More about the Generation (of) Swine Flu

So much for the swine flu being the newest craze -- turns out it's totally retro.

Here's a Swine Flu PSA from the 70s. Note the lack of "pandemic" references.

Swine Flu

OK, OK, so I know the swine flu isn't funny. Really. Despite its silly nickname, people have died and it's serious stuff.

That said, I tend to laugh at serious stuff all the time. And this bovine epidemic (er, pandemic, if you listen to CNN) is no exception.

But you know what? I can't help it. And I blame Hunter S. Thompson and, to a lesser extent, Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee, for my inappropriate giggling.

Why, you ask? Because it's because of those jokers/heroes that whenever I hear "swine flu," I see this:

HST wrote "Generation of Swine" and yes, of course I have it in my respectably-sized collection of his work. Sixx and Lee, meanwhile, wrote the song "Generation Swine" that appeared on the Mötley Crüe album of the same name.

So if you see me smirking upon hearing yet another mention of the dreaded swine flu, here's a window to my world: These are the images dancing around my twisted little head whenever "swine flu" is mentioned.

Effing Hipsters!

If you, like me, lack both style and patience with people who think they have a lot of it, you will like this site.

It's called Look at This Fu©king Hipster and it's pretty funny.

They add a new hipster for you to point and laugh at every day. Users can also submit their own pics of unassuming hipsters for consideration.

The only down side, of course, is that they're just pictures of the hipsters, not the hipsters themselves, so you can't slap them. No matter how much you really, really want to.

Most of the pics are shot on the NY subway -- many at the Bedford Ave. stop in Brooklyn, I notived -- and I saw at least one photo from Explain This Image.com (another brilliant site well-worth checking out if you haven't already).

There's also no "next" button, so you have to click a photo, then hit the "back" arrow to return to the archive, which is super annoying ... but not as annoying as the effing hipsters.

Thank You For Being a Friend

Bea Arthur died this weekend. The Golden Girl was 86.

I loved Bea Arthur. I thought she kicked ass. She was smart and clever and embodied the fearless, feisty old bag that I aspire to one day become.

I really do think "The Golden Girls" was ahead of its time; a senior citizens' "Sex and the City," if you will. And those of you who know me are already well-aware of my SATC obsession.

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Arthur made waves before GG, however, as "Maude" on "All in the Family." Her progressive character kept Archie Bunker in line and bridged taboos like abortion on the sitcom.

If you question my using the term "progressive," remember: This was in the 1970s -- and abortion is still a huge faux pas for prime time family viewing. (Can you imagine the uproar amongst "Everybody Loves Raymond" viewers if "Amy" [Ray's sister-in-law, his brother Robert's wife] had an abortion during the peak of the now-canceled show's popularity a few years back?)

Alas, I digress. Bea Arthur is dead and she will be missed. As will Estelle Getty, who died last summer, just three days shy of her 84th birthday.

Bea, if you're out there, thank you for being a friend. And by friend, I mean an inspiration.

Exploring the Grid

As if we needed further evidence that NPR is awesome, they've put together this nifty animation that illustrates how the U.S. gets/distributes its power.
You can manipulate the graphic to show both current and planned systems and sources.
It's pretty cool. Check it out for yourself and don't forget to support NPR during their next, totally annoying-to-the-point-of-obnoxious fund drive.

4/20 in Sin City with Snoop

Snoop Dogg and I joke around during a presser on 4/20.
Note to self: Don't forget to wear make-up to press conferences.

OK so as many of you know, and some of you don't know, April 20th, a.k.a. 4/20, is as close to a holiday as you can get in cannabis culture.

And when it comes to notorious pot smokers, few come close to Snoop Dogg.

And, as luck would have it, I got to chat with the Doggfather himself earlier today. (He was in Vegas for the Rehab opening on Sunday and the unveiling of his wax figure at Madame Tussauds today.)

Naturally I wanted to know how he planned on marking the high holiday in Sin City -- but surrounded by journalists and many adoring young fans, Snoop declined to discuss his itinerary. (See my story on the Las Vegas Weekly here.)

Instead, he just told me he was going to "lay low" and hang out in his hotel room.
All I can say is I hope his room at the Venetian isn't on a non-smoking floor.

Opening Day @ Rehab

Celebrities and Las Vegas go hand in hand. However, far too often the "celebrities" paid to put in appearances at various venues are lame C-listers (at best).

That wasn't the case at Rehab this weekend, however, as the kind and fun-loving folks at the Hard Rock put their money where their mouths are and had Snoop Dogg stop by to kick off summer '09 at Rehab.

Now I'm not a fan of the day-long over-the-top spring break-style cesspool that is Rehab but I did put on a brave face (and far too much clothing, apparently) and made the pilgrimage to the HRH pool on Sunday to see the the icon.

Yes, the Ed Hardy set was there in full force. But so was Snoop and that, for me, made enduring douchebag ground zero worthwhile.

The resulting story can be found here.

I've posted two videos to my Facebook profile so those of you who know me can check that out, too, if you'd like. (Here's a link to the first one, and here's the other one for the second one.)

Great animation, scary situation

This interactive map, courtesy of our good friends (and former Washington Post.Newsweek Interactive colleagues) at Slate.com, helps to illustrate the job losses suffered across the U.S. during the last 27 or so months.

It's pretty disturbing but enlightening, too. It takes two seconds to check it out; I highly suggest you do just that.

The URL: http://www.slate.com/id/2216238/





Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to work so I don't become one of those dreaded red circles.

Cheers,

Melissa "please don't lay me off" Arseniuk

This is what we've become.

First it was the billboard that promised happy endings. Now we have ads for “free handjobs.”
And these ads are for clubs on The Strip, not ads for strip clubs.

While some might roll their eyes and groan at such blatant and overt sexual references, it’s hard to deny that the ads are eye-catching and attention-grabbing. What can you say? Sex sells.

It was Tao that first erected billboards promising, “always a happy ending.” The sexy ads feature the image of a woman’s bare back (and partial backside) and you drive right by one of them as you head West on Flamingo Road toward the Palms.

Curiously enough, it’s the Palms’ very own nightspot, Ghostbar, that is now sending e-mailers out advertising “free handjobs.”

The attention-grabbing ads are offering free manicures for the ladies, not sexual favors. (Sorry, guys.)

As the recession continues on, many promoters are banking on giveaways to get people in the door.

This, of course, is great news for thrifty, club-loving consumers. Better yet: There's likely more to come.

So Lindsay Lohan DOES have a sense of humor, after all

Sure, she was dumped a week ago and hasn't worked in nearly a year. That doesn't mean Lindsay Lohan can't joke about it.

Lohan took life's lemons and made some pretty funny lemonade with 'em this week -- perhaps it was spiked with vodka? -- on FunnyOrDie.com.

Enjoy.

Lindsay Lohan's eHarmony Profile from Lindsay Lohan

Old media, meet new media

This is hilarious. Cov'rit!! Or just watch it, whatever.

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