Saturday, December 30, 2006

Video of Saddam Hussein being executed

Here it is! The best video I have found so far of Saddam Hussein's execution. It isn't that great, very grainy, very blurry and very Blair Witch. But for those of you who want the uncensored version of things, here it is!

The trifecta of celebrity death

I used to always laugh at my dad because of his trifecta of celebity death theory...you know, when one famous person dies, two more just have to follow. But this week proves the celebrity trifecta of death to be true. How often do two former world leaders and a legendary musical artist all die in the same week?

The final week of 2006 brought us the ultimate celebrity trifecta of death:
1. James Brown
2. President Gerald Ford
3. Saddam Hussein

I almost feel sorry for all the journalists on vacation who got called back to their respective newsrooms to cover this trifecta!

Saturday, December 23, 2006

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, and a Happy New Year!

me and jon
anotherheather

Ready to track Santa Claus? NORAD has got Santa in the bag! Find out where he is!

Friday, December 22, 2006

Best of YouTube this week

Thank goodness for funny videos we can find solace in online when we need some laughter to help relieve holiday stress!

Have a dick in a box:


YOU are the Time Person of the Year:


Not yer granny's pageant girl:


Most salacious news conference -- oops, I mean media stunt -- ever:


Give it up for America's New Drunk Tara! Tara Reid, you're fired!

...I plan on walking out of this the drunkest Miss USA you've ever seen... ha ha

Donald Hates Rosie:


Rosie Hated Donald First:


Donald hates her even more:


Rosie apparently doesn't want to mess up her hair again, having more pride than the Donald:


And that was the week in media drama...and fun.

Steve Douglas has just released our Peak video Christmas card!

Yay! This Christmas video rules!

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Can Christmas just get here so it can finally just be over?

I am so sick of Christmas already! Enough! Let's just have the day and get it over with. Traffic is horrible, crowds are unruly, people are rude and as far as getting anything productive done -- yeah, give it up until January 2. More realistically, life won't be normal again until January 8. I'm not good at chilling out; I'm an ideas person and I like to work on those ideas as a writer. But the winter chill is being forced on me nonetheless.

I'm tired of eating too much holiday junkfood and the last thing I want to do is be out and about at a store or in traffic over the weekend. If I could figure out a way to stay in my apartment, I would. But I can't. My better half is trying to get me to go out on New Year's Eve and that's not going to happen either because that's amateur night. Every idiot who can't hold their liquor will on the roads and I'd like to avoid that. Dick Clark's Rockin' Eve is just enough for me. I don't want to drink because I don't want to gain any more weight than I already have.

My favorite jeans don't fit and I'm pissed about that. I'm ready for a detox diet and an hour of working out each day. I'm sick of holiday food already! Not that it isn't tasty, but the size of my ass directly influences the amount of pleasure I get from eating junk. Guess what? I suddenly don't crave chocolate at all. Pass the broccoli, please. That's the Christmas tree I'd like to have right about now.

I ate soup for dinner like a sick person. I made it for the actual sick person in the household, but he's been asleep since I got home from work. I also made him tea, but again, I am the only one reaping the benefits. I have been sucking down Wal-borne for a couple days along with my usual wheat grass/juice concoction. Whatever is going around -- everyone is sick. But I seem to be fighting it off pretty well.

So here is my list of all the things that make the holidays less fun each year. Feel free to add to it:

1. People spend too much money, go into debt, and try to impress people with gifts. It's a financial disaster for the majority of people in this country who are too traditional to rise above it.
2. The Christmas cold. Everyone is suffering from it.
3. Crowds.
4. Rude people in crowds.
5. Traffic.
6. Having to put up with making everyone happy and keeping the peace with family and friends,
7. Not being able to get anything done because everyone in the free world is on vacation! It's like treading water in between Thanksgiving and the first or second week of the new year.
8. All the sweets and the fattening foods you end up eating because they are everywhere you turn.
9. Spending so much time cooking, baking, shopping, wrapping, planning...

Finally, I can't leave my ba humbug rant up here without indulging in something Christmas-themed yet totally non-traditional. This is pretty funny:

Monday, December 18, 2006

Speaking of funny, Santa is pretty darn funny!

Here are my two favorite YouTube videos so far:

The first is a crackup, not to mention a genius marketing tool for whatever company this is I've never heard of...




The second is the best. It's pure genius!

Friday, December 15, 2006

Funny comic in town this weekend!

Here's a little note from Troy Conrad, who could be making you laugh if you'd just show up!

Friends,

Just a quick note to let you know about a show I'm doing in Phoenix this weekend. Tomorrow, Saturday at Hollywood Alley I'm performing with Doug Stanhope. Info is at www.hollywoodalleyrocks.com or www.dougstanhope.com,

In case you don't know Doug, he's one of the best comics on the planet. He's also arguably the MOST cutting edge and REAL comic out there.

He's done plenty of TV, but seeing him live is always eventful. Please see this show if it's even remotely possible. He's not for everyone, but he's amazing for anyone who likes the edge.

I'm also performing in Tucson with him on Sunday at 8pm as Jesus at Laffs. www.laffscomedyclub.com

In other news, things are going really well. Last week I shot a TV pilot about standups, and booked a lead in a feature film, and am waiting for my own Jesus Show pilot to be edited.


Happy Holidays!

Love,

Troy

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Amazing: there are Jews in the world who actually like "Borat"

I saw Borat the week after it first came out and found it to be one of the most offensive movies I have ever seen in my life. But it's also pretty funny. I definitely didn't see the naked man wrestling bit coming, which was hysterical to me especially because it made my boyfriend extremely uncomfortable. I'm not Jewish, but the anti-semitic lines in the film were what made me uncomfortable. I do still love and appreciate the comedy of Borat though, because it is truly funny. I pretty much figured any Jew I know would probably hate the film, so I never mentioned it in that company. I couldn't imagine any Jewish person in the world would approve of this movie but it turns out I am wrong! Israeli Jews absolutely love this film! The whole thing really is a joke. Sasha Baron Cohen, who plays Borat, is speaking in Hebrew during the film. The rest of it is an inside joke for Israelis. It seems Cohen was trying to expose the prejudices of others all along.

Image hosted by Webshots.com
by ash_addison100

Stop Covance rally today

There's a rally scheduled in front of Chandler City Hall today to stop Covance from coming to town. The Citizens Against Covance has posted all the information here about why they think citizens of Chandler should try to prevent this laboratory from coming to their city.

Covance has made its share of mistakes over the years, like the time the company imported monkeys infected with the Ebola virus into the country and allegedly discriminated against an African-American employee. Covance has even become classified as one of the top 20 animal welfare act violators. Chandler residents are worried about how Covance disposes of waste material and they are also worried about their property value.

The details from the rally flyer are below:

Please see details below for the Covance Rally scheduled this week at the final City Council meeting of the year. Visit www.stopcovance.com for more information.

Stop Covance Rally
Thursday, Dec 14th
4:30pm - 7:00pm
Location: Park across from City Hall
Arizona Ave between Boston & Buffalo St

This is a VERY IMPORTANT city hall rally to focus on the threat Covance poses to the community and the deception and
back-door-politics of the Chandler Mayor and City Council did getting them here and supporting them . Any and every one who is concerned about their health and safety is encouraged to come. The rally will start at @5pm but we will meet early at 4:30 at the park across the street then walk over as a group to the city hall. If you can't make it @4:30 we will still be out there until 7pm as the city council meeting is immediately following the rally so please still come. There will be STOP COVANCE T-shirts available to wear for $5 each and STOP COVANCE bumper stickers for $3 each. There will be only two sizes for the T-shirts..large and extra large to wear over your clothes.

All signs should be focused on the Mayor and City Council and Family/Environment issues.

Please forward this notice to anyone that would be interested in attending. Feel free to send/post this to any other email/online groups, sites, blogs, etc where people will see. Also feel free to make into a flyer and pass out to the public. We want this rally very well publicized! SO SPREAD THE WORD!

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Bay Area benefit concert starring Greg Kihn

Greg is of course helping to raise money with a benefit concert. You see, our old friend Dennis Erectus had a heart attack on Thanksgiving and has been unconscious ever since. Dennis didn't have health insurance at the time so his medical bills will be obscene to say the least. Greg's show is tentatively scheduled to be in Santa Clara on January 12.

Get all the info right here.

There will be info there as it happens on how Dennis is doing (no prognosis yet) and about the concert as it takes shape. Two or three concerts are in the works. You can send Dennis a letter that will be read to him or make a monetary donation to help with his bills. Please say a little prayer for Dennis and keep him in your thoughts. I know...prayer and Dennis Erectus...not two thoughts you're likely to have in the same sentence!

Much thanks to Greg Kihn and all alumni of KOME, KSJO for helping out. Anyone who ever worked in Bay Area radio and/or music is going to come together for this, mark my words.

Monday, December 11, 2006

Your Christmas moment of zen

If you aren't old enough to remember this, someone should probably chaperone you while you read my blog. I think I am finally in the mood for Christmas. There's no other way to kick it off than with Run D.M.C.'s Christmas in Hollis.



I was watching this thinking how cool it would be if the folks at ABC would use it in the soundtrack to a Christmas episode of Ugly Betty, Maybe next year.

Another cool site -- this one covers music mashups

We're rather stuck on mashups at the moment at the Peak. Mary's giving me mix CDs full of them and we're just in LOVE with mashups. Is there a 12-step for mashups? Who cares. Check out this website, which I was skeptical about at first because it looks as if he hasn't updated it since late September. But all his mashup podcasts are posted here for your listening pleasure. I never realized there were so many mashups floating around in cyberspace! Just don't put any record label slime onto this website.

Cool new media site to watch in 2007

The question is, can five writers each make six figures of their writing ventures in 2007? Follow the fab five at who are doing just that. They've also got a MySpace page but who doesn't? Even my cat has one. But he had a blog first because he's wicked cool. I entered their contest for free mentoring on AllFreelancing.com because I'm a whore for contests and as my boyfriend says, I like a challenge. I should win because I'm always writing and trying to make more money at it. To prove my point -- duh -- I'm writing this blog right now!

The holiday tradition of crap eating should end

Every time I turn around, some magazine or television show or podcast or radio show or the stars in the sky is telling me how to avoid packing on the holiday pounds. Yawn. We hear these same "stories" each year. Don't go to a party hungry, blah blah blah...They aren't really good tips because we ignore them and get fat and happy anyway. I am working out almost every day, trying to prevent this. Mostly because I haven't been working out for months and eating what I want. So while everyone else plans on getting fatter this holiday season (don't give me that crap of how you don't plan on it, it just happens) I am hitting the treadmill and eliptical and trying to boost my yoga practice. I am also sucking down as much wheat grass as humanly possible, which is a lot.

The idea in life is prevent illness in any way you can. There really isn't enough said about preventative medicine.

This is why holiday crap eating traditions should end and be replaced with healthier traditions. Like wheatgrass. Hey, it's Christmas -- go guzzle a healthy green beverage. We lament our extra pounds every Chrismakkuh, but yet we still have no problem serving high-calorie, fatty, sugary dishes each year. I think I'll make my family a salad or something this Christmas. I'm watching the Today Show today and it's another lame story on how not to get fat during the holiday season. I couldn't help but think maybe the best thing we can serve our guests is healthy food. What's so wrong with being nurturing? Why must we keep overindulging year after year?

The cast of Scrubs does Charlie Brown

No, this isn't porn. They're doing a Charlie Brown Christmas!

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Another reason to hate guys with limp dicks.

Did you know that we females have to pay for our birth control pills? Nope, that stuff isn't covered by insurance. So I pay $15 a month for my birth control. It's not bad, but I really can't afford the birth control pills I want, which cost a whopping $110 for a three-month supply. That would be the Seasonale, the pill where you only have your flow 4 times a year. Well, I guess I could spring for it. But that is actually TWICE what I am paying now for my pill, and I just can't justify that. I just can't part with my $110 for birth control pills.

This is partly because I am annoyed to no end that women have to pay more for medical care. Viagra is covered for men by insurance. That's right. Your jimmy goes limp and it's paid for. I, on the other hand, have to fork over money for birth control -- a family planning essential! And it's $50 for my yearly "well woman exam" that I have to have because medical science dictates it. So today I am very much hating men with limp dicks, even though it isn't their fault that this is the way things are. Unless a bunch of limp-dicked men made these decisions, which could be likely.

Sunday, December 03, 2006

Just marry him before I do, sister!

And while you're at it...I think my mom used to wear that shirt to the office in the 1980s...but it looks OK on you as a dress. Just don't flash us like Britney, please. No straight answers from Cameron Diaz about whether or not she and JT will marry after 4 years of dating... If you pay attention to the lyrics of My Love the man is asking her flat out!



Here's MY LOVE:



That was my shallow overindulgence in pop culture for the day. I'm done now.

You daily dose 'o Bono

I probably know almost one person who would buy this

And I think that person would buy this because, yes, they are that lazy. They would say they bought it for novelty reasons, but "they" would be lying. This extremely lazy person shall remain nameless.

Question of the day: the magic pill

A Pill To Forget?



29 Nov 2006 - If there were something you could take after experiencing a painful or traumatic event that would permanently weaken your memory of what had just happened, would you take it?

Check it out

Heck yeah! I'd take the pill if I witnessed a horrible accident, death, or had something traumatic happen to me. Imagine if every soldier just back from duty in Iraq could take this... If it alleviates phsyical symptoms that come from emotional/mental stress like that of PTSD, I'm all for it.

I think the ethics of medicine is to preserve life, prolong life, save life, and make life more comfortable for the living. Negative memories, I think, cause more harm than good and can cripple you so much mentally and emotionally that you start to have physical symptoms from a traumatic event. At least, that is my belief from my experience of losing my mom to a rapid mutation of CJD. She died within weeks (less than five to be exact) and the mental and emotional stress of that caused me gave me about five different physical symptpms (insomnia, acid reflux, etc) about 5-6 months after her death. If I could have taken this drug closer to the time of her death...who knows?

I don't think it would lessen the passion I have to find a cure for CJD at all, which is something good -- a lesson learned -- that came from the very negative experience. I think it would have saved me a great deal of pain. Isn't that what medicine is all about?

Saturday, December 02, 2006

So much creativity in the world...



I might have to see later if this annoys my cat or not!

A shitty day that ended with a parade!

I do love this city and its quirks, even if I forget them from time to time.

The boyfriend is sick and just can't get well. I think when he snores he sounds like a duck farting half the time and the rest of the time he's gurgling so much snot in his nasal passages that he sounds like a water bong. I'm much better off but battled a teensy sinus headache today and just felt tired. So it was one of those unproductive, not-so-fun days -- although I did come up with a cool freelance article idea I hope to pitch ASAP. So all was not lost today.

Then I leave for week, unsuspecting. I buy some gas but am still making decent time to get to work when I hit a nasty traffic jam of some sort. It is then that Kramer is calling me to advise me about the traffic. A little late, but the cause of the traffic is the Fiesta of Light Electric Light Parade down Central Avenue! I love a parade! Who doesn't love a parade? I went outside for about 30 seconds to watch before I decided it was too cold (I am a desert dweller) and went back inside to watch from the warmth of the Peak studio window. There were some cool mini-Macy's lighted balloons and some cool parade floats a la Disneyland's Electrical Parade. The best was the Desert Botanical Garden float! It was perfect. It had a swaying tree and lots of lights.

Friday, December 01, 2006

This falls into the category of things my boyfriend will never understand about me.

Even if he makes it to fiance and subsequently husband someday and we're a little 90-year-old couple holding hands on the porch as we wait for our grandkids to come home to visit from Mars... He will never understand why I have four times as many shoes as he does and that they are all necessary and that a woman must have several pairs of just black shoes. Period. Let alone how many pairs of black pumps we need to have. And he hasn't seen anything yet as I hardly buy shoes as I am starting a business and paying off bills. But oh, the day I break down and go shoe shopping...will probably also be the day I rent a storage shed in which to hide them from the boyfriend.

This video is so great...I've seen videos from this dude before and they're all funny. So I decided today it is time to subscribe!