Yes kids, it’s the last full week of George Bush’s presidency. Let’s celebrate! A big thank you to 23/6 for putting this little video together for us. LOVE the background music.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
Don’t go getting all nostalgic on me now! Dry your eyes!
[Posted by Kathleen]
Filed under blogging, celebrities, history, humor, news, politics, pop culture, random, the hill, thoughts, TV, Uncategorized, YouTube
If this was American politics, we’d call it Pakigate. But it isn’t. It’s British, so I don’t know what to call it other than completely and utterly stupid on the part of Prince Harry. You know Prince Harry? Yes, as in the now-hotter-than-Prince William-prince.
(True story: When William was at his peak attractiveness–age 16– and I was at my peak boycrazyness–age 13– I had his poster on my wall. Did I ever have a shot with him? No. In fact, there’s a long list of laws that tell you why I cannot. Being American and Catholic are just the tip of the iceberg. But I still had hope. Don’t judge me, fools. And on second thought, you should never marry someone who had your poster on their wall. That’s just weird. Tom and Katie, I’m talking to you.)
Anyway, Harry made an oopsie. In a video, he called one of his platoon buddies his “little Paki friend”, which of course is not cool, and then he tells another he looks like a “raghead”. Now, before he gets the title His Royal Highness Prince Harry the Racist and you get your royal britches in a twist, I want to not defend him while defending him…if that makes sense. Our own American troops use language like that. It’s not uncommon. But it’s terrible. Also, while you think good ‘ole ‘Arry might have his wits about him because HE IS THE PRINCE OF WALES, he’s done some dumb things in the past. Like that time he wore a Nazi uniform to a Halloween party. Or how he blatantly smokes pot at parties. Maybe he isn’t royally brilliant, but that doesn’t make him a racist.
But watch the video for yourself. Do you think he’s just a dude, who happens to be a prince, trying to fit in with his platoon? Because that’s what it seems like to me. Also, at the end you’ll feel like you know him a little better than anticipated after one of his buddies asks him a question, and he obliges with the answer.
Here is Harry’s apology:
“Prince Harry fully understands how offensive this term can be, and is extremely sorry for any offense his words might cause,” spokesman Patrick Harrison said in a statement.
“However, on this occasion three years ago, Prince Harry used the term without any malice and as a nickname about a highly popular member of his platoon. There is no question that Prince Harry was in any way seeking to insult his friend.”
No mention of the ginger pubes.
But we learn another fact. Harry made this video three years ago. Does that change things?
UPDATED: The father of the cadet Harry made the remark about is furious and says his apology isn’t enough. Also, Harry is in even more trouble with one of his own charities. Click HERE.
[Posted by Kathleen]
Filed under blogging, celebrities, history, news, politics, pop culture, random, thoughts, YouTube
So I found this video on CUTE THINGS FALLING ASLEEP, the blog that makes me feel better even after openly weeping over my GRE math practice test. (Oh yeah, the real one is going to be a blast.) This cat is definitely falling asleep, but it only got a cuteness rating of 1 on the 1-5 scale. Well. It’s because it’s hairless! ( Yeah yeah yeah, like Mr. Bigglesworth.) Discrimination! Bigots! Hairists!
Okay, it’s a pretty heinous cat. And I don’t recommend watching the entire three minutes of it falling asleep. Seriously, cat people are so weird. Why would they think the internet wants to watch a cat fall asleep for three minutes?! Thirty seconds would do just fine.
Regardless, enjoy the hairless cat.
Not cute enough for you?
Or, my personal favorite:
Man, I feel like that some days.
[Posted by Kathleen]
Filed under animals, babies, definitely not politics, pop culture, post-college depression, random, YouTube
I rarely find beer commercials funny, but this one did make me laugh a little.
[Posted by Kathleen]
Filed under blogging, definitely not politics, drinks, humor, pop culture, religion, TV, YouTube
On this fine Sunday, I had the pleasure of seeing one Kathleen Shea Blogger. In fact, it was the first time we’ve been together since we began this here blog. We had brunch with our friends, chatted, had a naked pillow fight, etc. We also went to see The Reader with our friend Norah.
The Reader is the third movie I’ve seen in the past few weeks that I wasn’t originally intending to see. I saw Slumdog Millionaire because I missed Four Christmases, Seven Pounds because The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was sold out, and now The Reader because Milk was sold out. Someone’s really screwing with my movie schedule, but luckily I’ve loved each of these three movies.
I had some vague ideas of what The Reader was about, and I’d heard that it got good reviews. I’m no film buff, but I quite liked it, and I thought Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, and newcomer David Kross were all phenomenal. It’s a twisted, sad movie, but I thought it was original and thought-provoking.
The questions of justice that the film brings up were most interesting for me. Modern law requires an assignment of guilt or innocence with no real middle ground, and this movie illustrates just how complex and contrived that requirement can be. My inability to come to terms with the whole black-and-white aspect of law is part of the reason I decided not to go to law school. I’m bad at making decisions to begin with, and even if assigned a side, I think I’d struggle to be 100% on that side. (There are exceptions, of course, and I’m oversimplifying our legal system, but you get what I mean. I hope.)
On a lighter, creepier note, I finally understood exactly what my cougar friend means when she looks at a younger guy and says she wants to give him a bath. Not that I don’t still find that statement totally creepy (you heard me, Cougar Friend), but I got a little embarrassed when I formed a huge crush on David Kross, the young Michael in this movie, and then discovered that he is only 18. Here’s the only picture I found of him where he looked as if he’d hit puberty (he’s on the left, clearly):
Yeah he still looks young. I feel dirty. But whatever, suburban moms totally have crushes on the Jonas brothers, right?
And let’s just pause and remember how fabulous Kate Winslet is, even when she’s just hanging around with her kid:
I’ve had a few strangers tell me I look like Kate Winslet, and I every time I see a picture of her or watch one of her movies I try and I try to force myself to see the likeness, and I simply don’t see it. The face is a stretch, and our bodies…well, let’s just say I don’t see it.
Here’s a preview for The Reader:
If you see it, let us know what you think!
[Posted by Mallory]
Filed under celebrities, crushes, movies, pop culture, sex, YouTube
My wacky friend Colleen has a REALLY good feeling about 2009. It’s an underestimated year, she thinks, which means people will be blindsided by its goodness. (Except Colleen as she is totally anticipating the goodness.)
I have to agree with her. Or, I hope to agree with her. We’re coming out of a really shitty year overall, and it simply has to go up from here.
I had my first real New Year’s out last night (as in not a house party or random downtown adventures while underage). I know a lot of people hate New Year’s because of the pressure for it to be OMIGOD THE BEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR, and a lot of people simply hate the crowds. I totally get that, but I figured why not have at least ONE legit New Year’s before deciding to hate it.
Except I had a ridiculously good time last night. I went to a huge party that involved three bars, two DJ’s and a live band, an open bar, etc. etc. When I first arrived, I was freezing to death and couldn’t help but hate the crowdedness of it all. But once we discovered the room with dancing and beer that didn’t require a 20-minute wait and the fighting off of douchebags, we were set.
After midnight, we moved on to the live band and got hit on by creeps and bouncers and it was a wonderful time. I would, though, like to make a public complaint about the live band. They didn’t know/wouldn’t play any of the following songs:
“The Weight,” by The Band (too slow)
“Romeo and Juliet”, by Dire Straits (too slow)
“Your Love,” by The Outfield (THEY DIDN’T KNOW IT)
“You Shook Me All Night Long,” by AC/DC (they can’t sing that high)
I mean, REALLY?! And you call yourself a cover band?!
My New Year’s ended with Johnny Rockets’ french fries and milkshakes, which were UM-MAZING. If you’re ever in Georgetown, go to Johnny Rockets and ask for Mohammed. He dances and recommends great bars for you to go to after your meal. (We, um, didn’t take his advice.)
Here’s to 2009! In the wise words of The Walkmen, I know that it’s true, it’s gonna be a good year.
Let’s bring it in with the help of some mullets and bad dancing:
[Posted by Mallory]
Filed under adventures, dance, drinks, music, YouTube
The Beverly Center in LA gives you two choices when it comes to your mall Santa. Naughty or nice. So you can go sit on bowl full of jelly Santa’s lap, or you can sit on six-pack Santa’s lap. Meet Eli Wilhide, pictured above, this year’s Hunky Santa. RAWR! Only in California! But I think this should be a feature at every mall.
And, just because I can, here is one of my favorite Christmas songs. Sometimes it makes me produce tears.
[Posted by Kathleen]
Filed under blogging, crushes, definitely not politics, news, pop culture, random, sex, YouTube
I first heard The National in The Cellar, my undergrad university’s on-campus bar. I was having a beer there with my friend Heaps, and this song came on. She has some fancy phone where you can play music to the phone, and it can tell you what the song is. (And this was BEFORE the iPhone could do that, I’ll have you know.) The song was “Apartment Story,” and I clearly went home and listened to it on repeat. Be sure to note John Lennon on the drums:
I’ve been listening to some more of The National’s stuff, and I really like all of it. I think it’s because I adore Matt Berninger’s voice. It’s so deliciously deep. Makes me feel like he has a beard, although I’ll settle for the scruff he’s rocking in the video. I’m guessing he could sing some rando song from High School Musical and I’d still be all “ooh, Matt, so scruffy and baritone.”
Here’s the whole band, just having a cocktail or two at their on-campus bar:
Are you SEEING all that beard-age?
I love music in a way that makes me wish I could express myself through it in some legitimate way. I tried to learn to play the guitar once, but got about as far as “Redemption Song” and then gave up. Maybe I need to try again, or maybe I need to settle for what I have. Which is a great backup singer voice, as long as the music is so loud that you can’t hear me.
[Posted by Mallory]
Filed under dance, music, post-college depression, thoughts, YouTube
Today is one of those days where it’s just too cold to be out in public. I was not dressed for the weather and nearly froze to death when I stepped outside to walk home, and that made the decision for me that I will not be going out tonight. I think.
See, the problem is that I don’t really have anything to do if I stay home. My roommate isn’t here and I’m not all that into the book I’m reading and I’m one of those people who gets bored really, really quickly. And when I’m left alone and bored for too many hours, I start to get all emo and watch weird depressing music videos on iTunes and email my best friend asking her if she’ll marry me if I’m still alone at 30. Which is all well and good, except too much emo music makes me go a little nuts and I don’t particularly want to marry a girl.
Spending time in the real world tends to cure my emo-ness, and thank goodness I was forced out into that real world to work today. (I know! I worked! Like a real grownup!) For a large chunk of the day, I was uploading things to my program’s website, and I got this weird sense of power. Like, I could RUIN LIVES by posting embarrassing things. And then I remembered that I already have my own website, and that I tend to prefer embarrassing myself.
Besides getting out of your own head or maybe reading about people who have actual problems, this video is a pretty good cure for being a hot emo mess:
I’m sorry, I know. But that video is hilarious. I’m a little bit in love with Andy Samberg:
He wears nerdy glasses, too!
Hmm. In my situation, Andy Samberg would probably go out.
[Posted by Mallory]
All the way back in 1986, Newsweek magazine, in an article titled “Too Late for Prince Charming?” reported on a study that said single women over the age of 40 were more likely to be killed by a terrorist than get married. This video is the response to that statistic:
There are so many pieces of wonderfully terrible advice in this video that I really just have to let the video speak for itself (although, a small stuffed animal? Really?!). Even if you think you have gained enough information to make your head explode halfway through, please make sure to watch the video through to the end; the last piece of advice is undoubtedly the best.
[Posted by Madeline]
Filed under adventures, animals, ben and jerry's, crushes, definitely not politics, drinks, humor, random, sex, sports, YouTube
six words to change the world. 