Nina On Everything

Bedroom Inspiration

2011-07-18T14:34:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile. I'm an old married lady now, and as such fill my days with frivolity such as room design. Actually working full time, and working on your new house in whatever free hours you have just makes you long for such things. I'm a busy little bee, who sometimes feels like she's losing her honey lately. (Honey is clearly a metaphor here for sanity. Have you ever seen a bee lose their honey? They pretty much freak their shit.)

So I wanted to share with you, world, the room design inspiration for my homey home.

Dark glamour indeed. You can get busy in that room like it's a mofoin Burger King bathroom... or not. That's really up to you. It actually reminds me of Naked Lunch, but much less insane. I want to live in there. So far the walls are painted. Finding curtains even close to those is proving challenging. The bedding should be easy and accessories are always fun so no problem there. I want to add something mirrored like the dresser there, and that ceiling is goign to have to translate to something else because I am not up to receilingafication at the moment. What do you think?

OMG It's Shoe Time!

2011-02-04T10:51:00.000-08:00

Hello hello! Wedding shoes are hard to find! My first round of looking lead me to many overpriced websites. After adding the word "cheap" to the front of my Google search, I started getting somewhere. I need a lower heel because, well, I like to walk and move, also I'm pretty tall, so I don't want to be towering over everyone, and my dress is just long enough with no shoes at all. Here are some ideas I am flirting with. (I like to use the word flirting when talking about things I am deciding between, it makes it sound sexy and not daunting.)

As always, comments are much appreciate.

Snow Day!

2011-02-02T14:41:00.001-08:00

Views from the window, and current first person point of view.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.6

And Now On To The Hair

2011-01-31T09:19:00.000-08:00

Hi everybody! (Hi Dr. Nick!) It's been awhile, I know. It always is isn't it? These fleeting moments we share must be treasured dear reader, for it is in them that we find connection with one another. And for today's connection, I invite you to join me on my search to find perfect wedding hair.

I ended up deciding on this dress: (with a sweetheart neckline added and some satin straps)

I like the romantic feel of it, and want to do something dramatic with my hair. Here are some ideas I am flirting with.

I'm really into the birdcage veil, so I am looking for a style that will work with one, or with giant over-sized flowers in my hair. What do you think?

Best Sketch of Saturday Night

2010-09-27T14:25:00.000-07:00

Saturday Night Live started it's 36th season this weekend. Hosted by Amy Poehler, and guest staring many of her friends, it was a solid night of comedy. The best sketch, involved a tiny hat, and some lunching ladies, for a truly weird and fun romp that has been missing from the SNL stage for seasons now.

Weddings: 99 Problems But A Dress Ain't One

2010-07-21T14:13:00.000-07:00

Planning a wedding sucks, and not in the implied intercourse tween-porn way either. I mean it's probably super fun for fancy ladies with rich Fiancées from France who drink Perrier and laugh at us unwashed masses yearning to have a modest but exciting wedding of our very own, but I'm really not sure who else.

I only know it hasn't really been all that euphoric for me, yet. The first time we tried to do it, we ended up having to cancel it twice. A few years and a parent's wedding go by and all of a sudden it becomes imperative again. Sure it seems fun at first, talking, planning, getting hopes up about the joy that will be involved in making the happy visions in your head become a reality. But the minute the calculator comes out, the faces drop. "OH WOE IS US! We are but mere earthly mortals who apparently are not good enough to bath in the gold leafed bath houses of the Gods!" In less insane terms, you find out that you have to be fraking rich to get married anywhere that is already set up for you to actually have a wedding at.

Sure, we could all of a sudden become DIY warriors with enough creativity, free-time, and ability to work together to accomplish something worthy of a hipster wedding blog, on a budget, but things aren't looking that was at this particular moment.

I believe we're going to have to be happy with what is known as the low end. Yes, those all inclusive packages do make the most sense financially, and at this point I don't really have the luxury of sticking my nose up at the place with plastic cups and stained ceilings, you know what I'm saying?

I just want to this process to become as easy as possible soon, because I'm not really sure how you make it out alive otherwise. Suggestions are welcome!

Though, you probably won't be surprised to find out this whole thing has not dissuaded me from wanting this dress in the least.

Swoon.

I Once Was Lost

2010-05-24T06:21:00.000-07:00

Lost made me want to change my life. It made me miss and value my friends and family and people I have lost myself more than I can even put into words. It's the next morning, and here I am sitting at work with tears streaming down my face as I try to reflect on what I supposed was just a TV show, but really, a thing of beauty, a piece of art to be interpreted by every soul differently.

The entire series was an adventure and an epic journey, and the finale did not disappointed in terms of wrapping up the story of saving the island. Sure there were unanswered questions, but there was a mythology to the island that only a little bit of mystery can keep alive. We learned this from watching a show for 6 years where not knowing was often times more fun than knowing.

In fact, knowing is painful. It can be hard to "remember" and to "let go." Hell, it's hard to remember and let go of your favorite show. The finale was a realization of the feeling of being one you experience as part of humanity, of being interconnected with everyone. I saw it, I felt it, and I am indeed having trouble letting go. Being freed is a beautiful experience, but inherently someone gets left behind. We are all Ben, still left with things to deal with, watching our friends move on to pure light and love. What could be more beautifully heartbreaking?

The end was a chorus of Amazing Grace. Once Lost, we're now found, and for some people, that may not mean much. To me, it meant everything.

The Pudding Song - This Is How We Do It

2010-04-14T09:30:00.000-07:00

Hi Everybody! Long time no ethereally communicate through cyber space. It's been super busy in Nina Land lately, but I wanted to share with you a little ditty I came up with while making pudding for the Bear with the pulled tooth. It's to the tune of Montell Jordan's "This Is How We Do It." Mostly because I have a tendency to randomly yell "THIS IS HOW WE DOOO IIIT," while cooking. In the event that I can't get this out of my head for several days, be prepared for a performance!

You don't have to chew it!

(You don't have to chew it)

Shalalalalayeeah!

You don't have to chew it,

it's pudding night,

and some chocolate's right.

The pudding's here, it's the best kind.

So I reach for my box and then I mix it up,

Masticated pudding is the key to my truck.

Pudding's good so don't hate it.

It's creamy and it's thick cause you know this shorty made it.

It's tastes so good in my hood tonight.

So fill up your cup, lift your spoon up,

and let me hear Bill Cosby say...

Got a sugar buzz and it's all because,

(You don't have to chew it!)

I scarfed that pudding like nobody does!

(You don't have to chew it!)

To all my neighbors bright different flavors,

(You don't have to chew it!)

let's flip the snack,

bright the old school back.

Sour Apple Can Suck It

2010-03-02T11:20:00.001-08:00

Hey. I liked lime. What was so wrong with it? I don't understand why green gets picked as the candy color to fuck with. As a child, I loved riding to the bank with my dad, and if the teller was nice, she would ask me what color lollipop I wanted. The answered was always the same: "Green please!" And it was lime, people, lime. Not Sour freaking Apple! Dear God I hate sour apple candy. You can be making your was through a bag of gummy bears and BANG get attacked with a blast of green citric acid bile from no where! Then, gagging, you look at the front of the package only to see: "NEW FLAVOR INSIDE!" Now that seems like an exciting prospect right? And normally would be, if the new flavor wasn't a horrible Frankenstein-like creation based, I can only assume, on what a green apple actually taste like. Oh and did we forget to mention, we got rid of one of the best flavors ever so we can steal the color green? Green like Frankenstein!? Eh? EH? I'm clearly on to something.

You remember sweet sweet lime don't you guys? It was that delicious citrus flavor that went so swimmingly with high fructose corn syrup in all it's sweet refined sugary forms. Gummy Bears, Mike and Ikes, Skittles, Lolly Pops, and Starbursts, which I actually don't really eat anymore due to my own self-imposed food nazi-ism, are all delicious in lime. Now lets pretend for the sake of science that I still devour these tasty sweets with the tenacity of a hyper-active 12 year old with ADD. That way my outrage is more justified, and less crazy.

The little citrus bite of lime just isn't good enough anymore, is it? I guess I've seen this coming for a long time. Sour apple gets to be the cool flavor while lime is left on the sidelines. And who exactly decided that lime was now out, and that sour apple is hip, young, and EXTREME? I don't remember them asking me, and I don't see how every fifth Life Saver tasting like appletini-flavored-battery-acid makes them better! And shame on Life Saver for hoping aboard the sour apple bile-train in the first place. Aren't they supposed to be protectors of the classic flavor code we all know and love?

Red is cherry and green is lime people! This has been ingrained in us since the dawn of man! Cavemen would eat red-cherry grubs and green-lime beetles. A tasty snack for the whole cave. Old as time people! We can't turn our backs on our traditional values now. Not at this pivotal moment in history. It's time to tell the sour apple mafia that their reign of terror is over. [Repost from original Nina blog]

Unpalatable, Uncontrollable Lady Gaga

2010-02-02T13:54:00.000-08:00

Lady Gaga and I started out as a bad romance, it's true. I underestimated her, made fun of her, and may have even labeled her as gimmicky. I was a monster. That was a very short lived portion of our times together though. I wised up pretty fast to the fact that she's smart, bizarre, and just plain amazingly talented. I have been riding that disco stick ever since.

This past week, the Times of London [Via Jezebel] put into words one reason that I like this lady so much, aside from the fact that I am addicted to her insanely catchy songs of course.

Queue Caitlin Moran of the Times:

Do you know why I love Lady Gaga?

…It's because in the 21st century what women need - second only to some watertight equal-pay legislation and, possibly, slightly wider parking spaces - is other women who are involved in popular culture but don't give a toss what anyone else thinks of them. I don't mean the faux-attitude of, say, the Pussycat Dolls or Fearne Cotton, who manifestly do care what people think, what with their carefully shot publicity material, alluring, non-scary outfits and auras of constantly available, non-threatening, mainstream sexuality. These women are little more liberated than cigarette girls in 1950s nightclubs.

No. I mean women who are right out there, doing what the hell they want, and who would clearly greet any attempt to criticise their appearance or attitude with wildly disbelieving laughter. Women who are unafraid to express aspects of themselves that seem alarming, unpalatable, uncontrollable or just plain horsescaringly bizarre. We need more rolemodels such as this. After all, it's hard to oppress a generation of women who, under the influences of their new heroes, are intent on dressing like hermaphrodite robots with fireworks coming out of their breasts.

Ahhh yes, the future looks bright. Better wear your razor shades.

Movies That Rocked My Decade

2010-01-08T10:23:00.000-08:00

I decided to go with a top 20. Ten was not a sufficient number of movies to encapsulate an entire decade. I even had a squeeze a few movie in together to get to a top 20. I think those movies organically go together though, so I am pretty happy with my list. Emphasis on the fact that this is MY list by the way. I am not trying to say that these are necessarily the best movies made in the first decade of the 2000's. These are simply the movies that resonated with me the most. What was my number one you ask? Well I just look Up! What tops your list as best movies of the aughts?

On a side note, I got major grief from the boy friend for trying to combine movies on the list. He seems to think it is blasphemous and should never be done. I'm still going to do it though, I just thought you should know there are purer purists among us.

Pan's Labyrinth - Guillermo del Toro brings the magic so real you can almost touch it and mixes it together with a dark war story adding weight and realism to the fantastical.

Mulholland Drive - Dark, Haunting, and Erotic. Just how I like 'em. Perhaps the movie that most attached itself to my psyche this decade, David Lynch knows what he's doing.

Donnie Darko (and the Director's Cut) - Richard Kelly's dark yet beautify and optimistic masterpiece about the possible end of the world hits every note for me. Never has such a complicated premise been so flawless. I think for the record that watching the original and then the directors cut is the best experience.

Kill Bill Vol. 2 - The second volume of the Kill Bill movies was far superior to my liking. It had more heart and more of a sense of adventure than it's predecessor, dare I say slightly better music also.

American Splendor - Paul Giamatti's turn as Harvey Pekar is sheer brilliance. Seeing the real life characters that make up the movie's landscape appear in the film itself? A joy almost unmatched in any other film this decade.

Almost Famous - Cameron Crow started the decade off right with this semi-autobiographical work about his time as a Rolling Stones reporter. This film hit me at the peak of my classic rock addiction and has burrowed deep into my heart.

Amelie - Pure pixie like joy, shoved into movie form. It makes me want to eat ice cream on a bike on a peer. Also responsible for the birth of the Roaming Gnome.

City of God - Hard hitting gritty real life in the slums of Brazil. It is a testament to this movie that it is about hardships, brutality and violence yet all I remember is the beauty of it all.

The Royal Tenenbaums - Has there ever been a movie with more perfect comedic timing that Wes Anderson's Royal Tenenbaums? I enjoy the light in the movie much more than the dark, but it's paced so well you can't look away.

The Darjeeling Limited - Not as much of a fan favorite as The Royal Tenenbaums, but struck a chord with me on a very personal level. The search for spirituality is true to the hearts of many, and the cinematography is a love letter to the majesty of India, somewhere I have always wanted to travel.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Containing my favorite role for not only Jim Carrey but also Kate Winslet (They always give her such stogy roles!). Joel and Clementine explores the cracks in our minds and relationships and perhaps come to a better understanding of just who We are.

Ghost Town - I have only watched this movie once, and it demands more viewing. From just one watch it was easy to mark this one of the decade's best in Romantic Comedy, but it offers so much more. Honestly this pick is about my love of Ricky Gervais more than anything else, this movie might have gotten bumped for Children of Men if it wasn't for him.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch/ Short Bus - John Cameron Mitchell is one of my heroes. A Fearless film maker, whose films could easily fill two separate spots. The thing that sticks with me the most about this movies is the sense that one must carve out their own family in life to find true happiness. And orgasms don't hurt either.

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy - Grossly misrepresented in end of the decade lists, Peter Jackson did us nerdly Tolkien fans proud in my opinion. He proved that it was possibly to adapt something of enormous scale to film and one-upped the entire industry. For me it was Ian McKellens masterful work as Gandalf that set the tone of the films and gave them the depth and heart that kept them true to the text.

Smiley Face/Pineapple Express - Insanely enjoyable films that also could have each had their own place on the list. I could watch them both on repeat. They get grouped together here because they are my pick for the classic stoner movies of the decade. One for girls (mostly in that is stars a girl finally), one for boys (in that is it sort of a mash up of an action movie and a stoner movie), both to be enjoyed by either gender. Watch them, see if I'm wrong!

Up - Oh Up. I've loved other Pixar movies before... but no one has taken my heart and ran with it until I met you. I am honestly getting choked up right now just thinking about the damn movie. Happens every time!

High Fidelity - Seeing that this movie was made in 2000 made the decade seem very long. It seems like I have been watching this movie forever, every time it's on. I don't see that stopping any time soon. It still inspires me, every time I make a list.

Y Tu Mamá También - I am always a sucker for a road movie, especially one featuring copious amounts of sexventure. This spicy little number also represents the fact that I was more interested in foreign films this decade, or at least better educated about them.

Spirited Away - Miyazaki is a modern master to the world of art. His hand drawn animation is hypnotic and breathtakingly beautiful as it chronicles the adventures of a young girl through the land of ghosts. So much more than a simple coming of age film.

Iron Man - This movie rules the land of kick-ass super hero movies that ruled the land of movies in general in the aughts. The acting is phenomenal, the pacing and plot are tight as a thriller, and it certainly doesn't come up short on the BOOM factor either. I don't think anyone could possibly have been disappointed by this film. It made Iron Man an even cooler comic book character, not something you can say for most super hero movies this decade.

Going Rogue vs. Sanitation

2009-12-11T10:50:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder what happened to all those copies of Sarah Palin's new book after it's peak on the best sellers list? Well now we know...

(Via Jezebel)

Lolcat Samus

2009-12-03T20:49:00.001-08:00

Why Dog?! Whhhhyy?

2009-11-13T10:42:00.000-08:00

Look, I get it. Humans love to be sloth like and sedentary, and I understand the need to anthropomorphize our pets, too make them in our image if you will, but good Lord can we please at least give them an image what won't get their little doggy asses kicked down at the local fire hydrant?! Yes, for the Dog who wished he had nothing but has everything, here comes the Snuggie for Dogs. It's not like they have a "paw free" blanket called a COAT that they wear all the time or anything.

Look at this poor little follow silently pleading for help from the box at my local Walgreens. "Why don't you love me anymore? It it because I look too much like Benji and he reminds you too much of your coke filled escapades in the 80's?" It's always the pets who suffer the most...

Maybe this is for the dog owner who want to put his dog in it's place constantly. "You're a Snuggie wearing wiener dog! That's all you'll ever be! Don't give me those eyes! You know you love your little fleece dungeon! MWaha - haha - hahaha!" (Clearly, the cackle of a sadistic dog owner if I ever typed one.)

If the dachshund didn't look quite as cute with it rolled down to look like a jaunty cowl neck sweater I would consider it animal abuse.

Tina Fey & Steve Carrel In An Action Comedy?!

2009-11-12T10:44:00.000-08:00

Yes Please! The trailer for Date Night makes it look like it could be a hilarious movie. We have to wait till April though?

My Current Dream Wedding Dress

2009-11-06T10:13:00.000-08:00

Via Dolly Couture:

It's a little too rich for my blood, but I can dream.

Peer Into My Childhood Nightmares

2009-11-03T13:40:00.000-08:00

When I was young we didn't watch many scary movies. I didn't even watch Gremlins like all the other kids because I was sure I would never sleep again. I didn't even let my cat, Kitty, sleep with me because of the dream I had in which she morphed into a demon.

I did find myself fascinated with the things that did scare me though, they held some sort of mysticism or power to be able to cause such fright in me. As Jezebel pointed out before Halloween, it was often the things from movies that weren't billed as being scary that had the most terrifying things to hide. Maybe because they were less expected?

I know I wasn't expecting to have the living flying-monkey-crap scared out of my watching Return to Oz, the all-around scariest non-scary movie ever in my opinion. Every single thing about this movie was frightening. Everything in Oz is now backwards and mean, and the scarecrow looks like a demonic circus clown. Oh I could stop there but then I wouldn't get a chance to mention the Wheelers, or the fact that the movie starts with Dorthy receiving shock treatment to erase Oz from her memory. (So kid friendly.) Ahh... see, but the part of the movie that starred in my nightmares was when Dorthy followed the queen past the mirrored rows of severed heads that the she would choose from to exchange with her own head. I believe there was even a part when one or all of them screamed due to a chicken. Long story short I could never own one of those Barbie make-up heads. Fuuuuuck that.

The movie that really mentally gripped me with unending fear was something that I have never watch since early childhood when it did it's damage, so I'm not really even sure if it's laughable or not. It is the TV version of Alice in Wonderland from 1985 featuring Carol Channing. Sounds terrifying right? NO seriously, parts of this may have been charming, I even vaguely remember them as such. But mark my words, when that Jabberwocky comes, you will wet yourself and run from the room screaming as any reasonable person would. This shit is off the charts evil. I distinctly remember Alice being trapped in a looking glass unable to reach her life beyond it no matter how hard she tried. Do they know what that kind of shit does to the mind of a child?? I thought for sure I was going to be trapped inside a mirror at some point in life and tried to figure out ways to prepare for it. I have to admit that that bit was one of the things that fascinated me the most though. It was scary in an existential way, that sort of thing is fun to mull over.

And Jesus - What about G'mork?! Damn you Never Ending Story!!

Yeah I guess it turns out I am still fascinated with the things that scared me, even some of the things that scare me now. I just have to try and remember I find them fascinating while they're in the process of scaring the crap out of me.

Heavy Flo: Flow Chart

2009-10-23T14:51:00.001-07:00

(Via Jezebel) The coolest thing I've seen all day. SEE YOU IN HELL PROGESTERONE!! (from Heaven)

Nurse Joan To The Rescue

2009-09-22T14:33:00.000-07:00

Ok, Mad Men was extremely and exceedingly awesome on Sunday. And I'm not just saying that because I stare transfixed at every scene soaking in the beauty and majesty and underlying fear and horror of times gone by. Oh no! There is so much more to this show than eye candy, it's got brain candy in spades my friends.

Today I keep thinking about the relationship between Joan and Peggy. Joan is a career woman who none-the-less has always been intent on keeping to her master plan of marrying a doctor and living happily ever after. Peggy is the new modern woman, not content to settle for anything, she is trying her hardest to carve out a little niche for herself in a professional world dominated by men who show her little to no respect.

In the last episode Joan had to face the reality, once again, that her dream life isn't all she thought it would be. Her husband turns out to be a horrible doctor and she doesn't find out he won't be a resident until after she has already quite her job at Sterling Cooper.

Jezebel has an amazing wrap up in which they correctly point out the, "Sadness, anger, weariness yet strength and resolve, all in that one moment" that Joan shows as she learns the news from her husband, stumbling in drunk after drowning his sorrows.

It's the next day however, during Joan's farewell party, that we see her strength in action. Without giving anything aways, even Peggy isn't able to handle the situation at hand, while Joan springs into action like a seasoned pro. Is there a moment when she realizes her own value as a woman in business and that maybe she has taken the wrong path?

I find myself at a loss for words and at a loss of time at the moment. I had just been musing about Joan in my head today and wanted to get this out there to anyone who was interested. Obviously (to anyone who saw the episode) I am leaving out probably the most insane and important things but I didn't really want to spoil it if you haven't seen it. Sufficed to say, I will keep eating my eye and brain candy on a weekly basis, and so should you.

Funny Or Die Uses Funny To Help People Not Die

2009-09-22T10:19:00.001-07:00

"Funny or Die" always has it's collective finger on the pulse of current events, and as their

name implies, they don't disappoint with the funny. Here they are fighting for the plight of

the insurance company executive. Because if you spell something wrong, do you really

deserve to have surgery? I don't think so.

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

How Do You Ask Someone To Be The Last Person Killed By Their Insurance Company?

2009-09-14T11:16:00.000-07:00

Stop Corporate Death Panels - Public Option Now

Today's Tom Tomorrow

2009-09-01T07:08:00.000-07:00

This Modern World is a comic strip full of political satire and biting sarcasm. Sometimes it bites you pretty hard...

Ouch.

Viral Video: Japan Loves Arnold

2009-08-20T07:39:00.001-07:00

Yes, this man is a Govenor now...

The Health Care Debate Is Bad For Your Health

2009-08-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

I find is very hard to write on the subject of health care reform at all because the realities of the current American health care system become more and more a part of my everyday life as I get older. This happened very quickly in fact. During the election, Obama's promise of universal health care was an abstract concept to me, but one that I felt the need to get behind in order to help people less fortunate than myself I thought. Now though, my job situation has cause this issue to hit home more than ever as I am faced with prospect of not being able to afford my necessary monthly blood pressure medication.

It is because of the personal implication of this issue (not that I am under any illusion that things will instantly change the moment a bill is passed) that I find myself extremely disillusioned and disappointed at a large chunk of the conservative Republican wing of this country. Look I understand politics, and eight years of Bush should have taught me to be shocked by nothing, but it seems to me that the out right lie is becoming an all too common accepted part of our national political discourse.

The mainstream media is only interested in the idea that every story has two sides, no matter how fantastical or flat out fabricated the other side of the issue is. It is now up to us as media consumers to filter out our own bullshit. This takes some discipline and a little more time than most people are willing or able to give during a normal day. That is the reason I am passing on some helpful facts to dispel a lot of the myths and lies that are out there about Health Care reform. My source is moveon.org.

Top Five Health Care Reform Lies—and How to Fight Back

Lie #1: President Obama wants to euthanize your grandma!!!

The truth: These accusations—of "death panels" and forced euthanasia—are, of course, flatly untrue. As an article from the Associated Press puts it: "No 'death panel' in health care bill."⁴ What's the real deal? Reform legislation includes a provision, supported by the AARP, to offer senior citizens access to a professional medical counselor who will provide them with information on preparing a living will and other issues facing older Americans.⁵

Lie #2: Democrats are going to outlaw private insurance and force you into a government plan!!!

The truth: With reform, choices will increase, not decrease. Obama's reform plans will create a health insurance exchange, a one-stop shopping marketplace for affordable, high-quality insurance options.⁶ Included in the exchange is the public health insurance option—a nationwide plan with a broad network of providers—that will operate alongside private insurance companies, injecting competition into the market to drive quality up and costs down.⁷

If you're happy with your coverage and doctors, you can keep them.⁸ But the new public plan will expand choices to millions of businesses or individuals who choose to opt into it, including many who simply can't afford health care now.

Lie #3: President Obama wants to implement Soviet-style rationing!!!

The truth: Health care reform will expand access to high-quality health insurance, and give individuals, families, and businesses more choices for coverage. Right now, big corporations decide whether to give you coverage, what doctors you get to see, and whether a particular procedure or medicine is covered—thatis rationed care. And a big part of reform is to stop that.

Health care reform will do away with some of the most nefarious aspects of this rationing: discrimination for pre-existing conditions, insurers that cancel coverage when you get sick, gender discrimination, and lifetime and yearly limits on coverage.⁹ And outside of that, as noted above, reform will increase insurance options, not force anyone into a rationed situation.

Lie #4: Obama is secretly plotting to cut senior citizens' Medicare benefits!!!

The truth: Health care reform plans will not reduce Medicare benefits.¹⁰ Reform includes savings from Medicare that are unrelated to patient care—in fact, the savings comes from cutting billions of dollars in overpayments to insurance companies and eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse.¹¹

Lie #5: Obama's health care plan will bankrupt America!!!

The truth: We need health care reform now in order to prevent bankruptcy—to control spiraling costs that affect individuals, families, small businesses, and the American economy.

I hope these help dispel any crazy notions you have heard floating around. For a much more entertaining and hilarious look at health care reform and the efforts to stop it than I could ever produce, check out Tuesday's Daily Show.

Phoenix Heats Up The Summer

2009-08-05T14:12:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite bands of the Summer has been Phoenix, and their new release Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. They are a French alternative band, and have really accessible dancey fun sound. Their songs have been stuck in my head, and getting me out of my seat on and off for the past couple months now. My favorite track off the album is "1901" for it's pure danceable joy, but it's in close running with the opening number, Lisztomania. Chronicle the "mania" surrounding 1800's piano virtuoso Franz Liszt, and you've already got a leg up over most pop songs in my book. I have included the video for "Lisztomania" to get you acquainted with the lads. I think you'll be coming back for more.

We're All Mad Here

2009-07-29T14:24:00.000-07:00

You must go Mad Men yourself! Probably the most fun I had all day was creating a stylized 1960 version of myself. Damn I am hot! Work it cartoon approximation of Nina from the past!

Just More Of Me To Hate Baby

2009-07-28T13:57:00.000-07:00

There's a lot of craptactular things going on in the world today. I told my Honey the other day that we should stop referring to things in the media as "current events," because the things we discuss today aren't actual events, they're just "current goings-ons." Reality shows, birthers, and "cankles" do not an event make.

Yes, the cankles things is what drew my attention towards my old post-o-matic today. Golds Gym was already having a Summer promotion to "Say No To Cankles," which if you're not familiar with the term, are apparently the new horrific body part of doom that all women must avoid, to cling to that last shred of self esteem. Which begs the question if there is some sort of ideal calf to ankle ratio that every women should be crying on a stair stepper every night in hopes to achieve? If so, I'm sure Cosmo will fill us in soon.

ABC News jumped on the cankle shaming wagon on Friday with it's article suggesting that "help is available." Thankfully we have Hortense over at Jezebel to thank for putting things in the proper light here. (I really recommend reading their whole take on the article, it's fantastic.)

You know what? There is no fucking way in hell that I should be worrying about the shapeliness of my goddamn ankles. I also should not have been worrying about "muffin-topping" or "thunder thighs," and I suspect most women wouldn't worry about such things either if these fucking trend pieces didn't insist upon drilling it into women's minds that they need to be physically perfect at all times or else. Are "cankles" the new "muffin-tops?" Sure, if you mean "a completely idiotic term coined in order to push diet plans and gym memberships while shaming women into feeling even worse about themselves."

Thank God there are online communities like Jezebel to help bring a little slice of fresh sanity to the giant heaps of reconstituted putrid filth being piled on our media plates daily.

Kitty Detailing While You Wait

2009-07-24T07:22:00.000-07:00

We have two cats. Our black cat, Bart, is deathly affraid of the vacuum

cleaner and will go running to the farthest corner of the house as soon

as the switch goes on. Then there's our other cat, Sammy...

Underbelly cleaning prevents rust...

Change attachments to get at those hard to reach places...

What, They Don't Have Red Pens In Alaska?

2009-07-22T13:47:00.000-07:00

This is just a sample of Vanity Fair's excellent piece in which they let their editors loose on Sarah Palin's disjointed resignation speech. Let's hope this helps grammar lovers everywhere who listened to more than 30 seconds of this speech, pick up the pieces and move on with their lives.

New Mad Men Poster!

2009-07-14T13:48:00.000-07:00

I love Mad Men. Despite my obvious bias due to the fact that we have an special cocktail night just to watch it, I can honestly say that it is one of the best shows on television. The sheer multitudes of retro eye candy featured in every episode certainly doesn't hurt matters either. Here is the new poster just released to promote the upcoming season. See you next month Don Draper.

Wow: I Really Like Colons In Titles.. and Summer!

2009-06-26T13:31:00.000-07:00

The title says it all.

It's a day of Fri and that is really all it takes to make it a good day. Summer has finally arrived with a week-long, upper 90's heat spell in Chicagoland. I have been taking refuge in sunglasses and swimming pools, and sipping on icy cold beverages. (Doesn't that make my life seem enviable even though I am currently sitting in a cubical waiting for the last 40 minutes of the work week to pass?)

Being out and about more, I haven't been as strict in keeping up with my Primal eating habits. When I go swimming until 8 o'clock at night I usually don't feel much like going home and cooking, but I have been trying to keep in mind all the primal learnings I have amassed. I don't eat any carbs or sugar during the day at all, but does that make any difference when you end up eating chicken nachos for dinner that night? I don't really know the answer to that, but I do know that I enjoy having freedom in all my choices, and until the world is 100% Primal, I find it hard to be so myself. I think that's ok though because I still eat healthy and am exercising much more. I do still shop primal, and the house is free of all junk food aside from our weekend beer or wine splurge. So I've got that going for me. (I'm not going to lie and say I didn't love every second of my red velvet homemade ice cream from last week though. Frozen Memories, best ever!)

In other news, next week I am DJing for my Dads wedding! I have been very excited to get a little road trip in with my Honey and attend an actual event. I love events! I think said Honey though, might be slightly annoyed with the amount for prep time I insist on putting into not only the music, but my outfit, and the trip planning, but I just want everything to awesome and light and fun; no-worries-mate style, Nina style. Ok I may have a slight compulsive need to shove as much fun into the fleetingly short months of Summer as possible, but I find that need pretty valid. It is Summer after all, and as Cyndi Lauper so succinctly put it:

Such wise words.

Michael Jackson: The Music Lives On

2009-06-26T06:36:00.001-07:00

Love him or hate him, you can't deny the man could make music. This post is originally from my now defunct music blog, but since Michael Jackson passed on this Thursday, I wanted to re-post it so that everyone can get a chance to check out this excellent tribute to the King of Pop.

Original Post:

It's true. Rhymefest loves Michael Jackson. He's his biggest fan. He says so himself in his tribute to the man behind the mask, Man In The Mirror. Now I like to poke fun at Michael Jackson as much as the next guy, and don't get me wrong, there is plenty of fun being poked in this album, but it's all out of the respect that Rhymefest has for someone who was obviously a big influence in his own life.

I didn't know what to expect from this album. I did notice that it was produced by Mark Ronson, the man at least partially responsible for the fame of acts like Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse, so my expectations climbed a bit. What I didn't know is that I was in for a heartfelt, fun, and sometimes hilarious mix tape. I became of fan of Rhymefest instantly.

Now the best part is that he's not making a dime off this, which explains why he gets away with using Michael Jackson's voice and likeness. Any man doing this work strictly for the love of it is okay in my book. Check out this album, (go here to download it all for FREE) and be sure to listen to the last track "Man in the Mirror," the original song is a classic, and Rhymefest's take updates it and brings it to a new level.

Marriage: That's So Gay

2009-06-22T11:42:00.001-07:00

This video features excellent sarcasm and a duck wedding! What more could you ask for? [Via Jezebel]

New Video: Today We Are All Iranians

2009-06-19T10:33:00.000-07:00

The Iranian Election has ended up being one of the biggest news stories of the Summer so far. A blatantly fixed election, and years of oppression and resistance to women's right have pushed the people of Iran to rise up and protest. While the opposition candidate, Mir Hossein Mousavi, was not the most progressive choice in the election, he was the clear favorite, and is a huge step in the right direction. His wife is highly educated and a leading proponent of women rights in Iran, and he is very much for moving away from a dictatorial rule.

This video [Via War Room] was posted on Mousavi's Facebook page, and is a very well produced piece, showing without filter what has been going on in Iran all week now. I am personally awed and humbled by the courage of the Iranian people. I hope that they can continue to stand tall and overcome in the face of violence and oppression, and that they know the whole world is listening, and on their side. [Image Via Huffington Post]

The Round Underground

2009-06-16T08:37:00.000-07:00

I have been more of a taker than a giver lately. As a way of dealing with stress I have sort of opted out of the whole communitanment business for a little while, instead choosing to absorb all the sweet sweet random content that the interwebs have to offer.

One realm I have been visiting lately is the collection of site on fashion and some on body issue politics known as the land of Fat Fashion.

Let me first just say something that I have been thinking about the idea of self identifying as fat. I know it is the new "queer" in reclaiming smears, but most of me just thinks that fat is something that you have, not something that you are, no matter what weight you happen to be. I do like the attitudes of all the ladies reclaiming the word, and I certainly would begrudge them using the term in any way they like.

Take for instance the ladies over at Fatshionist. They have an amazing community of self called "fatties" who not only discuss the politics, and perils one faces being shaped more Tracy Turnblad than Penny Pingleton, but also share reviews of all online plus-size retailers, and outfit-of-the-day photo diaries. This is the site that opened up the whole world of the Curvaceous Fashion Queens to me, but it's not where my journey ended.

My latest find is a simply gorgeous French fashion blog, Le blog de Big Beauty, almost sounding like a joke name, it is really a looking glass into the magically timeless, romantic world of French fashion. The blog's author is the star of a outfit highlighting photo shoot in many posts, and embodies such a magnetic beauty that you never think for a minute of what size her clothes are. Of course I can't read French so this site is really mostly about the pictures for me.

What a surprise this morning though, when I checked in and not only were there amazing pictures, but also some words that I could read! A magazine called "style," which is where the picture at the top comes in, had an amazing photo shoot of Beth Ditto, and also pictures of her new line for UK store Evans. (Must have purse, jacket, and shoes! Could do without cat t-shirt.) [Via Le blog de Big Beauty - go here for the full post!] [Note: I found out later in the day that these pictures were also run in the Times style section this weekend.]

It's Time To Meet The Muppets On... 30 Rock Tonight?

2009-06-10T11:42:00.000-07:00

Is 30 Rock a total rip off of The Muppet Show? No Matter how much you love Tina Fey's zany NBC comedy, Brian Lynch might just have you agreeing with him by the end of his argument. [Brian Lynch via Jezebel]

Liz Lemon as Kermit? Tracy Jordan as Gonzo? I think we all already remember how close Jenna Maroney comes to Ms. Piggy....

More Marilyn?

2009-06-02T12:18:00.001-07:00

To honor what would be Marilyn Monroe's 83'rd birthday, Life.com is showing a collection of never been released photos. Apparently they were taken while she was still an unknown, and when the photographer sent the rolls into Life magazine, he received the reply, "Who the hell is Marilyn Monroe?" Do you think anyone has uttered those words since?

Preview of Beatles Rock Band Game from E3

2009-06-02T07:30:00.001-07:00

Oh Yes. It will be mine.

45 Beatles tracks! THREE. PART. HARMONY.!!

It will be the best game ever made and I will love it and hug it and hold it forever.

Viral Video: Literal Toal Eclipse of the Heart

2009-06-01T11:48:00.000-07:00

The crazy-ass video for Bonnie Tyler's totally 80's song "Total Eclipse of the Heart" is just begging to be skewered. It features lots of over-the-top insanity, and non of it is missed by this literal translation of the 1984 video and song. "What the effin crap, that angel guy just felt me up."

The Best Part Of My Day

2009-05-28T16:16:00.000-07:00

After the day I had... Let's just say in involved a lot of interaction with many branches of government and my boss, and leave it at that because I didn't come on here just to complain about my little old life, even though it's very tempting. I will say one thing though, this morning I woke up, sat straight up in bed, and the first words out of my mouth were recited from "So I Married an Axe Murderer," "Jane get me off this crazy thing! ...called life."

Anyonthevergeofcrazies, the important thing is that my day ended with a special gift from a special friend, and no that isn't a horribly cliched metaphor for a period. (Aren't you glad? I know I am.) Tamara, one of my oldest and dearest friends, likes to use her fancy Google phone to shoot and send me little videos of her day. Well, she was on her way out of Dean & DeLuca with a delicious cupcake, and on her way back to work. She decides to film what wouldn't normally be that much of an adventure, but after what actually transpires, I think you can say it qualifies. Thank you Tamara for making me almost lizz. (Sound is definitely required for watching this one.)

WTF of the Day: Bear Seasoning

2009-05-18T10:44:00.000-07:00

I like a lazy Sunday. This Sunday was indeed very lazy and suited me just fine. I had apple time to slowly wander the isles of my gigantic employee owned grocery store, Woodmans. They just added tons more organic and natural and gluten-free products, and I was super happy to even find Organicville Ketchup, that uses agave nectar instead of sugar!

It turned out though, that the spice isle was hiding the truly rare find of the day. (No, I did not buy it!)

Ahhh... Chef Peterson's Bear Seasoning! A family favorite! I am wondering if there is a part of the country where, much like out beloved Old Bay in Maryland, you must not be caught dead without Chef Peterson's Bear Seasoning in your pantry. Maybe somewhere in Canada? I admit that while I kinda know that yes, people out there do hunt bears, I also figured it was something to be shrouded in shadow. Apparently though...

"...serious hunters hunt bear." It also mentions something there about "The full enjoyment of bear meat...," specifically Black Bear. I personally enjoy my bear meat when it is running, looking after it's kids, hunting salmon, and not dead. But that's just me. Clearly I haven't tried it with Chef Peterson's Bear Seasoning. I wonder if Stephen Colbert is a fan...

Just the Funny Bits: Will Ferrel on SNL

2009-05-18T10:15:00.000-07:00

Will Ferrel was the perfect host to end a season of SNL that made me far less angry than many recent seasons. Last week's Justin Timberlake appearance was hard to top, but with a slew of guess stars, Ferrel episode gave old Sexxyback a a run for his money.

My favorite sketch had to be the revival of celebrity Jeopardy. I was just happy to see Norm McDonald working again, even if it was only a cameo.

Kristen Wiig's freaky character with doll hands, and a creature-like face made a come back this week. The first time around I didn't really like this sketch, and it's really only Will Ferrel's reactions that make this one work, but you might get a laugh out of it.

Other highlights were an enormous musical number about Vietnam that NBC hasn't posted online, and Amy Poehler's return to the news desk! I miss that lady. I watch her on Parks and Recreation but it's not quite the same. That show definitely showcases her cuteness well, but it also zaps some of the pop of her personality.

Well that was SNL for the season. Next year maybe we will have some more new cast members to look forward to? I'll keep you posted.

Feeling Lost: Required Reading

2009-05-14T09:49:00.001-07:00

Man I love Lost. I really love Lost. Nothing like a good mind-fuck to get me hooked for life. I even stuck around through the fourth season of going-nowhere craziness, all to be rewarded with a fantastic season 5 that has me clamoring for all the info I can get.

I don't want to give away any spoilers here, but if you did watch the finale already and are looking for some great recaps or discussions about theories, have I got some links for you.

Television Without Pity and Jezebel usually have the best recaps, adding a lot of there own wonderful insight, but they're not posted yet. As of right now, you can only get a general Television Without Pity recap. Worth checking out if you feel like you missed something.

Salon always has a great wrap-up of most season finales, and the "Lost" wrap-up was no exception. It's leaves you feeling like you are very smart for enjoying this show, always a plus.

For a lot of crazy talk about what everyone reallllly thinks is going on in the Losties universe, you have to check out the Lostpedia theory page for the finale. So fun, I killed about 2 hours looking up Egyptian gods and researching the book that Jacob was reading... Oh no I've said too much! Check out the links if you want more!

Clutch Envy

2009-05-11T13:07:00.001-07:00

Never let any one tell you that I don't have varied tastes. Here we see the Nina moving from speaking of Spinal Tap to speaking of the most magical clutch style purse ever, that I didn't buy. I took pictures though so I can always remember how pretty it is, and that I didn't really actually need it, I just wanted it, and that things generally need to fill a function for me to spend forty dollars on them. Aesthetically pleasing is excellent and usually a criteria for anything I buy, but this purse didn't have the practicality to make it home with me. That doesn't mean I can't gush over it's beautiousity though!

I love pocket watches, and this purse looks like it has one of it's very own!

But it's actually a little mini change purse!

So amazingly cute! If it had really been a tiny pocket watch in there I would have had to buy it. Even though I guess cell phones sort of made the need for all watches obsolete, let alone pocket watches.... I know! It should have had it's own monocle. Now that's practical.

New Spinal Tap: Back From The Dead!!

2009-05-08T09:59:00.000-07:00

Spinal Tap is back from the dead with a new song proclaiming just that! "Back from the Dead" is actually a pretty kick-ass song. It rocks where it should, and brings back some old school 70's mysticism. It's certainly not missing any of the flair of their early work. Just ask bassist Derek Smalls. "When people hear this, they'll think, 'This sounds like a band that probably found it's way to the stage most of the time,' unlike the illusion that's created by that film," Smalls said. "You'll say, 'Hold on, this doesn't sound like a band that lost its way every night. So it's worth it, just for that."

So there you have it - don't miss brand new TAP! They sound like they can make it to the stage now. What more could you ask?

Click here for the exclusive Billboard release of "Back From The Dead."

Dirty Times!

2009-05-07T11:39:00.001-07:00

Does it really surprise me that in Germany they have a commercial where Abe Lincoln does the British Queen doggy style to demonstrate money multiplying? [Via Jezebel] Not really. But the excellent quality of the animation kinda does! Crazy old Germans...

Wow. Money is kinda slutty. Oh wait, I already knew that.

Meanwhile over in America, we're selling vibrators at our local drug stores, but of course that's not what we call them. (Picture from my local Walgreens!)

Ahhh yes, shaped perfect to fit the contour of your... neck.

IT'S SPRING

2009-05-06T14:58:00.000-07:00

I just feel so emotionally connected to the season and the weather lately. The sun and the birds and the green bushy flowering things are just making me all giddy on the inside whilst frolicking on the outside. The words "Tra-La-La" spring easily to mind this time of year I am afraid.

Spring is a rebirth, it feels like not just an opportunity, but almost a command to rejuvenate everything about ourselves. The animals and plants are goading us into it with all their chirping and blooming and sparkling in the dewy morning sunlight that they do so well.

I am heeding the call of nature by trying to be healthy and good to my body, and trying to really soak in and appreciate everything around me, because I know it's fleeting. Hence, the picture posted above! I feel like if I turn around, I will miss everything.

I am really trying to hold on to this connectedness to the world around me. No matter how wired I am to the rest of the world, I am trying not to forget that there's probably unmatched beauty right outside my door. Oh and also that sometimes cliches are cliches because they're true.

Primal Cheatza Pizza (A Recipe in Pictures)

2009-05-06T10:13:00.000-07:00

Pizza cravings -Who among us is immune to the siren song of cheese, sauce, and crust? (Well, probably lots of us, but just follow me here.) It's an American staple that is unbelievably hard to avoid, and if you've given up eating grains, and therefore crust, it may be something you're missing very very much.

I think I may have mentioned before that I enjoy cheese. And while I am a huge fan, I'm not sure if I enjoy it quite enough to make my fake pizza, or cheatza as I like to call it, on a regular basis. The crust is made, following this recipe, from about 50% cheese. Don't get me wrong, it's yummy, if you're trying to avoid carbs, gluten, or grains, it's a great way to banish the pizza cravings. It's just a lot of cheese.

Also part of the whole primal eating blueprint is not eating dairy, or just eating raw, grass fed cheese or yogurt once in a while. I admit I have definitely added cheese back into the mix, and I'm trying to stick to those harder to find good kinds. For my cheatza though, the highest quality mozzarella I could find was Kraft made with no hormones or antibiotics. While that's better Velveeta I suppose, it definitely helps put the CHEAT in this cheatza.

First I assembled the crust ingredients: Shredded Cauliflower, Eggs, Mozzarella, and Oregano.

Then I (incorrectly) mixed my ingredients. (I guess you were supposed to steam the shredded cauliflower before you mixed it all into a crust dough-like-thing. It still turned out well, but I think this may have contributed to the burnt edges you will see in the pictures.) I then patted the mix down into a pizza shape on a pizza pan.

This is what the crust looked like after about 14 minutes in the oven. So pretty!

Without letting the crust cool, which I figure would help melt the cheese, I piled on my MORE cheese and toppings. I used my old family classic: black olives, green peppers, and onions(these are red).

After about 6 minutes in a hot boiler the cheatza looks just like pizza, although maybe a little more rough around the edges.

Like I said before, there is a lot of cheese on this baby. I really did enjoy it though, I just felt ultra heavy and overly cheeseified after a few pieces. All in all though, well worth the effort. The left overs made for perfect lunches paired with a big salad.

Mmmmm... Cheatza

Semi-Primal Burgers with Semi-Primal Buns

2009-04-29T07:07:00.000-07:00

A.K.A. the best freaking thing I have eaten it a long time! I devoured my burger like a wild primaly animal. Sadly I only had enough turkey to make two of these so we only got one each. I totally could have scarfed at least one more.

The buns I used followed this recipe that I originally found from a link on Mark's Daily Apple. In this application they were a revelation! I couldn't believe how perfect everything tasted together. Eaten alone though, or with just turkey bacon as I tried to do for breakfast yesterday, the buns get a big "Eh". They tasted too dry and eggy for me. For the burgers though, perfect. I actually cut the edges off the buns, where I thought they looked too dry.

Sometimes you just gotta have cheese, right? I mean unless you're vegan or 100% primal, or my friend Shana who had to give it up during her pregnancy. (You are all stronger than I.) I know cheese is not totally Primal, but it's not entirely cheating either. I was really craving a gooey cheese burger, with a little turkey bacon for good measure, and that's exactly what I got.

(Primal?) Bacon Cheese Stuffed Turkey Burgers

1 Pound Ground Turkey (7% fat)

4 Slices Turkey Bacon

1/2 Cup Grated Cheese

1 Onion

1-2 Teaspoons of your favorite Grill Seasoning or Seasoning Blend

A good squirt of Mustard and (Primal) Ketchup and (Primal) Worcestershire Sauce

Sea Salt and Pepper

A little Olive Oil for Cooking

Saute onion over low/medium heat. Cook until they start to smell sweet. You don't want to brown them, just cook them slowly to the point of carmelization. (About 10 minutes) About half way through the cooking add the grill seasoning to the onions, this will give the spices a chance to mellow.

Cook your bacon in the pan while the onions cool to the side.

Mix together turkey meat, condiments, salt & pepper, and onion mixture once cool. Don't over mix, it will mess up your burger texture. Good texture is a burger's friend.

Place crumbled bacon and grated cheese on a plate next to you, where you won't contaminate more than you need with your raw turkey hands.

Form turkey mixture into four equalish parts. Grab one part, form it into a ball, then flatten it with your hand. Take a good amount of cheese and crumbled bacon and stick it right in the middle of that flatten piece of turkey. Fold it over and pat into a burger-like shape. The less holes the better, unless you like a pool of runny cheese cooking under your burger, which you might!

Heat a little olive oil in your pan over medium-high heat, you want a fairly hot pan - burgers should sizzle when they hit it. Cook the burgers, lowering the heat to medium after about 5 minutes. Flip when browned on the bottom. Cook second side on Medium for about 5-10 minutes til cooked through. (burger will be sort of firm to the touch and juices will run clear) Let them rest for a few minutes before serving.

Assemble your burgers.

Go, "YUM!"

All in all this was one of the most satisfying things I have had in a long time. I probably won't make them this decedent all the time, but there are a million variations to try, and now that I have a bun to use as a building block, I feel like the possibilities are endless.

Another Reason I Enjoy Shopping at Trader Joes

2009-04-27T08:46:00.000-07:00

Horsin' Around with Hair

2009-04-23T10:50:00.001-07:00

In Touch Weekly did something very strange to some horses [Via Jezebel]...

I keep going between liking them in a "Oh! Look at the pretty pretty My Little Ponies!" sort of way, and laughing in disbelief. I would probably think it was less odd if a horse stylist had done this instead of a human. I supposed opposable thumbs are sort of a requirement for doing extensive braid work though.

Frak You and Your Fraking Pizza

2009-04-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

Beware the nerdulence of this post. As of now we're not eating pizza in my house hold due to our primal cave-people like eating, but once upon a time (last month) we feasted on the sweet sweet cheesy doughiness of Nerddom. You see Battlestar Galactica was one of our most favoritest shows, and when the last episode aired last month we wanted to celebrate. We got some sort of alcoholic drink I believe, and set out to make the best pizzas in all the universe. Of course if you've never seen this show, this post will probably mean nothing to you, and the pizzas will just be confusing. I recommend catching up on all seasons of the show, and then coming back to bask in our cheestastic glutenous glory. Even if you have no idea what the giant robot head is (it's an original model cylon!) you can at least figure out what frak means, right?

Really more food should be Sci-Fi themed. What about a Dr. Who scarf fruit roll up?

Recipe: Primal Apple Crisp

2009-04-20T13:06:00.001-07:00

I have had a severe lack of dessert since the start of my primal living experiment, which ended up lasting much longer than a week. I hopefully have broken through the wall of grumpiness and depression which may have been cause by sugar withdrawals, but that doesn't mean I have forsaken an after dinner treat completely. I've been eating a lot of fruit when I want a treat, but sometimes that just doesn't cut it.

I have been wanting to make apple crisp for a while. I think I did find a straight forward primal recipe for one at some point, but yesterday when I went to make it, I couldn't fine one recipe that didn't have something verboten in it. I basically dissected and picked apart several recipes from around the web, and used things I had on hand already, creating something all my own.

Nina's Primal Apple Crisp

Topping:

1 Cup Nuts (A lot of recipes call for all almonds, I used Almonds, Pecans, and some Macadamia)

3 Tablespoons Arrowroot

1/4 teaspoon Salt (I omitted this because some of my nuts were salted)

4 Tablespoons Cold Butter (sub coconut oil to Veganize!)

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1/4 Cup Agave Nectar*

Fruit:

5-6 Apples (I used Granny Smiths, McIntoshs, and Galas)

Juice and Zest of 1 Lime & 1/2 Orange (most recipes called for lemon but I used what I had)

1 Tablespoon Arrowroot

2 Tablespoons Agave

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon Fresh Nutmeg

*I use agave nectar in any recipe that calls for cooked honey. Cooked honey is considered poisonous in Ayurveda. Which my father has adamantly reminded me of my whole life. I'd rather not temp fate.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix dry ingredients of topping mixture in work bowl of food processor, pulse till nuts are small chunks. Add agave, butter in small pieces, and vanilla. Pulse until incorporated, butter may still be chunky.

Peel and chop apples in a separate bowl. Add juice, zest, arrowroot, agave, cinnamon, and nutmeg, mix.

In a sprayed or buttered baking dish, add apples, then top with blobs of topping mixture.

Bake for 45 minutes, til golden brown and bubbly.

This was good. Very very good. It's not as sweet as traditional apple crisp, but I thought you really got a feeling for a true sweetness of the apples without missing out on the sweet sweet goo that you have come to expect with a good apple crisp. The nuts got all toasty (be careful not to burn them) and made for almost a cookie tasting topping. We just wanted to eat only this for dinner when it came out of the oven. I will make this again.. and again.. and again.

Our Map of Middle Earth

2009-04-18T12:44:00.000-07:00

(This Lord of the Rings map belonged to my uncle in the '60s.)

Just the Funny Bits: Teabagging

2009-04-17T07:51:00.000-07:00

You would have to be living in a cave (with no wifi) this week to not have heard the term "teabagging" at least 100 times. Fox News and some other right wing groups organized "tea parties" on tax day, to protest taxes and big government. Without barrels of loose tea around to dump into harbors, landlocked protesters took to throwing or wearing old tea bags. Many protesters talked about "teabagging Barack Obama" without knowledge of the terms common street (or bedroom) usage.

(Ok, some of them knew.)

MSNBC got on board early with the mocking. Rachel Maddow and a guest spent a good ten minutes trying to cram the words "tea bagging" as many time as possible into one segment without giggling, and David Shuster quipped the winning pun, "if you are planning simultaneous tea bagging all around the country, you're going to need a Dick Armey." Ahhh yes, that one was good. The Daily Show even mused that MSNBC was the new Daily Show, with Jon Stewart refusing to go back to waiting tables. I wouldn't worry Jon, your scrotal humor crown is in no danger, not with hilarious field reporting the likes of John Oliver's on Thursday night. (I have the full episode here, John Oliver's is the second segment.)

I thought for sure the Daily Show had put the tea bag to rest (it's had a busy week), but not so. Today I find people [BoingBoing] going to the tea bagging source, who is apparently John Waters, to ask where the term originates.

JOHN WATERS: "Teabagging" is by my definition the act of dragging your testicles across your partner's forehead. In the UK it is dipping your testicles in your partner's mouth. I didn't invent the term or the act but DID introduce it to film in my movie "Pecker." "Teabagging" was a popular dance step that male go-go boys did to their customers for tips at The Atlantis, a now defunct bar in Baltimore. Hope this helps. -- John Waters

John Waters is always so full of helpful answers to sleazy questions! Here's a clip from what is one of our family favorites, Pecker [also BoingBoing], if you didn't make it to the protests, you get a chance to see some tea bagging in action. (See it's so hard not to make a bad joke!)

In Local News: Fire

2009-04-16T13:49:00.000-07:00

It's not anywhere near as interesting as when my actual building was on fire and we had to evacuate:

But the field next to our office is currently on fire. All I could get was a bad cell phone picture, I'm not really sure if you can tell there is fire there.

My on the scene reporting has gathered that they are just letting the fire burn itself out and that the fire truck isn't even going to do anything cool.

Bill O'Reilly Indroduces You to the World of Nintendo

2009-04-15T14:43:00.000-07:00

This video is awesome for two reason, first it is insanely retro and brings me back to the early days of Nintendo, it's hilarious to see how adults found this newfangled contraption so bizarre. Even more bizarre, and the second reason this video is awesome, is that Bill O'Reilly is the guy introducing the segment! Also at the end he complains that "Lincoln Logs" are the way to go. It's nice to see that he hated newness even back then, it's really sort of frightening to watch him try and pretend to be nice though. He is lucky they invented Fox News as a home for people like him or his head might have exploded long ago.

Zooey Daschanel Makes Cotton More Cute

2009-04-15T09:13:00.001-07:00

Usually I am trying to forgive or forget my favorite celebrity's shilling of some random product. Of course Zooey Deschenel has some sort of magic power where everything she does makes you love her more. This commercial for cotton is just one more of those things. I don't' really have anything against cotton either, in fact I would say it is my most worn, if not my favorite fabric. Watching Zooey prance around in adorable cotton outfits and sing a little ditty about it seems to put a big smile on my face. How is she so fricking cute?

Raw Talent: Susan Boyle

2009-04-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

I didn't link this video yesterday because I figured it would be on every website imaginable by today. I am posting it now though because I really want to make sure that no one misses it. This woman, Susan Boyle, is amazing. When she walks on to the stage of Britain's Got Talent, everyone laughs at her, thinking she is one of the many freaks they take delight in mocking on these shows. Then, she opens her mouth to sing, and boy does she show them. I've watched this video about three times now, and I love this lady more every time.

Enjoy! (YouTube)

How to Make a Night to Remember Even More Memorable:

2009-04-13T08:59:00.000-07:00

Behold: The Vulva Prom Dress! The designers at Light in the Box were trying to make a heart shaped ruffle, but ended up with oh so much more. What say you? If a girl had walked into your high school prom wearing this, would you have thought she was so cool that she was in on the joke and doing it as an ironic nod to prom night, or was she just helping her date along with a handy visual aid?

My Primal Week and Beyond

2009-04-09T08:13:00.000-07:00

One week down. As of Tuesday my week experiment in primal living is complete. I've read lot, cooked and ate a lot, and lost a lot of weight without much effort. Ahh, it is that last part there that probably has me stuck on the primal living kick my friends. I mean there are not many among us not looking for that magic potion that makes the pounds fly off. I think going primal is probably closest thing to that potion that I have seen work on myself (Okay besides trying fen-phen back in the day, but permanent heart damage probably isn't a good trade off for weight loss).

I spent much of this week compiling information on what exactly the parameters of primal living were, then I stumbled upon a really good explanation and starting point at Mark Sisson's Daily Apple, one of the best sites all round for information on primal diet and fitness.

Mike and I were doing great all week, especially Mike. He has been cooking and getting creative like nobodies business (cept mine!) and says he has more energy than he has had in years. He is really a true convert, he hasn't had an eating plan click with his physiology the way this one has ever before. I feel like it's been a little harder for me though, honestly my mind keep trying to think of excuses of why I need carbs, and my monthly chocolate cravings were leading me to the edge of insanity for a few nights there.

Here is some pretty pictures of bunless burgers Mike made us, just to break up the Nina-rambles.

Saturday was our "cheat day" due to the fact that we were taking Mike's younger brother, and his girl friend, out to Chinese. We ate noodles, a little rice, and what I'm sure is a large about of sugar in the sauces. We both felt heavy and tired that night, and I've convinced myself that this cheat is also the reason I soon after got so deathly ill. I am usually the one person left standing while some awful cold or flu mows down my compatriots, this time though I was a casualty; it was bad.

I was down for two whole days, only seeing the sun when Mike was nice enough to prop me on the couch and open the curtains so I could watch the sunset and the rainbows from my prism dance across the walls. The rest of my time since Monday night has been spent in bed, sleeping, coughing, or whining. Today though, I am back at work, still far from 100% but sometimes you just can't stay in bed any longer.

Since my week ended on such a sickly note, it's hard for me to take stock of how I am truly feeling. I do know that I seemed to have lost my low blood sugar crankiness from not eating. I just get sort of a general feeling of hunger in my stomach without the swimmy headed nauseous feeling that used to come with skipping meals or waiting too long to eat. This is good, now if the carb and chocolate cravings would go away, and the lingering sense that I am being deprived of the foodie world I love so dearly, I would be golden. Fucking golden.

Bottom line? We're sticking with it.

Paleo Update: Creativity in the Kitchen

2009-04-03T08:04:00.000-07:00

Few things inspire me more than food. You can probably tell this by looking at me. I have never been able to, or willing to, sacrifice my fun in the kitchen for anything that I found limiting to my art. Trying the primal diet, I've learned that, as is the case with most of my other creative endeavors, having parameters to work within can actually makes things more fun. It gives you a sort of challenge that just have complete free reign doesn't offer.

For instance, cauliflower - I have always known that cauliflower is somewhat special. First of all it's white, and it's probably the only white food that is good for you. Of course now that I said that, someone will just come up with more foods chalked full of whitey goodness, but let's just say the usual suspects of sugar, flour, and shortening, we can live without. Mark Twain described cauliflower as, "cabbage with a college education," and with a little smarts of your own it can be your best friend, it's one of the most versatile veggies I know.

I've had three separate encounters with the fluffy cabbage cousin this week alone. It all started with my failed attempt at roast cauliflower that ended up blackened, and thankfully got much better from there. On Wednesday night, Mike made a really delicious cauliflower puree in the style of a mashed potato. He added little bits of turkey bacon to it, and the results were fantastic. I knew I had to try one more thing that I had been reading about on primal blogs though, cauliflower rice. It's so simple it's really a non-recipe. All you do it grate the cauliflower and steam it, or saute it if you like, and it is almost unrecognizable as an impostor! I ate it with some marinated mahi-mahi and even though my brain knew that what I was eating wasn't a grain, my taste buds told a different story, a story of fluffy almost al dente white rice. Cauliflower is a win my friends, and I get the feeling I am going to be eating a lot of it in the near future.

Our other creative endeavor last night was an apple and pear puree, apple sauce style, that Mike put on the pork roast he made for himself. It was so good that I had some as a dessert. All we did was boil peeled apples and pears in water with a little orange juice for some sweetness, until they were tender, then hit them with the handy-dandy stick blender. A regular blender would have worked just as well. We loved it. We'll be making a lot more very soon!

There Was Life on Mars

2009-04-02T07:54:00.000-07:00

"Life on Mars" is gone. Yes, the American version. According to it's Neilson ratings you probably didn't watch it, but it was a witty, well written, moving and deep show that I will miss. Last night's finale was a Freudian tempest. A whirl wind of daddy issues, unresolved love, fear, and hope for a better future.

I can't really get into the specifics without giving too much away, but they resolved the plot in a interesting, boundary pushing way, and gave the characters I've grown so attached to the send off they deserved. Ray, Michael Imperioli of Sopranos fame, gave a particularly poignant monologue on why he believes their is no God. In one crashing, half drunken wave they gave us everything we've wanted to know about his background, and what shaped his life philosophy.

My only critique would be that things seemed a little rushed. They gave us lots of information and action for a one hour time chunk. I would have loved to have seen what they could have done with twice the time. Of course, I would have loved to have seen what they could have done with a few more seasons, but that just wasn't in the cards for Sam Tyler and his buddies this time around.

Here's to hoping all the fantastic actors on this show, Harvey Keitel, Gretchen Mol, Jason O'Mara and more, find life somewhere new, Mars or otherwise.

Primal Recipe: Almond Crusted Zucchini

2009-04-02T07:47:00.000-07:00

This is Mike's recipe transcribed by me, I hope I got everything right. By request, here is the recipe for Almond Crusted Zucchini from Wednesday.

Man Recipe: Almond Crusted Zucchini

2 Eggs

1 Shallow Bowl of Ground Almonds

1 Large Zucchini

2 to 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Fresh Ground Black Pepper

A Pinch of Sea Salt (at your discretion)

Crack the eggs in a bowl and mix with pepper, combine with fork. Add sliced zucchini to egg mixture and coat all pieces. Let the zucchini soak in the eggs for a few minutes.

Heat olive oil on medium heat.

Remove one slice at a time from egg mixture and drop into bowl of ground almonds. Press the almonds into the zucchini, making sure they are coated on both sides.

Place the coated zucchini in your pan and watch carefully, since it cooks very quickly.

Drain excess oil on paper towels. Season with a pinch of sea salt.

Enjoy!

Paleo Update: Winner Dinner, and a Larabar

2009-04-02T06:40:00.000-07:00

This morning for breakfast I didn't have time to do anything impressive, in fact I didn't have time to do anything at all. I grabbed a bar that I read about on Son of Grok, called a Larabar. They are made with only primal ingredients, though they do contain a lot of dates, which I guess are a little high in natural sugar. Because of this, I probably will not be eating the banana I also brought, since there is some debate on whether you can even tropical fruit at all on a Primal diet due to it's relatively high natural sugar content. Luckily I have a back-up green pear.

(Like Son of Grok, I will probably be trying to make my own primal type bars for quick grabbing, stay tuned.)

I'm not sweating my non-gourmet breakfast this morning. I think that has a lot to do with the amazing dinner I had last night that seemed to eradicate all carb cravings. My fiance, Mike, has been transformed into Primal Top Chef. When I came home from work he had already made a chicken meat loaf, made loafy with the addition of eggs, onions, and peppers. As a side, he created an amazing cauliflower puree, erasing all memory of my horribly failed cauliflower experiment from the night before. We also had a beautiful bright salad.

Paleo Update: Feeling Full

2009-04-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

Finally I am feeling full! I think it must take the expertise of home cooking to actually make me feel satisfied. I was thinking that I would just be putting together a simple salad for lunch today, then I came home to this:

Mike knew I had been craving carbs and went to work trying to find something that would scratch my itch. He came up with almond crusted zucchini! It really made me feel like I was snacking on something naughty, which is always a good thing. The shrimp though were the best part, they were chalked full of garlicky goodness!

When I was driving home for lunch, I couldn't even look at the all the crappy restaurants on the way. I just kept picturing pizza, or bread, or french fries. Now though, I am feeling like I don't even need the steely resolve I was planning to muster. This is how I like things to be, easy.

Paleo Update: Sad Dinner and Happy Breakfast

2009-04-01T08:55:00.000-07:00

The carb cravings started a little before 6pm last night. I went to Trader Joes, which was great place to pick up beef and turkey jerky, natural bacons, and veggies. Unfortunately they also have a great selection of starchy and sugary foods. Mmmmm... starchy and sugary.

I ate some turkey jerky when I got in the car. It was good it helped, but by the time I got home and started cooking dinner I was starving again. I snacked on some pineapple, almonds, and strawberries while I was cooking dinner.

Dinner was a serious learning experience for me. I tried to make a chicken and potato dish that I love by substituting cauliflower for potatoes. Of course for some reason I didn't take into account that the cauliflower would not appreciate being cooked on the bottom rack of the oven the way potatoes do. Let me tell you, blackened cauliflower tastes even worse than it sounds. The chicken turned out pretty well though and I thought I would try to make some kale chips as a side to make up for my sad sad cauliflower char. The only kale I could find in my grocery store surprisingly was pre-washed chopped and bagged. Not really what I wanted and the kale chips suffered. The kale was cut in you very nonuniform pieces so some got overly browned while other were not even cooked through. Oh well, live and learn, it will all be better next time.

I woke up this morning craving carbs again. All I wanted was something starchy. Even typing the words now is slightly painful for me. By the time I got to work, I was starting to get a little discouraged. Then I opened the foil wrapped plate that my man had made for me:

What would I do without him? The sight was a saving grace. See? It's pretty and wonderful food! You love pretty and wonderful food! And I did. In case you are wondering, it's scrambled eggs topped with sauteed onions, resting on natural turkey bacon and seared red pepper. It was delicious and satisfied me for the most part. I still feel a slight nagging in my stomach, begging me to eat anything loaded with carbohydrates. I say nuts to that! It's only been one full day. I better start practicing my steely resolve.

Paleolithic Update: Tuesday Lunch

2009-03-31T13:00:00.000-07:00

If you have read my earlier post, you know that this is my week of eating like a cave woman. Although I can tell you the cave peeps probably never had it this good. For lunch today, I had this beauty waiting for me when I walked in the door. Thanks to Mikie, the man with the eggtastic plan. It consists of almost hard boiled eggs, some lettuce, grape tomatoes, black olives, and dill. I also had a bed of greens on the side (not pictured) with a little olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon on top.

I can say that after eating I felt satisfied but not overly full. Now it is about a half hour later and I am feeling still satisfied; no craving at the moment. I will keep you up to date on the whole primal Nina week long experiment as things transpire.

A Week Long Experiment: Paleolithic Diet

2009-03-31T08:16:00.000-07:00

This week I am trying something that is a little off the radar of usual Nina behavior. I love food, and I am really not big on restrictions of any kind. Sure I don't eat pork or red meat but that's not really work for me, I haven't eaten them in pretty much my entire life and never really had desire to start. This week though I am going against the grain, if you will, and cutting it out completely. (Grain that is.)

I have been reading a lot about Evolutionary Fitness and the Paleo Diet lately, and a friend of mine, who has a great new blog, is also really into it. After some more research, we decided to give it a try at our house! The idea behind Evolutionary Fitness is really mimicking the activities and eating habits of our hunter gatherer ancestors. Agriculture, let a lone chemicals and industrialized food, changed the foods we intake and our body composition has yet to catch up. On our shopping trip last night we gathered meats, which for us meant just chicken and turkey right now, eggs, nuts, tons of veggies, and some fruits and berries. The idea behind a lot of these foods is that they could be safely eaten in their raw state. This eliminates pretty much all starches and grains from the table. I have been curious to see how my body would fair without carbs and dairy, for awhile now, and here my chance to find out.

If anyone keeps up with my other blog, Look What She's Eating, you already know I keep a sort of half day food journal. For this experiment I thought I should document all my meals and snacks on here, and will continue to post what I eat at work on Look What She's Eating.

For breakfast this morning I made two eggs, with red pepper and shallots, the rest of the raw pepper on the side, and of course, water.

Then, since I don't go to lunch until about 1:30ish, I had a handful of blanched almonds around 12:00.

I sounds silly, and it could be just mental, but I think I might actually already be feeling better than I did yesterday. I am just feeling clear headed and I have no heart burn, which I often get after eating a meal at my desk at work. Stay turned for more meals, and more results, and check out the above links for more information!

Horsing Around With My Little Pony

2009-03-27T10:51:00.000-07:00

Artist Mari Kasurinen suites up My Little Ponies as some of your favorite film characters. (Via Jezebel) Here is My Little The Bride (From Kill Bill), My Little Cry Baby, and of course My Little Wookie. Check out The Guardian for Edward Scissor Hands, Alien, and more.

Is the Veronica Mars Movie Dead?

2009-03-25T09:02:00.001-07:00

Okay Veronica Mars fans, ready your best poutty face. Things are not looking good for the chances of the Veronica Mars movie. (Via NY Post) Apparently creator, Rob Thomas, when asked for comment said, "While the pitch [to producer Joel Silver] went well and I don't think the movie's dead, right now it's looking depressing. I think honestly if we would have had the pitch ready a year earlier, it would be a go project ... This is the least optimistic I've felt in a while." Ouch. That does not sound good.

Listen up movie guys, there is obviously a concrete pitch here, and Kristen Bell (Veronica) is already on the cusp of becoming a bigger star. A movie like Veronica Mars, marketed correctly, could really do well. The TV show didn't attract the kind of audience it should have based on the fact that most people though it was some sort of girly-girl Nancy Drew meets 90210 bunk. A properly produced movie could satisfy the old fans and attract a whole army of new ones. Don't let this one slip through your fingers studio execs. Us fans won't be the only ones missing out.

The Best TV Finales Ever

2009-03-23T13:45:00.000-07:00

This is my list of the best television series finales. Yes, I'm sure I am missing some. Hell, I haven't even existed for the entire span of TV's reign as king of the American household. It is rare in television's illustrious history that it actually lives up to it's ruling class status, and gives us something truly golden. Those are the times we live for. Television can make us laugh, scoff, cry and more. We have relationships with the shows we love the most, and when they sign off, they can leave us feeling angry at not living up their potential (I'm looking in your direction final episode of Seinfeld), full of satisfaction, full of longing for more, or as is usually the case, some combination of the three.

Battlestar Galactica

I was guzzling down a potent cocktail of emotions during the Battlestar Galactica finale on Friday night I can tell you. I was reduced to tears at several of the show's heart wrenching moments, and was literally perched on the edge of my seat for some of the hardest hitting action of the entire series (seriously AMAZING). I didn't want to tell my friend, while she was still in the afterglow that night, but I did take issue with the very very end. There was lots of ending. I loved how they gave us time to really relish and experience the characters at the end of their journey, but I think they may have taken it a single step too far. Without giving anything away, I felt like they abruptly changed the tone to make a point which didn't really hit home for me. All in all though, an epic science fiction opus. I am including it here in case you missed it.

Six Feet Under

Ahhh, Alan Ball's emotional masterpiece. I can't actually fathom ever seeing a TV show end in a more satisfying way. They truly gave your closure on a show that will have no doubt weaseled it's way deep into your heart by the time you view the final episode. If you haven't seen the show, it's very hard to describe the intensity and richness of the finale. I can only tell you my reaction was openly weeping, for I don't even remember how long. I've always wanted to watch it again, at first I didn't think I could handle it right away, now I am waiting for just the right time.

Veronica Mars

I will always be a fan of this show, the heroine, Veronica, was just too bad-assed-witty-girl-powered for me to ever let her slip out of my heart. I will admit though that the show did start to go down hill a little in the last season, redeeming itself only with a spectacular series finale. I wrote a full review of the episode when it aired, which you can check out if you'd like. Really I would suggest at least watching the entire first season of this show if you haven't seen it, you don't know what you're missing, this ain't no teeny-bopper detective agency.

Extras/The Office

I included these amazing series finales in one entry because they are both the brain children of writer and lead, Ricky Gervais. They also both end in probably the most satisfying format you can give your fans, the two hour TV-movie. In each of these finales the characters are given even more of a chance to breath and be real, veering into the comic then tragic then back again. Not many other times have I laughed so much, and then cried at the most touching of moments. We'll have to wait and see if the American version of The Office lives up to it's namesakes example when it ends, hopefully not for a long time.

Freaks and Geeks

We all had to live through High School, and no other show has ever been able to capture all the agony and all the elation that the trials of adolescence can bring. (I also think Judd Apatow has yet to top this, his first project.) Lindsay, the main character, runs the gamut from mathlette, to bad-girl in the course of the show, constantly trying to make sense out of who she is. In the end, she breaks free from her home town and embarks on a journey to truly find herself.

Arrested Development

Nothing wins me over like pure unadulterated funny. This finale pulled together all the loose ends of the series, and some you didn't even know existed. You finally learn who real "man" behind the curtain is and many more dysfunctional Bluth family secrets. This one is a must watch, must re-watch, and must quote. "Nope, you're looking at balls."

Well that's my list. Did I forget any?

Top 5 Things About Spring

2009-03-20T08:58:00.000-07:00

Happy first day of Spring everybody! We've had a few warm days here as a great preview of what we have to look forward to in the next few months. I honestly didn't think I was going to make it through this Winter at some points, and I don't want to speak too soon about the worst being over for fear of incurring the wrath of Old Man Winter!

In the spirit of Spring though, with it's easy to love charms, I thought what is more agreeable than a list of good things. Spring is full of them!

Gardens: Every day on the way to work I pass a farm stand. They are closed all winter long, but this morning the marquee sign outside the small barn-like building stated proudly, "'Seeds are growing!" I felt a tingle of anticipation for fresh asparagus, strawberries, and lettuce, the first crops of the season I will be stopping on my way home from work to pick up. That is about the closest I can get to homegrown. I can't really grow a garden where I live, I have no outside area, and the only large windows I have faces west, making it hard for even house plants to thrive. Let me tell you though that I am mega-jealous of anyone that has a plot of land large enough to grow a bit of anything, so if you do have one, follow the lead of the White House, get organic, and grow grow grow!

Thunderstorms: So what is it that makes those gardens grow? You guessed it, a healthy dose of water from mother nature in the form of rain, and lots of it. I have always loved a good thunderstorm, but I understand if this doesn't make your own personal list. My poor doggie used to shiver like it was 20 below every time there was a big storm. She would hide under a bed or the chair your were sitting in, not peeking her little panting head out until the last crash and flash has passed. I know friends who would love to do the same thing. Me though? Can't get enough personally. During a thunderstorm, I can feel that electric charge in the air through my whole body, and the sounds are some of my favorite naturally occurring music. (I guess it's mostly percussion though huh?)

Cute Clothes: I know at least in my house it is time to me to go through everything, clean out those closets and get rid of anything that is ill fitting or that I just plain don't wear. Then I can buy more stuff! Right? That's how it works? I just know I am ready for some open shoes, sunglasses, flirty dresses, and no more bulky coats! Mostly I just can't wait to see color everywhere and on everyone. Not to advertise, cause I probably won't pick one up myself, but for ladies out there looking for something on the cheap, Old Navy has a Spring "it" dress right now for only 15 bucks. Paired with a jacket and some cute shoes, you could certainly put together an infinitely comfortable outfit, that will look like it had a much higher price point.

Music: I am of the school of though that music sounds better with the windows rolled down. There's really not many bigger joys for me than driving down an open road, tunes cranking, windows down, and word turning. I can get lost in that moment and feel like I am truly free, traveling where ever the mood might take me, not weighed down by past or future. Spring is when the magic starts. There are usually some great new releases in Spring also. This season I am looking forward to new albums from the likes of Peter Bjorn & John, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Bat for Lashes, and Peaches. And for the less petrolly inclined, these will also sound great on head phones, on a long long walk.

No More Winter: Damn straight that is the best thing about Spring! No more will I be found chipping and scraping at my windshield in the early mornings, trudging through 2 foot snow drifts, or slipping like a cartoon cliche on a patch of ice. No, instead I will be enjoying budding flowers, possible baby animals, and crazy old fashioned animation. Oh that last one didn't quite fit in did it? Maybe it's because I wanted to include the video at the end of this post as it's own separate great thing about spring. I have watched this MGM Merry Melodies short since late in childhood, and I admit my brother and I are somewhat obsessed with it. It tackles the hard science behind Spring. You know, how the tiny gnome guys who live under ground have to pump color up through little tubes in the earth to make the things outside grow, all while battling an angry and vengeful, and unintelligible, old man winter? Didn't they teach you this stuff in school?

Happy Spring Everyone! Remember to party like a pagan this Equinox!

Goegraphy for the TV Addict

2009-03-19T14:12:00.000-07:00

These are just too fun to not pass along. It would be like getting a great picture of your 5th grade teacher with skink lines and bucked teeth and not passing it to the kid to your right. It's all part of Dan Meth's great series of pop-culture charts.

And so the rest of us shouldn't feel left out...

Freaking Cool! Dolphins Blowing Bubble Rings

2009-03-19T08:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you see something online that is very random, but very freaking cool! It is my job to pass those freaking cool things along to anyone who will listen.

Dolphins are amazing! I watched a PBS Nature documentary once that showed how dolphins actually do something very similar to spanking their children. Their young often swim too close to boat motors, a very dangerous activity for a fledgling dolphin. The parent will herd their baby away from the boats and chatter a scolding at him. However if the tiny dolphin continues his errant behaviour, the parent will take him to the sea floor and emit an uncomfortable slightly-hurty pulse into him, trying and dissuade the behaviour. After the pulse, they will nuzzle and coo at their child, finished with discipline and ready for more good natured dolphin play.

I had to include that because I am completely fascinated by it, and it is another bit of of dolphin behaviour that I find myself fascinated with today, a video I stumbled across, over at Boing Boing.

Dolphins, like people, love to play, and it seems like they are no less creative. The Dolphins in Sea World Orlando have developed a habit of creating water rings with their blowholes and then artistically playing with them, shaping them into smaller rings or new shapes. You can really register the joy on their faces as they go. Totally beats the hell out of smoke rings.

Album Review: Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You

2009-03-18T09:09:00.000-07:00

I secretly loved Lily Allen from the first time I saw her on Saturday Night Live. I had heard the song "Smile" on the radio, but didn't catch on to the snarky lyrics till I saw her perform it live. I immediately started listening to tracks off her first release, Alright, Still and was endlessly impressed with her bratty charm. She seemed like a girl that would be fun to be out with on a Friday night. However she was still just my guilty pleasure, I was sure that her poppy style was too far removed from some idea I had of legitimate music for me to be a legitimate fan.

I have to tell you though she's changed my mind with her new album It's not Me, It's You. The music is still catchy and poppy, nothing much has changed there except a reliance on more electronic beats. She's matured as a person and as an artist though, somehow without managing to dislodge her tongue from her cheek, a place where it seems very comfortable. There are songs on It's Not me... mocking her latest man's performance in the sack (Not Fair), a sweet sounding take down of Bush and conservatives called Fuck You, and a scoldings to an interested boy that "It never really did and now it's never gonna happen with the two of us." Ouch.

These songs though are balanced by an innate sweetness she seems to posses. She sings, in one of the albums' best songs, Chinese, "I don't want anything more/than to see your face when you open the door/you make me beans on toast and a nice cup of tea/then we'll get a chinese and watch TV." She weaves such a simple, everyday, yet beautiful image of feeling safe and comfortable with the one you love, that every time I hear this song I can only think of doing the same. It works every time, seriously it should really be on an advertisement for chinese take-out.

She proves on this album though that her song writing is going places. She takes a stab at the at pointing out the hypocrisy in Celebrity Culture (The Fear), and Drugs (Everyone's At It), and even goes for it with a song about God (Him). In fact, my favorite line of the album comes when she claims that God's favorite band is Credence Clearwater Revival. I guess you could say that now she's got one more legitimate fan.

Weekend Movie Round-Up

2009-03-16T13:42:00.000-07:00

Sometimes my weekends are productive and full of projects and outings, other times they consist mostly of hanging out at home with the man and the cats. Whatever my weekends hold, I try to squeeze in at least one movie, usually more. I sometimes follow through and write real reviews, usually of movies I hate the most because they are the most fun to write about. While I haven't had the joy of writing about a truly craptacular movie in while, I thought I might share my thoughts on the movies I see over the weekend anyway. Let's see, what did I watch this weekend...

Rachel Getting Married: Is that the dude from TV on the Radio?? Yes, Yes it is. He is quiet and elegant as Rachel's musically inclined groom. This a drama to the max. I didn't except it to be as intense as it was, it was really heart breaking at times, but it weighed the dark with the light well and in the end didn't feel too heavy. Anne Hathoway was amazing as ex-junkie Kym, that hype was true. The wedding at the heart of the film is joyous and beautiful, and you wish/feel you had been there the whole time as the credits role.

Happy Go Lucky: A little disclaimer here, I probably didn't give this film the attention it deserved. It sort of meandered and wavered, and I found myself doing the same thing, cooking from the other room, peeking in the bedroom to see what Mikie was up to. The character, Poppy, who the movie revolves around, is cute and overly lovable, and I sort of found myself only half interested in her and her antics. I know people have touted this movie as uplifting and beautiful, but about all I can muster right now is a

"meh."

Role Models: I already want to watch this movie again. I liked it because they really went for it. They didn't hold back at all with the crazy filthy humor, they treated the kids like adults, and the characters were sketched out enough that you actually do care and go along for the ride when crazy things happen like Augie (McLovin) getting kicked out of his Live Action Role Playing game. The ending is fantastic.

Happy Movie Watching! I will back back with more flicks next week. Maybe by that time I will have figured out some form of clever rating system.

Quick Blackbean Soup - A Recipe in Pictures

2009-03-16T07:32:00.000-07:00

This has been a Winter all about hunkering down, trying to live well while living economically. At our house, where we never ate much meat to begin with, we have been trying to eat more vegetarian meals. Of course it still being Winter, we also want them to be warm, hearty, and filling. Nothing fits that bill quite like this black bean soup. It's packed full of nutritional goodness, but you would never know it based on it's level of deliciousness! This time I actually made it with chicken broth, because it was what I had on hand, but all you have to do it replace it with vegetable broth and you're good on the veggie/vegan front. I call this recipe quick because I use canned black beans instead of soaking them and cooking them from dry, but you could certainly do that if you have the time, which I never seem to.

The Ingredient Round Up:

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Large Onion

Carrots (Enough to have equal amounts)

Celery (Enough to have equal amounts)

1 Large Bell Pepper (I used Yellow here)

4 Cloves Garlic

2 25oz Cans of Black Beans

2-3 Cups Chicken Broth

1 teaspoon Cumin

1/2 teaspoon Dried Oregano

1/4 teaspoon Garam Masala

1/2 teaspoon Curry Powder (Not Pictured)

Salt & Pepper (to taste and season)

1/2 Tablespoon Fresh Thyme

Juice of 1/2 of a Lemon

Chop your veggies:

Heat 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil in your pot, add veggies (and season with salt and pepper):

Make a tiny space to bloom your spices, cook separately, like so, until you can smell them:

Start cooking veggies down until soft and translucent (a little past this):

Add Black Beans (drained but not rinsed):

Add your thyme and enough broth to cover the mixture:

Simmer at med/low heat until everything is tender and favors have combined:

Add juice of half of one lemon at end and season to taste:

Puree with a stick blender, or pour into a regular blender which is much more messy, until desired consistency is achieved. I like to make it smooth but keep some whole beans and chunks so you know what's in the soup as you're eating it. You can change this recipe up in a million different ways, it's adaptable to many different spice profiles, cilantro and chili powder would also make it sing. Just don't skimp on the squeeze of some kind of citrus at the end. It really punches up the flavor. This soup goes great with a big hunk of crusty bread, saltine crackers as Mikie likes, or just as is. I would say this makes at least enough for four people, with just two in the house we always have lots of leftovers. (Perfect for pairing with some salsa-eggs in the morning!) Enjoy!

Orla Kiely at Target

2009-03-13T11:30:00.000-07:00

I was aimlessly walking around Target the other day, and I stumbled across this cool collection by Orla Kiely, who is know for her bold and fun retro patterns. Surprisingly her designs here are not much different than her more upscale line, although a lot of it is plastic, which I will be avoiding due to the fact that I can never keep up with what kinds of plastics cause chemical reactions when mixed with certain beverages to create poisons.

I have to say that now that I have my amazingly beautiful blog, I am gravitating towards my retro-y fun style a lot more. We are sort of in the middle of some minor kitchen changes at home, so I didn't pick up any of these cool items... yet. Of course I am much more likely to wait till they go on sale or clearance to snatch up some mugs (am I a total cheapo for not wanting to spend six bucks on a mug?) and maybe one of those orange pear canisters for flour.

This Lady is Gaga

2009-03-13T08:03:00.000-07:00

Lady Gaga just completely cracks me up some times. (Via Jezebel) She's totally got you beat Elton John.

Heather's The Musical?! Lick it up, baby. Lick. It. Up.

2009-03-12T08:41:00.000-07:00

Yes, Heather's the Musical!! Ooh it felt pretty sweet just typing out the words. Two guys by the name of Andy Fickman and Kevin Murphy, apparently also behind the Reefer Madness remake musical, have been putting this together for awhile now. Even better I hear (via Big Picture) that Kristen Bell has been at the script readings this week in L.A.! Yes she would be perfect!! Of course nothing is in stone, I shouldn't be fitting her for a monocle yet, no casting decisions have been made. I can tell you though, that this movie will make the perfect musical. I couldn't agree with Fickman more when he says, "'I love my dead gay son.' If you can get that into a song, then that is just perfect."

Just The Funny Bits

2009-03-11T11:10:00.000-07:00

Besides last night's interview, which was kinda dry, the Daily Show was extremely hilarious on Tuesday! It was hard to pick out just the funny bits in a episode which also featured Senior Women's Issues Commentator Kristen Schaal, from Flight of the Conchores fame stating, "In California, you're an unfit parent if you're gay, but not if you're straight, unemployed, live with your parents and have an Angelina Jolie fetish."

In the end though, I just decided to pick out the very funniest of all bits, the latest in the continuing saga of Cramer vs. Non-Cramer. CNBC's Jim Cramer has been getting his ass handed to him all week, and should really just keep his mouth shut at this point; he's not going to beat Jon Stewart. Can't be done. Jonny Stew is just going to lay a smack down of sweet sweet logic based humor. Of course Jon may humiliate himself in the process, but again you will loose because everyone knows that just makes him more lovable.

Vintage Yum

2009-03-10T13:15:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I was trying to remember the name of my favorite cookbook as a kid, the one with the awesome campy pictures of everything, pink fluffy frostings, meat with little white puffy paper chef hat thingies on the ends of the bones, (what the hell are those things called??) and lots and lots of sixties pizazz.

Well I believe this is the book right here. (Vintage List)

The Betty Crocker's New Picture Cook Book from 1961. It was fab. I don't remember what recipes out of this we actually used, I just remember flipping through it a lot for my favorite pictures. If my mom still has this I am so figuring out a way to kidnap it and take pictures of all the pretty stylized foods within.

Not with a bang, but a crunch.

2009-03-10T09:35:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it doesn't matter how god-awful an idea is, it's an idea, and therefore must be tested. Remember the Taco Town Taco, Saturday Night Live's mocking of Taco Bell and the like who combine and rearrange the bizarre goo elements of their products constantly to tantalize the taste buds of their patrons?

Well even the farcical tantalizing works a little too well. According to a link on This is why you're fat, a great site for killing a little time by looking at the horrible monstrosities we create out of hunger and more accurately misplaced human ingenuity and boredom, the Taco Town Taco was not only constructed, it was eaten... by people! You don't believe me do you? Well feast your frightened eyes on this!

Go to the link above for an entire photo walk-though of how this thing was created, if you dare. I know what you're thinking though, how can I not love a crunchy beef taco with nacho cheese, lettuce, tomato and southwestern sauce wrapped in a soft flour tortilla with a layer of refried beans in between, then wrapped in a corn tortilla with a layer of Monterrey Jack cheese in a deep fried gordita shell with guacamole sauce baked in a corn husk topped with pico de gallo, wrapped in a crepe, filled with egg, gruyere cheese, sausage and portobello mushrooms, all wrapped in a Chicago-style deep dish pizza wrapped in a blueberry pancake and finally deep fried with spicy vegetarian chili dipping sauce?

Well, they forgot the tote bag.

Just the Funny Bits

2009-03-09T08:52:00.000-07:00

In our ever expanding media landscape, there is an endless supply of things to keep you entertained, at least keep you entertained enough to distract you from whatever you're looking to be distracted from. The worst is when you're looking for distraction, humor, fun, and all you get is a steaming pile of unfunny. That's why I am devoting myself tirelessly to the pursuit of funny, and willing to report back to you, my people.

Today I am giving you "Just the Funny Bits" of this week's Saturday Night Live, staring Dwayne, The Rock, Johnson. He's a nice enough guy, you want him to be funny, he is rather charming in a large dimply way. But the charming don't always succeed on SNL. Most skits are still a miss due to lack luster comedy writing. Some skits however, can still come together perfectly, with the right premise and the right star. Hence, The Rock Obama.

Sadly there wasn't much more funny to report on this week from SNL, but we'll

keep you posted when funny rears it's head (Like Putin!) once again.

The New Me!

2009-03-06T10:49:00.001-08:00

As you may have noticed, by so deftly navigating your way to my site, it friggin rocks! Welcome to the new Nina on Everything!

I have to admit it's pretty easy to look this good when you have an amazingly talented graphic designer on your side. All props go to Ann Kwilinski, her skills are unmatched! Go ahead, challenge her to a graphic design duel! She will kick you ass, no joke. She just happens to have a blog called Ink & Sentiments that you should already be perusing. (Seriously, what's taking you so long?) In the words of my dear friend Tamara, who got me the hook up on Ann's skills "I suggest you check out her blog or get at her and pay her money to make your shit look good." Word.

I Want More Moore

2009-03-05T11:13:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading an interview with Alan Moore, creator of Watchmen, V for Vendetta, Lost Girls, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and more, over at Salon. I have spent time reading some of his graphic novels and had an idea that he must be an incredible smart man, but hadn't heard his story, or from him personally, until today.

Moore was kicked out of school at a young age for dealing LSD and turned to educating himself through books and counterculture. Much like the way I gently nudged myself out of my second chance at college through internet addiction and then educated myself through that very same internet. We're kindred spirits!

Also I love the way he looks at fiction as just another part of our history to pull ideas from. He doesn't seem to distinguish between the outside realm of boring old reality and in the inside realm of imagination. I love this outlook on life. "The truth is a reflection of the fiction that we see."

"If you look at that incredible burst of fantastic characters that emerged in the late 19th century/early 20th century, you can see so many of the fears and hopes of those times embedded in those characters. Even in throwaway bits of contemporary culture you can often find some penetrating insights into the real world around us."

That right there should be my blogging manifesto. Even in the tiny seemingly insignificant aspects of culture that I find time to expound on, there is mystery and beauty and truth to be found.

Is Art Ageless?

2009-03-03T07:29:00.000-08:00

I was reading about two year old artist, and all around cutie, Aelita this morning. An Australian gallery owner was given her work and decided it showed talent and deserved it's own exhibition, all before he was told she was two years old. Is this the marketing of two artist's child, or is she really expressing herself in a way that can be called legitimate art?

Then I started reading about London's 10 year old graffiti artist, Sol. Her stuff is fun and cute, and there is no denying she is a real artist, in that she actually has the intent of creating art. Can the same be said for a two year old? How knows. Here's Sol hanging around next to an amazing and funny piece of street art she painted.

Of course what would art be without comparisons and influences? Maybe people are saying world renown anonymous street artist Banksy was the jumping off point for little 10 year old Sol's art. I can see the connection. I love me some Banksy and so I am including some of my favorite things he has done for my own benefit. Mwahah.

(This one is for Tamara)

Here is a link to all the original art in it's full glory.

Ready for a big bondagey hello kitty induced WTF?

2009-02-25T10:51:00.000-08:00

This is apparently an ad... for the Mac Hello Kitty collection. (Via Jezebel) Set your faces to stun. Extra points for spotting the cotton candy vaginas!

They Still Ain't 'Fraid'a'no Ghost!

2009-02-24T08:46:00.000-08:00

Dan Aykroyd says that Ghostbusters 3 will hopefully be in production by "late fall 2009." Two writers from The Office penned the script and Bill Murray is on board. [NY Magazine]

Dan Aykroyd + Office Writers + Bill Murray = Comic Gold! I can not wait for this!! Ghostbusters has been a life long staple of comedy! Ghostbusters 2? It was eh, but 3? Oh glorious 3! You will not suck will you? Not if you know what's good for you!

Stephen Colbert on Conan

2009-02-18T10:34:00.001-08:00

This is the last week for Late Night with Conan O'Brien my friends. Stephen Colbert mentioned on his show last week that he stole Conan's invisible strings so that he couldn't leave for LA. If only it was that easy Stephen...

Stephen stopped by Late Night last night to give Conan a chance to defend his invisible string dancing skills.

Best Quote From Top Chef Last Night

2009-02-12T11:19:00.001-08:00

"Hospital? No! I will chop it off, sear it on a flattop so it doesn’t bleed, and deal with nine fingers tomorrow!"

Tri-Pepper Goat Cheese Quiche with Potato Crust

2009-02-11T13:43:00.000-08:00

I love quiches, they are one of my favorite ways to use up all the veggies and cheese and other goodies aging in my black-hole of a refrigerator. One problem for me is the crust, one because it's pretty fattening, and I have been trying to lighten up all of my cooking lately, and two because I am lazy. (Wow, too lazy to make pie crust and needs lightening up, I am real catch huh? Good thing I am already love-ed.) I have mostly messed up the pie crusts I have tried to make in the past and while I pretty much know what I could do to fix my mistakes, I seem to have a mental pie crust block now. Pie crusts from the store are either lard laden and flavorless or made with butter (yay!) but very pricey (boo). The whole drive behind my quiche idea was making a super economical meal on the fly.

So what to use instead? I had been reading smittenkitchen's post about tortillas recently, and it provided with my own little ah-ha moment when I saw a bag of pre-sliced potatoes at Target. Potato crust! Everyone loves potatoes, and they're not inherently stuffed with butter! (They're just better that way.)

The results were amazingly good. Mikie took the time to cook the onions and peppers for me to the point of almost carmelization, they were sweet and soft, and very nicely played off the bold creamy little pieces of goat cheese. Yum!

Tri-Pepper Goat Cheese Quiche with Potato Crust:

4 Tablespoons Canola Oil (or any oil with a high smoke point)

1 Russet Potato sliced thin or ran through a food processor or mandolin*

1/2 of a Green Pepper

1/2 of a Yellow Pepper

1/2 of a Red Pepper

1 teaspoon Fresh Thyme

2 Tablespoons Goat Cheese

4 Eggs

1/3 of a cup of Half and Half

Salt and Pepper to your liking

*You can also use pre-sliced but really doesn't work as well, as I found out the hard way.

Preheat oven to 375.

Heat onions and peppers in one Tablespoon of oil, salt, and cook on a low heat, stirring, for about 10-15 minutes until soft.

Heat the remaining oil on medium-high heat in an oven safe pan. Place the potatoes in slowly and carefully, working from the center out, trying to make a single layer if possible. (Mine was pretty messy, but the egg that runs down beneath the potatoes will get too browned and be no so good eats.) Oil should be sizzling when you add the potatoes so be extra careful.

Season the potatoes with salt and pepper generously, and allow to cook until turning golden-brown around the edges. Turn heat down to low.

Start layering on your onions and peppers. Cut your goat cheese into tiny pieces and dot on top of peppers and onion. Sprinkle on Thyme.

Crack your eggs and mix with half and half in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into your pan.

Turn heat up just slightly and cook on the stove top until the edges are set. Transfer pan to oven and cook until completely set throughout. (about 10 minutes)

This is good hot, room temperature, or cold, so at this point you're golden! Or if you're me you're more like a few minutes away from charred, but it was awesome anyways. This would be great for a brunch or a lunch with a pretty salad.

Sammy's Mexican Grill

2008-11-20T13:44:00.000-08:00

I tried Sammy's Mexican Grill last night. It is directly on my way home from work which is good because you can only enter and exit the parking lot heading east.

The inside looks great. Everything is bright and new, with giant Samsung plasmas covering most of the walls, save for some industrial looking chrome art.

The staff was very helpful and nice, they even let me order a single chili rellenos even though they only had a whole meal on their menu. The prices also seemed reasonable. I got the food carry out and brought it home as a meal for myself and my boyfriend.

He really hated the food. Most of it had to do with the fact that they messed up and put tomatoes in his burrito even though I had asked for it without. He really hates tomatoes. The only other thing he ate were tamales (they were out of the pork, we got cheese and chicken) and they were certainly nothing to write home about. The cheese in the cheese one wasn't melted, and there was a severe lack of flavor.

I ate the quesadillas, and chili rellenos. The quesadilla was chicken, and really pretty plain. Not much heat, not much flavor as far as spices.

There would have been nothing worth going back for had I not ordered that chili rellenos. It was probably one of the best I ever had. True, I haven't really had too many, but I was more than satisfied with the complexity of smokey, spicy, sweet, and cheesy flavors. It was their special that night, I should have gotten the whole meal anyways! Best thing they had.

Oh I forgot to mention the fries! I heard they had fresh cut fries so I was excited to try them. However they were soggy and undercooked to the point of being inedible. I did put them in the oven at home and they crisped up into nice french fries, but really you shouldn't have to recook your food to make it good.

All in all, the boyfriend said he wouldn't go back there. I will be going back for the chilis only, and maybe to try some other things. I like to keep an open mind even when the first impression isn't the best.

Brae's Youtube Debut

2008-10-25T09:59:00.001-07:00

I had been promising to upload this forever, but now, a star is born.

Go To The Blogs

2008-10-09T09:20:00.000-07:00

Contrary To Popular Belief (News and Politics)

Contrary To Popular Culture (Pop Culture)

Contrary To Popular Noise (Music)