The Rule Of Law Does Work: We Do Not Beat Terrorists By Taking Away Civil Liberties

A long held enemy combatant pleaded guilty today in a basic civilian court. He had been held as an enemy combatant for 5 years with all of his liberties taken away by the past administration. In that time, he did not confess or give any useful information. And in fact, the other large example of torture being used and getting information has been deeply discredited (proven factually incorrect and being perpetuated by someone who is not a spokesman for the CIA).

My take away is the America can get what it needs to protect itself by doing what it does best - having a strong legal system that gives wide civil liberties and treats people by a code of conduct that does not include torture. It may be flawed at times, does indeed work. We do not need to bend who we are - this does not make us safer.

With that said, I wish people would drop any ideas about trying to have criminal charges against the past administration for the methods that they used - torture, wire tapping etc.... It is time to let it go, and let it be a lesson that those methods that seem to create safety indeed do not.

Do You Wanna Go: Heck Yeah Franz Ferdinand

Just saw the ridiculously tight Franz Ferdinand show. These guys know how to stay high energy, engage the crowd, and put on a great show. While sometimes I think a lot of their songs sound the same, the bottom line is the songs are just good and seriously get you going and make you want to sing along..... And they are totally cheeky, and you want to do is go have a beer with them....

Check out their must have album Franz Ferdinand , You Could Have It So Much and newest Tonight

Franz Ferdinand - This Fire
by vodka33

Does God Exist? Less And Less Think So

If you are an atheist - apparently it is time to come out of the closet! But, it might be better to agnostic, just to hedge your bets.

If this is a topic that interests you - check out The End Of Faith, or The God Delusion. Or better yet, read from the original master of why organized religion is dangerous (the Pope is doing a good job of confirming that with his anti-condom malarkey in Africa recently) - Bertrand Russell - Why I am Not A Christian.

But maybe you can believe in god and be a nice person without being an an organized setting? Just a thought.... But remember, we live in a an awesome place, because whatever you believe, you have a right to believe it, as long as it does not hurt anyone!

Word Of The Week: Mercurial

As I mentioned, I saw Adventureland today, and I was a little thrilled by the high level of vocabulary. Indeed, I was reminded that back in the day that teenagers did indeed use slang, but all in all the language used as daily colloquialisms were of a much higher quality.

They were talking about the fickleness of women and called them mercurial. Fantastic.....

Pronunciation: \(ˌ)mər-ˈkyu̇r-ē-əl\
Function: adjective

Date: 14th century

1 : of, relating to, or born under the planet Mercury
2 : having qualities of eloquence, ingenuity, or thievishness attributed to the god Mercury or to the influence of the planet Mercury
3 : characterized by rapid and unpredictable changeableness of mood mercurial temper> 4 : of, relating to, containing, or caused by mercury

synonyms see inconstant

Way Back Machine: INXS - Don't Change

Anyone who knew me in high school knows I was obsessed, as in crazy obsessed with Michael Hutchence of INXS. In my head, he was my way hot boyfriend and we had a globe trotting life between NY and Sydney. At the time he was dead sexy, and was often compared to Mick Jagger for his vitality and moves....

This afternoon I saw Adventureland, and the end of the movie they played Don't Change off the Shaboo Shabah album. The movie was very good, and the soundtrack even better with a mix of everything from Lou Reed to The Replacements.

As usual, I thought I would share. Next time I will tell the whole story of how I ended up with front row tickets to the Listen Like Thieves Tour. Enjoy.....

Needless to say, this song would be on any mixed tape I would ever make from that time. And damn, he was cute....
INXS DON;T CHANGE

Grading Obama's First 100 Days

Here is Robert Reich's thoughts on the first 100 days of the Obama Administration. Not sure I agree, but read and make up you own mind...

Crazy Parents - We All Have Them - The Buckley's

I love stories about big personalities. The Buckley's - Pat and William definitely defined voice of the conservative movement by creating The National Review. That and having insane parties.

Check out the story of growing up Buckley. I may not be conservative, but the power of conviction is undeniable.

World Malaria Day

Today is world malaria day. I have lived in a place where young people would die for apparently no reason. There was a reason, it was malaria, and it is a largest killer of children under five. We can help to reduce that VERY easily - providing mosquito nets.

Please learn a little more, and maybe even donate at nothingbetnets. It costs ten dollars and you can actually save a life. That is not an easy thing to do on your average Saturday!

Cartier Jewelry: Insert Girly Shriek Here

100 years of Cartier!

I still want the solid gold man's Tank Francais, that I believe they do not make anymore, and more importantly, it was $18,ooo which is just a tad rich for my blood. But, if any of you want to procure a vintage one for me, I would love your forever. Yes, I am that shallow and easily bribed. Yes, I am.....

See It And Get The Facts: Food Inc.

Food Inc is coming out this week. Watch the preview here.

Since I work at Cargill, and my guess is that Cargill will be criticized heavily in this movie, I will want to see it.

All I ask is that before you assume whatever it says is true, remember that there are two sides to the story, and find out if the companies criticized were given a forum to rebuke any claims or participate.

I look forward to a follow up as soon as I have seen it.

Give It Another Listen: Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams

The Euyrthmics were an enormous influence on the music of the 80's and their legacy continues as one of the most influential sounds of that time. I heard Sweet Dreams on the radio, turned it up to full blast and decided to share.

All I can say is Annie Lennox has another one of those truly extraordinary voices. Smooth and strong. This song came out in 1983 and is as good today and it was back then. Enjoy.....

Eurythmics-Sweet Dreams
Uploaded by adiis

Sassy Women To Celebrate: Helen Gurley Brown

Cosmo may be a pile of drech now, but back in the day, it was a the bible for a new wave of woman taking ownership for themselves (professionally, personally and sex-ily)! And Helen Gurley Brown was the unstoppable (and one of the first female) editor for years. Check out this article about her and a biography.

Also, while I am talking about magazines, apparently, based on a small survey of my dad and uncle, apparently Playboy was also a great magazine when it first came out. It taught men how to be men, and how to be worthy of the hot hot hot women on the pages of the magazine - kind of like a how to magazine for wooing women in a respectful manner.

PW Singer On Robots And War

PW is the husband of grad school classmate - he has been getting even more well known for his thoughtful and intelligent perspectives on warfare - both the implications of robots and use of corporations in war.

Rest In Peace : Team Lechuza Caracas

What a horrible thing that happened to the Lechuza Caracas polo team. While I am not in the Polo crowd, anytime such majestic animals seem die for no reason, it is very sad.

Books Books Books: The First American

I am diving into a book about Benjamin Franklin, time to get edumacated... Hehe.... Will let you know how the 600+ pages with tiny tiny print goes....

Not Too Late To Join Mensa

You can indeed improve your IQ, who knew???? Off to read the Economist, do soduku, the NYTimes cross word puzzle. No slacking for me.....

Making Green Choices Is Not That Easy

Check out this article about the real environmental footprint of a common environment saver... Click on photo to see the whole visual

Give It Another Listen: Travis

I went to the Travis show last night. The last time I saw them was in 1998, so very weird time blast to be in a tiny venue with a band that clearly has been around for years.

Interestingly, it was one of the best shows I have seen. Why? Are they the hippest, coolest band out there? No, they are not, but they did pave the way for Coldplay and Keane in a major way, and they did it a long time ago. They just make good songs with good melodies that make you want to sing along.

However, that is not why I liked the show, why I liked it was because they simply had fun and engaged the audience like no band I have ever seen. They talked and joked, and it felt like a personal conversation with a friend who knows some very catchy tunes. They have a lot of albums, so here are a few clips - you can judge for yourself.

Travis - Closer
by Bladwolf

May He Rest In Peace: Abraham Lincoln

This week marks the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's Assassination. Check out this very interesting interactive piece in the NYTimes about the shrines NYers created when they heard of his death. Even if you don't believe in how Lincoln handled the war (ie war of Northern Aggression), he must be revered for his focus, determination and courage of his convictions.

Word Of The Week: Rascal

A colleague of mine, who just had a baby, described the little cutie (who had more hair than I ever will) as a "nocturnal rascal". It was such a lovely description, and I could feel love and appreciation he had for this cute tiny man who was creating havoc because he simply would not sleep!

Main Entry: ras·cal

Pronunciation: \ˈras-kəl\

Function: noun

Etymology:

Middle English rascaile foot soldiers, commoners, worthless person, from Anglo-French rascaille, from Old French dialect (Norman & Picard) *rasquer to scrape, clean off, from Vulgar Latin *rasicare

Date: 15th century

1. One that is playfully mischievous.
2. An unscrupulous, dishonest person; a scoundrel.

150 Years of Darwin

I just discovered that since it is the 150th anniversary of the publication of "On the Origin Of Species", there is a whole section in the NYTimes highlighting many modern day biologists and others chiming in on the relevance of this great work.

There are articles about Darwin, evolution, sexual selection and many others. Take a look....

Easter Candy Porn

Cadbury Old School

Word Of The Week: Bawdy

I was listening to The Current when a song by this very weird/entertaining/ruckus band called Gogol Bordello came on. My cousin, had told me about this mix of Eastern European craziness that hails from the Lower East Side of NYC. The announcer at the end of the song called it bawdy. Which was the exact right word.

bawdy

Main Entry:¹bawdy

Pronunciation: \ˈbȯ-dē\

Function: adjective

Inflected Form(s):

bawd·i·er; bawd·i·est

Etymology: bawd

Date: 1513

1 : obscene , lewd
2 : boisterously or humorously indecent

Here is their video for "It Was Not A Crime"


Gogol and company will be in the Tundra in May, and if I were not going to be out of town, I would check them out for sure, my guess is it would an event to remember.

Meet Derby

This is my new cat Derby, who I got at the local Humane Society. He is simply a 14 lb love bug. I chose him because he is playful, friendly and infinitely curious. If you come over, you can meet him, I promise he will make you feel welcome!

You're A Rich Girl And You've Gone Too Far But You Know It Don't Matter Anyway

thanks to garance and sartorialist as always

Rich Girl

( Hall and Oates )

You're a rich girl, and you've gone too far
'Cause you know it don't matter anyway
You can rely on the old man's money
You can rely on the old man's money
It's a bitch girl but it's gone too far
'Cause you know it don't matter anyway
Say money but it won't get you too far
Get you too far

And don't you know, don't you know
That it's wrong to take what is given you?
So far gone, on your own
You can get along if you try to be strong
But you'll never be strong
'Cause

You're a rich girl, and you've gone too far
'Cause you know it don't matter anyway
You can rely on the old man's money
You can rely on the old man's money
It's a bitch girl and it's gone too far
'Cause you know it don't matter anyway
Say money but it won't get you too far
Get you too far

High and dry, out of the rain
It's so easy to hurt others when you can't feel pain
And don't you know that a love can't grow?
'Cause there's too much to give, 'cause you'd rather live
For the thrill of it all, oh

You're a rich girl, and you've gone too far
'Cause you know it don't matter anyway
You can rely on the old man's money
You can rely on the old man's money
It's a bitch girl and it's gone too far
'Cause you know it don't matter anyway
Say money but it won't get you too far
Say money but it won't get you too far
Say money but it won't get you too far
Get you too far

You say
You can rely on the old man's money
You can rely on the old man's money
You're a rich girl, and you've gone too far
'Cause you know it don't matter anyway
You can rely on the old man's money
You can rely on the old man's money
It's a bitch girl and it's gone too far
'Cause you know it don't matter anyway
You can rely on the old man's money
You can rely on the old man's money
You're a rich girl yeah

The Best Make Out Album Ever: Roxy Music Avalon

Brian Ferry of Roxy music knew how to pull the hot ladies - INSANELY HOT like Jerry Hall and a LOT of other models. So he clearly knew how to lure the ladies.... In a slow and soft manner with romance and a low fire....

I do not currently have anyone to make out with, but when the time comes for one of the sweet and hot first bloomings of fun and frolic in a new relationship, this record will be playing. And that, my friends, is the only thing I am sure of these days. In fact, just thinking about it makes me smile..... It must be spring....

Check out the tracks here.

What is your favorite makeout album? I would love to know.....

I Sound Just Like Stevie Nicks In The Shower

When I listen to Stevie Nicks, I imagine the first time the guys from Fleetwood Mac heard her sing and how blown away they were. I imagine a really crazy late 60's scene in some California studio with annoying groupies and in walks this VOICE. Raspy, sexy, sweet all at the same time. The women wanted to be her, and the men wanted her....

Here is an article from the NYTimes yesterday and a random sample of her outrageous voice. Most of which is live - she sounds the same live as on the record, most artists don't today. Enjoy!

Stevie Nicks - Edge of Seventeen sélectionné dans Rock / Pop et Live / Concert / Festival

Stevie Nicks - Stand Back


Deep Dish got her to rerecord Dreams - still as relevant today....

Deep Dish feat. Stevie Nicks - Dreams
by Dixvad59

Stevie Nicks - Leather and Lace
by jpdc11

I Love Peeps. There, I Said It

It is Passover, but it is also Easter, and there is nothing I love more than Peeps. Ok, there are things I literally love more, but I do really really like Peeps. And I especially like them at 1/2 price next Monday. Actually, I really like all 1/2 priced Easter candy - malted milk eggs, Cadbury Cream eggs, those weird sugary eggs. Anyhow, I better stop talking now, because I can feel diabetes coming on and there is no shame in liking peeps. I LOVE PEEPS AND I AM PROUD.

Scream it from the rooftops! Who is with me??????

A La Mode

I don't wear fur, but if I did, I would wear this. She is the editor of french vogue and clearly knows what she is doing.

Cool and cute at the same time, a difficult thing to pull off.

I love this coat. Period.

I have the legs, but not the confidence to carry off wearing a shirt only in the Tundra. I would get too many stares, and not in a good way. And I would literally kill for the YSL bag and platforms.
Thanks to Garance and Sartorialist as always...

Happy Passover

Tonight starts the first night of Passover - where I very much struggle to remember what I am not supposed to eat, and how I can pretend to be Sephardic instead of Ashkenazic. In other words, not only eat Matzah, but some rice too! Can't I have my sushi?

The story of Passover is seriously epic - babies being pulled out of the Nile and adopted by the royal family (think Madonna), that baby growing up and seeing a burning bush and becoming an activist (think Harvey Milk), and that man using the 10 plagues as a way to push the hand of the pharaoh, and then the long journey in the dessert..... But what is very interesting is that the modern celebration is just that - there is mandated 4 glasses of wine, and reclining and revelry about having made it through some darn tough times. Maybe that is a message we should look at more carefully given today's world!

Learn more here and have a wonderful holiday!

First, The Happy Pills, Then Just Remove The Memory Completely?

When I was in Mali, I developed a theory about when bad things happen to people in the western world. When a bad thing happens to you, you actually have two bad things happen -
A. The belief that no bad things should happen is shaken
B. The actual bad thing that happened and how now you need to deal with it

In Mali, on the other hand, they had an "If Allah Wills It" attitude, which is if a bad thing happens, then it was preordained and therefore nothing could have been done. This is as equally destructive because people do not need to die of malaria or poor drinking water, there are precautions people can take.

So, the answer is somewhere in the middle, I reckon.

Check out this article in the NYTimes about how they have discovered a way to remove bad memories. Good idea, or bad? It sounds a lot like bad things should not happen to us. You make the call. But I know when bad things have happened to me, they have made me stronger, but on the other hand, I am very lucky to have a pretty charmed life. Knock on wood.....

BRUNO: Age Restricted Trailer

If you liked Borat, there is a good chance you will like this. I know I will. I will enjoy laughing and cringing at the same darn time.... All at the over 17 show - it managed to get a NC17 rating, which I actually think will be a good marketing tool.....

Watch it here.

Word Of The Week: Mischief

I am adding a new feature this week: The Word Of The Week. Every week there is some word that I either hear often or out of the blue that reminds me I can be a better and more interesting communicator. This is not about big words, it is about the right words.

This week's word is mischief. For context, at work this week I heard this word a lot! Yes, at work, at a enormous multinational behemoth corporation. I am working on a project that has ramifications about how people could potentially behave and therefore could incite mischief, which for a massive corporation could be a real problem. But, the word is also good for just getting into a little bit of trouble - but when you read the actual definition from Websters, it is much more malicious than that - who knew???

From Websters:
Main Entry:
mis·chief Listen to the pronunciation of mischief
Pronunciation:
\ˈmis-chəf, ˈmish-\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Middle English meschief, from Anglo-French, misfortune, hardship, from Old French meschever to come out badly, mes- + chief head, end — more at chief
Date:
14th century

1: a specific injury or damage attributed to a particular agent
2: a cause or source of harm, evil, or irritation ; especially : a person who causes mischief3 a: action that annoys or irritates b: the quality or state of being mischievous : mischievousness

From Dictionary.com
mis⋅chief
   /ˈmɪstʃɪf/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [mis-chif] Show IPA
–noun
1. conduct or activity that playfully causes petty annoyance.
2. a tendency or disposition to tease, vex, or annoy.
3. a vexatious or annoying action.
4. harm or trouble, esp. as a result of an agent or cause.
5. an injury or evil caused by a person or other agent or cause.
6. a cause or source of harm, evil, or annoyance.
7. the devil.
Origin:
1250–1300; ME meschef <>

Give Him Another Listen: Damien Rice

These songs were recorded several years ago, but I love love love the following tracks. The first two are duets with Lisa Hannigan and all can I say is that they are haunting my world right now. The interplay of their voices is insane.

Check out both his albums O and 9. As always, you won't regret it!

I Love Me Some Reggae: Happy Birthday Jimmy Cliff

Today is Jimmy Cliff's birthday. He is one of the original reggae classic artists. There is nothing I enjoy more than the instant mellow that good reggae gives me at any time of the day, especially when I am stressed. Here are some clips....