In case you were wondering...

You may have heard about this but just to recap, last week in New Jersey, federal officials arrested over 40 people-- including New Jersey statesmen and the mayor of Hoboken-- in conjunction with an FBI case that alleges counts of political corruption, money laundering between the U.S. and Israel, and human organ trafficking, all supposedly masterminded by a bunch of rabbis.

Ok, first I have to ask: is it wrong that I think this is funny? I mean, honestly. Rabbis. I'm sorry, but that's hilarious.

Anyway, the reason I mention all of this to you is that today, NPR ran a followup story. What did they talk about, you ask? Oh, they interviewed a former CIA and Treasury agent to explore one key question: "How does one launder money"

If you weren't laughing before, you have got to be now. NPR wants to make sure you know how it's done, folks. How just... considerate... of them. Mmmm.

The hilarity of the premise aside, I actually learned something from the story and so, in case you were wondering, I thought I'd do a quick How-to on money laundering. Hopefully I, like NPR, can go down in history for civic responsibility; as a good samaritan that aided civilians in their daily endeavors. Like crime.

How to Launder Money

Step 1: Placement

Here, you can do one of two things. You can either hire a truckload of workers to deposit small amounts of cash in different banks, or you can open a cash-intensive front business (think like the restaurant or laundromat type), and add small amounts of dirty cash in with business revenues.

Step 2: Layering

Now that your money is in the banking system, you have to move it around. After all, the authorities aren't going to believe that the owners of an ice cream parlor are sitting on $2 million of savings. Transfer the dirty stuff into an account off shore. Your best bets would be Switzerland or the Cayman Islands.

Step 3: Integration

Go to Neiman Marcus. Get yourself a treat. I mean, obviously you deserve it.

I hope that was helpful. If you're curious you can go have a listen to the NPR feature here, and read the Washington Post's original coverage of the story here.

Young Eager and UNPAID

Some food for thought. If you don't follow TIME magazine on Twitter this was something they posted today. Kinda makes me feel stressed. I only have one internship under my belt. Am I doomed? I know plenty of people who still don't know what they want to do with their lives who are decades older than me. Are we going to have to intern forever? How do they expect recent grads who have to pay for loans, health insurance, etc. to work for FREE? Ugh. LIFE.

Advice For My Favorite Evil Dictator

Dear Ahmadinejad,

So, I realize you're trying to portray yourself as a true Representative of the Irani people. May I offer some advice?

Maybe you should stop tear gassing and beating those who are mourning the deaths of Moussavi supporters. your juuuust giving away your true identity as a raging evil dictator....soo, since you're not fooling anyone anymore please stand down. everyone hates you

Love,

Weenie

Responsibility is key

Grolsch and Apple are trying to promote responsibility in people who live in a culture of unnecessary and excessive drinking. Good for them.

Here's the advertisement for the application, coming soon to an iPhone near you.

Hey, I'm just a concerned citizen.

Five hundred visitors and a puppy

Today, tweedle dee tweedle dom got it's 500th visitor. It's not much in the real internet world, but I feel like it marks some kind of milestone. Anyway, I was looking for a video that might be appropriate for a 500th anniversary. I didn't find any. But I did find this-- and its both completely irrelevant and really, really cute:

That clip subsequently led me to this one. I wasn't mad about it. I don't think anyone who clicks it will be mad about it either.  

So thanks. And enjoy. 

P.S. Just a bit of advice-- never, ever look up puppies on YouTube if you have things to accomplish in the foreseeable future. 

Quick Note: Weenie

I have yet another delicious addition to the team to announce. The ever delightful Ms. Weenie will take charge as one of my brilliant political consultants. Since I've known her, Weenie has held an interest in government and political logistics. As a result, she's had job experience with a highly influential lobbying body, and presently works for a Republican senator. 

Because my readership is probably largely comprised of leftist undergraduates or recent graduates, I imagine that they'll be wondering why I invited Weenie aboard. Here's my answer: Just because she and I don't always see eye-to-eye, it doesn't change the fact that  she's smart, talented, and extremely well-informed. Furthermore, the fact that she's agreed to write for me represents an opportunity to highlight a side of current events that young liberals might otherwise discount. 

In short, I'm not asking you to agree with her (actually, I'm pretty sure even she's not asking you to agree with her), but I am asking you to listen to her. She has a unique and carefully considered point of view that, at the very least,  deserves a moment of your attention. 

If that subdued and demure request* doesn't convince you though, why don't you try these qualifications on for size: 

• Weenie excels at partying. Excels.
• Despite the fact that she's tiny, she eats pizza/red meat/peanut m&ms in positively herculean quantities. I've seen her pound a 5lb bag of m&ms to her face over the course of two days, finish a hamburger bigger than her head in one sitting**,  and polish off an entire 18" pizza pie, crusts included, no sweat, ready for more.
• Once she had a reaction to some antibiotics and developed a rash on her stomach. She named it. The rash, that is. She named her rash.

All in all, I'm pretty sure that she's one of the most absurdly hilarious people on earth, and I'm lucky to have her along for the ride. 

*If I do say so myself...

**I want to give you guys some context on this one. She was out to lunch with two grown men, one a middle-aged professor of sizable build, and the other a NCAA Division I ice hockey player. They all ordered the same meal-- the hamburger. Neither the professor nor the hockey player could stomach more than half of theirs. Weenie finished the whole thing. She's unreal.

Obama and Israel

I am having an internal conflict....mostly its internal because all my friends are raging liberals and i fear being stoned to death by verbalizing my true feelings regarding Obama and his politics with Israel. But today my friends, my heart was filled with the courage of a lion...a big lion...maybe a lioness....whichever one is more ferocious....ok, moving on.

Anyways, I'm a moderate republican. Im fiscally conservative because i love money, and im socially liberal, because i love freedom and partying and the freedom to party. But I did not vote for obama, and this is why i have not shared my real name with this blog. Not voting for Obama is a social no no amongst the people I surround myself with.

So, my main issue is Israel. I think it is important for the United States to align itself with innovative, productive free states, and Israel is a prime example of that. Even if I cant convince my tree loving friends to support Israel politically, at least I can always point out Israel's strengths with green technology and social liberalism.

Now, I realize that the Bush administration kinda killed it for us Israel supporters. It seems that anything Bush did, people want Obama to do the opposite - which is a way is a good thing. I'm all for change. The country obviously needs change- and generally speaking I think Obama is doing a good job. Hope is important, and he is instilling that every day with his continual push for growth and prosperity in our nation. I literally have ONE bone to pick with Obama...whats with snubbing Israel?

So the Cairo speech - infamous, and an all around good effort. The muslim world hates us (thanks Dubs) and that needs to change. We are suppose to be an inclusive and accepting country - and that means accepting EVERYONE - I dont really care what religion they are, what they're political views are, i dont care if they hate me - america is about welcoming people of all cultures and all backgrounds - thats what makes this country great. - but why in Cairo? That speech could have easily been given in a country where its citizens are not under the oppression of dictator. (yes i realize we support this dictator, but i am by no means saying thats right). Pakistan is a perfect example. Thats an official Isalamic State operates as a federal republic and has a legitimate government. He could have easily given the speech there.

But that aside- I think the speech put faith in the Islamic community - mending our ties with Muslims around the world. GOOD. GOOD. I LIIIIKE THIS. but what about Israel?

Obama is being freaking COLD to Israel. Freeze the settlements he says...um....ok, quite frankly Israelis dont care about the settlements, so sure freeze them - but for your information (to those of you who think its trendy to hate on israel) all two state agreements that have EVER been drafted have included those settlements in an Israeli state. Additionally, its like he just hates netanyahu. Obamas middle east policies need to be revamped. This whole Iran thing? yah, hows that going big guy?
and whats with implying that Israel exists as a consequence of guilt following the holocaust? israel exists because of struggle and zionism; nothing has ever, EVER just been given to the jews. So should Obama start handing out love now? I mean, lets not twist his arm, quite frankly Israel is used to being on its own. (although the US has already been a friend to Israel, and was the first to acknowledge it, 11 minutes after it was created, it wasnt until Clinton that Israel gained a strong friendship with the US).

basically, what i'm saying is israel can handle it, but give us a little credit. we're not bad guys you know. We want peace just as much as anyone else. and we're willing to compromise and work to get there. but how about a little support? how about a little sympathy? its just trendy all of a sudden to vilianize israel.

anyways those are my thoughts on that. take it or leave it. i dont care .

Words to live by...

"Don't sweat the petty things, and don't pet the sweaty things"

-George Carlin

From the ashes, a phoenix rises

I felt bad for not having posted today, but as I sat down to write, I realized that I had nothing to say.

Like actually nothing.*

So I scanned my favorite blogs and online publications for inspiration.

Nothing.

I looked over my Google News page.

Nothing.

I resorted to my classic, signature, fool-proof, fail-proof fallback move-- and went on a little Wikipedia Adventure.

Nothing.

No dice.

Zip. Nada. Zilch.**

Anyway, all this to say that my posting prospects were bleak. Very, very bleak. Bleak to the extent that I stooped so low as to Google "interesting facts". That's low. Looooow.

As it transpired though, the search was justified because lo and behold, what did I find? InterestingFacts.org.

According to the editors, the website was created to provide a more discerning and short-winded version of Wikipedia. I don't know if I buy that because its bastardization of English grammar and usage is beyond horrific, however, if you can get past this, the site features a small but respectable assortment of-- you guessed it-- interesting facts. Go figure.

I'll leave you with a few that peaked my interest:

• Someone had to invent the number zero***
• The Volkswagen Beetle owes its existence to Hitler
• The Great Wall of China isn't actually visible from space
• The world's largest feline is what? The Liger.

* Don't judge me. I had a stressful day involving humidity, anxiety, excessive perspiration and a job interview. I don't want to talk about it.

**Let it be known that before this day, the 28th of July, 2009, I'd never, ever, not even once, had an unsuccessful Wikipedia Adventure. To be honest, I wasn't aware that Wikipedia Adventures even had the potential to be unsuccessful. Even after having experienced it, I'm still pretty sure that Adventure failure is impossible just by virtue of Wikipedia's awesomeness. Nevertheless, I suppose it did happen. I guess it doesn't really matter that it was a freak occurrence in history. A fluke. An aberration. A travesty..... I can keep going....

***As of today I'm making it my life's ambition to invent a number. [If anyone has any insight as to how I go about this, please let me know]

Daily Dose of Hotness

Thought I would start off everyone's day with this correct choice. I stole this picture from Chelsea Handler's blog, (who I happen to think is hilarious) and I'm not going to repeat what she said about him because I think both Dom and I agree that we'd like to keep things PG (and employer friendly), but I can't think of any other perfect way to start my day... Also, go see the Hangover if you want a full dose of Bradley Cooper hotness.

Some things I don't understand

There has got to be a better way to dispense shampoo*. Think about it, has anyone in the history of hair washing ever successfully used all of the shampoo in the container? I feel like every time that I'm just at the end of a bottle, there's at least two lurking tablespoons of Paul Mitchell coating the inside walls or stuck in the shoulder-- never to be used. Destined for waste. 

Though my concern is one both legitimate and troubling, the governing shampoo body will never take it into consideration. Why? Because due to the inherent wastefulness of present shampoo packaging, I have to go buy a new bottle two tablespoons sooner than I would with a more efficient dispenser. So they're making bank and I'm left in an emotionally exhausting battle of wills against a plastic bottle, hoping against hope that I might salvage a few extra teaspoons of Tea Tree Scalp Treatment. 

Garbage.

*This also applies to lotion. And ketchup. 

Cheer up!

I'm having a great day today. It's the kind of day where I'm finally hearing back from employers and scheduling interviews and finding apartments after weeks and weeks of telling myself none of this was ever going to happen. All of this life-changing growing up stuff with which I've been dealing makes me want to kick back and listen to music, so I thought I would celebrate my good day by sharing some happy ear candy with y'all. 

The first is the kind of song you listen to when driving and really really want to turn up but are scared because you don't want the people stopped around you to judge you. But there's no way you can listen to Noah and the Whale and not crack a smile, even if you only listen to it once. The band reminds me the most of Belle and Sebastian, and is made up of mostly dudes and some contributing female singers. I'm not sure how I feel about the video. It feels a bit adrift at times, but the song, itself, makes me want to go slide down a rainbow and land in a pot of gold.

Find the actual video here.

While my awesome mood is still in full force, remember this? If Noah and the Whale doesn't make you jump for joy on your bed, then I'm sure Len will do the trick. Circa 1999. Enjoy yet another correct choice.

Find "Steal My Sunshine" here.

Love.

In case you were wondering...

Did you know that Meat Loaf's birth name is Marvin Lee Aday? Because I didn't. Did you know that there is an official Meat Loaf fan club? Me neither. Finally, (and I've saved the best for last, here) did you know that you can follow Meat Loaf on Twitter? Because you can. Oh yes, yes you can.

I think I'll conclude with this video, in which Meat Loaf tells us, oddly enough, not to eat meat. Weird, right?

(P.S. I do apologize for the 80s kick on which I've been lately. Hopefully this decade will work itself out of my system soon)

I've always wondered about this

In his 80's classic, I'd Do Anything For Love, Meat Loaf says: 

 "I would do anything for love, but I won't do that. No, I won't do that"

My question is as follows: What, precisely, is that?

Quick Note: Christen

Theoretically, you have all seen her post but I wanted to take a second to formally introduce advertising and social media guru, Christen Mitchell. I know I've plugged her own blog a few times in the past, but Christen has graciously consented to periodically grace the pages tweedle dee tweedle dom with little shards of her virtual wisdom. She'll make occasional posts with examples of innovative ads and new trends in marketing, corporate and social media, and other such relevant subjects. 

If we're really lucky, we might even gain some insight into her highly efficient, schedule-centric, karmically balanced, and maddeningly optimistic world-view. 

But only if we're lucky.

Speaking of excellent flicks

In light of the Alice in Wonderland trailer that I posted last night, Abbie--my excellence advisor-- urged me to post the trailer for another highly anticipated children's book adaptation, Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are. You may have already seen it, but it's so perfect that I don't mind making you watch it again 

I also thought I'd mention that that one of my favorite Montreal bands, indie-rockers the Arcade Fire, re-recorded their song, "Wake Up", for use in the trailer/movie. I'm not a particularly weepy person, but I find that its presence in the trailer is all kinds of moving and inspirational-- when the music swells and the big monster is crying and it's so sweet and.... and.... jesus, I need to pull it together. 

Anyway, if you're feeling the song and don't already have it in your music library, click the iTunes link below and spend the $1.10 to support them.

 

Creativity is worth 500%

Welcome!

To me, that is. I am so happy to throw some things into this blog.

I found this video below and thought it was a great test of creativity. Sometimes we cloud ads with all of these flashing lights and big, expensive booms. Well, what happens when you remove all that? Does creativity at its essence still work?

Tim Burton should be sainted.

I know I've talked about it before, but just to update you, the trailer for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland has been released. It gave me goosebumps. I'm not even exaggerating. Not even a little . 

If you want to see the trailer in High-Def, you can watch it here. I recommend it. Really.

Incidentally, does anyone else feel like Tim Burton's life is one really long acid trip? I can't find any other explanation for the stuff he comes up with. 

Quick Note: Abbie

Welcome to Abbie, my resident excellence advisor. What is an excellence advisor, you ask? Why, someone who is aware of all things excellent, all things that increase or decrease excellence, and who is equipped with the excellent tools that enable her to, more often than not, make the correct choice. Obviously.

Her advice is truly without comparison, and you all should feel blessed to have it bestowed upon you. For example, in her very first post, she has informed us that driving stick shift makes you 20% hotter than driving an automatic. Thus, manual transmission are, by definition, more excellent than automatic transmissions. Duh.

Check back often for more such important statistics.

This is Why I'm Hot

Introducing Ariel (pronounced R E L): my new car. An extension of myself. My life, and for right now, my love. (The picture isn't actually her but looks just like it. She has a Pennsylvania liscence plate. Long story...)

She uses manual transmission to get around and I've strained her poor little engine one too many times, especially on hills when stopped at red lights. I have also upset many drivers who are unfortunate enough to be stopped behind me at lights, stop signs, etc. My goal today is to head to Hobby Lobby and purchase materials to make a sign that says something along the lines of "Caution: New (sort of) driver. Stay back at least 5 feet." I wonder if it will work?

I've decided the best way to learn how to enter the world of stick shift drivers is to head to the hills, literally, and practice in the foothills of the rocky mountains which are conveniently located in my backyard. I went through almost a half tank of gas the other day doing this, and she over heated so much I had to take a break and went on a hike to kill time and to let Ariel cool off. It's all about finding a happy medium between letting the clutch out and giving it enough gas, something I have yet to master. I also have driven to Denver a handful of times. I've found that city driving and stop and start traffic is very effective. It's kept me on my toes and alert at all times, which I believe is a safer way to drive. Also, sorry if you call me while driving. I can't do that many things at once, and talking on my cell whilst driving is a recipe for disaster. That means I would only have one hand to shift and steer, all the while my feet are dancing around the clutch, brake, and accelerator. Bad news.

It's definitely been a learning experience for me, and if anyone is looking for a new car, don't get a black Subaru Outback because it's my car and I know everyone in Colorado drives a Subaru but still... I like to think I can make it my own.

Anyway if you do decide it's the car for you, make sure you get a model that has standard transmission because what I've heard is that having this certain type of skill set is proven to make you up to 20% hotter. Definitely something I'm striving for...

Check out where I got mine in Colorado Springs.

Omigod sooo fierce

Tell me that's not the most breathtaking hat you've ever seen. I mean, come on, it's gorgeous. 

Believe or not, this unbelievable ensemble is just one of many such beautiful looks from Project Runway winner Christian Siriano's Spring 2009 collection. Until today I'd sort of forgotten about him, but a quick look at his website told me that I really shouldn't have. Say what you want about him, but the kid is disgustingly good at fashion. 

I'm obviously not the only one who thinks so. In a time of marked economic recession, Siriano's fashion career has been growing. Not only was his entire spring line picked up by Saks Fifth Avenue, but he's debuted his own high-end make up line with Victoria's Secret, collabarated on a mid-range maternity line (Fierce Mammas) to be sold at Nordstrom, designed a line of shoes an handbags for Payless Shoe Source and, come this holiday season, will be joining forces with Starbucks. If that's not fierce, I don't know what is.

For those of you interested, you should check out the rest of Siriano's spring line here, and his Project Runway finale show here.

Brownies to the face.

Now, I don't happen to like chocolate, nor am I a particularly good baker, but I've received reliable intelligence that food genius Nigella Lawson has a fall-on-your-face delicious brownie recipe:

For those of you who really lose their shit over chocolate, try doubling the amount of semi-sweet chocolate chips and lose the white chocolate.

Personally though, I'm a white chocolate fan, so I'll probably try it as is. Ooooh but I might throw in 1/3 -1/2 cup of walnuts. Yessssss.

If you're not into watching the process, here's the recipe in print.

Quick Note: One Month Old!

So today is tweedle dee tweedle dom's 1 month anniversary. I know, right? I'm impressed too. Because I've gotten such wonderful feedback from friends, family, and other visitors I've decided to not only keep it going, but to implement two solid changes

First is that as of today, I will open all posts to commentary. I've had it closed because when I was first starting, it got reeeeally depressing to see post after post with 0 comments. Now that I have a few regular readers, I'm hoping that you guys will give me feedback on posts and offer your own input into the wide panoply of subjects that occur to me. This will also be an opportunity for you to request post topics, or let me know about any news or information that might make a good addition to the blog. So do me a favor and look back through the past month of blog entries and comment away. It'll validate my purpose on earth. I'm not kidding. Do it. 

Second is that I've invited some friends to contribute to my blog in their various areas of expertise. Over the next few weeks I'll introduce new members of the tweedle team. I figured it might be nice to have other sources of information other than me, and it'll ensure that there's always something new for you to look at. I'll continue posting daily, of course, and I won't stick to any subject but keep your eyes peeled for the new voices of my music, technology, politics, movies, science, fashion, and other experts. 

Finally, I'm going to make a quick note about advertising. I post some blog entries in my Facebook status and that seems to work fairly well, but it makes me feel sort of like a digital slut. I'll keep doing that unless someone casually mentions to me that I need to stop being such an intellectual exhibitionist or they'll stab me in the neck. I try to comment on other blogs to see if they'll return the favor and come visit my site.  Today, I'll send out a mass Facebook message to all of my friends and see if that ups my traffic as well. That's about all I can do to promote myself. 

After that, what I need is help from my readers-- word of mouth truly is the most powerful form of advertising. If there's post that you think someone will like, send them a link via e-mail. If there's a post you really like, post it in your Facebook status.  Generally speaking, if you like what I have to say, bookmark the blog, come back often, and recommend it to your friends, family, and coworkers. 

Thanks for a fantastic month. Hopefully its the first of many.

xx dom. 

Shoulder Pads

Having watched a number of 80's movies over the past week, I've had some exposure the fashion of the age and, frankly, it got me to wondering-- what was America thinking when it allowed the shoulder pad to come into style?

 I mean, come on. The above shouldn't be ok under any circumstance. Ever. I don't care how stylistically disinclined the populace is, it's just wrong. Anyway, as ever when such questions occur to me, I did a little research. Here's what I found out about shoulder pads as a ladies' fashion. 

Turns out that fashion legend, Elsa Schiaparelli (the famous rival of her contemporary Coco Chanel), first introduced them in her designs in her 1931 line, drawing inspiration from the leg of mutton sleeves that dominated women's wear in the 1890's. Despite this, shoulder pad didn't become widely fashionable until the 1940's when, with WWII a looming presence, women's styles drew influence from military uniforms. I guess I follow this rationale. If you shape and place a shoulder pad correctly, it'll effectively create a boxy, tin soldier kind of look. 

By the 1980's though, you can hardly justify using WWII as inspiration for your fashion designs. You can't really use Vietnam, either. And you could try to bring the Cold war into it, but I'm not sure militarizing fashion would be the best way to convey anti-Communist sentiment. Why then were shoulder pads so big in the 80's?

Two reasons:

1. Fashion is cyclical: Consider some of today's styles like the skinny jean or the high waisted skirt. Though both looks have been modernized to fit today's standards, they were prevalent 20-30 years ago. All this to say therefore, that though they weren't directly inspired by a war, fashion designers in the 1980's were drawing from the heavy, square look favored in the 1940's. 
2. Sociological factors play heavily into style: I would argue that American women in the 1940's were drawn to military-inspired ensembles in part because it allowed them to feel connected to the war efforts overseas. By donning an article of clothing that was reminiscent of a military uniform, women were showing support for U.S. soldiers, consciously or not. Fast forward to the 1980's, the advent of the corporate business woman. Broad shoulder angles effectively masculinize the lines of a woman's suit, and so shoulder pads in a blazer became a way for women to command respect in the corporate world. Today, we term this fashion ideology "power dressing". 

As to why shoulder pads became popular outside of the meeting rooms, I really can't say. Like belly shirts and pleated pants, some fashion faux-pas can't be explained. Tragically, the Spring 2009 fashion shows suggest that shoulder pads might be making a comeback. I'm really unsure about it. I'm just afraid that a shoulder pad comeback  could justify a the resurrection of one of the other atrocities I mentioned above. I'm pretty sure though, that if belly shirts ever come back, I will have completely lost faith in the human race.

You got drunk at Starbucks?

Not something I've ever expected to hear. But for those of you who don't know, Starbucks is trying something a little bit different. 

It's an interesting concept and a bold move in terms of brand management. I'm not convinced that it'll work but I think that the Starbucks initiative is much closer to being within the capacity of their brand than, say, the garbage going on at Hyundai.  Either way, it'll be interesting to see how all of this plays out

Looking for a good time?

Then go watch Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. 

I'm pretty sure that it's the most perfect action movie ever made-- not to mention one of my favorite movies of all time. Also, it's one of the few action movies in which I actually like the female lead character. I always feel like traditional women in Hollywood are useless bimbos who do nothing but cry, swoon, and get themselves into troubling situations from which they must be rescued. Marion Ravenwood is a baller though. She gets it done.

If you couldn't tell I just watched the flick.  And now the soundtrack is stuck in my head. Holler at John Williams.

Two questions:

• Have you ever noticed that the seasoning on Cooler Ranch Doritos is so intensely red and green that it looks like Christmas confetti? If not, you should really look into it-- it'll freak you out, man. 

• I would argue that Doritos and gummy* candy are two food items that are delicious by virtue of two factors: flavor and texture. How is it that these two excellent treats become disgusting if you swap one of these components? For example, imagine if gummy candy tasted like Doritos. Gross. Or what if Doritos were cherry flavored? Woof.

*Note: Upon reflection, I believe that this property is apparent in all types of candy, and not just the gummy variety. I cannot imagine a circumstance under which I'd want a Nacho Cheesier flavored after dinner mint.

In case you were wondering...

This is a photograph of the Fairy Cottage in North Berkeley, CA , home to the Belladonna Fairy Camp-- for girls aged 6-10. Yes, you read correctly. No, I am not kidding. Honest to god fairy camp. 

What does fairy camp entail? When interviewed by USA Today, camp director Jodi MacMillan says:

"Belladonna girls learn to perceive auras with clairvoyant counselors... and explore their individual spirituality and the entire rainbow of expressions and ideas."

Course offerings at the "magical eco-arts day camp" include but are not limited to the following: 

• Fairy fashion
• Fairy house design
• Potions
• Divination
• Fluttering 101
• Animal telepathy

Also of note is the portfolio of camp employees. Counsellors possess such qualifications as  "certified flower essence practitioner", "Priestess of Song", and "reality shifter". Additionally on staff is Rex the Golden Retriever, "a powerful telepathic communicator... available for the girls to practice interspecies [sic] dialogue". 

Now, if this seems like your cup of tea, too bad. The Belladonna Fairy Camp is fully enrolled for 2009. You can, however, register to be on the wait list. 

***

If you're like me, you are positively astounded by this unbelievable nugget of information. Imagine my surprise, then, upon Googling "fairy camp" and receiving over 8,000 hits. I guess that it's fair enough, though-- all in all, it beats the living hell out of Jesus Camp. 

How to behave in the digital age

The cover story in this month's Wired magazine is How to Behave: the New Rules for Highly Evolved Humans. With the advent of the internet, particularly with regards to  social networking, it is difficult to know where to draw the line of acceptability. Where is the boundary between 'normal' and just creepy. Wired has compiled an excellent list of suggestions for our'new' standard of conduct. My favorites include:

• Don't Google stalk before a first date
• Don't lie with your Facebook photo
• Leave your Wi-Fi open
• Never broadcast your relationship status
• Don't Hesitate to haggle on craigslist
• There's no such thing as too many friends

You guys should take a gander at the explanation to these and other rules here.

Finally, I must note that by making this post, I have effectively violated rule #2, Don't blog or Tweet anything with more than half a million hits. Obviously, Wired is an internationally renowned technology magazine and is bound to have millions of hits every day. I have no defense to this and can only hope that you, the members of my decidedly small audience, will pardon my bad manners.

Artscape

So having been away for a week, today I thought I'd take a moment to rep my American hood. i.e. Baltimore. This weekend in Charm City was the 28th annual Artscape-- the largest free arts festival in America, attracting upwards of 350,000 visitors each year. It's always pretty sweet...  past performers include Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin. Oh, and also... all events and performances are completely free. 

I know, right?

This year featured the usual repertoire of local and visiting visual artists, musicians, performers and exhibitors, not to mention the best street food that Baltimore has to offer-- as the low-to-mid range food capital of the country, you can imagine that the deliciousness is borderline unacceptable. Headliners included Robert Randolf and the Family Band, Dionne Warwick (who is definitely still on crack), and CAKE. 

The festival is hosted in Mt. Royal around the Maryland Institute College of Art (an unreal art school) and Baltimore's symphony hall, the Meyerhoff. 

Long story short-- if you ever live within a drivable/train-takable distance, or need to be in D.C. or Baltimore in the middle of July, you should ch-ch-ch-check it out.

For more information, here's the official website.

and I'll throw in a link to these graffiti artists from Load of Fun Studios whose stuff I really liked. Obviously the tags weren't for sale. The products offered tended towards more portable,  more legal forms of art.

Quick Note: Sorry....

I will recommence daily posts as soon as I'm not on vacation anymore. I'll make it up to you guys, swear.

DIY

an innovative way to approach the recession...( and little something to keep you going)

James Dean on Warner Brother Presents

So I was scanning AdFreak, when I came across a list of ironic ads in history. Turns out that after the release of Rebel Without a Cause, Warner Brothers became concerned that James Dean's character glorified reckless driving and that the movie's popularity might result in the subsequent deaths of teenagers emulating him. The studio prophylactically filmed an episode of Warner Brother's presents that features Dean dreamily asking the kids to stay safe on the road. The clip was never released as shortly thereafter, Dean died in a car accident.

Why the people at Hyundai are idiots

In February of this year, Hyundai motor company unveiled the Equus, a $60,000 full-size luxury sedan designed as a competitor to such flagship models as BMW's 7-series, Mercedes-Benz's S-Class, Audi's A8, and the Lexus LS. The Equus became available in South Korea on March 11, but it remained unclear whether or not the car would ever be marketed in America. Recent speculation suggests that it will—reports have been circulating that the 2011 Equus model will hit the US in July of next year.

Obviously, Hyundai wants to enter the luxury market. And honestly, that's all fine and dandy with me--they'd hardly be the first Asian automaker to do so. In fact, the big Japanese companies have done this extremely well. Toyota, Nissan, and, to a lesser extent, Honda, all managed to sneak into the luxury club by promising premium vehicles equal in quality and lower in price than their German counterparts. They've delivered on that promise, consistently giving its consumers a meticulously engineered product that's technically on par with--and often more reliable than the likes of Mercedes, Audi, and BMW.

Hyundai has largely stuck to the formula. Last year, it made its first foray into the luxury sector when it introduced Genesis, so named because it's supposedly the first of many Hyundai luxury cars. It's priced at a manageable base of $33k for the V6 model and $38k for the V8--about $10,000 less than comparable cars. They've held up on the quality front too. The car's features and performance testify that Hyundai is more than capable of producing a top-of-the-line ride. The Genesis has received critical acclaim and was named Consumer Report's top luxury car, Cars.com's new car of the year, and crowned 2009 North American Car of the Year.

To this I say: Good for you, Hyundai. So you can build a sweet ride. Great. I still think your company's luxury move monumentally idiotic. Why? It's not because I doubt the quality of their product. Quite the opposite-- I think that I'd recommend a Genesis over a Mercedes E class, any day. It's because in trying for luxury success, Hyundai has forgotten who they are.

What comes to mind when you think about Hyundai? Despite evidence to the contrary, I still think 'crappy economy cars for people on a budget'. There are countless examples of such stigmas attached to particular automakers, and what's more, these stigmas are hard to shake. Think about Buick. Most people immediately think 'old peoples' car', right? Well, in an effort to change that, Buick hired Tiger Woods as the brand's young and freshfaced spokesperson:

After a nine year endorsement, and millions upon millions of advertising dollars, we're all still thinking that there's no way that Tiger Woods ever drove a Buick-- that car is for old people. 

The Japanese companies understood this quite well when they entered the market, and realized that people driving BMW and Mercedes autos were not going to want to drive a Toyota, Nissan, or Honda, no matter the vehicle's caliber. So what did they do? They launched new brands--Toyota has Lexus, Nissan has Infiniti, and Honda has Acura. Hyundai has.... Hyundai?

Sure enough, Genesis sales in America have been modest--not bad, but modest. Hyundai moved 6,167 in the first five months of sale, and since then has sold about 2,000 more. So what does Hyundai do? Why, it puts out another, bigger luxury car, of course. Never mind that in the present economy, most other automakers are clamoring to downsize their product lineup. Aston-Martin, for example, recently proposed Cygnet, a $33k SMARTcar sized concept which is likely to enter production. Genesis is already equivalent in size to a Lexus LS. Now consider that Equus will be even larger- sized at what can only be described as positively monstrous. Hyundai, just as easily, could have spent money on developing a new brand, or focused their attentions on the sales of the smaller, sportier Genesis Coupe.

Between 2004-2006 in America, Volkswagen marketed the Phaeton, a full size sedan which, like Equus, was designed to compete with the 7 Series, S-Class, A8 and the like. The Phaeton was critically acclaimed, beautifully engineered, quality-controlled, and a complete failure. Why? Because people looking to spend $75,000 on a car didn't want to drive a Volkswagen. Mazda's Amati brand didn't even make it into production. Even Infiniti, a well-established luxury brand, discontinued production of it's flagship sedan, the Q45, because it couldn't hack it in the American market.

That said, Hyundai needs to wake up and realize that, sad as it is, America is not a society in which quality or even reputation can trump brand image. If the behemoth hits the showrooms next July and they still think that luxury consumers are going to spend $60,000 on a Hyundai, they've got another thing coming.

In case you were wondering...

This is the pro-life case for masturbation, delightfully explained by William Saletan.

The very worst in golf fashion

Time.com has posted a fairly hysterical photo essay chronicling the very worst in Golf fashion. Not all of the ensembles are heinously offensive, however those that are make up for the rest.

In the same vein, Golf magazine has an unintentionally funny article that highlights the history of golfing attire. Also of note is a guide that tells you how to sport the green jacket (the traditional trophy given to Masters' winners, for more info click here). I particularly enjoy "Acid jazz with [a hint of] country".

50th birthdays

Today is my father's 50th birthday, and though I try my best to keep the spectacularly dull details of my personal life out of this blog, I thought that this particular event was an appropriate exception. So, even though I don't think he reads this, I thought I'd do a post on things that, like him, turn(ed) 50 years old in 2009.

Ben-Hur

Despite my objections to its overtly religious undertones (Its unofficial title is Ben-Hur: A Tale of Christ), I can't deny that this film is a Hollywood institution. It was released in 1959 and won 11 Academy Awards in 1960--a feat to this day equaled only by two other movies, 1997'sTitanic, and  2003's Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. If you haven't seen the flick, it's worth it if only for the chariot race scene which I argue to be one of the sweetest chase scenes in cinema. Learn more here.

LEGO

Until I went to do the research for this post, I had no idea that LEGO was so old. But it is, and believe it or not, the toy has a really rich history. I won't go into too much detail here but suffice it to say that I learned that there is an annual conference tailored to adult LEGO hobbyists. Furthermore, there is an official list of LEGO ambassadors, and a select few LEGO certified professionals. Yeah. So. I guess that's...cool...

Alaska

I mean, its worth mentioning.  In 1867, America purchased it from the Russians for two cents an acre. In 1959, after numerous administrative changes (from land to organized territory), it finally became the largest state in the union (by area). It's the least densely populated state (averaging 1 person per square mile), as well as the state with the highest male:female ratio (1.7:1). In areas outside the cities, this ratio can get as high as 5:1. It's also about 7o% caucasian.  So basically, because of Alaska, Sarah Palin and a bunch of white dudes living in isolation are proud to call themselves Americans.

In all seriousness though, Alaska's dramatic landscape and biodiversity is without comparison. If you're interested in going, there are opportunities for all kinds of travelers, from crunchy backpackers to resort-types. If you guys like to ski, you should make it a life-goal to go to Alyeska. It's sweet.

Mini

From its iconic British roots to BMW's classy modern reinterpretation of the 1959 original, this is one of the most adorable cars ever put on the market. Interestingly, it's the first car to be developed primarily as a fuel saver-- it was originally launched in response to the fuel shortage caused by the 1954  Suez Crisis. What is the 1954 Suez Crisis? Uh, beats me. 

Miles Davis's Kind of Blue

If you want to lead a happy and fulfilled life, you will go listen to this album, immediately. I'm not joking. Really, I'm not.

The St. Lawrence Seaway

The Seaway is is system of canals and locks that follows the St. Lawrence River between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean. The stretch of river has long been used for shipping, but legal, political, and logistical issues between the United States and Canada, building wasn't approved until 1954. The seaway opened in 1959, having racked up a total cost of $470 million. 75% was payed for by the Canadian government, and 25% by the Americans. The two countries collaborated in the seaway's formal opening, for which Queen Elizabeth II and President Dwight D. Eisenhower took a short cruise aboard Royal Yacht Britannia after having delivered a joint address in St. Lambert, Quebec.

I'll end by saying that it's difficult to convey the connection that the Québecois feel with the St. Lawrence. Understand, though, that there is a deep and almost intrinsic cultural reverence for it. My father, born and raised in Montreal, is no exception-- he loves the St. Lawrence so much that he often refers to it as "mon fleuve", or my river. Seeing as it's his birthday and all, I thought it fitting to finish with that.

Beautiful things along the way

Ok, so maybe that last one wasn't beautiful, but only in Canada do they have high-rent square footage dedicated to 'maple delights'.

Human Nature

ever notice how an individual's deepest nature is revealed when the check comes after dinner with a large group of people?

This is the last thing I'll say about this but...

The Guardian has an excellent and very complete live blog of Michael Jackson's funeral, but I thought that Talib Kweli's Twitter feed provided a thoughtful, if brief, insight to the service's proceedings. 

There is debate as to the media circus surrounding his death, as well as the controversy surrounding his life, and I don't know that I stand on one side or the other of the argument. The facts as I see them, though, are that, whether or not you liked him, Mr. Jackson was a talented figure with tremendous public influence. The huge attention being paid to his passing is just a reflection of the mark that his life has left in modern musical history. He's spent 50 years in the public eye... I guess it's only fair he should go out with a bang.

That said, I will leave you with an excerpt from the piece that musician John Mayer wrote for Time magazine, which i thought was eloquently-put: 

"Michael Jackson proves, in a really sort of perverse way, that maybe we're not as offended by behavior as we are entranced by music. And think about that. Think about what level of quality you must have to attain to have somebody say, "I know that you're accused of having molested children, but I can't hate you for that as much as I love you for your music." I'm not saying that's right or wrong; I'm saying that it's fascinating. That somebody could be that great. That somebody could have that much of a marriage with your emotions just through music.There's just one Michael Jackson now. We don't have to reconcile the Michael Jackson we love with another Michael Jackson. In a way, he has returned to pristine condition in death. We can be free now for the rest of our lives to love the Michael Jackson we used to love."

Mr. Mayer's musical contribution to the memorial was ultra classy-- beautifully subdued and respectful. Here's the video.

Gechyoself some digital skeeillllz, son

My favorite digital guru-- one Ms. Christen Mitchell-- has posted the following video in her blog:

It's a poignant and relevant overview of technology's evolution and makes an excellent argument as to why we should embrace digital connectivity. Read more of what Christen has to say here. 

In the spirit of staying connected, I thought I'd remind you that you can follow me on Facebook or on Twitter. And keep coming back here, of course.

dmd.

Classin' it up.

So as anyone who knows me can attest, I am a food snob. I love high quality food and gourmet cuisine more than old people love Buicks. At the same time, though, it is duly noted that I have an incorrigable affinity for macaroni and cheese. And  I'm not talking fettucini alfredo or conchiglie with a béchamel sauce.

I'm talking really bad macaroni and cheese. Offensively horrible shit like Velveeta, Kraft Deluxe and the Cheesiest. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is something just so delightfully simple, satisfying and processed about the whole genre and, honestly, it gets depressing to put consistent effort into cooking for one person. 

As a (mostly) college graduate, I've come to the conclusion that it is no longer socially acceptable to make anything that involves cheese sauce from a pouch. So, going completely against my deep seeded hatred of "Semi-Homemade" with Sandra Lee, I've been doing something  a little classier than Velveeta, while at the same time maintaining the convenience and ease of the boxed product:

Grab a box of Annie's Shells & White Cheddar (the other varieties aren't as good.. I don't know why, just trust me on this one), a 1/3 cup of plain yogurt (I like nonfat greek strained varieties like FAGE 0% and Oikos), and a tablespoon of milk (I do nonfat here as well). While your shells are cooking, mix the powdered cheese sauce with the yogurt and milk until its well blended. Then when the shells are al dente, strain them, toss them with your sauce, and you have yourself a meal or two. Pie easy. 

Not something I'd ever recommend in the light of day, but honestly, between you and me, it's awesome. 

Words to live by...

"Boys who spend their weekends making banana-nut muffins do not, as a rule, excel at hand-to-hand combat."

-David Sedaris

Closing out the fourth

Fireworks and idiots don't mix.

happy birthday America.

In case you were wondering...

The Anatomy of a Great Salad

1. Greens- anything from spinach to a mesclun mixture will work. Just pick out something fresh and crisp and rich in color. Avoid lighter-green, cabbage based lettuces like iceberg as these have little flavor and virtually no nutritional value.
   
2. Salt- The easiest thing to do here is use cheese- go for hard cheeses like sharp cheddar or parmesan, or crumbly ones like feta, bleu, or chevre. You could also use a meat like prosciutto  or smoked turkey.
3. Sweet- Now this may seem counter-intuitive, but fruit is awesome in a salad. Raw fruit is great, but you can also try sautéing it with 1/2 a tablespoon of butter and a pinch of sea salt - berries, peaches, apples, pears, plums and apricots and melon are all delicious. I wouldn't recommend bananas, but then again I really, really hate bananas.
4. Crunch- Nuts or croutons work here. If you're using nuts, put them in a small frying pan and toast them over medium heat for about 2 minutes, or until they become fragrant. The heat helps release a lot of the nuts' flavor. 
5. Dressing- I  make my own using  2/3 olive or nut oil (never vegetable), 1/3 flavored vinegar (anything but white- I like balsamic, champagne, or tarragon vinegars), salt and pepper. If you're feeling ambitious, throw in a tablespoon or two of dijon mustard and some minced garlic or shallot. If your feeling lazy, go out and buy any balsamic vinaigrette.

 

Honestly, a salad is about the easiest thing in the world to make. So,  for the benefit of even the most culinarily disinclined individual, I've just jotted down a simple formula that guarantees a delicious salad, every time-- but, obviously, this isn't the only way to do it. Many awesome salads are vegetable, and not lettuce, based. They include proteins and two salts and no crunch and are still just as good. The nice thing about my method, though, is that it is flexible to the current contents of your fridge, it takes away the rigidity of a 'real' recipe and allows you to be creative, and it is, without fail, always delicious. If you don't like open-ended directions though, here's a great recipe from Food & Wine magazine. Otherwise... go enjoy.

In the spirit of the fourth of july...

Yesterday, a rare copy of the Declaration of Independence was found. Click here to read about it.

In case you were wondering...

this is what it takes to be a ninja.

i don't have it.

I think this says something about the overarching meaning of life.

Tell me this isn't the sweetest butterfly you've ever seen. 

Reppin 1988. or 1888. or...well...'88.

The Wikipedia Adventure

In today's day and age, it is an understatement to say that we have a wealth of information at our fingertips. Need something to eat within walking distance? Urbanspoon or Yelp! can help. Trying to buy a car? Cars.com provides specs, reviews, tips, and personalized comparative analysis for most automotive models... ever. Reading The Great Gatsby? Here are the SparkNotes. Need to know about something  about small-scale American chicken breeders? One google search and voila, you've got yourself a directory of hatcheries by U.S. state. For pretty much any question a person could fathom, there is an online answer and his or her disposal-- Pie easy. 

This phenomenon, however, is largely based on necessity. This is to say that, when someone wants a piece of information, they make an effort to collect it and then move on with their lives. What people pay less attention to is that internet's vast repository of knowledge affords us the opportunity to educate ourselves. This in mind I'm going to go ahead and speak to the general awesomeness (not mention time-wasting capacity) of the Wikipedia Adventure. 

So what exactly is a Wikipedia Adventure? Well, as you know, every Wiki article has a number of internal links to other wikipedia articles. For example, say you needed to look up Anne of Denmark for a project. The first sentence of her article reads as follows:

"Anne of Denmark (12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619) was queen consort of Scotland,England, and Ireland as the wife of King James VI and I.^[1]"

You become curious... what exactly is a queen consort? You click on the link to find out. From "queen consort", you click on "succession laws", which brings you to King John I, the Posthumous, which brings you to a list of the shortest reigning monarchs of all time. And so goes the Wikipedia Adventure

Now, I know for a fact that I'm not the only person to have done this, and odds are, you've been on your fair share of Wikipedia Adventures in your time as an internet user-- so why am I telling you all of this? For a few reasons:

1. To reaffirm the fact that we Wikipedia Adventurers are not alone.
2. To give a commonplace activity an official title. Next time you waste three hours surfing Wikipedia, you can justify it by saying that you went on a Wikipedia Adventure of epic proportions.  Sort of. 
3. To champion the idea of self-education. The thing I love about Wikipedia Adventures is that even though you're probably wasting time and diverting your attention from things that you really should be doing, at least you're learning something. Sure, Wikipedia is not the end-all be-all of information sources, but, in terms of intellectually furthering yourself,  going on a three hour Wikipedia adventure beats the shit out of watching three back to back episodes of VH1's Rock of Love.

So to finish up, here are a few tips on improving your Wikipedia Adventure experience:

• Start your adventure on the Wikipedia's main page. Here you'll find excellent fodder for your journey updated daily. This includes a featured article, a current news feed, a picture of the day, a "Did You Know?" section, and a review of "on this day in history"
• After you've completed your adventure, use your newly acquired Wikipedia knowledge in conversation. This will increase the chance that you retain this information in the long-term. After all, you never know when you'll need to whip out your understanding of serial killer psychology, or the fact that France's Capetian dynasty ruled the country for over 800 years. 
• Give yourself a time limit, and stick to it. As much as I love this activity, it's not something we can reasonably afford to do every day for hours at a time. An egg timer can help here.
• Finally, I cannot, in good conscience, write this without talking about the Wikipedia game. Here's how you play: 1. Find a friend who's either really bored, or has the patience to humor you. 2. Pick two topics that are completely unrelated, for example wind farms and Fight Club, the novel. 3. Using only Wikipedia links, connect the two. The winner can be judged either by time (personal best: Bill Clinton to cheese in 28.3 seconds), or by number of clicks (personal best: osteoarthritis to My Little Pony in 4 links).

xx dmd.