Weekend Edition

Gotta make this quick, kids. Yo tengo very crabby eyes. This leads me to our first topic.

1. At long last, the first day of Spring has arrived. So lovely. So sneeze-inducing. So inspiring. Welcome, spring.

2. Sheen for President

The Huffington Post - Charlie Sheen for President? He may just need to pick a party and, he'd be, duh, winning.

The headline grabbing, now former sitcom star was placed in hypothetical election match ups with President Obama and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin by Public Policy Polling, on behalf of the Wall Street Journal. Whether it says more about the partisan divide or the public's fondness for Sheen, the star had some resounding success in the polls.

When given the choice between Palin and Sheen, Democratic voters choose the Sober Valley Lodge over Wasilla, Alaska; Sheen defeats Palin 44-24 amongst Dems. Similarly, in an Obama vs. Sheen election, Republicans would take the actor 37-28.

Most remarkably, it's not just partisan in some cases; Sheen defeats Palin amongst political independents, 41-36.

Read the rest of the story here.

3. Happy birthday, Fred McFeely Rogers (March 20, 1928 – February 27, 2003... i.e., dead). No wonder he went with Rogers. I imagine McFeely ranks pretty damn high on the list of Worst Children's Show Host Names Ever. Welcome to Mr. McFeely's neighborhood, kids! Ew.

Erin go Bragh!

Be careful out there, my friends.

Move over, Baby Alive: New Mattel doll needs shaving and waxing!

FoxNews.com - If you thought Barbie, with her disproportionately big breasts and tiny waist, sent a bad  message to young girls, wait until you meet of Mattel’s new Monster High doll.

Clawdeen Wolf comes complete with a thigh-skimming skirt, sky high boots and heavy makeup, and spends her days “waxing, plucking and shaving.”

“My hair is worthy of a shampoo commercial, and that’s just what grows on my legs. Plucking and shaving is definitely a full-time job but that’s a small price to pay for being scarily fabulous,” reads the character description of the teen werewolf doll, who also lists her favorite hobby as “flirting with boys.”

Read more: http://foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/03/16/mattels-waxing-shaving-monster-high-doll-sparks-outrage/#ixzz1GpcQShbc

Fab Alert!

This is simply fall-on-your-face fabulous.

There's good news and bad news here. Good news first: It exists, and we're going to find out where to find more like it. Bad news: Still in the process of finding out that "where" part.

The artist's name: x

This piece adorns the wall in Wes Naman's studio. He's working on the "where." Details soon. Simply couldn't wait to show you, though. So now we have an exciting mystery to wonder about.

I'd replace "Old Clock" with "Hot Art" if I had Photoshop skills. Not happening.

My Sister is an Antagonist Bitch.

 

OK, so I'm sitting here in my home office, quietly working... minding my own business... when a text message pops up from my sister, Kelly, who lives about 1,300 miles away.

Sister: REDRUM

Me: Ohhhh, shit.

Sister: Bored... just messin with you

Me: Bitch, I will choke you out. Now I've got the image of the old lady in the tub stuck in my head. Infernal cackling.

Sister: Sweet dreams : )

I am so afraid of The Shining. It could be 2:15 p.m. (which it is), and that flick STILL gets me all creeped-out.

Great, now I'm sitting here petrified, waiting for that crazy bathtub crone to jump out from any nook and/or cranny in my chic treehouse and chase me around with her putrid, pruny skin flapping...  cackling all the while. I'm dead, for sure.

RIP Nate Dogg

Let's pour a bit of beer on the ground to mourn the passing of Nate Dogg (AKA Nathaniel Hale), one of rap's finest male hook singers, who died Tuesday at the age of 41 after several years of health problems. The four-time Grammy nominee was a key player in the rise of the West Coast G-Funk sound, and paramount participant in several gangsta hits.

"We lost a true legend n hip hop n rnb," Snoop Dogg tweeted. "One of my best friends n a brother to me since 1986 when I was a sophomore at poly high where we met. I love u buddy luv. U will always b wit me 4ever n a day u put the g n g funk u put the 1 n 213 n u put yo stamp on evrybdy u ever didit wit ... I miss u cuzz I am so sad but so happy I got to grow up wit u and I will c u again n heaven cuz u know d slogan. ... All doggs go to heaven yo homie n baby brotha bigg snoopdogg!!"

Franco, Franco everywhere.

Does anyone else feel like there's a little too much James Franco going around? Dude's everywhere.

Perhaps I'm jealous. Stranger things have happened. I would, indeed, like to be a better multitasker... and nobody--and I mean nobody--multitasks better than Franco.  Not only is he an actor, model, music producer, bar owner and college lecturer, but he's now a college course.

You read that right; he is his own college course. Master Class: Editing James Franco... with James Franco is the name of the Columbia College Hollywood class. According to the curriculum, editing students will create 30-minute documentaries from video footage from Franco's career. Students will work under the guidance of--you guessed it--Mr. Franco.

I'll stop here before I have a Francoverdose.

A Warning...

Beware the ides of March!

March 15 doesn't mean much to us anymore these days, but it has major significance in ancient history.

Supposedly, Roman leader Julius Caesar was warned that something bad was going to happen to him on or around March 15 (hence Shakepeare's "Beware the Ides of March" line in his play, Julius Caesar). A lot of good that warning did. On March 15, 44 B.C., the famed leader was stabbed 23 time in the Roman Senate in a conspiracy led by Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus. There were 60 other conspirators, as well. Sheesh. Caesar had some serious enemies, yo.

On a more fabulous note, Rolls-Royce was incorporated on March 15, 1906.

Beware the sweet rIdes of March.

Birthday Brawn!

Oh, Fabio!

Cascading golden mane. Pectoral insanity. Epitome of romance and manliness.

So manly, you kill geese with your face... while riding a rollercoaster, no less.

The coaster's name: Apollo's Chariot.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg. 1999.

According to one park guest, a dead goose could be seen floating in the river below the drop where Fabio was supposedly hit.

I'm such a jerk.

Sorry, Fabio. I know you only want to be acknowledged for your seksi ways, but--clearly!--I still can't get past the goose thing. I'll try harder.

Here's a little birthday cake for you, baby.

Ohhhh, I suck.

Happy birthday, Fabio.

Can't Concentrate? Try Eggs Boiled in Kid Urine!

Metro.co.uk - Traditional chefs in Dongyang, Zhejiang province, eastern China, are trying to convince everyone that they're really not just taking the pee. Spring eggs hard boiled in children's urine have been a treat in this part of China for thousands of years and now culture officials want to take it worldwide.

Chef Lu Ming said: 'The urine is gathered from local schools and the very best comes from boys under 10 years old. They pee in buckets and we collect it fresh every day,'

Then the eggs - which have official cultural significance status - are boiled in the wee, first with their shells on and then with them off for a day and a night before they're ready to be eaten.

He said: 'The eggs are delicious and healthy. They stop fevers and can help you concentrate if you're feeling sluggish or sleepy.

'We are having a big export push because we want people outside China to fully appreciate the delicacy of our cuisine.'

Read the original story here.

Love to Japan

Love and prayers to the Japan earthquake victims, survivors and their families.

For Whom the Bell Tolls by John Donne

No man is an island, Entire of itself. Each is a piece of the continent, A part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less. As well as if a promontory were. As well as if a manner of thine own Or of thine friend's were. Each man's death diminishes me, For I am involved in mankind. Therefore, send not to know For whom the bell tolls, It tolls for thee.

Remember What Today Is?

Tonight's special: Mexican pizza with Boca Crumbles. Delish!

How are you Meatless Mondayers doing with your pledge? Stickin' to it?

SXSW Time!

In case you've been hiding under a rock, SXSW is a set of interactive, film, and music festivals and conferences that take place every spring in Austin, Texas. The music portion starts tomorrow and runs through Sunday. Here is the lineup list. Crazy, right? Soooo many bands. Incredible.

My top five (in random order):

1. Aceyalone

2. Klaxons

3. ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

4. The BellRays

5. MSTRKRFT

Get Your Boho On!

It's spring, and you know what that means: Boho-chic! Time to rock fabulous togs with bohemian and hippie influences. I got my boho on over the weekend, when I visited the studio of jewelry designer, Kamille Crowley.

Fell in love with this Chinese turquoise bracelet

I wore these incredible vintage boots I scored in NYC.

Viva luxe bohemian looks!

A Word of Advice for All My Ladies

Carpet cleaning: Next time, hire a pro.

Worth the extra expense. Your manicure and lower back will thank you.

Still hell-bent on the DIY thing? At the very least, ask a guy who looks like this to come over and help you. It makes the whole process much easier.

You're welcome.

Guess Who's 65 Today?

I'm Finally Black!!!

Rejoice!

This blog will now feature black text, rather than gray. So awesome.

Beckhams: It's a Girl!

At long last--after three boys--David and Victoria Beckham are having a little Spice Girl. That's pretty damn cute news. Congrats!

Happy Birthday, Lawrence Welk!

 

Cheers to musician, accordionist, bandleader, television impressario and --most importantly-- the godfather of Champagne Music, Lawrence Welk.

Champagne dance parties lead to...

Champagne and romance, which inevitably results in little more than...

And, as we all know, champers memories can be quite fuzzy.

In the end, it's all worth it, dahling.

Happy birthday, champagne polka master Welk.

Dead.

Friday Fabü

Photo by Wes Naman for Local iQ

The Thermage treatment process is fairly fascinating. Aestheticians Nicole Ortega and Melissa Schultz at the Spa at WDC cleansed my skin and then prepped it with topical anesthetic. Next, they applied a removable, grid-like reference tattoo on my entire face. Easily cleansed off immediately after treatment, the grid assists practitioners to ensure the proper areas are being treated. They powered up the high-tech hardware and went to work.

Each time Schultz and Ortega (they alternated segments) applied the tip of the Thermage wand to a tiny grid position on my skin, it delivered a controlled burst of cooling cryogen spray, followed by a burst of radiofrequency (read: heat), then another cooling blast. The cool-heat-cool process prevents any surface damage. Each triple blast lasts only a few moments, and then it’s on to the next grid spot.

I won’t kid you — it wasn’t all unicorns and rainbows. You know there are times when I wield the “beauty is pain” motto. This is one of those times. It’s manageable, though; like placing a hot tea bag to a tiny section of your skin for a few seconds. It’s not a cakewalk, but neither is an evening in your fave stilettos. Deal with it, dahling. And know this: Some people simply feel a deep heating sensation, but no discomfort. You won’t know until you try.

To read the rest of the story, click here.