Hot Off The Hanger

Time for Songs

2012-01-19T12:31:00.004-05:00

Dear Readers,

As time goes by and life gets busy, we have been remiss in our blogging.

And so, until time permits us to blog once more... for now, check out our "Songs From Me To You" site. Same people, same taste - just music.

Check it out: songsfrommetoyou.blogspot.com

Signing off for now...

Mario Dante and Dianne Pepper

Holiday Hiatus

2011-12-23T11:23:00.006-05:00

Have a very merry one!

Hair.

2011-12-15T13:05:00.003-05:00

and the girls

Holiday Gift 2011

2011-12-13T11:00:00.013-05:00

So that time of year is upon us where we must empty our bank accounts and start buying shit for others. This year I decided to boycott NYC's holiday season madness and have refused to step foot in a single store.

All of my holiday shopping has been done online.

So here I will feature some of the best gift sites I have stumbled upon. I won't include specific items, as I don't want to risk giving away what I got for certain people who might be reading this!

For the ladies in your life check these sites out (warning, these gifts tend to be on the pricey side):

loveadorned.com

shopjumelle.com

laramelchior.com

For the gentlemen (and some for the gadget loving ladies) in your life:

coolhunting.com

uncrate.com

coolmaterial.com

Many sites feature free shipping this time of year, so take advantage of that. You better hurry though, the days are ticking away. Also, remember Hanukkah starts on the 20th this year!

Happy spending!

Feeling Corky

2011-12-07T14:32:00.000-05:00

I went to a bar last night called Von. The entire downstairs ceiling was covered in wine corks. It was pretty great looking. There's so much one can do with left over wine corks!

We all know about making a cork board out of wine corks, but if you want to take your cork crafts a notch higher, a good place to start is with the cork bathmat - still a pretty simple cork project. Very rustic and super absorbent.

Then there's the guy in the Czech Republic who covered his entire house with corks. Check him out here. That's some true dedication.

Then there are some more artistic uses of corks.... the cork truck and the cork chair are two of my personal favorites.

Mustachio Monday

2011-12-05T18:23:00.001-05:00

Some great 'stache'es

Numero uno

Dali-stache.

Numero Two

Neitzsche-stache.
Slightly large animal on the face stache
I want to see him eat a sandwich.

Numero Tres

Sellek, what a hottie hairy stache monster.

Numero 4

007-stache. Who knew?! Porn star.

Numero 5

Borat-stache. Yegshumache!

Number cinque

Chaplin-stache

No. 6

Groucho-stache

Sven.

It's a Me a Mario-stache
(sorry Luigi)

Numeré otto

Walken-stache. Awesome stache.

# 9 #9 #9 #9

Pepperland Staches
Hello, Hello.

AND FINALLY.

UGH! *dry heave* YUAHCK. ugH. *gag* disgusting, yet, impressive.

This guy holds the Guinness world record for the longest (and smelliest) moustachio

in tha verld!!!!!

He kindof looks like Nosferatu..no?

fin

Beatle Fact Friday

2011-12-02T11:20:00.000-05:00

Although it was not used in the original take, a 41 piece orchestra was eventually asked to play on the song "Day in the Life". The musicians were all asked to dress formally. Upon arrival to the recording session, in true Beatles fashion, each orchestra member was given a novelty costume to wear (false noses, party hats, gorilla-paw gloves). The orchestra was conducted by Paul McCartney, who told them to start with the lowest note of their instruments and gradually play to the highest.

As most know, the beginning half of the song was written by John Lennon and the second half written by Paul McCarty. In the first verse, John was inspired by a story he read in the Daily Mail newspaper. The line "Blew his mind out in the car." was taken from the story of Guinness heir Tara Browne dying when he smashed his lotus into a parked van. John clearly took some creative license in writing this lyric, as Tara Browne's death was in fact accidental.

The last verse is also taken from a newspaper headline. The lyric "4000 holes in Blackburn, Lancashire" was taken from the UK Daily Express, January 17, 1967 in a column called "Far And Near." John's friend Terry Doran was the one who completed John's line "Now they know how many holes it takes to fill..." Terry told him "fill the Albert Hall, John."

And so an epically beautiful song was written purely off the inspiration of newpaper headlines - it is said that this was something that Paul and John challenged each other to do - always with a competitive spirit those two!

Fuck your PC.

2011-11-30T16:27:00.001-05:00

Evolution of the Bullgodog

2011-11-29T10:54:00.004-05:00

They really are ugly animals in my opinion - slobbery, stout and stock full of health problems. But somehow people just LOVE their bulldogs. There's a really interesting article about the evolution and breeding of the bulldog in last week's New York Times magazine.

Read the article HERE

Predictions and Thanksgivings

2011-11-28T12:00:00.008-05:00

A large part of my Thanksgiving this year was spent rummaging through my Grandparent's belongings as we moved them from their home into an assisted living facility. Although the move was somber, the treasures uncovered in the process were fascinating to say the least. Reading through newspaper clippings dating back to the 1920's and unearthing the naturalization papers of my great grandparents, I learned things about my family history that had been omitted from the family stories I have grown up with.

While leafing through a notebook of newspaper clipping compiled by my Grandfather for his bar mitzvah, we stumbled across a cut out from a Cosmopolitan magazine published in 1932. The header read: "Save this issue of Cosmopolitan. You won’t be alive in 2029 but your children’s children will be, and it will be interesting for them to check the accuracy of the predictions here made by Lord Birkenhead."

So while the predictions of Lord Birkenhead are projected for 17 years from now, it is still very interesting to see how many of his seemingly wacky ideas of the future have already come true!

Babies will be produced by chemists in laboratories. (TRUE!)
The entire institution of marriage will be changed. (TRUE!)
We will all live to be 150. (EH, Not quite!)
No one will need to work more than two hours a day. (This could either be a really good thing or a really bad thing, so for now, let's be thankful this has not come to be!)
Agriculture will be abolished—except as a hobby—and all foodstuffs will be produced synthetically. (Very sad, but TRUE!)
Man will be able to alter the geography of climate of the world. (Ummmm, yeah)
Coal-mining will be an extinct industry. (not so far off from this being true)
A forty-eight-hour day will come into being by retarding the rotations of the earth. (this is where Birkenhead gets a little wonky)
Sitting in our homes we will see and hear events the world over. (ummm, hello, did someone just predict the internet?!)

Let us check back in 17 years and see if all these predictions have come to be. For now, I am thankful to have stumbled upon this interesting time capsule!

Happy Monday, Darlings.

2011-11-21T09:59:00.002-05:00

Beatle Fact Friday

2011-11-18T15:59:00.005-05:00

Its been a long, long, long week, so this one is going to be short.

At the end of George Harrison's love song "Long long long", a rattling sound can be heard. According to Harrison's autobiography, I Me Mine, this sound was produced by a glass bottle of Blue Nun wine that was sitting on a speaker. Supposedly, when Paul played a certain note on the organ, the bottle rattled making the sound. To compliment the rattling, Ringo played a fast drum roll on the snare. This "mistake" ultimately made it into the final recording.

Sometimes mistakes can be beautiful things.

Gettin' Crafty

2011-11-17T12:35:00.009-05:00

ISSUE: busted porcelain lamp (yeah, I'm clumsy)

SOLUTION: create your own lamp stand using an old glass bottle

THINGS YOU'LL NEED: glass bottle, string, rope, or thread, cold water, lighter fluid, and a lighter.

PROCESS: wrap the string around the point in the bottle you would like to cut. Soak the string in lighter fluid. Light the string on fire, holding the bottom of the bottle with one hand. Let the string burn until it goes out, then drop the bottle in cold water. If the bottle does not break on it's own, apply pressure to the heated area to break the bottle.

------------------------------
Get creative with this one. My handy man of a boyfriend was able to rewire this lamp around the bottle, but let your imagination run wild. --- ship in a bottle perhaps? Use the bottom half too! Ashtray maybe?

DRINKIFY

2011-11-17T12:11:00.000-05:00

Don't drink alone... drink with music!

drinkify.org

Rat-A-Tat-Tat

2011-11-16T15:27:00.012-05:00

Warning: This is not the most glamorous post this blog will ever see - in fact, I can pretty much guarantee it will be the grossest. So, needless to say, it is not for the faint of heart (or stomach).

Shall we begin with an explanation of the above photo? Yes, the rat is real, and no, it is not photoshopped. This is an image of a GIANT (3 foot?) rat that was killed with a pitckfork in the Marcy projects in Brooklyn.

According to an article featured in this month's New York Magazine, we are in the midst of one of New York City's rat infestations. Yes, rats are par for the course for us New Yorkers. We are used to seeing them scampering down in the subway tracks, or worse in the ally way behind our apartments. But the rat situation is being taken to a whole new level (as evident from the picture above and the video below).

In years past it was said that in the city of New York there was one rat per person - meaning that 8 million rats infested the streets, sewers, and subways of the city. While opinions vary, is now estimated that there are 3 to 4 rats per person - meaning that there are upwards of 20 million rats roaming the city of New York.

As you prepare for the take over of the rats (which now seems inevitable) here are some horrifying facts to keep in mind -- not to scare you, just to make known what we are up against!

Female brown rats are sexually mature at eight-to-ten weeks and can produce a litter within 21 days of impregnation.
Rats can mate again within eighteen hours of giving birth and routinely turn out more than 50 offspring per year.
Rats can swim for more than half a mile, tread water for three days, sometimes even emerging in the bathroom bowl.
Rats can gnaw through concrete and lead.
Rats can collapse their skeletons to fit through a hole no bigger than a quarter.
Rats can go for two weeks without sleeping

FUN TIMES!!! Read the full article HERE

The Skin I Live In

2011-11-15T16:46:00.010-05:00

As an avid lover of all things Pedro Almodovar (yes, I even saw the Broadway musical version of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown), I was beyond excited to see his latest movie marvel, The Skin I Live In. To my dismay a fellow Almodovar adorer warned me that it was not his best work - and so I went into the film with bated expectation. But boy were they wrong!

The film is a little less flamboyant than some other Almodovar classics - but the suspense, creep, and chaos were right on point. The non linear plot line was true to the director's style, yet the film was easier to follow than some of his other more complexly woven story lines. Without giving too much away, let me just say that the characters were enthralling, the cinematography was visually spectacular, and the plot was mind bendingly f*ed up.

Antonio Banderas is wonderful in his role as a tortured and torturous plastic surgeon who is avenging the tragedies of his past by manipulating the creation of a new present. The beautiful Spanish actress, Elena Anaya, was a great surprise as a leading "lady". She was a refreshingly calming force considering the women of Almodova's films are usually loud, boisterous and teeming with Latin spice.

Banderas and Anaya together made for one of the most beautiful on screen pairings I have seen in a while. Although the circumstance of their romance is beyond twisted, the duo were impossibly gordious to watch. I mean, just look at them!

Hermes or Otherwise

2011-11-14T17:12:00.009-05:00

A girl I went to college with had this wonderful little vintage book created by Hermes on how to tie their scarves. The book was literally tiny - maybe 6"x6" it was hard cover and had the most lovely illustrations inside. It was such a special book, I think passed down to her by her grandmother, and I have been searching for my own ever since. The closest I have found are eBay auctions for Hermes "knotting cards" from the 80's that are selling for upwards of $100. This book was so special though, I am certain the universe will lead me to stumble upon it in a used book store or flea market one day or another. In the meantime - here are some images and tips that pay homage to that little mystery book.

Some great live songs by some great lookin people

2011-11-10T14:00:00.003-05:00

Smith "Baby It's You" Live (cover song)

I gotta say, I'm kind of into the whole sitting around the band looking too cool for school/bored out of their minds. Nowadays, if you get that close to the band you'll most likely go home deaf and blind from the blast of bass and booming overpowering lighting effects. Only Gayle McCormack could wear that cowboyish indian period piece sleeved shirt and get away with it -- maybe Janis Joplin too. Gotta love the way she dances too...kindof like she's trying to let you know that she likes the drugs when she's not performing.

Jackie Wilson "Baby Work It Out" Live 1964

Oh Jackie. Look at those moves. It has been told that when Michael Jackson was backstage singing with his brothers in The Jackson Five, he saw Jackie Wilson dancing and swinging his hips around and realized that he wanted to dance just like that -- and so he did...kindof sortof...minus all the crotch grabbing and moon walking...

I'd like to dance like/with Jackie Wilson.

Ike and Tina Turner "Proud Mary" Live

You HAVE to watch this video the whole way through...or at least until they all start dancing.

Tina's backup girls are probably the best backup singers/dancers to have, ever.

Look at those dresses! If I can even call them dresses...Look at those long tank tops!

Oh and um, check out the faces on Tina when she's "rolling, rolling, rolling on the reeeaavaaahh"

The Rolling Stones "Start Me Up" music video

I don't know what this says about me but this is how I learned to dance and surprisingly enough, it's won me quite the batch of ladies! Only Mick Jagger can get away with looking sexy in purple leotard and white gypsy pants. Prancing around like some kid who just learned to walk on a sugar high. Keith looks like he's been revived from the dead a few times. Ronnie looks like a drag queen, and Charlie looks like their father.

Start me up Mick.

Makes me Feel Weird

2011-11-10T10:24:00.003-05:00

Besides snowstorms before Halloween, here are some other seasonally inappropriate occurrences that make me feel weird this time of year:

People who wear puffy jackets when its pushing 60 degrees out.
People who wear Ugg boots with bare legs.
People who wear puffy jackets with bare legs.
People who go sockless in flats, yet bundle up everywhere else.
People who wear hoods under hats (this makes me feel weird any time of year).
People who wear hats under hoods (only excusable if it's blizzarding).
People who wear scarves that fall longer than their skirts.
People who wear shorts over tights AND slap on the Ugg boots.
People who wear Ugg boots and mistake leggings for pants (see video bellow)
People who dress their babies in equally as weather-inappropriate outfits as they dress themselves. (i.e. the baby in the snowsuit whose stroller passes by the baby in the sleeveless onesie)

These are just some I witnessed on my commute today - I'm sure I will have more to add as the season roars on. Come on people - seize the little bit of fall we have and embrace jacket weather while it lasts!

What a day what a day what a year what a life.

2011-11-09T17:54:00.006-05:00

Delooooorean Deloooorean Deloren, Delorean.

2011-11-08T14:30:00.001-05:00

Remember Back To The Future? Who doesn't. Remember that great 80's car that was featured as the "time machine" Well, it's called a Delorean, and it's making a comeback.

Don't ask me why they decided to bring back a car that was mass produced and sold on the markets, only to realize shortly thereafter that nobody could park their car next to anybody without not being able to exit their vehicle or trashing the side of the car right next to them -- but whatevs.

They're making this gas guzzling 80's star into a ......get ready....electric car!! In 2013 they'll be releasing an electric version of this unparkable sensation.

first response: what the fuck.

second response: wait...that might be great.

third response: wasn't there a reason for them taking this off the market other than oil??? hmmm......

Till then! I hope you live in the middle of nowhere

so you can park out in the open where no other cars can touch you.

Or I hope you have really good fucking car insurance.

Monday's are a drag....queen.

2011-11-07T21:56:00.001-05:00

FIERCE. Meow.

Sometimes, there's nothing I love more at the end of the day than a good old shitty reality show starring gay boys who love to dress up as fantastic (and sometimes frightening) queens prancing around in 6 inch heels, wearing things only a 42nd St Hooker could pick out. Yes, ok, they may be 10 foot 4 in those platforms, and sure the butt and boob padding may seem a bit fake at times (especially when accompanied by too much "illusion clevege" that just ends up looking like two drips of coffee ended up in the wrong place...what was I saying...I lost my thought...I'm pretty sure I left a bracket open back there....Anyway. Nobody does Queen Bitch better than last years Rupaul's Drag Race winner "Bebe Zaharah Benet"

Oh! I didn't see you there!

from Camarooooooooon. There is something to be said about large black men who master the art of "femininity" or rather..."extreme overtly sexual in your face bitchy attitude womaness RARRR" --- that's more like it. It's quite alarming to see what the contestants look like when they all take off their "costumes." Some of them are quite the "dudes" others, sort of look like they just don't have their make up on. Some leave the mannerisms for the stage, but most do not do anything of the sort! These raging queens are hilariously entertaining to watch because they not only have to "lip sync for their lives" at the end of each show (of course to a chosen RuPaul dance song) but they draw, make, sow, sing, dance, act and do pretty much anything in these "characters" they've created.

Mr and Mrs and Mr ...and Mrs Obama and Michelle.

Anyway, Monday's are a drag -- but hey! There's HOPE! Just look at Obama Ru and Michelle Paul.
(By the way his real name is Ru Paul....googles it.)

Beatle Fact Friday

2011-11-04T16:53:00.004-04:00

Famous Beatles historian, Mark Lewisohn, has unearthed legal documents that include a clause that states that the Beatles would not play for segregated audiences. According to his findings, there were multiple tours in 1965 and 1966 in which the Far Four refused to play their music to a racially unequal audience.

The Beatles came to America right as the Civil Rights Movement was gaining momentum. Ahead of a gig they were set to play at the Cow palace in Daly City, California, the band inserted into their rider that they would not play a concert if the audience was segregated. Mark Lewisohn says, "I have contracts for the 1965 and 1966 tours and that rider was always there."

Other stipulations listed in the Beatles rider include at least 150 uniformed officers for protection, a special drumming platform for Ringo, electricity and water, and dressing rooms with "four cots, mirrors, an ice cooler, portable TV set and clean towels."

It's Friday, only two days closer to Monday.

2011-11-04T00:29:00.003-04:00

The Great Pretender

2011-11-03T23:46:00.001-04:00

Oh yes, I'm the great pretender

Pretending I'm doing well

My need is such

I pretend too much

I'm lonely but no one can tell

Oh yes, I'm the great pretender

Adrift in a world of my own

I play the game but to my real shame

You've left me to dream all alone

Too real is this feeling of make-believe

Too real when I feel what my heart can't conceal

Oh yes, I'm the great pretender

Just laughing and gay like a clown

I seem to be what I'm not you see

I'm wearing my heart like a crown

Too real when i feel what my heart can't conceal

Oh yes, I'm the great pretender

Just laughing and gay like a clown

I seem to be what I'm not you see

I'm wearing my heart like a crown

Pretending that you're...

Pretending that you're still around