Front Lines

Ok, I'm missing a Stupid Party (probably already missed it) right now but I don't care.

If you pray/send good vibes, send some to my cousin at his army base in Washington and to my sister in Iowa.

~L

too much to do this thursday

Its not easy to overwhelm me with things to do.

This thursday (Oct 25 aka tomorrow) - color me overwhelmed. St. Louis is being a serious credit to itself lately.

October 25 - A List:
-Priority: Rockabilly-ish "Gauchos" playing at Joes at 9pm
-Starting at like, 7pm, Metropolis is doing The Walk in the Lemp district ! I havn't visited the milk store in a while, and I've always wanted to go to O'Malleys! Durr!
- Drinks&Mortar at Zach's at 8pm. Another bar and another event I've never been to! Sounds like a cool scene and good conversatin'.
- Also, the Royale's having some "Drinking Liberally" thing at 9pm, which sounds hilarious and also like a v. good idea. I have a feeling I might have to get in a few fights w/ some obamaheads, so maybe I'll just opt out of that.

aaaand, I just told my high school BFF I'd meet her for drinks!
(i'm sure I'm missing something, if you can believe it)

Maybe its a good thing every night isn't like this in the StL b/c I'd go crazy. Nah. Every night can be like this. I love rolling to a million places all over the city - I'd do it for Penn&philly events/performances all through school and wow.

Next up, city museum b-day, art-attacks at some boxing gym (i think, I've never been....exciting!) and a myriad other things! So many opportunities to dress up, too. Lordy, and the moon is full!

This is wonderful.

Brainy people need dance lessons

I've been saying it all along!

Someone agrees.
I didn't think it was a secret that "creativity" or whatever that may mean - is where it's at.

I ended up a pretty creative kid - due mostly to the Judester (aka Mom) and to a public school system that really kicked it with the arts (specifically music, dance, drama). Thanks also to the strength of people around me, I'm still creative, and pretty stoked to be able to use a large % of it for the rest of my life.

I thought I'd be really bored watching this long video, but it really got interesting and relevant. Lots of juicy stuff about the different value of a university degree, creativity's role in the world, etc.... I'm listening to it right now and its good stuff!

The dude talking here had me at when he suggested that schools ought to put dance at the same level as say, music. Dance is so important! I just met this gal yesterday and we lamented how we couldn't find a dance class for someone over the age of 18 -- one that goes class by class for grown up schedules. I guess I'll have to do it myself! That's ok, I'll find a way and add it to the list.

Ok, I could go on and on, and I'm listening to it right now and its just blowing my mind. These things are important things.

Borderline amazing self defense

A girl's gotta have a little something up her sleeve.



So, I think my secret talent should be "fighting." I just don't like the hitting people part, and I don't really want to practice in the real world ever. Still, I too watched Charlie's Angels and Kill Bill (yes I just grouped those movies together) and I want to be able to hurt people! I like walking the streets and stuff, so perhaps I should train a bit for my streetwalking. It's a good secret skill that would compliment my other talents (tap dancing, knitting, etc...) very well.

Though I'm sure I'll continue to ask random guys in bars (and elsewhere) how to beat people up (I've gotten some good tips) --- I'm going to this.

Women's Self Defense Seminar - Sat. Nov. 3

We also have an upcoming Women's Self Defense/Rape Prevention Seminar on Saturday, November 3. This workshop will address common attacks and assaults on women (rape prevention) through realistic hands-on drills and scenarios. The specifics are below - pass this along to a woman you care about!

	Where:	9001 Manchester Rd. - Brentwood, MO 63144 - map
	Date:	Saturday, November 3, 2007
	Time:	1:00pm - 4:00pm (Please arrive at 12:30pm for sign-in)
	Cost:	$40
	Dress:	Please come in comfortable clothing such as T-shirt, workout pants, and athletic shoes. NO shorts

Register now! Three easy ways:

• click here to register online
• call us at (314) 961-5728

You should come, too, ladies!

I anticipate it being borderline amazing.

The Bend and Snap

Bending and Snapping at WhiteFlag
Originally uploaded by lolololori

Typical White sister shenanigans.

bullet points

I must chronicle something for you, though I cannot do it justice in prose (yet...maybe?)

- The Royale Coronation was really fun! I of course forgot to take any pictures of myself, and so far my efforts at poaching on Flickr have come up pretty short. Sigh. Hm, Free Candy ought to think about turning to Clownvis Prestley for some mic technique tips...he had it down if I may put in my 2 cents. Must've been in choir like yours truly in high school/church. I couldn't decide if I liked that he sang Dixie.

Also, what up with the underwear doki doki only sold in Chicago stores? I don't usually jeer amateur stage guests out loud, but I gotta say I'm not ashamed I jeered that lady. Online isn't the same! I'm sure she just meant that the line was coming soon to the myriad stores that could carry it here in the StL...and I misheard her. Pardon me, in that case.

Jeers as well to those who took the "formal wear strongly encouraged" in an IRONIC way - thus sporting unserioius t-shirts, ties and general brooklyn icono-hipster-i-couldn't-care-less chic. Boo! Sincerity is the new ironic, didn'tcha know?

I suppose Schaper and I spent a fair amount of time griping (me about no dance floor ....wtf! though I did move a table... and her about other things) aloud, but it was all in good fun. A v. lovely event/excuse to dress up more than usual, so I actually have no gripes. I was griping a lot just then.

- I cannot WAIT for the City Museum's 10th birthday -- it will be fun! And another reason to dress up. Do you think I already know what I'm wearing? B/c if you thought I did you'd be right.

- I went to the Old Rock House (dance floor heaven) to see the Jessica Butler trio/usual suspects and it was a riot. A bartender got up and sang "If I Ain't Got You" and I hung out w/ someone who could very well be Steve-O's bizzarro self....or his like, long lost twin. Steve-O II took me to hear this band practicing, and I stuck around and got to possibly be one of the first people to hear a country song about how everything at Cracker Barrel's made in China. It was sortof hilarious, and it still is a shame that I had to get up the next day at 4am (starbucks, ouch). There were many highlights of this evening, not the least of them being Emmylou the cool saggitarian lady I met. Cool name. I owe this evening a better post laters....with less "I." I also met a guitar-playing nurse who went to high school with my neighbor. The catholic school boys are everywhere.

-I went to Five with my cousins! And my mom. We were a truly silly 5some. How appropriate, I didn't even realize until now! I don't think I'll ever stop being amazed that I'm related to cool people other than my grandma, who is cool in a different way. I definitely got in trouble for assuming that "sweetbreads" were, "like dougnuts, right?" Like I'm supposed to know fine dining euphemisms.

-After Five, I went to see Kathy Griffin at UMSL (whoa north county) and she was Kathy Griffin, and v. funny. I wanted to change her outfit the whole night....still, she was a funny lady. Such a storyteller. Is that an Irish thing? I should look into being more irish.

....Ok, I've gotta go get ready for my UrbanFuture info session...finally. I have been a scheduling nightmare to myself trying to get to this thing.

I'm excited about many things this coming week...October in St. Louis is awesome.

UPDATE: I found a good one.

Curtis "Twinkle Toes" O'Rourke

I really want everyone to know - I have re-named my car. This truly ritzy Corrolla now has a name befitting of its heritage (and driver side door that you can only open from the outside).

He who used to be Zac Efron (star of High School Musical and teen sensation) is now named after the irish vaudeville showman of my imagination -- I made him up one evening while driving west somewhere near Hampton and hwy 44. A magical spot, no doubt.

I do this with pets, too - they get the preliminary name, and then the real name reveals itself organically through kismet and the right song on the radio -- i.e. through magic. This happened with Nugget "the wonder kitty" (previously "Kitty" -- my sister's name), my new cat Bubbles (previously Ann Margaret/Captain Von Trapp) and now, same with Twinkle Toes O'Rourke.

I am totally excited! I also like that his given name is Curtis. He is a tough guy with a heart of gold.

I am awesome

Did you know this?

So I'm prone to these funny (to me...to you?) moments where I find myself in ameila bedelia/nutty professor-like predicaments. Life is so silly and it will play many jokes on you if you let it.

So, I was lucky enough to get some tickets to this shindig tonight - I'm taking my 2 favorite sisters -- who together straddle the political and funky/prim spectrums -- but they're both cool, savvy and have a knack for formal wear. Did I mention that they're funny? They're like bizzaro version of me and my sister. There are a couple other respectable kids I'd like to join me as well, an old AP science class buddy and a fellow funky Marc Broussard fan are in the running. I'd also like to call in the swing dancers (the ones who dress nice) -- the Dock Ellis band's playing, and they've got some danceable rhythms happenin'--- the ones that aren't that choo-choo train rhythm...still - workable.

Anyway. So I snag some invites and promptly lose them w/in 24 hours. Like, monsters-under-the-refridgerator lose them.

So I search for them for about 2 days -- in the process I found a long lost glue gun, a b'thousand white envelopes, but not THE one with MY purple tickets. In the interest of not losing my sanity and finding my pride - I decide... just get more tickets, or like a marker or something from the owner/organizer of said event. His name's Steven.

So I call the bar, talk to someone there, and after a little phone loop....yes! 4 tickets for me!

Fast forward to later that evening - after a funny little dinner/meeting/chat (& wasabi mashed potatoes -- zing!) with a client I'm "consulting" (sounds too pretentious w/o the quotes), I stop by the bar and ask for the tickets.

Rose, the lovely bartender who recently got some great highlights, hands me an envelope -- relief! the tickets are mine!

-- wait.

Empty envelope. ?

Sigh. Inquiries about invisible tickets...can I get a marker? Will the envelope do? Rose runs in some circles for me, etc... Lucky for me, Rose is kind and tells me not to worry -- she's working, I'll get in. Will my friends? I'm feeling a little trepidation. Will there be door drama? I really had my fair share of that at some shady frat and club houses back at the U of P and I'm sortof done. I mean, I'm a devil-may-care ragamuffin, but gotsta keep it respectable and worthy of my sparkly blue dress (which is awesome).

So, l much like the silly and pointless plot-twists of Timeline or Saving Silverman (don't get me started on Young Einstein), though maybe not quite as absurd -- this is the sortof story I really like telling, it just feels goofy to be a star in it. Meh, everything will be great!

& tonight should be a riot; I'm really looking forward to it and I'm so glad I get to bring my sisters ... one just moved back to St. Louis from Memphis/summer work in Michigan, and I'm trying to cajole her into jumping on the StL is awesome bandwagon. She's got a good mix of classy(gets it from her older sister) and funky that I find to be key.

Tonight should be clutch.

Gotta go plan my accessories.

Memphis love

So this cat just sent me a BUNCH of "esoteric" Memphis blogs (the "what makes memphis memphis crowd), per my request - I am stoked! Ask and you shall receive! I mean, hey - bloggers are a friendly crew. I've really gotten into the NOLA blogs that were reccomended to me by this fella - they're quite organized/mobilized/active down south. I think st. louis has just as many blogs and bloggers ... but wouldn't a st. louis version of rising tide be cool? Just a thought. If the opportunities to make a little change coming out of katrina -- of which there are plenty o' examples in NOLA - drift right up the river, let's catch'em!

In other words, I love river city bloggers/blogs. There's a lot we've got in common (good and not so good) going on with our respective municipalities, and hey, if the meeting of minds begins on the blogs, it begins on the blogs! I think it's very safe to say I'm not the first to note that there's a lot we river towns can learn from each other. So, school is in session for me - I have some reading to do!

In the ain't life funny section of this post, this is a picture of where I learned to walk...in Memphis. I'm pretty lucky that I can say I took my first steps on my own two feet right here on the mini mississippi river replica - Mud Island - in the Memphis. Props to Grandma White for encouraging me to learn to walk in a totally awesome and prophetic sorta place!

I dazzled and I stretched

at Joe's last night! (i finally made it)

It was so fun. I called in the gang to come see&dance to our staple, Hudson and the Hoodoo Cats, and let me tell ya - we tore it up! (politely) It was just so great - people digging the music, watching the dancers...all sorts of folks who wouldn't otherwise have chatted really talkin' it up. Wonderful stuff. Live music and dance are really really important to bringing fun people/communities together, did you know that? Met this terrific gal from the UK, too - we had ourselves a time! She really got to see what StL people are all about last night, I think.

The owner was a real sweetheart, too. One of those quiet, dignified elder(in this case) statesman types with not too much to say, but a lot to do (and already done). A good type, I'd say. He seemed glad to see people just appreciating the music and really giving the stage the attention it sometimes doesn't get enough of. I loved looking over to see him smiling contentedly at this thing he created. Must be one of the greater feelings to have. Great stuff.

St. Louis is a wonderful town. So much opportunity to be great, and so much greatness already there for us!

"a nuclear WESSEL!"

I heard that , and I knew...It's the WHALE ONE! Who doesn't love spock swimmin' with the whales who like, talk to outer space?!?

Mamma surely educated me better in the school of Star Trek, but I just got really excited b/c hey, its the whale one. The one we all know, remember and love. Added bonus - Captain Kirk's love affair with the mom from 7th heaven.

In other news, the new Amy Winehouse+Mark Ronson video just came out. Aside from the crazy abdomens, these ladies look cute! And look at Mark's hair - I am lovin' the JFK side part.



UPDATE: durrr, the video embed is down, but go here to watch it!

Mark's got the right idea, and the right ladies to back him up, fo' sho. I would also totally go to that club. This 60's retro formal funky lighthearted dark aesthetic that Mark+Lilly+Amy have been brave enough to adopt is nothing short of awesome. I have my theories, and like to ponder about brits being able to more easily move into and appropriate american soul music genres than actual americans can/do/try...does this make sense to you? Think about the beatles and chuck berry -- would any group of white teenagers in the US dared to touch that stuff?

Maybe. Maybe brits get more exposure. Maybe it's all just cool and colorful and great.

I'm ok with the anarchists - i guess

... as long as they don't try to be all haughty about Missouri Sweet Corn not being the best corn on the planet or about how Quakers are bad.

I'm glad I read up on the Black Bear Bakery - I think my first experience with anarchists deep in the streets of West Philadelphia -- its a visit I oughtta tell you about -- sortof soured me to the whole ethic. Hello, don't talk about how jersey sweet corn is better than Missouri's to a Former East Prarie Sweet Corn Cutie! (I will find you that picture...that's for the soon to be great scan spectactular of October 2007)

However, now, eh, I'm feelin' the power to the people bread-bakin' stl anarchy vibes....not that I'm turning anarchist, kids!

Far from it. Just not as far as I thought.