Best Pre-Birthday Present Ever

The pre-birthday festivities have begun. My girlfriend has given me what I think may be the best pre-birthday present ever. This flying Monkey can slingshot across the room and yell on the way. It is a great stress reliever, and I plan to use it soon to fly over the cubicle walls and relieve stess at work.

Yeah for flying monkeys!

Heidi Klum-German/British Double Agent

The following 3 photos are: 1) Santino's german/elk-inspired design for the lingerie challenge in Project Runway's Second Season 2) Somone dressed up for halloween as Santino's design and 3) An actual outfit from Victoria's Secret Lingerie Fashion Show. They are uncomfortable familiar (and ugly!). Heidi Klum is involved in both shows. Also, if they are going to use Project Runway designs, at least choose the winners!
 

I always knew AARP was the most powerful lobby

Recenlty, I went to a panel with the folks from BeyondMarriage, a really amzing coaltion talking about the importance of validating all kinds of families, partnerships, and living situations rather than focussing all efforts on marriage. (they also have a lot of other interesting points, so check out their statement). At the panel, it was mentioned that organizers in Arizona were actually using this approach to gather support in fighting an anti-domestic partnership ballot intitiative.

Well, it worked! Arizona was the only state so far to defeat such a ballot measure (out of 28 attempts). And Even this article from Texas discusses the role of unexpected allies-the elderly. Who knew?

Who knew nursery rhymes would get so political?

This article from the UK calls for a new version of a classic nursery rhyme:

Three Blind Mice
Three Blind Mice

See how they run
See how they run

They could not see, and they often fell
The Doctor said they should try to use stem cells
It was controversial, but what the hell?

Three sighted mice.

Endorsements to Report

This weekend featured a trip to the Hudson Valley, complete with apple picking, a short hike, and peak foliage galore. In the end, I also walked away with two businesses I'd like to endorse.

First-Zipcar. The base cost for renting a car is similar to any other company but 1)you pick the car up right in your neigborhood, 2)the cars are cute-we had a Volkswagon Rabbit, 3)you don't have to pay for gas-which is huge these days, 3)it comes with EZ pass and XM radio. It was really easy to reserve, pick up and return the car. Unless you like trekking to the airport, I hightly reccomend Zipcar for your next out of town trip, or your next trip to Ikea.

Next-Ali's Roti Shop. On Flatbush Avenue near the Prospect Park stop, this small shop provided the best post-roadtrip meal I could imagine. Tasty, big portion, and unique to the city, it made me feel full, satisfied and "at home" all at once. The Roti are dishes that come from Trinidad via India and involve a delicious bread filled with curried vegggies, potatoes, chick peas, and chutney along with some hot sauce. I also hear that one should try the "doubles" if you go there.

Suburbs that don't make me gag

Where are these houses? BROOKLYN. That's right, they are right here in the borough of Kings. And they are not even that far out into the borough. I went this weekend on a tour of Victorian Flatbush and saw these and other houses in Ditmas Park and the surrounding area. We took the Q train to Newkirk to get there, only 5 stops past park slope. The white house with the blue trim is a 4 bedroom home with garage and is for sale for only 600,000. For NYC it's a steal. Lets just say, if I'm going to move to any suburbs, these could be an option. 

  

New Celebs in the Slope

I know, I know-readers are tired fo the baby picture thing. I'll try to hold off and post some celebrity gossip instead. It has been reported in the Brooklyn Papers that our newests Park Slope residents are Peter Saarsgard and Maggie Gyllenhal. Very exciting. I can't wait for the sightings, and family visits from Uncle Jake? I hope the paparazzi don't monopolize the line at Uncle Louie G's.

Jennifer Grey-Eat Your Heart Out

  

Plan B is Approved!

As a feminist, I am pretty pleased that Plan B emergency contraceptives, also known as the morning-after-pill, will now be available over the counter. The battle to bring these pills to the public has been going on for over 3 years, and the FDA has delayed and delayed their decision. Their own science has said the pills are safe and effective, but partisan politics would not allow them to make a decision until now. Senators Clinton and Murray held up the confirmation of the new FDA head until a decision was made, and now it has actually happened. On the not so great note, the pill will only be available to women over 18 (young women can still get it with a prescription) and it will be "behind the counter," so pharmacists can check IDs. No doublt this will lead to lots of embarassing impusle purchase while working up the courage to ask for it(at best) and pharmacists lecturing thier patients and judging them all over the place or refusing to give it out (at worst).

One funny note-in reading the Times piece on this, I followed a line to a group at Princeton University doing EC Advocacy. They have a list of emergency contraceptives and the brand names they are sold/prescribed under in other contries. While most were standard pharma-type names, I did find it interesting that in Thailand, EC is called "Madonna." I wonder if it works best when taken with Kaballah water.

  

I Heart (Free) Cheese

Last night I went to the weekly free beer & cheese tasting at Bierkraft on 5th Avenue in Park Slope. Usually I walk by the store and cannot go in because, despite knowing it's full of delicious beer, cheese and chocolate, I cannot take the pungent cheese smell upon entering. However, knowing the tasting would be in the back, outdoor (ie-less pungent) area, I ventured in. I tried 5 delicious cheeses from spain. Well, one was kind of like feet. The other four were great though. I especially enjoyed the zamorano, a sheepsmilk cheese very similar to manchego.Also worth a try was the mahon, a cow's milk cheese that was very salty and had a suprisingly pleasing crunch. The beers were pretty good too. Tastings are Tuesdays at 7pm, but get there early. I almost didn't get in.

To Pick or Not to Pick?

Apparently the answer is-pick. For scabs, that is. The NY Times has come out with an article declaring that it is not only ok to pick a scab, but it is preferable and will lead to less scaring. Yeah for mild self-mutilators everywhere.

Baby Charley: Inside the Actor's Studio

  

What kind of geek are you?

No, this post is not another blog quiz. It's about an article about two camps of geek fighting it out-the crossword-ers and the sudoku-ites. Apparently, it's quite the bone of contention that while crossword may require more "art," sudoku pulls in so much cash that even Will Shortz, crossword editor for the Times has jumped on the bandwagon of publishing these puzzles. I like both. Crosswords are a fun challenge, but sudoku makes me feel smart.

More Fun With Muppets

I just read about the latest version of law & order. It's on PBS, and it's called "Law & Order: Missing Letters Edition." Now even 4 year olds will know the meaning of that special two beat sound that indicates this show is taking over the world one channel at a time.

Yeah, I'm Scooter

You Are Scooter

Brainy and knowledgable, you are the perfect sidekick. You're always willing to lend a helping hand. In any big event or party, you're the one who keeps things going. "15 seconds to showtime!"

The Muppet Personality Test

When the lights go out in the city...

Last night I thought I was re-living the summer blackout of a few years ago. The lights were out on our block and all was quiet. That is except for the huge fireballs coming out of 5th avenue manholes. I came to work this morning expecting everyone to be talking about it. However, no one had heard a thing. None of the brooklyn blogs were reporting it. Was your power out? Was this just on Union St?

Great Study, Guys. Just Brilliant.

(From Seed Magazine-an awesome magazine on science and culture)

"Israeli researchers studied how the brain processes sarcasm by performing an experiment on healthy subjects, subjects with damage to the prefrontal cortex and subjects with damage to the posterior lobe of the brain. The experimenters told the subjects stories where a character spoke either sarcastically or literally; the subjects were asked to determine which was the case based on the context. Those with damage to the frontal lobe—especially those with damage to the right rear part of the prefrontal cortex—had trouble determining when the speaker was being sarcastic."

I always knew the people who didn't get my jokes were just brain damaged.

Shout out to that special someone

To those that know and love our special friend who has abandoned NYC for Austin, this book will be a nice reminder that there is really only one person we know who can wear a t-shirt as a skirt. The rest of us need to do some sewing first. Even if you don't know our brave shirt-as-skirt wearing friend, this book looks like its full of cute summer projects for those old t-shirts. The book's website even has a free project of the month.

Is that Earl Grey? No it's Captain Teao! 

It's a bird..It's a plane..It's a....TEABAG?

Looking over the events going on in the city this weekend, I was pleased to find the coffee and tea festival. If it's rainy, this $10 event looks fun. Their site has typical info about location, cost, who will be there, and all sorts of enticements to attend. They even suggest bringing the kids to see "Captain Teao."

First of all, since when does tea need a superhero tie-in? And is that the best name they could come up with? And what superpowers would Captain Teao hold? And where did he achieve his rank as Captain? The list of questions is endless.

Gnomes are real!

A quick tribute to my girlfriend, and the Waldorf Schools. These are schools which provide a great amount of European History, teach the value of the arts as well as sciences, and provide an excellent education overall. However, they are also responsible for said girlfriend 1)believing in gnomes until about age 12 and 2)crying over the stiff, blue "dead gnome" found in her yard which was actually a plastic smurf. This is what happens when you don't allow your kids to watch TV folks.

More pics of the child. I'm obsessed-deal with it.

More photos of my adorable niece. What can I say?


 

Mochi Ice Cream is the Best!
















This sushi looks ok, but ours rocked. Photos soon!

















 

Sushi Adventure

Last night, two pals (hi chris & fred) came over to make sushi. I have to admit, I was somewhat skeptical. I figured it would probably look terrible, but how bad could it taste? Well I was wrong-but in a good way. It looked awesome and tasted even better. Plus, what a fun evening to get to gether with a project you can eat! I promise to post pictures when I get them developed (yes I am still in the non-digital camera age). I highly reccommend this to do with friends. We all felt so accomplished, and full. We bought yellowtail, tuna and salmon from Sun Grocery in Soho, and some veggies. You have to make the rice in advance so it gets sticky, but it is yummy and much cheaper than going out to a nice sushi dinner. Also, we discovered Mochi ice cream. Its like a tiny read bean cake (those yummy doughy Japanese snacks), but instead of beans, they are filled with ice cream-awesome.

Student Loans-Something to WhimperandWhine About

If you have student loans, take a look at this Op-Ed in today's Newsday, by a personal friend and former colleage of yours truly. I mean, everyone whines about their student loans and how hard it is to pay for college, but this girl knows how to really rile you up. I say, this month we all stop paying and move to a 3rd world country. Who's with me?

9 Letter Word for Enigmatologist

 

Pop Culture Update

The number 1 movie in the box office this weekend was Cars, an animated pic about...well...I haven't seen it but I'm guessing its about cars. While I have no interest in cars, I do have a huge interest in words. Friday afternoon, therefore, I took a friend who I know to be semi-obsessed with crossword puzzles to see Wordplay. It's a documentary about crossword puzzles, those that complete them and create them, specifically for the NY Times, about the life of Times crossword editor Will Shortz, and the annual Crossword tournament held each winter in the Stamford, CT Marriot. It featured famous crossword fanatics such as Jon Stewart, The Indigo Girls, Bill Clinton, Ken Burns and (not to be completely liberal) Bob Dole. The real stars, though, were those that compete in the annual tournament.

In the tradition of Spellbound, this was a thriller made for nerds everywhere. I even completed the NY Times puzzle this morning, although they say Monday is the easy one. I guess I will be trying my hand, and my pencil (I can not yet risk trying it in ink) at crosswords.

The only disappointment was that in the panel after the film (yes Will was there!), I raised my hand the whole time for a question. When the moderator said "just one more" and looked my way I was so excited. Unfortunatley, someone in front of me yelled out a question instead. You'd think a bunch of crossword enthusiasts would be more likely to follow the rules of Q & A. Oh well, it was pretty fun when my entire row turned as I whisper/yelled "Bitch!" as soon as she interrupted my chance.

I was going to ask the panel, as fans of crosswords, what do they think of Sudoku? I found some answers online here.

National Do-Not-Date-Abase

I posted a few weeks ago about a great site, hollabacknyc, that allows people to post stories and pictures of men who harrass women on the street (or train, or grocery store, or restaurant. you get the idea).

While talking with some friends about bad breakups, we came up with a similar idea. There should be a database full of pictures and stories of men and women who cheat, break up for no reason, are incapable of commitment, are liers or a slew of other reasons for which future girlfriends or boyfriends should be warned. It could be the Do-Not-Date-Abase. People already google prospective dates and look for them on sites like Friendster or MySpace. This would be one more place to check before getting involved with a potential heartbreaker, love-taker, arm-breaker, well you get the idea.

Captain Anne Flint

This post goes out to my friend Mo-

This site is a quiz that will give you your "pirate name." I've heard of the soap star name (Joan Clifton Park for me) and the porn star name (Fanny Carlow) formulas. I found a linke to the "pirate name" formula and I think it's fun. I would be Captain Anne Flint. The site describes me as : "Even though there's no legal rank on a pirate ship, everyone recognizes you're the one in charge. Like the rock flint, you're hard and sharp. But, also like flint, you're easily chipped, and sparky. Arr!"

Home Improvement Trends

One of the first jobs I ever had was in a hardware store, the now de-funct Rickels Home Center. It certainly wasn't the best job I've had, but it was interesting. I learned about washers and PVC piping and what's a good price for 2 by 4s. I met some interesting characters, especially the contractors who would always tell me I looked too young to work. I learned about how money is physically dirty,and by the end of the day my hands would be black-yuck!

Alas, I haven't kept up with trends in home improvement. For example, I was surpised to know that Lowe's Home Improvement is open in Brooklyn from 5am-Midnight. When I needed some propane for my bbq, I went to check it out. Unfortunately, I had tickets to a play (actually it wasn't that unfortunate-Bridge & Tunnel is awesome) so I had to go at around 11pm.

So who are the majority of customers in Lowe's at 11pm on a weeknight? Contractors-nope. Cops getting off the late shift-nope. The answer is....Orthodox Jews.

There were old men with beards, women with wigs and long skirts, little boys in yarmulkes with fringes on their pants. Who knew? Anyone have an idea why the Orthodox Jewish population is so supportive of Loews? Do they just like hardware?

In exchange for my sleeping through the night, I request "one miiilllion dollars."-(Austin Powers' Dr. Evil as a baby)

















Hip Hopy Baby!






















Allright, bear-this pack 'n' play isn't big enough for the both of us.

If you like beauty products...you may also have an eating disorder!

I like to shop online. It's easy, quick, and you don't have to carry stuff home. Today as I was checking out drugstore.com, I happened upon this page. I was looking for my favorite Dove Cucumber Body Lotion, and accidentally landed on their "firming lotion" page instead. Interested to read exactly what this lotion claimed to 'firm,' I scrolled down the page. Here I saw the "if you like this product, you might also like..." Suggestions. Now what do the drugstore.com folks think of those that purchase Dove firming lotion? Apparently, we also need to purchase diuretics (yuck!) and/or chafing relief cream. I'm surprised they didn't also include links to girdles or ipecac. And isn't Dove the company who has been running those ads with the women who love their curves? I guess they don't love chafing.

Cologne for Your every Mood

 

Scent-o-Matic

I am from New Jersey, and I consider myself somewhat of a veteran when it comes to diners. I have been to big diners, small diners, fancy diners, cruddy diners, diners of every sort. And in every one you can order breakfast all day, usually a dinner with so many courses and portions you could never eat it (unless you are my parents who intentionally go and order 1 to share), a variety of burgers and my favorite, fries with cheese & brown gravy.

You can imagine that I was taken aback last week when I went to a diner in Saratoga, NY and was surprised. It was not the menu, but the bathroom that was the highlight of the experience. On my way out of the restroom I noticed the "scent-o-matic," a vending machine for perfume. It seems so old-school, yet the scents provided were J.Lo's "glow", Tommy Girl and Eternity. For only 25 cents, you can spritz yourself to smell like a 14 year old. Who knew?

Your Daily Dosage (of feminism, that is)

For those days when my blog is not updated, here are a few sites I've been turned on to recently.

First, Erin (aka best-girlfriend-ever) sent me this site. I'm sure you are familiar with the whole "abstinence-only" movement, which I like to think of as the "religious freaks are bribing our school stystem to brainwash our children" program. Well, I can't tell if this site is real or a satire, but it really brings a new perpective to the whole issue. Enjoy!

The other site is here. Finally, a site encouraging cell phone use that I can support! They ask that when you experience street harassment, you use your camera phone to take a picture for posting. Take that construction workers! Sock it to that guy who hangs out near the subway entranace and can not keep his trap shut! Make sure everyone knows that street harassment is not OK!

too cute not to post 

For all you lawyers, this is some kind of baby-as-legal-pun. 

Charley finds a toy! Next stop-nuclear physics. 

More Pics

I know, I know, I haven't been blogging. Here are some pictures of my adorable niece to try to make up for it. More funny content soon.

Coulda Been Hanita

One of my high school friends recenlty told us that she is having a baby (congrats!). To this end, our friends have been discussing a lot of names and the process of naming. The question came up, "what was your parents second choice for a name?" For me, the answer to this is "Hanita." First of all, I don't really think this is a name, despite my mom's refusal to admit it. Thinking about my life as Hanita makes me think of constantly repeating myself, constantly worrying that I will have bad breath and the need to overpronounce the "H" in my name will make everyone aware of this flaw, among other issues. I decided to google Hanita to see if there were other famous Hanita's that I could find. Maybe, there are plenty of Hanita's out there living productive, happy lives. Well, this is what I found.

It's a kibbutz. A collective farm/community in, of all places, Israel.

All I can say is, once again, Dad-thanks for stepping in. I may be Jewish, but not a Zionist. I'm not that kind of Jew. And, I may be a lesbian, but I do not believe in communes. I'm not that kind of lesbian. I guess I was just never meant to be Hanita.

I think it might rain

I usually check the weather online in the morning before I go out, and sometimes during the day as well. I expected it to rain today, but when I had only seen a few sprinkles by 2pm, I thought it might clear up. Looking at the National Weather Service, I guess not. I mean, could they at least leave us a drop of hope? (pun intended) Their report follows.

Tonight: Rain likely, then periods of rain and possibly a thunderstorm after 8pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 42. East wind 9 to 14 mph becoming south. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.

The Electronic Kiss Off

My brother in law Jeff (who gives me tons of great material for this site) told me yesterday about this article in the Wall Street Journal on how difficult it is to completely sever ties these day (especially of the romantic sort) in the age of technology. Whether it's a 5 year relationship or just a few awkward dates from an online site, one has to remove the ex from cell phones, instant messanger buddy lists, friendster (not to mention changing status back to 'single' from 'in a relationship) among other things. And this is also true of former friends, and even the occaisional overbearing acquatinance. I recently blocked an old friend who I no longer see or talk to on the phone from my email. She was sending me forwards, which is annoying, plus they were religious. So, she's blocked.

This gave us the idea for the auto-reply. You know when you are out of work and you can set your email to tell people you are away? Or have you ever received a spam-filter reply saying your message can't go through because the recipient doesn't have you in their secure list? Well, maybe these ideas could somehow combine. Wouldn't it be great if you could set your email and other electronics so that your bad date, crazy ex, or annoying cousing or not-so-friendly friend could receive an automatic "out of my life" reply? Maybe one of these would work:

Re: Automated "Out of My Life" Reply

Hello. Thanks for your message. Sorry, but we are no longer friends/lovers/dates/co-workers/relatives or in some other way bonded. I appreciate your persistence, but can no longer help you with any inquiries. If you need immediate help, please contact a more current friend/lover/date/co-worker or relative.

Re:Relationship Spam Filter

The message you are sending has been blocked due to the fact that the recipient wishes to sever your relationship. Should you wish to change this status...well, sorry, you cant.

Any techies have advice on setting this up?

A true member of our family knows how to sleep, and make it look good 

Words cannot describe 

Ready for her close up 

She's so tiny!