1.30.2010

Disney Closes Miramax: In Memorium Their Top 10 Films

1. Amelie, 2001

2. City of God, 2002

3. Clerks, 1994

4. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, 2007

5. Kids, 1995

6. Life is Beautiful, 1997

7. No Country for Old Men, 2007

8. Pulp Fiction, 1994

9. The Queen, 2006

10. The Station Agent, 2003

1.29.2010

Beauty Fixer Upper: Taupe Nail Polish

Who doesn't love an affordable and incredibly achievable trend? I for one cannot get enough of fashion updates that are easy and don't break the bank. This is why I'm so obsessed with accessories at all price points. How else can you look super hip and buy something either high or low end and wear it many times while all along lowering your cost per wear? 

This, my friends, is my kind of fashion economics because while you may not be able to rationalize those $200 boots, you can if you break down the cost per wear:  if you wear them 20 times/month throughout winter that's a whopping 80 wears over a 4 month period a la those boots' cost per wear = $2.50. Not too shabby right? Well, imagine this breakdown with a $9 bottle of nail polish. It can get down to cents per day. I rest may case.

So, next time you balk at my nail polish obsession you do the math. It's a recession worthy fashion investment with very few financial repercussions. My obsession du jour? Taupe nail polish. Even though I bought it a while ago and my fashionable coworkers said, "It looks like grandma polish." 

Well gang, if I've said it once I've said it one hundred times: If it's on Who.What.Wear then it must be cool. Not tooting my own horn. I am just saying you should get some & wear it because it's basically the new OPI Bubble Bath only more edgy and just as neutral, so there.

New Justice Courtresy of RandallM @ Austin RiffRaff



New single from Justice- Beginning of the End








-



1.28.2010

Case Study in Stereotypes: I'm Going Brunette!



After spending the last 23 years of my life as a blonde (born toe headed then wicked adolescence forced me to highlight my hair) I've always wondered if blondes really do have that special something-something... And what about brunettes, some of my most beautiful and gregarious friends are brunettes... Well, friends I plan on giving you the full scoop very, very soon.



I'd be lying if said that I am even remotely a natural blonde at this point in my life. At one time my roots could go untouched for months - that is not so much the case now - and after watching celebrity after celebrity go dark and look gorgeous (Rachel McAdams to name one) I've wondered what if I embraced my roots. Literally.

I had to ask myself and my hair dresser: what if I only know myself as a blonde? Do I identify my looks as being blonde based? The answer is probably yes. The good news is that I can always highlight my way back into the blonde gods' favor. 

I just feel that it is time for a change that really pulls me together. For instance, my friend in college (Decadence on a Dime contributor Kate Thompson) cut her long hair to a chin skimming bob and it looked killer. For nearly 3 years it has made her look so polished and pulled together plus it takes half  the time to style. I am looking for such an "aha" moment. 



So, I scoured the internet for brunettes that weren't too dark and weren't too contrived. I saw just about everything and finally decided that I would go with the lovely Natalia Vadinova's color (yes, the fact that she's in Vogue with P. Diddy right now looking amazing might have had something to do with my choice).


The color, pictured here, is somewhat like my natural color, I think, (according to my stylist, Franchiska at Jose Luis), but will look even lovelier because it has more depth. That's a nice way to say this is your natural hair color but prettier. 

So, wish me luck! My appointment is scheduled for next Tuesday and I am excited & frantic all at once. 

Hopefully my after picture won't be so excruciating that I can post it...

Gorillaz New Song & New Look from Plastic Beach



There is rarely a time when a Gorillaz song comes on and I am not in the mood - no matter how many times I've heard it. That's why I'm pretty excited for their new album.



Curious at all about their new music?



Listen to their new single here.

5 Ways the Apple iPad Could Change e-Books

4:29 pm Wednesday Jan 27, 2010 by Toby Warner, Flavorwire
Now that we’ve left the hall of mirrors that was the Apple-tablet rumor mill, we can finally take a deep breath and ask: What’s up with the iPad? (Seriously, we’re really all gonna call it that?) Seeing as we’re avid readers, let’s shake our magic eight ball and ask what it might mean for e-books. Our take after the jump.


iBookstore pricing
From screenshots at least, it looks like the iBook store might have variable prices for e- (sorry, i-) books. This is a shot across the bow for Amazon, which has been fighting book publishers over e-book price points. Amazon likes $9.99, but publishers are used to charging upwards of 20 bucks for a hardback. The screenshots seem to indicate the iBookstore could meet somewhere in the middle for new releases. The tiff with Amazon has gotten so bad that certain publishers have started delaying the releases of their ebooks to avoid cannibalizing their hardback sales. (There’s been some speculation that Amazon is fighting back by hitting those same books with dozens of one-star ratings.) Not coincidentally, the publishers who were dragging their heels with cheaper ebooks are some of the same ones lining up early for the iBook store, including Hachette and Simon and Schuster. The way we’ve heard it, this is not just about price. Ebooks are a relatively small section of the book market right now, but they’re growing very fast. And if Amazon ends up as the primary distributor and sets the prices for ebooks — well, that leaves publishers pretty scared they’ll be cut out. On the other hand, everyone who saw what the iPod did to CD sales would caution that the iPad might not be the messiah many in book publishing clearly want it to be. But — for now — it looks like the iBook store may allow publishers more say in setting the prices of ebooks. Which puts Amazon’s marketshare squarely in Apple’s sights.

The iPad uses an open-source format for books
The iBookstore will sell content in the most commonly accepted open ebook format, EPUB. The Kindle store uses a proprietary format called AZW. Sounds like Apple’s coming down on the side of open source, right? Well, not so fast. It’s not yet clear whether you could load up a PDF you “found” into the iBook reader (as you can with the Kindle), or whether you’ll be stuck getting all your content from the iBookstore. It’s also still sketchy whether buying books in an EPUB format from the iBookstore means they’ll be readable on other ereading devices by the likes of Sony, Barnes and Noble, etc, or whether Apple has some sort of DRM of its own. But if Apple is really committing to selling DRM-free ebooks, that could put a lot of pressure on Amazon and everyone else to adopt the standard. That might bring the publishing world a whole lot closer to its own mp3 era.

It’s got a real screen
The iPad features a 9.7” high-res screen, not an e-ink display like many other e-readers. It remains to be seen whether that large display and the accompanying 1GHz processor will make reading books on a screen more palatable to consumers. But it does open the possibility of full-color ebooks.

There’s buy-in from publishers — the big ones, at least
HarperCollins, Penguin, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan, and Hachette Book Group are among the publishers who are on board at this time, and the NY Times speculates that Random House can’t be far behind. This is a good sign that the iBook store will have robust initial content. What else would we like to see? More involvement from indie publishers, too. Sure, the iTunes store is great and all, but for the first few years especially, it leaned heavily on the major labels, spurring the growth of independent distribution sites like emusic. Can we expect the same for ebooks?

It’s 500 bucks
It looks like one of the goals of all those controlled leaks was to set expectations for a thousand-dollar device, only to reveal a base model at about $499 (with 3G). To put that in perspective, a Kindle or a Nook will cost you about $259. Could a more expensive but more full-featured device kickstart ebooks?

1.27.2010

Obsession du Jour: Design Porn

Just let the inspiration flow...

epstein_vertebrae1_600_800
Vertebrae Necklace by Molly Epstein [via MAKE]

6a00d834cad15053ef0120a73703b6970b-800wi
Debra Baxter’s Crystal Brass Knuckles [via my love for you is a stampede of horses.]
hyacinth01
Hyacinth 01 by Alidra Alic [via Cool Hunting]

See more of Flavorwire's Design Porn here. I frickin love this website. It's the best way to spend an hour at work not actually working, in my opinion, enriching yourself.

The Genuine Gentleman Strikes Again

Well Ladies, this has been a long time coming but the Genuine Gentleman is back with a little St. Valentine’s Day advice.


In response to a question emailed to the Genuine Gentleman by Hackie Jamilton “With Valentine's Day coming up, what would be some great gifts to buy for boys?” I give you the following advice!


This is a question that may be easily answered depending on how you feel about Valentine’s Day.


If you are a lady who feels that buying something for your man is an expression of love then please go ahead a buy him something. Chances are he needed it or you thought he needed it (which means he needed it)!


Secondly, in response to Hackie’s question, there are a few other options that might be more appreciated by your man:


· Something Sexy – You know what I mean.

· Something Delicious – Get in the kitchen and show him your domestic side

· Something Thoughtful – We can be sensitive. Make this a gift from the heart.

· Something Awesome – There is a story behind this but it may just be an urban legend – Combine all three of the previous. Wear something sexy while cooking a delicious and thoughtful yet naughty meal.


Any of these options will make this his favorite V-Day ever!


One more word of advice, do not buy him anything that will keep him occupied for the evening. This includes: video games, electronics, music, musical instruments, or a new animal. Any of these items are like giving a kid some new Lego’s (add those to the list also).


Happy Valentine’s Day Ladies!

1.25.2010

LCD Soundsystem

Puhlease Take Me to Coachella


Buy tickets and make me totally jealous here.

The Cool Canadian Tuxedo

 

Sorry I have been so MIA on the trend spotting, but some days I actually have to attend to my paying job. Alas, such is life. 









Well friends, the wait is over for my latest obsession du jour: a Chambray shirt. For those of you that don't speak the frivolous fashion lingo that's fancy-talk for denim. I know I cannot believe it either, but I want a denim shirt. Surprisingly, it is right on par with spring's denim trend and looks spot on with a par of black skinny jeans & boots or flats worn with either low key or over the top accessories. It's basically the new white shirt. You can wear it with anything, hell, it's jeans for  the top half of your bod.



Luckily for us people in the real world, this is a trend that is easily replicated by outfitters of both the high and low brow as long as the fit is right. Banana Republic (top left), JCrew (bottom left)and even the people at Intermix (right)are hoping on the denim bandwagon.

Cheap, Good Massages

For those of you who are in desperate need of a massage and are unfamiliar with Massage Harmony please consider using this coupon. For first time people the rate for 1 hr is $39! with this that makes it $34! This is not a membership only special this place just has really good prices.



And the massages are REALLY, REALLY good. I am partial to the one (above) where they stand on you... Happy Monday.

1.22.2010

1.21.2010

Grizzly Bear + Allison Schulnik = Magic

Daily Dose Pick: Allison Schulnik
1:44 pm Wednesday Jan 20, 2010 by Shana Nys Dambrot
Allison Schulnik’s gravity-defying oil paintings and mesmerizing claymation video for Grizzly Bear’s “Ready, Able” show she’s not afraid to get her hands dirty in the name of art.
Impressively, the LA-based painter had to switch to metal-reinforced linen when the sheer weight of her works’ mounds of oil pigment proved too hefty for traditional canvas. Favoring storylines about noble-hearted wanderers and adopted strays, she fleshes out her subjects’ inner lives with paint, putty, tenderness, and divine excess.
Visit Schulnik’s official website, check out her LA exhibition, read a recent interview, and learn how to make your own claymation video.

1.20.2010

Tips for a Happier 2010 from NYMag.com

“When you’re in an elevator, put down the BlackBerry and engage in small talk. There is simply no social-networking site that can replace that connection.” —Faye Rogaski, Professor of Communications, NYU

1.19.2010

Kellie Lee is Awesome


By Jordan Jeffus, Austin, Texas

Alright party people, I’m back with an artist that I want everyone to check out. Her name is Kellie Lee and she is awesome. I’m not jus’ sayin’ that because she’s my cousin, either…

Kellie isn’t your stereotypical artist. In 2006, she left Texas for some California air and a vision of becoming famous (she’s been acting like a rock star her whole life).

Wasting no time to share her raw, emotional and honest sound, she began
booking local coffee shops, bars and small venues in Orange County. Kellie signed to Steel Records soon after she landed in California and started working on her first solo album, “Stereo type,” which was released Jan 2, 2010. I got to go to her CD release party in WF over Christmas and it was hella fun. She’s got a Sheryl Crow-esque sound that’s both familiar and fresh.

Kellie’s played with artists such as Cody Shaw and the Rhythm Boys, Austin-based artist Graham Wilkinson and James Mcmurtry, WideAwake and Dan Dyer.

Check out her music at www.myspace.com/kellielee. Or event better, go
buy it. Check out www.steelrecordsusa.com/shopkellielee for a list of links.

1.15.2010

HAPPY FRIDAY: SNL Jeopardy Reunion

1.14.2010

Daily Dose of Inspiration: Long Exposure Photographs




See the rest of the spell binding lot here on Smashing Tips, a design blog.

The Worst National Disaster Ever


By Jackie Hamilton, Austin, Texas


In the wake of the recent earthquake in Haiti, I have been channeling my inner Cher Horowitz (from Clueless, in case you weren’t allowed to watch PG-13 when we were all 11) and trying to help out (party with the Haitians) in every way I can. While I would love more than anything to pick up and fly to Haiti to volunteer myself, unfortunately, I don’t think my landlord will share my sentiment when I am unable to pay rent this month due to my lack of paid work.

So, I have researched the next best thing which is to donate to charities from my office cubicle (sigh). Below is a list of credible aid organizations where any amount donated is most appreciated:


· The American Red Cross are accepting online donations of any amount through their website or they can accept $10 donations, charged to your cellphone bill, by texting HAITI to 90999.


· Doctors Without Borders have set up sites for their Haiti efforts.


· Haitian-born musician Wyclef Jean has harnessed Twitter to gather support for his Yele Haiti Earthquake Fund, which also offers $5 text message donations.


· Save the Children is focusing on children and families and taking truly grass roots actions like sending out motorbike teams to help people in the capital.


So, please consider donating something today because in the words of Cher, “It's like that book I read in the 9th grade that said "'tis a far, far better thing doing stuff for other people."

1.13.2010

You are going to DIE when you read this...

Revenge, Facebook Style:

Brother 1, Sister 0

I’ve been laughing for the past 3 minutes about this. SoJones family, if your sibling gets on your very last nerve and you have some juicy blackmail material on them, what do you do?

The picture below explains everything, but let me tell you what happened in short:

Chris hides beer in his bedroom (we assume he’s underaged). Sister snitches on him. “asian parents are [f*ing] strict” as he explains, and they subsequently ground him for three months.

Infuriated and looking to get back at his sister, Chris subsequently discovers her very graphically detailed notes entitled “My hook up list” which describes her goals and aspirations for getting down with 10 different individuals, some of whom are crossed off aka “mission accomplished”. So what does dear brother do with this scandalous material?

He of course scans and posts it on his Facebook account. Tags hella people on it, including named “targets” who quickly find and comment on.

the-letter.jpg

And now, for my personal highlights of this whole fiasco:

1. Adrian’s response-It’s one thing to hear a rumor of a girl liking you, but to see your admirer’s hook up list, then REJECT her by saying “note to self: do not hook up with Katie”, well that’s a bigtime fail!

2. The deadline- Katie wants to get all the bow-chicka-wow-wow done by April 2010. Who’s in charge of project managing this deadline? Even hoes have ambitions!

3. “If he cuts his hair I’ll give him a blowjob”- Nothing like a quick cut and BLOW dry. Heh.

4. Brother Chris ends the commenting exchange with “I <3>- Katie can’t say anything to that even if she tried. Chris FTW!

Katie, I hope you find peace after being publicly humiliated. Unfortunately, this caper will linger around you like a bad smell through high school and college. It will find you during job interviews and will hang on your leg like the bad guy in a movie as you climb the career ladder. Your future husband will see it and probably your kids too.

A lesson for the rest of us on Facebook: don’t leave evidence of your freaky ways lying around or else lock your room!

What would you do if your brother or sister did this to you?

Let’s hear your comments of revenge and karmic retribution in the comments!

True Fashion for 2010: Abstract Prints

Abstract prints were all over the runways of the Spring 2010 shows, but you don't have to wait until it's warm to rock this fresh take on the futuristic.

Go big with heels and textured tights or go demure and choose black ankle boots and let the print do the talking.



Can you tell which of these prints is expensive?

Blouse by Forever21

1.12.2010

The Whalers TONIGHT @ Red Eye Fly

Come out tonight and support a local up and coming band, the Whalers. Let their sultry rock & roll sounds snap you out of your mid-week lull and remind you why you live and work in the best city in all of the U.S. of A.

WOXY Best Of The SXSW Lounge 2009 CD


2009 was another great year for music in the WOXY Lounge. And it was another great year for our Lounge Act sessions at SXSW 2009 as well. We were back at EAR Studios again this year for a whopping 27 live sessions. We put together a quick batch of some of our favorites from our week at EAR earlier this year, and zipped it up for you to download. Enjoy!

Get the track-listing and individual songs at The Futurist

WOXY Best Of SXSW 2009 - (Full Album ZIP file Download)

All songs recorded by James Stevens at EAR studios in Austin, Texas.

How to Fake Like You’ve Listened to Animal Collective


Friday Jan 8, 2010 by Stelios Phili

After the massive success of “Stereotyping People By Their Favorite Indie Bands,” we take another cue from the great Lauren Leto, this time inspired by her article on “How to Fake Like You’ve Read Dostoevsky.” Much like the knowledge that “Dostoevsky got exiled to Siberia because he’s a badass motherf*cker” will get you through a pal’s snooty MFA mixer, this handy dandy guide on Animal Collective will enable you to engage with the most rabid and literate of Animal Collective fans. Let the faking begin.

1. Being a true Animal Collective fan is to not actually like Animal Collective.Person Pitch (2007) is the best album of the decade, that you enjoyed its whimsical spaciousness and unlikely choice of samples. The subtext is as follows: “I’ve listened to so much Animal Collective that I am post-Animal Collective. Now make me a sandwich.” That is, you must claim to enjoy the side projects of Animal Collective more than the band itself. Say that Panda Bear’s sophomore album,

2. Know your Deakin. Animal Collective has four members: Panda Bear, Geologist, Avey Tare and Deakin. The thing is, they seem to take their “collective” title literally, and not all band members contribute to every release. For instance, the last album Deakin played on was 2007’s Strawberry Jam, and he is currently in Africa working on his own project. So, you’ll want to acknowledge the “sonic shift” that occurred after his departure and feign resentment. “They really started to move away from traditional instrumentation once Deakin left…now they look like a bunch of DJ’s on stage…it wasn’t always like that. I miss him.” Inevitably, you will have to hypothesize about his absence on Merriweather Post Pavilion. Say it was drug-related.

3. Geologist is nicknamed Geologist because someone thought he was studying geology at Columbia University. He never actually studied geology. For a humorous aside, say something like, “Still, it’s sort of appropriate because he looks like Geodude, a rock type Pokemon.”

4. Your favorite Animal Collective album is NOT Merriweather Post Pavilion.Strawberry Jam is held with similar regard. When talking about these albums, explain that you understand their commercial viability with this little ditty: “Yeah, I definitely see why people liked those albums, the vocals were really upfront in the mix.” If you are asked about your favorite Animal Collective record, think before you speak. IT IS A TRICK QUESTION. Remember point 1? “Personally, I enjoy Panda Bear’s Person Pitch, though I suppose you can’t really consider it an Animal Collective album, despite the obvious similarities.” But if you must pick an AnCo release, go with the early, obscure albums with weird titles: Here Comes the Indian and Spirit They’ve Gone, Spirit They’ve Vanished work nicely. This is the favorite album of entry-level AC listeners.

146944.146724.merriweather_0

5. Notice that in “faking it” to Animal Collective, you rarely, if ever, talk directly about their music. This is not a mistake. A conversation with an AC fan is never about the music. In fact, it’s not even a conversation — it’s a competition. The goal is to prove that your enjoyment of AC is more authentic than that of your buddy. Achieve this through thinly veiled insults. “Oh…’My Girls’ is your favorite song? If I hadn’t heard anything else from the Animal Collective discography, that would be my favorite song too! We have so much in common.”

This is a Really, Really Smart Idea


Tabbed Out

An app that picks up the bill

Running a bar-tab's problematic: closing out can take forever, and there's always the risk someone uses it to buy the bar a round of shots, a move credit card companies might call "priceless", but that you consider "really, really expensive". Saving you time and worry, Tabbed Out.
Thrillist - Tabbed Out
The brainchild of an Austin-based theft-prevention software specialist, TO is a free-download app that allows you to remotely close out tabs by sending point-of-sale systems the credit-card info stored on your iPhone using 256-bit AES encryption, which apparently is a whole lot of encryption. To start a tab, just select from the list of participating bars/restaurants and flash your server the generated code; using the "bill details" tab you can monitor the mounting damage throughout the night, then, at the point where another gin & tonic becomes counterproductive/legally unattainable, add a tip and press "Pay" (or take advantage of not having to lock eyes with the bartender, and prickishly press "Pay"). If you're expensing the night, or are the the last man on Earth to actually balance your checkbook, upon request they'll email a copy of your receipt; either way, each use comes with a $0.99 convenience charge, a figure cunningly arrived at because it's 1-cent less than a dollar.
As for bars/restos, it's totally free to enroll, with current beta-testers including east-side notables (Shangri-La, East Side Showroom, Rio Rita), fancier eateries (Jeffrey's, Cipollina), West 6th watering holes (Annie's West, Kung Fu Saloon), and downtown music venues like Mohawk and Beerland -- a vacation to which you might consider priceless, even though your HMO deems it really, really expensive.

1.11.2010

Kaki Gaines' Necklace at the People's Choice Awards

Remember this...

ATTN: Kaki Gaines submitted a necklace design to the 2010 People's Choice Awards show competition and is now one of three nationwide finalists chosen. The necklace with the most votes from the people wins and is manufactured, becomes part of jewelry designer Kendra Scott's collection, and is worn at the People's Choice Awards red carpet event in Los Angeles in January! So please take two seconds to vote (you can vote once every 24 hours until October 4th) by clicking on this link below. By voting, you automatically are entered to win a trip to the People's Choice Awards in January! Her necklace is the one with turquoise and gold with black detail.

Well, SHE WON!!! Check out the pic below of Queen Latifah wearing her masterpiece...

1.07.2010

Austin Free Week

January 1st - 10th

Looking to spend less in the New Year? Then Austin, put your wallets away and prepare to rock out for 10-days straight at no cost during Austin’s Free Week January 1st through January 10th.

For the past couple of years, Free Week has hosted an array of local music artists to make up for the lack of touring artists around this time of the year. Free Week has since become the local version of SXSW.

This year’s rock fest will have over 100 bands performing during Free Week at local venues such as Red 7, Mohawk and Deville. Prepare to bar-hop from venue to venue.

Free Week started at Emo's six years ago by Graham Williams of Transmission Entertainment, and since then, has grown to be what it is today.

For more information with schedules and locations, please visit Transmission Entertainment.

GAME DAY: Hook 'Em!

1.06.2010

$.99 Which Wich Day Courtesy of Maggie's Austin

Head to Which Wich immediately for customer appreciation day! I may have posted this too late for lunch, but Which Wich stays open until 10pm. 7 Austin locations. Enjoy!

My 99 cent Club, minus the ham

www.whichwich.com

Read more of Maggie's Austin here.