Makeoutclub.com
“Former pacifist turned antagonist, well traveled, girlie as all hell . . . partial to fine food and interesting vintages . . . travel and literature a must, a vice and a passion . . . the city makes me swoon.” One’s heart goes pitter-patter at the sight of such a fine . . . cyber pal? Oh, the shame.
Meeting randoms online and forming “relationships” is just not kosher is this day of instantaneous information/fingertip stalking. Yet makeoutclub.com somehow dodges the bullet, creating a sort of cyber “in-crowd,” so to speak. Maybe it’s because the more than 7,000-person board doesn’t take itself too seriously. Maybe its because a large percentage of the posters post for mere kitsch value. Maybe it’s the sleek design or the simple interface. Who really cares? Getting your mack on (without having to face your subject) has never been so easy/acceptable. –MR
Fall
Not to be out done by its sister season (“Spring” ShoutOuts April 24, 2001) fall has graced us with its presence in a major way. If fall were a film, the star would undoubtedly be the leaves. Their changing hues, the smell when they are burned, the sound they make as you slip back into five-year-old mentality and run through them — it’s an outstanding performance all around. Supported heavily, though, by it’s co-star, the weather, leaves and brisk air go hand in hand to make football games, walking and birthdays much more fun. Fall: two thumbs up for the feel-good season of the year. –AR
U2’s Elevation Tour
While other musical acts are canceling tours and having repeated nervous breakdowns, the four lads from North Dublin are pressing on. This Wednesday they open their second North American leg of their blockbuster, fan-friendly Elevation Tour at Nortre Dame (get it? The Fighting Irish?). The best seats in the house are the cheapest, Euro-general-admission-concert style. The heart-shaped catwalk hugs the most devoted fans while their fearless leaders circle over head, singing everything from old-school “Boy” to the new, soothing, stripped-down “All That You Can’t Leave Behind.” The band is only playing a handful of dates, unlike last spring’s all-encompassing and financially impressive outing, but fear not, Midwesterners: Chi-town is getting two glorious shows next week.
While this tour-ette was selling out in record time, lead singer Bono organized the Marvin Gaye “We Are the World”-ish tribute collective “What’s Going On?,” donating proceeds to AIDS research and the United Way’s Sept. 11 fund. Great, gratifying, gracious — what more could you want in a band? –AR
Cheaters TV
Taking reality TV to its lowest form since the first round of “Temptation Island,” this sparsely syndicated “Springer”- weds-“Survivor” glimpse into the underbelly of the Texas frontier makes one glad that they neither cheat nor live in the Dallas metro area. Yes, born and raised in the Lone Star state, “Cheaters” is derivative and shot with a drunken lens. But originality and production value are not the aims of the half-hour show/infomercial. Tommy Grand, a taller Roger Lodge but with a similar cocksure candor, leads viewers through shopping malls, bars, sex shops, sleazy hotel rooms and wherever else cheaters may lurk. You see, the show is based on suspicious viewers who phone in to request spying assistance — (214) 421-4550 — seriously. When the show’s team of spies takes on a challenge, one must accept the caveat that everything will be taped — including the eventual “exposure.”
This show is splendidly trashy and full of great face-slapping, curse-bleeping, tire-screeching excitement. Just don’t get caught on the wrong side of the camera, as it appears to be embarrassing for the culprit. But don’t cheat anyway — it’s not nice.
Blog of the week
“I hate being saved from doing something foolish by circumstance. I would much rather get the stupidity over and done with (often quite enjoying it at the time) and then repent and repair afterwards if necessary. I hate having the choice taken away from me. It just leaves me wondering about what particular kind of remorse I was going to enjoy this time. And it’s worse of course if the particular foolishness I was about to indulge may not be totally cancelled”
http://www.greenfairy.com/index2.html
