H+Mean

H+M has a cool feature on their website which allows you to create an avatar of yourself - your own personal model that lets you judge how the clothes will fit without going to a store and trying them on in real life. The concept reeks of Second Life, but is clever nonetheless. So clever, in fact, that in the up-scale style of most luxury boutiques on Rodeo Drive, this exciting addition to H+M's website goes so far as to smile, snicker, and ward off unfit guests (pun intended). Like the freaks of nature on My Super Sweet 16, I was pretty depressed to realize I would not be trying on any 3D clothes. Apparently a 5'8, 176lbs athletic build is some sort of anomaly. That, or, H+M was kindly telling me not to buy anything online, because nothing from their sweat shops will fit me (which is actually true, whenever I wear H+M I feel like tearing my shirt off like Hulkamania). I guess I won't be able to start shopping at H+M's online store until I stop eating and start passing out in the subway on the 6-Train.
*If you're wondering what's up with the + signs rather than ampersands in H+M, you may find it interesting to note that Blogger does not allow for the use of ampersands, a symbol originally credited to Marcus Tullio Tiro, Cicero's personal secretary of 36 years, and once referred to as the 27th letter of the English alphabet.

Gone Phishing

Behold one of the most ingenious phishing e-mails I have ever received:

ATTENTION: SIR,

MY NAME IS MR.FRANK KOFFI OSEI .I AM THE MANAGER OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL BRANCH BANK GHANA, I AM A GHANAIAN MARRIED WITH TWO KIDS, I NEED A TRUST WORTHY PARTNER TO ASSIST ME IN THE TRANSFER OF (5.5M US DOLLARS) US $STATES DOLLARS. FOR FURTHER INVESTMENT IN YOUR COUNTRY.

YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO.
(1) ASSIST ME IN THE TRANSFER OF THIS SUM TO YOUR BANK ACCOUNT.
(2) ADVISE ON AREAS FOR POTENTIAL FUTURE INVESTMENT IN YOUR COUNTRY.
(3) ASSIST ME IN CARRYING A FEASIBILITY STUDY BEFORE ACTUAL
INVESTMENT. IF YOU DECIDE TO RENDER YOUR SERVICE TO ME IN THIS REGARD,YOU
WILL BE PAID 35%OF THE TOTAL FUNDS FOR ASSISTANCE .REPLY BACK THIS EMAIL IF YOU ARE WILLING TO WORK WITH ME. RESPECTFULLY,

REGARDS,

MR. FRANK KOFFI OSEI.

Thanks, Koffi. Who needs AdSense now? See ya'll in Ghana.

Rippppit... Rippppit...

So, apparently, there is a new way to download music. Another FREE way to download music. And this time the catch is that it's LEGAL. SpiralFrog.com serves up music for download at no cost, rerouting money the website earns from selling space for advertising towards the music labels. If you thought those Budweiser frogs could sell advertising, swing by and lick this kinky toad's stomach. You spend time downloading, you look at the ads, the music labels get paid, and everyone is happy. Advertising at its best.

*UPDATE*
Ryan Adams: so that spiralfrog is pretty cool, there were some things i didn't really like
Ryan Adams: one being how you have to renew your membership every 30 days
Ryan Adams: if you don't on day 31 you can't dl anymore and your music will only be playable for the next 31 days
Ryan Adams: on if you haven't renewed after day 61 the song's liscences are expired
Ryan Adams: if you, however, renew at anytime after those 61 days, the songs get renewed as well
Ryan Adams: these song's are not compatible with ipods
Ryan Adams: they're all wma's
Ryan Adams: and the dl manager that you have to install is only for windows comps
Ryan Adams: i guess one could try to convert the files, but that might fuck with the DRM liscences on the songs
Ryan Adams: argh....so many steps for legit music

In the wise words of Professor Idson, EC101: there is no such thing as a free lunch.

Leave it alone...

While watching the movie Beer League the other night I began to wonder why the movie was so damn good. I suspected the plethora of New Jersey geographical and cultural references of having something to do with the movie's sickness. Thanks to Pat Costello, a native Bayonne resident, here is proof that Artie Lang and New Jersey make a killer combination. Turns out Artie is Bayonne royalty: http://www.break.com/index/artie_lange_bayonne_watch.html

We're back. All right.

I'm back. Timbaland said best - I shouldn't have left you. But since I already said it like that (see July 2006), there is only one other way to express my feelings of apology, excitement and enthusiasm: showing you the cover of the Backstreet Boy's 1997 follow-up to their successful, self-titled international debut, Backstreet's Back.


The last time I looked at this page it was more than a year ago. A lot has happened in that year... a lot. And had I been keeping up with my posts, or had any sense of memory, or any sense, or AdSense (love ya Googs), I would remember most of that year. No dice. Whatever. Pretty soon Britney won't remember much of anything. Except where she got that sweet, new Domino's Oreo pizza mustache.

So the page is back. And better than ever. Why? you ask. Because the posts that began as a documentation of my life abroad (for my family and friends) will no longer be limited to my life abroad. Truth be told, I am not a brawd. I'm a dude. With the belly-rub of a Treasure Troll and a little good luck, I will be assisted by another contributing writer, Alan Moore. He's the man. He's the man, and I know how badly he wants to post. And I also know how badly people want him to post. The less e-mail in their inbox - the better.

From here on in, posts will concern completely random, remotely interesting instances of life. Posts may retell events that take place in my life, or the Lives of Others (Note: these posts will be written entirely in German).

And, please, criticize me. I love nothing more than unintelligent comments. Thanks.

xoxo gossip girl