Everyone is #Eastwooding

The trend of the day, following last night's odd speech by Clint Eastwood at the Republican National Convention (RNC) is #Eastwooding. During Clint Eastwood's speech, he compared President Barack Obama to an empty chair (because he's not there) and went as far as to have an empty chair alongside the podium as he spoke -- on television -- where people could actually see this going down. With the internet and Twitter being nothing more than a meme factory, #Eastwooding took off today with thousands of people snapping photos of themselves or others talking to, alongside, pointing at or getting angry with empty chairs. It's a hell of a way to end the week. Let's get #eastwooding and see some of the photos.

A Clint Eastwood Obama-style hope poster declaring, simply "CHAIR".

Yep, Eastwood actually, at times, spoke to an empty chair

This dog gets in on the #eastwooding action

Pee Wee Herman was #eastwooding before it was even cool

This Texas television news anchor at KSTX-TV takes part in some #eastwooding on set.

This woman cook breakfast for Invisible Barack Obama this morning

Even young children are getting in on some #Eastwooding action

Clint Eastwood's speech at the RNC is best compared to this screengrab from an old episode of The Simpsons... "Old man yells at chair"

Poster for the Minnesota State Fair

Poster for the Minnesota State Fair, a photo by Laser Bread on Flickr.

This piece of awesome artwork should be the new official poster for the Minnesota State Fair. This gem is simple, makes great use of white space and creatively bridges the gap between the fair's agricultural roots and the 12 day food festival it has become in recent years.

I can't wait to see what kind of design is created for the 2013 Minnesota State Fair because the 2012 version is a gem.

Minneapolis - St. Paul daytime TV schedules

Minneapolis - St. Paul daytime TV schedules

WUCW Channel 23
8:30 AM Inside Edition
9:00 AM The Jeremy Kyle Show (NEW SERIES)
10:00 AM Jerry Springer
11:00 AM Maury
 12:00 PM Judge Mathis
1:00 PM We the People With Gloria Allred
1:30 PM We the People With Gloria Allred
2:00 PM The People's Court
3:00 PM Dr. Drew's Lifechangers
3:30 PM Dr. Drew's Lifechangers
4:00 PM The Steve Wilkos Show
5:00 PM Maury
6:00 PM Family Feud
6:30 PM Family Feud

WUCW channel 23 adds only one new series to its daytime line-up -- The Jeremy Kyle Show -- while tabloid "news" magazine show "Inside Edition" gets thrown to the dogs with an 8:30 AM timeslot in a vote of no confidence.

KARE Channel 11
 7:00 AM Today
11:00 AM KARE 11 Today
12:00 PM Days of our Lives
1:00 PM Rachael Ray
2:00 PM The Doctors
3:00 PM The Dr. Oz Show
4:00 PM KARE 11 News at 4pm
4:30 PM Jeopardy!
5:00 PM KARE 11 News at 5
5:30 PM NBC Nightly News
6:00 PM KARE 11 News at 6
6:30 PM Entertainment Tonight

KARE 11 sees absolutely no changes to its daytime lineup as the Minneapolis TV station begins its daytime lineup with five solid hours of talk / news.

WFTC Channel 29
 8:00 AM Law & Order: Criminal Intent
9:00 AM America's Court With Judge Ross
9:30 AM America's Court With Judge Ross
10:00 AM Judge Judy
10:30 AM Judge Judy
11:00 AM Judge Joe Brown
11:30 AM Judge Joe Brown
12:00 PM Divorce Court
12:30 PM Divorce Court
1:00 PM Law & Order: Criminal Intent
2:00 PM The Wendy Williams Show
3:00 PM The Ricki Lake Show (NEW SERIES)
4:00 PM Everybody Loves Raymond
4:30 PM Everybody Loves Raymond
5:00 PM The Simpsons
5:30 PM Family Guy
6:00 PM Two and a Half Men
6:30 PM The Big Bang Theory

WFTC (My 29) channel 29 adds only "The Ricki Lake Show" to its daytime schedule which is otherwise littered with court shows, a couple of Law & Order: Criminial Intent repeats and a mish-mash of sitcom / animated comedy repeats. I've now gone about five years since even stopping my TV's remote on WFTC.

KMSP Channel 9
 7:00 AM FOX 9 Morning News at 7AM
8:00 AM FOX 9 Morning News at 8AM
9:00 AM FOX 9 News: Morning Buzz
10:00 AM Anderson Live
11:00 AM The Wendy Williams Show
12:00 PM The Ricki Lake Show
1:00 PM TMZ
1:30 PM Dish Nation
2:00 PM Anderson Live
3:00 PM Judge Alex
3:30 PM Judge Alex
4:00 PM Judge Judy
4:30 PM Judge Judy
5:00 PM FOX at 5
5:30 PM FOX at 5:30
6:00 PM FOX at 6
6:30 PM TMZ

KMSP (FOX 9) channel 9 has a court show-heavy schedule much like its sister station WFTC. They also air both The Wendy Williams Show and The Ricki Lake Show which can be seen at different times on WFTC channel 29. They do, though, add the revamped Ander Cooper talker "Anderson Live".

KSTC channel 45
 7:00 AM 45 News Morning
8:00 AM 45 News Morning
9:00 AM America's Funniest Home Videos
10:00 AM Roseanne
10:30 AM Roseanne
11:00 AM Coach
11:30 AM Coach
12:00 PM Steve Harvey
1:00 PM To Be Announced
1:30 PM Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
2:00 PM The Andy Griffith Show
2:30 PM The Andy Griffith Show
3:00 PM That '70s Show
3:30 PM That '70s Show
4:00 PM Frasier
4:30 PM Frasier
5:00 PM Rules of Engagement
5:30 PM Rules of Engagement
6:00 PM The King of Queens
6:30 PM The King of Queens

Unless you're in love with sitcoms fom 15-20 years ago, KSTC channel 45's daytime television schedule isn't for you. With the only new programming being KSTC's rehashing of Minneapolis / St. Paul news for two hours to begin the daytime schedule and Steve Harvey's talk show, KSTC seems targeted to a few generations older than myself.

KSTP channel 5
 7:00 AM Good Morning America
9:00 AM Live! With Kelly
10:00 AM The View
11:00 AM 5 Eyewitness News Midday
12:00 PM The Chew
1:00 PM General Hospital
2:00 PM Katie
3:00 PM Twin Cities Live
4:00 PM Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
4:30 PM 5 Eyewitness News at 4:30
5:00 PM 5 Eyewitness News Live at 5
5:30 PM ABC World News With Diane Sawyer
6:00 PM 5 Eyewitness News at 6
6:30 PM 5 Eyewitness News at 6:30

By the time September 10th happens, it will be official that Live! with Kelly (Ripa) will be paired with Michael Strahan and his huge gap between his front teeth. The only big addition to KSTP channel 5's daytime television schedule is Katie Couric's new daytime talk show which bumps ABC's last daytime soap, General Hospital, an hour earlier.

WCCO channel 4
 7:00 AM CBS This Morning
9:00 AM The Jeff Probst Show
10:00 AM The Price Is Right
11:00 AM The Young and the Restless
12:00 PM WCCO 4 News at Noon
12:30 PM The Bold and the Beautiful
1:00 PM The Talk
2:00 PM Let's Make a Deal
3:00 PM Dr. Phil
4:00 PM The Ellen DeGeneres Show
5:00 PM WCCO 4 News at Five
5:30 PM CBS Evening News With Scott Pelley
6:00 PM WCCO 4 News at Six
6:30 PM Wheel of Fortune

CBS affiliate WCCO makes only one change to its daytime television schedule. With Anderson Cooper's talk show out, The Jeff Probst Show takes over the 9:00 AM slot on the Minneapolis station.

Jenna with the Giant Pumpkins - Minnesota State Fair

Jenna with the Giant Pumpkins, a photo by uglyagnes on Flickr.

Apparently this woman's name is Jenna and she is posing for this photo at the Minnesota State Fair with a pair of giant pumpkins. It's just too bad for the sake of alliteration that she wasn't posing with a pair of giant melons making the photo's title "Jenna with the Giant Melons".

Ah, what could have been. The Minnesota State Fair complete with its fascination with the giant produce, odd fried foods and everything under the sun on a stick continues through Labor Day.

Early premiere of NBC's "The New Normal"

As part of NBC's efforts to save themselves as a television network and build some buzz ahead of the crowded month of September full of new and returning series premieres, NBC is continuing to roll out the pilot episodes of its new series. Today brings us "The New Normal", a series centered around two gay men (starring Justin Bartha) and their efforts to add to their family. The show is already gaining some attention by the NBC affiliate in Salt Lake City, Utah refusing to air it due, apparently, to the inclusion of two gay characters (did they also refuse to air Will and Grace?)

Following the extended Labor Day Weekend, NBC will release the pilot episode of their new drama Revolution.

Minnesota Twins Joe Mauer

Minnesota Twins Joe Mauer (7) on August 10, 2012, a photo by Ben C. K. on Flickr.

Joe Mauer (7) of the Minnesota Twins bats during a game against the Tampa Bay Rays on August 10, 2012 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Rays defeated the Twins 12 to 6.

The Minnesota Twins placed arguably their biggest star and hometown player on trade waivers. With no teams likely to pick up Joe Mauer and his towering salary of $23 million per year through the 2018 season, this seems to be a vote of no confidence in the Minnesota Twins MVP.

Minnesota State Fair Fireworks

Fair Fireworks 3, a photo by NightSkyMN on Flickr.

Captured at the 2012 Minnesota State Fair as fireworks went off over the rides of the midway. Looks like multiple exposures but it's just one frame.

Blackhawk helicopters circling Minneapolis

from flickr user MillCityTimes

No, it's not a full-on police state or a military take-over. The Blackhawk helicopters circling parts of downtown Minneapolis are simply taking part in training exercises throughout the week - each night from 7 PM-Midnight. Hey, it's a believable explanation... until the military is trudging down your street and mercilessly beating you until you cough up whatever secrets they can beat out of you. Yep, just routine training.

Minnesota State Fair - Quilt on a Stick

Minnesota State Fair 2012, a photo by katbaro on Flickr.

I am at a loss for words. Only at the Minnesota State Fair - home of everything on a stick - would someone in the creative arts area enter a quilt on a stick featuring our very own SPAM.

Minnesota State Fair food - The Walleye Roll

2012 Minnesota State Fair 091 The Walleye Roll, a photo by rabidscottsman on Flickr.

The Walleye Roll, made by Giggles Campfire Grill, is inspired by a lobster roll only with walleye substituted for lobster. The unique twist on Minnesota food s available at the Minnesota State Fair which runs through Labor day.

Jordyn Wieber - facts or photos?

The most famous gymnast to come out of the United States Gymnastics team from the London 2012 Summer Olympics has to be Jordyn Wieber. The 17 year-old Michigan-born gymnast recently celebrated her Olympic gold medal by throwing out the first pitch of a Detroit Tigers game as the glimpse into her Twitter feed and accompanying video below shows.

Check out my pitch at the Detroit Tigers game on Wednesday! Not bad for a gymnast right? :) youtube.com/watch?v=iekjhI…
— Jordyn Wieber (@jordyn_wieber) August 27, 2012

Will we remember the 5' 2" tall Jordyn Wieber in four years when the summer Olympics take over Rio De Janeiro, Brazil? Will we care about any controversy which surrounded her during the London Olympics? Will anyone remember the facts about Jordyn Wieber (such as her weight - a mere 115 lbs.) or will it be the photos of the petite gymnast that stand the test of time? Will we remember the perky cuteness / hotness of the spunky gymnast from Michigan? Will she still have those crazy rippling abs in ten years?

Swimmer Stephanie Rice bikini pictures

Australian swimmer Stephanie (Steph) Rice has had an illustrious career and somewhat of a meteoric rise to fame known both for her athletic prowess in the pool and her stunning good looks (especially in bikini photos shown below) -- both of which have given her huge amounts of attention.

In the swimming world, Stephanie Rice burst on to the scene at the 2007 Melbourne World Championships where she won a bronze medal in the 200m individual medley. From there, she went on to win three gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and 2 silver medals and a bronze medal at the 2009 World Championships.

Following her performance at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Australian Stephanie Rice seems to have turned her focus to modeling as is evidenced by the swimsuit photos of Stephanie Rice featured below. Additionally, the Australian beauty has been romantically linked to Los Angeles Lakes basketball star Kobe Bryant (oh, Stephanie Rice, you should probably steer clear of Kobe Bryant.).

Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom to check out the two photos of Stephanie Rice featuring camel toe. Quite the catch even two weeks after the 2012 London Summer Olympics have come to a close.

Australian Swimmer Stephanie (Steph) Rice bikini pictures

Australian Swimmer Stephanie (Steph) Rice bikini picture with camel toe

Australian Swimmer Stephanie (Steph) Rice bikini picture with camel toe

Reed Timmer's Dominator - Minnesota State Fair

Storm Car, a photo by GSankary on Flickr.

Oklahoma native and storm chaser Reed Timmer has, for whatever reason, his stormchasing vehicle dubbed "The Dominator" at the Minnesota State Fair this year. It looks to be on the Machinery Hill area of the Minnesota State Fairgrounds and having seen it in action on the now-canceled Discovery Channel show "Storm Chasers" I can say that while Reed Timmer is arrogant and obnoxious he does get the footage and the scientific data about tornadoes.

Santa Claus at the Minnesota State Fair

120825 SANTA! @MinnStateFair, a photo by heideland on Flickr.

Sant Claus, seen here waving at fairgoers in front of an exhibit of fresh cut Christmas trees, is alive and well and can be seen throughout the 12 day run of the Minnesota State Fair.

Minnesota Craft Brewer's Guild - Minnesota State Fair

120825 MN Craft Brewer's Guild @MinnStateFair (my new fave thing at the Fair!), a photo by heideland on Flickr.

In my years of attending the Minnesota State Fair I've never found myself yearning for a beer but seeing this tasty looking four pack of craft beers from the Minnesota Craft Brewer's Guild has me thinking about beer.

The Minnesota State Fair and its bountiful selection of beer ends its run on Labor Day.

Heap of Garlic Fries - Minnesota State Fair food

120825 big heap of garlic fries (special for @amycrea) @MinnStateFair, a photo by heideland on Flickr.

Garlic Fries are one of thousands of food offerings at the Minnesota State Fair. The food is the biggest draw for many and the sole reason for some to make the annual trek to the Minnesota State Fair. It is also the final nail in the coffin for thousands of diets across Minnesota.

The Minnesota State Fair keeps rolling on through Labor Day.

Crop Pot - Seed Art - Minnesota State Fair

Crop Pot, a photo by altfelix11 on Flickr.

This crop pot piece of seed art is a refreshing break from the political seed art that seems to fill the Minnesota State Fair. This seed art representation of a crock pot is seen overflowing with a variety of dried beans.

The Minnesota State Fair runs through Labor Day.

Dairy Princess Butter Sculpture - Minnesota State Fair

Dairy Princess, a photo by pstapp222 on Flickr.

Each year at the State Fair, contestants from each Minnesota county compete to become "Princess Kay of the Milky Way". The finalists then get their likenesses carved in 90-pound blocks of butter. Really.

You can see the Dairy Princess Butter Sculpture at the Minnesota State Fair through Labor Day.

Kelsey Soby - Fox 9 Minneapolis - Dance-Off videos

Apparently every Friday, towards the end of the Fox 9 Morning News the anchors / personalities / staff pull out their best or worst dance moves for the Fox 9 Friday Dance-Off segment. Having never seen this live as I am well in to my work day by that time of the morning I have found a number of Fox 9 Friday Dance-Off video compilations - most of which feature traffic reporter Kelsey Soby who has the best moves by far of the morning news team at KMSP-TV.




























Is Kelsey Soby the traffic reporter in Minneapolis / St. Paul who is easiest on the eyes? What about her dance moves - good, bad, other? And what about the Fox 9 Morning News program as a whole? Does it need more dancing to fill out the 5 and half hour-long program?

Minnesota State Fair Seed Art 2012

Minnesota State Fair Seed Art 2012, a photo by Mpls55408 on Flickr.

A creative jab at the Minnesota Marriage Amendment proposal done in the form of a tiered, seed-covered wedding cake at the Minnesota State Fair.

This piece of Minnesota State Fair seed art features great GOP upholders of marriage sanctity such as Rush Limbaugh, Donald Trump, David Vitter, Herman Cain, Mark Foley and Newt Gingrich.

Fire Eating Lady - Minnesota State Fair

State Fair Day 1 card 2 2012 2012-08-23 14481, a photo by myprontopup on Flickr.

In addition to all of the calorie-filled food (both new and old creations) available at the 2012 Minnesota State Fair, there is also this fire eating lady. I am not one for ingesting fire but I would watch this cool trick over and over again and could even be talked in to trying it with a flaming marshmallow on the right evening.

Minnesota State Fair Farm Cookies

Minnesota State Fair Farm Cookies, a photo by Author Erica Rivera on Flickr.

The Minnesota State Fair Farm Cookies are exquisitely decorated treats. Tough not exactly cheap, I would expect these frosted cutout sugar cookies to cost in line with other Minnesota State Fair food but these look almost too good to eat.

The 2012 Minnesota State Fair runs through Labor Day.

Red Velvet Funnel Cake - Minnesota State Fair Food

red velvet funnel cake, a photo by the queen of subtle on Flickr.

The red velvet funnel cake - a tasty food item at the 2012 Minnesota State Fair - looks like the perfect sugary treat to pair with some fresh milk from the dairy booth.

The Minnesota State Fair and its excess of new fair foods runs through Labor Day in Falcon Heights, MN.

Ragin Cajun Breakfast Sliders - Minnesota State Fair food

Ragin Cajun Breakfast Sliders: a ton of food for $5. Quite good. @MinnStateFair, a photo by Bill.Roehl on Flickr.

Ragin Cajun Breakfast Sliders: a ton of food for $5. Quite good. (As described by local foodie Bill Roehl.)

This nicely portioned breakfast sandwich reminds be of the mammoth $2.60 breakfast burrito I had a month ago at the Winnebago Cafe in Winnebago, MN. Can't wait for another one of those in a few weeks.

The Minnesota State Fair, complete with its abundance of calorie-laden food and treats, runs through Labor Day.

For a complete review of the new food available at the Minnesota State Fair, click here to read the most official take on Minnesota State Fair food from the area expert.

Raging Ankles at Famous Dave - Minnesota State Fair food

Raging' Ankles at Famous Dave ($6) are chewy and mostly tasteless. Why bother with habaneros if you're not gonna have any heat?, a photo by Bill.Roehl on Flickr.

Raging' Ankles at Famous Dave ($6) are, as Bill Roehl says, chewy and mostly tasteless. Why bother with habaneros if you're not gonna have any heat?

Famous Dave's Raging Ankles are just one of many new food treats available at the 2012 Minnesota State Fair which runs through Labor Day.

For a complete write-up of the new food available at the Minnesota State Fair, click here to read the most official take on Minnesota State Fair food from the area expert.

Ole's Cannoli - Minnesota State Fair food

Ole's Cannoli ($4.50 with chocolate chips). Pedestrian, flavorless and boring. Proof Minnesotans cannot make a decent cannoli., a photo by Bill.Roehl on Flickr.

Ole's Cannoli ($4.50 with chocolate chips). Local blogger Bill Roehl calls it "Pedestrian, flavorless and boring. Proof Minnesotans cannot make a decent cannoli."

Ole's Cannoli is just one of many new food creations available at the 2012 Minnesota State Fair which runs through Labor Day.

This is over 4x the price of the cannolis sold at my brother-in-law's pizza restaurant and this doesn't look half as appetizing as his.

For a complete review of the new food available at the Minnesota State Fair, click here to read the most official take on Minnesota State Fair food from the area expert.

Duke's Poutine ($5) - Minnesota State Fair food

Duke's Poutine ($5) Not bad., a photo by Bill.Roehl on Flickr.

Duke's Poutine - costing a mere $5 - is considered "not bad" by local blogger and foodie Bill Roehl.

Duke's Poutine is just one of many new food creations available at the 2012 Minnesota State Fair which runs through Labor Day.

For a complete review of the new food available at the Minnesota State Fair, click here to read the most official take on Minnesota State Fair food from the area expert. 

Holy Land Lamb Fries (Testicles) Minnesota State Fair food

Holy Land Lamb Fries (Testicles) $5. Not bad but not worth it., a photo by Bill.Roehl on Flickr.

Holy Land Lamb Fries (Testicles) $5. Not bad but not worth it.

Just a sampling of the new food available at the 2012 Minnesota State Fair.

For a complete review of the new food available at the Minnesota State Fair, click here to read the most official take on Minnesota State Fair food from the area expert. 

Minnesota Wine Country's Antipasto - Minnesota State Fair food

Minnesota Wine Country's Antipasto ($9). Nice cheeses and olives., a photo by Bill.Roehl on Flickr.

Minnesota Wine Country's Antipasto ($9). Nice cheeses and olives. Just a sampling of the new food available at the 2012 Minnesota State Fair.

For a complete review of the new food available at the Minnesota State Fair, click here to read the most official take on Minnesota State Fair food from the area expert.

Kim Kardashian camel toe

I am not a fan of the Kardashian clan but I will say that Kim Kardashian has a smoking hot body. Factor in Kim Kardashian's display of camel toe in this photo and you have a winning combination. Why, though, is camel toe in some celebrities so easy to spot? I suspect it's a two-fold problem. The first being that they are obviously wearing pants which are far too tight in the crotchal region. The second contributing factor to celebrity camel toe is, and this is only a hypothesis, that the region in question has... oh, hell, I'm not even going to say it because it would be too vulgar even for this website.

Without further ado, here is the promised Kim Kardashian camel toe picture.

Kim Kardashian showing off her sexy curves, cleavage and a bit of camel toe.

Lovely ladies of the Minnesota Renaissance Festival

People-watching at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival is always one of the best parts of the journey to the festival grounds southwest of Minneapolis. The photo gallery below of cleavage-bearing busty ladies of the 2012 Minnesota Renaissance Festival's first weekend

Sadly no photos of belly dancers shaking and shimmying their hips with their chests swaying as well. Hey, I have to save something for next time.

What is up the cheerleaders' skirts?

Based on the ghastly reactions of the cheerleaders holding up their fellow cheerleaders, there must be something pretty horrible going on under their cheerleader skirts. My mind is racing around the possibilities (like maybe they both simultaneously soiled themselves from a night of eating copious amounts of Taco Bell) but take a guess. I'd love to hear the range of possibilities.

What lies beneath the skirts of these cheerleaders to draw such shocked reactions?

Phyllis Diller dead at age 95

Legendary funny woman Phyllis Diller dies today at age 95. The video below is of Phyllis Diller's last stand-up comedy performance a mere six years ago in 2006. Growing up, I remember her from what seemed like an endless parade of Bob Hope comedy specials on NBC -- that was likely in the 1980s. Being in elementary school, her comedy never struck a chord with me but looking back -- especially at her stand-up comedy, Phyllis Diller was a trend-setter. Having been a comic most of her life, she began her stand-up career in 1955 in her adoptive home of San Francisco, CA.



Her comedy, though, is what has stood the test of time. Her self-deprecating style is what works for me. An endless barrage of age jokes and poking fun at her own looks brought the comic down to earth and helped Phyllis Diller become instantly relatable to her fans.

Some of her more recent television work included appearances in at least three episodes between 1999–2003 on the long-running family drama 7th Heaven, in one of which she got drunk while cooking dinner for the household, and a 2002 episode of The Drew Carey Show, as Mimi Bobek's grandmother. She posed for Playboy, but the photos were never run in the magazine. Her voice can be heard in several animated TV shows, including The New Scooby-Doo Movies (1972) as herself, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2002)] as Jimmy's grandmother, and on Family Guy in 2006 as Peter Griffin's mother, Thelma Griffin.

Misty May Treanor on Wheaties box

American Gold Medalist Misty May Treanor has landed on the front of a Wheaties box following the beach volleyball gold medal win of her and teammate Kristi Walsh Jennings at the London Olympics but, um, where is Jennings on the box?

It turns out that the other half of the Olympic gold medal team has a deal with rival Kellogg's (Wheaties is a General Mills brand). Michael Phelps also landed a spot on his own Wheaties box but we all know that he prefers to smoke his breakfast rather than eat it. Although both options do happen to come from a bowl.

I can think of a few different options for the Misty May Treanor Wheaties photo though.

Why is Pussy Riot in jail?

The all-female Russian punk band Pussy Riot has landed themselves in jail. But it wasn't for what rock stars are typically jailed for. They didn't trash a hotel room or accost police or beat a fan or kill someone. Instead, they put on an impromptu performance at Moscow's Christ the Savior church -- performing what they called a "punk prayer".

From the description of the YouTube video below:
"Pussy Riot's gig at Christ the Saviour took place on 21 February. Five members broke into the Moscow cathedral, performing a "punk prayer" from the altar. Their song "Holy Shit" is a condemnation of the Russian Orthodox church's close ties to Putin. "Holy Mother, Blessed Virgin," they sang, "chase Putin out!" Three of them have been arrested for hooliganism and they could face up to seven years in jail."



I can see why Pussy Riot is so polarizing. Russia is a country which is very much rooted in their past which is very religious and politically backwards compared to the United States and many European countries. Punk music, at its heart, is supposed to be polarizing. It is supposed to question what is considered normal. Punk music like that of Pussy Riot is supposed to be loud and seem strange to the majority. It should ruffle feathers. It should not end in jail for the musicians performing it. Again, Pussy Riot didn't damage property or injure anyone. Yes, they did probably trespass but they also communicated their message that Putin must be chased out. For a democracy to be effective (like our own somewhat effective system of government) there must be changes in leadership and the simple fact that Putin is in his third term as president of RUssia tells me that the members of Pussy Riot have a valid message and that their arrest and subsequent jail time will be an embarrassment for Putin and the law enforcement members who pulled the band from the altar of Christ the Savior church.

Was Julia Child a sex symbol?

As a child I remember seeing various cooking shows on PBS featuring Julia Child. While she would have been 100 years old yesterday, she never seemed that old to me. I never paid much attention to the female chef but I do remember thinking that she had a strange accent and prepared strange foods. Those were my observations as a five year-old trapped inside on a weekend during our painfully long winters during my childhood.

Maybe I thought that Julia Child prepared strange food because I was five years old. Maybe I thought that the food that Julia Child was preparing was weird or strange because it was actually strange food.

Many years later I have to wonder about the venerable Julia Child. What was she like off-camera? Was she just another person going about her life on Earth? Or was Julia Child viewed as a sex symbol? Sex symbols 30 or 50 years ago were far different than our modern-day sex symbols. A woman with a healthy body and curves was fit to be considered a sex symbol in those days. Now I only remember Julia Child as seeming old -- I know she wasn't always old unless the had some sort of Benjamin Button disease -- but at some point Ms. Child was a young twenty year-old who had likely flawless skin, a young body and a burgeoning talent (cooking) that she would parlay into a multi-decade long career.

In the early part of the 1900s, a woman who could cook and please a man with hearty meals was likely viewed as sexy. She provided what a man wanted after whatever he did during his long day of work. Those scenes were portrayed in cheesy black and white family sitcoms in the 1950s and 1960s but the meals served were definitely up to the standards of Julia Child.

French cuisine was Julia Child's specialty and she honed those skills for well over a decade before landing in her very own TV show featuring the tall chef preparing her favorite French cuisine for viewers.

While I cannot find much in the way of photos prior to Julia Child's rise to popularity in the early 1960s I will have to stand by my question of whether or not Julia Child was a sex symbol.

Minnesota Twins in at Ktwin (KTWN 96.3)?

The Pohlad family, owners of the Minnesota Twins, appear ready to make the move which many have seen coming since they purchased the radio station at 96.3 on the FM dial in the Twin Cities. An official announcement tomorrow at Target Field - home of the Minnesota Twins - will likely lead to the Minnesot Twins parting ways with KTSP-AM 1500 - their home for the past six seasons - to move to the FM dial at 96.3 KTWN.

With the music format of the station in total disarray since about two weeks after the format's New Year's Day debut a change was inevitable but will the $1,000,000 the family would have made from having KSTP-AM pay for the team's broadcast rights make sense to the Pohlads? A million dollars is a million dollars no matter how you slice it and without K-twin ponying up a million dollars, that leaves the Twins' owners short that much more. KTWN-FM 96.3 is by no means a cash cow in its current state but by the end of the year the station's books will be a bit lighter after the recent firing of Tony Fly and I wouldn't expect to see Eric Perkins return to the D.O.A. K-twin morning show now that he's head honcho of the sports department at KARE-TV.

So, what happens to K-twin? Do they hold on to the mish-mashed music format and wrap it around Twins games? Do they relaunch with another try at a music format that isn't just a seemingly random collection of burned to a crisp songs thrown at the wall? Do they team up with CBS and their soon-to-be-launched national sports network (its full schedule debuts January 1, 2013) and bring a third (for the time being) sports talk radio station to the Twin Cities? Or does some other owner buy up 96.3. Both Hubbard (owners of KSTP-AM 1500) and CBS (owners of WCCO 830, 104.1 & 102.9) have the funding to make it happen.

I'm guessing, though, that K-twin won't be sold and that the Pohlads - kings of poor decisions - will combine Twins broadcasts and the current lackluster music format into one of the worst FM radio stations heard in the Twin Cities (at least inside the 494/694 loop -- because their signal is rather weak) in the past 30 years.

Singer Jessie J - cameltoe

While I don't understand why British "singer" Jessie J is a star in her own country, much less here in the United States, her poor fashion choices make up for her lack of talent. For no other reason than spotting camel toe in her skin-tight spandex bodysuits, Jessie J at least makes for good conversation even if it does center solely on her lack of talent and the fact that she should take a look in the mirror before she hits the stage. Her performance during the London Olympics closing ceremony, like much of her other performances, was lackluster and her nude-colored bodysuit failed to reveal any camel toe but the purple number pictured below her Olympic disaster does show her camel toe.

Jessie J's nude colored Olympic body suit revealed no camel toe

This purple catsuit does show off camel toe.

London Olympics closing ceremony

The 2012 London Olympics are officially over. With the closing ceremony -- yet to be shown here in the United States -- feeling much like a musical repeat of the 1990s, I have to say that London's big spectacle was definitely the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics. When your closing ceremony features the likes of actor Eric Idle, Noel Gallagher formerly of rock group Oasis and The Spice Girls, that says to me that the heyday of England was about 15 years ago. Talk about clinging to the past. I was half expecting a hologram of The Beatles to perform while Winston Churchill addressed the crowd. At least The Spice Girls brought with them the possibility of some form of excitement -- I'm thinking nip slip or full-on wardrobe malfunction, maybe even some sort of below-the-waist flash revealing that Victoria Beckham likes to go commando but unfortunately there was nothing more than an appearance by the manufactured girl group showing off the fact that Melanie Brown (Scary Spice if you're nasty) hasn't been doing her cardio (at least Melanie Brown's outfit gave us the possibility of Scary Spice camel toe).

The Spice Grils performing at the London Olympics closing ceremony with out nip slips, wardrobe malfunctions of gratuitous nudity.

McKayla Maroney is not impressed

Following the U.S. gymnast's sour reaction to receiving only a silver medal at the London Olympics, the "McKayla Maroney is not impressed" meme -- featuring the sour gymnast crudely photoshopped into photos which would normally impress us average humans -- looking straight-up pissed off and unimpressed. Below are some of the best "McKayla Maroney is not impressed" photos.

McKayla Maroney is not impressed by the great wall of China

McKayla Maroney is not impressed by the leaning tower of Pisa

McKayla Maroney is not impressed by her poor landing at the London Olympics

McKayla Maroney is not impressed by a double rainbow

McKayla Maroney is not impressed by Kanye West's interruption of Taylor Swift at the VMAs

Of course McKayla Maroney's Olympic teammate Jordyn Wieber is much more gracious -- especially in this bikini photo of the gymnast.