The Cheryl

I've holed myself up, sorta, in creating a new bag. It's not for me, my sister, Cheryl, has laid claim to it, so I named it after her. My sketch is totally different than the final product but I think I can get it closer. It was a process of experimenting and fixing unforeseen issues with the style. And as for the bow, I love it. It was part of the original design. It took me entirely too long to make it and would be completely impossible to make a living off of. I'm thinking of starting an online store at some point. But I'll have to build up some inventory.

Conversations with Natalie.

Natalie is a good phone talker and we cover much ground in our all too infrequent chats. We mostly talk about our current favorite TV shows and pop culture. It's like a book club without the need for too much depth or symbolism. We recently decided that it would be sooo much cooler if Heroes was to keep Kristen Bell as Veronica Mars. She could be a non-mutant and solve stuff, she's already a super sleuth. Veronica moves to New York to work with the FBI and gets caught up with Clea Duval and the mind reader and, well, they could figure it out from there, but it would totally kick ass.

Song of the Day

Peter, Bjorn & John - Young Folk. The one of the many songs that has popped up on commercials lately that I used to dance to. The live version was also a Gap song.

mmm, Pizza.

I buy and eat too much pizza, but it's so easy to make. I buy cheese pizzas when they are on sale at Publix and then I add my own toppings. Sometimes, I just buy the crust and and add everything. But do not buy the Pillsbury crust because that stuff is nasty. I wasted some good toppings on that stuff. Today I had some good pizza, see, what I did was cut the frozen, cheese pizza in half (I don't need a whole pizza, it's called portion control). Then, I piled it up with the yummy goodness that is tomatoes, onions, banana peppers, black olives, feta and habanero cheddar. I enjoyed it immensely. The picture isn't the prettiest, but it should convey the totally delicious nature of my dinner.

Song of the Day

Come Around by M.I.A. and Timbaland. This is the last track on her album, Kala, which is where it belongs because it doesn't fit with the rest of the album. The first time I heard it, I was quite unimpressed. The only thing that has me coming back is the, I guess, what would be called the chorus and M.I.A.'s verses. I know Timbaland is the second coming in the beat world but I'm wholly unimpressed. In Come Around, his verses is all about hooking up which doesn't go with the album or M.I.A.'s message/verse either. He seems to bland everyone down. I'm really happy M.I.A. wasn't able to work with him as much as she had wanted to for Kala, because it's a good album with an authentic feel that Timbaland lacks. He's so plastic. He didn't add anything to Bjork's latest that she couldn't have achieved with her own team. And Nelly Furtado sold her soul to him for fame, boring fame. Her first two albums had a definite identity, now she's interchangeable, but famous.

US Open

The US Open started on Monday but my lack of cable has resigned me to viewing updates on their website. They have this section where you can see who's serving and it gives real time scores. I find it odd that there is no late nite network coverage like there is for Wimbledon. So, this is my lot. I'm routing for a Williams sister or anyone that isn't Henin or Sharapova. And Roger on the men's side. I know, I know, it's the US Open and I should be routing for an American, but I really like the favorite.

Judi, I mean Judith

I just read an article in Vanity Fair about Judith Giuliani, wife of Rudy, and man is she scary. (On an aside, I bought VF because Gisele was on the cover but then there was only one more picture of her inside, oh well.) I'm trying to figure out who she'll try to social climb marry if he actually becomes president. You can't get much higher than the leader of the free world, but it probably won't be enough. But her as First Lady is quite unappealing. If people thought Jackie went all out with redecorating, Judith won't leave a fabric unturned and will probably take it all with her when she leaves. And when she leaves office, Rudy will magically become former ruler of the world in her seemingly hazy memory, just like her "well-off" second husband, the wall paper salesman. Meanwhile, she's doing all she can to keep her claws in him, but she shouldn't worry, he's the faithful type, right?

In other crazy, old woman news: Leona Helmsley has left $12 million to her dog, Trouble. But she has a mausoleum, I'm jealous.

Song of the Day

Bjork - All is Full of Love. A beautiful song with a mesmerizing video.

Broiled Tomatoes

Tonite my family had dinner at my mother's house and I helped. I went onto some recipe sites to find her something to make but of course she had no input and I have little focus, so it took a while but we found an appetizer/side dish, Broiled Tomatoes with Feta and Fresh Oregano . We already had plenty of tomatoes in the fridge and all I needed was more feta and fresh oregano. I actually bought an oregano plant because it was cheaper than the stuff in the package, now it's the challenge of keeping it alive. I cut the tomatoes thinner than the recipe and used less. It had called for a tomato per person but that wasn't about to happen. I stood there and worked really hard on chopping the oregano off the plant and into little bits, but it was in vain sinceit ended up clumping together. My mom came along and just torn little pieces off the plant and placed them on top off the feta to much better effect. In the end they tasted really good and my sister is going to make them this weekend when she is visiting my other sister. Oh, and we had chicken and beef satays with couscous for our main plate.

Brave New World

Ahh a brand new direction for this still young blog. I have decided that, while I did like the old stuff that I did, I want to do something more personal. I'll still put up some of the stuff that I did before but it may not be daily. The posts will have my voice, whether or not that is a good thing is yet to be seen. I plan on covering my own art and that of those I like as well as food, fun, pop cultue, and just random things I learn. I know entirely to much about things that are not of use to me and I am willin to share that. Thanks for listening, hopefully this works, bye.

Song of the Day

Daft Punk - Digital Love, because I did have a dream last night.

Daily Round Up

* Yay! The Simpsons Movie is cleaning up around the world.

* 100 children does not seem like a sane goal. People aren't collectible and they shouldn't be brought into the world for a trivial goal.

* At least they're not having babies. Just creepy, expensive group sex. Who knew swinging would be the next golfing or scuba diving?


* If you can still eat, here's a delicous looking Spicy Grilled Turkey Burger with Coleslaw Recipe.

* Here is a great "how to" for cat owners, putting them on a leash. There are leash laws and dogs shouldn't be the only ones that they apply to, especailly when one is walking his or her dog and then a cat comes along and causes trouble. Just saying.

* So, can Kris Van Assche escape the shadow of Hedi Slimane at Dior Homme?

* If Perez Hilton had a conscience or a soul (he has sold it for a bad dye job and minor fame, he should have gotten lypo in the deal, too) he would be grappling with the implications of outing celebrities.

Veronica Mars can fly!!!

Well, that's not clear yet but Kristen Bell will be adding some form of power to her sleuthing abilities. Variety is reporting that she has been signed for a multi-episode arc to the hit NBC show Heroes. All that is know is that her character is mysterious, sexy and "has ties to the supposed death of Peter, H.R.G.’s past and the future of Claire." All sounds very intrigueing. The report also mentions her other projects and I am very happy to see her getting so much work. I still wish Veronica Mars was still on the air but at least I'll get to see Kristen Bell other places.

Today in History

1643 - Puritan preacher Anne Hutchinson dies. Now we know why America is so prude.

1920 - The first commercial radio station, 8MK, begins operating.

1940 - Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky is fatally wounded in Mexico City. He dies the next day.

1942 - Singer Isaac Hayes is born.

1946 - American news reporter Connie Chung is born.

"Shouting at Cutlery!"

I was looking through YouTube for a song of the day and came across the randomest thing. It is Tori Amos on a British morning show being interviewed by two large, loud puppets, Zig+Zag. For once Tori isn't the looniest one in the room. She does quite well for herself. I couldn't stop grinning through the whole thing. She explains out of body experiences quite well. Unfortunately, the poster disabled the embedding function, so you have to go to YouTube to actually watch them.
1994 interview promoting Under the Pink.
Part 1 of 1996 interview promoting Boys for Pele.
Part 2 of 1996 interview.

Song of the Day

Interpol's lastest video for their single, The Heinrich Maneuver, off of Our Love to Admire.

Tisk, tisk, language.

Here's a nifty little YouTube video. It's about The Simpsons.


Now, once you've watched it, go to the actual YouTube site (by clicking on the embedded YouTube icon on the video screen) and read the comments. People have some serious anger management issues. And by people, I mean 14-year-old boys.

Song of the Day

Bjork - Innocence. This video is the winner of the fan created music video contest.

Daily Round Up

* "Dirty bomb" suspect Jose Padilla was found guilty of supporting terror and plotting to kill people overseas.

* In sad news, suicides have hit a 26 year high in the US army.


* The conservation group BirdLife has launched a program to protect 189 birds from extinction.

* So Apple may not be such a bad name. A couple from Chine have tried to names their child @. They claim that phonetically in Mandarin is means "love him".

* Who would have thought the wholesome, singing Mormons had been around this long?

* Eating right isn't always the easiest thing to do (ahem, Ben and Jerry's for breakfast) but here are a few simple tips, and recipes to boot, that make it easy.

* Here's a round up of the last day of the World University Games for swimming. The US came out with a leading 26 medals and 10 gold.

* The Daily Intelligencer has fun with Brooke Astor's will.

* They have to make up for their teeth!

Today in History

1868 - Arica, Chile is hit by a tsunami that killed a possible total of 70,000 people.

1888 - T. E. Laewrence, known the world over as Lawrence of Arabia, is born.

1948 - The Great Bambino, Babe Ruth dies.

1958 - The MaterialGirl, Madonna is born.

1969 - Police raid Spahn Ranch and arrest Charles Manson.

1991 - Shamu the Killer Whale, one of SeaWorld's biggest attractions dies.

Water Cube and Bird's Nest

The Beijing Olympics are less than a year away and already they have given us some wonder and excitement. The National Aquatic Center, aka the Water Cube, is an enchanting cube made of what appear to be bubbles. It's very fluid and clearly represents what is inside. The swimmers are sure to be struck by the grandness of the occasion from just the structure itself. The Water Cube's neighbor is the Bird's Nest, formally known as the National Stadium. The name is derived from the way the ouside support beams are curved to form a nest of sorts which holds all the goings on inside. China has created some marvelous venues to stage such a sporting extravaganza and the Olympic spirit is sure to be soaring. All this though has not come without a few detractors.

Song of the Day

Some end of summer, short shorts, Wet Hot American Summer style fun courtesy of Hello Goodbye.

Daily Round Up

* Everything is traceable. A wikipedia scanner has revealed interesting edits to wikipedia entries including ones done by the CIA and Diebold, the company in charge of the voting machines involved in controversy, to their own profile trying to diminish their link to President Bush.

* Dean's got a girlfriend on the gulf coast, Erin. Hopefully they don't decide to go on a date in Florida.

* You can now get your Lennon fix, if not quite a full Beatles fix, on iTunes.

* Here's a little how to for your next exploration into a Farmer's Market.


* Some yummy, yummy stew: Brazilian Black Bean Stew.

* Um, she kinda brought this on herself. So what's going to happen to Amy's whole shtick when she's sober? Will people care when she's not a train wreck, wasn't that the bad girl appeal?

Today in History

1519 - The place of my birth, Panama City is founded.

1769 - French Emperor Nepolean Bonaparte, he of the height issues, is born.

1909 - Brazilian sociologist and writer Euclides da Cunha dies.

1965 - Writer and creator of Veronica Mars Rob Thomas is born.

1969 - Woodstock Music and Art Fair begins.

And Happy Mother's Day to all the Mom of Costa Rica!

80 plus Green sites

This list of green sites covers everything form the effect of the amount of paper consumed to fashion and shopping. It has sites that contain non-profit info and ways to get involved. So, if you're already green this will help along or if you're getting started it will give you great ideas. And it's definitely better than the farce that is the Vanity Fair "Green" issue. Yay for green living.

Song of the Day

Mika - Any Other World

Daily Round Up

*Here's something to cook up for you and your friends: Grilled Tri-Tip Steak with Bell Pepper Salsa

*That was short lived. HBO's surf drama, John from Cincinnati has been canceled.

*We're getting from both sides. Flossie and Dean are coming to get both coasts of the US. Meanwhile, I had to look up the name Flossie becaus all it brought to mind was teeth. It's latin meaning blossoming or charming. I guess hurricanes can look blossoming but they are never charming.

*Human Rights Watch has an interesting article on how prison rape is and isn't how pop culture portrays it.

*A report out of Canada explains that gonorrhea and syphilis are on the rise after being nearly eradicated. Unfortunately these statistics are most likely true else where.

*Peeping Toms: Two Dutch bloggers are in trouble for video taping up women's skirts. Their defense is that they were showing how easy it is to look up the skirts through a clear floor in a local car park. If they are telling the truth according to the report then they shouldn't be punished.

Today in History

1935 - The not so secure Social Security begins.

1945 - Comedian and movie star Steve Martin born.

1951 - Newspaper Publisher William Randolph Hearst dies.

1983 - Actress Mila Kunis is born.

1994 - International Terrorist Carlos the Jackel is captured.

Water gets Scary

So you know those sght gags on sitcoms where they go to a crappy apartment, turn on the water and brown water comes out and they say "Yay, coffee!" Well, we're getting closer to that. Pur Water has come out with flavors for your tap. You can choose Strawberry, Peach, or Raspberry. I would be very leary of my flavor sitting in the sink all the time, but whatever.

Source

Song of the Day

Modest Mouse - The View. Total dance song. It takes me back.

Murakami + West

Takashi Murakami has designed the covers for Kanye West's new album and some of his singles. Murakami has already made a splash in the fashion world with his collaberation with Marc Jacob for Louis Vuitton creating highly sought after and knocked off bags. I love Murakami's art and want the most exposeure for him, but West, rap's Bono, really isn't the way I had hoped.


Here's a fun animation done for the Vuitton campaign.

Amazon, Hoff, Food, Irish Drinkers

* There is some good news out of Brazil. Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has welcomed new figures showing that the destruction of the Amazon rainforest has decreased by 25%... The government says environmental policies, including measures against illegal logging, have had an effect. Environmentalists welcomed the figures, but said falling commodity prices and economic conditions were also a factor. If it's a continuing trend then this is a good sign, but if it's just a lull then even more work than what is already being done needs to start.

* A short, fluffy profile of Olympic swimmer Katie Hoff. I watched her performance at Nationals and she's going to thrill next summer!

* A quick reccipe for tonite: Wasabii Three Bean Salad.

* Apparently the Irish have always drank.

Today in History

3114 BC - The Mayan Calendar starts.

1926 - Fidel Castro is born. If only he could have been a baseball player.

1952 - Herb Ritts is born.

1961 - The Berlin Wall wall goes up.

2004 - Julia Childs dies.

Teacher resigns after winning a date with a porn star

In another case of totally illogical over reactionism (word?) a teacher resigned after winning a contest in where he got to take a trip and have a date with a porn star.

Jaison Biagini, who taught art for 14 years in Monessen, near Pittsburgh, says he entered a Sirius satellite radio contest on the 'Bubba the Love Sponge' show because it would win him with a free weekend in Tampa. Biagini said he was interested in visiting the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg. The teacher won, and took off for Tampa, where he met porn star Akira.

Is this saying that teachers have to be asexual and have no contact with the sexual world. He didn't do anything that was immoral or even affected his job or performance. Furthermore, is this saying that anyone that has to do with sex is an inapproriate person to come in contact with?

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Veronica Mars, 3rd Season

While this amazing show was cancelled this past season it can live on forever inside our dvd players. The somewhat sprawling third season is coming to DVD on Oct. 23 of this year. The last two kick ass episodes alone make it worth purchasing. Nothing like going out leaving the fans wanting more. And it looks like there will be a look at how creator Rob Thomas planned on changing the direction for the fourth season. hmmm, Agent Mars.

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Song of the Day

A mashup of Madonna's Hung up and Gwen Stefani's What you waiting for? cOuldn't ask anything better. I wish they had this when I went dancing in gville.

National Lazy Day!!!

It's National Lazy Day. I took it upon myself to do more than my fair share of lazying around. Yay for noon wake up calls and ice cream meals. Go ahead and slump down on your couch watching bad reality shows, the rest of the world can wait.

M.I.A. - Jimmy

Lego Man.

This would have been the coolest thing for me in my lego world obsessed youth.

A giant, smiling Lego man was fished out of the sea in the Dutch resort of Zandvoort on Tuesday.
Workers at a drinks stall rescued the 2.5-metre (8-foot) tall model with a yellow head and blue torso. "We saw something bobbing about in the sea and we decided to take it out of the water," said a stall worker. "It was a life-sized Lego toy." A woman nearby added: "I saw the Lego toy floating towards the beach from the direction of England." The toy was later placed in front of the drinks stall.


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Throw down the Music on a Thursday!

On a total M.I.A. kick, new favorite song, $20. she even throws in the Pixies, awesome! Kala, the new album, comes out on Aug 21.