Erin Hi am intrigued by this. i'm not going to spend $150 on it though. :(
A New York-based startup aims to save you some laundry. The Body Dryer is a scale-shaped appliance that uses ionized air to dry you off in about 30 seconds (it will also tell you your weight). Currently in prototype, the company is running an Indiegogo campaign where you can preorder the device.
Erin HHOLY SHIT
A bystander captured heart-stopping footage of an emergency rescue during a fire that broke out at a construction site in Houston on Tuesday.
Erin Hwhat the crap?
Erin HADORABLE
Erin Has soon as i picked up knitting, i said it was like meditating for me. validation! :D
Several different studies support that knitting—and crafting in general—serves as a natural anti-depressant, helps ease anxiety and stress, can protect your brain from aging and has the effects as meditation.
Erin Hpeeling the protective plastic off of electronics.
Erin Hthe original tweet made me laugh way louder than it should have.
Erin H[grumpy cat picture] Good.
Fred Phelps, Sr, the founding pastor of the notorious crew of hate-spewing cretins, the Westboro Baptist Church is dying in hospice care according to his estranged son Nathan Phelps, who also claims that Phelps Sr. was excommunicated from the church in August of last year. In a post on his Facebook, Nathan Phelps writes:
Erin Hwhat the actual fuck?
A Republican candidate in Chicago who said autism was caused by God's anger over gay marriage has won her primary. Yay, America. Susan Atanus, a legit crazy person, defeated opponent David Earl Williams III in the Republican primary for the 9th Congressional District. She will face off against incumbent Democrat Rep. Jan Schakowsky in November.
Erin Hboo, hiss!
Pandora, one of our favorite streaming music services , announced today they will raise the monthly price for Pandora One to $4.99/month (from $3.99/mo) for new subscribers, and that they will eliminate their annual subscription option entirely.
    
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Erin Hi am really enjoying this blog, and her style of writing (but not her cluelessness, i swear) remind me a lot of you, suzanne. i think it's her straightforward enthusiasm about things.
Great news you guys! Today I am listening to the first album in the B’s! And I couldn’t be happier to have it be a B-52’s album. This is their self titled album put out in 1979, and Alex told me that I should write “S/T” as the common nomenclature for self titled. Did you know about that? Because I did not. Anyway, here’s what you should know about my relationship with the B-52’s: I love them. But here is the way that I love them: first and foremost, “Love Shack” is my all time favorite song of theirs. I can’t remember how it happened exactly, but whenever my parents and sisters and I are at an event where there is a dance floor, and “Love Shack” comes on, epic things occur. I just REALLY know how to dance to that song. I also think I know all the words, but whenever I sing it during karaoke, I’m always surprised by how many I actually don’t know. But it really doesn’t matter because that song just gets my adrenaline FLOWING!
So, “Love Shack” is the main reason I love the B-52’s. I know some of their other songs, and really like them too, but I’ve never owned any of their albums, (I know I’ve listened to this one before but not in a long time). I’ve never seen them play live and I don’t know the names of anyone in the band. But whenever they’re mentioned, I will get a swelling love feeling in my chest and think I love that band. I know that they used to be friends with REM or something and are from Athens, GA.
Alright, let’s put this record on! The first song “Planet Claire,” starts with a really cool spy sounding guitar riff, there are also kind of spooky space noises subtly in the background and a beeping sound that goes with the beat. The spy riff keeps going and really smooth flutes or violins or something come in giving this song a very kick ass intro. Oh wait, I think it’s an organ! Or is it a synthesizer?
The lyrics to this song are very talky and I like when they come in, but really this song is all about the melody to me. I think this would be an excellent song to listen to while driving on a winding road near the ocean, or while driving at night in the country with your high beams on.
The next song is much more traditional rock and roll sounding- actually more punk sounding. It has fast drums and girls singing this time. The lyrics are printed on the sleeve and this song is mainly a bunch of girls names and they’re actually all pretty cool names like “Effie, Madge and Mabel and Biddie.” The break down of this song, right before it ends definitely had me swaying back and forth on the couch. I like how all the songs end pretty abruptly and then go right into the next song, it makes listening to them in this order just feel right, like you’re supposed to listen to them as an album rather than single songs.
“Dance This Mess Around" is not familiar to me at all and I REALLY like it. The singer has this really great way of passionately yelling and singing at the same time. It sounds really good when she says "Why don’t you dance with me!" Oh, and then the guy comes in (who I’m realizing and remembering is named Fred Schneider, but I can’t figure out if it’s Cindy Wilson or Katie Pierson singing though) and starts saying, "dance this mess around" and they start singing together and have a really great chemistry. They’re sort of singing at each other in a passionate way that somehow manages to feel dead serious and a little silly at the same time.
I just noticed a part in the corner of the sleeve that lists each person’s name and the instruments that they play which includes smoke alarm, walkie talkie and toy piano! Oh you guys!
Alright, “Rock Lobster" is the last song on side one and I’m really familiar with this one and love it. If I was ever going to learn how to play the organ, I think this would be the first song I’d try to learn to play. This song is the silliest so far on this album, with the weird lyrics and the way Fred Schneider will sometimes make his voice sound high like a surprised old lady, but again, it feels like they’re also being a little serious, which I really like. I think it’s what keeps this song from feeling like a kid’s song, but at the same time, if I played this for kids, I think they would totally get it.
The first song on side two “Lava,” feels like a bit of a cool down song after the insane-ness that was “Rock Lobster.” I do like the line “My heart’s crackin’ like a Krakatoa,” because it sounds fun to sing.
Most of side 2 is good, but not in a way that stands out. It feels a bit like filler, but filler I’m not unhappy to listen to.
The last song is a cover of that song “Downtown,” and I like it because the B-52’s almost have a kitschy 60’s surf-rock style, even though they’re totally weird and so obviously from the 80’s. So this cover feels like it just really works as a new way to hear an old genre of music. It’s like doo-wop-y but then a little scream-y and punk sounding at the same time. It’s also really simple and raw sounding too, you can actually hear what sounds like people talking in a restaurant in the background, so I think this is a live recording.
And that’s it! I’d say my favorite song on this album was “Dance This Mess Around” followed by a tie with “Planet Claire” and “Rock Lobster.” But really I liked all of it, and definitely want to remember that we have this album and put it on again. I also really hope that all of the members of the B-52’s are still and always have been friends, because something about the way they play music together makes you feel like their first reason for doing it is to have fun with each other because they really like each other’s company. It’s part of what makes me always think, “I love the B-52’s!” I’ve decided I’m not even going to look it up to find out though, cause if it isn’t the truth, then I don’t want to know.
Alex Says: I have very little to add except that the thrash-metal cover of “Rock Lobster” by Dead Horse should really be heard. The album from whence it came was never released on vinyl, so it will unfortunately not be reviewed on this blog. But here it is, in all its growling glory.
Erin Hi want to go to there.
It looks pretty tame but let’s see what happens when up to eight people are strapped inside. [ more › ]
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Erin Hthis is awesome! MORE COLOR MORE ART EVERYWHERE
San Francisco neighborhood the Castro is about to get a little more colorful. Last month, residents voted on decorative crosswalks at 18th and Castro, and rainbows won. Part of a larger streetscape improvement project, the construction is expected to be completed by October.
Erin HNEAT! i didn't know they did it by boat, but of course it makes sense.
Here is some wonderful time-lapse photography from Peter Tsai showing the work getting done in 30 seconds you don't want to see end. [ more › ]
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Erin Hthat's actually a pretty good story.
Matthew McConaughey can't stop, won't stop saying "alright alright alright," a line he originally improvised in Dazed and Confused but has since adopted as his own personal catchphrase. But where'd it come from? Turns out he was inspired by Jim Morrison's chatter on a Doors live album. Too, too perfect.
Erin Hmalbec is my favorite varietal, and economic strife in argentina makes it really cheap. sorry, argentinians!
As roasting and braising season is drawing to a close, and grilling season is fast approaching, the versatility of Argentina's most famous grape, Malbec, becomes ever apparent. As a wine professional, I am frequently asked questions, such as, "I like Cabernet, and they like Pinot Noir. Is there a wine we can all agree upon?" or, "I want a bold red that's not too dry. What do you suggest?" Very often, the answer to both of those questions is Argentine Malbec.
Erin Hi actually don't see the issue with this. many shelters and humane societies tattoo animals when they are spayed or neutered so if they come back in, they know they've already had the surgery. my dog vincent had a tattoo.
I don't know who's the bigger problem here, the tattoo artist who surprised his dog with ink during her spleen surgery, or the unnamed veterinarian who allegedly allowed the inking. Either way, this is bad news all around, and the worst news is this: It's not yet illegal to tattoo your animal in New York.
Erin Hseven million dollars? holy shit!
A Chicago family's decade-long shoplifting spree ended on Wednesday when Branko, Lela and Julia Bogdanov were arrested for thieving more than seven million dollars in merchandise and selling the goods (toys, electronics, steak knives) from their home and on eBay.
Erin Hthe elvis? YES.
If you're a fan of Potbelly Sandwich Shop, you'll be pleased to know that they too have a secret menu packed with sandwich combinations that are close to their counterparts on the menu, but that much more delicious. Here's what to ask for.
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Erin Hflawless.
Lupita Nyong'o is continuing on her road to glory leading to the Academy Awards this Sunday. Over at MTV Style, a writer and photoshop wiz cobbled together an image of the 12 years a Slave actress wearing every color in the rainbow and it's breathtaking. Lupita's able to pull off nearly every color in the Crayola box and it is just awe-inspiring. From MTV Style:
Erin HAs much as they feel like. There, I just saved you from having to click through to Jezebel.
Which comes first, the happiness or the sex? One half of a couple told me a curious thing recently: In couples counseling, they'd been advised to have sex twice a week to foster intimacy while working on the relationship. I wondered not just about the merits of setting a minimal number, but also: Why twice? Twice is better than once and once is better than none, but how did we arrive at this idea that twice a week is a good amount of sex? Here is what I found out.
Erin HDAVID
Which nominee do you think should win the doggy "Awwscar"?
Submitted by: Unknown
Erin Hi'm going to try this - i have some of that trader joe's rum i was using for rum balls at christmastime, and it is NOT good for drinking.
I bought this $6 bottle of Trader Joe's rum for a recipe I was working on a few months back, and after using the few tablespoons I needed, it has sat at the back of my liquor cabinet collecting dust ever since. Because let's face it: a $6 bottle of rum tastes pretty much like a $6 bottle of rum, and that's nothing I'm excited to have in my cocktail at the end of the day.
In a recent sweep of the dark corners of my kitchen, I unearthed this bottle and thought to myself, Self, I bet you could do something with this rum to make it taste amazing. And that's when inspiration struck.
Erin HWHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK
In a story that's as completely horrifying as it is infuriating, an 89-year-old resident of a senior living home in Northern Minnesota was raped by her caretaker. Her appalling treatment didn't stop there, though: after reporting her assault, she was sent to a psychiatric ward and kept in solitary for three days; she wasn't given an examination until she left the psychiatric hospital; and she was accused by nursing home administrators of being a liar and a "flirt."
Erin HFYI - you just need to enter your first and last name to verify and submit.
Dropbox has changed its terms of service to include forced arbitration, which limits your ability to take legal action against them if they cause you trouble. Thankfully, you have 30 days to opt out through this online form. Check out the Consumerist's take on this for more info. [Dropbox Blog]
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Erin HDAVID this is relevant to your interests maybe. but definitely in my head it is. it is.
Erin Hso you can use it as a pillow OR a blanket, but not both? this seems silly.
If you're like me and can actually sleep (or, at least, rest) on a plane, it's nice to have a blanket and pillow along with you. Those take up precious suitcase room, but the Travel Billow combines both comfort items into one.
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Erin Hbut the earth DOESN'T orbit the sun, technically. it orbits the barycenter of the solar system (which is typically located within the mass of the sun, but not always). to be more precise, the earth orbits the spot where they barycenter was 8 minutes ago due to the distance. always 8 minutes behind the barycenter, story of my life.
This is not a joke! A survey conducted by the National Science Foundation has revealed that only one out of every four Americans did not know that the earth orbits the sun. Is it me? Is it you? Is it someone we know? Should we be out in the street screaming this news at the top of our lungs, educating others about the giant orb of heat death in the sky? More people should know!
Erin Hi've heard several of these before, they're always interesting, but wow. she was just amazing.
If you have ever doubted the immense talent that Whitney Houston possessed, take a listen to this isolated track of her singing one of her biggest hits, "How Will I Know." Her voice was beyond this realm, no question.
Erin H"they are ugly brown diamonds that have very little value without marketing". there, now you don't have to read the super long article.
You may see them all year long, but ad campaigns for sparkly jewelry really ramp up between Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day. But in the past few years, the usual suspects — "a diamond is forever" and "he went to Jared" and "every kiss begins with Kay" — have been joined by a newcomer: The "chocolate" diamond.