MyTunes Monday: Invisible Light (NSFW)

Besides this not being safe for work, Scissor Sisters videos are pretty trippy. Just a warning. ENJOY!!!

Making this song even better: Ian McKellan's voice makes a guest appearance.

Also, you don't see him in this video, but the lead singer (Jake Shears) is a total hottie.

Photo Funnies: Furry Ninja

This may be the last thing you see before you die:

Who's the Fairest of Them All?

Obviously, today being what it is, my first post today was quite the downer. So let's have some fun. In my wanderings through the internet this morning, I came across this article from the Wall Street Journal which was posted in September 8, the day the football season started talking about the relative attractiveness of NFL teams. It was actually pretty interesting, especially given the lack of actual photos (I decided to add a few).

The NFL's Best Looking Team
By: Reed Albergotti

Obligatory Green Bay pic - QB Aaron Rodgers

Trying to predict the outcome of the NFL season has always been one of the great fool's errands in sports. This year, however, it's just plain foolish. 

A summer labor squabble, which led to a vast reshuffling of personnel and a truncated off season, has knocked the whole league off its axis. Rookies who just got their playbooks are about to be ordered onto the field to execute plays.

So rather than trying to predict the season's outcome, why not focus on another sort of ranking? Since the NFL's opening game between Green Bay and New Orleans Thursday coincides perfectly with the start of Fashion Week here in New York, we've decided to explore a vaguely related question: Which NFL team is the handsomest?

At the Journal's request, researchers at Ursinus College in Pennsylvania analyzed the facial structure of a sampling of 320 NFL starters (five offensive and five defensive players from each team). They also threw in two of the most photographed personalities on any team, the owner and the head coach. 

To measure each subject's attractiveness, the researchers analyzed their photograph with a computer program that measures facial symmetry, or how closely the two halves of a person's face match up. Research suggests this is a reliable measure of how attractive a person is perceived to be. It also suggests that looks are a fair predictor of a person's career success. A 1994 study found that more-attractive "symmetrical" people are paid about 5% more than the average person while more homely "asymmetrical" people earn up to 10% less.

To be clear, we're not saying there's any proven connection between winning football teams and good looks. If anything, it may be an inverse relationship: Teams with particularly attractive players might be guilty of favoring people who are more presentable than talented. Jennifer VanGilder, a professor of business economics at Ursinus who oversaw the research, said the lure of hiring pretty faces is unconscious. "People are drawn to more symmetrical objects."

So who wins the NFL's beauty pageant?

The most attractive sample of players, with an average facial symmetry rating of 99.47, was one of the worst teams in the league: the Buffalo Bills. Their record last season was a woeful 4-12. The least attractive team was the Kansas City Chiefs, a group that won its division last season and made it to the playoffs. 

LaDanian Tomlinson - New York Jets Running Back

The striking thing about the research, though, isn't the difference in attractiveness between teams. It's the fact that the vast majority of NFL players rank 10% higher in facial symmetry than the average Joe. They also seem to be better looking than other athletes. VanGilder also measured the NBA's All-Star team and found it was less attractive than our sample of NFL players. 

Another surprising finding: NFL quarterbacks aren't the most attractive players. According to this sample, the most attractive position in the NFL is the kicker. The symmetry score for kickers beat the score for quarterbacks by .16%. 

The least attractive position of the ones we studied was wide receiver. But with a score of 97.04, these men were still vastly more attractive than average people (who score in the high 80s), VanGilder said.

Even NFL owners and head coaches are extremely good-looking. In fact, as a group, they are more attractive than our sampling of defensive ends and linebackers, safeties, cornerbacks, running backs and wide receivers. Facial symmetry does not change with age, which is why 59-year-old Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey is more attractive than many players. "My wife will be shocked," said Mr. Gailey, through a team spokesman. 

All this may be good news for the NFL, which has embraced outlets like social media, which give players more of a public profile, and has seen its players make star turns on shows like HBO's "Hard Knocks" and ABC's "Dancing With the Stars." The league has also been reaching out to female fans for years. 

A sampling of some of the greatest NFL teams in history shows that the NFL is becoming more attractive. The famously undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins, the 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1985 Chicago Bears and 1989 San Francisco 49ers would all rank near the bottom compared to current NFL teams. If the 1992 Dallas Cowboys played today, they would only rank No. 24. 

Mark Sanchez - New York Jets Quarter Back

Facial symmetry is by no means a perfect gauge of attractiveness. Mark Sanchez, quarterback for the New York Jets, isn't the most symmetrical player in the NFL, but he seems to get the most magazine spreads. 

And in case you're wondering: New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (98.52) is about .5% less attractive than his wife, the Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen (98.99%).

Apparently, according to this article, my taste in football players tends to run counter to what is "attractive." I think I'm okay with that.

Cross Current: Into the Storm

During my first semester of university, there were two days a week where I only had one class which did not start until 2pm. On one of these days, I decided to sleep in a little. When I got up that day, I went down the hall of my dorm to take a shower. As I walked down the hall, I noticed that everyone's doors were open and every television was on. I didn't exactly notice what was on because I tend to walk fast, but I noticed on one of the T.V's rising smoke coming from a building. For whatever reason, I thought it was some channel showing footage of the aftermath of the 1993 bombing in the World Trade Center. I didn't really get why anyone would be showing that, so I didn't think to much of. After the shower, I got back to my room and turned on my television and turned to a news channel. This was nothing special, it was pretty much my morning ritual (and still is). It was not until this point that I actually started to get some grasp of what was going on. Like pretty much everyone in this country and many around the world, I was glued to the television the rest of the day. My roommate was from Maryland and his dad worked in or near Washington D.C. and was frantically trying to get a hold of him.

I know a lot of people remember everything that happened that day; where they went, who they talked to, what they ate, everything. Someone I work with told me he remembered what he was wearing, and that he had not worn it since then. I on the other hand don't remember much. It is an enormous haze. It was too big for me to wrap my mind around until much later.

 

I believe it was the weekend a few days later that I was with some people and there was a guy there who was of Middle Eastern descent. I remember him saying something to the extent of he and people like him here in the States were in for a rough time. I felt incredibly bad for him knowing, like I had looked into a crystal ball, that he was unfortunately correct. An immense amount of Islamophobia has arisen since that day.

It is strange to think that this is what people went through 60 years before when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Knowing that the world you had known had changed. For better or for worse, it was gone for good. The past ten years in retrospect have seemed very dark. Thousand of lives lost that one day followed by more bloodshed. Fear at the mere mention of unattended luggage or suspicious boxes at an airport. Security measures that border, and sometimes cross into, loss of civil liberties. These things practically never existed in my childhood. Now these things are the new "normal."

That day changed everything, and most of it has not been for the better.

The Men of the Gridiron

Today marks the beginning of football season. Even though I genuinely love watching football for the hard hits, masterful plays, and the on-field drama, let's face facts. Some of these guys are absolutely hot. The league is awash with some beautiful specimens. So, in honour of of the season starting today, I thought I would show you some my personal favourite gentlemen of the NFL.

In addition to playing wide receiver in Minnesota, Eric Decker also played baseball before joining the Denver Broncos. He also won the "King of the Hardwood" competition in 2011.

There has been some drama surrounding Reggie Bush. A career that started great (including a Super Bowl win with the New Orleans Saints in the 2009-2010 season) gave way to lesser production (though I think there was an injury in there) over the last two years. He is currently playing with the Miami Dolphins. I can forgive him for all of that. Him having dated a Kardashian (Kim) however, that will take time.

A former teammate of Bush is franchise quarterback Drew Brees. Adding to the hotness factor is the fact that he has done an anti-bullying PSA (not specifically anti-gay bullying for the record).

Honestly, I don't know much about Wes Welker. I know he plays for the New England Patriots, I know he is a wide receiver, and I know those eyes are gorgeous (I have stated before that eyes are my weakness).

Adrian Peterson, wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings, has a beautiful smile to go with the rest of that body (I decided to go conservative with his picture but Google him). It's enough to allow me to forgive him for playing for one of my team's division rivals. 

And last but DEFINITELY not least...

Clay "Clay-Maker" Matthews III. Of course this list would not have been complete without a member of my favourite NFL, the Green Bay Packers. I could gush and gush about this guy: not just the looks, but also how great he has been at the outside linebacker position and what he has brought to the team, including helping them get to and win this past Super Bowl. I'm in need of a new Green Bay jersey and #52 is definitely one of my possible picks.

Speaking of the Green Bay Packers, they will be playing tonight at Lambeau Field in tonight's season opening game against the New Orleans Saints (i.e. the previous two Super Bowl champs are gonna rumble). I have made my plans and will be wearing the green and gold of the Packers. I haven't been this excited for anything since the last Super Bowl. Defending the title starts tonight.

GO PACK GO!!!

Weekend Update: Sunday Funday!!! Part Two

The rest of the night (though it was only 6 or 7 by this time) is a bit blurry.

So we got back to Awful Arthurs a few minutes later and met up with some people who were there already. Not much happened while we were there, a couple of pool games and more drinking. We eventually headed to another bar called Sharkey's (this is a lot of bars for a Sunday).

There a lot of people there that I had not seen in quite some time. People that I had partied with or worked with in years past. Some of them had moved away and were in town for the weekend (the season-opening football game was this weekend). I ended up getting a picture with us (which I unfortunately can't find now or I would post it here) and tried to send it to a guy I know in Wilmington, N.C that we all know. I did manage to send him a text message saying we were hanging out and it was his kind of gathering (he is very much a social creature, always up for lots of people and lots of drinks).

Seriously, they could be twins.

Some time while I was with these guys, the people I had gotten there with had taken off. Luckily I could pretty much guess where they went (a bar called Champs), so I went over there. There was this guy there who I had hung out with a time or two and we have mutual friends. When I first saw him this night though, I was a bit taken aback (the alcohol probably didn't help). The night we first met some months ago, several of us were headed out of the bar after last call. I leaned over to a friend of mine and was telling her that I thought this guy was really hot (think Brody Jenner). I thought while saying this that I was out of earshot from him. I wasn't, judging by the look on his face when I turned my head. So much for discretion I suppose. 

Anyway back to the present. He was downstairs helping someone (who may or may not have been his girlfriend) with some homework on a laptop. Much of the time at Champs that I remember was probably spent down there talking with them about...stuff. I won't say that I blacked out, that's too strong a phrase. I definitely browned out though. I remember trying to go up the steps and not doing so very gracefully. I had to get a bandage for my left middle toe and my nail on my right big toe was fairly shredded. At some point, I decided it was time to go home and I made the 1.5 mile trek.

I had planned on getting a lot of stuff done on Monday. Almost none of it actually got done except for laundry and a small grocery trip. I spent the day in Hangover City. Despite sleeping in until almost noon, I had to take what ended up being a 2-hour nap from 3-5, which of course ruined my sleep schedule because I didn't get to sleep that night until after 3am. Then I had to get up at 8 this morning to get ready for work and start doing the stuff that was supposed to get done yesterday.

Totally worth it though. Sunday was a good day.

Weekend Update: Sunday Funday!!! Part One

He looked kind of like this.

Work pretty much sucked this weekend. I was there for what seemed like really long hours (after 11pm on Friday and Saturday), and was there really early on Sunday which ended up being a shit-show. The highlight of that day (work-wise) was that this guy came in who used to live across the car park from me (I'm not sure he still does). This guy was super cute. ----------------------------->

I could stare at him all day long...except for the whole being really creepy thing. 

I was out of work by 2pm. I was about to head home when one of the girls I work with who had left earlier that day called me to meet her and her boyfriend (who used to work with us) at Awful Arthurs. It was pretty much just across the street so, even despite me REALLY wanting to take a shower, I went there. I drank that first Long Island Iced Tea like a champ and got another one which I drank much more slowly (I had no intention of ending up blackout drunk). I was there with them for about an hour and a half before I headed home for a little bit before coming back downtown. I just really needed to take a shower and change clothes. 

So about an hour later, I met back with them and someone else at a place called Cabo. The girl we were with was pretty wasted by this time. Apparently in my absence, they were crossing the street or something and she was yelling at some guy who ended up getting out of the car and they had to scurry away. I never really got the whole story but she ran away thinking the guy was a cop...because that is what her boyfriend had made her believe. During the course of another conversation while we were at Cabo, the other guy who was with us mentioned that a lot of his friends were gay guys and he was wondering why that was. I almost gave him an honest answer (which would be that he is pretty hot) but luckily I wasn't anywhere near drunk enough to be that candid. A better answer would have been "You have so many gay friends because you're a lucky sonofabitch." Eventually the girl had to be taken home because she was very drunk, so the other guy and myself headed back to Awful Arthurs

MyTunes Monday: Parisienne Walkways

 The first time I heard this song was actually from watching figure skating.

Off the Radar

I was at work Friday night and there was also a new guy working. This was only the second time that we were both in the building at the same time (I don't even remember his name off hand). Anyway, in the course of a conversation, he was told by the manager on duty that I'm gay. Apparently, he was surprised.

This isn't the first time that this has happened. Many people that I have known over the years - friends, co-workers, whatever - find out that I'm not on their team and are surprised. The thing is that their surprise surprises me. I guess I'm just so used to being gay and the idea of being gay at this point that I feel like I just give it off enough that people know without me saying so. There is also the fact that I make a lot of comments or jokes that most straight guys may be inclined not to say so as not to seem gay. Then again, I guess those around me are not always wondering who is gay and who is not. And why would they?

Not my most well-formed of posts but I was at work for over 8 hours today and I'll be back in less than 7.5 hours. My brain isn't functioning. Good night all.

IT'S GAME DAY!!!

LET'S GO HOKIES!!!