Greener bums

Being that I work for a magazine that is constantly promoting ways to live greener, I knew it was high time for me to check my baby green when I was buying a 152-count box of diapers. Between disposable diapers, wipes and breast pads my trash has increased substantially since having my son. On top of the increase in trash, I realized that I was spending about $60 a month on these items, which I knew was going to increase as my son grew and so did his pee and poop.

While I was pregnant I began researching cloth diapers—there are tons to choose from. Life got carried away once my son was born and I never got around to actually purchasing, and disposable are just so easy. But I did have two different diapers in mind: the G Diaper and bumGenius. I liked these two the best for their ease of use; both are shaped like disposable diapers and use Velcro fasteners. I wanted a diaper that was going to be easy and convenient to use so I would stick with them.

The G Diaper is not totally a cloth diaper; it is considered a hybrid diaper because the outer shell is cloth but the insert is disposable, made from a bio-degradable material. Even though the insert is bio-degradable it was still going to be something that I would have to continue to replenish, and at about $0.36 for each insert, the G Diaper was going to end up costing about the same, if not more, than disposable diapers.

The bunGenius diaper is a true cloth diaper and are part of the pocket class of cloth diapers, meaning the absorbent insert—in this case, thick micro-fiber—is inserted into a pocket in the shell. So the bumGenius ended up being the ones I went with. They are a bit expensive to start, about $17 each or $200 for 12 (each diaper gets cheaper the more you buy).What makes them stand out from other cloth diapers is that one diaper will fit a baby from 7-35 pounds. So there will be no need to buy bigger diapers as Avi grows. In addition, I’ll be able to use these diapers for my next child. I ordered two to start just to make sure I like them, then made the full commitment and ordered 12. To make life even easier, I also got the diaper sprayer, also a bumGenius product, which simply attaches to the back of the toilet to spray solids right into the bowl, and ImseVimse liners, which are unbleached biodegradable sheets (they remind me of dryer sheets) that go between baby and diaper to lift the solids off the diaper. The liners can be flushed or thrown away. Yes, I did mention that having to replenish something was one of the reasons why I didn’t go with the G Diapers, but the liners are only about $0.06 each and they are not a necessity to using the Bum Genius diapers, they are just an added convenience.

We have been using the bumGenius now for about two weeks and my husband and I love them. Yes, it did take a few days to get used to not throwing the diapers away—we literally almost threw a few away. And Avi doesn’t know the difference. I am thinking about purchasing another 12 diapers. Avi goes through about eight a day so I am washing them every day.

To lessen our trash even more, we finally began using the cloth wipes that my friend’s mom made me—she made about 80 and gave me a wipes warmer for a baby shower gift. I had never even thought about cloth wipes, which I am surprised that in researching cloth diapers I didn’t come across cloth wipes because there are just as many wipes as there are diapers in the world of cloth. To save some money, buy some flannel fabric, cut a bunch of 7 by 10 inch rectangles and hem all four sides—presto, you now have a wipe. I recommend making at least 60. Of course, if you don’t have the time or a sewing machine (or a friend to do it for you), buying them is just as good. When using cloth wipes you can buy a solution or you can make your own. It is so easy: mix 1 tablespoon of baby wash, 1 tablespoon of baby oil (I found the cream baby oil to work best because it won’t separate) and 2 cups of hot water; give it all a shake. You can keep the solution in a spray bottle to spray the wipe before you wipe baby’s bum, or what I like best is to soak the wipes in the solution and store them in the wipes warmer so they are ready to go.

I will admit, I am using disposable diapers and wipes while out. I mean really, who wants to lug around a soiled diaper all day?

To take the whole re-usable practice even further, I have begun using cloth breast pads at home. No, I didn’t make these. Like everything in the baby retail world there are tons of brands to choose from. I didn’t give this much thought, I just picked up a six-pair pack (three pairs) at Babies R Us for about $6. The cloth pads are not as absorbent as the disposable, but hey, that is why I use them at home.

I have found that cottonbabies.com is a great resource for all of the products I’ve mentioned, as well as a whole world of, what they call, “natural parenting” products.

I am always on the lookout for ways to decrease my trash and save money, so I will keep you up-to-date on new finds and tips.

Food Systems & Sustainability Conference

Last week Ana and I went to the Food Systems & Sustainability Conference at UC Davis and it was fascinating on many fronts. Experts from throughout the U.S. came to talk about the challenges, policies and the effects of U.S. practice around the globe. As Ana recapped beautifully, “Many important people were saying many important things.” Yup, that pretty much sums it up.

One of the most interesting topics was about access to food. The great paradox that we see today is that food is cheaper than it’s ever been before; more food is available than ever before, yet we have more people starving in the U.S. (and around the world) than ever before. How can that be?

There are many reasons, but a large one is access to food—particularly healthy, fresh foods. For example, one panelist cited a study done in the city of Detroit that found that for a population of 850,000 people there was not one grocery store within the city limits. Not one. The primary source of food is convenience stores like 7-11 and gas station ready-marts. Holy jumpin’ jehosephat! Now, the reasons for this are again, many and complicated, but the end result is that folks in the city are a) buying UNHEALTHY pre-packaged convenience foods and b) buying extremely EXPENSIVE food and receiving very little value for it in return.

The followup to this scenario is a sharp increase in food-related diseases stemming from conditions such as obesity and diabetes, which consequently puts additional burden on our healthcare systems. Well, no wonder!

For locals who live in the Solano region there is a glimmer of hope. We are surrounded by farm and ranchland where fresh food is available at reasonable prices directly to the consumer. Larry’s Produce in Suisun Valley is a perennial favorite for all those looking for a bargain and the mobs of people on the weekend prove it. (My hint: go on a weekday morning to avoid the crowd.)

Also, every city in the tri-county area has a farmers’ market, some are year-round. AND … wait for it … according to Patrick Duterte, Director of Health and Social Services for Solano County, local farmers’ markets may start accepting food stamps starting as early as April. It’s a program that the county is working hard on, modeled after the pilot program in Long Beach, Calif. When it starts Solano County will be the second county in California to make this program fly. It’s a huge step towards connecting those in need with healthy, fresh food.

The other aspect of living locally is that our weather conditions make it an optimal place to grow your own Victory Garden. It doesn’t have to be very big to yield food for your whole family. A 3×6′ garden box will generally suffice for a family of four. Growing your own food is relatively inexpensive and the region’s agricultural resources make doing so even easier. Visit your local UC Extension office (the one in Solano is located in downtown Fairfield and is housed with the county’s ag department) for more information and helpful resources. The Master Gardener program also operates out of the Extension office and is available for all kinds of gardening questions—for FREE.

Amidst all the important discussion going on I was often distracted by a couple of ladies off to the side of the room. They were furiously drawing and scribbling, sticking post-it notes all over a large 4×8’ board. These ladies are professional brainstorming illustrators and facilitators and they were graphically recording the live discussion for future use.

I was fascinated!

What a cool job, eh?

Baby Wearing

I am a firm believer that wearing your baby,the practice of carrying your baby throughout the day, is the best way to help a baby transition to their new world by keeping them close to mom’s heart beat and smell—just like they experienced for nine months while in the womb. Since it is not too convenient to have your hands full of a baby all day, I was determined to find a carrier that worked for both Avi and me, one that was easy to use and comfortable to wear. But this became much harder than I had first thought it would be. I mean, with the vast array of carriers that are available, the choice was mind boggling.

Slings: Typically one shoulder carriers are best for the newborn through early toddler years. Most often individuals will carry their baby in a cradle position, just like cradling the baby in your arms. However, there are about five positions that you can carrier baby in. In this class of carrier there are two, a pouch and a ring sling. Prices range from $20-150. There are as many makers of these types of carries as there are fabric choices, which range from simple solid colors to elaborate brocade fabrics.

Ring sling

Pouch sling

Wraps: These are made of one very long piece of fabric that is wrapped around your torso and over both shoulders, offering more back support than the sling. These carriers offer the widest array of carrying options, at least seven, and are good from birth through toddler—frankly they are good for as long as you can carry the weight of your child. The wrap is also great for those with twins since you can hold both babies with one carrier. In this class there are also two types: woven fabric and stretchy fabric. Prices range from $40-125.

Soft structured: These carriers include backpacks and front carriers. The front carriers can be worn from birth to about one year, so these are not the best choice for toddlers. The makers of the backpack carriers say that they can be worn with newborns, but since there is not as much head support as with the above carriers, they are best for babies who have developed head control. Prices range from $17-160.

I knew that I wanted a carrier that offered many carrying options to get the most use out of it. My in-laws gave me a front carrier, an Infantino comfort rider. Avi tolerated this carrier for only short periods at a time, which made it pretty much useless for getting daily tasks done, such as grocery shopping. Besides, like I said, I wanted one that offered more than just one carrying position.

Next, I bought a HotSling, which is a pouch sling. I chose a size that fit my body according to their sizing chart. When I got this sling in the mail, put it on and placed Avi in it, it was WAY TOO SMALL, and this was when he was only a week old. I didn’t order a bigger size since I had read tons of online reviews of people having problems with sizing; Hotsling has something like seven sizes and I didn’t feel like ordering one in each to find the size that fit.

Front carrier

Back carrier

From there I ordered a Peanut Shell in the size they recommended, which was WAY TOO BIG. Avi had this huge flap of fabric covering his face (not good). By this time I was beginning to feel like Goldilocks. Would the next carrier fit just right? I then ordered the next size down in the Peanut Shell. I stuck with the Peanut Shell because it has a pocket in front. Yes, not a major factor, but a pocket does come in handy for things like pacifiers or spit-up rags. Okay so back to the second Peanut Shell, fourth carrier total. I had high hopes for this size, I put it on and it seemed like a good fit. I placed Avi in it and began to walk around the house. Remember how I said he tolerated the Infantino carrier? Yeah, he didn’t like this at all. I tried it over several days, you know, trying to get him use to it, there was no change in his opinion.

Thankfully I remembered that there was a baby shop in Benicia, I didn’t want to deal with the mail again. I was ready to try a ring sling, which I heard that some people had problems with the fabric slipping out of the rings, and a wrap carrier, after all these were the only two left. Laura, the owner of Buttons and Bows on First Street in Benicia, was so helpful. She pulled out a ring sling and a wrap carrier, and helped me with both Laura also sells Mai Tei, which are a type of soft structured carrier. While the ring sling was much better than a pouch sling since it is adjustable, I came to the conclusion that Avi just doesn’t like the cradle hold. So now I was down to my last option, the wrap carrier, specifically the Moby. Originally I didn’t really want a wrap carrier because it just looked confusing with all that fabric, but after seeing a woman in Babies R Us who looked very comfortable wearing one I thought I should give it a try. Beside, nothing else was working. Laura demonstrated how to tie it on herself, and then I tied it on me, which was much simpler than I thought. The heavens shined down upon me. Avi liked it! I think he was asleep in less than 10 minutes of me wearing it in the store. I was sold! I had finally found a winner. Why is it that the last one you try is the one that works the best? [Because you don't try any more after that!--AC]

Wrap -- success! (This isn't me, though)

It has been more than a week and we love it. Avi and I have gone grocery shopping, to lunch with a friend, walking around the Vacaville Outlets, prepping dinner (never cook while wearing baby), and every time he is very content—well, until he is hungry or needs to be changed. Having the carrier is so much more convenient that lugging the infant car seat around or pulling the stroller out of the trunk. All I do is take my little guy out of his car seat and slip him into the wrap, and then my hands are free wherever we go. On top of that, he is so much more content being next to me during the day than when I put him in is bouncy chair or swing. I highly recommend the Moby Wrap for any mom that is looking to having her baby close to her all day and still have her hands free.

Snow Rabbit

When asked how steep a double-black-diamond ski run is, most experts would point to a tree. This is a pretty good example of what they mean.

Is it really March already? What’s that? A week from tomorrow is April??? Ohhhh man…

I FINALLY went out to the snow about a week and a half ago for the FIRST time this season. Shameful I know. But still just as invigorating as ever. I’ve been skiing since I was two years old and it’s been a winter tradition ever since. Plus I’m Norwegian, so I don’t really have a choice.

I’m going to go again. This Friday I think. My sister is home for spring break, maybe I’ll drag her along. But this time I’ve got another thing to consider: A HELMET. After the Natasha Richardson incident this last week, well, I started thinking about all the head injuries in my life. Being 6′4″, I’ve bumped my noggin on enough low door frames, ceilings, lamps and shelves to last a lifetime. I might as well get a ski helmet now while I can still make the conscious choice to do so. I’ve had a few concussions in my life, one of which occurred on the slopes when I was in high school:

I was at Boreal with my dad and sister, just for the day. (Naturally. Who would go to Boreal for more than a day??? pfshh … if I’m stayin the night I’m goin to Heavenly or Squaw, baby!) But Boreal is nice and close for a quick spontaneous day trip. Anyway, while my dad is a super expert skiier, my sister, at the time, wasn’t so much, so I decided to ditch the fam and venture out on my own. I came across the Olympic run, (well, I remember it being called Olympic. At this writing, Boreal has no run called Olympic, maybe it wasn’t even at Boreal. I knocked myself out! Who knows … Maybe I just fell off my bed at home or something) … Anyway, this is what I remember:

This run had a series of big-time jumps. Big 10-feet high ramps, one after the other. I didn’t go down them very fast, I just got maybe 3 or 4 feet of air on my skis. (I was a carver, not a jumper.) Anyway, I went down the same run 3 times and as I took the chairlift back up I thought “Okay, ONE more time then I’ll go find dad and sis.” I went down a couple jumps at the top of the run and as I was making a right turn I saw a MUCH smaller jump (with some trees not too far ahead of it) and thought “Hey, that’s not so big, I’m gonna SPEED UP!” Blackout.

That’s the LAST thing I remember thinking: I’m gonna speed up. Haha, wow! That’d be a great quote on my tombstone.

This is probably what I looked like, minus the hockey stick

Next thing I know I’m down at the bottom of the mountain by the lodge. My skis are placed neatly next to me, my boots are undone, my hat, goggles and gloves are all by my side, and I’m sitting on the ground with my arms resting on my bent knees. Just sitting. Staring incoherently at all the people walking by, TOTALLY out of it.  Then, I recognized someone from my high school.  That familiarity jolted my consciousness back to reality. No sooner did I realize “I am sitting on the ground” than my dad and sister come rushing up to me, wondering where I’ve been. All I could say to them was “Where’s my hat???” about 3 or 7 times. I was gone.

I had an abrasion on the bottom of my right temple; my right hip was sore; and my ski pole was bent at a 30 degree angle right underneath the handle (the thickest, strongest part of the pole). Dad and sis walked me to first aid and before I knew it I was in the back of an ambulance on my way to the hospital. (Though by then I had come to my senses and kept apologizing to the EMTs for making them go out of their way for my dumbass.)

I still don’t know how I got down that mountain. Knowing me, if some passer-by said “Hey man, need some help?” I’d respond in a defeated, raspy voice: “No, thanks!” ::cough, cough:: “I’m cool!” I swear, if I was wrestling with two wild crocodiles and Paul Hogan came to my rescue in a boat with a harpoon, but before using it asks: “Want me to flog those buggers?” in his powerful Aussie accent, I’d still say “Nope! I got it, Paul!” ::croc bites off my arm:: “Don’t go to any trouble just for little ol’ me!” ::I die, and Paul skiffs away:: Stubborn, but true.

So to reiterate: I knocked myself out and somehow managed to get all the way down the hill completely and utterly dazed and confused with no recollection of exactly what happened. Yeah … when I go skiing this Friday, I think I’m going to take my cranium into consideration and buy myself a helmet. I’m sure my brain would appreciate it.

This isn't me, but I've been there. That helmet keeps sounding better and better...

What does it mean to be green?

Green. Sustainable. Biodynamic. Organic farming. What does it all mean and where is it leading us?

Good questions. Today, Ana and I are attending a conference that we hope will shed some light.

National Symposium on Food Systems and Sustainability
Where are we headed? Where do we want to go?
University of California, Davis
Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Conference Information:

The National Symposium on Food Systems and Sustainability will offer a space for academic leaders, policymakers, journalists, and agricultural experts from various institutions to come together to create a shared understanding of major forces driving change in our food systems and shaping policy opportunities to enhance sustainability in the near term, over the coming decade, and into the future.

Symposium objectives

• Identify benchmarks regarding major +/- trends shaping the food system (and interactions among these trends)
• Establish a shared understanding of forces shaping opportunities for reform
• Consider how these may affect different regions / constituencies
• Analyze implications for opportunities for reform of US agricultural and food policy

Hopefully we’ll understand what all these ecologists are snocking about and will report back in easy layman’s language. We can only hope.

Stay tuned.

Dirty Harry or Police Academy dropout?

And so it begins.

Next week I begin a nine-week Citizen’s Police Academy training course with the local police department. I had to go in to have my security photo taken by Officer Jeff (shown above) and as I was standing there against a white board getting my picture taken, images of favorite police films started flashing through my mind.

What kind of cop movie would I star in?

A gritty 70s Dirty Harry film where I get to carry a gun bigger than I am and have a perpetual squint and lip curl? “Go ahead. Make my day, punk!” I have practiced this line for years!

Or an 80s slapstick comedy where I accidentally shoot my own foot off? Sadly, this not an unlikely scenario.

I have a feeling it’ll be something more like Reno 911, which I love. It totally cracks me up. In one’s mind coolness prevails, but in reality one is simply a moron of epic proportions. I relate to this paradigm a little too often, I think. We shall see. The saga starts next week and I’ll be blogging the entire way.

Avi Amer and my new role

The day I heard his first cry was the greatest day of my life—and the most painful. On February 6th my husband and I welcomed our son Avi Amer, our first child, into the world. A day I am sure my in-laws never thought would come since we waited so long.

Ever since my husband and I got married over seven years ago we had been planning for a family; we knew we wanted children but we wanted to wait until we had a few years of marriage under our wings, had careers settled, money in the bank and owned our own home. Finally all that was achieved and we began trying (the fun part!). Even with all the planning, we were shocked to hear the news in late May 2008 that we were pregnant. Once the shock wore off and the pregnancy progressed, the fear sunk in. I was afraid that we still weren’t ready and I had so many questions: Did we have enough money? Is our house too small? How was the failing economy going to affect us? I decided to only worry about the things I could control. I was determined to eat right, continue exercising and to be proactive with my health care by learning about my growing baby. I had prepared myself for a difficult pregnancy, to experience all the terrible things other mothers told me about, but to my surprise I was very comfortable throughout the whole nine months. Bless my husband I think he experienced more morning sickness than I did.

During the pregnancy I had a constant feeling that being a mom would feel bizarre. I mean, it had been just my husband and I—of yes, and our two cats Jebus and Diego—for so long. And now we were going to have a little person that we were responsible for, a person we created. It wasn’t like a new couch that would be replaced in a few years, this was an addition to our family that would be forever. While it is obvious that you are a parent forever, I thought it would be a hard role to fall into. However, the only thing that has been strange is how right everything feels. Yes, the lack of sleep has taken some getting use to, but every other part of having a new baby just feels normal; my husband and I seem to have fallen into our new roles with ease. What else has been strange is his face. I hear so many new mothers talk about their new baby feeling like a stranger, but Avi has never felt like a stranger to me. Seeing my son’s face for the first time was like seeing an old friend, it was as familiar to me as my own. And that is not because he looks like me, oh no, this little guy—aside from the lighter skin—looks just like his daddy.

With all that said, I am keeping an eye out for all the exciting, frustrating, and downright messy moments in the world of the new parent.

Food & Drink: Wine

I have a confession to make, and I’ll make it here.

I don’t like wine.

Yes, I know. I live in California, with its incredibly rich and notable wine regions (Napa, of course, but also Lodi, Santa Barbara, Paso Robles, Sonoma, El Dorado … the list goes on, and here’s where I can pimp our Wine Getaway feature in our April 2009 issue.) And it’s not that I don’t appreciate the confluence of science and artistry in the creation of wine, and that other people have palates that can truly enjoy the distinctions between varietals. I get that.

It’s that my tastebuds don’t. I was born without the tastebuds to appreciate any sort of alcohol–rather, my tastebuds just don’t like the taste of the alcohol, whether it comes in the form of beer, wine, cider or hard liquor. So no, telling me that I just haven’t found a wine I like doesn’t work; I can only drink something if the taste of alcohol is entirely hidden by something fruity or something chocolaty. I admit it used to be something of a trial when I was younger & still prone to peer pressure–sipping unwillingly on something while my friends drank down their Long Island iced teas (which has “nothing” to do with Michelle’s post, below, about vomiting in my car)–but on the flip side, there was always a designated driver in our crew, and it does make me a cheap date.

But lest you think otherwise, please know that Solano Magazine is comprised of MANY people–in fact, I’d say most of them–who truly enjoy the product & the experience and, moreover, are plenty knowledgeable about more than just “wow, that tastes really good.” Everyone’s opinion is their own, of course, but when you read about wine in our pages, you can trust that whoever wrote it knows what they’re talking about.

And it got me out of writing for that Wine Getawayassignment, so we all win!

Art

"El Guitarrista" by Justin Bua

I enjoy art in all its forms. Whether it be music, sculpture, photography, writing ~ I love it all. But I have some trouble with the artistic lingo. First of all, when someone calls oneself an “artist,” that is just WAY too vague. For example: If somebody plays music, that person’s a musician; if someone sculpts a statue, that person’s a sculptor; a dancer dances; a writer writes; and so on. The thing is, ANY of those people can legitimately call themselves artists, and that can get confusing. “Artist” is an all-encompassing title of art’s many forms, and this can cause misunderstanding, circular arguments and utter pandemonium in an otherwise efficient and productive conversation. Therefore, I would like to enter this plea into the record books of discourse: No longer can people refer to themselves merely as artists alone. In which case, the word “artist” is now somewhat of a preposition in need of a modifier. Hence, if you’re a chef, you’re a culinary artist; if you’re a musician: you’re an aural artist; if you’re a writer, you’re a semantic artist; if you’re a dancer, you’re a flexible artist; if you’re an actor, you’re an emotional artist; if you’re a painter/sculptor/photographer, you’re a visual artist, et cetera.  And if you STILL call yourself JUST an artist, well, you’d better be all of the above! (In which case, you’d be a Renaissance artist.)

Now, say you go to an art gallery: there is (usually) no poetry, there is (usually) no writing, (usually) no performances, (sometimes) food and (maybe) ambient music in the background—but there are (always) paintings, sculptures, photos—VISUAL art. That’s not fair. They should be called visual art galleries.

Art as a concept has taken a turn for the worst these days, only because it serves as legitimate validation for accidental mishaps and/or lack of effort: Instead of correcting a mistake on the display you created, the wall you painted or the car you dented, one can easily say that it’s “art,” or “postmodernism,” and then just waltz away from a job unwell done guilt free. I’ve actually encountered this firsthand. I was writing a story and our copyeditor claimed that I made a typo! [And "copy editor" is two words. There's another!--Copy Ed.] Hahaha, please … as a semantic artist I need, no… I reqUIRE, no… I DEMAND the freedom to spell words arbitrarily! If I want to spell photo with an “f,” knife with an “n,” or xylophone with a “z,” so be it! These are the things I think about…

One of my Angles and All favorites

Anyway, speaking of art, I do have some friends who have been utilizing their artistic skills in positive ways. One person that comes to mind is a close friend of mine named Jack Haines. She has been creating visual art for many years and has recently created what she calls an “art blog.” Instead of a blog full of text and a few pictures, hers is full of pictures with a little text on the side. It’s a great concept. I doubt she originated the idea, but as I haven’t searched for any others and she introduced it to me, as far as I’m concerned she’s the first! She has a very unique eye for very interesting works of art that she finds and collects throughout the spacious Internet (why must Internet be capitalized!? I will now incorporate my artistic freedom and type internet from this day forth…). Here’s the link to her art blog, but I must warn you that many of the images are rather dark/morbid in nature, not quite in tune with the peaceful tranquility of Solano Magazine. I would recommend this blog for R-rated audiences only (18 and up) as some images contain nudity, gore and/or potentially disturbing images. But this is the world we live in and this blog provides excellent insight into some of the modern art that’s out there: http://anglesandall.blogspot.com/

Miro's Top 10 Entry: "In Unison"

In other artistic news, a long time family friend of mine, Miro Salazar, is an excellent visual artist. I don’t want to spoil his character too much as he may be a subject for an article someday, but he recently entered a poster contest online for the Flight of the Conchords HBO television show. While he didn’t win, out of 1,000 entries he was placed in the top 10! So congratulations, Miro! (view the winner and other contest entries HERE) He also designed the logo for Comedy at the Cantina, as well as many posters for the Vallejo Jazz, Art & Wine Festival so many years ago. While his resume remains virtually endless, you can view some of his works at: bymirostudio.com/

And if I could take this opportunity to say a few words about Flight of the Conchords. This show is amazing. It’s the only show on TV that I really make a point to watch. If you haven’t seen it, buy the first season and catch up already. Tenacious D tried to do a similar show as a two man band that’s struggling to make it, but despite my undying love for the D, Flight of the Conchords takes the television-shaped cake. The Conchords bring music, humor and racism up a notch to a whole new level of mockery. It’s comedy taken seriously in every sense of the word(s). Visit their website at www.hbo.com/conchords.

p.s. the very first image above is by Justin Bua. I really like his work as he manages to mix music and dance with visual art in such a way that the pieces really seem to come to life, like in those Harry Potter movies. His website is www.justinbua.com.

Books: the romance novel

This post is for our Associate Editor, Ana.

Ana and I met twenty years ago in college. Miracle of miracles our friendship has survived monumental challenges that would have felled weaker humans: years of being roommates, our single-in-the-LA-cities days, me throwing up in the front seat of her car (which you could still smell years later on particularly hot LA days—the gift that kept on giving), and being co-workers.

We are opposites in so many ways. Of the two of us, I’ve always considered her to be so much more high-brow, intellectual, and decidedly more mature than me. Our taste in reading material is a prime example. While we’re both consumate readers, that’s pretty much where our commonality stops. She’s more the literary fiction, high fiber, brown rice, organic veggies girl. I’m more the romance novel, Hostess cupcakes and Twinkies kinda girl.

In past years, you could have overheard this conversation between us about fiction genres:

Me: I can’t stand Chick Lit. It’s too light and cotton candy insipid. By and large the writing isn’t good and the characters are unbelievable and corny. They make women look like emotional, frivolous, shopping-crazed nymphomaniacs.

Ana: Oh, you mean as opposed to the more believable traditional romance novels of near rapes, abductions and pregnancy traps with pirates, English Dukes and now, vampires and werewolves?

Me: Shut up.

The other conversation that we’ve had ad nauseum is recounting the variety of descriptors used in a romance novel to describe a man’s body parts. Never fails to send us sniggering and giggling.

When I saw this video posted at Smart B!tches, one of the romance industry’s most popular blogs, I nearly snorted Orangina through my nose. And of course, I thought of Ana.