Sunday, December 30, 2007

Rachel Ray: The Devil's Best Friend

by Christopher Reardon

Gentlemen of the world, we've allowed a plague of the worst kind to infect our media. A plague so vile it's invaded most of the country's brains and convinced the hosts that it is actually a credit to the media world. This plague, known to scientists as raydoucheius baggus is better known to the public as Rachel Ray.

Can somebody please tell me how Ray managed to get on TV? She started off as a buyer in a specialty food store, and somehow this qualifies her to tell people nationwide how to cook? She's not even good at it! If I knew you could make a career out of messing up all the time and making up words I'd have been rich by now. In fact, to Food Network: I'm not a chef and I have absolute insecurity when the cameras are on, but I'm sure I could nervously fake my way through a half-hour of bullshit. Sign me to a big contract now, you know you want to!

And you just know she's fake. She seems so nice on TV, but I'd bet my non-existent Christmas bonus she's a real bitch in person. Her bubbly facade may fool gullible housewives but I'm not buying it.

Honestly, Thirty Minute Meals is a good idea. When it first came out I was actually impressed with the idea of a cooking show with no "through the magic of TV" moments, but it wasn't long until I realized that without the magic of TV, Thirty Minute Meals lacked some measure of magic on TV. Then came Forty Dollars a Day, which was another good idea, but by this time Ray's inescapably fake effervescence had begun to gnaw my nerves. Every time she throws something in her garbage bowl or uses EVOO I just want to cook whatever it is she's making, eat it, and then throw it up all over the TV screen. Every time something she eats is "yummo" or "delish" my baby-punching instinct kicks in, and I kinda like babies! And the worst offense yet: whose effing idea was it to give her a talk show?! She can hardly talk, never mind come up with something worth listening to.

The fact of the matter is that I'm jealous of her. She has all the success that I'm looking for but I know I could do everything she does with ten times more panache and seven times fewer annoying moments. But I'm not the only person in the world who hates Ray. Says poster amysep over at We Are Never Full, "God, even uttering her name... just typing her name... makes my mouth purse, my body shiver and Ifind myself making a gaging [sic] sound." Rob Walker of the Boston Globe wrote an entire piece about the thousands of people who hate Mrs. Ray-Ray. She's very hate-able for all her annoying qualities, but Food Network and all the networks that gobbled up her syndicated talk show have seen fit to make her into a huge star. Well I've had enough of it! The world needs to realize how annoying and talent-less Ray is so we can finally be rid of her.

Recipe: Best Steak Tips EVER

by Matthew Reardon

These steak tips are easy, delicious, and perfect for small to medium get togethers. In fact, I served them just yesterday during my Patriots 16-0/Liddell v. Silva party. Apart from the fact that both the Patriots and Liddell won, these tips really made the party great! If Black Angus tips are not in your budget they can be substituted for less expensive sirloin tips. This recipe will serve 6-8 people.

You'll need:
2 lbs Black Angus sirloin tips or strips
Ten ounces Ah-So teriyaki sauce.
Ten ounces Italian dressing
One packet McCormick Montreal steak marinade
1 cup chopped green peppers
1 cup chopped white onions
some ground mustard
some minced Garlic
a little EVOO (ed. note - Thanks, Matt)

I find these tips come out best in the crock pot. Just mix everything into the pot, set it on low and cook for four hours, and bango you got some tips that chicks will suck your dick for more.

From a First Time Father

by Matthew Jupin

I am going to be a dad. My beautiful wife Amanda is due with our baby boy on February 9. We have been through a lot and, I'll be honest, when I first found out she was pregnant I was nervous and afraid I might fuck up. I took me about two weeks to just get used to the idea that I was going to be a father. The beginning of the pregnancy flew by.

Around week twenty one there was a problem with the ultrasound. The doctor seemed worried the baby's brain was underdeveloped, and he told us it had a one in ten chance of being healthy. My wife was a wreck for a whole week. I was angry and upset, but I kept thinking that I can worry a little or I can worry a lot, but the outcome would be the same. I knew I had to be strong for Amanda. We both prayed (not that it would change anything; it just helps to cope with bad news).

We had to get a fetal MRI in Boston. The baby (to everyone's surprise including the doctor's) was found to be perfectly normal. We were so happy and relieved. Now I am really excited and can't wait until February. There is still a lot to do. We have a birthing class once a week that is nothing like what I expected. I learned so much (did you know a women can drink alcohol while breast feeding and not affect the baby?). I am also working on a nursery for the baby (with a little help from my friends) which I hope to finish in two more weeks. Then I have about three weeks left to get ready for Connor Matthew Jupin. We finally decided on the name today. I think it has a nice ring to it, no?

Announcement: Art Director Needed!

NORMAL is looking for an art director to help supplement my intermediate HTML and graphic design skills. As art director your responsibilities would include:

-Designing a template for the main NORMAL site that I can manipulate with my intermediate HTML skills as needed. Must be compatible with Blogger.

-Designing the NORMAL Myspace page.

-Designing banner ads and "covers" to be included on the main site and on Myspace.

If you or anyone one you know has any web and graphic design skills and is interested in giving us a hand, shoot me an email at normalmagazine@gmail.com

Also, we're still looking for contributors! You know you have something to say, so contact me about it! I'm good at editing so even if your spelling and grammar aren't perfect, I can hook you up.

Thanks!
-Christopher Reardon; Editor-in-Cheif, Head Writer

The Other Sex: Some Advice to Make OUR Lives Easier

by Michael Weisburg

Women have to be the most difficult thing on the face of the earth to deal with. I am being serious. If you're a guy, and you date women, then you know exactly what I am talking about. So lets get into it shall we....

First topic: THE PERIOD-Have you ever noticed that no matter what you do or say to them, when that time of the month rolls around, you are ALWAYS wrong. I swear, I must be the stupidest person ever. I have seen the devil, and it comes in the form of PMS. And as a guy, you can never tell your girlfriend, wife or "friend with benefits" that they are getting bitchy. That causes more problems.
Also for you ladies out there reading this, we DO NOT care how its flowing this month, so please don't tell us. We dont need tampons either, so don't expect us to buy them in the store for you. Do we expect you ladies to buy condoms? NO! We also don't know if it is a light day or a heavy day, or if you need a cardboard applicator. And that is enough about that topic for now. PERIOD!

Topic #2: THE CLOTHES- Ladies, no matter what you ask us, there is no right answer. "Do these jeans make my ass look big?" HELL YEAH and we like it. We aren't going to tell you that because then you will just start crying and complaining about what we said. If you don't want the truth, then don't ask. Do I come out of the bedroom with a stained shirt on and a pair of ripped jeans asking you if it makes my stomach stick out (and trust me, my stomach sticks out)? We men just don't care about how we look as long as the clothes we are wearing smell clean. We don't need to spend 20 minutes looking at the same reflection in the mirror to see if it changed. We just know that what you see is what you get.
Also, clothes usually tend to be the worst gift a guy can give a girl. Its either the wrong size, or the wrong color, or its 100% cotton and it will shrink. Maybe the clothes are the right size, for our IDEAL girl. It seems that no matter what we like, you girls never do. I could pick out a really nice sweater for my girlfriend (trust me anyone who hears the stories knows how she is) and the first words out of her mouth are "it's the wrong size". And I am not just saying that about my girlfriend, its all of them. Speaking of clothes...

TOPIC #3: GETTING READY IN THE MORNING- Why does it take you ladies four days to get ready to go to Wal-Mart? Seriously... if a guy needs to go somewhere we are ready in twenty-five minutes, tops. Thirty if we need to shit in the morning. You ladies start getting ready the night before... THE NIGHT BEFORE... You lay out your clothes, you try them on, you change the shirt, you change the socks....WHY? You always go back to the first thing you picked out anyways. I just don't get it. We pick out a shirt, a pair of pants and a hat. Because hats go with everything.
It takes you so long in the morning to get ready that by the time we actually leave, we're late. And some how it always ends up being our fault that we are late.

TOPIC #4: SPORTS- Ladies, you get to watch all the TV you want. We just ask for a few things. For starters... THE REDSOX... we are and always will be FAITHFUL. Yes the game is important, even if it the 34th game of the season and our record is 10 and 24. Watch every game as though it is your last. And yes the YANKEES really do suck. And I know you ladies are thinking to yourselves, why do we get so worked up, we aren't playing the game. It is because it is our escape, we need to get worked up, because we are playing. We are die hard fans.
The next sport we watch is football... all guys love to watch football. Who wouldn't want to run up and down a field getting the shit beaten out of him by guys that weight like 250-300 pounds. And yes ladies, DITKA IS GOD...
So ladies you have The Hills and Gilmore Girls, and all those good girly-girly shows, so all we ask is that you let us have our sports.

TOPIC #5: SEX- We love it, we don't care what position, we love it. So please just help us out and give it to us. We aren't asking for it every day twice a day but come on, once a week won't kill you. Whether it be doggy, anal or even oral, we don't mind. And ladies, trust me, guys like some freaky things. So don't look at us like we are weird.
And speaking of sex, how about masturbating. Just admit you do it. It will make life a lot easier, not hiding it. It isn't that big of a deal. Also don't be afraid to tell us what YOU LIKE.

So ladies, in conclusion please follow this quick guide to giving us some slack. We are human and we have feelings, so work with us....

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Contributor Profile: Matthew Jupin

Hoy hoy! My name is Matt, but a lot of people just call me Jupin. I think I'm a normal guy. Somewhat. I work for Marver Med as a CNC machinist. I'm happily married to my high school sweet heart and our first child is due in February. We live in New Bedford, Massachusetts and we even let Chris live with us! I may live in New England, but I'm a Packers fan. Go figure. I hope you enjoy my articles in NORMAL!

-Matthew Jupin
Check out my personal Myspace page!

Know What You're Geeking About: Memory vs. Storage

by Christopher Reardon

I sincerely hope I'm not the only correction pen wielding geek out there whose eyeballs start to twitch when the less computer savvy masses start talking about how their computers have enough memory to store every episode of M.A.S.H. ever aired. Guess what people? No it doesn't! Regardless of whether or not your PC has the gigabytestinal fortitude to store 500 hours of "quality programming" (aka PORN!), it does not indeed have the same power to MEMORIZE all of that garbage.

In the world of computers, there is a distinct difference between STORAGE and MEMORY. Most mainstreamers could care less about this difference and so when they're told they need a memory upgrade they think an external hard drive is going to make their computer faster. This is not the case. When it comes to MEMORY, think RAM. When it comes to STORAGE, think hard drive. Memory is what your computer uses to run programs and remember things that have not been saved. Thus, if you run a lot of programs that take up a lot of memory (Ctrl+Alt+Delete->Processes should show you what's going on there), a memory upgrade may indeed be needed. Now if you find that all of a sudden you don't have enough room for the latest Girls Gone Wild you pirated from Limewire, it's because you don't have enough storage space on your hard drive and you may want to consider an upgrade (either internal or external is fine). To find out how much space is being taken up follow: Start->My Computer->::right click:: Local Disc (or whichever name your harddrive goes by)->Properties. That pretty little pie chart represents just how much storage space you have available on your hard drive.

Now there is one little caveat when it comes to the difference between memory and storage, and that little caveat rears its head in the form of virtual memory. To put it simply, your computer uses virtual memory just as it would RAM, but when there isn't enough RAM available to run all your current programs. To make up for the lack of memory, your computer will begin using hard drive storage space to run programs. Because a hard drive has a much slower read speed than a RAM processor, your computer will take a considerable dip in processing speed when virtual memory is used. By the way, ever seen that dubious little warning in the lower right corner of the screen telling you that Virtual Memory is too low? This site will tell you how to increase it. Remember to always keep a few gigabytes of storage open on your hard drive, and to check the processes tab in Windows Task Manager once in a while to see if anything is eating up your memory. I for one find that Firefox will take up more and more memory the longer you keep it open (especially if you're like me and running a dozen or more extensions), so it suits me to restart the browser once in a while and to change my about:config settings to accommodate my memory needs, but that's a discussion for another geektastic day.

New Journey Frontman? F@%&ing Awesome!

by Matthew Jupin

Great news for Journey fans! The irrepressible eighties power ballad band will continue touring soon. Surprisingly, the current incarnation of the band (which has gone through a number of changes in the past two decades) discovered Filipino singer Arnel Pineda (formerly of cover band Zoo) by watching videos of him on Youtube, just like the one featured below. That's right. Journey has a new lead singer thanks to the internet. And this guy is good. It sounds like he has magical powers and stole Steve Perry's voicebox and swallowed it, only it sounds younger and fresher. You will not be disappointed. I wasn't. I first heard this story on HJY and could hardly believe it, so I had to check it out for myself and it was awesome. Just awesome. Enjoy.

Friday, December 28, 2007

Special Advertising Section


Word of Mouth Flooring: The Official Flooring and Handiwork Company of NORMAL Magazine

Thanks to W.M.F. for putting a shout-out to NORMAL on their Myspace page. Check them out!

Contributor Profile: Christopher Reardon

Hi Readers! My name is Chris, and I'm the proud Editor- in-Cheif of the brand new blogazine NORMAL. I also believe I'm the inventor of the word "blogazine" but I'll get to that later.

I currently reside in New Bedford, Massachusetts and make my living as a Shift Supervisor for D'Angelo Grilled Sandwiches. This, no surprise, is not where I intend to spend the rest of my career. I'm partway through a Journalism-English degree, so eventually I plan on finishing that and becoming a full-time writer. It's not as easy as it sounds!

The idea for NORMAL came to me while reading the most recent issue of Details Magazine (the one with Kevin Federline on the cover - I know, I know...why?). I like Details because it is a men's magazine but it is not filled with pictures of naked women like others in the genre (Maxim, Playboy, etc.). It's not gay-themed, but it's gay-friendly, which I like. However, I was reading an article in said issue about cologne, which stated that we men need not spend more than $200 on a bottle in order to smell good. As you can imagine from my previously mentioned mode of employment, even Detail's idea of inexpensive cologne is far out of my reach. And I can imagine it would be for a lot of men in the world. I started thinking about why I was reading a style magazine which touted styles that, at least at this point in my life, I'll never be able to showcase. I like the format of Details, but the content is a bit inaccessible. Thus was NORMAL born. NORMAL is for every man. NORMAL is for me.

Because I don't exactly have the resources to publish a magazine, and because I have a good bit of experience in the blogging world, I decided to start NORMAL as a blog. However, despite it's multi-media capabilities NORMAL is a magazine at heart. Posts will mostly be in the form of articles or sidebars, with a few announcements in between. The only difference will be that you won't have to wait for the next issue to come out for some new content, as I eventually hope to have enough contributors (and time!) to publish daily. Things may be a bit slow-going at first but here's to fast growth!

I sincerely hope you enjoy the material found in NORMAL, as I'll be putting in my every effort to make it both enjoyable and informational. If you have any questions or comments, please do participate in the blog or email me at NormalMagazine@gmail.com.

Take care, read well, and don't be afraid of NORMAL.

-Christopher Reardon
Check out my personal Myspace page!

The Future of Computing (from The Techno Beat, 5/30/2007)

by Christopher Reardon

A lot of multi-touch devices are beginning to pop up (the iPhone, for instance), but this is straight out of Minority Report. Basic PC setups have been relatively unchanged for the past couple of decades (save, perhaps, for the advent of the flat-screen monitor), but the addition of multi-touch computing could take the genre into a whole new level.

Source: Lifehacker

Stars of the Future, pt.1: Jeff Natale (from The Baseball Beat, 1/27/2007)

by Christopher Reardon

This is part one of my interview series "Stars of the Future" where I will speak with some minor leaguers and ask them the hard-hitting questions. Lol. Part One features Jeff Natale, who played at second base last season for the single-A Greenville Drive and was subsequently named the 2006 Red Sox Minor League Offensive Player of the Year. To learn more about Natale, check out his page on SoxProspects.com here.

Chris Reardon: You were the Red Sox 2006 Minor League Offensive Player of the Year. What does garnering an award like that mean to you and to your future as a ballplayer?

Jeff Natale: Being the offensive player of the year was a huge honor. It was unbelievable to be presented with such a great achievement. Even though all that was great, this year will be a huge year for me. And I'm already looking forward to the challenges ahead.

CR: Who was your favorite baseball player growing up?

JN: I’ve answered that question a lot lately for some reason and the answer is Derek Jeter. Even though I wasn't a Yankee fan growing up he was always the most fun exciting player to watch especially during the playoffs. You can tell when a player is special and he's by far the most exciting player to watch.

CR: Did you know when you were in grade school that you would end up playing professional baseball?

JN: Actually I always thought that I would end up playing hockey. Growing up hockey was always my favorite sport and it wasn't until about junior year in college when I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in baseball.

CR:Your Myspace account lists people you’d like to meet as Derek Jeter and Mickey Mantle. There’s no denying the greatness of these players and their impact on the game, but do you find that being a Yankees fan is a conflict of interest while playing in the Red Sox system? Ever get in trouble for it from your teammates?

JN: There isn't much talk about everyone's favorite team in the clubhouse. A lot of guys come from a lot of different places and no one could predict that they'd be drafted by the Red Sox. I think everyone in the clubhouse is a big Red Sox fan now.

CR:Your scouting report on SoxProspects.com claims that you do not project as an adequate defensive second baseman, and that you may be converted to the outfield. How do you respond to the negativity about your defense and do you see yourself at another position in the future? Have you ever played in the outfield before?

JN: I also get that question a lot and the answer is I really dont know about playing another position in the future. At Trinity College, I played left field my freshman year, centerfield my sophomore year, centerfield for half my junior year and 2nd base for half my junior year, then 3rd base my entire senior year. So basically this last season was the first time that I had ever played 2nd base consistently. I think my defense has improved 100% since I signed with the Red Sox and I hope it will continue to get better and better. A lot of playing a position is just being comfortable there, and I dont think I got completely comfortable until the 2nd half of the season.

CR:As a minor leaguer, there must be a lot of pressure looking up at the major leaguers and at all the talent ahead of you on the depth chart. How do you handle this pressure?

JN: There’s a huge amount of pressure in any job that your going to have so I guess the answer is Yes. The Red Sox in particular have such a great reputation of putting the best talent on the field each year so its difficult to look at the people ahead of me all the time. I try to concentrate on the things I can control (i.e. my plate appearance, my work ethic, my defense) rather than things I can't control.

CR:How do you feel about Dustin Pedroia playing second base for the Red Sox in 2007? Is he or are you the second baseman of the future?

JN: Dustin is a great player with tons of talent. I'm excited to see him compete at the major league level. I hope that he's going to play very well this year and we’ll see about the future.

CR:What are the Red Sox chances this year? Would you be willing to pick them over the Yankees?

JN: The Red Sox chances are great this year. Anytime you have a pitching staff like they do this year, your going to be really competitive. The offense is going to continue to contribute with guys like manny, DO [David Ortiz], and Varitek in the line-up. As far as the Yankees, they are also a great squad with a ton of depth but their pitching will be a big issue for them this year. I'd be willing to bet on the Red Sox this year.

I want to thank Jeff Natale for all his cooperation. Keep an eye out for more interviews in the future!

Source: The Baseball Beat, 1/23/2007

What is Normal?

by Christopher Reardon

What is Normal? As the boundaries of social norm have broken down over the past century, so has the very essence of what exactly a normal person is. A normal man is every man, who has every interest. Normal is the same as strange, is the same as conformist, and is even the same as Goth (just don't tell them!)


Welcome to NORMAL: A Blogazine for Normal Men with Normal Interests. As Editor-In-Cheif of NORMAL I will be providing my readers with an analytic look at all the pieces of a man's life that are important to him. From style to sports to relationships to mechanics, NORMAL will prove to be an excellent resource for both information and entertainment. Any man who plays a part in modern society will find something of interest inside NORMAL, so check it out. As a note of disclaimer: NORMAL is not a gay-themed blogazine, but it is gay-friendly. That said, we here keep an open mind on all issues but will not tolerate blatant bashing or intolerance. Disagreements and arguments are of course acceptable but let's keep them analytic and not insulting in keeping with the theme of the blog itself.

Don't be afraid of NORMAL.