A brutal approach to why you shouldn't text & drive. Wow...
We've all by now seen the "don't text & drive" campaign commercials blasted all over TV. We all know we're not supposed to do it but some still do. I don't. And if I did still text while driving prior to seeing this video, I'd stop.
The above video was made by Gwent Police force for South Wales, overseas. They decided to get serious with the campaign videos after seeing that New Zealand goes over the top with their drunk-driving PSAs. S. Wales spent a well-used $20,000 on this anti-text video and I don't think it could have gone any better.
The video is brutal, bloody, emotional, and I love it.
Japan continues to sell radioactive used cars. Because they can.
Japan's earthquakes shook the world. No they clearly didn't SHAKE the earth but the effects from the country's distress have been quite dramatic, especially to the automotive industry. Japanese automakers almost all were forced to shut down production after the quake, tsunami, and then the radioactive issues at the Fukushima Daiichi meltdown. Facilities continued their unfortunate delays and once rebounded, automakers salvaged what they could and picked up where they left off. However, everything in the area was now radioactive and materials needed to be cleaned off. Unfortunately, it's come about now that things aren't all rosepetals like they've once been thought to be.
New cars from Japan are one thing; they're new and fresh. But it's come to the surface that since the quake, Japan has been exporting used vehicles to other countries that are still testing positive for radioactivity at unsafe levels (legal radiation limit is .3 microsieverts per hour). Japan now has radiation testers located at it's docks that test vehicles but they've still let through almost a thousand vehicles. There was even a van found originally registered within the 18-mile danger-zone with radioactive levels of 110 microsieverts ---that's 300 times the legal limit! What's sad is that this van was sold by a dealer knowing where it had come from.
With stories like this and others telling the tale of unsafe radioactive levels found in [deemed] suitable neighborhoods in Japan, it makes me wonder how long it will take for them to get back on their feet. The government already told a portion of the population that they could return home and continue life only to find later most of these areas contain high levels of radioactivity and they aren't safe after all. The coastal areas of Japan also have tested positive for high levels, deeming them unsafe still. I really really hope there's still hope for Japan; I have yet to visit!
"The Casserole Club" is the epitome of a fantastic dramedy
The film was fantastic!! It is the epitome of a dramedy. The film started off hilarious; about a group of married friends in the 60's in a Wysteria-lane-esque neighborhood who got together weekly to bake casseroles and get drunk and vote on who's was the best one that week. One thing leads to another and the group start the drunken antics and ends up in a huge orgy by the pool, and all over the house. The first chunk of the movie was spent on the first party scene. They were all drinking and playing pranks and eventually leading the audience in a long scene of various couples performing several different kinds of sex on one another. Without such a long drawn out party and then sex scene, however, the film wouldn't have made as much sense. The next morning they all wake up in a hungover daze--- in the lawn, in the pool, on each other, everyone everywhere. Each couple wonders home and continues about their daily routines. The film immediately takes a turn into the "drama" side of "dramedy" and shows each couple's intimate details and how the party had an affect on their relationships at the time. The couples all decide to get back together for another "Casserole Club" meeting and all end up fucking each other in the end again. Again, there's a scene of everyone waking up and going on about their business. Again, the film shows each couple and the continued affects of their decisions; albeit more in detail this go around.
There's not a whole lot else I can share about the film without giving away the amazing and surprising ending to such an amazing film. I stayed afterwards to listen to the Q&A with the director and cast. The casting was amazing and I don't know that I could have pictured many others playing the roles. Included in the cast are Backstreet Boy's Kevin Scott Richardson, Starina Johnson, Pleasant Gehman, Garrett Swann, Jennifer Grace, Susan Traylor, Michael Maize, and more! I learned that Steve Balderson filmed this flick in a few long weeks and he and his large cast lived together in the houses in the neighborhood in which they filmed and became a close-knit family. It was also then that I realized that one of the actresses, Starina Johnson, has been an online friend of mine for seemingly aeons at this point and I had no idea she was even in the film. We all went to Musso & Frank's grill down the way for the cast party and her and I talked and put our connection together. Small World.
GO SEE THIS MOVIE!! 2 THUMBS UP!!!
Karaoke-singing construction worker sings 'Sinatra' to brighten the streets
It's always nice when there's a little joy spread throughout the world. It's also nice to hear talented individuals be able to sing Frank Sinatra songs exactly like Sinatra. What's surprising is where this Sinatra-singer was found.... New York City's 2nd Ave subway station construction area. Gary Russo, from Queens, hits the nail on the head singing "Summer Wind" by Frank Sinatra karaoke-style at the entrance of their construction zone. There's also a sign behind him telling New Yorkers to forget all the stress and noise around them and enjoy his music. Nice..
Enjoy...
story via jalopnik.com
Amy Winehouse Found Dead!
Apparently Amy Winehouse was found dead in her London apartment this morning at around 6pm Saturday evening.
London police did not specify that it was Amy's dead body but sources close to Amy have confirmed it. None of this is surprising as Amy stumbled through her last number of performances with most agreeing that she was drunk or drugged up on something serious. She even canceled her European tour due to her own problems. I think it's safe to say that Miss Amy died from a drug overdose. What was it she was always on? Heroine? And where's Pete? Hmmm... photo via tmz.com
MTV "Jackass"'s Ryan Dunn dies in horrific car crash! [UPDATED!]
It's been reported and confirmed by numerous sources that Ryan Dunn, "Jackass" star & stuntman, has passed away last night.
Ryan, 34, was last known to be out drinking with friends around Philadelphia and even posted a photo of himself and friends to tumblr, which then went to twitter as well. The photo has since been removed but can be seen above. Just putting 2 and 2 together here I guess but if he was tweeting drunk photos and then believed to be in a wreck and died--- not good.
The photo of the mangled car is believed to be the remains of Ryan's Porsche 911 GT3. It was involved in the one-car accident around 3:30am this [Monday] morning but it's too mangled and too soon for officials toconfirm exactly who's car it is. Sadly, though, it has been confirmed by TMZ.com with Bam Margera and his mother that it is in fact him and he is unfortunately dead.
Ryan Dunn will most be remembered as part of the "Jackass" crew and the one who stuck a Hot-Wheels toy car up his ass in the original movie. Sad day for all of us fans out there.
UPDATE!!
Bam Margera's mom, April, was the one to identify Ryan's body this morning, only being able to due to some hair and tattoos. Apparently the Porsche, the rest of Ryan, & Ryan's friend Zachary Hartwell, 30, were all toast. An autopsy will be performed on Ryan's body as they still aren't sure if alcohol was to blame for the accident. However, Ryan's friends all claim he had 6 or more drinks "but not enough to not be able to drive"... Some new photos have also surfaced from the night of his death (attached at the top of the blog). It doesn't look like he's too sloppy to me, however, any tiny mistake in a 110mph Porsche could turn deadly.
story via jalopnik.com & TMZ.com
Watch 2 bored filmmakers entertain themselves while stranded inside DFW Airport.
information via jalopnik.com
HUGE NEWS!! New York State Assembly approves same-sex marriage bill!!
This is HUGE NEWS for the gays!!
The New York State Assembly, today, approved the same-sex marriage bill and is likely to face a vote in Senate before the weekend! I read that the democrats won the argument 80 to 63 in favor of the gays. "Thanks" goes to Governer Andrew Cuomo for making this possible--- in his first year in office!
Charles Lavine, another democrat in favor of gay marriage, went on to say "Only second-class states have second-class citizens!" which shows there are clearly those out there in office who feel strong about the subject. GOOD! It's about time.
Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and the District of Columbia are also cool with same-sex marriage, several states allow civil unions. And FYI, the first legal same-sex marriages in the United States took place in Massachusetts in 2004.photo & story via huffingtonpost.com
How did this Mazda get inside this Mercedes?
