Co-opt this

If you, like Gwen, find that the Harajuku Girls have the wicked style and would like to be the first co-opt that shit, check it:
Funky t-shirts & housewares from Japan
The latest runway from Yohji Yamamoto and Comme des Garcons
The hard-to-find tees of Hysteric Glamour
Now mix your coutour with a couple funky items from your local thrift store and voila. You're ready to head on down to Melrose/Haight/Broadway/1st Ave/Capitol Hill/East Village and look.... just like everybody else.

Gwen Stefani: Love. Angel. Music. Baby.

You know, I love No Doubt. I've also gotten into it with more than one person in just the last couple months on whether or not Gwen is anything without the kickass band, or if she can even sing (they say nay, I say whateverNoDoubtrocks). And after listening to her debut solo album, I'm not entirely convinced that she really can sing. And yet, I did make this discovery:

I totally don't care.

"Love Angel Music Baby" is weird, infectious, addictive fun. I first listened to the album in a traffic jam trying to get the hell out of LA for Thanksgiving, so I was a little headachy and cranky. Not in the mood for Gwen. And yet 4 days later when it came time to drive home I found I'd totally been hankering for it.

The album is all over the freaking map, from bubblegum dance pop, to Euro-pop that you'd swear was totally New Order (and then you discover that, well, it is), to over-produced-yet-satisfying R&B tunes, to show tunes. Track two starts the journey into a state of mind best characterized by, "What the...? Niiiiiice!" with the Fiddler on the Roof-inspired "Rich Girl." Then suddenly you're transported to your high school gym for a basketball game and the catchy "Hollaback Girl." After the game, you stay in the 80's as your parents drive you home in the station wagon with the pop FM station blaring, "Cool," which you sing along with while playing with your spiral-permed curls.

From there it just keeps jumping all over the place. You know how you get that one song stuck in your head, but instead of singing the whole song, you'll just randomly bust out one line over and over again until your whole office thinks you have Tourette's and they're just thankful you're not swearing? For me, all day, it's been, "Take it to the back seat. Run it like a track meet." By the way, Gwen plus Andre 3000? Inspired. I want to sprinkle "Bubble Pop Electric" all over my cereal and eat it for breakfast.

My favorite thing about this album is that so much of it sounds like the album I would have made if any of the pop songs I wished I could write in junior high had ever come true. For that, I say good on you, Gwen. I'm glad one of us realized that dream, and it was the talented one, at that. You did your thang, and I for one totally dig it.

Pufftastic! Pufferific! Pufflicious!
Pretty darn puffy
Puff-lite
Pu-lease
Pu-thetic

Happy Thanksgiving

This year I am thankful for many things.

I am thankful to have a loving, amazing family in good health. I am thankful for my fiancee who loves me and swears he still wants to marry me even when I'm feeling bloated and stressed and cranky. I am thankful for all my amazing friends, from the new friends in LA to the old friends that are all over the country. I'd especially like to give a shout out to Kate and Conrad who have been supplying today's turkey, stuffing, and wine.

I'm also thankful for iPods, mom's Dill Bread recipe, Sephora, a car that works, The OC, Johnny Depp, M.A.C. concealer, John Fluevog shoes, TiVO, Patrina at Frenchy's Salon, blue states, rain, BCBG's new bridal line, Marix margaritas, JJ Abrams, and chocolate chip cookies.

What are you thankful for this year?

Nice Pear

I don't even know how to start, I'm so gobsmacked. Reading about the "Secret Fitness Secrets of the Stars" this morning over coffee, I made a startling discovery. According to the MSN.com article, Heidi Klum is pear-shaped.

One more time. This woman?

The supermodel with the perfect body strutting her goodies in some pricey Vicky's on the catwalk? Is shaped like this:


I don't even know what to say. Of course I shouldn't read articles like that in the first place, because they feed the whole, "I'm too fat, I need to exercise, I wish I were thin like a celebrity but I could really go for some buttered toast for breakfast except I'm going to SKIP breakfast and read this article in an attempt to magically melt the fat off my thighs so that later I can eat some cookies--oh shit, there went the toast AND the cookies now I'm REALLY fat" cycle. But then to find out that a gorgeous woman like Heidi Klum is still being told she needs to do some extra squats? Yes, because she rocketed to the level of supermodel despite her grotesque figure. Really, I'm surprised they even let a lardass like that get in front of a camera.

And people wonder why Mary Kate has a problem.

Gobble Gobble

It's that time of year again. Time to turn the kitchen upside down looking for the Egg Dish recipe, get this year's travel plans fixed (we're off to the Bay Area) and, of course, get on the wait list for your very own delicious holiday-flavored soda from those creative cats at Jones Soda.

Truth be told, I actually don't know if Turkey & Gravy Soda is delicious--I enjoy both turkey and gravy, but suspect that in carbonated form the flavor falls a little, well, flat.

Of course it's a novelty, right? It's a PR stunt for the folks at Jones, and I say good on 'em. I actually had the pleasure of meeting Peter van Stolk at a marketing conference, and he is one funny dude. Creative, too. Did you know that you can submit your photo to Jones Soda and they'll print it on the bottle? Wouldn't you be more likely to buy Jones Soda if you could get a bunch of bottles featuring Captain Fluffykins, your pet bunny? Exactly. The guy's not stoopid. Even if he does think people might actually drink soda that tastes like green bean casserole--it is sold out, after all.

Incentive

Today is a monstrously busy day. The only thing to get me through it is the knowledge that by tomorrow night, I'll be seeing this:


followed by this:


In other news, if you're not watching Lost yet, ya gotta. It totally rocks my funky whitebread world.

Yesterday it was "Sargeant Hot Pants"

Today, my super hero identity is this:

Go see The Incredibles. Big fun.

Mmmmmmmm

Okay, so I just finished a mandatory online learning course for work entitled, "Preventing Workplace Harassment" and I had to share.

Which of the following 3 situations demonstrates harassment? Here's the scenario: it's an office party, and Dan, the boss, is going around and greeting his employees.
Situation 1: Dan walks over to Bill, claps him on the shoulder and shakes his hand. "Hi Bill, thanks for coming!" "Thanks Dan, it's great to be here!"

Situation 2: Dan walks over to Joan, claps her on the shoulder and shakes her hand. "Hi Joan, glad you could make it!" "Good to see you, Dan. This is a great party!"

Situation 3: Dan walks over to Sally, arms wide and says, "Hi Sally! Let's have a hug." At which point he gives her a big hug accompanied with a nice, loud, "Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm."

Way to go, Ohio

I went back to Ohio
But my pretty countryside
Had been paved down the middle
By a government that had no pride
Said A, O, Oh way to go, Ohio
~The Pretenders

Today's must-have accessory