Sky Obercam (P)resents: Mindless Culture

Faux Food: McDonald's Does NOT Decompose!

2010-09-30T07:55:00.000-07:00

One of the Vigilant Citizens of our brave new world gave us something to chew on regarding an unusual feature of McDondald's fare. It doesn't decay! On top of documented evidence that highly toxic chemicals are used in the production of our most coveted fast food meals, average citizens have created their own laboratory studies to determine just how un-food-like their "dishes" truly are. Dig the following:

Then there’s Leo Foley’s Bionic Burger video. Foley has allegedly been saving McDonald’s hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and Big Macs from McDonald’s for over 19 years, and “they look EXACTLY the same!” says Foley. “These hamburgers are not food substances (the way we normally think of food), says Foley, “they are chemical concoctions that contain the look, taste, and smell of food but don’t be fooled. There is nothing ‘food-like’ about these substances at all.”

Once again, the poisonous tactics of those money grubbing Micky D's minions have been exposed, and once again, there is inadequate coverage of this alarming matter by the mainstream media. I guess the public could give a f*^k, just as long as those formaldehyde burgers and phosphate fries maintain that delicious flavor we've grown accustomed/addicted to. We're lovin' it!!

Synthesize Me

2010-09-18T16:45:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard music that just makes you feel old? Go figure......

"Noooooooooooo!"

2010-09-13T08:19:00.000-07:00

What can one say of the True Blood season 3 finale but simply:"Boooooooooo!"

Ugh.

True Love for True Blood: Are Jason & Tara Even Steven?

2010-08-15T16:20:00.000-07:00

I'm still mulling over the events of last night's episode. First off, is Jason off the freakin' hook for blasting my man Eggs in cold blood upon saving Tara's life from that deranged fanger called Franklin Mott? I should hope not. It seems to me that his Jason is getting a tad too blood thirsty himself as time goes on. I can't believe I'm admitting this but I think I liked the sex-addicted dimwit direction his character took in the first 2 seasons.

And speaking of direction, I would've liked to see Tara and Franklin take a different course. As actors, they both manage to bring it and the chemistry between the two coulda been real tight. There was also so much room for the comedic element, unlike Sookie & Bill (snore). For some reason, Sir Ball & co. saw fit to add to Tara's lifelong misery - now a victim of kidnap and rape. When is that girl gonna catch even the slightest bit of a break??

Moving on to my man Merlotte - what the fuck happened last night? He ground that supernatural redneck down to a pulp. It seems that baby bro Tommy is for sure a bad influence on the formerly sappy and sentimental fella.

And lastly for my very incomplete recap of last night's affair is Russell Edgington's bloody cameo on live television. Hats off to Denis O'Hare, one of the baddest character actors in H-town (I love him as that futile homophobic senator in "Milk"). They couldn't of picked a better cat to play the 3000-year-old sociopathic immortal. He opened Pandora's Box last night by ripping out that anchorman's spine amidst rolling cameras. Unless some drastic measures are taken, it's safe to say that human/vampire relations will never be the same after he declared the undead would "eat our children after they eat us."

Guess they have Eric to thank for fanning the flames of that particular fire....

Until next week!

Psychopathic Bosses, Your Days Are Numbered

2010-08-15T15:07:00.000-07:00

And it's about f%*king time.

"There are some very important things they don't tell you on career day. Chief among them is that there is a good chance that at some point during your working adult life you will have an abusive boss - the kind who uses his or her authority to torment subordinates. Bullying bosses scream, often with the goal of humiliating. They write up false evaluations to put good workers' jobs at risk. Some are serial bullies, targeting one worker and, when he or she is gone, moving on to their next victim.

Bosses may abuse because they have impossibly high standards, are insecure or have not been properly socialized. But some simply enjoy it. Recent brain-scan research has shown that bullies are wired differently. When they see a victim in pain, it triggers parts of their brain associated with pleasure. (See 10 ways your job will change.)

Worker abuse is a widespread problem - in a 2007 Zogby poll, 37% of American adults said they had been bullied at work - and most of it is perfectly legal. Workers who are abused based on their membership in a protected class - race, nationality or religion, among others - can sue under civil rights laws. But the law generally does not protect against plain old viciousness.

That may be about to change. Workers' rights advocates have been campaigning for years to get states to enact laws against workplace bullying, and in May they scored their biggest victory. The New York state senate passed a bill that would let workers sue for physical, psychological or economic harm due to abusive treatment on the job. If New York's Healthy Workplace Bill becomes law, workers who can show that they were subjected to hostile conduct - including verbal abuse, threats or work sabotage - could be awarded lost wages, medical expenses, compensation for emotional distress and punitive damages."

I despise litigious foolery but justice must be served:

"If states enact laws of this kind and lawsuits begin to be filed, juries are far more likely to sympathize with the bullied worker than the bullying boss - and damages awards could be large. There is one easy way for employers to head all of this off: get more serious about rooting out abusive bosses before serious damage is done."

You damn skippy, shyte.

I owe it all to Yahoo.

The Wild Wild West

2010-07-18T19:15:00.000-07:00

Dig this footage from some unnamed neighbors of mine:

Last night I thought I was in Baghdad. While attempting to speed through an United States of Tara marathon around midnight, our neighborhood was awakened by the sound of some serious gunfire and mad amounts of sirens. I even made a mention that this must be what it feels like to be in a war zone - minus the sound of bombs detonating (not realizing I may have to eventually eat those words). Looky here, I lived in some major cities before, including NYC & Philly, and I done never heard some shit like this in my life! Just when the chaos from the Mehserle trial ended, some crazed dude with a full-fledged arsenal in his car decides to go buck wild in my muthaf#%king neighborhood!

What's worse is that I woke up to discover that although the shoot-out was long over (which resulted in the critical condition of the shooter as well as several cops), the westbound freeway remains closed to traffic because some alleged explosive materials were found in the assailant's white Toyota truck. A truck, mind you, that is virtually parked at the end of my street. Yes. Unfortunately my street dead-ends at Interstate 580. Fuck.

And dig this unusual tid-bit reported by The Berkeley Daily Planet:

Investigators also found a white binder with the word "California" on the front in the truck, Morgan said. Investigators do not know the full significance of the binder.

What in the hell is that about? Furthermore, why at 7:45pm, does that white truck remain on the freeway after the bomb squad vacated the premises over 4 hours ago? Maybe it's my Philly-bred paranoia, but perhaps those ain't no average bombs in that truck.

I thought I was worried about that trial verdict a couple of weeks ago, but the uncertainty of this event has got me really on edge. Alas, like the ruckus that ensued post Mehserle verdict, perhaps I am simply worried over nothing.....

The Mehserle Verdict: Should I Be Worried??

2010-07-01T10:43:00.000-07:00

Fear mongering ensues as the verdict for BART officer Johnannes Mehserle (angry looking fellow on the left) is anticipated in the next few days. When I received word from a local source that I should stock pile my home with extra food and water in the event of a riot related to an unfavorable outcome, I have to admit that I laughed aloud, but true to form, the news media has managed to get their hands on my susceptible imagination and I find myself a little on edge behind this whole sordid affair.

Being a recent implant from Illadelphia, I was a bit clueless to who this Mehserle fella was. I remembered here was tragic shooting of a young man (Oscar Grant) at an Oakland BART station last year, but honestly, I had forgotten about it, and more importantly, was completely unaware of the senseless violence that went down following Grant's death.

Now I find myself in the present moment: Living in the heart of Oakland, moments away from the epicenter of destructive madness that took place last year, receiving notice after notice of the extensive plans Oakland PD has put into place to prevent the city from going into complete mayhem if by some miracle chance (ahem) Mehserle receives a light sentence for his crime.

The question is: Should I be worried? Well, if it were just me in the picture, I doubt I'd even blink an eye, but there are people who are very near and dear to me who travel through "ground zero" on a daily basis to get to an from work.....

If Mehserle gets off easy, will folks be on a rampage à la the LA riots of '92? Just an observation, but as an east coast native it's pretty easy to imagine things getting out of hand rather quickly. The term 'Wild West' sho nuff is an accurate description when it comes to a certain element in this dynamic region. Nonetheless, my question remains unanswered and I'm left wondering if I should ignore the warnings of local officials (ignorance was bliss), or fashion a make shift panic room out of my walk-in closet.

Procrastination

2010-07-01T09:15:00.001-07:00

*The belief that doing the fun/fulfilling is not on par with accomplishing day-to-day obligations.
*The notion that working for another deserves more energy/dedication than working for oneself.
*Indulging in exhaustion brought on by absolute boredom.
*Shyte time management skills.
*Allowing oneself to believe that there is nothing inspiring about current events.
*Watching True Blood, Top Chef, Unsung, lackluster pay-per-view movies, and old episodes of Frasier.
*Facebook, Huffington Post, an annoying compulsion to Google myself - freakin' Internet!

I could go on and on, but I'd rather quit while I'm behind. And no, that's not me in the above photo laying in comatose state, but rather, my first born son ;)

Writer's Inspiration No. 11,393 (Or Something)

2010-01-03T17:05:00.000-08:00

JANES ADDICTION

JibJab's 2009 In Review

2009-12-29T18:42:00.000-08:00

Sadism.

2009-12-18T16:31:00.000-08:00

Dumb Ass:

Fat Ass:

Yikes:

Simple Ass:

Yuck.

2009-12-15T19:24:00.000-08:00

I was driving about the other day, when a fella pulled up next to my car, turned his head, and began staring at me. First thought: "I'm about to get car-jacked!!!" Then I realized the bloke was flirting. How, you may ask? He bashfully smiled at me, and it looked a lot like this:

A word to the wise fellas: Don't bother parting your lips if that shyte is beneath them. You may not understand this now, but you look like a fucking idiot - and for women with even an ounce of sanity - it's revolting.

Blog Party!!!

2009-12-14T12:45:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it's imperative to get down on a Monday - ya dig??????

The following is a mash-up of sorts.... Enjoy.

New Joint From Another Non-Sexual Crush

2009-12-08T10:15:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I got a thang for Helen Folasade Adu too, but who doesn't? I just heard her new jawn, Soldier of Love, on Clutch today. I still prefer the classics, but my respect 4 Sade and the crew endures!!!!

Vin Diesel's Twin Bro

2009-12-07T22:52:00.000-08:00

I always wondered what he looked like. Fascinating, indeed (struggling - to - suppress - laughter).

Justice Served for John Mayer's Jawn

2009-12-05T11:17:00.000-08:00

Justice Beats, You've done it again. Just when I thought I was through with sexy Mr. Mayer, you go and breathe new life into his work. ¡Muchisimas Gracias! I am definitely feeling this here track:)

Somber Saturday Fact

2009-12-05T10:54:00.000-08:00

Somewhere on this beautiful planet of ours, Albino's are being hunted to extinction:

“The mistaken belief that albino body parts have magical powers has driven thousands of Africa’s albinos into hiding, fearful of losing their lives and limbs to unscrupulous dealers who can make up to $75,000 selling a complete dismembered set."

I find this to be not only disturbing, but unbelievable. Sadly, this is non-fiction of the most severe order.

Dig Clutch to learn more about this modern-day tragedy, and the IFRC to explore how you can help.

Blog Party!!!

2009-12-04T07:44:00.001-08:00

Looky here - at this point in the game, this is about as festive as it gets pour moi.

Derive a li'l pleasure, if you will, from this double feature of old skool treats:

Happy Friday Party Peoples!!!:)

Non-Sexual Crush: VANITY

2009-12-03T18:00:00.000-08:00

Arguably the coolest & sexiest of Prince's Hotégés was a Canadian sex kitten once known as Vanity, sigh (heeheehee):

It stands to reason that a goil that nasty grew up a to become woman of of the cloth. True, she wasn't much of a dancer, singer, or actress for that matter, but she was a professional model before Prince scooped her up and put her behind a microphone. Yup, eye candy indeed. Nonetheless, Vanity's just one of those ladies I can't help but to admire strictly based on her striking appearance & what we now recognize as swagger - hence my non-sexual school girl crush ;)

Evangelist Denise Matthews ("Halleluyer!!")

A Hole in One, Every Damn Time. They're GRRRREAT!!!!

2009-12-03T07:43:00.000-08:00

Seems like everyone is getting what they want outta the deal: The trophy wife stays paid, The jump-offs get their time to shine, and Tiger gets ass-a-plenty. Hell, it looks like he may even be an equal opportunity employer - as seen below.

Hey, Look Over There!

2009-12-02T19:40:00.000-08:00

No, not at the melting ice sheets and rising sea levels. The scandal, silly rabbit!!

Money Well Spent

2009-12-02T13:54:00.000-08:00

Chiwetel Ejiofor + Thandie Newton + John Cusack + Danny Glover + Oliver Platt + total planetary devastation based on ancient Mayan Calendar = Fabulousness

Spandex To The Rescue!

2009-12-02T11:52:00.000-08:00

Here's a taste:

A group of inspired individuals from across the pond have gone and created Spandex, a comic book that chronicles the adventures of the world’s first team of gay superheroes.
Only in the UK, right? One can only imagine what the public response would be to such ‘gayventures’ here in the US.

In some pretty significant ways, it’s obvious that folks in the UK and certain European citizens have more relaxed attitudes towards homosexuality. Perhaps it’s because they shipped most of their puritanical extremists over to the new world, hence, laying the foundation for what we know as modern day homophobia.....

Stepping back into Spandex, its existence is akin to a sign o’ the times: Its creation and distribution can be viewed as hope for positive change for our down low brethren & sistren, and the world at large....

Click this for the full course.

Classic.

2009-11-30T16:52:00.000-08:00

My hubby put me on to this joint, and it's right the freak up my alley. The image is via a site entitled, But You're Like Really Pretty. The caption of this illustration simply reads: "But You’re Like Really A Crackhead, Amy."

Just a query: What can be implied about our collective mindset when plastic soul fuck-ups and zombies such as these get mad props on a global level? Yeesh. Wake me up when it's ova....

Creepy, right?

2009-11-28T18:41:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across this jawn not too long ago, and have yet to find the proper venue for it, so I figured - fuck it. It's my blog, so I have free reign to post whatever the hell I please. This pic, which I'll call "Lil Kim Through The Years" makes me feel oddly enough like Dr. Spock from Star Trek. Every time I see it, I rub my chin and say aloud: "Fascinating...."

Friends Are Heaven Sent, #1: Mateo

2009-11-26T21:26:00.000-08:00

I had an excellent chat with an old friend of mine who reminded me exactly why friendship is absolutely priceless. Having said that, and sparing you the intimate details of our moving chat, I'd like to share the above posted video that left me that much closer to being incontinent in my latter years. For a number of reasons, I feel some guilt around the fact that the footage brings tears to mine eye, but I have to pass this joint around. For any former ravers, you know the real kicker of the deal is that this is exactly how folks look on the dance floor when the DJ spins that ripe sh*t, minus the church shoes and TJ Maxx clearance rack attire, naturally.

I (always) digress.

During our chat, I also asked Mateo about a track from a mix tape he made for me more than 10 years ago. Ya see, I had since lost that joint, and I have been fiending to hear it for many a moon. Well, I didn't even have to tell him the name of it. I just dropped like maybe 2 hints tops (vague mind you), and he knew exactly what in the freak I was talkin' bout, (Willis).

How often do we take time to appreciate sacred importance of friendship? Friends are people who know you - not "you" but YOU - if you can dig it. They get you, take time to know you and the true beauty is this: If it's a real friend, they like what they see and provide energy that nourishes, not destroys. Lucky for me, I've got my fair share of such loving folks in my life, which I will not hesitate to highlight in the coming days, weeks, months (depending on how often I update this here blog o' mine).

Muchisimas Gracias Amigo Mio XoXo

And yes, if you must know, the jawn in question is titled: Latte & Macaron (DJ Marky Remix). Ahhh, a retired raver's delight :)

Happy Thanksgiving from......

2009-11-26T10:55:00.000-08:00

Arguably the best l'il town in the planet - and most definitely the dopest in the US. Before I gorge you all with my new found Oakland pride, I'd like to simply say: Happy Turkey Day! Now, if you will excuse me, it is time for me to soak up some California sun, and sweet holiday air! Don't touch that freakin' dial (please, heeheehee). I shall return....

Poster via the most fantastic creatives: Oaklandish