Monday, April 18, 2011
Land of the Lost: An Empty Ghost City Built For Millions
We can't complain - we helped make China who they are today - we bought all their exported merchandise.
So imagine a city built for 1 million people, but with no people living in it. An Australian film crew recently made a trip to one of China's massive ghost towns built to boom the future economy and were surprised by what they found:
Vast new cities of apartments and shops are being built across China at a rate of ten a year, but they remain almost completely uninhabited ghost towns. It's all part of the government's efforts to keep the economy booming, and there are many people who would love to move in, but it's simply too expensive for most. Video journalist Adrian Brown wanders through malls of vacant shops, and roads lined with empty apartment buildings… 64 million apartments are said to be empty across the country and one of the few shop owners says he once didn't sell anything for four or five days. - DatelineI found the video news footage rather intriguing - and fascinating.
To check out more of China's ghost towns, see Ordos City after the jump...
Sunday, April 17, 2011
A Special Tribute to Adele
The first time I heard of Adele, wasn't because I heard her singing, Chasing Pavements. It was because I came across a video of a hot, shirtless, YouTuber named Brandon (pictured below), who was singing a cover of the same song.
But since the subject is about Adele, and not Brandon, I thought I would post two impressive music videos by Adele, and in doing so, apologize "in a sense" to a couple of friends.This young lady has class, has a voice, and has a new fan. It's not very often that I get turned on to a new artist, but Adele is the exception. After giving my friends hell the other day over her music, I take back everything I ever said about the artist, I didn't know her.
I saw her video, "Rolling in the Deep," and was truly drawn to her words, her music, the person that is Adele. She reminds me so much of Patsy Cline, another artist who's music transformed country music into one of the greatest establishments ever created.
And then I listened to "Someone Like you," which was performed Live in her home. I've come to the conclusion that Adele is nothing, but pure magic in every sense of the word - She is a true artist. I cried to this damn song.
The Bully Project Trailer
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I have two short sentences for you - If you're a parent, you should know better. If you're a bully, blame your parents.
I grew up being bullied by classmates. I know how it feels to be made fun of, picked on, hit, kicked, spit on, laughed at, the list goes on. I can't even count the number of times I contemplated suicide, and if you know me personally today, you would never have thought that.
You can also be bullied later in life as well. If you're in a relationship where your partner makes fun of you in front of other people, or mocks you for gaining weight, that's a bully. If you make jokes about the person you love and then say, "I was just playing" - You're a bully.
"More than 18 million young people across the US will be bullied this year. This alarming documentary takes us into the disquieting day-to-day lives of five kids and their families over the course of a school year. Two families are left devastated by their sons' suicide, while one mother faces her 14-year-old daughter's incarceration after she threatens her bullies with a gun. Rare access to the Sioux City Community School District captures up close and disturbing 'on the ground' footage of bullying in classrooms, playgrounds, cafeterias, and school buses. Kids who are made into outcasts at school become the film's heroes as they defend their right to be different and courageously give testimony to the trauma and dangers of severe bullying. " - The Bully Project
And On The 8th Day, God Created Fox News...
So what if Fox News always existed? Courtesy of Dangerous Minds, comes news like you've never seen it before. My favorite one is Bill O'Reilly's Talking points - it's definitely something he would say, LOL.
Three more after the jump...
Sorry, It's Over
Everyone has had a bad date, right? If you haven't I suggest you see a shrink. LMAO, just sayin'.
For those who have been through break-ups, relationships, dates, whatever - you more than likely have heard the phrase, "sorry, it's over," or something close to it.
Here's a straight male's perspective...
Can't wait to hear the female's perspective on this, or better yet, the Gay perspective, LOL. It would be fierce!
Space Shuttle Facts
Now that the space shuttle orbiter is retired, and the remaining ships are going to their "chosen" cities (cries foul), I thought I'd share this informative chart on our popular spaceship.
Both Challenger and Columbia encountered terrible disasters which happened during my lifetime. Challenger exploded in 1986 while flying up into space, and Columbia fell apart over Texas during re-entry in 2003.
Both Challenger and Columbia encountered terrible disasters which happened during my lifetime. Challenger exploded in 1986 while flying up into space, and Columbia fell apart over Texas during re-entry in 2003.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Post Secret Fridays - Issue 055
PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard.
Delta Work for Adam Bouska
I have to say, that out of all the contestants on RuPaul's Drag Race this season, none of them stuck to me like glue, like Ms. Delta Work. She simply didn't put up with any of the petty bullshit thrown at her, and she kind of reminded me of Debbie from Queer as Folk.
When she was kicked off the show several weeks ago, all of us were disappointed, but we picked up the pieces and moved on. We are definitely looking forward to the finale in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, check out the great interview she recently had with The Seattle Gay Scene:
Delta Work, Where are you from?
Norwalk, California. Don’t you wish they all could be California girls?When was your first time in drag and what did it feel like?
When I was 23, I was in a Madonna lip sync contest. I walked out on stage and fell completely on my ass. I felt like a complete idiot, but I got up and finished the damn thing. “Baptism by Fire”.What makes you continue to perform and represent your community as a drag queen?
Performing, in a way, is like making your own music video or recreating a story, a time, and a place. Performing is also in many ways a commentary.What was your first reaction when you heard the news on becoming a RPDR contestant?
I went CRAZY! I couldn’t see for a few hours and I lost my bowel control. It’s one hundred percent the highlight of my career, and I am so grateful.How much tension was there in the hotel during the shooting of the show and were fremenies made?
If you learned something from this show, what would that be?
You can’t convince others of your fierceness if you can’t convince yourself.If you were stranded on a deserted island, what three items would you absolutely need with you in order to survive?
Just Two: Music and Men!Pick one – Lady Gaga or Cher?
Billie Holiday!
Sandwich In A Can?
Just when you think you've seen it all, they create Sandwiches in a can! I swear, I thought I had seen it all.
Yum! the BBQ chicken looks to delicious!
I Quote That - Music Speaks
I was having dinner with our friends the other night and the topic of music came up, which often does. I mean really, we're "family," what do you expect? LOL.
We were actually talking about tattoos, when one of our friends mentions that he wants to have Hans Christian Andersen's quote, "Where words fail, music speaks," printed on his arm, chest, groin or whatever - I don't remember. The point is... it made no fucking sense.
So I felt I was a little cruel and decided to do some research on the author of this famous quote. Honestly the quote is beautiful, but it has been used a lot... I mean... a lot. Every musician probably has the tattoo printed on their ass - I prefer to be unique.
But.... I now understood what my friends were trying to convey to me that evening. They were were trying to explain that if you can't say something, you let music explain how you feel. Like if your trying to say you love someone, but you don't neccessarily have the courage to tell them - you'll let them listen to a song - the music will explain it for them.
Wait, wait, wait... let me start over.
We were actually talking about tattoos, when one of our friends mentions that he wants to have Hans Christian Andersen's quote, "Where words fail, music speaks," printed on his arm, chest, groin or whatever - I don't remember. The point is... it made no fucking sense.
So I felt I was a little cruel and decided to do some research on the author of this famous quote. Honestly the quote is beautiful, but it has been used a lot... I mean... a lot. Every musician probably has the tattoo printed on their ass - I prefer to be unique.
But.... I now understood what my friends were trying to convey to me that evening. They were were trying to explain that if you can't say something, you let music explain how you feel. Like if your trying to say you love someone, but you don't neccessarily have the courage to tell them - you'll let them listen to a song - the music will explain it for them.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Do You Ever Say Goodbye?
Check out this pretty cool video...
Keeping It Old Skool - Issue No. 5 - The Rubik's Cube
I had originally intended this post to be a special issue of my 'Poster of the Week' series, but then realized I could use it as a 'Keeping It Old Skool' issue instead. And after looking at the motivational phrase, I couldn't pass it up.
This is so-something I would've done back in the 1980's. I hated these damn things growing up; I even removed all the stickers once and "completed it." My sister and parents thought I was a genius. :-) Little did they know I had trouble making them stick.
According to Wikipedia:
The Rubik's cube is a 3-D mechanical puzzle invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik. Originally called the "Magic Cube", the puzzle was licensed by Rubik to be sold by Ideal Toy Corp. in 1980.
As of January 2009, 350 million cubes have sold worldwide making it the world's top-selling puzzle game. It is widely considered to be the world's best-selling toy.
Ironically enough the concept wasn't entirely Rubik's; prior attempts had been made using a spherical version of one, but it never took off.
I remember sitting in class or just out with friends in the playground, and everyone was playing with one of these magical little boxes. Sometimes my sister and I would fight at the Pizza Hut gumball machine to see who could get the special key-chain version of the toy - of course our mother ended up with it.
As with all my 'Keeping It Old Skool' issues, you need a classic trailer...
Another classic trailer after the jump...
This is so-something I would've done back in the 1980's. I hated these damn things growing up; I even removed all the stickers once and "completed it." My sister and parents thought I was a genius. :-) Little did they know I had trouble making them stick.According to Wikipedia:
The Rubik's cube is a 3-D mechanical puzzle invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik. Originally called the "Magic Cube", the puzzle was licensed by Rubik to be sold by Ideal Toy Corp. in 1980.
As of January 2009, 350 million cubes have sold worldwide making it the world's top-selling puzzle game. It is widely considered to be the world's best-selling toy.
I remember sitting in class or just out with friends in the playground, and everyone was playing with one of these magical little boxes. Sometimes my sister and I would fight at the Pizza Hut gumball machine to see who could get the special key-chain version of the toy - of course our mother ended up with it.
As with all my 'Keeping It Old Skool' issues, you need a classic trailer...
Another classic trailer after the jump...
Movies to Watch: Rise of the Planet of the Apes Trailer Released!
“Our greatest discovery will become our greatest threat.”
It's official, the Rise of the Planet of the Apes trailer has been released, And after watching the trailer, it makes want to watch it even more. On Tuesday, I mentioned the great CGI effects on the movie's apes on how realistic they look - Best CGI to date. These are the same people who did the special effects on AVATAR, so you know it's going to be great!The movie, which stars James Franco, Tom Felton, John Lithgow, and Freida Pinto will be released across the US on August 5th, and I must say it looks absolutely fabulous!
Mind-Boggling News: I Killed My Cat For GAGA!
It's not only the Beiber-crazies that are looney when it comes to worshiping their idols, apparently Gaga has some too. Courtesy of Max Read from Gawker:
First, I really hate the fact that people use the phrase 'a male nurse' instead of simply just saying 'a nurse.' Like one commenter said, "Seriously. I wonder if she saw a 'female doctor' during her stay."
It's a profession people, get it together - a nurse is a nurse, a doctor is a doctor - it doesn't matter if your male or female.
As for the story, I'm so happy Ryan didn't mutilate our chihuahuas as obsessed as he is about The Lady; Sometimes I wonder what he'll do next.
A 20-year-old Oklahoma woman killed and mutilated her family's cat, apparently so she could use its blood for an outfit to wear to a Lady Gaga concert. Talk about a "little monster"! But seriously, she killed a cat.
According to police, Angelina Barnes drowned the cat, sliced open its belly, mutilated its eyes and removed its liver, which cops later found "in a makeup case on the counter." An unidentified relative arrived home to find Barnes—who had "cover[ed] light switches with duct tape so she wouldn't be able to turn on the light"—dressed in a "long coat" with "streaks of what turned out to be cat blood on her face." This was, it seems, the outfit she planned on wearing to the Lady Gaga concert.
As you might expect, Barnes did not go to the Lady Gaga concert. She went instead to the hospital, "where she threatened a male nurse with a piece of glass"; she's now "receiving treatment" at a local hospital. Tonight, Lady Gaga plays Miami.
First, I really hate the fact that people use the phrase 'a male nurse' instead of simply just saying 'a nurse.' Like one commenter said, "Seriously. I wonder if she saw a 'female doctor' during her stay."
It's a profession people, get it together - a nurse is a nurse, a doctor is a doctor - it doesn't matter if your male or female.
As for the story, I'm so happy Ryan didn't mutilate our chihuahuas as obsessed as he is about The Lady; Sometimes I wonder what he'll do next.
Poking - What Does It Mean?
And you thought you knew what it meant when someone poked you. Check out this very useful, hilariously truthful guide.
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