Sub-par-way

So did Subway just decide it had mastered the sandwich and that it needed to move on to another food completely? Well, I've got news for you, Subway. Bad news. You are not good at sandwiches. So maybe you should focus on the war at home and leave pizza out of it. Oh, yeah, that reminds me, The War at Home also sucks.

Rain. Right?

Our very own Jordan Riggs' video is featured on Funny or Die. J, or should I say Professor Character, you are the funniest faller I've seen since Tobias Funke slipped on Gangy's "accident."

RAIN:H20...NO - watch more funny videos

Speaking of Fall

Wedding Location

This video serves multiple purposes. 1) It reminds us all of why the Grand Canyon is a perfect wedding destination. 2) It shows Ryan how he should do his hair for the ceremony. 3) The background music is perfect for a first dance.

Congratulations are in Order

My brother Ryan and his lady-love Maria got engaged this weekend! Congratulations you two! I'm looking forward to toasting to your love next year.

Berkeley Flea Market

Today the Mr. and I went to the Berkeley Flea Market at the Ashby BART station. Not too much to report. We were only there 30 minutes or so due to my headache, the massive drum circle, and our lack of interest in basketball shoes, pirated DVDs and belts. The photo theme of the afternoon was repetition.

Band of Brothers

There's nothing like watching Band of Brothers to make you feel like the biggest weenie with the least significant problems on planet Earth.

Halloweeners

Oh, I adore this time of year. Summer finally comes to an end (in theory-- summer doesn't really end until mid November in Southern California) and it comes time to cozy up with scarves and mittens and pumpkin pie lattes. Well, pumpkin flavored anything, for that matter. Pumpkin flavored babies. Haha, that's gross. I hate babies.

Tea, Glorious, Tea

These are the ingredients in my favorite herbal tea, and boy are they beautiful. (Chamomile, Spearmint, West Indian Lemongrass, Tilia Flowers, Blackberry Leaves, Orange Blossoms, Hawthorn and Rosebuds)

Backup Face

Via Toothpaste For Dinner.

Carrotmob

I just heard about this interesting concept called Carrotmob. The website says "Carrotmob is a method of activism that leverages consumer power to make the most socially-responsible business practices also the most profitable choices. Businesses compete with one another to see who can do the most good, and then a big mob of consumers buys products in order to reward whichever business made the strongest commitment to improve the world. It’s the opposite of a boycott." What they do is leverage companies against one another, getting the businesses to commit a certain percentage of the profits made from the influx of customers (the Carrotmobbers) and whoever commits the highest percentage toward sustainable modifications to their business gets mobbed with customers. It sounds like a pretty interesting idea that could really make some change if it gains momentum. For those in the San Francisco area, there's a Carrobmob coming to Shotwell's on October 24th. If you're not nearby, you can even organize one in your own in your area.

Alert

Sufjan Stevens' "The BQE (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". The answer to life, the universe, and everything. Go suck an egg, 42.

Treasure Island Music Festival

This weekend we went to the Treasure Island Music Festival. I had never been to Treasure Island before, but a quick google told me that it is an artificial island originally used as an airport and built from landfill that was dredged from the bottom of the Bay during the Great Depression. You can see it's absence on the 1915 map below. I guess one man's trash is another man's treasure... island.

Pat and Tom trying to figure out why The Decemberists sucked so much.

Courtney, thrilled about how good Grizzly Bear and Beirut were.

Tom, readying his mind for the Flaming Lips.

Puppy piling for warmth.

Flaming Lips, Flaming Lips, Flaming Lips.

Old Friends

"It is one of the blessings of old friends

that you can afford to be stupid with them."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Are you sure about that?

"I'm not a racist. I just don't believe in mixing the races that way."

Plaid Orchids

Squirrel Sandwich

Don't Follow Me, I'm Lost

My dear friend Richard Rushfield (of Gawker fame) has just published his latest book, entitled Don't Follow Me, I'm Lost: A Memoir of Hampshire College in the Twilight of the '80s. "That sounds too topical!" you may say. Don't you want to hear the story behind the man below, an actual Hampshire teacher?

Of course you do. It's probably a really great story. His book is available on Amazon or in any self- respecting bookstore.

Congratulations, R.R.!

Trend Watch!

Skin Deep

Ever since I read about this website, I keep checking back over and over to see if, and how, I am unintentionally poisoning myself. It's shocking, but at least half of the products I use daily rank from 7-10 (high hazard) on their toxicity scoring system. I don't even buy cosmetics or products that are particularly potent or promise a drastic changes using prescription strength ingredients or anything. Just normal, regular-strength brand name deodorant, shampoo, lotion, etc.

The links my favorite products have to cancer, birth defects, and neurotoxicity (to name a few) make me want to switch over to less dangerous products, but almost without exception the lowest ranking products are the most expensive and hardest to find.

You generally have to get in the 3-6 (moderate hazard) range before any of the products are purchasable at a place like Target. I know and appreciate the fact that the information is out there and available for me to find online, but I wish there was A) some system of alerting the consumer of the dangers of products while they are in the store and B) more safe, affordable products available at places where most people shop.

one of those days

BIRTHDAY

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Adamant Hero blogger and brother extraordinaire Ryan Winger who celebrates his 27th birthday today!

Union Design Festival, etc.

Yesterday, Tom, Hoai, Jimmy, Omar, Rebecca, Kate and I went to the Union Design Festival in Hayes Valley. I'd recommend going if you're looking for some great, one of a kind jewelry and accessories, but don't expect to find clothes.

I was going to buy this fantastic bird necklace, but then the woman at the booth gave it to me for free in exchange for manning the booth while she got tea. I was, and am, stoked.

Jimmy modeling my new necklace with great zeal.

Why, hello.

Rebecca and Kate enjoying their long-awaited lunch.

We went to this pop-up shop that had a beautiful Vespa on display.

The shop had something to do with these ball-noodles. We didn't really understand what was going on.

Then we got ice cream at Ghirardelli.