I AMsterdam

I am so behind in my blogging – I’m sorry! Please be kind, I’m a busy lady. I work a lot, am caring for a sick dog, am obsessed with too many new Fall shows and have been on three trips within the last month and a half. I guess I’ll just start where my most recent adventure began: EUROPE!

First stop: Amsterdam.

Before you ask, no, I didn’t go to the coffeehouses. It was a business trip, and although legal in Holland, funny brownies were not on our menu.

Instead, Kim, (a recruiter in my company that shall remain nameless) and I indulged in public transportation and hopped on a bus from the airport to the Anne Frank museum. It was incredible. We actually walked through the same hallways and climbed the same hidden staircases Anne and her family used just to stay alive.
a statue of Anne Frank outside the bulding where she hid
It was truly moving. Kim and I walked quietly through the historic building and peered out of windows that offered scenes that weren’t all that different from the ones Anne wrote about. We saw pictures on a wall that she posted, lines on a doorframe marking her growth and pages from her original journals.

I thought about my grandma the whole time. We were in a bookstore together when I was very young, and she pointed at a book and said, that’s my mom. I turned and saw a paperback of The Diary of Anne Frank. I knew her mom was named Anna, and their last name was Frank. My jaw dropped. A million questions popped in my head, not the least of which was “How could I not know this?” Then she started laughing hysterically. My grandma rocked.

From there, Kim and I went to Van Gogh Museum. Although it had some real treasures, it was no Musee d’Orsay, and the lack of sleep was starting to get to me. I don't sleep well on planes, and I hardly got a wink as we crossed the pond. Although, I did get to watch The Lake House and the second half of A Scanner Darkly, which I saw at the Enzian this summer.

After that, there was time for a quick pedal boat down one of the famous canals. The boats were not easy to steer, and if you overcorrected, you were bumping into someone’s personal boat docked along the bank or worse, found yourself in the path of a sightseeing tour boat.

Here's a brief video of our trip on the canal. Sorry about the quality -- but you'll get the idea.



The afternoon went by way too quickly, and we had to meet Jason at the airport. Jason is from Essex, England, and he’s a charming, witty Brit who owns his own company in London. He's hysterical and kept us laughing when we were tired and our muscles were cramped from carrying luggage from train to train to cab to train to airport to train ....

That evening, Kim, Jason and I hopped in a cab for a two-hour drive to Leeuwarden, which is pronounced LAY-oo-var-den. I slept a bout half the way, but not before I saw this and thought of my Coachella friends!

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Here are a few of my favorite photos from Amsterdam.




Next in my Euroblog:
Leeuwarden, the first temptation of Lucozade and my first glass of real buttermilk (ick!)

don't you love me anymore?

That's what you're thinking, right? Life has been even more crazy busy than usual, and that has taken me away from the blogosphere. I'm not blogging, I'm not keeping up with my favorite blogs, and I have so much to say!

In September, I had a very unexpected death in the family, and I flew to Chicago for a few days. It was my mom's cousin Anthony, and he was one of those people that make life worth living. Fun, full of life, generous and thoughtful, and I don't understand how people like that are taken so young when there are horrible people still alive who make the world a scary place. It was one of those experiences that make you analyze every decision you've made and the ones you've been too scared to make.

Then, I went to New Orleans for a baby shower for my brother and his wife. It was a great time, but way too short.

I will tell you more about all of that, and I promise you that in a couple of weeks, I will have a lot more to say and share. I promise.

Death Cab heads out on the road

Death Cab For Cutie announced a list of dates for their fall tour today, and Orlando made the list, thank you very much! Ted Leo + The Pharmacists are opening for one leg of the tour -- the one that stops at the UCF Arena -- and OK Go is opening for the next. For the full list of tour dates, check out the band's Web site.

I know, there will be a lot of young O.C. fans there, and that bothers people. But you know, the band rocks. They continue to put out great music with great songwriting, and if that's what mainstream folks want to listen to, then I think it's about time. Just don't act like an idiot and make out with your boyfriend or girlfriend right in front of me, don't burn me with your cigarette and don't get drunk. It's a concert. You can get drunk, smoke and make out at home with the radio on.

Now if we could just get an appearance by The Postal Service!

brian, we never had a chance to meet

Sad news, kids.

Get your WOXY on this weekend because beginning Sept. 15, it will become old school. As in, remember back in the day when you could be turned on to great new bands, catch amazing live performances and generally just feel a bit hipper than usual because you were listening.

WOXY, an indie station in Cincinnati, will initiate radio silence next week unless someone puts up some serious cash to save it. A couple of years ago it moved to a Web-only operation, and I guess it's still not working out. Here'’s more from the station’s Web site ...…


This sucks.

This is the moment all of us hoped would never come. After plugging away at this for the past two years, it's become pretty clear that operating woxy.com as a stand-alone Internet "radio station" is not going to cut it. Our operating costs are higher than you might think, and the revenue we were able to generate from advertising isn't close to supporting what we'’re doing. Even membership revenue wasn't enough to get us there. When your business doesn'’t make money, you eventually go out of business.


On our first pilgrimage to Indio for Coachella, my friends and I embarrassed the hell out of ourselves by calling out "Brian!" to any guy wearing a WOXY shirt. He's one of the WOXY DJs, and we read that he was going to be there. Early on the second morning, we were waiting to meet Kristin in the grassy-knoll parking area, and we all piled in the rental car to enjoy the last moments of air conditioner.

Some guy passed between the cars, and before I even knew what I was doing, I rolled down the window and yelled, "Brian!" To our excitement -- and horror -- he turned around and gave us that "Did we go to high school or something?" look. Turned out, he shared the DJ's name but not his job. He was just a fan from Cincy. Christy shared some hometown love, and we had a good laugh.

Brian, wherever you are, know that you rocked our world.

To help mourn WOXY's passing, go download some the kickin' live sessions from its Lounge Acts series. You can stream live performances and interviews with Pete Yorn, We Are Scientists, Say Hi to Your Mom, Alexi Murdoch, Low, Jem, The Hold Steady and about a gazillion more.

KEXP is an indie radio station out of Seattle, and true to its "bring it to the people" style, it's releasing a new CD of live music that has a little something for everyone. Sleater-Kinney, Bright Eyes, the Decemberists, Editors, Zero 7, Death CabFor Cutie, Aqualung anyone?

Check it out: Live at KEXP, Volume II
1. Lyrics Born – "Callin’ Out"
2. Gang of Four – "What We All Want"
3. Thievery Corporation – "Warning Shots"
4. Tapes N Tapes – "Insistor"
5. Sleater-Kinney – "Jumpers"
6. Ted Leo and the Pharmicists – "Walking to Do"
7. Death Cab for Cutie – "Crooked Teeth"
8. The Decemberists – "We Both Go Down Together"
9. Zero 7 – "Home"
10. Common Market – "Connect Four"
11. M.I.A. – "Galang"
12. Band of Horses – "The Funeral"
13. The Wedding Present – "Ringway to Sea-Tac"
14. Editors – "Munich"
15. Skullbot – "Lookout"
16. Bright Eyes – "At the Bottom of Everything"
17. Trashcan Sinatras – "Weightlifting"
18. Aqualung – "Brighter than Sunshine"
19. Drive By Truckers – "World of Hurt"
20. Patti Smith (with Lenny Kaye) – "People Have the Power"

It's probably not available in a store near you, so order it online and make sure all the money goes to Mom and Pop KEXP so they can continue to release cool tunes like these.

show your zombie love

What if you all of a sudden, everyone around you got ...












You know the whole zombie craze is going mainstream when zombies get their own font. Check it out at e-zombie.com. So cool!

one year down, many to go

by Steve Kelley, NOLA.com

It has been one year since Hurricane Katrina rammed into the Gulf Coast and all Hell broke loose in my beloved hometown of New Orleans. There is so much left to do, and for those of us who can't be there to help, I think it's up to us to make sure the rest are not forgotten.

pluto, i still love you

Pluto is no longer a planet? How can they just change your mind after all these years? What's next?
Is Europe not truly a continent?

Is "y" not sometimes a vowel?

Is alternative music not actually alternative?

Wait, forget that last one.

National Geographic explains it like this ...

"According to the new definition, a full-fledged planet is an object that orbits the sun and is large enough to have become round due to the force of its own gravity. In addition, a planet has to dominate the neighborhood around its orbit. Pluto has been demoted because it does not dominate its neighborhood. Charon, its large "moon," is only about half the size of Pluto, while all the true planets are far larger than their moons."

Adding a "size matters" joke here is just way too easy, so I'm not going there.

what a difference a day makes

Remember when I asked you to say a little prayer? Could you maybe say another one and be a bit more specific this time? I didn't mean to send it here.

Big E creeps toward Big Easy

Although this looks better than it did earlier today, it's still way too close for comfort. My parents, family and friends are living in a city that has not even marked one year since Hurricane Katrina -- that anniversary will be on Tuesday, Aug. 29. Ernesto is just adding to the anxieties. Say a prayer, OK?

12 steps begin with one leap

As reported by Rolling Stone Daily ...

KEANE SINGER IN DRUG REHAB, TOUR PUT ON HOLD

Just days after PETE DOHERTY and DARKNESS singer JUSTIN HAWKINS checked into drug rehab, KEANE frontman TOM CHAPLIN has done the same. Due to this development, the band has postponed a North American tour, set to start next month. In a statement on Keane's Web site, the twenty-seven-year-old said, "I've been having to deal with an increasing problem with drink and drugs, and the time has come to get the professional help I need to sort myself out. I feel desperately disappointed to be
letting down our fans, but I want to get myself right now so that I can be back on the road for the rest of the year." The group cancelled gigs in Edinburgh, Dublin and Ibiza earlier this month, saying Chaplin was suffering from exhaustion. Refunds are now available at the point of purchase. Keane's latest album, "Under the Iron Sea," debuted at Number One on the U.K. chart in June.

little miss sunshine

Little Miss Sunshine is a movie you must see. Right now. Get off your sarcastic butt and go pay a few dollars for one of the best movies you will see … ever. In the words of every cast member in Grey’s Anatomy, “Seriously.” (Seriously, every one on that show says it. If you haven’t noticed, you will now. Apparently, Shonda Rhimes, the series creator, uses the word all the time, too.)

Each character in this film is fantastic, and each gets the best lines and the biggest laughs. I started to write a one-line description of each character, but really, that gives too much away, and the best way to see a great movie is to know as little as possible about it. Just take my word for it.

I can tell you this … each character is trying so hard to get by and trying so hard not to fail, that they are failing miserably. But in their failings, they kind of find each other. I laughed hysterically during the movie – even doing that thing where my head flies back and I start clapping. (Why in the world do I do that?) I also did the “Awwwwww …” thing in unison with other moviegoers, and I even did the thing where I kind of let out a scream as I laugh.

You will walk out of the theater with a smile on your face, and you'll love with Abigail Breslin, who's absolutely adorable in the flick. And Steve Carrell is genius as usual. This may be my favorite movie of the year... Seriously.

bringing out the kid in you

Are you as smart as the kids in the eighth grade? AOL has posted a quiz titled "Are you smart enough to pass eighth grade?" I got six out of eight questions right. Is that a C-?? Take the test. Devan, I'm waiting to hear your grade! :)

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You may or not be able to pass the eighth grade, but you still have the maturity level of a kid in junior high, and we all know it. So, indulge in your zaniness.

In another chapter of "How Much I Love Photojojo.com," you must check out the latest installment: Long Awkward Pose. It's hilarious, and I could kick myself for not thinking of it first. Actually, this might have been what my mom was really doing while taking ridiculous amounts of time to take a picture of my brother and me in front of those Kodak Photo Spots in Walt Disney World when we were wee little kids.

Then again, those were print cameras...

These two "examples" had me laughing out loud. There's profanity, so be warned. If I can pull this prank on my dad and make him drop the f-bomb, I may just crap my pants. -- some guy named John and someone's dad.

is it just me or ...

... does Baby Shook, my little niece or nephew ...

look a lot like a Baby Bjork?

OK, in all seriousness, Baby Shook is upside down, and those things that look like Mickey Mouse ears, Princess Leia hair or Bjork's hairstyle in the picture above, are really the baby's legs. And if Baby Shook comes out wearing a swan dress, I'm going to love him/her just the same.

live music is so sauce

I was a downloading fool this morning, and I’m going to save you the trouble of searching for all this great stuff by conveniently providing you all the links on a silver platter. Sometimes, I’m nice. Enjoy it now because the bitch will be back soon. Thanks to the amazing bloggers who somehow find this amazing stuff and spread the love.

The Raconteurs’ recent Lollapalooza live set (including a cover of Gnarls Barkley’s ubiquitous “Crazy”)
(Culture Bully)

Imogen Heap on the World Café
(The Late Greats)

Jamie Lidell on the World Café
(The Late Greats)

Sigur Rós on the World Café (a show on WXPN in Philly)
(The Late Greats)

Mates of State on KEXP
(The Late Greats)

Madeleine Peyroux on KEXP (including an amazing version of Elliott Smith's "Behind the Bars")
(The Late Greats)

Iron & Wine on KEXP
(The Late Greats)

Sigur Rós on the World Café (a show on WXPN in Philly)
(The Late Greats)

Snow Patrol on KEXP
(The Late Greats)

The Walkmen on KEXP
Part 1
Part 2
(The Late Greats)

Ani DiFranco on KEXP
(The Late Greats)

R.E.M. and Radiohead at the National Bowl on July 19, 2005 (I caught this tour in Baton Rouge. It was an incredible show -- Radiohead circa The Bends, which sorry to be uncool, but is my favorite Radiohead album)
R.E.M. Part 1
R.E.M. Part 2
Radiohead
(rbally)

i heart photojojo!

The DIY craze continues to reach new heights, and I’m as happy as crafty is cool. Although I don’t actually make many of the projects featured, I am a subscriber and huge fan of “ReadyMade” magazine. It’s a hip collection of do-it-yourself project that range in cost and difficulty. Even if you don’t actually sit down and make your own pre-fab sunroom for the backyard, it’s still a fun ride.

My latest DIY obsession is photojojo.com. I think I first read about it on Yahoo! Picks. One click, and I was hooked.

The Web site is one big depository of tutorials and simple instructions for making cool photo projects that don’t seem overwhelming or impossible. Here are some of the super-cool projects I can’t wait to try.

Photojojo's Stop-Motion Animation Tutorial
With this easy-to-follow tutorial, a digital camera and iMovie, I’m ready to become the next Richard Linklater. There are sample movies you can watch to spark your creativity – and you will be inspired to create something, too. Maybe a short film about your dog trying to find her favorite toy, or perhaps an afternoon at Lake Eola, with guest appearances by whoever happens to walk by.

If you’re feeling a bit more daring and want to up the ante, you MUST check out this amazing YouTube video that’s a re-enactment of Space Invaders in a movie theater. Oh yes, it is that cool!

Space Invaders Re-enactment in stop motion

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Make Your Own Photo Mosaic with LEGOs
Get one of your favorite portraits, a few gazillion of the single LEGO blocks and Photoshop, and you got yourself a cool-ass conversation piece. For inspiration, someone even put together LEGOs to recreate Van Gogh’s A Starry Night. This would really step up the “cul-chah” of your dorm room.

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Making Photo Transfers with a Blender Pen
When I started my internship in the NewsRoom way back in 1997, I worked for one of the coolest people I’ve ever met. Kerry was a twenty-something who was the epitome of everything I wanted to be. She was the editor of the publication where I was working, she was an incredible photographer, she knew all the cool restaurants and theaters in Orlando, and she had the ovaries to pick up and move to France to study photography on a full Rotary scholarship. She continually inspired me.

She introduced me to photo transfers. I read about using Poloroids and freezing them, and even scratching them with coins for effect. I had no instant camera, so I had no photo transfers. But then I check out Photojojo, and whadd’ya know? There’s something called a blender pen that will work just fine.

According to the tutorial, all you need for “quick-and-dirty photo transfers is a photocopy of your image and a $4 blender pen… The blender pen transfer works on fabrics, tile, paper, wood, copper, linoleum, and a variety of other materials. And it won’t leave that plastic texture that old inkjet transfers sometimes did.”

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How to Make Panographies
One of my old friends Rochelle made “panographies” of some of the international pavilions at Epcot. It looked awesome! Rochelle took more than a dozen photos of a pavilion and the surrounding scene. Then, she put together all of the photos almost like a puzzle so that the scene was somewhat jagged and more artistic than your average panoramic photo.

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DIY Wide-Angle Lens
For $11, you can use a peephole as a wide-angle lens and turn your pocket-sized digital camera into a fish-eye camera – I know!! It sounds awesome!

According to Photojojo.com, you can pick up one for about $11 at Home Depot instead of spending hundreds of dollars at your local camera store for a new lens – if one even exists for your miniature secret camera.

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There are many other cool tutorials – from how to cut your own matting for a frame to making photo blocks. Each article makes my heart beat a little faster when I think of all the cool things I could do with all these great new tips.

the storks are circling

I’ve had a not-so secret for the last three months, and I’ve finally been given the all clear to share it on a larger scale. Of course, I realize that everyone who reads this blog probably already knows, but even if you already do, I have something cool to share that's new.

When I said that the whole world has gone baby crazy, I guess I should have been a bit clearer. I’ve gone baby crazy because my best friend Christy is pregnant and … drum roll please … my brother and sister-in-law are expecting, too! I'm going to be the "crazy aunt"!

And here’s the cool part; Christy and Mandie are due within just days of each other. Because their dates are so close, they’re going through a lot of the same things at the same time. Just as Christy is starting to show and wearing copious amounts of elastic in the waist area (I may borrow those for Thanksgiving like Joey in “Friends.”), I assume that Mandie is breaking out the maternity apparel, too.

Although Mandie and Stephen live four states away, I feel closer to them because of my experiences with Christy. I even went with Christy to the doctor’s appointment where she first heard her baby’s heartbeat and saw her baby clapping in the womb. It was amazing! Earlier that week, Mandie and Stephen saw their baby kicking like a Rockette in utero. My family and friends are so talented, even as mere zygotes. (OK, I know they’re no longer zygotes, but I love that word!)

Anyway, the appointment with Christy was life-changing. I actually started crying when I saw the baby moving. I was overwhelmed with excitement for Christy and her family, and also for my family and me.

Here are two all-too brief videos from Mandie and Stephen’s last doctor visit. In the first one, you can hear the heartbeat, or possibly a cool new beat track for Daft Punk. Under that, you’ll see a restless Baby Shook moving around just trying to get comfy. Enjoy. Coo coo.

lollapalloser

If you're like me, sitting in an air-conditioned room thinking what it would be like to in Grant Park right now waiting for Day 2 of Lollapallooza to begin, then here's something to make you smile.

AT&T is once again bringing the show to you live through a Webcast at its Blue Room.

Here's the schedule (All times Central):
Friday August 4th Lineup*
12:30 PM Subways
01:30 PM Cursive
02:30 PM Panic! At the Disco
03:30 PM Editors
04:30 PM Umphrey's McGee
05:30 PM Secret Machines
06:30 PM The Raconteurs
07:30 PM Deadboy and the Elephantmen
08:00 PM Ryan Adams
09:00 PM Sleater-Kinney


Saturday August 5th, Lineup*
12:30 PM Living Things
01:30 PM Iron and Wine
02:30 PM Coheed and Cambria
03:30 PM Wolfmother
04:30 PM Nada Surf
05:30 PM The Smoking Popes
06:30 PM Common
07:30 PM Dresden Dolls
08:30 PM 5 Songs from Kanye West's Performance
09:00 PM Thievery Corporation


Sunday August 6th Lineup*
12:30 PM Sparta
01:30 PM Stars
02:00 PM Matt Costa
02:30 PM Ben Kweller
03:30 PM The Frames
04:30 PM The Redwalls
05:30 PM She Wants Revenge
06:30 PM Andrew Bird
07:30 PM Poi Dog Pondering
08:30 PM Wilco
09:30 PM Blues Traveler

Now I can enjoy the music AND hang out with Kristen during her visit from Cincy AND attend the long-awaited Labyrinth party. Aww yeah.

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God bless the kids at NPR's All Songs Considered -- not only do they Webcast amazing shows from the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., from time to time, they also allow us the pleasure of downloading this music and keeping it forever.

Thank God, they decided to make this week's Sleater-Kinney show available to all of their fans who are mourning their announced split. This is one of their final shows -- only Lollapallooza and one in their hometown will follow. It's the whole freakin' show! Ow! Ow! Ow!

Seriously, this makes me so happy -- a much-needed shot in the arm! Now, go support public radio.

holy typo, batman!

People, please! Does no one proofread anymore?

Christy and I stumbled on to this mortifying display of America's lack of concern in appearing intelligent during a weekend trip to a flea market on International Drive.

Misused punctuation is so sad.

i found the perfect thing ...

... for Christy's upcoming bundle of joy.From elsewheres.com

lost in the excitement!

Comic-con, the largest orgy of comic book fans in the nation, attracted about a gazillion fans and reporters to San Diego last week, and all were treated to a bunch of things no one I know would call geeky.

From a special rough preview of Spiderman 3 (which includes Topher Grace and Dallas Bryce Howard) to panel discussions about some of the biggest pop culture juggernauts.

USA Today Pop Candy blogger Wendy Matheson actually blogged from the conference on her blackberry. Talk about getting the scoop! The pressure is so intense to be the first to break a story, and with crackberries, cell-phone cameras and the like, you have got to be on top of your game to win the crown.

Matheson's coverage of "The Lost Panel at Comic-con" is oddly exciting for rabid fans of the hit ABC show. Be sure to check out the whole article, and in the meantime, here are a few of my favorite tidbits ... (I'm all about 11:28 a.m. What if they all got the rage???)

10:57 a.m.: Did (co-creator, producer and head writer Damon) Lindelof just slip? He tells a fan it may be wrong to assume the castaways have “been there as long as they think they've been there.” The crowd gasps and applauds. Lindelof says no more.

11:28 a.m.: Lindelof says the show has no plans for how many seasons it will last. “Zombies (in) season seven!” a fan shouts.

11:33 a.m.: A 'Lost' video game is being developed right now, (executive producer and writer Carlton) Cuse says. He adds that Kate will “get with” someone on the island “very soon.”

11:37 a.m.: Lindelof says we will learn more about Libby “next season and beyond.”

11:47 a.m.: Lindelof says the third season will feature more adventure, more info about those who captured Jack, Kate and Sawyer and a “vastly different feeling” than the first two seasons. He adds that something will happen halfway through that “will effectively fry everybody's brains.” He jokes that it will also feature “naked Hurley and Jin.” The first ep is titled “A Tale of Two Cities.”

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After that, the blogstress covers a panel discussion on Snakes on a Plane. My favorite part of her article is her coverage of the Q&A session ...

How hard was it working with CGI snakes? "It was about as hard as working with nothing in Star Wars," (Samuel) Jackson deadpanned.

Do those poor snakes on the plane really deserve to die? "Yes, they do deserve to die, and I hope they burn in hell!" Jackson exclaimed.

How exactly did snakes get on the plane in the first place? Jackson's reply: "Spend your money, (four-syllable expletive), and come see it."I'm not just giving that up."

Tilly & the Thor

I got a fortune cookie a few weeks ago, and the paper said something about the best thing in life being to love and be loved.

That unconditional love is something everyone strives for – don’t even get me started on how much the search for love has turned in to a multibillion-dollar industry that feeds off of people’s insecurities and fears of being alone. I’ll save that for another blog, because this one has a happy ending.

Like most great relationships, my latest one started when I least expected it.

I went on a road trip with Tom & Christy to Tallahassee to get Franklin, a Boston Terrier puppy that would be the newest addition to their growing family. When we arrived, I snapped three rolls of film in mere minutes – Franklin was so cute, and the emotion Christy expressed upon meeting him was priceless.

Franklin’s mom Shug Shug was in a huge outdoor dog mansion. We walked over to see her, and that’s when I saw this sad-eyed puppy who I immediately fell in love with. She was the last one in the litter – the only one that wasn’t sold yet. She reminded me of Felicity, one of my favorite TV characters -- maybe because she looked so thoughtful and sensitive.

Although I went through the motions of “thinking it over,” I knew from the very first moment I saw her that I wanted to bring her home with me. So I did. This little unnamed puppy slept in my lap the entire ride home. I decided to call her Tilly after one of my favorite bands with performers who are as nice as they are talented. (See Betamike’s recent concert review.)

Tilly already knows her name, although sometimes she chooses not to listen. She and Thor are still getting used to each other. Blood has been shed, and feelings have been hurt. But last night, they curled up together for the first time in the middle of Thor’s bed, and it was one of the most proud moments I’ve had as a mom to my doggies. Today, as I was washing dishes, I caught them kissing each other. To love and to be loved is definitely what it’s all about.

Tilly is asleep on my lap right now as I type this, and all is right with the world.

Here are some of my favorite pictures, so far, of Tilly, her brother Franklin and Thor.

the world's gone baby crazy!

Oh my goodness, what is in the water?? Guess who else is pregnant??

No, silly. Not me.

My favorite little folk songstress - Ani Difranco!!! She's due in February, and that's one lucky little burper, squirmer who enters the world and without any work, has one of the coolest, most talented and most open-minded moms in the world!

Congratulations, Ani! And congrats on being honored with the National Organization for Women's Woman of Courage award. According to news reports, Latifa Lyles, NOW's vice president of membership, presented the award to Ani and called her an inspiration, not only for her music but for her independent ideals. Yep, that's why we love her!

Ani is scheduled to deliver her new album Reprieve in August. Mike Napolitano (Any relation to Johnette?) produced the album with Ani, and hey, he's also the daddy of Ani's little zygote. (OK, at 12 weeks, the little one is more than a zygote, but whenever I can use that word, I'm going for it.)