sine qua non

2012-02-14T10:08:00.000-08:00

One of the best I've seen all day, from me to you.

2012-02-13T13:15:00.000-08:00

Yeeeeeeaaaaahhhhhhhhh!

Washington Governor Signs Gay Marriage Bill Into Law

2012-02-13T09:37:00.000-08:00

Sweet jeebus.

Men's Jumpsuits, 1970s

You must embiggen and read the copy on this one. omg. I cannot believe I was alive when this also came into existence. Epic.

2012-02-11T21:24:00.000-08:00

I am 11, and just got MTV on the DL in my tiny town because a family member is dating someone who works for Viacom. I am mesmerized.

Whitney Houston, 1963-2012

Too young, so sad.

2012-02-10T08:23:00.000-08:00

Bravo, Joss Whedon. Bravo.

*spoiler*

Buffy's Choice: Joss Whedon Gets Political

I think strongly that teen pregnancy and young people having babies when they are not emotionally, financially, or otherwise equipped to take care of them, is kind of glorified in our media right now. You know, things like Secret Life [of an American Teenager] and Juno and Knocked Up – even if they pretend to deal with abortion, the movies don’t even say the word “abortion.” It’s something that over a third of American women are going to decide to have to do in their lives. But people are so terrified that no one will discuss the reality of it — not no one, but very few popular entertainments, even when they say they’re dealing with this issue, they don’t, and won’t. It’s frustrating to me.

I don’t think Buffy should have a baby. I don’t think Buffy can take care of a baby. I agree with Buffy. It’s a very difficult decision for her, but she made a decision that so many people make and it’s such a hot button issue with Planned Parenthood under constant threat and attack right now.

A woman's right to choose is under attack as much as it's ever been, and that's a terrible and dangerous thing for this country. I don't usually get soap box-y with this, but the thing about Buffy is all she's going through is what women go through, and what nobody making a speech, holding up a placard, or making a movie is willing to say.

2012-02-09T12:03:00.000-08:00

There's an instrument that's been developed in the last 25 years, where you can point it at a product and it will tell you exactly what chemicals you need to make that smell. We can duplicate anything. If you can smell it, we can duplicate it.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaat? And there's no cure for cancer?

As someone who hates being assaulted by smells -- chemical, natural, "good" or otherwise -- UGH.

Inside Smellvertising, the Scented Advertising Tactic Coming Soon to a City Near You

Though I must admit a certain amount of adorable squee for the term "jacket potato."

As an aside, my mom said when she came to the United States one of the first things she noticed was that Americans had a bad smell -- something she attributed to the large amount of meat and dairy in our diets. I know Japanese households have a distinctive and consistent smell for me, so I'm not surprised.

I wonder what chemicals that contraption would list to recreate my smell?

2012-02-08T12:59:00.000-08:00

One other thing: I think it rips through your clothes when it takes you over. Windows found Bennings' torn and bloody clothes in the storage room after he was taken over. Earlier, Nauls found a pair of shredded and dirty longjohns in the kitchen trash can, but the nametag was missing. They could be anybody's. Nobody, nobody trusts anybody now, and we're all very tired. There's nothing more I can do, just wait. This is R.J. MacReady, helicopter pilot, US outpost #31...

Russian Scientists Bore Into Ancient Antarctic Lake

2012-02-07T13:47:00.000-08:00

Yeeeeeeee!

Revenge of the Econobox: Early Japanese Imports Find Admirers

I have a longstanding crush dating back to junior high on these great little cars, a crush that is not only aesthetic, but practical: my mechanic says the engines are practically indestructible. My love lives on as an adult; I recently chronicled a 1972 Honda 600 Coupe I saw at my corner gas station. I am so happy to see these cars making a comeback -- even though it means my dream of owning one is probably getting sidelined by a few more thousand dollars.

And that also means I'll have to be content with my 1986 Honda Civic sedan for now, and my memories of Trevor's first car: a rusted out 1977 Datsun 510 wagon.

2012-02-02T12:46:00.000-08:00

Oy vey.

DC Plans Prequel to Watchmen Series

Guess how Alan Moore feels about it?

I tend to take this latest development as a kind of eager confirmation that they are still apparently dependent on ideas that I had 25 years ago.

This zinger is true. Also true: it's pretty likely this money-making measure will turn out meh. But, at the same time, I'm over "no one can touch my sacred cow" and "I had to hand over my firstborn when I signed those contracts."

Alan Moore was gifted to be sure -- Watchmen is genius -- and I'm thankful that genius was recognized, but sadly, this is the way it is for artists, especially when they are first starting out. How much literary and visual work have my friends signed away, sometimes after doing it FOR FREE, just to get their work seen? Yet these are also the folks I know who have found success.

I'm not saying these practices are okay, and I definitely don't mean to blame the victim -- it's more like 80/20 for me. In a lot of ways I appreciate Moore's protests of mainstream publishers' predatory and some would say unethical modus operandi; at least when prompted for a grouse he not only cements his place within the comic canon but reminds us of the realities of being any kind of artist. But business is business, and he's famous because of those contracts -- they afforded him the place in said comic canon he occupies now. When one chooses to play the game there comes a time to let your great work stand, and then let the inevitable go.

Or, if you're going to dine with the devil, best to use a long spoon.

2012-02-01T12:34:00.000-08:00

If I ever kill you, you'll be awake, you'll be facing me, and you'll be armed.

2012-01-27T12:00:00.000-08:00

Smiths fans, this is wonderful.

There's also one for The Cure, though it's a little less over the top given the difference in song titles. They are much more easily integrated but are harder to catch in the conversation.

:)

Cheers to my good friends on the ground and across the pond, Ed and Anya, for the midday pick-me-up.

2012-01-23T10:57:00.000-08:00

So, I saw Haywire over the weekend.

Seriously a good time. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, it has super fun casting, with Ewan McGregor, Antonio Banderas, and Michael Douglas, and MMA fighter Gina Carano in the lead. I loved the clean and lean look of the film, and I especially liked the lack of jump cuts in the fight scenes, which lent them precision and a gritty realism; it felt like a European action flick. Really well done.

OMG, and I so get the Michael Fassbender thing now. Holy everything that is holy. And let me just say straight up: I am a sucker who would totally be killed by Fassbender's sexy, charismatic British freelance assassin Paul. Oy vey. This is why: I was talking to Trevor after the film about Fassbender's role and how I thought he was made out to be a bit more sympathetic than the other black ops guys, and he laughed at me. "Paul is charming and handsome, but he was willing to frame an innocent person and kill her for money! Now you know what it's like to be a man around a beautiful woman." Touché.

But wait a minute: not only is he charming and handsome, he can kill a man with his bare hands while wearing the hell out of a suit. Hot. Oh wait, that also describes my husband. No wonder.

I first noticed Fassbender in the passably entertaining X-Men First Class as Magneto (also starring man-harem lifetime member James McAvoy as Xavier), though I had seen other films that he had smaller, ensemble roles in, like 300 and Inglourious Basterds. Most recently I saw him again in Steve McQueen's beautifully shot and acted, but sometimes wincingly trite, Shame. This film was when I starting sitting up and paying attention to Fassbender as an actor (I know what you're thinking, and no, really, it was the acting!). The sterility and quietude of a film like Shame requires someone who can convey a bevy of human emotion over the course of several uncomfortably long close-up still-shots, without speaking. He nailed it (and okay, yeah, that pun was intended). I was riveted.

Anyway, I digress. Haywire: fun, action packed film well worth the unspeakable amount of money you pay now for a movie ticket. The Fassbender Sexy: confirmed. And he's not only beautiful, but he's absolutely flawless as an actor in this film, as well as Shame. Looking forward to seeing if future projects and personal conduct deem him man-harem worthy.

2012-01-23T10:00:00.000-08:00

William Gibson wears Vans.

William Gibson reading from his terrific new collection of essays, Distrust That Particular Flavor at Diesel, A Bookstore, 1.20.2012 in Oakland.

This NY Times Book Review really got it. One of my favorite things about Gibson is his focus on Japan; love this bit in the review:

In Tokyo, Gibson detects “successive layers of Tomorrowlands, older ones showing through when the newer ones start to peel.” Lurking in the back corner of a noodle stall, he watches a man playing with his phone. The gadget is glossy, “complexly curvilinear, totally ephemeral-looking,” shining with “Blade Runner”-ish reflections of the city around it. Gibson zooms in on an accessory hanging from the phone — a “rosarylike anticancer charm.” According to Japanese pop-culture lore, such talismans are supposed to protect against microwaves. It’s the perfect Gibson detail: a hybrid of high technology and magic wand.

2012-01-22T18:29:00.000-08:00

I love it when a plan comes together.

Ohitashi at Geta in Oak-o-land-o

(the first of several) Bulleit bourbons at Club Mallard in Albany

Soundtrack:

What ever happened to the saxophone solo? And why oh why must Monday come 'round?

2012-01-20T10:48:00.000-08:00

Ooooooooh...

Andrea Pompilio - Fall/Winter 2012

Lovely stuff. I imagine I may be able to afford only the (admittedly rockin') Cheetah tote. I see they have a showroom in Tokyo (where I will be traveling again in April -- yeee!) but it's by appointment only. That would probably be a (dis)appointment for them for a mere silkscreened tote. ;)

Oh well, my wallet may be thin, but lucky for me most of these looks can be brought together for my man in an afternoon in Goodwill.

photo by The Sartorialist

2012-01-20T09:55:00.000-08:00

Soul Legend Etta James Dies at 73.

RIP.

2012-01-18T13:42:00.000-08:00

Regarding the Costa Concordia/Schettino/Italian Coast Guard shitstorm, I suppose every cloud has a lulz lining.

But seriously, "for every Schettino, there is a De Falco, thank goodness..."

2012-01-13T14:49:00.000-08:00

omg, this is the best thing, well..at least all week.

You have to admit that is some AMAZING science.

Drinkify: Don't Drink Alone

2012-01-12T16:32:00.000-08:00

Wow!

Berkeley Sculptor Aimee Baldwin's 'Vegan Taxidermy'

Although what Baldwin creates isn't technically taxidermy, it is vegan because her creations - shorebirds, corvids, owls, raptors and extinct birds, as well as plants - are made entirely without animal parts. Instead, she uses crepe paper, glue, found objects and wire in the meticulous creation of birds so lifelike, they look poised to hop off their perches and flutter away.

Any notions associated with the term 'vegan' aside, Baldwin's birds are both incredibly realistic and breathtakingly gorgeous, and you can really see the love and care she puts into them. I also love to see someone so talented making a living doing what they love.

To see more of Aimee Baldwin's work, check out her website or her Etsy site.

2012-01-11T10:08:00.000-08:00

I will own a first generation Honda Civic 3-door hatchback someday. But if unavailable, this 1972 Honda 600 coupe (or Honda Z) I saw yesterday at the gas station near my house could stand in nicely.

2012-01-10T16:23:00.000-08:00

I often feel I am well-versed in poetry, given the predilections of my partner and many of my friends, and my own personal pleasure and interest in the medium. But what I need to remember is that I am not well-versed at all -- what I am is possibly better read in poetics than the average person.

This would certainly be an untrue statement in the early twentieth century, which was a golden age for poetry as a medium read by many, regardless of education, station, or what-have-you.

So, yeah, at any rate, I think I can definitely fake it really well at a cocktail party.

I am meditating on this as of late because I have just recently began reading the work of the late poet (and librarian!) Robin Blaser, one of the key figures in the San Francisco Renaissance. I had heard his name plenty of times, but I only recently have really taken a look at his poetry.

I know!

Will have to delve further into his work to make any deep declarative assessments, but as of now I can say I am feeling his earlier work enormously, and this one in particular speaks to me in a profoundly personal way. Enjoy.

Herons

I saw cold thunder in the grass,
the wet black trees of my humanity, my skin.

How much love lost hanging there
out of honesty.
I catch at those men who chose
to hang in the wind
out of honesty.
It is the body lies with its skin --

Robed in my words I say that the snake
changes its skin out of honesty.

And they
hanged there with some symmetry
died young
like herons proud in their landscape.

Now it is age crept in, nobody younger knows
the quick-darting breath is
our portion of honesty.

(1956)

2012-01-03T15:36:00.000-08:00

A Map of Woman’s Heart (mid-1800s)

LOL at how the two large lobes of the heart are filled with superficiality, with the "Country of Eligibleness" populated by the most grievous displays, including the "Province of Deception" and even a "Jilting Corner." How bitter (and probably single) was the dude who made this?

This idealized version of womanhood appeared everywhere: in advice manuals, fiction, newspapers, magazines and in American prints. Just as American prints employed a narrowly defined standard of beauty, images that showed exemplars of True Womanhood also imagined a limited sphere of activity for women.

The attributes of True Womanhood, by which a woman judged herself and was judged by her husband, her neighbors, and her society, could be divided into four cardinal virtues—piety, purity, submissiveness, and domesticity. … Without them … all was ashes. With them she was promised happiness and power."

Take the meager ambitions set forth for Victorian women (marriage), what constituted success (not marrying poorly), and the consequences of not marrying (or marrying poorly), and pair it with the truth of what one often received in return for following the aforementioned virtues of True Womanhood, and I can see how reality may have necessitated the Country of Eligibleness.

Anyway, at the risk of lending credibility to the "Promontory of Golden Fetters," I will say those Victorians sure made some beautiful propaganda.

2012-01-01T15:51:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Looking forward to new beginnings, travel, and some awesome poetry projects. Watch this space.

May your 2012 be glorious!

2011-12-27T10:35:00.000-08:00

My friend Ayize's first book, The Liminal People, has been picked up by Small Beer Press (the press founded by the also fabulous fabulist Kelly Link), and he's getting some great reviews.

Science and science fiction publication io9 calls The Liminal People, "the twisted superhero story that Heroes should have been" and a "damn good read." Bookotron calls it "seriously well-written, but also seriously fun to read" and deserving of "a sequel, sooner rather than later."

Ayize's book IS seriously well-written, as well as highly detailed and an exciting-from-the-get-go read, and I'm so glad it has been picked up and is getting the press it deserves. Read an excerpt here, and then support both the author and small press publishing and come and get it!

2011-12-19T15:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I did something I haven't done for a long time -- at least since I was unemployed. I had whiskey in the afternoon with friends, and it was glorious.

Need the reminder today to savor the simple joys in life, and that I don't need vacation or unemployment or free time other than normal time off to have them.

2011-12-14T14:57:00.000-08:00

I guess I'm not the only one who is so over it.

Word. Kathryn Janeway? Best. Captain. EVER.

I think it goes without saying, but I don't want anyone cursing my existence, so *spoilers*

2011-12-06T11:33:00.000-08:00

It's holiday shopping season! This year, like every year, I like to recommend giving easy holiday gifts that can possibly make a bigger impact.

I've advocated buying local and making community-based gifts in the past, but I must admit that in the age of the big box, it always felt a little futile. But with the entrance of Occupy Wall Street, this idea finally seems to be taking off big time. Occupy's large media presence has brought the idea of being a conscious consumer to the mainstream, and with that, the crucial building blocks needed to get started.

So in lieu of my regular ol' holiday giving recommendations for nonprofits and gifts of conscience, I want to recommend this great article that was forwarded to me by my friend Bicycle Irish:

Occupy the Holidays: Ten Ways to Make Your Gift-Giving More Meaningful

Gift giving is an honored tradition that gives you the opportunity to share joy with those you care most deeply for. But now more than ever, we need to make sure our purchases are meaningful. Being a conscious consumer is imperative during this Holiday season. This doesn’t mean forsaking your seasonal celebrations, including gift exchanges. But it does mean taking some time to reconsider out habits.

These are really easy but highly effective ways to incorporate conscious consumerism into your holiday -- and perhaps, daily -- life.

Okay, but you're not getting away that easily! I also want to share a great piece I read about the transformative and healing power of being generous with one's spirit.

Knitting Behind Bars

Each week the men eagerly await the women's arrival, then promptly get to work. “It takes you away a little,” Horton says. “You have to watch what you’re doing, otherwise your stitches will become loose or tight or you’ll skip stitches. It almost makes you feel like you don't have to be anything. You’re all sitting there knitting. You can just be yourself.”

[Richy] Horton was released from prison last December and now works in construction. He believes his involvement with KBB helped him get out of jail and onto parole, showing the parole interviewers his small but positive effort to help the outside community. He continues to keep in touch with the women of KBB and is currently knitting a beaded scarf. “They’re not normal people,” Horton says of Zwerling, Rovelstad, and Heirs. “They’re almost like saints.”

"It almost makes you feel like you don't have to be anything." This is a program that works.

To donate to Knitting Behind Bars, contact Lynn Zwerling at lynnzwerling@verizon.net.

2011-12-05T21:47:00.000-08:00

Whoa.

Conspiracy Keanu

I die.

2011-11-28T12:09:00.000-08:00

Good friend and all-around superb human being, the poet Eric Baus, has a new book out.

It is called Scared Text, and not only does it promise some awesome poetic jams, it won the 2011 Colorado Prize for Poetry.

Cole Swensen, the judge for the 2011 prize, says:

Baus has opened a new literary field: the linguistic bestiary, a new zoo where words pace like fauves behind ever-thinning bars.

I do love the new worlds that Eric creates (or brings forth from just outside our periphery) in his poetry. This is also true of his last two books, Tuned Droves and my favorite, The To Sound.

Come and get it!

2011-11-23T13:07:00.000-08:00

Mine too. May your Thanksgiving be full of pie!

2011-11-16T15:07:00.000-08:00

I've really really been trying not to write about the social implications of anything having to do with the Twilight novels, but I seem to have lost my resolve.

I know plenty of booksellers who had some reservations about recommending the Twilight series for consumption by teens -- teen girls in particular. This was for many reasons, but chiefly among them being the fact that the main character, Bella Swan, is not a strong female role model. But even this, along with abysmal writing, cannot blot out the fact that it is a series that spurred many kids to get excited about reading. Its appeal is undeniable, but so is its stunted message.

That is why I found this essay so fascinating.

Our Bella, Ourselves

I get the point about Bella coming from a place that is more identifiable for teens, especially teen girls. I also get that teens are more about internal dialogue. I was a timid, shy child who spent a lot of time playing alone. I was also not white in a town that was very white and very redneck. My internal dialogue was deafening. I also often thought about relationships and sex in a knight in shining armor context: a strong, controlling, patriarchal husband (not partner) who is somewhat hurt and damaged from his experiences, and thus excused for his controlling and patriarchal behavior because of said damage. It's unrealistic and wrong, and not only twists and stunts girls' expectations, but paints men into a corner as well. But it's also what has been shoveled to girls for ages. It wasn't until I discovered punk rock that I found freedom from the "norms" my community and society had placed on me, embraced my niggling suspicion that I could be anything I wanted to be, and began to act on that.

I think it's damaging to say we should give room to Twilight and Bella and her controlling stalker Edward because it's how many young girls think, especially when juxtaposed alongside the "Buffy Summers maxim" with the implication that is equally damaging because physical power comes "at the expense of emotional clarity." I also don't buy that self-actualized heroines are exhibiting a "masculinist" understanding of what it is to realize your own potential. These exhibitions should be part of modern human wholeness. Teens are inherently obsessed with gender roles and are emotionally stunted, but they have SO much potential. I say we need female protagonists in media to model personal power if we want girls to develop the tools needed to seek out balance and emotional clarity. The alternative? Bella stunts her emotional development through being controlled, infantilized, and put on a pedestal, and then as an ADULT marries her controller and stalker. She has no personal power -- physical, intellectual, or emotional -- and never becomes self-actualized.

As I have matured into a strong, independent woman in a deep partnership with another strong and independent human being, the one thing that spoke to me in this essay was this:

...the Twilight saga, I would argue, has the potential to revitalize a number of our larger conversations about feminism...If, as feminists, we believe in girls’ and womens’ autonomy, how do we understand the autonomy-shattering power of desire? Do we determine that some desires (to be dominated? to be beautiful? to get married?) are bad and others good?

These are valid questions. I see nothing wrong with any of these desires; it is the motivation behind it that is the question for me. As a woman who is constantly questioning why I do things, I think there must be an encouragement toward self-actualization and independence in order for desire to intersect with the idea of choice. Investigating being powerful yourself -- even as you are developing emotional maturity -- allows you to make mistakes, own up to them, and then work through any resulting damage. There may be no "bad" or "good" at that conclusion, just what is best for you and who you care about. Twilight may have a glimmer of potential to add to this conversation, but much of it is eclipsed (har har) by the overwhelming, relentless, and frankly, offensive, two-dimensionalness of the personalities in the books. It's a reach that may only offer a mere footnote where other works could do much better.

On another YA and controversial literature related note, my friend Nina La Cour's book, Hold Still was challenged!

"All publicity is good publicity" aside, I find this challenge -- while possibly giving a greater audience for her terrific debut -- sad. But at the same time, I have always been so proud of Nina and her beautiful novels, and I am even more proud that her work is at the forefront of a censorship battle! While I'm sure these parents would also object to Twilight, I personally find Nina's exploration of the many rich facets of teenage experience a much more valuable read -- one that honors and respects rather than insults teens' multi-layered experiences and budding personalities by being profoundly open-ended and real.

Funny, though, this whole exploration of adults attempting to curate a child's experience, and what is valued.

While parents have the right to guide their child's education, Bonney and the ALCU contend that parents don't have the right to impose their views on everyone else in the community.

Do I think the world's going to end if a million kids read crappy ol' Twilight? No. Do I think those kids will get a better quality read in Hold Still? For sure. Do I think both books, to different degrees, inspire dialogue and shouldn't be censored? Yes. And with that, and discussion, there is room on the YA shelf for Caitlin and Bella both.

2011-11-10T12:30:00.000-08:00

I've been cooling on Neil Gaiman lately, for ridiculous reasons unrelated to his writing that I will not go into here. Lovely bloke at each reading I've been to of his, but...oh, let's not talk about that when he's just an itty piece of my post, m'kay?

I know the departure of David "phwoar, come to my man-harem" Tennant as Doctor Who was eons ago, but as a yank I am really just getting to know Matt Smith as the new Doctor. Was very sad about the latest regeneration, but as all Doctors do, he is growing on me. Amy and Rory, however? I was on board from the beginning.

Those things said, "The Doctor's Wife" (spoilers at the link, sweetie) -- written by Gaiman -- was possibly the best episode ever. Really, truly.

I wanted to see the universe, so I stole a Timelord and ran away. You were the only one mad enough.

Positively brilliant. And I mean, brilliant. Deliciously romantic and terribly clever.

So, am back in the saddle again boys, on both counts.

2011-11-10T00:05:00.000-08:00

Amazeballs.

"17 countries and it has to be unanimous -- unanimous! I can't even get three friends to agree on a restaurant, can you imagine how hard it would be if none of us spoke the same language and our grandparents killed each other in WWII?"

2011-11-09T10:23:00.000-08:00

Recent new fave How to Be A Retronaut is blowing up with good swag today!

Art Deco Superheroes

Seriously worth the clickety-click. Lovely images all.

Also making my morning: a different type of hero.

Alternative "Heroes" by Sukita 1977

Never been one of those gals (or guys) who was in love with Bowie, and a good photograph can do wonders for anyone, aaaannnnnnd youth and passion makes for a seductive soup, so I guess still question what I'm about to say in some ways, but OMG, how absolutely beautiful was David Bowie?

2011-11-07T13:19:00.000-08:00

Trevor and I once found a treasure trove of old Playboys from the late 60s/early 70s (in an abandoned trailer out in the middle of nowhere, no less), and the one thing that stood out for us (besides the obvious) was the prevalence of "family relations" in stories and pictorials.

What up, Boomers? Gross.

Oh those swinging times...

Via Sequential Crush, a "blog devoted to preserving the memory of romance comic books and the creative teams that published them throughout the 1960s and 1970s." Pure awesome.

2011-11-03T10:45:00.000-07:00

That's right.

Just like that, but maybe more clothes.

2011-11-02T15:35:00.000-07:00

...as an 18-year-old, [Keene] came across a translation of The Tale of Genji in the Astor Hotel in New York. At the time, Keene was studying French and Greek literature at Columbia University, having won a scholarship to study there at the age of 16. He bought [The Tale of Genji] because, at 59 cents, the epic story, written 1,100 years ago, contained more words per dollar than any book in the store.

Oh, those days -- those wonderful and magical olden days.

Why U.S. Academic Donald Keene Became a Japanese Citizen

BTW, look up "romanticize" in the dictionary and you'll see a picture of me -- in sepia tones, of course.

2011-10-31T10:29:00.000-07:00

2011-10-25T16:21:00.000-07:00

Werd.

First, Eat All the Lawyers -- Why the Zombie Boom is Really About the Economic Fears of White-Collar Workers.

So true, and why even as I trudge wearily through the daily indignity of working in "Administration" I continue to keep up my skillz on the shooting range, as well as upping my oog threshold and getting my ag on by constantly picking fat, nasty worms off my homegrown kale. Oh, and I also work to keep up my cardio. Everyone knows cardio is numero uno in surviving a zombie apocalypse.

Anyway, timely, cute, but also sad and quite serious, read; however, forget the mere fear of the onset of obsoletism or feeling useless as a marketing executive in a literal flesh-eating zombie crisis -- we're already full swing into a walking dead crisis of the existential kind. After reading this, I was reminded of one of my posts from long ago that touched on the very real zombification through out of control consumption and the dulling of wonder -- two things that are brought on and exacerbated by white collar drudgery.

^^ Black Friday, (no) braaaaaiins...

In the 5 years since I wrote that post, these issues and the proliferation of zombie media have reached a tipping point as economies fail in a 21st century just beginning to assert itself. The rioting in Europe and the Middle East, the Occupy movements across the US protesting Wall Street's walking dead (who are always hungry for the meat of our livelihoods) and the reinvigoration of the minimalist and buy local movements -- are these likely to be mass crossbow bolts to a collective zombie noggin, or just a last stand by an exhausted populace constantly outmanned and undermined by the sheer number of both figurative zombies and the ones who have given up?

Where are we going, and who will we become along the way?

2011-10-21T16:04:00.001-07:00

Wow, what a fantastic piece in the New York Times on Haruki Murakami, his new tome, 1Q84, and the odd and oddly intoxicating organism that is Japanese culture.

I read an excerpt from the 1Q84, "Town of Cats" in the New Yorker last month, and it was terrific. But this piece by Sam Anderson is so great because instead of focusing strongly on this single book, he so deftly zeroes in on the beating heart of Murakami's work -- that terrible and beautiful Murakami muse: the darkness and light, the "ennui and eroticism" that is Japan, and his self-described outsider status.

Anderson implies that Murakami is bemused by his unofficial Japanese literary ambassadorship to the world, as he thinks of himself as a sort of reject from Japanese society. But this is what I find so tragic and beautiful about Japanese culture: their wa (which means both "Japan" and "harmony") -- and thus their perceived homogeneity -- while working well on the surface, lends itself to an individual and private feeling of otherness, of outsider status. This paradox of rejection and complete Japanese-ness, and Murakami's ability to heave this sort of unrequited love out of himself and into the novels that he writes, is what makes him the perfect ambassador for this country in perpetual identity crisis. I don't think Murakami is alone, and I think both he and Anderson know that.

After a few minutes, a strange creature fluttered into my view of the garden. At first it seemed like some kind of bird — a strange hairy hummingbird, maybe, based on the way it was hovering. But then it started to look more like two birds stuck together: it wobbled more than it flew, and it had all kinds of flaps and extra parts hanging off it. I decided, in the end, that it was a big, black butterfly, the strangest butterfly I had ever seen...[m]oments after the butterfly left, Murakami came down the stairs and sat, quietly, at his dining-room table. I told him I had just seen the weirdest butterfly I had ever seen in my entire life. He took a drink from his plastic water bottle, then looked up at me. “There are many butterflies in Japan,” he said. “It is not strange to see a butterfly.”

2011-10-21T15:01:00.000-07:00

I had two hits within seconds of each other on my blog the other day, from opposite sides of the country, one on a Mac and one on a PC, but for the same query...

"emergency", sexy

What? If this were an actual phrase rather than a grave misuse of search query punctuation, and had come from Japan, I wouldn't bat an eye as this is totally bitchin' and way appropo Engrish. But in the US of A? Can you 'splain, anonymous googlers? Am I missing something?

In any case, speaking of Japan, I love that this was the entry page.

2011-10-13T15:19:00.000-07:00

I get really, really annoyed when bloggers have random paid product placement in their blogs. Yeah, I know, it's great if you can make money blogging blah blah, but c'mon, it IS kind of gross -- especially when the plug is inserted all pseudo-natural-like. Ugh! Totally gross. Admittedly, two of my favorite blogs do have product placement in some of their posts, but it is always posted as "sponsored content", which I can get behind an itty bit more.

That said, be forewarned that this post has some serious product pimping. But since I do not get paid to blog (unless you count blogging from work -- shhhh :P) you will understand that this pimping is completely from the heart. And if you have eczema, like I do, you will also understand why I want to pimp this motha out.

Griffin Remedy Bulgarian Lavender Body Lotion

Griffin Remedy, based in San Francisco, offers vegan products that are 100% paraben-free, with no artificial colors or fragrances. I've been using Griffin Remedy's shampoo and conditioner for years now, because I wash my hair every day and want something less chemical-based but not so crunchy I get no hair shaft protection and end up with nasty hippie hair, and their shampoo and conditioner are THE BEST. So naturally, I decided to try out the body lotion because I needed some not chemical moisturizer for my super dry office. I found it very emollient, yet not super greasy. Great, that'll do.

But the unexpected side effect? Eczema on my fingers lessening significantly, and in some areas GOING AWAY.

This is big news in my world. Big enough (yet not TMI) to BLOG about it and maybe, just maybe, help someone else looking for relief and give one of my favorite little companies a little boost.

Their body lotions contain MSM, or sulfur. My understanding is that sulfur is used to control dandruff, another type of dermatitis. And you know that rotten egg smell at hot springs? The same hot springs that are touted as oh so good for your skin? Sulfur, baby. It also probably doesn't hurt that this lotion is free from parabens and other nasty stuff. And that it also contains lavender, which has been traditionally used to treat skin wounds and irritation.

The forever skeptic in me also acknowledges that there's a chance it's all psychosomatic (and full disclosure -- that seems to be my [Western, and very skeptical] doctor's opinion). But what if it ISN'T psychosomatic? Either way, I feel great knowing that I can support a local business by using a product I need to use anyway that is both natural and may be giving me this benefit, and share it with people who may have similar problems. For real, go get some!

2011-10-12T13:36:00.000-07:00

WOO-HOO! Here's the New York Times Book Review of Harry Houdini, illustrated by my friend, the very talented Chris Lane.

"Beautifully illustrated." Big-time kudos.

Chris, as you may recall, also did the cover of Trevor's first book, Rarer and More Wonderful, and more recently, the illustrations for Zombies: A Record in the Year of Infection (in which moi was depicted as patient zero).

It looks like a fantastic book. So very excited for Chris!

2011-10-11T12:19:00.000-07:00

Oh Japan, you so crazy.

This, in combination with the eroding walls of internet privacy, are going to cause some problems, I'll tell you what. Off to sequester myself in a hidey-hole in the Canadian tundra...

2011-10-07T11:35:00.000-07:00

QUALITY.

Photostream of Haunted House Patrons

2011-10-05T12:41:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered how to dress your man like this?

Or this?

Or this?

You *need* Nerd Boyfriend. Seriously awesomesauce.

This one may be my personal favorite ('tis also the most complete). And for those times when I DON'T feel like caking on blue eyeshadow and wearing next to nothing, oh Chris O'Dowd/Roy/Officer Rhodes, you're my go-to guy.

2011-09-30T15:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, seriously wow.

Abandoned Ekranoplan in Kaspiysk, Dagestan, Russia

This is a gorgeous photo display of this massive and one of a kind seaplane, built by Russia to destroy enemy ships.

From Wikipedia:

The Lun-class (harrier) ekranoplan was a seaplane designed by Rostislav Evgenievich Alexeev and used by the Soviet and Russian navies from 1987 to sometime in the late 1990s...Lun was one of the largest seaplanes ever built, with a length of 73 m (240 ft).

The only aircraft of this type ever built, the MD-160, entered service with the Black Sea Fleet in 1987. Eight Kuznetsov NK-87 turbofans were mounted on forward canards, and each produced 127.4 kN (28,600 lbf) thrust. She had a flying boat hull with a large deflecting plate at the bottom to provide a "step" for takeoff.

The aircraft was equipped for anti-surface warfare, and it carried the P-270 Moskit (Mosquito) guided missile. It was equipped with six missile launchers, mounted in pairs on the dorsal surface of its fuselage, and its advanced tracking systems mounted in its nose and tail.

Check out the Google Maps image. Stellar.

Always interested, but now super inspired, to seek out the forgotten, or merely hidden in plain sight.

2011-09-22T13:05:00.000-07:00

Here is a terrific interview at Argot & Ochre with my friend, the super illustrator Jon Stich.

(^^ one of my all-time faves)

This interview (like Jon) is very candid. Even though it is brief, I think it's a great tool for new illustrators, because Jon is very honest about the ins and outs of getting work, marketing it, and selling it.

You can take a look at some of the prints and originals Jon has for sale and give him some love at his Etsy site.

2011-09-08T13:48:00.001-07:00

omg *love*

CAPTCHArt

2011-09-01T11:45:00.000-07:00

Oakland what what!

Brutus, a men's lifestyle magazine in Japan, just published a best of California businesses issue that features one of my favorite Oakland businesses: Issues, the mucho magazine and cool literary/musical what-have-you shop. Also featured are a slew of other Oakland and Bay Area goodies like the Pop Up General Store, crazy-famous-already-but-so-totally-worth-the-hype Bakesale Betty, and Bicycle Coffee.

I love Issues because they are incredible champions for Oakland business, and such nice folks t'boot. I am so pleased they are getting this kind of publicity. Read their blog post about it here.

2011-08-31T17:02:00.000-07:00

Cute, and true.

Bikes of San Francisco

Buy the poster here.

2011-08-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

Who says American manufacturing is dead?

The Inside Scoop on the Fake Barf Industry

2011-08-23T11:40:00.000-07:00

This is terrific.

Painful Groins in Art

2011-08-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

My mother was an excellent cook. I say "was" because after almost 40 years of cooking meals from scratch for her family, she's decided that she's done with homemade and done with cooking. Now she's strictly a microwave mama. It happens, and I don't blame her, really, but damn, I miss going home to her barbecued chicken. And her pork ribs. And her spaghetti, and casseroles, and stews...

It's funny how that even as I was raised on venison my dad shot and dressed himself, wild rainbow trout my mom fried up in cornmeal, and fat tomatoes, peppers, and peaches from our own garden, as a child I still wanted things like this:

I know, right?! If you can believe it, TV dinner days were a treat for me as a child (much more so for my mother, I'm sure). I think all kids are like this, non? I cringe when I think back on the oysters I would pass up for Chef Boyardee (one of the few concessions my mom made to convenience food), and how even as my mom was ladling out creamy homemade macaroni and cheese, I would ask her for the stuff that came in a blue box. Ooh, the shame.

I just stumbled across a blog dedicated to vintage ads and pics of these and other "gastronomic atrocities of the past" so I can now get my fix of all sorts of forbidden and forboding delicacies.

Aspic and Other Delights

A favorite for so many reasons (and something I may actually make -- shhhh):

2011-08-15T15:58:00.000-07:00

So I was excited, but bitching, a few days ago, and now see why A.A. Bondy doesn't have a club date yet in the Bay for his tour.

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2011

Yes, it's free, and one of the coolest festivals in the country, but call me spoiled -- I'm still a tad disappointed. Hate having to fight the crowds that weekend, so maybe, just maybe, Bondy will pick up a small venue before he heads to Portland.

Don't judge! Look at this mess...

I did stay home last year, but I suppose I am inevitably going to fight the crowds this year anyway, given the fact that Bondy is playing, as well as the rest of the awesome lineup.

Kris Kristofferson and Merle Haggard! M. Ward! Chris Isaak! Robert Plant! Thurston Moore! All among other regulars I never tire of like Gillian Welch. I've heard good things about Devotchka too for years -- this may be a good opportunity to finally get a good listen.

But truly, after Bondy, I am most excited (and most surprised to see on the lineup list) for Conspiracy of Beards. Conspiracy of Beards is a male a capella choir which performs only the songs of Leonard Cohen, often reworked so as not to be exactly joyous, but so you don't want to kill yourself at the end of the set.

I saw Conspiracy of Beards long ago when they first formed, at the Starry Plough, and they were fantastic. What a great break for them!

Now to cross my fingers for all of the folks I want to see to play on the same day!

2011-08-10T18:38:00.000-07:00

I've blogged in the past about the Austrian art collective Gelitin and their magnificently irreverent art projects.

I don't check in on their goings on as often as I should, but during my recent perusal of their site I was pleasantly surprised to see a ton of new projects and installations. One that particularly interested me was a recent showing at the Tim Van Laere Gallery in Belgium.

All Together Now

The visitor (m/f) is asked to pee in a urinal, the urine then runs through a transparent tube throughout the gallery and is collected in a colossal plastic bubble best described as an oval hot water bed. That (warm) bubble offers other visitors a seat, a lie-down, a wandering moment or - why not - a moment to reflect on the sense and nonsense of life itself.

I really admire Gelitin in general for their balls out art aesthetic, and this piece is no different -- challenging comfort zones and reinterpreting traditional ideas around medium and permanence.

There is also an interview with Gelitin by the gallery's Jos Van den Berg that gives a bit of background on the history of both the piece and the collective, as well as the type of experiences that inform their work. A super read.

An internet search the other day that manifested as a hit on this blog was the phrase, "knicker wetting for fun." I couldn't for the life of me figure out how I actually got a hit with that, but what serendipity.

2011-08-03T12:00:00.000-07:00

YEEEEEEEEEE!

Song Premiere: A.A. Bondy's 'The Heart is Willing'

(A.A. Bondy at The New Parish in Oakland, 9.7.2010, photo by moi)

New album, Believers, coming next month!

And there will be a tour, but boo -- no dates in the Bay! Really?

2011-08-01T14:55:00.001-07:00

Common-sense design:

Change Tasklight

...insert a coin into the lamp to turn it on, and when you want to turn it off, the lamp will dispense your coin back...the lamp was designed to be used in public places like libraries, where forgetting to flip the switch is not uncommon.

Way cool.

2011-07-27T12:31:00.000-07:00

An intersection of two things near and dear.

Fashions From Star Trek: The Next Generation

jumpsuits...

so very many jumpsuits...

Never thought much about it until now, but STTNG was definitely rocking a good portion of the Alan Watts fashion model. Trifecta of awesome.

2011-07-26T12:29:00.001-07:00

This is, quite frankly, rad.

Keret House Centrala

In Warsaw, Poland in the district of Wola lies a small crack of space between the buildings on 22 Chłodna Street and 74 Żelazna Street. Jakub Szczęsny of Centrala, recognized the potential to create something unique within this narrow area, and derived a design of an art installation entitled Keret House. The house upon completion shall become the narrowest house in Warsaw, measuring an interior that will vary between 122 centimeters and 72 centimeters in its narrowest spot.

I have a love of small spaces, both functionally and very often -- intentionally or not -- as art. This space, curated by a residential art program in Wola, will function to create "creative work conditions" for visiting artists from all over the world. So beautiful, and in its blank canvasses I think there's a serenity that may be perfect for writers and some visual artists.

2011-07-04T12:07:00.001-07:00

Happy Independence Day!

I just got back from a week in one of the most iconic of American of cities, New Orleans, Louisiana. First time in Dixie for this one, and it was lovely.

Music, stunning architecture, excellent (if rich) food, some of the best beer around, and some of the nicest folks I've encountered. Definitely shortlisted as a place I could settle, and I can't wait to go back.

2011-06-24T21:33:00.001-07:00

Finally, true Liberty and Justice for New York.

After NY Senate Vote, Governor Cuomo Signs Gay Marriage Bill

Bravo. Still waiting, California.

2011-06-21T01:32:00.000-07:00

Today: news that made my day!

As a fairly recent fan of the charming brothers Mael, AKA Sparks, I had heard about this bit of brilliance some time ago and was sad that I wouldn't be able to see its limited run in LA.

Sparks Concoct 'The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman'

Part concept album, part radio drama, part opera, part Hollywood satire, “The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman” applies Sparks’ signature brand of outrageous subject matter, barbed humor and expansive-yet-catchy pop music in exploring what might have happened had Hollywood come calling on Bergman in the wake of his critical breakthrough in 1956 at the Cannes Film Festival with “Smiles of a Summer Night.”

But I see now from this article that it is being made into a film, to be directed by none other than GUY MADDIN, who directed one of my favorite short films ever, The Heart of the World.

Stoked doesn't even come close.

2011-06-09T16:15:00.000-07:00

This is superb, both in subject and execution. Love love love to see young Japanese continuing the (good) old traditions -- especially when it comes to superior and subtle Japanese craftsmanship.

Karakuri from Matthew Allard on Vimeo.

2011-05-31T11:57:00.000-07:00

But listen. Stop trying to pretend that you can live in New York and have this overly successful life based on writing alone. It’s a cruel joke! It hurts my feelings! You have to be poor as fuck because every writer, including myself, moves to NYC and feels oftentimes homeless. A good day is when you don’t think ‘maybe I should cook these garbage rats for sustenance’ and a great day is ‘i have 35 dollars I’m going to finally be able to eat something other than canned beans and Four Loko.’ YOU MAKE NONE OF THE SENSE, BRADSHAW.

Carrie Bradshaw Math

Brilliant.

2011-05-27T12:39:00.001-07:00

I can't tell if this guy has the best or worst job ever.

Japanese Emergency Toilet

2011-05-18T23:27:00.000-07:00

Unbelievable.

Camel Thorn Trees, Namibia

Photograph by Frans Lanting

Tinted orange by the morning sun, a soaring dune is the backdrop for the hulks of camel thorn trees in Namib-Naukluft Park.

source

2011-05-13T15:46:00.000-07:00

DELAWARE!

Liberty, indeed. Good job!

2011-05-10T14:56:00.000-07:00

Wow, this is super cool.

Library of Congress National Jukebox

The Library of Congress presents the National Jukebox, which makes historical sound recordings available to the public free of charge. The Jukebox includes recordings from the extraordinary collections of the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation and other contributing libraries and archives.

What a treasure trove of Appalachia, tin pan alley, American folk, comedic skits, political speeches, and more.

2011-05-04T17:52:00.000-07:00

This is fantastic.

2011-04-24T10:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!

Cadbury Creme Deviled Eggs

Don't have a sweet tooth? I have something for you too: Jesus Dress Up

2011-04-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

This is beyond stunning.

25 Haunting Shipwrecks Around the World

That last one hurts me, it is so gorgeous.

I love shipwrecks, and all things abandoned at sea. My head was spinning while scrolling through these photographs. Absolutely breathtaking.

2011-04-22T10:43:00.000-07:00

I know it seems like I'm always posting about wife-beaters and sexual predators when it comes to privacy and civil rights, so let me say again, for real, it's not because of sympathy.

As a society, we knee-jerk when it comes to anything about these two button-pushing populations. We will sacrifice anything -- with nary a glance at how it may pan out in the long run -- ostensibly to protect ourselves, and that's what I find troubling.

So it was with interest that I have been following the match.com plan to check their user lists against sex offender registries, in the wake of a lawsuit against the company by a woman who says she was assaulted by a "match." All kinds of wrong, and the stellar Electronic Frontier Foundation (love them so much) says it best:

Sexual Predators, Please Check Here: Match.com’s Deeply Flawed Plan to Screen for Sex Offenders

I've heard people say, "if you don't like the policies, just don't use match (or FB, or insert-social-media-site-here)" but whether these policies are misguided, panic-induced, or actually well thought out ways for companies and the guvmint to work their way into your life, they have implications far beyond simply stringing up those we find distasteful "for the children" blah blah blah, and far beyond sites you just decide not to use.

2011-04-22T09:51:00.000-07:00

I have never desired things like fancy cars, but I saw this beautiful car on the freeway the other day and I can't stop thinking about it.

I think I may need this house to go with it, don't you think?

2011-04-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

Oh Karl. *love*

Karl Lagerfeld's New Perfume Smells Like Books

2011-04-12T11:09:00.000-07:00

omg, sooooo good.

Stephen Colbert Defends Planned Parenthood

During the fight over the federal budget, Republican Senator Jon Kyl stated that over 90% of the services performed by Planned Parenthood were abortions. Over the weekend, the folks at Fox & Friends said that Walgreens offered many of the same services as Planned Parenthood. On tonight's Report, Stephen Colbert hilariously debunked them both.

In conclusion, Jon Kyl is a brainless monster from another planet, intent on breeding more Americans in order to enslave the population to power his planet's machines. That was not meant as a (completely) factual statement. ;)

Stephen Colbert is a lifetime member of my man harem. That is meant as a completely factual statement. :)

2011-04-06T00:24:00.000-07:00

At Age 84, A City's Last Geisha Defies Time and a 4th Tsunami

The first two paragraphs are like poetry.

2011-04-05T21:46:00.000-07:00

WANT.

Metsa Design Cement Pearls

(If you're looking for my birthday gift and haven't already spoiled me with this Jaggy Nettle sweater, I definitely won't sniff at the earrings) ;)

Found these gems on the fashion blog Threadbared, after reading a feature article in the SF Chron about their unique blog content.

Threadbared is a fashion blog dedicated to "the politics, aesthetics, histories, theories, cultures and subcultures that go by the names 'fashion' and 'beauty.'"

if you've ever wondered why people of color appear as background props - think maids or drivers - rather than as models in glossy fashion spreads, open a box of bonbons and start scrolling through Threadbared

I must admit that I was expecting their political and social commentary to be a little more explicit, but even so it's still a really excellent intersection to be taken up and explored. Impressive.

2011-04-03T19:05:00.000-07:00

Insulted by Authors

2011-03-24T12:24:00.000-07:00

Ooooh, a mashup of two of my favorite things!

Books That Inspired Fashion Designers

Some favorites from this series:

1) I need this sweater from Jaggy Nettle. For real. Gorgeous. A beautiful tribute to this cover of The Bell Jar (a fave of mine), which evokes the psychological state of Esther, the protagonist from the novel. Most impressive because it is not just singular inspiration, but a collaboration with an independent publishing house specializing in poetry in the UK, Faber and Faber. More of these types of collaborations please!

2) Love the simplicity and clean lines of Shipley and Halmos. Ayn Rand, not so much, but the pieces they've featured here, and the quote, are apt.

3) I'm also a fan of Margeurite Duras. Gaby Basora's Tucker does well in evoking The Lover for me.

This kind of stuff makes my day.

2011-03-23T18:56:00.000-07:00

Ballad of a Thin Man -- Godfathers of Glam Who Can Still Rock a Skinny Suit.

Fierce.

2011-03-23T13:02:00.000-07:00

A woman ahead of her time, a tireless supporter of gay rights and AIDS education and activism, and one of the last true classic Hollywood icons, gone.

RIP.

2011-03-22T23:39:00.000-07:00

I've always been more of a Misfits girl myself.

source

2011-03-21T18:21:00.000-07:00

So much has happened in the last 10 days, and there's really not much to say that hasn't already been said.

The damage from the 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami on March 11 to the Tohoku region of Japan was devastating. Each day, as the casualty count rises, my heart breaks.

My 70 year old Japanese expatriate mother says that the Japanese people's greatest strength is their perseverance -- that, and their sense of community. We also both agree it could have been far, far worse. I take some comfort in those truisms.

I am also very glad the Japanese government has been so receptive to international, government-based aid this time around. And the urge to help has been strong internationally among everyday folks too, which makes me feel like we've come so far since WWII. However, I do caution people to be very selective in how they choose to help a country like Japan. The human toll has been high, and so sad, and I know I'm not alone in feeling powerless and wanting to do something, anything, to ease the emotional and physical pain of survivors. But Japan is wealthy, industrialized, intergovernmentally connected, and has infrastructure. Unless you have specific skills that can be put to use, it may be better to send any financial support at this time, in solidarity, to a country still struggling with their earthquake repercussions, like Haiti.

On a personal note, everyone close to my heart is safe, and for that I am grateful. My cousin said that they will live through anything! :)

Nihon, ganbatte ne?

2011-03-08T08:30:00.000-08:00

Happy International Women's Day! Ultimately, this should be an everyday event, but it is great to have a day to really focus on the achievements and contributions of women and remind folks of the continuing fight for women's empowerment around the globe.

I am grateful that I grew up with parents who told me I could achieve anything I wanted in life; even more fundamental is that I was given a solid foundation to thrive by being born in a top notch medical facility after a pregnancy during which my mother had excellent medical care.

There have been countless studies that conclude that women's health and education are primary indicators of the health of a community. This fact, juxtaposed with the sobering and painful reality of so many women all over the world, was one of the reasons I was attracted to working in women's health after I finished college.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that 1500 women die everyday from mostly avoidable childbirth related complications. Medical complications in childbirth, such as obstetric hemorrhage (massive bleeding from childbirth), obstructive labor (labor where the mother is unable to deliver the baby), eclampsia (life threatening seizures related to high blood pressure), and sepsis (widespread infection) are emergencies we in the industrialized world understand as serious, but take for granted as unlikely to result in maternal death. This is not the case in many developing nations.

This is why I want to take a moment on International Women's Day to stump for a fantastic nonprofit founded by a female MD in the Bay Area that offers critical services benefiting women in some of the most vulnerable areas of the world.

WE CARE Solar is an organization that provides photovoltaic systems to medical facilities around the globe, ensuring their ability to provide reliable medical care, especially in times of crisis. Having the electrical power to provide health care workers with consistent lighting, mobile communication, and blood bank refrigeration is critical to reducing both infant and maternal mortality rates, and this organization is being utilized by WHO as the model for providing this vital resource.

In honor of the incredible women in your life, I urge you to make a donation to WE CARE, or to another nonprofit working toward women's health, education, or empowerment -- and ultimately, a better world.

2011-03-07T09:47:00.000-08:00

I love the spectacle of Paris Fashion Week, but it is usually just that: spectacle. When something comes along that is both innovative and wearable, I really sit up and pay attention.

Roland Mouret Fall 2011 Ready to Wear

Gorgeous!

2011-03-05T14:44:00.001-08:00

There are good things afoot in the Oakland brewing world.

Y'all know I love a good brew or bourbon now and again. But -- damn those genetics -- I am a lightweight. So I have been one happy camper with the addition of Dying Vines, brewing out of the Linden Street Brewing Company in Oakland.

They seem to be specializing in session beers, with a keen interest in English bitters at that. Crisp, light body, assertive hops, and that all important factor for me, low ABV. I'd only had their Dee'z Mild, which I thought was stellar, though less crisp and more mouthy. But lucky girl I am, last night I was able to taste Dying Vines' newest venture, Old Brick Bitter. Really outstanding -- a true everyday, easy drinking beer. And I had an imperial pint and never even felt it!

I hear from Pete at the equally outstanding Commonwealth** that Dying Vines is looking into doing some barrel-aged beers. Exciting for them, and I will try them for sure because what I have had so far from them is top notch and the complexity of barrel-aged beer can be really fun, but I am a little disappointed as most of those tend to run in the 8 and 9 and up ABV.

Americans. The trend seems to be to build beers that are 8-11 percent and beyond. I recognize the complexity and deliciousness in some, but most just leave me reeling at the alcohol content.

I visited England for the first time in December (I know, I know, why am I just mentioning this NOW?) and had the luck of being in the North, in Yorkshire. Bitters are a specialty, and I was surprised when confronted with the ABVs at the pubs -- low 3s and 4s all. My friends jokingly asked me to not tell Americans that the Brits were such wusses, but I have trumpeted the low ABV factor far and wide. Love it, and also love that the half-pint is commonplace. I like to try many different beers when I go to a pub, and I just cannae do imperial pints of more than, oh, ONE beer in a sitting. And I hate getting sneered at for asking for a halfer!

**also had Commonwealth's Beer and Ale with Yorkshire pudding last night. omnomnomnom.

2011-03-05T13:38:00.000-08:00

Whenever someone tells me women are now on the same level as men in Western society, or that they have it easy, I just think about all of the men and women who are still alive who remember stuff like this.

Ladies, ladies. One word: bourbon. Two birds, one stone.

2011-03-02T13:03:00.000-08:00

WOOT! Happy fifth anniversary to me and my sine qua non!

Apologies for my lackluster posting as of late, AKA, pic/vid + link + snazzy quip = blog post. You would think unemployment would be more conducive to the regular birth of rants and raves, but there's been way too much sunshine and open road for me and my bicycle lately.

I haven't forgotten my precious. I'm grateful and glad to still be in existence after 5 years, and there will be more to come. Promise.

In case anyone's interested, what got it all started.

xoxoxo

2011-02-28T22:28:00.000-08:00

Oh my, yes please.

Jon Hamm as Superman

2011-02-24T14:53:00.000-08:00

Not a fan of Dave Eggers at all, to the point of not wanting to promote any of his stuff, but my friend John put this together for McSweeney's, and it is just too good to lock away.

What Your Favorite Classic Rock Band Says About You

The descriptions for Deep Purple and Rainbow are hilarious, but I found the Eagles' description especially LOL, yet so seriously apt.

P.S. I don't own any of these, but I do have the 90s version of these. Close enough?

2011-02-23T20:09:00.000-08:00

Mahalo Hawaii!

Hawaii's Governor Signs Civil Unions Into Law

But brahs, what's up with your flag?

2011-02-06T22:30:00.000-08:00

I am so behind the times, but this may be my favorite place at the mo:

The Hairpin

With artful presentations like The Best of Sexual Harassment Stock Photography and Women Laughing Alone With Salad, and diatribes against everything from the Trenta cup (see mine here) to the god-awful stench of drugstore shampoo, this may be my new precious.

Ladies First.

2011-02-04T10:37:00.001-08:00

I don't usually go for semi-blondes, or super bros for that matter, but dammit Tom Hardy has been gunning as a contender for my man harem.

He was teh sex in Inception, will be Bane in the next installation of Batman (squee!), and will redefine Mad Max so the franchise is no longer fronted in our minds by a creepy misogynist racist (and he will look positively swoon-worthy kicking ass in leather). But I have high standards -- you cannot take a place in my imaginary tent in the desert alongside men like Jon Stewart simply because you ooze teh sexy.

And so the harem was to stay static. Until...

This article, where he's interviewed by Vincent Cassel about SLAPPING Paul Bettany on set (as to not mar his face -- a gentleman and consummate professional, this one) for talking mad shit about him.

Pretty much clinches it, non?

2011-02-03T14:27:00.000-08:00

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

2011-01-28T11:41:00.000-08:00

Here's something quite timely for me:

Penelope Trunk's Brazen Careerist

I'm at a place in life where I don't want to take life and career too seriously, but I need to take it more seriously than previous incarnations of me have done in the past. Her posts are great. I'm all over it.

2011-01-21T12:09:00.000-08:00

‎"We need to make books cool again. If you go home with somebody and they don’t have books, don’t fuck them."

— John Waters

2011-01-17T23:57:00.000-08:00

I hate to be a killjoy, but OMFG.

"Starbucks' 31 Ounce "Trenta" Cup Size Set for US Debut

The new cups will be introduced Tuesday in 14 states: Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, Nevada and Arizona.

Ummmm...

Most Obese US States

Sure, they're supposed to be for "iced beverages such as coffee, tea, or [sugar-filled] lemonade" but you know hella frappuccinos are going to be ladled into those things. Meh.

2011-01-16T13:11:00.000-08:00

The Arizona tragedy is being covered quite extensively, so not to go on and on, but this is well done:

No One Listened to Gabrielle Giffords

While the article does engage in pointing fingers -- what many on the right are bemoaning as unfair, and some, ridiculously, as "blood libel" -- it does so in more than one direction, and acknowledges something obvious I hadn't really thought about: that the current rabid antigovernment radicalism on the right is as dangerous as the same on the left in the late 1960s.

The difference now, full stop? Mainstream media outlets for the radical right that legitimizes it, and a major party that is an apologist for it.

2011-01-10T12:15:00.000-08:00

Oh Arizona.

Tombstone Politics

This is a tragedy that I think anyone with a reasonable bone in his or her body saw coming in some form or another, and as such I've been really at loathe to add my voice to the chorus of voices condemning the radical (and mainstream) right wing for their perceived role, but in the end there are too many implications around all the things I complain about with modern day dumb American politics to NOT comment.

Part of my hesitation to comment is sorting out my feelings around the idea of free speech, and where it crosses the line into incitement of violence. What would seem like clear ignorant nut jobs like Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin encouraging others to be ignorant nut jobs is one negative consequence of the right to free speech. So do we "compromise liberty for security and then deserve neither" and all that jazz? I'm somewhat reminded of the criticism of gangsta rap and the Tipper Gore PMRC hysteria years, and the attempt to link music to gun violence and suicide.

But music is entertainment, not real life. Yeah, I always say certain bands and songs shaped who I am, but the people who really shape how I am obligated to live my life within the confines of the laws of my country -- as well as those non-politicians with immense political power -- need to hold themselves to a higher standard, and use common sense with their constituencies.

Utilizing gun sights to indicate targeted lawmakers, rhetoric about "reloading" not retreating against lawmakers, and talk from (aforementioned nut job endorsed) candidates about being angry enough to use "Second Amendment remedies" is clear incitement to violence.

Would the sympathizers stand for environmental radicals like the ELF using gun sights as the symbol for targeting lawmakers in an election who had abysmal environmental voting records? Of course not. And nor would they stand for anyone using that same rhetoric to target lawmakers who were anti-health care bill, or anti-DREAM Act, or anti- any other countless thing that would be good for the United States that right-wingers deem "Socialist" or "anti-American."

The nasty "make the rich richer" liars that make up the Republican Party, and the redneck laughingstock that is the Tea Party claim to want less government intrusion in their lives. *snort* Do we need to legislate their common sense? It has to stop.