You are currently browsing the archives for March 2012.

The Loneliness of the Abandoned Japanese Sex Museum

  • March 31, 2012 7:05 pm

I’m sure it won’t surprise regular readers of our blog to know that Japan houses a “sex” museum (I’m sure one of many)—the aptly named, Mansion of the Hidden Treasure.

The museum opened in 1978 and stayed in business for 20 years when it sadly closed in 1997. But as the good folks at Abandoned Kansai found out—the museum has yet to be “replaced” by something else and, as the images below illustrate, the remnants of its former glory still linger.

And what I’ve concluded after taking a look at the following pics is that there may be nothing creepier lonelier than an abandoned sex museum:

 Read more...

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Add Your Own Caption: Doggy-Style Edition

  • March 31, 2012 5:57 pm

If you’re not already following us on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr, you’re missing out on a lot of extras you won’t find here on our blog including updates on various Offender-related projects (like the most recent updates about our upcoming YOMYOMF Network on YouTube) and silly, fun things like “Add Your Own Caption.” This is where we post an image we find online or that our readers forward to us and ask you to write an appropriate caption to accompany that image. And we’ll feature some of the captions here.

And the featured caption for this week comes from reader James Dante:

I can't quit you.

So check out our Facebook page for future editions of “Add Your Own Caption”, write your own caption and/or “like” the ones you think are worthy and we may share them here.  Read more...

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yomyomf pick-me-ups: american idol meets cops edition

  • March 30, 2012 8:53 am

Feeling a bit sluggish today?  This should fix it.

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Sincerity: It’s Back!

  • March 30, 2012 4:32 am

Promise me you will boycott the men’s lifestyle blog “Guyism.”  The reason you will do this is because they described 85 year old food critic Marilyn Hagerty’s column on the new Olive Garden that opened in Grand Forks, North Dakota as…

…“unwittingly hilarious.”

Shame on them.
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There’s a reason Ms. Hagerty’s review has gone viral, and it has nothing to do with hilariousness, unwitting or otherwise.

A few excerpts from her March 7 review for the “Grand Forks Herald” newspaper:

The place is impressive. It’s fashioned in Tuscan farmhouse style with a welcoming entryway.

The chicken Alfredo ($10.95) was warm and comforting on a cold day. The portion was generous. My server was ready with Parmesan cheese.  Read more...

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30 Years Ago Today: Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder Make the World a Better Place Musically

  • March 29, 2012 10:20 pm

Exactly three decades ago, on March 29, 1982, what may quite possibly be the greatest song about the joys of black/white man love brotherhood was released—Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder’s “Ebony and Ivory.”

The song spent seven weeks at the top of the Billboard 100, but that’s not what makes it the classic it is. Sure, there’s a lot about the song we can criticize: it’s a simplistic and overtly idealized look at race relations, the race relations in the song doesn’t even extend beyond the black/white paradigm (what—no love for us Asians?), the piano key metaphor thing is pretty obvious and silly, and no way does this song even come near the heights of the best work of either artist. But despite its many flaws, this song is awesome for one very important reason: without it, we would have never gotten this:  Read more...

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Let’s Get It On – Panda-Style

  • March 28, 2012 10:36 pm

The Ueno Zoo in Kyodo, Japan has confirmed that the two pandas under its care—Ri Ri and Shin Shin—have started mating in their outdoor enclosure this past weekend. Zoo officials closed the exhibit to the public to give the pandas their privacy although it may re-open as early as today.

So two pandas get it on at a zoo—why is this news?

Apparently, it is extremely difficult to get pandas to mate. Either they’re never in the mood or they’re just really picky. I think I dated women who were pandas in their previous lives. So when they knock boots paws, it’s cause for excitement.  Read more...

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‘Sunset Stories’ Stories: Act Like You Mean It

  • March 28, 2012 4:09 pm

One of the most frequently asked questions I’ve gotten on making Sunset Stories is — “How do you get good professional actors to agree to work on your film?” Of course, each project is a different case and you can do anything from contacting their reps, getting to them personally, or stalking them (I kid…), but nowadays, access seems a lot easier especially in this age of social networking, and of course, the help of a great casting director (shout out to Brad Gilmore) doesn’t hurt either.

But that’s not really what I’m writing about here. Not about access, but how does one hook an actor when you have access? Basically speaking, what is the actor looking for in the material and in the filmmaker that will have them agree to long, unglamorous nights of production hell that is the micro-budget films. I’m pretty sure the promise of a whopping $100 per day isn’t going to do it. With Sunset Stories, we were very lucky to assemble an incredibly talented group of actors and I’ve asked two – Mousa Kraish and Michelle Krusiec to answer a few questions on what they look for in joining low budget productions. Better to get it straight from the horse’s mouth – what does that even mean?  Read more...

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The YOMYOMF Network: Who wants to be an ‘Internet Icon’?

  • March 28, 2012 12:03 am

As we inch closer to the May launch of our YOMYOMF Network on YouTube, you’ll be hearing more about all the shows we’re developing. One of our new shows will be INTERNET ICON featuring our YOMYOMF partners/YouTube stars/bromancers Ryan Higa and Chester See:

Yup, if you’ve ever wanted to make YouTube videos and become the next internet sensation, this show is for you. Check out all the info below and get details on how to enter to be a part of the show here.

YOMYOMF Network, a launch partner of YouTube’s groundbreaking original channels initiative, has teamed with Andy Fickman’s Oops Doughnuts and Bobby Smith, Jr.’s Ashore Entertainment in search of the next “Internet Icon.” YouTube sensation, Ryan Higa, will judge along with Christine Lakin. Christine is best known for her role as “Al” in the series “Step by Step” and is currently in the VH-1 series “Stevie TV” and a regular voice on the highly successful “Family Guy” television series. Chester See, currently one of the most subscribed internet artists with over 350,000 songs sold on iTunes, will host the show. Contestants will compete in a series of challenges designed to highlight their creativity and filmmaking skills in an effort to become the next big internet star. Production begins late April and the show will air in mid-May with the audience voting on a winner prior to a finale in July.  Read more...

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Homage or Plagiarism?

  • March 27, 2012 3:12 pm

Battle Royale

According to Wikipedia, “plagiarism is defined as… the ‘wrongful appropriation.’ ‘close limitation,’ or ‘purloining and publication’ of another author’s ‘language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions,’ and the representation of them as one’s own original work.” Wikipedia further adds that “plagiarism is not a crime per se but is disapproved more on the grounds of moral offence, and the cases of plagiarism can involve liability for copyright infringement.”

Seriously, if you have gone to college, you should know what plagiarism is. I remember on the eve of our Yale graduation, a fellow MA student sent an anonymous letter to the English department accusing another student of plagiarism and “lowering Yale’s academic standards.” Apparently that student plagiarized himself by turning in the same paper to two different classes under two different titles. Even that was frowned upon at the tip of the ivory tower. I’d let him go.  Read more...

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Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire

  • March 27, 2012 4:37 am

It was painful listening to Ira Glass’ retraction on NPR’s “This American Life” of performer?/monologist?/actor?/journalist? Mike Daisey’s story on working conditions at the Foxconn factory in China, which manufactures parts for Apple gadgets.

You can hear Glass trying to keep his cool, trying not to scream at Daisey, as Daisey parses the truth about what he did – and did not see – at the factory in Shenzhen.

Daisey was exposed when another NPR reporter working out of China noticed details in his story that didn’t add up, and tracked down Daisey’s Chinese interpreter, a woman named Cathy, who Daisey initially misidentified as “Anna.”

Cathy was with him the whole time.  Read more...

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Why Racists are Upset with the ‘Hunger Games’ Casting

  • March 26, 2012 1:47 pm

Based on its weekend box office take, looks like I may be the only person who has yet to see Battle Royale Hunger Games or read any of the books so I can’t comment on the “authenticity” of the casting. But others don’t seem to have that problem as you can see (WARNING: minor spoilers ahead especially for those of you who thought the cast of the movie was White):

It seems some “fans” of the book were upset that Black actors were cast in the roles of Thresh, Cinna and, especially, the “adorable” Rue. BTW, this is Amandla Stenbery who plays Rue in the film and she looks pretty damn adorable to me:

 Read more...

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Around the Horn: Kony 2012 Edition

  • March 26, 2012 10:57 am

What do you make of this whole KONY 2012 situation? It has gone under major scrutiny in the media, as well as many African groups, that it either oversimplifies the situation, making it black and white, or misinforms with glaring factual errors, to being too late in informing the world of Kony.

Michael Debert writes in The Huffington Post:“By blindly supporting Uganda’s current government and its military adventures beyond its borders, as Invisible Children suggests that people do, Invisible Children is in fact guaranteeing that there will be more violence, not less, in Central Africa.

I have seen the well-meaning foreigners do plenty of damage before, so that is why people understanding the context and the history of the region is important before they blunder blindly forward to “help” a people they don’t understand.”  Read more...

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