BLU Animation

After you watch this one flip through some more of his work at: BLU Vimeo


BIG BANG BIG BOOM - the new wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Summer Page Turning: New(ish) Books

Summer is officially upon us and we all know what that means . . . BOOKS!!! 

No? Well, you may be slightly cooler than me, but it's undeniable that a good novel on the beach/in the park while turning lobster red makes for a great summer day.  I'd like to share a few that I've read recently that may make your summer just a tiny bit better.  This is the first edition post, which will be the NEW(ish) must-read books . . . I'll let you digest them before I get into the classics.

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver - This novel follows the life of a Mexican/American boy from his job working under eccentric artists, Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, to his emigration into the USA during the McCarthy Trials. It's a really excellent book that covers an incredibly wide range of topics without ever losing the reader's interest.

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Vergeese - Another epic that chronicles the lives of a set of Indian twins living with their adopted parents in Ethiopia.  Their parents work in a fistula clinic and you get to learn the ups and downs of Ethiopian culture, while delving into the the lives of the boys while they grow up, fall in love, try to find their birth parents, and withstand a continental divide.

What is the What? by Dave Eggers - Valentino Achek Deng allows us to peek into his life as a Somolian victim of war as he and hundreds of other "Lost Boys" wander the desert of Africa searching for a home. IT goes through his life in refugee camps, his eventual move to the USA and his attempt to make a life for himself.  This book was amazing; I can't think of anything that could be so horribly sad and uplifting at the same time.

A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz - A great novel from an Australian author!  Every character in this book is utterly engaging, from the emotionally unavailable, but brilliant father, to the golden child turned misfit uncle, to the beautiful girl nicknamed, "The Towering Red Inferno."  The nutty arguments, home hidden behind a labyrinth, and millionaire scheme's made me hope that Toltz follows up with another novel ASAP!

The Help by Kathryn Stockett - Read it before it comes out in theaters!!! A perfect book club book - fitting that Oprah is playing the lead role in the movie.  This book talks about being a maid in Mississippi during the civil rights movement.  It's the perfect example of the dichotomy of the South.  Sometimes I want to move there, eat fried chicken with my best girlfriends, and laugh til my stomach hurts and other times I can't even understand how people can be so resistant to change and progress . . . or not be able to get over the Civil War!

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathon Safron Foer - A tale of precocious young boy  who loses his father in 9/11 and continues on in the tradition of their scavenger hunts by searching all over New York City for the lock that fits a mysterious key found in his father's closet.  It's surprisingly endearing for such a dark subject matter - it reminds me a lot of Foer's Everything is Illuminated.  

The White Tiger by Aravind Andiga -I was laughing out loud while reading this book, although, it too covers a dark subject matter.  The author writes about the struggle of being in the bottom of the Indian caste system and how the main character, Balram, overcomes this problem by murdering his employer and stealing his money.  The novel is all in letter form, as Balram writes to give advice on "social entrepreneurship" to the Premier of China.

The Hummingbird's Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea - This story of Mexico's St. Teresita made me want to find out more about her and her amazing life.  Although Teresa is long gone her strength and compassion live on in Mexican folklore and Urrea allows readers to see her as she saw herself: a normal woman that was given a calling.  She was tortured and the Catholic church denouced her as a heretic, and yet she was always ready to forgive her oppressors.  This is a great chronicle of a pre-revolutionary Mexico.  Viva la Teresita! 

For all of you ladies who just need some "chick-lit" to perfect your poolside reading, I have the perfect author.  Rebecca Wells.  Read The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Little Alters Everywhere, or her newest: The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder. She is a true Southern woman, just as her characters are - strong and steadfast, an amazing friend, sweetly domineering wife, midnight skinny-dipper, but above all always a perfect lady.  Good luck not wanting to travel down those muddy Mississippi waters after reading these!

Mayor Daley is milking me dry.

I recently said how much I love Mayor Daley and his free concerts.  Well, I'll pay for a concert if it means that I don't have to spend $300 a month in parking/traffic fees!!! While in the Gold Coast on a rainy Chicago morning, I noticed Lovely Rita, Metermaid, ticketing cars. The meters start running at 8 am and one guy got to his car at 8:02 to already have a $60 fine.  I've had my car towed, ticketed, etc. but I just had my first run in with the dreaded Red Light Violations. I received two of them in the mail on the same day and they're $100 a pop!!!!

Here is a map of all of the Red-Light Camera Intersections in Chicago, so that you can either avoid them or drive like Mother Teresa for a block or so.

Red Light Camera Intersections

FUERZABRUTA

Fuerzabruta literally means "brute force" and that's exactly what you feel like you've been hit with when you see it.  It's an amazing hour and a half of dancing, stomping, laughing, and jaw dropping.  The cast is from Argentina and proved, yet again, that a mullet on the right man can be incredibly sexy.  Be prepared to participate - the cast walks and dances among you and the stages and installations are wheeled on, off, and around the stage where the audience is standing.  I highly recommend you don't miss this show - it'll be at the Auditorium Theater in Chicago all summer long.   TICKETS

Text ya later.

I recently read an interesting article about "Tech Etiquette," which is a subject I don't think is addressed nearly enough. Just because you CAN be connected to the outside world at all times doesn't necessarily mean you SHOULD be.

I don't think there's anything ruder than:
1. Constantly checking/sending messages while out at a bar or event . . . am I really so boring that you have to have a conversation with someone else while I'm standing right next to you?
2. Talking on your phone like you're hard of hearing in a closed public space. You're not Perez Hilton, no one cares what you have to say about Kim Kardashian's butt implants.
3. Posting Facebook pictures that make me look like Sloth from The Goonies. We all know that Mark Zuckerberg is taking over the world and soon even children in Sri Lanka without TVs and internet will have access to your most personal information. So, don't post that pic of me swigging Jager from the bottle while wearing a tube top.
4. Sending me a text message that says, "Hi." Honestly, WTF am I supposed to do with that?
5. Sending crazy chain emails to everyone on your contact list when you don't know your audience. If you are my distant relative that I haven't seen in years and who refers to me as a "bagabon" (read: vagabond), please don't send me anti-Obama right-wing crap. I may not agree with the notion that his native tribe in Africa is planning a hostile takeover of the USA.
6. Answering your phone, sending a text, or playing with any random gadget during dinner. The absolute worst. I can't even joke about it.


Will Schwalbe said it best, "Think of your PDA as a crossword puzzle. Anywhere it’s acceptable to work on a crossword puzzle, it’s OK to check your PDA."

Here are some amazingly hilarious examples of when Facebook etiquette has gone out the window.

The Funniest Facebook Snafus of All Time 

 

The Lipstick Portraits

Michael Angelo, creator of the Wonderland Beauty Parlor, also happens to be one heck of a photographer.  His most recent project, The Lipstick Portraits, features celebrities decked out in the trademark of the beautiful: red lipstick.  100% of the money raised from the prints goes to saving and rehabilitating Thai sex slaves (www.somaly.org).  Click here to see the portraits: The Lipstick Portraits

Banksy

British street artist, Banksy, has had a lot of recent Chicago press because:

1. His movie, Exit Through the Gift Shop, about the underground graffiti world has gotten top notch reviews.



2. He finally graced Chicago with his presence - a reference to the movie The Untouchables.

As a long time Banksy fan, beginning with my first sighting of Girl with Balloon in London 2005, I thought I'd share a few more of my favorites.

None of these pictures have been used with the consent of the owner . . . Banksy would be proud.

Strange Signs from Abroad

I love nothing more than seeing signs in ridiculously poor English while I'm travelling.  It instantly makes me feel better about butchering the language of whatever country I'm in.  Check this site out for tons of great ones:

Strange Signs from Abroad

Here are a couple of my favorites:

Tix 4 Cause

Due to my Irish blood and redialling tenacity I've recently come across a pair of tickets to BAMBOOZLE, a concert series starring 3OH!3 and Third Eye Blind, among others.

Even more recently I've come across an amazing way to get rid of them.  Tix 4 Cause is an organization that allows people to donate tickets that they're not planning on using.  A charity gets the money, someone gets that last ticket without having to meet a Craigslist shadeball on a corner, and as if that wasn't enough - all transactions are tax deductible.

Tix 4 Cause

Downtown Sound

We love you Mayor Daley!  Starting in June you can find me in Millennium Park for the free New Music Mondays at the Pritzker Pavilion.  I'm most excited for She & Him and Kid Sister, but all of the bands sound great and I'm feeling a tradition coming on. Mondays: grassy knoll + box of wine = good times for all. Who's with me!?

Monday, May 24 at 6:30pm - Besnard Lakes with The Ponys
Monday, May 31 at 6:30pm - Hum with Volcano!

Monday, June 7 at 6:30pm - She & Him with Hollows

Monday, June 14 at 6:30pm - Tony Allen with Great Lake Swimmers

Monday, June 21 at 7:30pm - The Books with Via Tania

Monday, June 28 at 7:30pm - Huntsville with On Fillmore featuring Nels Cline

Monday, July 5 at 6:30pm - The Thermals with Disappears

Monday, July 12 at 6:30pm - Caribou with Budos Band

Monday, July 19 at 6:30pm - Kid Sister with Konono N°1

Monday, July 26 at 6:30pm - Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens with Bomba Estéreo

Micmacs

Watching a Jean-Pierre Jeunet movie is like peeking into a dream.  Well, they feel like peeking into MY dreams - to be honest, I'm not really sure what anyone else's dreams are like.  The music . . . the cinematography . . . every frame he creates is like a work of art.  Jeunet lets his imagination run wild and the viewer gets to sit back and watch in wonderment.  I was lucky enough to see Amelie for the first time at The Town Theatre in Highland, Indiana, where the velvet curtains flanked by knights of armor close at intermission and everyone steps into the lobby for free tea and cakes.  I can't imagine a better setting to see Amelie whisk away garden gnomes and paint records on to turntables.

Lucky for us, Jeunet has done it again and his new movie looks just as playful and engaging as his others. Micmacs opens in theaters on May 28.

Artropolis

Last weekend I delved into my creative side at Chicago’s Artropolis. There were three shows: Art Chicago, a collection of modern and contemporary art from renowned galleries around the world; NEXT, a showcase of emerging artists, including performance pieces; and the International Antiques Fair, which housed over 100 of the world’s best antique dealers.

In NEXT, I saw life size jungle animals made out of Nike shoeboxes, a statue made out of tiny puzzle pieces, CDs that were melted down into what looked like semi-precious stones, and a video installation of a man’s face projected onto a plaster sculpture that took me at least 30 seconds to determine whether he was real or not. I stood in one dimly lit booth (that was about 105 degrees and smelled like stale beer and hipster B.O.) for a good 5 minutes, while a DJ spun eerie music, waiting for the show to begin and then realized that it WAS the show. So, I stepped out and almost collided with a heavily tattooed woman leading a man at least twice her size around on a leash. I didn’t want to be next on her naughty list, so I decided to try my luck at Art Chicago.

Art Chicago was twice the size of NEXT and had some amazing pieces, my favorites being a chandelier made out of reading glasses and a coffee table installation composed of two way mirrors and lights that when you glanced down it looked like you were peering into a never-ending tunnel. My group of friends tends to gravitate towards things that are sparkly, so the sequin and glitter mosaics, along with the giant sparkly hot dogs and gold-plated burgers, were a huge hit.

 Overall, Artropolis was a wonderful testament to Chicago’s amazing art and cultural scene and had something for everyone – especially if you’re into dog collars.

Special K Fruit Crisps

Sometimes last night's pizza just isn't enough to tide me over until noon and I find myself craving a mid-morning snack. I've never been a big fan of granola bars and the like, but I've found the most delicious bar-sized snack ever!

Special K Fruit Crisps taste exactly like pop tarts, but are only 100 calories per package. Love at first bite.

Pandora, who?

For those of you who have yet to experience Grooveshark, it's time to get on it!  It's a music sharing site that has virtually every song you've ever heard (so intensive that I even found my grandparents' wedding song) and allows you to listen to them at your leisure.  You can save songs, make playlists, share them with others and every time you log back into your account, they'll be there waiting for you, like a lovable cocker spaniel.  Next time you're at a party with a host who listens to Nickelback and/or Creed, you can subtly suggest that they check out Grooveshark and, what do you know, there's your sick-nasty party hits playlist.  Works every time.

I tested it out by making my very own widget for you to enjoy!  These are all of my favorite songs from my time living in Australia - aah, I miss it every day.

Dr. Love by the Bumblebeez

I recently came across my favorite music video of  ALL TIME:

Dr. Love by the Bumblebeez

Toes done up with the fingernails matching.

                      
Nail art is on the rise and I think it's about time for me to stop admiring and start bedazzling.  In fact, I used to be pretty handy with my Urban Decay or even the occasional Sharpie in 7th grade math.  So, if you're ready to bite the nail bullet (or try the nailpolish made with Kevlar), below are a variety of styles to choose from, depending on how hard you're prepared to rock.

Black Lace: The look I've been wanting to get - I may even swing by Lincoln Mall tomorrow. (they know how to do it up on the SOUTH SIDE).







Do you want fries with that?

Ariel gets her nails did.

This is the most exciting discovery I made during my research.  The TX54 is a little ahead of it's time (debut scheduled for 2154), but it's a watch that is the size, shape, and color of a nail and it lights up when you press the end of the thumbnail.  Timex held a contest to find watch designs of the future and this little guy was the runner up (see other entries here: Future of Time)

I'm not a natural blond . . .

Every time I venture into Urban Outfitters I inevitably end up wasting half of the day there.  When I'm done trying on clothes, I move on to the floppy hats . . . then the sunglasses . . . then I head over to all of the quirky coffee table books.  My favorite Urban book of all is Post Secret, which is an on-going art project where people write their secrets on postcards and send them in.  There is even a cult following of people who leave secrets inside of the books at the various stores that carry them.  Some are cute, some are funny, some are achingly sad, but all of the secrets AND the artwork are incredibly interesting - just ask whoever happens to be waiting around for me to finish reading them.

Well, wait no more, friend.  I've recently discovered that Post Secret is in blog form and now I can get my fill anytime I want!

Post Secret

Coachella Playlist

For those of you who can't make the trip out to the
famed polo fields this weekend,
here's a little something to tide you over. 

And don't worry, team! Lolla is right around the corner.

Music for the Soul

This music site creates playlists based on your mood or stuff you're doing. Some examples: Dreamy, Just Woke Up, Jogging, Foreplay, and States of Hallucination.

Almost as good as someone making you a mix tape.

The Dirty South

I recently ventured down to the dirty dirty and it's obvious that I was born to be a whisky-slinging southern gal. I've been trying to catch up by saying "y'all," craving Creole, and listening to 99.5.  My absolute favorite realization of the trip is that chivalry isn't dead - it's just hiding south of the Mason-Dixon line.

Here are a few of the things that have been tiding me over:

These Tennessee ladies sound like a pop-personified version of Patsy Cline. What more could you ask for? Maybe crawfish etoufee and a sazerac.



Justified, the new FX series, shows that shooting bad guys with a southern drawl, a tip of a cowboy hat, and a "ma'am" makes all the difference in the world.

The Fountainhead vs. Atlas Shrugged

  vs. 

Random House released two lists of their 100 best novels; one from their board of directors and one compiled from reader feedback.  Numbers 1 & 2, respectively, on the reader list are Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead, both by Ayn Rand.  I was surprised when I saw the order, because I think that The Fountainhead trumps Atlas Shrugged any day of the week.  When I read it I couldn't put it down, fell in love with Roark, vowed never to be a second-hander, and claimed it to be the best book I have ever come across.  When I read Atlas Shrugged I enjoyed it, but I felt like I was reading the same story with different characters and the 50 page monologues weren't nearly as spell-binding the second time around.  However, as I mentioned, I read The Fountainhead FIRST, and the more I talk to people and read about Rand preferences it seems that almost everyone prefers the first book they read.  So, which one is actually BETTER?

Let's break it down:  The Fountainhead was written first, so many say that Atlas takes the initial ideas, such as objectivism - the pursuit of one's own happiness and rational self-interest, but more fully develops the characters and thoughts.  So, is it a better novel? More critically acclaimed? Or does the grittier idea flow of The Fountainhead reflect a purer philosophy?  Sometimes over-thinking a matter can make the idea more polished, but it loses some of its originality.  I think that this is the case with Atlas Shrugged, and some people may agree.  However, probably a million more would tell me I'm nuts.  

So which is it??

I'd love to hear feedback on this post - and please mention which book you read first!!!

Obvious Child

Gillian Robespierre's romantic comedy, Obvious Child, features a break-up, a few too many Jack and Cokes, a subway condom, an underwear-clad drum session, and, ultimately, an abortion date. It reminds me of a bizarro-world Juno, where instead of falling in love in 11th grade with a bun in the oven, the sparks fly at Planned Parenthood (which I am convinced is, after watching 16 and Pregnant for the first time recently, WAY more realistic).

The writing had me cracking up and Jenny Slate, SNL's newest cast member, is incredibly endearing as the lead role - never has a cuter girl uttered the words, "Your pee smells like Cheetos."  The short film is 20 minutes long and perfectly embodies the name of this blog - who wouldn't rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints?


Obvious Child from Gillian Robespierre on Vimeo.

P.S. You might recognize the leggy blond in the bar or the bewigged, balloon-carrying girl on Valentine's Day as none other than Chicago's own, Kelly Frances Ramsey.

Yo Gabba Gabba

Every red-blooded American has watched their fair share of Saturday morning cartoons over a delicious bowl of Lucky Charms.  Ah, the good ol' days.

Well, I've got good news, folks.  The good ol' days are back!!! Yo Gabba Gabba is the raddest kids' show since Thundercats and the best part is that it's not just for kids.  The have amazing guests like Jack Black, Andy Samberg, Amy Sedaris, Mates of State, Of Montreal, MGMT, Chromeo, and Datarock who either perform a music video or do a trademarked "dancey dance."  Here are a couple of my favorites:





Here are a couple other gems that couldn't be embedded:
Of Montreal - Brush Brush Brush 
Mates of State - No One Likes to be Left Out
Andy Samberg's Dancey Dance

Cheers to Mark Buehrle!

What better way to celebrate a White Sox opening day victory and one of the most amazing plays in baseball history than by uncorking a bottle of Buehrlot?  A wine which is, as any true Chicagoan would agree, far superior to CaberLee in more ways than one.

Bruce the Funny Dog

Sometimes you need a smile.  Our canine friend can make you smile.

www.comedycentral.com

Mashup Mix Master Trackademicks

Take Ram Jam's Black Betty, add some Rock DJ from Robbie Williams, and toss in The Jump Off compliments of Lil Kim and you will have yourself my perfect theme song.  It hasn't been created YET, but give it time - ah, the beauty of mashups.

Here's the freshly dropped 3rd album from Trackademicks:

Just Finished: Lydia Davis

I read a LOT.  I was even voted Super Reader in 3rd grade (I cried because I was hoping for Best Dressed).  I often get requests for good recommendations, so I'm going to start writing little blurbs about books after I finish them.  Here's the most recent:

The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis by Lydia Davis

Davis compiles heaps of short stories in this 700 page behemoth - but the best thing about a book of short stories is how easily you can skip around.  My favorite section was "Break it Down;" her stories written in 1986.  Davis has an uncanny way of describing exactly how she feels in certain situations without mentioning actual emotions.  Love, lust, shame, hatred, and embarrassment are all subtly relayed through the character's thoughts and actions and the reader is left to freely interpret them.  Although very different from the rest of her short stories, this is one of my favorite passages:

Head, Heart
Heart weeps.
Head tries to help heart.
Head tells heart how it is, again:
You will lose the ones you love.  They will all go.  But even the earth will go, someday.
Heart feels better, then.
But the words of head do not remain long in the ears of heart.
Heart is so new to this.
I want them back, says heart.
Head is all heart has.
Help, head. Help heart.

Kind of a downer, but touching AND grammatically correct.

Bodega Girls

Check out this awesome Boston-based, rock, motown, disco, toe-tapping, finger-snapping, shoulder-shrugging, shimmy-shaking, driving around in a cadillac, sequin-wearing, smokey-eyed badass band that I love. (download at your leisure, friends)

Yerba Mate: Drink of Champions

One of the best things I learned about in Argentina (besides Gardel and Maradona, of course) was Yerba Mate.

It's a delicious tea/coffee alternative that is traditionally drunk through a metal straw from a gourd filled with loose leaves, but I prefer my tea in a bag - so much easier.

Some of it's perks:
- contains a natural caffeine, similar to green tea
- tons of antioxidants
- metabolism booster, appetite suppressant
- fights bad breath! (who knew!?)

You can find it in health food stores and fancy-schmancy grocery stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's.  I highly recommend trying it out - it may even improve your tango!

Drink Mate.  You can look just like him!

Garfield Minus Garfield

These Garfield comics without Garfield are about 657 times funnier than the originals.  No one ever notices poor Jon Arbuckle.

         

       

       

Garfield Minus Garfield