Tomorrow is 4/15, the dreaded Tax Day for Americans. I think it's probably a little too late for me to tell you to go file your taxes at this point, but um, yeah, if you haven't done it already, you probably should. Good news guys, I actually am getting money back from the government this year! Oh, you don't care? It's ok, I'm just glad I don't owe hundreds like I did last year, so I don't care that you don't care! But here's good news that's applicable for all of you. In honor of the headache inducing Tax Day, many restaurants are offering freebies or major discounts as a little tax relief. Head over to The Bargainist for more.
Boston Market: Individual dinner plates BOGO Free
04/15/2010 through 04/18/2010.
Cinnabon - 2 Free Cupcake Bites on 04/15/2010 between 6pm and 8pm.
McCormick & Schmick's - $10.40 dinner specials & drink specials at the bar. (Guys, M&S has these amaaaazing Happy Hour specials. I like a lot. Check it.)
P.F. Chang's - 15% off food purchases all day
Starbucks - Bring in a reusable travel mug & get free brewed coffee
McDonald's - Select restaurants to offer BOGO Free Southern Style Chicken Biscuit
Subway - Free cookie for all customers
T.G.I. Friday's - Diners receive a $5 gift card w/purchase of $15-$25 or a $10 card w/purchases of $25 or more
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Tax Day Free Day!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Gleeee!
It's been WAY too long since Glee had its fall finale, and while it seemed like April was so far away (new episodes come back on April 17th) we're about a month away, HOORAH!!!! The cast of Glee has been everywhere in the news, from their concert tour in May being sold out (see you there!), to being invited to the White House next month, to their upcoming Oprah appearance. YAYY!
Spoiler Alert: The folks at NY Mag have put together all the spoilers that have been all over the place. Read at your own risk, but be prepared to hear about lots of cool guest stars and musical numbers. It's gonna be so great! And click below for the new preview for the remaining episodes. Is it April yet??
Friday, March 5, 2010
2010 Academy Award Predictions!
My Super Bowl, the Oscars, are on this Sunday! Who else is so so excited! Unfortunately this will be the first year I don't get to watch the telecast live, but I've got my predictions, ballot, and DVR all fired up and ready to go nonetheless! If you are into this stuff as much as I am, or need suggestions to win your office pool, or just want to read what I think will go down on Sun night, read on (my predicted winners are in bold).
Best Supporting Actor & Best Supporting Actress
These two categories are the most boring of the night, just cause the winners are pretty much locked. From the beginning of the awards season, Christopher Waltz (Inglorious Basterds) and Monique (Precious) have pretty much dominated, and so they are gonna walk away with the coveted awards. There is a slight chance someone other than Waltz will win Supporting Actor (maybe Stanley Tucci or Woody Harrelson), but Monique is a definite. The other ladies should just be thankful to be nominated, cause there is no chance any of them are taking home the Oscar this year.
Best Adapted Screenplay/Best Original Screenplay
For the Adapted Screenplay, I'm gonna go with Up in the Air. The movie had reallly good buzz towards the beginning of the season, but lost its steam in the midst of the whole Avatar/Hurt Locker buzz that started taking over. The Academy will reward the movie in this category. As for Original Screenplay, I'm thinking its a battle between The Hurt Locker and Inglorious Basterds, but I'm gonna go with the latter because The Hurt Locker will win bigger awards. But you never know, the warm crowd pleaser Up might sneak in enough votes to steal the prize.
Best Actor & Best Actress
Jeff Bridges also pretty much has the Best Actor on a lockdown, but I'm secretly hoping Colin Firth (who is just so dreamy) steals it. Even though Colin just won a BAFTA a couple of weeks ago (the British Oscars), I still think Bridges will win. The Best Actress category is my favorite one this year, because there is no clear winner. Sandra Bullock has pretty much won everything leading up to this, and while that may seem like she is going to win, her role in The Blind Side isn't usually what garners a Best Actress win. So while the awards season has been good to her, she might likely lose to seasoned veteran Meryl Streep, or newcomer Carey Mulligan. I really hope Bullock wins and I'm gonna say she will, but I will so not be surprised if she goes home empty handed Sunday night.
Best Director
This comes down to the battle of the exes-- Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker) used to be married to James Cameron (Avatar), and now they are the frontrunners for this coveted award. History will be made if Bigelow wins; she will be the first female winner ever, which is kinda sad, no? Come on Academy! Or, come on, female directors! =P I think she will win. Unless...
Best Picture
Now, I'm pretty sure The Hurt Locker is going to win. Avatar may be the bigger movie, but out of the 10 Best Picture nominees, no other movie had as much critical praise behind it as the Hurt Locker. But like I said, Avatar is the bigger movie, in all senses of the word. Critics may not have been super impressed with its storyline and dialogue, but you can't overlook how well the movie turned out. Now, if Kathryn wins Best Director for The Hurt Locker, the Academy might reward James Cameron with a Best Picture win. And vice versa- Cameron for Director, the Hurt Locker for Best Picture. But. I honestly think, the night is gonna belong to The Hurt Locker, for both Best Picture and Director.
AHHHH I LOVE THE OSCARS.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Music Video + Art History = Mind Blown
Ok I don't know anything about this French band called Hold Your Horses!, but I love them for this amazing music video, in which they recreate the history of painting. Um, I LOVE ART HISTORY. And music videos. So, not surprisingly, I LOVE this video. Consider my mind blown. Actually I'm just giddy. Amazing, amazing!
70 Million by Hold Your Horses ! from L'Ogre on Vimeo.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
To Their Moms, They'll Always Be Kids
I love creative marketing campaigns, and I think P&G is really smart to recognize a niche group watching the Olympics-- the moms. I mean, I don't relate to this commercial directly cause I'm not a mom yet, but my own mom loves this one, and she totally agrees, so I think P&G is really striking a chord. In fact, I do think this commercial is true in a lot of ways, cause even though I'm an adult in my mid-20s, my mom still gives me smooches and treats me like a kid (um, not of the weirdo, dysfunctional family kind, but in a cute way..). Anyways, as the Olympics draw to a close (not before Queen Yu-Na skates tonight!!), watch this and smile. And go hug your momma.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Figure Skating!
There was a time in my life when I used to be reallllly into figure skating (watching, NOT doing), and that was because I idolized the greatest figure skater of MY generation-- Michelle Kwan. Michelle is probably (and unfortunately so) known to many as the great skater with one accolade missing from her collection, the Olympic gold medal. However, I know her as the graceful, classy athlete who is the most decorated figure skater in the history of US skating. When Michelle stopped competing, I stopped watching. And so, I haven't been excited about figure skating, until now. Last night was the short program portion of the female figure skating competition at the Olympics, and there is a reason why it is the most watched Winter Olympic event. Drama Drama Drama! LOVES IT.
In one corner you have the world reigning champion, Yuna Kim, a 19 year old from South Korea who is not only considered the greatest figure skater skating today, but quickly cemented herself as one of the greatest figure skaters of all time. The biggest celebrity of her nation, she has the weight of Korea's expectations on her shoulders, so much so that she can't even live and train in Korea. Her match with Mao Asada, an equally talented 19 year old from Japan, is the stuff scripted dramas are made of. Both carry the weight of their country's pressure on their shoulders, both are multi-millionaire celebrities, both are expected to bring home the gold and once and for all settle the rivalry between the girls' respective nations. And if drama and rivalry aren't your things, then you have tragedy: the current 3rd place finisher, Canadian Joannie Rochette, is skating a mere 2 days after the sudden death of her mother. Emotional stuff!
Tomorrow brings the conclusion of the exciting competition, and while Yuna Kim has the commanding lead at the moment, anything can happen by tomorrow night's end. My current prediction though, mirrors the current standings at the moment:
Gold: Yuna Kim (South Korea)
Silver: Mao Asada (Japan)
Bronze: Joannie Rochette (Canada)
Monday, February 8, 2010
Super Bowl Ads: The best
As Julia said in her post last week, I too am a fan of Super Bowl ads, especially because I like anything that can hold my attention for a minute or less. I was actually pretty into the game this year (YAY Saints!), but I was on the lookout for some great commercials. I don't think I was blown away by anything this year, but the below are some of my favorites.
Google
This is my FAVORITE of last night, and one of my favorites ever, dare I say. Simple, charming, moving, and pretty much sums up the Google brand and purpose in one minute, which really is what an effective ad should be. A love story told through a series of google searches, it was incredible storytelling, and probably more romantic in that one minute than some 2 hour rom coms. Amazing. Genius. Love Love Love.
Snickers
How much do I love Betty White? For an 80 some year old, she is still a firecracker who is adorable and feisty and just plain awesome. I cracked up at this ad, in which she is battered around on the football field and gets to use the line, "That's not what your girlfriend said." Hilarious.
Bud Light
Umm. I freaking love auto-tune. I know, one of these days it will no longer be funny, but until then, I am still gonna laugh at the ridiculousness that is T-pain auto-crooning, "Pass that guacamoleeeee." HAHAHAHA.
Late Show w/David Letterman
And of course, the most talked about ad this morning is the Letterman-Leno-Oprah 10 second commercial that put the rival late-night giants in the same room. Apparently a lot went into ensuring this was kept under wraps, including Jay sneaking into the Letterman studios in full disguise to tape the spot. Totally surprising, and pretty funny.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Road to the Oscars 2010!
This morning the lovely Anne Hathaway woke up super early to announce the 2010 Academy Award nominations, and while I cannot say I am surprised at most of the nominations, there were some things that made me go hmmm... I'm gonna do my predictions closer to the Mar.7 ceremony, but for now, here are my quick snap judgments on the nominees:
* Best picture
In an effort to include more mainstream (and popular) movies as well as the usual critically-acclaimed fare, the Academy nominated 10 movies for Best Picture this year. I think most of the movies (9 out of 10) are what was expected, but I am super surprised that The Blind Side was nominated. I love the movie, I love Sandra Bullock, but to me it isn't really a Best Picture nominee worthy movie. But, who am I to say, it has made a ridonkulous amount of money at the box office. I do wish the spot it took up had gone to The Hangover (my favorite movie of last year) or (500) Days of Summer instead.
* Best Actress/Supporting Actress
Given the amount of awards she has won this season, the Oscar is Sandra Bullock's to lose. Unfortunately, that is exactly what will happen. I LOVE HER, but I'm pretty sure her winning the big one (especially over veteran Meryl Streep) is slim to none. But, I don't know, The Blind Side did receive a Best Picture nod, so it is clear that the Academy does support her movie. In the Best Supporting Actress category, Maggie Gyllenhall's nomination for Crazy Heart comes as a big surprise since she's been shut out of nominations for all of the other award shows leading up to the Oscars. It doesn't matter however, Mo'nique will totally win this category hands down.
*Where the Wild Things Are
On a more personal note, I cannot believe Spike Jones's amazing Where the Wild Things Are was completely shut out of every category. Did I expect it to land any of the major nominations (director, picture, acting, screenplay)? No. But honestly even nothing in the technical awards such as costumes? Visual effects? Nothing?? So disappointing. It is a beautiful, beautiful movie, folks!!
Monday, January 25, 2010
There's an app for that!
One of my favorite stories to come out of the Haitian tragedy is of a man who was trapped in the rubble for 60 hours, severely injured and bleeding, and managed to stay alive with the help of an.. iPhone app?! Yeah. So the guy, Dan Woolley, an aid worker from Colorado, remembered he had downloaded an app called "Pocket First Aid & CPR" from the American Heart Association, and used that information to treat his wounds properly. It's kinda amazing what this guy did, using his shirt to bandage his leg, tying his belt around the wound, firmly pressing a sock to his bleeding head, setting his alarm every 20 min to not fall asleep as a result of experiencing shock. A total validation to Apple's pretty bold statement, "There's an app for that." I imagine we will see this somewhere in their app commercials.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Update: Team Conan
Ok. This will be my last post on this topic, I swear. But as an update to my Leno vs. Conan post late last week, I am posting the following very eloquent response to the debacle articulated by the man in the middle himself, Conan O'Brien. Everyone, meet class. As if I didn't love him anymore, Conan's letter is the epitome of grace and class, all with a touch of his signature humor. I think many of you probably read this already, but I'm re-posting because I want everyone to know what a stand-out guy I think this dude is. What struck me most from this response is just how much Conan, who has only been hosting the Tonight Show for 7 months, understand and respect the history and legacy of the Tonight Show institution than NBC and his predecessor host Leno does. Tsk tsk. Honestly, Leno should be ashamed. He's the one who should be graciously giving the spotlight back to Conan, and this discussion shouldn't even be happening if he was half the classy person Conan is. People of Earth: Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over the Tonight Show in June of 2009. Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both. But sadly, we were never given that chance. After only seven months, with my Tonight Show in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule. Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the Tonight Show to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. For 60 years the Tonight Show has aired immediately following the late local news. I sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn’t the Tonight Show. Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the Late Night show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy. So it has come to this: I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it. My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of the Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn’t matter. But with the Tonight Show, I believe nothing could matter more. There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next. My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a company that values our work. Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my hair; it’s always been that way.
Conan's Response:
In the last few days, I’ve been getting a lot of sympathy calls, and I want to start by making it clear that no one should waste a second feeling sorry for me. For 17 years, I’ve been getting paid to do what I love most and, in a world with real problems, I’ve been absurdly lucky. That said, I’ve been suddenly put in a very public predicament and my bosses are demanding an immediate decision.
Yours,
Conan
Friday, January 8, 2010
Mini-rant: Leno vs. Conan
Reports are surfacing this morning that NBC is canceling Jay Leno's low-rated prime time show and giving him back his old 11:35 late night timeslot. What would that mean for Conan, who is currently the host of that 11:35 slot? NBC is reportedly considering shrinking Leno's show to a half hour, and having Conan's show air at 12:05am. OK. Despite what this rant might sound like, I actually didn't really care about latenight show wars. To me Letterman is the best and as long as he is staying put where he is, I don't care. But, as this whole situation continues to become a mess and an exploding fiasco, I'm mad at NBC and at Leno for letting all of this happen.
Yes, airing an episode of Leno's show 5 times a week is vastly cheaper than filling that primetime spot with a drama/reality show double the budget. But from a creative standpoint, taking the exact same show, cause let's face it, Leno's 10pm show is not any different from his old Tonight Show, and airing it an hour earlier was pointless and a big fat waste of time and credibility on the already struggling network's part. And the only person I feel bad for in this whole thing is Conan, who is a brilliant entertainer, and who uprooted his entire life to be based in LA for the new Tonight Show. He's been dragged through the mud through this entire thing, while Leno has coasted by on preferential treatment, and now Conan is stuck in this awkward, weirdo position of having everything implode on him through no fault of his own. TMZ is reporting that the choice is up to Conan, and I seriously hope he walks away and screws NBC over. But, whatever happens, I'm on TEAM O'BRIEN. Ok, end rant.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
BeautifulPeople.com
Happy New Year, Life in Box-ers! I kinda love this time of the year, when everything feels fresh and new, and people make a mad dash to upkeep the resolutions they've made for the upcoming year. Typically one of the most popular New Years resolutions has to do with physical appearance- getting to the gym, losing a couple of pounds, taking care of your body. Aaaaand, if this isn't a motivating factor to get your butt to the gym in a regular manner, then I don't know what is. Since the beginning of this year, a dating site called Beautiful People has kicked out about 5,000 of its members after they've posted pictures "revealing that they have let themselves go." Come again? Basically, Beautiful People is an elite dating service that prides itself on being a community of people who place priority on looks, and well, if you are not beautiful enough, then you are not allowed to be a member. Users can join only after enough members vote them "beautiful" 48 hours after their profile is uploaded. Elitist? Supremely. Hilarious? Totes Mcgotes.
Apparently the 5,000 members who were kicked out gained a little too much weight after the holidays, and so their memberships have been revoked. But fret not, lose the weight and register again! I actually find this whole thing realllllly hilarious. And a tad ridiculous, but I so appreciate the honesty of it all, summed up nicely by Robert Hintze, the founder: "As a business, we mourn the loss of any member, but the fact remains that our members demand the high standard of beauty be upheld... Letting fatties roam the site is a direct threat to our business model and the very concept for which BeautifulPeople.com was founded." HAHA! Best.company.statement.EVER.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
2009 Entertainers of the Year: #1
Last year I bestowed the honor to the multitalented Tina Fey, and this year, the honor goes to... TAYLOR SWIFT!
Goodness gracious, who had a better year this year than Taylor?? She solidified herself as a bona fide star, transcending above the country music genre and outselling pretty much every artist in every category this year (who is not named Michael Jackson). After supporting other artists on their tours in previous years, her first solo tour sold out in minutes (and I know this firsthand cause I was not able to get tickets for her show... SAD) :( She became the youngest artist ever to win Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year. On top of winning AMAs, Grammys, and every other award throughout the year. She proved to be charming and funny, hosting the best episode of Saturday Night Live this season. And of course, who can forget the infamous Kanye-gate, which could have been a complete disaster had it not been for the complete grace and class this 20 year old displayed throughout the whole thing. Not to mention, her album, Fearless, is pretty darn good, people.
So... there you have it, my pick for Entertainer of the Year (she is also Billboard's pick, as well as AP's pick). As a fan, I'm looking forward to 2010 for her, as she is currently writing new songs for a new record due out sometime later this year, and being up for numerous Grammys coming up in February. Rock on, Taylor Swift!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
2009 Entertainers of the Year: #3 and # 2!
#3) Jay-Z and Lady Gaga (tie)
Two artists who are completely different from each other (in every possible way), one a musical legend practically, and one who burst onto the scene in the year, dominated the charts in 09.
Jay-Z released his 11th studio album, The Blueprint 3, in September, and was met with favor from critics and fans alike. It became his 11th album to reach #1 on the Billboard charts, surpassing Elvis Presley's previous record with the most #1 albums. It also is the second best selling hip hop album of all time. The album has spawned hit after hit, but most notably, produced what is now NYC's unofficial anthem: Empire State of Mind. The Jay-Z train does not seem to be slowing into the New Year, he is embarking on a nationwide tour for the album, which will go well into 2010 (I'll be at the March show in Jersey, hollla!).
Lady Gaga is probably one of the most talked about artist of the year, and not only for her music. She pretty much became a cultural phenomenon, with all of her crazy outfits, even crazier performances, and, let's face it, catchy songs. In the annual Google zeitgeist, the Haus of Gaga was the most searched image of the year. Though her debut album came out in the summer of 08, but it seems like 09 is when she really caught on fire, with the string of hits-- Poker Face, Paparazzi, Bad Romance. I'm slightly scared of her, but I do kinda enjoy her antics. She's also embarking on a concert tour for her recently released album The Fame Monster, so there is no way we won't be seeing more of her in 2010.
#2) Michael Jackson
What can be said about Michael Jackson that hasn't already been covered a billion times in the past six months since his untimely passing in June? The world lost a true pop cultural icon, but ironically he ended up entertaining us even when he is no longer with us. His death brought upon hours and hours of coverage, surrounding his mysterious life and death, but more importantly, reminded us all of the impact he has had on the pop culture landscape. Reissues of his albums and singles sold through the roof, people lined up to pay tribute, millions tuned into his funeral coverage. And This is It, a concert film made from the footage of his This is It tour rehearsals was released in October, doing well at the box office. The man in the mirror might be gone, but in his passing Michael Jackson proved that he is a true legacy that spans generational gaps.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Holiday Movies!
I have a pretty extensive DVD collection, but I just recently realized that for the most part, I don't sit at home rewatching my DVDs over and over again (there is way too much new TV to be watched sitting in my DVR). Which I guess makes my DVD collection a giant waste of money, but whatever, I do like having my favorite movies around whenever I get the urge to rewatch.
The point of this seemingly pointless post is, I especially have a couple of go-to holiday movies that I have to watch around this week of Christmas, a personal Christmas tradition of mine. I bring this up cause I just rewatched Elf this past weekend and enjoyed it soooo much!! ("Smiling's my favorite!") I know most people go for the usual, Christmas Story (I've never seen it, actually)/Miracle on 34th St/It's a Wonderful Life, but I like to go for what I call the new holiday classics: Elf and Love Actually with a dash of The Holiday thrown in (I'm not a huge fan, but Jude Law is kinda beautiful in the movie).
What is everyone else's favorite Christmas movies??
And, here is my favorite cover of All I want For Christmas is You, courtesy of Love Actually.
Friday, December 11, 2009
One hit Wonders of the 2000s
Earlier this week, Billboard magazine listed their Top One-hit wonders of the 2000s. Some of the choices were a bit surprising to me because their criteria for picking an one hit wonder is more technical than mine. When I think of an one-hit wonder, I think of an artist who produced 1 good song, and then faded off the map for eternity (Jennifer Paige's Crush, anyone??). What Billboard defines as an one-hit wonder is a song that reached the top 10 of their Hot 100s chart, and then failed to produce a single that reached the top 25 after that (reaching top 25 is not an easy feat for anyone...). Perusing the list brought back so many musical memories: Dream (#10), Macy Gray (#22), Vanessa Carlton (#24), S Club 7 (#38), and my personal favorite, a post-Jessica Simpson breakup Nick Lachey (#28).
Here are the top 5 One-Hit Wonders of 2000s:
#5: D4L - Laffy Taffy
#4: MIMS - This is Why I'm Hot (Gee, I wonder why, it boasted such genius lyrics as, " I'm hot cause I'm fly/you ain't cause you're not.")
#3 Crazy Town - Butterfly
#2 Terror Squad - Lean Back
#1 Daniel Powter - Bad Day (I love this song, actually. And I like the video...)
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Last Christmas
We are 3 days into December, which totally means that it is.. full on Christmas music season. I may be soul-less by revealing this, but I DO NOT LOVE Christmas music. There, I said it. Sorry people, I must have no heart. There are a handful of Christmas songs I do enjoy though, and one of those songs happen to be Last Christmas, originally sung by the 80s band Wham. It is probably one of the most covered songs ever, with everyone from the Backstreet Boys to Coldplay to Taylor Swift releasing their own versions. I talk about this because, there is a site called Last Christmas.com, that keeps track of all the different versions of the song that is released. So far, in the 4 years they've been running the site, we've got 395 versions and counting, all over the world.
And because my current obsession is Glee, here is the Glee cast's version of the song. LOVES IT!!
Google Zeitgeist 2009
Google Zeitgeist is what Google calls snapshots of search trends, and it's a really interesting look at what kind of things fascinate Americans enough to search for things in droves. Someone from Google was on the Today show this morning to talk about the Zeitgeist for 2009, though that has not been updated in the Google archives as of yet. Not surprisingly, Lady Gaga, Twitter, and swine flu were among the fastest rising searches this past year, with Lady Gaga being the fastest rising in Google images searches (Um, yeah cause she looks so different with every appearance, I don't think anyone knows what she really looks like).
Update: Google Zeitgeist 2009
Around this time of year, food happens to be a big search term, and Google found that comfort foods (like chili and meatloaf) were a trend. That reminded me of something I saw this past weekend that I thought was so cool: The New York Times posted a geographic breakdown of Thanksgiving food related searches on Allrecipies.com. "Sweet potato casserole" was the most searched term nationwide, but it's interesting to see where the queries for different things come from. The breakdown raises a couple of questions, like if something isn't being searched for as much in one area, is it cause fewer people in that area are making the dish, or they already know how to make it? It's so interesting to scroll through.
Friday, November 20, 2009
R.I.P. Daul Kim
Celebrity deaths (ok fine, deaths in general) make me sad, but this one is especially hitting me hard. Yesterday NY Mag reported that Korean-born international supermodel Daul Kim was found dead in her Paris apartment. She was only 20 years old. Details of her death are still being processed, but police believe it was a suicide. I don't follow the fashion industry as closely as I do with the rest of pop culture, but I did know who Daul was and I did really like her. She managed to make a name for herself so young with her very interesting look, and I liked reading her blog from time to time. I think we're all under the impression that a jet-setting life of fame and fortune is glamorous, and all too often never realize the pressures that come with that kind of life. I'm sad we won't get to see more of her modeling in the future. Daul's suicide also hits on an alarming trend in Korea, where so many famous people (including the ex-president) have committed suicides on a fairly regular basis in the past couple of years. High profile suicides aside, South Korea now has the highest suicide rate among the 30 nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Sad sad sad.
Daul's Blog: I Like to Fork Myself
Daul's Career Highlights
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
People's Sexiest Man Alive 2009
Aaaand the coveted title goes to.. Johnny Depp?? Do not get me wrong, I too am a fan of Mr. Depp, but.. he hasn't really done much in the past year, no? The title usually goes to someone who is HOT as well as been in the spotlight for the year. But.. Whatever. My pick for Sexiest Man (ever...) Robert Pattinson, made the cut, as well as Ryan Reynolds, the cast of Glee (gleeeeee!!!), and uber hottie John Cho. YES. As a hot blooded female I love this annual issue of People.
Over at Best Week Ever, my favorite blogger Michelle Collins analyzes the Top 15 in her usual hilarious way. She laments the fact that her favorite, Mad Men's Jon Hamm, failed to make the cut, so she rates each of People's picks with... Hamms. It's pretty hilarious. She also gets major points from me for acknowledging the HOTNESS of Daniel Henney, who didn't make People's cut, but we both think he is a Hottie McHottie. Yeaaaa boyeeee!
