Every Sunday, we’re going to pick out just some cool, interesting videos and stories we’ve found over the past week. This week I’m 3000 miles from home, visiting family all over the country for the past 10 days. It’s been insane (don’t ever fly Northwest/ Delta…more on that later). I’ve met some new friends, and visited old ones. And I’ve eaten lots of food. Tomorrow I’ll be heading back to L.A. and I’ll be back on normal updating schedule (OK, OK, somewhat normal, but that is normal). Look forward for some improvements on Urbanesse in 2009. Anyway, on with the goodies:::
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Barbie Aisle by violentvisionsofsittingstill

Do you go to toy stores only to be disgusted with the fact that there’s basically the one “girl aisle” and it’s swathed in pink crap? I know I do. The Pepto aisle’s color doesn’t only make you want to vomit, though –this article says the atmosphere creates a generation of princesses. I don’t doubt it.

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Wouldn’t you hate to be this guy? A bank error in Scotland left some guy with a £100 billion overdraft. I hope the fee was still only $30.
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yay!

see more puppies

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January apparently is National Blood Donor Month. That’s fantastic, and all, but I don’t know if I’ll be giving blood. Last time I did, I fainted in front of a loooot of people…

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Ricky Gervais hates fat people. Very mean, but kinda hilarious.

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An old Saturday Night Live throwback. OK, it’s not that old, but it’s still pretty funny.

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One of Google’s inaugural execs is leaving the company. And she’s got mad cash coming to her.
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Therapy by Rick

Twanna at Funky Brown Chick gives you the skinny on how to find a therapist. Saaa-weet. It’s something I’m considering in the new year (especially since we just got better health insurance at my job lol).
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And finally, some crazy stuff was going down on New Year’s Eve programming. My friends and I were watching the ball drop on CNN, and after, we kinda kept the channel on while Kathy Griffin and Anderson Cooper counted down to the Central Time Zone’s celebration…colorful.

While I didn’t personally find it offensive, I’m worried some ridiculous right-wing group is going to go after her (again). But then here’s what I DID find offensive — check out the scroll on the bottom of the video. Fox News let their viewers text their New Year’s wishes into the network, for it to appear on the crawl. I guess someone decided it would be hilarious to be a racist dick.

Every Sunday, we’re going to pick out just some cool, interesting videos and stories we’ve found over the past week.

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I heart Apartment Therapy, and their artistic, creative readers. Take, for one example among many, their Small Space Solutions…

My apartment isn’t terribly small, but it’s not really large — especially when the hubbster and I might as well be 2 dudes since we live like slobs. In any case, the roundup of tips and inspiration is likely to help you in the Awesome Apartment category.

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The Wall Street Journal lists the top advertisments of 2008. While I have been more annoyed and disappointed by advertisements this year, I do have to say I am quite partial to this ball girl:

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Perhaps you haven’t seen it, but Mr. Rodgers was down with the B-Boys back in the day. God, I heart Mr. Rodgers!

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hehe…puppeh

see more puppies

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Don’t set your husband’s balls on fire.

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The U.N. is launching an investigation into the Benazir Bhutto’s assassination.

Just wanted to wish you all a Happy Hanukkah/ Merry Christmas/ Happy Human Light/ Festive Kwanzaa and a kick ass new year. I’ll be traveling a lot over the next week and a half (Portland, New York, and then Washington D.C) but I’ll check in sporadically.

Poor or straight up laid off, but with good spirits? Then send an e-card from my fave someecards.com. A few personal picks:

OK. Seriously.

I can’t lie — the next four years are going to be exciting.

About a month ago, we here at Urbanesse pondered what our incoming Veep Joe Biden would be doing while he was in office. We figured he’d focus heavily in at least one of four areas:

• Labor/ worker’s rights
• Drugs
• The elderly
• Foreign Affairs

Looks like we hit the nail on the head: Joe Biden told CNN that he will head up the White House Task Force on Working Families. He’ll head up a task force, which also includes the secretaries of Labor, Health & Human Services, and Commerce, as well as the directors of the National Economic Council, the Office of Management & Budget, the Domestic Policy Counsel, and the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors.

The whole point of the committee, and Biden’s chairmanship, will be to grow and strengthen the middle class, extend college affordability programs and other yay-money-for-average-people stuff. According to CNN:

Obama has set up several key goals for the task force, including: Expanding education and training; improving work and family balance; a focus on labor standards, including workplace safety; protecting working-family incomes and retirement security.

So what power will the new task force have in shaping policy? According to the transition team, Biden and other members “will expedite administrative reforms, propose Executive orders, and develop legislative and public policy proposals that can be of special importance to working families.”

“My administration will be absolutely committed to the future of America’s middle-class and working families. They will be front and center every day in our work in the White House,” said Obama in a statement. “And this Task Force will be one vehicle we will use to ensure that we never forget that commitment.”

That’s pretty rad. I hope this is all intertwined with the plans to expand health care, create green jobs, launch Obama’s volunteer corps, expand women’s rights in the workplace, child care,  and all the other wonderful things that the president-elect promised us.

What has commercials and the media in general taught us this year, Sarah Haskins asks? Sandwiches are for boys! And showing your butt is always hilaaaarious.