TresSugar

The Summer Olympics: Now a Stage Show!

GiggleSugar — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 14:00:00 -0800

We've seen special effects done live on stage before, but this compilation of Summer Olympic highlights is out of control. Only one person is visible throughout the entire performance, but there's a total of nine peeps on stage. They work together and flawlessly pull off one hellavuh human stage show. Need I mention that this is straight outta Japan? Surprise, surprise.

Thanks, Japan Probe!

Good Times: Special Effects Done Live!

GiggleSugar — Thu, 17 May 2007 11:00:00 -0700

Japanese television always has a plethora of insane and useless antics on display, but this-- this is just downright cool. Only two people are visible in the following performance, but I've counted up to ten on stage at once. They all work seamlessly together to create a less than romantic dinner scene where everything is tossed and turned upside down- boyfriend not excluded. The War Of The Roses has nothin' on this couple!

Legendary Comic Book Artist Takes On the Book of Genesis

TresSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:14:40 -0700

Widely regarded as the father of underground comics, the famously T & A-obsessed R. Crumb surprised many by deciding to take on the first book of the Bible, the Book of Genesis.

How to reconcile the sacred with the profane? The Book of Genesis Illustrated, which contains all 50 chapters, comes with a warning: "Adult Supervision Recommended For Minors." And it's not because R. Crumb changes or adds words to the original, but rather because his art graphically depicts what he calls the the Book of Genesis's inherent violence:

"[It's about] ruling elites, victimizing people in sadistic ways, which is human beings at their nastiest. They have power over others, and they derive pleasure from inflecting pain on other humans. That's about as nasty as people get."

Crumb's French publisher, Jean-Luc Fromental, thought Crumb might be able to achieve an interpretation of Genesis only through "blasphemy." Now? He thinks that he was trying to "[r]eread the whole text from a humanistic point of view . . ."

In a press conference for The Book of Genesis Illustrated, Crumb said that although he "seeks knowledge" of God and believes that there is a force ruling us, we can't ever truly understand it. As for regarding the Bible as a sacred truth? He thinks it's crazy, adding, "But the human race is crazy if nothing else." (If you're interested in R. Crumb, check out the amazing documentary about him and his crazy family, titled, simply enough, Crumb.)

Live Art Lights Up London

TresSugar — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:00:41 -0700

Today "One & Other" - a living monument in Trafalgar Square, London - kicked off. Sculptor Anthony Gormley invited everyday people to occupy the empty Fourth Plinth in the square, a location usually reserved for statues of kings and generals. For 24 hours a day, for 100 days straight, different people will stand on the Plinth for an hour each in an image of themselves or as a representation of all of humanity.

The artist said: "this elevation of everyday life to the position formerly occupied by monumental art allows us to reflect on the diversity, vulnerability and particularity of the individual in contemporary society. It could be tragic but it could also be funny."

The first of the participants, who were chosen by random, took turns at the post today. Check out some of the living art!

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The Obamas Host a Poetry Slam

TresSugar — Wed, 13 May 2009 11:05:00 -0700

Last night the first couple, students from Washington DC universities, and performers like James Earl Jones gathered for an evening of poetry, music, and the spoken word. Whitehouse.gov explained that the event was designed to show how dialogue is important in every aspect of who we are as Americans and as human beings.

The busy Obama administration is making time for a little culture. Yesterday 50 grassroot community art groups gathered at the White House to discuss opportunities available through the federal government. Obama's so-called "hipster in chief," Yosi Sergant, said the meeting demonstrated the president's commitment to both art and community organizing.

To see more photos from last night, read more.

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Ask a Bad Boy: Why Do Taken Men Still Flirt With Single Women?

DearSugar — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 09:00:00 -0800

Steve Santagati, of BadBoysFinishFirst.com and author of the best-selling book The Manual, answers your burning questions when it comes to dating, love, and how men think. He's a veteran at giving street-smart, straight-to-the-point advice, so ladies, tell me, what do you want to ask Steve about men? This is your chance to get answers so don't hold back! Submit your questions here.

Dear Steve,

I can't tell you how many times I've been out some place - like a bar or a restaurant - and I'll find out the guy that's been flirting with me and my girls is either married or in a relationship, what's up with that? Why do they even bother if they can't "swing through the ball" - so to speak? I feel like I need to preface every conversation I have with a man with "wait, do you have a girlfriend?" - Perplexed Penelope

To see Steve's answer read more

Dear Perplexed Penelope,

This question makes me laugh. The longer I live, the more I realize how similar men and women truly are. Boys and Girls may go about things differently and often appear to speak different languages, but in the end, we have more similarities in what we like and don't like than differences. After all, we're both human and us "beings" are almost identical. That's super good news - if you're paying attention. Moreover, women are the founding fathers - errr mothers - of the "tease" and isn't a man flirting - yet unavailable - just being a tease? You know, like when a girl walks into a bar flaunting major cleavage, a super short skirt, and playing with her hair yet doesn't have the slightest intention of having sex with any of us. Isn't Flirt Boy just doing what women have done for hundreds of years?

Teasing is one of the things men and women differ in; men can tease you by pulling your hair, but women tease on a much more visceral level, right down to the loins. Men don't tease. If we weren't so horny all the time maybe we would, but we are so we can't. Teasing implies we could actually "hold out" if you showed us you wanted to have sex. Very few of us can.

The Male Facts when it comes to flirting while in a relationship:

We do it because we enjoy the art of flirting
We do it because we're smart and know you have to keep the engine warm in case things fall apart with the current flame.
It's an ego boost when women respond
It helps us have a reality check to make sure "we still got it".
It's naughty and mischievous (obsessions any man, worth his salt, will not lose with age). It's like playing with fire because we know we have to be loyal, but it allows us to fantasize with the "what if".

The Female Solution:

Don't just talk to a man because you want a man. That's too cut and dry. Talk to him because you want to enjoy the person, enjoy the opposite sex, learn something that you can utilize when the right one comes along - Stop boyfriend/husband hunting.
See how far you can push Mr. Committed into crossing the line. It's not nice but you'll learn a lot about how good your game is and you'll be one step closer to understanding why bad girls finish first!
Enjoy the fact that you can do something us guys can't; tease. Teasing is one of those things that can define a woman; but just the right amount of sexy, too much and she's classless. The girls of Hooters have it down to a science.
Realize it's a cruel joke that most of the people we'll find ourselves attracted to will be taken. That's life. But I said it's a "joke" and jokes are meant to be laughed at, not cause anxiety.

Check out his Bad Girls Finish First tee shirts and, for individual attention, visit Steve at BadBoysFinishFirst.com or email him at askstevesantagati@gmail.com

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Giggle Links

GiggleSugar — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:00:00 -0700

Kinda creepy. Kinda cool. The Human Calendar. - The Human Calendar
The 10 worst #1 hits of the past ten years. - Comedy.com
If your last girlfriend had an IMDB.com page. - Cracked
Interested in what Art Garfunkel has been reading for the past couple decades? Of course you are. - Art Garfunkel
What a fab way to waste time: Jigsaw puzzles online. - Jig Zone
Wanna be Kanye now? Of course you do! - Be Kanye Now
Caught on camera! The Jersey Shore mating ritual. - Best Week Ever
Is Jamie Lynn's baby waaaaasted? - Holy Taco

Not Just For Kids! Would You Join a Huge Adult Playdate?

CitizenSugar — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 11:00:24 -0700

London is gearing up for the Hide and Seek Festival, held on June 27 and 28. Encompassing everything from flashmob games to location-based art installations, it's for kids - and very big kids at heart alike. It's designed to celebrate the social joys of art and games, so you can just show up and join in though some require a reservation.

If you're wondering what the heck a flashmob is - or if group pranks are more your style, New York magazine had this feature on the group Improv Everywhere. The "public scene making" collective stages elaborate stunts, like the Grand Central Station "freeze" below, and my personal favorite "everybody show up at a Best Buy wearing khakis and a blue polo."

The group has accomplished over 70 “missions,” including the annual No-Pants subway ride that last year got 900 people pantsless. How to play? The group's leader has a 13,000-person mailing list, and would-be participants get an email outlining the general facts and asking for an RSVP.

Why would someone participate in a group playdate like this? Improv Everywhere's founder says, “someone once told me, ‘What you’re doing is giving other people anecdotes. You don’t regularly see things in New York that make you go, ‘Wow, that’s awesome.’ You don’t see humans interacting in a way that takes you off guard and makes you smile.”

That's a good enough argument for me. Would you play along?

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World War II Vet Fights Off Robber - Veterans in the News

CitizenSugar — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 08:02:26 -0700

Not just because my own personal WW II vet will be 90 on Monday, I've been thinking about not only the people, but the history that's leaving us at a rate of over 1,000 a day. They're not Spring chickens anymore, and that's what makes these stories of WW II vets in the news so striking.

When a young man knocked on the door of WW II vet Art Iwasaki looking for school donations, Iwasaki had no idea he'd wind up 15 minutes later with a gun pointed to his face. The young man was back and demanding money. Iwasaki feigned deafness pointing to his hearing aids and told the kid to write it down. Stalling until he could shout to get his daughter's attention (who was upstairs working) the robber was caught off guard. While the robber's attention was on Iwasaki's daughter, Iwasaki picked up his bamboo cane and brandished it at the robber, pushing him out the door.

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The bravery is nothing new for this vet: he served in the most decorated Army infantry group in US history.

Unfortunately those decorations can also be prime targets for thieves. To see how, and the powerful kindness of strangers, read more.

In Australia, thieves posing as carpenters gained access to the home of an 86-year-old vet - three weeks later he realized the carpenters were thieves who'd taken his war medals. Police say it's one of several similar crimes to happen in the area.

But some are opening their own homes to help this burnished generation. When 89-year-old vet John Martinek lost his home to a fire in April, he'd been living in a camper pickup behind his house and washing up at the McDonald's - until a virtual stranger, Lidia Perez, invited him to live in the back bedroom of her Habitat for Humanity House. Martinek gets $550 a month to live on, and he and Perez are having a yard sale to raise money.

There are charities that help World War II Veterans and help to preserve their history - and they can use your help. The American Veterans Center works to document the history of the "Greatest Generation" through the collection of first-hand accounts, and Honor Flight brings those vets to the memorial built just for them.

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HIV Positive Outsiders Banned From America

LibertySugar — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:00:40 -0700

People living with HIV are banned from traveling to twelve countries, including Armenia, Colombia, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Sudan, the United States and Yemen.

China just lifted its ban, as a result of pre-Olympic human rights pressure. Yesterday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon urged these nations to change their immigration laws - which "uphold stigma and discrimination" - during a major summit on HIV/AIDS.

Andrew Sullivan forcefully advocated for a removal of the discriminatory ban, in a recent Washington Post op-ed. He pointed out that not even leprosy or tuberculosis is considered grounds for inadmissibility to the US. Sullivan wrote about 1993, when Congress wrote the ban into law:

It was when I, a legal immigrant, became infected. With great lawyers, a rare O visa (granted to individuals in the arts and sciences), a government-granted HIV waiver and thousands of dollars in legal fees, I have managed to stay in the United States. Nonetheless, because I am HIV-positive, I am not eligible to become a permanent resident.

Sullivan, a conservative political commentator, explained that every year he must leave the country to reapply for the waiver. Even though he has lived in and paid taxes to the US for almost 25 years, he and his family must face the insecurity that he may not be allowed back. For further discussion, read more.

Since there are already Americans living with HIV, it is unnecessary to "quarantine" this country. In addition, every visitor or immigrant is required to provide private health insurance for 10 years after being admitted. Sullivan notes that tax dollars contributed by qualified HIV-admitees would outdo any cost.

As an American, it's always eye opening to examine the face my country presents to outsiders. What does this ban say about America? What does it say to fellow-Americans already living with HIV, when we make their condition the only medical condition that legally prevents someone from stepping foot in our country?

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