get smart

i've been reading (#2)




top row:
(1) anthem - it used to be much better. hmm.

(2) good - did you know kraft foods owns boca burgers? and pepsi owns naked juice? and coke owns odwalla? and kellogg owns morningstar farms? neither did i!

(3) wallpaper - i have to admit the cover made me do a double-take. if i'd been drinking water, i'd have done a spit-take. le bar 228, inside le meurice hotel, is oh so sexy.

bottom row:
(4) monocle - fast becoming my favorite magazine in the whole wide world. no, it already is my favorite magazine in the whole wide world. each issue seems to be an encyclopedia of current and recent events in disguise as a magazine.

(5) lines & shapes - filled with amazing, thought-provoking and inspirational photos and art.

I'll Never Know If I Won The Raffle

i wonder why my next door neighbor thinks it's fine and dandy
to watch pixar's cars movie in surround sound with the volume so loud
it rattles the brick walls at seven-thirty in the fucking morning!

i could hear my windows vibrating!

i kept waking up to vroom! vroooom! vroooooom!

i mean come on, old dude! turn that shit down!

what's the thought process going on there? i'd love to learn
the logic behind his decision to ruin my sweet, sweet, peaceful slumber.
i'd really like to know!

obama speech

"It was possibly the most important major speech
on race in America since Dr. King died..."
— Dallas Morning News

(transcript & audio)

Whether Or Not The Weather Is Hot

from ruehl

if ruehl is supposed to be the older version of abercrombie & fitch
(for which i once worked), then why in hell does everything ruehl sells
look like everything a&f sells? I see no difference. nada.

i admit, though, i like some things.
(e.g. the hoodies and swim trunks pictured above)

i have a soft spot for chartreuse.

so, c'mon, that title is some clever shtuff. right?!
whether or not the weather is hot. heh.

It's the Magic In You

went to my aunt's & uncle's house for a birthday dinner.
my aunt cooked the deep fried shredded pork tacos
i love so much!
and she also made the fruit parfait
i love so much!
a houseful of aunts/uncles/cousins/sisters/grandmothers.
all of them there to celebrate my birthday.
it felt so good.
loved.

best gift i got was four $1 bills, from my 7-year old second-cousin.
she said she didn't have time to buy anything,
so she just gave me the money instead.
she asked me what i was going to buy with it.
told her, "i don't know, i might buy a bunch of stuff with it."

who wants a pistachio?

Happy Birthday to Me!

crazy night last night. the walk home is a complete blur.
i remember leaving my friends house. i remember finding my front door.
but the middle part, the actual walking part, complete blur.
i was home by 9:30 even! crazy night last night. (or lame. maybe lame.)
i think right now, i'm going to get breakfast at the cornerstone before they close.
i think they close at 2, so i better hurry.

tonight: dinner, drinking, dancing.

here's something nice to read:

The Laughing Heart
by Charles Bukowski

your life is your life
don’t let it be clubbed into dank submission.
be on the watch.
there are ways out.
there is a light somewhere.
it may not be much light but
it beats the darkness.
be on the watch.
the gods will offer you chances.
know them.
take them.
you can’t beat death but
you can beat death in life, sometimes.
and the more often you learn to do it,
the more light there will be.
your life is your life.
know it while you have it.
you are marvelous
the gods wait to delight
in you.

warm yellow light

did you know i've never not worked on my birthday. except that one time when i was 3 or 4, but that's it.
no, i'm sure i've taken the day for myself once or twice. i just can't remember when that may have been.
so i decided to take the weekend off. starting today, though not technically part of the weekend.
an extended weekend. no work!

despite my wont to hide away at home, i may venture out to do some drinking and dancing.
as long as someone else is buying. then by all means, let's get fuckin wrecked!

Back to Basics, But Not Entirely

i somehow fanagled... blogger tells me i misspelled fanagled. what is it?
finagled? fin... oh, there. it's finagled with an i. who knew?!
so, i finagled my way out of work tomorrow. i'll finally have time to sleep.
and do laundry. oh boy clean clothes!

by the way, thank you sarah, for reminding me this is a blog and not my wishlist.
my initial reaction was "whoa! what? this is my blog. I'll do with it what I want!"
but now, i'm cool. i've thought about it. you're right. so... i'll write more.
also, i used to write more off the cuff. which i'm doing now! so, uh, yeah....

my once small, but kinda acceptable collection of red wine has become a small,
but very sad excuse for a collection of red wine. and most of it has disappeared in the last few weeks!
i wake up in the morning and another bottle is gone! wine thievin' bastards! i'll get you!
...
so who's down for a wine run? WINE RUN! yeah? cool, you drive!



also the simpsons movie was okay. i guess i prefer my "dohs" in half-hour increments.
tomorrow will also be netflix catch-up day.

Caffeine, You Sexy Bitch!

work is killing me.
so tired.

Special Priority Shipping

less than 24 hours after i purchased these,
i'm wearing them on my feet!
(where else would i where them?)
somehow i was made eligible
for "free special priority shipping".
my shoes were shipped ups next-day air.
for free! is that awesome or what?
next time i want to buy shoes online,
i'll be ordering them on a thursday.
yeah baby!


also i just ate a ton of food for dinner.
and when i say "a ton", i mean literally a ton.
and when i say "literally", i mean figuratively,
because eating a literal ton of food would be impossible.
oh geez, i need to lay down.

Pretentious Much?

i've been reading




for the weekend:
selvedge is a textile magazine.
it's a beautiful magazine, but the import price is insane!

according to the cover of monocle, it's
"a briefing on global affairs, business, culture & design".
that sounds like a lot of things to be about, but
all i gots to say is it's awesome!

also, i want to subscribe to lines & shapes.

Overspend Overseas Over and Over

my timbuk2 bag has served me well,
but i no longer wish to look like
a bike messenger.

i need something less 'sporty',
but still kind of 'goes off-trail sometimes'.

i need something more 'mature',
but not 'european man purse'.

since i'm incapable of being mature,
i'll carry around a bag that says i am.

i need this bag:


FISHING BAG - Bonded Canvas
w/bridle leather trim, Rubber lining
Price: £120.00 ($240.00)


a little known fact:
i collect white ceramic bowls.
sometimes listed as chili bowls.
sometimes listed as cereal bowls.
i've used mine for both;
i don't care what they call 'em.
i have a set from william-sonoma.
another from crate & barrel.
and one bowl, the very first bowl,
from um, er, uh... (cough)starbucks(cough).

tell me, why do i want to order
this set of ceramic bowls from the u.k.,
when i could easily buy them locally?


SET OF TWO CEREAL BOWLS - White enamel
Diameter 16cm
Price: £16.00 ($32.00)


more from labour and wait.co.uk:

Skor for Me

from urbana.se

i'm really into shoes lately.
i've been searching the internet
for small and obscure manufacturers.
for shoes one won't find in this city.

i found myself searching
for a website to translate swedish!
i learned the meaning of valt alternativ ej i lager.
and skor means shoes.
swedish!