Pray for Mojo

Naturally when I first heard about this story, I immediately thought about two Simpsons episodes. One was when the kids were stranded on a deserted island, and Bart said they would soon have monkey butlers. The other was when Homer got a helper monkey named Mojo.

Macaques Yat-chan and Fuku-chan can be found at the Kayabukiya tavern north of Tokyo, bringing the clientèle hot towels and sake. In return, the customers hand out soybeans to the non-human servers.

I think macaques are a bit creepy, but I find the idea of monkey servers hilarious. I also love how Yat-chan and Fuku-chan wear clothes and are authorized to work by the government.

Bank rats

I wanted to blog, but I couldn't think of much to blog about.

Yesterday I saw rats in two different subway stations. And I hardly ever see rats, but now I've seen several this week. Uh, that's not cool. Unless seeing sewer rats is good luck.

So, what about that bank craziness? It's almost amusing how Citi and Wells Fargo are fighting over Wachovia and how Citi suing Wells Fargo. This is of personal interest to me, so I'm keeping a watchful eye on what happens. I support Wells Fargo for personal reasons. It's like watching a bitter custody battle!

I think I've come up with a costume idea for Halloween. I wish I could have come up with something more elaborate, but it's been too hectic. Still want a colored wig, but that might have to wait for Halloween 2009.

Hil-larious shirt from Threadless

Do I need this? I don't think I can spin fast enough to be a human thaumatrope. Seems like something Inessa would like... Do you want it for a Christmas gift??

Runway shows from Project Runway posted!

As usual, I'm ruining the Project Runway finale for myself by peeking at the photos from the NY Fashion Week show. Take a peek, too!

Leanne is a strong contender-- her long dresses are beautiful. However, I never pick correctly, so I won't predict a winner.

Have your cake and laugh too

I think I've come across my new favorite blog.
Cake Wrecks! The exclamation mark is my own. I'm just that enthusiastic.

Found it via The Consumerist which is also a worthwhile read.

Too many brilliant disasters to look at, and the author's writing is the perfect complement: oh so snappy.

The numerous gems to pick from! The naked woman having a baby, wince-worth spelling errors, Tom Selleck and Chuck Norris, the bride who wanted to eat her cake self.

Chuckling at work, yes!

Looking Back Through the Years....

I saw on the CBS Early Show one morning about a website where you can make yearbook pictures of yourself. I decided to try it, and here I am circa 1960.... I found it rather hilarious! Go yearbook yourself for a good laugh too!

Gifted Research is Usually Stupid.

I just came across a refreshingly non-stupid popular press article about parenting and giftedness. The writer even cites one of my favorite researchers-- Nancy Robinson. Baby Genius videos are stupid, people.

Harrys and Nicks

In sad news, we'll have to wait until July 21, 2009 to catch the latest Harry Potter movie. To be British, we're gutted about that. I read a rumor that it was partly because Daniel Radcliffe is going to be starring in Equus on Broadway from September 5 to February 8, so he would be too busy to do promotion, though the official reason was something to do with the writers' strike and the fact that flicks can do boffo box office in the summer more so than the winter holidays.

When I was at the movie theater weeks ago, I saw a cardboard standup to promote Michael Cera's new motion picture, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. It's a meet cute story, and I don't fancy meet cute stories. Though that might be a sneaky way to pick up boys, say, "Hey, would you be my boyfriend for five minutes? Just go with it!" The trailer doesn't make me want to run out and see it in October. The blond boy is an actor I saw in the musical Spring Awakening, and he was killer. His name is Jonathan B. Wright, and his IMDb says he's going to be in another Michael Cera movie called Youth in Revolt which sounds eh.

gold silver bronze

Agent99, what's the deal with the Jonas Brothers? I accidentally walked by their tour van (aren't I special?) and some little girl was having her picture taken alongside it. It's covered in messages, if you must know. Are you a fan of these mop tops?

Is anyone watching the Olympics? I thought about it, and I might, but I don't have a TV. When I was a kid, I was Olympics crazed, but now I'm just not as interested. Though you can't go anywhere on the web without reading some blurb on Michael Phelps or how the Chinese government is covering up everything.

Shame on you, Mr. Edwards

Seeing as though my co-bloggers were supporters of John Edwards, I'd like to get their take on the scandal that recently made headlines. Having a little something something on the side while your wife battles cancer is low. And saying that you didn't love your mistress doesn't help. Shame shame. But I don't see why the other woman won't allow a paternity test. Today I saw Mamma Mia! the movie and was thinking that a paternity test would solve everything. I guess then there would be no plot. I've been watching too much Law & Order: SVU.

Have a nice trip, see you next fall

Why are people so mean? Ill-bred dregs of society, guffawing loudly as I stumbled on the pointy sidewalk. Useless fake apology.

I don't watch Gossip Girl (should I?), but I know who Chace Crawford is due to all my gossip blog reading. Agent99, I think he might be a tad cuter than Zac Efron, but yeah, they could pass for brothers! Chace is a bit rumpled looking while Zac is almost too precise.

What do you think this place serves?

Have you seen the greatest translation error of all time? My lab recently translated test directions to Spanish and I made some hilarious errors thanks to a Google translator, but this takes the cake.

A Harry Wednesday

The trailer for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is out now, and you can watch it here (the one on Yahoo is of better quality than ones on YouTube). It looks creepy, with Tom Riddle being the not so normal lad. Man, I don't remember much from the book since it was years ago when I read it.

The three of us are looking forward to November 21, 2008!

In other news, this fruit vendor on the street was really rude to me when I was scrutinizing strawberry packages. I saw some mold in one and he abruptly whisked that box away from me, tossed out the offending berry, and put the box back. Now that's just shady because strawberries are sold by weight. I walked away from the man after he was rude, telling me to hurry up and buy because I've touched every box there was. Please. I'll keep my $3 then. There's no excuse for rudeness in any customer service position, especially when I was not rude. It's not like I was damaging the fruit or anything. What a butt.

"Fish, the deluxe pedi please."

A couple of days ago, I read about this fish pedicure on Yahoo and as a pedicure enthusiast, I thought about if I would do that or not. I'm not sure how sanitary the fish foot bath is. But then again, it's a neat idea. It's $35 for 15 minutes. Maybe I would do it if someone paid for me. But poor fish, dining on grungy dead skin.

Why yes, you can have a cheeseburger.

Despite the fact that to the right, the link has been up practically since the inception of this blog, I only made my first visit to icanhascheezburger.com today. I know pretty much what lolcats is about. And I do love cats. It was time.

I went to the site and found it pretty cluttered. Then there are pictures on non-cats which I wasn't too thrilled about either. I tried to search for my favorite one, the one that goes, "im in ur____, ___-ing ur ____" but I couldn't find any. Maybe I'm just blind and my techno-non-abilities are making themselves known. It was easier to just use Google Image to find those pictures. That was enough for now.

If Parker were into Facebook applications (we as a trio really aren't; I prefer clean elegant lines in my profile), she should add the LOLcats app.

That might be a good blog project: make our own lolcats pictures.

Checking up on Mr. Grace

This morning, doing my usual breakfast-and-gossip-blogs routine, I learned that it's Topher Grace's birthday. Then I wondered what he was up to, since I last saw him in that DVD of dreadfulness, Spider-Man 3.

We should do a series on Alacrity, Whatever happened to that young male actor that I used to fancy? Cough cough, Joshua Jackson, right Agent99? But back to Topher. So I went to the source of all things movies, IMDb, to see what was up with Mr. Grace.

He completed something called Kids in America. The synopsis doesn't sound very appealing.

Follow an aimless college grad who pursues his dream girl at a wild Labor Day weekend party. He, his twin sister and their best friend struggle with their burgeoning adulthood over the course of the night.

It has irritating Michelle Trachtenburg in it. That's all I need to know. Run away!

A project in production is Coxblocker. The title alone makes it sound winning.

William Cox (Grace) meets his ideal woman, only to find his advances continually blocked by her ex-boyfriend/current best friend (Scott), who is trying to find a way to win her back.

Seann William Scott? Ugh. Maybe Topher's doing these to pay the bills.

Last but not least is The Crusaders which is also in production.

A young lawyer becomes the only white member of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and works side by side with future Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall to outlaw segregation.

This sounds like a respectable project, and Terrence Howard is starring as Thurgood Marshall.

Oh Topher. I still like you, but you need to do some edgy things, like some indie movies or something. Marry me, and all will be forgiven. You're getting usurped by Michael Cera, not that it's a bad thing.

It's a big birthday day today, with Bill Cosby, Richard Simmons ("Smithers, release the robotic Richard Simmons!"), and my Broadway boyfriend Cheyenne Jackson all celebrating. Happy birthday!

Trendspotting

Lately I've noticed girls in my fair city wearing these weird gladiator sandals. Where did this trend come from? I'm baffled, but this is coming from a girl who eschews popular items. 300 came out a while ago. Unless it's inspired by my beloved Xanadu musical, then it would be okay, but I have a feeling it's not.

And also it seems as though there are a lot of bands popping up that involve the word "black" in their names. Like Agent99 recommended Black Keys, Black Angels, Black Mountain, Black Kids. And other acts The Black Heart Procession, Black Sabbath, Black Eyed Peas, The Black Crowes, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. It's cool to be black I guess.

Happy 4th

I hope everyone has a happy 4th of July day today. I plan to spend it the American way of drinking American beer, swimming, and grilling out! Happy Day!

Ocean's Olive

Agent99 loves herself the mouse books by Kevin Henkes (who can resist Lilly or my fellow worrier Wemberly?) so I was a bit surprised that Mr. Henkes had penned novels for older kids. One of his efforts, Olive's Ocean, was deemed a 2004 Newbery Honor Book, beaten out by The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread by Kate DiCamillo which I haven't read at this point but will eventually. Reading the summaries for Mr. Henkes's other novels on his website, it appears as though they all deal with tragic loss.

That's a thread woven through Olive's Ocean. The protagonist, Martha, has her world jolted a bit when the mother of the recently deceased classmate Olive hands her a journal entry in which Olive writes about a desire to become friends with Martha. First off, I do not like the name Martha. It reminds me of Martha Washington, Martha Stewart, and a friend's mom. Just sounds archaic. I'll let Olive slide since I love to eat olives, and it was the name of the girl in Little Miss Sunshine. Ruminating on what could have been slightly mars Martha's family vacation with her grandmother on idyllic Cape Cod and gets the gal all mopey. Hormones, no doubt.

We're definitely not in children's picture book land anymore, with the inclusion of parental MSB (morning sex behavior) and a Martha's brother referring to another teenage boy as a "prick." The foulmouthed sibling also uses the adjective "shitty." Scandal!

The writing is a bit choppy, and the sentences don't flow well. A couple of chapters are even less than a page long. Mr. Henkes, don't follow the Dan Brown method of book composition! Martha simply is not compelling and lacks character. She's about as exciting as cucumbers. Do we really care that Martha wants to properly pay tribute to a girl who she knows nothing about? Though I have fallen for a particular description used by wannabe writer Martha: "[The sparklers] were like white hot chrysanthemums dripping onto the sand." It's beautiful because it's true.

Black & White and Read all over

Birmingham has this awesome free paper called the Black & White. I like to pick up an issue when I'm out and about to read up on local venues, upcoming conerts, events, etc... The issue I picked up last night had an article about Marty's bar and the owner, Marty. My cohorts here at Alacrity and I went Marty's one night to support a local band whose lead singer is a fellow alum of our high school. Our verdict of Marty's? Total dive!!! The article is interesting, and tells us about Marty and how he got started with the bar business. He caters to a later crowd staying open from 4 pm-6 am. Probably part of why I thought it was totally skanky. The place is way too small and has too many smokers. Plus it is on some dark street off the beaten path, where you have to park in some sketch lot and have at least 2 other people with you to feel safe walking to the joint. Birmingham has way cooler places and way better venues!