the cure for hot eyes

A very contagious, nasty illness is quickly spreading through Orlando. The symptoms are icky and exhausting -- constant runny nose, a throat that feels like you swallowed razors, a chest that feels like there's an anvil resting on top of it, a pressure-filled head that feels cloudy and tingly, and eyes that are hot. I hate that.

But I feel better today, and it's not just because Mucinex is kicking my cold's ass, it's because of this headline ...

IKEA Plans To Open Store In Orlando
Yeeee heee!!! Read the full story at Furniture World online magazine. Who knew there was such a Web site? And really, who cares with good news like that! The 310,000-square-foot store will be located behind Millenia Mall, and it's scheduled to open in late 2007.

---

In other news, Reykjavik rocks.

I checked out the Screaming Masterpieces documentary at the Downtown Media Arts Center on Sunday with Mike, James and Devan. The film focuses on the eclectic music scene in Iceland's capital. There were some incredible performances by Sigur Rós and Björk, as you would expect. But there also was some really intriguing music from other bands that spanned folk, rap, hip hop, pop and a classical genre that I'm not sure how to describe except to say that it was simple and complex at the same time and celebrates the history and culture of Iceland. It was beautiful.

I wish the film would have touched more on the reasons why some artists choose to perform in English, and others prefer to perform in their native language exclusively. And how big is American and British music there? What are the most popular hometown bands in Iceland? By the way, the film is available on DVD, too.

You can check out some snippets of the songs featured in the flick at the One Little Indian online store, which carries the film's soundtrack. Here are a few quickies: Múm ("Green Grass Of Tunnel"), Slowblow ("Within Tolerance"), Amina ("Fjarskanistan") and a collaboration from Steindór Andersen and Hilmar ("Hrafnagaldur (Odin's Raven Magic)").