Monthly Archives: December 2011

The Burri Rock the Kitchen Stage



Every time I come home, it never fails that my sister, Mary, will put on some kind of hysterical impromptu song-and-dance performance that I’ll then capture on my iPhone to show friends and family (and for future blackmailing purposes, of course). Her best-ever performance was one of her earliest – “Cell Block Tango” a few years back – but she never fails to impress.

I’ve shown this video and others to a number of my friends, several of whom have come to expect new videos after each visit home. This holiday break didn’t disappoint as Mary stepped back in front of the camera (phone) and brought my mom and sister into the mix to the tune of Aerosmith and Jethro Tull. (My apologies for the awkward camera angle of “Janie’s Got A Gun”.)

I suppose these videos have become our home videos of sorts, which is fitting because it pretty much sums up our family dynamic when we Burri are back under the same roof. Enjoy!

The Child Stars Of “A Christmas Story”


I was reading Huff Po while all snug in my sweet new jammies tonight and came across a “Where Are They Now?” feature on the cast of “A Christmas Story”. It’s always interesting to see where child stars end up because there’s almost always a compelling or at least quasi interesting story behind their coming-of-age experiences.

This movie’s stars don’t disappoint, especially little bro Flick (above), who ended up putting his tongue to good use in the porn industry. Ooooh fuuudge! The bully was all too ironically bullied throughout the rest of his childhood, while Ralphie, unlike his younger brother, thankfully kept it kosher in the film industry and has made quite a name for himself in Hollywood these days.

Click on the photo above to read the full article.

A Look Back at 2011 Through Google Searches


As the days of December fly by, we’re all used to the TV networks, news magazines and various websites barraging us with the habitual “year in review”, which always seem to be done in such a cookie-cutter fashion. Thus, I was thankful to recently stumble upon a different and much more modern approach to the year in review thanks to Google, which offers us a look back at 2011 through the lens of users’ Google searches.

Perhaps it’s a bit of self-promotion on Google’s part, but I thought the video itself was creatively done and highly thorough, especially given that it’s less than three minutes in length. And there were definitely a few news stories that escaped me over the course of the year, so I’m hoping to delve into those over the holidays.

I hope y’all enjoy the video as much as I did!

Red Panda Steals the Show


I felt compelled to share this video of one of the members of Red Panda, a group of acrobats based out of San Fran, performing during halftime of the Richmond/Old Dominion men’s basketball game on Tuesday. How someone picks up this talent of riding a unicycle while kick-flipping bowls on their head, I don’t know, but 6,500 fans and I reaped the benefits.

Jesus Tells Tebow to Tone It Down


I was pouring over my Rolling Stone while watching (or not watching, rather) SNL this weekend when a sketch featuring Jesus and the Denver Tebows caught my attention. It’s one of the funniest skits I’ve seen on the show in a long damn time.

Most people I’ve talked to have said the same, so check it out for yourself if you haven’t already by clicking on the photo above.

Below are my two favorite lines from the sketch, although I’d put Jesus’ leg cross right up there with them…

Matt Prater (Andy Samberg): “Wow, you pray to me? I didn’t know that.”
Jesus (Jason Sudeikis): “Yeah, you know. That’s because I’m not in everyone’s face about it.” [turns to Tebow]

Jesus: “…If I’m the Son of God, then Tom Brady’s gotta be the guy’s nephew.”

A Case of the Muzach Mondays


Mondays may suck, but this music does not. In the spirit of Urban Outfitters’ “Music Mondays”, in which the store’s online music initiative UO Music releases five free songs every Monday, I’ve decided to follow suit with something similar every week (or two) by listing the top 10 tunes I’ve listened to over the past week.

I was actually hesitant to begin my own version of Music Mondays because I’m by no means any kind of authority on music and I don’t want to come across as some douche who’s using his blog as an avenue to proselytize his taste in music to the blogosphere.

My taste in music is as multifarious as they come, as noted by a coworker last week as my Spotify was shuffling artists ranging from Etta James to James Taylor to Fleetwood Mac to Wilco to will.i.am. And 27-year-old male or not, I have absolutely no shame in disclosing my affinity for Biebs, Taylor (Swift) and the like. I’m damn proud of my taste in music, as you should be of your own likewise.

I’ve linked my 10 tunes of the week (arranged alphabetically with album name in parentheses) to audio or video of each respective song so you can check them out for yourself.

And keep in mind that I always enjoy it when friends and (select) family members holler when they come across any good tunes, so please spread the wealth. Music is meant to be shared!

Giving New Meaning to “Tebowing”


Is it time you get to know Tim Tebow in the biblical sense? Let this chart be your guide.

Yes, I realize this is a bit crass considering it’s about doin’ the dirty with professional sports’ purest and most polarizing of dudes, but it’s a Sunday (i.e. the Lord’s/Tebow’s day) and I couldn’t forgo the opportunity to spread the good word here.

I don’t mean to make light of Tebow because I frankly have a great deal of respect for the guy. He’s a proven winner on the field (don’t ask me how and if it’s in any way sustainable) and unabashadly open about his devoutly Christian ways off of it.

Tebow is the kind of son (I showed some restraint in not capitalizing that ‘s’) any parent would be proud to have raised and the type of athlete any coach would love to coach… at least at the college level anyway. A former home schooler, active mission tripper and immensely humble winner of the 2007 Heisman, Tebow is the very essence of a “good guy” who you almost can’t help but like.

Nonetheless, you’ve gotta love this chart… and maybe even wonder to what extent Timmy will use “eye black” in the sack, which will have to wait until marriage, of course. When that fateful day does indeed occur, however, it will officially give new meaning to “Tebowing“.

And for the record, I should not eff Tim Tebow.

Shit Girls Say (And Yeah, You Know You Do It)


I was listening to Ryan Seacrest this morning (…soooo I’m kind of a closet Seacrest fan), and he hyped the hell outta this YouTube video (above) in which a guy goes gal and spouts off “shit girls say”.

Like the “15 Things White Girls Love to Do on Facebook”, his feminine quips are hella on point (e.g., “Shut up!”, “I know, right?” and the jumping and screaming like a bunch of pre-pubescent banshees). His facial expressions and mannerisms throughout the video couldn’t better evoke the female stereotype either.

I think I may just put together a similar list in the near future, too, which I’ll undoubtedly proceed to prattle about. As if I needed another reason to watch TV… and to call out my friends and family.

All in all, a job well done, Mr. Humphrey and Mr. Sheppard. Thank you for the inspiration.

Bra burners, beware. Everyone else, rejoice and enjoy!

Richmond Athletics and the Case of the Desk Drawer Condom

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It all began Thursday morning when my coworker, Rachel, turned to my office mate, Mark, and I and exclaimed, “Where’s my office phone?!?” Given the absurdity of that question since it should have presumably been sitting right there in front of her happy ass, the two of us could do nothing but chuckle. This, of course, indicated guilt on both our parts.

Now, I’m a big fan of pranks, but I don’t string anyone along for too long before admitting guilt. (This admission is typically accompanied by an obnoxiously large smirk spreading across my face.) So, after we had each adamantly denied having anything to do with the looted landline, Rachel eventually reported the phone missing to our boss and facilities director.

They too were baffled by the situation, and the next day she arrived to work with a new phone on her desk. None too ironically, hours later one of our coworkers randomly dropped by (as he often does) and proudly confessed to the theft. A pretty solid prank if you ask me.

And where was Rachel’s phone you may be asking? In her file cabinet (see above). Mystery solved. I want to also note that while typically an odd place to find a phone, I’m still somewhat surprised she failed to check her files in the first place. But hey, she got a new and MUCH improved phone out of the ordeal.

The tom foolery would persist, however, as that same morning Mark came across a condom in his desk drawer (see above). Following his vehement denial that it was in any way his own, Mark naturally approached the aforementioned coworker, who claimed he had nothing to do with this stunt. So, after asking around a bit more (but not too vociferously considering there’s no need for nearly 100 folks across the athletic department to know a condom was found in one’s desk), the situation was once again reported to our boss.

At this very moment, the condom culprit remains at large and continues to roam the hallways of University of Richmond Athletics. Until he or she (probably a fratastic coworker… or someone on the religious right) is apprehended, we at Spider PR are on the alert… and holding on to that condom.

Good Morning, Mr. Carney


My day got off to a great start on Wednesday as one of my political idols of sorts, Jay Carney, appeared on my favorite morning show, MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”, for an interview (click on his photo above to view it in full).

Mr. Carney is a former Time and CNN journalist who earlier this year was tapped to be the White House press secretary, a position political-minded, journalism geek types like myself can only dream about.

Professionally, I respect the hell out of Mr. Carney and the job he’s done given the political turmoil the Obama camp has been enveloped in since he took over the helm of the White House Briefing Room in January. (If you’re feeling extra nerdy, check out the latest news coming out of the Briefing Room, including transcripts of Mr. Carney’s daily briefings.) The job of a WH press secretary is never easy; this notion holding particularly true anymore given the overwhelmingly challenging political landscape that has emerged in recent years.

While I don’t necessarily desire a place in the national spotlight as Mr. Carney finds himself daily, my professional aspirations have long included one day serving as a major player on the sports or political communications scene. And although I can’t claim to have earned a degree from Yale like Mr. Carney (few can), I’m a firm believer that dedication, diligence, competence and proper networking can carry an individual quite far in his or her professional life.

In my mind, it’s all about working your way up (a quick look at my bank account conveys this). And as my mom likes to remind me, “It’s not what you know, but who you know”.

I like to think, however, that an element of both is required to clamber one’s way up the professional ladder. I mean, look where the combination got Jay.