June 11, 2004

A movie about comb-overs. Yes, Donald Trump is featured in the trailer.

Writing, Speaking and Thinking, Oh My! is the "personal blog" of A.J. Vasaris, a consultant who likes to share his thoughts on reading, speaking, technology and writing.
 

June 9, 2004

The problem with having John Wayne Gacy's brain in your basement is that people want to see it. Or at least they think they want to see it. Certainly, they want to know how you got it and why you keep it there.
--Jane Fritsch, The Chicago Tribune

Anthony J. Lindhorst, a 26-year-old cook at a Denny's in Waterloo, Missouri, was arrested last week for contaminating food and watching customers eat it. Police said Lindhorst added his semen to the honey-mustard dressing the restaurant serves with its chicken strips and fed it to a woman in her 40s and a male cop who gave him a traffic ticket.

June 8, 2004

Pop divas are known for throwing tantrums and making unreasonable demands. But the moment they step on stage, these singers usually maintain their celebrity status by giving astounding performances that leave fans wowed.

Jewel needs to keep this in mind or she won't be a star much longer.

During a recent concert at the Hampton Beach Ballroom Casino in New Hampshire, Jewel insulted fat people and mocked the folks who sang along with her hits. She asked for requests then told fans to "shut the hell up." After the show, the audience responded by shouting obscenities at her tour bus.

I had a similar experience at a Prince concert a few years ago. Instead of performing his latest hits, Prince decided to cover Joan Osbourne's religious anthem, "One of Us." The moment he ordered everyone in the audience to pray with him, I knew my fascination with the formerly funky Purple One was ov-ah.

Godchecker.com, a site that features an encyclopedia of 1,600 gods, offers a Deity of the Day feed.
 

June 7, 2004

A new Jaded Writings column has been posted. This week, I discuss how to prepare for a terrorist attack.

* Gwendolyn Brooks - 6/7/17
* Amy Sorkin - 6/7/66
* Allison Nazarian - 6/7/71
* Sara Paretsky - 6/8/47
* Patricia Cornwell - 6/9/56
* Tracy Blair - 6/9/69
* Saul Bellow - 6/10/14
* Maurice Sendak - 6/10/28
* William Styron - 6/11/25
* Wendy Christensen - 6/11/52
* Anne Frank - 6/12/29
* Salvatore Amico M. Buttaci - 6/12/41
* Maggie Grinnell - 6/12/65
* William Butler Yeats - 6/13/1865
* Dorothy L. Sayers - 6/13/1893
* Harriet Beecher Stowe - 6/14/1811

June 6, 2004

Ever wondered how it feels to be shot?

Ask one of the 55,000 Americans who survive firearm injuries each year. Nora Schneider describes it as a "steady, searing pain." Dana Tierney-Smith said she felt heat followed by numbness -- then it hurt like hell. "Excruciating doesn't do it justice," she said.

"You don't need no gun control. You know what you need? Bullet control. I think all bullets should cost $5,000. You know why? If a bullet cost $5,000, there'd be no more innocent bystanders."
--Chris Rock

Past Afterthoughts