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Music Tuesday: Wyclef Jean and Blake Lewis
2007-12-04 23:14:00
Great, we have to deal with Blake "Serial Beatboxer" Lewis again. I was hoping we wouldn't hear from him again after his stint on "American Idol" but no such luck. Lewis is essentially a Justin Timberlake wannabe. He styles himself after JT, copies his white boy beat boxing schtick, and he imitates JT's falsetto and other vocal tics. On top of the fact that Blake is a biter, he's also a pretentious douche bag. His album is titled "Audio Day Dream," and features lots of computerized sound effects and loads of synthesizers. I'm a synth fan myself, the 80s produced some gems, but damn Blake is really pigeon-holing himself. He's flying full-speed ahead with the robotic, beat boxing, white boy with "flava", synth sound and throwing in a dash of pleasantly pudgy Keebler Elf. (Just look at his album cover and tell me he doesn't look like a fugitive Keebler elf.) Here's Blake talking about his beat boxing and how he makes cartoon sound effects...
More About: Music , Blake Lewis , Wyclef , Wyclef Jean

How to beat the New England Patriots
2007-12-04 22:41:00
Monday night the Baltimore Ravens and the New England Patriots played what will go down as one of the most memorable Monday night games in a long time. The Ravens entered the game as a 24 point underdog and they gave the Patriots all they could handle. The game went down to the last play and in the end New England emerged victorious in a 27-24. However, what can be taken away from this narrow victory is the Patriots are a very beatable team, and the Ravens are responsible for giving the rest of the NFL the blueprint. The New England Patriots have transformed into a finesse team. When the Patriots entered the limelight they were a gritty hardnosed team that used a number of different weapons to defeat opponents. Those days of grind it out football seem long gone, as the current Patriots team run a full fledge spread offense that is more similar to the Run and Shoot of the Buffalo Bills of the early 90’s. Through this point of the season the Patriots are leading the NFL in scoring...
More About: Beat

Hugo Chavez's move toward a dictatorship denied
2007-12-03 21:03:00
Lo siento mucho, Huey! Hugo Chavez tried his luck this Sunday when he tried to force through a huge re-write of the Venezuelan constitution that would've allowed him to run for president forever without any term limits. Yikes. It also would've granted him even more authoritarian powers over the media and businesses, but fortunately he was blocked. Venezuelans said no in the referendum to Chavez's plans and Chavez had to eat crow and swallow defeat. This is not something a man with Chavez's ego does easily! Pobrecito. Watch this clip from the AP. The good thing is that although Chavez is one of the most pompous gasbags in the international political scene, he still conceded to the people. This is very noble of him and shows his respect for democracy. Heck, dare I say it, but Chavez is more democratic than GW Bush! When the American people are polled and give their opinions Bush poo-poos them and says that he's not worried about popularity. Hmmm, looks like Chavez could teach...
More About: Dictatorship , Move

Idiot of the Week: Dumbass on sled
2007-12-03 17:30:00
WCCO TV reporter John Lauristsen has a real scoop for us today: full-grown men look like morons when they try to use kiddie sleds on TV. Also, isn't that actually a pool toy in the first place? Keep reaching for that Peabody, John. - Evan
More About: Idiot , Week , Dumbass

New Movie Friday: Awake and Teeth
2007-11-30 22:58:00
This Friday I wanted to highlight two movies that have caught my interest. The first one is "Awake ," a film about being a man who stays awake while being operated on. Yikes! Talk about a nightmare. I'm sure that's most people's biggest fear when they go under the knife. But our ancient ancestors sure took surgery with little or no anesthesia in stride. The film stars Hayden Christensen and Jessica Alba in the lead roles, which is certainly a cause for concern. Though Alba is hot like fire, she's often times an omen for any movie she stars in. And Hayden Christensen? Did you see the "Star Wars" flicks? Stiff acting has never had a better advocate. I'm not the only one who's not a Christensen fan. Roger Moore of "The Orlando Sentinel" slams Christensen as the pariah of this film, so Alba can rest easy. Check out his review. Also, there's a quirky movie that's getting released in NYC and LA today called "Teeth ." This film is about ...
More About: Movie

Back when Michael Jackson was cool (and black...)
2007-11-30 19:26:00
December 1, 1982 was life-changing day in the world. No, this wasn't the day the Berlin Wall came down. Nope, this wasn't the day that South Africa ended apartheid. Nah, this wasn't the day that the mullet came in style. December 1, 1982 is the day that Michael Jackson , the King of Pop, released the amazing, smashing, fantastic, radical, glorious album that is "Thriller." If I sound I'm gushing like over the album like a schoolgirl with a crush, it's because I am. And I'm not embarrassed by it either. As we've all heard before, "Thriller" is one of the best-selling records of all time, yada, yada. But man, the music was what knocked me out. "Billie Jean," "Beat It," "PYT," and more. Jam after jam. And at the time, Michael was a black man achieving all of this success and winning all of these accolades. He has unfortunately since, turned into an ancient-looking, cadaver-like white woman. But let's not ruin the nostalgia of ol...
More About: Cool , Black , Back

PETA disrobes for a beary good cause
2007-11-29 22:43:00
It seems like whenever PETA members want to protest, they've gotta get naked and show some skin. While I'm all for showing what you got, I have to wonder whether it's an effective tactic. Either way, I've got to give these  crazy folks credit. They stood out in the cold in nothing but their undies, or their skivies as they say in the UK, and stood up for what they believed in, holding some very threatening signs I mad. While I'm not necessarily anti-fur myself I kind of sympathize with their cause. It's kinda creepy to wear an animal's skin and fur. It has a morbid feel to it.  No offense, J. Lo. For example, when the guy from "Silence of the Lambs" was making masks out of human skin, that was kind of morbid and creepy...  Check out these images from the protest. -Ricky
More About: Good , Peta , Bear , Robe

Much Ado About "The Golden Compass"
2007-11-28 20:45:00
Watch out, Conservative Christians are on the rampage again and they're steaming mad.  No, they're not going after gay marriage, this time they're going after children's literature/movies. "The Golden Compass " is set to open in theaters this week and its upcoming release has generated quite the buzz. The film is based on a book that is in the same league as "The Chronicles of Narnia" and other children's fantasy literature. "The Golden Compass " is the first part of  a trilogy and has enjoyed a lot of success in the UK and the US. The problem that CCs have with it though, is that the book was written by an atheist and they believe it has subtle and not so subtle undertones that promote atheism. So now this multi million dollar film starring Daniel Craig, Nicole Kidman and CGI animals, is at the center of firestorm set off by the affronted Catholic League. You know what happens whenever the CC community gets riled up about something: The...
More About: The Go

TechWednesday: Amazon Kindle lights an eBook fire
2007-11-28 16:48:00
Amazon's new Kindle eBook reader is causing a lot of stir in the tech world right now. Some love it, some hate it but everyone wants to try one. Here's an AP report on the Kindle and check out my full take on it at my other Voxant blog, News2020 Project. - Evan
More About: Amazon , Ebook , Fire , Lights

Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins show us the rain is bad
2007-11-27 21:39:00
Anyone who saw the Monday Night Football game saw two teams roughing it out in a sloppy, soupy mess that was supposed to be an NFL-caliber field. Many fans think rainy games are the most amazing things to watch, and therefore they must be the most fun to play in. The truth is from the players' standpoint, rainy games make for the worst games. There was a time when rainy and sloppy football games were fun and exciting. This was back in the 50s-60s when the game of football was very different. Back in the day, football at all levels was dominated by the rushing attack. Teams would routinely grind out 7-3 games and if the ground was torn up it didn’t affect either team’s game plan.  The modern game is predicated off of speed and precision, not brute force. Even a power team like the Pittsburgh Steelers employs finesse tactics to execute its offense. Due to year-round training, there are fewer gaps in athletic ability among players. This makes technique the difference-make...
More About: Miami Dolphins , Miami , Dolphins , Show

Music Tuesday: Seal's "Systems"
2007-11-27 20:12:00
Seal, Heidi Klum's husband and father of two of her children, has decided to emerge from his wife's "Project Runway" shadow and return to the music scene with his new album "Systems ." But I'm not so sure that I like what I'm hearing. I applaud Seal in many ways for daring to be different. He's a black man, and the standard these days for most mainstream black singers is to sing R&B, be a rapper or pose as a thug and still try to pass yourself off as an R&B singer. Seal does none of the above. He uses his ethereal voice to sing aching rock songs, pulsing electronica jams or tear-jerking piano ballads. And that's been his formula since he debuted on the scene in the early 90s. If it ain't broke, don't fix it seems to be his mantra. Check out his new single "Amazing." The song is clearly Seal's attempt to revive the same success of his debut songs "Crazy" and "Killer"  -- Sidenote: Enjoy a flashback to Seal'...
More About: Music , Tuesday , Stem

And you thought your neighbor's Christmas decorations were tacky
2007-11-26 18:27:00
What says 'spirit of Christmas ' more than gaudy decadence? That's, right: nothing. (Sorry, folks, but the whole 'generosity' thing went out with leaded gasoline.) This year, Japan has shown itself to be the most Christmasy place of all - and they did it without a single Salvation Army bucket or Bill O'Reilly rant. We're talking $2 million of jewel-encrusted holiday cheer, people. Now that's how you celebrate the...ah...uh... Wait, what's Christmas about again? - Evan
More About: Thought , Were , Decorations

Happy Thanksgiving!
2007-11-21 22:30:00
In light of the upcoming holiday feast, enjoy this editor's pick of Thanksgiving -related news. We've got Bush pardoning turkeys, Thanksgiving yoga and some cool recipes for all you wannabe chefs. -Ricky
More About: Happy , Hank

Venezuelan lawmaker gets slap-happy
2007-11-21 16:42:00
Don't mess with this mama bear! A lawmaker from Hugo Chavez's party laid the smack down on a journalist who she said insulted her son. Ay mamacita! I have several questions. First of all, do all lawmakers in Venezuela dress like around-the-way chicks? She looks like she popped in for an interview on her way to the grocery store. Secondly, what do they feed the people in Hugo Chavez's party to make them all so picante? These people are hotheads and ready to go toe-to-toe with anyone, from the king of Spain to your local TV journalist. Check out the slapfest for yourself, courtesy of the AP. It's even more of a treat if you understand Spanish. She calls him a coward, miserable, and he warns her that they're live and she defiantly yells, "I DON'T CARE!" -Ricky
More About: Happy

New Music Tuesday: Jordin Sparks
2007-11-20 23:44:00
American Idol has been on for six seasons and has produced six winners: Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks and now, Jordin Sparks . Out of the list of "winners," the only one whose career is alive and kicking right now is country superstar Carrie Underwood. Kelly Clarkson was hot for a minute, but then she decided to release "My December" and mess it all up. Ruben Studdard sparked and fizzled, Fantasia can't break out of chickenhead mode, and Taylor Hicks' career was dead on arrival. So how will Jordin Sparks fair? Judging by the songs I've heard from her self-titled album, which is being released today, I think she'll achieve Ruben Studdard level of success. I certainly hope she fares better than Taylor Hicks. Jordin's lead single, "Tattoo," is a safe "Irreplaceable" ripoff and the rest of her album is full of imitations of what Top 40 is playing. She's young, so to be fair her next album ...
More About: Music , Tuesday

John Fitzgerald Page: Mr. Personality
2007-11-20 21:46:00
It's a dog-eat-dog world out there, and by world, I mean the online dating world. Before, finding love online was a taboo and seen as desperate. But now, millions of people hook up online and click their way to each other's hearts. But sometimes, rejection happens and sometimes hearts get broken. One of those people who got burned was John Fitzgerald Page . (You know only important people get referred to by three names, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Johnathan Taylor Thomas, and Jennifer Love Hewitt.) Apparently, a woman on Match.com contacted him and they got to talking. He began talking about his cars, his money, his job, his workout regimen, his IQ and on and on. See sent a reply back that she wasn't interested and he flipped out on her, calling her fat and informing her that he scored an 8.9 on Hot or Not, was a member of MENSA, could bench/squat/leg press over 1,200 pounds, drives a Beamer and other immature, self-obsessive qualities. Gee, I wonder why this humble, modest guy is st...
More About: Personality , Ality , Gera

American Music Awards wrap-up
2007-11-19 22:07:00
The AMAs were on last night and as usual the stars came out to pose, feign surprise and sing their hearts out. However, there was a small, dark cloud hanging over the event as several artists somberly offered their condolences to an absentee Kanye West, for the loss of his mother. While it was certainly a nice gesture and touching, I felt it was a little odd, considering that he wasn't there in person for the condolences. Then again, many of these people are industry friends of Kanye's so perhaps I should put my cynicism aside for once and just take the gesture at face value. The AP gives us a neat wrap-up of the show, including Beyonce's win for an International Artist Award of Excellence. LOL, I think these award show types just make up awards to give out to A-listers like Beyonce. Remember when Mariah Carey won Best-Selling Female Arist of the Millennium? Really, the whole entire Millennium? What next? Madonna will be awarded Best Artist Since the Stone Age award? Then, ...
More About: Music , Awards , Music Awards , American , American Music Awards

Caution: Kangaroos on the loose
2007-11-19 18:54:00
Here on the east coast of the United States, I have to worry about deer prancing into the road, wrecking my car and ending up as roadkill. In Austrailia, they have to worry about kangaroos hopping, skipping, jumping, back-flipping, and double-dutching in the street. These bouncy suckers are craftier than gummi bears. Check out this AP video of one kanga who wasn't going down without a fight. Holy crap, that high jump the kangaroo did over the net was sick. Somebody sign him up for the NBA all-star game. Homie got ups!-Ricky
More About: Kang

New Movie Friday: Beowulf
2007-11-17 00:03:00
I AM BEOWULF!!!That's the battle cry from the new CGI-animated feature film "Beowulf ," which stars Angela Jolie, Anthony Hopkins and Ray Winstone. Or rather it stars avatars of them. Think of it as Second Life: The Feature Film.I read the Old English heroic epic "Beowulf" back when I was in high school and I was transfixed by the simplistic, yet gory tale of good vs. evil. The story's premise isn't complicated, it's superman vs. monsters. That's all. There's no deep subplot here, no nuanced character development. Kind of like "Conan The Barbarian," an underrated film, I swear.Angelina is a slithery, sexy snake, and as she seems prone to doing in any period piece that she does, she speaks with a Russian-lite accent. I guess that's her default foreign accent. She adds a couple z's to her speech and voila, Angelina is ready to play any character from Russia, Greece, France, Zimbabwe, Malaysia or Djibouti. Versatile.Check out the trailer and some in...
More About: Movie , Friday

MTV Middle East is coming
2007-11-16 22:09:00
Shakira's hips may not lie, but MTV Middle East isn't interested in their version of the truth. Yes, MTV has launched a Middle Eastern version of the network, only it's fine-tuned for its Arabic/Muslim audience. That means lots of Middle Eastern acts like the United Arab Emirates rap group, Desert Storm, and no music videos from naughty girls like Shakira. Reuters takes us to the launch party for the channel in Dubai -- of course it had to be in Dubai, the most westernized city in the Middle East -- which was attended by American celebrities Ludacris and Akon. Hold on a second. In one instance they say that the channel won't feature scantily-clad women like its western counterparts, but then they have Akon, who has music videos such as "Smack That" and the oh so conservative "I Wanna F**k You," at the premiere? Akon, who got in trouble earlier this year for dry-humping a 14-year-old girl in the Caribbean? And Ludacris, Mr. What's Your Fantasy and &quo...

How to look like Scarlett Johansson
2007-11-15 18:08:00
And who wouldn't? All it takes is an entire day of your life and thousands of dollars. Too bad the self-esteem boost only lasts until your next shower. - Evan
More About: Scarlett Johansson , Johansson , Scarlett

TechWednesday: Extreme Elmo
2007-11-15 00:04:00
It's Elmo...to the max! Like a drunken relative is sure to do at your house next week, this year's Elmo will drop to the floor and embarrass himself  at a moment's notice. It's kind of unclear to me exactly how a child is supposed to "play" with this toy - it looks to me like Elmo needs a pot of black coffee and a taxi home. - Evan
More About: Extreme

Pittsburgh Steelers: The best 7-2 team you forgot about
2007-11-14 21:28:00
Sunday afternoon, two traditional rivals clashed, and for the first time in five years the game was played for more than just bragging rights. The Pittsburgh Steelers were able to squeak out a close victory against the surprising Cleveland Browns. The Browns are on a tear with Derek Anderson as their QB, but the Steel Curtain was too much for them to overcome and move into field goal range to tie the game and force overtime. More importantly the win over Cleveland moved Pittsburgh to 8-2 on the season and tied them with the Indianapolis Colts for second place in the AFC. The Steelers may be the best 7-2 team that fans have forgotten about. After struggling throughout much of last season and then having their coach retire, many were unsure how the Steelers would play under first-time head coach Mike Tomlin. The answer for all the skeptics is great: The Steelers are as good, if not better than they were two years ago when they won a Super Bowl. There are two reasons for this: A heal...
More About: Team , Pittsburgh Steelers

Music Tuesday: Alicia Keys is back again
2007-11-13 23:36:00
Alicia Keys made her debut on the music scene in 2001 with her gospel-tinged song of woe "Fallin" and ever since then, she's been hailed as one of music's favored and gifted. I hate to be the one drinking "haterade" but I think it's a little unwarranted. I won't even get into the allegations that she rips off old soul songs without giving credit, but I just think that she isn't as great as she's hailed to be. Don't get me wrong, compared to many non-singers out there like Cassie, Alicia is light years ahead, but when I heard the first single for her new album, "No One", I was taken aback. And not in a good way. Throughout the whole song, Alicia croaks and screeches like a cat that needs to be put out of it's misery. The song is supposed to anthemic and grand, but Alicia's strained, ragged voice just makes it sound's like a beggar's rant. I also heard two other songs from the album, "Like You'll Never See Me Again" and "Superw...
More About: Music , Alicia Keys , Back , Tuesday , Alicia

Ladyboy Planeteers encourage people to go green
2007-11-12 18:55:00
Everybody and everything is going green, and apparently transsexual pageant queens are no exception. Contestants for the Miss International Queen 2007 pageant did various eco-friendly activities such as releasing turtles into the sea and planting trees during the pageant. How touching. The AFP takes every opportunity to make a he/she pun in this video about the "Ladyboy" planeteers. I'm sure Captain Planet is proud of these ladyboys and their concern for the planet. Gooooo planet!-Ricky
More About: People , Green

New Movie Friday: Lions for Lambs
2007-11-10 00:26:00
In this Robert Redford-helmed film, we get a little bit of Tom Cruise, a dash of Derek Luke and a sprinkling of Meryl Streep thrown into a pot, simmered and then served. It's a political thriller film, a thinking man's film and it's also an ensemble piece. The film weaves several different stories into one, a la "Babel" and "Crash" and I have to admit that I'm a fan of this style. It helps you get lost in the story and not get so bogged down with the "star power." If you enjoy films like "The Manchurian Candidate" then this film would probably be a good movie for you. It's definitely not a popcorn flick that you catch on the weekend for thrills. Save that kind of  hollow fun for "Transformers." This movie has Meryl Streep in it! There's something about the Streep but whenever she does political movies she kills. In the remake of "The Manchurian Candidate" she was dead-on in her impression of Hillary "Cold...
More About: Movie , Friday , Lions

Meet Voxant News Buzz
2007-11-08 23:36:00
Meet Voxant News Buzz , the Voxant vlog!
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Guinness World Record seekers
2007-11-08 22:41:00
What do a bathtub full of snakes, a two-foot leg hair and fifty-one hot chilis have in common? They're all part of this year's Guin ness record chase. - Evan  
More About: World , World Record , Record

A new cure for hangovers
2007-11-08 17:30:00
Ford Model Tara Stiles shows us a unique treatment for the hangover: yoga. I often assume positions when I'm hungover, but it's usually Pray-To-Porcelain followed by Hair of the Dog rather than Cat-Cow followed by Downward Facing Dog. Now that I think about it, Tara's way might be better. - Evan
More About: Cure

K-Fed hits Britney Spears where it hurts: Her pocket
2007-11-08 17:04:00
K-Fed, you crafty little devil. Last year when K-Fed and Brit-Brit first announced their divorce, it was kind of a given that K-Fed was the weaker earner in the relationship. He parlayed his weak earning power into spousal support for a year, and well, now that well is drying up. So what do K-Fed and his legal team do? They hit Britney up for more money of course. I can't say I feel sorry for Britney, because she brought it on herself in so many ways. First off, even Whitney Houston could've told her that hooking up with K-Fed was a bad idea. He was a former back-up dancer with a kid on the way when she met him. Doesn't exactly scream "bright future" if you catch my drift. Secondly, following the divorce, Britney had the upper hand and could've easily nipped things in the bud with K-Fed and moved on. But no, she had to become a bad mother and lose custody of her kids. So now, she's stuck paying child support to K-Fed. Genius! The AP runs the numbers by us and shows ...
More About: Britney Spears , Hits , Spears , Pocket