like looking in a mirror

Derek recently said to me "I know when our friends watch this they are thinking of us..." and suddenly my jaw dropped. Indeed we make loving jokes at each other's expense, and the delivery is eerily similar as well. The one detail that is decidedly not accurate is that the "Derek" character is eating a cantaloupe half... which would never happen in actual life because it is categorically a fruit. And he doesn't eat those.

amazing man

I get teary every time I look at this picture too long.

a confession

I might as well call my blog "An Extension of the Cool Shit Derek Shows Me", because that's exactly what it is. It goes something like this.

Granted, it's not always like this. I do sometimes make my own obervations... but I need to give credit where credit is due. Derek's unhealthy fixation with StumbleUpon at the very least has an outlet.

pixels and/or crayons

Très awesome. Well done, Christian Faur.

On a related note, don't you hate it when people pronounce crayons weird and say "craowns" instead. It's like towel and "tal". Ugh.

truth.

It's not fair, but we Americans have to convince ourselves of our own superiority by forcing the belief that someone got more shafted in the accent department than we did.

i may have watched this fifty times today

Kittens. And an odd little girl. Aaaaaaaaaaamazing.

But let's not simply dismiss her as strange. I'd say her narration is pretty sophisticated: Fluxus word use like Beck, the visual interpretive prowess of Dimitri Martin... too far? Whatever. I guess what I'm saying is... I admire her. Yes I do.

essentials?

Alright Target, I love you, I do... but boxers with devils and/or flames and/or hearts are decidedly not essential.

words that i read incorrectly... over and over again

soiree
how you're supposed to say it: swah-rey
what i hear when i read it: soy-ree

tarot
how you're supposed to say it: tar-oh
what i hear when i read it: tar-it

paradigm
how you're supposed to say it: par-uh-dahym
what i hear when i read it: par-uh-digum

epitome
how you're supposed to say it: e-pit-uh-mee
what i hear when i read it: eh-pit-ohm

perfectly crafted.

This would fall into the things-that-look-like-other-things category. Like burger candy, or fake bacon (a.k.a. fakon)... it seems like if the cookie monster was going to be anything other than himself he'd be purely a cookie, NOT a cupcake. But maybe it's better this way. Choosing the latter, we might have a scary situation on our hands, and no one wants that.

Om nom nom nom. Thank you, whoever you are.

oh adidas

Ignore the obligatory/stupid graff cameo in the beginning [believe me, if I could edit this to start at 11 secs I would]... but the rest of the commercial is spot-on perfect. It's a moment in time, coolness so concentrated it's down to a syrup.

store-brand packaging steps it up!

I have been a long standing fan of Publix packaging. It's modern, playful, and most importantly uncluttered. I think they have an advantage here; marketing typically just can't help themselves. They need to throw in everything but the kitchen sink to "grab your attention" or what i like to call: an assault on the eyes. While looking for images of said packaging (sadly, I no longer live near a Publix)... I discovered there's a fan site for Publix packaging! Who knew?

Anyway, I think Whole Foods is a follower rather than a leader in this case... but still, I'm digging the 365 bread. That wheat is purdy, no?

kitty kitty

Some things just tickle my funny bone. Yes, I am the person who perpetually watches cat videos... but I give myself points for quality curating. At exactly 8 seconds into this clip, you will have a peek into what makes my soul smile.

hip-hop :: wine

To the untrained ear/pallette, they all sound/taste the same.

... But do the similarities go deeper than that? Characteristics that are specific to each go widely unnoticed, aging is a particularly tricky but vital part of the process, heavy emphasis on the area where it is from... I'd say they're more similar than we might think. I have an uncanny ability to drill things into the ground, so let's see how deep this comparison goes- shall we?

Three 6 Mafia // Cabernet Sauvignon
Enjoyed by experts and novices alike, manages to hold its own regardless of context, sloppiness that you wouldn't accept in other varietals evades your judgment here; with this one it just makes sense.

Common // Sauvignon Blanc
Light in color and content, pleasant for its subtle nods to herbaceous/jazzy flavors, recipient of a lot of praise most of which is undeserved, can be a little boring.

Aesop Rock // Pinot Noir
Complex, delicate and difficult to grow but well worth the effort, a tad pretentious- but no fault of its own, white people love it.

LL Cool J // Rosé
Cheesy but has it's place (if you're into that sort of thing...), beloved by people who are either too young or too old, "romantic".

Jay Z // California Chardonnay
Flying off the shelves at all times, you might find some good stuff if you look hard enough but must be very careful, good for parties with people you don't know very well.

Outkast // French Chardonnay
Accessible and adored by many for good reason, unfairly classified as inferior for association with questionable contemporaries- but flawless aging process has saved it from buttery hell.

Mystikal // Grappa
Almost too strong to drink, subtleties lurk but take patience to find (mainly because your taste buds were burned off), will fuck you up.

2Pac // Pinot Grigio
Many who enjoy this claim to be connoisseurs when in fact they drink nothing else and they can't get past it, neither too complicated nor too straightforward, an acceptable crowd pleaser.

Lil Wayne // Anything Black Box
The box would make you think what's inside completely sucks but its surprisingly amazing, it never seems to run out of new material, available everywhere but you still feel clever for buying in, the air miraculously doesn't get to it.

Biz Markee // Champagne
A moment of joy follows its suggestion every time, you might forget it exists but you'd never turn it down, brings out the silliness in almost everyone, seems special.

Missy Elliot // Anything Yellowtail
Popular, feminine, surprisingly delicious, quirky visual representation yet solid output.

M.I.A. // Sangria
Delightful but not purely wine (there's other stuff in there), ideal for small gatherings of like-minded folks, exotic.

Ludacris // Half-bottle of Champagne
A pleasant surprise, best enjoyed by yourself but you still like to share, festive, little.

Biggie // Merlot
Strong but smooth, nearly impossible to find a situation where it wouldn't fit nicely, a nice default especially if you're feeling indecisive.

Salt-n-Peppa // Port
Strong yet sweet, best enjoyed in small amounts, ideal for nights with staying power.


Busta Rhymes// Chanti
You'll always drink it if it's there, packs a punch, unassuming and slightly silly, goes quickly, an everyday indulgence, not a big fan of "the gays".

Andre 3000 // Syrah
Eccentric, new school with strong roots in all the right places, provocative yet goes down easy, independent in spirit but still very well known.

Kanye West // Krystal
Plastic wrapped, over-consumed, high cost with disproportionately low return, but for all its flaws it still tastes amazing

The Roots // Malbec
Authoritative, can be on the dark/deep side, consistant quality and longevity although still considered obscure by many

Will Smith // German Riesling
Too sugary sweet to actually take seriously, good international appeal, theoretically delightful but thoroughly disappointing execution.

Matisyahu // Kosher Wine
Everyone knows about it but no one really partakes, uhhhh... and Jewish.

and then there was fried chicken

It was a southern food extravaganza: fried chicken, collards with chow chow, baked mac'n'cheese, corn bread, AND lemon meringue pie. Much thanks to Kathi for providing the photo... I was up to my elbows in peanut oil at the time. :)

strange footprints left by north american white girl

Today at the gas station, I discovered that I am literally stamping the earth with the words "Kenneth Cole Reaction" (or at least a highly styled assembly of those letters) everytime I wear these shoes.

rachel ray makes delish dogfood

Okay, not that I actually believe this stuff is in fact delish (could it be both delish AND nutrish??)... but I couldn't help to use the vernacular: Rachel-speak. Yes, Rachel Ray has released a line of pet food. It is almost as if her marketing team is playing a prank on her, "You're the the next hot thing in dog food, Rachel". How does she go about concocting said dog food? Does she eat it herself? I would be willing to bet she does, but I know that statement is biased and a little uncharitable.

Was it not enough that she had her own magazine, talk show, cookware, and olive oil (appropriately named E.V.O.O., even more Rachel-speak)... she is invading American homes by any means necessary, and frankly, I don't like it.

and then the wind came

I cross this bridge everyday on my way to work; this is what it looked like today. Looks like we traded snow for wind...

treats from korea

One of my coworkers brought these goodies into the office today. They are so beautiful that it's quite obvious that they weren't made here in the states; we just aren't that exacting. Sorry to be down on my own kind, but it's true. Another particularly unAmerican detail about these is in that box there was a seafood flavored candy in the mix.(it's the one with the walnut, btw. bottom right)

dear 1958, you are very pretty

All gorgeous appliances in the world can't take the strangeness out of keeping your child in a playpen... still, those are some mighty fine digs.

See more oldies but goodies at the Prelinger Archives.

mistakes. (the kind you can fix)

Let's pretend that you're at the Waffle House... and say, for a moment, that you forgot that your hash browns and your waffle are in different places. Forgetting this, the waffle received the same condiment treatment as your hash browns might have gotten.

But it's never to late to rectify what might have been a very unfortunate flavor combination. All is well.