a wedding weekend of wild animals.
1.30.2008
1.29.2008
so fresh. so easy.
i have a new favorite grocery store. it's called fresh and easy. there is one right around the corner from work. i am now happily eating a wonderful chicken dish i microwaved and it cost me less than $3. it reminds me of marks and spencer's in london. everything is packaged as tasty as the contents.
www.freshandeasy.com
www.freshandeasy.com
1.24.2008
1.22.2008
1.19.2008
1.17.2008
yowzas
http://www.defamer.com.au/2008/01/the_tom_cruise_indoctrination_video_scient
ologists_dont_want_you_to_see-2.html
ologists_dont_want_you_to_see-2.html
1.16.2008
1.13.2008
sayonara twenties
http://www.thetrain.com/
my 30th birthday was great! there were surprises around every turn. the "check engine" light on my car was not a good surprise but quickly rectified. i got it fixed quickly bc i knew we were going on a trip. on a plane? in the car? i was not sure as the mr. was not telling me. the mystery unveiled itself as a trip to the grand canyon! not your average trip but the kind where you drive to a small town in arizona and then get on a locomotive to the canyon with a full bar and singing cowboys and train robbers. you know, THAT kind of trip to the grand canyon. we were served champagne, slimfasts (super high caloric delish coffee type beverage with a lot of whip cream) and woo-woo's (the louder you said the woo the stronger the drink.)looking forward to the 30's. i have feeling they are going to be great.
1.09.2008
1.07.2008
1.01.2008
12.27.2007
12.20.2007
we saw bjork!
here is a review:
By Jim Harrington
In a city where nothing seems out of the ordinary--where topless showgirls regularly mix with million-dollar magicians and celebrity chefs mingle with contortionists--Bjork still came across like as much of a wonderfully intriguing oddity as ever.
That's why fans love her so dearly. In an era of copycat clones, in which new music can only be distinguished from old by release dates, Bjork remains a true original.
Bjork fans from around the country flew into Vegas to see the Icelandic pop princess perform at the Pearl Concert Theater at the Palms Casino Resort, a swanky, hip destination that also houses the city's Playboy Club. It was the indie-rock diva's final gig of 2007--and, she said, likely her last North American date for a couple of years.
Bjork's maintained a very busy tour schedule in support of this year's excellent release "Volta" (recently nominated for a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album), including appearances at the Coachella, Glastonbury, Sasquatch, Virgin and Austin City Limits festivals. Having been there at the start, as the North American tour kicked off in April at Coachella, it's great to be able to report that the star and her show have both grown stronger over the months.
The concert began as Bjork's highly unusual band took the casino stage. First came the 10-piece female horn section, which doubled as an indie-pop vocal choir, and then the three computer/sample gurus took their spots at stations that seemed to contain more electronic equipment than a CompUSA store. The addition of a sole percussionist was the only thing that linked this band to what one normally sees at a rock show.
Finally, the 42-year-old rascal from ReykjavÃk skipped (literally) out to the stage, amid fire shooting up toward the heavens, and got ready to serve up what would amount to approximately 100 minutes of curiously appealing dance numbers, indie-pop anthems and dramatic ballads. She wore a billowy white and pink outfit, as well as a crown of what appeared to be fabric flowers, and came across like some forest pixie walking through a dark fairytale as she stood in front of draping flags showing frogs, fish and fowl.
As crazy as the band configuration looked, the whole thing gelled right from the get go, as Bjork and crew delivered a version of the new album's "Earth Intruders" that was accepted as gratefully as a ski-parka giveaway would be in Iceland. From there, the singer began to flip through the pages of her songbook and she found success at every stop.
Bjork sounded particularly strong on a pair from 1997's "Homogenic"--the menacing "Hunter" and the urgent "Joga"--but the song of the night was the lovesick anthem of deep obsession, "Pagan Poeetry" (from the singer's greatest album, 2001's "Vespertine"), as the 10-piece choir of female voices both echoed and underscored the singer's pleas of desperate love.
A "Logan's Run"-worthy laser show factored heavily into the last portion of the concert as Bjork cranked up the dance party with such selections as the new album's "Innocence" and the old familiar sing-a-long "Hyperballad," from 1995's "Post." She closed the show with the superb "Volta" track "Declare Independence," an anthem of revolution that screams out for you, as the listener, to "make your own flag," "start your own currency" and other acts that the government would likely frown upon.
"Declare Independence," as silly as the over-the-top lyrics might sound, is truly in keeping with Bjork's career. This is a woman who not only talks the talk--she walks the walk. That's why, even in the wacky city of Las Vegas, Bjork is able to come across like something extraordinary.
an email from zach's coworker:
to his fellow co-workers:
IF Zach had been older in the early 80’s...
IF Zach knew how to play the bass...
IF Zach was cooler...
he would be this guy.
IF Zach had been older in the early 80’s...
IF Zach knew how to play the bass...
IF Zach was cooler...
he would be this guy.
12.14.2007
12.12.2007
12.05.2007
Today is National Ninja Day
December 5 is International Creep Like a Ninja Day. On Ninja Day they encourage us to dress like ninja, engage in ninja activities and spread information about ninja online and in recognition of the national ninja holiday, please watch as “Ask A Ninja” international superstar The Ninja kill his partner Douglas and then sings his song “My Black Is Blue” from last years Ninja Day! For more great Ask A Ninja videos, visit Askaninja.com.
12.02.2007
Dear Santa
i was checking my email just now and this ad appeared on my screen.
really? when i have kids they will be writing letters and sending in the mail the old-fashioned way. and throwing carrots on the roof for the reindeer just like how i was raised.
11.30.2007
pilates
this post is about my favorite pilates instructor, jessica. it was not written by me, but by another fellow student. i will say, however, that i do identify with her pain:
Each Monday and Wednesday, I reaffirm the fact that the Devil does not wear Prada like recent film and pulp fiction would have us believe ... rather, it wears a little white tank top and nags me to pull my navel into my spine.
Ah, yes. Pilates class.
For two hours a week, I pay for the pleasure (?) of being instructed through my group Pilates reformer class. As well, both evenings following I am haunted by the innocent chirping of my dear instructor's voice saying "Do you feel that?" while her doe eyes look on at the beads of sweat forming on my brow as I work muscles I didn't know I had. While I could take another flip through the Grey's Anatomy tome in an attempt to construct a viable argument as to why my body does not "go" that way, I think my time is better spent pondering why I continue to return week after week for my scheduled torture.
Truth be known, I love it. Fuck, I'm a glutton for punishment and the bottom line is I relish each and every one of those classes like a huge slice of lemon Nothing Bundt Cake laid before me accompanied by a gift-wrapped fork.
Come to think of it, Nothing Bundt Cake should open-up a location adjacent to my Pilates Studio...talk about a symbiotic relationship...
I salivate at the thought of the evil contraptions with the "fuzzy" attachments going to war with the gyros salad I had at Paymon's earlier that day for lunch. While it's inevitable that my entire body will bitch-slap me like a pimp after each class (if raising my arms were even a possibility), I've signed-on to be part of the stable of the Beeyatches Who Need an Ass Whoopin' (and aren't afraid to write a check for it).
We all have something in our lives, I think, that we put ourselves through regardless of the pain it brings ... and why? Because we're doing good work when we do it. There exists a little bit of a slacker in me, regardless of how neatly my closet is arranged (shirts by sleeve length, then skirts, then pants, then dresses, then contemplation of if therapy should be sought for my OCD). If I'm tied to a chair in a basement somewhere and some guy in a fedora is asking me where the bloody diamonds are --- I'll crack. I give! I pay for it because I won't do it on my own! Stop! Please! There is occasionally clean laundry that is not put away, a dishwasher run and then forgotten about, and I still don't have any godforsaken baseboards in my house...I will shirk painting my bathroom in favor of rock climbing, and I'm horrible about letting magazine subscriptions expire.
My twice-a-week flogging at the hands of the doe-eyed Beelzebub in a white tank top --- I actually look forward to it. I am quite sure that the expressions that cross my face throughout the hours I'm there are, indeed, priceless, and I am thoroughly convinced that Beelzebub cannot count. "Eight more" inevitably turns into thirteen, and there are days I just want to scream "I just did eight and F*CK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" However, to do so would be to deny the fact that I crave that nausea-inducing buildup of lactic acid in my "whatever" muscle and relegate myself to the Land of the Whiny Little Bitch as the other women in the class trudge through their "eight more" as if they hail from Stepford.
I made the mistake one day of mentioning that I thought some sheepskin-lined straps on one of the machines looked "friendly and comfy." Beelzebub showed me that they are not friendly. Heed my warnings, Partakers of Pilates --- do not be tempted by their plush appearance. They are Evil wearing a plush coat to lure you into their fold, and once your ankle is firmly planted, they will suck the life out of your leg like a venus fly trap with prey in its grasp.
I don't think it's so wrong to admit to myself that one of my shortcomings is doing "good work" in certain areas. If I'm at the gym, I can quit working out anytime I want and just call Time of Death and rationalize my way into the sauna for the last half hour. The plain truth is - I want to get better at this Pilates thing, and I know it's not going to happen on my own. Resigning myself to indentured servitude for two hours a week seems to be the least I can do if I'm serious about this, because I know I can't quit in the middle.
I'm trapped, like Paris Hilton in an LA county jail without her cell phone. Trapped in the worst way. Yet, for me in this instance, I'm trapped in the best way possible: for my own good.
So I say --- PEOPLE! Go forth and trap thyself! Git yerself hogtied to whatever it is that you want to improve in life, as sometimes, the "good work" we need to do requires a little bit of supervision...a dab of babysitting. Our sado-masochistic sides all need to utter the occasional "Yes, Mistress!" (gag ball sold separately)
It's likely that's what I'll say as I pay for my next block of 10 classes next week. May I have another?
Corefit Pilates Studio...ask for Beelzebub, er, I mean Jessica.
www.mycorefit.com
Each Monday and Wednesday, I reaffirm the fact that the Devil does not wear Prada like recent film and pulp fiction would have us believe ... rather, it wears a little white tank top and nags me to pull my navel into my spine.
Ah, yes. Pilates class.
For two hours a week, I pay for the pleasure (?) of being instructed through my group Pilates reformer class. As well, both evenings following I am haunted by the innocent chirping of my dear instructor's voice saying "Do you feel that?" while her doe eyes look on at the beads of sweat forming on my brow as I work muscles I didn't know I had. While I could take another flip through the Grey's Anatomy tome in an attempt to construct a viable argument as to why my body does not "go" that way, I think my time is better spent pondering why I continue to return week after week for my scheduled torture.
Truth be known, I love it. Fuck, I'm a glutton for punishment and the bottom line is I relish each and every one of those classes like a huge slice of lemon Nothing Bundt Cake laid before me accompanied by a gift-wrapped fork.
Come to think of it, Nothing Bundt Cake should open-up a location adjacent to my Pilates Studio...talk about a symbiotic relationship...
I salivate at the thought of the evil contraptions with the "fuzzy" attachments going to war with the gyros salad I had at Paymon's earlier that day for lunch. While it's inevitable that my entire body will bitch-slap me like a pimp after each class (if raising my arms were even a possibility), I've signed-on to be part of the stable of the Beeyatches Who Need an Ass Whoopin' (and aren't afraid to write a check for it).
We all have something in our lives, I think, that we put ourselves through regardless of the pain it brings ... and why? Because we're doing good work when we do it. There exists a little bit of a slacker in me, regardless of how neatly my closet is arranged (shirts by sleeve length, then skirts, then pants, then dresses, then contemplation of if therapy should be sought for my OCD). If I'm tied to a chair in a basement somewhere and some guy in a fedora is asking me where the bloody diamonds are --- I'll crack. I give! I pay for it because I won't do it on my own! Stop! Please! There is occasionally clean laundry that is not put away, a dishwasher run and then forgotten about, and I still don't have any godforsaken baseboards in my house...I will shirk painting my bathroom in favor of rock climbing, and I'm horrible about letting magazine subscriptions expire.
My twice-a-week flogging at the hands of the doe-eyed Beelzebub in a white tank top --- I actually look forward to it. I am quite sure that the expressions that cross my face throughout the hours I'm there are, indeed, priceless, and I am thoroughly convinced that Beelzebub cannot count. "Eight more" inevitably turns into thirteen, and there are days I just want to scream "I just did eight and F*CK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" However, to do so would be to deny the fact that I crave that nausea-inducing buildup of lactic acid in my "whatever" muscle and relegate myself to the Land of the Whiny Little Bitch as the other women in the class trudge through their "eight more" as if they hail from Stepford.
I made the mistake one day of mentioning that I thought some sheepskin-lined straps on one of the machines looked "friendly and comfy." Beelzebub showed me that they are not friendly. Heed my warnings, Partakers of Pilates --- do not be tempted by their plush appearance. They are Evil wearing a plush coat to lure you into their fold, and once your ankle is firmly planted, they will suck the life out of your leg like a venus fly trap with prey in its grasp.
I don't think it's so wrong to admit to myself that one of my shortcomings is doing "good work" in certain areas. If I'm at the gym, I can quit working out anytime I want and just call Time of Death and rationalize my way into the sauna for the last half hour. The plain truth is - I want to get better at this Pilates thing, and I know it's not going to happen on my own. Resigning myself to indentured servitude for two hours a week seems to be the least I can do if I'm serious about this, because I know I can't quit in the middle.
I'm trapped, like Paris Hilton in an LA county jail without her cell phone. Trapped in the worst way. Yet, for me in this instance, I'm trapped in the best way possible: for my own good.
So I say --- PEOPLE! Go forth and trap thyself! Git yerself hogtied to whatever it is that you want to improve in life, as sometimes, the "good work" we need to do requires a little bit of supervision...a dab of babysitting. Our sado-masochistic sides all need to utter the occasional "Yes, Mistress!" (gag ball sold separately)
It's likely that's what I'll say as I pay for my next block of 10 classes next week. May I have another?
Corefit Pilates Studio...ask for Beelzebub, er, I mean Jessica.
www.mycorefit.com
a drink or two
Last night I laughed for hours. I met zach at calico jacks to have “a drink or two” to see off his creative director who has taken a job in NYC and is moving on Saturday. To protect his identity he will here on out be referred to as “the boss” (not to be confused with springsteen). Hours of shenanigans ensued. This is where the slapping started. And punching. Zach’s boss slapped our friend christian really hard across the face. It is funny. Apparently “it doesn’t hurt. It is just loud and surprising.” so all night zach’s boss is slapping him, zach is slapping his soon to be ex-boss. One of their clients showed up and he and zach were attached at the hip all night long punching eachother really hard. It is a game that is too dumb to explain. So after calico jacks we moseyed to the old school part of the las vegas strip to a lil hole in the wall kareoke bar called Dino’s. I don’t even know how to sum up in words what happened here. The long of the short of it involved “the boss” insanely dancing (a young lady singing pat benetar’s “heartbreaker” really got him going) and spinning this big wheel and falling and falling. And our crazy friend carrie getting a little too excited during her musical number of "these boots are made for walking" throwing down the mic stand and being violently reprimanded by the kareoke overseer (what would you call that, an emcee?) during the whole insane altercation resulting from the fragile wheel and mic stand abuse and a flying rubber duck and popcorn everywhere tony was calmly speaking over the microphone that everything is going to be ok. Kinda hard to explain the insane level of humor here. However, the other local faithful (very serious) kareoke participants were not amused. When “the boss” picked up elisa and had her upside down I got really concerned she was about to be dropped on her head and this would be not-so-funny anymore. Zach tried to intervene as the boss was spinning around and unbeknownst to him, showing his backside to us all as his pants were falling down. A few more broken bottles, slapping and my being forced on the dance floor with “the boss” (as he kept explaining to me that I MUST follow his lead) we were on to the next location. The one and only champagne’s café. More slapping. More punching between zach and then client. Elisa began eating petals off a rose and then did a shot and ran to the bathroom. Apparently rose petals and petrone don’t mix. The boss fell down backwards in his chair, then got up to hug zach goodbye, causing zach to fall backwards creating a domino effect of bar stools. We all escaped. Unscathed. Now I am dealing with the last work day of the week on little sleep. I think it was worth it.
11.26.2007
things that have broken in the past couple of days
closet door.
garbage disposal.
garage door.
bose headphones.
heel of my boot is headed that way.
garbage disposal.
garage door.
bose headphones.
heel of my boot is headed that way.
No Country for Old Men
the cormac mccarthy novel put on the big screen. definately theatre worthy. go. i said go.
11.21.2007
one of the many life lessons my dad has shared with me.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4776825453418327083
11.20.2007
an average day at work
so, yesterday i was minding my own business and went to the room with the orange couches to get some paper sample books for a project i am working on. i was headed back to my desk when the executive creative director, and 2 other creative directors came in to look at the room and said "yes, we can use you. come with us." i tried to get out of it a little to no avail. we were sent to the copier/printer room. that is when the big lights turned on and the guy with the video camera started setting up. NOT cool. totally caught off guard. it gets worse. one of the CD's brings out a boom box with some pre-recorded music to a certain song that the brilliant copywriters had changed the lyrics to. our role? sing the song. in a musical-like fashion while pretending to merrily work at the copy machine. ok. i can handle it. i had two other victims with me so i figured i would just go to the back of the room and somewhat hide behind them. no dice. i was placed at the very first printer right in front of the camera and mic. after a few painfully off-pitch rounds and screwing up the verses (even though there were only 2 to learn) it was bearable. then this happened: "ok, everyone stay quiet. we are going to have just Tracy sing by herself and dance on the next few takes." SOOOOO not cool. this is when i definitely felt the heat rising to my face. i tried. . . "CUT!!!" i tried again "CUT!!" over and over. i was awful. i couldn't seem to start the tune on cue. but then again, this is not why they hired me. finally it was a wrap and i went back to my desk to continue my very average day of working as a designer at an ad agency.
11.17.2007
sarah's engaged!!
my saylo got engaged last night to the coolest, sweetest guy. i am so happy for them!!!!!
11.14.2007
honeymoon room
the place we stayed was featured in yahoo:
The new Jade Mountain Resort, which sits high above a volcanic bay on the island of St. Lucia, has attracted a great deal of buzz and curiosity this year. The “resort-within-a-resort” officially opened last December; jaw-dropping photographs of its suites rocketed around the Internet shortly afterwards, and the resort is now booked solid through the rest of 2007.
Visitors enter through the rear of the building, a dizzying profusion of stairwells and gangways worthy of an MC Escher painting. Inside, 24 sleekly appointed suites face west, their infinity pools hovering 16 stories above the ocean. The structure has a vaguely futuristic feel, like it could jet off into outer space at any moment.
Co-owner Karolin Troubetzkoy agrees: “It’s sort of like Battlestar Galactica up there, isn’t it?”
Click Here for More Images of the World’s Greatest Hotel Room
Jade Mountain is the life’s work of Nick Troubetzkoy, a Russian Canadian architect who has been running Anse Chastanet Resort with his wife Karolin for the last 30 years. Troubetzkoy shares a penchant for sweeping curves and rough-hewn tile with the architect Richard Meier, and the exterior of the resort recalls the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, except sprinkled with infinity pools.
Then there’s the fourth wall issue—the suites don’t have one. Nor are there any sliding doors, screens, or French windows involved; just vast amounts of open space. A bright azure view sweeps into the rooms, which are tastefully arrayed with tropical hardwood furniture and coral tile floors.
The hotel refers to them as “infinity pool sanctuaries,” and the over-riding temptation is to never leave them. In fact, management claims that the current client record for not stepping out the door—not even once—is five days.
“The room itself evoked a feel of a very luxurious cave,” said Brian Ordelheide, an arborist from Los Angeles who recently visited the property with his wife. “As far as the resort itself, we have been nowhere that combines the style, architecture, design, and vistas. I'm sure there must be some villas that have a similar feel… and at those rates, you would have to consider a staffed villa a competitive option.”
Those rates start at $950 a night. The sanctuaries come in three celestial flavors—star, moon and sun. The sun rooms, which are the largest and feature the “most commanding views,” run at a high season rack rate of $1,470 a night. But what’s a month’s rent for a night in paradise?
Bereft of television, phones or electric communication, the rooms encourage a sedate state of Platonic being, or perhaps Platonic floating. The pools are not cosmetic affairs—they fill nearly half the suite (in the larger suites they measure 900 square feet). At night, thanks to mysterious fiberoptic wizardry, they change color.
While the hotel literature notes that “there is no formal separation between the sleeping and living spaces,” there is very little formal separation to be found anywhere. This open-air layout may prove disconcerting to more discrete temperaments, as the toilet and shower are decidedly al fresco.
“Not everyone will be happy with the open air concept—birds fly in and out, you may find an occasional gecko in your room, and at times it may be hot,” says Patti Pake, a Virtuoso Travel Agent who specializes in St. Lucia. “But Jade Mountain is not a hotel or resort in the traditional sense. It is unique accommodation experience—similar to a tented safari camp or over-water bungalow in Bora Bora.”
The reviews from most of the travel glossies to date have been almost embarrassingly breathless. Online comments from recent patrons feature a more nuanced range of opinions—some near incoherent with praise, others more measured, especially considering the prices involved.
While the resort offers a golf cart service, the trek to the beach is an admitted slog, and entails lots of stairs and a steep cement incline. And as the management will be the first to admit, Jade Mountain is still very much a work in progress; construction continues throughout the property, and a door-flag based room service system (again, no telephones) is still working out some kinks. The layout is not conducive to active pursuits or island rambles.
So far these concerns don’t seem to have any effect on the resort’s popularity with visitors, who seemed to consist primarily of doe-eyed honeymooners and permanently recumbent executive-types. But how long will the appeal last?
“Every year any number of new hotels opens to much fanfare and buzz,” says Pake. “A year or two later they are no longer hot and a new roster has taken their place. As long as the service level at Jade remains high, the waitlist for suites will be long.”
11.12.2007
fallen american soldiers
a mosaic of the faces of fallen american soldiers form the face of our president.
11.08.2007
exciting events since the wedding
well, after much begging and pleading from zach we have acquired a new pet. the roomba. it is a fascinating creature. it was on our registry and neglected, so we went ahead and picked her up to avoid euthanization.
it seriously is very entertaining. and what it picks up is horrifying. who knew the house was that dirty. ok, maybe we did. but how satisfying to see it go and how smart she is, always returning to her base.
in other news, i came home tonight to zach doing the dishes while blasting ASIA. that is right "heat of the moment", etc. he said he was playing ASIA bc we are getting chinese food tonight (apparently it is chinese thursday) then he proceeded to play air guitar on our cat woogie. i live for these moments.
it seriously is very entertaining. and what it picks up is horrifying. who knew the house was that dirty. ok, maybe we did. but how satisfying to see it go and how smart she is, always returning to her base.
in other news, i came home tonight to zach doing the dishes while blasting ASIA. that is right "heat of the moment", etc. he said he was playing ASIA bc we are getting chinese food tonight (apparently it is chinese thursday) then he proceeded to play air guitar on our cat woogie. i live for these moments.
11.04.2007
it is legit
mission accomplished. beautifully. i don't even think i can blog about the events of the wedding and honeymoon. it is just too overwhelming and there is too much to say and there are too many photos that i cannot decide which to post.
basically everything exceeding my craziest expectations. it was a showering of love unimaginable. loads of loving people, talented people, hardworking people came together to create something amazing.
having all the people i love under one roof was incredible. absolutely incredible.
THANK YOU to everyone involved. it was simply amazing.
10.12.2007
9.28.2007
bachelorette party. in vegas.
jill organized a bachelorette party! i probably would have chosen a different ending to the night, but i guess vomitting is proof of a successful party. after dinner at kona grill, a chilled bottle of champagne was presented to me that i was asked to finish before reaching our destination at the strip, mmm. about 15 minutes away. we arrived at the wynn. iris got us into tryst. no waiting. no cover. the only way to go. being forced to wear a veil, etc i got many opinions on marriage being an insistution in which you are institutionalized yada yada yada . . .
TRYST at the WYNN photos:
we then went to foundation room. liz got us in there. then somehow we got into a swank VIP room with a curtain door. how? we said our feet hurt and we needed a place to sit. the foundation room on the top of mandalay bay was really cool. amazing decor. what wasn't cool is that i left my camera there. the really nice one zach got me for christmas. i didn't spend a penny and was fed drinks all night . . . . like i said the night could have ended more pleasantly. but it was awesome. glad i got my yearly vegas club scene visit taken care of.
FOUNDATION ROOM at MANDALAY BAY:
our president of the U.S.
"As yesterday's positive report card shows, childrens do learn when standards are high and results are measured," he said.
9.25.2007
9.17.2007
exciting events at the palms sunday
so, yesterday OJ simpson got arrested at the palms.
what also happened at the palms yesterday was a really fun concert! it was a beautiful night and the flaming lips played outside at the palms pool. kinda for free. probably the coolest venue i have seen a show at the base of the palms towers. some people sat in the wading pools in chairs - we just stood in the sand.
it was an energy-filled, politically-infused show as most of them are. i had never had an opportunity to see the flaming lips before, so it was great. i remember my roomate angie coming home from a show in college once and there was confetti in our house for weeks. that wayne. he likes to entertain. he also likes to talk to fans. a very very kind gentleman. he even took a photo of me and zach.
believe it or not this was not the only musical adventure of the weekend.
friday night we saw matt & kim at a place called jillians on freemont street. apparently i had a skinny sharpie pen in my purse which the doorman found and confiscated. it was an all ages show. enough said. other than all the kids it was a pretty fun show.
saturday night was modest mouse at the joint at the hard rock. pretty good show, although i was really distracted by this transvestite in front of me. she kept shaking her head in the dramatic way a woman would do in a hair commercial and her long blonde locks would sweep across my face. she also had this way of dancing in which her elbow managed to keep coming uncomfortably close to injuring me. her legs were tattooed as if ribbon was criss-crossing up the whole way and her skin tight mini dress was barely staying on. upon leaving the show we proceeded to sit in such a log jam in the parking garage that we left our vehicles, went inside, ate dinner at pink taco and then went back to the garage. silliness.
but the biggest event of the weekend was handmaking my very last wedding invitation. no more! no more!!!
9.15.2007
music in vegas
this is how sad the music scene is here. they are BEGGING people to go to the flaming lips show tomorrow night. yes, that is right a band i actually like is coming to vegas. all i had to do was go buy an 18 pack of miller light, take the sticker off the side and go to the palms on my lunch break and give them the sticker. in return they handed me 2 tickets to see the flaming lips. in any other city those tickets would be on sale for a bundle and still disappear in minutes. they are playing outside tomorrow night. pool at the palms.
we are experiencing a very strange flow of music here. the veils recently came though. we saw matt & kim last night. tonight modest mouse, tomorrow night flaming lips, wednesday the rentals, oh and zach just saw built to spill last week. it almost feels like we live in a real city. when it rains it pours. i am sure the desert will return to its normal drought very soon.
we are experiencing a very strange flow of music here. the veils recently came though. we saw matt & kim last night. tonight modest mouse, tomorrow night flaming lips, wednesday the rentals, oh and zach just saw built to spill last week. it almost feels like we live in a real city. when it rains it pours. i am sure the desert will return to its normal drought very soon.
bye bye sushi
my body has decided after 29 years that it is going to be allergic to sushi. why? i love sushi. especially fire crunch at virago. the past few times i have had it the inside of my mouth has swollen up. i have never had an allergy to anything. doc says no more sushi. i say i should do some experimenting and see which sushi is giving me the problem.
9.11.2007
Blur Are Back On Texting Terms, Set To Reunite
Has every band that ever broke up or opted to go on "hiatus" decided to get back into the ring? Even Led Zep appear to be getting in the act. (And we await silently Fugazi's return.) Well, as if Damon Albarn and his cheeky cohorts weren't busy enough, looks like Blur went and caught themselves a case of reunion fever! Yessir, Damon, Alex, Graham, and David (ah, first-name basis) are gonna dive deep into those Brit pop waters, recording as a quartet for the first time since 2002.
As Alex James explained to NME.COM regarding the upcoming recording sessions (which will reportedly go down in October):
It's going to happen soon ... It's looking promising .... It's important for us emotionally not to leave Blur as an unfinished thing. It could be good musically as well.
I texted Graham this morning and got one back ... I saw Damon (Albarn) about a month ago and I spoke to Dave yesterday. We're all talking.
The inner-band love 'n' texting's sweet, but will the sounds be any good? Alex? "Good guitars would be good. But I mainly talk to Graham about mandolins and prog music."
As we get our heads around that step toward the Rush realm and good ol' mandolins, why not head over to the band's official site and take a peek at Alex's diary. Wonder if any of this this inspires Moz to take the plunge. For $76M, maybe?
As Alex James explained to NME.COM regarding the upcoming recording sessions (which will reportedly go down in October):
It's going to happen soon ... It's looking promising .... It's important for us emotionally not to leave Blur as an unfinished thing. It could be good musically as well.
I texted Graham this morning and got one back ... I saw Damon (Albarn) about a month ago and I spoke to Dave yesterday. We're all talking.
The inner-band love 'n' texting's sweet, but will the sounds be any good? Alex? "Good guitars would be good. But I mainly talk to Graham about mandolins and prog music."
As we get our heads around that step toward the Rush realm and good ol' mandolins, why not head over to the band's official site and take a peek at Alex's diary. Wonder if any of this this inspires Moz to take the plunge. For $76M, maybe?
9.08.2007
9.06.2007
why?
why are so many good jeans ruined with the bleached whisker thing on the front? i don't get it. i don't get it at all.
bolan's bday
Marc Bolan's Birthday Celebrated With Reissues, More
September 16 will mark the 30th anniversary of the death of Marc Bolan, mastermind behind glam-rock titans T. Rex. Bolan died only a few weeks before what would've been his 30th birthday, and in remembrance of both anniversaries, a number of Bolan projects are underway in the next few weeks.
First up is "Souls We Miss", an exhibition of photographs of Bolan taken by the late Keith Morris. The photos will be exhibited at London's Redferns Music Picture Gallery for the seven weeks following September 14. On September 15, London's Shepherd's Bush Empire will host Marc Bolan: The Celebration, a concert featuring Marc's son Rolan, Marc Almond of Soft Cell, producer Tony Visconti, T. Rex tribute band T. Rextasy, Blondie's Clem Burke, and many more.
There are also several Bolan documentaries in the works, including a BBC 4 special, ITV's "20th Century Boy" airing September 8, and a BBC Radio 2 program on September 15. Apparently, the ITV special contains such revelations as the fact that Bolan lost his virginity at age nine. Whoa.
Then come the records, and there's a lot of 'em. Edsel Records will release a trio of T. Rex vinyl singles with previously unavailable tracks on each B-side. September 17 sees "Metal Guru" backed with an acoustic demo of "The Slider". The next Monday finds "Children of the Revolution" paired with a electric demo of "The Leopards". And October 1 finds "20th Century Boy" matches with "Teenager in Love", an acoustic duet between Marc and his longtime girlfriend, soul singer Gloria Jones.
Following on October 1, also on Edsel, is Live 1977 + In Conversation, a double-disc set consisting of live cuts and an interview. The first disc contains performances from the final T. Rex tour, with punk icons the Damned guesting on the encore of "Get It On". The In Conversation disc is culled from an interview conducted by Steve Wright with Bolan and Gloria Jones. It includes several acoustic on-air performances.
Finally, on October 15, Edsel will release Interstellar Soul, a three-CD set collecting exclusive tracks, home demos, and other rarities. The package will arrive in a numbered edition of 5000. A fantastic amount of tracklist information for these reissues is available after the jump.
September 16 will mark the 30th anniversary of the death of Marc Bolan, mastermind behind glam-rock titans T. Rex. Bolan died only a few weeks before what would've been his 30th birthday, and in remembrance of both anniversaries, a number of Bolan projects are underway in the next few weeks.
First up is "Souls We Miss", an exhibition of photographs of Bolan taken by the late Keith Morris. The photos will be exhibited at London's Redferns Music Picture Gallery for the seven weeks following September 14. On September 15, London's Shepherd's Bush Empire will host Marc Bolan: The Celebration, a concert featuring Marc's son Rolan, Marc Almond of Soft Cell, producer Tony Visconti, T. Rex tribute band T. Rextasy, Blondie's Clem Burke, and many more.
There are also several Bolan documentaries in the works, including a BBC 4 special, ITV's "20th Century Boy" airing September 8, and a BBC Radio 2 program on September 15. Apparently, the ITV special contains such revelations as the fact that Bolan lost his virginity at age nine. Whoa.
Then come the records, and there's a lot of 'em. Edsel Records will release a trio of T. Rex vinyl singles with previously unavailable tracks on each B-side. September 17 sees "Metal Guru" backed with an acoustic demo of "The Slider". The next Monday finds "Children of the Revolution" paired with a electric demo of "The Leopards". And October 1 finds "20th Century Boy" matches with "Teenager in Love", an acoustic duet between Marc and his longtime girlfriend, soul singer Gloria Jones.
Following on October 1, also on Edsel, is Live 1977 + In Conversation, a double-disc set consisting of live cuts and an interview. The first disc contains performances from the final T. Rex tour, with punk icons the Damned guesting on the encore of "Get It On". The In Conversation disc is culled from an interview conducted by Steve Wright with Bolan and Gloria Jones. It includes several acoustic on-air performances.
Finally, on October 15, Edsel will release Interstellar Soul, a three-CD set collecting exclusive tracks, home demos, and other rarities. The package will arrive in a numbered edition of 5000. A fantastic amount of tracklist information for these reissues is available after the jump.
8.27.2007
dust devil
saturday night zach was kind enough to force me out of my home office (aka invitation making station) to see a movie. well, on the way we were confronted by a dust devil! i had never seen one of these in person but it was a little scary. it was moving across the desert field fairly close to our car carrying tons of debris way way way up high into the sky. it looked like pieces of metal, etc. it was moving across the street we were about to turn on, but it crossed the street before we got the arrow, so we didn't have to worry about a dangerous encounter. i just had visions of pieces of metal crashing through our windows and cutting us. it was pretty cool to see. it looked kindof like this:
A dust devil is a rotating updraft, ranging from small (half a meter wide and a few meters tall) to large (over 10 meters wide and over 1000 meters tall). In the southwestern United States, dust devils can be known as dancing devils. Navajo refer to them as chiindii, a ghost or spirit of a Navajo. If a chiindii spins clockwise it is said to be a good spirit; if it spins counterclockwise it is said to be a bad spirit. In Death Valley, California, they may be called a sand auger or dust whirl. [1]
In Australia, they are commonly known as a willy willy, from an Aboriginal word. [2] In Egypt, they are usually called "Fasset El 'Afreet" or the ghost's wind.
Dust devils are usually harmless, but rare ones can grow in size to threaten both people and property. They are comparable to tornadoes in that both are an unusual weather phenomenon of swirling air vortices. Tornadoes form as an updraft attached to a wall cloud at the back of a thunderstorm. Dust devils form as an updraft under sunny conditions during clear to fair weather, rarely coming close to the intensity of a tornado.
Dust devils form when hot air near the surface rises quickly through a small pocket of cooler low pressure air above it. If conditions are just right, the air may begin to rotate. As the air rises suddenly, the column of hot air is stretched vertically causing intensification of the spinning effect by the scientific principle conservation of angular momentum. The spinning effect causes other hot air to speed horizontally inward to the bottom of the newly-forming vortex. As more hot air rushes in toward the developing vortex to replace the air that is rising, the spinning effect becomes further intensified and self-sustaining. A dust devil, fully formed, is a funnel-like chimney through which hot air moves both upwardly and circularly. Eventually the hot air will cool and descend back through the center of the vortex. This cool air returning acts as a balance against the spinning hot air outer wall and keeps the system stable.[3]
The spinning effect, along with surface friction, usually will produce a forward momentum. The dust devil is able to sustain itself longer by moving over nearby sources of hot surface air. Dust particles sucked into the air will create drag and act to slow the system down.
As available extreme hot air near the surface is channeled up the dust devil, eventually surrounding cooler air will be sucked in. Once this occurs, the effect is dramatic and the dust devil dissipates in seconds. Usually this occurs when a dust devil isn't moving fast enough (depletion) or begins to enter a terrain where the surface temperatures are cooler, causing unbalance.[1]
Certain conditions increase the likelihood of dust devil formation.
Flat barren terrain, desert or asphalt: Flat conditions increase the likelihood of the hot air "fuel" to be a near constant. Dusty or sandy conditions will cause particles to become caught up into the vortex, making the dust devil easily visible.
Clear skies or lightly cloudy conditions. The surface needs to absorb significant amounts of solar energy from the Sun to heat the air near the surface and create ideal dust devil conditions.
Light or no wind and cool atmospheric temperature. The underlying factor and sustainability of a dust devil is the extreme difference in temperature between the near surface air and atmosphere. Wind conditions will destabilize the spinning effect of a dust devil.
Electrical activities
Dust devils, even small ones (on Earth) can produce radio noise and electrical fields greater than 10,000 volts per meter.[4] A dust devil picks up small dirt and dust particles. As the particle whirl around they bump and scrape into each other and become electrically charged. The whirling charged particles also create a magnetic field that fluctuates between 3 and 30 times each second.[5]
These electrical fields assist the vortices in lifting materials off the ground and into the atmosphere. Field experiments indicate that a dust devil can lift 1 gram (0.03 oz) of dust per second from each square meter (10.8 ft²) of ground it passes over. A large dust devil measuring about 100 meters (328 ft) across at its base can lift about 15 metric tons (16.5 tons) of dust into the air in 30 minutes. Giant dust storms that sweep across the world's deserts contribute eight percent of the mineral dust in the atmosphere each year during the handful of storms that occur. In comparison, the significantly smaller dust devils that twist across the deserts during the summer lift about three times as much dust, thus having a greater combined impact on the dust content of the atmosphere.[6]
[edit]Martian dust devils
A dust devil on Mars, photographed by Mars Global Surveyor. The long dark streak is formed by a moving swirling column of Martian atmosphere. The dust devil itself (the black spot) is climbing the crater wall. The streaks on the right are sand dunes on the crater floor.
Dust devils also occur on Mars, and were first photographed by the Viking orbiters in the 1970s. In 1997, the Mars Pathfinder lander detected a dust devil passing over it. [7][8] Martian dust devils can be up to fifty times as wide and ten times as high as terrestrial dust devils, and large ones may pose a threat to terrestrial technology sent to Mars.[9]
Mission members monitoring the Spirit rover on Mars reported March 12, 2005 that a lucky encounter with a dust devil has cleaned the solar panels of that robot. Power levels dramatically increased and daily science work was anticipated to be expanded. [10] A similar phenomenon (solar panels mysteriously cleaned of accumulated dust) had previously been observed with the Opportunity rover, and dust devils had also been suspected as the cause. [11]
A large-scale cyclone has also been observed on Mars.
A dust devil is a rotating updraft, ranging from small (half a meter wide and a few meters tall) to large (over 10 meters wide and over 1000 meters tall). In the southwestern United States, dust devils can be known as dancing devils. Navajo refer to them as chiindii, a ghost or spirit of a Navajo. If a chiindii spins clockwise it is said to be a good spirit; if it spins counterclockwise it is said to be a bad spirit. In Death Valley, California, they may be called a sand auger or dust whirl. [1]
In Australia, they are commonly known as a willy willy, from an Aboriginal word. [2] In Egypt, they are usually called "Fasset El 'Afreet" or the ghost's wind.
Dust devils are usually harmless, but rare ones can grow in size to threaten both people and property. They are comparable to tornadoes in that both are an unusual weather phenomenon of swirling air vortices. Tornadoes form as an updraft attached to a wall cloud at the back of a thunderstorm. Dust devils form as an updraft under sunny conditions during clear to fair weather, rarely coming close to the intensity of a tornado.
Dust devils form when hot air near the surface rises quickly through a small pocket of cooler low pressure air above it. If conditions are just right, the air may begin to rotate. As the air rises suddenly, the column of hot air is stretched vertically causing intensification of the spinning effect by the scientific principle conservation of angular momentum. The spinning effect causes other hot air to speed horizontally inward to the bottom of the newly-forming vortex. As more hot air rushes in toward the developing vortex to replace the air that is rising, the spinning effect becomes further intensified and self-sustaining. A dust devil, fully formed, is a funnel-like chimney through which hot air moves both upwardly and circularly. Eventually the hot air will cool and descend back through the center of the vortex. This cool air returning acts as a balance against the spinning hot air outer wall and keeps the system stable.[3]
The spinning effect, along with surface friction, usually will produce a forward momentum. The dust devil is able to sustain itself longer by moving over nearby sources of hot surface air. Dust particles sucked into the air will create drag and act to slow the system down.
As available extreme hot air near the surface is channeled up the dust devil, eventually surrounding cooler air will be sucked in. Once this occurs, the effect is dramatic and the dust devil dissipates in seconds. Usually this occurs when a dust devil isn't moving fast enough (depletion) or begins to enter a terrain where the surface temperatures are cooler, causing unbalance.[1]
Certain conditions increase the likelihood of dust devil formation.
Flat barren terrain, desert or asphalt: Flat conditions increase the likelihood of the hot air "fuel" to be a near constant. Dusty or sandy conditions will cause particles to become caught up into the vortex, making the dust devil easily visible.
Clear skies or lightly cloudy conditions. The surface needs to absorb significant amounts of solar energy from the Sun to heat the air near the surface and create ideal dust devil conditions.
Light or no wind and cool atmospheric temperature. The underlying factor and sustainability of a dust devil is the extreme difference in temperature between the near surface air and atmosphere. Wind conditions will destabilize the spinning effect of a dust devil.
Electrical activities
Dust devils, even small ones (on Earth) can produce radio noise and electrical fields greater than 10,000 volts per meter.[4] A dust devil picks up small dirt and dust particles. As the particle whirl around they bump and scrape into each other and become electrically charged. The whirling charged particles also create a magnetic field that fluctuates between 3 and 30 times each second.[5]
These electrical fields assist the vortices in lifting materials off the ground and into the atmosphere. Field experiments indicate that a dust devil can lift 1 gram (0.03 oz) of dust per second from each square meter (10.8 ft²) of ground it passes over. A large dust devil measuring about 100 meters (328 ft) across at its base can lift about 15 metric tons (16.5 tons) of dust into the air in 30 minutes. Giant dust storms that sweep across the world's deserts contribute eight percent of the mineral dust in the atmosphere each year during the handful of storms that occur. In comparison, the significantly smaller dust devils that twist across the deserts during the summer lift about three times as much dust, thus having a greater combined impact on the dust content of the atmosphere.[6]
[edit]Martian dust devils
A dust devil on Mars, photographed by Mars Global Surveyor. The long dark streak is formed by a moving swirling column of Martian atmosphere. The dust devil itself (the black spot) is climbing the crater wall. The streaks on the right are sand dunes on the crater floor.
Dust devils also occur on Mars, and were first photographed by the Viking orbiters in the 1970s. In 1997, the Mars Pathfinder lander detected a dust devil passing over it. [7][8] Martian dust devils can be up to fifty times as wide and ten times as high as terrestrial dust devils, and large ones may pose a threat to terrestrial technology sent to Mars.[9]
Mission members monitoring the Spirit rover on Mars reported March 12, 2005 that a lucky encounter with a dust devil has cleaned the solar panels of that robot. Power levels dramatically increased and daily science work was anticipated to be expanded. [10] A similar phenomenon (solar panels mysteriously cleaned of accumulated dust) had previously been observed with the Opportunity rover, and dust devils had also been suspected as the cause. [11]
A large-scale cyclone has also been observed on Mars.
8.21.2007
you know you are a design geek when . . .
the kerning on your license plate really rubs you the wrong way. I really want to nudge that "J" more to the left. as if there are not more important things to worry about- such as resisting the mini packaged ben n jerry's ice cream at the grocery store. itty bitty cookie dough. not kidding. have you seen this? oh, if only there was not a wedding gown to think about and those would have TOTALLY been chillin in my cart.
8.20.2007
It's Done!
The Four Seasons Ocean Residences Book is finally complete. I can't believe it. Blood, sweat and tears, people!
(not to mention many a night and weekends)
(not to mention many a night and weekends)
8.19.2007
last night
liz got ahold of my camera. "it's not a photo, honey. it's a video." hilarious. quite a night.
ouch
painful experiences from the last few weeks include fracturing a rib and getting my fingers smashed in a car window.
so, i have not been officially diagnosed with a fractured rib but am convinced that is what is going on. when i had a cold a few weeks ago i would wake up in the night coughing so violently that i could not get any air. one morning i woke up after one of these horrendous coughing spells with my lower left little ribs killing me. they still hurt. after some investigation i have discovered that this can happen with intense coughing and ribs can take up to 6 weeks to heal. bummer.
the car window was not as bad as say, getting your hand stuck underneath an automobile while changing a tire in chicago which i somehow escaped relatively unscathed years ago. zach decided to roll up the windows while i was driving not seeing that my hand was in it. my german engineered "ultimate driving machine" did not let my hand get in the way of its goal to completely close up. yeah. i screamed. pulled over. switched drivers. put it on ice. i am fine.
so, i have not been officially diagnosed with a fractured rib but am convinced that is what is going on. when i had a cold a few weeks ago i would wake up in the night coughing so violently that i could not get any air. one morning i woke up after one of these horrendous coughing spells with my lower left little ribs killing me. they still hurt. after some investigation i have discovered that this can happen with intense coughing and ribs can take up to 6 weeks to heal. bummer.
the car window was not as bad as say, getting your hand stuck underneath an automobile while changing a tire in chicago which i somehow escaped relatively unscathed years ago. zach decided to roll up the windows while i was driving not seeing that my hand was in it. my german engineered "ultimate driving machine" did not let my hand get in the way of its goal to completely close up. yeah. i screamed. pulled over. switched drivers. put it on ice. i am fine.
8.14.2007
8.11.2007
a normal saturday night
this is my friend lauren. she is totally normal. i swear. a little on the boring side.
8.04.2007
sweet sixteen
so i have been sick for a week now - horrible cough that keeps me up all night. well this morning at 5am i went down to lay on the couch bc my cough was so loud and i just turned on the tv and stared at it in a zombie like fashion. i was so disturbed by what i saw. i came across this show called sweet sixteen on mtv. i think i have seen it before but it was a marathon this morning. what is wrong with these parents? it is just sick. sad.
8.02.2007
bridge in minneapolis
we used to ride our bikes around where the bridge collapsed. we lived on the river a few miles west.
toss
turn. toss. turn. turn. toss. turn. turn. toss. turn. turn. toss. turn. turn. toss. turn. turn. toss. turn. turn. toss. turn. turn. toss. turn. turn. toss. turn. turn. toss. turn. turn. toss. turn. turn. toss. turn. turn. toss. turn. turn. toss. turn. turn. toss. turn. turn. toss. turn. turn. toss. turn. turn. toss. turn. turn. toss. turn. turn. toss. turn. turn. toss. turn. turn. toss. turn. turn. toss. turn. turn. toss. turn.
7.29.2007
7.24.2007
RAIN!!
it is raining! can you believe it? everyone at work is gathered around all windows watching in awe. ah, vegas.
7.17.2007
7.14.2007
it's a process
wedding planning mania has heated up almost to the degree of the local temperature. have finally gotten all the artwork for invitations to the printer. had a press-check this morning for the reply envelopes. we are using letterpress, which is an old system, but quite beautiful.
Tom at TritonInk checks the artwork as it comes off press
heidelburg windmill press
in motion
plate made from artwork to impress image into paper
Tom makes an adjustment so that the artwork prints farther to the left on the envelope.
Tom at TritonInk checks the artwork as it comes off press
heidelburg windmill press
in motion
plate made from artwork to impress image into paper
Tom makes an adjustment so that the artwork prints farther to the left on the envelope.
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