Wednesday, August 08, 2012

Orthodox Jewish beer goggles, ladies reffing NFL games and $1K "Hunger Games" swag

- Intentional beer goggles? That is apparently the next weapon of choice for extreme ultra-Orthodox Jewish men who treat any member of the opposite sex like they’re radioactive and/or sadistic sirens looking to lure men in and devour them whole. These Ortho-diabolical men are so intent on shutting out women they consider to be immodestly dressed that they may be willing to rock some ridiculous-looking glasses that blur their vision to keep out slutty women showing more than .0000001 inches of skin with their revealing attire. Their quest to maintain their strictly devout lifestyle has led to sex-segregated buses, sidewalks and other public spaces in their neighborhoods because of an über-strict interpretation of Jewish law that forbids contact between men and women who are not married. Signs remind women to wear closed-necked, long-sleeved blouses and long skirts and ladies who refuse to capitulate have regularly been accosted by extremists who are looking to beat cooperation into them. Now, the ultra-Orthodox community's unofficial "modesty patrols" are selling glasses with special blur-inducing stickers on their lenses. Yes, Israel’s next cottage industry is rigged-up sunglasses blurring vision in a similar way to what bar goers experience around 2 a.m. after a half-dozen beers and a couple of Irish car bombs. The glasses provide clear vision for up to a few meters so as not to make walking dangerous. Anything beyond that range becomes blurry, including women. Of course, the glasses won't do any good if a slutty chick wearing a skirt that only goes to their ankles bum rushes a good, God-fearing ultra-Orthodox Jewish man. An even more extreme version of the glasses, accompanied by hoods and shields that block peripheral vision, are being promoted to men forced to venture outside their insular communities. For just $6, the next big thing in ultra-Orthodox Jewish fashion can also be yours…………


- There really are not many ways the NFL’s decision to use replacement referees for the 2012 season could start off worse than it did Sunday night during the Pro Football Hall of Fame game in Canton. Umpire Chad Ochoa mangled the very first duty an official has in a football game, botching the coin toss by announcing that the New Orleans Saints had won and deferred their choice to kick or receive until the second half. The problem was that the Arizona Cardinals actually won the toss and a minute later, Ochoa had to announce his blunder to the crowd. Allegations have since surfaced that Ochoa was fired by the Lingerie Football League during its most recent season, allegations the NFL has tried to shoot down. With Ochoa’s inglorious start to the year for replacement officials, maybe the ladies can do better. Shannon Eastin, who has been a referee in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, will have a chance to represent for all the women out there when she becomes the first female to be part of an NFL officiating crew Thursday night. She will work the preseason game between the Green Bay Packers and San Diego Chargers and while the game means absolutely nothing, Eastin’s presence on the field clearly carries at least a little significance. Even if she is a scab official who will probably never work an NFL game once the league’s ongoing lockout of its regular officials is resolved, maybe having her on the field will create more acceptance for anyone who might (inexplicably) still believe that a woman has no business officiating one of the most physical, violent sports around…………


- Blues rocker Johnny Winter scored a major success with last year's "Roots" albums, which featured 11 blues staples recorded with guests such as Winter's younger brother Edgar along with Derek Trucks, Blues Traveler's John Popper, Vince Gill, Warren Haynes of the Allman Brothers Band and Gov't Mule, among others. When an approach works for anyone in the entertainment industry, be it music, movies or television, that person tends to stay with that approach until they squeeze all the life out of it. That means Winters will stay true to his "Roots" for his next album and attempt to channel a similar effort. "I'm very happy with the way it turned out, so there's a good chance we'll do a 'Roots 2,’” Winter said. "I haven't picked the songs yet, but I'd like to have (ZZ Top's) Billy Gibbons play. I'd like the have Dr. John play. I'd like to have Mark Knopfler play on something. I'd like to have (Eric) Clapton, B.B. King, Buddy Guy. I don't know if I can get 'em all, but those are the people I'd like to have." He hopes a wealth of long-term friendships with those other musicians will convince them to say yes to being a part of the follow-up, combined with the success of the first "Roots" project. "I don't know if they're working or if they're busy, if they have time to do it, that's the main thing," Winter continued. "Some of them might like to do it but might not have the time. I just think about the songs I'd like to do and then put the players on them." If he can duplicate the success he enjoyed in 2011 with “Roots,” playing on Sly Stone's "I'm Back -- Friends & Family" album and on William Shatner's "Seeking Major Tom," Winter will have another great year ahead of him. He’s currently on the road as part of this year's Rock 'N' Blues Fest tour, joining Edgar Winter, Rick Derringer and Leslie West………


- Going green in your ‘hood may benefit more than the environment. After researchers at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine announced last year that they had found a net reduction in crime in areas around more than 4,000 vacant lots that had been "greened" compared with others that were left alone over 10 years, another group from the same university decided to piggyback on their work. The second Penn team conducted a controlled, randomized trial in a real-world environmental health investigation. They didn’t venture far, examining vacant lots in Philadelphia that were randomly selected, in advance, to be cleaned up and planted (or not) in an ongoing Pennsylvania Horticultural Society program. They then surveyed 29 residents in the areas around the parks 3 1/2 months before and 21 residents shortly after the May 2011 cleanup and found that those near the greened lots felt safer. Feeling safer and being safer are definitely not the same thing and living in downtown Philadelphia is never a safe proposition no matter how refurbished and spruced-up the nearest park is, but mental attitude and how one perceives the world around them definitely affects a person’s quality of life. That the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society worked hard to green up a few parks is also a nice gesture, even if the work was technically done in the name of science……..


-  Target is generally known as a mega-market retailer of discount goods to the American masses, a sort of top rival to Wal-Mart in a sense. Anyone seeking affordable jeans or household goods heads to one of those two places more often than not and now, those people can throw away an entire paycheck on a tacky piece of replica memorabilia from a movie that left millions of women glued to the edge of their seat at the local movie theater. That’s right, Target is moving from affordable attire and bargain deals to high-end souvenirs from "The Hunger Games." As countless commercials during every commercial break of the TV programming of your choice have undoubtedly seared into your mind, the film will be released on DVD and Blu-ray Aug. 18. In conjunction with that release, Target is going to sell "Hunger Games"-themed "keepsakes" in very limited quantities on Target.com, including 100 14-carat gold replicas of protagonist Katniss Everdeen's Mockingjay pin. The pin will retail for a very un-Target-like $999 and it marks the first time the outlet has offered licensed products in that range, a statement said. The expensive “Hunger Games” gear also includes 100 replicas of Katniss's leather jacket for $349 and 100 lithographs bearing the signatures of 10 of the blockbuster film's stars, including Jennifer Lawrence, who played Katniss on the big screen.  Target's Vice President of Entertainment, John Butcher, attempted to defend the overly expensive items, saying in a statement that while Target is indeed known "for providing must-have merchandise at an unbeatable value ... we wanted to surprise our guests by taking it up a notch for ‘The Hunger Games’ and unveiling a prestige collection for devoted fans.” And yes, saying “taking it up a notch” is still one of the corniest things a person can say to defend something they have said or done………….

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