It's All In The Hair

If I am as amazing as Margaret Bold when I'm old, I'll be one lucky lady!

Stand By Your Man

I've loved Conan since I was fourteen, and was incredibly saddened to get the inside scoop on how he's been treated by NBC via his poignant letter released today. The letter is addressed to the "People of Earth," and that alone was enough to make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. NBC has another thing coming if they think they can just let go of an immense talent like Conan without having any regrets. Let's hope we haven't seen the last of Mr. O'Brien. I really can't express in words how much laughter, and happiness he's brought to my life through his unique brand of humor. I'm lucky enough to say that I got the chance to see Late Night before Conan made the move to L.A. and the 14 year old inside me was so jazzed that it hurt. I just wish I had seen this show:

What other grown man would ever try his hand at this? And this is why Conan is a genius. Well this and the string dance.

Image courtesy of Mike Mitchell.

Growing Up Is Hard To Do

Growing up, I was never a complete dork, but I was also never one of the "cool kids" because I cared too much about school work and pleasing my parents. I dubbed myself "a floater" somewhere between 6th and 8th grade, and even through college and into my adult life the label has stuck. I pride myself on being friends with all sorts of people, and I love surrounding myself with interesting people from all walks of life whether they're complete extroverts or painful introverts. But during those awkward adolescent years, I think we're all lucky if we find something to grab hold of. Whether it's sports, music, or good friends having a social outlet to preoccupy the mind is incredibly important when it's constantly gravitating towards insecure thoughts. Case in point, the amazing kids who made this ode to Gaga with their own version of "Bad Romance". You can tell they are having the time of their lives, and it just doesn't matter what anybody thinks. In the words of Gaga herself: "Holy shit!"

Via Jezebel

Just When You Thought Libraries Were Uncool...

NYU's Fales Library which holds a number of special collections, is currently working on beefing up their newly announced Riot Grrrrl Collection with the "papers" of Bikini Kill lead singer and noted feminist Kathleen Hanna. First of all, I can't believe there's a Riot Grrrrl Collection! That is probably the coolest thing academia has done in a while. Second, the fact that there will now be a part of that collection dubbed "The Kathleen Hanna Papers" made up of her zines, correspondences, and other Bikini Kill era tidbits is totally amazing. Most pop culture junkies agree that Bikini Kill was instrumental in creating the third wave feminist post-hardcore movement, and Hanna is still doing it (albeit more accessibly) with her band Le Tigre. I just might have to dust off my library card and make a trip to the stacks!

Via The L Magazine

Cat Man

Have You Heard?

I can't believe it's taken me this long to blog about my dear college friend Benoit Pioulard. Sure, when his first record came out I made the bold move of approaching a senior editor at SPIN (where I was a lowly intern) to pitch a story to him, but that was years ago. Now with two full length records under his belt and another hopefully on the way, Mr. Meluch aka Benoit Pioulard has been making waves in the underground music scene on all his own. Both Précis and Temper are beautiful examples of his meticulous song writing, and haunting melodies. I just hope he decides to test out new material on my ears, like he did in college. I'll be waiting patiently. Below is the video for "Ragged Tint" off of his sophomore release, Temper. Give it a listen and discover the perfect soundtrack for a cold winter morning.

See You In Another Life, Brotha!

There's only 28 days left until the premiere of LOST's final season! The anticipation is killing me! Check out the Last Supper ode above... what does it all mean!?! I'm sad that my favorite Scotsman seems to be MIA, but let's just hope he pops in to say hello at some point. There's not much time for non-LOSTies to catch up, but ABC has released an updated version of "Everything You Need to Know About LOST in 8:15" for you crammers who want to brush up on your knowledge. It's quite amusing, though I doubt anyone who hasn't seen the show will be able to follow the insanity. Let the countdown begin!

Via Gawker

For The Love of Food

We may have just barreled head first into a bitter winter, but my need for greens every single day has not waned. In the past, I've craved piping hot pastas and other comfort food, but for some reason I've managed to stay *gasp* healthy throughout these harsh months. Part of the reason is the fantastic salads I've come across, that are packed full of flavor and are surprisingly filling. Those who know me, are well aware of my ongoing obsession with a certain Grilled Halloumi Salad at my local haunt. For those who need a little background, Halloumi is a Cypriot cheese that's best described as follows: if Feta and Mozzarella had a baby, it would be Halloumi. It has the chewiness of Mozzarella coupled with the saltiness of Feta, but has a mild flavor that won't offend cheese unenthusiasts. I ate this salad at least once a week while I was unemployed, and was devastated when they told me that it was a summer item that would soon disappear from the menu. I don't know if it was due to my sales alone, but somehow the salad has made it's way onto their winter menu allowing me to savor it on occasion. But this isn't brain surgery people - it's just salad making, so this weekend I thought to myself it's about time I try my hand at conjuring up this lemony confection. It's incredibly simple, and oh-so-fresh so I recommend you try this Grilled Halloumi Salad for a light and refreshing winter pick me up!

Ingredients:

1 bunch of mixed greens
1 bunch of mint, chopped finely
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
2 roma tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 onion, chopped (optional, I hate raw onions in salads but others love it!)
4 slices Haloumi cheese (for each serving of salad)

For the dressing:
2 lemons, juiced
Olive oil, equal parts olive oil and lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:

Combine the mixed greens and mint with the cucumber, tomato (and onion). Grill the slices of Haloumi cheese on a grill pan to warm the cheese through, and get those fantastic grill marks. Combine the dressing with the salad, plate the greens and arrange the cheese slices (3-4 pieces per serving) on top. Enjoy!