our collective culture commentary: a collab blog that covers various aspects of pop culture -- music, fashion, books, poetry, art, food, movies, and tv -- throughout the week.
So I'm back from Australia, but I never could have survived those days of 12 hour plane rides without the aid of the two books that I brought with me on my journey. I had read them both in the past, but they're the kind of books that I find I can read again and again because they're just that good.
On the way there, it was White Oleander by Janet Fitch.
Twelve-year-old Astrid Magnusson lives a rather solitary in LA with her famous poet of a mother, Ingrid. Her mother begins dating a man named Barry Kolker, but he ends up breaking her heart. Barry Kolker should have known that Ingrid Magnusson is not a woman to be trifled with. Ingrid ends up breaking into Barry's house and spreading a poisonous mixture of oleander all over the surfaces of Barry's home, which kills him. She is eventually charged with his murder and sentenced to life in prison, but promises Astrid that she will come back. From here on, the book follows Astrid over the years on her journey through numerous foster homes, and her journey of finding herself.
There's a movie made of the book as well, if you're interested.
On the return journey, I turned the pages of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
Narrated by Death itself, this book tells the tale of little Liesel Meminger, a girl living in Germany in the midst of World War II. Liesel's chronically ill mother decides to take Liesel and her brother to live with foster parents, but her brother does not survive the journey. While at the graveyard for her brother's funeral, Liesel steals her first book: The Gravedigger's Handbook, which the apprentice gravedigger dropped in the snow. Liesel arrives to Himmel Street at the home of her foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann, and she soon grows to love them. She develops a very close bond with her Hans, who plays the accordion and teaches her how to readThe Gravedigger's Handbook, and she even makes a best friend named Rudy Steiner. However, after the Hubermann's take in and hide a Jewish man named Max Vanderburg who Liesel befriends, the Nazi presence and the rise of World War II soon throw all of their lives into turmoil.
If you're not already in over your head with all the summer reading you have to do, I highly suggest either one of these books to you.
Ever have a movie night at home with your friends? Well, a fun thing to do before the movie starts is make your own yummy snacks to satisfy your sweet tooth!
Carmel Corn
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup of honey
1 Tablespoon of molasses
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla
10 cups of popcorn
1/2 teaspoon of salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Boil the honey, molasses, butter, vanilla, and salt in a sauce pan.
2) Toss around with the popcorn til satisfied.
3) Spread the popcorn on a rimmed baking sheet/pan.
4) Bake at 300 degrees for 10 to fifteen minutes.
5) Have popcorn completely cool.
6) If desired, you can put them into mini brown bags for friends.
Balloon Bouquet
INGREDIENTS:
Assorted jellybeans
Long wooden skewers
Shoestring licorice
INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Put jellybeans on wooden skewers til about halfway.
2) Tie together a few finished skewers with the shoestring licorice.
3) Enjoy!
Chocolate Bar Sundaes
(serves 4)
INGREDIENTS:
2 pints of vanilla ice cream
1 jar of chocolate fudge
1 cup of red skinned salted peanuts (optional) 1/4 cup of honey Whipped cream 8 mini chocolate candy bars of your choice.
INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Get out four bowls and place a big scoop of ice cream in each. 2) Heat the fudge in the microwave for 30 seconds with lid off. 3) Sprinkle the peanuts into each jar (optional). Layer that with some fudge, then another scoop of ice cream, then one more layer of fudge. 4) Heat the honey for 15 seconds. 5) Put some whipped cream on top of each sundae and drizzle a little honey on top of that. 6) Slide two candy bars on the side. 7) Enjoy and eat quickly!
Hope I've gotten you all craving some sugar and a night with friends! You'll have a guaranteed fun night with these treats!
Okay, I just had to review this band. Metric is one of my favorite bands of all time and though they have been around for awhile, if you haven't listened to them (or heard of them), then listen away! The name might not be familiar to you but they have been in a lot of things so their music might ring a bell. Their music has been featured in: 90210, Zombieland, House, Grey's Anatomy, Entourage, The Vampire Diaries, Eclipse, Rock Band 3, and many more! They are also often associated with Broken Social Scene, who was also mentioned on here. Here is a little info on them:
Members: Emily Haines (singer), James Shaw (guitarist), Josh Winstead (bassist), Joules Scott-Key (drummer). Formed: 1999 in Canada. Music Videos: 15. Singles: 15. EPS: 4. Albums: 4. Genre: Indie Rock, Synth, and New Wave. For More Info:http://www.ilovemetric.com/ Music Like Them: Tegan and Sara, Phoenix, Shiny Toy Guns, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and MGMT.
Though I thoroughly enjoy all of their songs, here are my favorites (all are 5/5's):
Help I'm Alive Can you hear my heart beating like a hammer? Those are the words spoken in the song. This is such a haunting yet energy pumping song. One of the first songs I heard by them. Probably my favorite song by them and one of my favorite songs of all time.
Between the Bars (cover) This was a cover of an Eliott Smith song and the very first song I had heard by them that was done at a session for Rolling Stone. This song shows an acoustic side of them and it really is a sweet song. I could fall asleep listening to this every night. Sadly this is not available for sale. But all new comers should hear this song.
Combat Baby I think this is a very upbeat song which is definitely on my summer playlist. The music video is also fun and light. There isn't much to say about this song either than I love it.
Well there you have it, Metric in a review. Hopefully everyone will enjoy this band and realize their full potential. An upside to this band is that every song by them is great!
This might be the most complicated movie of the summer. And even so, it's well worth your money at the box office. First off, you have an international star-studded cast. True, Leonardo DiCaprio does carry the weight of the movie, but it takes a team to build a dream and to manifest a dream with in a dream to steal the idea, the dreamer harbors. All in a deep sleep. This movie makes you think. This movie takes R.E.M. to a whole new level, and with a breath-taking intensity too.
Of course, you need a brain-ac team to do this. DiCaprio heads it. But you need an architect to build the exterior of the dreams once he gets into someone's mind. Ellen Page's Ariande is new to this dream business, but she's a quick learner.
Christopher Nolan, the director of the film, first pitched the idea for this movie eight years ago. Yes, it took that long to get it to theaters. Perhaps he was waiting for Joseph Gordon-Levitt to have the role of Arthur. We watch Gordon-Levitt quite gracefully take us through, well, perhaps that one in the corner overseeing the dreamer. Wait, is he dreaming himself? This is a movie that has you at the edge of your seat. You don't want to miss a moment.
This movie just isn't action packed, but filled with lots of emotions too. Every actor rolls with this movie to make it an unpredictable roller coaster ride.
Like I said, it's a very complicated movie. And if you want something smart to leave you thinking and loaded with amazing scenes of building spilling over each other and racing against time and bad guys of the unconscious, this is definitely the movie to see. As any writer, we push it to the limit to see what the audience will accept, or risk watching in this case. And Nolan definitely delivers.
This movie is a dream with in a dream; twice over, in fact. So many worlds to fall into the mind of one person, and yet those that are invading the dreams have their own projections to face. As in the case of DiCaprio's character, extractor Dom Cobb, it's his guilt in the form of his dead wife Mol (Marion Cotillard). Of course, she's not exactly a villain, but she perceives things differently, and had made it quite ugly in reality for Dom to get back to his kids. Naturally, aren't all good dreams made up of those of being with family?
However, what Dom truly wants is to get back to his kids...after one last heist. This time, the team is invading Cillian Murphy's dreams. He's the son of a wealthy businessman. The question is, will Dom wake up from this dream, and if he does, is it still all just a dream?
As one critic put it, "this is a masterpiece masquerading as a summer blockbuster." This is the movie to see this summer.
To some, its hard to believe one of the best shows this summer would be on ABC Family, but its got more than just your friend wondering what will happen next on this mystery based on the book series by Sara Shepard. Oh, and by the way Sara has already made a cameo on the show as Ms. Shepard the English substitute, so she must be pretty happy about the show too.
Granted, there can't seem to have a show without some amazing males that are more than just eye-candy. This cast most definitely has some characters you just might swoon for.
Newest newcomer is Diego González, fresh off 90210, as Spencer's new love interest Alex Santiago .Of course, this is a story about a rich girl finding someone who works at the country club. Is she just doing it to make her family mad or does she really have feelings for this guy? Diego definitely can make the screen sizzle, and he cooks too.
Of course, there is that complex dude Spencer (Troian Avery Bellisario) had her eye on. Or maybe he had his eye on her while he was engaged to her sister? Julian Morris as Wren Kim. There is something ever so slightly James Franco about his smile, and really, I wouldn't mind if misunderstood Spencer had hooked up with Wren. You never know, it could still happen.
Then there is (Lucy Hale) Aria's secret. Her fling with her English teacher, Ezra aka Ian Harding. Perhaps this storyline has been the most controversial on message boards. Many feel its a bad thing to support such an issue. At the moment, the teacher is out of the picture.
And of course, every show needs an anti-hero with his own secrets. Keegan Allan as misunderstood Toby Cavanaugh. Is he good or bad? Hopefully, the show hasn't completely killed him off, just yet. This is a show full of cliffhangers.
Yet, I feel this is one teen series that perhaps shows more real interaction with their parents than any teen drama out there. And what a wonderful chance for some actors to really grow up. Holly Marie Combs and Chad Lowe play Aria's parents, who are on the brink of divorce. Nia Peeples (on the original FAME) plays Emily's strict yet caring mother.
If that's not enough Bianca Lawson (one of the originals from the Buffy The Vampire series) is heating things up with Emily (Shay Mitchell). Honestly, I have to admit its one of the better lesbian story lines I've seen in a long time. I think most prefer to call this more of a "bisexual" storyline. Definitely, not as fast and furious as from SKINS, but most definitely a delicate subject that I think some viewers can relate too. Naturally, many of us are curious about this unique triangle forming between Tobey/Emily/Mia. But then again there is that major mystery, just who is A?
Its secrets that keeps the tension going between a trio of friends around their so-called dead friend, Alison played by Sasha Pieterse, who still knows all their little secrets, and keeps texting them and others about what she knows. It has a I know what you did last summer feel to it. Yet to some it might be a pre-sequel to Desperate Housewives albeit better written thanks to the folks from Vampire Diaries. The drama might not be exactly like the books, but it certainly brings out the best of the series.
If you live on land, you know how amazingly hot it is.
This July the heat has been record-breaking all over the U.S., with highs in the 90°s and the triple digits for most of the month. The first heat wave started around the fourth, around 95°F, and ended at the seventh around 102°F. For most of the month it’s been around or above 90°, peaking around 103° on the sixth, 96° on the fourth, and 95° on the sixteenth. High temperatures haven’t dropped below 80° all month in most of the country. The heat wave’s predicted to last well into August.
So what’s the good news? It may be ridiculously hot, but it’s also perfect beach weather, with the temperature near the shore brought down to between 70° and 80° by the sea breeze. You can strap on a bikini (or swimming trunks) and spend the day tanning in perfect comfort. It’s also a great time to spend the day with your family—inside, in the air conditioning, marveling at the obscene heat while playing a board game and sipping the coldest drink you can find. You could spend all day at the pool with your friends, or have a summer barbecue, or simply sit inside and not do yard work. It’s also a great opportunity to see if you really can fry an egg on the sidewalk.
So here’s an idea—instead of complaining about the heat, embrace it! There are still plenty of things you can do even when it’s mind-numbingly hot. Just don’t forget the sunscreen!
Tie-dye, by definition, is a process of resist dyeing knot or woven fabric. However, you may best know it as the iconic garb of the hippies during the 1960's that was popularized by various musical sensations of that same time period. Nowadays, it's practically synonymous with summer because it involves bright colors and cotton, a comfortable, breathable, material in the sweltering heat.
Here is a list of various folding techniques to produce different patterns.
Spiral patterns are created by gathering a small section,usually with a clothes pin or a kitchen fork, in the middle of the fabric and slowly rotating the piece creating pleats of fabric arranged in swirls around a central point. It is then gathered into a flat round bundle and the different wedges of the circular bundle are usually dyed different colors to create a greater spiral effect. The 'V' shape is achieved by folding a shirt in half vertically, then a line is drawn diagonally from the shoulder area down to the center fold of the shirt. The fabric is then accordingly folded along the line and bound into one or more areas to which the dye is applied. This will show in the shape of a 'V'.
Random circles are made by tying knots with string or elastic bands in different places. The more fabric that is tied, the larger the circles. Adversely, the less the fabric that is tied, the smaller the circles.
The Peace Sign can be made by folding a t-shirt in half, drawing a half circle, then the center line and arm of the peace sign. The shirt is folded along the lines and tied using rubber bands. The dye is applied to form the outline of the peace sign then a lighter color is used to fill in the background colors. (source of these techniques & pictures: Wikipedia and Google images respectively)
The easiest method is to take a trip to the craft store and buy yourself a kit and some plain white T's. (Ha, the clothing, not the band!) I think this is a fun way to spend a summer day.
Have you every made tie-dye before? If not, what are you waiting for?
I am not too familiar with the works of Robert Louis Stevenson. I have only read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and I did not like the novella too much. So imagine my surprise when I learned that he wrote poems! And not just only poems, but poems about summer. I guess it was my ignorance that rationalized that Stevenson only wrote sci-fi/mystery novellas.
A poem about summer is perfectly appropriate since it is indeed summer and we are on our summer vacation. And how do people usually describe summer? As going by too fast.
"Bed in Summer" by Robert Louis Stevenson
In winter I get up at night
And dress by yellow candle-light.
In summer quite the other way,
I have to go to bed by day.
I have to go to bed and see
The birds still hopping on the tree,
Or hear the grown-up people's feet
Still going past me in the street.
And does it not seem hard to you,
When all the sky is clear and blue,
And I should like so much to play,
To have to go to bed by day?
How else do people usually describe summer? As the months of possibility.
"St. Martin's Summer" by Robert Louis Stevenson
AS swallows turning backward When half-way o'er the sea, At one word's trumpet summons They came again to me - The hopes I had forgotten Came back again to me.
I know not which to credit, O lady of my heart! Your eyes that bade me linger, Your words that bade us part - I know not which to credit, My reason or my heart.
But be my hopes rewarded, Or be they but in vain, I have dreamed a golden vision, I have gathered in the grain - I have dreamed a golden vision, I have not lived in vain.
I'm a sucker for sweets, so whenever I'm in the kitchen 55% of whatever I'm making is some sort of desert. Whenever there are fundraisers, parties, or club meetings the top requested items are Oreo balls. Unlike most treats it's very easy to make and requires only 3 ingredients!
For the materials you will need:
-microwave safe bowl
-regular large bowl
-food processor
-wooden spoon
-plastic gloves (optional)
For the ingredients you will need:
-1 package of regular oreos
-1 package of cream cheese
-1 package of white almond bark
1) In your food processor shred the oreos into a powdery substance. It's best to only do a handful of oreos at a time as opposed to the entire package at once. While you are doing this it's best to leave out the cream cheese to thaw out.
2) Carefully pour the oreo powder into the large bowl, then mix in the cream cheese with a wooden spoon or you can put on some plastic gloves and mix them with your hands. Mix until it's a thick and even consistency.
3) Form the mixture into meatball sized circles.
4) Melt the almond bark in the microwave and just follow the instructions on the package!
5) Dip and cover the entire oreo ball in almond bark, then place on parchment paper to dry. Repeat until all the oreo balls are done!
Again with these you can take as much decorating liberty as you would like! You can put them in cupcake cups, add sprinkles, glitter, decorative toothpicks, whatever you want! I hope you guys enjoy this quick and tasty treat!
Recently, there was a celebration of Coldplay's album Parachutes (out July 2000) being out for ten years. Parachutes was the real start of Coldplay's popularity when Yellow broke through. I have been a huge fan of Coldplay forever so when this came up I just had to write about it.
If you don't know much about Coldplay here is a little refresher:
Genre: Alternative Rock Members: Chris Martin, Johnny Buckland, Guy Berryman, and Will Champion. Band Started: 1996. Broke Through: 2000
Coldplay in Numbers: Studio Albums: 5 Live Albums: 2 Complimation Albums: 1 Singles: 22 Music Videos: 24 Albums Sold: Over 50 Million around the world. Grammys Won: 2
Fun Facts: -All albums went Platinum at least twice in the UK, Australia, Canada, and the US. -Every song Coldplay makes has to be perfect before releasing it. They don't care how long it takes to make an album as long as they are happy with it. -Active helpers of many charities such as Oxfam's Make Trade Fair and Amnesty International. -Preformed at many charity events such as Band Aid 20, Hope for Haiti Now, Teenage Cancer Trust, Sound Relief, and Live 8.
Whether you're a fan or not, here are some songs you must check out. Whether they're singing sweet love songs or speaking of spies all around, you're bound to get the shivers. I picked three off each album that you should definitely listen to. By all means though, if you like the songs you hear listen to the rest too!
Parachutes Released: July 10th 2000. 1)Yellow: This song was what got them to popularity. It had a sweet and sincere vibe and Chris Martin's voice on here is so beautiful. The ultimate love song. The live version is also great. This song is a must have in your Coldplay collection. 5/5. 2) Don't Panic: This is a song that was a part of the Garden State Soundtrack review. It has a haunting vibe that screams indie. 4/5. 3) Spies: Try to not be paranoid after listening to this song. It has an eerie background tune and the lyrics are just beautiful. It is hard to tire of this song. 5/5.
A Rush of Blood to The Head Released: August 26th 2002. 1) Green Eyes: One song I wish a could play on the guitar. Listening to this makes me wish I had green eyes. It's a simple song that matches the Coldplay mold but stands out so much when listening to the album. 5/5. 2) The Scientist: This song is the one super-hit off of this album. The Scientist is that song that makes you sad but it feels so right. 'Nobody said it was easy, no one ever said it would be this hard' croons Chris Martin. That is true. 5/5. 3) Clocks: This is a song I had to mention because I know this is a song that is quite popular with the Coldplay crowd. The beat takes you to another place with this song. It isn't a track I play over and over and over again but if you haven't listened to it...well just listen to it. 4/5.
X&Y Released: June 6th 2005. 1) Speed of Sound: A typical Coldplay song, that still stands out in it's own way. When I first listened to X&Y I didn't necessarily pay attention to this song but now listening to it, it gives off a special vibe. Get further into this song and you see the real magic. 5/5. 2) Talk: I heard this song on the radio and fell for it, the beginning took a little while to get into but the lyrics are just gold. This is the first song I think of when I think of X&Y. 4/5. 3) Til Kingdom Come: This is supposed to be a hidden track. I like the originality of it and how it feels as if it should be background music in my life. It reminds me of a much needed change. 4/5.
Viva La Vida Released: June 11th 2008. 1) Viva La Vida: This song won best song of the year at the Grammy's in 2008. I feel as if this fits the song of the year. It incorporates so many beautiful classic instruments and feels like such a timeless tune. 5/5. 2) Strawberry Swing: This song reminds me of childhood, back to a good time. This song makes the perfect feel good song and even after two years, I'm not bored of listening to it. 4/5. 3) Death and All of His Friends: I feel like this song is under appreciated. It speaks out so much to me, at the part where everyone chants: 'No I don't wanna battle from beginning to end; I don't wanna cycle, recycle revenge; I don't wanna follow death and all his friends.' 5/5.
I had to put in this song. The original was on X&Y but I think the Hope for Haiti song does so much more justice for it. Apparently the lead singer Chris Martin had a cold while singing it. But he still showed up to preform it. If you buy this song, the money goes towards Haiti so I suggest everyone gets it. So here it is, my favorite Coldplay song: A Message!
So there you have it, Coldplay through ten years. Hopefully I have showed you a band you liked, and maybe you all will pick up LP5 which is supposed to be dropped this winter (their fifth studio album).
It gives me great pleasure to introduce y'all to my favorite show in the world! No exaggeration. I've been watching it since I was 13.
First things first: the name of the show. Why Big Brother? Yes, it is related to George Orwell's 1984. In the show, as in the novel, hundreds of cameras are watching the house guests' every move. There is no such thing as privacy in the Big Brother house. Cameras and microphones record their every move 24/7.
Big Brother is like politics. Each week there is a new Head of Household (HOH), and he/she nominates two people for eviction. However, there is hope for the nominees: the Power of Veto (POV) competition. If one of the nominees wins the POV then the he/she may remove himself or herself from the eviction.
Important things to know: Big Brother is on three times a week (on CBS a 8/7c)! <333
Thursdays: Someone is evicted (it's a live eviction) & someone becomes HOH (the HOH competition can be either physical, mental, or both)
Sundays: The HOH nominates two house guests for eviction. Also, there is a food competition! Every Sunday, the house guests play for food. The losing team gets placed on slop for the week (I don't know the ingredients but the house guests ABHOR it)
Wednesdays: The two nominees get a chance to remove themselves from the chopping block. If one of them wins the POV and removes himself/herself, then the HOH has to pick a replacement nominee.
At the half way point, the rest who are evicted become part of the BB jury. The BB jury chooses a winner from the final two house guests.
The winner receives 500k and the runner up receives 50k or 100k. I don't remember but the point is the winner and runner up leave with big bucks.
If you're not interested yet, then something is wrong with you. Joshing! Big Brother isn't for everyone. But I promise it's at least worth giving a shot.
In between all the "politics", there are drama, showmances, hilarious moments, suspense, twists and surprises. The cast is awesome and different every season. BB is currently on season 12 and you don't need to have seen the previous seasons to understand the show. So watch, watch, watch!!
TiMER 2009, Rated R (language) Finding your soul mate has never been easier with the TiMER, a device implanted into your wrist that counts down to the date you meet your soul mate. Oona (Emma Caulfield) wears a TiMER, but it has yet to start ticking because her soul mate has yet to get a TiMER himself. She dates men until they get a TiMER only to find out they aren't the one and becomes so miserably depressed over the prospect of loneliness when so many people around her are finding love that she starts seeing an immature grocery clerk.
This movie is fantastic! It goes into the feelings of love and what love means to people. Just because you may feel strongly for someone doesn't mean you're in love. If you don't care about language, this is for folks 12+. 4.5/5
K-Pax 2001, Rated PG-13 A man who calls himself Prot (Kevin Spacey) becomes situated into a mental hospital because he believes that he is an extraterrestrial from the planet K-Pax. However, once people get to know him, they start to believe that he really is what he says he is--even the physicians.
Kevin Spacey is one of my favorite actors. The story is really fantastic, because even by the end of the film, you never get the answer you're looking for, leaving you to believe what you will. It has an inspirational feel to it. 3.5/5
Sunshine Cleaning 2008, Rated R (Language, disturbing images, some sexuality and drug use) Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams) is a single mom of a miscreant son who constantly gets kicked out of public schools. In order to send him to a private school, she needs to be making more money than being a maid would bring in, and she hears about crime scene clean up. She creates her own business, Sunshine Cleaning, with her sister (Emily Blunt) and tries to tidy up her own life, as well as the crime scenes.
Amy Adam's character in this movie is a mistress to a married man, which really surprised me because Amy seems like such an innocent person. Besides that shock, this movie was really emotional for a comedy, but it was a really great story of family relationships. For 15+. 4/5
Zeitgeist: The Movie 2007, Not Rated Zeitgeist is a documentary surrounding mainly the events of 9/11, but also religion, the economic system, and government. The reason the film goes into all of these things is to discuss how the American population is under such a control of these groups that we're manipulated into believing information that was fed to us by a few elite members of society so that they can stay in power and gain more profit.
Basically, Zeitgeist is a big conspiracy theory, but with a lot of shocking facts that people should definitely know, especially in the 9/11 attacks that weren't broadcasted widely on the news. Some ideas proposed are possibly false (that there is no law requiring you to pay income taxes) or misinterpreted (religious spiel), so be careful what you accept, or at least do research to find out for yourself whether these things can be true or not. This free film is only available streaming online, here. Very much recommended for everyone 14+, because anyone younger probably won't care yet. 4.5/5
Keith 2008, Not Rated (brief sexuality and language) Keith (Jesse McCartney) is a socially awkward kid who is paired up in chem lab with a super popular girl Natalie (Elisabeth Harnois). She thinks she's got it all figured out until Keith shows her a different way of thinking about life and the future, and she ends up falling for him while her past life as a popular, brilliant, pretty, and athletically talented teenager falls apart all because of him.
I love this movie, mainly because I'm a sucker for teenage romantic tragedies, like Romeo + Juliet. That's all I've got to say about that. 5/5
On Thursday, Argentina's Senate approved a law that will permit gay couples in the country to wed. The vote was 33 to 27 in favor of the measure. The law will grant gay people the same marital rights as heterosexuals, including adoption and inheritance rights. This makes Argentina the first country in Latin America with such a law. That said, they are certainly not the first country in the world to do so, with Portugal and Iceland already signing in a similar document this year. All three are joining the other countries, mainly in Europe, -- Netherlands ('01), Belgium ('03), Spain ('05), Canada ('05), South Africa ('06), Norway ('09), Sweden ('09) -- that recognize gay marriage.
Passing this, however, only came after a long 15 hours of debate on the Senate floor and weeks of Argentinian president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner fighting a fierce war of words with the Roman Catholic Church who don't support the decision and think it would be creating a “terrible distortion of democracy.”
President of the Argentine Homosexual Community, Cesar Cigliutti, said he predicts Argentina's decision to have a "domino effect" across Latin America.
Personally, I hope it has a "domino effect" into America, too. I fear if we wait too long, we'll be isolated as the only country in the Western Hemisphere that denies and bans this civil right.
The good news is that there is great progress in the world on this issue and there is still more to come!
Making friendship bracelets was a huge part of my childhood. My grandma taught me how to do a very basic diagonal stripe pattern and I was hooked. My mom purchased a book for me that I used for years to copy out of and learn from. Eventually I decided to just go with the flow and create original pieces, from really skinny simple bracelets, to really wide and overly complicated ones.
However more complicated the pattern can become, it isn't any more difficult to make than the simplest looking bracelet--it's the same exact technique for each one. It just takes more time to complete.
All you need are embroidery threads you can find at craft and fabric stores, a pair of scissors, and your toes. What? Toes? Yes, if you create a bracelet with a loop at the start (instead of making a knot at the end of your string, fold the string in half to create a loop when you make a knot--just make the string twice as long), then you can wrap the loop around your toe to work on your bracelet, instead of having to rely on the bracelet to keep from slipping from taping it to a tabletop. Creating a loop also makes it easier to tie to your wrist once the bracelet is completed.
To learn how to create these patterns, I recommend purchasing a Klutz Friendship Bracelet Kit to get started. It has easy to follow step-by-step tutorials for each pattern, one of which is the tutorial above. The only suggestion I make on top of this particular tutorial is to pull the string to the right, not to the left as the tutorial seems to suggest in the pictures. Pulling to the left here would mess up your pattern and threads!
Making friendship bracelets is so worth the effort and time put in, especially when gifting them to your friends and family. Enjoy and have at it!
I admire great female authors because, well, they're women. One of my favorite female authors is Tracy Chevalier. I love all of her novels, and I've read all of them. I take great pride in that. :] Her most popular work is The Girl with the Pearl Earring, which was made into a film starring Scarlett Johansson as the main character. However, my favorite novel is Falling Angels, and it was the first book by Tracy Chevalier that I read. I was instantly hooked! It was unlike any novel that I've ever read. GoodReads gives a great summary of Falling Angels:
A fashionable London cemetery, January 1901: Two graves stand side by side, one decorated with an oversize classical urn, the other with a sentimental marble angel. Two families, visiting their respective graves on the day after Queen Victoria's death, teeter on the brink of a new era. The Colemans and the Waterhouses are divided by social class as well as taste. They would certainly not have become acquainted had not their two girls, meeting behind the tombstones, become best friends. And, even more unsuitably, become involved with the gravedigger's muddy son. As the girls grow up, as the new king changes social customs, as a new, forward-thinking era takes wing, the lives and fortunes of the two families become more and more closely intertwined-neighbors in life as well as death.
Against a gas-lit backdrop of social and political history, Tracy Chevalier explores the prejudices and flaws of a changing time.
Sounds interesting? Indeed, it does! Chevalier's novels have one thing in common: historical fiction. Because of her, I love historical fiction. Her novels are entertaining and educational at the same time. It's what my peers would call a "win."
More information on Tracy Chevalier & a list of all her novels: [link]
It's summer time and we all know it means having fun in the sunny weather. Whether you're biking down the boardwalk or cooling off in the pool, we all wanna beat the heat. The AC in your house isn't going to cut it anymore. Here are two fun recipes that are cool both ways.
For those lazy summer days, sometimes you just want to flop on your bed and listen to something mellow that's fun to hum to. Here's a couple of girls with soft, amazing voices.
Sherree Chamberlain
The Sherree Chamberlain band was founded in Oklahoma, perhaps the reason why they're still unsigned and pretty unknown today. They sing folk and acoustic songs with really beautiful lyrics and melodies. To my own tremendous joy, they recently came out with an album called The Wasp In the Room and is available on iTunes. The band describes themselves as sounding like "waking up in a creeky hammock in the early morning in your backyard to little baby sparrows singing ever so eager to their momma for their breakfast of worms as your tummy rumbles ever so eagerly as well for maybe some puffed kashi cereal and soy milk along with a tasty grapefruit provided for you by your loving smiling mother who kisses you good morning on your dew dropped dimpled cheek." Adorable, right?
The songs that will sure-fire make you fall in love with this band are "Bird Song", "Morning Song", and "Windmill Wings".
For a bit of a treat, though, here's an unreleased song of theirs, "Not Your Fault".
This band sounds a lot like Zooey Deschanel, or is it the other way around? Anyway, Camera Obscura has really upbeat sounding music, yet still mellow, while the lyrics can be sad. They're so melancholy and sweet through the usage of violins and tamberines, and they are huge fans of the 70's based off of their numerous music videos findable on YouTube. Their most popular song is "French Navy":
...but you should also check out "Honey in the Sun". It's all delicious ear candy, let me tell you.
While Camera Obscura is so upbeat, Devics is the opposite. [Downbeat? (:] These songs feel so deep you ache with the sadness that she must be feeling, like "Salty Seas", one of my favorite songs of theirs. They can have a bit of a lounge/folk feel with a unique bit of instrumentals. I think they're genius, but what do I know. One of their greatest, "Red Morning":
She's all grown up now, but chances are you remember her as that cute side kick of the Olsen twins on Full House. Even then, she pulled her weight quite brilliantly. The years have taken her from spunky cute to amazingly beautiful. That's right, this is the oh-so very talented Jurnee Smollett.
Naturally, she's got the awards to prove it. She was nominated for four Image Awards, and won three. More recently, she won Best Actress for The Great Debaters (2008). Journee also won Broadcast Film Critics Award for Best Performance by a Child Actor Eve's Bayou (1998), a Vision award for her role on Cosby (1996) and three NAACP Image Awards.
Perhaps you might remember her role in The Great Debaters with Denzel Washington. This past February was a fabulous month for her. She walked the red carpet with her new fiance, up and coming singer, Josiah Bell.
This past June she's been gracing us on Friday Night Lights as the wonderful Jess; a smart, sly girl not afraid to kick a football. Journee has a way of making her characters so independent. One fan said she has "the heart of an old soul." Maybe she does. Her portrayal of Jess is remarkable and it is possibly her last teen role because Jurnee is moving on.
Hopefully, she'll keep doing what she's doing. Her next project is on The Defenders TV series. She is definitely an actress to watch for. With her body of work and her talent, she's an excellent role model for little girls to look up to. Jurnee certainly sets the standard high and more power to her for being all grown up and here to stay in the business of film and TV.
In today’s world, it’s popular to think of businessmen, tycoons, or CEOs as greedy, selfish gluttons, whose employees are secondhand to their yearly profit. However, there are some who have given up vast amounts of their own money to benefit their workers or charities. For no reason other than generosity, these people have shown true empathy and understanding for the trials in today’s economy.
Real estate entrepreneur Yu Pengnian, at 88 years old, donated his entire fortune of 3.2 billion yuan ($1.2 billion) to a charity named after him. He told reporters, "It will all be for charity; no part of it will be inherited by anyone, no part will be used to do business or for investments.”
The world’s second richest man, Warren Buffett, has announced to the editor of FORTUNE magazine that he has plans to give away 85% of his wealth in July. He says most of it will go to Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation—a fortune currently worth $44 billion.
The CEO of MEMC Electronic Materials, Ahmad Chatila, has announced he won’t be accepting his $500,000 bonus at the end of 2009. Instead the money will go to the 450 workers being laid off from his company.
Finally, the CEO of Whole Foods, John Mackey, cut his salary down to $1 and donated the rest of his pay to an animal welfare nonprofit. He wrote in a letter to employees that he had "reached a place in my life where I no longer want to work for money but simply for the joy of the work itself."
In a world where one CEO costs 311 entry-level workers and gets paid in an hour more than some workers get all year, this is a welcome change. We can look to these people as examples of what we all should be—selfless, and generous. Obviously it helps that they’re all extremely rich, but the idea that they’d be willing to give up so much simply for the sake of generosity is more than admirable, it’s amazing.
Perler beads may have been designed for kids with a penchant for arts and crafts, but that doesn't mean us older folk can't enjoy them too! These ironed creations are especially good for necklaces.
Materials:
Perler beads (any color)
small pegboard
wax paper
an iron
To ensure you have all the proper materials, you may want to buy a Perler bead kit. They are available online and at a local craft store for a reasonable price.
Next, you're going to have to decide what kind of design you want. Pegboards come in all shapes and sizes so do not be afraid to let your creativity show. However, the first one you make doesn't have to be very complicated (see right) and in fact it may be better to produce a simple sample. This way you can get a feel for how it works.
With your pegboard selected, carefully place the various colored beads into your desired pattern. If you have trouble being precise with your fingers, I recommend using a pair of tweezers to aid you.
Afterwords, carefully place two sheets of wax paper on top of your beaded design on the pegboard. You can obviously cut the wax paper down to an appropriate size that while is still able to cover the design, is not obnoxiously huge.
Now move the pegboard to an area where it is safe to iron, preferably an ironing board. Preheat a dry iron to a medium setting, and slowly run it in a circular motion on the beads and pegboard for about 10 to 15 seconds, or until the beads have stuck together. Remember when you check this it will be hot!
Remove the wax paper and gently flip the pegboard on its back ad then slowly take it off. Replace the wax paper and repeat the ironing for the other side. If you want to be able to use this as a pendant or charm, be sure to leave a few beads not fully fused together at the top of the design.
After you've gotten used to working with perler beads perhaps you'll make themed designs! Here someone was clearly inspired by Nintendo video game characters.
