A supplement to The Steele Dossier, each edition composed of a candid photo, caption, and five(5) personal favorites selected at random. Enjoy!
• A clean house...
• Iced lattes
• Browsing bookstores
• Our blog's 1-Year Anniversary
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in theaters July 15!!!
Our Room of Requirement
The Room of Requirement, a room in Hogwarts that only appears when a person is in great need of it. The room then transforms itself into whatever the witch or wizard needs it to be at that particular moment. It is believed that the room is unplottable, as it does not appear on the Marauder's Map, nor do its occupants.
In his sixth year, Harry used the room again (as a Room of Hidden Things) to hide his copy of the Half-blood Prince's Potions textbook from Professor Snape. He found that many other students had used the room to hide a multitude of other objects, including the Vanishing Cabinet. HarryPotter.Wikia.com
As you can see, we also have a room of hidden things, complete with its very own "Vanishing Armoire..."
25 years ago, a four(4)-year-old girl and her father walked into a local barbeque joint in Oklahoma City while the mother and sleeping baby sister waited patiently in the car. At first glance, one might have thought the pair to appear seemingly out of place. While the two stood in line to place their order, the little girl quietly considered her surroundings. After several minutes of curious observation, a wave of enlightenment swept over her. Without a moment's hesitation, the girl shared her new found wisdom by enthusiastically gasping,
"DADDY, THIS IS A MICHAEL JACKSON STORE!!!"
As the bit of color drained from my father's face, the entire restaurant erupted into laughter. Thankfully, the gentlemen found a young, caucasian girl's naive interpretation of an entirely African American employed and patronized venue to be quite humorous, as well as forgiving.
One year later, the same little girl and her mother [again] waited in line. They arrived at the neighborhood elementary with plans to enroll the, then five-year-old, girl in kindergarten for the upcoming academic year. Upon approaching the enrollment table, the counselor addressed the two with her well versed spiel, "We have two(2) kindergarten teachers: Ms. Moore and Ms. Jackson. Please indicate on the form whether or not you have a preference."
As the mother preceded to go over the informational packet, expressing any questions or concerns, the girl's imagination began to soar "Is it possible? How fun it would be!" Despite the ongoing conversation between the two adults, the 5-year-old's psyche could no longer stand it and, therefore, she had to voice her internal inquiry before any permanent decisions were made. The girl sheepishly tugged at her mother's hand as to signal a lowering of the head and whispered,
"Mommy, will there be dancing in Ms. Jackson's class?"
Ten years later, the girl was an [awkwardly] skinny sophomore with braces and bad hair dye. Fortunately, she had enough coordination and rhythm to make the high school pom squad. The squad leaders decided to create a Thriller performance for the aforementioned year's Halloween pep assembly, including a cameo appearance by the student body president's iconic impersonation of Michael Jackson; red leather jacket, silver glove and all... Last July, I was quoted as to recalling this particular experience as my all-time favorite high school memory at our class' ten(10) year reunion.
Despite not being an avid Ellen watcher, I am sooo jealous right now. After perusing a friend of a friend's blog(is that correct?), and also a fellow fraternity sister, I thoroughly enjoyed this clip and decided to pass it along to our TSD readers. It's a breath of fresh air, from the usual "Hard Work Pays Off" speech, typically delivered by a family money/oil baron multi millionaire. After all, it ends with everyone in the arena dancing people!
At this moment, I (and Google) am unable to recall my college commencement address. It was probably all I could do to keep from daydreaming or worrying about the impending job search ahead in order to payoff the accumulated debt, because unlike objective degrees, subjective ones do not have "career scouts" visiting the university interviewing potential employees. So, you see my also accumulating anxiety at that moment, although, nothing compared to that of this year's graduates...
All in all, I think this was the perfect light hearted, yet inspirational, closure for a class that experienced an all but ideal beginning (aka Hurricane Katrina) to their college education, as well as a disheartening economic outlook.
Note: Scroll down to the bottom of the page and pause [||] the playlist. Enjoy!
Many moons ago, my sister [Whitney] attended a concert at the city's "premier" theme park. Myself, along with the majority of my peers, had not heard of "the band," but regardless she was ecstatic to personally receive each of the member's signatures on a free *NSYNC debut album. This was the first time I was introduced to Justin Timberlake and, at the time, thought it quite likely to be the last.
Over the years, our generation has watched Justin transform from Mousketeer to teen pop idol sensation to solo superstar to his present form, a triple threat (singer/dancer/comedian), among other notedaccomplishments. Although, we admit to a continued skepticism outside of his regular musical skill set; at least until his natural talent became more apparent on his recent SNL debut, as demonstrated on the following "impromptu" Weekend Update appearance...
Note: Scroll down to the bottom of the page and pause [||] the playlist music.
Though we've tried (we've really tried), we cannot not like the man. Like most guys, I was quick to bash boy bands (jealousy maybe?), reserving a special disdain for the frontmen, most notably Justin Timberlake. However, deep down we knew we were just kidding ourselves. Justin shares a similar sense of humor, and despite his pop star success seems exceptionally likable (don't call it a man crush, though). Instead, he's what most would refer to as a man's man, never taking himself too seriously.
Timberlake's recent appearances on Saturday Night Live are the highlights of our viewing season. Aside from his brilliant collaborations (aka SNL Digital Shorts) with Andy Samberg,(although hilarious, not appropriate for a family blog) we've embedded our latest favorite, prompting repeated comical references between the two of us. So, if you missed last weekend's SNL and in need of some hump day humor to get you through the remainder of the week, then check it out... you will not be disappointed!
:: UPDATE ::
I apologize for the inconvenience, however, NBC has inconvenienced us all by requiring removal of the SNL "Plasticville" clip due to musical copyright infringements. Boo!!! Unfortunately if you missed it, then you missed Mr. Timberlake donning an implant costume labeled 34DD and "saline be pumpin' pumpin'!" Gotta love it ;)
She's not a witch at all. She's Kristin Chenoweth from Oklahoma. The "Four Foot Eleven and Going to Heaven" Tony Award winning singer/actress will be traveling through the metro [via bubble] on Monday, April 20th (7:00 pm) at Full Circle Bookstore to promote her recently released memoir, A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love, and Faith in Stages. Chenoweth will speak briefly, answer questions and sign copies of her book. Full Circle Books is located in 50 Penn Place, 1900 NW Expressway.
Interesting Facts about Chenoweth: · Adopted at birth. The result of an affair between a married airline pilot and a flight attendant. Hmm... Braniff International Airways employees, maybe??? · Born Kristi Dawn Chenoweth. Grew up in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
· She actually is 4 feet 11 inches tall. Can I get a "Woot! Woot!" for those of us shopping in the petite section?!?! · Graduated from Oklahoma City University with a degree in Musical Theater and a master's in Opera Performance. · It was her voice instructor, Florence Birdwell, who suggested "Kristin" was more classically suited for an opera singer. "All right, Miss Chenoweth, say it again. The rain in spain, falls mainly on the plain."
· Second Runner-up in the 1991 Miss Oklahoma pageant. I read an interview where she joked about her height having something to do with this... · Won a full scholarship to Philadelphia's Academy of Vocal Arts but later turned it down to move to NYC and pursue a career in musical theater. Brave! · Speaks publicly about her faith, describing herself as a "non-judgmental, liberal Christian." In California, she attends a non-denominational church in Malibu. In New York, she attends a United Methodist Church. Whaaat, Liberal and Christian in the same sentence?!?! The nerve... · In September of 2005, Chenoweth was uninvited from a Women of Faith conference "due to her publicized and heartfelt beliefs that God is accepting of all people on Earth," Again, the nerve ;) * references Wikipedia
A worthy supplement for those who read the magazine.As the description airs, a behind-the-scenes look at written subjects explored in the print copy. The hosts can err on the side goofy but do occasionally toss out some fashion or pop culture gold. While certainly no fashionisto (masculine fashionista?), I can vouch that the men provide [relatively] low priced ways for the every-man to become a sartorialist. Key phrase: every-man. They are well aware of the astronomically priced items featured within the pages of GQ. Therefore, it is acknowledged, oftentimes with solutions to achieve the same look on a non NBA salary.
In the last few episodes, the editors having covered 50 years of LA rock, include interviews with Tom Waits and Anvil, an LA based heavy metal band (featuring guitar riffs that will melt your face). Baseball fans, you absolutely MUST listen to "Episode 118: Two Months in Hell with Lenny Dykstra." Kevin Coughlin elaborates on his story in the April issue of GQ... craziness ensues.
If you are looking for a light, sometimes educational podcast that is akin to discussions you might have with your best friends, then this is it. Enjoy.
A weekly infusion of men’s style and culture, the GQ Podcast gives you the story behind the story. Listen in on conversations between editors and writers about the best in movies, fashion, music, and other areas of pop culture. iTunes
:: Programming Note ::
Originally, the You ARE What You LISTEN To series was set to cover ten(10) individual podcasts. However, due to low reader commentary and the realization that there are only seven(7) core podcasts in my repertoire, this post will close the series. Be on the look out for a new series to begin in the weeks ahead.
Hello, my name is Angela... (you say "Hello Angela") and I'm a Typoholic. It's no secret, the Designer in me LOVES anything involving typography: phrases, quotes, verses, titles, words, names, fonts, letters... you get the idea. And, as you may have noticed, I enjoy those subtle, creative twists applied to a previously conceived notion, especially when it involves a play on words. If you're a cynic thinking "Whatever, Plagiarist" then here's a different perspective. It's not copying. It's RECYCLING. However, this way there's no need to sort everything in a blue, plastic bin. Who knew, I'm a true recyclist at heart!!! It's a successful way to immediately connect with one's audience or catch the eye of a consumer. Think about it... not only does a person recognize the original idea and appreciate the cleverness behind it's evolution, but he/she also subconsciously relates to the product or conception because of the familiarity associated with it. How GENIUS is that!?!? But, I digress... so, let's start over.
Hello, my name is Angela... ("Hello Angela") and from Thanksgiving to Christmas [and sometimes 'til New Year's Eve] I listen to ONLY holiday music. Now, for those of you that groaned (and yes, eye-rolling counts) upon reading this, please feel free to join my husband in Scroogeville, where everything is COLD, DORMANT and STALE without firesides, hot cocoa, and twinkling lights. Or, be forced to drink the "eggnog" and remain rosy-cheeked and cheery for the remainder of the season ;) I mean REALLY, who doesn't like twinkling lights?!?! Even saying it "t W I N K l i n g l i g h t s" should force a smile upon one's face. If there was a safe, animal-test free approach, then our dog would be adorned in them as well. Ooooh... great pic' idea... "Sutton! Here boy!"
As I mentioned in the previous post, without a unique or tradition-defying moment, one may find it difficult to differentiate one Christmas season from the next. However, my holiday music addiction has aided in this dilemma with each year gifting a new favorite tune. For example, last year's find was by one of my all-time favorite groups, Barenaked Ladies with Sarah McLachlan and their version of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" found in the playlist below. If you haven't already stumbled across this year's gem, then this play on verses should bring any ol' Scrooge out of his/her holiday funk. Otherwise, drink the eggnog before viewing... after all, you WILL enjoy it damn it!
