"Where you drink champagne and it tastes just like cherry cola"

Went to a local watering hole with the parentals tonight. Had some drinkies and a lovely whole-wheat crust pizza. Supreme, darlings.

A large and rowdy crowd entered the bar, and proceeded to raise the volume level by several notches. A couple began to noisily make out.

Dad looks over and comments, "That guy has his hand down that girl's pants."

I look over. "Dad, that ain't a guy."

My parents looked nonplussed, then slightly wigged out, then cool with it.

I was proud of them. As you are.

Holy moly

I-45 in Houston

Okay, this is actually kind of awesome.

In Surfside Beach, Texas, the entire town evacuated due to Hurricane Ike. Except for one codger.

They found him today.

Drunk off his ass.

In Surfside Beach, retired carpenter and former Marine Ray Wilkinson became something of a celebrity for a day: He was the lone resident in the town of 805 to defy the order to leave. Authorities found him Saturday morning, drunk.

"I consider myself to be stupid," Wilkinson, 67, said through a thick, tobacco-stained beard. "I'm just tired of running from these things. If it's going to get you, it's going to get you."

He added: "I didn't say I had all my marbles, OK?"

Mr. Wilkinson, my hat is off to your crazy self.

"Not A Through Street"

It rained 7 inches here overnight, resulting in flash flooding like we've never seen...

Heck yes she's cool

Miz Emmylou.

Fantastically talented, down to earth and amazingly gorgeous.

In a career as a singer and songwriter that spans 40 years, she has recorded more than 25 albums and has lent her talents to countless fellow artists' recordings. In recognition of her remarkable career, Harris was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in April.

But she's humble about her contribution.

"I've always seen myself as a a relentless song-finder, a singer of other people's work whom I admire greatly, and an occasional songwriter," she says.

And may I say, how the fuck was she not in the Country Music Hall Of Fame before this year? HOW?

HOT DAMN!

NEW GIRLS ALOUD SINGLE! NEXT MONTH!

*runs about with hair on fire*

Not good

As I've mentioned before, I lived in Houston, Texas for four years before returning to my hometown and assuming a glamorous lifestyle.

Long story short- loved the kids I taught, couldn't stand the weather

So, the news that Ike is about to hit the Houston/Galveston area makes me ill. For you see, I taught in a very, very impoverished section of the city, and with the projected storm surge- it ain't fixin' to be pretty.

Hopefully, my old school is far enough inland that the surge won't be as bad. But still, I'm worried. My kids would be in the exact situation as those poor souls affected by Katrina- they want to get out, but lack the resources. And then, where to go?

It's what really pissed me off about comparisons between Katrina and the devastating flooding we experienced in Iowa this summer. We had the resources- nearly everyone evacuated had access to vehicles (trucks, semis, ATVs, etc) and for God's sake, only had to relocate at most 5 miles away. We weren't trying escape 100+ MPH winds through a metropolitan area. Not a fair comparison. Totally different scenarios.

I'm praying this concern is for naught, but it appears at the moment to be a very bad scenario for Galveston, truly a gracious and historic city.

And the wind is just beginning to blow...

Random ten

1. Henrietta- The Fratellis
2. The World'll Be OK- Teenage Fanclub
3. Number 1- Goldfrapp
4. I Don't Feel Like Dancin'- Scissor Sisters
5. Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours- Stevie Wonder
6. Ant Music- Adam & The Ants
7. Acid Tongue- Jenny Lewis
8. I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock n' Roll)- Nick Lowe
9. Just A Friend- Biz Markie
10. Losing My Religion- Nina Perrson

Bonus-
11. Southern Cross- Crosby, Stills & Nash
12. Sexx Laws- Beck

Exactly

The Fug Girls recently said

DUDE. We GET IT, Katy Perry. You're WHIMSICAL. You KISSED A GIRL! You think your ex is "so gay" because he has a scarf from H&M or something, according to the lyrics of your other single, all of which indicates a kind of very shallow take on sexual politics. You are coy!And twee! You probably have a lollipop in your bag right now! You always dress like the girl on the side of some hot WWII-era fighter pilot's plane. WE KNOW.

As always, they hit the nail on the head.



Katy Perry in this week's NME.

Hahahahahaha

Things that amuse me

Political division...

1. Just listened to my cement-truck driver father fanboy over Rachel Maddow for a good three minutes. "She's a full-fledged liberal and a smartass. Good combination."

2. Had my iPod on shuffle yesterday at work. One of my co-workers (who is very conservative) was absolutely boogeying to 'Imperial Bodybags' by the Manics.

I had a hard time not giggling.

Adorable

Adele at the Mercury Prize ceremony tonight. Girlfriend has the BEST hair.

DO NOT WANT. DO NOT WANT.

Oh my dear sweet lord, am watching 'Fashion Rocks.' Justin Trousersnake is covering Marvin Gaye's 'Got To Give It Up.'

DO. NOT. WANT.

Jesus H. Christ on a cracker, IS THAT KID ROCK DOING 'I'M LOSING YOU?'

GIVE ME TROUSERSNAKE BACK.

MY EARS. MY EYES.

Oh thank GOD, Mary J is representing.

Ah, God has listened. No more Kid Rock, just Trousersnake and Mrs. Shawn Carter singing 'Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing.' It's actually pretty good.

I need a nap.

November 14th

is going to be like my birthday and Christmas at the same time.

New trailer for the 'Quantum Of Solace.'

Mmmm, Craigalicious.

OOO!

Magazine to reunite!

In 2006, Paul Morley wrote in the Observer that Devoto "... was the man who changed Manchester". When Devoto invited the Sex Pistols to play in the city, it was "before the rest of the country had caught up with the idea that there was any such thing as a Sex Pistol. In the audience for the shows were Mark E Smith, Ian Curtis, Morrissey and Devoto himself".

Several things

1. Don't walk away Uncross your legs, Renee. For Chrissake, Anna Wintour does. A-DUB.

2. Lay off the Botox.

3. Sandwiches. Lots of them. With full-fat cheese and dressings.

Small town living

Was thinking today- between myself, the parentals and our friends, we have keys to the following places in our community:

-the tavern
-one of the gas stations
-both banks!
-the childcare center
-one of the restaurants
-several churches
-one of the salons
-the hardware store
-the flower shop (duh)

We. Could. Rule. The. World.

Oh, forgot one...

-the funeral home

Rule the underworld as well...

Mmmmm

It's been cold and rainy here all day, so of course when I got home from work, I felt the urge to cook. Does anyone else have that?

Anyway, have a pork roast (locally raised) going in the el Crocko Potto with fresh garlic, onions, carrots and potatoes. Coated the bottom of the pot with extra virgin olive oil, and seasoned with lemon pepper and parsley flakes. Added a thing of chicken stock as well.

Smells delish already.

Random-

It's amusing, coming back as an adult to live in the place where you grew up. We were talking at work today about the parties put on by our local fire department. (My dad was the assistant fire chief for years, and my beloved co-worker Patti's husband was on the department as well).

Color me oblivious, but when Mom and Patti were talking about the wild times at the fire department Christmas parties, I was like, "What's all this now? There was booze? HARUMPH! HARUMPH! HARUMPH!"

And then it slowly came back to me-

-the firefighter's children were never allowed to get our own cans of pop from the (free) machine at the station. Why? One of the selections contained CANS OF BEER.

-We were never allowed to drink from the glasses of "orange juice" that nearly every adult carried at these functions. Why? EVERCLEAR.

Irritated that I never caught on to the secret drunkfest, I called my girl, Traci, (whose father was the long-time fire chief) to ask if I was just dense, or did she know this as well...

Well, I'm glad I brightened her day.

"HAHAHAHAHA! YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT? HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Sometimes, I'm dumber than a sack of hammers.

Appledore, Devon, England

Appledore, Devon, England, originally uploaded by saxonfenken.

Cool!

Kaiser Chiefs, Snow Patrol and Adele will play gigs in their living rooms later this month as part of the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge Tour.

Razorlight will also take part in the tour, playing from their rehearsal room, while Girls Aloud are set to perform in BBC Radio 1 DJ Jo
Whiley's house.

The gigs, which will see the bands perform stripped-down versions of their songs along with covers, were announced on Whiley's radio show this morning.

For the record, Adele is welcome in my living room any time, being made of awesome and all. Seriously, she just seems like a fun person- girlfriend gives HILARIOUS interviews.

Also, I hope Jo's living room is spacious, because Nadine needs room to toss her hair around and for Miz Harding and Kimba to holler "PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR!" Okay, Sarah and Kim don't need room to do that, but still. They're sooooo going to say that. They ALWAYS say that.

Yeek

My poor Noel. That looks like it really freaking hurt!

And way to throw a punch after the security (actually) did their jobs, Our Kid.

Yet that seems to have been what happened at the V festival in Toronto last night, when a stage-invader knocked him over. As the video above shows (from 1:30 onwards), the fan came running from the opposite side of the stage to Gallagher during Morning Glory, sneaking behind singer Liam Gallagher before pushing Noel to the ground.

The concert had to be stopped, although the band – who often refuse to play on after such incidents – returned to play a further six songs. According to Oasisnet.com, Noel was admitted to hospital after the show to be examined for a suspected fractured rib and ligament damage.

I wanna go

We opt for the lounge and sink into one of the sofas, which are arranged in sociable clusters around the room. Mini, the resident lurcher, dozes by the fire and a couple of Siamese cats pad in to see who the newcomers are. First impressions are that a lot of thought has gone into making the Whitehouse feel like our house for the weekend ather than a hotel. Over tea Tamara explains how she met business partners Matt and Ally as a mature student at university in 2002 and he Whitehouse is the final realisation of their dream to create a hotel ased on the things that they all enjoy – big beds, big baths and unhurried simple food.

The location- idyllic


The beds- huge


The linens- posh


The food- lush&local


Yup, wanna go.

VMA's

general commentary as it occurs AKA liveblogging


-Brit Brit looks GOOD

-Little Miss Sunshine's gone all Thunderdome.

-Oh My God, Russell's entrance song is 'Rock and Roll Star' by Oasis.

-He's endorsing Obama. Nice...

-Calls Bush a "Retarded Cowboy." Oh dear, the wingers are going to freak. Nothing new then.

- He WENT THERE with the Jonas Brothers virginity rings. God Bless you, Russ.

-Katy Perry is attempting to sing 'Like A Virgin.' KEEP AWAY FROM THE JONAS BROTHERS! ...who are, in my opinion, the Osmond Brothers Version 2.0... and now they're performing. Oh God, make it stop.

-LiLo looks good. Shame about the tuxedo shirt/halter top hybrid

-The Pussycat Dolls SHOULD win the award for best dancing in a video. They're dancers, hello?

-Somebody needs to pull Lil' Wayne's pants up so we don't see, er, Lil'er Wayne.

-I can't decide who Hayley from Paramore wants to be more- Debbie Harry or Shirley Manson

-Slash and Shia LeBeouf are presenting 'Best Rock Video' together. The mind boggles.

-Pink's hair is adorable, as is her dress. Don't quite get the set performance thing, though.

-The Ting Tings. Ahhhhh, bless. Katie looks cute.

-What the sam hell is going on with Pete Wentz's collar?

-Ah Christ, Jordin Sparks is going on about the damned promise rings. John Legend, for some reason, looks uncomfortable/uninterested. "Not everyone wants to be a slut." Seriously, STFU Jordin.

-The cast of 'High School Musical' is on soon. Right, that's it. I'm too old for this shit.

I think this would go under

"hot mess."

What was Solange thinking?

"Hmmm, what do I want to wear to Fashion Rocks? Ah, that dress looks good with the 50 things going on with the skirt, but you know what would really make the outfit? A jacket made out of chicken feathers with a 1970's beaded curtain hanging off of it!"

WANT.

And most importantly, I can AFFORD THIS!

Books I'm in no danger of reading

Yum. YUM.

Tom Robbins, deputy travel editor, The Observer

You can keep your foie gras and truffles; the gastronomic experience of my life was an ice cream, bought from the window of a little beach cafe in Cornwall. It was a legendary Robin's Hedgehog, the special creation of the cafe owner, Rob Ross. He starts by filling a cone with farmhouse vanilla ice cream. This is then smothered in a thick layer of Cornish clotted cream and dipped in a bowl of honey-roast hazlenuts, which embed themselves in the cream. I only ever had one, and that was when I was 10, but I've been thinking about it on and off ever since. · Chapel Porth Cafe, near St Agnes, Cornwall (01872 552487)

Gorgeous

From a NY Times series titled "Why We Travel"-

A bridge scene in Moscow

Random ten

1. Suspicious Minds- Candi Stanton
2. Distant Dreamer- Duffy
3. Gang Of Gin- Babyshambles
4. Sloop John B- The Beach Boys
5. Here I Am- Lyle Lovett
6. A Girl Like You- Edwyn Collins
7. Bang A Gong (Get It On)- T.Rex
8. Walk Away- Kelly Clarkson
9. Live And Let Die- Guns N' Roses
10. Angels- Robbie Williams

Bonus-
11. Teenage Dirtbag- Girls Aloud
12. Help!- The Beatles

Respectfully,

Miss Winstone, take your hands off the braces and back away from the Barratt.

KTHANX.

*snort*

Fwaaaaah, Mr. Walcott.

Part 238942304 in an ongoing series

This is what happens when you pull an unknown Northern Exposure Karen Walker out of the rabbit hat for the second most powerful job in the nation. Had Sarah Palin been on the rubber-chicken circuit for years, as Ronald Reagan had, we would have become familiar with her and her family, much as we did with (say) the Romney fraternity over the long course of the primary campaign. But she was sprung on the country out of nowhere, and just about the first thing we learn about this family-values matriarch is that her unwed teenage daughter is pregnant (then we learn that the governor used the line-item veto to slash funds for teenage mothers--what a monster).

I love you,

Russell.

part 978 of an ongoing series

Brand — who describes his own style as “superhero S&M scarecrow”

...

“Once there was a story saying, ‘Russell Brand was arrested for rampaging through the London underground with a sword.’ I thought, ‘Well, this is ridiculous! What on earth would I be doing on the underground? Once you can afford taxis, you can swing the sword out the window.’”

Cute dress, Beth!

The Gossip at Get Loaded In the Park

I'd be way more excited about this

if Thomas hadn't (apparently) adopted Meatloaf as a style icon.

Haircut, love. And a shave. Please, darling. You're hurting me.

New material sounds promising, though.

*high five*

There's a lot of singing at Kasabian gigs. Their songs - enormous chanted choruses with juddering rhythms - are often simple in construction but have managed to locate the secret nerve centre which makes human beings sing along while hurling a plastic beer glass in the air. While they've been away working on their third album, the band's sound has - if anything - got even bigger. Oldies like Shoot the Runner and Processed Beats now sound like Pizzorno's garden UXB has been grafted into the rhythm section.

And the new songs unveiled suggest this isn't about to change. Fire- which sounds like a glam rock Hokey Cokey and actually includes the line "shake it to the left" - is only seconds old when those hands shoot back up in the air. It's surely only a matter of time before the band start taking to the stage in tanks.

I don't know why I'm admitting this

but prompted by this post, I have to confess...

I like Journey.

*shudders*

I do. I can't help it. Child of the 80's and all that. Their songs make me happy, and is that really so wrong? IS IT? Shouldn't we grasp any happiness in this cruel, cruel world? SHOULDN'T WE?

Must go listen to some screamingly hip songs to compensate.

However, I must say- for the last time, J, Carlos Ashley Raphael does NOT look like Steve Perry.

Thanks.

"We'll be fighting in the streets..."

But the main antiwar march was peaceful, police said, estimating about 10,000 people participated. Late Monday afternoon, long after the antiwar marchers had dispersed, police requested and got 150 Minnesota National Guard soldiers to help control splinter groups near downtown

Love it

Because if there’s a poor child out there, that’s my child. If there’s a senior that’s having trouble, that’s my grandparent. If there’s a guy who’s lost his job, that’s my brother. If there’s a woman out there without healthcare, that’s my sister. Those are the values that built this country. Those are the values we are fighting for.

via

'Twist and Shout'- Babyshambles and friends

Awwww

Wee hippie Shawn and Al at the DNC

Fun

A-dorable

and so, so chic...

Surf's Up

in Biarritz, France...

Nice...

Zanzibar Doors 1

Zanzibar Doors 1, originally uploaded by mirellawognum.

Am simply amazed

that in this discussion of the greatest bassists, Paul Simonon is barely mentioned. Simmo.

(calm down, Kaz)

My own personal list of favorite bassists?

-James Jamerson (Funk Brothers- Motown session player)
-Peter "Hooky" Hook (Joy Division, New Order)
-Andy Rourke (The Smiths)
-John Hassall (The Libertines)
-Bootsy Collins (JB's, Parliament Funkadelic)
-Nicky Wire (Manic Street Preachers)
-Paul Simonon (The Clash)
-Drew McConnell (Babyshambles- not only fine, but a fine musician)

and my absolute favorite-

-Mani (The Stone Roses, Primal Scream) He's a legend.

Lucky

BASTARDS.

The new material sounds GOOD.

Oasis have announced they'll be playing their first ever concert in Cornwall.

The band will play at the Eden Project on Saturday 27 September ahead of their UK tour, which starts at the Liverpool Echo Arena on 7
October.

Anyone who wants to go will have to register at the official Oasis website from midday on 29 August and will then go into a draw for tickets.

Oasis release new album Dig Out Your Soul on 6 October with single The Shock Of The Lightning out on 29 September.

Lee McQueen,

you are my God.

Random ten

1. Autobahn 66- Primal Scream
2. Ooh La La- Goldfrapp
3. Lord Don't Slow Me Down- Oasis
4. Lovefool- The Cardigans
5. Panama- Van Halen
6. Just Looking (live)- Stereophonics
7. Hand In Glove- The Smiths
8. Narcissist- The Libertines
9. The Prayer- Bloc Party
10. Whiskey River- Willie Nelson

Bonus-
11. Hello, Goodbye- The Beatles
12. Brass Monkey- Beastie Boys

Oh joy

The whole family is descending upon the house this weekend, minus my brother-in-law, who had to work.

While I'm excited to see my nieces and nephew, I'm less excited to see my brothers simply because we do NOT agree politically AT ALL. (They're of the oppressed white man persuasion).

And there's absolutely nothing happening on the political front this week.

*cough*

My sis (who is a dirty hippie like myself) and I have decided that we're just going to laugh at them. We can't change their minds, so we're going to make fun of them.

"Gee, ______! You're a college-educated, straight white male. However HAVE you succeeded in the corporate world with the man keeping you down and all?"

We're guessing we're going to be stabby by Saturday night.

I love him.

Mr. Nicky Wire...

I had this vicious, bordering on violent argument on the bus the other day with James and Sean. I was making the point that every genre that ever existed in cinema has been done better by TV now. “Godfather” against “Sopranos” – “Sopranos” wins hands down. “American Gangster” vs “The Wire”? No competition. Comedy there’s no competition. Who wants to watch comedy in films these days? The last great comedy movie I can remember was “Midnight Run”. One of my favourite films and also one of Ian McCulloch’s. War stuff, much better documentaries. Musicals? “Blackpool” was really good. It was a deeply flawed argument, I nearly won it through sheer force of will. It really was fucking hard work though... as usual it was a mixture of me talking bollocks with a small element of truth.

Well done,

brothers Jarman! Seems that one Johnny "freaking" Marr is going to be joining them officially...

The Cribs– complete with Johnny Marr as part of their line-up – have revealed that they plan to release a new single this year during an exclusive video interview with NME.COM.

Today in "unintended consequences"

At Iowa's Coolest Flower Shop, my girl, J, and I have been after my mom (our boss) for months to buy us a new glue pan- used for silk floral arrangements and other craftiness.

Our old one was on its last legs (literally) and took AGES to heat up to a somewhat acceptable temperature. Mom finally caved last week and bought a new one. YAY! Joyous shouts rang out throughout the land! Choirs of angels sang! All that!

So.....

Today I was creating a silk fall wreath, a veritable seasonal masterpiece of harmonious colors and pleasing shapes- designed to put one in the most "fall"-est of moods, when-

1. The phone rang

2. I was momentarily distracted. Unfortunately, this was directly after I dipped a silk leaf in the hot glue

3. Because of the distraction, I dripped some of the F*CKING HOT GLUE on my finger

4. Words, most of them obscene, others invoking various deities, nearly escaped my mouth

5. Ran to sink, ran cold water on burn

6. Then had to peel cool glue off really F*CKING BURNED SKIN. Which, as you may guess, DOES NOT FEEL PLEASANT

I now have a humdinger of a 2nd degree burn on my finger.

What really twists me is this- if we wouldn't have whined and complained as badly as we (read- I) did, I would have been using the old glue pan which didn't heat well, and I wouldn't HAVE A REALLY NASTY BURN ON MY FINGER. F*CK!

Grrrr....

Wee hippie

Wee Olympic gold medal-winning hippie.

HOMEGIRL!

Shawn Johnson will drop in on Letterman, Leno and the Democrats this week. She was headed from Beijing on Monday straight for New York to tape an appearance on "The Late Show With David Letterman" to air at 10:35 Monday night on CBS. Then she has a stop at home scheduled for Tuesday, and she will be welcomed home in free festivities at 6 p.m. at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

Thursday, Shawn will lead the pledge of allegiance at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, then head to Los Angeles to tape a "Tonight Show" appearance with Jay Leno that will air Friday at 10:35 p.m. on NBC.

Say "cheese," Gromit!

Wallace and Gromit for Harvey Nicks

via

Somerset : Glastonbury Tor

Somerset : Glastonbury Tor, originally uploaded by Wurz.

I love YouTube

The Shambles at Reading Festival

'Killamangiro' & 'What Katie Did'

Probably the best sans-Paddy version of the former I've heard. Good job, Grandad!

And I'll admit, I initially thought they were going into 'Dilly Boys' rather than the latter, and nearly died with happiness.





'Albion'


Honestly, I listen to this song at least 10 times a week. I love it- it's just so romantic, and the lyrics are SO fantastic. This is a great reading (hee) of it.

However, this version is my favorite-

*hearts*

Hit singles 'Killamangiro' and 'Fuck Forever' sparked riotous scenes amongst fans, whilst Doherty dedicated the aforementioned 'Unstookietitled' to black civil rights activist Marcus Garvey.

'Albion' was later dedicated to the memory of Daniel Squires, a 16 year-old fan who Doherty befriended and played at the wake of after his death from bone marrow cancer.

"He's sadly no longer with us," Doherty said.The song's lyrics were changed in customary fashion, with mentions of Sheffield and Wakefield reflecting the gig's Yorkshire setting.

Doherty jumped into the photopit at the close of the song to collect hats from fans, which he then proceeded to pile on his head.

Oh, boys

I have MISSED reading your interviews...

Perhaps the most enjoyable of their excursions into abuse was when, on discovering that Keane's posh Tom Chaplain had admitted himself into The Priory, Pizzorno commented that it was to treat an addiction to port.

*snort* Seriously, one of the funniest things ever.

"We can't wait to see Browny," beams Meighan. "It's amazing he's going to be there. He's a kung-fu master. You can't really compare what we do, though. He's a completely different fish from what I am: I'm like a piranha and he's like some kind of amphibian. He can also live on land. He's hardcore."

"Kung-fu master."

"Piranha."

"Live on land."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Oh THOMAS. Bless your random little heart.

For some reason

I don't think the Republican National Convention will be plagued with similar numbers of major-league musicians...

Kanye West will be there on Wednesday for a party sponsored by the Recording Industry Association of America and One, the antipoverty campaign founded by Bono. That night the Black Eyed Peas will perform for the Creative Coalition. Fall Out Boy will play for Rock the Vote on Monday, and the reunited Rage Against the Machine will do a free show at the Denver Coliseum on Wednesday.

Those are just the big shows. Members of the band Death Cab for Cutie are booked for acoustic performances, Moby will be spinning records at late-night parties, and various outdoor shows will align rock and hip-hop acts with on-the-ground activists.

Budapest, Pest, University Chapel, former Pauline Monastery (Egyetemitemplom)

Budapest, Pest, University Chapel, former Pauline Monastery (Egyetemi templom), originally uploaded by march25-Anna.

Bad. Ass.

Rage Against The Machine headlined the Main Stage at Reading Festival tonight (August 22) in dramatic fashion, arriving on stage dressed in Guantanamo Bay prisoner-style clothes.

The band, who headlined here in 1996 and last appeared here in 2000, came onstage dressed as prisoners of war, complete with bags over their heads and matching boiler suits, launching straight into 'Bombtrack'.

Today in random

Several weeks ago, one of our local curmudgeons turned 80. He's always been lovely to me, but is.... a bit cranky, shall we say?

(some of his relatives sent him a bouquet of dead flowers on his b-day with a card that said "Happy Birthday, Dickhead.")

So today as a belated birthday present from a friend, I delivered a fifth of whiskey and a balloon bouquet to the aforementioned curmudgeon. He offered me a glass, but as it was 10AM and I was on the clock, I sadly declined.

I should have taken him up on it, because when I got back to the van, I noticed my leg was bleeding badly. His dog, while adorable, was quite jumpy and scratched the hell out of my leg. Hurts like a sumbitch. Could use some whiskey....

*headdesk*

Random ten

1. Elizabeth My Dear- The Stone Roses
2. End Of a Century- Blur
3. I Fought the Law- The Clash
4. Lay All Your Love On Me- ABBA
5. Bitch- The Rolling Stones
6. Red Morning Light- Kings Of Leon
7. Happy Jack- The Who
8. Candlelight- Laura Marling
9. Angel- Fiona Apple
10. The Prayer- KT Tunstall

Bonus-
11. Boogie Wonderland- Earth, Wind & Fire
12. Nothin' At All- Heart

I don't know whether to be alarmed or proud

Tonight, my mother and I were discussing the whole St. John McCain not knowing how much real estate he owned thing. I made some remark like "Oh yeah, he's a real man of the people."

Mom replied, "Who'd want to be a man of the people when there's people like him?"

She made an Arctic Monkeys reference.

Again, alarmed? Proud?

How about alarmoud?

Whoa

Man, Duffy must be tiny-even jacked up on her perfect heels, she's still smaller than Wellah, who isn't exactly a giant.

Sorry, Paul.

Oh for God's Sake

Zuma. ZUMA.

Gwen Stefani gave birth to a baby boy this afternoon, and has christened him with the obligatory quirky celebrity baby name. Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale was born at 12:46 pm today (August 21) at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles, weighing 8.5lbs.

Poor bubba.

Ah, maybe he's named after the Neil Young album. Could be worse, say 'Hawks and Doves' Rossdale.

'Anyone Who Had a Heart'- Shelby Lynne

Gorgeous...

Not good

One of my adorable, intelligent and awesome nieces, Wee O- aged 2, has recently started putting herself in "time out" when she becomes overly excited.

Seriously.

She gets all worked up, says "out, out," and goes and sits in the hallway for a bit. When she's calmed down, she takes herself out.

She's 2. That's scary smart. Of course, her mommy is a smarty and her daddy is a surgeon, so it's par for the course.

My point?

Today, I was grumpy and easily irritated- nothing was going right, I was screwing shit up left and right, the state of the world was freaking pissing me off... we've all had those days.

So, when it became obvious that we weren't going to be extraordinarily busy, I buggered off work an hour early and went home and took a nap.

Essentially, I put myself in "time out."

Am operating on same level as toddler niece. Oh dear.

Oh yeah

I'm going to need this eyeshadow/liner set from Stila. Look at the rosette! Very chic.

Big fan of Stila eyeshadow here- it's pricey, but it lasts forever and stays put. Positive attributes in makeup, as far as I'm concerned...

Mmmm, yeah. This as well-

That has to smart

Roseanne Cash has spoken out about a recent comment made by fellow country singer John Rich during a rally when he said her dad would probably have supported Republican presidential candidate John McCain.Rich told the crowd:"Somebody’s got to walk the line in the country. They’ve got to walk it unapologetically. And I’m sure Johnny Cash would have been a John McCain supporter if he was still around."

Roseanne sez-

"It is appalling to me that people still want to invoke my father’s name, five years after his death, to ascribe beliefs, ideals, values and loyalties to him that cannot possibly be determined, and to try to further their own agendas by doing so. … This is especially dangerous in the case of political affiliation."

Wow. That's cold. Well done, Roseanne!

HOMEGIRL!

Ah, Shawn. Iowa is so proud of you!

(and I loved the peace sign earrings in your post-meet interview, honey!)

BEIJING (Reuters) - Shawn Johnson's megawatt smile lit up the National Indoor Stadium on Tuesday after the American gymnast finally got her hands on an Olympic gold medal.

The 16-year-old outshone rivals Nastia Liukin and Cheng Fei with her deft footwork on the balance beam to end a run of three silver-medal winning performances in Beijing.

Chezza spots

Cashley ogling a homely blonde waitress in the crowd...

Well, she looks

better than I expected...

The Winehouse at V last weekend.

She looks cute and happy. Hopefully due to actual emotions, not just those induced-by-chemicals...

Oh, TIMMY!

Darlin', I don't know what to be more concerned about- the hairdo (which doesn't look like Jesus's BTW) or.... the hairdo.

HAIRSTYLIST, STAT!

R.I.P. Mr Wexler

US record producer Jerry Wexler, who influenced the careers of singers including Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and Bob Dylan, has died aged 91.

David Ritz, co-author of Mr Wexler's memoirs, said the producer passed away at his home in Sarasota, Florida.

Mr Wexler rose to fame as a partner in the influential Atlantic Records label with the late Ahmet Ertegun.

He also coined the term "rhythm and blues" while writing for Billboard magazine in the late 1940s.

Mr Wexler produced the hugely popular Aretha Franklin hit Respect, itself a re-working of an Otis Redding song.

He also produced the Wilson Pickett song, In the Midnight Hour and helped Bob Dylan win his first Grammy award by producing the 1979 album, Slow Train Coming.

Excuse me, I need to go listen to some Aretha...

The 'Babes, GA at V

Both groups look to be having a GREAT TIME!

Ahhhh, Sugababes- love the 'Won't Get Fooled Again' intro to 'Push the Button.' Ms. Keisha, Ms. Amelle and Ms. Heidi sound faaaaabulous...



'Jump' by Girls Aloud. Nicola looks like a ginger Barbie doll, Nadine is obsessed with her hair, and Kimba, Chezza and Miz Harding are fierce bitches. And they sound great, as per usual...

*loves*

Oh, this bracelet is soooooo cool. Love it.

(wish I had the $$ for it. Ah, c'est la vie)

Oh, I'm looking forward to this flick

'Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.' The book was ADORABLE, hope the movie is as well....

Awesome,

see "made of"...

Nastia Liukin and Shawn "M-F" Johnson.

Adorable- check

Awesome- check

Champions- check

Lovely

Pretty purple nail polish- perfect for end of summer events

Random ten

The "Shawn Johnson is my homegirl" edition

1. Hungry Like the Wolf- Duran Duran
2. Something Kind Of Ooooh- Girls Aloud
3. Love Spreads- The Stone Roses
4. Up the Junction- Squeeze
5. Mr. Brownstone- Guns N' Roses
6. Start!- The Jam
7. Authority Song- John Mellencamp
8. What Katie Did- The Libertines
9. Friday's Dust- Doves
10. Dilly Boys- The Libertines

Bonus-
11. Other Side Of the World- KT Tunstall
12. Stuntman- Kasabian

As much as it

makes me happy that he's happy, this statement from John "Freaking" Squire makes me sad-

"Music has been put to one side for good," explained Squire, who first exhibited his artwork designing The Stone Roses' album sleeves. "I'm enjoying this [art] far too much to go back to music."

And it's Russell for the win!

DEFAMER: We'll start out easy before we get a little more obscure. Here's a gimme: Lindsay Lohan.

RUSSELL: Lindsay Lohan is an actress. I believe she was in a Herbie film? She's become notorious for her off-stage and -screen exploits and her tabloid lifestyle. I believe she has been connected to drugs, sauciness, and sexiness in equal measure, though she seems like a nice girl to me.

DEFAMER: She does love the Brits. She had a British boyfriend, and now she's got a British girlfriend.

RUSSELL: Her girlfriend is British?!

DEFAMER: Yeah, Samantha Ronson.

RUSSELL: That's fantastic! I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Lindsay Lohan for her promotion of English sex.

to yellowstone

to yellowstone, originally uploaded by richietown.

Sweet Jesus,

I love Mr. Walcott nearly as much as I loathe Tim Daggett...

"A disaster of epic proportion" is how NBC gymnastics analyst (and former gymnast himself) Tim Daggett described Alicia Sacramore's butt-landing last night in the team competition--a phrase that might be more judiciously deployed to label a monsoon or earthquake that wipes out multiple thousands, or the aftermath of aerial bombardment. A gymnast flubbing her tumbling pass doesn't quite qualify as an epic disaster, even if this is the Olympics and the entire world is riveted to the screen from the sanctity of their leisure modules.

But rhetorical overkill is Daggett's signature yelp, treating every bobble or half-step on the landing as a potential fatal rip ("this--is a nightmare") in the fabric of the heroic narrative he and colleague Al Trautwig have collaborated on behind the mike as they pump up every gymnastics showdown into psychodrama, soap opera, and Nietzschean feats of will.

Hyperbole is the chant they sing, but where Daggett relies on a few stock phrases of cheer or doom, Trautwig fancies himself quite the troubadour, translating the gymnasts' thoughts for us as if their interior monologues were as wordy and portentous as his exterior ones. Gad, they get on my nerves.

Sounds about right

MUSIC legends from the Hollies to Morrissey to Oasis have already put Manchester on the map.

Now the city has been ranked rock 'n' roll capital of Britain, according to a new survey.

It revealed that Manchester has produced more rock stars per head than any other British city.

The survey, by guitar website guitarrockstar.co.uk, checked where 500 of the most successful rock stars and bands from the 1950s to the modern day were born and brought up.

Manchester finished top at producing rock stars, above Liverpool, Sheffield, Glasgow, Coventry and Oxford.

West London suburb Shepherd's Bush was named the rock 'n' roll hotspot with one rock star to every 1,222 people.

Manchester has one rock star per 17,855, followed by Oxford, with one in 24,100, and north west rival Liverpool, with just one per 29,073.

How yummy does this sound?

Grilled sausages and summer beans with herbs, tomatoes and caramelized onions.

2 pounds your favorite sausages
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
4 fresh thyme sprigs
Kosher salt and
freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of sugar
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 pound green or wax beans (use a combination for the prettiest dish), trimmed
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs, including
basil and parsley
Fleur de sel or coarse sea salt, for serving (optional).

1. Prepare grill or preheat broiler. Grill or broil sausages until browned and blistered and cooked all the way through.

2. Meanwhile, prepare beans. Heat oil in a large skillet with a cover until shimmering. Add onion, thyme sprigs and a pinch each of salt, pepper and sugar. Sauté over medium-high heat until onions are golden in spots and browned around edges, about 7 minutes.

3. Add tomatoes and saute until they start to release their juices, 2 minutes. Add beans and wine and toss everything in pan. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 3 minutes. Uncover pan, add herbs and continue to cook. Toss beans occasionally, until liquid evaporates and beans are done to taste, 5 to 30 minutes, adding water to pan if it dries out. Garnish with coarse salt if you like and serve hot or at room temperature, with sausages.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Good man

Former Rep. Jim Leach endorses Obama.

"There's a distinction between trumpeting issues and realistically looking at effectiveness," Leach said. "I have never known a time period where the American brand has been in less repair." He said most voters instinctively want the U.S. to work with allies, rejecting the go it-alone approach that has marked the Bush administration.

"If you ask Americans of any political persuasion — conservative, liberal or moderate — whether they'd rather see us lead the world with allies or alone, most people instinctively say we're better off with allies," Leach said. "The public does understand that something is not right about our policies today."

via

Too adorable

Brit Brit looks GOOD and Russell is so funny.... can't wait!

All in all,

I've had a rather enjoyable birthday. Yes, I had to work and the cat woke me up in the middle of the night wanting to be petted AGAIN, but still, it was a lovely day.

Most of my friends and family sent best wishes via phone, mail, email or Facebook, and I was treated to two delicious meals...

Lunch- Salad with roasted red peppers, artichokes, pine nuts and Feta cheese from local cafe

Supper- Fresh corn tortillas filled with pulled pork and roasted chicken with red sauce and homemade guacamole from local very authentic Mexican restaurant. Accompanied by a strawberry rocket fuel cocktail margarita.

Yum.

I know he's not "cool,"

but I have to say, one of my most enjoyable concert-going experiences was the Neil Diamond gig I went to in college.

Toward the end of the concert, right after a string of megahits, including “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” and “I’m a Believer,” which he wrote for the Monkees, Mr. Diamond told the crowd he had no plans for retirement.

“This is my job,” he said. “Someone much greater than me gave me that job. He said, ‘You, you with that stupid look on your face — go out and sing until I tell you to stop.’ I haven’t heard the word yet so I’m just going to keep doing it.”

'Dakota'- Stereophonics

Awesome

Every year at the Iowa State Fair, there is a butter sculpture of something culturally significant, such as the butter Last Supper, Harry Potter (my fav-drove the fundies crazy) and Elvis. Oh, and the traditional butter cow.

This year's edition? Butter Shawn Johnson, the wee dynamo from West Des Moines, currently kicking some ass and taking some names at the Olympics.

Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson, whose likeness is being cast in bronze for the Iowa Hall of Pride, will be sculpted in a more gooey medium in August at the Iowa State Fair.

Butter Shawn Johnson will share the spotlight with the butter cow in the Agriculture Building Aug. 7-17. Butter sculptor Sarah Pratt of West Des Moines plans to incorporate a balance beam into Johnson’s pose, and possibly an American flag.

Seriously, I really can't think of a higher honor in Iowa than to be (temporarily) immortalized in dairy at the state fair.

Thoughts

while watching the women's team qualifying gymnastics competition at the Olympics-

-AAAAAA! Stay in bounds, honey!

-AAAAAA! No, really! Stay in bounds!

-Awwww, little Nastia Liukin did well!

-Get down with your bad tiny little self, Shawn Johnson! (representing West Des Moines)!

-AAAAAA! AN INTERVIEW WITH PREZNIT BUSH? WTF?????

*clicks over to 'Extreme Home Makeover*

-AAAAAAAAA! HE'S STILL ON THE DAMN TV???

My question is, does NBC have ANY idea how unpopular this dipshit is? I'd love to see how much ratings plummeted during that segment...

Update-actual text messages my girl, Case, sent me regarding the interview with the Chimp-

"Is he drunk?"

"He was talking baseball, so I kept waiting for him to pick his nose."

rosheim alsace_3

rosheim alsace_3, originally uploaded by beatrice do bl.