At least *someone* understood my costume!

Gawd how much do I heart Bostonist? (even if they did mention me without linking that one time...) They said my costume idea is "so cool you must read it to believe it."
!!!!!

I'm so glad they liked the costume idea! Unfortunately, very few people at Saturday's party got it. The fact that I was oft mistaken for a mouse instead of a monkey can really only be blamed on my implementation, and my use of a grey color scheme instead of brown. But when I told people "Monkey Gone to Heaven" and was met with blank stares -- in BOSTON of all places! -- well, there's just no excuse for that.

And in case you're wondering, this was now my FOURTH mention in Bostonist! Yes, I love the attention, which only motivates me to post more and better...

Thank God for Michael J. Fox

Ten years ago, on October 25, 1997, my beloved grandfather died. I can just now, occasionally, think of him without crying at the ache of missing him.

My grandfather had Parkinson's. He began to manifest symptoms in 1988, when this disease was woefully misunderstood and often misdiagnosed (muscle tremors, Alzheimer's), and effective treatments were not yet available (Benadryl).

In the past 20 years, diagnosis, understanding and treatment have improved exponentially. I have often said exactly what Fox talks about in this video -- "Thank God that Michael J. Fox and Muhammad Ali have Parkinson's," as their illness has raised awareness and funding for research. (Not that I would ever wish this illness on anyone, of course, but there is a silver lining to this tragedy.)



The best thing about Parkinson's is that we can cure it. Parkinson's is one of the strongest candidates for eradication with Stem Cell treatment. This is, of course, also the most frustrating thing, as stem cell research gets bogged down in political bullshit.

Parkinson's hijacks your body while leaving your mind intact. It's a prison. Please be alert to the symptoms, give what you can, and fight for stem cell research.

And give thanks to Michael J. Fox.

Headmaster

And he had a beard!

(oh, those British boarding schools....)

Friday Flicks / Jossip on last year's costume

Check it out, I had hipster street cred a whole YEAR before even Jossip did. I should have used this to my advantage more often when I was at NYU, apparently.

(Instead, I just confused people with my Halloween costume last year. Wonder if anyone will get this year's Pixies reference...)

The Talking Cats - Subtitled.

I too once had talking cats, sisters. They hit the Record button on our answering machine, and talked back and forth into it until the tape ran out....

OMG! Muppet Wiki!

Muppet Wiki? MUPPET WIKI!

Also, I realize it's almost Halloween, but I still think that the "GORED SOX" sign on the chalkboard of my local bakery was inappropriate.

This is not a monkey blog

Though you'd be forgiven for thinking so. Clearly.

Aaanyway ... after weeks without a costume idea, and hardly any thought put into it, inspiration struck last night....

Monkey Gone to Heaven!



Of course! Monkeys and the Pixies!
(for those who do not recall, or who saw me out and about but didn't get it, last year I was Un Chien Andalou ... you know, like in that other Pixies song, Debaser?

Now I'm on the hunt for monkey parts and a halo. An initial Google search yielded some cuteness:

• Coolest Homemade Monkey Costumes for cute cute monkey babies.
  
• More cuteness in thumbnails
  
• an unimaginative but complete suit

Eh, I'm still on the fence about the implementation. Tell me, dear readers, what's your preference?

1. Wings, halo, or both?
   
2. full monkey suit?
   
3. Gorilla mask?
   
4. ears and tail with normal clothes?
   
5. or just a monkey t-shirt?

Decisions, decisions!

In other monkey news, Slate Magazine has some good advice on How To Fight Off a Band of Monkeys.

Not me, of course, not the cute funny silly or even animated kind. Only the kind who are trying to kill you.

Oh, wait! I forgot to show you this! So you know about the killer monkeys already, of course. Please check out the BBC coverage.

Did you see it? The related stories?

SEE ALSO
Delhi metro in monkey business
02 Aug 06 | South Asia
Delhi monkeys face forest future
11 Oct 06 | South Asia
Nuisance monkeys could be exported
02 Sep 04 | South Asia
Monkey-catcher with a mission
14 Aug 03 | South Asia
Monkeys invade Delhi government
09 Jan 01 | South Asia
Monkey mystery baffles Delhi
17 May 01 | South Asia

What, does the BBC have a special "Monkey" feed? (Mind you, I'm not complaining. If they do I'm ALL FOR IT.) More specifically, do they have a dedicated "monkey Delhi" story feed?

Hee, GE3PO thought I just said "monkey deli". Imagine the possibilities ...

Boston Red Sox - These kids are up for watching their Sox

OMG! How cute are these kids? How sad that the game starts after their bedtime?

Also, how nice that some kids still have bed times? I seem to see kids out and about at all hours these days.

Where will you be watching the game? Don't fall asleep, now! (though honestly, how could you!)

International Economics

The Imaginary Socialite "thought Chanel bags would be cheaper in Paris.

[She] was wrong.

In fact, they’re more expensive because right now, the Euro is higher than Amy Winehouse."

venting in public, not nice of me

Sorry, just kind of at the end of my rope.

The music of your life

I am happy to note that on the day I turned Sweet Sixeen, the Number 1 song in the country was "Amanda", by the sweet sweet band Boston!

And on the day I was born? "I'll Be There" by the Jackson 5 -- because I was there!

News I didn't need to know about my husband and his, um, measurements

The latest on Clooney from BANG Showbiz Media, our celebrity news feed. And I post it here in full instead of linking, because we are a family paper and probably won't be running it online:

George Clooney is using a 'Liberator Sex Ramp' to aid lovemaking after being injured in a motorbike crash.
The Hollywood heartthrob and girlfriend Sarah Larson appear to need a little extra help in the bedroom after Clooney was photographed leaving his New York townhouse carrying the purple sloped sex cushion on Wednesday (03.10.07).
A source said: "George is suffering a little from his fractured rib and Sarah has her leg in plaster because of her broken toe so they've bought something to make having sex a little more comfortable."
The Sex Ramp Sex Cushion is available on the internet for $149.00 and comes in blue, purple, red, tan and leopard print. It claims it can "elevate your lovemaking 10 to 14 inches for more options off the side of the bed and superior doggie-style position. The Sex Ramp is engineered to support two bodies in motion, it's the stabiliser that elevates Sex Ramp Sex Cushion beyond vanilla pillow status."
The 46-year-old actor and the 28-year-old cocktail waitress were injured after George's bike collided with a car in Weehawken, New Jersey, on September 21.
When the couple stepped out three days after the crash to attend the New York premiere of his new movie 'Michael Clayton' the star revealed: "We are just resting for now. You don't really want to rub or massage parts that are broken or anything!"
But if the couple do want to get out the massage oil, the Sex Ramp manufacturers boast: "Underneath, a silky liner that cools and caresses. This smooth nylon layer was created to accommodate all of your lotions, potions and gourmet notions."
When George and Sarah's injuries heal, the Sex Ramp makers advise using the cushion to make upright positions comfortable. The instructions state: "Standing is a man's 'power position' sexually, allowing for stronger thrusting, more varied strokes and greater longevity."
The purple cushion is 24 inches long, 18 inches wide and 12 inches tall and fitted neatly under George's arm as he carried it down the steps of his house.

Believe it or not, that's with some copy editing. Also, the photo was taken while he was filming a scene from his new Coen Brothers movie. So no, it was not for his personal use. Who knew British journos were so sloppy?

The Onion gets Yankees, loves Red Sox

The staff of The Onion must be part of Red Sox Nation. In this article, they totally capture the supercilious entitlement that we dirt dogs hate so much.

Fiction: Frank Sinatra Has A Cold - Esquire

I may have mentioned this before, but a gentle reminder never hurts. This is one of the best magazine profiles ever written.

"Pucker Up" on puckering up

Come on, baby, you have to work on your spit-swapping skills.

Breastfeeding: The Latest Refuge of Scoundrels - from The Huffington Post

Can you imagine if an employer did not allow employees to go to the bathroom? If they said, if you want to pee, then you should stay home?

Breastfeeding is a natural and vitally important function of our bodies. It's a testament to how well we are designed. And you know what else? Childbirth is nothing short of a miracle. I'm amazed almost every day that mothers are not treated like gods walking on earth.

In short, breastfeeding breaks, decent childcare at the office, and decent maternity leave. NOW, please.

(Also, no, I'm still not pregnant, if you were wondering. And I don't really want to talk about it yet. Soon.)