When simple ain't easy

Wikipedia - Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a theory in psychology, proposed by Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper A Theory of Human Motivation, which he subsequently extended to include his observations of humans' innate curiosity.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is predetermined in order of importance. It is often depicted as a pyramid consisting of five levels: the lowest level is associated with physiological needs, while the uppermost level is associated with self-actualization needs, particularly those related to identity and purpose. Deficiency needs must be met first. Once these are met, seeking to satisfy growth needs drives personal growth. The higher needs in this hierarchy only come into focus when the lower needs in the pyramid are met. Once an individual has moved upwards to the next level, needs in the lower level will no longer be prioritized. If a lower set of needs is no longer being met, the individual will temporarily re-prioritize those needs by focusing attention on the unfulfilled needs, but will not permanently regress to the lower level.

Reading Leslie's post the other day, my mind became fixated on the concept it raised and launched into this tangent that's affected me for the past 48 hours. I started thinking about "simplicity" and its utopian promise of halcyon days... The thought of it all made me anxious -- the notion that once you are able to reduce something to basic numbers or equations or any systematized routine you will have achieved some finite degree of self-actualization and greater emotional intelligence. I do believe in the restorative power of simplicity, but surrendering oneself to the simple life entirely? What would that be like? If simplicity was the means to our end, surely we'd be bored out of our minds, less interesting, and less in touch with ourselves and our surroundings.

I dug up my last moleskine notebook and started flipping through all the quotations and aphorisms that I'd collected mostly from books and movies for the last couple of years. I got into collecting various quotations and aphorisms, hoping that each one might allow me to better understand and organize the world around me and be more aware of my own potentiality within it. The running list I've collected ping pongs back and forth between skepticism and faith. A recent line: "...but the universe is indifferent..." was uttered by the character Don Draper of Mad Men :). Take that line and it could all be so simple. It would allow one to both accept and reject everything at the same time. It could free one to do or believe as one pleases if one accepts [that]:

"The greatest mystery is not that we have been flung at random among the profusion of the earth and the galaxies, but that in this prison we can fashion images sufficiently powerful enough to deny our nothingness." - Andre Malraux

Life as one big boardgame. Dada life.

But every time I find myself peering over the edge of the existential black hole of nihilism, that instinct for life rises and I once again am inspired to continue exploring the "Practice of Everyday Life" (a positive nihilism?). I'm fascinated by what people are doing, everything that's happening, connections, interactions. I hate missing out. I become obsessed with understanding our modern folklore.

I remember that simplicity does not equal simple-mindedness, rather, it is what we seek as the reward for our persistence and undying curiosity. I guess a little anxiety isn't so bad after all.

A fitting quote that sums it up comes from one of the most famous (positive) nihilists out there:

"To those human beings in whom I have a stake, I wish suffering, being forsaken, sickness, maltreatment, humiliation--I wish that they should not remain unfamiliar with profound self-contempt, the torture of self-mistrust, and the misery of the vanquished: I have no pity for them because I wish them the only thing that can prove today whether one is worth anything or not--that one endures." - Nietzsche

waiting for autumn

In anticipation of fall I've been really into end of summer tunes -- the ones that just leave you with your thoughts..

like this one!


the album version is less distracting but i love this part of the movie..



and i'll just throw this classic in too...



anyone else have any?!?!

Best,
Viv

Please, just the simple things.

Classes have begun. Summer is gone. So what should one do to bring a little bit of sunshine back? Well, it is just the simple things really. This week for me was a great example of how the simplest of things always can make a dreary law student smile again.

New TV
I am guilty of being a slight television addict. I can always find someting to watch at any time of the day and even with limited channels. But it is the season premieres of the new fall schedule that brings me joy in between textbooks, namely: Mad Men, Top Chef, Project Runway, Southland, House, and The Office. But since I lack cable, my friends from school DVR them for me. Last Thursday night, me and Kat decided to have a ridiculously girlish night that included gin, pizza, and 3 hours of Project Runway. Although watching television is an awfully time-consuming habit, it was fun sipping martinis while agreeing with Tim Gunn's critiques.

Ice Cream on a Warm Summer's Night.
Although my favorite desserts are ones that are best fresh out of the oven, this summer has been so hot and my apartment so lacking in air-conditioning that ice cream is really the only cure. So if I'm craving for something more exotic than the strawberry Haagen-Dazs in my fridge, I'll head over to Scoops for some raspberry balsamic or guinness chocolate ice cream. It makes me almost love the hot weather.

Amoeba Music
Whenever I'm feeling blue, Amoeba always cheers me right up. Lately, I've been in a music funk, so I decided to visit the place and get some new tunes. When I got there, I was happily surprised that Peanut Butter Wolf was performing a DJ set. Just another perk to brighten my day. After walking the aisles for about an hour, I purchased the new Mars Volta, an original issue of Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures, Julian Plenti's self-titled album, two used Fugazi albums, and the new Horrors album on vinyl. I wanted more, but thought that was enough as a pick-me up. So I scurried home and ripped the plastic off of each CD/record and listened to my new purchases for the next 5 hours. Oh, such a happy day.

After my last post yesterday, I realized two things. 1. I did not follow Dinette Set etiquette and posted something that was not really food related; and 2. I meant to! I've been meaning to all week, but got sidetracked when I nearly set my (?) new place on fire.
So. To make amends, this evening I have returned to the Dinette Set blog, and I remembered to bring back the casserole dish you left at my house.
I saw a shirt once that said "a french fry is simply a ketchup delivery device." After consuming half a pound of Whole Foods' Fresh Mango Salsa, I feel the same way about tortilla chips. I had first purchased Archer Farms Organic Blue Corn with Flax Seed tortilla chips to accompany a jar of Tostitos salsa, the hottest Target had to offer. Later that week, however when I visited Whole Foods on an empty stomach looking for some dinner (I'd heard they had vegan tamales!), I stopped at the ready-made section by the front door to get some guacamole. When I saw that it was over $6 for half a pound, I said, "screw that" and put it back. My eyes then drifted to a container filled with tiny pieces the color of early morning sunshine, speckled with red and I thought: Bingo.
I was close. It was mango.
My love affair with mango salsa goes back to eating fish tacos at La Salsa at Bella Terra in Huntington Beach. The mango on it's own was good, but when I mixed it with the habanero salsa they had?!?! Oh my goodness, that alone was worth the $7.
I know that traditionally, mango salsa has accompanied fish, but now tortilla chips will have to do.
Quickly, ingredients: Mangos, Pineapple, Onions, Variety Peppers, Cilantro, Lemon, Lime and Red Bell Peppers. It is the perfect combination of sweet and spicy (although I could go a little hotter), with no added sugars or extra crap to make you feel bad after you eat it.
I'm telling you, it's heaven in a 20% post consumer recycled product container, for under 4 bucks.
Sorry I don't have a picture; I ate it all...

Tonight I moved into my sublet apartment, something that, in my younger years, I thought would be incredibly chic and somewhat edgy. Turns out it's kinda strange. Instead of being like a long-term hotel, I've been asked to supply my own bedding, a request which I am more than happy to oblige, except I didn't pack any. I had intended to open up a new bank account anyhow, but it was shifted to the top of my priority list tonight so that I could cash a check and buy some sheets, but by the time I was through at the bank, the thrift store was closed. I wound up at Big Lots, thinking I just need something cheap to get me through the next month, and then I can get what I really want, which is why I started out at the thrift store in the first place.
I found a set. Full size. Microfiber. Tan. Fine. Perfect! I've resolved to buy sheets that are closest to my skin tone so that I sleep better (it's scientifically proven, but leaves me wondering how interracial couples work it out and feeling like albinos are pretty much set when they travel). Big Lots blankets were a mess. The dye lots were off and the fabrics were nowhere near natural feeling and I didn't think I'd be able to sleep if I bought one, so I trekked to Target for an upgrade.
At this point, I felt like I was getting things you'd get if you were decorating a whole apartment, so I had to start thinking about the color scheme for everything! After all, the blankets I got might wind up on the sofa rather than the bed, and since I had to get a towel, I had to plan my bathroom right then and there, in aisle 4 of the housewares section. There were towels on sale, so I had to face even more pressure when it came to choosing exact shades once I got the basic color scheme down.
I wound up sticking with my Big Lots towel, just the one, although I did find two super cozy blankets and a throw pillow. A throw pillow! For a sublet! But it happens that it matches his decor too, so I lucked out. Either that, or I've absorbed some of his taste from my commitment to live in his space.
Once at home, I went to make the bed and found that while my bed at home is a Full, the one in Shenoa's apartment is a Queen, and thus my sheets are too short and I have to return them, which ultimately is fine because they don't feel right, and a closer inspection revealed them to be polyester.
Tomorrow it's back to the thrift store for me because I am not investing in something that I cannot use in the long term. So, tonight, I sleep on my blanket and wake up looking like a waffle cone. Better that than burnt toast, which brings me to the second phase of tonight's adventure!
When I walked in tonight, it was like an oven in here. Or a Kiva, to be a proper New Mexican about it. I knew it had been cool when I first came to check the place out, but having lived for the last 8 years without air conditioning, I had no clue as to how or where to turn it on. When my eyes fell on the thermostat, I thought surely this must be it. Since I only needed it a little bit cool, I turned the thermostat to 74 and went around the corner to start making the bed. Before I got in the bedroom doorway, I noticed another switch, this one much clearer and more familiar. I turned it to "Low cool" and went about my business. As I was tucking in the final bit of blanket, I felt something extremely hot coming from near the outlet I was near. This place is full of antique junk with character, so I thought it was perhaps an old wire or something, but no, it was far too hot for that, and not as localized. Inspecting further, I discovered that I'd turned on the heater and almost burned the place down my first night here.
At least I'm getting all the bugs worked out at once and when I finally do get my own place, I'll be set.

As indicated in my profile, I love to eat. However, I do not like exercise. Below are the details of my first official detoxification diet in order to cleanse my body of the pounds of cupcakes and french fries I've consumed in my lifetime. So I went online to http://www.goop.com/ to find a do-able detox that wouldn't leave me miserable for 7 days. I had to alter or skip some of the recipes that were given since I didn't have a juicer and couldn't find some of the ingredients at my regular market. Basically, I couldn't eat red meat, dairy, refined sugar, caffeine, wheat, flour, fatty nuts and nightshade vegetables (i.e. potatos, yams). The diet did allow organic chicken and salmon. I had to drink lots of water. I have to admit, I was scared that I'd crack under the pressure of being without coffee and bread...and I did on my last day. But overall, I do feel lighter and I've been able to wake up earlier in the morning without feeling groggy. I think I'll even stick with the smoothies.

Day 1: So every morning, I started my day with a glass of water and a cup of herbal detox tea I got at Trader Joes. For breakfast, I made a blueberry almond smoothie as a meal supplement. The smoothie consisted of blueberries, unsweetened almond milk, a scoop of whey protein powder and Progreens probiotic powder. I had almonds and coconut water whenever I got hungry. For dinner, I had sauteed broccolli with garlic and onions. To stimulate my liver, I took a spoonful of olive oil before bed.

Day 2: This morning, I had a raspberry and rice milk smoothie. Even though the smoothie is suppose to fill me up until lunch, I had to have a banana to tie me over. For lunch, I baked a chicken breast with olive oil, salt and pepper and ate it over a bed of arugula with a little balsamic vinegar. I had class that night, so I packed a peach, coconut water (Viva), and a bottle of water to munch on for the next four hours. I was still hungry when I got home, so I ate an orange and drank a cup of herbal tea.

Day 3: The first two days, I think my body was adjusting to my new diet since I felt really tired every morning. I was so tired I barely did my yoga stretches opting to sit on my couch and watch bad morning shows. I had my regular smoothie, but this time with raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and rice milk. For a snack, I had almonds, celery sticks, and baby carrots. I cheated a little and ate the crudites with a spoonful of salsa which had a little sugar in it. I know, I'm weak. For lunch, I had a roasted beet salad with onions in an orange vinagrette. For dinner, I had a baked chicken breast in goop.com's detox teriyaki sauce and sauteed kale. The detox teriyaki sauce was a combination of balsamic vinegar, honey, miso, ginger, salt, pepper, and miron. I had a few strawberries for dessert.

Day 4: Started my day with the usual water, tea, and breakfast smoothie. Since sweating is part of the detox process, I decided to take a brisk stroll downtown and sweat in the 88 degree weather. For lunch, I made myself some guacamole and ate it with a few celery sticks. I finished it off with some coconut water (Vita). For dinner, I heated up my left over teriyaki chicken and ate it over a bed of arugula. Of course, that wasn't enough, so I finished off the strawberries in my fridge.

Day 5: This morning, I had the energy to do some cardio which mostly consisted of squats, kicks and air punches. I then drank a raspberry and rice milk smoothie for breakfast. For lunch, I ate some guacamole and celery sticks. To tied me over before dinner, I ate some almonds and blueberries. I pan-seared a salmon filet (seasoned with basil, parsley and lemon) and steamed some red beets for dinner. I then had an orange for dessert.

Day 6: Although I didn't go to bed until 1:30 am the night before, I woke up this morning at 9 am without wanting to curse my alarm. I drank a glass of water and started the morning with a cardio workout. It was really hot this morning, so I skipped the herbal tea. I had my regular smoothie with peaches and blueberries. I also took a multi-vitamin with my smoothie since I wasn't sure if I was getting my daily vitamins with the detox diet. I usually get my vitamins eating Total or Multigrain Cheerios. For lunch, I ate some cantaloupe and finished off my guacamole and celery sticks. I think my body was getting use to not eating all the time since I wasn't hungry for another 5 hours. For dinner, I heated up my left over salmon and sauteed some kale. Afterwards, I went to Intelligentsia to read and drank a pot of their herbal Blue Crane tea, which was very good.

Day 7: My legs were really sore from the two days I did cardio so I just did my yoga stretches this morning. I had my blueberry and almond smoothie after I drank my herbal tea and water. For lunch, I ate a few slices of cantaloupe and a handful of almonds. I had dinner around 5:30 pm, eating an arugula salad with avocados, tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots in a balsamic viniegrette . I would have just drank herbal tea and water the rest of the night, but Viv came over and I decided to cheat on my last 3 hours by going to Pete's Cafe and Bar, the Must and Seven Grand for late night dinner and drinks. I ate and drank everything I wasn't suppose to in just one hour. It was a great celebration to a long 6.8 days.

First time, but a little late

(the one I went to was in april weeee)

I have wanted to do this for some time. And though it is a little late, I would love to do it again. My main thing for this is that I wanted to do something that was out of comfort a little bit. I didn't want to go solo just yet so I called Gio and Phil the day of around 11:30am or so to see if anyone would come with me. They were having practice at Phil's so I decided to buck up a tad and just go by myself. Now, this is during the month of April so as I said, it is a bit dated. But, the desire to go do something that wouldn't normally be in the normal day has been on my list for a while and this seemed perfect for just that. A Tuesday. LA's Chinatown. Drawing with ink and brushes. Why not?

It was scheduled to be at 1-3 pm, but when I arrived the small studio was closed with a note on the glass door that said rescheduled for later at three due to a plane flight if I remember right. Luckily, Ooga Booga is right across the street. This place is fairly tiny, but has alot of independent zines/books sweatshirts and even various mix tapes for sale that Calvin Johnson compiled. Totally right. check it if you wish www.oogaboogastore.com

I rifled aaround in many things I could have spent lots of moneys there if i had nearly a third of what I wanted. Sadly, i did not, BUT

it was time to head over to the sumi sumiinkclub.com

and get'ta' drawin'

like so..

Myself, Luke, Sara, and David Scott all sat drawing with ink and changing seats every so often to change the areas we were all working on. I had never met any of these people before other than what I have heard from their music projects so it was pretty neat to just talk and draw different things in ink to various world music's and eating dark chocolate. It reminds me now of when we all went to eat and when to get that ice cream shaving stuff that we waited in line for. 

Reminded as in just fun ad a well night.

So yes, next time it happens we should try and go do this. It will be fun. I promise. I sorta have a better idea of where to park next time around though. I forgot about the ticket I got and it is now a $108 ticket. A minor set back in my chinatown frolic.

CINESPIA is on my next move, who wants to achieve this one as well??

Obsessed? Just a temporary infatuation.

Midnight Baking

It’s my new disgustingly unhealthy habit for my insomnia.

Brunch. It’s an obsession driven by my love for eggs and my inability to wake up before 10 am.

Olive martinis… extra olives.

Fresh flowers.

Adds sophistication, whimsy, and color to my currently boring apartment. It really does make the room.

Buster Keaton.

I began my love affair with the Great Stone Face earlier this year when I saw “One Week” at the Orpheum Theater. It makes me nostalgic for the days when comedy was clever and didn’t consist of bathroom humor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrL8x_iBO60

Circle! Circle! Circle! Circle!

So I watched Conan tonight and I thought it was pretty funny!

Andy Richter was on Howard today promoting the show, so if your a Conan fan, enjoy!

Here's the interview:

Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBTIQvTsPtw
Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlg1GoIr3ao
Part 3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BNxkmBXaKA



Nikki made me put this up.

Obsessed

GIMME GIMME GIMME
I NEED SOME MORE
GIMME GIMME GIMME
DON'T ASK WHAT FOR - BF

As much as I love trying new things, there have been some times in my life where a piqued interest or unexpected delight has lead me to descend into the twisted tunnel of obsession. In retrospect, a lot of these occurred during college, when I was practicing an involuntary style of subsistence living. Being fixated with something made food shopping easier I guess.

CEREAL remains a constant love of mine, although I've favored many flavors including Raisin Bran, Pops, Rice Krispies, Honey Bunches of Oats w/ Almonds, TJ's Frosted Mini Wheats Maple & Brown Sugar, and ginger granola from Berkeley Bowl (oh how I miss you!)



NUTELLA + PRETZELS. It all started after my roommate, Jay, brought home a huge jar of Nutella and a leftover kingsize bag of pretzels that were leftover from her club meeting. All day every day until that mega pretzel bag was gone.






DRIED CRANBERRIES, CHICKEN, CHERRY TOMATOES, FETA CHEESE, and SPINACH SALAD w/ VINERGERETTE DRESSING - something I copied from one of my roommates (Mel or Alo..I forget).

MANCHEGO CHEESE. Mel brought some home and I was hooked. It's still my favorite cheese, but I had to cut down after my optometrist showed me this super x-ray of my eyeballs and pointed out how my arteries had some cholesterol build up in them.



JACK DANIEL'S + GINGERALE. I sat next to this older man on a Jetblue flight once and this was what he ordered. I wanted to drink like him for some reason and did for a while.

GREEN TEA SOYMILK. Thanks, Maedas!







MINT ANYTHING. Because I'm having a hard time re-adapting to the socal summer heat. This means mint iced tea & mint shampoo/soap/lotion.






FINDING SONGS TO LEARN ON "UKEHUNT"

keiko

as many of you know i am totally in love with my dog, but i don't know if you understand how much though. my sister probablly understands because she lives with the princess Keiko so she also gets to see how totally adorable she is at all times, even while sleeping. last week there was an earth quake and i was at chase's show, i instantly text my mom asking if keiko was ok, not her or my dad, but my dog. i constantly catch myself talking to customers & co-workers about my dog. about 90% of the photos on my phone are of her & there are about 100 on my camera at this very moment. we actually have a folder on the computer called "i love keiko", here is a photo from that folder:

.

seriously how could you not be obsessed with her?!?!?!

Obseesed Childreen

When ever my brother and I needed to be put to bed or just need be occupied, only a few things would suffice. Namely Tom Cruise's best film in his entire catalogue - TOP GUN. 

Now, granted, this is a very very very bad movie (bad is in not good, but also you know the other "bad." Butttt it is quality. Don't believe me? see video two.but i digress) Oh yes...Lieutenant Pete "Maverick" Mitchell...what a dreamboat. no

Nick "Goose" Bradshaw. yes

Loved that motorcycle scene before it gets all kinds of adult steamy where Kenny Loggins'

"Danger Zone" smash hit comes in. Well...have a look see. 

v. two

or not. you decide

Anywho, the other movie is still a very cool movie that I back 100 percent. Even now.

- THE LAND BEFORE TIME. Love this movie. I watched it almost weekly it seems and I saw it in theaters. My mom got my brother and I each a chocolate chip cookie and stuffed animal Little Foots!!!!!!!!! Yay!!!

This was no ordinary Little Foot to me. I took him EVERYWHERE--EVERYWHERE. If I could have taken him into the shower or school I would have. I made him chew gum, played stick guns, dressed him in random clothes , put scotch tape on his head and colored the tape so he would have colored hair, all kinds of shit. (wonder if top gun had any influence)

Very fun warm and fuzzy feelings for my Little Foot. I will bring him to dinner next time we go if he feels up to it. He's pretty old nowadays. 

My last one is not a movie. But just as good. I used to watch the Lakers growing up, but not so much as just the Lakers team, but one Laker in particular. Magic Johnson. "Maaygick Johhhnson" I would say whenever i saw him on tv. Too right. Crazy passes

(wish me luck on the above. long over due)

Cinco de Mayo

Hola Amigos!

Personally, I am not a holiday-oriented person nor am I Hispanic, but since I will find any excuse to eat, drink and avoid studying, I decided to call up Erik to create a celebratory dinner for Cinco de Mayo. The menu: no-nonsense nachos, tacquitos pollo, spicy quesadillas, and homemade ginger-itas. We didn’t have time to make flan, but overall, delicious!

Obsessed!

Obsession, could there be a better topic for me to discuss? I think not. Here is the pattern that I usually follow: get obsessed with something, indulge in that obsession, form an addiction to that obsession relative to that of a crackhead with, well, crack, and then after an extended period of time, find that obsession repulsive for an unknown amount of time (months-years). Once, I was so obsessed with this computer program called Sierra Home Architect, that I would sit on the computer for like 8 hours straight and build and decorate imaginary houses. It got to the point that I would be playing in the morning before my sister left for work, still be playing when she returned home, and continue to play until I couldn't stand listening to her yell and call me a loser any longer. Finally, one day, I just had no interest what so ever in playing it anymore. I've maybe played it twice in the 3 or 4 years since that original fixation. Once, in middle school, I became obsessed with consuming cheeto puffs and chocolate milk. Literally, for a month or so that is all I wanted to eat at all times, everyday. Other obsessions over the years have included the following: James and the Giant Peach, bean and cheese burritos, dressing like I was in the 1950's, smoothies, and chewing gum (even while at swim practice), just to name a few. I decided that while these obsessions I am about to list may not be as intense as my addiction to cheeto puffs and chocolate milk, they are still memorable and worth sharing. It is human nature to categorize and group things, so I will do just that.

Eats: Champagne Mangoes

Tunes: Jonathan Richman, The Halo Benders (past obsession revisited), Lou Reed- Take a Walk on the Wild Side

Reads: Ready Made magazine

Movies/ TV: Taken(movie), Investigation Discovery Channel (both obsessions probably related to another lifelong obsession- my intense fear of getting chased/kidnapped/tortured/etc.)

Miscellaneous: All things Field Notes Brand (I love making list for everything)

Geoffrey from Ace of Cakes

and of course, my dog Keiko.

picnic perfect

Vivian's recipe for the perfecto picnic:

1 - nice park with a breathtaking view to remind you how small you are in this great big world:

1 - pear and brie panini


1 - Blue Moon Belgian White

1 - cup of Scoops or Bi-Rite ice cream for dessert


1 - friendly pup

1 - lazytunes mix

Weed Demon - Wavves

Cheree - Suicide

Lemon Perrier

Our nice din-din night out will be here soon, but foist!!

Camping!

The battery went kiputz in the van. You get none it said. Its all I got, blast...

tender anf pillow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMqYz1axXkc

Could This Be The Perfect Picnic?

It's 10 am on a saturday and you wake up with one goal on your mind; enjoy the day! There's no work today, no homework, no nothing, just one obligation...you! You jump out of bed, get ready and dash out the door.

Its about 11 am and I decide to go to long beach and hangout. On the drive over I decide to stop by fingerprints on 2nd st. and pick up a record. As I walk into fingerprints, I notice a band setting up, right as I find a spot where to stand they begin to play. The band plays for about 30 min's and every second of it just makes my day that much better. After they finish, I end up buying their new record and walk out happy as a clam.

As I get back into my car, I drive down a couple of streets and end up parking near a little park on a hill, that overlooks the beach. As I get out of my car, I just so happen to see a little hole in the wall pizza shop, so I walk in. I get my pizza to go, walk back to my car, get my ipod, blanket, and new record and decide to have a picnic at the park. I find a spot in between a guy sleeping and girl playing with her chihuahua dotson. I start playing some modest mouse, begin to eat my mushroom artichoke pizza, and open up the new record. After im done eating, I end up just sitting there, staring out at the ocean, enjoying that complimentary breeze.

- Gia Gia

The Chihuahua Dotson does exist!

Does this remind you of Nikki and Molly?

Birthday Grubbin'

23 is like a no man's land of maturity. I learned a lot about myself this past year and look forward to the next.

Now time for pictures of my B-Day food. I know, very exciting!

Birthday cake from work.


Birthday creme brulee, mushroom thing, pesto pizza, and sweet potato fries from The Crosby in downtown Santa Ana.






Birthday pizookie.


_Vivian

Absolut Machines

Maybe it's the fact that I just came back from camping that I feel the impulse to make a technology post but here goes...

Absolut makes fancy flavored vodkas. One time I had a cocktail that was made with Absolut Peppar (which is supposed to taste like green bell, chili and jalepeño peppers), but didn't care for it so much. Anyways, I'm not an alcoholic -- in case you were wondering why I'm writing about vodka on a Sunday night -- I just randomly fell upon this rad project Absolut did last year called "Absolut Machines". Below is an excerpt from the project's press release and some video.


For the ABSOLUT MACHINES, Dan Paluska and Jeff Lieberman have created the “ABSOLUT QUARTET”, an automated multi-instrumental orchestral machine, which does not look like anything you have ever seen before. It is a large-scale electromechanical sculpture consisting of three instruments and thousands of parts, working together to create one piece of music. The main timbre is a marimba played by balls shot from a robotic cannon. Other components include a series of wineglasses played by little robotic fingers and an array of robotic percussive instruments.

“ABSOLUT has collaborated with great artists such as Andy Warhol, Tom Ford and Louise Bourgeois. ABSOLUT has the tradition of the past masters as well as the vision to do something new. Of course we were excited when they asked us if we wanted to be part of a project exploring artificial creativity”, says Dan Paluska.

Teenage Engineering has constructed the “ABSOLUT CHOIR”, a multi-channel robotic choir, made up by 22 singing characters of various shapes and sizes. It is an architectural installation with an advanced framework of speech synthesizers and artificial intelligence software at the back end.

Stay tuned for culinary adventures from camp.

The Perfect Picnic

It’s time to roll out the picnic blanket, put on your wayfarers, and kick off your shoes. Summer is here and its time to celebrate in style that only the Dinette Set can.

The setting is Echo Park, sitting in the shade underneath a large tree and overlooking the lake's gushing foutain. The musical accompaniment is a personalized playlist of Beirut, Little Joy, Au Revoir Simone, Electrelene, Arcade Fire, Beat Happening, Pete Doherty, and Blur. Serene and tranquil music for a relaxing afternoon.

To start, a cheese plate with brie, manchego, goat cheese, and blue cheese, figs, raw almonds, and an assortment of olives (preferably kalamata and green olives stuffed with lemon).
Then we would move on to petite sandwiches of baby arugula, sliced pears, prosciutto, apricot jam, and goat cheese in between slices of French baguette.
Accompanying the food would be either a chilled bottle of pinot grigio or fresh ginger-limenade.
For desert, moist vanilla lemon cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

Bon Appetite!

Summer's & Fun's Picnics

Summer is coming! Summer is coming! Summer is coming! Summer!!!

My Picnic Grocery List (outdoors version)

1. (a) Location- always location, maybe but If I had a really cool porch I would love to 

have one on a porch. The kind you see where it is like a stoop a la Santa Ana/Long Beach/ect

sort of wood type thing. I have really come to enjoy these and would rather enjoy to sit and prepare

food around this setting. Rocking chair too.

(b) The other place I would like to have a picnic is at the former mini lake at Central Park. It was once filled, and the duckies used to swim and frolic in them, but the last few years have seen it dry up into a vast space of green grass. This place is also very awesome because already many people go adventuring around the many ins and outs of junglie type brush tree log walking thickness. With many paths and a library at one end! In short i would like to dine in the middle of that former duck lake. I swear it was filled at one point, but i could be wrong (ha right)

2. Food stuffs- I would bring martini glasses for my beverages. No booze, but that could be interesting. Ok, no, but what I really want to bring is those mini little swords that hold food together ya know? They come primary colors that i have seen and i always want to keep one or two for futures such as this. Food would have to be catered around this little item so i think some sort of BLT would work. Though I will not be using any type of animal, but if there are people wish to do so, all is workable and the little swords will work all the same. Come one come all i say! Just dont mix em' yeah? Ok so back to the shit, like berry juice or green machine. That would be pretty good to wash it all down. Some sort of rice would be good too. Sorry, Im kinda bad with the food area at the moment, but I promise it will be good in real life and in frozen picture time too. Moving on..

3. Playlist- My compilation would have to reflect the area and mood. Outside, sunny, and funny. Musically fun, not stand up funny. There have been a few things that i really like to hear when its just a nice day out and its perfect sunglasses and shorts weather. With that said, I would like to hear these things in this garb. Comfortable and just breathin' and wandering

not so much in this order but ya know..

some Ducktails- II

some High Places- S/T

see they already are in the picnic zone