Dirty Car Art

This is one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Scott Wade, an artist in Austin, TX, re-creates masterpieces of art on dirty windshields. It is absolutely amazing. Here's the link for his site.

Psst! Carrots! Carrots!

So we went to see The Drowsy Chaperone tonight. I had seen it previously in NYC with Sutton Foster and the original Man-in-Chair so I didn't think it could get any better. The touring cast was excellent, one of the best I've ever seen, but that wasn't the best part. The best thing ever was that the Man-in-Chair was Jonathan Crombie aka Gilbert Blythe (sigh) . I have loved him since Anne of Green Gables. I mean it's Gilbert freaking Blythe! I was obsessed with Anne of Green Gables when it was on PBS on Sunday nights (circa 1986) so the chance to see him in real life was just too much. Plus, he was absolutely phenomenal as the Man. Now if I can just find where Megan Follows went off to...

Six Degrees Could Change the World

My brother gave my dad this DVD for Father's Day. It should be required viewing for every inhabitant of this planet. National Geographic explores the theory that the Earth's average temperature could rise by 6 degrees Celsius by the year 2100. It examines one degree at a time and the consequences of these rising temperatures on our planet. It seems something out of a blockbuster movie and includes a few hokey special effects but it does make you think about how close we are to a global crisis. A must-see for all those who think global warming is nothing but a left-wing conspiracy.

As the World Turns

David Fisher, an architect in Italy, has unveiled his plans for 'dynamic towers' where each floor fully rotates at least once an hour. The first two buildings will be built in Moscow and Dubai. The penthouses will rotate on voice activation and the rest of the building will follow suite. They will be dynamic just like nature--changing with the weather, with the sun, etc. These will be amazing projects to watch. Just get a couple of flying cars and the future is here.

For the full article.

If I were the ice cream man...

While living in Provo, D. and I fell in love with these Haagen-Dazs Raspberry Vanilla Sorbet & Yogurt bars. They are awesome--they have 90 calories and no fat. I couldn't find them for a couple years so I figured they stopped making them, but I found them the other day. You can buy them at Whole Foods and Walmart (cheaper at Walmart but your conscience will feel better if you buy them at Whole Foods). My recommendation for an excellent summer treat!

If you're jonesing for some chocolate try the Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches, those are really good. (Especially the chocolate/peanut butter ones.)

If you don't like either of these recommendations try Dryer's Lime Bars or drive yourself to DQ or Arctic Circle and get a dipped cone.  

I love going to cupcake shops in every city I visit: Billy's and Buttercup in NYC (and Magnolia), Sprinkles in Newport Beach, Hummingbird Bakery on Portobello Road and Cupcakes in Chicago. So far, nothing's beat the Mint Hot Chocolate cupcake from Cupcakes in Chicago. Now Salt Lake is getting in on the cupcake craze. Here are four recommendations for cupcakes in SLC:

1. So Cupcake - 3939 S. Highland Drive (East side of the street, tucked back)
2. Mini's Cupcakes - 14 E 800 South (Between State and Main across from Sears)
3. Cafe Niche - 779 E 300 S
4. Madeleine's - 216 E 500 S

Let me know what you think!

The Rocker (2008) Trailer

Dwight K. Schrute as a washed-up rock star? Sign me up!

Gone to that big white board in the sky...

Ah, Tim Russert, how I will miss you. You made watching presidential elections bearable and this one's going to be a doozy. How I will miss you and your little white board in the wee hours of the night, giving us all the possible outcomes. How I will miss your objectivity on Meet the Press and your awaited second book. You'll be missed...

Book Order Posters

Remember when you were in elementary school and they would do those Troll book orders? I LOVED those. In 5th grade we would order all those creepy R.L. Stine books and trade them around. The best part about the book orders is when you ordered a certain amount, you got a free poster. It was usually of kittens or puppies. When I was in high school K. found a whole stack of old book order posters and she put them up all over the building. Sadly students, teachers and custodians alike thought they were real decor and they were left up for many months until the eventual demolition of the old East High School. There was one particular poster of kittens as Romeo & Juliet that I particularly miss (I think it was by Jenny Shaw's locker). 

Human Tetris

So this is the next import from Japan? I don't know how they'll top Most Extreme Challange.

Brideshead Revisited Trailer

Emma Thompson + period drama  = fabulous movies (i.e. Sense and Sensibility, Howard's End and Remains of the Day.) Plus, it has Matthew Goode (who you will remember as the tasty Secret Service agent in Chasing Liberty). It looks like they've taken some artistic license and deviated from the book, but I'm still hoping it will be good. Emma rarely lets me down.

For Your Summer Viewing Pleasure

So, I know you're looking for something to watch this summer. If you're going to watch TV, steer clear of the reality drivel and watch The Closer on TNT or Army Wives on Lifetime or Psych on USA. If you're looking for good TV on DVD to watch I have some suggestions. First of all make sure you've seen Alias and 24. If you've watched those then here are some Must-See shows in no particular order:

1.  Arrested Development (you can borrow them from me)

2. Brothers & Sisters 

3. Veronica Mars 

4. Mary Tyler Moore (still classic 30 years later)

5. 30 Rock

If you're online a lot I recommend watching shows on Hulu www.hulu.com . They have tons of great shows both old and new. If you need to catch up on The Office or want to watch old eps of News Radio this is an awesome site. 

My Mr. Knightley...

Why isn't Jeremy Northam a bigger star? I watched the Kate Beckinsale-version of Emma last week and that Mr. Knightley is neither as good nor as hot as Jeremy Northam's Mr. Knightley. He'll always be my Mr. Knightley. 

I got The Tudors from Netflix last week. It's received great reviews and I love historical "fiction" so I thought I would probably enjoy it. It's well acted and staged if not historically accurate. I didn't really buy Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Henry VIII, he's too small (at least Eric Bana is so smokin' hot as Henry VIII in The Other Bolelyn Girl that I didn't care that they completely deviated from the book).  I digress, the standout performance in the show is Jeremy Northam as Sir Thomas More. He is awesome. Oscars should be lining this man's mantle. I hope he is nominated for and wins an Emmy. I also hope that he finally is catapulted into that upper echelon of stardom that he deserves. He's great in Gosford Park, Happy, Texas, Possession, and of course Emma, if you're looking for a fix. 

FYI - Sam Neill is also stellar in The Tudors as Cardinal Wolsey (just incase Tina-Marie is reading this).

Magnum, is that you?

So a few months ago J. was shaving his beard to prepare for a job interview. He knows how I feel about mustaches and had his fiancee A. take a photo of his cheesy mustache just for me. Thanks a lot! I don't think it'll help him land a job, unless he wants to be a Utah Highway Patrolman. Leave the mustaches to Magnum P.I., buddy...