Holy Crap!?!

or what the ef is up with my hair?

Okay, here's a quickie (that's what she said)... I just got up from the computer--post posting and realized my hair looks like Peter frelling Pan!? 

Not that Peter Pan--this Peter Pan

See..I told you I had the heart of a 10-year-old boy. (And no I'm not sharing a picture...Just trust me on this one.)

I Want My...I Want My...I Want My Mix CD

in defense of the much maligned mix tape as a gift

I love making our friends mix CDs. An enormous amount of thought goes into each person's mix. Sometimes a theme is evident like a "he said-she said" kinda thing. Sometimes it starts with a kick-ass song combo randomly played on my iPod. And sometimes it's just a vessel through which to share artists who are really rocking my world at the time.

Sharing music is a huge thing with me. It's such a kick to hip a pal or three to the likes of Wheat, Fountains of Wayne, Michael Franti, Cake, Regina Spektor, Sondre Lerche or, of course, Old 97's. I know some people think gifting mix CDs is lame, but to me it's a way to show how much I love them. (insert finger in throat here)

And I really dig receiving mixes. Seriously. I love hearing what other folks are into. There are always at least a half dozen new musical nuggets to be discovered on each disc. I've recently received several compilations from two friends who have completely different tastes. One sent a great collection of oddball covers like Dolly Parton singing Stairway to Heaven, the Gypsy Kings singing Hotel California in Spanish and Tori Amos quietly crooning I Don't Like Mondays. The other sent a truly eclectic mix of soul, blues, old rock, reggae and Rammstein with a little Zappa thrown in for good measure. Being a Pop/Rock gal, who knew I'd actually like The Derek Trucks Band, or Joe Turner, Ted Hawkins or Eva Cassidy?? Not me. That's what makes these gems so cool.

By far the Mix Master of our life has always been our dear friend Beeeeal, or as we like to refer to him...Cap'n Confabulator. Through his tapes (now CDs), he has introduced us to probably half of our record collection. From REM to Rogue Wave; Belly to Beck; The Shins to Snow Patrol; Death Cab For Cutie to the Cult; Oasis to my beloved Old 97's (...I could go on and on), my ears owe him a debt of gratitude.

So to all our friends who care enough to send their very best mixes, I thank you from the bottom of my CD player. Thank you Marco, Billy Hank, Mike, Zach and especially you Cap'n Confab. You have made our world a little brighter and iTunes a whole lot richer.

It's BAAAAAACK!!!
or Get Your Betty Ready

Here it is for your viewing pleasure, the KTLA Betty video. Enjoy. Many thanks to my bud, Jimmy McParkway for the save. You're the best, Dude!!

What the ef!?!

or that's not news..

Okay, so I was planning to have a link to an actual, legitimate news story a friend sent which ran on a Los Angeles television station about this salon whose specialty is "dying the hair...down there". (yes, it is ratings month) It was posted on YouTube, but I guess the weenies at the station--the same weenies who thought it was perfectly appropriate to show a random chippie getting her cooter colorfully coiffured on camera--decided they didn't like the pubic...I mean public ribbing and pulled the video from the internet. Pussies. (pun intended)


So now I'm left to attempt to convey the hilarious highlights (again pun intended) of this award winning journalistic effort. The basic idea of the piece is as follows: a pseudo, Euro-trash, Natasha-accented, tuppy fluffer opened a salon whose service is to assist her client's desire to have her "carpet match the drapes", if you know what I mean.


We're not talking just the normal, run-of-the-mill colors like brunette, auburn or blond. Nooooo, apparently the most popular color is...pink. And the options don't stop there. No sirree, Bob. A girl can also dress up for the holidays using a wide variety of stencils. That's right...nothing shows your Christmas spirit like a big ole honkin' bright green Christmas tree beaming from your privates. Gives a whole new meaning to Holiday bush. But wait--the fun doesn't stop there. No way. Why not shape your lovely lady bidnez into a lightning bolt, classic flower or show your new beau you truly are "money" with a dollar sign etched into the shroud of your junk. According to Euro-trash Tasha (hence forth known as ETTA), men dig the classic heart shape most. No doubt a very sophisticated and scientific poll (she said pole) was conducted for this bit of news.


Then ETTA proceeds to go on and on about how it's like a mortal sin to have a grey pubbie, not to mention a huge turn off for the guy or guys passing through your boudoir. I got news for you, babe. If you've got grey short and curlies chances are you're doing the nasty with a dude sporting his own platoon of senior soldiers.


Too bad the video is down. It really is hilarious. Although I don't know what was more disturbing...seeing a montage of the rapid-fire snapping of waxy strips of linen being ripped from a client's luscious under bottom area, or the fact that this bespectacled chick allowed a random, sweaty news photog film her ham wallet getting cut and colored. Seriously. I never understood how a girl could walk into a salon, drop trou and let a complete stranger mess with her squish mitten.


If I ever stumble across this video again, believe me--it'll be posted. Until then here is a link to the website and an article from CNN. Stocking stuffer anyone?

Update on Friday Photo #3

in which I explain who the heck the Green Brothers are...

John and Hank Green are brothers who started a video project as a way to get to know each other better as adults. They had no idea how popular their journey to reconnect would become. They have been on a self-proclaimed tour de nerd for the last two and a half weeks playing to throngs of admiring teens and adults alike. They were guests on our local entertainment show, Pittsburgh Today Live. Here's a link to the video of their appearance last Friday. (It's listed as November 15th, Brotherhood 2.0 founders) This will explain a lot.

They are smart, warm, genuine and completely delightful. (Plus they jumped for me. :D) John's third book Paper Towns has been on the New York Times best sellers list since it's release in October. A young adult novel well worth the read. If you've got some time on your hands--okay a lot of time on your hands, watch the original brotherhood 2.0 project from the beginning here. If you'd prefer to view some of the brothers' favorite episodes click here for must see B20. You'll be happy you did.

Friday Photo #3:

In which internet sensations, the Green Brothers visit our local TV station and prove that white men can indeed jump...even if it is from a fountain. Thanks for stopping by, guys! Had a great time.

He's Smiling Like a Butcher's Dog!! or why hockey is the greatest sport... ever


I'm not a huge sports nut. I'm not a football fan, except for my home team and even that is pretty much fair-weather. PNC Park makes baseball a lovely evening out, particularly since the Pirates can't get a decent team together. I enjoy watching English Premier League football amongst rabid, Brit Manchester United fans in our local pub on weekends. But hands down, my sport is hockey.


Hockey is the most exciting spectator sport EVER! In no other sport can the outcome of the game change within a mere 20 seconds. The players have such a great blue-collar work ethic. Busted nose, stitched up forehead...whatever, they never say die.


Tuesday night's game was a perfect example. My beloved Penguins were battling their Stanley Cup nemeses, the Red Wings in Detroit. This was their first meeting since that heartbreaking, game six loss in the finals this past June. Off-season trades had made the Wings a much stronger team, while the Pens had suffered enormous player losses due to the evil free agency market. Our boys really needed a win to regain their confidence and break the spell of the dominant Wings.


Geo and I were watching The Mentalist (a fine, entertaining show from CBS of all places) when we flipped over to catch a game update at the start of the third period. We were losing 5-2 with 14:47 left to play. That's when Jordan Staal exploded in one of the greatest comebacks in Penguin Hockey history. He got three consecutive goals--a hat trick--in the last 7:58 of regulation play to tie it 6 all and force the game into overtime. Geo and I were screaming!! Holy Crap this was exciting! The Mentalist was just going to have to wait.


With 1:22 left in overtime, our power play depleted, Staal fed a perfect pass to the waiting stick of Ruslan Fedotenko who blasted the puck into the back of the net. The Pens' bench erupted and flooded the ice to celebrate. Geo and I were flipping out. The boys had pulled it off, man. They did not give up. In the immortal words of Mike Lang, the most entertaining hockey announcer in the biz, Jordy was "Smiling like a butcher's dog".


What a great victory. The team needed this win badly to get that bloody Cup monkey off its back. And to win in such dramatic fashion, in overtime against such an enormous opponent can only propel them forward in their quest for Lord Stanley's Cup. But you'll never hear one of them boast about his accomplishment. They know it's a long season, and it's all about teamwork. They're respectful. They're humble. They're hockey guys.



Don't believe me? Here's a link to the newspaper's article