This Makes Me Happy

I don't know what's better--the fact that whoever posted this gem mused that the cat may have "rode the short bus when it was a kitten," or the fact that there is rich people muzak/molester-y jazz playing softly in the background. Oh, and even if you have to fast forward, watch the last 15 seconds or so for maximum laugh-age.

That is all. :o)

Currently Listening to: The Incessant, Possessed Hum of My Ancient Refrigerator.

Just a Great Day

Today was a pretty awesome day.

Tommy and I went to see Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, in 3-D, which was great. The graphics were mind-boggling, and alone warranted seeing the movie even if it ended up being a steaming pile of poo in all other respects. But it was far from fecal.

The main character, Flint Lockwood, is lovable in his nerdy passion for science and technology. Although, his tuxedo tee-shirts and intentionally mussed up hair hit a little too close to hipster for my taste. It is pretty sweet, though, that he has a pet monkey named "Steve" who's voiced by none other than Doogie Howser. I do have to confess that I felt a short-lived dry heave coming on when Flint encouraged his love interest, Sam Sparks, to put on a pair of long-shunned glasses and to secure her blonde hair with a scrunchie. I don't think this would have bothered me five years ago, but with all of the jaded hipsters I've seen walking around with heinous (non-prescription) glasses, 1980's hair accessories, and mom jeans, I found this a tad offensive. However, the younger kids enjoying this film probably won't come away with that cultural observation, but rather the sense that it's OK to be who you really are, even if that is different and "imperfect"...Which gets two thumbs up.

I think my favorite character was Flint's Dad, Tim Lockwood. A man of few (but great) words, his unibrow made him look to be a distant relative of Bert, only with a bushy mustache. Oh, and by the way--Mr. T. voices one of the characters, and it's HILARIOUS. Overall, the themes were great, the animation was a veritable "feast" for the eyes, and the characters showed some encouraging depth.

After the movie we walked around the mall, which usually depresses me. However, not today, because the awesome costume store was open! The best part is all of the vintage stuff they have. I tried on a blue Sergeant Pepper-style military coat with tails, which was just about the coolest thing ever. It got me to thinking about how great it could be to dress up as a tin soldier for Halloween, but alas, I bought another costume at a rummage sale a few weeks ago.

Next, I spotted the coolest hat ever, hanging on the wall. An orange, close-fitting felt number with a HUGE feather curled over it. I nearly shat myself with excitement! On top of all that, there were lots of colorful ruffled bloomers that would have been great under a little sundresses. Very early 1900's Victorian, which is my time period of weakness.

Of course I tried on a myriad of vintage shoes, masks, and wigs, all of which were quite kick-ass. Tommy tried on a black English military coat with brass buttons, and it couldn't have fit better if a ten year old sweatshop employee sewed it on! I don't think I've ever seen him look that awesome in outerwear.

Oh, and did I mention all of this stuff cost anywhere from $2-$35? My favorite part is that half of the stuff I saw there was selling for at LEAST three times the price downstairs at H&M and Forever 21. Bustiers, little knitted berets, and faux military garb.

Needless to say, I'm probably going to have to go back tomorrow for the hat, coat, and bloomers. Time to post some things on Ebay so I can earn all the money back!

Listening to: "Lights Out" by Santogold

Top Reasons Why I Need to Move to England

I have always had a slight obsession with all things Anglo. Ever since the early days of Alice and Wonderland (both Lewis Carroll and the Disney movie's incarnations) along with the realization that there were still kings and queens in Britain, I have wanted to live there. This desire was only compounded when I visited the country; once, briefly in 2000 (with my grandmother of, I believe, 100% English heritage) and again for a month in 2005 with one of my best friends. Since then, the Anglo-fever has just gotten worse.

Here are some of my reasons why England kicks ass, as well as why I probably belong there:

1) Gardening. The British all seem to love it, as do I. And by the way, have you seen the film "Saving Grace", about an English widow who ends up using her gardening prowess to "weed" herself out of financial ruin? 'Nuff said.

2) English Bands. Radiohead. Led Zeppelin. Eric Clapton. I could say more, but need I?

3) The TV shows. They are always hilarious, the characters/plots actually have DEPTH to them, and the soundtracks usually kick ass. (See above.) If you aren't familiar with any English shows, I recommend you start with "Spaced." If drama is more your style, my absolute favorite English show is "Skins." When you're done watching your first episode of Skins, feel free to gently bang your head against a wall for ever letting yourself watch stinking ass-matter such as "Rock of Love." Go ahead, I'll wait.

4) Lula magazine. The only fashion publication I know of which combines breathtaking photography with articles on things I actually give a shit about (for example, movie stars of substance, artists and designers.) The clothing is interesting and kooky--usually it doesn't match, and looks like something a small child would wear. You aren't going to see richy-bitch articles on liposuction and sex drive supplements in here. Lula only comes out twice a year and it's about $15 a pop, but when it does, you basically get a book-sized volume with thick, glossy pages. It's a treat.

5) BBC news. Years ago in my high school Mass Media class, I was shocked to learn that 99% of world events were not even being broadcast via American news networks, which seemed to have identical coverage regardless of affiliation or biases. In contrast, we watched a news clip on BBC news which had all SORTS of things going on--African civil war, natural disasters in Asia, and a segment about the recent September 11th attacks in America. This world news outlet actually discussed the REST of the WORLD! Yes, maybe it's hard to believe for some Americans, but what happens in our country is not necessarily the only (or most important!) stuff going on in the universe. Disclaimer: I since have discovered NPR, which does a very good job of covering national/international news, and often features BBC correspondents.

6) History. I'm not saying America doesn't have awesome history (it definitely does!) but you can't find castles here. Let alone castles from 500 A.D. Then there's Stonehenge which is ancient, and gives me a tingly feeling when I'm there.

7) Scones with Clotted Cream. I know this may sound absolutely puke-inducing to anyone who has never had them (yeah, I know..."clotted" probably wasn't the best word...) But I assure you, they are pure heaven! If you have fresh baked scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream along with a steaming cup of afternoon tea, try not to poop your pants with glee. It's nearly impossible.

8) English Humo(u)r. It's so much sillier than anyone else's. If you haven't seen Monty Python's "The Holy Grail," you need to do so immediately. Any Monty Python, really, will suffice. Who else makes an entire program(me) out of walking ridiculously and discussing obscure types of cheese? No one. If you don't find this funny, you have absolutely no sense of humo(u)r.

Sure, the English have been reviled for things like tasteless suppers, questionable dental situations and beheading. But that's nothing that a few spices, a good insurance plan, and paying taxes can't fix!

Garbage Warrior

This evening I watched a pretty interesting documentary called Garbage Warrior, by Oliver Hodge. It is about an architect/builder named Michael Reynolds who more or less invented self-sustaining homes he calls Earth Ships.These things are pretty amazing.

First of all, they are made mostly out of trash. For walls and insulation, Reynolds and his building team use old tires, bottles and cans. They fill the tires with dirt. This makes them a really sturdy, dense item to build houses with--they are durable, as well as awesome insulators. The old beer cans, plastic and glass bottles are literally just packed together with cement or similar bonding agents to create walls. Afterward, they plaster over the bottles and tires so that you can't see them. The walls just looks like stucco. The way it turns out, aesthetically, is really beautiful. They use the glass bottles also for decoration, by cutting them and placing them throughout the house almost as little stained-glass portholes letting light inside.

Earth Ships are self-sustainable in that they create their own energy, gather their own water, and process their own waste. Each house has a greenhouse inside, which mimics a tropical atmosphere and grows all of the food needed to survive. I just find it mind boggling that you could basically live in one of these houses for the rest of your life and not have to pay for food, water, electricity or heat ever again. All you'd have to do is be able to pay for the house and have land to put it on, and you'd be set for life.

Oh, not to mention that Michael Reynolds himself is a total character. He looks like a homeless wizard and spouts the kind of hyperbolic, swear-punctuated opinions that would sound right at home coming out of my Jewish grandmother. But don't let his impromptu pull-ups session or the potty-mouth deter you; this guy is a visionary, and a pretty endearing one at that.

New life goal: live in/build (?!) an Earth Ship.