Aliens are coming!!!

Meghan's new book is out today! Please buy it for every little kid you know! And check out her website devoted to the book!

How I spend two days a week.

The new Ursus Books site is up. Please admire the bee-u-tee-ful photos that Adam and I took.

Fatales update.

I did a photo shoot for The Fatales about a week ago. Above is the photo that I chose for my portfolio.

The Fatales have a lot of shows coming up. Here's a list:
February 22 - Northsix - Brooklyn - w/ Bravo Silva, A Place to Bury Strangers, Unlove
March 2 - Casa Del Popolo - Montreal - w/ Mahogany, Dirty on Purpose
March 24 - Pianos - Manhattan - w/ Snowden
April 20 - Southpaw - Brooklyn - w/ Mahogany

Check their website and myspace page for more information.

Fuck.

RIP

Last night was the end of Arrested Development and of course I had no idea. Damn you Fox! Anyone know when the DVDs will be released???

Update! Thanks go to Corinne for Tivo-ing the episodes and letting me watch them in her cozy living room. If only the show could go on forever.

Hallelujah!

Joy of joys, there is to be a Trader Joe's in the city! I will finally be able to have my gummy fruits, mushroom puffs, and all the gyoza I can eat, without having to wait for my mom to drive down from MA. I'm excited about the wine store too. Read all about it.

Map of 138 E 14th St, New York, NY 10003

Good coffee in Greenpoint.

If you live in Greenpoint, you know that there are very few coffee houses. A new one opened in November called Cafe Grumpy. Ryan and I tried it today and loved it! My latte was perfect and the bagel with cream cheese and avocado was delicious. If you're ever in the Greenpoint area near Meserole and Diamond, please go.

Ha ha.

Have you seen Google Video yet?

Who doesn't like free stuff?

Check out Mr. Cheapo for links to free stuff. I'm looking forward to my deoderant sample, are you?

Christina and I are for sale.

Photo © 2003 Barbara Probst.

A couple of years ago, Christina and I posed for the artist Barbara Probst. Recently, my friend Annabel told me that she saw the photo above at the Art Basel fair in Miami. Check out Barbara's page on Artnet to see her other work.

Wholphin

I just got my copy of the Wholphin DVD that McSweeney's sent with issue #18. It's wonderful! Everything on it is great. It's too bad that Spike Jonze's documentary about Al Gore didn't get released during that election year. I bet more people would've voted for him. There's animation from Iran and a sitcom from Turkey. Also, Patton Oswalt stares at the camera for five minutes, plus a cameo from David Byrne. Let me know if you'd like to borrow the disc, or buy your own at McSweeney's.

My newest obsession.

Do you know about Cute Overload? You can thank me later.

Trippy, '60s style animation, with song by Garrison Keillor.

Found this Honda commercial on Yeti Don't Dance. You MUST watch it. It may possibly blow your mind.

Toby Goodshank is up in this bitch!

Photograph by Crystal Madrilejos.

From Time Out New York, Issue 535:
Musicians who work receptionist jobs during the day are as common as corner bodegas. Ones who also self-release 16 CDs in five years, like Brooklyn's Toby Goodshank, aren't. Such a pace would seem destined to provide uneven results, but Goodshank's work is nothing if not remarkably consistent, and consistently good. His latest, Jyusangatsu, is no exception. Using an acoustic guitar complemented occasionally by an electric one and found noise, Goodshank works within a respectable range of folk-rock. A member of the indefinitely on-hiatus Moldy Peaches, his sound is warm and sincere without skidding into earnestness; on this album, the results are largely light and upbeat. "Holiday," an extremely well-executed Madonna cover, and "Susan B. Anthony–Sized," about the way-back-when of being in utero, lend the CD a celebratory feel, while "Palom & Porom," a duet with Diane Cluck, brings to mind the early-'90s collaborations between Dan Littleton (of Ida) and Jenny Toomey (of Tsunami). On other songs, Goodshank looks to his childhood for metaphors. In Jyusangatsu's opener, "Mossman," he tells the story of getting mugged in front of his apartment in Bushwick; to make sense of the crime's racial dynamic, Goodshank recalls the moment when he realized that archenemy action figures Mossman and Beastman were made from the exact same mold. While his previous album, 2004's Safe Harbour, proved Goodshank capable of nailing the nuances of love—particularly optimistic resignation—Jyusangatsu is full of songs like "Mossman," exercises in the musician's proprietary brand of quirky whimsy.—Kate Crane

Check out Toby's website for drawings and songs.

PVBLIC Sample Sale! Deep discounts!

From Jayme:

Hello all,

We are very excited about the freeSTYLE showroom Holiday Sample Sale this weekend! Below are more details on the 3 day sale event.

PARTICIPANTS:
PVBLIC
80%20
Anoosha
A&R Collective
Indomix
Lincoln Mayne
Momimomi

LOCATION:
FreeSTYLE
676 Broadway
2nd Floor
NY, NY 10012
(between Great Jones & Bond)

DATE/TIME:
Friday - 6pm - 9pm
Saturday - 4pm - 9pm
Sunday - noon - 6pm

My new favorite band.

Maybe you've heard of him? Her Space Holiday is a one-man band from Northern California. He reminds me of Bright Eyes and Postal Service. It's really catchy stuff, and you can download 4 tracks here.

Just in time for Christmas.

PVBLIC has launched their new website. They make great t-shirts and jewelry. There's something for every hipster on your shopping list. I took the photos for the website so I may be a little biased, but I really do think their designs are great. The keychains might be my favorites, but it's all worth checking out.

Ian's gone, but not for good.

Here are the pictures that everyone took at Ian's brunch. Finally, right?

Laura at Coney Island

I had a great time with Laura in town. We did some touristy stuff, like going to the "Top of the Rock" and getting pastrami at Katz's, plus we visited Coney Island and ate at Nathan's and watched the sun set from the pier.

Dueling deliciousness.

I popped in to Buttercup Bake Shop yesterday for the first time. I recently read that article in New York Magazine about the lawsuit that Jennifer Appel is bringing on The Little Cupcake Bakeshop in Bay Ridge and about her breaking off from Magnolia years ago and I figured that it was time to try her cupcakes. Surprisingly I liked it more that Magnolia's. I tried the chocolate cupcake with vanilla frosting. It was perfect, with none of the burning in my throat that a Magnolia Bakery cupcake will induce. It wasn't too big either, so I didn't feel sick when I was done. I highly suggest that if you're ever on 52nd and 2nd that you try one too.

Fatales show this Saturday.

The Fatales are playing an early-ish show Saturday night in the Tap Room at Knitting Factory. They go on a 8pm and they say that their friends Gregor Samsa are worth checking out at 9pm. It's only $6!

Afterwards we'll be heading to Zum Schneider for Ian's going-away party. Please come if you can and say goodbye (for now) to the man.