Blahhhhhhhging

So this post is extra spectacular. Why, you might ask? Well.
Well, well, well. Let me tell you!

We're both sitting right here. Yeah.

Epic. Soo0Ooo0oO0ooOo0 epic. What a win.
This post is going to be FUCKING EPIC. And I really don't swear that much. Except lately I have. Not really.

But to explain the picture.
It doesn't need one. If you can't appreciate it then obviously you aren't a tattooed, organic-coffee drinking, macbook owning, kerouac-quoting thrift store feind hipster the shit.

But we're here together watching bollywood and oh my goodness we have to blog.

This evening we have been sitting around sharing fun things we have found on the internet. Good times.
We would like to share with the sophisticated connoisseurs on the interweb our bourgeois taste and impeccable flare for all things eurotra$h and glam. Here are some things we like.

The Suicide of Frida Kahlo- Trek Thunder Kelly 2004

Raphael Just

We're just going to assume that everyone has winter cottages in Torino to ski in the alps, and therefore speak Italian (which you should have learned in Cotillion if not). It is also assumed that you know the proper way to squeeze a lemon and to introduce a younger person to an elder.

So it's late and we have a concert to attend to tomorrow. Farewell, lover.

-Natalie and Ameera

P.S. HOODIE ALLEN. :D
That's whasssup!

Ziggy's 11th Symphony

My computer is full of loads and loads of things I will never, ever look at again. Ever.
I'm terrified of my download folder. I refuse to even go there.
Unless, you know. My computer tells me it is full. That means going through tons and tons of files.
There is, however, one benefit in sorting through the pit of junk that is my computer: The forgotten gems.
Like this, for example. My dog sitting on the keyboard. Or as I call it, 'Ziggy's 11th Symphony':


I'll make sure to keep you posted if I find any more precious and forgotten keepsakes.

-Ameera

P.S. Omfg. Snow. :']

Meet Me in Marrakesh?

It's snowing so much. This is NUTS. Actually, there's so many things that are absolutely nuts right now. The Koreans are basically at war. There were attacks on churches in the Middle East. Hyperinflation is ridiculous (I like talking about hyperinflation?). Congress is lame-duck.

And amid all of this, all I want to do is go to Marrakesh. The NYTimes just did a piece on how the city has changed and it's cultural and amazing and blahhhabblahahhhh fuck that's just where I want to be right now. So badly.


"Djemaa el Fna, the main square of the Medina, is a motley tapestry of life, where shoppers wade through a chaos of fortune tellers, snake charmers and pushy henna painters"


Okay, cool let's totes go pretend that we were in The Darjeeling Limited with Owen Wilson for a while, nbd.


"A good starter is a bowl of snails in saffron broth, from one of the snail stands on the eastern end of the square (10 dirhams, about $1.23 at 8.2 dirhams to the dollar)" 
Go to the article, broseph


Oh, okay. Snails in saffron broth for $1.32...why am I here?!?
-Natalie

This One Time... Nevermind

I decided to ask a few friends of mine to help me with this post. These are snippets of the conversation Sean, Jesse, Mandy, and I had.
I like/am scared of these people.

-Ameera

------------------------------------------------

One day I abandoned my father, and then he cried. And then I left and did stupid stuff that no one cares about.

what what what what what what what what what what what what what what?

what?

Haha. Haha. Haha.
Hah
hah
hah
ahaha
hahah

Guess what?

I LOVE STRIPPERS.
I actually ate a stripper once. It was a legit stripper. I disolved the meat off of her bones with acid.


No nooooo. They were freaking out and saying their computer was talking to them.

I LOVE PEDOPHILES!
That does sound funny.

Sean. Steph messaged me, but I never replied. Because I'm a badass.

I don't date rapists!
I ONLY date rapists.


...She wants to make a snow unicorn.
YEAH. Who makes a snow unicorn? Like, what the fuck?


It makes me sad because I love hearing your voice. Sean, did you hear the sound I made afterwards? It was me wagging my tongue.

How old are you? Less than 10 is good.

How do you not like how hot she is? That makes me sad. Her hotness is just beyond your comprehension. I get it.


Her lips like, look a different color than her skin in these pictures.
I don't care.
That's all I care about.


I don't understand this picture.
She's a JEDI!
Yeah, but why...?

Yeah, that's what I was laughing about. The way he said nice.


What's that number? Can I call it?
Yeah, it's Jenny.
EIGHTSIXSEVENFIVETHREEOHNIIINE.

We're the only ones left! Mirandy died!

Everything I say is a joke... Just kidding. See! Even that was a joke.

I ordered a pizza and I wanna go get it but then I'd have to walk.
Brb. I'm going to walk downstairs and get my pizza UHUHUHUH it's hard to walk. -sobbing/seizure noises-

GUYS. I JUST HAD THE MOST INTERESTING 15-FOOT WALK EVER.
I died a little bit, but it's okay.
Okay.
I'm going to start my story with the fact I got my pizza.
I saw a lady. That was actually a scarecrow with an S drawn on her. YEAH! It was on the TV.
And then like I saw my dog and I stopped to talk to him. Like I said 'Sit'
But then imagined myself as the dog and yelled 'YOU SIT!'
Omnomnomnom

OM NOM. I did say gulp gulp gulp.

Aand the wheels of love go 'round, the wheels of love go 'rooound.

So this one guy was having his girlfriend rub his feet on the ferris wheels of Bethlehem.

THIS PIZZA IS SO BIG AND CHEESY.

I'm gunna go look at more pictures of Emma Watson. Did I show you guys this one?
D'aw, I love little bows.
You showed us this one already!
I know, I just wanted to show you how hot she is.

I wanna see how far this sock goes on my foot.

Don't chew with your mouth open!!

Your cat is you in cat form.
____________________________________________________
P.S.
MERRY HOLIDAYS.

Hanukah Bushes

It took me a little over 3 hours to get home last night- the trip was all of 9 miles. Yay New England weather!!
Absolutely exhausted, I slept 12 hours, and I feel soo good right now. It's snowy outside. It's such a Bob Dylan day today.
I think I'm getting our xmas tree tonight. We sort of forgot to before.
 I was telling my father these plans, and he told me that when he was growing up, for all his jewish friends, the trees were called 'Hanukah Bushes'.

I'm going to go listen to some more Bob Dylan and be happy that I'm home safely.
Stay safe on the roads, everyone!

-Natalie

Stupid European Snow

I'm supposed to be in London right now. Yep, London, England. So why aren't I?

Thanks, weather gods. You had to send Europe one of the biggest snow storms on the weekend of my flight. I really appreciate it. Really, fo real.

Anyways, I have run away to NYC until further notice.

-Ameera

P.S. Hoodie Allen live? Heck yeah, we'll be there.

Free and Legal is Feeling Morally OK

Discovering the joys of free and legal music (I think).
For LD, you are a good CD maker!


The Xx - You've Got The Love (Theophilus London Remix) by Thissongissick.com

Please ignore the 20 seconds of applause at the end, it's obnoxious.

-Natalie

Shout It Out to Raleigh

PS-

This made me nostalgic.
It's actually pretty good!
-Natalie (919 4 LYFE)

We've Been Terrible.

We need to get our acts together. We're going to start blogging regularly again, we just totally got off track.

So, we're sorry and apologize from the bottom of our hearts.

This song makes me want to rave, although the lyrics are quite um....direct and to the point? I suppose it's commendable that Shwayze doesn't try to avoid the message? I think?
Just dance and think of positive things you can do with your life instead.
-Natalie

Oprah or Bust

So, Ameera and I decided that we're going to try and get to Oprah. Or Tyra. We could easily settle for the Tyra show. So this is our new initiative: Oprah or Bust. We chatted about it all class, and then I forgot to post that night. Sorry!!

Please help us get to Oprah/Tyra! If we did, we could jump on Oprah's couch like Tom Cruise or learn to 'Smile with your eyes!' from Tyra. It'd be a dream come true.

So can you help us get to Oprah? Do you know Oprah? Does your second cousin's uncle-in-law's sister's college roommate's neighbor's lover know Oprah?


OPRAH OR BUST!!
-Natalie

PS- It is really cold outside good lord.

Previously On Dexter:

I just spent another Sunday watching an entire season of Dexter. What have my Sundays come to?
I will go to any measure not to do anything productive.

Anyway, Dexter.
I am now extremely anxious. I'm pretty sure I'm going to get murdered.
I always freak myself out. Since my house is pretty big, and human contact requires walking all the way through a dark house, I turn my music up and close my curtains. And occasionally sleep with the light on.
It's not that I'm scared of the show, or whatever I'm watching. It just gets me jumpy and freaked.

So I'm off to try and find my cat to keep me company.

Wish me luck!
-Ameera

I Think I Just Died A Little

"Yes, I make mistakes that I don't ever make excuses for, like leaving girls that love me and constantly seducing hoes."

 I've made some mistakes in life-who hasn't- and I never exactly came clean about them. I think it's time to confess some of my secrets from my childhood.

-3rd grade: When we were making signs for our our yard sale, I got a tiny mark of sharpie on your window seat, and then I pretended I was sick because I was so scared you would find it and I felt so bad. I still don't think you know it's there. 

FUCK. I was just walking downstairs to finish this post, and a HUGE truck pulled into my driveway, for the 2nd time tonight, and it stopped right in front of my door, and I looked up and this person is staring right at me from the passenger's seat, so I kind of flipped a shit and ran upstairs and hid behind a cabinet while trying to peak out the window. 

 I'm going to bed. I can't handle this. Confessions can wait.

-Natalie

Drugstore Cowboys

Sometimes I think I am a cat.

This has been a post. Shannon is deeply asleep. I think I will wake her up and make her entertain me.

-Ameera

Maccabeat-it!

Happy sixth night of Hanukkah/Chanukah! I hope it's been a good six days for you guys!
Someone showed me this, it's pretty much Glee meeting up with Taio Cruz and your Hebrew School teacher.
What's not to love?
Shalom!

-Natalie

PS- Please note in the beginning of the video the blue Crocs

Candlelight- The Maccabeats

I'm a vampire! I'm a vampire! I'm a vampire!

I've been watching Dexter all day. I've watched all of season three in one day.

If I had homework... Sorry to my teachers!

Anyways, enjoy Nicolas Cage. Losing his shit.



-Ameera

Baby, It's Cold Outside

I have become awful at staying awake to write. Jeez.
But then again, yesterday I had a terrible headache, so looking at the computer screen hurt.
I don't usually watch TV. I wait for any shows that I watch to come online before I watch them.
But I spent yesterday lying around on the couch, watching ABC Family and Scrubs reruns. And sleeping.
I love being lazy.

Also, I've started liking Glee entirely for these two:

Don't judge me. 

-Ameera

P.S. I better get some snow soon.

Hips Don't Lie

Driving to swimming, it's gross out. I am not looking forward to having a chat with my coach about my training schedule. I'm an practically an hour late because I got locked out of my house...again.
I turn on the radio because I lost my iPod-radio connecty thing.

Everything comes in static on Church St. But it's all okay, because when I accelerate on 202 by the high school, the radio comes in and Shakira is on.
I'm only speeding a little but I'm blasting Shakira, singing the lyrics like an idiot.

It's okay that it's gross out. It's okay that I have to finally have the dread chat with my coach. It's okay that I was locked out of my house for a few hours again. Shakira's on the radio!

Driving home an hour and a half later, Ke$ha comes on.
It's gonna be a good night.

-Natalie

Clairvoying A Total Pasta Melt

I am a terrible person. This page has been open since last night, when I was meant to post. Unfortunately, my posting was interrupted by my abrupt tiredness. I then proceded to lie down with the computer next to me, while I tried to find inspiration. Then... I passed out. It was a long day.
Anyways, making up for it.

I need to get more sleep. I find the stupidest things funny.

Example A:

Weirdest video ever. 

Example B:

Example C:

Also, I came to the conclusion today that Emma Watson is Twiggy. And it's great.

  

That's it from me for today, as I have a cat and mother that are wanting my attention.

This has been confusing.

-Ameera

P.S. 

I Want A Moistmaker

Thanksgiving is over. The next excuse to eat and eat and eat and eat is in....3 days? Hanukkah!


Not too bad!/This is really bad.

 This Thanksgiving was pretty intense, food-wise that is. Although the actual Thanksgiving dinner is absolutely amazing, the leftovers are probably my favorite.
The Friendly's 4AM Black Friday Buffet wasn't worth it. Probably the most disgusting meal I've ever eaten. That whole excursion was miserable. I was too tired to think let alone actually be in an adequate state to purchase things?? Yeah right.

I so would have rather eaten a Moistmaker. The name sounds disgusting. A Moistmaker? Are you kidding???
But ever since Ross obsessed over his Moistmaker on Friends, I feel like the Moistmaker is such a cultural symbol.

So! If you already miss Thanksgiving and need a consolation, I found a recipe for a Moistmaker. Please don't use leftover turkey, though. It's almost the next Tuesday. That's disgusting.


The Moistmaker


Ingredients
-Gravy
-Turkey
-3 slices of bread
-Cranberry Sauce


Steps
1.Get 3 slices of bread.
2.Soak 1 slice of bread with gravy thoroughly.
3.Layer as much turkey or tofurkey on the other slices of bread as desired.
4.Stack the bread slices so it should be bread-turkey-gravy soaked bread-turkey-bread
5.Cut in half and enjoy with cranberry sauce!


Things you'll need
-Plate 
-Knife


Warnings
-Beware of bones

Thank you WikiHow for reminding me that I could very well eat a huge turkey bone, and that I have to have a plate. I never would have been able to succeed without you.

Love,
Natalie

Taking a Break

This week isn't good for either of us, so we're thinking Monday-Friday break.

Don't miss us too much. We'll be back next week, better than ever!

-Ameera


P.S.
During this time, see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. You will not regret it.

Breaking Rules!!!!

Natalie again.
I'm breaking rules here!!
I accept whatever punishment/karma thrown at me,
but I saw this and had to post it right now.

This is a still from a bank robbery in NYC

This is Bernie Madoff

Recognize anyone???

Welcome back, Madoff.

I was starting to miss you.....no that's not right.

-Natalie

PS- I just realized: It's past midnight, it's my day.

I have a clear conscience! 

Home is Wherever I'm With You

Driving with my dad. Lost in the woods.
I turned on the radio, and Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros came on. Home. This would have been totally normal. Home is a good song. I would have listened to it while semi-panicking about being lost in the woods.
But instead, I turned to my dad.
"This is that band you really like!"


My father likes Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros.
He's not a hippie. He's not a hipster. He doesn't try to act young- quite the opposite in fact. But he really likes Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. Granted, he's only heard Home and Janglin, as far as I know. For all I know, he could have a secret stash of all things Edward Sharpe at his office.

I fully understand why, though. It's the nostalgia their music brings back. I remember when my dad first heard Home, he said that it sounded like old country music. It does. The more I listen to it, the more I find that they draw on music from the past.

The casual-ness reminds me of the Rolling Stones (I'm pretty sure that members of both bands are on some kind of illegal substance), or the Beatles on the Black Album. It was casual; it was fun. The bands of their time seemed to want to make music to satisfy their passion. Go here (click here). Just look at what comes up. They are the hippies from my dad's generation. They totally could run with Ken Kesey & The Merry Pranksters (who were the ultimate tripping hippies).

I think that when my dad listens to Edward Sharp & The Magnetic Zeros, it gives him a pathway to relate to the culture of my generation. We listen to them, and so can he. I feel as though they have created a really strong bridge between my dad's stack of records in the living room to my iTunes library.

I like them. I feel as though if I had never heard them before, I couldn't guess who's generation they came from. They're taking music back to simplicity. Back to where it was a group of people in a room with guitars and cowbells and washboards, creating wonderful sounds.

I think I know what I'm getting my dad for Christmas.
They sell a Vinyl LP on their website.
-Natalie

Things On My Mind This Month

Harry Potter.

Harry Potter.

Harry Potter.

Harry Potter.

Omg omg omg, tonight!!!


-Ameera

Thanks to Loretta, here is some quality Harry Potter related material to read while we are watching the movie.

The Chipmunk and the PIMP

So once upon a time, there was a chipmunk and a rabbit who were in an awkward relationship. The chipmunk thought that the two were going steady, although the relationship was controversial as it was inter-species. The rabbit on the other hand, was a P I M P.
One nice sunny day, underneath a rainbow ("What does it mean!?"), the chipmunk saw the rabbit walking around with a cougar and a swan. The chipmunk got incredibly mad because the rabbit was with other females!
After being confronted by the chipmunk, the rabbit said,
 "I'm sorry, I'm just a Heartbreaker, Baby ! I can't change my pimping habits, We R Who We R and there's nothing I can do about it!"
The chipmunk thought she was putting in all the effort into the whole relationship. She was doing all the work. "All you ever do is Part and Bullshit in The USA, you could at least mix it up and go to Canada or Cuba or something!"
The pimp rabbit decided to stop pimping for the moment, and the two lovebirds (or chipmunk/rabbits, whatever) took a party bus from Silvia 2 Ibiza .
They Partied and Bullshitted for months and months to come.
Until the rabbit and chipmunk had a baby liger.

What a nice story. 

-Natalie

Dear Girl Talk,

I love you, man.

Even though you 'broke the internet' with your new CD All Day.

Seriously, so good.

It makes it even better that it was a surprise CD.

Thank you for making my day that much more fantastic.

-Ameera

P.S. If you don't have Feed the Animals by Girl Talk, get that too.


ALSO, Beatles on iTunes? About time!

Blow My Mind

I wrote about Kanye West before on this blog.
But just look at who's on this track.
It's All of the Lights- Kanye West ft. John Legend, The-Dream, Ryan Leslie, Tony Williams, Charlie Wilson, Elly Jackson, Alicia Keys, Fergie, Kid Cudi, Rihanna, and Elton John.
Whaaaaaaaat???
I will admit the list of people on this alludes to something absolutely mind blowing, which it doesn't live up to 100%. 75% maybe.  Still pretty good.
I wish I could have one of those cool music players right here! We'll work on that maybe?

Peace out, girl scout
-Natalie

Jackalhaxin'

Once again, I have chosen to be completely useless today.

I have absolutely nothing besides listen to Hellogoodbye and the Beatles, and watch Help!

And Hellogoobye's new CD is so good. 



So basically, I have had the best wasted day ever.

What else would I do on a Sunday? Psh.

-Ameera

I wish...

I wish I was a little bit taller,
I wish I was a baller,
I wish I had a girl who looked good;
I would call her.

I wish I had a rabbit,
and a hat,
and a bat,
and a '64 Impala.


LOL jk I'm not Skee-Lo.
-Natalie

This is a Post

This is a story.

This is a cat.

This is a Tyler.

This is an insult to your face.

Yep.

Sorry I almost forgot about you today. :'[

-Ameera

Mess Up

I took over Ameera's day and I wrote a huge thing
then I thought I should delete it.


I'm sorry!!
-Natalie

Drink More Water!

Oh man I almost forgot to write something.
Health tip for the day:
Stay Hydrated.
Especially if you have really low blood pressure.
Even if you think you're fully hydrated, you probably aren't.

And eat an apple a day of course, but you already knew that.
-Natalie

PS- Has anyone ever had the Peanut Butter Puffins cereal??
Soooooo so good.

Nap Time

I have a love/hate relationship with naps.

Expectation: I will take a few hour nap, then be able to get up and do work and things that need doing fully re-energized!

Reality: I fall asleep and wake up too late and too tired to do work and things that need doing.

Back to sleep.

-Ameera

P.S.
Enjoy this while I fall back into my coma-like state of sleep:

This is How I Dance When I'm in Paris

So I spent three weeks um..studying in Paris this summer.
When I wasn't spending my nuits dans ma maison studying, this is what I did.
This should be a solid example of how it went. If you want to dance in Paris, you gotta do it like so:




In case you were curious, this is how we dance in Paris.
CW: What can I say?
-Natalie

Hi Patrick. You know.

So I Herd U Got A New Pet Bro

Three random items of the day:

One.

Two.

Three. 

I refuse to explain any of these.
Enjoy!

-Ameera

Punch Card from the 1990s

My family, we'll go to lengths to eat good food. I remember driving upwards of an hour and a half to go to a Mexican restaurant in NC. Whenever we go into Manhattan, all we do is eat (Max Brenner's in Union Square is like the Village's answer to Willy Wonka). We stop at Shoprite to stock up on whatever things we can't buy at our Shaws here (Cuban espresso, mojo, matzo, pizzelles, tricolores, bialys, etc.). My mom was a food writer. My dad eats a lot/is Italian. I've always eaten well.
We're getting Dim Sum tomorow. I'm absolutely positively pumped to say the least. We're going to China Pearl, of course. Been going there since as far back as I can remember. We would drive into Boston late late late Friday night, walk through the musty lobby of the Comm. Ave appartment, then get Dim Sum the next day. I remember going to dinner parties at various restaurants in Boston with a group of foodies, being bored out of my mind. I was 5 or 6 maybe? But there was always Dim Sum so I was okay.
There was also the Dim Sum place in Nashua. We used to go there with a group of people: Marilyn, Ben, and some others. I don't remember them much, but I know they were good friends of my parent's. Ben had a baby grand. I remember that. The congee soup was my favorite. It's so hard to find, though.
We stopped going to the Dim Sum place in Nashua soon thereafter. It closed. I hadn't had congee for 10 years maybe. We were living in NC, and my dad heard about this Asian market about an hour from our house that was supposed to be amazing. We made the trip, and it was wonderful. We bought bags of bao buns, jasmine tea, tofu, and fresh fish. We ate fresh steamed redbean bao buns and congee soup in the cafe.

I'm going to China Pearl tomorrow morning.
Good thing we still have our punch card from the 90s. Three more punches and we get $5 dollars off. I think the last time we used it was when America had a budget surplus.
Even when we moved to NC, my dad kept the punch card in his wallet. You don't throw things like that away.

-Natalie

UPDATE: My dad totes forgot to use the punch card when we were paying. Are you kidding me?

Party in the Ambulance

In case you've ever wondered, airbags to the face are not to pleasant.

Flashback to last night:

I had just left my art class, which puts me at about 6:10. It was raining, so I was making sure to drive safely. All of a sudden, my car slid off to the right. I was driving with the two right wheels off of the road, and when I readjusted the car, the back wheel caught, spinning me across the road, into the other lane, and then off of the road into a tree.

I am so lucky to only be bruised and a bit battered. My mom's car?
The front right side has the shape of a tree in it. Plus, hitting a tree and bouncing twenty feet off of it can't be good for it.

-Ameera

UPDATE:
Here are pictures of the car. :3

Good Night and Good Luck

Today has been quite long. It's raining. Weezy got out of jail today. I'm going to bed.
So enjoy some Toni Frissell before I collapse. She's one of my favorite photographers.

Bonne nuit, mes amis

-Natalie

Dearest Sleep

Since our divorce, I have not been able to stop thinking about you. I have missed you very much these last few weeks, and I am unable to pay attention to anything anymore. I am tired all of the time.

I was hoping you would reconsider your decision, as I think we can work it out. I know I neglect you sometimes, but I will try my hardest to make time for you if you'll come back.
I will never cheat on you with coffee again, I promise.

I will keep waiting for you.

love,

Ameera.

A Letter to The Wide Wide World

Dear World,

Please make shots not hurt so much. Or come in scary-looking syringes with huge needles. I pretty much have a panic attack everytime I have to get shots. This is why my dad tells me like it's no big deal. "Hi, how was your day, the weather's nice, did you hear about so-and-so, you're getting a bajillion shots, we have to call your grandmother,do you have a lot of homework..."
Really world? This is terrible. Please don't ruin my day anymore with your sneak-attack shots.

Yours Truly,

Natalie

Youtube For Dinner

I like youtube.

I joined youtube on January 9th, 2007. I'm subscribed to over 300 channels, and sometime, probably around 2 years ago and before they removed the view count, I had watched over 10,000 videos.
I don't make videos, but I sure as heeeell watch 'em.
Of course, I've seen the top hitters: sxephil, iJustine, vlogbrothers, davedays, ShaneDawsonTV, nigahiga, fred, smosh, etc. And they're good. At least, the one's without hyperactive 'six' year olds.
However, in my search over the internets, I have found youtubers who's videos are great, and who don't get as much recognition as the big guys.

So what I have done for you lovely people, is compiled a list of the top ten users I would suggest to you. And in no particular order:

Chris (crabstickz) is currently one of my favorites, due to his daily videos on his side channel, crabstickz2.
TheRHExperience have the best improv games.
Tyler (domomachine) is not only funny, he is one of my favorite human beings.
PJ (KickThePJ) has a good variety of videos, and they are all quality.
Megan (IllegalBallMover) is funny, has good videos, and is just generally awesome.
FLuffee (FLuffeeTalks) is hilarious.

Music:
Wit (RockinBlueWit), who is hilarious and writes great songs, Kelsey (HeyKelsey), who has such a pretty voice, and Scampi (chipswow), who is adorable.
Shayne (elshaynez) has some of the best covers on youtube, with the added bonus of his fantastic originals!
Greg Holden (gdholden) is one of my favorites, his songs are lovely. (Favorite.)

There are so many great channels, this has been hard to make. Pretty sure that's 11, not 10.
Shh.
These are just some current favorites and people who happened to pop up in my subscription box. I hope you enjoy some of these, and if you have any great channels to share, let me know!

-Ameera

P.S. The hell? Demi Lovato in rehab?

P.P.S. Sorry for all the linkage today.

Concession by Concession: You Go, Then I'll Go

Happy Halloween! In between carving pumpkins, dressing up, or doing whatever you do for Halloween, please take a minute or two to read/watch the following.
Yesterday, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert held their Rally to Restore Sanity And/Or Fear in Washington DC. I watched Jon Stewart's closing speech, and it was truly moving. I ask you to take 10 minutes to watch the video, or if you don't have time, read the somewhat abridged transcript from his speech. He delivered his speech powerfully, and what he says rings absolutely true. I would reccomend watching the video and listening to him speak over reading the transcript, although the video quality is so-so.

I know it's long, but it's 100% worth listening to because it is our country and our society he discusses, one that we are all part of, one we all contribute to, and one which we are all responsible for.
-Natalie



Transcript- From Huffington Post

And now I thought we might have a moment, however brief, for some sincerity. If that's okay - I know that there are boundaries for a comedian / pundit / talker guy, and I'm sure that I'll find out tomorrow how I have violated them.
So, uh, what exactly was this? I can't control what people think this was: I can only tell you my intentions.
This was not a rally to ridicule people of faith, or people of activism, or look down our noses at the heartland, or passionate argument, or to suggest that times are not difficult and that we have nothing to fear--they are, and we do.
But we live now in hard times, not end times. And we can have animus, and not be enemies. But unfortunately, one of our main tools in delineating the two broke.
The country's 24-hour, political pundit perpetual panic conflictinator did not cause our problems, but its existence makes solving them that much harder. The press can hold its magnifying glass up to our problems, bringing them into focus, illuminating issues heretofore unseen. Or they can use that magnifying glass to light ants on fire, and then perhaps host a week of shows on the dangerous, unexpected flaming ants epidemic. If we amplify everything, we hear nothing.
There are terrorists, and racists, and Stalinists, and theocrats, but those are titles that must be earned! You must have the resume! Not being able to distinguish between real racists and Tea Party-ers, or real bigots and Juan Williams or Rick Sanchez is an insult--not only to those people, but to the racists themselves, who have put in the exhausting effort it takes to hate. Just as the inability to distinguish terrorists from Muslims makes us less safe, not more.
The press is our immune system. If it overreacts to everything, we actually get sicker--and, perhaps, eczema. And yet... I feel good. Strangely, calmly, good. Because the image of Americans that is reflected back to us by our political and media process is false. It is us, through a funhouse mirror--and not the good kind that makes you look slim in the waist, and maybe taller, but the kind where you have a giant forehead, and an ass shaped like a month-old pumpkin, and one eyeball.
So why would we work together? Why would you reach across the aisle, to a pumpkin-assed forehead eyeball monster? If the picture of us were true, of course our inability to solve problems would actually be quite sane and reasonable--why would you work with Marxists actively subverting our Constitution, and homophobes who see no one's humanity but their own?
We hear every damned day about how fragile our country is, on the brink of catastrophe, torn by polarizing hate, and how it's a shame that we can't work together to get things done. The truth is, we do! We work together to get things done every damned day! The only place we don't is here (in Washington) or on cable TV!
But Americans don't live here, or on cable TV. Where we live, our values and principles form the foundation that sustains us while we get things done--not the barriers that prevent us from getting things done.
Most Americans don't live their lives solely as Democrats, Republicans, liberals or conservatives. Americans live their lives more as people that are just a little bit late for something they have to do. Often something they do not want to do! But they do it. Impossible things, every day, that are only made possible through the little, reasonable compromises we all make.
(Points to video screen, showing video of cars in traffic.) Look on the screen. This is where we are, this is who we are. These cars. That's a schoolteacher who probably think his taxes are too high, he's going to work. There's another car, a woman with two small kids, can't really think about anything else right now... A lady's in the NRA, loves Oprah. There's another car, an investment banker, gay, also likes Oprah. Another car's a Latino carpenter; another car, a fundamentalist vacuum salesman. Atheist obstetrician. Mormon Jay-Z fan.
But this is us. Every one of the cars that you see is filled with individuals of strong belief, and principles they hold dear--often principles and beliefs in direct opposition to their fellow travelers'. And yet, these millions of cars must somehow find a way to squeeze, one by one, into a mile-long, 30-foot-wide tunnel (Holland/Lincoln Tunnel), carved underneath a mighty river.
And they do it, concession by concession: you go, then I'll go. You go, then I'll go. You go, then I'll go. 'Oh my God--is that an NRA sticker on your car?' 'Is that an Obama sticker on your car?' It's okay--you go, then I go.
And sure, at some point, there will be a selfish jerk who zips up the shoulder, and cuts in at the last minute. But that individual is rare, and he is scorned, and he is not hired as an analyst!
Because we know, instinctively, as a people, that if we are to get through the darkness and back into the light, we have to work together. And the truth is there will always be darkness, and sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel isn't the promised land.
Sometimes, it's just New Jersey.

PS- ROOOOTARRRYYYYYYYYYY

Guilty Pleasures and Face Paint

Oh, hello. I didn't see you there. Don't mind me, I'm just having a cuppa.

Would you like some music? Here I'll put some on... Whoops! I didn't mean to play that, that's embarrassing. I don't really like  that song, I was just listening to it... Because... Well. Please don't judge me. I don't really like Britney Spears.

But let's face it. Most of us have those songs we love to jam out to on our own, but we refuse to let anyone know we love them. 

I'll admit, I like quite a few of these songs. 

Plus, a few other loves of mine:

Plus, I can watch Whip My Hair a million times, because Willow Smith is incredibly cute. That ending shot?



Murphy's donation to the list:



Caitlin's donation (my current addiction):




I have an extreme love for Rihanna. She is my favorite.

What's your guilty pleasure?

-Ameera

P.S. Holy freaking mother of pearl, I am sorry this is so late. I got it in before 12, so I think it counts. 'Twas a long day. Time for me to wash the remains of paint off of my face and crawl into a warm bed. Mmm.

It's Hoodie, not Woody

I am broke as a joke. On iTunes. I spent the rest of my gift card money on Cat Stevens right after I watch Harold and Maude. I was acting irrationally, but then again, downloading Cat Stevens is 100% logical. He's amazing. Hence, I am iTunes broke (but still quite pleased with my Cat Stevens).
This happens too often. I used to just live off of Youtube, listening to songs over and over until I was sick of them. Then something amazing happened. I discovered the elusive, mystical world of mixtapes and mashups. There is some sick music out there in the interweb tubes that can be legally downloaded for free.
I decided that Kanye West's G.O.O.D Friday weekly drop was the best thing to hit the internet this summer. Download Here- Click on the singles you want
Then I discovered Hoodie Allen.
 He is an up and coming rapper who samples heavily and it's magical. His new mixtape, Pep Rally is so good. Download his mixtape, push play, and listen to on repeat until forever. Swimming With Sharks and Tighten Up are especially epic. So are all the other ones.
Download Heaven Here

It's also worth listening to Hoodie Allen's Owen Wilson. I'm not sure where it is posted to download, but you can easily find it on Youtube. You may recognize the beat from a recent Target commercial.

-Natalie

Kitten Mittens (I Am Useless)

Every time I stay home sick, I think "Yes! I have all day to do that homework and study for that test!"

This would actually happen, were I not the world's best procrastinator.

This morning I got up and didn't feel too hot, so I told my mother I couldn't possibly go to school and crawled back into bed. I fully intended to get up and study for that huge test I need to take tomorrow, work on some late homework, and read Moby-Dick. 

It's 8:00, and what have I got to show for my day?

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!

Stranger: where are you from?

You: Kittentown, Bulgaria

Stranger: kittentown?

You: Yep.

Stranger: is that a real place?

You: Nope.

Stranger: haha

Stranger: lol

You: I was mauled by a kitten once.

Stranger: o rly?

You: Chyeah girl.

You: He wasn't wearing his mittens.

I like cats.

-Ameera

P.S.