Antmusic for Da-Diddalee-Qua-Qua!

From the 1981 Prince Charming album, Adam and the Ants put on the warpaint to promo "Stand and Deliver":



Yaye -
Ah, boys in makeup and puffy shirts! I'm amazed at how fresh and unique this music still sounds, especially with Marco Pirroni's Dick Dale-meets-Captain Hook guitar styling. When I saw Adam Ant perform live in 1983 (with little-known opening act INXS), I was shocked at his small stature and incredibly oversized noggin, but that didn't stop me from desperately lurving him. He was a singing pirate, people!

Tallulah:
Yar...me thinks his ego is the same size as his head...OVERSIZED. I met him once, he had a clammy hand shake.

Rhinos, Pinnocchio & Two ton Tongues

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Yaye and tallulah!

1. While performing her duties as queen, Cleopatra sometimes dressed up as yaye and tallulah.
2. A rhinoceros horn is made from compacted yaye and tallulah!
3. The ace of spades in a playing card deck symbolizes yaye and tallulah.
4. According to the story, Pinocchio was made of yaye and tallulah.
5. Yaye and tallulah is only six percent water!
6. Yaye and tallulah is physically incapable of sticking her tongue out.
7. The eye of an ostrich is bigger than yaye and tallulah!
8. The yaye and tallulah-fighting market in the Philippines is huge - several thousand yaye and tallulah-fights take place there every day.
9. Scientists have discovered that yaye and tallulah can smell the presence of autism in children.
10. Owls cannot move their eyes, because their eyeballs are shaped like yaye and tallulah!

I am interested in - do tell me aboutherhimitthem

Gimme, Gimme, Gimme the Honky Butt Blues

Singin' 'bout those Honky Tonk Wimmen in Hyde Park, this was The Rolling Stones' first concert with newbie Mick Taylor following the death of Brian Jones in 1969:


Yaye -
Just think, every dewy faced hipster in this clip is at least 50 years old today. I like to think about things like that - call me evil, if you will. How 'bout Mick "The Buttless Wonder" Jagger's choo-choo dance...sexy, huh? I just feel sorry for his woefully unprotected coccyx. And is that Keith Richards on guitar or P.J. Harvey's homely spinster sister?

Tallulah -
Boy that must be some good smack they're on. That ain't rock n' roll it's a frickin' dirge. And how bout those youthful yuppies...My god is that MY MOTHER IN THE FRONT ROW???? Wait, hold on! Who's shoulders is she on? That's not my dad...

Yaye -
Jagger's got a hamster in his trousers!

Tallulah -
Someone call PETA, quick!

I-I-I Just Can't Wait, I-I-I Got a Date

In honor of Tallulah's courageous confession of girly love, we present the Bay City Roller's promo for their cover of Dusty Springfield's "I Only Want to Be With You":

Yaye: OhTallu, Eric IS the Rocker in the Rollers! (silence) No further comments about him. Moving on to "Woody" Wood, I contend that Haley Joel Osment is the right guy to play him in the big screen adaptation -- and he wouldn't even have to grow up first to do so. Les "Bobble Head" McKeown's chest is so white it's transparent - he's a Scottish hologram.

Tallulah: It is very clear watching this clip that Eric Faulkner is the same tired type Tallu has always fallen for: Baby sad eyes, scruffy, emotionally detached, probably with odd fetishes. He looks and acts like Tallu's former "rock star" boyfriend who used to have pictures of himself and Marc Bolan plastered all over his apartment.

Tallu's Motto-lulah: I may not make good choices, but I'm ALWAYS consistent.

Dave....This Promo is Lame, Dave.....Dave

Looking more like Roger McGuinn than Ziggy Stardust, David Bowie's early version of "Space Oddity" with accompanying hilarious pseudo-"2001" promo video:

Yaye -
Clearly, they blew the budget on Major Tom's genie bottle menage-a-trois space set and had nothing left over for the Ground Control half of the video. Love the cheap blue cellophane & tin foil-covered cardboard space helmet, the "GC" t-shirt and hat worn at a jaunty angle, and the space nymphettes dressed in Victorian nightdresses. Is that a space kazoo solo? As my husband sang along: "This video is gay-hay-hay" - not that there's anything wrong with that.

Tallulah -
Producer speaks to David during costuming: David, David, I just picked up an American Baseball Umpire vest at a flea market. Here's what we'll do...yeah yeah it's brilliant. We'll spray paint it silver and then we'll take a giant white sticker and use some rub on lettering. See...Major Tom...the kids'll love it.Now David, towards the end, give me sexy with the girls. Make crazy space love with your eyes as if you were burning with tin foil passion.Yes...now girls, yes dance, sway...

Is this the film that inspired Stevie Nicks?

Yaye -
Speaking of inspiration, ya gotta wonder, what was Bowie's inspiration for his Ground Control character? Paul Lynde as Uncle Arthur? Oh Ma-a-ajor To-o-m.....

Tallulah -
It think it's more Gilligan. This is Ground Control to Skipper...come in Skipper....

Skipper: GROOUUUUNNNDDD CONNTROOLLLLL get me out of this thing, Ginger and Mary Ann have taken the too many protein pills and they've gone crazy. Listen little buddy, little buddy.....come in little buddy...

Out on the Wildly Whacky Moors

I adore Kate Bush. She is my big music genius heroine and I am thrilled with her newest release (after a 12-year hiatus), Aerial (see link to the right). However, she was VERRRRRRY young when she released her first album, The Kick Inside, and began dabbling in the embryonic art of promotional videomaking. The video below is for her first single, and her only #1 single to date, "Wuthering Heights."

Damn that Lindsay Kemp and all his white-faced bretheren for teaching her to mime!


Can you imagine if there was a public record of what you thought was deep and meaningful when YOU were 18 years old? Yumpin' Yiminy!!

Ladies & Gentleman: The BAY CITY ROLLERS!!!

Tallulah here: I simply do not know what has come over me the last few days. I think it was Yaye going down a spicy saucy slippery road with me called Memory Lane Blvd. We both stumbled upon a site called stuckinthe70s.com. And that my friends is what started it. All of my heart-throbs posted on one site, one Tiger Beat after another. So I must confess when I was 8-10 years old I LOVED THE BAY CITY ROLLERS! I adored them, I took down posters of Donny Osmond to put up posters of those tartan titans of the 70s. That was of course, before I fell in love with Harrison Ford errr I mean Han Solo and Clark Brandon.

Currently I'm in between jobs, so I thought I'd go with the old standby of writing a screen play. This allows me to drink coffee all day and by very lofty without making a dime. I am going to make a made for TV movie about my beloved Scottish hunks. I've already cast it....So without further adieu here they are


Les will be played by Colin Firth
Woody Wood will by played by a 15 year old Mackenzie Phillips
Derek - here's one for the Goth kids: Peter Murphy
Eric Faulkner shall be played by none other than Liam Gallagher, I mean what else is HE doing these days?

Well there you have it. I'll get right on the phone with the agents...think I'll call Colin Firth first. (If I were a teenager today, I'd have his picture hangin' on my wall)

TRUE(lulah) Confessions: E=M c Weird

About about 10 years ago, I had my tonsils taken out. The anestesia made me quite ill. When my husband brought me home from the hospital, I was put into bed given an ice cold drink of cherry flavored tylenol and coedine, where I passed out in a drug induced slumber. If you remember the black lodge from Twin Peaks, then you'll understand the David Lynchness of the dream setting. I walked through a red velvet curtain onto a golden stage where Albert Brooks proceeded to seduce me. Porno music up boom chicka boohwow wow, I was now behind the green door. As I swung from a trapeze with my new secret lover, Super Dave flew through the air and continued to have his way with me in the barrell of a cannon. After which, Chubby Checker who was a midget came out and sang the twist while I started to vomit a plateful of tonsils.

There are a few reasons why this dream has stuck with me,

1. Albert Brooks and Super Dave are brothers and that's just sick and wrong.
   
2. I had an erotic dream with Albert Brooks and Super Dave...together. I've never been able to look at them the same way since.
   
3. Albert Brooks and Super Dave
4. I have a deep fear of the trapeze
5. Chubby Checker
6. plateful of tonsils

JUST SAY NO TO TONSILECTOMIES!

True Confession from Tallu: I've had an affair for 4 years

It started innocently enough, on Tuesday nights at nine, I would let the answering machine do it's job, ignore my husband, tell my son that if he even decides to walk into the room for the next hour, he'll be sorry...very very sorry. I started to cancel dinner dates with friends on Tuesdays, making up lame excuses that I had to work late, wouldn't get home till at least 10. On Sunday nights I would count down the minutes until I would meet up with my emotionally aloof, gun weilding bad ass (with a hidden heart of gold) boy friend, Jack Bauer. I'm not talking Kiefer "Young Guns Brat Pack" Sutherland...I'm talkin' Jack, baby...

Last year, he decided to change our date to Mondays, that was okay, I was just happy he was coming back. This year (we're going on our 5th year), I can't bear it, Jack is just so damn...well the way I seem to like the men in my life: emotionally aloof, gun weilding bad ass (with a hidden heart of gold).

At 8:56 my Yaye called me, possibly to alert me to her recent post discussing her ummm thingy with that American Idol Justin guy...I'm not here to judge, but i couldn't pick up for fear that I would miss any moment with my love, Jack Bauer. So Yaye, I'm sorry, but on Mondays from 9-10, I'm with my secret boyfriend.

Un-f***ing-believable!

So suddenly, after about 4 years of silence, Osama bin Laden is back, huh? Threatening Merckins on Merckin soil, right? Incredible timing! I mean, what has changed for Osama all of the sudden? Why emerge now? Why threaten now? I can't imagine why he would.....wait a minute! I just thought of something! It couldn't be because his old family buddy Barbara's dim-witted son is in trouble, could it? Not because a real statesman emerged last week to fearlessly and directly charge the current administration -- and the chief executive, in particular -- with blatantly criminal wiretapping and a flagrant disregard for the essential checks and balance system erected by our revolutionary forefathers? Not because even Conservative Americans find themselves wondering about their Georgie Boy and his Buddies, and what they've been up to while we're watching the fireworks display due East? It couldn't be because people are whispering "impeachment," could it?

It's like the worse kind of Hollywood hack writing. I feel sick.

Morning Girl and Night Guy!

When Gatsby, our male dog, hopped up on the bed this morning to lick Mr. Yaye's sleeping face, urgently announcing that it was time for a visit to the doggie yard, I mumbled, "It's your turn." This was a reference to the fact that I got up early yesterday and took Gatsby on a half hour walk. Without hesitation, my husband declared, "You're Morning Girl and I'm Night Guy!" and turned over to catch up with his snorky snore, already in progress. I couldn't argue with such a firm (and accurate) declaration, so I threw my leather coat over my jammie and took Gatsby out.

It also inspired me to toss together the little graphic above. (Yeah, it's the Wonder Twins!)

Around the Block on a Mindwalk

For three of the six years I lived in NYC, I was outrageously lucky enough to live at the corner of Houston St. and 6th Avenue in the West Village. About three doors down was the incomparable Film Forum, known as "New York's leading movie house for independent premieres and repertory programming." A great place to explore a movie genre (ie., Japanese cinema, movies made in 3-D, the films of Wim Wenders) and those zero-marketing-budget limited release independents that never make it beyond the Coasts.

I was reminded of this Film Forum era of my life by a recent cable broadcast of one of the more memorable movies I discovered there; one that had some very lasting influence in my life: Mindwalk, directed by Bernt Capra. The film is basically a long, philosophical conversation between three people -- a physicist (Liv Ullman), a politician (Sam Waterston) and a poet (John Heard) -- that encompasses the systems theory and "interconnectedness" philosophies of Fritjof Capra (Bernt's brother), author of The Turning Point and The Tao of Physics.

As the movie title suggests, this is heady, head stuff, yet completely accessible. Set on and around the gothic island-abbey of Mont St. Michel in France and infused with a hypnotic Philip Glass score, the mood and theme of the movie is introspective, far-reaching and subtly melancholy. But strangely, it just leaves you wanting more. More big ideas, more mind-bending metaphors, more hopeful solutions to humanity's misguided relationship with the earth.

For me, the movie was a gateway to the works of Fritjof Capra and the paradigm-shifting realization that quantum physics (which scared the stuffin' out of me) and metaphysics (my language of choice at the time) were, in fact, in complete and total accord. Mindwalk that!

This is the perfect movie to add to your Netflix queue, and if you're feeling hungry for more ideas about life, the universe and everything, make it a double feature with Erroll Morris' A Brief History of Time, also featuring a score by Philip Glass.

Thinking is fun!!

I've Died and Gone to Snarkywood

As far as I'm concerned, the ladies of Snarkywood can just pack up their brilliantly zingy quips and call it a snarky day, because they ain't never gonna top their current virulently delectable post on my personal pop culture nemesis: Madonna.

I was just graduating from high school in 1984 when the Immaterial Tart's career really took off. I remember watching the late MTV Veejay J.J. Jackson (one of the originals, kiddies) announce that the video about to play was from a girl who would be the NEXT BIG THING. I sat up and paid rapt attention, being a complete music nut whose whole life revolved around making such discoveries.

It was the video for "Borderline"and I was not at all impressed with the predictably trite lyrics, boring lightweight synth melody, nasal girly voice, lame attempts at dancing, dark roots or slitty eyes. My review: No talent, unattractive, trashy - how is this girl the next big thing? So much for my career in A&R. And, despite Mrs. Ritchie's many attempts to reinvent her image (the latest one as Kabbalist children's book author being possibly the most offensive), my original assessment holds true to today.

Read the Snarkywood post (you gotta see what they wrote about the above photo), you'll chortle, I promise.

Dr. Yeti's Emporium and the Wilson Picket Record

One of my favorite stores is Dr. Yeti's Emporium
on Ebay. This yeti sells tons of old records and other weird stuff all the time. When I heard the news bout ol' Wilson, I quickly went in to Doc's store, to see if he had any Wilson Picket records. Doc did! As I was fumbling to figure out which method of payment, someone bought it right out from under me. Dang it!

Ride, Wilson, Ride

The news is sad, Wilson Picket died either this morning or last night at the age of 64. His hits include: Land of 1000 Dances, In the Midnight Hour, Funky Broadway and one of Tallulah's all time favorites: Mustang Sally.

So today, wherever you are, turn on your oldie's station, you don't have to wait long, his hits are in constant rotation. When his song is played, STOP WHAT YOUR DOING and wiggle your legs and then your booty. Just use the following directions:

There's a dance step, ha
Name of the dance
Funky, Funky Broadway

Wiggle your legs now, baby
Shake your head up
Do the shing-a-ling now, baby
Shake, shake, shake, now
You don't know, baby
You don't know now, woman
Do the Funky Broadway

Lord have mercy

Oh, you got me feelin' alright

Dirty filthy Broadway
Don't I like Broadway, ha
At Broadway, look-ee here
Down Broadway, there's a woman
Name of the woman, ha
Broadway Woman
Down on Broadway, yeah
There's a man, ha
Name of the man, now

Whew, I just worked up a sweat!

You shall name thine child....TALLULAH

According to the site mentioned in previous post, Tallulah did NOT rank in the top 1,000 in the last 100 years. So I think you shall name your daughter Tallulah, I mean I did name my son after you after all.

I Name Thee...Bertha!

For years, I closely coddled one little baby name in my head, intended for my long-awaited daughter when she would someday arrive: Chloe. I loved the name and all the carefree kookiness it evoked for me. Chloe was a free-spirited flapper, a patchouli-scented earth mama, a paint-splattered poet, a wild-haired, bespeckled reflection of myself. I treasured the name and my little plan, as I said, for years. UNTIL....one of my close childhood friends and his wide-eyed, manic-depressive wife (think runaway bride) named their third child, and first daughter, Zoe. CRASH BOOM. Chloe was ruined for me. Too close a relation and too connected to someone I considered seriously mental.

Plan B: I bought baby name books and searched the Internet for ethnic origins and hidden meanings until I compiled a whole list, separated by gender and listed in order of preference. For some reason, the key criteria for a name making my list was that it be out of the ordinary without being strange or inaccessible, and also that it have some meaning (in whatever language) that I could feel good about.

I had the list ready by the time Mr. Yaye and I took our vows in April 2002 (yes, he helped compile it). And then, as we settled into suburban domestic tranquility and I took a new job in a small town, I was suddenly surrounded by truckloads of women giving birth. One by one, as the newbies arrived, I was confronted with the eerie fact that pretty much each and every name that my husband and I had painstakingly chosen for our unique, eclectic future-daughter was being hijacked.

How could this be? Mr. Yaye and I are weird people who normally make weird choices. We're so not in-step with our generation in any other way - why in this one way?

Well, take a look at the Social Security Administration's record of baby names gathered since 1880, available at http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/index.html#forms. You can search by year, by name or by popularity. For whatever reason -- cultural touchstones or the names of celebrated persons of the day, maybe -- we Americans follow definite patterns in naming our children.

From 1880-1924, John was the #1 male baby name and has never fallen from the Top 20 to this day; just as impressively, Mary was the #1 female name from 1880-1946, and #1 or #2 from 1947-1961, though the name is currently hovering around #63.

Okay, so here's my new plan -- DON'T STEAL IT! -- I will force my husband to sit down with me and we will peruse the lists from 125 years ago and pick a name from there! Maybe then we can find one that meets our criteria. So I figure our choices are going to be down to Cora, Bertha or Nellie......mmmmmh, yeah....Plan C rocks!

Happy 300th Birthday Ben, you Capricorn YOU!

This crazy Birthday Boy knucklehead of a founding father was not only a candlemaker, creator of the bifocal and that wacky kite thing with the key, he was a great inventor of famous quotes, quotes could only be made by him. Plus, who wouldn't love the fact that he fancied the opium dens in Paris whilst he bantered about with the French to win their support for independence from those Brits with the cute accents. Anywho, I've gathered a few from this site "Greatest Benjamin Franklin Quotes"

All of them, I feel, equally pertinent to Yaye's most recent post not in any particular order...

1. Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.
2. When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.
3. They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither safety nor liberty.

Happy B-day Ben o'l boy!

The Very Definition of Tyranny

At present, we still have much to learn about the NSA's domestic surveillance. What we do know about this pervasive wiretapping virtually compels the conclusion that the President of the United States has been breaking the law repeatedly and persistently.A president who breaks the law is a threat to the very structure of our government. Our Founding Fathers were adamant that they had established a government of laws and not men. Indeed, they recognized that the structure of government they had enshrined in our Constitution - our system of checks and balances - was designed with a central purpose of ensuring that it would govern through the rule of law. As John Adams said: "The executive shall never exercise the legislative and judicial powers, or either of them, to the end that it may be a government of laws and not of men."

An executive who arrogates to himself the power to ignore the legitimate legislative directives of the Congress or to act free of the check of the judiciary becomes the central threat that the Founders sought to nullify in the Constitution - an all-powerful executive too reminiscent of the King from whom they had broken free. In the words of James Madison, "the accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny."

-- Al Gore, Jan. 16, 2006

From http://www.democraticunderground.com

Saturday Mornings....Isis

(If they were ever to do a remake, I believe they should cast Catherine Zeta-Jones)

Yaye and I recently had a discussion about cartoons vs. live action. Me, I was kind of a live action gal, basically because my older brother always had control of the TV and would watch westerns on Saturdays until he got bored and I was able to have the TV to myself. This meant cartoons were over and the live action kid shows would be on. One show I loved in particular was Isis...

O my Queen, said the royal sorcerer to Hapsethsut -- with this amulet you and your descendants are endowed by the goddess Isis. With the powers of animals and the elements you will soar as the falcon soars, run with the speed of gazelles and command the elements of the sky and the earth.

Three thousand years later, a young science teacher dug up this lost treasure and found she was heir to the secrets of Isis. And so, unknown to even her closest friends, Rick Mason and Cindy Lee, she became a dual person. Andrea Thomas, teacher and Isis, dedicated foe of evil, defender of the weak, champion of truth and justice.

Every Saturday I would take a long black slip from my mother's drawer and bobby pin the slip to the top of my head, then bobby pin one of my mom's rhinestone necklaces from her youth to the top of the slip. My cousins had given me a hand-me-down tennis outfit which set off the perfect look. I would spin and spin until I could spin no more.

Now Entering...the Latchkey Zone

(Yaye removes her Sgt. Carter combat boots to stroll barefoot down Memory Lane with Tallulah)

Ohhhhhhhhhh yes! The joys of local television's daytime catalog of defunct 50's and 60's sitcoms that bridged the gap from A.M. Los Angeles (featuring Regis Philbin and Cindy Garvey) to the sublime Twilight Zone double-header at noon! In addition to Gomer Pyle, I remember: The Andy Griffith Show, I Love Lucy, Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, Please Dont Eat the Daisies (they couldn't all be classics), The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Get Smart and Nanny and the Professor. Was it KCOP? KTTV? Both? (Yaye stops to wiggle her toes in the grassy lane.)

Well, wherever we found them, they were manna to latchkeylettes like ourselves, stuck inside air-conditioned suburban homes on searing, Los Angeles summer days.

God bless ye, Tallulah, for the memories, and for being there on the other end of the Avocado Green, rotary-dial telephone line.

(Yaye puts back on her boots)

Atten-hut!

Another Classic Tall/Short Duo,

Yaye and I have been friends for 29 years & 1 month or so but who's counting... Lifelong members of the Latch Key Illuminati, sometimes we would spend our summer days together via the phone line, cause we weren't allowed to go outside or couldn't get a hold of working mom to ask permission. Now at 11, one can get quite lonely being home alone for 10 hours at a stretch, so the phone line (in the days before call waiting) was your link to the outside world though Mom could never get through unless the emergency break in was implemented via operator.

As typical kids, left alone to thier own discretion, we watched TV. Yaye would call up Tallu or vis versa just in time for the mid morning back to back episodes of Gomer Pyle USMC to keep each other company sometimes never saying a word. It was comforting to each of us. I believe that this was just boot camp for our phinessed phone phollies I think the longest time we were ever on the phone at one time was 5 (might be 7) hours (Yaye correct me if I'm wrong).

Yesterday, Yaye called and boosted me off my pity pot and got me back on track. Bless yee Yaye! Sometimes she has to be very firm with me but she makes me laugh, she lets me cry, and her brute honesty is what makes me love her and drives me crazy at the same time. To you yaye, I celebrate your You-ness. Sometimes I like it when you're my Sargeant Carter...GAWWWLLLL LEE!

Bang your head, visit Chiropractor

In a paranoid and reluctant manner, Tallulah uploads front facing pic of herself on the myheritage site through encouragment via her beloved Yaye. And the results are in:

Sarah Michelle Geller 70% (WHAT????)
Andie MacDowell, Nina Hagen (funny), Shannen Doherty & Demi Moore 65%
Cliff Burton 63% NOW THAT'S FUNNY!

Tallulah then proceeds to do son and husband

Husband: Verdi (giggle), Dvorak (tee hee), Einstein (ha ha), John Coltrane (huh, HUH??? Huha huh ha ha, huh ha ha ha ho ho heeeeeee), Sylvester Stallone (Adrianne!)

Son: Pj Harvey (huh?), Queen Mum(ha ha), Toni Morrison(huh tee hee), Muhammad Ali (whah???whah??? wah-ha ha ha ha) and Robert Redford (nice...)

I've Just Seen a Face..and it looks nothing like me!

Upload a photo of yourself (as forward facing as possible) at http://www.myheritage.com/FP/Company/tryFaceRecognition.php and the face recognition software demo will display celebrity faces that most closely match yours. Now, when I saw my matches I figured that this demo would only show you the most flattering possibilities (see my match list below). But then I found a picture of a friend making a silly and slightly frightening face, uploaded it, and lo and behold there were some truly gruesome matches. So beware! Also, I could see that some celebrity matches were based on things like the tilt of one's head, arch of eyebrows, amount of teeth showing, etc.

You do have to register for a free account in order to use the demo - I haven't received any emails from them yet. I think the giggly fun of uploading photo after photo of all your friends and family to see the matches is well worth the risk.

My matches:
Kajol Devgan (Bollywood actress) - 71%
Nicole Kidman - 68%
Rita Hayworth - 65%
Angelina Jolie - 65%
Priyanka Chopra (Miss India, Miss World 2000) - 64%
Halle Berry - 64%
Beyonce Knowles - 61%
Winona Ryder - 61%
Naomi Watts - 57%
Julianne Moore - 56%

P.S.: I don't look like ANY of those women, but it's still fun!

P.P.S.: Most photos will yield matches of both genders, for some reason, my list was all women.

P.P.P.S.: I tried about 6 different pictures of my husband, and while many of the matches changed with each picture, two celebrities came up again and again: Jason Biggs and Jennifer Aniston. I'm married to Jason Aniston.

The Mayor of The Runaways

When my husband and I switched over to digital cable (so he could order a special seasonal sports package) we received something like 50 movie channels - it's insane. Needless to say, it's mostly garbage and extremely repetitious, but there have been some programming gems I've come across that have surprised and delighted me.

I enjoyed one such surprise late into the night last night: "The Mayor of the Sunset Strip" (2003). Music-holics who grew up in Los Angeles in the 70's and 80's have a pretty good idea who Rodney Bingenheimer is, even if they only know him as Rodney on the 'Roq' - his DJ moniker on L.A.'s premiere alterna-rock radio station, KROQ-FM. "Mayor" is a bittersweet expose of Rodney's amazing rock star- and groupie-filled life, from mop-topped stand-in for Davy Jones on The Monkees TV show, to introducing a tousle-tressed David Bowie to the Hollywood music scene, to almost single-handedly creating the alternative music genre with his exceptional radar for original talent (alright, some musicians had a hand in it too). As Annabella from Bow Wow Wow put it, he is "the West Coast Andy Warhol."

It's quite a tale, and "Mayor" tells it with loads of photos and footage from every step of Rodney's bizarre, unlikely journey. I can't possibly do justice to his story, for that visit http://www.rodney-b.com or http://www.mayorofthesunsetstrip.com. Even if the Sunset Strip is not a touchstone for you, it's still fascinating stuff.

Another very related rockumentary gem that's been in rotation for the past couple of months on cable is "Edgeplay" (2004), the story of The Runaways. Like Rodney, The Runaways are part of L.A. music scene lore. Teenaged girls transformed into rock foxes in the mid-1970's and ultimately exploited into oblivion. In case you don't know, this is the band that launched Joan Jett and Lita Ford, who managed significant solo careers. More importantly, The Runaways inspired girls to don fishnets, pick up guitars and plug into amps that go to 11 - something Tallulah and I know something about (alright, she knows alot more about it than I do, having been a bonafide Rock Goddess herself). Check it out: http://www.edgeplaythemovie.com or http://www.therunaways.com.

Tallulah, you must comment on the "scene."

Miso Soup Recipes

From http://www.bento.com/tr-miso.html - Miso soup is served every morning in Japan, with the flavors of seasonal vegetables. There are different kinds of miso paste, including: Shiro-miso (mild one and low in salt) and Aka-miso (very salty with a stronger fragrance). Miso soup base is made out of a fish stock called dashi. You can enjoy almost any vegetable with this soup, from lettuce to snow pea pods:

• Chinese cabbage, cut into bite-size squares or triangles
• Cabbage, cut into bite-size squares or triangles
• Lettuce, cut into bite-size squares or triangles
• Green onions, sliced
• Onions, sliced
• Leeks, sliced or chopped
• Okra, chopped
• Butternut squash*, thinly sliced
• Snow pea pods
• Green beans*
• Daikon*, thinly sliced
• Potatoes*, thinly sliced
• Sweet potatoes*, thinly sliced
• Mushrooms, sliced
• Bean sprouts
• Tofu, cut into small cubes
• Wakame seaweed
• Natto beans, minced

* These hard vegetables must be cooked for ten minutes or so. Not recommended: green pepper, celery (vegetables with strong flavor). Cooking time: 15-20 minutes. Servings: 4

From Noriko's Kitchen:

Tofu, green onion and mushroom miso

Ingredients:

• about 30 half-inch cubes tofu
• 4 mushrooms, sliced
• 2 stalks green onions, chopped
• 4 cups water
• 2 teaspoons dashi (nomoto)
• 3-4 tablespoons miso (adjust to taste)

Directions

Boil 4 cups of water and dashi. Add tofu and mushrooms, simmer gently about 3 minutes. Add miso and dissolve completely. Immediately turn off the heat and add chopped green onions, then serve.

Turning Mediterrasian

I got your miso, I got your miso
Not like the one on your kitchen shelf
I want a instant, an instant miso
That’s edible and and tasty as well

This misos got me turning up and turning down
and turning in and turning 'round

I'm turning Mediterrasian
I think I'm turning Mediterrasian
I really think so


you must read this article: Mama's Miso Soup

Heard 250 Times This Morning in Yaye's Head

Owl Jolson singing:

"I love to sing-a,
About the moon-a, and the June-a, and the Spring-a,
I love to sing-a"

Once it started seeping out of my face, my dogs actually began to whine.

Not Turning Japanese After All

A few days ago (I guess it was New Year's Eve), I drunkenly wrote that I would like to direct my life in a more Japanese-inspired fashion (prompting Tallulah to post the complete lyrics to "Turning Japanese"). Whilst seeking recipes to fuel my new goal, I unearthed a never-before-dreamed-of culinary option; one more wonderful even than being Japanese, for it encompasses a cultural smorgasbord of delights that includes all the best that is Japanese and then some.

I will now become...(wait for it)...MediterrAsian!!!!!

Perhaps you've heard of the Mediterranean Diet, which encourages we cheese-lovin' Westerners to abandon our heart disease-inducing lifestyle in exchange for one lush with olive oil, fish, vegetables and vino! Not bad, you say? I agree.

But the smarties over at http://www.mediterrasian.com noticed that it was not just the Greeks, Spanish, and southern Italian and French who have unlocked the portal to healthful longevity, but that a very similar robustness is enjoyed throughout the Asian continent as well. Furthermore, it turns out that while superficially quite different, the cuisines and lifestyles of these disparate regions share many intriguing similarities.

First, the diet similarities:

1. Grain foods, such as bread, pasta, rice, noodles, couscous and millet form a staple part of the daily diet.
2. Fresh vegetables and fruits are eaten daily.
3. Vegetable and fish oils are the main sources of fat in the diet.
4. Red meat (beef, pork & lamb) is eaten only a few times per month.
5. Fish is eaten regularly.
6. Legumes (peas, beans & lentils) are eaten regularly.
7. Alcohol such as beer and wine are consumed in moderation daily.

Second, lifestyle similarities:

1. Family ties are strong.
2. The pace of life is relatively leisurely.
3. Moderate exercise is a part of daily life.

(This is particularly true in the more rural areas of both regions.)

The site is fantastic with recipes, scientific and medical research, a 7-day plan for implementing the diet, books, links, and more! The cuisines that receive the most focus are: Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Provencal, Greek, Thai and Spanish. You can well see that with that kind of selection, "diet" doesn't mean a restrictive way of eating, but an incredibly interesting, varied and inclusive way.

I'm all about MediterrAsian now!! I just need to completely re-stock my kitchen!!

By the way, I tried the Miso and Rice for breakfast thing, and I'm sure I will get into it after I get a decent instant Miso or actually make some from scratch. Unfortunately, the nasty s**t in my cupboard that I used was almost inedible. My advice is don't buy a Miso product made by a company called Edward & Sons -- doesn't really scream "Japanese" does it?

And the Verdict is IN!!!!!!

I toyed with the idea of runny noses, then I thought, really really thought about it, I'm trying to reduce my intake of salt and if I'm snoggin' someone who has a constant run, then I'm running the risk of INCREASING salt intake. Cause well, if my recollections from early childhood is correct, mucas has a salty taste. So I'm now of the opinion if someone I'm with grows ear hair at 1 inch per hour, I've got something more to play with. Something to twirl when I'm watching a scary movie, something to braid when I'm nervous...and something to grab when I'm....well....I'd rather not say.

FOUND! A Cool Site

I'm a semi-regular visitor to the Bob Odenkirk and David Cross (creator's of "Mr. Show") joint site http://www.bobanddavid.com/ - one of their recommended links is to Found Magazine: http://www.foundmagazine.com/ . I followed it last night and could hardly tear myself away to go to bed. What is it?

As David Cross describes: "Simply a collections of s**t (notes, photos, journals, warnings) that's been found in various places, the street, an abandoned apartment, a laundramat (sic), a hospital room, etc., and sent into this site. Sometimes sad, sometimes funny, sometimes both and always interesting." See sample above.

You have to experience it! (By the way, which WOULD you choose and WHY?)

Previous post image Inspiration for lucid dreams....

You had me at Hello.......Kitty

Butterbean DayPah, revealed vacation destination of dreams: A place where large headed kitties roamed free, free from the chains of plastic iconic impulse purchases. the Hello Kitty National Wildlife Refuge.

Cloister be good, lemme learn about Cheese

Yes, cloister sounds nice, lots of cheese, bread and whatever. I would like to learn how to make organic feta cheese that is sprinkled atop spinach ( I know how to grow) and kalamata olives (that I don't know how to do.).

Bangs, You Don't Need No Stinkin' Bangs

Pretty girl, isn't she?

The Cloisters: No Gravy Sucking Pigs Allowed

A place of reflection. A place of peace. A place bereft of unfeeling swine.

Tallulah on Fire: I'm Middle-paged!

FLASH! In an effort to look like Circa-1980 Chrissie Hynde, Tallulah cut her bangs. However, in an attempt to light a natural gas heater in the micro-shop above her cellar she has set those bangs aflame.

"Oh man you don't even know how short my bangs are now! I look like Bettie Page!" exclaims the birthday girl. "Will I ever again enjoy....oh my bangs!!"

The singed siren falls silent, contemplating her injuries. "My eyelashes!"

Tallulah walks into her house and finds a mirror.

"It's okay, I've been meaning to grow out my grey and now I can, because some of my hair is burned down to a 1/4-inch."

This is a testament to not drinking in the middle of the afternoon.

(Photos to follow)

These Teen Beats Go to 11

Salamander Ho-Ho Ding-Dong Nods Knowingly

Davey: "Mmm Goliath, remember my 18th birthday?"
Goliath: "Gee Davey, no I don't."
Davey: "You had a lot of fun."

It's Big, It's Heavy, It's Wood...It's Parco!

"Hey Yogi!"
"Hey Boo-Boo!"
"We're dancing on a log, Yogi."
"Don't I know it, Boo-Boo."
"We could fall, Yogi."
"What the f***, Boo-Boo."
"We're taking a chance, Yogi."
"Chances, we don't need no stinkin' chances, Boo-Boo."
"What?!!"

Mountain (Actually It's a Holler) Mama

Doo-rag Ann
Originally uploaded by yayetalu.

Taking a deep breath and one giant step forward, Tallulah and family made the big brave break from the Hollywood scene and headed for the hills of West Virginny in 2004. With 94+ sprawling acres, a 150-year-old house, outbuildings and critters galore, and HUUUUUUGE vegetable garden, Tallulah is discovering a whole new way of livin'. One with more space for her family life, more time for herself, more balance and more peace.

She's still always full of ideas and creative ways to look at the world. Like anybody, she has her rare grumpy days, but more often than not, she is that same sunshiney, kind, whacky girl I met back in Mrs. Topel's classroom nearly 30 years ago (holy s***!).

If you haven't yet, check out her site Home in the Holler, nobody can spin a tale quite like Tallulah.

She's my Parco! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!

Reverend Tallulah

Ann-at-Wedding
Originally uploaded by yayetalu.

In addition to her thriving career as a freelance web designer and all-around marketing maven, Tallulah followed her calling to a higher purpose and became a Minister of the Universal Church (or something really close to that)! Actually Yaye did the calling, "Hey, I'm getting married, will you perform the ceremony?" And she did!!! The Parcos were reunited on the same Coast after 12 years of phoning, faxing and leaving each other silly messages.

Mrs. Tallulah Goes to Washington

Ann---Senator
Originally uploaded by yayetalu.

...actually this outfit was for a job interview...but you have to contrast this with the Rock Goddess below. Impressive, n'est-ce pas?

This slick suit could be how Tallulah landed her gig with a MAJOR MOVIE STUDIO's retail division after she left the MAJOR ADVERTISING FIRM. I'm not naming names.

The Chronicles of Lumpy

AnnWithLumpy
Originally uploaded by yayetalu.

Very soon after The Yaye and Tallulah Show became a bi-coastal broadcast, Tallulah discovered a Lumpy in her belly which proceeded to grow at an alarmin' rate! Nine months later, a wee Sam was born!! Motherhood has a way of changing things and before you could say "Formosa Cafe", Tallulah, Mr. Tallulah and Lumpy, I mean, Sam, traded in the uber-hip Hollywood courtyard apartment for a sensible Canoga Park home on a double lot with views of the Los Angeles River.

The Parcos Part(y)

AnnCirca1990
Originally uploaded by yayetalu.

In mid-1990, Yaye was transplanting herself from L.A. to NYC, so Tallulah rounded up an old schoolfriend and the three gals took to the Streets of Santa Monica. They solved no crimes that day, but they did determine exactly how many martinis it takes to get to the tootsie roll center of a Tallulah...a-one, a-two, a-three (this face)...a-three. Poin!

Ventura Blvd. in the Sunshine

Ann-at-LA-Kicks
Originally uploaded by yayetalu.

Tallulah was a member of the Ventura Blvd. glitterati; working first at Tower Records (which I hear is no longer there ), before engaging in a lengthy, upwardly mobile stint at an L.A. boutique where you could get your Kicks! (I'm trying to protect the innocent here, kids.) Long before Starbucks spread beyond Seattle's city limits, Tallulah and Yaye enjoyed many a lingering Cappuccino or Latte while watching the posh and posed on Ventura Blvd. walk by. What's the name of that place again, Tallulah? I always forget.

Tallulah: Rock Goddess

Ann-Sterille
Originally uploaded by yayetalu.

Sometime in 1986, Tallulah fulfilled her karmic destiny by becoming a big teased hair, fishnet ensconced, bass-playing Rock Goddess. I won't name the band in case she doesn't want me to...so let's call them The Purelles...and we'll call their big hit indie single with heavy KROQ rotation "I've Got a Sponge." This pic is Circa 1987, at the much beloved Reseda, California musical Mecca: Bebop Records.

None More Crimped

AnnCrimped
Originally uploaded by yayetalu.

Here's what I remember about this picture: It was around 1985, Tallulah, our friend Ro, and I were hanging out, munching those little ice cream sundaes that come in a paper cup and you eat with a flat stick. Somebody got the idea that we should slather on a lot of makeup, crimp each other's hair, don dresses from Ro's closet, top them with black capes and go to Santa Monica Beach to frolic. Tallulah remembers this story better than I do, but I'm pretty sure it was a homeless guy who thought we were three witches.

The Tall Girl with the Big Smile

AnnCirca1980
Originally uploaded by yayetalu.

When I tumbled through the door of Mrs. Topel's 6th Grade classroom in October 1977 as the new kid, I was ready for the rude stares and hiss of whispers. After all, this was my seventh elementary school by the age of 10. However, I wasn't prepared for the big beaming smile that greeted me at the next table. Above a hostile sea of munchkins, Tallulah came floating along in a friendly little bubble. After noting that she and her friends didn't feel the need to play Steal the Boys' Combs and Hide Them in the Girls' Bathroom at Recess and Lunch like many of the other girls in our class, I walked up one day and asked, "Can I hang out with you guys?" This picture is Circa 1980.

TALLULAH TURNS 39!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's ALIVE ....ALIVE I tell ya....very very Alive

Well, I did it less than 24 hours before my birthday. I have launched the website I kept saying I was gonna do and now it's live. It's not completely done, and I'm sure that there might be some bugs in the navigation but bottom line....it's up. I faced the fear and now well...

Please take a look

HomeintheHoller.com

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111

Shiver me timbers....

Walking up the next hill, I noticed that there be a lot of timber that should be cut up and given away to some poor family to heat their homes. I then realized the obstacles involved in gathering this stuff without a four-wheeler. So I decided to delight in the beauty of the woods, I'd find a solution later.

So my new thought is see the beauty in the obstacles of life then walk over or around them.

hearts and kisses - Tallu

Upon regaining my composure....

I stood in the creek for a few moments trying to catch my breath, listening carefully to my ankles and feet, cause I easily break them. I then sat for a few moments longer calculating the medical bills should I have broken anything and how I was going to hobble back and tell my husband what I did. Most importantly how I was going to pay for these medical bills, since all my clients delight in not paying me on time.

Luckily the half empty glass became half full when I realized everything was A-OK. At which time, I looked down and saw this tiny little waterfall made from rock and wee little sticks. The tinkling of the water reminded me of one of my favorite bookstores back in LA. I then thought about how I really had to feng shui my office, then I thought about how I would like my life to be, then I realized I was still standing in the creek. So I quietly said What the F*** crossed the creek and headed up another steep hill.

Fell into the "Crick"

After this picture was taken I lost my footing again surfing leaves and mud straight into this creek. Damn that was fun.

Ooooooooo....a logging road at the top of the hill....

The deer path ended up here. I endured more burn as I sunk in the mud. My favorite accessory since moving to West VA are my knee high rubber boots. At the top of this very hill, the mud was so deep my boot got stuck and my foot came out. As I stumbled I caught my balance on a tree. Hands stained with moss, foot in mud, boot stuck, I had to figure a way out. Pulled boot out while balancing on one foot, placed boot back on exposed foot. and decided to take a route less traveled went through trees on (featured on the left), lot's of organic matter on forest floor made it less muddy. However, route more treacherous as I had to swing from tree to tree to get down steep hill. (More advanced hikers would think I was a wuss).

Resolution on Walking

Here is the deer path I took when I went out for a walk in our backyard. You can't really tell but it's up a straight hill. I didn't know what I find or where it would lead all I knew was that it was straight up hill and I could feel the burn. Burn is good...

I Adee-Do Remember - Yaye Waxes Nostalgiac

As a Southern Californian who emigrated to the East Coast (it's been 15 1/2 years!), I'm used to trying to translate to natives the little Angeleno cultural references I employ for my own amusement. One that came up again and again with my husband (a lifelong resident of Connecticut) was "Cal Worthington and his dog Spot!" - meaningless to him. No Cal Worthington in New England. And no amount of animated explanation ever did justice to the banjo-plucking wonder that is Worthington. So, I was THRILLED when I found this site: http://www.mydogspot.com/ - which features Real Player commercial clips, photos and, best of all, the unforgettable extended version of the "Go See Cal" theme song. Brilliant!

A couple other nostalgiac spots for Angelenos (& others) who grew up in the 70's and 80's:

http://www.rogerwendell.com/pnt.html - A shrine to Pup 'n' Taco and Big DoNut
http://www.melaman2.com/cartoons/singles/mp3/super-chicken.mp3 - theme song to Superchicken!!
http://www.80stvthemes.com/commercials/ - other ads from the 80's.

Holy Canoli - look what I just found, put's my whole post to shame! This is the BEST! Make sure you scroll down to check out all the cool L.A.-related links!:
http://www.losanjealous.com/2005/12/15/cal-worthington/

Oh Deer!

Ei yeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

Just clicked on the World Pantry link and thought I would share the mess I got in yesterday.

I made my very first batch of flour tortillas by hand. It's a lot like playdough only your supposed to eat it. Though I do remember really liking blue playdough as a kid - very salty and I really like salt.

So I mixed the ingredients: 2c flour, 1 tsp salt, 3T butter and 3/4c water.

What I got was a soppy gooey mess so adding a bit more flour was in order. That was the easy part. The difficulties came while trying to Roll out the Tortilla, we roll out the tortilla today...

Put a sprinkling of the May Queen "flour" on the pastry board, Rambled on (and on and on) with the Rolling pin and continued to dust my black overalls white, the kitchen floor, with the counter top developing a lovely film of white clumps because like a good girl I was trying to clean as I cooked...pointless. Sponges do not take well to cleaning up flour dust, they get caked with the film then they begin to feel kind of like a squishy dead fish.

At the end of the sloppy ordeal I had made ten large Dali-esque thin sheets of "tortillas". I then came to the conclusion that I could market these tasty treats (and they were very good wrapped around our burritos) I should market them as Shabby Chic Faux Tortillas. Perhaps the brand name should be TorTeeYa'lls. Tasty for Ya'll.

Crun-Chewy!!

I crimp my hair, I dye my hair I don't even know why...........

Simply a tah doo for Tallu and Yaye

Big and Beefy, but it Tastes so Sweet!

Yaye's got Snow, Tallu's got the rain

This is the view from my bedroom window at the moment. Lot's of rain be fallin and the "cricks" are swelling. There are waterfalls everywhere when it rains. I like the rain...a lot.

17th Wedding Anniversary

Did you know that there is no traditional gift to give on a 17th wedding anniversary? WHAT? How can that be.

I just finished a conversation with my sister in law, who is celebrating her 32nd wedding anniversary. She's sort of my contemporary, how can she be married that long?? The 32nd wedding anniversary gift is either land or car. She's opting for celebrating her 31st again and buying a time piece. I wonder if the same rule applies to marriage as Yaye's rule of birthdates. Let's see if you exclusively date for a year, wouldn't it mean that you've actually been married for a year before you get married. How about some of the people I know that dated for 10 years before they get hitched, then their first anniversary is actually their 11th.

Traditional 11th wedding anniversary gifts have a theme of Steel.
A contemporary or modern 11th anniversary gift has a theme of Fashion Jewellery.
The flowers associated with the 11th anniversary are Morning Glories

The Gemstone list shows Hematite and Turquoise associated with this Wedding Anniversary

Oh my, the following wedding anniversaries have NOTHING: 16, 17, 18, 19. Why is this? Is it because of the divorce rate during this time? Is everyone saving for the eventual nuptial disaster? So if they actually make it to 20 then it's really time to buy some China? Why aren't we celebrating the odd years those nestled betwixed 15 and 20.

Maybe it's because it's a free pass. Pass me some Johnny Depp, bottles of champagne, confetti and a tiara...this bride of 17 years is gonna have a great anniversary.

Imagine all the Walking Sticks

Did you know that....

Principally, rhododendrons are used as landscaping plants and many hybrid varieties are available. Artists and craftspeople also use the hard, twisted wood in making walking sticks and freeform furniture.

My House and the Rhododendron

01-03-06-House
Originally uploaded by yayetalu.

The bottom half of our house is engulfed in rhododendrons. I have never had anything against rhododendron, and I have to admit the big flowers that bloom in spring all over these shrubs are quite pretty. But it's just too much rhododendron. Not only does it surround the house, it borders a good deal of our property. Hangs snow well though!

Snowbarn

01-03-06-Barn
Originally uploaded by yayetalu.

I like the contrast of the dark barn and the blindlingly white snow.

The Apple Tree

01-03-06-Appletree
Originally uploaded by yayetalu.

The prior owners of our house and property were devout Mormons. They emphasized family (4 kids) and home-based activities. So we were lucky to inherit a volleyball court, large vegetable garden, campfire area, horshoe pits and orchard trees and bushes around the property.

Now I wouldn't have assumed that there was any religious purpose to the large apple tree that resides smack dab in the middle of the back yard if it weren't for the painting they rendered on the inside of my bedroom closet door. It crudely depicts this very tree and is accompanied by the following quote: "Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit."

So, I'm pretty sure they planted this tree to represent the Tree of Knowledge or remind them of this passage from Matthew.

All I know is that it really hangs the snow well. Doesn't it?