Blog of the Day

View from the Sidewalk (Telling the story of being homeless in the United States.)

Michael Brown's Blog was linked to on Digg and it describes the blog as "a way for Brown to vent, rant and reflect on his problems. He reveals the day-to-day travails, his guilt and anger about the situation, and his depression." He blogs from public computers and is still homeless in North Carolina. This article gives more details about how Brown's situation began.

Sex Pistols Giving the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame a Big F You

The Sex Pistols were recently nominated to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Many people would see how the nomination of a punk group who is clearly against the corporate music industry and is anti-establishment in general would be a bad choice for the Hall of Fame. Needless to say, the Sex Pistols declined the offer.

It definitely isn't punk rock to pay money for a reception celebrating your place in music history. Then what is punk rock, you ask?

Posting a big F You on your website:



This was posted on John Lydon's Website (John Lydon is Johnny Rotten's real name) (Johnny Rotten was the lead singer for the Sex Pistols just in case you didn't know). So anyway, in response to the nomination John Lydon posted the above "Official Announcement from the Sex Pistols" to tell the Hall Of Fame what the Sex Pistols really thought of the nomination.

Now that's punk rock!!

Identity, Transparency, and Truth

Amidst the flurry of controversy about James Frey and his fictional work of non-fiction, another dissembler has been out-ed, the mysterious JT Leroy, whose first novel seemed to be a shocking autobiographical story. It was about a young boy who passed himself off as girl named Sarah and worked as a prostitute in the truckstops of Middle America. There was a lot more to the book, too, and it was a strange, unsettling, read. Especially when the "hype" surrounding the book painted Leroy as that kid. Turns out, it was all a bunch of bullshit.

It's come out now that JT Leroy, from the name to the work to the image, is fake. A concoction by a couple of frustrated writers unable to get their own work out there and popular. So they created this character with a disturbing past and an important voice to be heard. After Leroy started publishing and gaining attention, the two writers added a third party to their little deceit, a woman to play Leroy in public, in radio interviews, and photo shoots.

I was researching the movie being made out of "his" second novel, when I came upon this confusing but detailed timeline of the whole story behind JT Leroy. It's fascinating, really, when you think about this story in relation to the obsession our country has with celebrity and how smart people can twist that obsession into financial and commercial success. It should really be admired.

Interestingly, Pitchfork ran a brilliant article by Marc Hogan last week detailing this story from the music side. They posit that the literary world should not be surprised by fiction, in writing or in reality. Musicians have been creating "personas" for decades now, playing it up for the cameras, or just writing huge fictional pieces and passing it off as... close to fact. It's a great read, highly recommended. Hogan touches the mystique of some of the DIY bands that come out in the last year as well as the meta-fictional quality to lyrics and even the "thug" image so popular in hip-hop music.

I think there's a certain authenticity expected of artists. Especially writers. Creating a character "for the cameras" should be purely a business decision, a way to grab attention, not a substitute for real creativity. What Frey did, passing off fiction as memoir is inexcusable, the people behind JT Leroy plotted to deceive the public and are wrong. If their motivations were more selfless, like James Tiptree Jr. then the deceit should be applauded for its audacity.

Quote of the Day

"The brain is a wonderful organ; it starts working the moment you get up in the morning and does not stop until you get into the office."
- Robert Frost

Wiki of the Day

Borage (aka Star Flower - a multi faceted flower.)

Mardi Gras 2006

In February 2004, I attended Mardi Gras in New Orleans. It kicked ass. I can barely remember all the details, but I think it was something like this:




Ok that wasn't fair - New Orleans is a beautiful city and Bourbon Street deserves more respect than that:




Now in 2006, after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, the city has again come together to celebrate Mardi Gras. Even if it was shorter than the normal Mardi Gras, it still proved the point that a city must continue its traditions in order to get through the toughest times. New Orleans may never look exactly the same after Katrina, but its spirit hasn't gone anywhere.

The celebration still continues on the streets and balconies and you can see Katrina's effect on the parades and floats:







Not far away from the celebration the city still looks like this:



It is kind of strange that people are taking tours of the devastated areas. The fact that destroyed homes are a tourist attraction creeps me out - but I guess New Orleans needs all the visitors it can get right now - and if seeing the homes keeps people remembering what happened then that is a good thing.

I am proud of New Orleans and its desire to keep the Mardi Gras tradition and rebuild its city. I hope that this celebration moves the city in a positive direction of reconstruction and that 2007's Mardi Gras will be better than ever!

(Pictures courtesy of Yahoo News)

Olympic's Closing Ceremony

Cheesy or a great ending to a thrilling Olympics? When did you stop caring about the closing ceremony? When you heard it was going to air? After Apollo showed his face? After you saw Shizuka Arakawa being held up in the air during the procession of countries? When the Cirque De Soliel-esque performance began? When Avril Lavigne started singing?

Are you sad it's over? Happy because you won't be glued to the TV anymore? Or that you can finally start watching the normal NBC shows again?

Quotes of the Day

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe."
- Albert Einstein

"It isn't what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about."
- Dale Carnegie

Random Blog of the Day

Ear Farm (Music Information Helps Grow Ears.)

Not So Random Wiki of the Day

One of the best bands of this decade, TV On The Radio are set to release a new album soon. Through the magic shadyness of the Internet, I've got my grubby paws on it and it seems to be totally, completely, awesome. I've been a huge supporter of TVOTR since the first minute or so of their debut EP, Young Liars. Their first full-length, released in late 2004, has become a classic in my ears (and my car) and though I was skeptical about it at first, I've realized it's brilliance. This new album - as yet untitled - channels a lot of the anger and frustration that my generation feels about a tyrannical government and a lost spirit to our country. No other band today is so outspoken against G.W. Bush and, as such, no other band is as important.

Shawn's Post Secret Fav

and

Happy Birthday Elad!

This year is Elad's MAGIC birthday - on 2/26/2006 Elad is turning 26!

Congrats on another year and best wishes for this coming year!

Random Blog of the Day

Charlie Maitland’s Blog(Charlie's blog about life Business Intelligence and 42)

Another new thing I am going to try on this blog - link to other random blogs - this blog happened to have said some very nice things about Getting to Maybe - thank you Charlie - so he gets a special spotlight on our blog

Quote of the Day

"I don't feel old. I don't feel anything till noon. That's when it's time for my nap."
- Bob Hope

Random Wiki of the Day

Liebfraumilch

Another way to stick it to the man!!

From: http://opensource.weblogsinc.com/

Instant anonymous web browsing with Torpark
Here's how it works: you download Torpark (Windows only right now ... grrrrrr) and install it on a USB flash drive. Then, when you're sitting at a public computer, or someone else's PC, and you wanna browse anonymously, plug the USB flash drive in and open its Torpark, which really open a copy of Firefox designed to work with Tor, the super-cool anonymous proxy. Don't know much about Tor? Read more about it, lazy bones! Wanna stay anonymous when the US government seems hell-bent on knowing every damn thing we do online? Then use Torpark & stick it to the Man!

My comments - I love open source, it the ultimate in sticking it to the man.

Random Wiki of the Day

Jactitation

I love the website Wikipedia.com because of all the random stuff you can find on there. There is even a link for "random articles" where you can browse and come across something you never knew before. So I am going to try and post Random Wiki articles and share the fun with all of you :)

Quote of the Day

"We are not held back by the love we didn't receive in the past, but by the love we're not extending in the present."
- Marianne Williamson

Project Runway Recap - Reunion Special

Reunion Specials before a show has even finished is something very unique to reality TV shows. Mostly we get to see clips that weren't included in the actual episodes that actually shed light on what was really going on before the editors cut up the scenes completely.

I know that last night's reunion was not only interesting but also HILARIOUS. So many moments that we have never seen that were making me cry from laughing so hard. Some of the best of laughs were when they showed Santino doing his impressions of Tim Gunn and also when the boys were singing "Daniel Franco, where have you gone?" I think someone was in their High School Musical Theater Club!


(Dramatization)

So the Reunion starts with the losers coming into a bar in order of elimination and then the sipping of some booze. Loosen up Project Runway outcasts, its gonna be a fun night!



We find out Kristen (the one who wouldn't harm her Napoleon scarf) is pregnant - and hmmm looks like she wants her baby to share in on the Project Runway drinking fun (see picture above).



We also find out that Kara is engaged - well she doesn't actually say it - she just walks in and flashes us a little bling bling on her ring finger - and that John (aka Star Jones) isn't fat anymore. Congrats to both of them!



And we also find out Lupe likes to drink.



And then we meet up with Tim Gunn and Heidi for the question and clips portion of the evening.

First we catch up - so and so is getting offers to design stuff - really interesting (where is the snooze button?) - highlight - Heidi says that the Barbie Dolls went like bagels (Tim Gunn corrects her...hotcakes)


(Heidi responds - What do you want from me? I'm from Germany!)

Ok getting bored, where is the drama?

Oh wait here come the finalists! Here comes Santino to bring the drama!



So first thing to get out of the way - Santino why are you a jerk?

His response - I'm not a jerk!

The other cast members and some clips put him in his place.

Then he is like oh its just like a football game (does that mean they smack each other in the butts when they do a good job?) - I just talk shit for intimidation. (More evil eyes shoot at Santino)

Santino now reacts with - I am not sorry for what I said, I'm not sorry for what it looks like, but I am sorry that you are bunch of wimps and can't take a joke and that you reacted like little babies! Now can I eat your soul?


(your soul looks yummy)


(Diana begs, please don't eat my soul! The octopus around my neck will save me!)

Let's move on before we all end up in hell. Go to sweet innocent Chloe - (and now to add fire to the fuel) they ask if Chloe was pissed that everyone wanted her to be out on the last challenge.



She is like damn I'm not playing these games anymore with you. It sucked and whatever I got passion - and y'all ain't ready for me (oh wait that's K-fed) - so let's move on.

And we did move on...we look back at the designers giving lip to the judges. In your face Nina Garcia! Oh, what? Nina thought she was going to be eaten by Santino? That makes 2 of us.

Question from a Runway lover for Lupe (drunky drunk) - Did you feel that your elimination was fair, even though Marla had plagiarized a dress Nicky Hilton had worn before?

Lupe's response: "Honestly, I can only give him a personal critique. Nobody would ever know, unless they personally responded to me, would know what my personal response is. And that is of me. And personally, I believe you can't, like, push the boundaries, and like Johnny Cash, walk the line, and--"

Everyone gives blank stares. Tim asks the question again (this time very slowly)



Lupe's response: "Understand that Marla has an aesthetic that I cannot duplicate. But Marla has an aesthetic that she cannot duplicate. And Arianne, on national television, if you can get this, you fucking rock because you believe in what is true. Period."







Ok she is drunk. We are confused. Tim says this is bullshit. Let's move on.

Now we get some lovable moments from Andrae...



Remember the crying fit after the "Clothes Off Your Back" Challenge? Well that lasted about a minute during the episode. It lasted almost 10 minutes in real life! I was cracking up because of his extremes! And 3/4ths into his crying speech he says "Where do I begin?" and then just keeps on crying! THIS IS JUST CLOTHES...but it's my life! Oh Andrae!


(see the tears in Nick's eyes? that is Andrae love!)

Ok all around love for Andrae in the room. A few tears and some more Andrae facial expressions, a recap of his movements and finally...WHERE THE HELL IS MY CHIFFON? Which we now find out might have been charmuse!

Now it's time for a new cast member to be introduced - one we never met but was there all along.



SHETANGY! Go Girl! Zulema's alter ego - or bitch side - which "tells it how it is!" Oh, I'm not that bad, says Zulema! Yea right, tell that to Kara when she had to cry and cut!

And while we are talking about Zulema drama - what about the MOTHER FUCKING WALK OFF?



So Nick, being as nice as possible, talks about how hurt he was when he lost Tarah to Zulema. He asks, why would you do that?



Zulema said it was her right to change models - and it isn't her fault her model was a walking marshmallow gumby...



Ooooh Rachel (the model) won't take this kind of put down from Zulema. She comes back and tells Zulema that if you are gonna try and be all that then maybe you should have brought it with a bangin' outfit! That's right the model put Zulema in her place!

Ok maybe not exactly - but we move on and see how the designers all talked shit about each other. Oh you thought it was just Santino?



Looks like everyone is talking shit about Emmett - and he had no idea! ooooh sucka!

Ooh things got tense there for a moment - let's break the tension with clips of the Singing Boys Club - LIGHTEN UP IT'S JUST FASHION! Oh I feel so much better now!

Now another Runway lover question - for Heidi Klum - Why did the judges score Santino's lingerie better than Daniel Franco's?

What they really want to know is how much money (or drugs) did Santino slip you so he wouldn't get cut after putting Santa's helpers on stage? Heidi says it was though but Daniel F. played it safe while Santino didn't. Is that all it takes?

Oh and a great clip of Daniel F. telling off Santino on the runway - why didn't we see this during the episode?

And now another awkward moment...this time brought to you by Daniel Franco, when he confesses his love for Heidi.



"Heidi, I love you." HUH? Why did he just say that? Nobody knows. Let's move on.

And now the final 3 leave, and everyone talks about who should be the winner of Project Runway. It seems Daniel V. is an overall top choice. No surprise.



Hey Daniel! Lighten up, it's just fashion!

Quote of the Day

“Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you; they're supposed to help you discover who you are.”
- Bernice Johnson Reagon

Fun links of the day

word is that scott adams is veg!!!

ok that's yucky, but still kinda funny - ok i like it jsut because it says vegan, and i could see someone asking that question, but hopefully not while pointing at food.

I always like cathy comic, hey did u know she was veg?

Why is your meat red?- oh yum

Mitsubishi Develops Bamboo - Reinforced Bioplastic for Auto Cabins - OH YEAH!!!!

San Francisco to test turning dog waste into power - sounds nasty, but it's becoming common practice in europe, towns are even getting power from poo waste and garbage!

Willy the Hog Pairs With Antelope at Zoo - awhh this is cute, hey it's LA anything is possible

Girl Weds Dog to Ward Off 'Evil Eye' - sometimes customs are just strange

Predators 'drove human evolution' - so the top of the food chain theory is wrong

PhotoShop Miracles - Beauty Is Only Pixels Deep

Professional Shots v Candid - click above video box to play

I guess all those women we stare at in the magazines and wonder how they do it look just like us! OK maybe not just like us, but close enough.

(Thanks The Bastardly)

This video doesn't work anymore - click here for a Dove commercial about photoshop and the perception of beauty.

Stick It To The Man!

Many office and public computers have restrictions that keep the users from accessing certain sites.

Want the loop hole? Here is an example to see this site:

http://www.google.com/translate?langpair=en%7Cen&u=www.gettingtomaybe.blogspot.com

http://www.google.com/translate?langpair=en%7Cen&u=____________________ (fill in website here)

So stick it to the man and see all the websites you want to!

Oh and if that doesn't work try the UK version of this same loop hole:

http://www.google.co.uk/translate?langpair=en|en&u=____________________ (fill in website here)

(Thanks Boing Boing)

Olympic Fashion

Here is Sasha Cohen. Please note that she is not wearing the outfit she picked from the Project Runway competition (Zulema's outfit), which is probably cuter than the one she has on here. We love her anyway!

Quote of the Day

"If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking."
- George Patton

(Lori and I decided to start something new on the blog and we are going to try and post interesting quotes daily - if you have any would like to add please feel free!)

Eco-Store update & Headlines

Store is not open yet, but we decided to start a blog to talk about it, starting a business involves so much, and it gets pretty complex when sticking with vegan & eco values.

No worries still gonna post the fun stuff here.

Here's some headlines

A University w/o WIFI - something to think about
Killer Kitchen Designs - i want i want!
Motorists talk to their cars - reminds me of some of the guys i've dated, "how is my baby today?" u know they only talk to the cars that way. Ok i have to admit when a rock hits or soemthing i react for the car.
Warning - may contain nuts (and bolts) - I guess they are makeing sure you get your daily dose on minerals, lol
Pilot offers tickets to mile high club - Another great reason to go to isreal. Can you just think of the baby names, 747, jumbo, oh hey JET - that one is used and now we have figured out why.

The Olympic Post

(First of all, apologies for the lack of noise emanating from me lately. My computer at work has been acting up a lot lately and hasn't let me properly view images (like Postsecret) for weeks now and it's very distracting.)

So, anyone else watching the Olympics?? I am officially enthralled. I've watched so many hours of coverage over the last week, it's hard to even make sense of it all. It's been a wild ride and I have been enjoying it immensely.

I'm no fan of Figure Skating but the Pairs competition from the beginning of the games was an incredible sight. The historic triple-axle was so impressive, as was China's female Zhang seeming to break her knees, get back up, skate up a storm, and walk away with a silver medal. And in the men's competition, I was impressed by the grace of the skaters.

Speedskating, both Short Track and Long Track, has been the highlight for me. This looks like the sport of the future! With their aerodynamic outfits and the flashy icerink, it's a mesmerizing visual experience. The Short Track competitions are wild and crazy just like four years ago while the Long Track races have a cool, cold, charm that seems to match up with the skater's moods. The obvious tension in the American team between all the gold medalists (think about a room full of Oscar-winning actors in a competition for a single role) is just another facet making this sport interesting.

Curling has been fascinating just like in Salt Lake City. Although I wish the announcers wouldn't assume the audience understands what the hell we're seeing and helps us a little more to grok the sport. It's a weird sport, cross between Bowling and Shuffleboard and Chess (apparently). I like how people make fun of it and then I defend it.

Skiing does not hold as much interest to me as it once did. The more modern variations on the sport like Moguls and Ariels are real, real, fun. But even with the cool blue lines on the snow, watching guys and girls ski through slalom just doesn't excite me anymore. Snowboard competition, on the other hand, feels fresh and new and I was very impressed by the brand new Snowboard Cross. Looking forward to that next time.

The luge/bobsled/skeleton events have held minor interest to me. I think skeleton is the most fun to watch because it's the most dangerous. But the 93 million dollar course looks incredible and is, again, apparently, one of the fastest in Olympic history. This sport is a little like NASCAR. You watch it for the hopes of someone making a big mistake and when that doesn't happen, you watch with fascination at the tiny differences in times. A strange sport that kinda reminds me of the past.

I wanted to rattle off some cool moments from the last week, but I find my brain overloaded with images from all the wonderful events and the faces of all the hard-working Olympians. Hopefully some of you out there have been watching as well and can share a memorable moment.

Shawn's Postsecret Favorite

Now this is what i want to sell

www.lindaloudermilk.com

tried to upload more, but just didn't work, so check it out online. A few things have silk, even though it says sustainable silk i wont sell it, what's sustainable about boiling silk worms? And she has some wool.

But the rest is bamboo, organic cotton and other plant based materials. can u imagine what this eco store is gonna be, this is great, i can't wait, it's gonna be awesome! We are going have are real boutique with some serious fashion!!

I'm an eco-whore

Well maybe not a whore, but I'm all eco-ed out! So much so that I've decided to open a eco-store! I love organic clothes, but buying online is just not any fun - I want to be able to try it on, touch it, see if I really like it before I buy it. I think it's a great service to have an online store, and we will too, but I've found personally that it just doesn't work out for me. South Florida has a growing number of vegans and eco friendly people, which has been proven buy the response to Josh's Organic Farmers Market on Hollywood Beach, our favorite place to hang. He's had such a great response that he's just about to outgrown the space he has, we are going to see some more great things from that Josh!

It's finally time for us to do what we really want, instead of working just for money I want to have fun! What better way than to provide a local eco center where one can just go in and buy organic clothes, biodegradable stuff, get information, meet other like minded folks. Eventually we want our little store to grow into an eco-center, filled with all things eco and vegan. What's great is that so many products are out now, like cd's made out of corn, and even high fashion is turning eco. Times are changing, and I'm glad to be part of the positive change.



here's some great stuff we plan to carry, it's organic, natural dyes, chemical free... We will buy only the vegan stuff they sell, some of these places have silk and wool - but we wont.
Blue Canoe - I love the Jane Bra, best bra I've ever had!

Under the Nile - Mostly baby stuff, so soft, 100% organic Egyptian cotton.
Sahara Organics - Very impressed with the quality! They make the suit in the pic

Under the Canopy - Local Florida organic company


some other stuff we found that is organic/eco - and we might even carry, we are looking for the fashionable stuff...
Finding great things on this website

We thought about selling vegan stuff too, like the matt & nat bags I love - but we are holding off until we find out more about the materials they use - we have decided it all has to be vegan and eco-friendly - just because it doesn't have animal products doesn't mean it's good for the earth.

Or maybe we will start our own line, the possibilities are endless.

here is some info on just why we are doing this....

How long does it take for rubbish to breakdown?
- Orange and banana peel up to 2 years
- Cigarette butts 1-5 years
- Wool socks 1-5 years
- Plastic-coated paper 5 years
- Plastic bags can take between 20 and 1000 years
- Plastic film containers 20-30 years
- Nylon fabric 30-40 years- Leather up to 50 years
- Tin cans 50 years
- aluminum cans 80-100 years
- Glass bottles 1 million years
- Plastic bottles indefinitely

NOTE: Keep in mind what it takes to produce each of these, that makes a big difference eco-wise.
Some good and bad news. The glass is great because it can be reused and reused - but wow that is a long time. Its way better than plastic and many companies are going green with the production too. Biodegradeable plastics are coming out now made from hemp, corn and other plants! our friend is a musician and we hope to sell his music on biodegradeable cds inside biodegradable cd cases - this stuff is actually made!!! I love it