Lead on, lady!

Was talking to a friend about the glory that is Ani DiFranco, so I thought I'd post lyrics to a few songs that I try to live by...

"hour follows hour
like water follows water
everything is governed by the rule
of one thing leads to another.
you can't really place blame
cuz blame is much too messy
some was bound to get on you
while you were trying to put it on me.
and don't fool yourself
into thinking things are simple
nobody's lying still the stories don't line up.
why do you try to hold on
to what you'll never get a hold on?
you wouldn't try to put the ocean
in a paper cup.
hour follows hour like water in a river
and from one to the next
we don't know what each hour will deliver.
we just call it like we see it
call it out loud as we can
and then afterwards we call it all water over the dam.
maybe the moral higher ground
ain't as high as it seems
maybe we are both good people
done some bad things
i just hope it was okay
i know it wasn't perfect
i hope in the end we can laugh
and say it was all worth it.
cuz i have had something to prove
as long as i know something
that needs improvement
and you know that everytime i move
i make a woman's movement
and first you decide what you've gotta do
then you go out and do it
and maybe the most that we can do
is just to see each other through it.
we make our own gravity to give weight to things
then things fall and they break and gravity sings.
we can only hold so much is what i figure
try and keep our eye on the big picture
picture keeps getting bigger.
and too much is how i love you
but too well is how i know you
and i've got nothing to prove this time
just something to show you
i guess i just wanted you to see
that it was all worth it to me"
-Hour Follows Hour

"squint your eyes and look closer
i'm not between you and your ambition
i am a poster girl with no poster
i am thirty-two flavors and then some
and i'm beyond your peripheral vision
so you might want to turn your head
cause someday you're going to get hungry
and eat most of the words you just said

both my parents taught me about good will
and i have done well by their names
just the kindness i've lavished on strangers
is more than i can explain
still there's many who've turned out their porch lights
just so i would think they were not home
and hid in the dark of their windows
till i'd passed and left them alone

and god help you if you are an ugly girl
course too pretty is also your doom
cause everyone harbors a secret hatred
for the prettiest girl in the room
and god help you if you are a phoenix
and you dare to rise up from the ash
a thousand eyes will smolder with jealousy
while you are just flying past

i'm not trying to give my life meaning
by demeaning you
and i would like to state for the record
i did everything that i could do
i'm not saying that i'm a saint
i just don't want to live that way
no, i will never be a saint
but i will always say

squint your eyes and look closer
i'm not between you and your ambition
i am a poster girl with no poster
i am thirty-two flavors and then some
and i'm beyond your peripheral vision
so you might want to turn your head
cause someday you might find you're starving
and eating all of the words you said"
-32 Flavors

Walk the Line

I just watched the terrific film, “Walk the Line” and I was so touched by the story of Johnny Cash’s life. I’ve always loved the man and his music, especially the lyrics to “Man in Black.” My boyfriend and I even named our black puppy after him because of those lyrics; we want him to grow up and be a noble protector, a faithful friend. So far he’s just a friendly spaz, but I digress. ;)

Johnny Cash was a truly great man with a wonderful heart and tremendous talent. I’m sure he and his late wife June are in heaven, proud of the tribute Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon have paid them.

I admire anyone who can survive the tragedy of losing a loved one and anyone who can overcome a powerful addiction. But when people can do those things and then share their stories and spread their hope to the world and truly touch people… THAT is heroic. And to help someone battle their demons so that they can live to offer their gifts to others is just as heroic.

Here’s to you, John and June—your spirit and your message lives on.

“Man In Black” by Johnny Cash

“Well, you wonder why I always dress in black,
Why you never see bright colors on my back,
And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone.
Well, there's a reason for the things that I have on.

I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down,
Living in the hopeless, hungry side of town,
I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime,
But is there because he's a victim of the times.

I wear the black for those who never read,
Or listened to the words that Jesus said,
About the road to happiness through love and charity,
Why, you'd think He's talking straight to you and me.

Well, we're doing mighty fine, I do suppose,
In our streak of lightning cars and fancy clothes,
But just so we're reminded of the ones who are held back,
Up front there ought to be a man in black.

I wear it for the sick and lonely old,
For the reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold,
I wear the black in mourning for the lives that could have been,
Each week we lose a hundred fine young men.

And, I wear it for the thousands who have died,
Believing that the Lord was on their side,
I wear it for another hundred thousand who have died,
Believing that we all were on their side.

Well, there's things that never will be right I know,
And things need changing everywhere you go,
But 'til we start to make a move to make a few things right,
You'll never see me wear a suit of white.

Ah, I'd love to wear a rainbow every day,
And tell the world that everything's o.k.,
But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back,
'Till things are brighter, I'm the man in black.”

Quick note to women everywhere...

...but especially women in N.Y.C.: IF YOU CANNOT WALK IN A PAIR OF SHOES, DO NOT WEAR THEM!!! You're not only doing almost certain damage to your feet, but you also LOOK LIKE IDIOTS!!!!!!! I am constantly boggled by the fact that women, mostly women in this city, where the streets are treacherous to begin with, insist on wearing shoes in which they cannot move properly. Some of them look like Bambi learning to walk, some look like they have hemorrhoids, and others look like their walking on stilts. It's ridiculous, and certainly doesn’t give them the sexy strut or elegant stroll they so desire. I don't care how beautiful your shoes are, how in style they are, or how much they cost: if you can't walk in them, YOU WON’T LOOK GOOD IN THEM!!!!!!! And it's not just random club-goers trying to be cool; I've seen CELEBRITIES fall victim to this idiocy!!! People with handlers, and p.r. rep.s (whose job it is to not let them out in public looking stupid and should be fired!) are walking around like circus freaks! When I worked at Planet Hollywood, we did a press event for the opening of Amanda Bynes's first big movie: "What a Girl Wants" and she could barely walk in her high heels, let alone climb the stairs to have her picture taken on the platform. Seriously, what are people thinking as they practically limp, legs akimbo down the street???!?! Take it from me girls, no matter how pretty you may be standing still, a bad walk can ruin your mojo... and your ankles!!!

p.s.- Want a pair of shoes desperately and can’t walk in them? Found the most adorable six-inch spike heels ever and can barely stand in them? Let me know. I will happily give you FREE lessons to have you strutting like a pro in no time… and by pro, I do mean confident prostitute. ;)

Quick post for foodies

I won't make a habit of posting stuff about food/recipes, because I don’t eat out enough or cook enough to have much to offer, but I had to share this one discovery that some of you may already know about. I love humus but a lot of times I find it bland, especially if I order it from a restaurant. But I've found that adding just a few tablespoons of olive tapanade, red pepper tapanade, or sun-dried tomato pesto makes any humus AWESOME. =) Enjoy!

Oscars 2006

I'm amazed "Crash" won for best picture. Not that I thought it was a BAD film, but I don't think it was better than the other nominees, especially "Brokeback Mountain." Hopefully it will start a trend of making more films about topical events in today's society that are often written off as 'business as usual.'

Reese Witherspoon's speech was perfect- she seems like a really nice person as well as a great actress. It's nice to see someone scandal-free in Hollywood who values family and decency over promiscuity and self-importance.

And just a quick note on fashion (the least important but most talked about part of the night): ladies- don't wear a dress or hairstyle that you're going to have to fidget with all night! A strapless dress is fine if you can refrain from hitching it up over your boobs fifty times-- if you can't, for fear that they'll pop out, you've got the wrong dress. And Selma Hyak? You're beautiful, I love you, and tossing your hair back over your shoulder once is sexy. But doing it 4 times in 2 minutes makes you look like an idiot.

Jon Stewart is brilliant. Maybe the funniest, smartest presenter ever. Way to point out how ridiculous it is that "It's Hard Out There for a Pimp" won, but Scorcese is still without a statue.

Congrats to all the winners out there- I hope to work with you all someday, especially you, PTH; you and your wife may be clueless about fashion, but you can act like a HOUSE ON FIRE!!!!!! Rock on.