music for your monday

Happy Memorial Day! (Or Monday, to non-US friends.)

This music video is one of my favorites. I really love Best Coast--this video actually makes me a little teary eyed. (I'm such a softy.) There's also a ten minute version.

Enjoy!

conversations with my mother

This might become a new feature. My mom and I have silly conversations pretty regularly, but this text was such a mom text I had to share. She sent this the day after I got to Vegas. (Dominique's my younger sister.)

 

things i love thursday

Things that made my week wonderful:
*staying out late in the company of good people
*cold, gin-based drinks on a hot day
*chicken shawarma
*gorgeous weather
*volunteering my weeding skills
*discovering new parks

Listening to: Strike Anywhere, Hot Chip, Cat Stevens, Ben Kweller

Reading: Swamplandia! by Karen Russell, Surfacing by Margaret Atwood

Watching: The Thing, Eaten Alive, Predator, Mr. Show

Around the web:

I love interspecies friendships--here's pictures of monkeys who love dogs.

Sarah wrote a great post on how she was finally able to quit her day job.

I'm a sucker for a good planner, and Moleskine is releasing some cool Star Wars planners for 2013.

Superfrugality month sounds like an excellent idea.

Surprisingly pretty: this parking canopy made out of recycled plastic bottles.

Gala wrote a really interesting piece on real life witches.

Fantastic--14 steps that will evolve your views on gay marriage.

Speaking of which, Suzy wrote a great post refuting arguments against gay marriage.

I've seen things like this before, but here's photos of McDonald's food made to look like a gourmet meal.

Yum! Cookies and cream popcorn.

Also, drunken rootbeer floats.

And here's the funniest thing I read this week: a bigoted idiot learns that the Internet is forever.

who wants to be a pop star

source

While at a cheesy festival in Las Vegas, (cheesy in the carnival rides/games, funnel cake everywhere you turn, sense) there was a stage with some talent show-esque performances by local middle schoolers. One of them, a twelve year old boy*, is an aspiring pop star. And I can't stop thinking about him.

 

Not in a creepy way, mind you. I just can't help but speculate about what his life must be like. The song he sang, his "new single", was Bieber-ish and sounded like any other pop song. To his credit, the boy can genuinely sing. The kid was cute, and obviously had someone else dressing him. Black t-shirt, bright green skinny jeans, some sort of fancy black high tops. I assume it was his mother's doing. She was coiffed in a similar fashion, with her fauxhawk and boots that had a bunch of buckles and superfluous eyelets on them. (I'm assuming it was his mother, I don't know for certain.)

 

So I have to wonder, how does one make a pop star? I've never given much thought about how pop stars get made, beyond marveling at the freak show that is overzealous stage moms. Is it something this kid genuinely wants, or is his mother pushing him into it? Is he happy? I have so many questions!

 

I did some googling and turned up his website, which featured some professionally shot photographs. How much time and money is devoted to this kid's burgeoning career? And for what? The odds of anyone "making it big" are slim to none. This kid's voice hasn't even changed yet--what will he sound like in another year or two? I thought he was adorable, but he's not pop star cute. He's a bit chubby in a way that may or may not go away as he gets older.

 

What his home life like? I picture his mother being pushy about him practicing, putting him on a diet, coaching him on his style. Most likely she says things like "that will be you someday" whenever a young pop star's song comes on the radio. Does he have siblings? Are they getting the shaft attention-wise? And what about school? I would assume that a kid like that is ripe for some good old fashioned, middle school torture.

 

You always hear horror stories about child stars; their adult lives tend to be train wrecks, filmed for reality television so everyone can watch. When I read interviews with them, they often say things about how their family moved to LA from some place like Des Moines in order to support their careers. Really? Who moves their entire family for one child? Children shouldn't even have careers! (Perhaps the "parents giving up everything for their children" is a rant for another day.)

 

This is all just speculation, of course. This kid could just really love singing and his mom supports that. He could get a big break. He could be an otherwise normal, happy kid. Some kids play sports, this kid sings pop songs. Still, I can't help but wonder what it looks like behind the scenes, and the underlying motivations.

 

Is this crazy? I mean, yes, thinking so much about this kid's life is crazy, I know. I doubt any of you were actively working toward celebrity aspirations, but did any of you have pushy parents? I'm genuinely curious about what that life's like. Everyone thinks their kid is special, and I get that. Still, to have such huge aspirations at such a young age, or to start grooming your child for big things, is foreign to me. (I still don't have many big aspirations, so maybe it's just a personal flaw.)

 

*I'm intentionally not using his name, since some of my musings are kind of mean and I don't want this directly associated with him.

music for your monday

For the last several years, I've wanted to go as Bee Girl for Halloween. Y'know, the one from the Blind Melon video. Not familiar? You should be. While I understand the absurdity of using a twenty year old pop culture reference as a Halloween costume, it would get around the glasses issue.

Plus I still love this video. (Nineties nostalgia: I got it real bad.)

vegas vacation

Well, I'm back from Las Vegas with a weird patch of sunburn and a body that doesn't know what time zone it's in. My primary Vegas goal was to hang out with my good friend Julie, so I didn't live it up in Vegas so much as I lounged around her house, laughing at her stupid bird. Ok, I guess I did more than that. We went out a good deal, but mostly to stuff delicious food down our gullets. Here's a rundown of events and some pictures.

Delicious foods I ate: Fish tacos, outstanding Thai food (I could pad thai every day, forever and ever, amen), vegan donuts, In-N-Out (my new life's mission is to recreate animal-style fries at home), a carne asada tostada (which I want to say out loud over and over again), an Indian food buffet (I really need to eat Indian food more often), a birthday cake milkshake with booze in it (if you go to Vegas, go to Holstein's in the Cosmopolitan), an insanely good turkey burger, and a huge plate of lasagna...among other things.

 Stuff I did: went thrifting, bar hopped a good deal, wandered around town and the casinos, shopped, gambled $30 (hey big spender!), went to a zombie prom (which I had incredibly high hopes for...but it failed miserably at living up to them), went to a drag bar/bowling alley, saw an outstanding Prince tribute show (thanks to Maryann's suggestion), saw The Wombats play a show in the Cosmopolitan, went to an Italian festival (complete with carnival rides and $5 margaritas), and then, in a fit of laziness, had an Archer marathon.

 I love desert weather.

 I always visit Zoltar.

The stage of fake Prince.

 The conservatory at the Bellagio is always gorgeous.

The chandelier bar at the Cosmopolitan is stunning.

 Italian deliciousness.

things i love thursday

 

 Things that made my week wonderful:
*Las Vegas! (Proper Vegas post coming soon, stay tuned.)
*beautiful weather, both in Nevada and Michigan
*spending time with friends
*good food
*yoga
*rootbeer floats
*having packages waiting for me when I got home

Listening to: Jersey, Radiohead, 80s pop music, The Blow, Daft Punk

Reading: Fun Home by Alison Bechdel, Swamplandia! by Karen Russell

Watching: The Lair of the White Worm, Alien Resurrection, Archer

Around the web:

A huge index of 90s music videos.

What it's like volunteering at an abortion fund hotline.

Bug memorials.

I really want this Fifth Element t-shirt.

This toy planter DIY is pretty cool. (It would be cooler if I could keep a plant alive...)

Holy crap--French Onion Soup Sandwiches.

Lauren talks about her childhood X-files obsession.

Sarah Von wrote a great article on networking for introverts.

The most creative photos of kids you'll see today.

Awesome words that don's exist in English.

The best advice for recent college grads.

I think chocolate bowls are a terrific idea.

And here's a Saved by the Bell montage edited to add inappropriate wooing: