ginger1981

once I accidentally parked in the americana instead of the galleria, and I couldn't believe that place, it was the blingiest shopping centre I've ever seen. I got out of there quick smart, and back to the galleria.

The way the properties are is very weird...Americana almost sits in GG's lap. Huge lawsuit, we lost and well the company was hardly happy about it! But yeah Mario Lopez was telling me that it is pretty cool over there...however the average Joe can't really afford to shop there.

Ace in my space! The presentation I put together on one of our malls in New Mexico for the company execs was a success...apparently I put together nice visuals

Went and got some winter clothes for work from H&M yesterday. A new sweater and shirt to go underneath, a new button down shirt with a vest/waistcoat to go over it, a pair of skinny legged black pants, and a 60's-ish blue shirt and a black and white striped boat neck shirt.

Maven, I told my contact at Glendale Galleria you thought the place was "bitchin'" lol. He started laughing and asked if you were sure it was GG or if you meant the Americana across the street.

Congrats, ginger! And I know your visuals are nice -- I remember that sparkly blingy vision you put together just the other week.

Yep, it was the GG -- it is HUGE. I didn't have a lot of time to wander around but I can envision another trip in the near future to ascertain its continuing bitchin-ness.

My contact at Glendale is... *drumroll*

Mario Lopez LMAO!!! The poor guy's honest to god name.

Yes I do have a certain "creative" flair....especially with blingees

Ace in my space! The presentation I put together on one of our malls in New Mexico for the company execs was a success...apparently I put together nice visuals

Went and got some winter clothes for work from H&M yesterday. A new sweater and shirt to go underneath, a new button down shirt with a vest/waistcoat to go over it, a pair of skinny legged black pants, and a 60's-ish blue shirt and a black and white striped boat neck shirt.

Maven, I told my contact at Glendale Galleria you thought the place was "bitchin'" lol. He started laughing and asked if you were sure it was GG or if you meant the Americana across the street.

I've thought about calling my grandma and asking her how to survive a depression. I imagine she would tell me to make clothes out of flour sacks and to start making chicory coffee!

babbles -- the video for Cemetry Gates is

Went to World Market yesterday and made the boy happy by returning with some Bounty bars and a packet of Paxo sage and onion stuffing. Also threw down waaaay too much money at Sephora at the totally b!tchin' Glendale Galleria.

Feeling a bit blue today -- I'm off to Connecticut on Thursday for 2 weeks, but I alas will be alone. B is staying here in Burbank, and I will be running around like a maniac. I have visits to New York City, Long Island, Portland Maine, and then another NYC trip all in the space of about 12 days, plus two events to attend with some mega-captains of industry. So I have to find and wear work clothes for the first time in nearly four months (I've been in flip-flops almost every day since the end of June, god knows what heels are going to feel like), locate autumn attire and try not to feel too horrible about leaving my husband behind for nearly a fortnight.

The video was great but I was dissapointed the dog did not have a cigar in it's mouth.

Btw...thanks for the compliment! I'll tell the property manager his center is bitchin'!

Was Ginger made to eat haggis?

She tried a wee bit. I think she liked it better than she let on. I know Ginger definitely enjoyed her fish n chips.

Liked it better than I let on LOL? It isn't the most horrible thing I've ever ate, but I don't fancy trying it again. Growing up my dad would make us kids liverwurst sandwiches, which make my stomach turn to this day. I could definitly taste the liver in the haggis...

Ok Ms. Palin, let me tell you something. My parents never gave me a dime for school or for traveling. If it is something you want to do you find a way to do it. I got my own passport, saved my own money from the two jobs I worked and found a way to go to Europe several times.

And no book or any other medium prepared me as well for understanding other cultures than actually stepping foot on their soil and being the guest in someone else's house. You know that old saying about walking a mile in someone else's shoes don't you?

How many kids did you raise while you were traveling in Europe?

That isn't the point. She laments that she didn't have a silver spoon in her mouth so she couldn't travel Europe. If she decided to have a family instead than good for her...but she made that choice instead of using the time to figure out how to go places. If she was truly curious about the world she would have found a way to make it work.

Did anyone see the Katie Couric interview with Palin?

Not good...

It was painful to watch. I felt sorry for her. She tried but couldn't bullsh!t her way through her claim on foreign policy experience. Americans aren't that gullible.

I was in forensics in high school. I saw high school freshman deliver better lines than her. Yikes.

Palin: I'm not one of those who maybe came from a background of, you know, kids who perhaps graduate college and their parents give them a passport and give them a backpack and say go off and travel the world.

No, I've worked all my life. In fact, I usually had two jobs all my life until I had kids. I was not a part of, I guess, that culture. The way that I have understood the world is through education, through books, through mediums that have provided me a lot of perspective on the world.

Ok Ms. Palin, let me tell you something. My parents never gave me a dime for school or for traveling. If it is something you want to do you find a way to do it. I got my own passport, saved my own money from the two jobs I worked and found a way to go to Europe several times.

And no book or any other medium prepared me as well for understanding other cultures than actually stepping foot on their soil and being the guest in someone else's house. You know that old saying about walking a mile in someone else's shoes don't you?

yes but unfortunately her point will play well with the two thirds of americans that still don't have a passport. It will be seen as a low blow. I personally think it's a completley valid point. But I think that Palin's response will be seen as a valid response to a lot of americans. The point they are missing of course, is that the woman is not running for the position of 'average american' but VP.

To be honest I'm very sympathetic and understand that it's not easy for the average American to travel outside the US. I guess it irks me that she thinks that only those with a silver spoon in their mouth and a parental shove can go overseas. While it helps it's not completely necessary.

I guess I just don't see there being anything wrong with a president who got a top notch education at an Ivy League school, has traveled extensively and knows a foreign language (in a general sense...I'm not picking on a particular candidate here). Somehow being worldly makes someone an "elitist" and that just isn't American. We have been long past time times of log cabin presidents and with globalizations and multinational interests I want someone who can understand and grasp those issues....and most of the time that knowledge/experience is gained by traveling to those places and being exposed to different cultures.

Hell I don't want a president just like me...I want someone smarter and more worldly than myself!

One of the local gyms has a "try one class for free" and I'm thinking of doing it. But I am leery of those types of set-ups because I'm afraid someone will try to pressure me into a membership.

Did anyone see the Katie Couric interview with Palin?

Not good...

It was painful to watch. I felt sorry for her. She tried but couldn't bullsh!t her way through her claim on foreign policy experience. Americans aren't that gullible.

I was in forensics in high school. I saw high school freshman deliver better lines than her. Yikes.

Palin: I'm not one of those who maybe came from a background of, you know, kids who perhaps graduate college and their parents give them a passport and give them a backpack and say go off and travel the world.

No, I've worked all my life. In fact, I usually had two jobs all my life until I had kids. I was not a part of, I guess, that culture. The way that I have understood the world is through education, through books, through mediums that have provided me a lot of perspective on the world.

Ok Ms. Palin, let me tell you something. My parents never gave me a dime for school or for traveling. If it is something you want to do you find a way to do it. I got my own passport, saved my own money from the two jobs I worked and found a way to go to Europe several times.

And no book or any other medium prepared me as well for understanding other cultures than actually stepping foot on their soil and being the guest in someone else's house. You know that old saying about walking a mile in someone else's shoes don't you?

I like this depiction with Christ's intestines coming out of his body

Irony

Gee, and here I thought FREEDOM begins with "FREE"

But honestly, most of the bible ones are very lame! The gangsta shiz is much cooler

Here's a random rant, but I HATE the way the commercials on TV are so much louder than the programming. It drives my nuts. I have to turn the TV up for the program I'm watching, and then the commercials come on and they Blast out of the TV, I have to dive for the remote and turn it down. I'm especially aware of it cos we live in an apartment building, and there's a baby in one of the nearby apartments. GRRRRRRRRRrrrrr

Nicky just mutes the commercials.

Krav Maga is a self defense technique developed by the Isreali military. It's based a bit more on street fighting but it incorporates a lot of martial arts moves from varying schools. I saw it on tv a while back and it just looked like it was interesting...I wouldn't mind learning how to kick some serious #######!

Anyone here ever taken a Krav Maga class?

I must say I am rather proud of it. I also like the "Bad Boy" blingee too Now to find some threads to post in...

Aly, I love how "My Lover" is pointing at the 'stasche. I'm assuming that means the 'stasche and only the 'stasche right?

I love it Aly. Your husband looks a bit like Val Kilmer there...well, Val as Doc Holliday in Tombstone.

I do the the ** HATAZ LMAO.

Laura and ginger -- and

BTW, ginger -- great news about Nicky with the AP and EAD. And, um, thanks (???) for the gallery pic -- have you seen the famous "Afterglow" shot against the radiator?

ETA: ginger, I've now done a better analysis of your shot. I am so loving the gangsta-disco-alkie theme, with Fritos in the foreground.

I was lucky the Fritos were already in the shot!

I really liked the gun...but I couldn't find a good way to put it in the show so it is randomly floating around the room.

I do think we need one of Aly...then we can have a gallery stickied to this page. oh-yeah

Can we just tie the tubes/give vasectomies to morons?

Good news...the hubster got his advanced parole document yesterday in the mail. It appears the EAD was sent this week...though we got 2 emails (one on the 19th and another one yesterday) saying that the card production was in order. The best we can gather is that it was actually mailed out yesterday.

Are you filing a K1 visa? Honestly, my husband and I did it ourselves...no lawyers...and we didn't find it all that hard. If your case if fairly straight forward I'd drop the stupid lawyer, save yourself some money and do the process yourself.

The local Irish pub has managed to get visas for "authentic" Irish bar staff flown in direct from the Emerald Isle (all 12 of them)! All great bar staff admittedly and you couldn't meet a nice bunch of people. Amazed me though that they were all given work visas based on being Irish and being able to pull a pint.

I think it is the Morrison (???) visa program, and if I remember right it is only a temporary visa. It is basically only for Irish citizens.

Wow.

I thought this was much worse:

Dem mammas don't go through this routine. The government does their job for them, and has for several generations.

They don't bother with rolling out of the sack early to fix breakfast. The government feeds their kiddies at school. The government-run yellow bus picks up and deposits their kids for them. And oh yeah, they don't obsess over being late to work. If their boss points out their failure to get to work on time, they'll yell "single mom discrimination" so fast it'll make one's head swim.

How funny...every Republican mom I know sends their kids to school on a bus, obsess over being late to work because they need that job to feed the kids. And these are the married ones.

I don't know who is having their job done for them...the only ones that I know of, both repub and dem, are extremely wealthy!

What a freakin out of touch idiot...but I guess when you're busy speakin' tongues you don't notice the real world around you!

I wonder how many illegal Irish will be coming over...how dare they take away jobs from American bartenders!

Btw...this pic was at my bachelorette party

I about crapped myself laughing at the dog with the cigar in it's mouth!

This is my favorite gem of all time

This one takes the proverbial cake

Ahh the Vic - I saw many shows there, back in the day including Radiohead before they became a big deal. Do they still do the Brew and View there on Friday nights?

Cool! One of my older mates from back home saw them play at hmv in Newcastle in front of 20 people way back when.

My only claim is that I saw Coldplay support before Yellow was big. And yes Chris Martin was still a whiney #### back then!!

The video of Yellow with him walking on the beach in an anorak is the most un-rock and roll thing in music history. True story - when I was in Beijing 5 years ago and it was a bit less fabulous than it was during the Olympics my friend and I sniffed out a bar where there was live music. Crowd was a mix of Chinese and westerners. This band comes on and do a few songs (I assume their own) in a krazee rawk stylee. Then the lead singer says (in English) this is a song we would like to do, I believe it is about Chinese people. And what does he sing? Coldplay's Yellow. Weirdest. thing. ever.

Although it warms my heart that Pink Frog and Hollywood Mirror are still there - I am truly saddened by the demise of Anne Sather for an American Apparel - say it isn't so!

No worries Ann Sather is still around! They just moved a few doors down into a larger space. They also opened up another one up on Addison & Broadway-ish...they have Disco Brunches there!

He dedicated "Yellow" to Chinese people? Whoa talk about an insulting thing to say!

Why yes it was - I still have fond memories of the Greek omlette. Is that area near the Belmont El still a hodge-podge of Army surpluses and places to buy cheap-but-trendy clothes and shoes? Do they still have that shop that sells the gargoyles? Do the misunderstood teenagers still mill around the Dunkin' Donuts?

I haven't been there in a few years but I fear gentrification!

The giant Belmont Army/Navy Surplus is still there, but it has completely changed. They knocked down the old building when the Belmont red line stop expanded, so they build a new one down the street.

They still have some military surplus gear but they mostly specialize in retailing fashion...they seem to have a penchant for Paul Frank and Ben Sherman.

But there are still plenty cheap but trendy clothes stores that I shop at (Pink Frog, Nevermind, Fashion Tomato), as well as vintage stuff (Ragstock, Hollywood Mirror, Disgraceland), and the mizunderstood kids still hang out at Dunkin Donuts and shop at The Alley or some of the other head shops or what not.

My favorite is a new store that opened up called Galactic Warrior or something like that...they retail Star Wars collector items!

Ann Sather vacated their old building and moved a few buildings down. The owner, Tom Tunney, is also the Alderman of the ward and the only openly gay Alderman in Chicago.

As for gentrification, American Apparel is moving into the old Ann Sather building. Right across the street from the 3 or so buildings to the east of Clarks have been knocked down and a condo/business building was built. The ground floor has a Potbelly's and a Jamba Juice. Most of the gentrification is in residential areas with all sorts of old buildings being knocked down for condos.