Heartbreak Hotel

We have all experienced a heartbreak. If you haven't then please stop reading and live a little.

Kanye West just released his latest album 808s & Heartbreak. I love Kanye. Some people say he is an arrogant asshole. That may be. Who cares. So was Muhammad Ali and everyone loves him now. Anywho...I had heard that this Kanye album was ALL Autotune. What is autotune? Listen to T-Pain and you will find out. Essentially autotune is an electronic vocalizer - it makes everyone sound like a computerized version of themselves. I like T-Pain and his autotune creations but it can be a bit much after a song or two. So I wasn't too excited to hear 808s. Plus it got so-so reviews. I heard the first single Love Lockdown and I loved it - the beats went straight to my soul. No lie.

I got 808's and I hated it the moment I first heard it. I was extremely disappointed. Listening to Kanye on my iPod gets me through the grueling work day and I was sad that I despised 808s. BUT THEN I said to myself, "Kanye deserves a second chance." So I played it all over again on my crappy computer speakers and I fell in love.

Seriously 808s & Heartbreak is pure genius. It takes a lot for anyone to expand outside of their comfort zone. This is NOT a feel good - get out of your chair and dance album. I appreciate that this is not the same ol' Kanye (even though it's the best). This album is like the new kid in school - at first you are leary and then you become the best of friends. Most Kanye songs make me want to run 100 miles or punch someone in the throat (in a good way). 808's makes me calm down and think about my life and what I want to be and who I have been.

Kanye seems vulnerable and a bit sad on this album. If I were him I would be too. His Mom died this year and the long relationship with fiancee Alexis ended. I would be suicidal, but Kanye was in the studio giving birth to this masterpiece. I couldn't have done it. Perspective makes me appreciate this music even more.

Remember when The Source was credible? Well 808s & Heartbreak definitely deserves 5 Mics. It's HOT LIKE FIYYYYAH!

The Burbs

The day before Thanksgiving I drove by my local Whole Foods. It was crowded as usual. But there was an oddity. An actual city police officer was directing traffic in the Whole Foods parking lot. Seriously. You know you live in the burbs when there is a police officer directing traffic in a grocery store parking lot. Priceless.

Trick or Treat

Halloween is my favorite holiday. Yes, it beats Thanksgiving and Christmas. I love the creativity of costumes and of course the candy.

The universe has pulled some awful tricks on me this week. First my computer died and it is just outside of warranty and I had to pay for and install a new power supply. Yesterday, I was supposed to fly to Chicago for my best friend's massive Halloween party tonight. Well as I was on the Delta website trying to print my boarding pass, I was informed that my flight had been cancelled. There was no good reason like weather or a plane crash. Nope, Delta just felt like cancelling my flight and putting me on another one today. I said no thanks and got a refund. I am disappointed but I was not up for flying to Chicago today and then flying back to DC the first thing Saturday morning. So right now I am trying to cobble together plans to go out to Georgetown with a costume.

The treat portion of my week happened when I read an advice column in Wired magazine. A reader was asking if her kid should be allowed to dress up as a character from the video game Grand Theft Auto (GTA is very violent and it also involves drugs and sexual innuendos to say the least), the writers response:
"Granted there's something distasteful about having your grade-schooler dress up as a drug-dealing, prostitute-beating, human-smuggling thug. But ask yourself: Is a werewolf or witch really morally superior? At least Bellic [GTA Character] exhibits brief flickers of doubt about his chosen path. Werewolves by contrast, never hesitate before eviscerating their prey." So true.

Napa Valley And Darioush Winery

During Labor Day Weekend I went to visit my beautiful friend Dominique in San Francisco. One of our main goals was to go to Napa Valley and drink it up (I mean wine tasting). Traffic delayed us a bit but when we made it to Napa I was not disappointed. It was amazing to see so many fields of growing grapes.

The best part of our excursion was a Wine and Cheese tasting at Darioush. The wines were paired with various cheeses from Cowgirl Creamery, which is based in Marin County but has an outpost in Washington DC. I will admit that I am not the biggest fan of red wines. However, the Merlot was quite good. But the white wine that was offered, the Shapar Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc dessert wine, that was paired with the Red Hawk cheese BLEW MY SOCKS OFF. "The 2005Shahpar is introduced by sweet scents of honeysuckle, jasmine and orange blossom. A viscous mouthfeel reveals flavors of apricot, lemon zest and creme brulee, while well-integrated oak hints nuances of vanilla and hazelnut." Yes, this description is quite accurate.

See that little white wine...Well that is the Shahpar, and the bright orange cheese is the Red Hawk. This combo nearly brought tears to my eyes. I was further saddened to discover that the wine was part of a very small production and I could not ship myself any bottles because of Virginia laws. LAWMAKERS : Please get your act together and pass uniform legislation allowing wine to be shipped to adults in EVERY STATE in the Union. And yes, I thought about packing some in my luggage but the last time I packed alcohol in my luggage something broke and all my clothes reeked of Vodka. (I am not an alcoholic, but I was trying to take advantage of the wonderful duty free shop in another country).

But I digress, if you are ever in Napa please make reservations for the wine and cheese tasting at Darioush. I promise you will not be disappointed.

Gocco!!!

It is official. I have my new Gocco machine. What is a Gocco you ask? It is a silk screen device used to imprint images on nearly anything made out of paper. The Gocco is made by the Japanese company, Riso.


Unfortunately, Riso decided to discontinue production of the Gocco in July 2008. I was not planning on buying one for a few months but when I heard it was being discontinued I had to snap one up immediately. They are on ebay now for outrageous prices. I was lucky enough to get a new one from Northwood Studios .

The Gocco uses one-time use flash bulbs to burn an image on to a mesh screen. You then add any color Gocco ink to the screen, insert the screen back into the Gocco, place a piece of paper on the pad and press down. Like magic you have an image of paper.

Screwing in bulbs. The original image is placed on the sticky pad. The image will be burned onto the blue screen.




So these are the first images I created. I bought the navy and khaki cards from Paper Source. On the navy cards I used Gold Gocco ink and on the khaki cards I used black and red Gocco ink. The image is a spray painted art work done by the amazing Banksy. I am going to use the cards for correspondence with my friends. Check out the short video below of me flashing the screen.





Please note - there are much better and more extensive videos and instructions on how to use a Gocco. Check out the etsy videos on goccoing for a real tutorial. There are many steps I left out that are crucial to getting a good print.

1,005,045 > A Milli

Lil' Wayne sold over 1 million albums in one week. The exact number: 1,005,045. Over 400,000 units sold on the release date. WOW. That is mind blowing.

I hope that this will quell all the garbage from the MTV hip-hop dead-enders who said that Lil' Wayne was not the best rapper alive and that he ranked number three.

To date, I have not seen an actual video for A Milli, a track from the record breaking Tha Carter III. However, here is a YouTube creation from a dedicated fan...

MTV MC Rankings

This morning on MTV Jams several panelists 'decided' the top 10 MCs of the moment.
Top 3:
1. Kanye West
2. Jay-Z
3. Lil' Wayne

I don't even care about the bottom 7.

The panel has LOST it with respect to Jay and Lil Wayne. I understand their argument that Lil Wayne hasn't put out an album in a while but still. Jay? For real? Jay was hot in the late 90s. Encore was a hit. Anything after that has been GAR-BAGE!

The panel is a hot mess. I will never take anything they say into consideration. Soulja Boy was hotter than Jay this year and Soulja Boy didn't even make the list.

Bratz

I was at CVS recently and I saw this Bratz Sticker book for young girls. Is this really appropriate for impressionable young ladies?

You Know Your An Adult When...

Last week Kobe Bryant was seen in an internet video jumping over an oncoming Aston Martin. Please see video.



My reaction: Wow. No way. What does his contract with the Laker's say about him doing dangerous stunts? If he didn't make it, his career could be over. That must be CGI. Kobe's friend is a bad actor. This must be a 'viral' commercial for Nike shoes.

Kid's Reaction: Wow. No way. Kobe is amazing, he should be the MVP. When are those Nike's coming out? I have to have them.

I am in no way arguing that my reaction is the better one. I am just pointing out that my reasoning was adult like, cynical and lawyerly. A kid's reaction is awe and wonderment. I miss that.

Lost Luggage

United Airlines lost my luggage yesterday. I was on a 35 minute flight. How difficult is it to put luggage on a plane when a passenger arrives at the airport 4 hours before scheduled departure? Very difficult apparently.

I arrived at the airport very early because I thought I could get on standby on a different flight. Well 2 hours after the standby flight was supposed to depart it was canceled. So I flew home on my original ticket. When I boarded the plane I could actually see my luggage sitting on a cart that was not being loaded onto our plane. I informed the flight attendant FOUR TIMES that my luggage was sitting on the tarmac. She repeatedly said that it would make it on the plane. It did not.

I was so furious when my bag was not on that rotating baggage contraption when I arrived at my final destination. After roughly 40 minutes I picked up the baggage kiosk phone. I was directed to a flight confirmation assistant. Huh? I picked up the "BAGGAGE KIOSK" phone. I thought it would be like the Bat Phone. NOT. The person who answered the phone had no clue why the baggage kiosk phone directed me to him.

When I finally got in touch with an actual baggage person I was asked "Why wasn't I putting in a claim at the airport?" Uh...because my actual flight was delayed by 2 hours and combined with waiting for my luggage on the carousel from hell I didn't quite feel like standing in a line 6 people deep (each person was averaging a 20 minute service time).

The airline industry really needs to step up its game but I definitely enjoy the train better. I LOVE riding the Amtrak Acela Service from DC to NYC. It's fast, there are no security lines (yet), the seats are comfortable and MOST IMPORTANTLY it places you directly in the city. I so wish that the American rail system could be improved for short distances (Chicago - Detroit, DC - NYC, Pittsburgh - DC, Philly - DC) so that service actually was comparable to the Eurostar from London - Paris.

I wish I could say I was done flying but I am not. Fortunately, United found my luggage and delivered it to my home the next day (the delivery man was pleasant AND within the alloted time range dictated to me by UAL) Before UAL found my luggage I was making a list on my Blackberry of all the things that would have to be replaced:
1 NorthFace Fleece
2 MAC lipglosses (Only in luggage due to travel restrictions)
1 Pair of Nike Air Max 95 (that I bought from Japan)
1 Couture Jacket
1 Backpack - random
3 Lacy Knickers
1 Pair of the best fitting Donna Karan Jeans EVER!!!
2 Mascaras (Blackest Black and Blue)
6 Pairs of Contacts
1 Lancome Juicy Tube
Yoga Pants
1 iPod Charger
1 Blackberry Charger
1 Silk Scarf
Several Ounces of LUSH Soap (which is like GOLD)

I am glad to have my luggage. Nevertheless, I probably will NEVER check luggage again.

Question of the month: If airlines are charging roughly $25 per extra bag checked are there certain guarantees for on time deliverables? And if so what are the penalties for the airlines not providing your luggage on the carousel immediately after your flight? (In my opinion, there should be a refund of the baggage fee AND double the value of the contents in your luggage).

IMHO - There should AT THE VERY LEAST be a bill of passengers rights enacted like the one in the EU. Do you agree?

Engaged

Jeremy and I got engaged on February 28. We went to St. Thomas for a quick little vacation. On our first night there Jeremy informed me that we had dinner reservations at Lotus, a sushi restaurant on the other side of the island. I was tired from traveling and not really in the mood for sushi but I didn't protest. When we arrived at the restaurant after a 30 minute cab ride I was surprised at how beautiful the restaurant appeared. We were seated right away and had menus in our hands in minutes. Jeremy suggested that we try the tasting menu. I definitely did not want it. I am allergic to a ton of things and I didn't want to have to be on guard for nuts and poppy seeds the entire night. Jeremy continued to suggest the tasting menu and finally I agreed. The food was excellent but by the eighth course I was stuffed. Our waitress brought out the ninth course and my gorgeous ring was sitting on top of the dessert. I screamed and Jeremy got down on his knee and proposed. I don't remember a word he said but I am sure I said yes. It was the most surprising thing ever and it was definitely romantic. I later found out that Jeremy, the chef and the waiters had been planning the proposal for days. It was worth it.

Thiller on the Tube

Commuters on London's Tube were in for a special treat. The lucky passengers were privy to an impromptu performance of the Thriller dance. I am very jealous. The Orange line of the metro never has anything this fun.

Consumerist and Comcast

One of my photos about standing in line at Comcast was on Consumerist's Flickr Pool Finds

The story behind my photo is that I was moving from Maryland to Virginia and I had to return my Comcast cable box. I was in line for roughly 45 minutes on a Saturday afternoon. I was the idiot for not scheduling a pick up. Never again.

I will also use this post to discuss why I hate my Virginia Comcast cable box. In Maryland the Comcast box is manufactured by Motorola, in Virginia the box is manufactured by Scientific Atlanta. The Scientific box is awful compared to the Motorola box for the following reasons:

1. The interface looks like someone vomited on my tv screen (very childish and unclear font)
2. The menu is not intuitive at all
3. Unlike the Motorola box, I cannot open the guide, select a program and then select the future times that said program will appear
4. Unlike the Motorola box, the Search function is hidden somewhere and when you do find the function it does not work properly
5. The DVR settings require the use of 5 buttons as opposed to just hitting 1 select button

When I went to the Comcast office in VA to pick up another cable box (because the installer gave us a broken one) I was told that VA will never get the beautiful Motorola box. Because of this I will be switching to Verizon Fios the moment it is available in my building.

I have never had any Comcast complaints before this but this is the last straw. Why pay for inferior products knowing that a few miles away people have infinitely better Cable boxes...for the same company no less.

New Year's Eve

I had this whole plan to stay in on New Year's Eve. I was locked and loaded with Champagne and DVDs (Stardust and Year of the Dog). Then like magic I was told by a little fairy that I was going out to the Park at 14th.

I had never been to this new club but it is across the Park from work and it always looks very swanky. I am very happy that I did not stay in the house. I had a blast. The club was packed but it was much fun and was by far the best way to ring in 2008.

You know the song "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life"...well the DJ at Park did not save my life. He would play a super hot song for like 10 seconds and then some awful song like Candy Rain for 2 minutes. Very Odd.

FYI - I didn't make any resolutions this year, not because I don't need improvement but because I always end up breaking them a week or two later.