Monday, February 8, 2010

Clues:

* The Superbowl has upped demand for me.

* If your lips are sealed, forget about spending time with me.

* I'm eatable. Think New Orleans.

Answer: Crawfish

I've got family on the East Coast. My Great Aunt says they have 30 inches of snow in Baltimore already and are expecting more. My brother sent this picture of their snow... 18-20 inches. Yes, that is a car under there.

Laura

The Contemporary Arts center will soon host an exhibition of one of my favorite artists Shepard Fairey. He is the acclaimed artist who designed the Obama Hope and this year's Grammy artwork. The exhibition will run at CAC February 20-August 22, 2010.

From CAC: The first one-person museum survey of Fairey’s work, Supply and Demand coincides with the 20th anniversary of the artist’s controversial career. It gathers over 80 works created from 1989 to the present, and traces the development of his career from the earliest Obey imagery to his current efforts.

Featuring the multi-layered renderings of counter-cultural revolutionaries and rap, punk and rock stars which carry his iconic use of black, white, and red, the show includes screen prints, stencils, stickers, rubylith illustrations, collages, and works on wood, metal, and canvas. First shown at the CAC in Beautiful Losers in 2004, Fairey has developed into one of the most influential street artists of our time.

Despite breaking many of the spoken and unspoken rules of contemporary art and culture, his work is now seen in museums and galleries, as well as the worlds of graphic design and signature apparel. Building off of precedents set by artists such as Andy Warhol and Keith Haring, Fairey easily shifts between the realms of fine, commercial, and even political art. Recently, his portrait of Barack Obama drew a new level of attention to the artist's work, and has been acquired by the National Portrait Gallery.

Fairey was born in 1970 in Charleston, South Carolina, but lives and works in Los Angeles. He graduated from Rhode Island School of Design in 1992 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration.

Shepard Fairey, Obama HOPE, 2008, Mixed media stencil collage on paper, 72 x 48 in., Courtesy of Obey Giant Art

OK first We DO NOT agree with the title on the video however this is supposed to be Britney's live vocal that was recorded while she was on stage.

No one hears this from the sound engineers. After watching I think you will agree...she is an amazing dancer and performer.

10. Orianthi -- According To You
9. Jay Sean -- Down
8. Boys Like Girls -- Two Is Better Than One
7. Lady Gaga -- Paparazzi
6. Carrie Underwood -- Cowboy Casanova

Flava Of The Week: Snow Patrol -- Just Say Yes

5. Train -- Hey, Soul Sister
4. Kesha -- Tik Tok
3. Michael Buble' -- Haven't Met You Yet
2. Lady Antebellum -- Need You Now
1. Lady Gaga -- Bad Romance

New Movies this week:
•“Dear John” Channing Tatum
•“From Paris with Love” John Travolta /Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Cats
•Broadway Series @ the Aronoff.
•Friday and Saturday only.

Super Bowl Sunday in Miami
•Colts vs Saints 6p Sunday
•The Who play the halftime show.

New on DVD this week
•“Zombieland” stars Woody Harrelson
•“Love Happens” Jennifer Aniston
•“Amelia” Hilary Swank

Polar Bear Plunge
•Saturday 11am at Newport on the Levee
•Benefits The Special Olympics

Coming up with a Valentine's Day gift for your guy can be tough whether you've been together for three months or three years. Here are some gift ideas for whatever stage you are in courtesy of Shine at Yahoo.com

Less Than 3 Months

If you’ve just started dating, keep your gift casual. At this point, anything expensive or too personal will send a scary I-like-you-a-little-too-much message. Plan to spend around - on something simple but sweet, like a DVD of a movie he really liked — such as The Hangover.

3-6 Months

This is a tricky in-between phase: You’re an official couple, but are still getting to know each other. Impress him by finding something creative that’s totally him. For example, if he’s always taking pictures, get him a gorillapod.

7-11 Months

Okay, things are starting to get serious (even if he’s yet to admit it). A fun gift for this stage in the relationship is an experience you can have together, so you’ll build more shared memories. Try tickets to a concert or an NBA or NHL game.

1-2 Years

You’ve crossed over into the long-term commitment zone, so this is a great time to commemorate your relationship or show off how well you know him. Frame a cute picture of the two of you (have it printed out nicely, in black and white), or find something that will remind him of a fun time you had together. You can spend a bit more now that you’re pretty serious (0-0, depending on your budget) on a big-ticket item.

More Than 3 Years

After years of birthdays and holidays together, it gets tougher and tougher to come up with surprising gifts. A lot of women just grab stuff he needs, like socks or new button-downs, which is nice and all...but boring. Instead, get him a present where he’ll learn something new. If he’s adventurous, book him an exciting experience, like a flying lesson or hang gliding. (Excitations.com offers a ton of amazing gift ideas.) Or, book a weekend getaway at a romantic hotel in a nearby town where you can spend lots and lots of time in bed.

Taylor Swift's record label chief hit a sour note with former American Idol Kelly Clarkson when he defended Taylor's not-so-great Grammy performance with the following message:

Scott Borchetta

"This is not American Idol. This is not a competition of getting up and seeing who can sing the highest note. This is about a true artist and writer and communicator. It's not about that technically perfect performance."

Kelly Clarkson's response on her blog:

Wow …..Dear Scott Borchetta,

I understand defending your artist obviously because I have done the same in the past for artists I like, including Taylor, so you might see why its upsetting to read you attacking American Idol for producing simply vocalists that hit ‘the high notes’. Thank you for that ‘Captain Obvious’ sense of humor because you know what, we not only hit the high notes, you forgot to mention we generally hit the ‘right’ notes as well.

Every artist has a bad performance or two and that is understandable, but throwing blame will not make the situation at hand any better. I have been criticized left and right for having shaky performances before (and they were shaky) and what my manager or label executives say to me and the public is “I’ll kick butt next time” or “every performance isn’t going to be perfect” ……I bring this up because you should take a lesson from these people and instead of lashing out at other artists (that in your ‘humble’ opinion lack true artistry), you should simply take a breath and realize that sometimes things won’t go according to plan or work out and that’s okay.

Sincerely,

One of those contestants from American Idol who only made it because of her high notes

Let's face it, Super Bowl equals wings! Here are 10 wing recipes true to score at your big game party courtesy of SheKnows.com.

Chipotle Garlic Chicken Wings:
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup minced red onion
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 small red jalapeno, seeded, minced
2 tablespoons chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Juice and zest of half a lemon
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
16 prepared chicken wings
Blue cheese dressing

Directions:
1. In a medium-sized nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat butter and oil until butter melts.

2. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until softened and transparent. Add garlic and jalapeno, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

3. Add chipotle, water, tomato paste, lemon juice and zest, and oregano, and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Transfer mixture to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and add chicken wings. Marinate for at least 1 hour. If you marinate for longer than 1 hour, place bowl in the refrigerator.

5. Preheat oven to 400 F and generously spray two baking dishes with nonstick cooking spray.

6. Remove chicken wings from marinade, letting excess marinade drip back into bowl. Reserve marinade. Place chicken wings in baking dishes.

7. Roast chicken wings for 25 minutes. Flip chicken wings and brush with marinade. Discard marinade. Cook chicken wings for 20 more minutes or until done.

8. Remove from oven and serve with blue cheese dressing.

Fast & Furious Chicken Wings:
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup hot and spicy barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
2 teaspoons sweet or hot paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 prepared chicken wings
Sour cream onion dip

Directions:
1. In a large shallow baking dish, whisk together butter, barbecue sauce, honey or agave, and paprika. Season generously with salt and pepper.

2. Add chicken wings to the marinade, turning to coat. Cover dish with plastic and marinate for at least 1 hour. If you are going to marinate any longer, place dish in refrigerator.

3. Set oven to broil and generously spray a large broiler pan with cooking spray. Spread chicken wings on pan and broil for 6 minutes. Flip wings over and broil for another 6 minutes or until done.

4. Serve hot with a sour cream onion dip.

Grilled Maple Chicken Wings:
Ingredients:
1 cup plain yogurt
1/3 cup real maple syrup
Grated zest of 1 orange
Juice of 2 oranges
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 prepared chicken wings

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt, maple syrup, orange zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper. Remove 1/3 of the marinade and reserve in a small bowl.

2. Place chicken wings in bowl, tossing to coat. Marinate for at least 1 hour, turning chicken wings occasionally. Place bowl in the refrigerator if you plan to marinate longer.

3. Heat grill to medium high and oil the grate. Remove chicken from bowl and place on the grill. Discard the marinade in the bowl.

4. Grill chicken wings for 10 minutes. Use tongs to flip them over, brush with reserved marinade, and grill until cooked through.

Sticky Sweet Chicken Wings:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup tamari sauce
2 tablespoons hot sauce
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
16 prepared chicken wings

Directions:
1. In a large shallow dish, whisk together brown sugar, tamari, hot sauce, honey, salt and pepper. Place wings in dish, turning to coat. Cover dish and marinate for 1 hour at room temperature or longer in the refrigerator.

2. Preheat oven to 450 F. Spray two baking dishes with cooking spray. Remove chicken wings from marinade and place in baking dishes.

3. Roast chicken wings for 20 minutes. Turn wings over and cook for an additional 20 minutes or until cooked through and caramelized.

For more Super Bowl chicken wing recipes, visit SheKnows.com.

Courtesy of Shine on Yahoo.com
There's nothing like stressing out over tipping to ruin the end of a great haircut, pedicure, or other treatment. Knowing the basics makes everything better for you—and your aesthetician. Here's what you need to know:

Twenty percent is a good rule of thumb for the person who performed the service. Throw in a little extra for more labor-intensive or truly spectacular treatments.
The owner of a salon should never be tipped.
Assistants should be: the right-hand people get to .

Pricey services have their own rules. Cindy Barshop , whose Completely Bare spas specialize in laser hair removal at 0 to 00 a session, advises clients to give to .
Always try to tip in cash. Otherwise, the technician has to wait until the end of the payroll cycle to get the money.
Finally, if you're paying with a gift certificate, the tip may not be included. If you're not sure, ask the receptionist to check.