Happy Birthday

[Courtesy of B96Chicago]
David Archuleta's birthday is being met today with great pleasure and great grief. Not only are thousands of jailbait-ed hearts awaiting the day they, too, will be freed, but thousands of twenty-somethings (and beyond, but we'll pretend they don't exist) Archies and Arch Angels for whom the age barrier defined (by law) the kind of relationship they had to the singer now have to face the truth. And for them, there is the irrational fear of non-legal DArchuleta sprouting wings and flying off into adult and manhood.

Well, whatever the case may be, there was nothing any of us could do to stop it. Not even his father, the infamous Dadchuleta.

DArchuleta is now legal to marry in all 50 states, ladies. And gentlemen.

Welcome to the other side, little David, and may this boy live on:

[Courtesy of YouTube user "Caliiniiqka18"]

Davey Baby's growing up!

The music video for DArchuleta's "A Little Too Not Over You" is up, and of much higher quality than the video for "Crush". This is much more like the Jive I've come to know and love ...


My mom and I laughed for a good five minutes over this face:


He's supposed to be melancholic, not looking like he wants to kill me. Right?

I mean, just look:



[Both photos courtesy of my Print Screen function; a) "A Little Too Not Over You" music video, b) The Bonnie Hunt Show]

Religion makes bank

Came across this fascinating article in the Sunday NY Times today.

This about sums it up:
“It’s a wonderful time, a great evangelistic opportunity for us,” said the Rev. A. R. Bernard, founder and senior pastor of the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, New York’s largest evangelical congregation, where regulars are arriving earlier to get a seat. “When people are shaken to the core, it can open doors.”

So maybe it's not all that fascinating, but a little expected. Churches, career placement centers, fast food restaurants and Wal-Mart may be the only ones doing well in our economy. Explains why FOX News has been running so many religious ads and why I've been seeing random church ads in the subway system and on random cable networks.

Song of the Moment: Silent Night, David Archuleta
* It may be DArchuleta songs until the holidays are through; his renditions of Christmas songs are incredible.

Back from the grave ...

... and prepping for the new year. Which means making some changes. First things first: "a little more personal (raw)", I think I'm going to take the focus off of Hollywood celebrities and turn it to a more general culture blog.

I thought I would start our holiday engines off with a little holiday cheer. Says NY Mag:
[Richard Hayne, CEO of Urban Outfitters] is a notably right-wing Republican who supports senators who vote for legislation against gay marriage. In fact, last May the British Website ThisIsMoney.co.uk wrote, "Hayne must be the only retailer whose expansion plans depend on no one finding out who he really is." Interesting where your money goes, isn't it? When a right-wing Republican is the one concocting your anti-Establishment image, you start to wonder if the entire hipster movement has been duped into becoming puppets of Hayne's billionaire income.

NY Mag got a response from the UO team today and their thoughts?
Glen Senk, the CEO of the parent company, Urban Outfitters, Inc., is an openly gay man who has been in a committed relationship for over 30 years. However, Richard Hayne is still the founder and current chairman and does indeed have a record for supporting right-wing Republicans who are against abortion and gay rights.

Yes. Exactly. I will now reconsider ever making a purchase at Urban Outfitters again. Not that I ever did ... not unless the merchandise was 90% off, anyway.

While we're on the topic of homosexuality, how 'bout that Newsweek cover story, huh? The readback caused so much of stir that the comments were completely disabled. I think Lisa Miller makes some unsubstantiated points, but some readers were so inflamed they ceased to make sense. I wish you could read the comments from "Caroline from MA," who repeatedly compared "choosing" to be gay to being addicted to cigarettes. Once you pop, you can't stop. (I hear this is true of tattoos, too?) And how gay porn should be made illegal, just as cigarette ads should, as they pander to our impressionable innocents.