The Double Down

Anyone who knows me could have guessed that eventually I'd reach a point in life where I spend a lot of time on blogs where people argue about the existence of a sandwich that uses fried chicken as bread.


(Thanks Erik.)

Going Wild

This Joe Francis trial is going to be off the hook.

Mapplethorture

Yesterday's flap over CIA interrogators threatening detainees with power drills and mock executions reminded me of a joke from my high school days.

When hearing that Mapplethorpe had put a crucifix in a jar of urine and feces, I exclaimed, "Mapplethorpe did that?!" My friend mockingly responded, "Sure, shoving a bullwhip up a man's rectum and hanging a picture of it in a gallery is fine, but putting a representation of the almighty in a jar of urine is just wrong."

In the same way, it makes no sense to be surprised by anything new we hear about CIA interrogations.


p.s. We were wrong, Andres Serrano made Piss Christ, but the point's still the same.

Real Scholarship

You always hear stories about strippers who are also horribly misguided anthropology and sociology graduate students, but have you ever read one of their theses? Here's one I came across today (pdf).

p.s. I'm sorry (not really) for the stripper-heavy recent content.

Doing God's Work

Trapp filed a class-action suit against several Las Vegas cab companies and adult establishments, alleging the misdirection is part of a scheme by strip clubs to pay kickbacks to cab drivers in return for bringing in customers.

A Few Pictures

But Brawndo Has Electrolytes!

Stokely-Van Camp Inc. v. The Coca-Cola Co., 09 Civ. 3741
Decided: August 4, 2009
District Judge John G. Koeltl

U.S. DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK

Judge Koeltl

OPINION AND ORDER

This is a case about an advertising battle between two major consumer products companies over one company's comparison of its beverage to human sweat. That company advertises its beverage by promoting its inclusion of certain electrolytes contained in sweat, and its competitor wants it to stop.

In late March 2009, the defendants The Coca-Cola Company and Energy Brands Inc. (collectively, "Coca-Cola") launched a reformulation of its Powerade sports drink beverage called "Powerade ION4." Powerade ION4's main point of differentiation is that it is allegedly more like human sweat than both old Powerade and plaintiff Stokely-Van Camp's ("SVC") flagship product, Gatorade Thirst Quencher, in particular because Powerade ION4 includes small quantities of calcium and magnesium, small amounts of which are lost in sweat. On April 13, 2009, SVC filed this action against Coca-Cola for false advertising, trademark dilution, deceptive acts and practices, injury to business reputation, and unfair competition under the Federal Trademark Act of 1946, as amended, 15 U.S.C. §1051, et seq. (the "Lanham Act"), as well as New York state law. SVC also filed this motion to enjoin Coca-Cola from continuing to make allegedly false and misleading claims in its advertising for its Powerade ION4 product. SVC protests various advertising claims about Powerade ION4 and its inclusion of calcium and magnesium. It also complains about Coca-Cola's referring to Powerade ION4 as "The Complete Sports Drink," although it concedes it would be perfectly fine for Coca-Cola to refer to Powerade ION4 as "A Complete Sports Drink."

A Concise History of Planned Museum Vomiting and Pissing

Here. 

So is that Rembrandt haunted, or are the Dutch insane?

Movie Review: Harold

This movie, about a bald 13 year-old with Cuba Gooding, Jr. playing the middle school janitor (how do you choose scripts, man?) had so much goddamn potential. A few hilarious comedies slip under the radar every year because every thing about them other than the jokes completely sucks. I was sure that this was going to be one of those gems.



I was wrong. It's nothing but Metamucil jokes. It's so disappointing.  I could only watch about half an hour of it, and part of that was fast-forwarded. This is one of the worst movies ever.

Don't make my mistake and be lured in by the movie about a bald 13 year-old with Rachel Dratch, Chris Parnell, and Dave Attell in bit parts. Remember, those people won't say no to any movie and they know the guy who wrote and directed this one.

Black Moth Super Rainbow

I had a chance to catch a Black Moth Super Rainbow show about a week ago. Seeing them is highly recommended.

Cockadoodle

Hasn't anybody ever left the continental United States?

Why don't we know that chickens are a nuisance that need to raised in coops, by people with land?

I don't want to live in a nation of stray chickens.