Sayulita, Nayarit Mexico

The Mister and I will be on vacation January 3 - 10th. We'll be in Puerto Vallarta and Sayulita Mexico, this is our third trip to this area; we're in love!

Stay tuned for photos!

Wild Wilderness - First Thursday of 2010

Celebrate the First Thursday of the new decade with artwork by Julia Green at Flying M Coffeehouse. She makes my heart leap!

Jesus vs. Santa (The Spirit of Christmas)

Jesus vs. Santa is one of two animated shorts that Trey Parker and Matt Stone created in the mid-90s, later becoming the "South Park" series on Comedy Central.

This was the very first thing I had seen come from "South Park" - in about 1996, a friend showed me this animation (which at the time was groundbreaking and complete adulterated awesomeness) on a bootleg VHS tape. This tape made its rounds, it was showed to many friends, usually after bong rips.

Jesus vs. Santa, for me, is a Christmas cult classic, right up there with A Christmas Story and Scrooged.

So, Merry Christmas, if that is what you believe - and

Happy Last Friday of the Decade!

The Garden of Earthly Delights Ravages The Eagles Bldg.

The Garden of Earthly Delights (a.k.a. "Millennium") is a Medieval painting by Netherlandish artist Hieronymus Bosch.

This triptych shows biblical scenes, and tells a story about the choices humans make - and the eternal consequences to such choices.

I'm likening this painting to my office holiday party this year, as 16 of the party-goers became ill afterwards. We're not positive if it was influenza, H1N1, food poisoning, or the favored gastroenteritis. All we do know is this: fun and happy times were shared by friends and colleagues. We ate, drank, and were merry. Then, Hell took over and tortured the living shit out of us.

Fortunately - it seems only to be lasting a day or two.

Click the link for a finer view: The Garden of Earthly Delights

The Magnitude of the Continental Divide

This is a beautiful video that harmoniously animates illustration and graphic design. Thanks for sending this to me Geoff!

The Magnitude of the Continental Divides from Chris Coleman on Vimeo.

"The Magnitude of the Continental Divides" is an animation exploring the ways we define ourselves and our nations. It is a journey between many locations in various states of withdrawal and aggression. Borders become weaponized and damage is always dealt from afar. The individual is caught in the midst, unable to separate themselves, unable to define identity without place.

Great Movies!

I'm not going to critique any of these films - other to say that I enjoyed each of them and that I hope you get the opportunity to see them too!

Fantastic Mr. Fox, Wes Anderson

A Serious Man, Ethan & Joel Cohen

Where The Wild Things Are, Spike Jonze

Inglourious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino

Watch movies. Be happy.

The Muppets Go Bohemian

I feel sorry that the children of today's generation don't have anything like The Muppets. If this doesn't put a smile on your face, I don't know what will!

ps... i truly believe that jim henson was one of the greatest people of the twentieth century.

Turducken

Poultry on the Farm, 1937

Happy Thanksgiving!

Kids of 88

Introducing slutty new wave/electro duo Kids Of 88, who describe their music as "a cross between a late 80s police drama intro theme and a sophisticated super hussy".

Vintage Reality Entertainment

I found these great "home videos" on Archive.org about a real family vacation, spanning the summers of 1957-61. The 16mm films were archived to tape in 2000, and are narrated by Robbins Barstow, the father of the fun 50s clan.

These films are interesting to me because my family went on long road and camping vacations too. It is interesting to see how things have changed - and to contemplate today's society (especially how families interact and what we consider entertainment).

I give you...

Bartsow Family Vacations

During five summers from 1957 to 1961, the five-member Barstow family of Wethersfield, Connecticut, set out to visit all 48 of the then United States of America on a series of month-long camping trips.

PART I

Part I includes seeing famous sites from "America's History" in 24 Eastern, Northern, and Southern states.

PART II

Part II showcases "America's Wonderlands" with 18 National Parks and other exciting attractions in the great Northwest and Southwest.

The "Utah Claw" - bangs that shot up towards the heavens!

Leigh Ann Underwood, Fifth Grade, Peruvian Park Elementary, Sandy Utah, 1987-88.

This was my Utah Claw. The hair that Aqua Net born. This was THE look. Young women of Utah (and parts of New Jersey) are still known to brave the back-comb and aerosol fumes associated with this defining do.

Here are a few additional definitions of this hairstyle phenomena:

Utah Claw n. a female hairstyle typified by bangs projecting outward from the forehead. Subjects: English, United States, Apparel, Appearance, & Fashion, Body, Slang

1994 - “Re: “Bad Hair Day””: “It was often used in reference to something I came to refer to as the “stiffened frontal bang facade,” a hair tierra set in place with blow drier, hair spray and teasing comb. The heights these can sometimes reach is quite ridiculous.”…“I grew up in an area of West Virginia where such hairstyles are quite popular. We always used to refer to the tall, teased bangs as ‘joke-catchers’ (kept the joke from going over one’s head). A friend from Idaho whom I met in college informed me that her circle of high school friends had dubbed the style of bangs the ‘Utah Claw.’” -[apowell@liberty.uc.wlu.edu (April N. Powell)] Usenet: alt.usage.english (Mar. 7).

1999 - “Very proud to say she has never had a spiral perm nor big, crunchy bangs.”…“Around here we call it the Utah Claw.” - [kimncyn@aol.comspamiam (Cyn)] Usenet: alt.radio.talk.dr-laura (Nov. 16).

2000 - “Re: Application to Live in New Jersey”: Do you have the equivalent of what we know here as the Utah Claw. Long straight hair styled down with the bangs flipped up defying gravity and lacquered with hair spray to withstand hurricane winds? - Robert Nelson (rnelson@library.utah.edu) Usenet: alt.tv.sopranos (Mar. 17).

2003 - “A Night Out With Tiffani Thiessen” p. 9-4: “She had the Utah Claw,” Mr. Simington explained, describing bangs that shot up toward the heavens. - Jesse McKinley New York Times (Mar. 2).

2003 - “Town Talk: Should humans be playing with tigers?”: Actually, it was a “Utah Claw” that led to Roy Horn’s injury. According to the owner of the Mirage, the tiger became distracted by a woman with big hair in the front row. (I can sympathize; I also can’t help but stare at a white-trash woman with a hairdo that she hasn’t changed in 20 years.) - [Dandle] CTcentral.com (Conn.) (Oct. 10).

2004 - “The Fartkeeper”: I never did perfect the “Utah Claw” it always fell over by 2nd period—but oh, I tried. Me and Aqua Net, we tried! - [Jessica] Very Mom (Murray, Utah) (Aug. 4).

¡MALVAVISCOS GIGANTES!

FOUND: Giant marshmallows, mexican pastries, and delicious tacos - all at Nueva Vida Bakery in Downtown Nampa. Nueva Vida, in a converted gas station, used to be "Rita's Bakery," - it is just one block south of Flying M Garage. Downtown Nampa makes for a fun Saturday afternoon!

Favorite stops in Nampa: Flying M Garage, The Brass Razoo, The White Pine, Yesteryear Book and Record Store, any thrift store, Nueva Vida Bakery, and Wheeler's (for a "long & juicy" burger).

What else is in Nampa or Caldwell that I should check out on my next visit? Leave me a comment to let me know!


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Ignite Boise III

Ignite Boise - III

Thursday November 12th, 2009 - Egyptian Theater

Get tickets online here, or come at 6:30 for general admission.

What is IGNITE BOISE, you ask?

Ignite Boise is a 3 hour-ish idea feeding frenzy that brings together artists, geeks, entrepreneurs, academics, government officials, and others to share their ideas in fast-paced, bite-sized presentations. It’s a great opportunity to meet smart, interesting people (if we do say so ourselves) and maybe even learn something.

THE GOAL:
Bringing together embers of big ideas to spark a blaze of creativity in Boise’s business and creative community –leaving attendees more educated and just as importantly, more inspired.

HOW IT WORKS:
Presenters each get five minutes and 20 slides (automatically rotating every 15 seconds) to talk on a topic of their choice. Everyone is invited to participate, though due to the limitations of space and time, only a handful will be selected to present at each event.

Here are two of my favorite presos, from Ignite Boise past-

The super cool Jess Flynn, of Red Sky Public Relations

Jamie Cooper, of Drake Cooper (poor sound on this clip, sorry!)

I get it "Animal Style"

In-n-Out Burger

mmmmm.mmm.

An In-n-Out cheeseburger was one of the first things that I ate after being vegetarian for nearly a decade. Not living near an In-n-Out location leads Mr. VonShtupp and I to go kinda crazy when we are in California, Nevada or St. George Utah (there are in-n-outs in Arizona, too - but we don't go there).

Behold the 4X4. With onion. This behemoth is what my better half orders: four meat patties, four slices of cheese, lettuce, tomato and the opted-in onion, between two buns with sauce. It is glorious.

I'm all about the Double-Double "Animal Style". Double-Double is half of the 4x4, and "Animal Style" is an In-n-Out Burger **secret menu option. It means grilled onions, extra pickles and mustard. De-lish!

To top it off, we enjoy an order of fresh cut french fries and a milkshake (I'm a strawberry, he's a chocolate).

If you've never been to an In-n-Out Burger, you should really get to one. Located all over California, in parts of Arizona, in Las Vegas and Reno areas, and now in St. George Utah. This is a family owned chain of restaurants. They do not franchise. The food is fresh, the employees taken care of, and the locations are clean (and always packed). Not to mention that a 4x4, dbl-dbl, fries and shakes cost less than $15. Yep. Awesome.

**Link to In-n-Out Burger Secret Menu.

Moby Dick and Captain Ahab

I love Halloween, dressing up is one of my fortes. Mr. VonShtupp, on the other hand, not only dislikes wearing a costume - he's also a big fuddy-duddy when it comes to any kind of social gathering. Fortunately, I didn't attend Halloween parties stag this year, as he agreed to attend our friend's 5th year anniversary party, which was a side note to their grandparent's 50th anniversary party (Halloween Weddings are fun)!

I decided that a couple's costume would help with my husband's lack of imagination. On Halloween day I pulled together items that I already had, purchased a few things and donned a vintage male mystique, calling myself: Captain Ahab.

I dug out my acrylic paints, a ringer t-shirt and went to town painting a sperm whale. Mr. V's costume was essentially a t-shirt, something I knew he'd be comfortable in, but something that tied us together. I love the shirt I painted for him, I hope he wears it again!