For a while I thought AMDAL was making me famous. People have come up to me all the time to say "I love your blog, lets [CENSORED]." Trendy UWS bars like Brother Jimmy's and Gin Mill let me in without paying a cover. I've even started getting Facebook friend requests from random babes.

Recently, however, I've noticed that some of my less-famous friends have also befriended the same now-not-so-random babes. Said babes currently share 45 friends in common with me. Below are my thoughts on whats going on:
1) I'm so famous that these ladies want to be friends with anyone that has ever crossed my path, thus enabling them to take in more of my aura
2) These so-called babes arent babes at all, but rather my evil neighbor doing reconnaissance on me and all potential party people
3) Someone else is more famous than me, in which case both 1 and 2 are possible, except my roll is a bit player in a larger, much less interesting vignette

After doing some digging, it seems that neither me nor my actual friends have any idea who these trickster babes are. If any loyal AMDAL readers are equally flumoxed by this recent trend, send me an email or call. Maybe we can get together and talk about it, over lunch perhaps? Busy? I understand. A drink then? Jake's Dilemma is my Cheers.

Happy Memorial Day Shitkickers!

Found in an envelope on the apartment building door earlier this week (all caps):

To the people in the apartmen [sic] with access out back.
To the party people from last year.

I know just what you are thinking:
Soon its time to have yet another overly loud party for the summer.
Let me remind you now: if you in any way disturb me or my family after 11pm on weekdays or 1130 on weekends not only will I send the cops but I will personally pay you a visit. This is no joke, so be respectful towards your neighbors or we all will take action. Remember, I know who you are and where you live. I hope for your sake we can get along.

Respect your neighbors.

Wow.....




I had caught wind of rumors of someone scratching and mixing with cassette tapes a few weeks ago, but found it hard to believe. It just logistically didn't seem feasible. I was wrong. This is entirely authentic footage, and it's f@#$ing incredible.


In the age of Serato and Traktor, where few DJs still play vinyl, and many performances feel feel like you're watching the DJs laptop perform instead of the person behind it, it's refreshing to see someone manipulate an otherwise obsolete technology with this level of skill and success.

Is it just me or...

1) shouldn't posting scandalous pictures of Miley Cyrus be considered child porn? Did I miss something or should all my favorite bloggers be in jail now?

2) just because automakers call a car superultradogextraamazingly efficient, does that make it true? Some commercial made the outlandish statement while footnoting 29 mpg highway. My grand caravan got 24 mpg in high school and no one gave a shit about the environment then.

WTF Lance??


It’s always best to defer to Mikey for celebrity gossip analysis, but I just noticed a most disturbing tidbit which warrants comment. Lance Armstrong, the greatest champion that bike riding has ever known, apparently has been "getting close" with child actress Ashley Olson. Gross.

Lance Armstrong’s accolades as a tremendous badass are well-known. He miraculously survived cancer and then went on to win the Tour de France seven consecutive times (unprecedented!) and star in a couple of the great Nike commercials. Although there may never have been any doubt, Lance truly solidified his status as a man amongst boys in the 2001 Tour. In a crucial mountain stage in the Alps, Lance hangs back for much of the race pretending to be fatigued and lures the other riders into confusion. When he finally pulls into the lead, he slows and looks back and stares into the eyes of Jan Ullrich, the second best cyclist in the world and his nearest competitor. He then proceeds to explode up the mountain and open up a two minute lead on Ullrich. The Tour was over. The debate was over, Lance Armstrong=jacked.

In his retirement, Lance has devoted himself to commendable pursuits like raising money for cancer research, running marathons, and taking down celebrities like Sheryl Crow, Fiona Apple and Kate Hudson.

But now this could all be for naught as reports of his dalliances with B-list celebrity Ashley Olson threaten to tarnish his good name. Is anyone even that intrigued by the Olson twins anymore? They didn’t even turn out to be that hot. Lance, get a hold of yourself.

Fellow Shitkickers, rejoice!

Updape: The Belmont



Both Belmont buses are full.

Didn’t get a ticket? The bad news is that you are a lazy procrastinator who doesn’t understand the meaning of “hurry the f*%@ up”. The good news is that we may add a third bus.

So here’s the deal: if you’re not on a bus but you want to be, email belmontbus@gmail.com by Friday morning and let us know exactly how many seats you want and the names and email addresses of those people who will be joining you. If there is enough interest and a third bus is available, we will sell more tickets.

Laate,
The Smatter*

BIY This Week

www.believeinyouth.com

Sunday, May 18, 2008
Young Leaders in New Zealand

Who: Young Leaders in New Zealand
Age: Under 35
What: Leading the Way in NZ

This week's Sunday article is about young leaders in New Zealand who are changing the face of business and doing good while they are at it. From Find Articles.


Friday, May 16, 2008
Video Friday: Art of Living Youth Initiative

One of the success stories of Art of Living's youth initiatives in Ivory Coast.

This video has some wise words--reminding me of the old saying that many hands make light work.


Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Markham Mayo'r Youth Task Force

Who: Vino Jeyapalan
Age: 17
What: Markham Mayor's Youth Task Force Co-chair

Vino Jeyapalan has been involved in Markham Mayor's Youth Task Force since 8th grade. Now 17, he is the co-chair and is striving to make a difference in his community every day. Vino has made a decision that for the rest of his life he will be involved in a non profit that gives back to his community. This article can be found in the National Post.

East versus West matching game!



Mikey has nicely modeled his form of NYC sleeping and now we can study how his style differs from that of Jordie. Here is a start and feel free to comment with others:
1. Mikey is stone cold sober and has most likely read that entire wall street journal before using it for warmth
2. A dog is about to pee on Jordie

Hi Jordie!


Jordie is too cool for blogs so she probably doesnt know I periodically post embarassing pictures of her. Some would say that I am shameless.

Other internet celebrities include Katie, Angela and their new friend whom I have yet had the pleasure of meeting. I can see the conversation now :

AMDAL: Yo dude, sickies chest tattoo
Dude: [Stares in silence, peering deeply into my soul]
AMDAL (3 inches shorter): So you know Jordie?

And so the East / West feud continues

The Belmont Stakes



So we're doing our big party again this year. First bus sold out yesterday and second one is already starting to fill up so if you're planning on coming, do yourself a favor and reserve a seat in the next few days. Good chance we may see a Triple Crown winner in Big Brown. I've posted the evite below.

Event: The Belllllmont - Part Deux

We’re running it back a second time. (Technically, this is the fourth time, but we weren’t cool enough the first two years to convince girls to come.) Anyway, as you remember, last June 9th was a memorable day: dressed in bright, garish colors (i.e. douche-baggerous attire), a hundred of us kicked things off by enjoying smooth beverages atop a rooftop bar underneath the warm midday sun. Then, we proceeded to the busses and drank a lot more. Finally, we arrived at the Belmont Stakes, just in time to stop remembering everything.

Some of us even won some serious fwoh by betting irresponsibly on Rags to Riches, the lone girl horse in the big race. Although Rags was the first filly to win in over a century, she narrowly lost the more important prize – the 2007 Teen Choice Award for Choice Female Athlete – to the other filly, Maria Sharapova. Look it up.

For all this, we received a scornful indictment in New York Magazine by an unfortunate writer who had a “bust of a day” because she missed the bus and then realized she didn’t have any friends. http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2007/06/a_day_at_the_races_with_drunke.html

Schedule for Saturday, June 7th
11am-2pm: Drinks atop Tonic, 29th and 3rd. There will be (cheap!) drink specials.
2pm-3pm: Busses to Long Island; Porchcrawler and Franzia stands.
3pm-7pm: Eat hot dogs, watch a horse get euthanized, and pretend you understand how betting odds work.
7pm-9pm: Get back on the bus and make out with Austin Vedder. (Dibs!)

How to Get Bus Tickets
There are 100 bus seats available starting now. Each costs $30, which includes a ride to and from the race as well as lots of alcohol on the bus. Sign up at www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=160059 to reserve your seat; they will sell out quickly.

Laaate,
Aidan, Greg, Mike, Noah, Scott, Scott and Scott (a.k.a. “The Requisite Smatter*”)

*Don’t know what that word means either but we’re pretty sure it’s used incorrectly – as expected.

*****************************
A few parting thoughts:
1. Does anyone still keep in touch with our good friend Ms. Van Syckle? Last year I forwarded her snooty little hit piece to an old Classics professor from college because he was intrigued that our party actually received some press. After reading it he said (verbatim): "Wow, that bitch is not a good writer." I miss college.

2. I've gotten a lot of positive feedback re: the Belmont montage I hastily put together in photo shop. Unfortunately, many people think I just randomly made that scene up. Let me assure you I did not. Go to this link http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/07/03/teen-choice-nominees-announced/ and you'll notice that the nominees for Choice Female Athlete include Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Annika Sorenstam, Rags to Riches, and - get this - the Rutgers Women's Basketball Team. Wasn't gonna touch that last one with a ten-foot pole.

3. Speaking of Don Imus and that epithet that landed him in hot water, anyone remember Barack Obama's immediate denunciation of the whole ordeal? "The comments of Don Imus were divisive, hurtful and offensive to Americans of all backgrounds," said the senator from Illinois. And then a few days later Obama intoned, “He didn’t just cross the line, he fed into some of the worst stereotypes that my two young daughters are having to deal with today in America.” I thought that was rich, given many of the vile (i.e. divisive, hurtful and offensive) things that loon Rev. Wright has spewed over the years, not to mention in front of Barack's daughters. This, coming from the pastor Obama eventually disowned after claiming Wright was someone he could never disown.

Oh boy, can't wait for the election!

2:06 well spent

"These Nerds are a Threat to Our Way of Life"

9 Greatest Nerds on Film. "Nerd", a stereotype of studious people with unique interests. Screech excluded because he hung out with all the cool kids and dated Donna Martin.

NERD - "Everyone Nose"

What else am I going to do, stay here and learn?


Seeking road trip partner back from College to NYC on Sat. afternoon. Lame I know but I've got to see my brother graduate. And yes, Bmar, I realize this is blatant blog abuse but seeing as no one has posted in the last 4 days, I'm taking the opportunity.


Disclaimer: In no way do I condone the drinking of Coronas. I hate that shit.


Update: Brian Christie found this humorous.
Tom Cruise:Scientology::Me:Blogging

Sunday Believe In Youth: May 11, 2008

www.believeinyouth.com

Sunday, May 11, 2008
Seeds of Compassion Event in Seattle

Who: 10,000 youth at Seeds of Compassion Event in Seattle
Age: Youth
What: Seeds of Compassion Event in Seattle

This week's installment is the first ever article specifically written for BIY. Our friends at the Global Youth Leadership Institute (www.gyli.org) attended the Seeds of Compassion Event in Seattle and came back with this overview of the conference. GYLI's mission is "to nurture collaborative leadership for global communities and to assist schools in their missions to inspire socially responsible young people." If you get a chance, check it out.


Friday, May 9, 2008
Ultimate Sportsmanship

Here is a video forwarded to me from Melanie Horn, Athletic Director at Westridge School for Girls:

"I encourage you to view this ESPN video clip at the bottom of the article below- http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/07/girls-sports-and-sportsmanship/
Or, go directly to YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jocw-oD2pgo


It's good to know that the "greater good" can still be found in sports.A special thank you to Sally Miller for forwarding the link :-)"


Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Sisters Taking on Global Issues

Who: Clara Halpine & Anna Halpine
Age: 20 & 30
What: Clara won scholarship for an essay she wrote on poverty & Anna started World Youth Alliance

These two sisters interest for global issues when they were young has continued to grow and keeps growing stronger every day. This article can be found at Times Transcript.

Mother's Day

This week Republicans in the House of Representatives waged a vicious war on the once sacred institution of Mother’s Day. As Dana Milbank notes in his article, in a classic John Kerry move the R’s voted in favor of an important resolution supporting the goals and ideals of Mother’s Day but then reconsidered and voted in opposition to it. Moms across the nation, who once enjoyed bipartisan support in the lower chamber, were shocked and saddened to learn of this bitter divide. At our weekly Quesadilla Day luncheon yesterday, I asked J. Edgar about this matter, and he replied emphatically: “NO BAILOUTS FOR IRRESPONSIBLE MOTHERS!!!!!” I’m not really sure what he was talking about. Not to be swayed by these senseless attacks though, I followed Hank’s advice and sent my mom a nice Hallmark card. I think she will be quite pleased.

Your homework for the weekend



1) Go watch Devil Wears Prada
2) While watching DWP
a) insert the word "finance" for "fashion"
b) replace all sidekicks with blackberries
c) replace all use of apple computers with IBM's,
d) swap out the lure of beautiful people and clothes for the lure of sickies PE jobs and the words "a good learning experience"
3) Congratulations, you've just made Wall Street 2

An open letter to: Mariah Carey



Mimi,

Sup girl? Its been a while. Glad to see youre doing well and seem happy. No news on my end really. Anyways, I'm going to get to the point. The reason I'm writing is because I'm a little concerned about you. Like any self-proclaimed diva, I'm used to you going through changes. Daisy Dukes? Approve. High falsetto notes? Check. Glitter. Sigh.

Through the ups and the downs, though, I've stuck by you. You were always just crazy enough and just hot enough for me to find fascinating and you managed to stay in the public eye this whole time. But I think I've reached my breaking point, Mariah. And his name is Nick Cannon. Now I did like Drumline. A lot. And he seems like a nice guy and at least a minor celebrity, but Nick Cannon? His rap sheet reads like a Mousketeer. Nickelodeon's All That. MTV's Wild 'N Out. The list goes on. Meems, I'm gonna throw it out there - I think you need a thug. Ciara's got Fiddy, Beyonce's got Jay Z. Erica's got Albert. I cant imagine Trick Daddy or Young Buck is dating anyone. And no, DaBrat doesnt count.

Anyways, youre still #1 in my heart. And when we watch this video in about 5 years (weeks), we'll have a good laugh. In the meantime, we can all thank the good lord for prenups.

Your friend,
AMDAL

Fact

[Subway Crush]

Corporate chipwiches

JOTW

For whatever reason, I've been on a big electronica kick lately. Its peppy and upbeat enough to keep me (relatively) motivated at work, but I'm also pretty jazzed on the genre because it's really helping me rediscover the joy of music videos.

The golden-age of music videos (at least as we knew it) really was in the 80s through the mid-90s. From Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer to California Love to Jamiroquai, the spectrum was varied but, for the most part, awesome.

Then the came slow withering of the record industry, the rise of MTV's non-video formatting, and the cancellation of Pop Up Videos, and the artform sort of stagnating. That's when I stopped paying attention. Sure there was the occasional diamond in the rough, like Blur's Coffee and TV...



...but they were few and far between.

Well, thanks to folks like Daedelus,



PNAU,



and an awesome Money for Nothin' tribute from Chromeo,



things seem to be turning around.

Intensity

If you have not already, you should quickly acquaint yourself with a website that will most likely bring great joy to your life: www.fistpumps.com (credit to Bill Simmons who picked up on it a couple weeks ago). Back in College, it seemed like every time you turned around there was something to pump your fist about: General Tso’s night at Food Court, 80’s music, an IM hockey goal, a refreshing drink of water from the Oasis, a casual throw save, your overachieving roommate getting another A on a paper, The Final Countdown, waking up on a Tuesday and realizing you don’t have to go to class…the list goes on. In the real world, however, the role of the fist pump seems to be greatly diminished. Sure, the fist pump at the office has its time and place, but much like John McCain’s understanding of the economy, its scope is limited. Thankfully, we can now live vicariously through the fist pumps of professionals like Kevin Garnett and Rafael Nadal, and enjoy the clever commentary from some random dudes on the internet. At least check out the top 10 of all time if nothing else.