Forget Wall Street, Invest In Something That Really Has Growth Potential - American Celebrity

This installment of Ask A Smartass will attempt to tackle a question that has been on the minds of many Americans these days: Is our country in a recession? Warning: if you hate to hear about money issues or you love capitalism with all of your heart, you may not want to proceed in reading.

Due to a new experimental investing strategy in the country, the economy has hit a recession. Investments have been the strength of the United States economy, so when this risky experimental investment started, many thought nothing of it. But now, as investors have clearly made bad decisions, the entire country is suffering. You may be asking yourself, what is this new investment strategy? Well, it is all the rage now to invest in celebrities. Since they make so much money, why not have them take on shareholders and boost their income while taking others along for the ride.

This was a great idea. But when this started some years back, a lot of investors sunk their money in big names like Britney Spears, Ben Affleck and Lindsay Lohan. With Britney’s unbelievable meltdowns, her investors are experiencing net losses. And those who went ahead and decided to invest in her little sister Jamie Lynn … well, they got double screwed. Sometimes mental instability can be an asset when investing in a celebrity, like Russell Crowe or Quentin Tarantino. But Britney has what we celebrity investors like to call “the wrong kind of crazy.” And her sister is on her way there, let’s face it. Continue reading Forget Wall Street, Invest In Something That Really Has Growth Potential - American Celebrity

A Dagger Wine Review: Bodegas Alma Negra

This article marks the first of many to come. Prepare yourself, because my long dreamed about fantasy has become a reality: writing wine reviews. With the assistance of Wine World in Abingdon, I will be bringing you my opinions on wines from around the world. And as every first article needs a starting point, I have mine: Bodegas Alma Negra, which is a red blend of malbec and bonarda from the Mendoza region in Argentina.

At first smell, the wine gives off an oaky and deep cherry aroma. Being a person who seldom enjoys heavy oaks in my wine, I became a bit skeptical. But once the first sip entered my mouth and danced around my taste buds, my eyebrows perked up and a smile quickly took shape. This is an exceptional wine. The oaky and heavy cherry aromas trick you into thinking this will be a strong drink to be wrestled with, but the taste speaks a different language. The oak serves as a backdrop to the luscious cherry flavor and the wine tastes surprisingly light. Continue reading A Dagger Wine Review: Bodegas Alma Negra

Revenge of the Nerds

For most of us, the perfect definition of a nerd consists of only two words: Dungeons & Dragons.

For those who have been sheltered from the world of the overly-intellectual and hyper-fantasized, Dungeons & Dragons is rightfully the nerdiest thing in the world. But within this magical realm of Wizards and Halflings exists a group of people who greatly surpass D&Ders in their nerdy thirst for questing and goblin killing: we’re talking about Live Action Role Playing (LARPing for short).

The hobby of sitting in a friend’s Mom’s basement, drinking energy drinks, eating Cheetos and navigating through fictitious worlds of yore, started a long time ago and blossomed into a community of highly imaginative dreamers, who found a way they could escape their less than satisfying lives as students, accountants, corporate guinea pigs, etc. with the roll of a multi-sided die. But the new phenomenon called LARPing has taken that imaginative whimsy to a level that will forever claim ultimate nerdom.

Continue reading Revenge of the Nerds

And Now For Something Completely Different…

After keeping tabs on the political articles popping up on The Dagger lately, I came to the conclusion that some entertainment news needs to be inserted to break-up the seriousness of this site That’s why I have chosen to post a movie review. This time around I tackle David Cronenberg’s Eastern Promises.

I went to see Eastern Promises with the idea it would blow my mind. What I was left with was a very unsatisfying feeling. Now a days, when I go to the movies, I want a big surprising twist in the movie to awe me. But maybe that’s just asking for too much. Eastern Promises did not live up to the hype, but it was a solid film. Continue reading And Now For Something Completely Different…

From Blitzkrieg to Voltron; Local CEO Plans European Domination

Sitting through a State of the Company address when you work for a successful corporation can be interesting and off-putting at the same time. Just recently I was privy to one of these gatherings. And over the span of four hours, my demeanor gradually transitioned from bored to appalled.

As most CEOs like to start out, this particular head honcho decided to crack a few jokes. None were interesting enough to remember, but all of his cronies laughed, as I am sure they were instructed to. Finances, product changes, future plans and the history of the company were all covered in great length, hence the four hours. But my eyes were prompted to grow wide in shock when a few points were hit:

Shock Point #1: One of the CEO’s right-hand men proclaimed that the company is planning on changing the cultural landscape of Europe and steamrolling across the continent. This comment struck a chord in my brain and I was reminded of a German-style military tactic called the Blitzkrieg. I turned to a co-worker on my right and inquired, “what is this the Third Reich?” He looked back at me with the same wide-eyed expression I adorned and said, “I was just about to say the same thing.” Continue reading From Blitzkrieg to Voltron; Local CEO Plans European Domination