"She ain't messin wit no broke..."

This may sound bad from those who know me, but I really like that new Kanye West single, "Gold Digger."

I didn't really like Kanye's first album (actually, I don't really like too much hip-hop except for Missy Elliott. You don't want to know how many times a day I listen to "Lose Control," or how many times I used to listen to "Work It."), but once in a while, something strikes my fancy (like Outkast's last album).

But this song burrowed itself into my brain the very first time I heard it. I guess this is one of those "guilty pleasure" songs for me. And I really don't know what it is. The music is pretty catchy, with a great beat and a little funk. The lyrics are humorous, and Jamie Foxx's channeling of Ray Charles (again) is cool. It's like when Moby sampled all those old R&B and Blues vocals for his Play album.

Also the video, while nothing special (everything in there has all been done before by other videos, from the ubiquitous "video hoes" dancing in fake magazine covers, to the white wide screen), is still able to catch and keep my attention every time it pops up on VH-MT-2. I'm almost tempted to buy his album...Almost. I'll probably just iTunes it. God, iTunes is great! And apparently, I'm not the only one who got this song stuck in his head, as the song is currently the number one downloaded song on iTunes. Maybe you should get it stuck in your head too...

And lastly, I also have more respect for him since he spoke out against discrimination, even discrimination against (gasp!) homosexuals. This is nearly unheard of in the world of hip-hop. And I'm all for anti-discrimination. Unless you are Kelly Monaco or decide to wear butt-ugly clothes. Then I'll pile on the hate ;-)

"Trip the station, change the channel"

It's hard for me to ever get excited by the MTV VMAs ever again after the travisty that was this year.

I remember back in the late 80s and into the early 90s, I used to look forward to these things. They used to be my end of summer highlight. It was great seeing exciting performances (Madonna's "Marie Antoinette" version of "Vogue," Pearl Jam and Neil Young's duet on "Keep On Rockin' (In the Free World)"), and tongue in cheek fashion statements that usually tried to make some sort of humerous point (Howard Stern's "Fart-man" and Prince's butt hanging out of the back of his pants are two that come to mind). Not to mention that the Moonman award usually did go to the best "video."

But starting in the late 90s, the VMAs started on that downhill decent into sheer inanity. Over the past few years, the only thing I really watch them for is Madonna, if she decides to make an appearance. Now, there are more clowns than a three ring circus, more bands with G-d awful names that seem destined to become relics in clearance bins in a years time, and lackluster performances, usually involving a mishmash of Hip-Hop singers doing some mishmash medly of crappy songs. And the actual awards, instead of going to an artist who's video has some artistic quality and merit, as well as being a good artist with a good song, now goes to "the video that we played the most (that is, when we actually decide to play videos, instead of shows like 'Date your Mom')."

And the fashion? Don't get me started! Sure, the musicians used to wear some outlandish outfits, but it was all in the name of "Rock & Roll," right? Now, when the celebrities are making a concious decision to dress like clowns (think Lil' Kim with a lil' too much of her coming out of her top), it just makes me angry. All the money in the world, and your stylist dresses you up in this? Come on!

I think the winner of "most hideous, please burn your outfit and never wear it again" award goes to the elder Simpson sister. I'd really much rather see Jessica Simpson's skeleton in just a little bikini than this garbage, and that's saying something coming from me! Oh and by the way, no more Miami for the VMAs please, these poor girls hair will never "unfrizz" again!


Actually, her sister doesn't fare much better. She's somewhere between going to the high school prom and going to a morgue.

And someone, please stick Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas back into her cage of the Brooklyn Zoo where she belongs! It's a good thing the picture is small, or you would vomit over the sight of her face, which looks like a weird science fiction cross between an alien, a dog, and a man.

And just because you are on MTV, it doesn't mean that you can just give up all fashion common sense, as unglamourously shown by Eva Longoria and her "Look! The hurricane's coming!" hair-don't. "I Love the 80s" be damned!


And just so you don't think I'm just putting the hate on all the ladies, Ricky Martin, as cute as you are, you can't try to make yourself cuter by getting a "Kewpie Doll" haircut.

Or maybe it was just him in shock over what John Norris was wearing. There are really more subtle ways for John to hit on poor Ricky than wearing that lavender tie-died "muscle (I use the term loosely around John Norris)" shirt, with an applique anchor on the front, and a odd hole in the back (probably where you stick in and turn the knife). The whole effect on him looked like a badly dressed twenty year old gay man trapped in a forty five year old gay man's body, complete with Donald Trump hair. Sad (note: sorry I don't have a pic of John Norris yet, I'm working on it)

All in all, it seemed a pretty boring night that I mostly fast-forwarded through. I could barely even pay attention to Green Day and the Killers, the two performances I was most looking forward to. The only thing that I really found truely refreshing this year was the fact that Lil' Kim actually decided to wear clothes this year, and look like a civilized member of society. Oh well, as I always say, "Maybe next year will be better, but probably not."

(All photos from DailyCeleb.com)

Feying at the edges (or "How to Make an American Whore")

Over the past few years, I've noticed a small trend. It appears that many males are kinda becoming sissyfied. I'm not saying that there is anything intrinsically wrong with this, as I am a staunch supporter of expanding your horizons and having an open mind and all that jazz. But there is certain things I've been noticing.

A few weeks ago, I was strolling through the grocery store looking for my new favorite nosh, Rosemary & Olive Oil Triscuits, when I come across this older couple (probably in their mid-sixties), being led by a peculiar little boy of about seven or eight (though it really wouldn't surprise me if he was actually a whispily built ten year old). He was leading them around with two of the loosest wrists I've ever seen. You'd think they were held on by string. He talked with a heavy lisp that bordered on becoming a full blown speech impediment, yet he still had a full and lush vocabulary that belies his age. I've seen grown men who spoke in monosyllabic grunts, and here's this boy who looks like he knows the full meaning of the word "petulant," including the word's Latin roots. I could tell he was going to grow up to be one of those hyper-intelligent skinny boys that will get beat upon every day doing gym class during his middle and high school years. I almost felt sorry for him about what lies ahead.

Yet, this is not a single occurrence. Every day I see little boys flaunting floppy hands, waving them around like they have a case of epilepsy that only affects their forearms. I also hear lisps and whines all around me. Most of the time, the parent's seem unaffected by such open behavior. But I also sometimes see boys pointing to (or even carrying) small dolls at toy stores, much to their parent's dismay.

And it's not just little boys that I'm noticing. It seems that there is a downturn in machoness in much of the male population. Many of today's teen heartthrobs are barely prepubescent looking themselves, even if they are in their late twenties. Justin Timberlake may grow a beard to rival "Grizzly Adams'," but take it all away, and you still have a guy who looks like he turned 17. When people like Chad Michael Murray and Orlando Bloom are lusted after, even by women as old as 30, when these guys can sometimes look like they can pass for their children, something is definitely wrong. I read a quote one time joking about how many women at John Mayer concerts look like they just want to cuddle with him, then breast feed him. When did we become such youth obsessed idolizers? I know many guys who are clothes and shoe hogs. I have a coworker who could quite possibly be the male Imelda Marcos. I also know many guys who are overly sensitive. One guy I know even cried after he lost his virginity!

And don't think it's just the males that I'm wondering about. About a month ago, I saw this little girl who was about eight or so running around with her mother at Nordstrom, wearing flared bottom leopard print leggings, and a black, midriff bearing top with a plunging neckline, with belled out sleeves. She had her hair in a ponytail, and was even wearing makeup! It was every pedophile's wet dream. I was obviously disgusted. What kind of mother would let her child go out in such an getup, that I usually see on the hookers trolling around the slums of Kent, Washington? When I finally saw her mother (half expecting a woman who would look like she just came off of a shift at the Deja Vu), I saw an ordinary "soccer mom." What gives? Since when is it alright to parade your child around like a street walker?

I want to blame child "Beauty Pageants." If it wasn't healthy for Jon Benet Ramsey (by the way, where's her killer? Golfing with Nicole Simpson's killer?), then it is not healthy for the multitudes of other girls running around at the age of 10 who are wearing getups that many parents wouldn't allow their daughters to wear if they were 16. I could also blame celebrities like Britney Spears, who "I'll wear slutty clothes, but don't blame me for your children wearing them, because I don't consider myself a role model" attitude is clearly delusional. Of course children will follow you. You can't tell me that when Britney was six, she wasn't writhing on the floor in lingerie like Madonna. Of course little girls will wanna dress like you. So do us all a favor and cover your belly button once in a while. Especially with that bump you have going on now. I don't need to see your pregnancy, no matter how "beautiful and glowing" you think you are now.

The Dance Off

Well, the Seattle Times is at it again, with a new article yesterday on the upcoming Dancing With The Stars rematch with John O'Hurley and Kelly "I'm a contemptuous spotlight hog, see how much skin I can reveal this week" Monaco. It shows in less than a month, so get your TIVO ready!

Well, at least the publicity is helping them get other jobs, so they won't be forever remembered as whirling dervishes on the dance floor. John O'Hurley is currently in talks to star as Billy Flynn in the WONDERFUL (I kid you not) musical Chicago on Broadway (and probably opposite Brooke Shields as Velma, no less). Now that we all know that he has a nack for dancing, we'll see if he has the singing voice to go with it. Not to mention the endurance to do eight shows a week. I hope he actually does make it, as I really could see him as Billy. Too bad I currently live on the opposite coast, or I would be spending WAY too much of my money watching Broadway shows. I also hear that he's going to be hosting Miss America or some other beauty pagent (yawn!), and that he's in talks to host his own reality show (wait, doesn't Dancing With the Stars count as a reality show?) based off his Seinfeld character character, J. Peterman.

In more distressing news, the rumor is that Marc Cherry, producer of Desperate Housewives, is in talk with Kelly to have a recurring role in the show. OH GOD PLEASE NO!!!! NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why take a perfectly good show and mar it with that ham? Or if she does go on the show, I hope within the first five minutes of her appearance, she gets a royal, backhanded b*tch-slap from Edie (Nicolette Sheridan), shatters to dust, and then gets "Hoovered" up by Brie (Marcia Cross). Heck, I'd pay good money to see that. Heck, I'd give my entire life's savings for them to make it happen.

In just plain odd news, the article reports (I also remember reading this on the web somewhere) that Kirk Douglas (yes, that 88 year old, geriatric Sparticus Kirk Douglas) would like to be on the DWtheS sequel, with his son's wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones. I think that it was a joke on his part, but the thought of Mrs. Zeta-Jones having to lug around 180 pounds or so of dead weight and call it the Fox Trot just makes me giggle. Or burst out crying...

Fading into obscurity

I just spent the past two hours looking around at some other people's blogs hosted on this site. There are a lot of people out there who do one or two posts and then stop, or will have last posted about a year and a half ago. Some of these people actually have written down some good things. However, there is also a lot of bad writing out there. And I guess you gotta be careful about clicking that "Next Blog" button in the top right corner, because, even though there isn't supposed to be any explicit stuff posted here, some sites still do just that. Imagine my surprise when I click that top right button on my own site, and it randomly takes me to a blog site where the predominant image it those of giant mammaries (or as Brenda likes to call 'em, "large, modified sweat glands," which is technically what they are!).

So surf carefully! And if any of you out there really are good writers or have interesting ideas to share, keep writing, because even "you" can get a book deal out of your blog someday!

You should be dancing...

Well, it looks like Monacogate (a.k.a. ABC's "Dancing With the Stars") keeps on going as it looks like John O'Hurley and Kelly Monaco will be at each other's throats again, as there is slated to be a "dance-off" competetion between the two, to be televised on Sept. 20.

According to the blurb, the judges will be back, but they won't get final voting input, as the winner will be based entirely upon audience votes. This seems to not bode too well, as America seems inane enough to have voted for Kelly in the first place, keeping her from getting rightfully eliminated during the original run's first two weeks. If she wins this, it will seem to only fuel her ego.

Click here for a link to the Seattle Times blurb.

Sunny days...

Not that I'm very enamoured by the sun, but it seems like right now, all the days that I work, it's sunny out, and all the days that I'm off, it is overcast. Murphy's Law in action? Or is that something else?

I probably shouldn't complain though. I like my temperatures in the mid to upper 60s. So it is actually pretty nice to have my days off be on cooler days, and to be inside (working) during the hotter days.

Now if would actually snow in Western Washington once in a while...

Lady Madonna

I forgot to say "have a speedy recovery Madonna!"

Incase you haven't heard, Madonna fell off of her horse on Tuesday (her birthday, no less), and sustained some broken ribs, a broken collar bone, and a broken wrist. I hope she does follow her doctor's advice and takes it easy for the next few months (though she does have a new album coming out in October or November). There is no easy way for rib and clavicle fractures to heal except to not move them too much and wait. You can't really cast the area, so all you got to do is to sit back and relax and let your body work on mending itself.

New and Improved!

OK, the only thing new on my blog is a new link to subscribe to my mail list for updates of this group. I'm still working out the kinks (KINKY!), but I think it should work.

Anyways, scroll all the way down to the bottom of this page and you'll find a place to input your e-mail address to get on the list.

I'm also working on putting a counter on my page, but this isn't working too well at the moment.

I did take a class on HTML language while at the UW, but it's been a while since I last needed to use it, so I think I really need a refresher!

That is all, thank you! Please exit the house at the rear entrance in an orderly fashion.

Welcome sports fans!

Yesterday, I went to my first ever sports event!

I know what you are saying. "But Choitoy, you live in Western Washington, where stadiums and arenas outnumber viable transportation options to move about Western Washington. How can this be your first sporting event?" Well, call me a fat Asian nerd, but I never really needed to see a Mariners, Sonics, Husky, or even a Seahawks game live and in person. Hey, I'm the one who got straight "A"s in high school, except for in P.E., where I could only muster up a "B-" (give it your best effort my ass! I gave my all to do one chin up, to the point of possibly popping an important vessel in my brain or my heart, but since I could not do even one, they were forced to give me a lower grade. I want to see my P.E. teacher try to do a pull up with underdeveloped arm muscles with a 50 sack of rice tied around his belly!)

Anyway, I digress.

So we got the bleacher seats to a Mariners game at Safeco field (and by "bleacher," I mean cheap! My dinner, parking, in-game nosh, and post game exploits all costs about four times the amount of my $7.00 ticket). Actually, they were really good seats. They are usually at the end of the stadium that would get a full blast of sun during a game, but the entire day was overcast and in the mid to upper 60s. So it was grand. I actually didn't get to see too much of the game. I think the only part I really paid attention to was Ichiro's first at bat and hit. I spent more time socializing with my co-workers that I went to the game with. It was actually a pretty quick two and a half hours. And we won! Albeit, it's against Kansas City, the worst team in the league, who just lost their 17th game in a row, but we won!

So after the game, I seemed to have been coerced into going to "Cowgirls Inc.", a "Coyote Ugly" type place, only with a bunch of pasty Seattleites in there. I rarely go into bars, and this was one of the last places I've ever been expected to go into during my lifetime. I don't really drink, I don't dance, I don't smoke, I don't really socialize with strangers, I don't like country music, and I don't ride no mechanical bulls!!! Oh well, at least I can say I've been there, and it didn't make an impression on me, as much as it did on one of my co-workers, who was oogling the dancing bar girls all night long. It was like a puppy following a flashlight. And it seems more than just coincidence that the bar is high enough so that when an average sized female stands on it, her crotch/ass area is almost directly in the line of sight of someone standing on the floor...

Random thoughts...escaping

I had a topic I was going to write about. I was thinking about it all day, and I knew it was going to be a good topic. But I lost it. I notice that it has been happening to me a lot lately. I have a thought, I walk about three or four steps, and I lose that thought. It kinda spooks me out. I haven't really decided if I either have too much on my mind right now, if I'm suffering from a stage of dementia, or if it could be the beginning of that slow gradual onset of Alzheimers. But I read somewhere that people with larger heads have less of a chance of developing Alzheimers. So if this is the case, I am supposed to have my memory until I turn 284. Me and Jake Gyllenhall and Giada De Laurentiis!

Hurrah!

I guess someone is actually reading my blog, besides myself, my sister, and a few of my co-workers that I've decided to tell about this little shindig I pulled together! I seemed to have gotten four comments by actual people (and one comment by some spammer. I guess we can never escape that).

Anyway, not much to write about today, as I am completely wiped out by the insiduous amount of people who all decided to come through the ER with chest pain today, thus necessitating me moving my big behind around the ER to get their chest x-rays. I guess I really shouldn't complain, "job security" and all. And I was able to work with Brenda today, always a plus.

Anyway, my favorite songs of the moment are (in no particular order):

"Lose Control" by Missy Elliott featuring Ciara and Fat Man Scoop
"Only" by Nine Inch Nails
"Girl" by Beck

Yes I do have very eclectic tastes in music. "Lose Control" is a cool, dancy jam for Summertime. "Girl" is easy to groove along to. And "Only" helps me get the rage out! What rage you may ask? I don't really know. Do I sound like I have pent up anger and fustration building in me? "I want you to hit me as hard as you can." - Tyler Durden

"Lucky there's the...American Dad!"

You know, I was all psyched about the season 4 episodes of Family Guy. I was one of those late converters, because I never saw the original run episodes of Family Guy on "Fox," but I heard about it after a friend of mine was talking about seeing the syndicated versions of "Cartoon Network's Adult Swim," and he just raved about it! He thought it was nearly the greatest thing since sliced bread, with thier twisted un-PC humor and pop culture references ("Oh yeah!" - Kool-Aid Man).

So, since I occasionally watched "Adult Swim" for reruns of Futurama, I decided to stick around and watch Family Guy which was on right afterward. To be honest, I don't even remember the episode that I lost my Family Guy virginity to, but I knew from then on, I was hooked. I ended watching three or for more episodes over consecutive nights, and then I went all out and bought both the season box sets on DVD off of e-Bay. The best decision I ever made!

Anyway, so after a while, I heard that they were bringing back the show for a fourth season on "Fox," and I was as elated as can be. How often do networks bring back a show from cancellation, with all of the original creative team and cast in tow? Unfortunately, I also had my doubts that after so much time off, the show would have lost some of it's creative luster.

Unfortunately, I was right. I have recorded and watched every single new episode except for two of them, and though they still are zanily inane, for some strange reason, the episodes aren't quite as memorable as ones from the first three seasons. I can remember exactly when Brian, the family dog, got addicted to cocaine, but I could barely remember the plotline to the first episode of season 4. Something to do with Mel Gibson's The Passion of Christ.

But what I do remember is the new show by Seth McFarland and company that plays right after Family Guy. I am now in LOVE with American Dad. It takes many of the best elements of Family Guy, and places a political spin on them. It's just absurd what Stan, the ultra right-wing dad that works for the CIA, will do. And I love Rodger, the alien who channels Paul Lynde the Center square. I take after Rodger a lot. Many times, I will start talking, and I kinda realize that I talk a lot like Rodger. I love witty and sarcastic characters (I guess that's why Chandler was my favorite Friend). I'd like to think that I'm that good with sarcasm and wit when I talk, but I know I'm still not the best.

I am thrilled to hear that American Dad has been picked up for a full seaon by "Fox." I can wait to see the rest of the episodes that they have for this season (I think they only have a 13 episode half season like Family Guy did for thier first season). It's a fun way for me to let my "prez" G.W. Bush fustrations out in a healthy manner (as letting them out in an unhealthy manner will get you under surveliance by government officials. I still can't believe that the CIA were trying to hunt down artists who had an art exhibit that didn't portray Bush too well. It's getting kinda "Orwellian" over here in America!).

I tell you, when I get off of work on Sunday nights at 7:30, I rush home to make sure I catch these two shows! Make sure you do too!

My condolences...

It seems like people are so caught up with "fad" illnesses, that they loose sight that there are many other illnesses and diseases that are either slowly forgotten (I recently put a "Red Ribbon" AIDS awareness sticker on my ID badge, and I have people left and right asking me what it is for, thinking it is a new ribbon, when red ribbons were everywhere just 10 years ago), or barely mentioned until a celebrity gets it (Peter Jennings recent passage last Sunday, and today's announcement by Dana Reeve (Christopher Reeve's widow) that she has lung cancer). It's sad that there can be so much money pumped into one cause, however important, when there are numerous other causes that are just as important. All of this, however, is just a cover-up to the greatest travesty to America, the lack of universal healthcare, and the fact that there are doctors leaving the profession due to surmounting malpractice insurance costs (there has been a recent study that shows that some Radiologists (those doctors that I take my lovely x-ray pictures for) need to pay the equivalent of my entire year's salary just to cover malpractice insurance. No wonder Hospitals everywhere are being more stingy and rules oriented!) If indeed no amount of money can bring a person back to life, then why are people suing hospitals and doctors for millions of dollars? Why sue someone who is trying to prolong someone's life, when, without treatment, they would probably have died anyway. Are there people who are going to sue the Grim Reaper next?

Anyway, in remembrance of Peter Jennings, here is a link to ABC.com's coverage of his death.

ABC News: Full Coverage: Peter Jennings

Here I am...

Nothing new happening for the past couple of days. Just the usual...

Anyway, on Saturday, my friend's sister is getting MARRIED!!! I am so happy for her, but at the same time, to quote Will Truman from Will & Grace, "it just makes me bitter."

Not that I don't like my friend's sister. It's more of a personal problem on my front. See, my friend's sister is around the same age as me. Then there is a co-worker of mine who is also the same age as me. And both of them by the end of this year will have ended up married. Then there is me, who has really never been officially on a date.

I know that most of this is my own fault, and it's true that I've never been actively seeking out anyone. I know that things like this just don't fall into people's laps (so to speak). I also know that at 26, this isn't the "end of the world," as there are people who are older than me who still are not married, and are still looking for Mr./Ms. Right. Yet it still feels like there is something wrong with me for never having been out with anyone. I know I shouldn't feel this way, as my life is fulfilled in other aspects. And I still have to deal with the issues of being a germaphobe (who happens to be working for a 200+ bed hospital, but let's not get into the dirtiness of that yet!). And I know that I have very weak emotions, and I'll be even more devastated if I actually hooked up with someone and then broke up, than if I had been single all along.

Still though...

I guess I just need to get out of the house more, and stop befriending either lesbians, or women 10-30 years older than I am (not that there's anything wrong with that, but those are the wrong demographics that a 26 year old male should be hooking up with. Speaking of which... Jerry Hall, I don't know whether you or those twentysomething guys that you are trying to make your "man-servant" on your reality show, Kept are more pathetic.)

The glamourous pitfalls of technology...

OK, so as stated earlier by myself in my June 29th post, my sister has been craving for an updated U2 special edition iPod with new color screen, and I've been pining away for a Motorola V3 RAZR cell phone. As luck would have it, I came into some overtime hours at work, and I am now the proud owner of a RAZR (gotta "keep up with the Jones'," or in my case, the "Ingebretson's"). And, depending on how fast UPS sends their trucks out of Memphis, my sister and I will also be the recipients of new U2 color screen iPods. There's another $800 out of my paycheck!!!

Speaking of technology, why do hospitals never seem to train people well enough when they decide to implement new computer softwares and systems. The hospital I work at over the weekend started implementing online chart ordering, and in the process of going paperless, we have added about 12 steps and 5-10 minutes to the scheduling process. Now I am decently computer savvy. I'm not an expert, but I am not necessarily a novice either, and I can pick up new things pretty quickly. But I do take pity on many of my co-workers,a few of whom wouldn't know which button to push to even turn a computer on, much less wade through this new ordering and scheduling process. I'm just glad I don't work Mondays when all the poop will hit the fan bigtime!

And one last thing. Spyware is VERY NASTY, and I cannot wait for Congress to outlaw it. After many months of meticulious prepairing and scanning and firewalling, my computer is the victim of a variant of the "CoolWebSearch" adware, which is a nastly little program that I haven't a clue where I picked it up from. It is slowing down my computer (mostly in the shutddown procedure. Before it used to take only about a minute for my computer to shutdown, and now it takes anywhere from three to five minutes to fully shutdown!), and it is also possibly mucking with some of my firewall settings, as I am unable to use Microsoft Outlook Express without having to turn off my Norton Internet Security Suite. Pain in the ass!!! My Webroot SpySweeper program will detect it, but it is unable to fully delete the pesky bugger, and a few other programs I have tried either won't see it, or it won't delete it. My advice to you is to make sure all anti-spyware programs are up to date on your computer, and if at all possible, have two anti-spyware programs. And stop visiting those porno sites for God's sake! You're gonna go blind one day looking at it all;-)