That's How They Get You

Thank You for Being a Friend

2010-02-02T21:58:20Z

And the award for Crazy Face of the Day goes to: Betty White.

It's well-known that actress Betty White, who played Rose on the hit comedy Golden Girls, has a biting sense of humor. But a recent "get well" card to fellow Golden Girl alum Rue McClanahan shows the actress also has a dark side. Along with flowers, White sent a note that read:

"I hope you die, so I can be the last Golden Girl!"

The note, obviously written in jest, lifted Rue's spirits, as she reportedly loved it. I guess that's what friends are for.

Illness makes teen appear middle-aged

2010-02-02T21:52:15Z

NBC's Stephanie Gosk tells the story of a young teen struggling with lipodystrophy, a genetic disease that makes people look decades older than they are.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Woman stabs boyfriend in back for tuning out American Idol

2010-01-29T22:29:39Z

Have you ever come home from a long hard day of claiming benefits at the unemployment office, settled in at your permanent address at the Empress Motel, turned on the TV to watch your favorite television program and then some jerk comes in the room and changes the channel?

That type of nonsense makes you right 'bout want to stab a person and scald 'em with hot cocoa, don't it?

I think for most people the answer would be, 'uh no'. But not our Crazy-Face of the Day, Cynthia Bettis-Ware, 52, of Florida, who went ape-shit on her boyfriend after he changed the channel from American Idol to some other program to end an argument.

Video after the cut.

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My favorite part of this video is when the news anchor said, "I'm going to assume they had problems before that."

Lol. Astute analysis sir. Astute.

Prena Thomas's Amazing Pet Snowball

2010-01-22T22:22:05Z

Holy tornado! This just in: An old lady in Florida has an old snowball in her freezer!

No seriously, this is news on CNN.com, so it must be important.

Back in 1977, snow hit sunny Lakeland and lucky for the entire WORLD Prena Thomas was there to scoop up a piece of history-in-the-making: a snowball which she has kept in her freezer through the years.

She likes to refer to the icy lump as a pet, proudly showing it to visiting friends and family. It's so amazing, it even survived a house move in 2003, reports say.

I know, you want to see the evidence of this once in a lifetime meteorological event, right? You can barely contain yourself... ehh ehh?

]]> Well, keep your pants on! Or just skip to 1:20.

Post Script, if she is this sentimental about a snowball, I wonder what she will do with her hubby when he passes...

Oh before I forget, (ahem): Prena, for keeping a damn snowball in your freezer for 33 years, I dub thee Crazy Face of the Day. Congratulations, mama! You earned it!

Dating site founder says "No fatties allowed"

2010-01-07T01:48:42Z

In news that is arguably being referred to as news, online playground for the vain and pretty, BeautifulPeople.com has expelled nearly 5,000 users for allegedly gaining weight during the holiday season.

BeautifulPeople.com is an "elite" online dating site with a "strict ban on ugly people." To become a member you must first create a profile and upload photos to be rated by the BeautifulPeople.com community. If enough people rate you beautiful within the first 48 hours, you're in. If not, it's sayonara ugly.

Click through for video.
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As offensive as BeautifulPeople.com sounds, it is actually a smart business model. Niche-based Websites retain users, which means steady revenue from advertisers and paying members. And since we live in a superficial society full of ~~std-ridden assholes~~ good-looking people who want to ~~fuck other good-looking people for sport~~ fraternize exclusively with people having similar lifestyles, I am sure BeautifulPeople.com registrations will skyrocket post CNN coverage.

But one thing does strike me as odd. How do they know the members actually gained weight during the holidays? Is it not possible that some members posted old pictures to begin with, or even photos of other people? The correlation to the holidays is possible, but based on the information provided it's speculative at best. In fact, I'm pretty sure this whole thing is a marketing ploy to generate headlines.

Job well done BeautifulPeople.com. SMH at CNN...once again.

Earth to Joshua Basso: 911 is not for phone sex

2009-11-16T20:29:19Z

And the Award for Crazy Face of the day goes to: This weird guy from Florida!

CNN.com posted a video today about a very horny Floridian named Joshua Basso who ran out of minutes on his prepaid cell phone, and in an act of desperation, called 911 repeatedly for phone sex.

As ridiculous as that sounds, what's more ridiculous is the 80's phone sex ad the producers so tastefully placed in the first 20 seconds of this report.

Look at the mug on this guy. Just screams genius, doesn't it?

Click through for the full video.

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#Obsession != Love: Chris Brown and Rihanna

2009-11-09T13:32:57Z

On the Chris Brown and Rihanna incident, I want to make a point about obsession.

Obsession != love. If you are obsessed with someone, or someone is obsessed with you and they seek reciprocity in their obsession, you are in a dangerous situation.

An obsessed person will always think of their love as selfless. They believe they would do anything to keep the object of their obsession in their life.

But here's the thing: real love is selfless, obsessive love is not and can not be selfless. It actually undermines real love.

To be obsessed is to project your innermost needs and desires onto another person or object. It is the epitome of self-centeredness and narcissism. But if you do not know what love is, it may feel like love.

This is where being young comes into play. When you're young, the kind of attention and passion that comes from being involved in an obsessive relationship can actually seem flattering. When someone wants you so deeply that the thought of you sharing any part of yourself with another causes them physical pain, it's an ego boost. This is especially true if you are short on self-esteem to start. You may feel cared for in a way you've never known before. You may feel like a god in your lover's universe. This is very dangerous.

]]> With maturity and personal growth, you learn to see indicators of obsessive love as red flags. You realize it is not really love when a person wants to possess and control you. You learn that even though someone is willing to do things for you or to you that seem to express deep commitment, it may have little to do with you as a person and more to do with their own desperation. You learn to put your ego aside and seek love that is kind and consistent and doesn't make you feel like you are on an emotional rollercoaster.

If you're in a relationship with someone who makes you feel that nothing you do is good enough, your love is not strong enough, your desire not deep enough, if they want you all to themselves, try to keep you from having friends or other people in your life, it's probably a good idea to get away before something bad happens.

Wondering whether your relationship is rooted in love or obsession? Here are some things to consider:

1. Do I feel like I am nothing without this person? Did I feel this way before this person came into my life?

If you answer yes to these questions, you should end your relationship and deal with your self-esteem issues first.

2. How did I end up in this relationship? Did I always want to be with this person, or did they say or do something to persuade me it should be so?

Oftentimes a person can be persuaded into a relationship when they have a deep need for love and approval. If you are in a relationship and you aren't sure how you ended up there, take time away to think on how it came about, and what's really keeping you there. Do this especially if you are unhappy.

3. Do I feel uncomfortable with the emotions of my partner? Do I feel like he/she overreacts to everything? Do I feel like I am constantly on an emotional rollercoaster when I used to be a very stable and happy person?

If you feel this way, you need to end the relationship. You are incompatible.

4. Does it seem like we argue all the time? And are we always arguing about love?

If you are in a relationship and you are arguing about love all the time, chances are love is not what you have together.

5. Did I realize I loved this person only at the moment when I thought they were going to leave me?

If you only "realized" you loved someone when they were about to leave you, it's probably not love but fear of abandonment.

Remember, God is love.

Don't get your panties in a bunch #MarriageProtectionAct

2009-10-14T23:24:51Z

I was reading about this 2010 California Marriage Protection Act video today at work, which mocks the Defense of Marriage Act, and I thought, "that's a friggin' great idea!"

Lest anyone watch this and be confused, let me 'splain what's going on here: This phony PSA mocks people who are opposed to gay marriage and use the "sanctity of marriage" as argument for things like Prop 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act. By suggesting a Marriage Protection Act that would make divorce illegal, this parody points out the hypocrisy of such morality-based anti-gay arguments. Namely, if the core issue were really about "the sanctity of marriage" then anti-gay proponents would be against divorce as well, right?

Smart way to call a bigot's bluff... at least in theory. (Video inside...)]]>

Unfortunately, after I watched the video I just felt it missed the mark. It was poorly executed and honestly, a bit silly... so, way to ruin a good idea, guy who produced this video!

Besides the fact that the parody didn't live up to my expectations, what I found most shocking were the comments the video has been receiving. People are heated! On the one hand, a visceral reaction to the absurdity of this fake bill is good, because MPA parallels the absurdity of DMA and the way straight people are reacting to the former is how gays feel about the latter.

On the other hand, it seems like the satire went over the heads of some.

For example, a woman commented "Your husband is sexually abusing your 5 year old daughter but you can't divorce him becuase its against the law for instance. yepp, Great idea there. "

Umm... miss the point, much?

She did bring up one interesting thing though. Which is the fact that any child molester or pedophile has the right to get married, while two loving adults cannot do the same if they are gay.

Hell, now that I think of it even convicted murders on death row can get married if they want, as long as it's to someone of the opposite sex.

At the end of the day, isn't that really what the "sanctity" of marriage is all about?

Keep bleeding, keep, keep bleeding #leonalewispunched

2009-10-14T23:04:48Z

LMAO... I had to do it.

You know how something really shouldn't be funny to you at all but for whatever reason you just find yourself in a mood where anything inappropriate is particularly funny?

Well, I guess I'm in that sort of mood. Because when I saw this photo of former X-factor winner, current ~~cowardly lion stand-in~~ platinum-selling songstress Leona Lewis, I just couldn't stop cracking up!

If you haven't heard, for some reason, a guy ran up and punched Leona Lewis in the head while she was signing copies of her autobiography, "Dreams" at a Waterstone's bookstore in London.

Afterward, she was quickly escorted out of the store. A representative said she was "absolutely gutted she did not get the signings finished."

It's a shame... I hear Leona is a nice girl.

The guy who punched her has since been arrested, but the crazy thing is no one knows why he did it!

I secretly hope he's working through a celebrity "hit" list. I can name a few celebs who are in serious need of a an old school slap upside the head.

Hate textual harassment? Fight back.

2009-10-08T01:57:34Z

If you've ever dated someone who texted or emailed you an uncomfortable amount of times, asked for lewd photos or made you feel like they were trying to control your life by spying on your social profiles, you're not alone.

ThatsNotCool.com is a new site dedicated to raising awareness about digital dating abuse.

Sponsored and co-created by the Family Violence Prevention Fund, the Office on Violence Against Women and the Ad Council, the site is designed to address new and complicated problems between teens who are dating or hooking up--problems like constant and controlling texting, pressuring for nude pictures, and breaking into someone's email or social networking page.

It may not seem like a big problem to some, but for many teens and even adults, the anxiety that can stem from online harassment is very real. And when personal information is distributed, the results can be damaging.

Some teens have even faced criminal charges for having nude photos of minors on their mobile phones. In the eyes of the law, it doesn't matter if that photo is of your boyfriend or girlfriend, share it and you can be charged with distributing child pornography.
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My personal faves:

"You must be proud to have nothing better to do than IM me all day."

And...

"It was so satisfying to waste the last 12 hours IM'ing."

Come to think of it, those would've come in handy last year when my ex was inundating my inbox with Lolcats.

Lady Gaga before The Fame

2009-10-07T18:47:35Z

In just a year Lady Gaga has taken the music world by storm. She recently won Billboard's "Rising Star" award and has been garnering comparisons to Madonna - for her iconic fashion and rocket-like rise to fame - and Christina Aguilera - for her sex-appeal and chops.

Part of her success is in her divisiveness. Critics and music lover's alike can't decide whether to love or hate her.

Gaga is contrived, but not manufactured. She's talented, but not modest. She's thoughtful, but shallow. She's bisexual, but not really.

It's no surprise audiences are ambivalent. Between Lady Gaga (nee Stefani Germanotta) and the public are lots of smoke and mirrors. But I can't help but wonder why? It's not as if she can't sing... like some other artists. ]]>
Though I'd sooner compare Lady Gaga to Liza Minnelli than Madonna.

Today while doing some Gaga research I found this little nugget from a 2005 episode of MTV's Boiling Point that shows Gaga, then known as Stefani, looking more like the "Cabaret" singer than the "Material Girl".

I guess that's why all the smoke and mirrors are necessary.

Take a looksee:

MTV Shows

Horrorcore fan suspect in gruesome small-town murders

2009-10-06T21:24:42Z

This story I'm about to tell you sounds like something out of a horror film. Only difference is it's real.

4 people were brutally murdered in the small town of Farmville, VA. It all started with Richard Samuel McCrosky III, 20, and a 16-year-old preacher's daughter named Emma Niederbrock who both shared a love of horrorcore music.

The two met through their mutual affection for the genre, reports say. But what she didn't know was that McCrosky was more than just a fan of the macabre killings described in the music.

McCrosky delighted in the blend of horror and hip-hop. Under the name Syko Sam, he published his own horrorcore YouTube videos. In one video, he wields a hatchet and sings,

"Last night I was the murderous rage. Now, I gotta get rid of the bodies before the corpses start to get to rotting."

]]> When a big horrorcore music festival was set to hit Michigan, Niederbrock decided to invite McCroskey to stay with her family, including her father, Mark Niederbrock, 50, pastor at Walker's Presbyterian Church, and his estranged wife, Debra Kelley, 53, a professor at Longwood University. A friend, Melanie Wells, 18 from West Virginia, was also staying with the family at that time.

Some time after McCroskey arrived all four were found slain and rotting in the Niederbrock residence.

McCroskey was apprehended at Richmond National Airport. He was quoted as saying, "Jesus told me to do it."

Full story here: http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/06/virginia.horrorcore.killings/index.html

Boy accidentally runs over and kills mother

2009-10-06T19:48:55Z

I can remember being 12-years-old and wanting nothing more than to drive a car. I had friends and cousins my age whose parents would let them pull their cars out the driveway, or ride a short distance to the grocery store.

My parents considered it a priviledge to let me start up the car to warm the engine when it was cold outside. I would say to myself "everyone else's parents are cool and mine don't trust me to do anything."

But watching this tragic video about a 12-year-old boy who accidentally ran over and killed his mother makes me think perhaps my parents are wiser than I gave them credit for.

Possibly the dumbest tech analogy ever

2009-10-05T23:55:19Z

Do you have a computer that boots up slow, like a toaster? Wouldn't you prefer one that boots up fast... also like a toaster?

The VP of Phoenix Technologies sure thinks so.

In this instant gratification culture where consumers need access to information quick, fast and in a hurry, slow boot up time is the one obstacle remaining between you and ~~porn~~ your favorite Web sites.

Wired magazine reported that at Intel's developer conference last month, Phoenix Technologies, one of the biggest basic input/output system (BIOS) makers announced that the latest version of its BIOS could boot in just about a second by cutting out redundant checks and creating a smarter version of the firmware.

Steve Jones, VP of Phoenix Technologies, made this comparison:

"People want PCs to be like their toaster. Push a button and it is ready."

I'm not a chef or anything, but last time I made some toast I had to wait at least 60 seconds before it was ready. Maybe I just have an old toaster.... or perhaps I need to change its settings.

Anyway, I guess a slow toaster is what the reporter was thinking when she wrote this ~~asinine~~ gem of an intro:

"In the time it takes your computer to boot up, you can probably make some toast or a cup of tea before the thing is ready to use. In the near future, you might only have enough time to take a sip of that tea or check your watch."

She says the old boot up time is like waiting for toast, he said the new PC is like a toaster... what in the hell are we talking about here?

I don't know whether to blame Wired or the VP of Phoenix Technologies... but someone effed up with their analogy. The rest of the article makes it seem like this is a technological advancement for PC. All I can say is if the old boot up and the new boot up are both like a toaster...I might just need a microwave.

Full Wired article here: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/10/05/computers.bootup.speed/index.html

Tufts University bans "sexiling" roommates

2009-09-30T01:57:11Z

No sex in the ~~champagne~~ dorm room say officials at Tufts University. The school has banned sex in a dorm room while one's roommate is present. A practice students colorfully refer to as "sexile" as in exile.

You know what? Makes perfect sense to me. Thankfully, I never had to deal with a roommate having sexual interweb while I was present. I probably would have ~~stabbed them both in their sleep~~ been really peeved if it did happen. I moved off campus after 1st year anyway, couldn't deal with all the college shenanigans... but anyway, check the video for the full story.

Oh, one more thing. If you've ever had sex in a bunk bed of a college dorm room while your roommate (or someone else's roommate) was there, you're effing nasty. Unless of course it was a threesome, that's perfectly acceptable.