“Chug” – A New Show Funded On Kickstarter

 

As some of you may know, in addition to my own blog, I also write blog posts for the Web site Drinking Made Easy.  The Web site provides additional content for a TV show by the same name that was hosted by Zane Lamprey and appeared on Mark Cuban’s HDNet television network.  As a fan of Zane’s previous show, “Three Sheets” (which ran on the Mojo HD network), I was excited to help support Zane in his new effort by providing drinking-themed articles for the TV show’s Web site.  Unfortunately, the television show “Drinking Made Easy” is no more, even though its associated Web site is still around and I continue to supply it with posts (along with many other people). 

The reason for this blog post is to let you know about Zane’s new project and also to ask you for your help.  “Chug” is another drinking-related show that Zane will host – except instead of having it appear on a traditional television network, it will be available via the Web only (at least for the time being).  Since it’s not being backed by a TV network, Zane is trying to raise money to shoot the episodes by crowd-funding it on Kickstarter.  For those of you who aren’t already familiar with it, Kickstarter is a Web site that allows people to pitch their special projects to the general public in the hope that folks will be so intrigued with the idea that they will contribute some money – hopefully enough to get their dream off the ground. 

This is where you come in.  Zane needs to raise a minimum of $500,000 on the Kickstarter site by the end of May, otherwise he loses whatever amount folks have contributed up to that point, preventing “Chug” episodes from being produced.  As of this writing, he’s very close to his goal with just a couple of days left to reach the target.  If you contribute, you will receive various benefits – the more you contribute, the more (and better!) the benefits you get in return. 

Please check out the additional information below; afterwards, if you’re considering making a pledge to help “Chug” get made, please click this link to visit Chug’s Kickstarter page. 

Thanks … and cheers!

 

 

Steve McKenna Quits “Drinking Made Easy”!

I just caught wind of a coup.  It's nothing that will make the headlines, except for the occasional drinking or beard-celebrating blogs.  But Steve McKenna, co-host (stunt-drinker, mascot, drinking buddy) of "Drinking Made Easy" on HDNet, formerly of "Three Sheets" on Spike, will be hanging up his mug.  Permanently.

Late Friday afternoon, I had a scheduled phone interview with McKenna, to discuss the upcoming one hour special of "Drinking Made Easy", where Zane, Steve and their monkey mascot , Pleepleus, will be debunking some alcohol myths, and according to McKenna "Getting a little more crazy than usual… And we usually get crazy."

But McKenna, not in the jovial mood that I expected, told me that the season that's being capped off by the one hour special (which airs at 8pm on April 11th on HDNet) will be his last.  That seemed odd, since Lamprey recently announced that he'd signed up for a third season of the show which will begin shooting 13 new episodes in May.

McKenna told me that he was informing Zane Lamprey's production company, Inzane Entertainment, and Mark Cuban's television network, HDNet, that he will not be joining them for season three of "Drinking Made Easy" which will air on the network’s new designation, AXS (pronounced 'access'), this fall.  With the success of the show, we have every reason to believe that the show will go on without him.  But, we have no doubt that it will affect the format of the show, and leave some repeat viewers disappointed.  McKenna has become a fan favorite and a vital part of the weekly 6-Pack Challenge, where McKenna and Lamprey compete against each other in increasingly impressive activities.

So the question is "Why?".  Why, when the network is about to double its number of households, would Steve McKenna jump ship and be going Three Sheets to the wind no longer?  "It's actually a lot of work," McKenna told me on a phone call from his home in Richmond, Virginia, earlier today. "We're traveling for more than half the year.  I've sort of been the bar-matt for the show, drinking anything that Zane didn't.  I had fun… Too much fun sometimes.  It's just time for me to go down a different path."

Has he truly had a higher calling?  McKenna explained it to me; "We stopped filming last December.  Since then, I've had a chance to reevaluate my life, and my direction.  I want to be healthy. Right now I'm training for the NYC marathon.  I've been speaking with the admissions department of NYU to finish up my Masters.  I'm getting my masters in Theatre.  That was the path that I was on before I started joining Zane in his projects."

Is there something more?  Is he tired of playing second fiddle to Lamprey?  I asked him. "Well that's part of it for sure," McKenna told me. "I got my undergraduate degree in Shakespeare.  When Zane and I met, I was the lead in most of the plays.  Then, our senior year, he shows up out of no where.  I'd never heard of him.  And he took the lead in the main stage performances that the school did that year.  I got a supporting role.  I guess it's been like that ever since..."

McKenna told me that this is something that he's been planning for a while.  He was more coherent and articulate than the character that he's been portraying for the last 50 episodes of "Drinking Made Easy".  As much as I'd like to be impressed, I was a little disappointed.  As a writer, I know how difficult it is to catch a break, a plight that I know we share with actors.  So why would he squander such an opportunity that he could easily parlay into more substantial roles?  As a fan, however, I am very disappointed.  I have no doubt that Lamprey can carry the weight of the show on his own shoulders, as he did with “Three Sheets”.  But it won't be the same without Steve McKenna.

I called the Inzane Entertainment offices in Los Angeles Friday afternoon to get their take on McKenna's departure.  Mel Schilling, the show's producer told us that she was unaware of Steve's recent decision.  Lamprey was not available for comment.

An update as of 4/6/12:  If you haven’t already noticed, take a look at the original date of this blog post.  Yep, that’s right – it was an April Fool’s Day gag that the folks from HDNet’s “Drinking Made Easy” asked my assistance with.  Steve, of course, is still with the show and certainly is NOT about to give up drinking!  Thankfully, the team of Zane & Steve live on for many more outings to come!

 

 

 

Tainted Virility

 

 

 

 

Hey, men – when was the last time you felt virile when you told someone you were two inches?  I’m guessing never … but now you CAN!

A recent study shows that if your taint is at least two inches, you’re totally rockin’ the whole masculinity thing.  Less than that and, well, women won’t want to make babies with you. 

You doubt me?  Thought so!  Here’s an excerpt from an article published by Time Magazine about this stunning development – please click the link below to read the entire report:

 

Guys Are Right: Size Matters, When It Comes to Fertility

It turns out it's not penis size that's significant, but the length as measured from the anus to underneath the scrotum, known as anogenital distance, or AGD, according to research published this month in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

AGD is associated with semen volume and sperm count, according to study author Shanna Swan, a reproductive epidemiologist and professor in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Rochester.

The median AGD length is about 2 inches; men with a shorter measurement stand a seven-times greater risk of having fertility problems as opposed to men with a longer AGD. They are more likely to be sub-fertile, which generally indicates a sperm count of less than 20 million per milliliter.  Men with sperm counts in this range are only half as likely to succeed in getting a partner pregnant as men with more typical sperm counts in the range of 50 to 60 million sperm per milliliter.

 

So how does your taint “measure up”, so to speak?  Can you either prove or disprove the findings from this study?  Post a comment and let us know!

 

 

Does Your Boss Make You Vomit?

 

Can puking be considered a work-related injury if it’s caused by your manager?

That might be the case for one employee of The New York City Housing Authority – apparently, he’s been getting so much abuse from his boss lately that it’s been causing him to throw up fairly regularly.  Here’s a sampling from an article in today’s New York Post – if you want to read the entire piece, please click the link below:

 

Housing Authority superintendent says sound of boss' voice makes him vomit - NYPOST.com

 

Housing Authority Superintendent Anthony Dingle was so sickened by higher-up Demetrice Gadson’s constant berating that he would literally vomit, according to a lawsuit.

"I was constantly being attacked by her. I felt like attacks could come at any time. Every time I heard her voice, it triggered a sickening feeling in me," Dingle said through his lawyers, Michael Borrelli and Alexander Coleman.

Dingle, 48, claims that his boss became verbally abusive after he blew the whistle on her for alleged shenanigans.

 

So what do you think?  Will this guy heave if he gets the heave-ho at work?  Does his suit have merit?  Or is he just being a wimp?  Please post a comment below to let us know your thoughts on this matter.

Too Stupid For Sex

 

Is it possible that someone might not be smart enough to have sex?  A court in England certainly seems to think so.  It appears that there is a 41-year-old man whom they identify as “Alan” who has been tested to possess an IQ of only 48, which classifies him as someone with a “moderate” learning disability.  The court has decided that due to his low IQ, “Alan” is sufficiently incapacitated to the point that they have banned him from having sex.  The following is reported in today’s New York Daily News; for the entire article, please click on the link below:

 

Man with low IQ banned from having sex by secretive Court of Protection in England

"Alan" had already been under supervision to prevent him from having sexual contact with anyone but himself for more than a year. The concern was that his mental capacity prevented him from understanding the nature of sex or the consequences it could have.

He displayed no understanding of female sexual organs or their reproductive functions, according to therapists who conducted numerous tests on "Alan."

"His knowledge as to health risks was very limited and faulty," the judge said in his ruling. "He thought that sex could give you spots or measles. Although he knew what a condom was he was not able to put one on properly."

 

So, if your upcoming Valentine’s Day romantic interlude takes an unexpectedly unpleasant turn, you might want to find out the IQ of your partner in order to determine the reason why.

Total Blackout

 

This is a foreign game show.  I won’t comment because I think the video speaks for itself – but please don’t let that inhibit you.  Care to comment?  Post your thoughts below …

 

Love Bites

 

 

In the lead – up to Valentine’s Day, it may be a good Public Service Announcement to remind people not to give their lover a hickey as serious issues might develop as a result.  Think I’m kidding?  One woman wound up getting paralyzed from her hickey.  Here’s an excerpt from The National Post; please click the link below to read the entire article.

 

Woman (temporarily) partially paralyzed by hickey

WELLINGTON — A New Zealand woman was temporarily partially paralyzed by a “love bite” on her neck from her amorous partner, doctors reported in the New Zealand Medical Journal.

The 44-year-old woman went to the emergency department of Middlemore Hospital in Auckland last year after experiencing loss of movement in her left arm while watching television, the journal reported.

Doctors concluded the woman had suffered a mild stroke but were puzzled about its cause until they found a small vertical bruise on her neck near a major artery, a love bite, or “hickey,” she received a few days earlier.

This of course begs the rather obvious question:  Have you ever given a hickey to someone (or gotten one) that caused embarrassment or some other kind of problem for one or both of you?  Post a comment below and share the tale …

Safe Texting

 

OK, time to review …

We all know that it’s rude to whip out your cell phone and start sending text messages when you’re out to dinner with someone.  Sending texts during sex is just plain wrong – and if you need me to explain why, then it’s clearly time for you to go back for re-training.  Text messaging while driving is downright unsafe (sadly, there have been plenty of news stories over the past couple of years to prove that point).  But should you text while you’re out shopping at the mall?  Apparently, that’s not such a good idea either, based on what happened to this one woman recently.  If you haven’t already seen this video, check it out here …

 

 

But wait!  There’s more!  Seems that the unidentified woman in the video, Cathy Cruz Marrero, decided to effectively “out” herself in a lame attempt to get public sympathy and to announce her lawsuit against the mall!  Brother, if there was ever a case for tort reform, this sure is a perfect example!  Hold on, Cathy – not so fast with the litigation, there babe!  Seems like now that she’s allowing herself to be in the public eye, she’s not holding up too well under scrutiny.  To be specific, she’s a woman with a past – here’s an excerpt from an article in The New York Daily News; if you want to read the entire piece, please click on the link below …

 

Cathy Cruz Marrero, woman seen in YouTube video falling into mall water fountain, facing charges

… Marrero still must answer for her alleged criminal charges. According to WFMZ 69 News, she worked at Zales Jewelers at the Fairgrounds Square Mall in Muhlenberg Township in in early 2007.

Police said Marrero allegedly used the credit account of a women she knows to buy more than $4,000 worth of purchases, then another $1,000 of the same person's credit at Target.

Although she vowed to pay the money back between August 2007 and September 2009, court documents say she did not. The felony charges were filed in October 2009.

This woman is an early nominee for a 2011 Darwin Award!

What do you think about Marrero?  Is she in the right?  Does her case have merit?  Or does she need to keep her mouth shut and do time for her theft?  Make a comment below and let us know what you think …

Katoey Flight Attendants

 

Let’s say you’re on a flight and you suddenly discover that all of the flight attendants you’ve been leering at since boarding are in fact actually young Asian transsexuals.  Would that be enough to put you off of your in-flight meal or are you evolved enough to get past all of that kinda stuff? 

Well, as much as it might sound like the premise of a sequel to “La Cage Aux Folles”, the fact of the matter is that there may soon be an airline that specializes in such an all-“Ladyboy” crew. 

The London Telegraph recently reported that a new Thai airline is recruiting and hiring some “katoey” for their staff of flight attendants.  A “katoey” is Thai for a so – called “Ladyboy”:  a transsexual, whom the Thai people legitimately recognize as “The Third Sex” because of their abundance in that culture.  Here’s an excerpt from the article; please click on the link below to read the entire report:

 

Newly-formed Thai airline recruits 'Ladyboys' as air hostesses

PC Air, which has yet to take to the skies, selected three "Ladyboys" in its first round of hiring this week to promote equal opportunities for what is dubbed the "third sex" in Thailand.

Peter Chan, the new airline's boss, is enthusiastic about his groundbreaking move because of the opportunities it would afford transsexuals.

…

The transsexual flight attendants will wear special gold-coloured "third sex" name badges to help passengers and immigration staff to easily identify the gender they are faced with.

 

Could this kind of innovative thinking save the airline industry?  TWA could make a comeback and give the name Trans World Airlines a new meaning.  And would AirTran rebrand itself as AirTranny?  Think of the possibilities! 

Got any thoughts on this issue?  If so, post a comment and let us know whether or not you think this is a good idea …

The Case Of The Deadly Dildo

 

Ladies, would you ever think of using your favorite sex toy as a weapon?  More to the point, would you ever consider using it to attack a police officer? 

 

OK, I didn’t really think so, but I just hadda ask anyway.  Apparently, however, someone did get the bright idea to go on the attack with her joy toy.  Here’s a snippet from a recent news article, but please click the link below to read the entire story from The New York Daily News:

 

Woman accused of attacking cop with sex toy claims it was self defense

 

An Illinois woman who was busted for threatening a cop with a sex toy is claiming self defense, saying the officer spooked her by walking into her bedroom.

Carolee Bildsten, 56, was arrested when police said she attacked an officer with a "clear, rigid feminine pleasure device" in her apartment last November after he escorted her home while she was drunk.

The officer had found Bildsten lying in the grass near a crab shack in Gurnee, Ill., and confronted her after responding to a report that she had run out on her tab, according to police.

The officer drove Bildsten home because she said she had left her wallet there, police said.

When they arrived at her pad, the woozy Bildsten said she was getting cash out of her dresser, but then she came at the cop with the sex toy. He managed to knock the toy away before cuffing her, according to the report.

After reading this entire story, I honestly don’t know whether to feel sorry for the woman or the police officer. 

 

So, the question up for discussion is:  Have you ever used your toy in a way that its manufacturer did not intend?

 

If so, please post a comment below and don’t skimp on all of the dirty details …

 

The Narcissism Quiz

 

If you are reading this, then you are a narcissist.  Probably.  It’s just become that common, apparently – that’s why the experts have revised their view on Narcissism, classifying it as simply a personality trait rather than an actual disorder.  Why?  Well, for one thing, so many people have been characterized as narcissists, yet are seemingly functional within society and are otherwise normal – in some cases, being real achievers.  But according to an article in The Boston Globe, the real reason may be due to something more pragmatic – the fact that insurance companies no longer want to pay for the treatment of narcissism.  Here’s an excerpt from The Globe article; for the entire piece, please click the link below:

 

Who, me, a narcissist?

The labeling issue may seem arcane, but it matters to patients who want a name for their problem, to family members for whom a label can help them better understand their loved one, and to doctors who have to call it something in order to get reimbursed for treatment. It also matters to insurance companies, which generally require that a diagnosis fit a condition as officially defined by the American Psychiatric Association.

In a sense, narcissism has been done in by its own success.

Because so many narcissists are thriving — at the expense of the rest of us — it’s hard to classify “narcissism’’ as a disability. Growing up with a narcissistic parent or marrying one can be disabling, but, almost by definition, many narcissists go through life without realizing the harm they are doing to others.

 

In order to find out if you are a narcissist yourself, take the test below – then post your score and let the us know how you did.  But on second thought, I guess a real narcissist wouldn’t post their score …

 

Are You A Narcissist?

British Nature Footage

 

Special thanks to Pat’s Papers for the link!

Free Speech Abuses On The Internet

 

Is unregulated free speech on the Internet really a good thing? Here’s a very thought-provoking New York Times article for anyone who participates in any form of social networking in the wild, wild west of digital era.  An excerpt appears below; for the full piece, please click the title for the link.

 

Anonymity and the Dark Side of the Internet

 

… a writing or utterance says what it says independently of who happens to say it; the information conveyed does not vary with the identification of the speaker.

There are at least two problems with this reasoning. First, it is not true that a text’s meaning is the same whether or not its source is known. Suppose I receive an anonymous note asserting that I have been betrayed by a friend. I will not know what to make of it — is it a cruel joke, a slander, a warning, a test? But if I manage to identify the note’s author — it’s a friend or an enemy or a known gossip — I will be able to reason about its meaning because I will know what kind of person composed it and what motives that person might have had.

In the same way, if I am the recipient of a campaign message supporting a candidate or a policy, my assessment of what I am reading or hearing will depend on my knowledge of the sender. Is he, she or it an industry representative, a lobbyist, the A.C.L.U., the Club for Growth? The identity of the speaker is part of the information and is therefore part — a large part — of the meaning. (“Consider the source” is not only commonplace advice; it is a theory of interpretation.)

David Lynch On Cell Phones

 

As a movie lover, it deeply saddens me that we may be developing a generation of people who will only or primarily consume them on – of all things! – their cell phone. 

Therefore, it is with great pleasure that I recently discovered one of my favorite filmmakers, director David Lynch, has spoken out on this atrocity. 

I agree with his comments 100%.

 

NYC When The Big One Hits

 

According to an article in The New York Times, it can be possible to survive a nuclear attack – albeit with some rather unrealistic methods.  For example, how long do you think you could stay inside your car? 

For the full details on the 21st Century version of Duck & Cover, please click the link below:

U.S. Rethinks Strategy for the Unthinkable

Suppose the unthinkable happened, and terrorists struck New York or another big city with an atom bomb. What should people there do? The government has a surprising new message: Do not flee. Get inside any stable building and don’t come out till officials say it’s safe.

The advice is based on recent scientific analyses showing that a nuclear attack is much more survivable if you immediately shield yourself from the lethal radiation that follows a blast, a simple tactic seen as saving hundreds of thousands of lives. Even staying in a car, the studies show, would reduce casualties by more than 50 percent; hunkering down in a basement would be better by far.

But a problem for the Obama administration is how to spread the word without seeming alarmist about a subject that few politicians care to consider, let alone discuss. So officials are proceeding gingerly in a campaign to educate the public.

NYC’s Fiscal Health

 

Some reports (like this one) say that New York City is finally on the rebound from the Recession, thanks to Wall Street’s performance in 2010 – however, we’re not out of the woods yet because of the budget gaps. 

Here’s the city’s financial recovery plan for the next year …

NYC Budget Rpt 11 2011

Can You Be A NYC Firefighter?

 

Do you have what it takes to be a New York City Firefighter?  After the recent article published by The Village Voice, the only possible answer to that question would be, “I would certainly hope so!”

The Voice published a sampling of some of the multiple choice questions in the test; a few are below, but if you want to know the correct answers, you’ll have to click the link to read the entire article on The Voice’s Web site.  Note that while the questions may not be so dopey themselves, some of the possible answers supplied in the multiple choice selection are so silly that it would be hard to understand how someone could get them wrong.

 

The 10 Most Idiotic Questions from FDNY Entrance Exams

 

1. While operating at the scene of a car fire on a street, a firefighter was told to inform the officer of any dangerous conditions at the scene. Which one of the following conditions would be considered most dangerous to the firefighter operating at the scene of the car fire?

2.  Firefighter Jacobs has just come upon a young woman who has just started bleeding profusely from the lower part of her right arm. Which one of the following actions should Firefighter Jacobs take first to control the woman's bleeding?

3. Firefighters must stop the flow of traffic in the safest possible manner when operating at the scene of fires or other emergencies located on highways. Firefighters have been assigned to stop traffic at night while operating at the scene of a car fire located on a highway. Which one of the firefighters is the most likely to attract attention of motorists in the safest manner?

4. A fire department instructor is explaining to a newly-assigned firefighter the hazards of electrical wires that have fallen in the street. Which one of the following is an action that a firefighter should NOT take?

5. Firefighters have responded to an apartment for an emergency water leak and are now standing in front of the door to the apartment. Which one of the following actions should the firefighters take first to gain entry into the apartment?

6. After firefighters are sure that a fire has been extinguished, and that there is no hazard in the building, they begin a salvage operation. Salvage involves moving and covering furniture and other properties, covering broken windows and holes in the building with plastic, and redirecting and cleaning up water to minimize damage. After extinguishing a fire in a high-rise apartment building, firefighters begin salvage operations. Which of the following pieces of property is in the most danger of being damaged?

7. A fire department instructor is explaining the hazards of operating on a frozen lake to a newly-assigned firefighter. Which of the following is an action that a firefighter should not take in this situation?

8. Firefighters conduct building inspections to locate potential life-threatening conditions in the even there is a fire. Which one of the following would the most-serious threat to life in the event of a fire?

9. Firefighters are required to operate on the subway tracks during emergencies in the subway stations. Which one of the following would present the greatest threat to the safety of a firefighter working on the subway tracks?

10. A group of firefighters and their officer respond to a fifth floor apartment in a seven-story building. When they arrive at the apartment, they are told that the contents of a wastepaper basket was on fire, and the fire was extinguished prior to their arrival. The officer instructs the firefighters to ventilate, or remove, the smoke from the apartment by first using a method that will not cause damage to property. Which one of the following would be the most appropriate method for the firefighters to use to remove the smoke?

Nationwide Commute Times

 

As a New Yorker, I’m thinking that maybe I need to move from Kings County (Brooklyn) to King County (Texas).  For the full article, please click the link below:

 

U.S. Census: New York City has nation's 3 longest work commutes; Texas has shortest

 

Looking for a shorter commute, New Yorkers? There's always King County, Texas.

The southwest county boasts the shortest average work trip in the country: just 3.4 minutes, a batch of new U.S. Census Bureau numbers released Tuesday shows.

That's barely enough time for a New Yorker to swipe a MetroCard and and stand on the subway platform.

The three average longest commutes in the mainland U.S. are all within the five boroughs: Staten Island is first at 42.5 minutes, followed by Queens and Brooklyn.

The national commuting average was 25.2 minutes per day.

 

In this economy, could it be possible that the reason the commute time in King County, Texas is so short is because there are actually no jobs there?

Rich, Defined

 

What is the definition of the word “rich”?  If you believe the federal government, an income of $250,000/year makes you rich in the United States of America.  As a New Yorker, I know that a quarter of a million a year may sound like a lot, but if you’ve got a family, it won’t take you very far. 

 

This article from The Los Angeles Times took an interesting perspective on the subjective definition of “rich”.  An excerpt appears below; for the entire article, please click this link:

 

Wealthy Americans: How much money makes you rich? - latimes.com

 

Reporting from New York —

It's just not the same on this island as anywhere else.

In Manhattan, a monthly parking space goes for $550. A magician for a children's party asks $650 an hour. (A rookie will take $400.) The nanny gets $600 a week. Breakfast for four at a corner diner is $40; a dog walker is $10,000 a year; a plumber who makes emergency calls won't lift the toilet lid for less than $250.

Occasional spa treatments?

"Did you have to ask?" said Ricky Metz, a Manhattan hairdresser who boasted about the combined $310,000 she and her husband earn a year but became embarrassed trying to explain how it is spent. "I know, I know I shouldn't whine, but in New York unless you're a millionaire you don't feel rich. We feel middle-class."

Really, they're not. They're among the 2.5% of Americans — couples who annually earn more than $250,000 and individuals who earn $200,000-plus — whom the Obama administration and the Democrats have considered wealthy enough to pay higher taxes starting next month.

John Lennon: 30th Anniversary Of His Death

 

As a New Yorker, it is hard to forget that today marks the 30th anniversary of the day John Lennon was murdered outside his Manhattan apartment building, The Dakota.  Many people learned of his death by hearing it announced by Howard Cosell during ABC’s Monday Night Football game.  Here’s a YouTube clip of that announcement …