Favorite hangout bars

Where do you just chill and drink?

Sometimes you just want to go to your neighborhood bar, or a bar just down the street from where you work - a place to relax and have a few drinks. A hangout bar.

I used to go to the Cave, a great little bar in the Highland Park area of Los Angeles pictured on the left. Unfortunately, every time I stumbled out of that joint - and I always stumbled out - I wished I hadn't drank so much, but that's the CAVE, especially if you arrive early. Still, if ever in the area, this is a place worth checking out.

These days my hangout bar is the 35er in Old Towne Pasadena, especially on Fridays. It's just a for some good conversation and cool bartenders. So, if you check the place out, tell Bobby I sent you.

Rate your favorite hangout bars

Halloween: No treats, just tricks?

Someone else for a day?

What does Halloween mean?

Many schools have scaled back Halloween celebrations. Few people even trick-or-treat in my neighborhood anymore. Yet, many adults I know seem more excited about Halloween than most kids.

What's up?

Rate Halloween: About trick-or-treating or a day to freely act like an idiot?

Victoria's Secret and the "slutification of America"?

Is American culture creating "Lolitas-in-training with lollipops"

I just finished reading the Karen Heller article Naughty - and definitely not nice about the "slutification of America". As an example of that slutification, Heller points to these Victoria Secret dress-up dolls that are part of the Pink line.

Is there anything wrong with these dolls? Do these dolls represent everything that is wrong with American culture?

Rate the 'slutification of America': Is it real, an exaggeration, the end of puritanism?

Picture proves Bigfoot is real?

Bigfoot or a bear?

Seeking deer pictures, hunter Rick Jacobs got a picture of this long-legged creature using a camera with an automatic trigger according to the AP.

Some call it a juvenile sasquatch, others just a mange bear.

Rate bigfoot: Real or not?

Tonight Show: Leno versus O'Brien

Jay out, Conan in

In 2009, Conan O'Brien will replace Jay Leno as the host for the Tonight Show. Do you care?

Now that rumors indicate that Jay would like to stay on as the host, should NBC keep him. Would Conan be a better host than Jay.

Rate Jay Leno versus Conan O'Brien: Who would be a better Tonight Show Host?

Do you care about movie accents?

Forget the accent?

Kevin Costner, Liam Neeson, Forest Whitaker, Winona Ryder, Tim Robbins, Uma Thurman, Gary Oldman, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, and Dick Van Dyke. What do they all have in common? These actors makes up the 10 all-time worst movie accents.

Ouch! Those are some big names, which makes me wonder, if some of Hollywood's biggest names act out some of the worst movie accents, do moviegoers really care about movie character accents?

Rate movie accents: How important is it?

Bambi: One of the top horror movies ever?

The death scenes in Bambi too horrifying?

TIME is running a special feature on the Top 25 Horror Movies of all Time. Obviously, cool movies, such as Halloween and Carrie are on the list. Shaun of the Dead takes the top spot, which surprised me a bit, although I really liked the movie. Still, the most surprising horror movie: Bambi.

Rate your favorite horror movies. Also, does Bambi belong on this list?

Would you have a funeral in your home?

Green funerals are growing in popularity

There is a move in the U.S. towards more simple funerals. Wood caskets. No embalming. No chemicals. Just a natural dust-to-dust death.

Besides, funerals are expensive and, in the end, do they really help with closure, or do they just line the pockets of funeral home directors?

"The home funeral is part of an emerging trend that some believe will change the way Americans deal with death........called "green" funerals because they avoid preservative chemicals and steel and concrete tombs, all designed to keep a body from decomposing naturally." (more)

Rate green funerals: Would you do it?

Banks and customer service: Tell the ATM

Your banks customer service rep?

"Big banks and the feds are working to throw an $80 billion lifeline to companies holding bad loans. But no one seems interested in rescuing families who need just a little help," writes Jim Jubak on MSN.

"Banks to customers: Drop dead!!"

Now that's good customer service. Is this representative of the customer service that most banks are regularly providing?

Rate your bank and customer service.

Is the NBA rigged for stars like LeBron

Is LeBron James the new darling of the NBA?

Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James. What do they all have in common? Each has been a darling of the NBA - a marketing vehicle to increased revenue.

Does the NBA give these players and their teams an unfair advantage?

"I still don't think they (Cavaliers) beat us, we beat ourselves," Rasheed Wallace said. "And I think we also fell victim to that personal NBA thing where they are trying to make it a world game and get (television) ratings. They wanted to put their darling in there (the NBA Finals) and they did, and look what ended up happening.

"This game ain't basketball anymore, it's entertainment," Wallace said. "It's starting to get like the WWF. There ain't no real wrestling anymore either. It's all fake."

Rate the NBA: Is the NBA more about entertainment than competitive basketball?

Is dating just a game?

What's your next move?

Last night I was reading the article, You asked....What's with the Runaround? Essentially, a guy is seeking some dating advice for how to approach a girl whom is giving mixed signals. Shocking!

Sound familiar? Yes means no. No means yes. Women are from Mars and men from Venus.

Are we playing dating games? Is it just the difference between how men and women think? Is it a combination of both games and personality differences? Do we play games out of insecurity or for fun?

Rate dating: Is it all just fun and games?

Was 9/11 a conspiracy?

The government did it?

During a recent Bill Clinton speech, hecklers disrupted the gathering shouting out that 9/11 was inside job.

"An inside job? How dare you. How dare you. It was not an inside job," Clinton said. "You guys have got to be careful, you're going to give Minnesota a bad reputation."

Thanks, Bill.

Personally, I'm so tired of these people. Such accusations require undeniable evidence, none-of-which exists.

Rate believers of a 9/11 conspiracy: Wackos, a-holes, morons, etc?

Should online poker be legalized?

Is a poker a skill, sort of like a sport?

"About 100 members from the nonprofit Poker Players Alliance -- including poker stars Howard Lederer, Annie Duke, Chad Brown and Vanessa Rousso -- were in Washington this week to raise the stakes and push legislative proposals that would ease federal restrictions on Internet poker." (more)

Advocates for legalizing online poker claim that poker is a skill game, not just luck-driven gambling. What do you think?

Rate poker: Should online poker be legalized?

How stressed are you?

Can't sleep? Over-eating and over-drinking?

A new study suggests that Americans are stressed out, with 48% of Americans claiming to be more stressed today than 5 years ago. Money and work, the study indicates, are our biggest worries.

The stress is so bad we can't sleep. We're over-eating, hitting the bottle harder than over and cancelling those trips to the gym.

Now I gotta go get a drink. Cheers!

Rate your stress: Is it getting worse?

Hypocrite - Red Sox-Loving Rudy Giuliani?

Just a typical political poser?

"I'm a Yankee fan," Rudy Giuliani replied last summer. "I always believe it's a sign of my being straight with people, about not wanting to fool them, that I was one of the first mayors to be willing to say I was a Yankee fan."

He went on to say he had "great respect" for true Red Sox fans, but as for becoming a Red Sox cheerleader in a Devil's bargain, "Probably that's a deal I could not make," he said.

What? Politicians are hypocrites? Say it isn't so?

Rate Rudy: Hypocrite or American League fan.

Can you save money on your real estate's mortgage costs?

Focus on your origination fees

So, you just signed a contract with your real estate agent to close on a new house, but you're worried about closing costs, right? Don't let your mortgage broker rip you off.

You can save money on your closing costs (more).

Rate your closing costs: Were you able to negotiate?

Are politicians the worst Americans?

If only politicians were as honest and loyal as dogs!

I can't stand politico-types on either the far left or the far right, and I especially can't stand most politicians. Everything is always politics. Everything, no matter how unrelated is always somehow the fault of the other side. Both sides have become so provincially ignorant that, quite honestly, America would be better without them.

So, now let me tell you how I really feel. Seriously, though, isn't America supposed to be the convergence of differing opinions?

Rate politicians: Are they the worst Americans?

Should America kick start the hydrogen highway?

The GM Equinox Fuel Cell Vehicle is the real deal

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan could end up costing America a couple of trillion dollars. That's right, I said trillion.

And, let's be honest. Foreign oil dependence has largely controlled America's Middle East foreign policy for decades, and that foreign policy has made the US enemy number one to Islamic extremists.

So, how do we get off oil?

According to GM, just $15 billion could kick start the hydrogen economy by funding the hydrogen highway. But is the hydrogen economy a farce or a real possibility?

Rate the hydrogen highway: Considering the costs of foreign oil dependency, is $15 billion a worthy investment?

SoCal fires caused by terrorists?

Is al-Qaeda involved?

Back in 2003, "the FBI alerted law enforcement agencies........that an al-Qaeda terrorist now in detention had talked of masterminding a plot to set a series of devastating forest fires around the western United States."

This has some believing that all the fires in Southern California were not completely the act of nature. What do you think?

Rate al-Qaeda: Do you think they could have been involved with the SoCal fires?

Open Houses: The best way to sell real estate?

Just for lookers or buyers?

In Britain open houses haven't been very common, but real estate agents in Britain have found that open houses are one of the best ways to move real estate, especially in a slow market.

Unfortunately, open houses also bring out criminals, so open houses require careful consideration, particularly on the part of sellers. Thus, everything of value must be out of hand's reach.

Rate open houses: Have they worked for you or have they led to theft?

Is your girlfriend this twisted?

Click the arrow to watch this crazy girlfriend



Gotcha!

Rate this video: Funny, stupid

Hogwarts headmaster is gay? Does it matter?

Do fans really care?

Since J.K. Rowling announced that Harry Potter character Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, was gay, the blogosphere has been buzzing.

I say, whatever.

Rate the Harry Potter series: Does it matter that Dumbledore is gay?

Sell your mutual funds - NOW!??

No longer a good investment

"No, I'm not kidding. That's the advice one of America's biggest financial advisers is telling his clients about "the lies that are placing your financial security in jeopardy."Who's lying? Everyone involved with mutual funds, says Ric Edelman in his new book "The Lies About Money: Achieving Financial Security and True Wealth by Avoiding the Lies Others Tell Us, and the Lies We Tell Ourselves." (more)

What's your financial advisor telling you?

Rate mutual funds: Are they still a good investment?

Is your mortgage broker ripping you off?

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is

You might have already been ripped off by your mortgage broker when he or she advised you into an ARM mortgage. So, now that your rate has reset, you realize you need a fixed rate. Or, perhaps, you are missing payments, and someone is offering to help.

Watch out warns Jim Jubak. There are a lot of mortgage scams out there right now. See the video.

Rate your mortgage broker: Were sold a bad loan, or were you misled in some other way?

Car buying: Time for fixed-pricing?

"What do I need to do to earn your business today?"

Ummm. Be honest. Give me the very best price.

"No, I mean besides that."

That's the way most car sales experiences seem to go. Fortunately, according to BusinessWeek, there is a move towards fixed-price car shopping.

Rate car shopping: Is it time for fixed-pricing rather than haggling?

Rate Britney's fat lips

Botox baby!

"Brit hoped her new lips would improve her look without being really obvious to anyone," a source tells the London Daily Mail. "But onlookers literally stood [open]-mouthed when they saw her. She looked freaky."

Has Britney Spears become a very annoying attention-seeker?

Rate Britney's lips - Are they freakish?

Honk! Honk! Tired of car alarms, city noise?

Shut up already!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do "garbage trucks, horns honking, back-up beepers and worst of all, car alarms squealing at all hours", drive you crazy?

It drives me crazy. So much so that I buy cheap eggs to throw at such vehicles. Of course, I have to be careful because most of the a-holes whom make the most noise, whom honk endlessly at any hour, are the kind of ilk that just might pull out a gun.

Still........

Anyway, if this kind of stuff makes you as angry as me, then you might want to check out the new movie, NOISE.

Director Henry Bean was once arrested for breaking into a car to disable its car alarm, an act for which he wen to jail. Thus, he thought he'd make a movie about the issue, which Bean believes is a metaphor for power.

"For me, noise becomes a metaphor for power. The noise that I have to listen to, that I have no control over, that invades my house, my ears, my thoughts... in a way that's how our governments are," he said.

"We live in a world where the governments are extremely unresponsive to what the citizens want."

Rate urban noise - Is it out of control? Is there anything that can be done?

Does a UFO sighting make one crazy?

So what if Dennis Kucinich saw a UFO

According to a new book by Shirley MacLaine, Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich saw a UFO while visiting MacLaine that profoundly affected his life.

So what!?

Several years ago I had a UFO experience. Because of that experience I am absolutely convinced that either aliens are real, or that the US military has spaceships that are far, far superior to those in the space shuttle program.

Nonetheless, those commenting on the Kucinich article act as if a sighting somehow makes Kucinich a nutcase. Perhaps, Kucinich is a nutcase, but seeing a UFO does not make one crazy.

Rate your UFO experiences. Also, does seeing a UFO make a person crazy?

Ladies: Time to stop waiting for the phone to ring?

Stop waiting for the man to make the first move?

Why is it that in today's modern world, women still expect the man to make the first move, to make the first call, etc? Isn't this the age of equality?

Or, are such traditions worth saving?

I've worked with men whom were very confident in a work environment -quickly rising up the ladder, yet whom were very insecure regarding dating. Ultimately, just because a man is willing to make the first move doesn't mean he's a good man, or a successful man. In fact, those good at the first moves, often times, are players seeking another conquest.

So, if you've met someone interesting, but whom hasn't called, don't be afraid to make the first move if you're seeking a serious boyfriend. Often times the good ones will get away if you don't take action.

Rate making the first move: Time for woman to take action?

Scientists too close to playing god?

Genetic engineering, weather manipulation: Too far?

Soon, scientists will begin testing methods that could steer hurricanes and make them weaker (more). Are scientists going too far?

Genetic engineering has already greatly affected food production and will almost certainly have a huge effect on the evolution of humans.

Is this good, or bad? Is it human destiny?

Rate science: Is it too close to playing god?

Do you believe in The Secret?

Do your thoughts control your world?

The universe is powered by the law of attraction according to The Secret and many other similarly themed books. Thus, think positive thoughts and positive things happen. Think negative thoughts and negative things happen. Think about yourself making money and you'll make money, etc., etc.

While I believe in the power of belief, it seems - even if the secret is true - that the power of the 'collective consciousness' and the 'collective thought' is by far more powerful than an individual thought.

Anyway, rate the secret: Do you believe?

Do you keep relapsing into an old relationship?

Do you keep going back to him or her?

Your a little drunk, or a feeling a little bit lonely, and you call up your ex-boyfriend or girlfriend for a little comfort, suddenly you're a semi-couple again. Now, despite the fact that it just doesn't work between the two of you, these hookups keep happening, but it's better than being alone, right?

Wrong!

According to some experts, "relationship relapse can be deadly to your dating life. That’s because by revisiting your past, you’re taking yourself off the market—thus preventing you from finding The One." (more)

Rate your relationship relapses: Does it keep happening or have you finally broke it off for good?

Should you swear more at work?

Are you a good social swearer?

"Yehuda Baruch, a management professor at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, U.K., and graduate student Stuart Jenkins found that "apparent misbehavior can serve an organization well." Taboo language, they said, can manifest itself in solidarity that helps create a much more pleasurable and productive place to work."(more)

Rate workplace swearing.

Should Jimmy Kimmel be banned form MNF?

Wasn't he just being himself?

I might just have to stop watching MNF now that Jimmy Kimmel was banned for being himself. He makes goofy jokes. That's why Jimmy does, guys.

"Kimmel, who joined Mike Tirico, Tony Kornheiser and Ron Jaworski in the booth during the third quarter of the Giants' 31-10 win over the Falcons, joked about where Theismann was, insinuated that Kornheiser got Theismann fired (their on-air chemistry was often a topic of debate last season), and later remarked, "I'd also like to welcome Joe Theismann, watching from his living room with steam coming from his ears." (more)

Did the truth hurt too much for ESPN? And I thought ESPN was for men?

Rate ESPN and their decision to ban Jimmy Kimmel from Monday Night Football

Racism: Is it getting worse?

What is up with the nooses?

I'm not black, but if I was, and someone put up a noose around me, I'd be pissed - those are fighting words. Since the problems in Texas, there have now been several instances of nooses in other areas. What's up with these pathetic copycat's?

Rate racism in America: Is getting worse?

AIDS v STAPH: Hollywood Ignorance or Bias?

What makes a celebrity cause?

"More than 90,000 Americans get potentially deadly infections each year from a drug-resistant staph "superbug," the government reported Tuesday in its first overall estimate of invasive disease caused by the germ."

"Deaths tied to these infections may exceed those caused by AIDS, said one public health expert commenting on the new study."

So, where is Hollywood's Red Ribbon? Why does something like AIDS receive so much attention, when it is largely caused by unprotected sex (irresponsibility) versus something that attacks completely innocent people?

Is it Hollywood's gay connection? Is it an ignorant media?

Rate celebrity causes

Rate masturbation: Good, bad, how often?

Masturbation is good for you. How often do you masturbate?

Have you seen the 40 Year Old Virgin? That is possibly one of the funniest masturbation scenes ever in a movie.

Why do we make such a big deal over masturbation? Is choking the chicken really that dangerous? Is it only funny until someone loses an eye? O.K., that was cheap and not very funny.

Obviously, since porn basically runs the Internet, there is a lot of masturbation going on in the world. So what? Perhaps if more people masturbated, or were open to masturbation, there wouldn't be as many sexual crimes.

More interesting, recent research demonstrates that the more a man ejaculates, the stronger his sperm.

Do you masturbate? How often do you masturbate? Are you ashamed of your masturbation, or simply ashamed of the idea of masturbation? Are you someone that doesn't ever masturbate? If not, why not?

Or, are you crazy about masturbation?

Rate the importance of masturbation in your life.

Girls and dress: What's hot?

Sexy or slutty?

Guys! What turns you on about a girl out in public?

Say you are walking down the sidewalk on your way to lunch and you see some lady walking in front of you with her G-String riding high up her back. Is that hotter than a girl sporting all the cleavage she can?

I have to admit that a finely shaped women in a skirt which enables the afternoon sun to expose her underpants is probably my biggest PG rated turn-on.

What about you?

And ladies, do you do this on purpose - showing cleavage and g-strings? It seems obvious many of you do.

Sure an exposed g-string can be hot, but it should barely be exposed, in my opinion. It should seem unintentional.

Ladies! Make it seem unintentional. When it's obvious it's just not as hot.

Of course, either way, we're still looking.

C'mon guys, tell me about your favorite PG rated turn-ons. Rate what's hot - PG rated - about a girl's dress in public.

Is your Toyota Camry reliable?

Not as reliable as it used to be?

"Consumer Reports said it no longer recommends V6 versions of Toyota's Camry or V8 versions of its Tundra pick-up because of poor reliability," writes CNNMoney.

This does not apply to the Toyota Camry hybrid. In a CNBC interview earlier today, a rep from Consumer Reports called Toyota's hybrid cars very reliable.

Do you have a V6 or V8 Toyota Camry? Rate its reliability.

It's National Boss Day 2007: Rate your boss

Did you get your boss a gift?

National boss day? Bahhumbug! Who the hell came up with that idea?

Do you think National Boss Day is a good idea?

And, since it is boss day, rate your boss. Is your buss a sacred cow? A paper-pushing, meeting-calling, but do-nothing putz?

Or, are you one of the rare few with a cool boss? Updated -> Rate Your Boss

Is too much money being spent on political advertising?

$3 billion+ this election cycle

"A wide-open presidential race and a willingness by candidates, interest groups, unions and corporations to buy TV time will lead to historic spending for political and issue-advocacy advertising in the 2008 election cycle, an analysis shows.

The cost to try to influence the 2008 election could exceed $3 billion, according to TNS Media Intelligence/Campaign Media Analysis Group, CNN's consultant on political television advertising.

This is nearly twice as much than what was spent in 2004 when political and issue-advocacy television advertising rang in at $1.7 billion. In 2006, $2.3 billion was spent on political and issue-advocacy TV commercials."

Is it worth it? Maybe an election lottery would be better? Wouldn't that really be a Democracy?

Rate political spending - Is it out of control?

Would you eat a 1,000 calorie breakfast burrito?

A.K.A. - The country breakfast bomb

"Hardee's on Monday rolled out its new Country Breakfast Burrito — two egg omelets filled with bacon, sausage, diced ham, cheddar cheese, hash browns and sausage gravy, all wrapped inside a flour tortilla. The burrito contains 920 calories and 60 grams of fat."

Is the country breakfast burrito a good idea, or does it demonstrate everything wrong with America's fast food diet and culture?

Rate the Country breakfast bomb

Does it matter if homosexuality is in your genes?

Is it all about DNA?

Some people believe that homosexuality is a sin or immoral. If it were proven that homosexuality was caused by DNA, would it be more acceptable? That's what some believe.

Of course, if one believes that homosexuality is a sin, do they believe in genes or in DNA?

Rate homosexuality - Does it matter if it is a genetic trait?

Are Democrats using Armenian Genocide to thwart the Iraq War?

Can America stay in Iraq without Turkey?

In the early 1900's, some of Turkey's mullahs essentially ordered the genocide of more than 1,000,000 Armenians. Today, more than 100 years later, there is a movement in Congress to ratify a resolution acknowledging this genocide.

What would such a resolution accomplish, aside from $100.00+ barrels of oil, for example?

Might the resolution also push the Turkish government to disallow the U.S. to utilize its airports, airspace and land to supply the effort in Iraq? Since 70 percent of U.S. supplies move through Turkey, can the U.S. continue the War in Iraq without Turkey's help?

Are Democrats using the Armenian Resolution to covertly force a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq? If so, is such a move a good idea, or dirty politics?

Rate the Armenian Genocide R