Goodbye to my new favorite month: August

Prior to this summer, January used to be my favorite month (for purely obvious & selfish reasons – my birthday is January 15th). However, with the recent turn of another calendar page, I’ve discovered several new reasons to enjoy this month.

1) My work pace comes to a standstill. With so many co-workers on vacation, there’s very little work to do. Leaving me to explore the far reaches of the internet in peace. I can even get some leisurely reading done, like Quark for Dummies in my downtime.

2) Easier commute. Again, due to vacation schedules and school break, driving to work is a breeze. Especially on Mondays & Fridays.

3) Anticipation of the return of good television. I’ve been enjoying some of my favorite summer shows – Big Brother & Mad Men. But now, I eagerly await the return of my regular season shows & the new fall lineup.

4) Clothes – stores unveil their new fall silhouettes. Bold colors, sweaters, awesome looking shoes & mod silhouettes are just some of the fun stuff that I’m looking forward to. As much as I love summer, I always feel that the clothes are a bit lacking in style.

5) Good movies – I love the fun, lighthearted summer movies, but I’m ready for some movies that offer substance. More on that later.

So, what’s my least favorite month? February. Why? It's cold, miserable & the dead middle of winter.

For all of you Lily Allen Fans - I'm looking @ you, Beanorama

TMZ ran this entire clip of the British GQ awards. Apparently, she was drinking champagne right at the podium, which is why Elton John made that comment. I love Elton's response, though. He's so bitchy. I love the fact that he's bragging about his bitchy, drug-binging ways.

Gross Photo of the Week

Warning - if you've just recently eaten, this may cause you to hurl. This is Star Jones with her new "man" at the US Open. You know Al's like, "bitch, please! I can so do better than that! He's a two-bagger!"

Blech.

Lesson of the Day: There's no dignified way to clean the handles of an elliptical machine

Think about it.

Is Katy Perry a Lesbian or does she just sing like she's one?

Despite my best intentions, I'll admit that I like, ok, love the Katy Perry song "I kissed a girl". I can't help it, it's just so damn catchy. I just thought that this newcomer was singing about being drunk & hooking up with a chick just to see what it was like. You know, pulling a Lohan. However, a few weeks ago, I was in the gym locker room & heard her other new single "UR So Gay". It was awkward and ironic at the same time considering that while I'm getting dressed/undressed, I frequently come into uncomfortable contact with saggy Chester County boobs, Main Line roast beef curtains & Phoenixville flap jack asses. You get the picture.

Anyway, I couldn't help but wonder whether Katy's a lesbian, enjoys titling songs in sexually provocative way or if this is just a one album thing. Just out of curiosity, I had to log onto Itunes to see what some of the other titles of her songs were 'cause I fully expected to come across something like, "I like muff", or "muff-diving" or "Samantha Ronson 4 EVR". Alas, it turns out these are the only provocative songs on her cd.

Oh, well.

Put down that Hot Pocket, Unusual!

In addition to the not-so-scientific side effects of Diarrhea Pockets, er, umm, Hot Pockets, there's recently been an actual recall of Hot Pockets. No details yet on if they've recalled them 'cause they cause explosive diarrhea. Here's the link if you're afraid that you may be in danger: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20080822/hot-pockets-pepperoni-pizza-recalled.

When celebrity endorsements hurt the presidential candidate

Normally, I find it interesting when I find out that a celebrity that I like shares my same political views. Lately, however, there have been some celebrities that are endorsing Obama that I feel like are hurting the cause rather than helping it. Plus, a part of me gets irked at the fact that some celebrities are so full of themselves that they think that what they think will influence us regular people. People that just make me think "Jesus Christ, will you please shut your non-graduating from high school can barely read a script dumbass up?" Back in '04, I read that some of the most politically vocal celebrities, like Diddy & Ben Affleck, weren't even registered and/or hadn't voted prior to that year's election. I'm hoping that that's the case this year. I've compiled a brief list of celebrities that are endorsing Obama below. I think if these people are even thinking about voting, we may be better off if their SUV runs out of gas on their way to Starbucks & the voting booth.

Pro-Obama: Oprah, Jennifer Lopez, Scarlett Johannsen, Ben Affleck, Chris Brown, Jamie Foxx, Diddy, Russell Simmons, Ludacris, Charles Barkley, Roseanne Barr.

Pro-McCain: Kathy & Rick Hilton, Heidi Montag, Stephen Baldwin.

Shit, did my short list of twit McCain supporters totally void out my list of Obama supporters? Oh, well. Just in case you need an example of how useless & unhelpful a celebrity endorsement is, here's an excerpt of a song that Ludacris made in honor of Obama. Something tells me that this won't be playing at the DNC this week:
I’m back on it like I just signed my record deal/
Yeah the best is here/
The Bentley Coup paint is dripping wet - it got sex appeal/
Never should have hated - you never should’ve doubted him/
With a slot in the president’s iPod Obama shouted him/
Said I handled his biz and I’m one of his favorite rappers/
Will give Luda a special pardon if I’m ever in the slammer/
Better yet put me in office, make me your vice president/
Hillary hated on you, so that bitch is irrelevant/
Now Jesse talking slick and apologizing for what?/
If you said it then you meant it, how you want it - head or gut?/
And all you other politicians trying to hate on my man/
Watch us win a majority vote in every state on my man/
You can’t stop what’s ’bout to happen, we ’bout to make history/
The first black president is destined and it’s meant to be/
The threats ain’t fazing us, the nooses or the jokes/
Get off your ass, black people, it’s time to get out and vote/
Paint the White House black and I’m sure that’s got ‘em terrified/
McCain don’t belong in any chair unless he’s paralyzed/
Yeah I said it cause Bush is mentally handicapped/
Ball up all of his speeches and I throw em like candy wrap/
‘Cause what you talking I hear nothing even relevant/
And you the worst of all 43 presidents/
Get out and vote or the end will be near/
The world is ready for change because Obama is here/

A Damn Shame

Much to my dismay, I found out that Britney Spears will not be performing at this year's VMAs. Some other dumbasses are lined up to perform. I don't remember their names 'cause honestly, if she isn't performing, who the ef cares? I've posted her amazing performance from last year just in case you want to reminisce.

Hey There, Hot Stuff....

Think you've got what it takes to oversee Plinko or the weird Mountain Climber game?

You can try out to be one of Drew Carey's Cuties at the Applebee's in Center City on 15th Street on Thursday!

Reminisce with Me...

Who remembers first discovering Bath and Body Works? I remember it so well...I smelled my friend Erica's Sun-Ripened Raspberry lotion during sophomore year Spanish and I knew it was something wonderful. There was also Country Apple, Pearberry, and many others, but the ultimate was Plumeria. Beanorama swore by it.

I still occasionally stop into B&BW today, but only because my roommate loves the antibacterial soap pumps. But this morning, I was surprised because someone at work had put Plumeria soap in the women's bathroom so we wouldn't have to use the abrasive and stinky crap fest soap that's in there.

I washed my hands twice with it. And not in an OCD way.

"Oh my god!"

Yesterday NotoriousALG and I were traversing lovely Rittenhouse Square on the way to down iced teas at Parc. I made casual eye contact with some kid, 19 or 20, as we walked past and as Notorious was telling me a story. "Oh my god!" I said, in reaction to something she said. A moment passed, then we hear from behind us "Oh my god!" in a falsetto from the kid we passed. Notorious and I automatically turned and looked at the kid who looked back with no expression on his face.

We automatically assumed the kid was making fun of Notorious ALG because -- for whatever reason -- she often gets mocked by strangers by what she says. Strangers like to say stuff to her. But then we realized I was the mockee. It was a new and different experience for me.

Then we had to sit next to a bunch of Dior-wearing, pseudo-Euro-trash Philadelphian douchebags who made their Corvette honk with their key. Lame-o!

New Four Eyes.

I look creepy.

Vacation, all I ever wanted.

In 9 days I will go on vacation with 44 members of the vO clan. My architect uncle made the sleeping plan... voila:

My bike's "before" pictures.

Can you tell I'm excited?

I wish I wrote this about Rubella deVille.

"BARKLEY THE CAT" - Marc Israel Music Video! from Marc Israel on Vimeo.

Belknap!

Belknap is the cabin I stay in when I go to Sandy Island, New Hampshire... where I am going in two weeks! Here is a video that my cousin MvO found to get me through the next two weeks. It's taken by some other campers of the lovely Lake Winnepesaukee outside of Belknap cabin.

My new bike!

I'm so excited! I'm also so scurred. I got a bike- a red bike, with foot brakes! Just what this girl needs. Sorry cabbies: from now on I'll pedal and save my sheckles. I feel like a real Philadelphian now. I promise I'll wear a helmet most times.

Thanks, anonymous commenter, for doin' it up.

Don't pay outrageous 411 prices.

This is cool:

Not just a friend of Monica and Rachel

After a three-hour ride home from the shore today, I decided to reward myself with some delicious culinary delights from Phoebe's Bar-B-Q on South Street. This time I'm going for a sides-only order. The ribs I had last time were great, but it was a huge meal. So, I'm goin for mashed, mac, and veg. My mouth is watering. I wrote this post to kill time. Gotta go pick it up.

(Note: The above pic is not of an actual Phoebe's meal, but it still looks good.)

My Fave Summer Show Returns Tonight

If you didn't have chance to catch MadMen last summer, tonight's the chance to start watching Season 2. I love this show so much & it really should be a show that comes on during the regular tv season. It was already nominated for a whole bunch of Emmys. Just in case you don't know what it's about - the show is based on ad execs in NYC in the 50s & all of the marketing, culture, politics & other fascinating details that were playing out during that era. And, it's really smart & sleek writing. Here's a trailer if you're interested. If you decide to tune in this season & need some background on Season 1, I will gladly clue you in.

Another reason to dislike the Hogan's

I don't know about you, but I've already had it with the Hogan family because of the whole Nick Hogan putting his friend into a coma/I don't deserve to be in prison/public divorce nonsense. For a while, it seemed as though their man-daughter Brooke was the only sane one. Now, I'm not so sure. This clip is just proof that no one in their family should be recorded saying anything without a publicist present.

This time it wasn't Sherri Shepherd....

The only reason why this clip is interesting is because whenever I tune into The View, I keep a running bet against myself debating how long it will take until Whoopi stands up & smacks the shit out of either Sherri Shepherd or Elizabeth Hasselback. And then, which one will it be first? Last week, Elizabeth was the one that said something dumb & I was hoping that it would be followed by Whoopi smacking the crap out of Elizabeth. No such luck. However, if you haven't seen this clip yet, you can watch it & check out Whoopi's facial expressions.

Everything's coming up skank

Marie Claire included a "Sexy 101" list in its August issue, and I found one of the items particularly disturbing.

21. Sexiest weight-loss plan: Red Wine Diet. Drink yourself skinny.

I didn't read on after that for fear of what else they find particularly sexy this year. I guess (read: hope) they were trying to be funny, but I read it while I was in one of my American-girls-are-getting-dumber-and-trashier moods.

Also, while I was in Greece, people told us that foreign guys love American girls because they think they are easy, an opinion based on "Sex and the City" and "Girls Gone Wild" apparently. So, I guess non-Americans aren't that bright either.

Happy Friday everyone.

Summer hot, summer cold.

I have a summer cold. It's not terrible: I am just stuffed up and have a few sneezes. On a scale of 1-10, it's only a 5 or 6. But the bad part is not that it's a cold, but that it's a summer cold. In the winter, it's tempting to go home, eat hot soup, drink tea and cuddle up in bed with your little black cat. But in Summer, when your a.c. barely kicks in, the thought of hot liquids and comfy duvets makes a girl want to sweat.

On the bright side, I get free pizza for lunch today.

I don't think your baby is cute.

Last night I saw The Dark Knight at the Roxy on Sansom Street. I enjoyed the film, but I did not enjoy the crying infant in the row next to me. As soon as I saw the mom/dad/baby entered, I knew the outcome would not be good. Of course he/she kept crying, the inconsiderate parents would keep getting up to go to the lobby, and then they would come back in only to repeat the process. Eventually, they gave up and left the movie, and there was a sigh of relief from the crowd.

Thanks for ruining the first half of the movie for all the patrons who decided not to bring crying babies.

On a related note, I feel the same way about people who bring infants on airplanes. Unless they are going to visit family or making a necessary trip, people should not be so thoughtless to bring a baby on a plane where he/she will inevitably cry and scream from the air pressure. My Hawaii flight two years ago was a disaster - six hours of high-pitched screaming didn't exactly get our vacation off to a good start.

Hurts.

Why do I have to stare at and obsess over any cuts or bruises when I get them? I have never bruised easily, so I enjoy when I get one.

I wish I had a cool story about this one, like I was skydiving and the parachute didn't open so I grabbed onto an eagle and its talon scratched me, but really I just launched myself over a balcony sneaking out of a hotel pool in a bikini. Dumb.

It Sucks.

J.Crew.com redid their sale section and it sucks. Period.

Just because.

Chase! Tee Hee Hee....

Last night, we were watching the Home Run Derby and our very own Chase Utley was up to bat. When they introduced him, you could hear the audience clearly booing him and he said something back, but I couldn't really tell what. But I heard it this morning on the radio, by God, did I hear it.

"Boo? F--k you," he said.

I love it. I am sorry, I know I should worry about his reputation, but to be quite honest, he's allowed to be human.

I'm only human......flesh and blood, a man.....

I wrote, and I conquered.

My realtor informed me that my rent would be increasing by $30 per month starting in September. I mulled it over and decided to write a letter explaining why I think my rent should stay the same for the next year. And, they gave in (to my surprise, honestly)! It was quite a victory. Now how will I spend that extra 30 bones every month? Hmm...

(ECR, never underestimate the power of a letter.)

Should I get stoned?

For the past two weeks, I've had this desire to learn a different language. Nothing crazy - just Spanish. Right now I just put an o on the end of every word. Anyway, I'm running into some trouble. Rosetta Stone is $500 for steps 1, 2 and 3. Here are my problems:
1. I technically don't have a computer. I could stay late at work, but I don't know how that would go.
2. I technically don't have $500. Early Christmas present from mom and dad? (They'd probably just split it. We don't get $500 worth of gifts.)
3. I took Spanish for 4.5 years and only learned to say "Mi madre es muy loca." Maybe I don't have an aptitude for languages.
4. I don't want to take classes because I would not want to go every week. I have never been good at class attendance.

Despite these things, I still really want to do it. Any thoughts or suggestions? Has anyone ever tried RS? Am I destined to be a gringo for life?

Ode to a... Flower Bud?

If you are a long-time Unpretty reader, you'll remember my Odes to various foodstuffs. I would sing the praises of artichokes and coconut soup, avocado and asparagus, beets and mango. (This was a particular dislike of one Mr. Richman, Esquire.)

Looking back, I see the Ode became a favorite of Unusual (lint brush roller), Notorius ALG (Silent Observer) and Flip Flop Girl (milk and clementines).

Well, here's the latest: and Ode to the Caper. The caper is a tricky little food item. Is it a veggie? No. A berry? Sort of. It's a flower bud, all salty and pickly and delish. It goes great in pasta and even BETTER on a bagel with cream cheese. It's definitely savory and not sweet. It's little. It's related to its bigger, less awesome cousin, the caper berry. It's nice on chicken.

Caper: I love you. Don't ever go away.

Another nightmare.

Shoooo-ee, ya'll. I thought my anti-malaria pills gave me nightmares, but damn, they keep happening. The latest? My sister, MKVOB-B, was in prison and was a crackhead. She also was prostituting herself via the internet. [Must have been a liberal prison.]

Really she's a sweet newlywed psychology PhD down in Richmond. She's a natural blonde.

I think I am watching too much Intervention.

Gnawing at my brain

Something has been bothering me for almost a week, and I am hoping that someone out there can help me with it.

In the movie Good Night, and Good Luck, a man and a woman who are married work at the same news station (CBS), but they have to keep it a secret because of company policy. In one scene, the woman reminds her husband to take off his wedding band before he leaves. She says, "What other wife tells her husband to take off his wedding ring before he goes to work?" The man responded, "Ava Gardner."

I DON'T GET IT. Why is this funny/witty? Who did Ava say that to? Frank? If so, I still don't understand. Please, help me.

Back in Black (or brown, tan, white or other neutral color I wear)

Hey kids. While I loved playing the part of a Greek goddess for 10 days, I'm glad to be back with all of you - both in person and online. I missed you, and I know you missed me.

So Unpretty Stars

Beanorama and mo cheeks...

Cash, Money....

When people write me checks for money that they owe me, I get excited. "YEAH! MONEY! WAHOO!," I think and beeline to a PNC to cash the check.

Apparently, I am not the norm. As of today, there are two outstanding checks that I have written to people that have not been cashed. It has been more than two months and it is bothering me. They are not for small sums and it messes me up on online banking. Luckily, I do balance a checkbook, but it still is annoying.

Perhaps those that keep checks for months without cashing them can explain?

I won a prize!

Ya'll! I never win prizes! But I won one for Notorious ALG. Check out this blog post on Brooklyn Bride, here. 151 people tried to win!

A good thing and a bad thing.

A good thing: certain words deserve and extra letter. Like, "hot" should really be "hott" and "sexy" should really be "sexxy"

A bad thing: when you get one of those recurring cuts on the inside of your nose, and you pick the scab (is it a booger? is it a scab?) and it bleeds.

I'm bored.

Why you shouldn't have to work on July 3.

[disclaimer to HR: this is all hypothetical.... hahah just kiddin' everyone knows we don't have HR!]

This is why today is useless. This is what I have done at work today:

1. arrived at 9:35
2. ate a kiwi, yogurt, tabbuleh
3. signed my name on 100 copies of paper
4. ate a salad, smartfood popcorn and chocolate milk
5. lamented the chocolate milk
6. watched a video of the dude from Vanity Fair get waterboarded (verdict: it is torture)
7. practiced my Renegirl dance moves and falsetto with mo cheeks
8. eaten a carrot cake cupcake (Happy Birthday Popsie!)
9. commented on blog posts about 80s cover bands and Xtina Aguilera
10. Facebook, Twitter, Hotmail, Facebook, Twitter, Hotmail, Facebook...
    

Nightmare.

I had the creepiest nightmare last night with a million details. I won't tell you all of them, but it basically involved me running around a hotel with gunmen, etc. It ended with me running out of the hotel, wearing a white dress. A guy in a car caught my eye, and I knew I was caught. To my surprise I saw my friend Emily from college and said to her, "I am about to get shot, watch out." And then, I was shot in the stomach. I sat on a lawn with Notorious ALG and my friend J.Pa (Emily was gone) and made J.Pa write down my last thoughts, which were as follows:

Tell my parents thank you because I felt loved every single day.
Tell my sisters that I will protect and love their children from heaven.

And that's it. I think those are some pretty decent last words, no?

[then, in the dream, my stomach gurgled and i changed positions and all the blood came running out]

Beanorama & Mo Cheeks to make their Rock n Roll debut...

AFTER 12 YEARS, LEGENDARY ROCK BAND CALLS IT QUITS
Renegade to Play Final Show 4th of July at Johnny Brenda’s

Forget Boyz II Men and John Legend, this Independence Day will see Philadelphians saying farewell to one of the greatest, yet virtually unknown to the mainstream, local rock and roll acts unseen since the likes of the Hooters, Hall & Oates, and Cinderella.

Founded in 1996 by frontman and only original member, Brian Adoff, Renegade will play its final show on July 4th, 2008 at Johnny Brenda’s in Fishtown. Rounding out this year’s Renegade lineup is Philadelphia Daily News gossip columnist Dan Gross on Bass, Hey Angel guitarist and high school biology teacher Dave Adoff on guitar, Richie Roxas and Matt Maraldo from Hail Social on guitar and drums, respectively, and newcomer Jeff Ziga from Armalite and Affirmative Action Jackson. Surprise guest singers and musicians can be expected as well.

In true Renegade fashion, this show will be more of a party than anything. Helping to celebrate the birth of our nation and the death of the renowned band will be good friends YMD (formerly Yah Mos Def) and Sweatheart opening and DJ Russ Alexander of Immediate and Rocktits! fame spinning patriotic rock tunes late into the night.

more info:

www. myspace. com/thegreatestbandinthehistoryoftheuniverse
www. r5productions. com
http://www. johnnybrendas. com/


***Note to SoUn Rock n Rollers - you too can be a Renegirl! Due to an incredibly small stage we can't all rock out but we can all join in the fun and help out. Let me know if you're interested and you might just get a crazy cool t-shirt and the opportunity to hand out flashlights and other amazing tasks.***

p.s. buy your tix online at one of the sites above - they're $8 ! you can afford it!

If This Doesn't Warm Your Heart, Then You Are Bitch

Ramona.

Not that I don't want to look at my engagement photos forever, but I just wanted to remind those book club members about our conversation last evening. Ah, Ramona Quimby. One of the most beloved characters of youth fiction. I remember when I was sick with yet another ear infection, my Mom bought me Ramona Forever. And a few years ago, Beanorama sent me an article about Beverly Cleary that was so charming.

This book cover is not at all what mine looked like, but I loved her so much. Even though she said, "Tommy Toes" instead of tomatoes.

CONGRATULATIONS!

At 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, right after book club, we dropped off Notorious ALG then drove 3 blocks to my house. I ran upstairs, put on my pj's, and heard my phone ring. It was no later than 9:45. It was Notorious ALG:

"Beanorama? I'm getting married!"
"Wait, what? But I just saw you!" Once I got over my shock, much screaming ensued. Then like the classy broad I am, I put on clothes, ran down the street with ring pops and Boone's Farm in hand, and screamed and hugged and snapped photos of my dearly beloved Notorious ALG and her husband-to-be, Jonasty.

I am so lucky I got to see them in the aftermath of their betrothal.

Congratulations, Al. You deserve many lifetimes of joy and happiness. And Jonas... you better protect and honor and cherish this gal o' mine.

Huzzah!

Nine Years of Wondering...

...and I find the answer in Rittenhouse Nail Salon.

as some of you may know, i have a small japanese character tattooed on my right inner ankle. i got it 9 years ago when i was in art school. i was told at the time (by an american woman named Jackie Brown on south street) that it meant, "Creative Power".

predictably, i have come to regret said tatt, not because i think tattoos are wrong or anything. i just wish i would have gotten it in a more discreet place, ya know? i also am sick of hearing people ask me the same four questions when they see it:

1. YOU have a tattoo???
2. What does it mean???
3. Do you REALLY believe that?
4. Do you ever wonder if it really means something awful like, RAT or WHORE???

you can imagine how much fun this has been over the years...

well, today, i feel slightly good about my tatt, for the first time since i proudly came home and showed my mom. the japanese woman at Rittenhouse Nail Salon complimented me on it and remarked how beautifully done it was as she gave me a pedicure...I asked her what she thought it meant, and at first she told me "Power". but after consulting with two of her co-workers, she added "King" and ended up translating it as "Powerful King".

ok, so it's not actually "Creative Power"...but at least its not "Rat" or "Whore" right?

Big and Little.

[Despite having a Mac for a year and a half, I still sometimes don't know how to use it. In absence of a right-click function, I had to do a screen shot. D'oh!]

Thoughts by Sam:

My big brudder Bendy thinks he is so cute. Well, you know what? He may be cute, but he's a giant. I mean, look at that giant man-foot. That's not normal for an eighteen-month-old! And why does my Aunt want to bite Ben's thighs? I have no idea. Also, I wish I could wear a Sandy Island shirt.

Thoughts by me: Aren't my nephies just the NUTS? Ugh. I love them.

I had a dream.

I had a dream. And now it is realized. It is a self-centered dream, and it involved having my likeness created, a la Kate Winslet in Titanic minus the nudity (maybe) and the ugly blue heart necklace.

But now, thanks to Notorious ALG, my dream has been realized! I am forever immortalized on a pretty green plate (and I love green). And the nice lady even gave us a photo of the sketch to boot!

Thanks for the giftie, Allie.

Now I am a Philadelphian.

Although the Hallahan girlz used to scare the crap out of me when I rode the #27 bus with them (they were tough! and taller than I am!), I now feel like maybe I am one of them. Just as the plaid-jumpered gals swim in dirty Love Park fountain water do on graduation, we celebrated Unusual Suspect's work graduation in style.

Props to Mo Cheeks for climbing in in skinny jeans. And for giving me the biggest splash evah.

Bam-boopet.

I can't sleep, and I know I shouldn't get on my computer, but here I am. Also, I am a bad blogger and I haven't posted in a decade. I think my last post prob had something to do with Ruby's dreads so I will pick up that theme and tell you our next step:

Today for my birthday, I got the Bamboo Pet cat comb from my sister MKVOB. As you can see in earlier comments, I read this as "Bam-boopet." Anyway, it seriously works! The picture is only the beginning of the fur I removed from my raven haired beauty. Unforch, Rubes likes to eat the fur as it piles around her, and I have cleaned up two hairballs today.

You win some, you lose some.

Wasn't It Odd?

that Angelina chose Entertainment Weekly to give such a personally candid and forthcoming interview? i for some reason get this in the mail every week (have no idea how or why) and wasn't really expecting much when i saw her on the cover. those mags always tend to write more fluff than anything, right?

well! it was more than a couple of pages of dish, let me tell you. she talked about her and brad A LOT more than i think she ever has and it was quite the interesting little window into what must be there awesome lives.

just sayin, but if i were her (god, please, god) i would've prob saved that shit for vanity fair or vogue or something. not a weekly, rag-a-muffin pub like EW. the editors there must have been climaxing for hours when they knew what they were publishing. lucky bastards :)

The slutification of America's youth

I know we've touched on this before, but I must post again about the grossness that is Victoria's Secret these days. I do shop there, but I am referring mostly to the messages conveyed inside the stores. Yesterday I decided to try on a swimsuit cover-up - exciting, I know. So, I walked into the dressing room, threw my purse on the chair, looked into the mirror and almost threw up. No, not from the sight of myself. On the mirror the word "strip" is written in big, neon letters. I was disgusted. Young girls shop at VS too and this is the type of thing they see there. It must be said - so unpretty.

My New Favorite Dance/Gym Song

The Knife: "Heartbeats"



absolutely obsessed with this song since i heard it saturday night at Johnny Brenda's. it makes me want to stop whatever i'm doing and start groovin'. now, when's the last time you did that?

Celeb Sighting

This weekend, I was celebrating the birthdays of a few of my favorite people and learned that a movie was being filmed near the park where we were. I forced Beanorama and Mo Cheeks to walk over to the fence where we were told they were filming. And then, I saw my girl crush, Megan Fox. She is so pretty. Beanorama remarked that she had perfect eyebrows. I didn't like that she was sticking out her lips. It annoyed me. And she got yelled at by the director. But it was still cool. Real cool.

Two Crew For School

getting a new job is a lot like going to a new school. a lot of perks come with it, especially the excuse to get new clothes! SUH AWE-SUUUUUM! (said in Hillz-like style).

last night i was given a $100 gift card to the crew. i was grateful of course, but i also don't shop there too often. i actually can't remember what the last thing was that i bought there for myself. they're just too expensive, ya know? now, don't get me wrong...i used to sweat them in my college years (98-03) but had resigned myself to finding clothes elsewhere when i realized that seemingly overnight they wanted $100 for a sweater instead of $60.

however, getting a gift card there has allowed me to dip my toe back in the crew pool and i think i came up with something very swimmingly.

behold. my favorite summer outfit of 2008. i ordered online last night so hopefully it will be here soon. and i found a code on one of those weird web sites which saved me $15 on shipping!

whatcha think?!

Now this just pisses me off..

seriously: what was wrong with Strawberry Shortcake?? she was ADORABLE.
red yarn hair? adorable.
pink fluffy kitty? adorable.
chunky brown loafers? adorable.
chubby freckled cheeks? adorable.
freaking bloomers for heaven's sake??? adorable!
see what i mean??

why did they have to make her so... vapid? she has a pink blow-out and green eyes now! and seems to have lost a lot of weight for a SHORTCAKE PERSON.

i know it is useless at this point... but somebody needs to save all the little girls of the world. go drag them from their bikini waxers and sit them down in front of the REAL miss shortcake.

Could I Handle the G-Force, Though?

So last night, I watched "When We Left Earth," a new mini-series on the Discovery Channel about the United States' space program in the 60s. It was unreal. For as long as I can remember, I have been absolutely fascinated by space travel. I think it may be rooted in a combination of my love for the movie Space Camp and freeze-dried ice cream.

When I was younger, I had a desire to become an astronaut, but that was short-lived once I saw the space capsules they used to use at the Air and Space Museum and realized I may not be able to handle the claustrophobia. Of course, they transitioned to the space shuttles, but I was still apprehensive about the G-Force upon lift-off and when coming back into Earth.

So, I will keep my feet on the ground, but I can live vicariously through Gus Grissom and Buzz Aldrin in this awesome series.

Another time waster.

Draw My Thing. Sounds pervy, but is hilarious. And I can't access it from work, thank god. From the blog I'm In Like With You, written by a friend of Internet Doyenne Julia Allison. CLICK HERE TO DRAW!

Time waster.

Want to waste time? Think you have damn good secretarial skillz? Typeracer at your service.

No Cheating!!

I just noticed the The Other Boleyn Girl comes out on DVD this upcoming Tuesday, June 10th. If you've started reading the book (I'm more than halfway through it 'cause it's so damn good...nah,nah,nah) - then you may be tempted to watch the movie just to see what spin Hollywood has to it.

Or, you may be tempted to watch the movie to get around reading the book.
However, no one can watch this movie until we've met, discussed the book & agreed on a book club movie night!

Agreed?

Hot or Ugly Hot?

Ok, ladies. Here's the quintessential age-old question again. This time the subject is Daniel Craig. I just saw him in Casino Royale & over the summer he caught my eye in a Truman Capote movie. Not the one with Philip Seymour Hoffman, the other one. Anyway, I think that he's intense looking & attractive, just not in the traditional sense.

What do you think?

Me So Hungry

watching Top Chef makes me salivate.

salivate...what a delicious word.

My Hairdresser is Worried

Not with my locks, but with her stocks. as she cut and colored my hair last week she asked me if I had seen Suze Orman on The View last week.

No, of course i hadnt, because i was busy sorting/organizing/cleaning the house and sadly missed out on the joys of daytime TV.

she then went on to tell me that Suze's advice for the next coming year or so, was to not buy anything new-a house, a car, anything. this was the year to save and pay down your debt. all this because of the recession. my hairdresser was freaked out and she was starting to freak me out too.

i tried to search for a video of this online, but could not track it down. i know a lot can get lost in translation and people hear things differently, so i wanted to hear it for myself. plus, i was a little nervous because me and my husband just broke her first two rules (new house and a new honda element).

anyone else hear about this? and really, what does recession really mean for you and me? should we be really concerned? i'm a little scared, but i don't know if i should be or not...