Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Animation FTW...

The Beauty of Pixar from Leandro Copperfield on Vimeo.


This video, originally spotted on Tralalere!, is dedicated to my brother-in-law John. Someday we'll be watching his rad movies, but until that time comes... the beauty of Pixar.


And yes, I know that I'm a sucker for mash-ups. And for cartoons ...errr, animated films.

You Can Call Me Poppy... If You Want To

via Bitte Ein Kuss

Another day in my better late than never blooming life.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Glad Tidings...

Courtesy Bitte Ein Kuss.

I know that, ironically, the holiday season can be really stressful for people. I hope that you're able to find a moment to be this happy at least a few times....

In related joyous news!

Yesterday, on my walk home from a lovely lunch out with my dear friends Lydia and MaSovaida, I saw something that totally blew my mind. So much so that it gripped my heart and burst it wide open.

I saw parrots in the trees just in front of my house! Actual live parrots - wild parrots! This is so amazing! And they were so beautiful... and free.

Sigh... I'm probably using too many exclamation points - but the only time I see parrots at home is in a pet store or in my grandfather's aviary. I guess I just didn't know that they could be wild ...and somehow more pure and essential for it.

As you were.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Portable...

Cheers.

This kind of makes me wish that my primary mode of transportation was a bicycle. For one or two, I'm flexible. But yeah... if my bike were this tricked out, I don't think I'd have ever given it up.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

April Revisited...

In April some very dear friends of mine :: Jean-Pierre and Bahiyyih :: got married here in Haifa. He's from France, she's from South Africa - such a lovely and international celebration! Anyhow, since I suck at taking pictures... better late than never?
Nava and I - up to our usual shenanigans, I'm sure.
Neda and I - just after the ceremony, if memory serves...
Cool and the gang...
aka Jubin, Nava, Will Y yo.

On a totally vain side note... I kind of miss the darker hair. What do you guys think? Keep it light, or back to dark? ...it's also cool if you don't care. It's not like the color of my hair will solve world hunger, or anything. As you were. [Insert sheepish grin - slash - wry wink here.]

Addendum...

Further to my earlier thoughts on dance and body image... how awesome is this?!


Further proof that it is possible to be an amazing dancer and not look like a prepubescent boy in tights and a tutu.

What Is Correct...

Nazy on Aussie Graffiti...
Naussie? No... too much.

Anyhow, photo credit goes to Yvan Rodic. I haven't explored all of the ins and outs of his sweet blog yet, but he's got mad photo skillz. Yes. With a z.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Hablas Espanol...?



This is so incredible! Last night Abi, Nava and I were discussing the awesome potential and reality of technology. This fun little iPhone application (World Lens) almost makes me want to get one... a phone of i, that is.

...if only it translated Hebrew!

Friday, December 17, 2010

From One Athlete to Another...

*Disclaimer: I l.o.v.e. to dance... shake what my mama gave me, close my eyes and let the rhythm move me - and I have a soft spot in my heart for tango and ballroom dancing. I'm talking about the weird world of competitive ballet....*

So you may know that I play water polo. But I am, like, surrounded by dancers. My sister is an amazing dancer; my mom loves dance so much that she even tried to get me (the tomboy) to take introductory ballet classes when I was 15. Yes... this was too late, in my humble opinion - never mind what my mom thought of my arch or my turnout.

And I don't know if it's luck, or the sheer fact that I may be the rare little girl who didn't dance as a child - but most of my friends have a considerable history with dance. Specifically with ballet.

Every single one has a similar story: there came a point in her young lovely life where she began to look less like little girl and more like (gasp!) a woman. You know this as puberty - likely the most fragile period of any person's life - and these girls are routinely shunned and turned away from activities in which they excel. Activities that should fill them with a sense of personal pride and grace, dignity and composure, instead begin to make them hate themselves and what they are becoming. Women. Beautiful, athletic women.

Because, make no mistake, while I'm considered to be the 'athlete' of the family - water polo goalie, hello! - my sister the dancer is infinitely stronger than I'll ever be.

And this is where the heart of my confusion (concern?) lies. There are times when I am swimming and my muscles literally give my brain an ultimatum. Eat something - preferably concentrated protein - in the next ten minutes or we're going to refuse to work. I've actually been so hungry, mid-workout, that I've gotten out of the pool and eaten something, only to jump back in... all so I can keep swimming.

How is it that people dance and leap and generally kick ass for multiple hours a day (I'm talking about dancers who go pro - or whatever) starve themselves into these tiny tiny molds? Of course when you see a ballet, you want to be able to see the movement - and I truly believe that the human body is a beautiful, extraordinary thing - but maybe we could start to accept that people come in different shapes and sizes.

I know I'm 5'9" (175 cm) - but I think that my skeleton weighs more than the target most dancers aim for.... But what if I were really talented? Would I have been turned away in my formative years? Sigh... I know. I'm in 'thinking out loud mode', again. But why are women continually subjected to this mind games?

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

This Place of Transition...

Bayan and I - first seen here.

You may have heard me wax... well, a myriad of emotions about Bayan. You've known him as my reading buddy, KISS' biggest smallest fan, the polyglot wunderkid, my partner in fieldtrip crime.... But he's really just my friend.

And I've just learned that he and his family are moving back to Australia. And since the school year begins in January down there, they're leaving in 3 weeks.

So if I seem a little mope-y or morose, you can guess why. Also, if you want to cheer me up by letting me read Harry Potter (and the Chamber of Secrets) with you, I'm your girl. I even do different voices for the different characters. All in a charming "British" accent.

But I tell you truly, full disclosure moment, learning that Bayan and his family are leaving? The saddest news I've had, yet. And people leave the Baha'i World Centre to embark in new fields of service and undertake new adventures all.of.the.time! *Sigh.*
In the slightly more than 3 years that I've been aware of the blogosphere, November-January have always been some really interesting months. By which I mean it's a pretty mixed bag of not caring about your holiday gift guide brought to me by some random sponsor [or worse yet the endless DIY calendars] OR really awesome end of year musical mashups and top songs of the millenia playlists.


In that vein, I give to you this gem (head's up courtesy Tralalere!).

The author - creative director? - has this to say about the project: "this year's movies have legit (sic) transformed my idea of what is creatively possible. To celebrate that, I've remixed 270 of them into this giant ass video. Just watch it."

Enjoy. It's pretty badass.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Mazel Tov!

Image via Classic Bride.

One of my nearest and dearests is getting married! Congratulations, Kadria!

Sunday, December 12, 2010

...A Few of My Favorite Things

Courtesy the Interwebs.
...knowing me, it's likely from Bitte Ein Kuss.

Lightening and thunder and rainstorms - oh my! The weather most conducive to cozy, curl up on your couch with a good book and a cuppa has finally hit Israel - and what with last week's fires, not a moment too soon!

Some of the rain clouds today were shedding rain in whole sheets - it looked like the ballroom dancing scene from the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland (my favorite ride). There were moments today where I just had to go on pause and watch the storm; it was so lovely and awesome. **Yes. This is not-so-code for "guess who gets to work double-time tomorrow for the slack-fest you enjoyed today".

Also? I love this picture. I feel like there's a whole story wrapped in this little image. Who knew that one little glorified stick figure could pack such a poignant, poetic punch?

Saturday, December 11, 2010

...(Un)Comfortably Numb



My friend David recommended this particular TED Talk to me this evening when the topic of community building and integration of diversity came up. We were thinking of ways to encourage activities that contribute to the positive discourse of society, but that arise from individual initiative at the grassroots level - but that are still inclusive and diverse. And he said that we need to learn to be a little more vulnerable.

I think that vulnerability is definitely something I struggle with [particularly as I'm a clinical diagnosis away from OCD]. When she got to the part about our (MY) obsession with perfection, I really had to stop and reconsider my initial reaction; which was to think "um... yes. It's totally possible to do everything. Watch me."

You should know that the times throughout the year that I get sick, run down, or just completely lose my shhhhhh are as a direct result of trying to do too much and spreading myself too thin. And I know this. And I still caught myself thinking that I could do everything. By myself. And be strong and independent.

But I've been thinking lately that what I need is help. Like I need people to accompany on my journey of life, in my myriad activities. Not because I, Aimee Piper, suck at life... but because I think that all of us - as humans - have been designed to need help. Which forces us to create community, unity and harmony.

So yeah. I'm still sort of thinking out loud about life... this time a little more specifically about being a grown-up woman/positive, contributing member of society. But I think that I'd like to explore the strength in being vulnerable. Wish me luck!

Thursday, December 9, 2010

TechPeriments...

My Pummelvision from Aimee Piper on Vimeo.

So I was checking my goo.gle rea.der today... well, I was really just checking my absolute favorites because I'm sort of on vacation - it being a Holy Day, and all (check below). And as per usual, I had to see what my homegirl (who has NO idea who I am) Tralalere! was up to. And she had made one of these really cool videos of her pictures - all old-school slide show style... sans the really boring voice over, a la "and this is us in Borneo. Oh, that's Bob's foot." You get me.

She did hers using her FB photos (that I admittedly have way more of), but the rules and regs made me kind of nervous. I mean, I'm clearly not opposed to having a web presence (hello!), but the inbuilt access they wanted to have to your profile and friends' profiles... just creepy. So I opted for the flickr version. I haven't really uploaded any photos to my flickr (non-profesh) account in, like, a year - hence the 30 second video. Sorry about that. But you know I don't take pictures, right?

Anyhowzers - I just thought this was SO cool! Technology can be really awesome, right?! Annnnd... if you wind up making one of these, lemme know - I'd like to see. Cheers m'dears!

My Mind's Eye...



Image courtesy Le Love.

As you may know by now, I'm a not-so-closet romantic. I love love, it's as simple as that. This quote (image?), for me however, has nothing to do with the weak in the knees kind of love that you see in movies or teenage diaries... it's about my love for the Baha'i Shrines.

I regularly pray that I am somehow able to burn the image of those Holy Spots, the sensation of being able to pray in such a Place, what it feels like to walk and meditate in those beautiful and peaceful gardens, into my heart. So that, when I have to finally leave Israel, that I'll be able to return there... at least in my heart, or maybe my mind. And to remember and reconnect with that tranquility and love.

Yesterday and today marked a great period of celebration for Baha'is. These were the Twin Holy Days: the celebrations of the Birth of the Bab and the Birth of Baha'u'llah, respectively. It was also my last opportunity to celebrate these very special Holy Days while serving and living in the Holy Land.... Kind of bitter-sweet, but remarkably lovely - as per usual.

Do you all have a place that you "go"... when you pray, meditate, connect with the universe?

Here's The Situation...


If you follow this blog, you know that I think that girls are important. That access to education, proper nutrition, love, respect, opportunity is just as important for girls as it is for boys.

In July 2008, I stumbled across "The Girl Effect". I hope that you enjoy the latest iteration of their project as much as I do. I also hope that, should you find yourself in a position to take a chance on a girl - to make a difference in her life, you take it. I'll go so far as to suggest that you could even consider creating said opportunities.

Head's up credit on this one goes to Kimia Kline. Cheers!

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Simmer Down...

Thanksgiving in Israel

There comes a point in every Thanksgiving celebration (0r other such GI Olympic Competitions) where you need to just lie back and let all of the goodness soak in. The good company (as evidenced above), the good movie/game (in our case, "Coming to America") and the good food.

A week later and I'm still thankful!

Friday, December 3, 2010

Look Alive...



This is Adele. Most of you probably already love her - she DID get 2 grammy's last year for her beautiful song "Chasing Pavement". This rocking jam, "Rolling in the Deep", is off her new album 21 - set to drop in 'early 2011. ...whatever that means.

In completely other news, Mt. Carmel is on fire. This is the worst fire in at least 10 years (per the BBC). The international community has been really amazing in their offer of aid - fire fighting planes from Greece, Russia, Jordan, Turkey. The problem is that Israel is in a serious drought and the weather today reached a high of 84F. Worse still is that the winds are really starting to pick up.... Your prayers and positive thoughts are welcome; even on the other side of the mountain from the fire, the smoke is a tangible thing.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Resolve To...

Courtesy Melody Ehsani.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Shout It From the Rooftops...

“I gave a talk last week on International Women’s Day, saying that if you think feminism is done then you are looking at the micro-environment you are in. If you go anywhere in the world like the Democratic Republic of Congo, rape is being used as a principal weapon of war then you would shout from the rooftops that you were a feminist. Of all the assets in the world that can be owned, such as buildings, housings only one percent is owned by women although women do 75 percent of the world’s labour — these are not my statistics, these are the UN’s.”
- Sandi Toksvig

Head's up courtesy Bitte Ein Kuss

Sunday, November 28, 2010

The Highlights Reel...



Why is it that "Coming to America" gets funnier every time you watch it? Maybe the same reason each helping of food at Thanksgiving is better than the one before it?

I hope your weekend was great!

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving...!

via the Internet

Some friends and I will be having our Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday - but for those of you who are State-side, pour one out for your international homies!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Crash Test Dummies...

Last night at water polo, I had a head-on collision with this guy on my team. At a full sprint. Like, our hands didn't collide - providing a muted warning of the pain ahead. No. Full cranium contact. And it hurt.

I'm sure that when the tenderness goes away this story will actually be hilarious, because it's already kind of funny. I mean, only aimee piper, right?!

So on my weekly phone-date-with-mom last night, I casually mentioned my little accident and then she sort of name dropped "concussion". Well, I have no idea what a concussion is - I'm a pretty thick skulled, strong boned girl. But I was nervous because those are not to be trifled with. Luckily my friend Saba (MPH in the house!) was online and I picked her brain ...about my brain. (hahahaha - sometimes I think I'm so funny!)

Last night - as a precaution - Saba called me regularly throughout the night to make sure that I was okay and not in a coma... or whatever happens when you have a concussion (still not sure).

As evidenced by this semi-cogent report of *health*, I'm okay and fully functional. And about as thick skulled as you can be and still float!

Thanks, Saba. You're a peach!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Human... Being

Courtesy Samimi-Extremie

I was thinking about the verb are. OED has it as the 1st person singular present form of be (as well as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd person plural form...). So our bodies are really just souls in action.

I think that's really telling about the nature, design and purpose of humanity.

What do you guys think?

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Ain't That Some Shhhhh....


Gwyneth Paltrow is my home girl. Okay... so we're not exactly tight like that, but she's pretty amazing. I know you've heard me wax girl-crush on her before - but subbing on Glee and making learning fun? Swoon.

Let's go get some tacos!

Friday, November 19, 2010

Word On The Street...

Courtesy Dictionary(dot)com:

hallow \HAL-oh\, verb:

1. To make holy; sanctify; consecrate.
Hallow ultimately relates to the Old Norse helga, "health."

Image credit.

Some friends and I went for the opening night of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (part 1) last night - and my reading buddy Bayan came, too. We got to do all kinds of cool field trip things like take the city bus and brave a crowded mall food court for dinner....

While taking the bus home, we all discussed our favorite parts of the movie. One of the things that impressed Bayan the most was that when [SPOILER ALERT] Voldemort exhumed Dumbledore to jack the famed Elder Wand, Dumbledore still sported his famous beard.

**Background information**
Nothing drives me so crazy as learning something - learning the truth about something - that is c.o.m.p.l.e.t.e.l.y opposite to what I had learned in school as a child.

I had been about to tell Bayan that your hair keeps growing when you die... and then I remembered that the fun-fact bomb I was about to drop was more of a fun not-so-fact. So at the last moment, I opted for the truth.

I started with all of the enthusiasm of 'knowledge is cool :: guess what!?!' and finished with a ho-hum "when you die, your hair gets longer because your skin goes away".

Awkward for the win.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

...All Night Long



I should be asleep... workout was pretty tough tonight - mostly because I forewent (is that a word?) my afternoon snack in favor of a [second] cup of coffee. Was it any surprise, then, that I should be starving half-way through our set of 100s?

And now I'm magically chipper (if largely incoherent) at 1/2 past midnight. Yay.

Thankfully, this song is amazing. And so is the video.
*I love concept albums/videos. And cartoons.

Hopefully my love for this song will be enough to carry me through what could be a loooooong day tomorrow. Well, that plus coffee.

Curious and Curiouser....

Courtesy Kisssing ...A Love Blog:

"The first symptom of love in a young man is shyness; the first symptom in a woman, it's boldness."
-- Victor Hugo



Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Earth to...


I've sort of been feeling like a space cadet, lately. My ordinarily not inconsiderable child-sized attention space is reaching epic proportions.

Any handy, tried and true secrets for 'snapping out of it' you may have are completely welcome.

Cheers.

**Beyond a vague and general "the interwebs", I've forgotten where I first spotted this picture. See.......!

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Keeping It Real...

Courtesy Melody Ehsani

You know I'm an optimist, right?

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Compliments To The Chef....


Celebrating Thanksgiving - which is, essentially, America's "national holiday" (apologies to the Independence Day enthusiasts) - in Israel is actually really awesome. I won't exhaust your attention spans by compiling a comprehensive list of all of the things I'm thankful for... but you get the idea.

Preparing a 'traditional' Thanksgiving feast outside of the States can prove a little tricky, though. But I sort of feel that we Americans abroad have an opportunity to somehow keep it [more] real at this time of year. Scouring the Arab meat market (note the a) for a turkey you have to clean and prep yourself; hoarding green beans, mushroom soup and french's fried onions one.can.at.a.time for months [don't sleep on my green bean casserole, friends. It's the bizz.]; downloading Marilyn Monroe's stuffing recipe....

Wait. What?

They tweaked it a little, but here it is, adapted from "Fragments" - a collection of letters, poems, and recipes from Lady Monroe herself:

Time: 2 hours

No garlic

A 10-ounce loaf sourdough bread

1/2 pound chicken or turkey livers or hearts

1/2 pound ground round or other beef

1 tablespoon cooking oil

4 stalks celery, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 cups chopped curly parsley

2 eggs, hard boiled, chopped

1 1/2 cups raisins

1 cup grated Parmesan

1 1/4 cups chopped walnuts, pine nuts or roasted chestnuts, or a combination

2 teaspoons dried crushed rosemary

2 teaspoons dried crushed oregano

2 teaspoons dried crushed thyme

3 bay leaves

1 tablespoon salt-free, garlic-free poultry seasoning (or 1 teaspoon dried sage, 1 teaspoon marjoram, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger and 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg)

1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 tablespoon pepper.

1. Split the bread loaf in half and soak it in a large bowl of cold water for 15 minutes. Wring out excess water over a colander and shred into pieces.

2. Boil the livers or hearts for 8 minutes in salted water, then chop until no piece is larger than a coffee bean.

3. In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef in the oil, stirring occasionally and breaking up the meat, so no piece is larger than a pistachio.

4. In your largest mixing bowl, combine the sourdough, livers, ground beef, celery, onion, parsley, eggs, raisins, Parmesan and nuts, tossing gently with your hands to combine. Whisk the rosemary, oregano, thyme, bay leaves, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper together in a bowl, scatter over the stuffing and toss again with your hands. Taste and adjust for salt. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to use as a stuffing or to bake separately as dressing.

Yield: 20 cups, enough for one large turkey, 2 to 3 geese or 8 chickens.

Enjoy!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Monday, November 8, 2010

Go Big Or Go Home...?


Hagrid's g-chat away message.

...in honor of HP7 version 1 :: T-minus 10 days and counting.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

To The Rescue...!

Omid & Aimee
[Detective Danger & Smarty Pants]

What do you do on 31 October in a country that doesn't celebrate Halloween (the day that happens to be your favorite holiday of all time!)?

Unleash the preppy digs [I swear I wore proper shoes later - Rainbows are just so good to your feet!] and a pair of "vanity glasses".

And voila! A prototype superhero - at your leisure.

Lanvin For H&M...


Please, God... let it come to Israel too!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

That's What I'm Talking About...!


When I was home visiting my family this summer, I had the honor of training a couple of days with the boys varsity water polo team at the high school my mom works at: Aliso Niguel High School.

As an athlete and as a lady, it was such a treat to practice with these guys - they were totally welcoming of me and were real gentlemen.

Imagine my delight when I got an email from my mom yesterday informing me that the captain of this team had been selected as USA Water Polo's player of the month: November?!

Dear the Wolverines: I wish you all a successful season! ...and try to get my mom to at least one game. Oh! Hey, mom......

Commerce...



Meet the Commerce Water Polo Club.

When I first started playing club water polo in Southern California, the girls on my team (shout out to T.R.A.P.) reserved a special and reverent tone - almost a whisper - for the discussion of this team. At that time, in 1996, Brenda Villa was playing at Stanford, where she had earned a full athletic/academic scholarship, for the US Women's National Team, and, rumor had it, volunteering at a local hospital.

Now that I see this video (courtesy ABC News in LA via USA Water Polo, it makes total sense.

As a side note... this is such an excellent example of community service. Everything that you see is sponsored entirely by businesses in Commerce, CA. ...and is available to all children resident in Commerce. The benefits are exponential - and so tremendous!

Kimia Kline...

So you know that I'm, like, surrounded by super talented people, right? I know... it sounds like I'm bragging - but I sometimes feel like I can't take take a step without running in to some kind of wonderful artist, musician, athlete, human.

Kimia Kline (nee Ferdowsi) is one such friend. We served together for a time, here in Haifa - and she's such a gifted artist! ...as evidenced below:

"Lily"

"Love" envelope

I am so happy to share that Kimia has finally (so, seriously - finally!) launched a Web site specifically devoted to showcasing her talent. It's called Alkeemi Paintings.

So go over - check it out. And in the meantime, I'll try to think of a synonym for "talent(ed)".

Monday, November 1, 2010

All Saints Day...


The Baha'i Writings speak of music as being "the ladder of the soul".

This video, spotted on Tralalere! (linked at the right) is the most concrete example of this belief that I have ever seen.

Alice, who turns 107 this month, is the oldest Holocaust survivor. As you will see, it is literally music that saved her life.

I hope that you enjoy the trailer - I can't wait to see the feature length!

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Well, Obviously...


[L-R]
Mae, MaSovaida, Abi, Shirin, Aimee
Jason, Mary, Lydia, Nasaem

Excerpted from Nasaem's farewell extravaganza: the balcony set.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

I Wish I May...


I am the oldest child in a family of three. When my mom was pregnant with my little sister, Merilee, she was convinced that she was having a boy.

[Owing to some wives tale about how she was carrying, etc. And yes, the possibility of learning - conclusively - the sex of a fetus was an option. I have the impression that my parents thought it would detract from the 'romance' of it all, though.]

I, however, already had a little brother. Done-zo. What I really wanted was a little sister.

And so I prayed. And I prayed.

And I got a little sister. Whose birthday is today.

Happy birthday, Mer!

The Mightiest Sword...


I wish I could be more cogent right now in expressing what draws me to this image, but I really don't have much beyond a serious fascination with it.

For me this image (pun intended) transcends what this man has put on his body and how he has styled himself. It is about what he is doing with his body - and with his mind - that is so powerful. This is probably one of my favorite pictures Scott Schumann's taken.

There's a power in this man's detachment from the camera that I really appreciate. Moments like this are, to me, what makes 'street fashion' so gripping.

Love!

Friday, October 29, 2010

Choose Your Own Adventure...



So this video likely exceeds the parameters of the little space that is typically provided on this page. Sincerest apologies.

Because I was seriously just getting the hang of the optimal viewing size ratio.

But that's not really important in this case, anyhow. What is important is that my friend Andy Grammer has created an interactive video! What you see above is the one I made...

But that's only kind of cool - I'm actually curious to know what the video YOU design looks like!

So here's the fun part! Check the link above and make your own video for Andy's new single "Keep Your Head Up" - and then post the link for your version in the comments field. Oh, and tell me your name (even if it's your super top secret Ninja-web name) and where you're from.

Because it's interactive

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Phone Home...

I tell you truly - this is incredible! Joanna Goddard (of A Cup of Joe fame) shared this amazing find today.

Basically, if you ever loose your phone, just visit this site, enter your number, and it will call your phone - presto chango! Phone found!

Now if I could just get it to call my mind, or Jordan Catalano.... What!? I lose my mind, like, all of the time!

Thank You...

Via Bitte Ein Kuss.

...and you're welcome.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Youth Can Move the World...

Or at least me.

I've sort of been obsessed with Simon Filip since I first saw his work earlier this year. Um... he's 18.

This video he shot for his sister's band The Honey Trees (Becky Filip & Jacob Wick: support the artists!) is easily the most beautiful video I've seen in maybe forever. The Honey Trees describe their sound as 'dream pop', and I really feel that this catches that - perfectly.

Big shout out to Black*Eiffel for the head's up on the video. If you can't tell, I'm just in the mood for really lovely things, right now.

...And Taking Names


I love these shoes; literally and figuratively a 'pick me up'. To everyone who plans an outfit from the ground up: cheers!

Okay, but seriously - I want them on my feet...

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Dress Time...

**This post is dedicated to Nazy, Semira, Sholeh and Kadria - but especially to Yasmin.**
Prep for cozy fall nights
...commence countdown in 4, 3, 2...

Elie Saab
*you may be curious to know that I'm totally stoked on chartreuse, lately*
...it's also fair to surmise you're not curious about this information at all.
Tough.
Anna Sui
*I.just.love.this*

Today at lunch, a friend dropped this little "fact bomb" on the table: eating an apple in the afternoon will give you more energy than drinking a cup of coffee.

Well, I'll see your cup of coffee and your apple - and raise you a quality fashion break.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Champion of the World...


Not my Halloween costume.
...however boss that would be.

In August 2009, a friend and I created a little eddy in the rushing rapids of the world wide interwebs. It would be a place where we could chronicle our more... shall we say awkward moments.

And it was glorious. Having a home for all of those times where you just want to shake your head and roll your eyes, thinking - what in the world were you thinking? Well it provided a necessary level of detachment. And they're funny stories. My clutz factor is not to be underestimated, friends!

But then I started Access to Praxis - and the kicker was that I wanted to use my real name. So I had to give up my super top secret anonymous internet identity. And since it's kind of moot to have an anonymous blog with a 'full disclosure' identity, I thought I'd let you in on the joke.

The Innocent Have Been Changed. If and when (things I think are) really funny things happen to me I tend to file them away there. True stories. Anonymous people. Except me.

!!!

Friday, October 22, 2010

Access to Praxis...

I've been thinking increasingly deep thinks lately, and I'm not saying that this little slice of my life can't handle them... but I've taken the liberty, nonetheless, of creating a separate space for them.
Marilyn Monroe

The ancient Greeks defined praxis as activity engaged in by free men. More modernly it is defined as the practice, application or realization of ideas. With Access to Praxis, I hope (with help from my friend Lydia) to figure out how to reconcile the dreams I have for helping to create a new world order with the looming impotence and stasis I feel... that my skill set is somehow insufficient to the task at hand.

I would actually really love if y'all were to come over and join in the conversation - cheers!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Resources...

As evidenced by my first post of the day, it's been an interesting week for the news. I read two articles this afternoon that really gave me pause.
The first was about a woman in England who wanted to do something nice for her mother-in-law's 50th birthday. So she (and 40 of her closest FB friends) gathered 600 loaves of bread and created a 9,852 piece "toast mosaic" of her MIL's face (pictured below, courtesy MSNBC.)

This afternoon I read the Weekly Review in Harper's Magazine (as is my habit), and chanced upon this article.

Owing to a famine in Zimbabwe, families are trading (selling) their daughters for maize (corn).

Oh... all of the toasted bread from the mosaic? Fed the birds.

Thinking out-loud style? What if next time the nearly 10,000 piece bread mosaic of love is redrafted as 5,000 sandwiches for the hungry?

So if you were thinking to break this particular Guinness World Book Record. Please don't.

Solidarites International :: Water Talks

Solidarités International: Water talks from La Boite Concept on Vimeo.


So this year's "blog action day" theme was water. And I didn't participate because I was stumped. I realized that for all that I l.o.v.e. water (I play water polo 4-5 times per week, I drink roughly 5 liters each day, and I'm a compulsive hand washer) I don't know that much about water.

I do know that, along with most people living in Israel, those of us serving at the Baha'i World Centre are doing our utmost to keep our water use to a minimum.

Thankfully other people do know what they're talking about. And I've decided (executively) that water is an important enough topic to talk about, even if you missed the B.A.D. boat, so to speak. I hope that you enjoy this video - head's up courtesy Black*Eiffel.

I've also decided that water is important enough that I should learn more about it. To that end, I've located an expert. Interview forthcoming...! In the meantime, what tips do y'all know about how to conserve water?

[In unrelated news, the universe sure is throwing a lot of 'Paris' my way. Universe... where are you going with this?!]

Next... On Sick Sad World

The Mexican government just burned 134 tons of weed. And, in so doing, smoked out all of Tia Juana and most of San Diego – for free.

Tomorrow’s headline:
“California Eateries Experience Boom: Business Hasn’t Been This Good Since Clinton Didn’t Inhale”

Actual and factual article courtesy the New York Times.

I don't mean to make a joke about the very necessary 'war on drugs', but I think it would be good to consider all of the implications before making any grand triumphal gestures of 'success'.
Carry on.

Monday, October 18, 2010

What Women Want...



It's possible that I mean me - but take note, gentlemen....
Take.Note.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

But First...

Image courtesy of Missed Connections

So I've been thinking some thinks that I feel are pretty deep and important, and I have every intention of getting them out there... so to speak. But first!

I'd like to take this opportunity to apologize -formally - to all of the people I share a wall with.

I wouldn't go so far as to call me dreamy (unless, of course, you mean that I'm a day-dreamer. And then yes... you are correct), but it has come to my attention that I play obscenely loud music. **I play music obscenely loudly?**

Anyhow, I have this intense desire to actually feel music.

Like in my bones.


It seems that my bones may be stronger than my walls.... Sigh.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Just Because...



I love this song. Carry on.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Ten Cubed...

So, as per usual, my nerd factor is alive and kicking - but come on! It's 10-10-10! Accordingly, I thought I'd share 3 things (wait for it...) that I think are awesome.



In 1865 the billiard ball was patented by John Wesley Hyatt.

ADAM's Spring 2011 Ready to Wear collection - I still love it. It's finally starting to cool off in Israel, but I'm all of a sudden keeping my eyes peeled for beautiful camisols and rust colored blazers....

And last but not least (!!!) I learned a new word today! Tralalere! - who I would I actually love to meet someday - did a rad post today on "untranslatable words from around the world".

My favorite? Toska.
Russian – Vladmir Nabokov describes it best: “No single word in English renders all the shades of toska. At its deepest and most painful, it is a sensation of great spiritual anguish, often without any specific cause. At less morbid levels it is a dull ache of the soul, a longing with nothing to long for, a sick pining, a vague restlessness, mental throes, yearning. In particular cases it may be the desire for somebody of something specific, nostalgia, love-sickness. At the lowest level it grades into ennui, boredom.” [definition courtesy Tralalere!]

Cheers m'dears - I hope you have a lovely day.

Cougar Town...

Yo.

Fox Fire - best amusement park in Anaheim. Particularly noted for its unparalleled people watching....

Friday, October 8, 2010

Sense and Sensibility...

Courtesy Bitte Ein Kuss

Courtesy the archives:

I love oranges, but I hate it when the peel gets under my nails. Actually the idea of anything under my nails drives me crazy.
Sometimes my head and my heart exist in total conflict. This also drives me crazy.
Sometimes my head and my heart exist in total conflict.
Tomorrow I might let my heart win.

Three years of thinking out loud, a day in the life at a time, and counting....

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Bruce Lee on Ping Pong...



Boss.
**Head's up courtesy Melody Ehsani.

Doghouse Diaries on Peace...

They do the twitter thing, too.

Also? I don't want to brag, or anything - but when I was home? I ate Mexican food almost every day. Mmmmmm.... Fish tacos!

That is not-so-code for "Dear Wahoo's: Thanks for making my vacation special".

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Tee Double You...

Shadi T.W. and Aimee P.
(courtesy Mona Y.)

Shadi and I served together at the Baha'i World Centre from 2008-2009 and she's here visiting her sister Hoda at the moment. Last night Hoda arranged a really lovely devotional program, following which Shadi shared pieces of her debut album, "Leather Bound Book". Luckily I got back to Haifa in time for the reunion times and soulful devotional the T.W. ladies prepared!

On The Benefits of Jet Lag...

So I'm still getting over my jet lag - le sigh... but what better way to amuse myself at 6:30 on a Saturday morning than to day dream about how great these would look on me - and how wonderfully workday appropriate they are!

These lovely little images are excerpts from designers' recent runway collections (designers and their inspiration/theme cited below) and their inspiration boards. Three cheers to the NYT Fashion Magazine - it's so nice to see the impetus and conversation behind a designer's look.
Alexander Berardi :: Breathless
ADAM :: Romance

Major props to Black*Eiffel for the head's up - and to her guest blogger You Are My Fave.
 
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