This weekend, Feb. 27

Fri Feb. 27
Bela-Fundraiser for Planned Parenthood (S. 31st), 10 p.m. $5 donation
Boom Boom Room - Flowtribe
Hippo - Mayhem String Band
BoCo - 10 Years

Sat Feb. 28
BoCo - Sammy Kershaw, 7 p.m.
Boom Boom Room - Speakfreely
Hippo - Roosevelt Noise w/ This Orange Four
JavaWerks - Green Lights, 7 p.m.

Sun Mar 1
**BoCo - Keller Williams @ 7 p.m., $20 ... READ MORE

Super easy picnic date

By Glory Fink

It’s so nice outside right now. The sun is shining through my window and I can see the trees gently sway in the breeze. Today is a perfect day for a picnic and the only things stopping me from enjoying it is that I’m still in my jammies (I do my best writing in them, you know) and the fact that no one is available to share a picnic with me. But if I did have someone to join me and I was dressed, this is what I would do in a heartbeat.

Location
Find some shady grass and park it. Try Paul B. Johnson State Park just south of Hattiesburg or the rose garden at USM. Keep in mind that if you’re going to take your sugar dumpling to a public park you probably can’t have any alcohol with you. Not even in the car.

Picnic Supplies
Thick Blanket
Tarp (the ground could be damp)
Your date’s favorite takeout
Drinks (soda, water, wine, ect...)
Napkins or a Paper Towel Roll
Sunscreen/Sunglasses/Wide Brimmed Hats
Cushions for lounging
Bag for trash
Laundry Basket (to carry all this from the car to your ideal spot)

Activities
Cloud Watching
Walk in the Woods
I Spy

Talking Points
Favorite environment/climate to live in i.e., The Mountains, The Beach, Alaska, ect.... Why do you love it so?
Which botanical do you think is most important? Please explain why. (ex., grasses, flowers, trees, seaweed, ect...)
Describe your favorite outdoor memory. Be detailed, tell it as a story. When in doubt start with, “Once upon a time...”

Wanna kick the picnic up a few notches? If renting a boat or a hot air balloon isn’t practical, try making the food special. If you’re interested in these recipes, let me know and I’ll post them.

Menu For Those Who Like To Cook
Carrots & Cherry Tomatoes with your favorite ranch dip
Pita Chips & Hummus (I prefer my homemade recipe but Athenos is good, too)
Grilled Chicken Skewers
Chocolate Chip Cookies (again, I prefer my homemade chocolate chip cookies but if you’re rushed pick up your favorite cookies from a bakery. C’est La Vie on Hardy St. and The Pastry Garden on Walnut Circle are both super yummy!)
Blushing Tropical Sparklers (drinks)

Contingency Plan
If it rains or is too windy, take the picnic indoors to your living room. Since it’s challenging to cloud watch inside your place rent a romantic comedy while you two cuddle up on the floor with your picnic spread.

Romantic Comedy Movie Suggestions
The Wedding Singer (1998)
Say Anything (1989)
When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
Shallow Hal (2001)
There’s Something About Mary (1998)
The Wedding Crashers (2005)
The Forty Year Old Virgin (2005)

When in doubt go with movies starring Vince Vaughn or John Cusack. For the Baby Boomers, you’re probably safe with Billy Crystal, Gene Wilder or Mel Brooks.

If you do try this date outline, please tell me ALLLL about it! Leave a note in the comments section or email me at glory at askglory.com Allow me to live vicariously through your dating adventures. Fill me in on everything from the part where the tree ate her kite to the bit where he forgot to bring a compass and you both were lost in the woods for an hour but found the car just as it was starting to rain. Hey wait, that sounds like the best part in a romantic comedy. Awwww, how sweet!

Much love,
Glory
... READ MORE

Digitize your cigs

Are you still smoking analog? Ugh.

SuperSmoker says its electronic cigarette delivers nicotine through tobacco-flavored vapor without the annoying smoke of a true cigarette, which means "this device can't be placed under the smoking prohibition" that bars smoking on flights. The smokeless cigs were launched in Europe last spring, and now SuperSmoker says it is talking to at least one unnamed airline about allowing the battery-powered butts aboard long-haul flights. It also will be showing off the technology at the Aircraft Interiors Expo next month.

Read full on article Wired ... READ MORE

Kitteh sue

I want a litigious cat! ... READ MORE

This weekend

Fri Feb. 20
BoCo - C4
BBR - Rollin' in the Hay w/ Rooster Blues
Hippo - The Scramblers w/ The Hot Tamales

Sat Feb. 21
BoCo - Dumpstaphunk w/ Swampnoise
Hippo - Face on Mars w/ Before I Hang

Sun Feb. 22
Hippo - Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears

Tues Feb. 24
BoCo - Alcus Hudson Trio & The Glitter Boys
Brownstones - Natalie & Co. (All you can eat red beans & rice, $5)
Hippo - Snarky Puppy (Mardi Gras in Mississippi)

Sat Feb. 28
BoCo - Sammy Kershaw, 7 p.m.

Sun Mar 1
**BoCo - Keller Williams, $20

Save the dates:
- Hubfest, March 28 (Downtown)
- Spring ArtWalk, April 18 ... READ MORE

CNN rules Mark Zuckerberg

I love turning on CNN in the morning to make fun of how much "news" actually comes straight from the Facebook wall feed, not to mention YouTube, et al.
If you watched Obama's signing speech yesterday on CNN, commentary by reporter Rick Sanchez was mostly screen shots of viewers Twitterings throughout the speech. It was multimediapalooza. News stations much have full departments devoted to each of the individual social network sites that really do rule our lives.

But yesterday something positive came out of the melee. In a matter of days, network news caught on to new Facebook groups created to protest the sly Terms of Service changes that would enable fbook to keep our words, pictures, wall posts essentially for ev er.
This morning as a direct result, Mark (I will henceforth call all fbook programmers Mark) has responded with a return to the old TOS plus a new group--hold your scoffs--the Facebook Bill of Rights.
This may not be the first attempt to establish some ground rules about the way the web stores and distributes our absolute worst drunken photos, but it's certainly the most public. After all, that's what we're really afraid of right? Making an ass of ourselves on the www to the wrong person, family member or potential boss?
The next step in social media is either
A) a web community called Alcoholic Photos Anonymous OR
B) a movement toward worldwide PDA: Public Drunk Acceptance. ... READ MORE

Google makes me giddy again

My company wanted to switch from Alltel to CellularSouth to save on a plan for a smartphone.

Even though CellSouth carries a the exact same model as my previous Alltel phone, an LG Glimmer, keeping it was not an option, so I have at last caved and gone the way of the smartphone. But no crackberry for me. I despise those blasted rollerballs.

Instead I ordered the HTC Touch Diamond. I'd call it the feminine counterpart to the iPhone, if phones have gender. Much narrower and better suited to a woman's hand, as the name may imply, the Diamond is also a full touch device running Windows Mobile 6.1.
While I have had a few delayed responses during major multi-task sessions, I blame that on being a Windows machine, not the phone itself. Each application has a fancy user interface. Text messages and photos appear to bounce away as you scroll through them. To zoom, you actually trace a clockwise circle around the area you want to enlarge, counterclockwise to zoom out.
Just as I was making the transition from "new phone" to "the phone I own now," I decided to sync my device to my gmail account, particularly for the calendar feature. Everything is new again. Why would anyone ever sync another way? With Outlook synchronization, you must continually plug in your device or add new information, but Google makes changes from web to phone and vice versa simultaneously.
Oh Google.
And I just learned about the promise of the GDrive, which is a platform that has been a long time coming: no hard drive, just a superfast browser that creates and stores all content online. If it were just any technology group work to develop this platform (will it even be called that?), I'd definitely sit on my heels for the first few years until a company like Google stepped in to iron the kinks. This is even better. Why waste time? ... READ MORE

A story about home repair

The Roofer and The Water Nymph
By Glory Fink

Once upon a time, there was a hard working and honest man whose only weakness lurked behind his pants zipper. One day soon after he and his new bride purchased their first home he was repairing their derelict roof when he spotted a water nymph frolicking in a puddle on top of the house. This man was a great charmer and a fancy took him so he decided to see how far he could charm this nymph. He talked and the nymph flirted. He charmed and the nymph danced her alluring dance. He seduced and the nymph taught him things that most mortal men don't even know enough to fantasize about.

The nymph was quite taken with her man on the roof as he was a very willing and energetic student and when it came time for her to go back to her moist and Eros filled home she instructed him to pack up him belongings and come with her. What she didn’t know was that the man, while he had very little control over his "second brain" his heart was deeply in love with his new bride for in truth they were soul mates. All nymphs with any common sense know that their magic is worthless against the joining of souls. But this water nymph was a selfish and addled brained little thing and her magic boiled and roiled at the thought of his refusal to go with her and continue to pleasure her at her leisure.

Then, in a fit of rage she cursed the man on the roof, the roof of his home and his undeserving young bride. For the nymph believed that no mortal young chit of a girl deserved such an exciting man as the one who was so audaciously turning her generous offer down. She cursed him that no matter how many times he tried to repair the roof it would leak. And every time it leaked, his bride would become exasperated with the roof and its roofer and would complain to him. These constant complaints would remind him every single time of the beautiful water nymph and how he used her and turned her away.

The End

Dearest Husband,
I hope you like this story, I wrote it while thinking of you.

Love,
Your fantastic yet drenched young bride

P.S. It's RAINING in the kitchen and of course the bathroom hallway. Stop screwin' around and patch the roof! ... READ MORE

Blame it on the red

So I forgot to post a calendar for this weekend. But surely everyone was too busy with their s.o. or their anti-vday angst to care. I did have intentions of making it to the N. MS Allstars show but got swept up in the red wagon myself. I'd love to see some pics of the gig if anyone has any to share.

My Valentine's request has been consistent two years running, something sweet from C'est la Vie. My favorite European patisserie did not disappoint. If there were local dessert awards, they would win every time.

Honestly, vday has become like a bad birthday that two people have to share. The gifts are standardized, the colors restricted. Naturally, I look terrible in red. It is kinda funny how Walgreens stacks stuffed bears by the dozens in their display windows, making the whole store look like an oversized Claw arcade game from the outside.

On the subject of canned romance, allow me to make a recommendation. Do not see the movie "He's Just Not That Into You" in theaters. I suggest queing it on Netflix so you can either a) multitask while watching or b)host a girls' night and feel a little less like you just lost 2 hours and $6 bucks with nothing to show for.
There's nothing wrong with this film, not really. I was looking forward to seeing it since the initial previews because I saw myself and my girlfriends in the characters. And for that, the film is very realistic. You or someone you know has done these things.
I also do not recommend taking a guy to this film, even if it is "your turn." You could very well lose all movie picking privileges permanently. You've been warned.
If you are really trying to learn how to tell if he's just not into you, you can actually read the book faster.
... READ MORE

Tough love

How's that for motivation?
Burn those calories and your ex at the same time. Local gyms, I challenge you to be this creative in challenging me to move my ass. ... READ MORE

Coraline by Evan Coffey

Written and Directed by Henry Selick
Starring: Dakota Fanning (Voice)
Rating: 3 1/2 Stars out of 4

The Overture is a cinematic tradition that dates back nearly a century, seen in many classic films of yore (Lawrence of Arabia, Ben-Hur, King Kong, Gone With the Wind, 2001: A Space Odyssey). It was a technique used to allow attentive viewers a glimpse into what the film was to offer; as in classical opera, the music in the overture not only set the tone of the story, but it introduced many of the musical motives which would be used throughout the film. However, many viewers grew tired of being “forced” to listen to music without images to accompany it, and the overture eventually faded away.



In it’s place? The “opening credits”, an art form which, theoretically, offered all that an overture did, and more. With the “opening credits”, filmmakers could take the music found in an overture and juxtapose it with something visually appealing, all while giving credit to the people who made the film. What could be better than that? Unfortunately, however, as public opinion of the professional film critic started to change in the 1970s and 1980s, accordingly, the quality of this ultimate art form, these wondrous “opening credits” dwindled drastically. Viewers wanted explosions, they wanted sex, they wanted gunfire, and they wanted it NOW. Goodbye, overture. Goodbye, tradition. Hello, Terminator 2.

Obviously, however, no tradition is ever completely lost. Even though films with overtures didn’t necessarily bring in the big bucks anymore, and films with extended, aesthetically pleasing opening credits didn’t please the impatient majority, the power of the first five minutes of a film was never forgotten.

Take, for example, the new stop-motion film, “Coraline”, from writer/director Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach). You can tell before a word has been spoken that the film is not your ordinary animated children’s movie. While the music, an intricate blend of women’s voices and a chamber orchestra, plays timidly, a pair of beautiful, delicate skeletal fingers as thin as wire deconstructs and reconstructs a tiny, blue haired doll with buttons for eyes. Within minutes, we come to expect a number of different things: a story which will intrigue and surprise us, a tone slightly darker than one might expect, and some truly incredible animation. Alas, the opening credits have done their job. Now, we move on to the plot.

Coraline and her parents have just moved into their new home, a creaky old building which is anything but welcoming. While her parents drown in work at their computers, the frustrated Coraline is left to her devices, roaming around curiously. Eventually, she comes across a small door (a la “Being John Malkovich”) which leads to another house, a mirror image of the one she’s now living in. In this “parallel universe”, she finds a new set of parents, these much more ideal than her real-life ones. Her “other parents”, as they call themselves, prepare her delicious meals, play her delightful music, and smother her with attention. She goes to bed with a smile and a full stomach.

To her dismay, when she wakes up the next morning, she has returned to her real life and her real parents, and the door has been sealed. She does chores around the house and is perturbed by all of her life’s banality: her neighbors are boring and strange, her parents don’t pay her any mind, and her one and only friend, a nappy-haired boy named “Wybie” grates her nerves. It is no wonder that, at night, when the door is reopened, she returns to the “otherworld” that she loves so dearly.

The second half of the story, much more complex than the first, involves interplay between the two houses and all of the duplicate versions of the “real life” characters. Explaining exactly what happens would not only ruin many of the film’s wonderful surprises, but it would bring this review to an unmanageable -- and unreadable -- length. The important thing to know is that the narrative is linear and there is conflict and resolution; it is, after all, a children’s film.

The fact that “Coraline” IS targeted at children makes it a bit of an enigma to me. While it does have a story which is relatively easy to hang on to, it can be quite complex and multi-faceted at times, with alternate realities and subplots which could prove difficult for many children. Additionally, many of the images are dark and somber in a more cerebral way than those in the stellar, universally appreciated “Wall-E”. But, the most important reason that “Coraline” doesn’t work as a children’s film is its slow pace, due to its deliberate editing, its lack of real action, and its relative lack of music (which is great, when it’s used). There are many pitfalls for children in this film: they can be confused, they can be scared, and (heavens no!) they can be bored.

Fortunately for the more “dignified” (namely, those who have been through puberty), “Coraline” has a great deal to offer. Most evident -- and most impressive -- is the fact that it is an absolute feast for the eyes. Stop-animation is not an easy craft, and the 100 minutes of footage which Henry Selick and his crew have created are absolutely astounding. Based on the novella of the same name by visionary author Neil Gaman (of “Sandman” fame), the film hits you with blow after blow of visceral force, highlighted further by the fact that it bursts out of the screen at you in 3-D (if you are fortunate enough to get a hold of a pair of those ridiculous-looking glasses).

On top of the cornucopia of delights for your eyes, there’s also quite a bit of brain-candy to be savored. As was stated before in regards to children, the story does branch off in a number of different ways with a number of different characters, all with alternate versions of themselves. The tale wraps around itself, coming back only after it has given viewers plenty of twists and turns that are proof of great imaginations at work.

So, we’ve got a tone darker than most (no children allowed!), a story which intrigues and surprises (Neil Gaman strikes again), and incredible animation (just wait ‘til you see the “other” garden!): Successful opening credits? Check.

While “Coraline” may not turn out to be a smash at the box office, it seems like a film that will surely accrue a cult following over time, just like the equally delightful “Nightmare Before Christmas”. It is a unique experience in the best of ways, and it's the first great film of 2009. ... READ MORE

Take her out !

Last night we had the opportunity to see Taken. I'm sure it would have been the perfect movie had it not for the lady next to me who not only smelled like a Chinese buffet, but was fanning herself with an envelope sending the smell my direction and kept interjecting "Get him boy, get him! Shoot him right between the eyes!"

(The smell was precisely that which I had imagined when Jerry's car took on the BO of a generous valet.)

Needless to say I was a bit distracted.

After watching a movie with a fair amount of violence, I wanted to wait around for her afterwards and rough her up a bit.
I hate it when I think the wiser.

I do recommend the movie but it's worth it to sit in crappy seats where you are the only two on the row to avoid theater rage. ... READ MORE

This weekend, Feb. 6

Fri Feb. 6
BoCO - Blackstone Cherry w/ Steadlur
*BBR - Superjam with John Gros of Papa Grows Funk, Jeff Mills and Vasti Jackson
Hippo - Zelazowa w/ Makeshift Lover
*T-Bones - Rad Music/Gold Smile Music (Will Poynor of The Squirms), 8 p.m.

Sat Feb. 7
BoCo - Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band
BBR - Rooster Blues w/ Thomas Jackson Orchestra
*Hippo - Legendary Shackshakers
*T-Bones - Daniel Schroeder with Cody Ruth (jazz), 8 p.m.

Sun Feb. 8
*BoCo - Benjy Davis Project w/ Pat McGee & Ernie Walter
*T-Bone - This Frontier Needs Heroes (NYC indie), 4 p.m.


Save the date: Keller Williams @ BoCo March 1
Tickets here. ... READ MORE

Happy New Year / I wear a watch?

"Can you believe I got Happy New Year'd today? It's February."
"I once got Happy New Year'd in March."
"It's disgusting."
"It's pathetic."
- Elaine & Jerry, discoursing on late New Year's greetings.

At the first of January, you get to express your ambitions and make lists of all the things you'd like to accomplish. Come February, it should be tradition to reassess all your failed resolutions: be nicer, be meaner, be on time, etc.

Throughout high school, some college and on into the early days post graduation and pre-adulthood (where I'll remain for eternity), I had a bit of a timeliness issue. I didn't approve of my high school on many levels, and so I didn't like the message that showing up on time projected, god forbid being early. Yes, I rode my high horse straight to detention many an afternoon.

Other times I was "fashionably" late, not because I wanted to make a grand entrance.. but because my overly-styled ass took a minimum of an hour and a half to get ready. At the age of 14, my time management skills were less than Olympic. And they never really improved until a couple of years ago, after I became more involved with the planning of organized events. I came to despise latecomers while I still was one, unable to overcome my own bad habit.

It did not help that I have refused to wear a watch my entire life. Something has always been overly poignant to me about wearing the time and watching it tick by... until two days ago when I ordered this little guy.
For $24, I can put my existentialist doubts aside. I do have one question: Does wearing a watch that you actually attempt to read make you a grown-up?

Yes, it's analog, but I've been practicing and there are some real benefits.
(More on that here.)
I have made myself obsolete in a single week. I've got an old skool watch and a new skool phone, and I can't operate either one. ... READ MORE