WEATHER UPDATE

WEATHER UPDATE! A strong cold front is attacking the area right now! Expect wind, some showers, dark clouds and maybe a t-banger. Behind the front temps will fall from the mid 70's to low 80's down to the mid to upper 60's. Put your pants back on, it's going to get chilly out there. It's actually snowing in the Adirondacks right now. Is it the last day of May?

weekend weather update

GOOD MORNING SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA!!! Whoops! I mean, GOOD MORNING BIG APPLE!!! The weather is so awesome it has me geographically confused. TEMP: 67. Bright sunshine and blue skies abound. We should hit 80F today so grab your boomerang and hit the local park. The UV index is an 8, so slather on the sunblock. adios.

The Boys are Back in Town

when my sister was about 6 or 7 she was totally obsessed with the Oak Ridge Boys. I think because there was a pretty crazy infomercial for a Greatest Hits album that was ubiquitous.... just heard that they have a new release, on which is a cover of The White Stripe's Seven Nation Army. I can't think of anything else to say, so just listen......

moon news, also- mercury, that tricky planet

From BD:

Current moon is a WAXING CRESCENT, or 33% full. The next FULL MOON will be on JUNE 7th, so get your moon tanning gear organized and hit the landscape. Remember, moon tanning is totally safe. Just pack bug spray and a 6 pack of Zima's.

From Beeb: Mercury, blessedly, goes out of retrograde tomorrow. So those pesky iPhone bugs, computer blips and communication time-outs you've been dealing with will start to want (Geminis and Virgos, you know what I'm sayin!) . BUT- don't sign any contracts until after June 3 or 4- big planets move slowly. Recharge those batteries and get ready for smooth planetary sailing.

breaking weather news

Central park temp is now at 62 Doing it's best to get up to a humid 71. The cold front that will clear the air is slowly approaching from the west. Expect some rain or t-bangers between 5 and 7pm. After that maybe a shower but sky's should begin to clear late night. SATURDAY should be partly sunny with a stray t-banger. High 77.

because it's prom season

And wherever you are this week, you're bound to spot some spray-tanned, corsaged, Red Bull-pumped teens encased in glitter and rented tuxes.
Two interesting prom stories this week-- one that's really forward thinking, and one that looks way back. A gay LA teen was voted 'Prom Queen' last Saturday, after a campaign that seemed to start as a joke and then became the real deal. On the opposite end of the 'forward thinking' spectrum, a high school in Georgia still has a segregated prom, and while for the most part the kids seem ok with it, they do also understand fundamentally that there's something f**ked up about it. There's a documentary about segregated proms called "Prom Night in Mississippi" that will air on HBO in July that seems to tackle the point of view of the kids graduating-- white kids and black kids who do everything together for four years, and then celebrate prom separately.

If neither of these things interest you, maybe this photo will.

weather update

AM WEATHER: GREAT SCOTT! It's not a pretty one out there. 57 rainy degrees in Carroll Gardens. 56 in Central park. FORECAST: The moderate rain should be tapering off from west to east by 8:30am. Anytime before 2pm look out for fog. After 2pm there is a 50% chance for t-bangers. Rain fall amounts will be around 1/4 of an inch. Higher amounts in bangers. Stay high and dry today.

Gay Talese has spent $560,000 on shoes

Or so he says. Forget the damage that Sex and the City did to our wallets- listen to this guy justify!
All kidding aside- dude knows his threads

this one goes out to the ladies....

Mark your google calenders- Aug 7-9, the state of North Dakota is hosting an annual 'Becoming an Outdoorswoman workshop. You read correctly- it's in NoDak, and its an 'outdoorswoman' workshop. It's a one stop shop that will help you hone your archery, field dressing big game (no Palin jokes, please), shooting, navigation, and MORE. Evenings bring entertainment and Dutch Oven cooking seminars, peyote will be distributed at the discretion of the organizers. Seriously-- I cannot think of a better girls weekend than this. If you'd like to learn more, here's a link. Finally- a reason to get some Filson ladies gear!!

If all goes well- there's a winter one, too- two words: DOG SLEDDING!

this video is terrifying. not for the faint of heart. Yes- she does say 'his rack was so impressive'- slombino, that one's for you!

My Pat and Yours...

Pat Kiernan is my numero uno NY1 news presenter. I'm thrilled to see that the DMV wasn't any more accomodating to him when his pic was snapped. He's a Scorpio!

weather update- special allergy edition

If I've told you once I've told you a million times- get a Neti pot.

ALLERGY ALERT 4-DAY SNEEZE CAST: The ratings are based on a 1-10 scale. 1= low sneezability while 10= extreme sneezability. SNEEZE-CAST: TODAY, 1.5. FRIDAY, 7.2 (bring a tissue). SATURDAY, 7.3 (is that your nose on the floor?) SUNDAY, 9.2 (dude! I don't recognize you without a head. You okay?). OAK, MULBERRY AND GRASS will be the culprits.

alchemy is fun

Chandler Burr, the NYTimes fragrance critic, is a genius with scent- his reviews meld the science of formula with the magic of the end result in an engaging, inspiring and informative way, while not detracting from his professional opinion of the juice on trial. Today's review is particularly reverent, and takes us on the journey of the fragrance, which was inspired by carpaccio d'orange, a Moroccan dish

**A google image search for 'tarocco', a blood orange varietal mentioned in the article, yielded a side trip to this fantastic page of collage-art Tarot cards by a quirky artist who also designed this deck.

Hug it out

Perhaps the fact that I grew up in an Italian household is the reason that I don't see the big deal about hugging.... I think it's kind of cute that these kids, in a Style section piece in the NYTimes today (shouldn't they just re-name that section 'Lifestyle' already?) are embracing the embrace as a greeting.

But I do question this statement: "Some sociologists said that teenagers who grew up in an era of organized play dates and close parental supervision are more cooperative with one another than previous generations — less cynical and individualistic and more loyal to the group." I would love to believe this. I would also love to know who these 'some' sociologists are. Call me cynical- but that seems like too broad and sweeping and not scientific enough to explain the hugging phenomenon, and it also kind of makes these kids seem like members of an ant farm. Weird.

If you can't get to Paris, you can still DO IT in Paris

I'm charmed by this newish newsletter from Paris that is seemingly a Daily Candy doppelganger... though the english translation is a bit rough, it does a wonderful job of temporarily transporting you to the City of Light, offering dining, lifestyle & shopping tips, and a general air of French-ness, perfect for a dreary NYC day -somehow misty days just seem less heavy when the Eiffel Tower is in the background.

weather update- curly hair alert

TEMP 57, fog/mist. ANYONE WITH CURLY HAIR, LOOK OUT! HUMIDITY IS 96%. Lots of fog today folks especially near water and any area with elevation. Larry Bird, If you are in town your head may be in the fog while your lower half is visible. TODAY: Stuck in a crummy, damp pattern. The high is only going up to 63 and there is a 40% chance of rain.

All Hail to Biba

Retailers could learn a thing or two- or five, from Barbara Hulanicki, founder of the legendary Biba store, once hailed as 'the most beautiful store in the world'. Here Glenn O'Brien gets down with Hulanicki for Interview mag. This woman installed penguins on the roof of the store AND got Liberace to play in the dining room, for chrissake!

weather update- looking ahead

FUTURECAST: I'm hoping for smooth sailing (Think Christopher Cross style) after Friday evening. To get to the brilliance of this weekend we will endure humidity, clouds, t-bangers and showers, thanks to an approaching cool front. TEMPS GO LIKE THIS: THURS> 72/62. FRI> 78/58. SAT> 78/56. SUN> 73/56. MON> 76/60

even if your boyfriend isn't from North Dakota

I suggest you try this recipe, while rhubarb still abounds at the farmer's market. It may be the most heavenly dessert ever.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Rhubarb-Meringue-Dessert/Detail.aspx

but watch out- those leaves are toxic!

forget Beyonce- this is the Big Man!

So- it only takes a few hours to get to my first Springsteen-related post (the depths of my obsession will soon be obvious). I noticed, last week, from my perch in section 211 at the Meadowlands (kids today call it the Izod Center) that Big Man Clarence Clemons seems to have taken to Minx, the nail coverings made famous by Beyonce in her 'Single Ladies' video. They match his saxophone pretty damn well- it's a shame I don't have a better shot.

But hey, why don't I link to this riot of a pre-hip replacement video from a time long long ago, , when David Letterman had hair and it was ok for people to wear bow ties on bare necks? Who knew the best saxophone reeds came from Cuba? Damn you, Castro!

stratosphere meteorology

presenting...SPACE WEATHER: Currently solar winds have been clocked at 277.2 km/second with a density of 0.5 protons. Impressive for this time of the year. Solar flare activity is low and sunspots are pretty much non existent. If you are going to space soon make sure you think ahead and plan for zero gravity. One uncovered sneeze and all your pals are floating around dodging mucus for hours.

Hey, Jo! It's Cocktail Time.

I've been watching the slow unfolding of what has now been revealed as Jo's on Elizabeth street all month- it's across the street from the Fierce Club where I've been perfecting my crow pose, but that's another story altogether. Talk about a good looking waitstaff, people! They've been congregating outside for the past week- think flowing locks (on the guys) and hot tats (on the girls). A quick glance at the menu (from Thrillist) leads me to believe I'm going to be dreaming about a Hibiscus Collins during savasana this evening- there's nothing more relaxing than a cocktail after yoga, right? Daily Candy tells us today that the place is named after owner Johnny's mom, Josephine. Gotta love a momma's boy, right?

I bought some dried hibiscus flowers at Trader Joe's a few weeks ago, and now I know what to do with them~ I officially declare summer 2009 the summer of the Collins. Long live gin!

you can do this.

Food is life, people. And since we're in a recession, you know you should be cooking at home a LOT more than you are right now. Cooking can be really easy ( I always say this to friends, and they're like "You always say that!" but it's true.) and it's way CHEAPER than eating out. So- shrug off the 'I can't cook' thing, and read this carefully. You can do this! It's a recipe pulled from the last issue of Domino magazine, after receiving an urgent text message from friend-- "You MUST make the pasta on page 51!". ok! I've adjusted it a bit to make it even easier and a bit more manageable- swapping orecchiette for the suggested reginette wide noodle. It's a really quick cooking, lovely warm weather recipe with fresh seasonal flavor.

If you're cooking for 2 people, use 1/2 lb of pasta, for 4, throw the whole bag in, and roughly double the following ingredients.

1 cup of peas (frozen is easiest, and generally sweetest)
1/4 lb of prosciutto, chopped coarsely (domestic is FINE- don't listen to what the guy behind the counter tells you)
1 leek, white and pale green stalk finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped (burn a candle on the counter as you chop to eliminate 'shallot eyes')
you need cheese- i'm leaving that part up to you. I stick with around a 1/4 to 1/2 a cup, but it's your choice, yo. Parmesan, Manchego, goat, etc-whatever you like will be yummy here, either grated on top or crumbled into the mix.
handful of fresh mint leaves
lemon zest (this seems precious- but it really makes a flavor punch. just use a potato peeler and curl off a few slices, chop em up)
coarse sea salt, healthy sprinkle

Get your water boiling- large pot, LOTS OF SALT- it should taste like sea water.

In a saucepan, get your leeks and shallots softened up over low heat with a splash of olive oil, and some garlic if you feel like it. Once they're translucent, sling the peas in and get them coated with the oil, now infused with delicious flavor. They'll cook pretty fast if they're frozen- if you've had the foresight to defrost, good for you.

Once the peas are cooked through, turn off the heat and add the torn proscuitto, mint, lemon zest, and a drizzle more of olive oil. Mix it all up. Once your pasta has been cooked to al dente, drain it in a colander, but keep a small container in the sink to reserve a tiny bit of the pasta water- that starchy, salty water is the perfect thing to splash on the pasta as a sauce-ifier. (you should always do this!)

Combine drained pasta and peas and such in the saucepan, coating the pasta thoroughly with the contents of the pan- dry pasta is your enemy. Once thoroughly incorporated, splash with a lil of that reserved water if you think it seems dry, then dish it out, toss with cheese, a few more mint leaves and sprinkle that sea salt on top. Enjoy- you just made dinner!

weather news

If you are lucky enough to be a New Yorker, you'll not only be entertained, but also informed by resident amateur weatherman BD's engaging updates on our local weather patterns. Here's what's happenin now, from the mouth of the BDster

CURRENT WEATHER: 55 in Carroll Gardens, 53 in central park. NO DRIZZLE ALERT FOR TODAY. Instead, a GLOOM ALERT has been issued. Prepare, for clouds, gloom, scattered showers and overall chilly temps. The high will struggle to reach the low 60's. THURSDAY SNEAK PEAK: High of 72, more humid with t-bangers oh-joy.

I see London, I see France

Who didn't love seeing Scarlett Johannson's mesh-swaddled bum in that long opening shot of Lost in Translation? Refinery29 counts down the top 7 underwear moments in film today. Not sure how they trimmed it down to just 7, but it's worth it just for Sigourney Weaver's abs and general litheness in Alien...

Trash- Pick it Up!

Ok people- let's start the day the right way- with some rock and roll! To our right is the one, the only, David Johansen of the New York Dolls, gesticulating at a show housed in the former punk temple CBGB, now a shrine to John Varvatos. (side note- what do we think about Daniel Bouloud's plan to name his Bowery resto DBGB? almost makes Varvatos' place seem authentic)

The Dolls had a party at CB's to celebrate their new record, and they rocked the house-- even the teenagers in the house were left sweaty and agitated. Good news- they're returning to the Music Hall of Williamsburg on June 22- get your ass a ticket, it's guaranteed to be a good time.