FREE BEER!!!

Its as good as it sounds!

Check it OUT!

For those of you too lazy to read up FREE BEER is a recipe for beer (w. guarana added, for that energy-boosting edge) that anyone is allowed to use and distribute. It's a model on the "open source code" thang, and ah think a cool project.

Now is FREE BEER easy enuff fer me to make, er do we have to count on our resident beermeister, mr. smooth? (who is still simmering his greatly anticipated apple beer, going on week number 6 billion or something like that)

Happy Life Day

I've long heard about the horrors of the Star Wars Christmas Special (1978), but until the joys of youtube i hadn't seen it. There's a character in this called Mermeia Holographic Wow. i don't even know what that means, but im into it.
In honor of our own holiday, whichever you prefer, i present someone else's interpretation of what the best parts are. enjoy! I hope everyone got good booty, good food and minimal BS from their families, if you're into that kinda thing. xoro

mullet travel

Maybe someone can explain why this airline is using the MULLET image to sell flights.....? Does anyone want to go to Daytona Beach with this dude?
Coach & Business Class “Mullet” Sale - $39 & upSpirit Airlines is offering their "business up front, party in the back" sale with great fares to Florida, the Caribbean, and much more through May. More...

BG's holiday shopping list

BG's been shopping for everyone & this is what we've found:

Kehinde Wiley's "Louis XVI Sun King" for ohyouknowocto







killah davesmoooth's Leica rifle camera







ben.c gets K9.









A private island for D. (caretaker, 6BR house & airstrip included)






cutest deadliest toy ever for Mayabean











It Never Really Was loves the Chocolate of the Month Club







a lifetime supply of pies for sensibletron






the gift of Rock! for the Captive Prisoner







and magnolialee gets her true wish to go to Britney's New Years party in Vegas. Hot.

Woo!

Breakdancing Godzilla

I am so excited! One of my favorite artists, Emily Carr (1871-1945) had a pet monkey named Woo. At long last, someone has written a book about Woo. Woo Hoo!

Emily was, I guess you could say, a Canadian Expressionist. She never married, and was an artist and writer who ventured alone (except for Woo and some of her dogs) to camp in the wild forests of British Columbia, where she painted passionate portraits of nature and the totem poles of the first peoples of the Northwest Coast. This was around the turn of the century when women were supposed to be at home living some kind of proper life. But not Emily! At left is her portrait of Woo, who was apparently dressed for some fun!

Holy Arteries

cnt tok nw - uv gut uh mthful uv chkn frud bukn en muh muth

Ahm really nawt sure what ta think about this.....

but tha less warning you have, tha bettah.

Boston cooler that expected

Boston's new Institute Contemporary Art (opening this week) has installed this huge mural 'The Divine Gas' by Chiho Aoshima. i think it's beautiful, but i wonder how uptight bostonians will feel entering their new museum and being 'confronted by an enormous fart cloud' (as one boston globe writer put it.)

poor jessica

So apparently Jessica Simpson was so wrenched nerves at a performance to honor Dolly Parton that she was seen, crying and holding her stomach looking visibly uncomfortable...

poor jessica


I mean... I think she probably just had diarrhea. What do you think?

zombie fun time

Yeah so there's this AWESOME zombie dance party coming up!


It's a benefit for the River City Rollergirls. Richmond's FIRST all-girl rollerderby league.

We just had our very first bout on Sunday and it was bangin! The Disco Shockers beat the Abominable Snowwomen but everyone put up a great fight. The bout was a total success. Over 800 people came out (all the way to South Side even) to the Seasons Beatings event to see RCR, Richmond Lucha Libre and the Octane Saints tear it up! It was so exciting. I, of course, made excellent sparkly signs for all my pals and my lovely RCR ladies. I didn't bout but I hope to get back on some skates very soon.

I hope you see you all at the next bout, but in the mean time if you're going to be in RVA soon you should come check this out. If I can get over this bronchitus I'll be in the kissing booth so come get some smooches!!

I have a weakness for talking pigs.

Oh geez, ok, so I have a confession to make. And this even took me by surprise.

I was watching TV the other day and the preview for Charlotte's Web came on. AND I GOT TEARY! jeezus, what kind of wuss am I? It didn't even take the whole movie - just the thought of that cute little porker almost getting shipped off to slaughter and being saved by the love of a thoughtful spider.... sigh... it looks really good. ... and damn - there are some awesome actors in it: Steve Buscemi, John Cleese, Kathy Bates...

ate opponents brains/invented cocaine:
Washington.
six foot 20, killing for fun.

Wiiiii

So, this is my newest toy. It's a Nintendo Wii.

I have a love/hate relationship with the games industry. On one hand, I enjoy playing games and my partner in crime earns his living creating them. I grew up on adventure games and have fond memories of playing King's Quest IV, with the first graphical female heroine. I enjoy puzzly games and for a while played a lot of Puzzle Pirates, but all in all, a large portion of the output of contemporary software companies doesn't do it for me.

I could sit here and link to every possible example of tits and ass and thongs and absurd beach volleyball action with a sliding scale of boob jiggliness but I will refrain because some of us are children or at work--and besides, I don't mind that stuff SOME of the time. It's when it starts showing up everywhere that it makes me sad.

So what is special about the Wii? What makes it really different is the controller (on the left in the above picture), which is equipped with motion sensors. While I'm not all that familiar with or interested in the mechanics of how this works, what I do know is this: if you swing the controller, you swing your sword. Or your golf club. Or your baseball bat or tennis racket. If you hold it in front of you like you're putting and swing it, you...putt.

So I've spent some time playing with the Wii, and I have to say that it's fabulously intuitive and incredibly fun, and I'm glad we spent every cent of the $250 we shelled out. In the end, HD graphics and frame rates and chips and this and that don't mean crap to me.

Several of my coworkers have asked me, teasingly, "How are the graphics, Sensibletron?" and my response is always, "My Wii is FUN." Because the graphics on this bad boy aren't the point, and I'm glad that someone in the games industry finally noticed that bigger and flashier and whatever else doesn't actually equal enjoyment.

Several of my friends who aren't generally interested in videogames have had an absolute blast playing with the Wii. The graphics on Wii Sports, which is bundled with the system, are fairly rudimentary, but the gameplay is just so extraordinarily intuitive that the simplicity doesn't detract in any way. The console encourages you to invite your friends over to bowl or box, and basically enables you to have a fun time with your friends, socializing and playing games.

So yes, I love my Wii. It encourages me to be social. It eschews the technical advances of other systems (which essentially have all the same intonations as someone bragging about the size of their wang) in favor of fun and innovation.

OMG I want it!

The new Ditty Bops Calendar!!!!


They are so hot!

I have the 2006 calendar, but this one is even better 'cause it's all about vegetables and has RECIPES.

You might have heard about Sean Bell--an unarmed, young Black man--who was shot to death by New York City police in a hail of 50 bullets, hours before his wedding. An org. - ColorOfChange.org's - is calling for a special independent prosecutor to hold the police accountable. I wanted to let you know about the effort and invite you to do the same. http://www.colorofchange.org/nypd/?id=1833-132283

Music by non-musicians

If you haven't seen this, it's definitely worth checking out. Technology RULES! IT RULES!!

speaking of Marina, this is her dress design for the 1708 Gallery Uber Wearable Art Show.

craft shopping in DC/NY/Philly/RVA

Assorted craft show locations. cool stuff. not crochet santas. Some are featuring our friends Charming Vices and Marina Brock.

12.02 - BOOTY MARKET in Silver Spring (ask for directions)

12.02 - Holiday Bizaare Market. Chop Suey Books - Carytown, Richmond. Through Christmas Eve.

12.09 - BUST HOLIDAY CRAFTACULAR in NYC The Warsaw, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, 261 Driggs Ave [at Eckford] Brooklyn, NY

12.10 - PALACE OF WONDERS in DC

12.16 - Punk ROCK FLEA MARKET in Philly At The Starlight Ballroom / Club Polaris

12.17 - ROCK N SHOP at the Black Cat in DC free 8pm.

12.20 - DOWNTOWN HOLIDAY MARKET in DC
The Downtown DC holiday Market is centrally located at 7th & F street NW. By Gallery Place Metro.

Lumberton

If you are a BLUE VELVET fan, your mind may be blown by the following photos of some guy's trip around Wilmington, NC where Lynch filmed it all. Well, maybe not as blown as the guys taking the photos. (halfway down the page)

Prada art installation

A friend of mine recently directed me to the Prada Marfa, pictured above. Thou it looks like a Prada store in the middle of no where, it's actually a minimalist landscape artwork by German designers Ingar Dragset & Michael Elmgreen outside Valentine, TX. Thou the Marfa displays the Fall 2005 Prada shoe line, the building is sealed & no one can enter to purchase or browse. The adobe building will eventually rot back into the earth, and the west Texas vandals have already stolen all the shoes - no word on if they've been replaced.
So, is it art? Is it advertising? Is it a blight on the serene & desolate landscape? Is it some kind of art-tourist trap luring people to the apparently hip Marfa, TX? People seem offended by the space, as thou this advertising

!!

I wish I had a yard or even a patch of grass, because I'd grow my own loofah!

Yum.

Damn. I'm totally making this for dinner sometime soon. deep-dish stuffed pizza in a springform pan? hell yeah!

Skulls and Condoms

It's a weird, weird world

Millions of Bolivians hauled out the skulls of loved ones to be blessed at the annual Skull Festival, held each November. After the blessing some of the skulls are decorated with flowers and treated to cigarettes and





Kanokkorn Kobhiran, a resident of Bangkok, Thailand, shows off her outfit made of more than 2,500 condoms. She had it made in preparation for the upcoming World AIDS Day on Dec. 1.

Tom Dickson at BlendTec uncovers tha mysteries of tha stars!!!!

Will It Blend?

Tha answer is usually, YES IT WILL!

somethin tells me we need ta invest in a BlendTec blender.....

Convince me not to get this dog.

It is so fucking cute & it has three legs now. we could name it Bogen because that's a strong tripod. not a great dog name thou. i'll have to think of something better before we get the dog. How will a three-legged dog climb stairs? Will our new Moonie landlords be convinced to let us have a dog? Will it's one really strong front leg be really hurty when it jumps on us? Does a 3-legged dog have more medical expenses than a 4-legger?

Review: FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

The much-anticipated (by me) awards-season spoof from Christopher Guest has arrived, and it... is sad. Well, sad to me because it's not funny enough. It's a little funny. It's funny to see Catherine O'Hara with Botox and Christopher Guest essentially playing himself, and funny for those that are in the movie business to see a spoof on ourselves and the frenzy that goes with even the *possibility* of winning an Oscar.
But the jokes are few. The actors are old & they don't know what the internet is. The make-up guy is gay. No one can remember anyone else's name. Hollywood gossip shows are vapid and ridiculous. Actors turn to teaching when they finally retire from the craft.
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION ends abruptly & there seems to be a great number of scenes that are just, missing. Where is Catherine O'Hara's hi-larious trip to get Botoxed with her trashy friend? What happened to the guy that actually gets nominated for the Oscar? He disappeared from the end of the film. No awkward lesbian moments with Parker Posey & her co-star. Not nearly enough Jennifer Coolidge to begin with. I just didn't laugh as hard as I wanted to on Thanksgiving weekend. If you want to laugh at Guest & crew's improv, stick with BEST IN SHOW.

Madness

I'm totally into fancy chocolate. But I'm currently eating a Vosges white-chocolate/calamata olive bar & my palate is very confused. I think I like it. but... i'm just not sure. maybe you should come by & help me decide.

The Answer To Mankind's Greatest Question:

Have you ever wondered who would win in a fight between a 6 foot Alligator and a 13 foot python. Come on. you know you have. You must of, otherwise how could it be Mankind's Greatest Question?
I'll give you a bit to think it over...

Ok. Here's the Answer:







For more information on the fight, please reference an honest to god reputable news source.

instant photo blogs

I love art blogs. I've been reading Hatnim Lee's (her photo's above) an LA/DC girl i kinda know. She works alternately for a famous photographer & in her parent's Logan Circle liquor store. For snapshots on a blog, her photos are strong. I wish I had a digital camera to photograph my every moment, like the choc+pb smoothie that just saved a friend's life or the uncommon cleanliness of my desk.

I'm trying to document all the strays on my block and im thinking about how it would be cool to go on an 'alley safari' - 10 points for a white pigeon, an all black squirrel, a kitten on a car. shoes over a power line, drug or prostitution remnants, a broken 40 bottle. all photos of course. I need more art in my life.

This puts the Turducken to shame.

I'm of course open to any vegetarian variations...perhaps they make Qamel out of Quorn in the middle east?

more h'ween pics

Zira wants you to see more halloween adventures.

Thanks for the FEAST!

In this time of giving thanks and eating too much, I thought I'd share with you folks a recipe that Joe and I saw on the Hearty Boys (Food TV) Thanksgiving Show this morning. It is called "Not Your Mama's Green Bean Casserole," and it looks and sounds positively delicious. We also like the sound of their "Mashed Maple Bourbon Sweet Potatoes." Maybe you will want to whip these up to take to your Thursday feast. Wherever you may be, be grateful for what you have, and share some of whatever you have with someone who doesn't have so much. Peace and love to all!

sensibletron is going to be so mad I ran off with her man.

This morning I had a dream I was in an old house, it was the only one on a grassy plain. The house was practically empty & darkly dusty day-lit and I was mad I couldn't find anything. Some friends were waiting for me outside. I absent-mindedly put on some old dried out teenager lipstick in a pink plastic tube, and as I did I remembered that this is how all the trouble started before. I instantly turned into a dog because of the unrequited feelings I had for some lad when I was a teen. I ran out of the house & up the road towards the mountains. my friends were calling after me. then ben.c came bounding out of the tall grass dressed as a dog. He was not a dog, but a man dressed as a dog, in TV kids show make up; only without a fancy suit. Of course, he became my only friend and we ran off together.

Cat gives birth to dog-like offspring

ripped from the headlines of brazil for your morning coffee. if anyone asks, this is what i want for christmas.

This sandwich is "owl"

This sandwich will explode your face. The link I've posted is to a Google-translated so he keeps talking about a "crunch-Mister" which I believe is a croque monseur--but honestly, my French is a little rusty (read: nonexistant). I'm going to try to get my friend JR, who just returned from Paris, to take a look at the page for me and translate such phrases as:

"It was owl.! Really owl, owl, owl."

I hope this doesn't mean that the guy used owl eggs.

Bang THIS!

So I saw the band Bang Camaro at CMJ a few weeks ago and have been meaning to tell everyone. They are "Polyphonic spree meets headbangers ball" and they ROCK! And I LOVE that the 20 lead singers are called the choir. AND they have a song on Guitar Hero 2 (which I've never played, but have been told is one of the best video games EVER!).

The show I saw at CMJ was in a very tiny club, so when 20 dudes jumped on the stage and started rockin' the crowd was compelled to get excited and rock too. Even my friend Naomi, pushed us to the front and started jumping up and down by the speaker (sans earplugs!!)

longest wait EVER

man. check out that donut. look at how delicious it looks. with frosting & sprinkles AND jelly! man. Homer's not the only one chasing it. I could sure eat a donut now. well, anytime really. let's open a donut shop. I mean, sure the hours are early, unless we're a late-night donut shop, and sure we'd probably all gain 1,000 pounds, but think about how happy we'd be! swimming in powdered sugar. eating jelly. wearing frosting in our hair. or glaze if you prefer. Plus, we'd be filling a niche in the market.

There are two instances of memorable donut-eating in my recent memory. The most recent, I was at IFP market in NYC in Sept. and someone I'd met there had a bag of treats from The Donut Factory in Chinatown. I scarfed an all natural raspberry donut - yes! that donut is still with me, lasting far longer than the films I saw.

My best all-over donut experience was at the beginning of a bicycle/brewery tour of Seattle with dsmooth & our friend Andrew. Top Pot donuts has a library, darn good coffee & too many donuts to choose from. They are good & come in a cute box.

They say great donuts make the world a happier place & I agree.

anyway, if you want to actually watch the trailer for the simpsons movie, not out until JULY 2007, you can explore springfield thru the poster above.

Lynch stumps for Oscar nom.

B-G's fav bizaare director David Lynch is working to bring the uberstrangeness to L.A., as usual. Some dudes made the worst video ever of the best Oscar stunt ever and of course posted it on youtube. Lynch is on the street in Hollywood with a cow and some big 'for your consideration' signs pushing for his favorite lady Laura Dern to get an Oscar nomination for her role as an actress in Lynch's barely released INLAND EMPIRE. INLAND EMPIRE just played AFIFest and is being essentially self distributed. Hopefully I can convince our friends at the Silver that it should be played in DC, and hopefully Mr. Lynch will agree. I'm not sure what the cow's about, something about cheese, which i also love. Enjoy!

Oh Man I Want to Eat My Lunch For Breakfast

I realize this subject line sounds like an op-ed piece from The Onion, but seriously, I could totally chow down on my lunch RIGHT NOW. It's like 10 in the morning and I totally have enough money in my account to go treat myself to a bagel, but honestly, my body is screaming out for carbohydrates and I have a bag of greasy-ass pan pizza sitting right here next to me because I haven't even had the willpower to walk it to the fridge yet.

I even have a spare lunch in the kitchen that I didn't eat last week because there were leftovers from an event for something.

Greasy, greasy temptation.

Straight from the 2080s....

Science rocks!

Designs for America

This weekend in the NY Times online, they asked designers to come up with new patriotic symbols for Americans. some are quite good, if you're into being a patriot.

Also in the NY Times, there's an article in the Arts section about a painting, Eakins' "The Gross Clinic" which was recently sold to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, founded by Wal-Mart Heiress Alice L. Walton. A Wal-Mart museum holding major american works of art? Will it have a greeter? Or will it succeed in making art more accessible for everyone? The Crystal Bridges Museum is under construction in Bentonville, Arkansas. Maybe it's a tourist trap for the hometown of Wal-Mart?

Speaking of Santorum....

I'd cry too if he was my daddy, little girl. Still, check out the kid over on the right. Did he just crap his pants or something?

if i keep this up imonna blog right on thru lunch. now that would be a tragedy.

even Santorum's kids hate him

pre-teen angst has been broadcast on national television. way to go little guy!

Holy shit, dems did something right!

Well, the Dems actually took the House yesterday, winning 27 seats to take a solid majority. way to go jerks! it's about time you figured out how to cash in on the fact that the bush republicans are really screwing the people out here. hope you can actually make some change in the world instead of bending over for the big bucks. it's not likely, but I'm hoping.

The thing I think is the most interesting about this is that it's likely that current Minorty Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA) will become the first ever female Speaker of the House - only 2 heartbeats away from the Presidency.

Virginia, of course, screwed the pooch on passing the Marriage Amendment, which states:

"That only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this Commonwealth and its political subdivisions. This Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effects of marriage. Nor shall this Commonwealth or its political subdivisions create or recognize another union, partnership, or other legal status to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities, or effects of marriage."

So, you + your man can't buy a house together. you can't leave your mistress your Lexus, and you definitely can't adopt a kid if you're not married. so screw you life partners & gays! Virginia's only for married lovers.

DC, the 'state' I live in, had nothing worth noting in elections. Fenty won for mayor, taking 90% of the vote. How could he not? no one else even bothered to advertise! Eleanor Holmes Norton remains our congressional delegate, she didn't even have an opponent. Is it bad for your esteem when no one else wants your job? Or are you smugly self-satisfied? What's leadt surprising but most frustrating is that neither of these 'wins' were even covered by the Washington Post.

Sigh. Maybe dsmoooth's right not to vote. It just boils the blood.
For less biased election coverage, check out our friend Sarah Wheaton's work at The Caucus at the NY Times, or the real numbers at The Washington Post to see if Webb (d-marine) or Allen (r-racist) will lead VA in the Senate.

p.s. to the DC Statehood Green Party - get a good writer working for you pronto. No one's going to vote for a Shadow Senator that didn't tell their kid DC doesn't have congressional representation (Joyce Robinson-Paul) - "My daughter served as a page...and she was dumbfounded to learn that DC has no vote in the House and Senate."

This is seriously awesome. However the lead singer doll doesn't have enough moles.

Things To Do This Week

Monday: Yoga; leftover lasagne; knit.
I don't remember what I was doing but I bet it ruled.
Tuesday: Happy Birthday D.! if I was in NYC: A TIME FOR BURNING (1966) at IFC Center. Since I'm in DC: Vote! knit.
Clean house in preparation for couch-crashing friend returning from France.
Wednesday: "Lost." knit knit. look at a potential new apartment? living over a market would be cool...
Weekly nerd meetup.
Thursday: come with me to see metal-head mountain men from Mars Valient Thorr at Jaxx. $10. 8p.
Going to Jaxx with Rose to look at men in denim vests, get hosed, and make my boyfriend drive home.
Friday: Silverdrinks at McGinty's + BORAT at the Majestic? drive to richmond, more drinks at Ipanema?
Come into work hung over, drink more, view movie (see above)
Saturday: Richmond. lookout carytown, my wallet is hungry for you. Charlottesville for Kaveh's birthday.


people: add your stuff to this calendar? Conner is in italics!

Searsiously....

searsiously....
I thought I had a good halloween costume, but i didn't have three. check out Sears' Halloween 'Big Winner'... or else!

Guatemalan Handshake

When I was in NYC in September, I found myself in a small neighborhood bar with some new friends in the East Village (maybe it was called Brenda's? I don't know) A random guy stored his film cans, of all things, behind the table where wewere sitting. He was there with two older folks, who we immediately assumed were his parents, comparing jaw lines, creating backstory...
Turns out, this guy is not someone carring film cans as a purse on a date with his parents, but Todd Rohal, fellow Silver Spring-er and the director of THE GUATEMALAN HANDSHAKE - a feature that's been touring around lately, and features Will Oldham, (pictured) of Palace Brothers/Bonnie Prince Billy fame, who's also been acting a bit (see also the beautiful-looking and award-nominated OLD JOY now playing at the AFI Silver)

Anyway, I love the trailer for GUATEMALAN HANDSHAKE. Thou i have no idea what it's about (camp? I can only assume), I LOVE-love the use of music in the trailer. Check it out:
The Guatemalan Handshake Trailer

Add to My Profile | More Videos

p.s. did I mention that Todd was CARRYING his film cans from festival to festival around the country? amazing! way to work those biceps todd! Stay tuned for info on a local screening or visit the GH website for showtimes 'round your way.

Halloween Photobooth

The party in VA we went to had a photobooth - best idea EVER for a h'ween party - thank you fancy mac w/ camera! thank you also party-holder! zombie lincoln got the *best costume* prize & now you can see why!

Halloween Photobooth

blogger's being a jerk. more to follow.

spam quote of the day

Just received this nonsensical email:

Before you go off all willy-nilly and replace your cat, there are a few things you should With the Magnaflow cat installed,

is a Magnaflow cat...
a) some kind of animal vacuum
b) the best new hairdryer on the market
c) a new breed of cat that, with it's constant tearing around the house, creates a breeze in your abode, omitting the need for fans.

halloweeeeeen!!

okay so after being (nearly) the only one in the office dressed up on halloween - with the exception of our sassy cravat-wearing mime receptionist and our too tall pee wee herman theater manager - im ready to get the fuck out of here & have a drink. it's my favorite holiday, hands down. Yes i like it more than christmas or even my own birthday. Its full of candy & foolishness, and you get to be scared for no reason. And I just got told to leave & go trick or treating. this day has just redeemed itself after never-ending meetings. i am so out of here. I expect a full report in the a.m. from all of you on costumes, drunken punkrock karaoke, general foolishness & debauchery. dig up her bo-o-ones!!