Obscure Adidas

Adidas appears to be branching out towards products that don't seem to fit anywhere in their sports inspired line up.


Featured are new Trefoil Adidas cookie cutters in the shape of the adidas originals logo. Supposedly, these were created with adidas' founder Adi Dassler's parents in mind. The Dassler parents originally wanted their son to be a baker but then he created a multi-billion dollar shoe empire. I'm sure they didn't mind that.

Japanese artist Madsaki recently opened up his "All Day I Dream About Sunsex" exhibition and released was a special set of incense. Kuumba International is well known for their fragrant room sprays and incenses teamed up with Adidas and Madsaki for this item.

adidas x Kuumba International x Madsaki Sunsex Incense

Diggable in 2007: Part Deux

Warren Ellis

Warren Ellis is a British-born author and writes novels, comics and for television. He is known for his sociocultural commentary, covering transhumanist themes (most notably nanotechnology and human enhancement).


I met him a few years back but didn't really think much of it. But this year, I discovered his work and was blown away. It's imaginative, with a scientific touch, giving it a sense of realism. With his work in Planetary, my whole idea of the world changed - I mean, I realize this is fiction, but he got me seriously asking, "What if?" Planetary took the existing world and added a twist to it.

The thing I enjoy about Warren Ellis' comic work is the original ideas and outlooks he gives to the characters. He has unique ideas for powers as well - The Authority's Jack Hawksmoor ("King of Cities") is attached to the nervous system of cities and is powered by the living city (pretty nuts I'd say). It's very much science fiction, but explains it with science fact with lots of multi-dimensions and so on. I think if he were to write for Heroes or other already established comics, he would reinvent them. His next work is going to be on Astonishing X-Men and with all the secondary mutations going on, I'm interested to see how he will change that book.


CN Tower



This past summer, the CN Tower now comes in a few new flavours! The addition of the lights on Toronto's tallest free standing building (notice how I said 'Toronto's'?) was the best idea from the City in a while. I thought it was just going to be a feature of LuminaTO this year, but it kept going. Such a terrific idea and breathes new life into the Tower. The night skyline looks so much better now with Toronto's symbol being accentuated and stands out.


Sophomore Albums

By far, the best album of the year belongs to Feist. Before the first track was over, I already declared The Reminder better than her debut. I was right about that. It is non stop goodness from top to bottom. There weren't too many records this year that stood out like this one.



Arcade Fire also came out with their follow up to their first release this year with Neon Bible. It was a great album, although some may argue the first was a bit more memorable. All the songs were solid and musically amazing. It was a strong follow up for sure.

That is the hard part about coming out with a breakthrough record is following it up. Both albums do that with flying colours.


John Cassaday

I enjoy comic book art, that's no secret. I think they are the best artists on the planet as they have this ability to express dynamic motion through story telling and do it on such a regular basis. I have to admit, subconsciously, I've been following one artist this year and that is John Cassaday. He c0-created Planetary with Warren Ellis and through that book you can see his style evolving into the refined, close to a real photo style it is now. He also did work on Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men, and boy can he draw the X-Men. His art mixed with Laura Depuy's colouring is the recipe for perfection here. Just pick up his work and you will see what I mean. Stunning realism using few lines, but capturing realistic proportions. Top artist of the year for sure.




Skinny Ties

What more can I say? They got me through 2007.


Portugese Egg Tart

It is a traditional Portuguese pastry that consists of custard in a crème brûlée-like consistency caramelized fashion in a puff pastry case. Isabel told me about them after her trip to HK (I think they are common in Macau). Probably the best tasting thing I've ever put in my mouth. They can be found in cafes in Little Italy along College Street.

Solar Wind Pavilion

Architect Michael Jantzen designed what he calls the Solar Wind Pavilion for California State University. It will attempt to use wind power generation, solar energy, and rainwater harvesting - all for energy purposes - also doubling as a public space. Having these structures that are sustainable as well as provide a space for public gathering will enhance the area's sense of place. All of these green structures should have the social aspect in mind when planning it.

It will be built using lightweight, but high strength, composite concrete and will be able to accommodate a gathering of 300 people.



The pavilion will harvest energy from the natural environment, which would be used to power the university. It would convert wind energy into electrical energy and would also capture solar energy to produce electricity, while its canopy roof would collect rainwater.

I would expect to see these types of interestingly designed structures to be all over the place as it is sustainable and interactive: A great combination for public space.

Andy Warhol for Levis

Being on a real jean tip as of late, I really want these. I'm a sucker for the purple and the turquoise stitching.

Radiohead's New Years Eve Gig

Announced on Radiohead's official website, the band will be playing a show online to usher in the New Year. The technologically-inclined band will be playing stuff from their new record In Rainbows as well as some covers. Makes for a good plan for those who are kicking back and celebrating at home this New Year's Eve.

Not Down With: 2007

24


Season six of 24 was weak this year. And I mean WEAK! The writing was so off, Jack Bauer doesn't make mistakes...Never has in the 5 days we know him in. He made too many in this season. I tried justifying its suckiness by him being tortured in China for months, but it still didn't save the season. I almost gave up on it. The best part about Day Six was when it ended.


Movies

I'm sure people could argue this point with me, but movies totally blew this year. I didn't see a good movie that came out in 2007 at all. I mean the summer blockbusters were a sad bunch, and all the hype for the third installments for big franchises fell through. Spider-Man 3 was horrible, Pirates 3 had me lost the whole time, and that Bourne movie was so shitty - haven't we all seen the same story before? There were a few good ones, like The Darjeeling Limited and Superbad...and uh... I dunno, some others I guess.



Maybe I just saw all the crappy ones...


The Kick Game


I was big into street fashion and sneaker culture but after the events of 2007, it was enough to call it quits. For months, I was waiting for the nice pair... I'm still waiting. The kick game sucked big time this year! Nothing nice came out, there wasn't even the 'it' shoe this year for everyone to be hyped about. I used to want to have the freshest pair, now I just don't care.

A sad year for sneaker culture.

Hot Chip BBC Essential Mix 12.28.07

British electro-pop band Hot Chip supplies us with the last Essential Mix for the year. Their new album, Made in the Dark is pre-destined for greatness, getting stellar reviews already (it doesn't come out until February). The mix is so diverse, taking from various genres of music, which I usually hate, but somehow, these guys made it work! Great mix - one of the best of this year, check it out on the BBC Radio One website.

OH! And for what I presume would be a limited time only, the world's biggest DJs are hand picking their favorite past Essential Mixes. Listen to them while you can, because some of these are hard to find now! They have Daft Punk's '97 mix, Tiesto's first Essential Mix from '01 and Paul Oakenfold's legendary Goa Mix - EPIC shit, I'm telling you.

Diggable in 2007: Part 1

With Christmas over, now is the most appropriate time to talk about 2007. As much as I like year end lists that are popping up in all websites and magazines, I'm not going to give that to you. Here are just a few things I dug in '07.

Sonic Youth


Took me years to even think of listening to this band - considering they've been rocking out since '81 - but through curiosity and torrent sites, I got their discography and they have been part of my playlist ever since. They are an alternative rock band out of New York and considering how long they've been together, their sound really defines the alternative era. They got me after I listened to their 2006 release, Rather Ripped (a killer album) and followed it up by releasing a B-sides record, The Destroyed Room. But consider this: Sonic Youth has recorded dozens of albums and EPs in their 26 years of existance and are still going strong! They have not slowed down and will not release a Greatest Hits record. They are very experimental so keep that in mind when you listen to them. They are willing to express themselves through their music and take risks and have continued to do so for decades. I haven't had a favorite band for a while, but Sonic Youth did it for me. It seems that I really dig the New York rock scene more and more as I continue to discover it.

Last.fm - The Social Music Revolution

Was also meaning to get to this for a while, I finally did in '07. It's a great way of tracking the music you listen to and for all your friends to see as well. LastFM provides a good music community as you can see who has similar tastes as you and who's going to what show, etc. It's interesting to see who, what and how often you listen to whoever, and what other bands sound like the ones you like. 2007 was the year for musical discoveries for me, with the help of torrents and LastFM. I don't really use it anymore, but when I did, it was an obsession. Now, all these sort of features have been consolidated into Facebook so what's the point of going to another website. I wonder if usage has diminished because of the Facebook applications...hmm

http://www.last.fm/


WildStorm
WildStorm Productions is an imprint publishing company and studio for DC Comics. Titles in this imprint are, for the most part creator-owned and serves as a place where an artist and writer are free to flex their creative muscle by creating their own stories without having to conform to the limitations when working for the big studios, ie. Marvel or DC. They tell the stories they want to tell.


The result: more imaginative, mature stories, with intelligent writing and stunning artwork.


Titles in this imprint include Ellis and Cassaday's Planetary and Vaughn and Harris' Ex Machina (as previously blogged about, fellow readers!). WildStorm is comics for the new millenium. This is the future of comics with a less superhero-y feel and brilliant stories. After reading various titles found in this imprint, I was embarrassed I ever even read superhero comics from Marvel and DC. I guess this is me growing up... well I mean I'm still reading comics but... Ah never mind! WildStorm has definitely changed comics for me. Sometimes, it takes the creator owned titles to do something bold to get this change rolling.




Wikipedia

Really now, what would I do without this website? What would any of us do? It's information at your fingertips. I've learned so much from Wikipedia this year and it was a great thing to have for long days at the office. If you ever question, or wonder ANYTHING, just go to Wikipedia and your itch will be scratched.

http://www.wikipedia.org/


Gap Morrisons


Quite frankly, the best jean out there. It's a slim, straight fit jean and a lot nicer looking than the skinny fit that is o-so popular. They give a clean, fitted look, not too tight and not too baggy. Their colours are great too with a solid colour, no fading, although they have faded pairs as well. It is a versitile jean as it has many different washes, giving them a different look, but with the same fit. If you are into raw denim (or that appears to be raw), the Morrisons give you that look for an affordable price.

Best Christmas Gift EVER!

ODB Quote of the Day

My laptop crashed... :0(

I lost everything.

Now is the perfect time for a selection from Old Dirty Bastard's memorable lyrics:

"Yo, silence on Smith with six shots, lick shots
Leave ya head like a Shaolin monk with six dots"

Os Gemeos

The Flowers in This Garden Were Planted by My Grandparents Exhibit

Cowboy Bebop

"And the work which has become a genre unto itself shall be called: Cowboy Bebop"

For the last three days, I've been marathon-ing the Japanese anime series, Cowboy Bebop.

Consisting of 26 episodes (called 'sessions') and one feature length film, it follows the adventures of a group of bounty hunters (known as 'cowboys') who travel the solar system in the year 2071. It is considered by numerous polls as one of the top Japanese anime series of all time, as well as a worldwide commercial success.

The Bebop ship is home to Spike Spiegel and Jet Black and as the series goes on, Faye Valentine, Edward and Ein join the crew. The characters develop through the sessions as you learn more and more about them and their back story. I was surprised at how interesting these characters actually are, in comparision to other shows. There's so much more to them than you would think. The stories are terrific and the series as a whole never seems to do anything wrong. Every episode is strong in its own way and it rarely misses a beat, coming together as it progresses.

The world created for this series is a melting pot of cultures along with spaceships and is an original perspective of a potential future. The cultures are rich even as backdrops for the series and encompasses different real world influences to create them. A very visionary take, and all acts as a setting for these bounty hunters to exist within.

Spike Spiegel

A highlight about Cowboy Bebop besides its amazing animation, great stories and likable characters is its soundtrack! It encompasses various genres from jazz, to rockabilly and numerous other styles of American music of the 20th century - the names of most episodes are actually names of American rock albums. The series has produced four full albums and a handful of EPs in its time. Seeing Spike whupping dudes over a jazz soundtrack is a unique take on an action scene. Many things about this series is unique and really put it into a class of its own. You may not be a fan of anime (I wouldn't necessarily say I am) but you will appriciate the story and the characters of Cowboy Bebop. It is a fantastic series.

With Astro Boy and a live action Speed Racer flick on the way, as well as a Dragon Ball Z one in development, it seems that the next trend in Hollywood is influenced by Japanese anime. The superhero movies have eaten up the market for the past few years, it seems this will be the new big thing. I'd expect to see more films taken from anime series. Cowboy Bebop is one of the biggest, most successful and critically acclaimed series of all time, so you know it will be adapted into Hollywood. They'd have to do it right though. I could kind of see Keanu Reeves as Spike... is that bad?? It could work!


See you Space Cowboy...

Knives Don't Have Your Back

If you knew this, then you must have heard Emily Haines' solo record.



By now this album's been out for 2 years but I just re-listened to it again after sometime. It's a haunting album and I can't seem to stop listening to it as of late.

“When I was a little kid…I would creep downstairs to the piano and write rudimentary songs about imaginary places... I hated the idea of anybody hearing me. Everywhere I’ve lived while working with Metric, I’ve written songs on the piano and played them for no one. On the advice of a friend, I decided I’d better start recording them before they were forgotten. Four meandering years later I ended up with this collection of songs featuring a few of my favorite people, a group I call The Soft Skeleton.” - Emily Haines



Such a great album that I feel I need to make a post about it. It seems as though I never really appreciated it until now.

It is almost reminiscent of a Feist record, but imagine much darker. It has an aura about it that very few albums I've heard have - the only one I can think of is Thom Yorke's The Eraser.

This one's definitely a classic.

West Queen West Triangle Development

The West Queen West Neighbourhood

West Queen West is a neighbourhood located along Queen Street West from Bathurst Street to Dufferin. It consists of numerous galleries, restaurants and various retail stores. A few students including myself did a project in the neighbourhood for its budding Business Improvement Association earlier this year in ways to transform the area into a tourism destination.

The Drake Hotel, a landmark destination for WQW

During that time, WQW was going through a battle that endangered the current image and lifestyle of the neighbourhood.

West Queen West Triangle

What the Triangle looks like at the moment

The threat (or opportunity, depending on how you see it) it faced is similar among numerous Toronto neighbourhoods – the influx of condominiums. The existing way of life and culture could disappear due to gentrification of the area with new population coming in along with the developments. It can be an opportunity this way as it brings new life to a possibly deteriorating neighbourhood and raises property value, etc. etc. You’ve heard it all before.

A similar threat was posed in the West Queen West neighbourhood earlier this year as WESTside Lofts and Bohemian Embassy wanted to build a condos within the West Queen West Triangle – marketed towards the young and hip. This would raise the price of rent in the area substantially and in turn, would force out the artists who call the area home.

Angry at gentrification

An association called Active 18 – consisting of citizens, residents and the business-owners association – spearheaded the battle against the condo developers in hopes to save the character of their neighbourhood. It was an up and down battle, even got Mayor Miller involved. The area would have lost its integrity and culture which it was so known for and residents would do anything to save it.

At the end of October, two agreements were reached as is as follows:

150 Sudbury St. – West Side Lofts, a Landmark Development Corporation condominium (design pictured above):

- 56,000 square feet sold to Toronto Artscape at a significant discount for artist live/work studios, of which approximately 52 units would be affordable for low-income artists
- $250,000 towards the cost of relocating the Toronto Public Health offices out of the Beatrice Lilly Centre (also known as the Carnegie Library building)
- $1 million towards the restoration and conversion of the historic Carnegie Library building from municipal offices to a Performing Arts Hub

45 Lisgar St. - a rental apartment building by Medallion Corporation:

- 10,000 square feet for new offices for Public Health at no cost over a 50-year period
- Toronto Public Health will relocate their offices from the Beatrice Lilly Centre at 1115 Queen Street W. so the building can be converted to a theatre

There were previously signed agreements with developers also include community contributions:

1171 Queen St. W. – Bohemian Embassy Condos by Baywood Homes:

- $500,000 for community arts infrastructure

48 Abell, an old warehouse in the Queen West Triangle

48 Abell St. – a developer, Verdiroc, with an affordable housing provider, St. Clare’s Multi-Faith:
- 190 affordable housing units, funded through the City and which include 28 artist live/work studios at affordable rents
- a minimum of six artist work studios (approximately 3600 sq. ft. of space) along the new Creative Mews - studios will be sold to the City at below market rates.

So a solution of exchanging density for affordable housing was an approach for both the residents and developers to agree on. More density - the developers - for more units of affordable housing - WQW. It will be interesting to see what will happen to the West Queen West community after these condos go up.

To know more about this issue, check out the links:

http://active18.org/

http://www.toronto.ca/planning/westqueenwest.htm#studyarea

http://www.westqueenwest.ca/

Ex Machina

I have just completed volumes 1 to 4 of Brian K Vaughn and Tony Harris' creator-owned title, Ex Machina and let me just say, quite honestly, it is the best comic I've ever read... Maybe even the best thing I've ever read. Huge statement, I know, but in 4 volumes (out of 6 so far), I am convinced.

The series details the life of Mitchell Hundred, who happened to be the world's first and only superhero, The Great Machine. He had mysteriously contracted the power to converse with machines (a mystery that is still unfolding in the story). In the wake of his actions on 9/11 - saves one tower - he gives up his disguise as the Great Machine and wants to make a real difference and is elected Mayor of New York City. The story is set during Hundred's term in office, and interweaved with flashbacks to his past as the Great Machine and throughout different stages of his life – a very interesting thing to do to a character which really gives him depth. The series explores both the political situations Hundred finds himself in, and the mysteries surrounding his superpowers.


The thing I can’t get over is that Mitchell is a REAL dude. I can't stress that enough. All the characters are written the way people talk (including the swears). No other character you have encountered is as real as him and the cast of characters in the book. I don’t know how Vaughn does it, but these characters he’s created live and breathe off the page. I haven’t even begun talking about Tony Harris’ art - I'm a big art guy and all I've been doing is gushing about the writing. Do I even need to say anything? His art speaks for itself. The expressions he can convey are out of this world and really add to the realism of the cast of characters. It has a fairly good sized cast and I am amazed by the depth of each character and how they continuously develop.

It is a very well thought out story and I love how all the characters are utilized and no one gets short-changed, even when the stories go from the real, political issues (so far, they've dealt with gay marriage, racism, censorship and anti-war), to Mitchell's other issues involving the mystery of his powers or the need for him to solve a crime. It might seem overly political at first glance, but really, it deals with relevant issues everyone is familiar with and even if you politically oblivious, it will not go over your head. With that said, it still remains smart and has numerous non-political elements (more so than political) which you can be wrapped up in and enjoy. It is a very human story set in a very real world where superheroes are only found in comic books (until Mitchell, of course).

I don't think what I can write can give Vaughn and Harris' work any justice. It is the best written work I've encountered in years and is another book adding to the reason why I don't like superhero comics anymore. The reason I like the comic book medium is that it is smart, way ahead of any other medium in terms of storytelling, ideas and depth it can get into. Ex Machina is a perfect example of what it can accomplish.

Best book in comics. By far. I guess this means I should give Vaughn's Y: The Last Man another shot. One book at a time. I'll let you know how that goes.

Holler at JE for tipping me on this one. When he said Mitchell was the best character in comics, he was right.

Cardigan Craziness

I like to think I'm on top of all things fashion, but this season's got me stumped! Since when did sweater vests go out of style? Cardigans are all the rage now for some odd reason. Yes, the 'old man sweater' is what everyone is jumping on now. I rocked the cardigan since last year, and got a lot of flack for it, like I was aging myself. I amassed quite the cardigan collection in that time too. Now everyone is on that shit. I don't get it. Is it a spring season thing or something?

I'm trying to find a gift for my lady friend - who wants a sweater vest - but no store in the City has one. They recommend me a cardigan... hate to burst your bubble H&M, Gap, Club Monaco, Banana Republic, etc, etc, but it isn't a sweater vest.

Thank goodness for the internet. You can find anything on here, including sweater vests. What sucks is that they won't arrive until after Christmas.

Marcello Mastroianni

If you have been following my blog lately, you'd know that I've been watching a lot of Italian neorealist and modernist cinema. The last two films I've watched - 8½ and as of this evening, Luchino Visconti's Le notti bianche (White Nights) - featured Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni. This guy must have invented 'cool' because he was doing it before everybody.

He was the premier Italian actor of the postwar era, and considered among the most popular international stars in movie history. He made his film debut in 1947 but were rarely screened outside of Italy. Mastroianni's international breakthrough was Fellini's 1960 masterpiece, La Dolce Vita - a long (very long...to the point where I fell asleep), enigmatic exposé of the lives of Rome's wealthy socialites and partygoers. The picture was a global smash, and star Mastroianni, portraying a jaded, disillusioned gossip columnist, became a worldwide success. Since then, Mastroianni has starred in scores and scores of films up until his death in 1996.

After seeing Mastroianni in these films, I definately consider him one of my favorite actors - a list that only consists of 3 other actors (Benicio del Toro, Gael García Bernal, and Ed Norton). He has a presence about him on screen, where he can be sincere, even when meeting him in an alley at the middle of the night, but can also evoke a distanced, expressionless demeanor and still brings this element of cool to every role he's in. He has the look of a movie star.

I recommend paying off your late fees and going to the library for his films because most video stores don't carry the old Italian ones and expect to pay $40+ for Criterion Collection editions in stores. Unless you go on eBay, where you can find Criterion for really cheap.

Kings of Convenience

It's a Thursday night and just want a quiet in.

I'm just chilling out in my room listening to a Norwegian indie-folk duo the Kings of Convenience. The album is called Quiet is the New Loud.

Also, check out their latest, Riot on an Empty Street.

Pac-Man Christmas Tree

Currently on display in downtown Madrid is this fantastic Pac-Man Xmas tree! It features a fully-animated version of the classic arcade game, rendered across thousands of colored LEDs. How cool would it be if you could play it??

Execution

An important work for Chinese contemporary art made by artist Yue Minjun. Painted in 1995, it was inspired by the events of Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. Minjun had to keep this piece a secret because if the Beijing government were to find out, he would be prosecuted due to its political nature. It was in storage for years until this year, where Minjun's Execution would become the most expensive work of Chinese contemporary art sold for the equivalent of $5.9 million US at London's Sotheby's. This piece has been billed as one of the most historically important paintings of the Chinese avant-garde.

Ludwig Van

Remember Alex from A Clockwork Orange? Well he's back, in bust form. Yes! That's right! San Fransisco-based artist Frank Kozik sculpted it to resemble the famous image of Alex's hero, Ludwig Van Beethoven. It even has the Droog's signature bowler-hat and the eye-lashes!

The 16" Victorian-styled bronze-on-marble bust with an edition of 20 are priced at $3000 US each. The vinyl edition will be priced at $200 US and is slated for a 2008 release. They will come in 2 colorways - white and orange.


Links:

http://toysrevil.blogspot.com/

http://www.fkozik.com/

Seatlle's biggest SLUT

Seatlle's South Lake Union Trolley (SLUT) made it's debut last week with its goal of bringing eco-friendly transit to a city plagued by gridlock and help its image as a progressive environmental city. The line runs 1.3 miles long and stops every 2-3 blocks allowing up to 140 passengers to ride every 15 minutes.

SLUT

Although this initiative is supported, some residents question the construction budget of $50 million+ and annual operating costs of $1.7 million. Almost half of the costs were covered by local property tax through a Local Improvement District (LID) while the rest comes from federal, and state governments. If there is ridership, I'm sure it will pay off in the long run.

The city is expects 330,000 passengers in SLUT's first year with projections growing to a million+ annually. In its first month, rides are free and then rises to $1.50. It's definitely worth it considering it beats the stress of driving and busing and helps with fuel efficiency. If only the TTC was this cheap... I'm unfamiliar with the stats on TTC's streetcars, I should probably look that up.

...Just when I thought getting a Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning (BURP) was bad.

Links:

http://www.seattlestreetcar.org/

Artist: Jack Kirby

Jack Kirby and his characters

Jack Kirby (1917 - 1994) is known to historians and most comic creators as the most influential and recognizable artist in American comic book art in the 20th century. He is the co-creator of many enduring characters such as the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Hulk, and Captain America and dozens more going back since the beginning of the medium. Everyone has seen this style of comic art as it is synonymous with that era.

His art was dynamic and had the ability to provide an epic experience to comics with his art threatening to fly out of the page. He gave life to characters showing tension and energy.
His run at Marvel Comics in the '50s and '60s made him legendary and changed the way of storytelling and style of motion - the results of this influence is seen in comics today.

The best way to get to know about Kirby the King is by reading his stories. Look him up! Marvel has a few books in Visionairies line featuring Jack Kirby.

Links:

http://kirbymuseum.org/

BBC/Ice Cream Spring/Summer '08

N*E*R*D for BBC/Ice Cream

Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream are clothing lines established by Pharrell Williams and Nigo (A Bathing Ape) in late 2005. The brands have been known for their wacky designs but its Spring/Summer collection has a clean, almost preppy look to them. The line consists of more slim cut items including knitwear inspired by classic American brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren. They are also expanding their women's line through this collection.

It's a good collection - especially the bags - but I don't think I'd rock it. Still a little too wild for the most part. BBC and Ice Cream are becoming more wearable with their simplified designs, as it gets older, but still have a few items which are far out of this world.

Check out the lookbook:

http://www.bbcicecream.com/lookbook/

The Dark Knight

How could I not post this?


The trailer came out this past weekend:

http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/

You have to update Quicktime for it. I did that, but it made my computer explode. If you know what I mean, then click here:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=H2tYWlqreiU

If that doesn't look like the craziest movie ever, I don't know what does.

Recipe of the Week: Baked Macaroni and Cheese

(Need to find my own image)

In case you're home on a Friday night and don't want to spend money on buying food, here is a fun recipe that you can try. It's the simplest thing to make and it tastes SO GOOD!

This recipe can give you ten servings so be prepared to eat, or call some friends over! :0)

You will need:

3 cups of macaroni
½ cup margarine
½ flour
2 cups of milk
1 pound of shredded cheese (any cheese will do, depending on your taste - try havarti!)

There is a 98% chance that you have all these ingredients in your house already, so here's a good way to put them all to use.

Preheat oven to 375'F. Cook macaroni as directed on package; drain and set aside - if Kraft Mac and Cheese is all you have, then I'd say mix it in with the cheese powder too for extra-cheesy goodness. Melt margarine over low heat.

Stir in flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Stir in milk; heat to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 1 minute.

Add cheese. Stir until cheese is melted, remove from heat. Stir macaroni into cheese sauce. Transfer to an ungreased 9x12" baking dish. Bake uncovered 30 minutes or until heated through.

You can add whatever you want to the Macaroni - like tomatoes, sausage, chicken, etc. - to give it that extra little kick, but do it before you pop it in the oven. It's great as a meal itself or even as a side.

The great thing about this recipe is that it is so diverse and could be interchanged with choice of noodle, cheese and other ingredients.

And there you go! A quick tasty meal straight from the thrifty cookbook of Neil!

8 ½

I know, I've been riding Italy lately, and really, it's not on purpose. I don't mean for A Blog Odyssey to seem like it's 'viva italia' or something but let's face it, Italy has got it going on. Don't let me get into the spaghetti I ate tonight...

After years, I finally watched Fredrico Fellini's 1963 film 8½. It is considered by film critics and fans alike, to be one of the best films ever made - it is found in numerous 'top ten lists' and the British Film Institute ranked it the 3rd best film of all time. After seeing 8½, I definitely consider it in my top three.

It is filmed in black and white and revolves around an Italian film director, Guido Anselmi (played by a very cool, Marcello Mastroianni) who is supposed to be directing a science fiction film, but has lost interest amid artistic and marital difficulties. Guido experiences a fragmented reality with flashbacks and dreams interwoven with reality. A true artist, I'd say. He is constantly surrounded by the most beautiful actresses who all want a part in his next film, and at the same time, dealing with the producers. For Fellini, the film is semi-autobiographical as he also was suffering from director's block while making the film. He got past this and is considered one of the most influential directors of the 20th century.

For a movie made in 1963, it was a relatively fast-paced and really captured my interest. It is a film about making a film essentially, and Fellini really captures the creative process and the struggle a director must go through, coupled with the struggles of real life and relationships. There are issues that are time specific, such as the encroaching effects of modernization seen in mid-20th century Italy, but others are timeless such as finding true personal happiness in a difficult, disjointed life.

Great film, kudos to J6 for tipping me on this one...too bad it took me years to watch it.