featured model).  As many of us of seen the video for 'Born This Way', he's prominently featured in what may possibly be the most popular video of the year, if not, the era.  Not only has this individual become an obvious muse for both Gaga and Mugler, but at the moment, he is the most in demand and most talked about male model in the fashion industry.  Who is he.

His name is Rick Genest.  The tattoo/body modification world knows him as "Zombie Boy".  He has actually been somewhat of a celebrity within body mod circles for the last five or six years, garnering press in practically every tattoo magazine and body modification blog on earth.  By many, he is considered the most tattooed man on the planet.

He keeps his personal information pretty close to the chest.  Though many articles and interviews have been written in the last 5 years on Rick, chronicling the progress of his artwork, not much has been written about Rick himself.  Numerous pieces are quoted to call him "twenty something", although at this time, he looks like he could pass for 30.  Earlier articles refer to him as "Rick from Montreal", but nothing is said about where he hails from currently.  He is an enigma.  Perhaps that is how he prefers it.  To think that someone that so obviously stands out can have such a personal life.  This is one of the only pictures know to exist of Rick Genest before his amazing transformation.  He is the gentleman on the left.

The tattoo world really started to take notice of Rick in the later part of 2006.  His artist at the time, Frank, at Derm FX Tattoo, in Montreal, submitted a couple photos of Mr. Genest to BME, a body modification blog and e-zine.  They immediately posted a piece about what they saw:

"Damn!!!! I really think this is the most intense facial tattoo I’ve ever seen in terms of radically transforming a person’s interaction with the rest of the world… and speaking as someone with a facial tattoo, I definitely feel like this is going to be a shock to his system. Very, very intense; I’m seriously impressed at the size of his FTW balls… Turning your face into a death mask is, just… wow…"

At the time, I don't think BME, or the rest of the world for that matter, understood the extent of the journey that Rick had in mind.  This was going to become more than just a facial tattoo.  This was a transformation.  He was becoming a new identity; an evolved form of the modern man.  By June 2008, it was reported that he had spent nearly $4,100 dollars Canadian on tattoos and over 24 hours in the artists chair.

Since then, it is apparent that he has still had extensive artwork done to complete the vision of himself.  I read in an interview that was done with Bizarre Magazine in 2008, that his mom cried when he first received tattoos on the tops of his hands.  She was afraid that he would never be able to find a job.  He is currently the most recognizable male fashion model on earth, and likely to be sign a multi-million dollar modeling contract by year's end.

 Rick Genest is truly one of the most unique and most beautiful men I have ever had the privilege of seeing in my 35 years of life.  He is an outstanding example that "different" can be extraordinary, and that, what one perceives as "ugly", others can see as sublime.  Every time I see a photo of him, I have to stop to take him in. He is more than human at this point.  He has become a piece of art.  He is a combination of everything that makes him grotesque, resplendent, shocking, poetic, and grand.  He is Rick Genest.

ABC Announces 'Dancing With The Stars' Season 12 Cast

During tonight's episode of 'The Bachelor', ABC announced the cast for the upcoming season of 'Dancing With The Stars'.  Obviously, there is nothing worth sitting through an episode of 'The Bachelor' for.  That is why I had to wait a couple of hours and look it up on Google.  Here is a list of who to expect this season:

Boxing legend "Sugar" Ray Leonard

'Jonas L.A.' star Chelsea Kane

Romeo (Master P.'s kid)

The "Karate Kid", Ralph Macchio (the REAL Karate Kid, not Will Smith's kid)

Supermodel Petra Nemcova

Playboy model and "Girl Next Door", Kendra Wilkinson

Pittsburgh Steeler's wide receiver Hines Ward

Radio host Mike Catherwood (Loveline co-host)

Wrestler Chris Jericho

Wendy Williams

Kirstie Alley

Here's a recap:  Sugar Ray, WHO?, WHO?, The Karate Kid, WHO?, That blond girl with the annoying laugh that slept with Hugh Hefner when she was 22 and he was like 81, WHO?, WHO?, Trainwreck, Trainwreck, Trainwreck.

The season premieres March 21st.

Lady Gaga Releases 'Born This Way' Music Video

Clocking in at a full seven minutes and twenty seconds, the video for Gaga's 'Born This Way' can only be described as "epic".  The opening graphic starts off with a pink triangle and a unicorn (I'm assuming to symbolize the gay community).  Then, there is a two minute introduction/narrative explaining the origins of good and evil.  It really doesn't make any sense, and could have honestly been left out of the video.

The rest of the video is the standard Lady Gaga type of video.  It's pretty good.  It features that really tatted up male model from the Thierry Mugler 'Scheiße' video that Gaga did about a month back.  The guy is tattooed like a skeleton from head to toe.  He's really freaky looking, but hot at the same time.

The only thing I didn't get, or didn't want to get, was the "egg" thing.  The "good" half of Gaga is laying eggs throughout the video.  It reminded me of the Alien Queen in the Alien movies.  I didn't have to see that.  On the lighter side, there are some videos where Lady Gaga is dressed up in elaborate costumes, like 'Telephone', or 'Alejandro', the video looks more "artistic" than "sexy".  Then there are videos like 'Bad Romance", where she comes across as sexy as hell.  Well, 'Born This Way' is a sexy video.

Have a look: