Venice Beach

I love these pictures. They're silhouettes of people on Venice Beach this evening.

Daily Tweet Roundup

Me, today:

• Going out for a hike. #
• If a recipe calls for sage leaves, can I use ground sage? Or will fresh sage leaves make a big difference? #
• On my way to the Mayfair Market. I better see a celebrity. (Yes, I'm walking. And yes, I know this means people will think I'm homeless.) #
• Oh dear, dinner's been put on hold. I stumbled across a 50% off sale. #
• I've started drinking. Making salad, dinner, dessert. #

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Butternut Bowties

Okay, I'm making dinner for Mark and David tonight. I'm going to make this recipe from Andie's blog... Butternut Bowties. I have to make it healthier though, as Mark and David hardly eat anything these days. That means rice noodles, vegan cheese, etc.

I made this once at my sister's house (the normal way) and everyone loved it. I'll tell you how this version compares to that one.

Daily Tweet Roundup

Me, today:

• About to get behind the wheel of Mark's BMW convertible. I can't believe he trusts me. Lord help us all. #

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Now That's A Tree

Beverly in the Sequoia National Park. I've entitled these, "Little girl, big tree."







I have to say, this little monkey was quite the road trip dog. She sat in the back seat the whole time and just minded her own business.

Daily Tweet Roundup

Me, today:

• About to snuggle up to a huge homeboy in a king-sized bed in a romantic chateau. Ahh, life... #

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In Yosemite

In Yosemite:



It rained.

Daily Tweet Roundup

Me, today:

• At Yosemite! It's as stunning as everyone says. #
• I'm arguing with Mark about Chloe Sevigny. One of us thinks she's beautiful and the other doesn't. Please share your opinion.. #

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Daily Tweet Roundup

Me, today:

• Forcing Mark to listen to "Me and Little Andy" by Dolly Parton. #

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Daily Tweet Roundup

Me, today:

• Leaving Big Sur! It was so beautiful... I'm going to move there. (Some day.) #

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Daily Tweet Roundup

Me, today:

• On my way to Big Sur! #

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Daily Tweet Roundup

Me, today:

• I'm on the plane, David! I can't wait to see you! #

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Obama on Jet Blue

Everyone on my Jet Blue flight from New York to LA watched the Obama inaugration. It was neat.

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Bev Is Checked In!

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Daily Tweet Roundup

Me, today:

• Going to buy a new suitcase. It's time. #

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Bye Bye, Bush

Farewell, Fuzz.

This is a real ad from a place called Ritual Spa.




Brilliant.

Via Keebler Blog via mad.

Pete Seeger

What a great picture, with the soldiers behind them.




And I love Pete Seeger. He was on David Letterman a few months ago and I loved, loved, loved his performance. Here it is:




The song he's singing is called "Take It From Dr King." He should've sang it at the inauguration concert! It would've been perfect with MLK Day tomorrow.

The lyrics:

Down in Alabama, 1955,
Not many of us here tonight were then alive;
A young Baptist preacher led a bus boycott,
He led the way for a brand new day without firing a shot.

Don’t say it can’t be done
The battle’s just begun
Take it from Dr. King
You too can learn to sing
So drop the gun.

Oh those must have been an exciting 13 years.
Young heroes, young heroines.
There was laughter, there were tears,
Students at lunch counters,
Even dancing in the streets.
To think it all started with sister Rosa
Refusing to give up her seat.

Song, songs, kept them going and going;
They didn’t realize the millions of seeds they were sowing.
They were singing in marches, even singing in jail.
Songs gave them the courage to believe they would not fail.

We sang about Alabama 1955,
But since 9-11 we wonder will this world survive.
The world learned a lesson from Dr. King:
We can survive, we can, we will.
And so we sing —

Don’t say it can’t be done
The battle’s just begun
Take it from Dr. King
You too can learn to sing
So drop the gun

He wrote this song after 9/11.

BBC

I'm watching The Chris Matthews Show on NBC right now and they're talking about how the entire world is excited about Obama's inauguration. Katty Kay, a Washington correspondent for the BBC, said that they're airing a five-hour special covering the event, which is what they do for a coronation.

It's so exciting!

The Geese

Dear Geese,

I stopped eating you (and all of your brothers and sisters in the bird family) a few months ago, so I'd like to request that you clear the air near JFK Tuesday morning because I'm flying to LA.

Thanks,
Karyn


Also...

Mark, to me, on the phone tonight: You have to get on that plane Tuesday otherwise the geese win.

Shepard Fairey

Shepard Fairey presents his Obama "Hope" illustration to the National Portrait Gallery.



How exciting for him. I read an article recently that said he is going blind from diabetes. So sad.

Via Huffington Post

Daily Tweet Roundup

Me, today:

• Dreading going to the eye doctor b/c it's too cold outside. (Karyn, 150 people stood the wing of a plane in the river yesterday; you can walk two blocks.) #
• "Kung pao chicken. It's Chinese... chicken from China. It's a delicacy." #
• I'm crying over these promos for The Biggest Loser with the 19-year-old 400-pound kid. (It's a TV night.) #

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Landing Footage?

I can't believe no one has video of the plane actually landing in the water. I mean, one has to surface, right? With all the security cameras nowadays and the tourists... someone somewhere had to catch this thing on tape.

Double Whammy

My 365 photo for January 15th and my two entries for Mission 24: Resolution. (I can add two pictures.)





Get it? The word was "resolution." So, the first picture is me drinking my super green drink as part of my new year/new me cleanse. And the second is the first picture, just in a lower resolution.

Daily Tweet Roundup

Me, today:

• Omg, the pilot said "Brace for impact," right before the plane went down. Could you imagine? So terrifying. tinyurl.com/6vesaf #

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US Airways Flight

I think as a New Yorker (or anyone really), to have someone call you and say, "Have you turned on the news?" is one of the most frightening things you can hear. A pit instantly forms in your stomach as thoughts of terrorist attacks come to mind. It's like when you see a plane flying low, you automatically duck... it's an unconscious reaction.

With that said, I didn't have the news on, so when my mom just called and said, "Have you turned on the news?" I was hesitated a second before slowly saying, "No..."

She told me about the US Airways plane down in the Hudson.

First, all the passengers got out, right? Second, I can't believe it's floating.

PS - To further what I said in the first paragraph, imagine what people who live in war zones go through even after the fighting stops. People in Iraq, the Gaza Strip... Even if they survive the attacks, I would imagine they'll live in fear for the rest of their lives.

Mission 24

Re: The Mission 24 group on Flickr... we have our first mission! I'm so excited.

"Resolution." That's the word.

From the newsletter:

Attention Agents:

It's that time of year. Time to develop our strategic initiatives for the year. Time to assess our operations. Time to account for where we've been and utilize the lessons of yesterday to help us strategize for tomorrow. From our past, our future grows stronger. We have now moved forward into a new year. What changes must be made to ensure excellence?

Your current mission, should you choose to accept it, is "Resolution."

As always, you have 24 hours to compose, shoot, and post two photographs representing the assignment by the deadline: Noon CST; Friday, January 16, 2009.

Submit a NEW photo related to the assignment within the 24-hour period specified. No older shots will be allowed into the pool and shots posted after the deadline will be summarily deleted.

BUT, any and all assignment-related shots are always welcome in the discussion thread. When you post your photo to the pool, please also post it in the discussion thread with a statement or two, debriefing us on how you accomplished the assignment. Doing that helps the rookies.

More tips:

1. Move past the literal. As agents, it's your job to take risks.
2. Under your submitted photo, enter a brief caption explaining how you went about responding to the assignment.

Use your training and your resolve to complete this assignment. Begin.

- Mr. X

How fun is this? My face mask picture would have been perfect for this, but I need to think of something new.

Working on it now.

Daily Tweet Roundup

Me, today:

• "The only wing-wang I ever saw in my entire life before I got married was the family dog named Zorro." Kathie Lee Gifford on Today, a few minutes ago. Thanks for sharing, Kathie Lee. #
• Just got my Billy Elliot tickets! Going with my new neighborhood friend Jenny! #
• I'm hungry and I have a headache. #

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Michael Vick's Dogs

My sister sent me a link to this article and all I have to say is Oh. My. God.

Sport Illustrated: What happened to Michael Vick's dogs...

To read the details of Michael Vick's dog-fighting ring is heartbreaking and infuriating, but, ultimately, uplifting. Warning: This article starts off really bad, but ends up really good.



PS - Make sure you look at the photo gallery.

Free Shampoo!

Jenny McCarthy was on the Today show this morning talking about this. You can get a free bottle of Suave shampoo TODAY ONLY by clicking here... Suavenomics.com.

Bushisms

I have to be honest... I'm going to miss these.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Clippy Mat

Clippy Mat has been blogging for a year now and is having a party!

Thank you, Clippy!

I need to go eat something now. Oh, no, wait... it's time for herbal tea. Yay.

Daily Tweet Roundup

Me, today:

• I smell like a big onion from my (detox) lunch. Still. #

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Daily Tweet Roundup

Me, today:

• Watching Yorkie videos on YouTube. #

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10-Year-Old Reporter

Via HuffPo... 10-Year-Old Reporter Damon Weaver Gets His Credentials

This is such a cute story. A 10-year-old boy named Damon Weaver got his press credentials to cover the inauguration and is now hoping to get an interview with Obama.

Here's a video of him requesting to get his credentials:



And here's a link to the interview he did with Biden in October.

My Cleanse

... starts tomorrow. I didn't go to the store yesterday with all the fun Golden Globes hoopla so I went today.

Mickey Rourke

I really wanted Sean Penn to win last night for Milk, but Mickey Rourke really won me over with his dog comment.

Watch more AOL Television videos on AOL Video

Btw, his dog is a Chihuahua.

Daily Tweet Roundup

Me, today:

• watching Obama on George Stephanopoulos. #
• I vote for the Portuguese Water Dog! I love them... they are so cute! #
• I'm getting ready to burn a lovely Jonathan Adler candle that Mark and David got me for Christmas. #
• Golden Globes in high def is awesome. #
• Ooh, Colin Farrell. Nummy. #
• Omg, Renee Zelwegger looks like a crazy old lady. #
• Hands down, best-dressed, Eva Mendes. GORGEOUS. #
• Johnny Depp is sex on a stick. I wanna lick him like a lollipop. Me likey. #
• Oh, Maggie G.... is that blue leopard print? #
• Oh, Gerard Butler! I mean, is it just me or are the men looking exceptionally good tonight? #
• Yay, Tina! You can suck it! (Kidding, I like you!) #
• I'm so excited for Colin Farrell! #
• Oh, Leo with tears! So sweet. #
• NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! SEAN PENNNNNNNNNNNNNNN! #
• I loved our Golden Globe chat! Thank, ladies! (And gentlemen.) #

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Golden Globes Tonight

I love award shows! I loved Milk and I hope Sean Penn wins. And Meryl Streep was amazing in Doubt. I hope she wins, too!



(That's supposed to be a Golden Globe.)

Gwyneth's Cleanse

I'm going to do Gwyneth Paltrow's cleanse starting tomorrow. Here are the details from her website GOOP. (What kind of a name is that?)



Who else is in? C'mon, c'mon... don't make me do it alone. We can support each other.

I need a kickstart before I go to LA. Mark and David are vegans now (such gays), and while I'm not going vegan, I do want to cut out refined sugar and wheat (gluten, really) before I go. If I get one week down here, maintaining it there with them for two weeks will be much easier.

So anyway, back to GOOP. I'm going to follow the cleanse exactly except I'm going to replace the chicken with fish and I'm not going to cut out coffee. I can't cut out coffee and sugar in the same week—I'd keel over. And besides, there's been study after study about how caffeine isn't bad for you.

So that's it. Who else is in?

Daily Tweet Roundup

Me, today:

• Watching Donnie Darko. #

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Peter Dinklage

I'm just going to say it—I'm kind of attracted to this little guy:



I mean, remember him in Elf? When he was the angry elf? He was so cocky, but it kind of make him attractive.

And then last night on 30 Rock—the same thing.

I dig his confidence.

Daily Tweet Roundup

Me, today:

• Laughing hysterically at 30 Rock. Love the little guy. #

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Daily Tweet Roundup

Me, today:

• Planning trips to Seattle and New Orleans. #
• I can't stand Ann Coulter. She is such a disgusting, hateful person. #
• Watching the Real World Brooklyn. #

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Hmmm...

Via the NY Times...

Saving a Squirrel by Eating One

RARE roast beef splashed with meaty jus, pork enrobed in luscious crackling fat, perhaps a juicy, plump chicken ... these are feasts that come to mind when one thinks of quintessential British food. Lately, however, a new meat is gracing the British table: squirrel.

I could make quite a living farming squirrels, seeing as though my balcony has become a squirrel haven.

(Oh, I'm kidding, animal lovers. I can't even bring myself to kick little buggers out.)

Sanjay Gupta

Oh, inneresting...

Via 23/6...

Barack Obama has reportedly approached highly-qualified-but-best-known-as-a-TV-doctor Sanjay Gupta about becoming the country's next surgeon general."

I like Sanjay.

Château du Sureau

Oh nice. We are staying here when we go to Yosemite... Château du Sureau. It made the Conde Nast Gold List 2009. Fancy!

Fodor's Review:

This romantic inn, adjacent to Erna's Elderberry House, is straight out of one of Grimm's fairy tales. From the moment you drive through the wrought-iron gates and up to the enchanting castle, you feel pampered.

Every room is impeccably styled with European antiques, sumptuous fabrics, fresh-cut flowers, and oversize soaking tubs. Fall asleep by the glow of a crackling fire amid feather-light goose-down pillows and Italian linens, awaken to a hearty European breakfast in the dining room, then relax with a game of chess in the grand salon beneath an exquisite mural – or play chess on the giant board amid tall pine trees off the impeccably landscaped garden trail. Cable TV is available by request only. In 2006 the Château added a stunning spa.

Los Angeles

I'm going to LA in a couple weeks and I'm so excited. Mark's boyfriend David always gives me a hard time when I come to visit because I stay for so long. He's always like, "I heard you were coming for a weekend," and, "I heard you were staying at a hotel."

No, David. I'm coming for TWO WEEKS and I'm staying WITH YOU!



I can't wait until we get to see each other. I've even added a countdown clock to my blog so I know exactly how many days, hours, and minutes are left until we can be together.

I promise I won't get up and make eggs at four in the morning this time. And I promise I won't—

Well, here's a funny but gross story:

Last time I stayed with Mark and David, the plumbing in the entire house backed up. They had to call a professional out to fish the line and, when he was done, he was like, "Yeah, you had like eight tampons jammed in there, plugging things up."

Whoops. (Absorbant little f*ckers, though, aren't they?)

So, anywho, I promise I won't ruin the plumbing again this time, David. And I promise to make you a casserole.

We are planning an outing to Yosemite while I am there, and Mark is totally into his camera just like me, so we will take tons of pictures.

Okay, off to learn how scare away a bear!

The Odd Couple

This is so sweet!

Daily Tweet Roundup

Me, today:

• Wondering why local morning news is always so awkward. "Coming up, we have Perez Hilton. He's a... err... major league blogger." #
• The same newscaster just asked who Lisa Rinna is. What planet does he live on? #

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Roland Burris

I kind of feel sorry for Roland Burris. I feel like he's that girl who tried out for the cheerleading squad and didn't make it, but she shows up for practice anyway in a uniform and is like, "What? What? I'm a cheerleader. What?" And everyone's like, "No, no, Roland, you didn't make the squad. You gotta go home. And—"

Yeah, that analogy doesn't really work. But you get what I'm saying, right?

5/365

Just watched Oprah's "Best Life Week." Need to improve myself.

Daily Tweet Roundup

Me, today:

• Planning a trip to sunny LA at the end of January! #
• We're going to Yosemite! #
• Reading up on what I should do if I see a bear. #
• Watching today's Oprah. She's kicking off her "Best Life Week." It's so good. #

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Daily Tweet Roundup

Me, today:

• I want to go go-carting. Or go drive bumper cars. #
• Watching Up Close & Personal. I want to meet a man like Robert Redford. It's the confidence that gets me, really, more so than the looks. #
• Oh, Tally Atwater. #

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Daily Tweet Roundup

Me, today:

• Wondering if anyone else wants the Snuggie and the Shamwow. ("I've got news for you, Snuggie, you're a f*cking robe...") #
• Watching Jerry Maguire. I ♥ Tom Cruise. Always have, always will. #

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My First 3 of 365

Daily Tweet Roundup

Me, today:

• Burning sage in the apartment to cleanse myself and it of negative energy. #
• I think Beverly got high from the sage. She's rolling around like a lunatic. #

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Fish Lips

Jack has learned how to give kisses.

Nora doesn't like them because she says, "They're wet."

I took these pics on Christmas day and they're so funny. Look at Jack's big fish lips as he desperately tries to give his sissy a kiss. The look on Nora's face is priceless; she so isn't amused.











And he settles for a hug:

Flickr Buddies

To all my Flickr buddies... I'm joining these groups for fun photo challenges this year. You should join, too!

Mission 24
Approximately once a week, group members will be given an assignment like “patterns” or “purple” or “minutia” or “signage” or "action", etc. You will then have 24 hours from the time of the assignment to take new pictures that interpret the assignment and post your best ones by the deadline for the group to see.

365 Days
The 365 Days group is a project in which members submit one self portrait each day for a year. A self portrait is a photo of yourself taken by you - it is not a photo of you taken by someone else and it is not a photo of something you hold near and dear to your heart. Please don't try to interpret 'self portrait' into something drastically different than what it is. You are only allowed to submit one photo for each day. Only one. Feel free to do whatever you want to do within your own 365 Days set, but only send one to the pool. Rules here.

PS - I'll also be uploading my 365 photos to JPG Magazine. Mark introduced me to this website a while ago and I love it. Here's my profile page. Join (it's free!) and be my friend. This is so sad, but right after I posted this, I received an email that jpgmag is no longer and is shutting down Monday, January 5th. :(

52 Blessings
Once a week you post a photo of something you are most grateful for. It's like a photo gratitude journal.

Okay, I only have four hours left to take my first 365 portrait, so I best be going!