Advice from a Rapper

Remember all those times your mom (or grandparents) made you turn off your hip hop music? She said it was because the language was too filthy, or the bass was too loud. You knew it was because rappers had a bad rep for pimpin ho's--generally disrespecting women, smoking drugs and being violent. You knew that underneath all the bling, there was some real lyrical genius, and musical talent. Hello? That's why you listened to it right? Not just because you wanted an excuse to wear tight tank tops like 50 Cent?

Well it turns out yo momma was depriving you of some good old fashioned sound advice. From the rappers. That's right, they were actually spitting real motivational speeches in their beats.

Jessica Wright, a graphic designer from Austin, Texas has distilled out these little nuggets of wisdom and made a blog out of it. Advice from a Rapper gives you words of wisdom straight out of the mouths of rap legends like Tupac, Cypress Hill, and Biggie in a cute little graphic matched up with the faces who gave it to you, and the album and song title in case you want to have a listen.

Not only do I feel a little inspired, I created a new playlist of some of my old favorite forgotten songs. What's up now Mom?

Hipster Trap

Most people I know who have less than perfect vision hate (HATE) wearing their glasses. They live in contacts, and often go around bumping into things, and mistaking deer on the side of the road for large rocks when they run out of lenses, or their eyes are irritated. They dislike the glasses that much that they will wander about in a blurry world just to avoid wearing the things.

I was at a concert on Monday. Several of the band members, and audience alike wore oversize glasses. My friend mused, "I wonder how many of their glasses are real?"

I looked around. My guess? None. The glasses looked like costume accessories. I have been lucky enough to be graced with perfect vision. I can't say I would ever pick up a pair of frames just for fun that I didn't have to wear. That's what sunglasses are for, right? But now, it's a legitimate hipster trend to wear "nerd" glasses for show, as a "cool" (read: trying waaay to hard) accessory. Now for your viewing pleasure, here's some pictures of other things that look silly in faux glasses.

 If your adorable teddy bear can't pull it off, what makes you think you can?

 People with mustaches. This might be ok sine they're wearing them to as a joke, obvi.

 People who are seriously wearing fake glasses and being serious

 Puppies with scarves

 Puppies with hipster hats

And finally Stitch. Now, don't embarrass yourself, and go sell all those clear lens frames to Beacon's Closet you know they'll be snapping em up left and right.

New Favorites

I saw Pearl and the Beard for the first time ever last night, and I think I'm in love. The band is made of three people making beautiful harmonies to the tune of the cello, drums, and a guitar. I'm downloading their new cd Killing the Darlings as we speak. Have a listen, and try not to tap along on your thigh a little.

Stand with Planned Parenthood: TONIGHT

Do you support freedom of choice? Do you respect women, and their right to have control over their own reproductive abilities? Or do you just like safe sex?

Come to the Bowery Ballroom tonight to support Planned Parenthood in their fight to overturn the legislation trying to take away their federal funding (read: shut them down). Tickets are $25 to get you in the doors (opening at 7). That will get you 4 bands, and the warm fuzzy feeling you get when you do something good for other people.

Kicking off the festivities at 7:30 are Pearl and the Beard singing folk melodies to the tune of organic sounds like the washing machine, followed by The Bloodsugars, Anna Egge, and the headlining band Thao and the Get Down Stay Down. You’d spend that much on a Monday night CVS run for nail polish and face wash anyways. And let’s be real here, this event is going to be much more fun.

Words of Wisdom for the Day

Sutras Collection

Just when you thought a girl couldn't get any more fabulous, she goes and changes up the game. Again.  In addition to being a princess, single handedly revolutionizing women's fashion with the iconic wrap dress, and presiding over the CFDA as president, now she's adding jewelry designer to her lengthy list of conquered frontiers. Diane Von Furstenberg created the Sutras collection for H. Stern complete with rock-crystal cabochons (gems that are shaped and polished rather than faceted) set in glossy 18 karat gold. Each piece is engraved with one of DVF's personal motivations: Love, Laughter, Freedom, Harmony, Confidence, Truth, and Life. The collaboration began seven years ago, inspired by jewelry making techniques from the Mughal Empire of Jaipur, India, but DVF recently added eight pieces including those pictured above ranging in price from $3,200 to $8,200. 

Coffee Connection

If you’re anything like me, when a dude asks you out on a date to grab a coffee you think:

1. Yawn. Are we serious? Coffee is the best this guy could come up with?
2. It’d better be Irish coffee we’re talking about.
3. He just wants to be friends or is a major hipster who hangs out in coffee shops.
4. All of the above.

Well, the April issue of Marie Claire magazine is throwing my typical date theory for a loop. They agree it may be a tad unoriginal, but  insist that the coffee date has its romantic perks (especially with this unseasonably cold weather we’ve been having!). For starters, if you have no chemistry, you can suck down your latte and get out of there fast (my advice, not Marie Claire’s).

Second (and this is really from the mag), data form Yale University implies that when two individuals drink hot java together, the drinkers perceive the other person as more trustworthy because the insula part of the brain is activated by the heat of the beverage. This center processes both physical and emotional warmth, and may generate some warm feelings towards your coffee partner. I wonder if the same thing works with hot toddies?