The Suggestion Boxer

The Suggestion Boxer Cooks: Empanadas Argentinas

2011-02-10T13:41:00.000-06:00

Empanadas!

These little guys remind me of my brief stint in Buenos Aires, where I would buy them at the corner on a near daily basis. There are always many different fillings available at empanaderias, but this is the typical ground meat version, often called carne suave. That literally translations to "soft meat," which I simply don't think about while I'm eating them.

If you don't trust my memory (you shouldn't, I have a terrible memory and this was four years ago), I have received the approval of a South American gentleman that these empanadas are delicious—if not accurate.

Suggestion Boxer's Empanadas Argentinas

1 lb of ground turkey or beef

1 large onion, chopped finely... finer than in my photo

Just enough vegetable oil for cooking the onion/meat**
About 1 tablespoon paprika
About 1 tablespoon cumin
Cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper to taste

Salt and pepper to taste (not too much salt, because the olives are salty)

Cook the above ingredients in a pan. Then mix in the sweet and salty...

Green olives, halved or chopped

Raisins
A hard boiled egg or two, chopped (I don't like hard boiled eggs so I don't add this)

What I love about the raisins is that they plump up with the hot, juicy mixture, so they will be a million times better than the shriveled lumps you threw in the pan.

Wrappers (you can buy the Goya brand in ethnic grocery stores or find out how to make your own if you are feeling extra motivated today)

Honestly, the actual wrapping is optional for me. I'm perfectly happy just eat the filling with rice or plain. If I'm making these for a party though, I will wrap them up and fry or bake them until they are golden brown (an egg wash helps!).

**I can't be bothered to measure things exactly in the kitchen, and neither can you.

Colorful fashion from Elle Russia

2010-04-14T10:45:00.000-05:00

Only this girl could wear yellow blush and look unreasonably beautiful. Good for you, Russia.

Model: Isa Asklof; Styling: Ekaterina Mukhina; from Elle Russia's April 2010 issue

LookSee: OHAI!

2010-04-12T08:13:00.001-05:00

(via icanhascheezburger.com)

The Suggestion Boxer Cooks: Homemade Walnut-Spinach Pesto

2010-04-08T13:49:00.009-05:00

I'm pretty proud of this dish that I came up with today using seasonal foods! It's one of the easiest, most delicious meals I've made in months. It was inspired by a former roommate who once made fresh pasta with parsley pesto.

It's a nice way to get rid of a lot of spinach fast... like if you buy the extra large tub of spinach like I did and then don't know how to use it before it goes bad. Plus, spinach and walnuts are a lot cheaper than basil and pine nuts in traditional pesto.

I cooked up two portabella mushrooms, steamed a bunch of asparagus and boiled some Trader Joe's Lemon Pepper Pappardelle while I was making the pesto. You could fix any veggies, meat, pizza, lasagna or pasta with this sauce, but I think it's suited to the lemon pepper pasta quite well.

Fresh Walnut-Spinach Pesto

1 handful of walnuts**

3 cloves garlic

2-3 handfuls of fresh spinach

6-7 leaves of fresh basil

Extra virgin olive oil

Crushed red pepper flakes to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese

Crush walnuts and garlic in the food processor. Add spinach and basil until finely chopped. Drizzle olive oil while the processor is running until the mixture becomes smooth (it really doesn't need a lot to get to the right consistency... maybe 1/3 - 1/2 cup?... the more fat you add, the richer it will taste, obvs). Throw in salt, pepper and crushed red pepper as you like.

Mix veggies, pasta and pesto together and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Conventional pesto has the Parm already in it, but I like putting it on at the end because it helps me monitor my cheese intake.

**Sorry about the lack of exact measurements... but you know I can't be bothered to measure things in the kitchen.

WWTSBW?: Vintage shoe shopping in the Twin Cities

2010-04-07T16:24:00.004-05:00

I couldn't decide between three pairs of shoes yesterday, so I bought them all... the magic of thrifting is that I can buy three pairs of shoes without maxing out the plastic.

In this edition of What Would The Suggestion Boxer Wear?, I wanted to see if you could choose between my adopted shoe-children for me. I mean, I'm keeping them all no matter what, but I'm curious.

The footwear featured below came from Rewind Vintage, one of my favorite Twin Cities thrift store haunts.

The loot:

1. Camel "9 West" ankle boots from the '80s. Yes, please. These short boots were exactly what I set out to find on this shopping trip. Flat, functional, versatile... if only I had stopped there.

2. Then I saw these taupe '80s Franco Sarto booties hiding on top of a dress rack. I decided I needed these too, because I couldn't just ABANDON them there. What if someone else bought them and I saw that person wearing them at the Triple Rock?! We can't have The Suggestion Boxer raging on some poor, stylish girl, can we?

3. I maintain that these camel punched leather skimmers are necessary, like a shoe nicotine patch. See, I have a pair of cheap patent tortoise-shell flats that I got two years ago at some questionable MOA store (Charlotte Russe, if you must know) and I've worn them halfway to hell. They are smelly (probably more of my foot's problem than the shoe... but I blame the shoe) and they look nasty (the plastic sole on the heels is showing through, making them even more classy). Just because I purchased replacements, doesn't mean I will be able to quit them... but I know these vintage slip-ons will put up a good fight.

What do you think, dapper readers?

poll by twiigs.com

Listening In: Anjulie

2010-04-06T20:09:00.004-05:00

Canadian-Guyanese-Indian siren Anjulie is a self-dubbed "popaholic" and mezzo-soprano with a modern soul sound.

The first thing I thought of when I heard Anjulie's jazzy, seductive style was Esthero. They both have this way of treating every note like an opportunity to turn someone on. And wouldn't you know it—they're both from outside of Toronto AND they both turn me on. Then I thought of another Canuk, Nelly Furtado, and her infectious hooks. Corrinne Bailey Rae also comes to mind, along with her ability to inject a little blues into pop music (listen to Anjulie's "Rain" for a good example). All that talent wrapped up inside a gal who has a record deal with Starbucks? Whut?!

Starbucks' label, Hear Music, may have toned down her act a little bit for the self-titled record (released last August) but they aren't the boss of her at her live shows. At least, I don't think they are. Toned down or not, you don't want to miss her the next time she comes to town.

Listen and love...

WWTSBW?: High Plains Thrifter

2010-04-06T11:23:00.002-05:00

High Plains Thrifter is a shiny new Twin Cities thrifting blog run by the darling Meghan McAndrews.

She's posting estate sale finds, sharing retro magazine spreads and photos, keeping us updated on local discounts and already kicking ass. She's also preparing to launch her Etsy shop soon... I got a peek at the debut merchandise and it is undeniably adorable (I love the blue dress pictured above!).

It fills a niche that needed fillin', and that makes High Plains Thrifter a blog to watch.

The vintage devotee that I am, I was honored to be featured last week in the first ever High Plains Thrifter Wardrobe Remix!

photos by Louisa Marion Photography

LookSee: Las Fallas

2010-04-05T06:23:00.004-05:00

via Dr_Mike

La Fallas is a Valencian festival that takes place in March. Enormous effigies are burned at the end of the week. It's like Mardis Gras meets the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade meets... a book of matches.

"Why Me?": Embarrassing moment throwback

2010-04-01T09:12:00.000-05:00

Grabbed my yoga towel right out of the dryer yesterday. I opened it before class and pair of underwear was stuck to it. A lot of people noticed because I actually shook it open like one tends to do with a big towel.

It kinda made my day because it reminded me of "Why Me?" from TEEN, a magazine which you know about if you are a girl of almost any age (that magazine was around from 1954-2009). Personally, TEEN and Seventeen taught me how to choose the right first date outfit, pluck my eyebrows and bring out my natural curls with a few easy steps... in addition to scaring me senseless with that story about the chick who didn't know she was pregnant and then gave birth in the bathroom at the prom. Great stuff.

If you are a boy without sisters or simply don't know about TEEN, it worked like this: they printed teen girls' most embarrassing moments and almost every story ended with "...and my crush saw the whole thing!" Another important thing to know is that the period ones were always the funniest.

1960s Fashion Photos from Numéro Magazine

2010-03-31T10:21:00.011-05:00

I can't believe what a sucker I am for the '60s. Old Hollywood and its glamorous, coiffed inhabitants provide inspiration to me, as well as high-fashion photographers. We're alike in that way, you see...

I love these new photos that Calivintage posted (via Fashion Gone Rogue, originally from Numéro Magazine's April issue, #112).

Photography: Luciana Val and Franco Musso; Styling: Capucine Safyurtlu; Model: Rasa Zukauskaite

LookSee: Lights On

2010-03-29T06:00:00.004-05:00

via Brandon Christopher Warren

I'm thinking about getting a Digital SLR camera. It'll be slightly nicer than this camera (sorry BCW).

LookSee: Levitation

2010-03-22T12:13:00.001-05:00

via ItsMeKlara

LookSee is a new weekly series where I troll the Internet for pretty photos.

Listening In: Lianne La Havas

2010-03-20T11:13:00.008-05:00

London's Lianne La Havas is unsigned. As I post this, only 333 people have seen this video cover of "Billy Joe." That's not enough.

There are two more demos on her Myspace page... but Lianne, honey, I'm gonna need some more music from you soon. Thank you.

LookSee: Winter's Last Breath from l'etoile magazine

2010-03-17T10:46:00.009-05:00

Winter is officially outta here. Allegedly it's supposed to snow this weekend but that's not going to be real snow. It's just your imagination. Crazy talk, I say.

In spirit of the changing seasons, my favorite local bloggers at l'etoile magazine put together the an epic farewell to winter.

Listening In: She & Him "In The Sun" Video

2010-03-12T09:44:00.007-06:00

I have an all-out girl crush on Zooey Deschanel. I want every outfit she owns and I wouldn't mind that voice of hers too, while I'm stealing identities. I could be the Ursula to her Ariel.

She and M. Ward have their new video ready for "In The Sun," the latest She & Him single. Even though with his facial hair M. looks a little... pedophilian, I love it. And I think Zooey smiles more in this video than in any one of her feature films ever. She must like it too.

Listening In: Turin Brakes

2010-03-09T23:29:00.004-06:00

I'm continuing my obsession with dreamy music with this divine single from British folk duo Turin Brakes. And in stop-motion, no less!

LookSee: Among the cranberry bogs

2010-03-04T22:36:00.007-06:00

I've driven past Wisconsin cranberry bogs countless times, but never thought to jump in.

I love this shot by photographer Becca Dilley, who collaborates on the local food webzine, The Heavy Table. Her photos on their website are equally gorgeous, even when she's just taking pictures of her sandwich. The Heavy Table is a prime example of quality online food journalism... or just plain quality.

Flash Mob at the Vancouver Olympics

2010-03-03T12:14:00.006-06:00

My first live flash mob was at the Vancouver Olympics. Canada's Northern House put it together.

I was there, man. I was there. And I'm totally in this low-quality video. 2:00 mark! Grey coat, red scarf!

Suggestion: Organize a flash mob in the Twin Cities. Invite me. Document it with a better camera than this one.

Hipster Puppies

2010-03-01T09:17:00.002-06:00

Samson bought the cutest old-timey banjo at an estate sale two years ago, and it's been sitting in the hallway ever since. -excerpt from Hipster Puppies

I suggest exploring Hipster Puppies for some ironic, anti-establishment, pro-sushi-making club comedy---with cute dogs!

How good people turn bad...

2010-02-26T11:24:00.007-06:00

As an upstanding citizen and generally good person, getting a parking ticket makes me want to break laws.

The City of Minneapolis has winter-long snow emergencies; a tow truck ready for a citation issued 4 minutes before the No Parking zone expires; and meters that count less than 60 seconds per minute. It is impossible to avoid a parking ticket and/or towing in this city, proven today when I made every effort to park legally and still ended up with a $42 citation.

I stopped into a client's office today, put my 1-hour of quarters into the meter and actually set an alarm for 58 minutes on my phone. That's not something I typically do, but I did it today. As I'm walking up to the car, I see the parking policewoman getting into her car, which she had obviously parked right next to mine, waiting for the exact second the meter would turn red... like a lioness (or another less majestic animal that pounces on smaller, cuter animals).

This small injustice makes me want to turn to a life of crime; it's a good thing I've had a pretty decent life or who knows what kind of trouble I'd be into?

Prince Charles & Avril Lavigne: The Odd Couple

2010-02-26T00:41:00.008-06:00

Credit: Bauer Griffin

Last night in a parallel universe (i.e. the unbelievable real universe), Prince Charles acknowledges peasant Avril Lavigne at Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland premiere in London. Turns out, Charlie is a fan.

"OMG, don't 'Your Majesty' me! I am your biggest fan, Avril. I used to listen to Sk8ter Boi all the time at Windsor... Love the new extensions! They make you look just like Christina Aguilera in her dirty, Xtina days, which is like, a totally classic look. I wish I could pull it off."-the Prince of Wales

The Suggestion Boxer Cooks: Sneaky Asian Dumpling Soup

2010-02-25T14:09:00.004-06:00

It seems that I don't eat anything but soup. My big, crappy stockpot and big, beautiful food processor are a constant presence in my life.

Today, I wanted to make an easy soup for lunch that I wouldn't have to use (and later clean) my prized food processor so I came up with this.

This Sneaky Asian Dumpling Soup is a mix of frozen and pantry ingredients---it barely require any chopping or cooking and it's easy to make one serving at a time. That's the sneaky part. I normally don't cook with a lot of prepared foods, but I do always keep French green beans (the long, skinny ones) and shelled edamame in the freezer to add greens and protein to my meals when I don't have anything fresh on hand. Today I also happened to have chicken potstickers from Trader Joe's (also where I got the haricot vert and edamame, so international). Those potstickers have saved me from many a late-night pizza delivery situation.

Sneaky Asian Dumpling Soup

1 serving, 10 minutes

4-5 frozen potstickers or dumplings (chicken, pork or veggie)

Handful of frozen French green beans

Handful of frozen shelled edamame (soybeans)

1 cup vegetable or chicken broth (reduced sodium)

1 clove garlic (crushed)

1 inch fresh ginger (minced)

1 tsp soy sauce

Splash of fish sauce (optional)

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Black pepper to taste

Splash of lemon juice

Mix garlic, ginger, soy sauce, fish sauce, cayenne pepper and black pepper with broth in a pot, cover and bring to a boil. Add potstickers, cover, bring back to boil and cook for about 3 minutes. Add frozen edamame and frozen green beans and simmer for 5-8 minutes until everything is heated thoroughly. Beans and edamame should be bright green and crisp. Finish with lemon juice. Soup's on.

I didn't have any, but this would be even better with scallions on top. The final flourish.

Listening In: Zoey Van Goey

2010-02-19T13:52:00.009-06:00

What is it about Glasgow?

I've been a Belle & Sebastian fanatic for years, I love God Help The Girl and now Zoey Van Goey has me at hello. I barely even listen to an entire song before I'm raving about them. I'm convinced that music out of Glasgow hits the right places in my brain: the places where it's perfectly acceptable to wear a tulle party dress with rain boots and splash around on a cobblestone street on a drizzly day. I make myself want to throw up sometimes.

Zoey Van Goey just released their album in North America at the end of January 2010 (even though it's been out for a while in Europe). It's called "The Cage Was Unlocked All Along," and the cover art is so cute.

Zoey Van Goey's music is what I guess I would call balanced. They aren't holding back but don't overwhelm either, They have a clear understanding of how to use a variety of instruments, volumes and tempos that give their songs texture. If you like the male-female vocals of Mates of State or listen to any of those Scottish bands I listed earlier, you'll probably like Zoey Van Goey. NME compared them to The Essex Green and I think that's fair, but they bashed Stuart Murdoch (lead singer of Belle & Sebastian) in the same sentence. The horror.

Hope you enjoy!

SB Travelogue: Olympics, Vancouver 2010

2010-01-29T10:01:00.010-06:00

I'm distracted today. Last night I bought a plane ticket that will make one of my life dreams come true.

I'm going to the Olympics.

I am Olympics super-fan, so it's been hard for me to keep from jumping out of my seat all morning. This trip is part of my 2010 travel revival and it's even more special because I am actually doing something that is very near the top of my life's to-do list. Seven years ago when Vancouver won the 2010 bid, I said (out loud, I swear), "I'm gonna be at those Olympics." And now I will be.

I may not be able to wrangle tickets to a single event but I am optimistic that, at the very least, Picabo Street and I can grab a drink with and we can watch the Super-G in a hotel bar together. Here's a fun fact about Picabo that only her close friends and people who have looked her up on Wikipedia would know: Picabo competed on Nickelodeon GUTS in 1994. Gold medalist, pshh... she had a chance at that glowing rock. The AGGRO CRAG, people!

Two very realistic Olympic dreams of mine that did not come true:

After the Lillehammer Olympics in 1994, I wanted to be a professional ice skater (but not like Tonya Harding, who is too scary for words).
After watching Cool Runnings, I wanted to be a Jamaican bobsled team.

Dessa's New "Dixon's Girl" Video

2010-01-18T15:59:00.006-06:00

Charmed, I'm sure.

Dessa is everywhere this week, including Fuji Ya where I saw her at the bar yesterday. In hindsight, I should have given her some in real life props for her new album, A Badly Broken Code, and this video that she put up online a few days ago.

Travel Wish List

2009-12-20T17:38:00.006-06:00

"Hai!" was the greeting I received in my email correspondence with a guest house in India today.

I'm going to be in India over the holidays until January 13, and in planning this trip I have re-introduced that restless, MUST-TRAVEL feeling into my daily life. Thankfully, I'm getting on a plane on Friday, I have understanding employers and my office is wherever I lay my laptop.

Not necessarily a New Year's resolution, but I did vow to make 2010 "the year that Annie travels to other places besides Chicago." I don't know how many I'll get to this year but here are a few of the destinations that are on my wish list right now.

Domestic:

Austin, TX: for a crapload of good music at SXSW
Yellowstone National Park: 2012 piqued an interest in super volcanoes after succeeding in being the worst, most miscast movie of 2009.
Portland, OR: It's clean, it's green, it's close to the Pacific, a temperate rainforest and Oregon's wine country. Plus, everyone is always telling me, "You'd LOVE Portland." I'll be the judge of that.

International:

South America: I spent two months in Buenos Aires but pretty much ignored everything else. Colombia, Brazil, Peru and Patagonia will be on the itinerary next time, probably not all at once. My Spanish could use some refreshing and, in the Portuguese-speaking sector, I would love to see what effect the Olympics will have on Rio di Janeiro.
Montreal: I am hoping a long weekend in Montreal will quell my annual desire to move to France, usually brought on by Francoise Hardy.
Iran: Among many reasons, I'm kind of an art history freak and they've got more art and more history than you can shake a stick at. I'd like to go before we start Cold War II with them.

For now, I'll have to "settle" with 3 weeks in India, but I can't wait to start checking off this list.

kbai!

A clip from BBC's "Outnumbered"

2009-12-14T11:44:00.005-06:00

Santa, and other real and imaginary creatures that might come down the chimney and rob the Brockmans.

"Badgers exist, but they are very unlikely to be burgling us."

I love this show (see!) and can't wait until they put it on Netflix. Right now they only have the American version, which I refuse to watch because it doesn't have the exact same little kids.

This is your body on vegetarianism.

2009-12-01T19:51:00.004-06:00

It's barely visible but the tagline at the bottom says, "Vegetables are all your body needs." Although I am an omnivore, I can appreciate the sentiment and the art direction on this International Vegetarian Union advertising campaign by JWT.

Listening In: Natalia Lafourcade, Little Cow, Gotan Project

2009-11-18T09:15:00.001-06:00

Lately I've been hung up on any music that's not English. I actually have playlists called "Extranjeros" and "Zee Musique" (Zee Musique is always pronounced with a French accent) that have been on a tired rotation for about a month. Here's some of the new stuff I brought into the mix today.

Natalia Lafourcade (D.F., Mexico)

Mexican pop that's NOT Julieta Venegas! Nothing wrong with Julieta but I've had nearly every single one of her songs stuck in my head for days at a time. Natalia is refreshing and I think it would be fun to drink beer with her.

Little Cow (Budapest, Hungary)

There are so many guitars in this band! Usually string-heavy band + Eastern European heritage = gypsy jazz, but it doesn't add up in the case of Little Cow. It's a new kind of pop music--some songs even have hints of ska and cumbia.

Gotan Project (Paris, France)

I already had a ton of their stuff on the Extranjeros playlist but I needed more. They may work from Paris but they play with Argentine tango. Muy sexy.

'60s Fashion Inspiration

2009-11-17T10:54:00.016-06:00

Above: French singer Francoise Hardy

Above: Verushka by Emilio Pucci (the King of Color always and forever)

Above: Sicilian-Tunisian Actress Claudia Cardinale

Above: French actress Brigitte Bardot (even in her underwear, she's a fashion icon)

Above: From Le Mépris (by French-Swiss filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard, 1963)

The Suggestion Boxer Cooks: Squash and Sweet Potato Soup and Eggplant Spread

2009-11-16T11:36:00.008-06:00

I'd like to introduce you to my darling Kitchenaid Food Processor. Mine looks just like this but it's a different color. This thing is an indispensable gadget in my kitchen that reigns supreme over the others (rice cooker, sandwich maker, waffle iron, blender, coffeemaker). I wouldn't want to go through soup season (October-March) without it.

Yesterday, I used it to make this squash and sweet potato soup.

It honestly took 10 minutes and was so cheap. Here's how it all went down... sorry I don't measure spices very well.

Ingredients:
1 large onion or equivalent
Two cups of chicken broth
1 can sweet potato puree
1 can squash puree
2/3 cup of coconut milk
Generous amount of curry powder
Little bit of cinnamon
Little bit of Sriracha
Black pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese

Cook the onions with a little olive oil until almost transparent. Add chicken broth, sweet potato, squash and stir until smooth. Heat until hot but not boiling. Add coconut milk. Play with spices until it tastes good. Transfer mixture into food processor and blend. Serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Then I used the food processor again (back-to-back food processing!) to make an eggplant spread with leftover eggplant and roasted yellow pepper that I used to make the veggie sandwich last week. I would definitely make this spread again for a party or something.

Ingredients:
1 cooked eggplant (grill, bake, whatever... just remember to sweat it first)
1 roasted yellow pepper (skin removed)
1 Tbsp of balsamic vinegar
1-2 cloves of garlic
2-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Put it all in the food processor and press the 'on' button until it is a consistency you like.

The Suggestion Boxer Cooks: Veggie Sandwich

2009-11-11T15:06:00.009-06:00

Messy sandwiches usually taste the best. I made this one with a portabella mushroom, roasted yellow pepper, eggplant, tomato, cucumber, arugula, balsamic and chevre on big hunk of ciabatta bread.

It's was a pretty standard veggie sandwich, but my first time cooking eggplant. It didn't take as much time as I thought it would, because you slice and salt the eggplant and then leave it alone for a couple of hours. No maintenance required. Then you rinse and squeeze out the excess moisture so that it doesn't get all mushy when you cook it. I just broiled mine in the toaster oven for about 10 minutes on each side and it was ready for its place in this mess.

Groupon: So, so worth it

2009-10-29T15:28:00.005-05:00

This whole week I have been forwarding my friends these Groupon emails so I thought I'd consolidate my web-time and share this incredible website on The Suggestion Boxer. I'm honestly not sure how I ended up on Groupon's mailing list in the first place because I'm positive did not sign up, but a big thank you to whoever or whatever got me on it. It rules.

Groupon started in Chicago and just launched in Minneapolis last week. It's kind of like Woot!, Half Off Deals and those radio Dining Deals my mom always tells me about (she loves that mom-radio, 107.1 FM). Drawing from the genius of Woot!, they offer just one extremely good deal per day rather than overwhelming you with things you don't need or want. You purchase your Groupon and then within a day or two, you get another email with the printable coupon in it. And if the first week is any indication of the quality we can expect from Groupon, I'm sold.

Por ejemplo, in the first week they offered...

$20 Shout House Dueling Pianos gift cards for $10. Not impressed. This was an anti-climactic start to the Twin Cities Groupons, but they improved.
$40 for one month of unlimited Pilates classes at Vitality studio ($105 regular price)
1/2 price admission to Underwater World--for the kids, as Kevin McCallister would say.
Swedish massages at Uptown Dermatology and Skin Spa for $25 ($65 regular price). I got three and booked my first massage with Olaf (that's his name) for mid-November already. I had no trouble making an appointment even though they sold a lot of coupons.
$16 for two 90-min belly dancing lessons at Cassandra School of Belly Dance ($32 regular price)
$45 worth of Feed Your Soul cookies for $24
Today's deal felt like hitting the mother lode (find out where that term comes from here). It is a $155 salon package at Haven for just $45. I'm floored. This thing includes a full color or full foil, haircut, manicure and brow/lip/chin waxing. My regular haircuts cost more than that! I don't color my hair due to a self-inflicted disaster in college but I bought it anyway. I'm just going to forgo the color and it will still be worth it. This is one that you will have to book well in advance though, as they have already sold 351 coupons as of this afternoon. And it's a 3.5 hour treatment.

I have a feeling Groupon is going to have a lot of my money coming their way. If you enjoy restaurants, bars, massages, yoga, pilates, sharks, dance, spa treatments, cookies or upper lip waxing, I suggest you check this thing out. You can sign up for email alerts on their website.

Young (and ornery) at heart

2009-10-28T12:19:00.007-05:00

A recent exchange between my mother and grandmother:

Mom: "Hey Mom, why don't you go play cards with the ladies down the hall? They always invite you and you always say no."

Grandma: "Oh, I don't want to play cards with those old bitties."

Mom: "You're an old bitty. Seriously Mom, you'll be 89 in January."

Prisencolinensinainciusol

2009-10-27T17:13:00.005-05:00

Adriano Celentano is a classic Italian disco pop singer (and actor, comedian and television host) and he wrote the lyrics phonetically to sound "American." This TV clip from the early '70s amazes me. I've watched it five times so far.

The Suggestion Boxer's Sabbatical, Explained

2009-10-16T17:27:00.007-05:00

Turns out, when one's client wants one to write a blog for them, it leaves one very little time for ye olde personal blog. I'm talking about 24 Hrs Notice for Metromix, which we set up last month and has been cannibalizing whatever it is I do on this website. To be honest, I'm thrilled with the new professional blog (gettin' paid!) but now that the project is off its training wheels, I have some time to be your friendly neighborhood Suggestion Boxer too.

I'll do my best to keep up, but if you miss me you can always read 24 Hrs Notice, where I post 2-3 times weekly on upcoming events in the Twin Cities... mainly tangents that are slightly related to the events. This week I wrote about the time my sister wore no pants on Halloween and the young local singer-songstrix Caroline Smith and the Goodnight Sleeps.

I also spent one week of my month-long blog absence in Tennessee on a jam-packed (literally) culinary farm-to-table tour of Knoxville and Chattanooga. It was hard work but somebody had to eat it. More on that later.

Enough with the excuses---it's time to get back to the suggestions!

He Wolf vs. She Wolf

2009-09-22T21:50:00.006-05:00

Shakira's music video for "She Wolf," is one of the most outrageously awkward videos of the 21st century. I thought the song was bad, but the video... oh, the video. This is not the Shakira of "Ojos Así." No, no, no. At one point I think she is rubbing her stomach, patting her head and doing the Charleston. Ew, Shakira. What are you doing?!

"She Wolf" deserves to be forgotten, wiped out of our society's collective memory for the good of all humankind. "He Wolf," on the other hand, is a slice of genius. This YouTube video is the work of college sophomore Andrew Foster, his friends and his stepsister, who filmed the whole thing themselves, made the spandex jumpsuit and even built the wolf cage. The final product is incredible. It's a shot-for-shot mimic of Shakira: robotic dance moves, sexy/strange facial expressions, all of it. Even though they are nearly identical, YouTube thinks Foster's video is inappropriate for children under 18 but Shakira's is totally acceptable for kiddie-viewing. I don't know how they can logically come to that conclusion but oh well---we're all adults here, right. If you need to see the original "She Wolf" video for reference, I suggest watching it here first to appreciate the remake's accuracy.

Now... here's "He Wolf," unleashed for your pleasure:

The Human Scene

2009-09-22T12:00:00.003-05:00

I like videos where humans make up the most important parts of the scenery. Or all of the scenery, in the case of that cute Prius commercial.

Here's the "Making of" video:

It made me think of Feist's video for 1 2 3 4 that had way less people and technology.

WWTSBW?: Fake Weddings

2009-09-09T22:38:00.014-05:00

It's the second installment of WWTSBW?, or What Would The Suggestion Boxer Wear?: Fake Weddings edition. The first edition, Awkward Weddings, can be viewed here. I guess this time around it's more of a What DID The Suggestion Boxer Wear?, because that is indeed yours truly in the photos, impersonating a bride.

I have been waiting SO impatiently to see these photos. I helped my photografriend Jessica Sanders with this photo shoot for Jewel's Bridal Boutique in Delano a couple of weeks ago. She gave me an excuse to play dress-up at a wedding shop without feeling like a creep. I'm thrilled that at least one of the balloon pictures turned out fine (above). It was windy that day and impossible to keep track of those things and also mind the dress, which was beautiful but had an ungodly amount of fabric on the bottom.

Here's the rest of the photos from the day on the Photojessic blog if you want to see more. Jessica is brimming with talent (she took the photos I use for this site and for my new column on Twin Cities Metromix).

My friend Val modeled as well---she's the one with the cute pixie haircut who looks so smoldering sitting in that dirty chair in that basement and then again on that blue chair outside. I found that rusty blue chair on somebody's sidewalk next to the shop. You're welcome, V.

If you missed it, you can review the first WWTSBW?: Awkward Weddings edition here.

Listening In: Glorious Monster and Man is Doomed

2009-09-09T22:08:00.008-05:00

I just found out that Glorious Monster is going to be featured in Gossip Girl next week. I don't watch that show but I do approve of this song by Minnesota boyz Danny Burke and Brian Casey. Aside from their 9 to 5 gig as music production duo, The Skeptics, they have another after-hours music group called Man is Doomed. It is a little dancier than the melancholy Monster. If you like the flavor-of-the-moment electro-pop band Passion Pit---who doesn't?---you'll love it.

Art on a Budget

2009-09-08T22:40:00.002-05:00

I can't afford to spend thousands of dollars on original artwork but I hate bare walls. I tried painting something myself once but stopped in the middle of it and now it's been 2 years since I picked up the brush.

A friend of mine just bought her first home and had everyone over for a housewarming party. I waited to get her a gift until after it so I could find out what she needed (she said, "ANYTHING for these walls," so I went a-hunting on Etsy. I found this print above called The Autumn Owl by Catherine Campbell at her Etsy shop (myfolklover) for just $15. It came in the mail today and love it---it will be just as good as the real thing once I get a nice frame on it!

Besides Etsy, I like framing interesting pieces of paper, postcards, photos from my travels and even foreign advertisements. The lesson here is that everything looks like art with a frame around it. Not that Jim Belushi poster that says "COLLEGE," but almost everything.

A scathing review of Jade Asian Restaurant & Bar

2009-09-02T15:56:00.012-05:00

I've always wanted to write a scathing review.

Maybe it's because I find comfort in complaining, I don't know. Sure, I mostly write about things I like and want to suggest to others, but I know in my heart of hearts that I am capable of true scathe. The problem is that I've never found anything warranting a brutal scathe until yesterday.

Jade Asian Restaurant & Bar is getting my first genuinely scathing review.

I realize this photos still has it's watermark from iStock... but it is exactly what I wanted (I actually Googled "you suck fortune cookie"). I can't afford to purchase it and I can't afford not to post it.

As one strolls into Midtown Global Market on Lake Street in Minneapolis, Jade is sitting there, smugly bereft of customers. It's like, "Hey, I have a super high-traffic location but still no one eats here. And still I am in business. Ha!"

Yesterday, my hungry boyfriend and I passed Jade on the way into MGM. The BF saw "Seafood Buffet" and insisted we eat there, even though I expressed hesitation because it is always empty and there were plenty of other things I would have rather eaten (gyro at Holy Land, huarache at Los Ocampo, torta from Manny's, etc.). But since I get to pick the restaurant often enough, I decided to let the man have his seafood buffet.

Three other tables were seated at 7 p.m., more than I've ever seen there before. The one and only server greeted us after we waited a minute or two at the front. By "greeted" I mean that she frowned and said "Two?" She brought us to a terrible table among the many, many others in the restaurant. She continued to be provide middling service throughout the meal, and never once smiled.

The BF got an early start and went up to the buffet while I was in the restroom. As I sat down, he discreetly suggested that I order something off the menu because the buffet was pretty bad so far. His plate of mostly fried oceanites had a certain sitting-under-the-heat-lamp-too-long gleam to them, so I went for the menu. I chose the Hunan Chicken, which came out of the kitchen in less than three minutes. Um... WHOA.

While I appreciate the hustle, this tells me something about how the kitchen works. They have some sort of vat of pre-cooked chicken back there that they throw in with different sauces to make different dishes. I understand that many Asian restaurants probably work this way, but it totally grossed me out.

The Hunan Chicken was so bland and generic that I can't even describe it without dozing off. The only decent thing was that it came with a lot of vegetables. It had a spicy pepper icon on the menu but I could barely even taste the soy sauce in it, let alone any heat... zzZZzzz. I ate a few bites and asked for a box so that I could re-make at home. Today, after throwing in fresh ginger, onion, garlic, black pepper, red pepper flakes, soy sauce and corn starch to thicken the sauce, it was OK. And I mean, just OK---not even good.

The seafood buffet was a colossal failure too. My BF will eat almost anything (including microwaved chicken sandwiches from SuperAmerica and the Asian delicacy balut) but he stopped after about 1.5 tiny platefuls of unsavory food. We made it through the meal by eating crab rangoon, which was also just OK. It's hard to mess up cream cheese and fried wonton wrappers, but it's also easy to make them better than OK. Am I right? Add some green onions, Jade. For crying out loud.

By the end of our unpleasant stay, we were the only surviving customers in the restaurant, hanging on by the thread of hope that The Salty Tart would still be open so we could erase the taste of Jade from our mouths and minds and replace it with sweet, blueberry cheesecake crumble. Thank God it was open. Thank. God.

Listening In: Kid Cudi ft. Lady Gaga, Common and Kanye

2009-08-18T13:26:00.006-05:00

I heard this on the radio last night and it's tight.

I leave you with this picture of the always classy Lady Gaga.

[Photo: Splash News via GoFugYourself.com]

Listening In: Zee Avi

2009-08-18T09:45:00.005-05:00

Zee Avi is my morning music this week. She's a 23-year-old citizen of the world, originally from Borneo and based in Malaysia. She became Internet-famous with her YouTube videos and now arms herself with a guitar, ukulele and a soft voice that make for maximum coffee break enjoyment. I've been looping through her Myspace page for the last couple of hours (I take long coffee breaks).

Update: I found out she performed at The Current studios just last week. Check out the live tracks on their website.

Picasso's Guernica in 3D

2009-08-11T09:41:00.005-05:00

I think the stories behind the art are often more interesting than the art itself.

I'm by no means an art history expert but do know a little more than the average oso about Spanish art. Guernica, in my opinion, is Picasso's most powerful masterpiece because the art plays the storyteller in a national tragedy.

He painted Guernica after the bombing of the small Basque town during the Spanish Civil War. The German Nazis and Italian Facists carpet bombed the civilian town in order to make Franco's job easier when his Nationalist forces marched on País Vasco.

Guernica is pain (in the mother, holding her dead child), fear (the injured horse with nowhere to run), horror (the men and women burning alive) and shock (the woman blankly staring at the bare lightbulb, which likely symbolizes a bomb---"bombilla" means "lightbulb" in Spanish). But it is also hope, in the outsider holding a candle to light the way.

Lena Gieske created this 3D version of the painting as part of her Master's thesis.

Thanks for sharing, Minnesota Institute of Arts.

One man's NASA decontamination chamber...

2009-08-03T21:46:00.010-05:00

This sculpture above, "Dirty White Trash," was done by Tim Nobel and Sue Webster, British artists who make cool things out of garbage. This photo makes me question my own creativity.

I'm investigating this for a Do It Green! Magazine article on "How to be rid of things responsibly"---essentially it will be a guide to how to keep things out of the landfill without having to actually keep them (at least in their current state). Donating to artists or reuse centers will surely be on the list. I'd rather have my trash live its life as incredible works of art than have it meet up with its friends on garbage island.

Just over the border in Baraboo, Wisconsin, we've got a BIG rubbish-art collection that I plan to visit soon on a romantic road trip with the boyfriend. It's Dr. Evermor's Forevertron (below). In this sculpture park, built by former demolition specialist Tom Every, we might find a NASA decontamination chamber from the Apollo project and dynamos built by Thomas Edison. OK, we will find those things... I read it on Wikipedia.

Photo by Madolan

WWTSBW?: Awkward Weddings

2009-07-30T17:53:00.006-05:00

This is the first and possibly last edition of WWTSBW?, or "What Would The Suggestion Boxer Wear?" In this edition, I will disguss (I kind of don't want to correct that typo...) the appropriate attire to wear to a wedding to which you should not have been invited but were, like that of an ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend.

This look says, "I am still in love with you and am planning to say so at the appropriate time during the ceremony." For someone to wear this, there are certain requirements. This person must be a crazy enough to break up a wedding but charming enough to win the hearts of the witnesses so that they can be married immediately after Bride #1 runs away in tears (that's how it's done, people). They must also have the fashion sense of Anna Wintour and the wiles of the Road Runner to make this happen (Fact: Wil E. Coyote had no wiles and the Road Runner had all of them). In other words, I'm totally rooting for this girl because Bride #1 is always a pill and that dress is nuptials-haltingly beautiful. (Tulip Dress by SarahSeven)

This look says, "I'm in a musical ballet or something." That's all.

This look says, "I am so over you and me and my +1 are so hot that we might melt your newlywed eyeballs off of your newlywed face." This is the most common look for exes attending weddings, when you are over someone but still want to make them understand that you are better looking than they are. Wearing a tuxedo or a white gown with a veil and/or tiara is the best way to ruin a wedding with your hotness. It takes guts and you might get slapped. It will be worth it. (Credit: Yutu)

F U, Penguin

2009-07-30T10:20:00.005-05:00

I have had a lot of work to do and that means less time for The Suggestion Boxer to play. The Benjis don't make themselves. They don't spend themselves either... but that's neither here nor there.

The fact is, I still have a lot of work to do, which is why I'm pawning you off on a website introduced to me by my neighbor Emily, rather than writing something original. [Do I usually write anything original? Let's go to the judges. Judges say, "We don't have time for your blog. We're a little busy protecting your constitutional rights."]

If you are feeling stressed, depressed, repressed, oppressed or possessed, please find comfort in one of the funniest sites in Internet-country. Even if you are just fine, you will feel finer after spending even just 30 seconds of your time on this site that has been "telling cute animals what's what": Fuck You, Penguin

Above: Photo from F U,Penguin post entitled "Only I can save everyone from this baby gorilla"

Listening In: God Help The Girl

2009-07-16T10:19:00.003-05:00

Stuart Murdoch (of Scotland's finest and maker of the SB's eternal soundtrack, Belle & Sebastian) is a living legend when it comes to pop songwriting. As if he couldn't do any better, he now has this gorgeous project with some of his bandmates and some pretty girls with very, very pretty voices.

Clockwise from top: Alex Klobouk, Celia Garcia and Catherine Ireton

It's called God Help The Girl and it's not technically a band. It's more of a story set to music, eventually including a film to go with the already released soundtrack. After realizing he wanted female voices to carry some of his tunes, he set out to find the right women for the job (i.e. literally put an ad in the paper). He found Catherine Ireton, a musician from Limerick, who sings lead on most of the album. She's my current music crush (and she even has an accent!). In the track below, Alex Klobouk (of Berlin) and Celia Garcia (of Glasgow, I think) back her up. There are some Americans on the album too. I am excited to see what comes of this, especially if the tour is Minneapolis-encomapssing.

A fresh cut off The Butcher Block

2009-07-15T14:47:00.008-05:00

On Monday I stopped over at this new Northeast restaurant. It's right across Hennepin Ave. from Surdyk's, in the old Fugaise space.

I love veggie burgers but sometimes I just want meat. I was happy to learn that the incoming freshman in the school of local bistros is The Butcher Block, a place that has its own master butcher who, according to the chef, can butcher an entire lamb in less than 30 minutes. Then they turn it into something like this: ravioli with ricotta, lamb ragu, mint and pistachios.

Check out my full review for Twin Cities Metromix, entitled A fresh cut off The Butcher Block.

LightLane

2009-07-13T16:30:00.003-05:00

LightLane was developed in a design competition to promote commuting by bike. It is a special rear light that attaches to any bicycle and creates an illuminated bike lane to make bikers more visible to motorists sharing the road at night.

How awesome would this be to have while biking around a city like Minneapolis? We are considered "bike friendly" but we don't have the lanes to prove it.

UNIQLO Calendar

2009-07-09T13:38:00.009-05:00

How great is this calendar?

You have to go to the actual link above to get the full effect with music and motion. The music is what makes it for me, even though the visuals are cool too. It's Fantastic Plastic Machine featuring saxophonist Yasuaki Shimizu. You can customize it for different cities around the world. I only wish they had a Minneapolis version.

Thanks to 1918 Vintage for helping me find this.

Now, turn off the looping music, click the little volume icon on the bottom of the calendar. Is it off? Good. Because I want you to watch this commercial collabo between artist Takashi Murakami, Fantastic Plastic Machine and Louis Vuitton. It's called "Superflat Monogram."

Web Site Story

2009-07-08T15:26:00.013-05:00

I love both West Side Story and the Internet, and so do these people. College Humor should do more musicals. For some reason, the video inside the player is off-center, but it's only noticeable at the beginning. If that bothers you, you can watch the regular sized clip here.

The Recession Aggression Bag

2009-07-08T14:06:00.003-05:00

I saw this advertisement on Hulu and it was LOL City (sounds like a nice place to live...). It was almost as funny as the show I was actually watching on Hulu. I was watching Arrested Development so that means the commecial is very, very funny.

Here's how I would explain it (less clearly?) in Wordmasters terms.

This commercial: Arrested Development:: LOL City: United States of LOL

OK, just watch it before I keep going.

Yeah Yeah Yeaaah(s)

2009-07-08T09:04:00.010-05:00

RCRD_LBL has posted this Tommie Sunshine Remix of "Heads Will Roll," from The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' new album "It's A Blitz!"

Hot jam, no?

I'm going to border on music heresy and say that I really like this remix... possibly more than the original [ducking for cover now]. It doesn't mess with the original track enough to hurt Karen O.'s feelings, and it creates more depth to an already awesome song. I also like this RAC remix of "Zero," which anyone can download for free by clicking on the down arrow on the player or here.

There are about a billion remixes of "Zero" out there and this one is a good example of how a little bit of conservatism on the part of the DJ can preserve the integrity of the song while adding interesting dimensions.

On another note, last month the Yeah Yeah Yeahs put on one of the best shows I've ever seen at First Ave. I took some pictures that I thought were awesome at the time but actually sucked when I saw them at home. I'll save you the dark and the blurry and use this much better photo taken in the Mainroom by Stacy Schwartz (for the Decider).

She wore that face mask for the first few songs. She also put the microphone in her mouth while doing a back bend in her one-sleeved leather leotard.

Listening In: Owl City

2009-07-07T15:39:00.006-05:00

It's about time I posted about this local dude and his Cinderella story before he wins a Grammy or something. This excerpt below was originally written for Metromix last year.

How many electro-licks does it take? One, two, 26 million?
Anyone in need of proof that the music industry currently finds itself in a rapid state of flux need look no further than the case of local electro-pop artist Owl City, aka Owatonna's Adam Young. After posting some of his gently vocoderized synth-pop on MySpace last year from his bedroom, Young's songs caught on like wildfire. How wild? Try 26 million plays and iTunes Top 10 for electronic artist downloads, taking his tunes viral without having ever performed a live show. Owl City really gets underage socially networked kiddos worked up. Young's now doing his first serious touring forays and selling out shows nationwide—all before signing to a record label.

I like electronic music a lot but I find myself drawn to the fast-paced breeds most of the time. Owl City, however, is like electronic music that I would listen to in the bathtub. It's ambient, soothing and reminds me of saltwater. Appropriately, his upcoming album is called "Ocean Eyes," and will be released July 14 on iTunes. iTunes could not be more enthusiastic about this. They are even giving away a free single. With friends like that, this Minnesotan's short musical career could turn into a long and happy flight.

Note: I am now trying to restrain myself from making other owl double entendres. I am still convinced I can use the word "hoot" in a cool way. This speaks volumes about me.

Creepy Vintage Ads: Gillette

2009-07-07T13:28:00.008-05:00

Retro Comedy put together a list of Creepiest Vintage Ads of All Time (I found this via BoingBoing) and it is a godsend on this slow Tuesday afternoon. The full list shows 15 of our history's worst marketing campaigns, including one that features a wife, "locked" out by her husband (with cartoon locks) because she wasn't protecting the daintiness of her lady-parts by scrubbing them with Lysol.

The ad below is straight out of St. Paul's own razor factory, just the place you would expect to see an infant.
This baby is not only shaving himself with a Gillette Safety Razor, but he is also rehearsing for his forthcoming American Idol audition, which will probably happen like this:

Baby: ....[finishing the song, "Umbrella," by Rihanna]

[extremely long and awkward pause, during which the baby spits up on itself, grows a beard and then shaves it off]

Simon: I think you are absolutely, without a doubt, one of the most ridiculous people to have ever been on this show.

Paula: You're adorable. I love you. You're a star.

Randy: It just wasn't the right song for you, pup.

The Adventures of Johnny Northside

2009-07-01T12:12:00.004-05:00

I'll actually write something sometime. I swear. In the meantime, enjoy more videos. This is the trailer for The Adventures of Johnny Northside, a documentary based on local blogger John Hoff and his quest to tame North Minneapolis.

Do you see a white man's burden story or a true-to-life portrait of the Northside coming out of this?

George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue"

2009-06-30T18:19:00.005-05:00

This is one of my favorite compositions and I'd like to share it with you in Fantasia 2000 form.

Rhapsody in Blue
by -Chapo-

Here's another shorter version for a United Airlines commercial. The animation is really spectacular. It's called "Sea Orchestra" and it was done by Shy The Sun, the production company made up of some of the members of The Blackheart Gang, where I first saw this video. It speaks to the little girl in me who watched The Little Mermaid every day for seven weeks and used to pretend to be Ursula in the bathtub, sinking ships and shooting lasers at a plastic Prince Eric.

Listening In: Noisettes and Mayer Hawthorne

2009-06-26T10:30:00.002-05:00

Here's some more lovely music that I've found to quell my addiction to '60s revival.

First there's the Noisettes (above). Their supermodel of a front woman and bassist, Shingai Shoniwa, used to work with a burlesque revue and studied to be a circus performer. Drummer Jamie Morrison says he used to practice drums 18 hours a day as a kid on his own accord. That's just the start of how interesting and talented this British band is. Not all of their music is in the throwback style of the song "Never Forget You" (video below), but it's all good.

____________________________________

Then there's Mayer Hawthorne (below) with his stylish geekdom and vinyl-lovin' cool.

Mayer Hawthorne has a pedigree that schooled him in Motown (he grew up outside of Detroit) and breakbeat (he now lives in Los Angeles). He plays pretty much all the instruments on his tracks, which impresses me since I can play none. M.H. recently toured as the opening act for Peanut Butter Wolf, who is also his record label exec and signed him after hearing only two songs. That's always a vote of confidence when the boss like's you enough to take you on the road with him. "Maybe So, Maybe No" is probably my favorite track, but I'm also pleased with "Just Ain't Gonna Work Out" (video below). I can't wait for the full-length album to start its heavy rotation in my iTunes. It just has to be made and released first.

Salute to Michael Jackson

2009-06-25T18:08:00.008-05:00

You probably already heard, but the King of Pop suffered a fatal heart attack today and passed away.

RIP, you crazy SOB.

I choose to remember you like the photos below, even though by the time I was old enough count to ten you were halfway to looking like an alien.

My mom and I used to bump this jam from "Off The Wall" in our basement and dance around when I was little. And also presently.

I had to add this Pepsi commercial below because, in addition to MJ, it prominently features the young Carlton Banks from Fresh Prince. PYT.

Splish Splash

2009-06-22T08:04:00.000-05:00

How do you think The Transparent Canoe Kayak would fare in Lake of the Isles?

If I got too disturbed by what I saw below I could just stroll along the beach wearing these Metal Detecting Sandals or get the kids together for a spirited game of King of the Floating Planet (below).

Dishonest Cabbies Need Love Too

2009-06-17T12:08:00.005-05:00

This Best of Craigslist post reminds me of the time a cab driver in Argentina gave me change in counterfeit bills and then asked me out.

Animal Minds

2009-06-16T18:48:00.004-05:00

I read this story, "Animal Minds," by Virginia Morell, in an old National Geographic Magazine at my boyfriend's parent's house. It is from the March 2008 issue and it was incredibly interesting.

Highlights:

Alex the parrot asks to go to his tree and gets sassy with the other birds when they can't pronounce words correctly.
Betsy the dog (pictured above) knows 340 words and learns new ones at the same rate as a toddler. I am so getting a shepherding dog when the time comes...
Betty the crow makes and uses tools to get food.
Dolphins are just crafty as hell.

Listening In: Sissy Wish

2009-06-16T17:12:00.004-05:00

This is just the thing to get me off my Phoenix kick.

The girl behind the stage name, Siri Wålberg, and a couple of bandmates make up the nut and bolts of Norway's Sissy Wish. A cash flow problem made pairing down the band a necessity when Sissy Wish wanted to tour in America with their acoustic pop music in tow a few years ago. Not surprisingly, using lots of electronics to make up for the lack of beating hearts on stage changed everything and her modern sound was born. Bye-bye banjos and hello synthesizer.

Full of toy pianos and woolly guitar, Sissy Wish's style is kinda like that other Scandinavian ingenue Lykke Li---but Sissy is so much more accessible. For me, Lykke Li's small catalog is hit-or-miss and 2008's "Youth Novels," didn't sound like a fully actualized album. It's catchy and New Wave-y one minute (think "I'm Good, I'm Gone" and "Little Bit") and the next thing you know you are wading through an all-too-experimental mess. I genuinely like her but I think she needs a "You are no Björk, my dear" reality check.

Sissy Wish, however, is everything I wanted Lykke Li to be and more. She delivers that similarly airy soprano that borders on transparent but without the obvious gimmicks. Sissy's pop is made of sugar rather than saccharine. She's not trying to be cute or offbeat---she just is.

Her album, "Beauties Never Die" was released in Europe already but doesn't come out in the U.S. until September 22, 2009---we can all listen online though. The whole thing is a testament to the art of digitally driven music. I love "DWTS" for its robotic dance percussion and contagious chorus. It looks to be the first single and the title stands for "Do What They Say," no matter how much I wish it stood for "Dancing With The Stars." The title track, "Beauties Never Die" reminds me a little of the jangly '60s pop of Dusty Springfield, for which I can never deny my love. Other standouts are "Elqat," "Yayaya" and the soft and sweet "Milk." It is hard for me to pick a favorite but as of the present moment I am partial to "Table 44," which uses perfectly engineered bridges that betray the previous incarnation's folk ties even over all the electronic toys.

Through the whole album, Sissy Wish effortlessly exudes cool-kid vibes with eccentric lyrics and inventive melodies that reflect exactly what electronic pop in the aughts (i.e. the '00s) should be. Plus, she's got ties here in Minneapolis as she is represented in the U.S. by the Twin Cities label Afternoon Records.

Afternoon Records recently invited everyone to listen to Sissy Wish's entire album from their website for free. Take heed and stream away.

Too much Phoenix?

2009-06-12T15:12:00.002-05:00

"I want my life to be a little bit more like this. Can we make that happen this summer?" - Evan C. ("Lisztomania" video courtesy of him digging around on the web)

Outnumbered

2009-06-10T22:12:00.007-05:00

I don't watch a lot of TV (Why do I always feel compelled to tell people that?? Ugh... I'm one of them... half of one, at least) but I am head over heels for this show. Outnumbered is a BBC show that combines Kid's Say the Darndest Things with a dry British witticism, which is some of the best kind of witticism around, if you ask me... which you never do but I always answer anyway. Unlike most of the other shows I've enjoyed recently, this one hasn't been canceled yet! They have recorded a pilot for an American version but haven't set an air date yet. It's probably going to tank like most American remakes of good foreign shows (see: Coupling, Kath & Kim, those strange Japanese game shows) but maybe, just maybe, it will be another double-hit like The Office for both mummy (England) and child (America).

Here's another clip.

Midwest Vintage Sale: June 26

2009-06-10T17:01:00.003-05:00

Here ye, here ye.

June 26, you are invited (by me, even though I'm not hosting it and have no affiliation with it) to the Midwest Vintage Sale at the MN State Fairgrounds.

I was not going to suggest this because I wanted all that adorable olden times crap to myself but I should only have to contend with my three loyal readers, four tops. I'm confident I can fight you off if we should get into it over a 1940s dress or a Victorian feathered hat. Step off, girlies...step OFF.

Listening In... Phoenix

2009-06-01T14:50:00.005-05:00

It has come to my attention that not enough of my friends know about one of my favorite bands. Friends, meet Phoenix.

Exhibit A: Their new video for "1901," courtesy of MTV and Mixtapes| Heartbreaks

Phoenix - New Music - More Music Videos

Exhibit B: My preview for their upcoming show at the Varsity Theater on June 23 (via Metromix)

Why are Americans always hating on France? We can't begin to investigate that international mystery, but we can hypothesize that it's because we secretly covet their musicians. Phoenix is one such band we want.

To the untrained ear, Phoenix's perfected pop rock could be from Chicago, Los Angeles or even Minneapolis-St. Paul. However Yankee they may sound, it just isn't so. In reality, Phoenix was grown in the rich Parisian suburb of Versailles (you might have heard of it). An unlikely musical hot spot, Versailles also launched the careers of Air and Daft Punk, who have collaborated in different ways with Phoenix over their careers—guitarist Laurent Brancowitz was even in a short-lived band called Darlin' with the guys from Daft Punk once upon a time.

Phoenix is buoyant pop rock of the highest caliber, seemingly untainted by other influences but actually very encompassing. The friendly blips of electronic disco make appearances next to starry-eyed, college rock guitar strumming, all wrapped up in a loveably lo-fi package by four fun-loving Frenchmen. Phoenix is like the poppier first-born son of T. Rex (baby mama, unknown—we don't want to gossip but T. Rex gets around), and the cool, penny loafer-clad dad of Vampire Weekend and MGMT. —Annie D'Souza, Metromix

Flamenco + Hip Hop = Flipmencop

2009-05-28T19:42:00.008-05:00

Holy hot flipmencop track.

This was sent to me courtesy of Canyon Cody, who co-masterminded this mashup. He and Seattle rapper Gnotes (who I highly recommend if you like good hip hop) are the producers behind Gnawledge Records. This particular song is "ABCs" from Somali-American-Canadian rapper K'Naan (who I briefly wrote about here in February, when he toured through the Twin Cities) mashed with the very Andalusian but experimental world music track "La senda del abeulo" by Granada Doaba.

Like the geek that I am, I'm so excited that someone actually took the time to email me something worth posting (most of my thesuggestionboxer@gmail.com emails are from Nigerian royalty). I'm hitting the big time, friends. Pretty soon I'll leave you all wimpering in my dust so that I can "write" a book, which will just be a collection of my blogs. Then I'll tour like David Sedaris (overrated, just like me) and read from my bestselling blog-book. People will pay so much to see me read my own book to them and I'll consistently disappoint.

Back to the smashup at hand. My only real criticism is that I think the chorus could be cleaner (when the horn comes in it sounds too messy for me) but, all in all, this track is pretty cool. I'm not, as evidence from the nerding out that just took place above. If you were also thinking of sending me something awesome (music, video, whatever) and don't think I can handle it anymore, you're probably right. Just send it anyway. FYI, I'm a sucker for flipmencop.

Also, if you're into mashups as a form of art/piracy, check out RiP: A Remix Manifesto. It's a documentary about copywright and remix culture with Suggestion Boxer sweetheart Girl Talk front and center, of course. There is a showing tonight in Minneapolis at the new TRYLON Screening Room in Longfellow at this very moment. Even though we missed the local screening, we can still download the film (pay-what-you-can) on the website and watch/remix it at home. I'm going to do it right now.

Human Interface

2009-05-27T14:19:00.002-05:00

This short from Multitouch Barcelona made me smile. I also felt relieved I don't have some guy inside this machine reading all the emails I get from porn-bots (I get a LOT of them).

Hi from Multitouch Barcelona on Vimeo.

Breakfast and Bea

2009-05-26T22:07:00.005-05:00

I lost a bet with my boyfriend so I had to make a huge breakfast for him. Not that I don't do that ALL the time... bets-schmets, I feed him constantly. The bet was on a game of cribbage, which is great for sharpening the mathy-bits of the mind. You may not know this, but I live the life of a Golden Girl when I'm not writing about things that don't interest anyone but me. That includes cribbage. I'm like a much shorter, cheerier, uncensored and more feminine sounding Dorothy (RIP, Bea). Maybe that just makes me a Sophia. I am kind of a loose cannon.

Anyway, I chose this Canadian-Bacon Strata and fixed it yesterday for Memorial Day brunch (pre-picnic and pre-BBQ---I hit everything). It was so good and mind-numbingly easy to make except for all the waiting. I accidentally doubled the recipe, so it took a minimum of 2 hours of drooling before it was ready. It was worth the soggy chin and dickie (that's what I was wearing as a Dorothy/Sophia hybrid). I suggest adding spinach, broccoli or some other veg for color and at least a smidgen of nutritional value to keep your wits when you play bridge or mahjong and wager breakfasts on the games.

Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo

2009-05-21T00:48:00.002-05:00

I MUST see this movie...and it's prequel. If only to find out the answers to these questions: Why the porn music? Why the Aladdin pants--rhetorical: why NOT the Aladdin pants? Why the breakdancing children? Why didn't that Latina come out of the closet and kiss Turbo out of his coma before so that what's-her-face didn't have to miss her flight to Paris?...those are just the questions I came up with before the dancing even started.

The best line has to be, "Maybe she lives in there."

Garages, Dumpsters and Bear Pan

2009-05-20T08:39:00.005-05:00

I fed my vintage habit last weekend. In this case, it included forking over a few dimes here and there at garage sales, digging through trash and swapping assorted items with a group of very fashionable gals in Whittier.

Here are a few of my finds:

A long flowery skirt whose seams were all ripped open. I sewed them seams up good...but not that good. There may also be a couple of blood stains on it now.
A small landscape made entirely of wood (and some kind of rock candy?)
A forest green bodysuit. It fits me terribly--not at all like the American Apparel ads inferred. I will wear it next time I dress up like Peter Pan. That could be any day now.
A fleece hood... just the hood. It's impractical and it looks really stupid, but methinks it will make a good bear costume someday. When worn with the bodysuit, I could be Bear Pan, a flying, crowing, bear-faced boy who never wants to grow up and spends his Sunday afternoons fishing for salmon with his bare/bear snout in the good company of Rufio. They devise new schemes to get Captain Hook riled up. Tinkerbelle is used as bait and is never very happy about it, but she'll do anything for Bear Pan.
Two Indian scarves, straight from Delhi. One's blue and one's red and they are both stitched with gold thread. I know these aren't funny, but they are just SO pretty.

Below: An artist's rendition of Bear Pan and the rest of the crew (Rufio not pictured). It's not exactly accurate because they are depicted as full-on bears. In reality, just Bear Pan is bear-faced and the bodysuit is not as flattering.

You guys don't really care about my belongings (or maybe you do, if you are still reading), but just pretend for the sake of the poll.

poll by twiigs.com

Sherlock Holmes

2009-05-19T15:15:00.004-05:00

RDJ's fake British accent is my main concern so far with the Sherlock Holmes movie. T'would be great if this movie turned out to be good. The trailer has my approval, if only for the fact that it looks as cheesy as Sherlock Holmes seems in my imagination.

Graduation Day

2009-05-15T11:37:00.003-05:00

My little sister is graduating from college today. Congratulations, Class of 2009. You did it!

By "it" I mean that you made me feel totally old and saggy (and Cuban?).

Happy (belated) Mutha's Day

2009-05-12T01:14:00.006-05:00

As a writer and editor, my words are like my children. Other people's words are like my stepchildren that I don't love as much as my own but I still try to get them to call me "mom."

I am both Susan Sarandon and Julia Roberts in the saddest movie ever, Stepmom.

Bacon and Seggs

2009-05-05T12:00:00.001-05:00

To preface this post, bacon is delicious. Bacon flavoring? Ew. Only bacon should taste like bacon. This whole ironic bacon obsession crossed the line a long time ago with bacon flavored lip balm. And then kept going.

Just kidding. The lube isn't real. It was an April Fool's "product launch" by J&D's. The lip balm is 100% real though and I am uncomfortable with that. Their motto is "Everything Should Taste Like Bacon." I respectfully disagree.

Listening In: The Sounds

2009-05-05T08:25:00.005-05:00

In the spirit of my whole European music kick, here's another one for you kids. I put this together about The Sounds, who are much louder than Camera Obscura. They are having a show on May 8 at the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis. (via Metromix)

Above: If I could do that, I could die happy.

Scandanavian pop has only been getting better since "Dancing Queen" and The Sounds have been helping support that claim since 1999. Charismatic lead singer Maja Ivarsson lives for the stage, not shy about her aspirations to make her shows the best shows her audiences have ever seen. She, her legs and the rest of The Sounds are set to prove their studio savvy too with their forthcoming album "Crossing The Rubicon." If the preview single on their MySpace page is any indication, it's going to rock. The song "No One Sleeps When I'm Awake" has just the right amount of catchiness and grungy punk-influenced guitaring.

Steadily minting fans from around the globe with their synth-strapped rock, The Sounds will be picking up a few new ones this summer on their tour with No Doubt (That's right, they are Gwen Stefani-approved!). However, it looks to us like they won't be playing on the Twin Cities leg of the big tour, so this is your best to see them locally—and you're lucky to see them without the thousand-fold teenage riffraff cramping your style. We have a sincere appreciation for no-holds-barred Swedish New Wave, and The Sounds get it.

Openers Hey Champ get it too, but Chicago-style on their part. They've been a band abuzz for a while on the web so don't be late to the show, which will also feature DJ Jake Rudh. — Annie D'Souza, Metromix

Here's a vid from a couple years ago. There were a few live videos of their newer stuff but none so leggy as this. Their new album, Crossing The Rubicon, comes out June 2, 2009.

Listening In: Camera Obscura

2009-05-04T12:01:00.014-05:00

Twee as can be.

Last night I finally got my hands on the full Camera Obscura catalog. I don't really understand the concept of the fake 1960s video but I can't stop listening to this song, "Tears For Affairs."

I also like the artwork on their new album, My Maudlin Career.

Here's my take on Camera Obscura in anticipation of their upcoming show--May 30 at the Cedar Cultural Center. You can read it below (it originally lived on Metromix).

Camera Obscura are the best thing to come out of Scotland since golf (and Belle & Sebastian, of course).

The Glasgow quintet (sometimes sextet), led by Tracyanne Campbell, crafts music that has largely been classified as twee pop, which is a label that serves as an all-encompassing description of sentimental and girly indie pop that is almost always influenced by the legendary Dusty Springfield. Cuddlecore it may be, but its gentle, well-mannered, retro cuteness is all the rage right now.

Supposedly something to grow out of, more and more indie bands are growing into this simply syrupy style of '60s throwback music—but none so well as Camera Obscura. With the lullabye-like melodies, expertly tamed drums and the precious, paper-thin vocals, this adorable band is helping to define the modern indie pop niche.

When we stop all the name-calling, what we're more concerned about is how they manage to move the listener. It must be something about Scotland that allows bands to develop this finely tuned ability to create melancholy music and make it sound as happy as a 7-year old in front of his birthday cake. It's the kind of music that can bring us back to a certain idyllic part of our childhood in the same way their compatriots Belle & Sebastian do. For some reason though, the childhood "memories" it inspires are in black and white and our mom is a beekeeper in 1963 (our mom also might be June Carter Cash, in this scenario).

The opening band, trio Agent Ribbons (from Sacramento), gets things going with some similarly twee pop before Camera Obscura takes to the Cedar Cultural Center's stage. — Annie D'Souza, Metromix

Home Improvement Heartthrob

2009-04-30T22:52:00.007-05:00

I have so many questions about this photo. Why the daisies, bro? And why the woven vest over what looks like a really warm sweater but is actually a button-down shirt? I guess he takes after his old (tool) man. And why does it look like he's sitting on someone's denimed knee? Minus the flowers and the golden, sunkissed head of hair, it reminds me of my 7th grade school picture in which I looked like a boy and wore a green flannel shirt buttoned all the way to the top. Yeah, I said 7th grade... and yeah, I should have known better by then.

Back to the point, I came across this fantastic commentary on the late, great JTT---now known as Jonathan Taylor Weiss (nee Thomas). I suggest you check it out on Stuff that was Cool.

Drunk History

2009-04-30T12:26:00.002-05:00

Why aren't there more of these?

Drunk History 4 - Featuring Paul Schneider - watch more funny videos

"I'm going to do all the grocery shopping for the White House myself!" -William Henry Harrison

St. Paul's Retro Loop Crawl

2009-04-28T17:30:00.003-05:00

Above: Apple Striped Halter DrDress ($50) from Etsy's jessjamesjake

As anyone who knows me personally (as opposed to virtually) knows, I prefer not to wear pants if I have a choice. Last year I didn't wear pants from June to September, preferring to let my legs live their lives in skirts and sun dresses. I am mad about dresses in a way that I don't think my mother would have understood years ago when I refused to wear anything but stretch pants to school. They also had stirrups, which apparently have been re-introduced as "chic." They were sort of comfortable but--jeezus--they were never fashionable.

To stirrup or not to stirrup, no matter. We're on the cusp of sun dress season and it's time to shake up my wardrobe and put away the pants!

In an attempt to saturate my closet with dresses for my anti-pants brigade, I will be attending the fashion crawl that the St. Paul Retro Loop is throwing this weekend: the See & Be Seen Spring Shindig!

It's on Saturday, May 2 at 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, May 3 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and it starts at whatever part of the Retro Loop you choose. The St. Paul Retro Loop includes Up Six, Lula, Swank, Succotash and Classic Retro @ Pete's. All of the stores will be offering discounts of up to 50%!

I'm going to start at the Selby-Snelling intersection because I love Up Six. The only thing that irks me about vintage stores (and especially Up Six) is that they have a trillion gorgeous pairs of size 5 shoes and not a pair to be found in size 8. Damn those tiny old ladies and their tiny old ladyfeet.

Dress to make the other fashionistas drool but wear comfortable kicks because it's a 3 mile loop between stores. If you make enough heads turn, you might claim the title of "Best Dressed of the Spring Shindig 2009." The title would be prize enough but they are also giving away $100 in gift certificates to the stores.

For more information and maps visit www.stpaulretroloop.com

Decades of sun dresses await.

Bullying: Shugo Tokumaru “Rum Hee”

2009-04-24T12:05:00.003-05:00

This is good stuff, people.

Original post by Chris DeLine for Culture Bully

The Sound of Music, live in a Belgian train station

2009-04-21T16:41:00.004-05:00

Gastro Non Grata: Sunday, April 19th

2009-04-17T14:20:00.002-05:00

The Recipe Box: Couscous Laurandine

2009-04-16T17:35:00.008-05:00

This is my first recipe post, inspired by the last half-hour of my life, which was spent on the photo and food aggregator, foodgawker. You will never see my handiwork on foodgawker until I figure out how to use my camera and how to not eat my food before I get the money shot. In fact, you won't even see my handiwork on The Suggestion Boxer because I already ate all of this couscous.

Here is what it might have looked like but didn't:

This healthy, savory-sweet dish (not pictured) is adapted from something I ate at my friend Laura's house. It has become my go-to recipe when I'm both hungry and lazy. I like to make a lot of this and keep it in the fridge for the next time I become hungry and lazy (usually within a few hours).

Note: I'm totally pulling these amounts out of my memory, so if it looks like there aren't enough cashews or there's too much rosemary, you're probably right. I'm totally untrustworthy. Consider yourself warned and use your good judgment.

Couscous Laurandine

One box of whole wheat couscous
1 large onion, chopped
3/4 cup of raisins or craisins
3/4 cup of cashews
1-2 tablespoons of rosemary
1/3 cup applesauce -or- a drizzle of olive oil
Lil' lemon juice
Cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper to taste (go easy on the salt if you use broth for the couscous)
1 can of diced tomatoes
Unnamed vegetables you have in your crisper or freezer (I like spinach, squash, sweet potato, zucchini, bell peppers, green beans, etc.)
Fresh grated Parmesan

Fry the chopped onion (medium heat until browned but not burned). It does taste great with slightly caramelized onions but I usually get impatient and stop when the onions are just cooked regular-style, which is OK because caramelizing onions takes like, a century and a half. You can cheat too because hey, you're probably hungry.

While the onions are cooking, prepare the couscous. I always forget the water/broth to couscous ratio but the box knows. If your veggies need cooking, now is the time for that too.

When the onions are finished, add the dried fruit and cashews with the onions and turn off the heat. After 1-2 minutes, transfer the onions, veggies, dried fruit, cashews, rosemary into the couscous, which should be ready by now. The Suggestion Boxer's mom always suggests crushing dry spices like rosemary with your fingertips to release the aromas even more. Then add about 1/3 cup of applesauce (or a drizzle of olive oil), a bit of lemon juice and sprinkle on salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste.

Dish it up (hot or cold), add some freshly grated Parmesan and say to yourself, "Voilà!" Don't really say that though, especially to yourself. You're better than that.

Listening In: Black Blondie

2009-04-14T15:38:00.007-05:00

Above: Photoshopped Winehouse

As everyone knows, Amy Winehouse is washed up... at least for the moment. Or is it snowed up? I can't think of anything cleverer to say about it because it makes me unhappy that she might not ever get her act together and start making more music.

Even though I only discovered her like, one minute before she became superfamous, she's still grandfathered in to my list of musicians who I will love even after they make it big and/or lend their tunes to commercials or the CW (others on that list include Feist, Weezer and Atmosphere). Even though she looks like this sometimes...

Below: Unphotoshopped and uncut Winehouse

Below: The not-nearly-as-scary-but-just-as-talented band Black Blondie

I am happy to say that, in the meantime, we have Black Blondie to fill her void. The Twin Cities group actually opened for the addicted Anglo once. Winehouse should watch out though, because before she knows it Black Blondie is going to be overflowing out of that void and taking over the "everything old is new again" movement.

Black Blondie releases their new CD on Friday, April 17th at the Triple Rock with Chastity Brown, M.anifest and DJ Turtleneck (who I have decided I will only respect if he is wearing a turtleneck during this show).

Ruby3 Bike Ride

2009-04-13T13:21:00.003-05:00

I don't want to spend $50 getting dressed up for the Voltage: Fashion Amplified show that costs $30 just to get in. And then pay another $30 to get moderately drunk because First Avenue's beers are so expensive. Plus I'm not crazy about two of the five bands this year.

So Voltage, schmoltage. I'm celebrating MNFashion Week on my bicicleta.

Ruby3 Bike Ride—a fashionable bike tour of Minneapolis.

It's on Sunday, April 26th from 1 pm. to 4 p.m.
Meet at Robot Love on Lyndale Avenue in Uptown.

Listening In: Alex Cuba

2009-04-09T11:32:00.005-05:00

I saw Alex Cuba last night at the Dakota Jazz Club on Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis. He's a Cuban-Canadian guitarist and he's phenomenal live, channeling both Jimi Hendrix and Buena Vista Social Club. He even coaxed two encores out of the shy audience.

One could host a small dinner party in his hair.

Savoy Uptown

2009-04-07T15:19:00.004-05:00

As if I didn't have enough pizza in my life, Red's Savoy is taking over Golooney's in Uptown with square-cut thin-crusts.

Are there enough die-hard St. Paulies in Uptown to make this a success?

Update, July 7, 2009: I have information from a credible source that the Uptown Savoy is affiliated in name only with the St. Paul Savoy. That comes from a die-hard Savoy fan who was disappointed enough in the Uptown location to find out why it was so expensive and very bland in comparison to the original. This changes things... but I still plan to see for myself.

Pizza Monster

2009-04-06T22:46:00.002-05:00

"Rise up, Little One."- me (to my pizza dough)

Then this happened.

It's a Snuggie-Snug Life

2009-04-02T17:20:00.009-05:00

Turns out, there is something better than a Snuggie and better than a Slanket. It's called a Peekaru Original™.

I can't wait to be a mom.

In other news, there is a Snuggie Pub Crawl starting at Seven Corners tomorrow. And there's another one in a week. And there was one two weeks ago.

Three in one month? The Snuggie circuit seems a little saturated (the schedule is listed here). I don't take credit for starting this trend even though I did blog about this on February 18, 2008...but maybe my one reader was inspired to start it? Thanks, reader!

l'etoile

2009-03-26T14:17:00.004-05:00

I heart l'etoile. I don't usually heart many things... mostly because I really hate that particular expression... and am already regretting using it... but l'etoile is worth hearting.

It's my biz to know a lot about what's going on in the Twin Cities. They pay me the medium-sized bucks to know and to write about what the cool kids like. However, without fail, the l'etoile chicks always know about something I don't. Their "Weekend What's What" and sponsored events basically kill my dreams of ever being as cool as them. Plus, their fashion photography is phenomenal.

OK. Lovefest over.

...and Max said, "I'LL EAT YOU UP!"

2009-03-25T21:28:00.005-05:00

I could not be more excited about this. Unless you count seeing my 6'3'' boyfriend dressed up in a wolf suit for Halloween last year. The film adaptation is a Spike Jonze, David Eggers, Michael Goldenburg and Maurice Sendak collabo. I like all those names in the same sentence.

Lemme throw some numbers atchoo (the facts are from Wikipedia, because I just got back from vacation and I'm too lazy to do my own research most of the time anyway):

Maurice Sendak is 80 years old.
He published Where the Wild Things Are in 1963.
In 1970, one of his books (In The Night Kitchen) was successfully banned from Minnesota for a time on the grounds that it included "child porno" (a naked boy trapesing around) when in fact it included fairly obvious Holocaust symbolism like Hitler-mustached cooks trying to burn said boy in the oven. It seems like that would be more controversial than an indecent child... but this is Minnesota.
Maurice just came out last year at the age of 79, after being gay for 79 years.
He is my third favorite children's author after Roald Dahl and Shel Silverstein. Even though I have never read any of his other books except Little Bear, which he illustrated but did not write.

SoulPancake with Grits

2009-03-12T10:00:00.008-05:00

SoulPancake is Rainn Wilson's new website that he runs with a few other cats. The tag line is "Chew on life's big questions."

Essentially, the site faciliatates chatter about philosophy, love and humanity among the rest of the webbyworld. Rainn interviews artists and spiritual thinkers (Rivers Cuomo was the first guest) for "Metaphysical Milkshake," his section of the site.

I like the concept. And this coffee map on their blog. And the fact that each page has a great background image (ninjas, the human heart, sharks, worms, stars, eyeballs, aliens).

SoulPancake seems to be picking up tread quickly (celeb status helps). The site has only been live for 72 hours and the eight Big Questions posted thus far have received around 3,000 responses from users.

I think grits would pair nicely with a big fluffy stack of SoulPancakes. Yum.

Photo by Mikkel Vang for Epicurious.com

Tomorrow I'm leaving the Great White North for the Slightly Rainy/Mildly Chilly South (or so said the weather report, which I am now forbidden by my travel companion from checking).

I'm going to stuff myself with grits for the following week while I'm camping in South Carolina. I haven't really thought past the grits and am starting to realize that cooking and eating grits will not take up five days worth of vacation. It's not like I'll be able to hang out on SoulPancake from the campground.

Does anyone have any suggestions for me on must-see Charleston area locales? Or on cooking grits, for that matter?

Salt 'n' Art Shanty Project

2009-03-09T23:40:00.006-05:00

Photo courtesy of the Art Shanty Projects website

At the Art Shanty Projects in February, my favorite shanty was the Dance Shack because this was playing when we sought shelter inside it. Salt 'n' Peppa require lots of dancing from anyone who dare step within earshot.

I don't remember the theme of the shanty pictured (it was a month ago, after all) but I do remember The Confessional, which was shaped like a church and had little post-its on the outside with people's confessions (much like PostSecret but not that scandalous). There was also one that was an ice-bike-trolley that kept getting stuck and people had to get out and push it, which I'm guessing was just as hard as trying to bike it around Medicine Lake.

I hope next year there are more dogs sliding around. Or wearing booties.

NYT: Islamic Revolution Barbie

2009-03-09T17:22:00.003-05:00

Picture by Ruth Gwily/Courtesty of NYTimes.com

The New York Times published this Op-Ed article today by Porochista Kakpour...

In the days leading up to Barbie’s cougariffic 50th birthday — today — most everyone has had a story to tell. Mine begins in 1958 in one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities, Hamedan, Iran, and it begins with my mother, then just a small girl, and Barbie’s international predecessor and antithesis: the porcelain baby doll...

Read the rest on the NYTimes website.

Up Six Vintage

2009-03-09T15:47:00.001-05:00

Up Six Vintage in St. Paul is having a winter clearance sale this week.

30% off men's and women's clothing, shoes, hats, belts, ties, etc.
20% off jewelry and whatever is in the jewelry case
Up to 50% off selected furniture and household items.

Up Six Vintage is on Snelling and Selby (157 Snelling Ave N, to be exact).

They are open 12-4 p.m. on Sundays and 12-6 p.m. every other day (closed Mondays).

*After this sale, they are bringing in the spring and summer stock.

Maybe you will discover something that will make you look as good as The Kinks.

R.I.P. Headphones

2009-03-06T14:56:00.006-06:00

Today my headphones stopped working at the gym. First one ear cut out and then the other. I've had these awful Nike headphones since freshman year of college---that's seven years of them poking into my ears. I had a love-hate relationship with them so it was bittersweet to see them go.

They came with this sporty MP3 player that my mom got me when I asked for an iPod for Christmas a few years ago. Ironically, this year I asked for new "sporty" headphones for running and she got me ear buds that wouldn't fit into my ears and actually caused some pain.

On my way home from the gym I decided to take matters into my own hands since my mom (God, love her) cannot be trusted to pick out electronics. I stopped at FirstTech on Hennepin in Uptown. I had never been there before and I shall never return. It smelled like a doctor's office.

I didn't buy any headphones.