it's on my list

When I first moved to Orlando, I heard about the jazz strolls at Leu Gardens, and I thought it sounded so romantic. A moon-lit evening with requited love and live music under the stars sounds lovely, doesn't it? There are even candles lining the sidewalks!

Ten years later, I still haven't had the planets align and actually be dating someone at the time Leu Gardens was hosting its little love fest. Now, I have the opportunity (oh joy!) to add to my list of wonderful ideas to, if I may quote Kool & The Gang, cherish the love here in O'do.

Here's one that will be just as tricky -- having a date on the same day as a shuttle launch that won't be scrubbed because of astroaut intoxication.

A Day Away Kayak Tours offers outdoorsy couples the chance to paddle up a canal to a site that's only seven miles from the launch pad and offers an unobstructed view of the shuttle's ascent. Yes, it's a two-person kayak, and, yes, ou might even see a manatee. It's $30 a person.

I better get my Match.com profile ready because the next opportunity is on Aug. 7. If it all works out, I'll be at the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge with someone who's a lot older and heavier than their online photo.

There's also something called "Moonlight Paddles." I'm not sure what that is, but if my online match also spends time in the S&M chat room, then my stock is gonna skyrocket.

By the way, the Leu Gardens Annual Fall Jazz Stroll will be held at Leu Gardens on Nov. 3 and dates are not required. Instead of walking hand-in-hand, you can pop a squat on the lawn with your picnic basket and declare your independence.

my new addiction

If you can't get enough of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart -- and really, who can't? It's the fastest 30 minutes in the whole 24 hours of the day. If you need more sassy humor in your life, then try out the new online game, The Most Important Trivia Game Ever.

It's addictive! You compete in a series of mini-games against other "journalists," and you'll need to know geography, history, popular culture and current events to win. You also have to be quick with the mouse. Good luck -- unless you're playing me. I want to win!

ashley is so punk rock

It was Crazy Hair Day at day care on Friday. I don't think punk rockers are supposed to be this adorable!

another reason to hate the falcons

It's just the way that it is. New Orleans Saints' fans hate the Atlanta Falcons. I don't use the "hate" word lightly. We hate them.

Any respect that I had for Michael Vick as a talented quarterback has been completely drowned out. He was indicted late last week for his involvement in a dog-fighting ring. Apparently, Vick and his cronies ran a fighting ring "where losing dogs were often killed in the ring or executed by hanging, drowning or electrocution," according to NPR.

Dog fighting is a felony in 48 states, and if you're like me and naive to the popularity and history of this disgusting practice, then you might be shocked to know how "trendy" it has become. Although its beginnings can be traced back to the Romans in 43 A.D., it's sounds like almost a status symbol now.

Vick faces $350,000 in fines and six years in prison if convicted of the charges. The dogs don't fare quite that well. All of the dogs that survive the ring are eventually killed because they are conditioned to be aggressive to other dogs. They're anti-social and probably very scary. And it's not their fault.

According to one of the news reports I read, "Officers reportedly found equipment associated with dogfighting, blood stains on the walls of a room and a bloodstained carpet stashed on the property. They reportedly removed more than 60 dogs from the property."

The more I read about this, the more disturbed I get. I cannot imagine anyone finding dog fighting fun. It's inhumane, and Vick deserves to be knocked down from whatever pedestal Nike, the NFL team owners and fans have put him on.

slumber party!

Walt Disney World has Cinderella's Royal Chamber -- a luxurious suite where lucky Guests can spend the night right inside the Magic Kingom. It's magical, and people would pay big bucks to stay there if they could.

In Norway, there's a similar must-have experience. Slumber parties at IKEA!

From July 23-27, IKEA fans can shop until they are so exhausted, they fall asleep right there in the showplace. People will actually be able to spend the night in special rooms set up in the store, including:
* Bridal suite, with a hanging chandelier and a round bed
* Luxury suite -- includes breakfast in bed
* Family rooms for parents and kids

A company spokesperson said, "It will be like an alternative hostel." Guests will check in at 10 p.m. -- just an hour before the warehouse closes -- and need to be up and have the bed made by 10 a.m., when the store opens. No need to wash the sheets -- IKEA is giving them away as a souvenir! They also get bathrobes with the IKEA Hostel logo on it and slippers!

simpsonize!

Look at me, I'm a Simpson! You can be one, too. Upload your photo at SimpsonizeMe.com.

wii have lots of fun

These videos really speak for themselves. I love me some Coachie Wii!

Wii are silly


Wii look ridiculous


Wii love to play


Wii are really running this joke into the ground


Wiiiii'll never stop


Wii need a rest

when disaster strikes

These impactful new bulletin boards, sponsored by the American Red Cross give viewers a realistic look at the aftermath of a catastrophic earthquake. The billboards are part of a campaign to promote earthquake preparedness in San Francisco.
(Photo credit: Jill Palmer)

Speaking of American Red Cross, whoever is in charge of their merchandise line deserves a raise. I've donated money to the Red Cross before, but the idea that I can help others and get some cool merch, well that's just sauce!

let's get digital

Insound just put up a full album of free downloads it promotes as "fifteen tracks of the hottest smooth light jazz you’ll ever hope to hear." There's a catch, though. IThe songs are only free for one week, then you gotta pay up -- so start clicking!

Here's the tracklist:
Justice - "Phantom"
Takka Takka - "Draw a Map"
Aesop Rock - "None Shall Pass"
Mirah and Spectratone International - "Credo Cigalla"
1990's - "You're Supposed to be My Friend"
No Age - "My Life's Alright Without You"
Architecture in Helsinki - "Heart it Races"
Okkervil River - "Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe"
Minus the Bear - "Knights"
Turbo Fruits - "Pocket Full of Thistles"
Tiny Vipers - "On This Side"
Rocky Votolato - "Postcard from Kentucky"
Editors - "Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors"
Ferraby Lionheart - "Small Planet"
Portugal the Man - "Shade"

---

In other music news, the shortlist for the Mercury Prize were announced today. The judges chose these as the top albums of the year from British or Irish artists. The winner will be announced on Sept. 4.

Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare
Basquiat Strings (with Seb Rochford) - Basquiat Strings
Bat For Lashes - Fur and Gold
Dizzee Rascal - Maths + English
Jamie T - Panic Prevention
Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future
Maps - We Can Create
New Young Pony Club - Fantastic Playroom
Fionn Regan - The End of History
The View - Hats Off to the Buskers
Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
The Young Knives - Voices of Animals and Men

the rage continues

I don't know anything about the new Spanish zombie film REC, but the trailer below definitely intrigues me. According to Moviephone.com, the film is an "experimental frightener about a terrifying television broadcast." Here's the synopsis...

While covering the night shift at a small-town fire department, an ambitious young television reporter and her cameraman follow the crew on a call to rescue an elderly woman unable to escape the inferno that is consuming her home. Upon their arrival at the scene, the calm midnight air is pierced by the sound of horrific screams, and the television report takes an unexpectedly dark turn.

Hank!

Thank you, Henry Rollins, for always stopping in Orlando on your spoken word tours! Henry is set to return to the House of Blues on Sept. 23, and I couldn't be more excited! I've been lucky enough to catch him three times already over the last 8 or 10 years, and the man keeps getting better and better.

The last time Henry visited O'do was in October 2005. It was soon after Hurricane Katrina, and America was getting war weary. It's funny, because I remember that in his performance prior to the 2005 visit, Henry told the audience that he thought we were definitely going to war because George Dubya had "put his dick out there." He explained that because we put out the ultimatum, there was no way we would go back with our missiles between our legs. Several months later, of course, we started bombing.

I remember thinking, damn, I hope that's not true. I hope we can still pull back because we can. We won't look cowardly, we will look like the mature, confident country we are (or should be).

But Henry gets it. He just does. You gotta hear him.

bipolar movie weekend

I saw two movies this weekend, and they were polar opposites of each other.

Once
Today, I finally saw Once, and I loved it. The low-budget Irish film sometimes needed subtitles for my American ears. Once the singing begins, though, everything makes sense. It stars Glen Hansard, the lead singer of The Frames, and Marketa Irglova, a Czech musician.

The grittiness of the film and the hand-held camera shots gave the movie a documentary feel. And then there's the music. It's achingly beautiful, and it tells the story more so than the sparse dialogue.

There's a lot about this film online, so I will cut to the chase with some quick facts I learned. By the way, if you want to see the film, don't read too much about it online. In fact, the article I link to below includes some spoilers -- but none below.

* Cillian Murphy was originally cast in the lead. He bowed out partly because the director chose a non-actor in the leading female role (according to the NY Times.

* Filming was complete in 17 days for $150,000, most of which was paid for by the Irish Film Board.

* The title of the film, according to director John Carney, refers to fellow Irishmen and women he would encounter in bars: “They say, ‘Once I do this, then it’ll be great.’ But they never do it. It’s a great Irish tradition of vacillating.”

* The bandmates in the film are indeed members of The Frames.

* Fox Searchlight Pictures purchased the film at Sundance for $500,000.

* In limited release, it has already earned nearly $5 million worldwide.



Transformers
Saturday, I caught Transformers, which made more money in one hour than I probably will my entire working life. Yes, the effects are truly amazing, and yes, I laughed at moments that weren't supposed to be funny. Gratuitous cleavage (see photo below), bare midriffs and corny dialogue were abundant. But all in all, it was a fun summer flick, especially if you see it sharing a whole theater row with your best friends.

Still, the film was nearly over-
shadowed by one of the previews, a clip that was so mysterious, it created a huge buzz on the Internet. All we know is JJ Abrams has something to do with it, and it's coming out on Jan. 18, 2008.

Some Web sites are referring to it as Cloverfield or The Parasite. I won't pretend to know more than that, but I am officially hooked and anxiously awaiting more details. One good place to look -- the film's official Web site, 1-18-08.com. There's not much there now, but I bet there will be soon.

know hope

Know Hope is an Israeli artist creating some truly amazing art from corrugated cardboard and candles in Tel Aviv. These are beautiful.

According to the artist ...

The lanterns deal with the frail, temporary aspect of putting up art in street. Take the best case scenario: nobody takes the piece after a short while and there are no extreme winds or rain, the longest life span of these pieces will be that of the candles, which is probably just a few hours. Therefore, when someone runs into one of them on the street they know that it was placed there not so long ago and they, by coincidence, got there in the small time frame that the piece was "active", hopefully giving them the feeling that it was placed there especially for them, and maybe guiding them, following them home and subtly lighting up their way.


More photos are posted on Flickr.

do you feel lucky? well, do ya?

show some indie love

Interpol heads out on the road

... and they're making a stop in Orlando on Sept. 18 at the Hard Rock Live. You can get a taste of their live show on July 10, when the band plays on "The Late Show With David Letterman." For a very long list of tour dates, check the Pitchfork Media site.

A couple of other cool shows announced recently:
* Eisley special acoustic tour - Aug. 18 at The Social
* John Vanderslice - Sept. 17 at The Social