Mardi Gras Makeovers

Mardi Gras is so important to St. Louis life. It's a little silly that no one else in the world knows that. I, however, know that, and I even audaciously go to the festivities on Mardi Gras weekend (sorry IndieValentine. I really wanted to go to you, but why did you have to pick Feb 2?)

My goal for next year is to develop some sort of nutritional/hydration plan that will help me and mine to hit the town later in the mardi gras evening, as opposed me and project runway hitting the couch. In the works as well is an all girl marching krewe, a la Camel-toe Lady Steppers. How I admire my sistas down the riva! We will have to dress more seasonally in Ski Bunny fashion b/c it usually snows for Mardi Gras here in St. Louis.

I have much to learn of Acadian St. Louis/Mardi Gras Tradition before the wheels start a'turnin' -- and lucky for me I have about a year to learn all there is. I know I can use my sister's mad trombone skillz somewhere in there, and her dignity will be prepared for it after a year in our Nation's Capitol. You, reader, should join in on the fun.

Hm, where was I? Oh yes. My kid sister and gave ourselves mardi gras makeovers courtesy of The Future Antiques. How much do you love these guys?

So here's the timeline of my sister and I:
- Drink at suburban home, hop on metrolink at Maplewood (an inspired decision! hurrah for metrolink! It looked like a fair share of inebriated surburban kiddos were getting their first taste of Public Transportation, and all the better! Gotta start somewhere.)
- Wander the lovely Acadian neighborhood of Soulard
- met some out of towners, said hello, welcome, etc...
- saw some high school buddies, mention of some house somewhere, perhaps a party, hmm
- enjoyed a sandwich I had surreptitiously packed in my purse
- got overwhelmed and decided to flee west down Russell
- 20-30 minutes later, arrived on grand, and it was time for a makeover, b/c we were soggy
- $5 rack at TFA = inspired!

Allow me to delight you with our before/after shots.






And then we went to dinner at The King and I in our new dinner outfits.
& it was fun.

(ps I'm trying to geo-tag these posts for the sake of outside.in .. let's hope it works!)

Later, sis

So the White Family just sent my kid sister off to seek her fortunes in Washington DC. Fine, I guess its hard to do national politics in St. Louis. I'll miss having her around as my go-to partner in crime, but she'll come back to visit/run for Mayor (it's on the list) - and I will certainly go see her b/c the swing dancing in DC cannot be beat!

Too bad, though - as this week is shaping up to be pretty much awesome...lots going on, and plenty of scheming to be done. I love a good scheme.

So it goes

in Kirkwood, MO



and so on - in my hometown.

Dang

The Cabin Inn is closing its doors!

Gah, they had the best DJs.

I'm hoping it's a temporary thing. Sigh, February.

Black Forest Theater in South Dallas

So, to say that this place looks amazing and awesome would pretty much be an understatement.




It would be so great to see Cafe Soul (Feb 15th at Lucas School house...GO!), in such a wholly appropriate venue. Man, I love Cafe Soul a lot. It's as close as I've come so far to those soul revue type performances that I can't stop watching on youtube. I'd rather see'em live.
Oooo, Marc Broussard could go there, too.
It's not a black/white thing, k?
It's a soul thing.

And Erykah Badu started the whole rehab. What an awesome lady.

hat tip DuBruit

A President Like My Father

Listening to my dad rant last night after Edwards dropped out was what I imagine it would be like to step back in time to when the Democratic party was a party of the people, NOT just fancy schmancy poseurs. I'm not backing down on that business, either.

Let me tell ya about dad.

Dad's a fervent southern/new deal/yellow dog democrat. His grandfather came here from ireland to dig ditches in the bootheel of missouri. Fast forward to when he was lucky enough to meet my mother, and now I have an Ivy League degree.

My sister and I are the John Edwards of our family. When John Edwards proper dropped out of the race, the voice of earnest 20 somethings like me got a lot quieter.

Sounds like we're giving up. We're not, its just a shame.

"Yet when John Edwards tried to build a campaign around ... issues he was subjected not only to the opposition of the establishment and its media but a notable tone of ridicule whose subtext was: why would anyone want to bother with such things? Especially a guy as rich as Edwards?

And when he pulled out of the race, Edwards was treated to more of the same, especially from such faux hip websites as Gawker, Radar and Fark:

Radar: The pretty-boy presidential candidate scored just 14 percent of the vote in yesterday's Florida primaries. . .

Fark: John Edwards announces he will drop out of race today to spend more time with his hair.

Gawker: John Edwards will end his 49th run for president Wednesday after failing to capitalize on his angry hobo-under-the-bridge message.

These sites, like much of elite America, are led by spoiled offspring of generations who had to struggle with just the sort of issues Edwards was trying to raise, but from which they now consider themselves immune by their education, status and cleverness. "


Sortof embarassing, ain't it? I really feel this argument. The crux of it is a large part of the people-based why of me staying and setting up "shop" here in St. Louis.

Read the rest here. Seriously, skim it.

Makes every point I would've continued to make for John until Nov and I'll make for myself forever. So many points.

John Edwards for president (of the shadow government) of the USA!

As God is my witness, I'll never watch Oprah again.

I'm hoping that John Edwards (the only guy that could've beaten McCain, despite the collective svengali-ing Obama's been doing) will take up the cause of NOLA, healthcare, and the struggling middle class in a private sector way, grow a beard, make a movie about it, get an Oscar and win a Nobel prize.

That's how you do it now, right?

I like my shadow government presidents Pretty and Populist. Frankly, that's how I'd like my ACTUAL president, but its not looking so good in that area.

From now till Tuesday, I'm going to have to decide which of the two dems are the Robin Hoodiest, and vote for that one. I won't say which one seems to more likely, in my mind, rob the rich and give to the poor (though I've picked one), because I am STILL an Edwards Girl.



I was so looking forward to living in a more swedish/scandinavian (healthcare-wise, though I am not averse to a nice meatball) United States of America. John's gonna find a way to do it more expediently and better than he ever could have as president.

We'll wait and see what happens in the General.

Crime maps

The cockamamie ideas have to go somewhere, people.

I wish St. Louis had a better one of these, in chicago
And since I hate comparing StL to Chicago, one of these - the font's cooler, too - in Oakland, CA.

We (meaning St. Louis) supposedly has one here, (and a PostDispatch graphic designer, who I found through the proverbial tweet, makes some cool interactive maps here) but I've never ever managed to get it to open b/c it crashes Firefox and I'm afraid to try again (for the 7th time or so). I wonder what is up with the crime map as it is, though. Who made it, how does it keep updated, where does the info come from, all the little algorithms that seem to come into play when you're making a dynamic map-type thing, etc....I wanted to look up the location of this.

Wouldn't that be nice, just to know what's up? It would be SO nice.

Perhaps it's time to talk to the computer science departments at the top-notch Universities in the area. Call me an optimist, but wouldn't it be a wonderful way to not only pool the resources of the brains that visit our city during the school year, but also to bring the people a little closer to their lovely crime-fighting policemen. Not everyone can be as lucky as me and get tips from the ones who visit your coffeshop.

It's usually not the easiest situation 9especially if you look at the issues the Oakland crime map has had), combining police work with computer programming, because the policemen have work to do that's v. serious and crime maps just wanna make a little dot on it, and maybe that's not as serious. Still. It's an opportunity. A lemonade out of lemons situation. And if college kids work on it, they'll get to know the city better!

Talk about an unintended consequence, getting to know your city better through tracking its crime -- but you gotta start somewhere, right?


Just a thought. And a coworking space (or an awesome meeting room with lots of plugs, but that's a little redundant) would be a great place to do it.

Anyone know what a speakeasy is in this town?

So, ok. Sauce Magazine, I love you. But your very talented writers have described the Sol Lounge (in the back of the new Grind coffeehouse, which has a Glorious amount of space for study) as the a place that "serves up the perfect pint and a speakeasy feel."

So I'm thinking, Oh my gosh, beer and a speakeasy. Two Very Awesome Things! Will there be bathtubs filled with bud?!?! Maybe some red velvet curtains and someone soloing on clarinet, that sorta thing. Wow. You know, maybe I should bring my tap shoes.

Now don't get me wrong, it's a cool place.
My sis and I stopped by for the Young Dems State of the Union viewing party (which was, apparently, a dress-down event. Didn't get the memo that we wear sweats to bars now, ya democrat hooligans.) and had a pint.

It's visually stunning! Big ol' tv screen. Blue bricks! The blue bricks are awesome, and in different shades that match the fishtank/fireplace...kindof a decorative non-sequitur, but I liked it. The bar was cool. There were blue lights. DJ booth. Little living-room looking loungy areas with little mod couches and gossamer to separate the one from the other.

But...there was NO local beer on draft (not. even. Bud. C'mon!)
- perfect pint, no check
Aaaaand, the place was more "bar from the Post-it episode of Sex and the City" than smoky Chicago the musical fare. I guess it was the high ceilings - they kinda ruined it. I was thinkin' it'd be more like my favorite almost-a-speakeasy joint. it wasn't. I guess what they means was that it is sortof hidden. Ok then, speakeasy location, but not feel.

Cafe Sol was definitely a more interesting take on the whole "used to be a warehouse, now it's a bar" model like lush, f15teen, etc...etc...etc... and so on forever. Heaven knows there are warehouses a'plenty. I'll go back though. It's a cool place for what it is, its still a good place to get cred for even having HEARD of, the coffee house is really cool, and it's on Lindell, which is a cooler street than ya think.

I might be wrong?!

Went back to Sandrina's with my kid sister last night and.... it was pretty nice! Maybe a bit over drywalled, which is a shame, but eh.

The last time I went I was a little put-off, plus it was near closing, but maybe I can be done with that and end this whole miniseries happily. I hope. Then, there were just lots of ---though I'm sure they were lovely, kind and charitable --- sortof Xtremely bland types of people. Not exactly Helen Fitzgerald's, but not exactly what I was expecting either. Whatever. Now, on Monday nights at least, not a lot of company, but good company.

- The sis and I brought the total of patrons to about 6, which was fine.
- The bartender, Trish, was teriffic.
- My sister and I even saw some guy I met at the Prom (the grown up one at mad art...weird on a couple levels, huh?)
- We discussed our favorite theme parties, Golf Pros and Tennis Hoes, CEOs and Business Hoes, Barbarians and Librarians, etc..etc...
- M, my sis, found the bathroom stall in the ladies, "innovative!"
- The bar itself was cool, wooden, and the light fixtures nice and tulipy. I liked those.
- I've never been much for white/off-white/beige walls. The overwhelming beigeitude of the bar area takes away from an otherwise kindof awesome bar. Should've taken a picture or two.
- I don't know what the dining room used to be like, but it was more restaurant than bar, except for upstairs.
- It was friendly, slightly weird, and st. louis-y.

So, I of course had to ask Trish about the jukebox, and she immediately says, "oh, i can change the music if you don't like it!!" -- which of course wasn't necessary b/c she was playing Allison by elvis costello, one of my Favorite Songs. Turns out it was her ipod. So that was a good sign, Trish has excellent taste. We did some exploring upstairs. We were on a jukebox hunt -- it was in disrepair, but cool in a different way from mine...I still think mine has better Italian classics, not just relying on Sinatra to be up to code.
Come back to Sorrento, hellooo?

I hope they do get their 3am license - it would be a nice place to have around, and maybe the late nite vibe'll keep the riff-raff out, or at the trophy room...which is not without its merits, if you're in that sortof mood.

I'll happily admit having been wrong. Man, I hope I'm wrong! We'll see though, one of these weekends. I still think the remodel might've hurt more than helped, but I don't know much, other than my own opinion.

Now you know it, too.

Le Saint Louis - Faites-Le Vous-Meme

I think there 3 schools of people in St. Louis and in the US as far as cities are concerned.

• There are people who want/need to live in a BIG monster city (Chicago, LA, DC [maybe], SanFran, NYC) for their work. Things like acting, wall street, the presidency and some Silicon Valley-type work come to mind.
  

• There are people who want/need to live in a BIG monster city (Chicago, LA, SanFran, NYC, Portland) b/c they're into "city life" and they want the city be very obvious. "Ooo look! A subway! A tenant apartment! People wearing weird sunglasses and big scarves! I feel like I'm in europe and I can walk EVERYWHERE!" The city part of the city is all set up for you to enjoy, and you see it in the movies - so you have some idea how to act in these types of cities.
  

• There are people who want/need to live in a smaller, dirtier city (StL, Memphis, NOLA, Philly) because there's more opportunities to do something regionally/universally "new" and there's more room to stretch. Maybe they have time to figure out how to act, maybe these are fixer-upper type people looking to bring a little something more to a town that's forgotten itself, maybe they're artists developing their work before they move to hit it big in NYC. I don't know.

...right?

Anyway, while looking for a map that shows where all the red light cameras are in St. Louis and I came up on this letter printedin an/the RFT blog from a confused Indiana-type-of-hoosier who's really struggling to find his place in St. Louis, poor guy.

"Please, good reader, tell me. I am either blind, ignorant, or too caught up in my own issued to see it. ...What the hell is this town about? I really do wish to know."

I mean, I told him.

To me, St. Louis is the town that built the City Museum across the street (more or less) from Lucas Park Grille. When you think about it, that's pretty cool. Sounds like he just needs to drive around - have some donuts, maybe.

Maybe he should have a one of these.

I also can't tell if he's trying to disrespect or if he's genuinely asking for help. But most frustration comes out in a tone a lot like his letter, so I'll just assume he's distressed. I will say though, St. Louis is not an obvious city. But that's part of what the town is about! Still, there should be some way to translate St. Louis for poor stl transplants. Hmm, that's something to think about.

One of my favorite tshirts says, "La Nouvelle Orlean - Faites-le vous-meme." It means, "new orleans - do it yourself." It means a little more than that though.

What's true for cities like NOLA is true for St. Louis. I happen to think it's one of the best things about my town. Gotta get up and do something.

sometimes I watch 2 movies

It doesn't happen too often b/c I'm not really a movie person. There's just not enough pomp to go to a theatre and I get ancy sittin' around.

So it's a good thing I got sick! It really knocks the spaz outta you.

Even then, I only managed to watch a lot of Keith Olberman/Tina turner on youtube aaaand Mr Smith goes to Washington! Oh the monument montage. Gotta love that Frank Capra, and Jimmy Stewart is extremely adorable.

But hey, the movie ended so suddenly! He passes out, the silver knight guy yells and roll credits! I was like, Yay Jefferson Smith!...? Yay America! I guess!...?

Clarissa was awesome, though. That girl could WEAR some hats.

So, next: I accidentally slept all day today - I had a little lack of sleep issue these past two days, and it's turned me nocturnal. I feel dumb complaining about lack of sleep when John Edwards probably hasn't napped since Iowa, but still. It's been weird.

So ok, today I slept through the time I'd typically use to do things like, curl the hair and call the friends, so instead - it's movie time.

And I saw ONCE, finally! It was good, I felt the love. More love than March of the Pengins, if you can believe it. Now WHY did everyone bill that as some sort of true love story? I was really hoping see something along the lines of The Big Hearthrob in the Snow : Pengins Fly on the Wings of Love -- like Noah and Allie, Nick Sparks' The Notebook love, but with penguins+morgan freeman+a little imagination -- but it was all pretty much lost on me. And I am not a prickly, cynical type of gal when it comes to seeing love.

I guess it just goes to prove what I suspected all along...pengins don't know a thing about romance!

They're just like those TV-watching wisecrackin' punks I saw on Beakman's World back in the day. Can I mention that I saw Beakman's World on TV today? It was awesome. And the wisecracking penguins were cackling with their smokers cough (naturally) by the tv as usual.

Did I really watch that show 10+ years ago? My, it is timeless.

So all penguin-non-love aside, there was something nicely real about the love or whatever you'd call it in ONCE - very good "meet cute" stuff that I always find just fun and sortof intriguing to watch. I sortof hate it how inudependent movies are always 20 minutes short of a wonderful ending, and just end in mundane normal posssible possibility but probably not possibleness. Like Chasing Amy. What was up with that ending!?! I know why, but I also am like, why not have a full circle awesome love story. If awesome love stories are good enough for Nick Cassavetes, they're ok by me - I'm just sayin'.

The musicy stuff of ONCE was cool to see - i guess the process of ONCE (and the fact that it took about a hundred thou to make) was the most important and I'm glad he kissed her on the cheek and bought her a piano.

music consumption of 1999 throwback

Remember when you'd search your name in Napster?
Where else would I have found the classic, "Tell Lori I Love Her" - by Keith Whitley?

I think it was one of the first songs I downloaded. That and like, I Don't Like Mondays by the Boomtown Rats b/c my History teacher at the time mentioned the band, and I wrote it down in my Planner. I think I was like 17 at the time.

I just discovered songbeat. Its like old napster! But wayyyyyy more legal. That's a good thing. Oh my goodness the gifts of lifehacker.com. What I liked about Napster was the whole, "ooooh, I must hear this random song that someone mentioned like, once or I saw it in a magazine (or heard from my history teacher, or has my name in it) and I want to hear it." Bam! You could search for it on Napster. There was so much obscure stuff, and then *poof!* gone.
The Man taketh away.
Makes me think about Empire Records.

What is it about The Man and Music? Contentious stuff!

Anyway, Songbeat approximates that music treasure hunt, so I'm happy. And its sortof pretty, too. And way easier than hoping that the random guy who set up Danny Kaye on myspace.com has the song about the Congo (its a great song - how I long to have it on my profile...wait, is that dorky?). I'm liking songbeat wat more than LastFM...though I am learning to love the last.fm for what it is. Though I'm not so sure about having people see how much I've listened to Alan Menken and the soundtrack to Princess Diaries 2 (its uplifting and light! and I was a college senior - it was heavy times) , the awesome doo wop stuff that I would not otherwise have found is worth it! That's what you want. Stuff you wouldn't have found dovetailed from stuff you already like.

Though people/whoever on last.fm have tagged Marc Broussard COMPLETELY wrong, and I have no idea how to fix it...yet...maybe I could attach him to Bill Withers and Donny Hathaway a bit...so it stops sending me to Howie Day and such. Perhaps though, there is no one similar enough to Marc to make me happy.

This could be possible.

Come in from the Cold

Oh my, I was exhausted from the caucuses, and then I got this crazy cold disease thing. Let me tell you, it was crazy. I was well at 5pm last Saturday, and by 6pm I was basically driven to uselessness (re: watching too much MSNBC) sick. The Nyquil sleep was nice though.

Anyway, I'm back! Life in the 3rd week of January in the City of Saint Louis is great. I'll give you a run-down.

I saw John Edwards yesterday at his rally at the Carpenters' Union Hall. I really do like him. We'll see what happens. I vote how I WANT in the Primary. I'll pretend its the general, and my mind alone could WILL John the nomination. Right? Right.

I also had a great interview this past Friday -- it was just a fun interview. Who knew!? I suppose I can share that in this here forum. Come to think of it, I've had a couple other interviews that were actually fun. Only the other fun interviews did not result in a Donny Hathaway John Lennon cover! That's good stuff, however you look at it.

A friend and I were talking about how much we hate the interview question about your strengths and weaknesses, and how annoying it is that everyone answers the weaknesses with something that will show that they work too hard, but it's something they're trying to overcome....that sortof thing. You'd do it, don't lie! It's an act everyone puts on when they're playing the interview circuit. Interviews are the new vaudeville.

So we came to the conclusion that the next time that question gets asked, why not play it for laughs and just say that my biggest weakness is illiteracy.

...And I've done very well, thank you - and I don't appreciate you bringing it up!

Sandrina's - bummer

It's now a hoosier bar!

Sad.

I missed it in its no-signed, no-tank-top-allowing "heyday." There really is no place to lounge from 1:35 to 2:45. As I type it, it doesn't seem important, but at 1:35am, it sure does. Mangia Italiano just does not cut it. Is it really to be that I was 17 when all the cool stuff was happening in the great city of St. Louis?

I cannot believe it.

Oh St. Louis, be liberal with giving your 3am licenses to people who won't put a sign on their bar.

Sandrina's - is it true!?

Ok, so I'm really excited about my Windows Movie Maker moment - but I just thought I should mention that I drove by Sandrina's and the OPEN sign was ON! Lit up! Woo!

I can't wait to go. Mangia is not fun and not classy. I hope that Sandrina's keeps the no tank tops rule because come to think of it - I am bothered by tank tops (and the tatoos that peek out from beneath them)! So, ok -that makes me an 80 year old, i don't care so much -- because if not getting fashion irony for frashion irony's sake is wrong, I don't wanna be right.

The night I drove by Sandrina's OPEN sign I also drove around Carondolet and the Ivory Theatre and South south broadway (what a concept!) ...in addition to finding a nunnery (there are those who call it an abbey, i think?) and a lot of bungalows, I drove by a lot of awesome looking - and patronized - taverns.

I also think we accidentally ended up in Afton for a bit.

Iowa for Edwards Video

Whipped up a little somethin' from all the footage I took on my trusty digital camera of Meredith's Iowa Caucus for John Edwards.

So here's your inside look into an actual satisfactual Iowa Caucus!



Here's a link to the show if you can't play it (especially in your blogreader): http://www.viddler.com/Lolololori/videos/1/

First one to comment on the actual video wins!

I also posted a blog on the edwards site -- so far 20 or so people have viewed in the past hour, and I even found someone who'd worked with Meredith in Ottumwa! Yay internets!

Iowa Caucus time

Good times had by all discovering the AWESOME small towns of Southeast Iowa and participating in the caucuses (as much as a Missourian could).

Mer was in her element, and it showed. All her counties did EXTREMELY well. Even at the bars after the caucuses, the Obama people there did not celebrate as hard because they didn't realize that whatever caucus Meredith touches turns to Edwards gold.

What's not to love about Johnny Reid Edwards? Did y'hear him on the debates last night? Slightly repetitive yes, but fighting for the underdog - double YES. What a concept, huh? I wonder just WHO Obama's going to build consensus WITH. Lobbyists? At least I know for sure that John Edwards is not even inviting those cats to the table. In his words, "...they'd eat everything!"


Mer looking from the sidelines as the caucus is in action in Centerville, IA!

Also, I made a little 8 minute video with clips from the whole caucus process if you're really interested in the nuts and bolts. I'll post it up for ya as soon as its uploaded!

The Best Year Ever and Voting

Ok, first things first:
My sister is going to be on Good Morning America tomorrow (Jan 2nd) MORNING with Johnny Reid Edwards eating pancakes in Centerville, IA. Yeah! She is the fiercest blonde democratinista since I don't know when. Y'all know she'll be busting out the hot rollers in a couple hours from now.

As for me, I'm on nocturnal hours as a result of new years celebrations...so I'm posting this 'round 3am....and I'm getting ready for....

the road trip to the IOWA CAUCUS 2008! History in the making, and I'm gonna be an ingredient at the Ottumwa Caucus. It's too bad I'm missing The Royale's mini-caucus (I didn't know Missouri used to have a Caucus...that is something I could get INTO! Caucuses strike me as conviction with a dash of showbiz...I'll get back to you as to whether or not that's true), but I don't really care so much. The Kirkwood delegation of Youth in Government will be making a SHOWING in Iowa!


Resolutions 2007: I didn't make too many official resolutions,. but here are some informal ones.
Rehab Dead foot - not back to running yet, but back to dancing!
Grow Hair on my head - I know I'm not really "in charge" per se of this, but it actually started growing this year, which was awesome...I don't think its been this long since I was 12.
Career path - found it last year, following it now...trying to keep the path IN ST. LOUIS
Do good for the STL homestead - so far the only good I do is go out and make friends, but I am very good at representing. I have gotten myself into some scraps!

Resolutions 2008: oh I've got some! Aside from the pursuit of an actual satisfactual career here (natch) in the great St. Louis, I am going to resolve to :

- Be more like Beyonce at all times
- Start online tshirt racket highlighting esoteric StL pride...all designed by local artists or graphic design/ad shops...at least think of a name
- Stay positive
- continue growing out my hair
- Be a part of an StlBlogger unconference, reach out to StL and StL's university geeks
-----possible meet up with Memphis, NOLA, StL blogger peeps
- Get the Historic Hat Mart, prepare more coworking research
- revisit local musical theater
- Visit New Orleans, Memphis, Philadelphia, Santa Fe
-----possible meeting friends in NYC, LA, SanFran...blah
- attend web conferences
- kick choreography into gear with the Alleycat ladies
- find or start Krewe de Vieux type marching krewe for StL's mardi gras
- enjoy my bachelor lifestyle
- consider getting a dog
- keep it real
- more blogging about river city livin'

ok, enough. Times they are a'changin' and things couldn't be more exciting.
Watch out for Meredith on GMA!
Happy New Year.

Lily Allen is P.G.

Yes, its true.
And she was looking so foxy in her GQ shoot! I was jealous. I am no longer.

Still, maybe I can get her to give me all of her clothes.

That dress would look v. sharp on me. Lily? You can keep the shoes, though I do like those, too. Seriously, Lily has some really great dresses. Where will they go? Can't I just wear them for 9 months?

I mean, whatever, but she really could've rocked her 20's minus a baby and at boyfriend-not-husband. (Hello, why doesn't anyone get married anymore? Aren't any celebrities in the DAR? I mean, Lily's obviously not, but I AM and it's a very important legacy! You can be any race, religion, etc...but you can't be born out of wedlock! It's a little silly, but its a rule. )

Have you ever seen The Patriot? Revolutionary War was not easy! Being a daughter amongst that? Not easy either! Getting married? Comparatively simple.

On behalf of my celebrity brethren, I'm sorry Ben Franklin!!!

Jamie Lynn Spears is pregnant, too.

Sigh.

Internet stardom part 1 of ?

My blog is officially the 11th resource EVER for those searching for more information about the "bend and snap" on Google.

I am so proud! It's an unexpected step in an unexpected direction! I'm still gonna keep writing about new media/St. Louis happenings though - don't fret.

It might move up in the rank, considering I'm writing about it. Google is a strange thing.

Whiteboard Hilarity - a chronicle

VTS
Originally uploaded by dgray_xplane

I just found this shot running a search for VTS on Flickr. I remember Mr. Dave Gray with his camera, and I've been honing my flickr search skillz for some consulting work I'm doing so I gave it a shot. Success! I like it how I look v. serious, even though this was a very goofy half hour. I take goofiness very seriously, I do. Flashback to good times in July!

So in case you were puzzled, VTS stands for Visual Thinking School, and it's run by XPlane, a company here in St. Louis that I quite admire. They have it every week to stay on top of their craft. I think that's such a great idea. I found out XPlane existed in a very funny/modern sort of way (a blog! an email! ) and a few intrepid email address guesses and some plane flights some time later.... I found myself at this VTS -- these folks have fun and stay fresh! A real sharp bunch.

Putting/visualizing laughter (that was our subject...found from a creative lil' exersize we'd done earlier involving post-its and some introspection) into four-five little squares was really something --- we thought we were so funny.

Elvis dressed as a pirate + the "cat attacks baby" youtube video +"endolphins" + some (established and aspiring) fluent sketchers = laughter, right? If you click on the photo you can try to see some of our "work" in the photostream and judge for yourself.

This whole drawing on the whiteboard business reminds me of the times my junior year when me, Janna and the whole Penn '04 gang would sit in our apartment and play a game called "Jumbo Nintendo" for literally 5+ hours. I love it that a CompLit major (that'd be me), a Finance Major, Neuroscience major, a Music major, Management major, and occasionally our PreMed major friend...oo, and I think our chemistry major friend, too (yeah, he was good at it...I think its b/c he was Canadian -- its my theory that they are a naturally goofy people)...would just sit around and DRAW pictures for hours. Not that art majors DO sit around and draw for hours (do they?), but here we were none of us draw-ers...drawin' up a storm!

My sister discovered this awesome "game" while working on our high school yearbook with my friend Adam. You're supposed to draw 3 pictures that rhyme... that's pretty much it. Adam, who is hilarious, and his buddies (also hilarious) invented it and really set the standard with the first example:

The rhyme? Jumbo Nintendo, Teapot Pretendo, B-extendo. !!!!

So that's the model, created by Adam and his gang...it is the epitome of nuanced and advanced Jumbo Nintendo. The rest is history. I bet they never play it anymore, but ooooh man - we still do.

I get into such trouble on whiteboards. I have always liked'em. Chalkboards, too, frankly. I love those things! From drawing snarky speech bubbles over my buddies' heads in class (Adam was there -- i think his presence was a bad influence) to implying a cat attacking a baby is a funny concept...the list goes on now that I think about it. I have a complicated history.

ps I love it how finding this one random picture has suddenly sent me back not only to college, but to high school. I love flickr.
pps I also love it how I met a cat named Gabe at this VTS. He made a neat little video, and I later put two and two together (took me embarrassingly long) and figured out he wrote for Webster U's Hwy61 blog that everyone's talkin' up these days. I later heard Gabe on Topic A...a nice lil' show on the KDHX. Snaps to XPlane/VTS/St. Louis! That was cool.

For Meredith

I "made" this for my kid sister, who is hard at work on the Iowa caucuses. Everyone here in St. Louis is in Snow-Day mode, meaining they're walking around like zombies not wanting to go anywhere (myself included, i had no idea what to do with myself today)...so that must mean its time for internetting!

Don't send a lame Holiday eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

I'm particularly fond of my part. I love this movie.

Its a cool site, jibjab.com .. seems you have to pay to get more movies made, which is indeed a bummer. Ya gotta have some sort of business model, so I can't complain toooooo much now!

Birthday yesterday was blizzardy beauty. I have mostly shots of Scott, who accompanied me everywhere I wanted to go. We sang in our choir with gusto! Pictures to be popping up on flickr soon. I hope the idleness of today goes away tomorrow!

So I've been having a lot of fun lately

I'm so lucky that I have Scott here this month (my BIRTHDAY MONTH - my birthday is tomorrow, yo!). He has really been an excellent partner in crime.

I will break it down for you tomorrow or soon or something because I have to do my hair now, people!

All I want for christmas

is some lightbulbs. (and maybe some paint...or a ceiling fan. Or a toilet!)

Check it out!

So Brad Pitt's Make It Right racket in New Orleans makes gift giving easy! He's got this awesome flash illustration thing that lets you tour the house-building/art installation thing he has going and scroll over and see what you can donate. Most things are like, expensive....but lightbulbs are only 5 dollars! Buy a lightbulb in my name! Buy one in your name.

Jimmy Buffet did!

“How do we approach the issue from a proactive rather than an anti-anything perspective?”

NOLA's got something, here.

StayLocal.org

Calling all STL Geeks and Creatives

You know who you are!

So, I have some idea what I'd like to do with this place. Aside from making it my abode.

I'd like to turn it into this place ...maintaining the awesomeness of the Historic Hat Mart, (and of the 'hood) natch.

Mostly b/c I would like that place, b/c I need that place b/c I am an independent consultant and I really really like talking to/hanging out with other people. Like, a LOT.

St. Louis has lots of bloggers, more than a few "startups", and creatives a'plenty -- and more. And then probs some more after that. Surely not much less than my old hometown Philly does! What's the dif? What gives?

This is possible. I'll need some help though - I'm so darn GREEN (not in the eco-friendly way, in the like, young whippersnapper detective way).

Oh well, I'll just start doing what I can now. I'll figure out the hows as it goes.
:)

I also heard Gabe of Hwy61 on KDHX last night (I've met you Gabe -- we were at the same VTS at XPlane back in the summer!!!) - and he said our stl generation needs a place to call its own. I say we need an opportunity to have opportunity. Not to mention, StL is too regionally cliquey to hire the right people in the right places (as anyone who's job searched in any town could tell ya). But I am not here to complain... I really hope to in my life/ this blog ... do the opposite of complaining, whatever that is.

Perhaps this coworking space would offer an opportunity for the 30 somethings to get to know the 20 somethings who could get to know the 3+ universities' young co-ed college-kids=types could get to know everyone else who pays the $25 a month to have a space. Actually I know it could. I just cannot give enough snaps to Tara, Chris et al - who've been inspiring me since August 13th, 2006. (heck yeah I remember the date...or rather gmail does...which is cool...an inspiration birthday)

I'm very excited by this idea. PLUS the building is right next to really really delicious quesadillas.

So if you see this, hear this - spread the word. And then get back to me. please! :)

absolutely nothin'

Chart Depicting "things war is good for"

Mathematical Charts of any type of music are funny, that's all there is to it. This site makes me laugh, and I don't even really listen to that much rap music. Really spend some time with this chart here - it's pretty frickin' genius! I love it.

See more...

WikiLou

During a particularly partiotic moment last year when I was a'livin' in france, I made this entry about my favorite highway in St. Louis.

No one's edited it! So, those who actually look to Wikilou.com for their information (and they should) about the main highways (44's soon to become THE MAIN one) in my town will get my candid opinion about what your love of 44 means about you.

Hey you!
You should make an entry on the wiki. If it's funny/obscure enough, it will stay for a year -- like mine has. I don't know why, but I'm quite proud of that. Even the picture of my favorite billboard has remained ("Everybody's NUTS...pistachios!")

I encourage all my buddies to write one up -- & if you do, send it on over. :)

green with envy/cheers

here's to schaper, who is - i believe, if her phone call wasn't a fake - dancing at La Onda as we speak.

I AM SO JEALOUS.

holy streetcars, batman

I was looking at this site of old pictures of St.Louis and I saw a streetcar. How cool are streetcars? I remember being really a big fan of them when I spent a little bit of time in Vienna (and Brussels, too) So just found this old streetcar route map from 1942. Look at all the places it went! (I don't know why its black like that - it was white background on the site - but the red lines were for the streetcars.) Can you dig it?
Click on it so you can go to the site. Its almost as cool as this fantasy metro picture.

I still cannot find out where this picture came from, but I'd place my bets on it having come from heaven.

Coastal Pandering

ok, so I support John Edwards. This is not a political blog, but y'all know how I get when the coastal lands trump us flyover folks. Represent, democratic candidates! (literally)

So, Obama pandered to the geeks at Google recently.

What's he doin' visiting Google when he should be BBQing with Iowa and New Hampshire constituents? Why is he spending his money like that?!?

I see why some of my sis's Edwards supporters call him "me too" Obama. I joined a national broadband group in facebook back in MAY of 2007...and the first link on that? John's.

If Obama spends his dough on flying to all 3 of his "coastal" (West Coast, East Coast and Chicago) buddies, flying over the midwest and south while Edwards pets a dog in a barn in Iowa or builds a house in NOLA, then I'm not looking forward to Obama's priorities if he gets to the oval office like I am looking forward to Edwards'. Gah!

"The basis of a strong democracy is a diverse and dynamic media. It's time to take away the corporate media bullhorn and let America's many voices be heard." – John Edwards

I want the race to be Clinton, Edwards and Biden. I love Biden, he is such a rogue. I also like how he answers the stooopid debate questions ("would you support any of these candidates if they won the nomination? is that EVEN a question!) like he's George Clooney at a press junket. I believe his answer to that question was, "heck no!"

I'm tired of the major news places only talking about clinton v. obama. So Obama gave a great speech at the convention in 04 -- public speaking is not the make or break it issue for me, (there are other issues I care about more) so i just sorta want him to step off.

I'm no good at this angry political stuff. These debates-a-makin' me crazy! I just don't want a non-dem in the oval office...oh dear.

Mostly, I'm just mad that there's a Barack fundraiser at Joe's tonight.
grrr.

Sister pride

My sister is a very important person.

SO important, she's on politco.com - just mention her name at any American Legion or after-church social, etc.... and you're sure to get the best cookies in all of southeast Iowa, and yelled at if you don't support my man John Edwards.

Check her out.

I'm the President of the Internet!

and so are you!

I heard that on this day in 1990 (a day when I was still living in Southern Missouri -- SoMo, represent) - the internet was born!

In honor of that, here's some sesame street (including my favorite character, who encouraged me to reach for the stars and aim to be a taxi driver).



Thank you internet, w/o you I would not be able to time warp to my sesame street days.

As the Geek Squad chuckles

Melissa and Matt at my local Geek-Squaditorium hooked me up with some RAM (Really Awesome Microchip-thing) today, and my laptop (it's too late to give it a name) is running like whoa. I love talking to random people - especially if they're behind counters - so it was really double the fun for me.

I used to bring a book to read so I'd have something to do while my computer thought for 10 minutes about opening a new window. No more! Its a thrill.

Dixieland and Dancin'

I forgot how much I love Dixieland music.

What was especially cool -- this band played back in the Gaslight Square days, so they were all awesomely aged and so cool! They also were very appreciative of the dancers that came out. Music and dance - they go together! The music was just so joyful, we brought fried chicken, we ate it, and if I ever described an evening as "merry" I would so pin that tail on this donkey.




Recognize the song? Well, its the end so you probably wouldn't...but I'll tell ya.
Its the St. Louis Blues! Represent!

Val and I had a little Charleston-off, even bad dancers were dancing gleefully and with abandon...it was glorious. I almost caught the vibe of those old supper clubs (like the one in white christmas, wow) that I really wish I could've/could go to.




You know what I'm talkin' bout.


I don't see how anyone can be snooty about Joes...it's just great.

Sound familiar?

So I say it's time to play a new game, New Orleans. The new game demands fairer assessments, because fairer assessments will help unify the city by refocusing attention away from individual property assessments, and upon the crappy city services and schools which are underwritten by community tax dollars. The underassessed crony enclaves in Uptown and other areas can't game the system anymore. They'll have to face the music, because their tax bills will no longer be effectively subsidized by everyone else. They're finally getting hit in the pocketbook, and you can bet that will get their attention.

Halloween Hilarity

We had so much fun on Halloween. Mer was Barbie, I was Aretha Franklin and we dragged Mark out in a sheet with a scarf on his head (he was Yassar Arafar or some facsimile thereof) and we met Schaper, who was a "prisoner" and went down to Boots on Cherokee.

It was awesome.

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.

Another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance.

- Kurt Vonnegut

So, I've been chilling with my grandma a fair amount lately. I'm so lucky to be living in town with her -- I just wanna put her in my pocket. I'm trying to convince her to make my mom, me, my sister and herself matching dresses for Christmas. Can you even imagine? 3 generations, one dress - magic! So silly.

This WWII series on PBS gets me thinkin' - about her, me...and about...um, stuff.

Makes me wanna throw a clog at some heads!

Now, grandma says that we kids don't need to worry about our community when we have our careers to concern us -- but I look at what she and my grandpa did as far as community organizations and just general coaching of baseball teams and leading of girl scout troops (my grandma's a girl-scouting rockstar...I bet she still could make a whole meal from like, stuff gathered in the woods, and would think nothing of it) and I'm thinkin' she was being humble and wise, and perhaps a little unintentionally self-deprecating.

It all just makes the quest for the greatest moijito, the perfect quilted clutch and/or the StL bar that exudes "new york/chicago cool" (whatEVER that is!?!?!) seem just a little silly.

How anyone can see what's going on and not be inspired -- even if its just sending inspired good vibes locally?

Gotsta do good for grandma.

Makes me wondah

Some people are funny. I wish he'd do the second single - the one that rhymes "bed" with "dead" and whose video makes no sense at all, but seems to be some copycat of that one beastie boys video where they wear mustaches and act like cops. Lots of freeze frames, it was cool.

I found this lil' video courtesy of this gent - he lives in a town called New Orleans. He runs a little operation for which I have a great deal of respect. He's an operation running kindof guy, and I like his worldview. I think it is spot on.

I also like his operation's tshirts - though they seem to make people think I'm from New Orleans. Wouldn't be the first time, strangely enough. At school in Philly, everyone seemed to hear "New Orleans" when I said I was from "St. Louis." I'm thinking it was mostly b/c they were from the east coast and get the flyover cities mixed up - it happens. (I even got calls from friends --and seriously bless their hearts -- asking if I was ok after Katrina)

I, myself, know the difference between StL, and say, NOLA -- still, I know some similarities...feel'em at least. I think that's sortof funny, spooky, awesome... powerful, even -- this mississippi river valley connection -- and I'm not the only one drawing this conclusion.

StL, Memphis (where I learned to walk!), NOLA - we should talk.

There's a lot to talk about.


Now lets looks at a cat driving a car!!

Where the news comes first?

My cousin and I like to say that baby boomers are ruining our country. Ok, fine - so its not the actual baby boomers lets say - but whatever's goin' on in some of their minds is makin' me a little angry.

First, the whole 407 E. Argonne -- we hardly knew ye ballyhoo, and now -- Newschannel 5's shut down PubDef on youtube??!?! What is up with The Man, and why can't he not hate, but appreciate? Concerning this Channel 5 business, is it suspicious that this happens just as they're rolling out a new online video center ... or is it just me? I'm no conspiracy theorist and I really hate to be a drama nerd, but there are things that make ya go, "Hmmm" - and this is making me do just that. What is UP with the 4th estate these days?

Hmm.

To think I once memorized that cheezy christmas song they had in commercials as I dreamed of cameramen coming to my school so I could do the "5-1" hand signal!

Hmm!

So ----- humble a weapon as it may be -- certainly nothing compared to shutting down channel 5 news...a comparable rebuff -- it's letter/email time!

Here's the email I've sent to KSDK (and you can bet they'll be getting a stamped envelope with an actual, satisfactual paper letter copy, too! Snailmail represents, goodbye 41 cents.)


Subject: PubDef, Youtube and the news I trust(ed)

I just heard about your channel's part in the removal of the entirety of PUBDef.net's videos from YouTube.

Imagine how many viewers you could've gained to your programs if you'd partnered with Pub Def and given their meticulously local newsmaking a wider audience - paired with your station's reputation and corporate news know-how, what a match it could've been!

Imagine a dialogue complete with criticism as well as praise. Sounds like great news to me.

I'm saddened that instead you've chosen to remove the videos - pushing aside any hope of compromise or even creativity -- and completely shut down what could've been an incredibly rich, comprehensive and fascinating dialogue and really great news.

Would you rethink this? Could you? Have you? You'll have regained this once loyal viewer if you do. We're all better than this YouTube bullying -- especially when the action you've taken is to the detriment of actual, satisfactual NEWS --- news which I recall, comes first at KSKD.

I wish you'd think about what you're saying by not saying anything.

Sincerely,
Lori White

Hmm?

this valley girl gets political

I want to say I don't usually like to take sides much, but as much as I wanna say it - it ain't true! I love taking sides, and I've taken one. In the words of one of my hero's, Jonathan Antin of BravoTV's "BlowOut" -- "...and most importantly, he had perfect hair."




You'll look over to the right there and you'll see John Edwards, a man I'm hoping will be the anti-Clinton/Obama come primary time. Sure, if I think I know who you are, you probably know that my sister is working hard for Mr. JRE in Ottumwa, IA (did I tell you that I met a lady at Starbucks whose entire family was from Ottumwa!? It was zany.)--- but hey, I recently decided that I like Sen. Edwards just for him, and not due to the fact that he's feeding, health-caring, and otherwise keeping my baby sis busy up north. That's nice of him, though!

Basically, I'm tired of corporate politicians, or more specifically politicians run by machines that I don't like. John Edwards(with the possible addition of Biden) seems to be the only guy/gal in the race who's ready to stick it to the man, and who keeps it real.

So far, he's got my vote, whatever his haircut looks like.
Let's see what I can do to get him some more publicity here in the StL - I'm v. v. tired of hearing about Barack.

The Time I Almost Went to Joe's

Darn.

I almost made it to this speakeasy/band venue/? place last night called Joe's Corner. I got the name of the place from a shopowner in the city, and when I called the number to get the 411, I literally had to say, "Jim said to call."

It was about as close as I'll ever come to being a mobster, though there's nothing illegal about it. Maybe I'll come closer though...if I can do it without being a bad guy - I could be a mobster for good. Wait, there aren't girl mobsters are there? I'll think about it. I think some variant of Nancy Drew is as close as I'll get ... yay.

I think my buddy Adam's been there, as this shot leads me to suspect.



I'll do more investigation next thursday.
In the meantime, I'm hoping to hit Sandrinas/see if it exists still this weekend. It sounds old school, and the jukebox alone sounds amazing. You know how I love my jukeboxes. Especially MINE. It's so cool, but it won't mind if I see other jukeboxes - we have a very little jealousy in our relationship.

Cherokee - a friendly street

I did a little drivin' today, as I'm prone to do. Everyone knows when I say I'm running out to get like, a day planner for example, that means I'll be back in a couple hours, with the gas tank a little low.

So I went to Cherokee - I didn't have the energy to visit grouchy Jim of The Purple Cow...I'll have to be grouchy right back about him later, he's a cool guy, you should go see him...but I did finally get to APop records (a little pretentious, but what record store isn't? They didn't have any Smothers Brothers vinyl, so I left empty handed) and to the Black Bear Bakery. I got some fresh foccacia, some samples of the wheat bread, and a brief (as my parking meeter was running, and I only had 12 minutes) convo with the perhaps owner Greg. What a nice fella - used to live in the neighborhood as a kid, said it was really happenin, even then. For some reason I always thought that like, really OLD people were kids runnin' the streets of the then awesome, now blighted city streets, but this guy was barely older than my mom. What up with that? My timeline readjusted, I headed home. It's great to go places and really be able to interact w/ shopkeeps. I dig it.

I also did some interacting with the shoppers, too. It was mid-day wednesday, and the people on the street were out, and they were talkin' at me in that special way people on city streets talk to you, and it was great. I used to go to other areas of the city in high school, and as much as it bothered me then (and bothers me a bit now) -- when the catcalls disappeared in the Loop and in CWE, it seems something jumped the shark, for me at least.

Just a thought? More later.

Marc Broussard doesn't care what flowers mean

Seeing Marc Broussard at Mississippi Nights was a defining moment in my life. For real! His voice always makes me remember how important it is to just run with it. Be young, talented and importantly, be sure you know how funky life can be. I know, Marc!

Marc does justice to this Louisiana Soul vibe (while he still leaves it with a distinct Marc-ness) the way I'd like to do justice to the important things in my life. A lot of people would be afraid to tackle that genre, or lifestyle or position, or whatever. Not Marc, b/c he's got the love! He has come in from the cold, and he's invited me! Am I overreaching, turning Marc's musicality into a metaphor for life? Well, if I believe in the metaphor in the first place, then yeah I am, and in the words of Marc at his last concert, "Ya'll don't even know how funky this sh*t is!"

*This* being life, music, or whatever. (I just watched an Alan Watts short made by the south park animators that's all about dancing to the music of life... I'm annoying the practical cowboy in my brain with all this new wavey business...just listen to marc, and feel me out here)



I believe this is one of his originals (come on, new album, as much as I loved his collection of old soul classics) -- and if you'll allow me a moment of girliness, don't his biceps look really good?

You know what else I like about Marc Broussard? I think I heard somewhere that he promised his grandpa that he'd only write/perform/sing, etc... music that was positive about love/life/etc... no James Morisson "I know I've never bought you flowers - I can't work out what they mean." crap! Don't get me started on that song. You know that girl dumped his british patoot. You don't write a soul song about being afraid of love! It makes my mind explode a bit. Ah, I'm listening to him now and I wanna punch him in the face. Its love you idiot, and even though you seem to think it possible, girls don't like it when you call them from your heart, especially when you tell them, you're willing to "give them a try."
I'm sure, like she's a dinner special? Oh, the salisbury steak? Sure, I'll give it a try.
nooooooo.
See, look at me. A little e-mind explosion.

Marc doesn't care about knowing what flowers mean, and I respect that. You see what Mr. Broussard's voice'll do to a girl? Geez. Next thing you know, I'll be talking about Nick Cassavetes and The Notebook, and the power of believing in love.... so, I'll stop there -- but just for now.