Isn’t this eco-friendly garden shed just neato (check out the mossy roof!)? Read the full story here.
Al Gore is awesome. My husband has always said so, and for any of you who doubt it, go watch his guest appearances on Futurama.
Fry: “Who are you people?”
Al Gore: “I’m Al Gore. And these are my vice presidential action rangers. A group of top-nerds whose sole duty is to prevent disruptions in the space-time continuum.”
Fry: “I thought your sole duty was to cast the tie-breaking vote in the Senate.”
Al Gore:“That, and protect the space-time continuum. Read the Constitution.”
Like I said. Awesome.
Anyway, the husband has been pushing me to go see Gore’s enviro-documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. I really want to see it, but I’m afraid that it will just leave me hopelessly depressed. However, I’ve heard from friends that, while sad, it’s also really uplifting, because you learn what you can do to help the environment. And as someone who drives everywhere, rarely recycles, and throws away too much paper, I need to sit up and pay attention. Sometimes I have a little fantasy of moving somewhere like Portland, where I become a hardcore recycler and bike everywhere. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll actually do it. But until then, I need to see this movie and start fighting for (but not on!) this planet we all share (hear me, George W.? Share. Look it up, and stop fighting, already). So here’s my demand: Go. See. It.
When “I’m Like a Bird” came out in 2000, I kinda liked it. It was different from what was being played on the radio (always a relief) and since I was a B&N music manager at the time, I was constantly on the lookout for new and cool stuff. Then a couple of tracks from Whoa Nelly popped up on in-store play, and I started feeling the burnout. By the time her second single was released, I was totally over the whole thing, and I consequently ignored Folklore, her 2003 release.
All this brings me to her new album Loose, which I just got the other day. I was first turned on to it when I heard the track “Promiscuous,” which didn’t sound anything like the Nelly Furtado I remembered. Featuring Timbaland and a groovy club beat, it got stuck in me head. In a good way. Now that I’ve heard the whole album, I can see why she’s getting compared to Gwen Stefani, but I think Nelly really brings her own flavor to the disc. I dig the frenetic Spanish “No Hay Igual,” and “All Good Things” is a solid track despite the Coldplay association. It’s fun, varied, and good for working out, cleaning house, or chilling after a long night. Check it.
Lately I’ve found myself drifting away from the books I generally read. I like "fluffy" books: those that are lighthearted, swift and funny. But recently I’ve felt a pull toward more substantial literary fiction as well as things in the fantasy and horror genres. I read two this week.
The first: Thirsty, by M.T. Anderson. In this strange little tale, Chris, a high school freshman, finds himself slowly turning into a vampire. As he struggles with the enormity of this change, as well as the difficulties in keeping it a secret, he meets Chet, an otherworldly being who enlists Chris on a mission to save the world. Chris reluctantly agrees, but things go horribly wrong, leading the the book’s surprising and abrupt ending. Weird but interesting.
The second was Holly Black’s Tithe, which I really enjoyed. High school dropout Kaye is wasting her life partying when she rescues a stange and beautiful man one rainy night. Realizing that he is a faery, she stumbles into a world of magic and strife, as two rival fairy factions struggle to gain control of their world. As Kaye is pulled in deeper, she discovers the surprising truth about herself, and begins a tumultous friendship with a faery knight who may or may not be trustworthy. Compelling and fascinating.
