All swimmers look alike

Aug 19, 2008

Olympic swimmer and Athens Bronze medallist, Steve Parry, from Great Britain, takes to the streets of Beijing (Tienanmen Square to be exact!)



Hilarious.

Kanye's off-scipt remarks

How I ever missed this gem of a clip is beyond me:

NBC Universal came out with this statement following Kanye's offscript remarks:

"Tonight's telecast was a live television event wrought with emotion, Kanye West departed from the scripted comments that were prepared for him, and his opinions in no way represent the views of the networks. It would be most unfortunate if the efforts of the artists who participated tonight and the generosity of millions of Americans who are helping those in need are overshadowed by one person's opinion."

The NBC spokeswoman said that Kanye's (final) comment would be cut from the West Coast feed (but not, thankfully, from YouTube.) The show was live on the East Coast with a several-second delay. Whoever had his finger on the button was supposed to keep his ears peeled in case someone uttered an obscenity, but did not realize Kanye had gone off-script until it was too late.

Hilariously so.

The thing that gets me is the look on Mike Meyer's face, and the way both he and Chris Tucker keep glancing uncertainly side-to-side...of course, they actually keep to the teleprompt.

Cowboy boots

Obsessed with the notion of getting a pair of cowboy boots, but not entirely sure this is the fashion direction I should take (see blog entry on spats), I decided to peruse the web and see just how fashion (un)savy I might be. A google search led to this hilarious article, "What (and what not) to wear with cowboy boots." Says this fashion expert:

"You just don't wear an ordinary skirt or dress with cowboy boots unless you are wearing your cowboy boots to milk the cow...If you square dance or line dance there are special outfits to wear with your cowboy boots. The square dance outfit is a ruffled and tiered square dance skirt with a peasant type blouse or western style blouse."

As I don't own any long suede skirts or fringed jackets, I might follow advice from eHow.com instead:

1) Invest in a good quality pair of cowboy boots, since you will likely have these for a long time. Look for a neutral color, such as black, brown or camel.

2) Consider opting for special details such as contrast stitching or hand tooling.

3) Wear cowboy boots with jeans and a long cardigan or tunic. This look can go just about anywhere you do on the weekends or after work.

4) Slip cowboy boots on over skinny jeans and a dress. This is a look some of the celebrities have been seen in lately and is a very clean, modern style. Realize that the skinny jeans can look almost like tights if they are fitted enough.

5) Try cowboy boots with a cocktail dress and dark tights to add a casual and unexpected vibe.

6) Step into cowboy boots beneath nicer wide leg pants. The narrow point of the toe will give you a long, sleek line.

7) Consider wearing cowboy boots with a mini skirt and layer tanks. This is a sexy, confident style for a night on the town that won’t look like you are trying too hard.

8) Remember that you don’t have to dress like a cowgirl to wear cowboy boots. These can be a nice addition to modern, conservative and trendy pieces.

Another website strongly recommended not going "cowboy themed." Unless you want to end up looking like Daisy Dukes, that seems like sound advice to me.

~flutterbyblue

Image lifted from zappos.com

Bleach Painting: moth to flame

I love this piece by moth to flame. Deborah Gwinn works from her small design studio in Seattle atop a hill with a scenic view. In her words:

Not that it hasn't been great to work in my pajamas and slippers if I want, but my “assistants”, that are now 3 and 4, are less than cooperative and much more demanding than I had imagined they would be. They do not follow orders well, talk incessantly and completely off topic during client meetings, and throw grapes and other snack foods at me if ignored for too long. I have written them both up on several occasions but I don’t think they are grasping the full severity of the situation. While firing them is out of the question, I think a transfer to a Day Care division may be necessary.

Gwinn's work is surreal and organic with rich, earthy tones. She also has a website and a blog site where you can read more about her bleach painting technique.

Enjoy!

~flutterbyblue

Reunion!

Joe's Shanghai: soup dumplings

The past couple of times I've been to NYC I have tried getting into Joe's Shanghai. There was always a line out the door, and at least an hour-long wait. So when we happened to be in Chinatown on a Monday afternoon, imagine my delight! Famous for the "soup dumpling," Joe's Shanghai is a bit of a New York establishment...

I should have done my research ahead of time. Instead we went in without a clue (like most tourists.) We were seated at a round communal table, and given chopsticks and some green tea. The menu was somewhat baffling. Although the restaurant is known for the "soup dumplings" these items were not prominently featured on the menu. I flipped through for a while before asking the waiter for help. I was given a cross 'you-look-Chinese-but-can't-speak-the-language?' stare and after much confusion, the waiter made my order for me.

The Xiao Long Bao or, "little dumplings basket," arrived fresh in a bamboo steamer. They were round, symmetrical things, that supposedly resemble a pagoda shape. Observing my neighbors, I decided the best way to eat them was to plop a dumpling on my spoon, nibble off the top, drizzle in some of the vinegary sauce, and then suck the meaty broth from the steaming pouch. Afterwards I could munch away at the delicious little crab and pork meatball and the yummy doughy wrapper.

Other specialty dishes at Joe's Shanghai include, the shredded turnip shortcake, a variety of seafood options, braised duck and Shanghai fried bean curd (this one was delicious!)

Please note: Dine carefully on the "soup dumplings" as these little pouches of steaming hot liquid can result in severe tongue burning!

~flutterbyblue


Joe's Shanghai
9 Pell Street
New York, New York 10013
Phone: 212-233-8888
Fax: 212-233-0278

Image by cartoonist, Robert Zimmerman lifted from www.joeshanghairestaurants.com.

Joy of Painting: Bob Ross

One of my childhood memories consists of sitting in front of the T.V. and watching the folksy guy with the fro paint landscapes in under an hour. Bob Ross, from the Joy of Painting, was one of those reverse chic gurus whose soothing voice was once compared to Demerol. He would contend, that given half an hour, just about anyone could paint a landscape following his instructions for, "happy little clouds" and "pretty little mountains." He made it look SO EASY.

Imagine my surprise when I took my first oil painting class...

...the colors all muddied together and despite my best attempts, no "happy little trees" or "happy little streams" or even any "happy little accidents," magically materialized. Ah well, maybe I didn't pay close enough attention when I was little.

I recently found this YouTube clip of Bob Ross, "happy little outtakes." Not to be irreverent (I still loved his show!) but I find it weirdly entertaining:


Image lifted from wikipedia.com