This year, the new up-and-coming (North American) bands are coming from two places: Portland and Toronto.
Best described as a glorious lovechild of the Zombies and the Beatles, Portland’s The Lark is one of the bands to keep your eyes on this year. I recommend you have a listen to their Muxtape sampler; my personal favorites are: “Come Lately,” “Everyday,” and “Always Right.” If I had to predict the one song that will launch them into greater notoriety, it would be “Always Right.”
The Lark are still relatively fresh and are trying to gain a fair cruising altitude - if you like their sampler, you can help them out by requesting them for the upcoming Portland PDX Pop Now! 2008 music festival.
You’ll be able to say that you’re so indie cool because you knew about them way back in 2008. But we already think you’re cool because you’re reading Blogadilla.
So frozen yogurt had its golden era in the early 80’s - when jogging and aerobicising and ABBA were all the rage - but fell into mediocrity and disinterest by the end of the decade.
In 2005, L.A.’s Pinkberry resurrected frozen yogurt for a new generation by catering to health-conscious hipsters: organic frozen yogurt, made on the premises, and mixed with a range of interesting toppings such as kiwi or Cap’n Crunch. In L.A. (and later New York), Pinkberry became the place to be seen.
The rest of the nation is finally catching up . . . organic frozen yogurt joints are cropping up throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. On any given Friday night in Palo Alto, Fraîche frozen yogurt is standing-room-only.
Pope Benedict XVI signed an official decree yesterday, that Easter Sunday will be celebrated a second time this year. This is not the first time that the Catholic church has done this - in 1521 and in 1790, Easter was also celebrated twice. This year, Easter will be celebrated on March 23rd and on April 6th - perhaps why many stores continue to carry Easter items for over a week after “Easter I.”
This odd “Second Easter Sunday” is based on a technicality regarding how Easter Sunday is determined by the Catholic church - the closest Sunday to the full Moon closest to the Spring Equinox: this year (like 1521 and 1790), the full Moons before and after the Equinox are precisely the same number of days, hours, and minutes away from the Equinox.
This sport is common throughout several east and southeast Asian cultures, usually involving the large horned beetles of the Rhinoceros beetle subfamily (Dynastinae), whose members include the awesome Hercules beetle (Dynastes hercules) and the Atlas beetle (Chalcosoma atlas). The large “horns” of the males are used for territorial fighting, where they will wrestle in an attempt to topple one another, until one submits, retreats, or is knocked-off a perch. Fighting these beetles is a popular gambling sport throughout Asia, from Thailand to Hong Kong (another link).
In Japan, collecting and fighting these beetles is common among boys - Rhinoceros beetles are easy pets to care for. These fighting pets are common enough in Japan that one can even buy Rhinoceros beetles from streetside vending machines (photo from the Photomann gallery of Japanese vending machines), and there are many Japanese toys and models that relate to Rhinoceros beetle collecting. Also, this practice is the likely origin of the Japanese game Pokémon, which gained world popularity in the late 1990’s, and which focuses on the collecting, husbandry, and fighting of supernatural creatures.
There are also dire “blood sport” forms of bug fighting, involving more dangerous insects, arachnids, and crustaceans - as seen on the website Japanese Bug Fights! (sadly, sometimes the matches end in fatalities).
A long, long time ago (1998 to be exact) and in anticipation of the release of the first of three Star Wars prequels, toy maker Jason Deyer and his buddy Steve Ross were approached to design ‘Dealer Loaders’ for promotions and giveaways. But because they were ‘unapproved vendors’ (AKA not part of George Lucas’ monolith) Jason and his friend had to base their designs on the original trilogy.
You can check out the original drawings on Jason’s blog, Action Figure Insider, and you also can hear an interview about his trials and tribulations on NPR. Make sure to check out NPR’s Bryant Park Project page on the Star Wars merchandise, here. (Click ‘Listen Now’ for the interview).
Everyone’s favorite dirty word has become a vandalism movement.
With the use of stickers saying “F•CK,” any public sign can become a punchline.
Behold the four-letter fury of F•ckThisWebsite.com
[language NSFYFW - Not Safe For Your Fucking Work]
From the world of obscure piercings and novel implants comes the blurring of the line between human and calamari. Suction cup implants (which would be cool if they actually sucked).
Yesterday was St. Patrick’s day. Which means that today, several of you have whiskey or green beer hangovers. Last night, in a bar, I was astounded to learn that there wasn’t a single Irish person in the room celebrating, and that the majority of the revelers had no clue that we were celebrating a Saint responsible for a snake-free Ireland. And all I wanted to do was smack the next person who asks me if I’m wearing green. I’m tempted to buy this shirt from T-Shirt Hell next year - my rebellion against a holiday whose meaning has become lost in Palo Alto, California.
The Beeskit team has a nice video gallery of their sociological “missions” and art projects throughout Seoul, South Korea. “Free Punch” and “Elevator Workout” are two personal favorites.
Late February/Early March - it’s that time of year again for the spectacular Estonian holiday Vastlapäev (VAS-tlah-paav).
The activities of this holiday:
•Sled down a hill (the farther your sled goes, the longer your flax will grow).
•Eat pea soup.
•Eat cream-filled pastries.
Here is a video I made a few years ago (while living in Estonia) which explains the basics of Vastlapäev:
Last month, Timbotron brought you a cool example of what a microwave will do to a Peep (as well as to multiple Peeps as well as an easter egg, but I digress). Now Peeps are back on The Dilla, but this time in a more glamorous role: The Washington Post’s “Peep Show” diorama contest. Click here for the article, or click the photo below for the slideshow of the 22 finalists!
(Art/Photo by Renee Comet for the Washington Post; thanks for the story, Laura!)
Of the weddings I’ve attended, the theme was always “Wedding.”
But more and more, weddings are having themes. All too much like children’s birthday parties. The idea of a “Star Wars” wedding is nothing new, though it’s astounding to realize the sheer number of “Star Wars” weddings out there. I hope George Lucas feels like a dick about this.
Apparently, the bride and groom make movie props and costumes (so no Star-Warsy detail was left untouched): photo gallery and slideshow.
The bride and groom were married by Darth Vader, the groomsmen were Stormtroopers: video
The bride dressed as a bride, the groom came as Boba Fett: video
The groom came as Darth Vader, the bride came as Natalie Portman: video
Bonus Humiliation Round: The bride has a Hello Kitty shaped box on her nightstand. In it are her husband’s testicles. Life is hard enough when your English name is “Horlick”: video
It goes without saying that there are certain things that white people love (usually because no one else wants to go near these things for good reason). Stuff White People Like is dedicated to chronicling the things that affluent white people go berzerk about:
• #74 - Oscar Parties
• #67 - Standing Still at Concerts
• #64 - Recycling
• #63 - Expensive Sandwiches
• #62 - Knowing What’s Best for Poor People
• #60 - The Toyota Prius
• #57 - “Juno”
• #49 - Vintage Clothing
• #47 - Arts Degrees
• #45 - Asian Fusion Food
• #44 - Public Radio
• #36 - Breakfast Places
• #28 - Not Having a TV
• #25 - David Sedaris
• #21 - Writer’s Workshops
• #17 - Hating Their Parents
• #16 - “Gifted” Children
• #11 - Asian Girls
• #10 - Wes Anderson Movies
• #5 - Farmers Markets
• #1 - Coffee
In line at the grocery store, I’m staring off into space and then my eyes catch the cover of Cosmopolitan Magazine. In particular, the large purple hyphenated word “Va-jay-jay.” The full title is “Your Va-jay-jay: Fascinating New Facts About Your Lovely Lady Parts.”
Va-jay-jay!?!
Is this some tragic pseudo-urban hipster moniker for “vagina”!?!
Is this what the kids are calling it these days?!?
What about “Vagizzle,” “V-to-the-gina,” or “V. Diddy“?
And I suspect it is the answer to several other topics on the cover:
5 Things Never to Tell Your Guy
All 5 involve using the word Va-jay-jay to refer to your vagina.
Sex He Has Alone
You know why? Because you call it a Va-jay-jay and that’s weird and so he’s in the bathroom thinking about your sister instead of your Va-jay-jay!
Why Guys Cheat
Because they want to sleep with a woman who doesn’t call it a Va-jay-jay!
[Va-jay-jay update]: According to reader Isabel, this sounds-better-than-’cooter’ term for vagina has been around for some time (and I just don’t watch enough television), having appeared on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and even ‘Oprah’ (the perfect venue for promoting lame terms like this). Frankly, the word ‘Oprah‘ sounds like a better term for vagina than ‘Va-jay-jay.’
“This tight underwear makes my Oprah itch!”
