A Better Way to Deliver Bad News

I think these are quite clever.

The Hoff has something for you

Creeeepers

Only in San Francisco

While walking home last night I came across a man walking his pets, all at once! What you see here is indeed a rat, sitting on top of a cat, who is sitting on top of a dog.

I Don't Blame These Kids

Santa can be scary. Look here for more terrified tots.

Happy Holidays!

Chillin With The Homies

I [not so] secretly love this style. If you look really closely, you might see me in one of the group shots for Mi Vida Loca.
You should check out this woman's site. She has some great photographs: Amanda Lopez

Happy Thanksgiving?

I saw this in the window of a baby store by my house. I find it to be kinda twisted. Poor turkeys. I don't think they are happy to be meals at all.

These guys are happy turkeys though:
I won't lie, I'm still going to eat turkey this year. But at least they're free range! As my mother says: "They enjoy a luxurious life prior to their execution." I guess that makes me feel a little better...

Ummm...

On what occasion would these be appropriate? So weeeeeird (and creepy).

I Wonder If They Know What They Are Saying

This is so something I would do when I am older!

See more funny videos and Music Videos at Today's Big Thing.

It's a Man's World

Last weekend I went to Placerville with my friend Christina. Based on my observations many of the men there appeared to be very into jackets emblazoned with the American flag or American eagle, motorcycles and pick up trucks, and country music. Not one metrosexual; and coming from San Francisco this was quite a culture shock.

To get the full effect of being in Placerville Christina and I also listened to some country music as we drove home from Apple Hill. There was one song I found particularly entertaining; sung by a man who reminisced of the "good ol days when men were men" and vowing to never wear tight jeans (we'll just say hipsters are the exception), pluck his eyebrows etc. So when I was sent a link to a pantyhose site for men I automatically thought of that song and thought "this could never fly in Placerville."

To each his own, I won't judge. Pantyhose are a great fashion accessory, and can really keep you warm (when you are wearing a dress or skirt); so who am I to stop men from wearing them? But I have to say, I expect they'd be rather uncomfortable....

This Kid Is So Cute!

I just came across this little man on the interwebs. He has made my day. Check out his moves:


Awesome moves from Joe Tran on Vimeo.

Tuesday, November 4th 2008

Yes, I know what today is. And yes, I know what I am supposed to do today. Here's my thought on Election Day:

I know that it is my right and responsibility to vote today. I voted, it's done and I did my part. Now I'd like to know why people keep asking me if I voted. By asking me, are you reminding me? And if you have to remind someone, do you think maybe they don't care enough to vote? If so, I commend you for taking action and trying to persuade them to vote and make a difference, but I really don't think reminding them (and most likely lecturing them) will help.

Another thing I've been thinking about this morning is 'what next'? Let's say your vote wins, but people are still unhappy. Who/what will people turn to next?

All this said, I do agree it's important to vote, and I will leave you with these wonderful kids (they have the right idea):

Some images to get you ready for Halloweeeen!

A Mr. T Pug! Loves it! (I wish Reddi would let me dress her up like this)


I just like these things. Not sure what they are (thimbles?), but they are small, cute, and happy.
These are just fun.

Tricks, but where are the treats?

These costumes give new meaning to 'Trick or treat.' It seems Halloween really has become an excuse for girls to dress like, well, tricks! (And if you don't know what I mean, you can look the term up on urbandictionary.com, but I don't want to be the one to tell you).

But, if you're really desperate this Halloween you can find these awful outfits at Wet Seal. Needless to say Becky and I were horrified. Especially by the one on the far right. Is that even a costume?

Like Muffin Tops?

No, not the kind that hang over jeans, but rather the best part of the muffin! Well, if you do, I may have found an easy recipe for banana muffin tops. I was trying to make 'Banana-Bender's Cookies' but they turned out more like muffin tops then cookies. They were still tasty though, so here's the recipe if you want to try them out. They are super quick and easy to make:

Ingredients:
1/2 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour, sifted
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, well beaten
2 cups of ripe mashed banana
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees, and remember to grease the baking sheet! Cream the butter and sugar. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together and fold it into the butter-sugar mixture. Mix in the eggs, bananas, and nuts. Bake for 20-25mins (I'd lean towards 20mins to be on the safer side).

And voila! Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Tomoji!

September is full of many birthdays, including Tomoji's. Happy Birthday to the world's oldest man! Guess it is time for me to cut out those snacks, and start drinking my milk!

p.s. Shout out to my birthday girls this month: The madre, Roya, Kacie, Xtina, Sheila...and anyone else I may have missed!

Not Quite a CUPcake

I've heard that the term "cupcake" comes from the 1 cup measurement of ingredients used to make the delicious treats. However 4 cups of flour (and 3 sticks of butter) later, I was able to create this over-sized cupcake above.

I had been waiting to make this thing, and was quite pleased with the results! Hopefully I'll have excuses to make more in the future; maybe with new cake recipes too :)

Exiled? Forever?!

No, this would probably be too good to be true.

So I heard MTV had a new reality show spin off of My Super Sweet 16, and of course I ended up coming across it while awaiting last night's episode of I want to Work For Diddy (I've only seen a few episodes, but I tell you, it is "Quality").

Anywho, the new show is My Super Sweet 16 EXILED and yes, it is just as awful as I expected it to be. The concept of the show is that the parents of these girls are all so tired of their spoiled brat children, that they decide to send them off to remote parts of the world to "teach them a lesson" about the real world. Personally, I find the concept to be kind of insulting. They make it seem like living in these other countries is unbearable, that the people are uncivilized (e.g. One girl flips out when they eat a Guinea Pig in Peru; even I thought that was funny), and that the world revolves around the US of A.

I don't think I can sit through another episode. I am sure this is MTV's way of teaching their audience about the world and other cultures, but I find it to be heinous. Best case scenario: The girls get lost in their respective countries forever, and MTV doesn't offer them each their own reality shows.

Bon Iver

I just saw this group at the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in San Francisco, and I would love to see them again. It was a great 3 day event, and I had the chance to see Bon Iver perform this song. There's something eerily wonderful about it, and it sounded so good live when they had the whole crowd singing "What might have been lost" together.

I recommend the whole album. It's perfect for a foggy SF day inside.

Fierce!

This lady will always get away with any look she wants! Below are some images stolen from Kanye's blog. I'm surprised he is just blogging about her, but that is another story.

Anyways, below are a few of M.I.A's many looks I always enjoy. Ugh, if only I was a feisty "pop" star!

Joel, Je T'aime

There are very few shows worth watching these days, but The Soup is worth my time. IMRHO, Joel McHale is quite possibly the funniest man on TV. Ok, maybe he doesn't write the stuff, but he has the best delivery for un-PC commentary!

This Might Be What Happiness Looks Like

Loves It

This song is so good!

Must Be a 'Meat and Potatoes' Kind of Guy

Ever wanted a suit that looks like strips of bacon, and smells like bacon? Well now you can find this snazzy outfit, and other meat related products, here. Yummy.

These Remind Me of Candy

I think watches may be my new favorite accessory (maybe.) I love the look and colors of these. So far, only looks like you can buy them over seas though. Collect them all!

Who CARES??

I saw some comedians on VH1 making fun of Diddy for posting this clip on his 'Vlog.' In my opinion, this is the perfect example of just how full of himself Diddy really is. He thinks people actually want to know how he feels about peeing. The video is just awkward and weird to watch, and I am surprised he is not embarrassed.

I hope Diddy's bathroom escapades end here. I don't want to know anymore about what else he does in there, and it can only go downhill from a video of him piddling.

Hateration

A fellow Googler passed over this SFist article. I believe his response puts it best: "I bet these dbags use Google though". Oh, and my aunt's of course too: "They'd kill to be a Googler with the good treats and meals and health insurance."

Gotta love SF! Guess I'll have to stick to Cow Hollow, we wouldn't support such vandalism *tisk tisk*

*My opinion*: Get over it

Useful Bunny

Ok, fine, I know all my friends are rolling their eyes at this video, but whatever. I love animals and this is my blog, so I shall post what I like! Hate on me all you want.

My dear mother found this (no surprise there), and I just thought this was darn cute. What a useful bunny, right?! And all this time I thought rabbits were stupid animals.

Baha'i Leaders Arrested In Iran

As many of you know, I am a member of the Baha'i' Faith. It is a large part of who I am, and defines my everyday life in many ways. It is a religion that promises world peace, and views the world and its peoples as one human race and one family. It is a religion that actively seeks to unite the world by eliminating prejudice and promoting equality between all people - regardless of their religion, race, class, age or gender.

The Baha'i Faith is the largest religious minority in Iran; and under the current Iranian political regime, it’s illegal to be a Baha’i. On May 14th, 2008, a group of Baha'is were arrested for no apparent reason, and have been imprisoned with no charge. The only grounds for their arrest is that they are Baha'i's (you can read more about the arrests here ); they have yet to be released.

I am writing this rather long post (which I appreciate you reading if you've even gotten this far) because it is important to me. Not only did my mother chose my name after hearing of one of the young martyrs in the 1980s, Shirin Dalvand; but as a half-Iranian Baha'i' my family members on the Iranian side have been persecuted for their beliefs, and they were lucky enough to make it out of Iran alive after the revolution. Many Baha'i's remained in Iran; and continue to be persecuted, imprisoned, and have many of their rights taken away.

One of the things I love most about being a Baha'i' is that our community is like family. They may not be immediate family, but you can meet a Baha'i' anywhere around the world, and always feel at home. It took me way too long to write in to my representative, and then I realized "If this were my immediate family- my father, mother, aunt, grandparent, friend etc...I'd do it in a second!" I promise it will take less than 5 minutes; and it can make a difference!

So, whether you are a Baha'i' or not; or if you simply care about the well being of others, I urge you to contact your representative using the message below, and ask them to cosponsor House Resolution 1008. To determine your representative and send a message, please go to http://www.house.gov/


Dear Congress man/woman ________,



I urgently ask you to cosponsor H. Res. 1008.



The Bahá'í Faith is the youngest of the world's independent religions. Founded in Iran in 1844, it now has more than five million adherents in 236 countries and territories. Bahá'ís come from nearly every national, ethnic and religious background.



Recent reports indicate that seven members of the Bahá'í community are currently in prison. Mrs. Fariba Kamalabadi, Mr. Jamaloddin Khanjani, Mr. Afif Naeimi, Mr. Saeid Rezaie, Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Mr. Vahid Tizfahm were arrested in Tehran on 14 May 2008, by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence. They are members of the national coordinating group of Bahá'í in Iran, an informal body that was formed with the knowledge of the government to assist the 300,000-member Bahá'í community in the country. Another member of the same Committee, Mrs. Mahvash Sabet, has been arrested in Mashhad in March 2008 and is reportedly still detained.



Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter, and for cosponsoring H. Res. 1008.



Sincerely,

(Your Name and contact information)

Radiohead 'House of Cards'

They never cease to amaze

I Think This Would Kill Me

I love burgers, and I love donuts, but this takes it too far. Or does it....?

So Dimitri...You're Kinda Creepy

And by "kinda", I mean really. Check out these messages he left poor Olga (I hope she changed her number). They are funny in a "Thank God those messages aren't for me" sort of way.

The audacity of this man! In my opinion, Dimitri should really stick to the long distance relationships...or pick up knitting and other hobbies; basically anything to keep him from calling these poor women.

I Just Hope The Mac Book Air Survived

Kanye is at it again, ranting about something related to himself! I met him in college when I organized shows at Mount Holyoke, and I have to say he was rather humble and sane back then. In his defense though, he put on an amazing show; so I'll give him that. He was up there for almost 3 hours, and gave us a few encores as well.

I think my favorite part in this rant is when he refers to the guy as "squid brains", and gives us a sob story about how he has to ice his knee after every show.

It's amazing what fame can do to a person. Silly Kanye... So Sensitive.

Vegas is Scary!

I am on my way to NYC to see friends from college, and have a stop in Vegas (thank God for free wifi!). This is not the first time I have had a layover here, and each time I tell myself I will never venture out of the airport! Okay, maybe that is harsh and I shouldn't speak too soon, but each time I've had to stop at this airport I've been frightened by both the people and the advertising (the pictures above were taken on the walk to my gate.) So far, this city is just too much for me: The slot machines are always ringing, there is no sense of time, everything and everyone (and their hair) is supersized, everything is just... overkill! Oh my God, this place just makes me laugh!

Disclaimer: I apologize to anyone who loves Vegas, or is from Vegas. I really have no exposure to the city other than the airport.

*My Opinion*: WOW

Someone Is Going To Need Therapy!

Okay, I don't know what is worse. Having this man as your father/grandfather, or being known as "Incest Dungeon Girl" for the rest of your life.

All jokes aside, this is really sad and disgusting. How could his wife not know her child was in the basement being raped by her own father for years on end? The woman must have been in serious denial!

Why Do I Buy American Apparel Items?

Every time I walk into American Apparel I look around and this is what I see:
1. Basic cotton clothing items
2. Price tags that scream "Yes, we're over charging you but, let's face it...we can get away with it."
3. Unassumingly attractive youth decked out in hipster gear (i.e. AA clothing and sometimes even, what I like to call, the "hipster headband")
4. Models reminiscent of the kiddie porn images Calvin Klein got in so much trouble for in the 90s

Now, don't get me wrong, this is not a "holier than thou" entry. As I write this I am wearing an American Apparel hoodie, which I do like very much; I just don't know why I paid way more than what it's worth for it and I don't know how I feel about supporting this company and its image anymore.

When it first opened I liked it because everything is made in the USA sans-sweatshops, and the models had normal bodies (like the kind that make anyone think they could model.) It felt different: basic, normal, laid back. There was no hype, but now it's all hype! What really gets to me though are the pictures all around the store. It's all girls with their legs spread open, or with shirts showing their breasts (or just take a look at the image I posted. Does anyone really like their socks that much?) The male models aren't any better, they look drugged out and have their pants/AA briefs slung super low. I can't say I know how it makes men feel, but I know that as a woman I just think: "For real? Do you have to make her look like that/do that?" I almost feel cheated by American Apparel. I thought when they had healthy looking models it was an "upgrade" for women and fashion, but now it's just overly sexual...so what difference does it make? We're still being objectified, and sex may very well be what sells those simple hoodies and t-shirts (oh, and the shiny gold spandex.) Sex seems to sell almost anything these days, I just wonder when I'll stop supporting it.

Cute Cookies!

A friend introduced me to this site, and I found this cute cookie recipe. Cute little

animals in the form of baked goods, two of my favorite things combined! For more in

hedgehog news, meet George (He ate too many of the cookies).

p.s. Doesn't it look like this hedgehog is dancing, or saying "wadduuup?" I like to think so.

Rachael Ray Loves Terror

I was just reading this article on Rachael Ray, and her stylist's poor choice in a scarf, and had to laugh. How silly is this that we have gone so far in this "code red" world of ours, that now we focus on the accessories of B-list celebrities and call them out for supporting terrorism. I wasn't there when her stylist chose the scarf, but I really doubt that was the intention. Let's be real, these scarves are being sold at Forever 21 and Urban Outfitters. My friends have them and, sadly, I even bought one at Ross for $7.99 because I am a sucker for fleeting trends. I don't wear it much though, because I think they're getting played out on the streets of San Francisco. Hipsters seem to love them...does this mean hipsters are terrorists too?! Oh my!