tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54042037668473365802011-09-28T14:01:07.879-05:00Insight into and ponderings from the bizarre so called existence of Nathan.Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.comBlogger421100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-82777616791755879852011-02-07T01:16:00.000-06:002011-02-07T01:16:52.373-06:00

Commercials can be entertaining, but they can also be very informative.  Here are the things I learned from this year's Superbowl commercials. Camaro's will turn into monster robots that will kick your ass. Sketchers will make you run off your super hot trainer. Fox can promote Glee and Chevrolet in 30 seconds or less. Cadillacs can drive 190 mph in the rain. Mercedes Benz have become sentient

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-38616675092448849162011-01-25T21:27:00.002-06:002011-01-25T21:27:46.386-06:00

The second stop on the Idol audition tour is New Orleans.  6,500 people turn out for their chance to become the next American Idol.  Jennifer looks extra nice.  Steven looks extra creepy.  Randy looks extra dawg.  The first singer up to bat is Jordan Dorsey.  He's a vocal and piano instructor.  He says he's extra stern on his students.  He expects them to practice 4 or 5 times, not just once. 

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-65959696398267914282011-01-25T21:26:00.000-06:002011-01-25T21:26:42.311-06:00

Grab your pocketknives and start whittling your graven images…American Idol is back and it's all new.  Or at least that's what they tell me, or rather show me…for 9 whole minutes.  New judges, new audition-round set, new intro graphic package.  New.  New.  New.  Wait, to be so new, why does everything seem so familiar?  There's still judges, there's still contestants, there's still Ryan.  So

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-8842679249467355232010-12-31T01:16:00.000-06:002010-12-31T01:16:56.051-06:00

That's right, my friends, the Ark Park story is back…and just when you thought it couldn't get any nuttier.  This project is a true gem, one that I look forward to providing me with fodder for many months to come.  It is to religious satire what Sarah Palin is to political satire.  As I posted in a previous entry, an Old Testament theme park, complete with life-size replica of Noah's Ark, is

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-5619646774874492322010-12-19T21:03:00.001-06:002010-12-22T22:43:45.601-06:00

By now, everyone knows that I’m a raging right-wing fundamentalist.  In fact, if it weren’t for some pesky zoning laws and tax-code issues I would have franchised Westboro Baptist Churches across this great, God-fearing land.  So you can easily imagine my delight when I came across the “ClearPlay” DVD player.  Essentially, it’s a DVD player that filters out all the horrible, objectionable

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-83574261449136837422010-12-16T23:46:00.000-06:002010-12-16T23:46:29.060-06:00

The church where my parents attend has a fairly elaborate children’s building with ornate painted caricatures and large cut-outs of animals and Noah that it calls Noah’s Park.  The church is quite proud of it, and rightfully so, they sunk a bit of change into constructing it.  Well, it looks like some folks in Kentucky are going to best them with the construction of “Ark Encounter”, a life sized

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-70314224265780669482010-12-04T21:27:00.000-06:002010-12-04T21:27:03.349-06:00

I’ve long believed that there are two types of crazies in the world.  The first, much more common kind, is the type many of us sometimes fall into—and the type we all run into on a daily basis.  This type is made up of people like those who think Sarah Palin would make a good President, or those who don’t believe there were dinosaurs—generally well intentioned, just misguided in some of their

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-63551098507681703372010-06-14T00:09:00.002-05:002010-06-14T00:59:14.240-05:00

It's been forever since I last posted, and I feel ashamed for that. I'm gonna try and do better. But I've decided to post now and I can't think of a better reason than the family's trip to visit me in Seattle. The last four days I've had the privilege of playing host to my parents, middle brother, and his wife on a trip they made here to the Emerald City for my birthday.I had a blast (I hope

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-79017549774400394462010-02-04T00:25:00.003-06:002010-02-04T00:27:48.643-06:00

The last audition episode before Hollywood is a cornucopia episode of all manner of auditions. I imagine some will be good, and some will be bad. Perhaps the good will outnumber the bad, but I’m not hopeful. It is, after all, the early rounds…a place schadenfreude reigns supreme. (Schadenfreude, by the way, is happiness at the misfortune of others.) Jessica Furney has auditioned before, and

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-50422985770110514552010-02-04T00:25:00.002-06:002010-02-04T00:27:37.086-06:00

The last audition episode before Hollywood is a cornucopia episode of all manner of auditions. I imagine some will be good, and some will be bad. Perhaps the good will outnumber the bad, but I’m not hopeful. It is, after all, the early rounds…a place schadenfreude reigns supreme. (Schadenfreude, by the way, is happiness at the misfortune of others.) Jessica Furney has auditioned before, and

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-11483809421259885352010-02-03T22:43:00.001-06:002010-02-03T22:45:39.134-06:00

Denver hosts the next stop in the Idol Audition tour. Denver was the audition birthplace of Chris Daughtry so we of course are shown a little Daughtry montage. Posh Spice is once again guest judging. This may be the pot calling the kettle black, but Posh could stand to gain a little weight. She looks like a bobble-head doll. The first auditioner is Mark Labriola. People tell him he looks

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-27651645491934020912010-01-28T22:16:00.000-06:002010-01-28T23:26:40.798-06:00

Idol visits the Lonestar State for the sixth stop on the audition tour. Dallas, Texas. The guest judge for day 1 is none other than Neil Patrick Harris. I love me some Neil Patrick Harris. So from the outset, I’m pretty happy.First up is Julie Kevelighan. First off she looks ridiculous in a sparkly blue-green outfit with loads of green eye shadow…basically an ugly mermaid. She sings

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-5357941662121020802010-01-28T22:15:00.000-06:002010-01-28T22:16:31.386-06:00

Ameican Idol is in its hometown of Los Angeles for the 5th stop on the audition tour. The guest judge for the first day is Avril Lavigne. She’s wearing a hoodie with devil horns, which is a little strange. But what’s even stranger is that she keeps the hood up during the auditions. It’s tough to pull off the horned hoodie, and I’m not sure Avril has what it takes to do it. The first

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-7771465029645160302010-01-25T00:28:00.001-06:002010-01-25T00:29:46.047-06:00

For the fourth stop on the Idol Audition tour, we visit sunny Orlando, Florida. Only amazing things can come from the Magical Kingdom, right? Well, we’ll see. The show starts off on a high note for me when Kristin Chenoweth appears as the guest judge. I love, Love, LOVE Kristin Chenoweth. Everything about her makes me smile. The first contestant we meet is Theo Glinton. Covered in

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-22731725950093285202010-01-25T00:15:00.001-06:002010-01-25T00:22:30.969-06:00

American Idol’s third stop is in Chi-town. And after a expletive laden show opener, who knew what we would be in store for. I always thought Chicago style meant deep dish with a thick crust and lots of sauce and cheese. Evidently, the sauce and cheese has been replaced with f-bombs and censor bars. The guest judge is Shania Twain. Kara is as giddy as a school girl to be judging with her, but

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-87728794574441440332010-01-25T00:08:00.000-06:002010-01-25T00:10:51.242-06:00

Idol heads to the dirty south for the second stop on the audition tour. The South has produced more idols than any other region, so I was hopeful that something great would come from this episode. Mary J. Blige is the guest judge. I don’t know much about her, so I don’t really know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised with her, though. She added a few good comments, and a lot of wacky

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-8574453539107929802010-01-13T17:31:00.004-06:002010-01-13T18:30:53.270-06:00

Idol’s back…and not a moment too soon. My favorite show on television had become “Tabatha’s Salon Takeover” on Bravo…and that can’t possibly be a good thing can it? For episode one, Idol visits Boston. Two things struck me as odd--a surprising lack of overdone Boston accents, and a strange lacy scarf plopped on Victoria Beckham’s head. Seriously Vicky...not very posh. When my dreams come

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-24142203257988988492009-12-08T22:01:00.002-06:002009-12-08T22:43:03.650-06:00

It's Christmas time, so Seattle is decking the streets and storefronts with boughs of holly. It's quite gorgeous, actually, but I'm afraid dear ole' Macy's has gone a bit too far--at least from my vantage point. Obviously, Macy's loves Christmas. They have that parade and everything so they seem to be kind of a fan. Something about making 70% of your annual sales during the time period will

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-64805166417494698402009-11-08T13:58:00.003-06:002009-11-08T14:03:36.090-06:00

I was riding back from lunch with a friend the other day and somehow the subject of church camp shirts came up. This got me thinking, and as often is the case, that thinking led to a mental rant…which I have decided to post here as a means of therapy. We will call this my “Super Important Message to Youth Pastors, High School Club Sponsors, and Small-Time Event Planners About Event T-Shirts”To

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-43112433212015248392009-11-07T22:16:00.005-06:002009-11-07T22:30:25.838-06:00

It's been a crazy few weeks. That's my excuse for not having posted in a while. I would like to say that it's because of my super-hectic social life, but most of you that know me would surely call my bluff. I went to a few places with some friends on Halloween. I wore my usual costume and went as a youngish snob who thinks he's too good to dress up on Halloween. It was quite a convincing costume,

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-36496019022547285042009-10-18T23:04:00.002-05:002009-10-18T23:25:35.975-05:00

It's two weeks into the final rounds of X-Factor and I'm ready to declare my favorites for the season (which if my American Idol record stands, is very bad news for them).Danyl Johnson- the overconfident guy with the powerhouse voice.Joe McElderry- the sweetheart with the tender voice.Stacey Solomon- The surprise with the soulful voice

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-75166343014942076432009-10-17T23:45:00.002-05:002009-10-18T12:45:30.269-05:00

Missed another night, grrrr....and I was doing so good at the start. Oh well, that means another double dose post. The first rhyme is one I had never heard until I started my nursery rhyme research. It's called "Ladybug, Ladybug" and was written in 1744. Ladybug, ladybugFly away homeYour house is on fireAnd your children all goneAll except oneAnd that's little AnnFor she crept underThe frying

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-11039073481216402652009-10-15T23:37:00.002-05:002009-10-16T00:23:10.111-05:00

Oops. I missed a day. So that means today we get a double dose of rhyming terror. Keep your children at bay. This post is rated MG-17 (that's Mother Goose 17).The first of this double feature of frights is from 1765. "Jack and Jill"Jack and Jill went up the hillTo fetch a pail of waterJack fell down and broke his crownAnd Jill came tumbling afterTwo innocent kids, just setting out to do what

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-78541526781978532422009-10-13T23:50:00.002-05:002009-10-14T00:13:37.067-05:00

Skipping ahead a few more years, we find ourselves in 1794, with "There Was an Old Woman Who Lived In A Shoe"There was an old woman who lived in a shoeShe had so many children, she didn't know what to doShe gave them some broth without any breadThen whipped them all soundly and sent them to bedSounds to me like the original "Kate Plus Eight.", only without TLC's money to provide for the family.

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-19514044539279925302009-10-12T23:06:00.002-05:002009-10-12T23:30:00.037-05:00

For our next installment, we'll move ahead a few years to 1765 with the classic lullaby "Rock A Bye Baby"Rock-a-bye baby, in the tree topWhen the wind blows, the cradle will rockWhen the bough breaks, the cradle will fallAnd down will come baby, cradle in allSo this seems more like a veiled threat than a lullaby of comfort and solace. Basically, you're saying, "Shut up kid, I'd hate for that

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-88786687285934619132009-10-11T20:50:00.003-05:002009-10-12T00:07:49.630-05:00

For reasons unknown to me, I have been reading nursery rhymes lately. I'm not sure if I never noticed, or just didn't care, but nursery rhymes are terrifying. So, as we approach halloween, I hereby declare this week "Nursery Rhymes are Terrifying" week. Each day, I will post a terrifying nursery rhyme for your consideration. If you are a parent of a young child, please protect them by not

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-65062362778458421212009-09-22T20:18:00.003-05:002009-09-22T20:27:20.574-05:00

It's been a remarkably warm and sunny summer here in Seattle, but in sympathy and support for those back in the southeast who have been battling a fierce bout of rain, I decided to list the 12 things I've learned from the story of Noah's Ark.Don't miss the boat.Be careful not to piss off those infinitely more powerful than you are.Remember that we are all in the same boat.Plan ahead. It wasn't

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-11817938665787202232009-08-29T18:53:00.003-05:002009-08-30T16:21:07.408-05:00

I started watching this show last year. It's along the lines of American Idol, America's Got Talent, etc. The first two episodes of the season have aired and some of the performances have been pretty amazing. I've posted my favs so far below (in ascending order).First we have Rozelle Phillip. She has a bubbly personality, soulful voice, and that "wow, I didn't think she would be any good"

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-16819775873770419682009-08-18T21:50:00.006-05:002009-08-23T22:18:20.306-05:00

For all of you that crave cold, hard, cash...never fear. You're not struggling with the deadly sin of greed. As it turns out, you're addicted to cocaine. In a recent study conducted by the University of Massachusetts' Yuegang Zuo (and presented last Sunday at the 238th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Washington DC) it was found that traces of cocaine taint up to 90% of

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-72057082598968477622009-08-15T20:52:00.003-05:002009-08-15T21:03:26.406-05:00

I saw this map on a colleagues facebook page (thanks, Shari) and, of course, I had the same reaction I’m sure you are having…”OMG, Fox News has hired Sarah Palin to run their graphics department—perhaps she wanted Egypt closer to Alaska so she could see it from her house.” (Silly girl, you kinda moved it farther away.) I did some checking, though, and it turns out that wasn’t the case. Not

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-84297982913106158832009-07-30T18:18:00.003-05:002009-07-31T13:04:45.892-05:00

The Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board recently told stores and restaurants to quit serving and selling "Cycles Gladiator" wine, because it found the label (which features a stylized art-nouveau rendition of a nude female with a flying bicycle) violated Alabama rules against displaying "a person posed in an immoral or sensuous manner." Since the news of this story broke, visits to the

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-1072290715985647562009-07-29T22:59:00.002-05:002009-07-29T23:50:21.041-05:00

Seattle broke an all time heat record today with a high of 103 degrees. The previous record for downtown was set in July of 1941. 103 is 26 degrees hotter than the average for July, 29. It's hot for sure, especially considering most people don't have air conditioning in their homes. Thankfully, I do. It's a comfortable 68 in my condo. The heat wave is supposed to last through the weekend.

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-82401038184985575542009-07-27T21:37:00.004-05:002009-07-27T23:21:59.752-05:00

The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer activist group, filed a suit against Denny's last Thursday for not doing enough to warn their customers about the dangerously high sodium content in some of their menu items. According to the group, most Americans should have a maximum daily sodium intake of 1500 mg. Many of the items on their menu have over twice that amount. The Meat

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-56672580439399118722009-07-26T16:44:00.006-05:002009-07-26T17:28:45.842-05:00

Yesterday we had a parade in downtown.  Naturally I assumed it was in celebration of the resignation of Sarah Palin, so I went down to join the festivities decked out in a particularly fierce Palin costume.  I spent hours on my hair alone, wanting it to be spot on, so you can only imagine my surprise when I got there and everyone else was dressed in various forms of Pirate garb. Pirates...I was

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-78417016262834066392009-07-25T23:52:00.006-05:002009-07-26T00:55:04.354-05:00

So, admittedly I have fallen off the blogging bandwagon, but I'm trying to climb back on again.  I'll blame it on trying to get settled in a new city, blah blah blah.  No excuses, I'm lame, I can admit it. This is actually my first post since being here in Seattle.  It's hard to believe I have been here 4 months already.  I'm enjoying it, but there are things I definitely miss about home (Cohen,

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-46112894436705993062009-03-04T16:39:00.002-06:002009-03-04T16:41:41.409-06:00

Well, I missed last week’s post due to some traveling, and as with the first week, I was 2 for 3 on my predictions. While I wanted Kris to make it through, I thought his lack of previous airtime would have done him in. Looks like I was wrong, though, and his cuteness compensated for his lack of previous exposure.For this week, we were once again dosed with a healthy helping of the good, the bad

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-71307184239890675862009-02-18T11:37:00.002-06:002009-02-18T14:53:41.459-06:00

Well, the time has come for the voting portion of American Idol to begin and this season, the producers have shaken things up a bit, giving us 36 finalists to whittle down to 12.  Breaking them into three groups of 12, one group performs per week, and the top girl, guy, and next highest vote recipients advance to the final 12.  The wildcard round is also back, allowing the judges to select 12

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-42539862714626968592008-12-22T23:34:00.005-06:002008-12-25T15:44:12.656-06:00

Previously I have posted that sex is not an effective marketing tool to sell fast food.  Could it be that fast food can effectively sell sex, though.  Well, the good folks at Burger King must think so.  They have recently released a new fragrance, that's right....a fragrance, called "Flame".  It's described by the marketing gurus at the BK as "the scent of seduction, with a hint of flame broiled

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-12348693020298133862008-12-19T14:46:00.006-06:002008-12-19T15:45:09.812-06:00

I've begun preparing my Christmas Wrap-Up post and one of the things I planned on listing were a few of my favorite things.  Seeking inspiration, I decided to turn to the Grande Dame of favorite things, Maria VonTrapp.  Needless to say, I was most disappointed and more confused than I was inspired.  Below, is her list.Raindrops on roses- really?  Raindrops?  I thought people were supposed to hate

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-74817577221354972502008-12-18T12:44:00.003-06:002008-12-18T17:01:15.831-06:00

I knew of a family that had a strange tradition of spending each Christmas Eve at the Waffle House.  I, of course, found this a bit strange; but being one not to judge something that I have no experience with, I decided I would spend an evening this holiday season there to see what might have struck this family's fancy in such a way as to develop this bizarre tradition.  And so, one evening I

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-69498034302191490882008-12-16T15:44:00.004-06:002008-12-16T16:43:20.321-06:00

Well, I still haven't finalized my full plans for the blog, but I saw something on TV today that I had to comment on.  Not sure if you've seen it or not, but if you have, I'm sorry.  If you haven't, I found a clip of it and posted it below.  Apparently, Arby's has lost their mind in their latest advertisement for their chicken cordon bleu sandwich.  It opens with a slightly overweight, slightly

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5404203766847336580.post-33556634162869491362008-12-15T22:34:00.004-06:002008-12-18T16:22:42.556-06:00

Since I've suddenly found myself with an abundance of spare time on my hands, I have decided to make poor use of that time and create a blog.  I'm still fleshing out the details, but what I have in mind is sort of a entertainment/newsweekly combo blog of sorts.  Each day will feature a specific category of varying interests.  Along with the topic itself, each post will hopefully also feature my

Nathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08786133740249119102noreply@blogger.com1