don't vote

link from brandon

softa

today was very busy. i feel like i am getting a handle on payroll. and i even got a 10% raise. YOWza.

googled 'bored ideas' and got some ideas. music come back

photo: grain edit

i feel drunk at work

.. on kombucha!! already broke a glass cup in the break room. stil buzzin (these people buzzed too)
ughhh

keep on truckin
or
stay far away

re-tool

Hands down the most comfortable "fleece" pullover I have ever felt - the recently introduced Patagonia Re-Tool Snap-T. Research done on a lunch break trip to Whole Earth last week. Grr.. I cannot indulge, as I just purchased a new micro-puff jacket of the same brand. Seems like I may never get rid of my inclination/ fascination of technical clothing. Hopefully I'll eventually move to a colder place where this technology is actually merited. Recommended for all!

Edit:
Actually, THIS is the most comfy fleece I've ever felt - the Mountain Hardwear Monkey Fleece. And I bought it (after returning the badly fitting Patagania - boo.)

westlake is not a complete shithole

It only mostly is. Found a gluten-free bakery less than a mile from where I work off Bee Cave. Wildwood Cafe - what a wonder! Especially in this part of town swarming with gas-guzzlin' SUV's (or brand new Priuses), overpriced blah restaurants, and hillside mansions. And not to mention worst traffic from hell.

I went last week after work and bought a chocolate chip cookie, brownie and a bag of rice bread. They were all made with rice flour, and they tasted... not so satisfying. Grainy, healthy, alternative. I don't think I'm going to get used to this anytime soon.

Met up with the girls at the Gingerman yesterday (better enjoy it before it gets moved to a more yuppie location). Had cider but couldn't even get the St. Arnold's Oktoberfest pint glass. : [

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

In the camera-choosing sector, I am slowly narrowing down my choices. They come down to this: Canon Rebel Xsi + 50mm 1.8f lens (~$400) or a high end point and shoot - Panasonic Lumix Lx3 (~$450). I can't decide! I know the slr will take much better photos (and not to mention shallow depth of field), but do I want to carry around that much bulk all the time? Will I use it less because it's less portable? The Panasonic takes some wonderful photos too. But am I limiting myself once again with another point and shoot?

Photos taken with a Lumix LX3 point and shoot: Photos by Maeker

a new diet

Photo credits - Elana's Pantry

This is day 3 of my gluten-free diet. I've been exhibiting extreme tiredness, mood swings and loss of appetite for the past few weeks and after an uncontrolled attack of rage (spurred on by awful awful traffic), Brook strongly convinced me to go to the doctor and check it out. After taking a comprehensive blood test, the results came back just fine. Brook had recently talked to someone who had a gluten allergy (his masseur, actually) and realized that I was exhibiting very similar symptoms. So I'm giving this a go for a month and see if I feel discernibly better. I went to Sun Harvest a few days ago, since they have a much better selection of alternative-diet foods. They had a cheap apple sale, but I was disappointed at how much their gluten-free products cost. $6 for a loaf of bread? No thanks.

I've found a few blogs/photostream with tasty looking gluten-free recipes, but it looks like cutting out wheat is still going to be tough. Why? I love bread! And crackers! And noodles! Such staples in my old diet. Not to mention I can't have any regular baked goods, unless I use almond flour (Elena's rec) or something.

Right now I'm going to meet Brook for lunch at The Kitchen Door. I imagine that their chicken salad is only going to be half as enjoyable without their fresh baked bread (as a sandwich). But restriction is like a game- I haven't been too upset about not being able to eat certain foods yet. Hopefully that will last. It was only last week I was eating Jimmy John's italian sandwiches and baking cookies at home...

Update: Ugh! The chicken salad is rather tasteless and stringy by itself! Heavy disappointment. Probably doesn't help that my taste buds are shot from this dumb cold either. Gr. And Brook was let down by his $9 soggy roast beef sandwich too. And we went to Red Bud Isle nearby, which I didn't realize was a dog park, and got bothered by all these sniffy dogs. Not his favorite things. As this highly opinionated man complained so much, I know he was yearning instead for Foodheads and his cat Boyd. What could I do but let it roll off me like beads of water on a Gore-Tex jacket? I do that most of the time. Good idea, poor execution. Try again next time!

This homemade chicken salad looks much tastier. Love it when there are grapes.

cornflower blue

it's not difficult to paint something like this, is it?

50 mm fixed lens

photos by mot norm

i'm glad i found these articles today arguing for the 50mm lens: one and two.

there are simply too many options available and it's wonderful when a professional gives a basic gear recommendation. frills, move aside!

above photos are from the flickr of a guy living in japan who uses a classic canon rangefinder film camera with a 50mm f1.4 lens. one of my favorite flickr photostreams to peruse and savor.

best places: scandy?

Wahoo! This never happens! My question got answered on this Freakonomics blog post about the best places to live:

Q: What do you think of Scandinavia? It’s a beautiful part of Europe with world-class design. However, how rich does one have to be to live comfortably over there?

Have you seen the Monocle list? Do you think Copenhagen is really the best one?

A: It is beautiful there. My family is only a generation removed from Scandinavia, and I spent a few years growing up in Oslo.

One downside is the climate, which makes our rainy Northwest and upstate New York winters seem like Miami Beach by comparison. And the cost of living can be very high, with high taxes.

But several recent studies have declared some of the Scandinavian countries as having the highest quality of life, and the most contented people. Despite that, I’ve not heard of too many people emigrating there from the U.S. Most Americans seem interested in sunnier, warmer climes, such as Italy, France, or Eastern Europe.

---

As much as I complain about the Texas heat, I can't imagine trading it out for the miserable and long cold. Guess I'm like "most Americans." Don't want to take a gamble! And I wonder if the high quality of life only applies to people who are born in that area. Does the benefit extend to foreigners?

f-troupe

**from their latest autumn/winter collection:





i'm really diggin' these unisex vintage-looking hiking boots. i keep trying in vain to locate something like this on ebay, but it may be easier to just get the expensive option.

blogger post with better photos (where i got the 1st photo).

retrovelo

due to my practical bent, i normally turn away from clunky retro dutch bikes, but these smaller-sized ones are so, so lovely. and not like the 'hey let me attach a wicker basket to the front and ride through a cobblestone street to the grocery' types. those are fine, but not my style.

the fat tires are cute!!! apparently to maintain a lower rolling resistance, they need an insanely high psi.

so $2000+ though. wonder if i can build a cheaper version someday. i will definitely use the color palette of the bike in the last photo for future inspiration..




website
dave's retrovelo
katalog

bike wedding

beautiful. more!

fashfinds of today

i'm really diggin' these collar-y sweaters

acne

hyden yoo

built by wendy

crate
{denim jacket with cashmere hood and elbow patches!!}

american retro

burlap.

want.. but no sizes!

burlap laptop sleeve - applesac:

i see a darkness

set
by jorgen1032

reference: to buy: 10/08

keep quilted hoodie 125

built by wendy henley 25

keep tatum boots 85

profiling pics

Men in pictures where women are smiling at them are deemed more attractive by women. It looks like they're nuzzling against them, more like..

New Scientist link
Link 2 - photos taken from here

love the goofs

Today's theme on eklektikos: world smile day. this at the end of a cowboy song made me smile:

well done
hot dog bun
my sister's a nun

- John Prine's "Illegal Smile"

Joined the seriouscompacts.com group on flickr. Hope I get a serious compact soon. Very soon.

new YACHT shirt (idea)

The School of Life. I've run across this website and wasn't sure what to think about this so-called school. All Saints (my old church) was intrigued and wrote an exploratory blog post about it. Fascinating! And man, how is Gate Davis so in the know? Can't wait to read what Greg's dialogue.

Alain de Botton (from The School of Life) interview in Monocle about what's right and wrong about urban development. "There can be genius in the ordinary, and mediocrity in the extraordinary."

the japan fashion

- sometimes supremely ugly

- sometimes painfully ordinary
- gussied up technical gear
- distinctly american blue-collar worker influenced (and others)
- collaborations!
- mens > womens [my opinion]
- ALL CAPS
- ever-changing
- to pull off the real look, most of the time you need to be japanese

images from a shop found from a search motivated by july/aug monocle's fashion briefing koji onishi short interview-

orSlow

maillot

nisica - [my fave]

Sierra Designs

TEMBEA