Phoenix Heats Up The Summer

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

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

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

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?

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!

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!

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

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

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

New Video: Today We Are All Iranians

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

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?

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?

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

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

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."