Those crazy French...

No, wait, crazy European variety shows. They still have those in Germany, I swear. Maybe still in France, but I've never seen any contemporary French tv.

Anyways I have no idea who the hell this Claude Francois guy is, but he makes for some quite amazing videos on YouTube. To wit:


Aw! He and Jodie are so cute! Love how he makes her giggle (and wow, she does the perfect French accent thing too).



Those are some incredible costumes. I don't know how the dancers dance in them without some fleshy body part sliding out. And they're sparkly, too! The dancers, as well as the costumes!

Upon further reading of the YouTube comments, apparently the dancers are called "Les Clodettes." Awesome.

Now, if TV here in the states had anything nearly as remotely kitchsy as this, I'd probably watch it more often. It's so much more fun and escapist than American Idol. And I admit, I have never seen an episode of American Idol since it came out, not even once.

edited to add: Looks like Claude Francois has a wikipedia entry:

After working in Switzerland, on Saturday, March 11, 1978, he returned to his Paris apartment in order to appear the next day on "Rendez-vous du Dimanche" with TV host Michel Drucker. While standing in a filled bathtub, he noticed a broken light bulb. His well-documented obsession with cleanliness and order got the better of him, prompting him to try and fix it. He was accidentally electrocuted. At only 39 years of age, his early death brought a wave of public sympathy for a national French star.

Poor guy.

So glad I don't work at Prada...

not that they'd hire me anyway.

Prada Workplace policy.

I do like the idea of being forced to step away from your desk for some "you time." Too many people are chained to their cubes every day.

A restaurant rec...

My friend Peter and I went in search of a late breakfast (not brunch, ok?) this am. At first we thought about The Egg and I, on Market Street, but there seemed to be too long of a line. Then we decided upon Snooze, around the Ballpark neighborhood. The line for that went all the way around the block, and the hostess told us the wait would be at least 45 minutes to an hour. So we said "screw that."

Then we happened upon this place:

Mexico City Restaurant
2115 Larimer St
Denver, CO 80205-2016
Phone: (303) 296-0563

Oh my gosh! So good! No line whatsoever, fast service (a bit too fast, perhaps, we got our food before we got our silverware), and cheap, cheap, cheap. Peter had a breakfast burrito, which was only about $4.50, and I had the huevos rancheros, which came to $6. The green chile was excellent -- not too spicy, a bit meaty, and not greasy at all.

So I recommend if you're in the area.

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (and making me mad too)...

Today's Sunday, and that of course means the weekly conversation with Mom.

Mom and I are getting along a little better this week. She didn't even drop the "so when are you going to get married?" line, even once. I guess maybe she's been following up a little on the presidential candidate platforms (or perhaps didn't want to bring up a sore subject), so we didn't really talk about that that much this morning.

Instead, Mom brought up this article from the hometown paper:

If all goes as Rabbi David Finkelstein plans, the Camp Shoresh Jewish day camp in Adamstown will become home to a moving new memorial to the victims of a tragic Jerusalem bus bombing.

Shortly before 9 a.m. on Jan. 29, 2004, a bus referred to as ‘‘Bus 19” was demolished by a 24-year-old Palestinian suicide bomber, killing 11 and wounding more than 50. The mangled wreckage of the bus was eventually shipped to the United States and toured the country with an Evangelical Christian group as a tool for understanding the realities of terrorism and to promote peace.

So let's look at what's going on here...

A 24-year-old kid blew up a bus in Jerusalem. Lots of people died. Bad, awful, very sad stuff. Lives were lost, etc, not the most uplifting stuff to talk about.

So then, rather than just dismantle the bombed out bus, some Evangelical Christian group takes the thing and brings it on tour. For, "education." I put this in quotes because I suspect the "educational" lesson they gave was not exactly the most open. Rather than try to explain why a 24 year old would chose to commit suicide (and take some innocent people down with him), instead they are they are just simplifying it all by saying, "terrorism is bad."

Well, yeah, of course terrorism is bad. But if you're going to go as far as to take a bombed out bus around with you, shouldn't you at least ask the question, "why?" Or is that too scary? It is one of those questions that doesn't have an answer at all.

I'd be curious to see what all you blog readers think of the proposed memorial. Any takers?

Why For All the New Size 14's lately?

Went shopping today. It was frustrating, as usual. I've never been the easiest person to fit. I'm just slightly over six-foot-one, have very broad shoulders, and long skinny legs. But I figured I could usually rely on there being at least one size 14 (or sometimes 16) available on the racks. Well, I was wrong.

It looks like a size 14 is now the most popular size. There is just something extremely disturbing in this for me. If I were in a land of Amazons, like northern Germany, I'd embrace this. You'll see some super-tall women in that part of the world. But American women don't seem to be particularly tall, they're just getting fatter.

Listen, fellow American women, I know how it goes. I know it's a hell of a lot easier to pick up some burgers or some tacos instead of cooking a proper dinner. I know how hard it is to find the time to exercise. Heck, I easily weigh 25 lbs more than I admit to, myself. I got to get rid of that extra gut, and I know it's going to be a long struggle.

But I am also at least seven inches taller than the average American woman. I am always going to be bigger than most of you. Always. And while I know there is a decent percentage of women who will also be short and big, that really isn't that big a number, comparatively. So drop the damned weight already. I sure as hell have to do it myself, and believe me, I'm trying. Just save the larger sizes for those of us who don't have a choice, okay? Most of you size 14s and 16s can drop into an 8 or 10 at least. Me, the only way I'm ever wearing a shirt smaller than a 14 is if it's sleeveless or if I saw off a shoulderblade.

The really cool thing about YouTube...

Is that it's got all those great new wave and post punk videos I can embed here.

Like:



and



oh wow. it's like tuning into the old WHFS (in DC) and Towson (in MD) radio stations when I was a kid...only there's so much less static....and I can see the performers.

Rising condo prices in Denver? AHAHAHAH...!

From today's Denver Post, developers are raising asking prices of downtown condos. And just why?

Koste said downtown is distinct from the rest of the metro market, where prices and sales have been dropping for months.

"It's a good place to consider investing," he said. "They're not making more downtown. They're making more suburbs and minidowntowns that are transit-oriented. But there is really only one downtown."

By this logic, rocks and soil are no longer being made (unless you live near a volcano). Better stock up fast before all that surplus dirt is gone!

For the record, if I had $450+K to spend on a living space, it wouldn't be anywhere near Denver. Bet you could still pick up a decent place in Brooklyn, Queens, or maybe in Boston for that price.

nick name change...

I think I'll start referring to myself as "mol" again.

Mol was my nickname in NYC. It started out as a name on a BBS: molbloo, after Molly Bloom from "Ulysses."

Not that many people call me that anymore. At least not in person. Except maybe my friend Peter. He's the one who decided to call me "mollybaba" (a lengthened version of it, I guess).

So anyway...yeah. Mol. I can handle that again. It's short, its suitable, it's only one syllable.

Of course to my co-workers, I'll always be Alissa. And to my family, I'll either be Alissa, Eshke, or Chatzie. It's kind of fun having this many names.

Dick Cheney doesn't care what you think..

Maybe it's a mutual thing. With the current election going on, does anyone still pay attention to the Bush administration at this point?

le sigh...

I got into a really bitter, nasty fight with my mother during our last usual Sunday morning phone call. What caused the fight? Politics. Mom likes McCain. I like Obama.

Politics and religion, actually. Mom's a neocon, loyal synagogue member, and also a lifelong member of Hadassah. Me, I'm a sworn liberal, and prefer to stay away from most organized religion. Mom is concerned that Obama, because of his Islamic middle name perhaps, will not be a friend to Israel. I get this impression that McCain doesn't know that much about Israel in the first place, anyways. And that's where the argument started, I think.

I've never been to Israel. That place just instills such mixed feelings in me. To list: There's the Israel that welcomed my Polish relatives after the War. There's the Israel that so many Orthodox girls I grew up with moved to when they were 18, to get husbands. There's the badass Israel that still gives me a little kind of triumphant chill, like when I walked pass the fortress-like El Al terminal at Newark a few years ago. And then there's the Israel that shows its darker side.

I don't know how the Neocons have managed to do this, but they've somehow made up this "Israel can do no wrong," agenda. And that's just crap, because of course people (and governments) can mess up sometimes.

The American Left and leftist publications are often the opposite. Their criticisms of the Israeli government are so scathing that it is painful to me to read them. I picked up an issue of Adbusters about a year ago, and every single article, I swear, had some nasty attack against some Israeli policy (and of course, linked all of this back up to the Jews). I used to love that magazine, and haven't read it since.

Time to read up some more on political platforms, I guess. I hate arguing with my close relatives over such silly stuff.

Best use ever for those gold lame leggings at American Apparel...

Crap, can't link on the American Apparel site. Anyways...

Technosexual

Technosexual: One Man's Tale of Robot Love

To quote from the article, "Humans are just so biological and messy...."

Could just be me, but I always thought that the "biological" part made it a lot more interesting...

Thinking of my old friend Ron today...

Who was this really beautiful gay boy, my best friend at the Strand back in NYC. He made me a mix tape, which I still have, and still listen to (like, this AM).

For all of the cruddy stuff going on in the world, there are Britpop mix tapes to make us feel better...

Anyway, Ronald Dwayne Bachman, this is for you (in whichever city or place you are now...)

What were you doing on the night the US invaded Iraq ?

I remember what I was doing.

I was at a place called Charlie Brown's, in Denver. It was the night of a big March snowstorm. The weather report predicted about 2 feet of snow, I think we ultimately got about 2 and a half. Charlie Brown's was one of the few places open that had full kitchen service.

I was eating supper with Brian and Zach, the Zach who was to pass away in a motorcycle accident a few years later. We were seated in front of this big screen TV they had there. And then George Bush's speech came on. All that I can remember of that speech was George Bush saying "Now, Iraqi citizens, don't destroy your oil wells..." And Zach and Brian and I all sort of looked at each other in disbelief. Then we ordered doubles. It was Happy Hour then, buy one drink, get one free, and that seemed to be the only thing we could do at the time.

It's 5 years later now, 4000 US soliders dead, and that line of George Bush's speech -- "Don't destroy your oil wells" -- still stays with me. Why is the US there in the first place? And now, what can we do to get ourselves out of there? It's not like the government can cut everything off and then leave. We've created such a mess....

Home Prices and Consumer Sentiment Slide

From a story in today's New York Times...

The value of single-family homes plummeted 10.7 percent in January compared to a year earlier, as measured by the Case-Shiller index, a closely watched survey of 20 major metropolitan regions.

It was the steepest year-over-year decline since the index began eight years ago, and economists said the slump was probably worse than at the height of the last housing recession in the early 1990s.

Ah hah! I knew it! Yeah, sure, there are plenty of jobs in Denver that will pay you $125k+ a year -- which is just what you need to afford one of those crappy new condos that were built around the corner from me. If you consider traditional financing, that is. Maybe I'm in the wrong industry, or am just a little too financially conservative, or something.

Glad something's finally giving in the home prices. Now drop down to what they were about in 2000, and then I can start looking. I say 2000, because that's about the level that prices should be, if you look at many housing inflation charts.

(if you're asked for a login at that above site, try bugmenot.com.)

Battle of the Random Song Titles, Part I

"Kiss Me Deadly"



From a random YouTube search. Who would've thought that Lita Ford and Billy Idol would have the same taste in song titles?



I'm kind of partial to the Billy Idol / Generation X clip. I guess I like the 70's British punk stuff better than the 80's super glam stuff. Besides, Lita Ford looks like she'd cut me, and that scares me. A little. Ok, a lot.

"How do we know that God made birds to be birds?"

"Because it's in the Bible..."

Yes, ladies and gentleman, behold....our next generation's critical thinking skills at work.

The below is an ABC news special on "biblically-correct" natural history tours. Sadly, this is not a pre-April Fool's joke.

Go Janet, Go!

From TMZ:

What the hell are the Jacksons doing now?

Looks like Janet's the only one making money.

Ah, what fame can do to you...if you're not careful with the paycheck.

Feeling poorer lately? Here are some reasons why...

Looks like lots of new economic data due out this week, including my favorite, personal spending, according to this article in the Denver Post:

The Commerce Department's personal-spending report scheduled for Friday is apt to be weak, too, but not suggestive of a plunge.

Economists have predicted that spending in February rose by 0.1 percent, incomes rose by 0.3 percent and the core personal-consumption-expenditures deflator, a key gauge of inflation, edged up 0.1 percent...

Muah hah hah. Want to see how much money you really are making? Try plugging in some numbers in this inflation calculator.

I've been making what I've considered a "real person's salary" since 2001. I've noticed as my salary has increased, I'm finding it harder to save for stuff. I've no problem placing the money aside, it just seems to take longer for those big-ticket items. Well, I know why now.

Time to finish up my Fruity Cheerios and get ready for the day. Fruity Cheerios, if you have not heard of them already, are awesome. They have more of an actual, generic "fruit" flavor than Froot Loops. And a bit less sugar, too.

So sorry I missed this!

The Daily Show's John Oliver was at Denver's Comedy Works on Friday night. Link's here. My friend Jen organized a Denver Drinking Liberally group outing to the show. In the Squarestate.net picture, she's the one directly to Oliver's right.

My crazy work schedule usually prevents me from going to such events during the week. They sure sound like a lot of fun, though.

Nearly time for me to get my butt off the couch to make lunch. Might make a turkey bolonga and cheese sandwich on rye. With spicy mustard. Yum.

Bring me the head of...oh, nevermind

On Saturday evening, I got roped into going to the local Grateful Dead bar. Okay, it's not officially called the Grateful Dead bar, but those of you who are familiar with Denver will know the place. Yeah, it's on Colfax. It's the place with the jukebox that has like 500 Grateful Dead / Widespread Panic songs on it. And maybe like, 3 token songs by Elton John or the Beatles or something just to spice up things a bit.

I don't know exactly when "Deadhead" meant "Obnoxious ill-mannered badly-dressed cheap-beer-swizzling frat boy," but that's pretty much what you'll find at this particular establishment. And of course this is magnified several times over on a weekend night.

I much prefer the below when thinking of the Grateful Dead / good old Jerry Garcia (skip ahead to 1:58):



Oh yeah, how does this fit in with food? Well, I was chatting with my friend's date, who also appeared to be rather uncomfortable in that environment. The subject of condensed milk came up. Apparently, that was one of his favorite foods (did I mention that this was my friend's blind date?). He also said that he liked coffee. I asked if he liked Vietnamese coffee. His response was ,"That watery stuff that the little Vietnamese guy makes at the donut shop? "

I enclose below my recipe for Vietnamese coffee. Of course many Vietnamese and Thai restaurants also have this, but for those times when you feel like recreating it at home...

You need:

1 stainless steel individual coffee filter. You can buy these at your local Vietnamese/Thai/Chinese market for about $3

A glass

Good ground coffee. Cafe du Monde is traditional

Boiling water

Condensed milk

Measure out about 1/2 cup of condensed milk into the glass. Put the filter on top. Put about a tablespoon or so of coffee in filter. Pour boiling water all the way up to the top of the filter. Wait for the coffee to steep through. Stir, and serve. You can also serve this over a glass of crushed ice.