Friday, December 29, 2006

Coffee-Soaked Awards - Week of December 25, 2006

Well, everyone, 2006 has been one heck of a year for us here at the CSM, and we didn't even get started until halfway through. Who knows what doing this for a full year could hold?

But enough of that navel gazing nonsense. We need to focus, buckle down, and conquer the task at hand. Which, of course, means that, for the final time in 2006, we need to launch into our weekly awards. Let's get it started!

Future Success Now Award
We give this award to Homeland Security Advisor Fran Townsend, for her belief that Osama bin Laden's continued freedom is not a failure. In fact, she classified it a "success that hasn't occurred yet." Other successes yet to occur include putting a colony on Mars, securing North Korean disarmament, and convincing GDub to read the entire report by the Iraq Study Group.

The Mighty Continue to Fall Award
There are those that say that the closing of a web-based fansite is a tragic, yet beautiful moment. True, those that say such things don't count in the many, but they do exist. That will make, for those individuals, January 31, 2007 a tragically beautiful day, as one of the top Britney Spears fansites, WorldofBritney.com closes. And with so many alcohol fueled nipple slips remaining in her career, too. So long, WorldofBritney.com... we hardly knew ye.

Best of Both Worlds Award
This prize easily goes to GDub, for being able to top the AP-AOL poll as both the best villain and best hero of 2006. Just proves that The Decider really does reach across party lines. Honorable mentions for villain included Tom Cruise, Mel Gibson, and Karl Rove. Honorable mentions for heroes? Well, the cast of Heroes, which is fitting, given their characters.

Bang Your Head Award
We've got to hand it to the Chinese. Suffering through a slow recovery to their telecom systems in the wake of recent earthquakes, they've found a new way of telling when a quake might strike, by watching a group of head-bangers. No, not metal enthusiasts, but snakes. By observing the snakes, the Chinese scientists can predict an earthquake days in advance. They can also predict another horrifying Poison reunion tour.

Happiness is a Warm Puppy Award
Apparently, in Germany, happiness can also be gathered by selling said warm puppy to a bar owner, in exchange for beer. That's exactly what an unemployed man did while walking his 6-year-old stepdaughter's pet beagle. Funny, we really expected this story to be originating in Ireland, not Germany.

Well, at Least We Know Award
Sometimes, we find out that we needed information we didn't realize we needed. Other times, we learn that the most popular name for dogs in NYC is Max. No word on the most popular name for dogs later redeemed for beer.

Enhancing Stereotypes Award
We give this award to Toxoplasma gondii, which is a parasite apparently found in 40% of the world's population. While dangerous to the unborn and to those with weak immune systems, the overall symptoms of the parasite appear to be causing men to have lower IQs and act more boorish, while women infected with the parasite tend to appear more attractive and confident to the opposite sex. This skews the standard belief that all that was needed to make a woman more attractive was to find a brainy girl, and take off her glasses while letting down her hair.

But He Seemed So Normal Award
This one goes to Mike Tyson, who seemed so normal, refined, and in control until we found out that he was recently arrested for DUI and cocaine possession. Now, we all realize that he's just trying to be like Nicole Richie, but really, the voice already isn't doing him any favors. If only he could find some outlet for his problems... say, boxing, perhaps.

The Canon Is After Me Award
We don't like to admit that, every once in awhile, we surf YouTube. Mostly because 99.9% of the stuff posted on YouTube makes Charlie Sheen look like Lawrence Olivier. That being said, every once in awhile, something brilliant comes across; something that makes us laugh and think. Rob Paravonian has done just that. Enjoy.

Well, that wraps up our final awards for the 2006 calendar year. Remember, it's never too late to make a resolution for the New Year. Our resolution? To keep reading the news while finding the funny, and maybe holding off on shots until AFTER we've updated the CSM. After all, we've gotta balance the coffee somehow. Stay safe out there.

Thursday, December 28, 2006

The Year End looks ahead

Over here at The Coffee-Soaked Mind, we've been pondering what to do for our final top ten list of 2006. Sure, we could talk about the Top Ten Breakfast Cereals of 2006, or the Top Ten Worst Soda Flavors, but we want to be different. We want to break ground. And, since we've got our weekly awards coming up tomorrow, we've decided to try a new approach. With that said, we now present to you all:

The Top Ten Things to Look Forward to in 2007

10. Academy Award Candidates for 2008
Yes, we admit that we're looking over a year in advance for this one, but we've got a sneaking suspicion that, in an attempt to keep Martin Scorcese from winning an Oscar, the cabal of Spielberg, Howard, Columbus and Eastwood will release approximately seven movies apiece, with the releases falling anywhere from the beginning of October to the end of November. The bigger shock will be when the Best Director Oscar is awarded to first-time director Jennifer Love Hewitt.

9. It's not an election year
True, people are already drooling at the prospect of voting more people out of office, but you have to admit that 2007 being an off-year for campaigning is something to look forward to. The best reason behind this? The lack of political commercials.

8. Cadbury Creme Eggs
You know you look forward to those every single year. Why should 2007 be any different?

7. The New Fall Schedule
Watch as the networks try to figure out how to capitalize on what worked in 2006, only to either simply fail, or to inundate the airwaves with look-alike shows. Expect CBS to continue their trend of fairly pathetic traditional sitcoms, interspersed with reality television, while NBC announces a new game show, where contestants are superpowered individuals competing against lawyers in an attempt to appear on a show within a show.

6. Justin Timberlake
You scoff. Don't deny it, because I can hear you scoffing from over here. And yet I'm here to tell you that JT may just be one of the people you need to watch in 2007. After all, he did single-handedly bring "sexy" back (as he'll tell you), and then was confident enough in its recovery to allow others to finish easing it back to life. In 2007, expect Timberlake to bring back "suave" and "Jell-O pudding pops", while Jared Leto attempts to bring "androgynous" back.

5. Insert Local Sports Team Here
We all know that every new season, there's a revitalized interest in local sports. Every year, the fans believe that the team will be the best its ever been, and that a championship is within their grasp. And, by the end of the season, most of those hopes have been utterly destroyed, causing most fans to curse the names of their hometeam's biggest stars. But have faith... a new season is just around the corner!

4. Sony vs. Microsoft vs. Nintendo
Now that all three console makers have their next-generation machines on the market, a true battle royale can begin, allowing gamers to decide who reigns supreme. The obvious winners? Pepsi Cola and Frito-Lay, for making Mountain Dew and Doritos respectively.

3. That awkward conversation in April
Whether this is with a coworker, family member, close friend, or just some person on the street, you can truly enjoy this conversation for what it holds; a long, uncomfortable pause, followed by one or both parties trying desperately to explain their position while slowly losing more ground with the other. You'll laugh about it. Eventually. Like while drunk in July.

2. KFed suffering crushing defeat
No, I'm not talking about the match scheduled for WWE's Raw on January 1. Ok, I'm not just talking about the match. I'm talking about the concept that everywhere KFed goes, little pieces of his previous life will continue to fall away, until he is left the nothing he was before we ever knew he existed. Somewhere, there's a picture of Kevin Federline, and it just keeps getting more talented as time goes past.

1. The end of 2007
By the time that everything mentioned above has come to pass, or been skipped over because someone stepped on a butterfly, causing all of the future to change, you'll be hoping and waiting for the beginning of 2008. Why? Because every New Year's Day is a chance to start over and go in a new direction, and, just like every previous year, you're going to want to take that chance and embrace it. At least until February.

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

More from the Year End

Well, we got ourselves started down this slippery slope, and there's nowhere to go but further on down the road. Anyone who thinks that they can only put together one top-ten list at the end of the year is foolish. In many ways, it's just like eating potato chips. Sure, you could only eat one, but you're just going to want to go back for more, no matter how strong your resolve. So let's get underway with our second list, shall we?

The Top Ten Gimmicks in 2006

10. The PC vs. Mac commericals.
Overall, this gimmick was a great idea that fell a little short in actual execution. Far too many people found the "PC" more identifiable and pleasant, while many found the "Mac" to be rather smarmy and irritating. In many ways, the tone of the ad reflected the tone of many users, and simply reinforced stereotypes about the PC/Mac difference, instead of opening up a new demographic. Still, Apple is reluctant to give up, and they continue to send new commercials to the airwaves, albeit with fewer comments from "Mac". If this gimmick continues, expect to see "Mac" say nothing at all, and possibly get little to no screen time, while "PC" gets winded running on a treadmill.

9. "Indecent" photographs
Celebrities (and even some non-celebrities) the world over had a banner year in 2006 for being shown without underwear, or just in various states of inebriation. Somehow, each time that this happened, it did nothing to hamper their careers, and served in a few cases to revitalize a previously stagnant interest. Of course, Miss Nevada should be able to use her most recent photos to skyrocket all the way into the realm of Hooters waitress, or pop princess. Both seem to require about the same level of talent.

8. Person of the Year
Time magazine created a huge buzz for themselves when they named "You" the person of the year. And we're still talking about it, not just the fact that it was done, but the overall insanity of making such a declaration. If that doesn't prove it's a good gimmick, I don't know what does.

7. Top Ten Lists
Come on. Everyone's doing it. Heck, even your second-grade teacher probably has a top ten list out there somewhere. True, these things have been around since Og first established his list of the Top Ten Animals to Smash With Rocks, but they're never really going away. Besides, on a list of top gimmicks, how can you not include the concept of a list itself?

6. Racial slurs and public apologies
Ah, Mel Gibson, Andy Dick, Michael Richards, George Allen, and Judith Regan, amongst others. You've all started a new trend amongst the movers and shakers in the industry. By simply throwing together a tirade against one particular race (seemingly either Jewish or black works best) and then making public your apology, you can do what other celebrities did by showcasing naked pieces of their body, and you got people to care. Well, except for Andy Dick. But then nobody's cared about him since before NewsRadio went off the air. And nevermind about George Allen.

5. Green Screening
Stephen Colbert did it. The Decemberists did it. And that kicked off a challenge between the two, vying for supremacy in the world of the green screen. How much more brilliant can the concept of getting fans do all of the hard video editing be? The fact that Colbert and the Decemberists were able to get some simple cross-promotion out of the whole deal just shows how good the gimmick was.

4. Wii Would Like to Play
Even if the Nintendo Wii is a really good game system, it's also a really good gimmick. Getting gamers to be active and actually move their arms (and, theoretically, bodies) while playing games is something previously only attempted by Dance Dance Revolution. And while DDR got a whole new generation to look like dorks while dancing to "Staying Alive", the Wii can get everyone to look even more inept while playing a bowling video game. Sure, there's a problem with the straps for the system, but that's still minor when you realize that the gimmick of the Wii may have kept Nintendo from going the way of Sega.

3. Half-seasons for TV
Lost did it. So did Heroes, Studio 60, Prison Break, Veronica Mars, and others. A number of the shows even referred to their last broadcast before Jan. 1 as being their "fall finale". Is this a way to keep viewers hooked and tied into the storylines by offering an extended run of new episodes in a row, or is this just the networks way of fighting cable series, which aren't tied to the same fall-spring schedule? Whichever thought process drove this type of scheduling, it's working, and viewers find themselves anxiously awaiting the new episodes as soon as they can get here. It also allows the networks to try other series that may never have seen the light of day, and possibly discover a new diamond in the rough. Seems to be panning out better than MyNetworkTV is so far.

2. Kevin Federline
Could there be a bigger gimmick than Kevin Federline? First, the man was famous for having slept with Britney Spears, and getting her knocked up (twice). Then he became famous for how bad his "album" was. Now, after receiving another boost for getting a text message informing him of his divorce, KFed is still somewhat in the public eye, and will be appearing (again) on a WWE broadcast. The gimmick behind this, of course, is that people will watch to see Federline get beat up, even if it's fake, which will only serve to keep his star elevated slightly above the likes of Carrot Top and David Arquette. And even with that, KFed can only take the number two spot on this list.

1. YouTubular
You can't argue that, ultimately, YouTube was a gimmick. A brilliant gimmick in hindsight, but a gimmick nonetheless. When started, there was no indication that the site would reach the heights of popularity that it has. And yet it has achieved such greatness that even the almighty Google yearned for it, snapping it up as deftly as only they could. But what really makes YouTube a great gimmick? The fact that you can see evidence and/or trails of all of the previous gimmicks in a video loaded somewhere onto its site. In fact, if you dig deep enough, you just mind find "Lonelygirl15" not wearing a bra while playing a Heroes game on the Wii, all in front of a green screen, as she spouts racial slurs directed somehow at KFed, before launching into her own top ten list.

Now that's a gimmick.

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

The Year End Begins

Ah, that glorious week between Christmas and New Year's. The time of year where a large part of the population exercises their option to stay away from the office, burning through the last days of their vacation time before they lose it all. That simple week where people, still caught in the good feelings (or intoxication) of one holiday are looking forward to repeating the process all over again in a few short days.

But this week carries with it another responsibility, especially for those of us in the blogosphere. Or for people in the media. Or for anyone that's particularly anal retentive. This week carries with it the need for lists... lists in all shapes and colors, detailing various things about the past year. Well, we here at the Coffee-Soaked Mind are going to partake in this practice, as we know the importance of lists. Still, we're not going to play by the same rules as everyone else. With that said, let's get started... we've got a short week, and we still have to plan out the awards for Friday. Presenting:

The Top Ten Things That Didn't Happen in 2006

10. The New York Yankees won the World Series
Few teams in the world of sports can inspire such fervor and hatred at the same time, sometimes even from the same people. And yet, if anyone can do it, it would have to be a team from New York, NY. While the Mets generally are greeted with indifference, the Yankees are one of the teams for the ages, and their fanbase is along the same lines. People seemed to believe that, by simply spending more than anyone else, they were destined for yet another championship. But no, the Detroit Tigers didn't seem to want to cooperate, saving their collapse for the St. Louis Cardinals. Yankees fans are still in something of a state of shock, and owner George Steinbrenner has reportedly been working on ways to revive both Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth, in his efforts to create a zombie baseball team.

9. Young Hollywood forgot about the existence of underwear
The problem with the notion of the celebutantes forgetting about underwear is that it implies they weren't specifically hoping we'd all get to see what their nether regions looked like. No... these geniuses just couldn't be bothered to keep themselves covered. The trend will unfortunately continue until we see Jared Leto running around without any panties under his skirt.

8. Everyone who wanted one got their Playstation 3 without problems
Yeah, great job on Sony's behalf. Hype something beyond any rational expectations to a subset of the population without any real social skills. Then make them wait in line with other people like them, in the hopes that they would get to be one of the lucky few to spend $600 for a video game system. Add some opportunistic thieves and some truly moronic marketing ploys and you've got a recipe for disaster. And yet, nothing will ever quite rival the person who spent $300 for an Xbox box (video game console not included).

7. Voters delivered a mandate to the White House
Sure, plenty of people believe that the large swing in the balance of power was their way of thumbing their noses at GDub and his crew, especially for the way they handled the war in Iraq. Thing is, to be able to thumb your nose at someone, you need to prove that they have any understanding of your viewpoint. So while the balance of power has shifted, it may take another couple of years before GDub even realizes what's happened.

6. "You" were Time's Person of the Year
No, no, no. "You" fell victim to a marketing ploy by a lazy editorial staff.

5. Global warming was the new black
Sure, we had Al Gore. We had "Happy Feet". We had polar ice caps melting, islands sinking under rising ocean waters, and environmentalists warning about the destruction man had wrought. And yet, at the end of the day, global warming still isn't in the minds of the majority. At best, it's become the next navy blue.

4. There was less overall crazy in the world
Any year that features Tom Cruise as heavily as this past did, especially with regards to his marriage to Katie Holmes, is proof that crazy is alive and well. In fact, it certainly looks like crazy went international in 2006, with a little help from Cruise, Mel Gibson, and Kim Jong-Il.

3. Irony finally, truly died
Even though it certainly appears that irony, along with its close relative sarcasm, has been at death's door for quite awhile now, places like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report have certainly been helping to keep it alive. Even better? The fact that members of the GOP have linked their websites to The Colbert Report, not quite getting that the joke is on them... even after the way Stephen Colbert attacked the press at the White House Correspondents Dinner. On the other hand, stand-up comedy may be about ready to be placed on life support, if Last Comic Standing is any representation of the form.

2. Scarlett Johansson and/or Dakota Fanning appeared in every movie released
Not quite. But it certainly felt like it. All year long. Kind of depressing, because one is simply getting overused, making her looks and talents something that people are starting to get repulsed by, whereas the other is one of those creepy child prodigies, the kind that will simply be attached to every possible role for actors under the age of 16 because they don't sound like an off-balance robot with every line.

1. The world ended
Yes, even though it's sometimes shocking to think, even in light of the things that didn't happen over this past year, existence just keeps plodding on. But hey, look on the bright side. Every year we get closer to achieving this ultimate goal, and I'm sure that when we do, there'll be a future generation that escaped Earth just prior to its destruction, so that a movie can be made of the final days. A movie that will, undoubtedly, star Dakota Fanning and Scarlett Johansson.

Friday, December 22, 2006

Coffee-Soaked Awards - Week of December 18, 2006

Welcome to another weekly awards round-up. During this most festive time of December, we want to extend our holiday wishes to Time's "Person of the Year" because, well, they deserve it. So now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's get this show on the road.

Do You Hear What I Hear Award
We give this award to Jessica Simpson, for once again valiantly trying to perform possibly the most famous song of her idol's. The singer attempted a performance of Dolly Parton's "9 to 5" at the live taping of the Kennedy Center Honors. She then recorded a second attempt. Both times, Simpson made it all the way from 9 to around 10:30 or so and has pulled the performance from any showings of the Honors. This, of course, is a sign of Simpson's dedication to quality, previously only rivaled by her appearance in The Dukes of Hazzard.

A New Mission Award
This award goes to Robin Hayes (R-NC), who has taken a drastically different look at how to win the war in Iraq. Whereas the overall goal behind the conflict has been to spread democracy, Hayes feels that the war won't be won until the "message of Jesus Christ" is brought to the people of the nation. "Everything depends on everyone learning about the birth of the Savior," Hayes has been quoted as saying. Other things that Hayes believes will end the war include letting the children of Iraq know that there is no Easter bunny, and providing the Iraqi troops with bubble gum. After all, who can be angry when they've got bubble gum?

I Let Mel Gibson Ride Shotgun Award
There's nobody who deserves this award more than Judith Regan, who allegedly blamed having been fired from HarperCollins on a Jewish cabal. Of course, she is now denying heavily the claims of anti-Semitism, and also refusing to acknowledge that perhaps the notion of OJ Simpson telling how he might have (did) commit murder wasn't the best marketing decision. Looks like we've finally figured out where Mel Gibson got the "sugartits" idea, although we still don't know how to say it in Mayan.

Michael Richards is a Grinch Award
Oh, woe is the completely made-up holiday, and those who celebrate it. One high-profile Festivus celebrant is WI Governor Jim Doyle, who has been pictured in the past with his sparse, undecorated Festivus pole. The holiday, created on Seinfeld, held a special meaning for Doyle, who now will not be celebrating the holiday due to Michael Richard's racist commentary. Doyle has been quoted as saying, "What am I supposed to do this year without this completely made-up and relatively new holiday? Celebrate Christmas or something? Screw that." He then slammed a mug full of eggnog and started bellowing "Santa Baby" at the top of his lungs.

I Can't Do That, Dave Award
Drivers in Germany seem to be having more problems than recently, and the culprit behind it all is apparently the satellite navigation systems installed in their cars. More specifically, it's the way that these drivers are blindly following the directions given by these systems, leading to them driving into rivers, construction sites, and the like. This just goes to prove that just because you're old enough to drive, it doesn't mean your smart enough to not listen to a computer that can't see the actual conditions of the road. In a related story, Minnesotans panicked recently at the sight of snow. Which they see 8 months a year.

Killer Queen Award
Well, ex-queen, actually. Beauty queens have been taking a harsh rap recently, with Miss USA almost getting de-throned, Miss Teen USA being turned down as a spokesperson for MADD, and now, the news that Miss Nevada has been stripped of her title. Why? Because of new photos in a "Girls Gone Wild" vein, as the pageant winner is shown exposing herself and engaging in sexual contact with other women. Experts are too busy looking at the photos online to have any comment to give.

And with that little piece of holiday cheer, we wrap up another round of awards, our second to last for the year of 2006. We hope you have a good holiday weekend, and that you don't spend too much time in bars trying to drink away the lingering scent of old people from your nose. And hey, if you do, tilt one back for us. We'll be doing the same for you. Stay safe out there.

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Don't tell him it's fake

Oh, Kevin Federline. Why must you continually abuse our minds with your existence? And why do you have to go out of your way to prove that you're even less intelligent and talented than we originally thought (a difficult feat, I know)? With the knowledge secure in our heads that being the ex-Mr. Britney Spears would lead to you vanishing from existence, why did you have to show up anywhere again? And People Magazine? Don't think you're getting off the hook easily, because you're just as guilty.

Sure, we could blame someone else, too, but there's a good chance that they're just trying to give the world what it wants. But we can still blame People for continuing to foist K-Fed on us, and we can blame K-Fed for foisting himself on the WWE.

True, in many ways, this seems like a match made in heaven. K-Fed gets to live out what is, in many circles, a white-trash dream, by getting to dress in leather and pretend to beat the snot out of someone, while the fans get to watch this never-been get trounced like he so richly deserves. But you have to wonder if K-Fed even realizes the nature of a professional wrestling match (and yes, this is after he's already appeared in WWE events). Yes, it's fake. Yes, it's scripted. Oh, and yes, most of the professional wrestlers are huge, musclebound, steroid-enhanced monsters who could break someone like Federline in half if he even thought about stepping off-script.

Ultimately, what does a move like this do for either party? Well, for Federline, it succeeds in landing him more television time, something that's evaporating faster than you can say "divorce text message". For the WWE, they get to promote a match between one of their top talents, and a smarmy punk that never earned a cent that he lived off of. And for John Cena, the man who will be facing K-Fed, he gets the pleasure of (again) beating K-Fed, thereby acting as an extension for all of humanity.

Actually, maybe this is a win-win situation. Just as long as the WWE remembers the problems that once sprang up in the wrestling world around David Arquette.

Because, really? Anything that David Arquette touches turns to rot. Just look at Courtney Cox.



Oh, and a happy belated birthday to Polinaut, since they kind of inspired the CSM to get rolling. They just don't have as much snark, and they tend to stay on subject better...

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

A swift pat on the back

Every year, Time magazine releases their "Person of the Year" issue. Every year, people can look forward to the end of December cover, to find out who Time has decided to enshrine as the most influential member of the human race for the past twelve months. Every year, there is a decision to be made between choosing an archetype, such as 2003's "The American Soldier", and choosing a caricature, such as 2004's "George W. Bush". This year, Time decided to really put all of its eggs in one basket.

Apparently, Time could do no better than to declare that "You" ("We") are the "Person(s) of the Year". The even used the old trick sometimes found in children's books about including a piece of silver mylar so that the reader could see their own image emblazoned into the magazine. At least, until said magazine is thrown onto a coffee table, and the family dog uses it as a bed. At that point, according to the logic of the mylar, the dog's hindquarters will become the "Person(s Body Parts) of the Year".

But could Time have chosen a better choice than "You" ("Us")? Could anyone have possibly had more impact on the past year than humanity? True, the magazine is trying to say that the "You" ("They") that they are referring to are people like "You" ("Me") who have helped to forge what the internet currently is, it's not like they're really keeping people who don't have blogs or a YouTube addiction from being recognized. Also, it's not like you can put mylar on the internet itself, allowing surfers to see themselves recognized on Time's website, thereby already poking a slight hole in the magazine's recognition of "You" ("Everyone").

But really, we should all thank Time for this honor. Who knew that obsessively conversing about reality television and celebrity nipple slips while eating chocolate cake would help us achieve heights of fame previously seen by people ranging from Bono to Adolf Hitler? And, don't worry, all of you who don't get online and make an impact that way. We still see you standing strong, reading the magazines in the check-out aisles of the grocery stores. We are all "Person(s) of the Year", and we can be proud that we beat out everyone else on the planet, who also was recognized in such fashion.

Just proves that we're all special. Just like everyone else.

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Potentially counterproductive

Malaysia is tired. Tired of being saddled with Kuala Lumpur as the name of its capital city. Tired of floating along in the South China Sea. Tired of Indonesia getting all the attention in the neighborhood. Tired of the world just not taking them seriously as a tourist destination. So Malaysia is taking matters into their own hands, and they're planning for 2007 to be Visit Malaysia Year. The goal is to eclipse 20 million visitors to the country in the next calendar year. And they've already started the preparations.

They're getting cleaner toilets. Air-conditioned toilets. Self-cleaning toilets. Better toilets.

Now that's something that a tourism board can get behind, if you catch my drift. After all, what better slogan can there possibly be for a tourism campaign than "Malaysia - Now with Shinier Porcelain". Sure beats the stuffing out of Australia's "Where the Hell Are You?" campaign from this past year.

Needless to say, other countries are beginning to take notice, and we may soon see a rash of improvements as nations around the world attempt to lure in tourists. We could find sparkling crystal urinals installed in Monaco, or self-dispensing soap for sinks across China. We could even see toilet paper used in Jordan.

Obviously, Malaysia is taking the initiative in this potentially global effort, to teach the world a very important lesson; a lesson unheard of by Aesop or Giesl. That lesson?

Don't worry about cleaning the bathroom unless you're expecting company.

And I think that's something we can all identify with.

Monday, December 18, 2006

A mid-career crisis

It's a well-known fact that at a middle point of life, many people go through changes. Men are more stereotypically represented by the mid-life crisis, as the image of a new sports car and engaging in younger activities is more than common. Apparently, we can rest assured that careers follow a similar arc, as Tucker Carlson has recently announced a mid-career crisis, changing something previously tied strongly into his image.

No, I'm not talking about his image-skewing appearance on Dancing with the Stars. I'm talking about his decision to let loose and get rid of the bowtie that has been so iconic to him.

Obviously, this is a huge step in the evolution of Tucker, as he sees the younger audiences that are so important to television being drawn away by other newscasters, such as Bill O'Reilly, Keith Olbermann, and Samantha Bee. The bow tie was a bit off-putting, and didn't seem to mesh with the rather aggressive style he hosts his show. Now, however, the gloves, or more specifically, the outdated pieces of neckwear, are off.

On a related note, the fact that Tucker Carlson has decided to set down the bowtie drops to an all-time low the number of potential bow-tie wearing Halloween costumes for 2007. While we still may see the bowtie by people dressing as James Bond (or Barney Frank), there aren't many more options. Let's hold out hope that someone else will revive this little-used piece of fashion.

If only to give the kids something else to make fun of.

Friday, December 15, 2006

Coffee-Soaked Awards - Week of December 11, 2006

First off, let's just get the ball rolling with a quick Happy Holidays to one and all. See, here at CSM, we're equal opportunity in our holiday greetings, not wanting to exclude anyone from our own brand of festive cheer. Well, except for the people who worship goats while standing around a bathtub wearing swim caps and tuxedos. We're just not sure what the heck's going on there, and we don't know how to wish them a happy anything.

Alright... let's move on. Only 30 more shopping minutes until the end of the awards posting!

Hand Me the Remote Award
In a recent study, the US Census Bureau came to the astonishing realization that Americans aren't exercising enough, as evidenced by the fact that they spend on average 10 hours per day watching television, reading a book, or doing some other sedentary activity. Next year, the census will report that American's are also sick of pointless "studies" that tell them what they already know.

The Kids Are Alright Award
In one of the most brilliant public relations moves ever conceived, Al Jazeera allowed themselves to be "skewered" by The Daily Show's Samantha Bee. Specifically, they allowed Bee to interact with newscasters from their (relatively new) English language channel, in an attempt to garner more viewers. By playing with Bee as opposed to against, Al Jazeera may have opened themselves up to wider exposure than they could otherwise have gotten. In a related story, FOXNews is looking to open themselves up to more viewers by having Sean Hannity appear on an episode of The 700 Club.

Like a Baby Award
We give this to GDub, for a comment made during an interview. True, the linked story features a number of comments about Cheney's imminent new granddaughter, but near the end of the article, there's a question regarding how the President sleeps. His response was, "a lot better than people would assume." The only thing about this that should surprise anyone is that GDub didn't answer the question by saying, "On my side with my teddy."

Midnight in the Garden State Award
We only say midnight because, chronologically, midnight is the start of a new day, and it appears that New Jersey is doing just that. The Garden State recently became the third state to allow civil unions between gay and lesbian couples, with Massachusetts being the only state to allow gay marriage. All four states on this particular boat are in the Northeast part of the country, causing people in San Fransisco to all contemplate moving to the opposite corner of the United States at the same time.

Creepy. Just Creepy Award
We give this to Marc Jacobs, fashion designer. Apparently, in attempting to market his newest line of clothes, Jacobs decided that the most appropriate model for his adult fashions was Dakota Fanning. The 12 year-old. Wearing specially made sizes of adult fashions. While being 12. Nevermind the film being produced that includes a rape scene with her. Nevermind that she's being overexposed so much she makes Scarlett Johansson look unemployed. It's just creepy and wrong that this child is being marketed this way. Meanwhile, keep your eyes peeled for the next big thing, as Fanning will be over-the-hill in the Hollywood sense by the time she has to wear her first bra.

Blondes Have More Fun Award
We give this to Tara Conner, who is in danger of losing her Miss USA crown (and, by now, may have already lost it) for "bad behavior". Apparently, the notion of a 20-year old blonde internationally renowned for her looks engaging in questionable moral activities never really occurred to the pageant promoters. Other things that they never realized? Straight men like the images of women in bikinis.

Leveling the Playing Field Award
This award goes to the Hollywood Foreign Press for their Golden Globe nominations, and specifically for proving once and for all that favoritism in Hollywood no longer exists. After all, I'm sure that nominating people in competition with themselves is merely a tactic to make the other nominees stand out more to the voters. Tune in next year, when Clive Owen is nominated four times for best actor, with the fifth nomination going to Owen's body double from The 300.

With that, we just can't really dig any further. Well, we could, but we're getting sleepy. All of the excitement over whether or not we'd get nominated for an award of our own this week kind of took the wind out of our sails. But hey, we don't play favorites, and we made sure to give the awards to the more deserving recipients. Come on back next week, when holiday festivities will undoubtedly be spilling all over the 'net. Until then, stay safe out there.

Thursday, December 14, 2006

It's in the stars

Insurance adjustors are always trying to spot trends among drivers. They try to figure out which activities lead to the most accidents, what types of road conditions cause the worst driving, and so on. Now, InsuranceHotline.com may have stumbled on yet another cause for accidents, and a penchant for somewhat reckless driving.

As our title says, it's in the stars.

That's right, according to the company's president, Lee Romanov, whatever sign of the zodiac you were born under is an indication of what kind of driver you'll end up being. Previously, phrases like "What's your sign?" were reserved for sleazy bars or other pick-up joints. Now, people may start seeing the phrase at sleazy auto dealers and other pickup joints.

This could lead to an interesting future for people hoping to not watch their children saddled with high insurance premiums. Just imagine, a world where Leos and Geminis are the most common astrological signs, because an insurance company pegged them as the safest drivers, compared to other signs. And woe to the people who tried so carefully to give birth to their good driver, only to have the baby come early, and they are saddled with a middle-of-the-road Taurus.

Of course, over in China, there's another study being done. As it turns out, in the Far East, the Horse and the Dragon are better drivers, while the Goat and the Rat get a lot of tickets. I guess our astrology really does matter more than where we live.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Not popular enough to cause a fight

First, it was Mel Gibson, with his anti-Semitic commentary chalked up to a drunken accident. Then it was Michael Richards, with his racist diatribe in response to a couple of hecklers during an ultimately unfunny set. After two incidents that actually sparked some levels of debate and discussion nationwide, we were given the gift of Andy Dick trying to prove that he, like Richards, can make apologies for being racist (when really, he should make apologies for being untalented and still taking up valuable screen time). Finally, there was a report recently that Pauly Shore was physically attacked during a stand-up show, due to comments made, once again, to a heckler.

Only it doesn't seem like that's really the case. Shore no longer registers high enough on anyone's radars to provoke an attack, even if he is a complete jerk to the audience, without paying someone to be part of it. At least, that's according to police in Odessa, TX, who say that the video of Shore being hit in the face was a fake, and that the entire thing was a skit.

Pauly, Pauly, Pauly... when will you learn? We stopped paying attention to you a long time ago, and the notion of you getting hit in the face is not going to bring any pity your direction. In fact, if any of us remember any of the films you made, we might think that you getting punched is a fitting punishment for the pain you caused us. True, you have more influence than Andy Dick (who's "attack" and confession weren't even blips on people's radars), but you're not important enough to get us to feel bad.

Perhaps Pauly Shore would have had more success with his "skit" if he'd channeled a character named "Tony Clifton", and made sure to hire someone who could make the punch look real. If he wants to do this again, I'm sure that there are a lot of people who would be more than happy to make sure that punching Shore in the face plays at the heights of realism.

Just because we still haven't forgiven him for BioDome. Yes, Stephen Baldwin, you're on the list, too.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Making hunting more interesting

Texas State Representative Edmund Kuempel is interested in equality. He doesn't think that people should be denied certain activities just because of handicaps that they may have to deal with. Representative Kuempel is proving his dedication to fairness by introducing a new measure to the Texas legislature that he's hoping will pass quickly in January.

The Kuempel measure is to allow the blind to hunt.

When asked about the measure, Kuempel was quoted as saying, "This opens up the fun of hunting to additional people," which is true, technically. And true, the blind would be forced to hunt with a sighted partner, one who would help them to aim and steady the rifle. But darnit, those blind hunters would be able to pull the trigger, and what can be more fun than realizing that you've just blown a hole in an animal?

Now before anyone gets up in arms about this, I want to make it clear that I am not opposed to hunting. I am, however, opposed to crazy ideas like letting blind people anywhere near a loaded firearm. Or behind the wheel of a car. For the record, I'm opposed to idiots running governments, too, but too many people disagree with me on that notion (course, it may simply be the job that makes otherwise intelligent people turn into idiots, but we haven't found proof of that yet).

Back to the subject at hand. In Texas, there is a good chance that the blind will be allowed to hunt, especially given the overall popularity of hunting throughout the state. This could easily be picked up by other states with large hunting traditions, leading us to a nation of blind hunters, making things even more dangerous for the already on-alert drunken hunter our forefathers knew about. And, in an epic confrontation between drunks and the blind, is there really any winner?

What's next? The deaf are going to be music producers and talent scouts? Oh wait... we already have American Idol.

Monday, December 11, 2006

Three of Four Horsemen Identified

This shouldn't come as much of a surprise, but the folks at Disney, the same folks who originally talked about bailing completely from the project in question, are now promoting both Mel Gibson and his violent vision, Apocalypto. The Mouse is even in an Oscar push, which should be unsurprising given the nature of the film, and Gibson's own track record with the little golden guy. However, the tactic Disney is using to campaign for the film is a bit, well, out of the ordinary.

They're taking the time to remind the Academy that Mel Gibson is by no means as bad as Roman Polanski or Woody Allen.

While it's true that drunken, mostly incoherent anti-Semitic ramblings are in a completely different playing field than any sort of sexual contact between an adult and a child (or a parent and their step-child), that's part of the problem. It's a different playing field. The instances aren't similar enough to be compared in such a way, let alone to try and use the transgressions of others as proof that you're guy just isn't that bad.

Although, it's possible that Disney is simply trying to be benevolent, and that the Great Mouse is looking out for us all. How are we supposed to know that they aren't specifically tying Gibson, Polanski, and Allen together to warn us? Isn't it possible that the director of Apocalypto could be part of a group of Men of Crisis who are Frantic as they try to usher in the end times? Could it be that the Disney corporation knows that the Four Horsemen are already amongst us, with Michael Richards filling in for the little-recognized Pestilence?

Or is this just another example of what has become all too prevalent in our world, where the crimes of one person are exploited by an outside organization to make the crimes of another person seem lesser by comparison? Disney has proven, in one swift, calculated move that they aren't above playing dirty to try and get what they want. Which, ultimately, makes them no different from Miramax (no, they haven't been forgiven for Shakespeare in Love).

Now seriously, how do you say "sugartits" in Mayan?

Friday, December 08, 2006

Coffee-Soaked Awards - Week of December 4, 2006

We return for another installment of the Coffee-Soaked Awards. While we don't expect to be quite as long-winded as we were last week, we still aim to please, so let's get the ball rolling, shall we?

So Long, and Thanks for the Raise Award
With another session of Congress almost completed, one pressing issue seems to be hanging over the lame duck legislators. This issue? Whether or not to pass a pay raise. The Dems are claiming that they're going to try and stop the raise from going through, while the GOP believes that the raise is justified as a cost-of-living increase. Other curiosities for many legislators at present include the price of frozen pizzas, and the availability of housing in their home districts.

Keep it in the Family Award
We give this award to former Iowa Congressmen Ed Mezvinsky, who is currently in prison for fraud tied into Nigerian e-mail scams. Mezvinksy allegedly stole from clients and his own mother-in-law in an attempt to find the one 419 scam that was going to lead to his long-term wealth. Mezvinsky even used his son Marc's relationship with Chelsea Clinton to help bilk money to send overseas. With rumors that Chelsea and Marc are contemplating marriage, Ed Mezvinsky was quoted as saying, "I wonder if Bill will help with a loan. I understand that Barrister Mfume needs my help transfering $21.7M."

Everything's Coming Up Rosie Award
This one goes out to Rosie O'Donnell, who has not only reinvigorated her career by appearing on The View, but may get to reprise her role as "large naked woman" on a more full-time basis for Nip/Tuck. O'Donnell has taken the extra screen time to point out her love for Tom Cruise and taken an "I'm better than other lesbians" stance. Barbara Walters was quoted as saying, "That's just Wosie being Wosie. We aw wove hew wowk. Whewe awe my teeth? I'm a newscastew..."

How Embarassing Award
What's worse than showing up to a reception wearing the same dress as another woman? How about when three other women are wearing the gown? And you're the First Lady? This happened recently at a White House holiday reception. When asked about the incident, Laura Bush responded with, "How the hell should I know about it? And since when is this news?" George reportedly had his bedtime story read by all four women, alternating through the pages so as to keep from confusing him.

I'm Not Listening, La La La La Award
This award goes out to GDub, for the way he has responded to the recent study on the way that the Iraq War has been handled. Basically, because the committee, headed up by long-time Bush friend James Baker, told The Decider things he didn't want to hear, he's going to ignore the findings, going so far as to say that "Jim Baker can go back to his day job." GDub has a history of ignoring reports, such as the reports about his twin daughters not following in his own drug- and alcohol-laced footsteps, or that he shouldn't really wipe his nose on his jacket.

Lesbians are Mothers, Too Award
We give this award to Mary Cheney, who has announced a recent pregnancy with her long-time partner, Heather Poe. Conservative groups are fighting over the notion of a gay couple raising a child. Gay rights groups are feeling that this is just desserts for conservatives that sought to ban gay unions. Meanwhile, VPCheney praised his lesbian daughter's pregnancy, because children with only one legal parent fuel his soul machine better than other babies.

Didn't We See This on Studio 60? Award
The recipient for this award is Jennifer Hudson, star of the upcoming Dream Girls. In recent interviews, Hudson proclaimed homosexuality a sin, because the Bible says so, but then also said that she personally has no issues with it, thereby almost exactly mirroring the character portrayed by Sarah Paulson on Studio 60 from the Sunset Strip. When questioned about this, Hudson responded by saying, "Listen, it's not like I'm paraphrasing the words of that Corddry kid."

It's Not the Size Award
After last week's award for the spray-on condoms, how could we not pass an award to the Indian Council of Medical Research, for their findings that approximaely 60% of the men in Mumbai were unable to use condoms set to international standards. Apparently, the international specifications were a little, um, large for Indian men, in some cases by a couple of inches. In light of this recent study, aptly titled, "Indian Men Don't Measure Up", I think it's abundantly clear where the test market for last week's Germans should be. Oh, and to any Indian readers out there? Sincere apologies for using the word "abundantly".

Well, that wraps up another week's look at the news, complete with our scatter-shot approach to delivering the stories to you. We'll see you next week, as we inch ever closer to the inevitable Santa Claus story, and we keep hoping for something white to appear on the ground. Until then, stay safe out there.

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Signs of the Apocalypto

First, The Passion of the Christ was accused of being anti-Semitic before the movie ever saw the light of day. Then came the whole experience with the Jewish police officer and the alcohol. Now, the descendants of the Mayan empire have a beef with him.

Things just haven't been going well for Mel Gibson recently.

While Apocalypto and Gibson have received some praise for their usage of the Mayan language, and for the casting of mostly indigenous actors, there is still quite a bit of uproar revolving around the film. The fact that, at least in the trailers, the characters are pictured as being fairly savage, and engaging in the practice of sacrifices makes those of Mayan descent feel that Gibson is once again putting forward a racist epic. The same comments that haunted The Passion of the Christ are now being levied against the new film.

While there may be a hint of truth behind this, I think it's important to underline what Gibson is actually doing, and that is creating an overly self-important film. After all, it's one thing to be reading subtitles for a film that was produced completely by (and for) people that don't speak your native tongue. It's still another to be reading subtitles because the director has decided, ever since he fabricated a story about Scotland, that he's important and powerful enough to film the entire movie using what has mostly become a dead language. What's next for Gibson? Is he going to regale us with a sweeping documentary about the Crusades, with the entire soundtrack in Latin? At least with Latin, a few more people globally will recognize and understand without missing half the action because they're reading the bottom of the screen.

So yes, Mel Gibson has once again made an offensive movie. But not because it may or may not be racist. Apocalypto will be offensive because it will have an extended running time, and it will be used to preen the feathers of an overly egomaniacal director, one who feels that he can get away with the conceit of using a mostly dead language because, well, his film is just so darned important.

Now, how do you say "sugar tits" in Mayan?

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

5 Days a Week

That's how many days the House of Representatives may have work, if those rascally Democrats get their way. The new schedule being proposed would have the Reps in Washington by 6:30pm Monday for voting, and leaving around Friday at 2pm. Quite a difference from the work week adhered to last year, by a Congress that managed to work fewer days than the "Do-Nothing Congress" of 1948.

The new schedule is meant to make the House look more like a standard business, thereby causing less of a feeling of displacement. After all, when the standard worker is busy slaving through a five-day work week (sometimes more), why should the elected officials be able to work for three days (at most)? Still, many elder statesment, specifically within the GOP, don't like the concept of actually working for five days straight, with only two days off.

Early criticisms include that the Dems in charge of the scheduling are anti-family, because having to work Monday-Friday weakens marriages. There has also been rumbling that, by forcing more time spent in Washington, the Dems are weakening Congress overall. The line of thinking on that seems to be that increased workload at the Capitol and less time amongst the people who voted for you will cause quicker burn-out, and lead to less efficient lawmaking.

One could actually argue the point that Congress should have a shorter work week, provided that the short week turned into productivity. Not to say that the longer week will provide that either, but at least we know that the schedule held by the House of Representatives last year wasn't anywhere near enough for them to get their work done, as proven by the fact that they didn't do much, aside from pass themselves another pay raise and deny an increase to minimum wage. Still, is a longer work week truly the answer?

Perhaps it would be smarter to force Congress to actually be held accountable for the work that they were sent to Washington to do. Maybe establishing some sort of pay rate based off of achievements, as opposed to a flat-rate for all senators. Let's make Congress more like professional sports, with incentive packages, and possibly even signing bonuses for those legislators primed to take an early lead in governing.

Otherwise, we're just going to end up with Congresspeople calling in sick to work, because they just can't bear to face another bill that doesn't directly benefit them or their friends. And do we really need more elected officials acting? After all, that's what campaign season is for.

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

I'm loving it

Recent news lets us know that McDonald's, long the bastion of grease and a certain flaunting of an unhealthy attitude, has decided that it's time to revamp their children's play areas. They have begun inserting mini-gyms in place of the playlands in a few restaurants already, looking to get the kids stuffing themselves on Happy Meals to stuff themselves into the R Gym for stationary biking or other fitness activities.

Of course, once the R Gym is seen at McDonald's outside of California, people will begin to look differently at the fast-food outlet. They'll stop seeing just the Big Mac, or the Supersize of fries and a soft drink. Instead, they'll see that McDonald's really cares. About our children, and their health. McDonald's wants our kids to exercise, to keep them from becoming obese, and to assert their dominance over other fast-food restaurants in the battle over who cares more about their customers' well-being. After all, Wendy's may have salads, but McDonald's has the R Gym.

Or people will see through the shameless attempt to polish an image tarnished by years of overweight clientele and health risks associated with their food, and ignore the latest publicity stunt. After all, people aren't hitting McDonald's because they want something healthy... they go to McDonald's because they want something quick and inexpensive. So McDonald's? Get your gyms out of our ball pits.

On second thought, keep 'em there. If we can get the kids motivated to do something, it should save you money in the long run. After all, if you keep the future generations thin enough, you won't have to renovate your stores with bigger doors and more clearance around the cash registers. Now that's forward thinking.

Monday, December 04, 2006

Those voters are just crazy

There's a new scientific study out, and it will certainly help fuel the fires of many who find themselves in disagreement (or sometimes outright disgust) at GDub and his administration. The study, conducted by Christopher Lohse, indicates that the more severe the mental illness in a patient, the more likely they were to have voted for the current President.

Of course, this will cause people to jump to the statement that, well, you'd have to be crazy to vote for Bush. We here at the CSM would like to put forward the concept that the only people who are really crazy are those that would like to vote for him yet again... in 2008. We know that he can't run for the office again (at least, not until 2012), but that doesn't stop people out there from thinking that everything will just go smoothly if only we can keep The Decider in office.

Back to the study, though. As it turns out, the connection between the severity of the mental illness and the proclivity to have voted for Bush wasn't discovered until much later in the process. Mr. Lohse was merely trying to gather a way of registering mentally ill voters, and gauging their awareness on things such as current events. Of course, it should also be noted that those who supported Bush had less awareness of the current issues than those who supported Kerry.

Ultimately, as Lohse himself points out, "Our study shows that psychotic patients prefer an authoritative leader.” While GDub may not be the best leader this country's ever seen, it's hard to argue with the notion of him being authoritative. He stands by a concept firmly, refusing to budge, even in the face of facts pointing out the error of his ways. He firmly says how something will go, and proceeds to only change his stance when the winds of change blow favorably for him. He may not come out smelling like roses, but at least we can never accuse him of waffling on the issues.

Still, is it comforting or frightening to realize that the current President holds the favoritism of not only the religious right and big business, but of the more mentally ill portions of our society? Looks like it's time for the Democrats to start embracing their own brand of lunacy.

I hear Howard Dean isn't doing all that much these days. Maybe he should get together with Ross Perot...

Friday, December 01, 2006

Coffee-Soaked Awards - Week of November 27, 2006

Wow. Another Friday has fallen upon us here at the Coffee-Soaked Mind, and it's another Friday where we find ourselves sitting in front of our computers, as opposed to last week, where we were still soaking up the inherent laziness now associated with the Thanksgiving holiday. True, we deprived everyone last week, but that's why we're going to jump into our awards ceremony without further ado. And without gift bags (not that anyone would accept a CSM gift bag, honestly).

Marriage Made in Heaven, Divorce Made in Kazakhstan Award
The recent news that Kid Rock and Pamela Anderson are already heading down the divorce trail didn't really come as a shock to anyone with a pulse and more awareness than Anna Nicole Smith. However, the notion that the two are getting divorced because of Borat seems a little far-fetched, even for these two epitomes of white trashiness. When reminded that Borat is merely a character, Kid Rock replied with, "Oh yeah? Well, uh, in your face," proving that the wordsmith that once rhymed "out west" with "fake breasts" is still alive and well.

On Second Thought, I'll Just Have Peanuts Award
This award goes to the Department of Homeland Security, for the recent admission of another program to gather information on terror suspects. Called the Automated Targeting System, it includes a number of different subjects based off of travel, such as how the tickets were paid for, history of one-way travel, and even the meals they ate, with all this information being compiled to find a terror score. With this recent development, hospital food is now only four times as unappealing as airline food, a severe drop from recent years.

One Nation Under Our God Award
We give this to all the people in the United States who have an issue with Congressman-elect Keith Ellison (D-MN) for requesting that he be sworn in on the Qu'ran. Apparently the notion of a Muslim being sworn in on his religion's holy book is offensive to the Bible-bangers out there. Nevermind the notion of freedom of religion assured in the Constitution. We simply have to remember that Ellison's request is actually trying to destroy the moral fabric of America. Other things that are slowly destroying the moral fabric of America include unwarrented searches, unjustified attacks, and unattainable electronics.

I Like Kurt Russell Movies, and Universal Health Care Award
This goes out to the growing number of Democratic candidates who are already vying for the opportunity to lose the chance to become President by posting profiles on MySpace and similar sites. This trend has also reached into candidates creating messages for podcasting purposes. Keep your eyes open for Hilary Clinton's profile, which will naturally assure the American people that a) it's time for a new direction for this country, and b) Janet Reno's a man, baby.

This is Not Funny Award
We give this to the people of Ohio, for the way that they unintentionally made things difficult for a news crew during election season. After all, when Borat (he sneaks in everywhere, doesn't he) is the big talk of the country, it can never be easy for a legitimate Kazakh newscrew attempting to create a documentary about voting. The poor newscrew even included a cameraman named "Bolat", who was forced to regale the onlookers with stories about how his mother did not actually drink horse urine. Students at Ohio State University, when informed by the State Department that the crew was legitimate, stated, "Aw, man... we were hoping to score some free beer for being made to look like asses. Hey look, kegger!"

People, People, It's Just a Game Award
We give this to the overzealous gamers who have been experiencing problems with their Nintendo Wii's. Not only have controllers flown from the gamers hands, crashing into (and sometimes through) televisions and beer glasses, but the motion detection technology has also lead to things along the lines of tennis elbow. When asked, some Wiithusiasts were quoted as saying, "Dude, who knew that moving would hurt so much?" They were also shocked that they had enough strength after a steady diet of Mt. Dew and Doritos to cause any damage with the controllers.

The Devil's in the Details Award
We give this to Hugo Chavez, president of Venezuela, for admitting something about his speech in September which may have cost his country a seat on the UN Security Council. During the speech, Chavez verbally ripped apart GDub, including calling the American president a drunkard, a donkey, and the devil. According to Chavez, the speech was spur-of-the-moment, and none of the accusations were planned. Chavez did not refute whether or not he believed them. Other world leaders are now breathing sighs of relief, by realizing that they can also claim all of the name-calling they've done towards GDub or his Cabinet were simply spur-of-the-moment, regardless of the pages and pages of notes they may have had working the perfect insult into one of their speeches.

Schoolhouse Rockin' Award
Okay, so it's not really rocking, but some schools in Wyoming are trying to get their programs rolling. Students with perfect or near-perfect attendance rates can find themselves eligible to win cars from the schools, in an initiative to increase attendance overall. Students with less-than-perfect attendance records can find themselves entered into drawings to receive roller skates. No word on whether the No Child Left Behind Act will enforce that the students winning vehicles will now be expected to give rides to their less-privileged classmates.

Don't Forget Your Spray Can Award
This award is handed to German sex educators, who are looking into technology to produce spray-on condoms, for easier use and higher customization. While the cost for these products will be higher than that of standard condoms, the hope is that the ease of use would help offset those concerns. The question being raised is how to fit the spray-can into a wallet, just in case.

What We Have Here is a Failure to Communicate Award
We give this award to GDub and Jim Webb, for their "conversation" regarding Webb's son, who is currently fighting in Iraq. The two were unable to actually converse for the most part, causing Webb to be tempted to "slug the President". Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed, and neither man was punched or arrested. Webb should be aware from this point forward that "How is your son doing?" is code for "Tell me your son is fine." Oddly enough, GDub saying "There is no civil war in Iraq" is also code, translating to "I love me some pie. Mmm pie!"

Thinking Outside the Globe Award
We give this to Stephen Hawking, for once again pointing out his belief that mankind will need to leave planet Earth if we are to survive. It's a well-known fact that Stephen Hawking is much smarter than most of the rest of the planet, so there may be something to this comments. It's also a well-known fact that wearing a red shirt in space is a bad idea. Expect sales of blue and green fabric to skyrocket.

And with that, we leave this week behind us. It's been busy, and we're sure that next week will be just as action-packed. Hang on to your Wii, and stay safe out there.