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UN-BROKE: Financial education, TV-land style

Found via Consumerism Commentary, this upcoming 1-hour financial program special on ABC sounds really great:  Un-Broke: What You Need to Know About Money.

Schools teach us almost everything, but not "Money 101." For the basics on finance, turn to UN-BROKE: What You Need to Know About Money. It's an unconventional look at the fundamentals of everyday finance with all the facts about credit cards, mortgages, stocks and bonds, investing and 401(k)'s, in a fresh new format combining information and humor.

The format looks to be pretty light-hearted and goofy (Cedric the Entertainer yelling at credit cards / the Jonas Brothers teaching screaming teenagers the basics on the stock market), but given the financial crunches/headaches many of us find ourselves in these days - solid information presented in a digestable way is a REALLY good thing.

Anyone want to record it for me (says cable-less Katie <grin>)??  It's on the air this Friday night (May 29th) from 8-9am CST.  At best, you'll see your finances in a different light - at worst, you'll have a little giggle and can drool over the Jonas Brothers (*coughMAGSMACcough*).

What makes James Lipton so irritating

Number-crunching thanks to Gawker Intern Mary.

Frivolous Friday: A nation torn asunder

Hippie scent strips to enhance buzz factor

Advertising is a fascinating beastie and constantly keeps me guessing what some of those ad dudes are smoking.  Case in point - Showtime's current promotions for their Weeds sitcom about a surburban mom selling pot.  Don't roll your eyes, it's really funny/snarky even when you're just high on life (or in my case, popsicles and 4 gallons of filtered water).

The upcoming August issue of Rolling Stone will feature scent strips designed to connect readers with the true essence of the show.  You can take a wild guess at what that is.

Other elements of the campaign to promote "Weeds," which begins its second season next Monday, include ice cream trucks dubbed Weeds Munchie Mobiles that will show up at concerts and other events to give out "Weeds" merchandise, brownie distribution in busy areas of six cities (those would be brownies like your mom used to make, not your college roommate), and street vendors handing out coffee in "Weeds" cups.

I give this campaign an A+ for creativity.... and I wouldn't mind getting some free brownies either.  One extra plus -- this upcoming season you can look forward to hearing the theme song ('Little Boxes' sung by Malvina Reynolds) performed by Elvis Costello.

Boondocks - television style

The Boondocks comic strip will have its animated premier on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim this weekend.  That means that this is maybe the second time this year that I regret not having cable.

It should be pretty good.  Will someone who loves me tape this for me?   

'Manic sparks'

So this is coming from a girl who used to own a vintage-y looking print of the original movie, but I think it's crazy-cool that there is a new version --- which happens to be a Showtime movie musical Reefer Madness starring Alan Cumming no less.

It's a bespectacled and high-haired Alan Cumming who sets up his movie screen in the Anytown U.S.A. high-school classroom, stares down a roomful of shocked parents and then breaks into the title song as a horde of pot-crazed zombies starts crashing through the windows.

Hahahahaha.

Zombies are funny.

Matar su televisor

I don't have cable television anymore.

Okay... I have a television, a Walmart special VCR/DVD player combo and a dirty corporate movie pass from Blockbuster - but no cable to speak of.

Cable eats your brain and makes you exactly like everybody else. Stupid and boring.

Reading books is good. Growing plants is also very good. Art projects=good. Lomography=super good (hyper chouette).

Making pancakes=sweet! Being in a rock and roll band=sometimes cool.

Television=bad. Thanks for reading.