Now, please get over the strange name and possibly even stranger lyrics, but the band Natalie Portman's Shaved Head has just become one of many summer music finds. With electronica beats, outrageous lyrics, and trippy 80s-esque music videos, all I want to do is dance. Forget Lady Gaga with her generic dance themes, Natalie Portman's Shaved Head is definitely being placed on my summer music playlist(despite the ridiculousness of it all). Here's a music video for the song 'Sophisticated Side Ponytail' so you can see what I'm talking about:
Visit their webpage on Myspace as well: www.myspace.com/natalieportmansshavedhead They're on tour right now, so check out the tour dates to see if they're stopping by! Also, let me know what you think: love it or hate it?
I've read Fast Food Nation and I've seen Super Size Me, but that still hasn't changed most of my eating or nutritional habits. Why? Because it just seems easier most days to grab the closest packaged, processed item out of the fridge. However much I realize that what I eat is filled with preservatives and chemicals, I still haven't taken it upon myself to create lasting, positive changes in my diet. That all needs to change (and needs to happen soon). I realize, like many others, that I have huge risk factors for developing diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, obesity, and cancer. Maintaining my unhealthy eating habits will only allow these to develop faster and more aggressively. Although I am not even in my twenties yet, I realize that I am abusing my body with the food I eat and that I am risking my future health.
Part of the reason why I have decided to make changes in my everyday eating habits is because of a documentary called "Food, Inc." which shows just how out-of-wack today's food production industry is. Because of this as well as books like Fast Food Nation and The Omnivore's Dilemma and other documentaries such as Super Size Me, I am taking it upon myself to take drastic steps to improve my health by buying and eating only sustainable, organic foods for the next twelve weeks. It should be interesting to see if I notice any changes. After these twelve weeks, I may decide that I don't mind eating the processed food that I'm eating now, but my hope is that after twelve weeks (about 3 months) of eating nutrient-rich organics, I'll continue this healthier diet in my "normal" life.
Just this evening, Sarah Palin made an announcement saying that she is resigning her position as Governor of Alaska. The reason, you may ask? Her main reason is because she decided that she will not run for re-election after her current term is over. Somehow, from deciding not to run for re-election, she gained a valid reason to abandon her responsibilities entirely. She says in the video that having her lieutenant governor take over her role is best for maintaining the "positive" agenda that her administration has set out. Many news sources are citing the recent press bashing for influencing this decision because of disputes with David Letterman and a recent Vanity Fair article.
As many others are stating, her speech is rambling and confusing. Take this example where she says "I promised efficiencies and effectiveness. That's not how I'm wired to operate, under the same old politics as usual. I promised that four years ago and I meant it, that's not what's best for Alaska at this time." Wait a minute, did she just say that she is incapable of being an efficient and effective leader? According to this speech, that would be a yes. She is readily admitting that she is not delivering on her political campaign promises and that it is best for her state if she no longer remains as governor. Other reasons she states throughout the announcement also include that she feels she is wasting millions of Alaska's tax dollars and that she is a more effective leader when working outside of government.
Taking this statment as a whole, it seems to me that this Alaskan governor has finally realized that she is too inexperienced to lead her own state, let alone a nation. Many people are saying that this is a possible move to run for president in 2012, but the fact remains that with this statment, she proves that she isn't capable of following through on her commitments as a leader. I for one, would hate to see somebody lead an entire country after they willingly admit that they are creating more harm than positive change. She may now get a "lame duck" status where she can travel and finally gain more foreign (and domestic) policy experience, but I don't see her role as anything more than a Republican cheerleader in times to come.
Anybody who knows me, knows that despite the fact that I plead guilty to reading all four of the Twilight books, I've been avoiding seeing the movie about as much as I avoid stepping into an A&F store. Of course, like the Harry Potter novels, these books seem to have fueled a new fire of pop culture obsession. At this point in the hysteria, I am about as resistant to Twilight obsession as much as MRSA is to antibiotics, however, I'm finally seeing an upside to this newest cultural fad. Case in point are the examples on display through the NY Times slideshow "Dark Glamour." It seems that mainstream fashion is finally picking up on a so called "vampire" look that isn't taken to the extreme of overly dramatic goth style. I've long been a fan of the feminine-yet-dangerous styles found in other vampire movies such as Underworld and its sequels. Getting to see this same mix of romanticism and slick styling as seen in the pages of Italian Vogue is full of exciting possibilites that allow women such as myself a chance to explore the darker side of our personalities without seeming like a angsty teenager. Also check out the "Vampire style of fashion" on Pravada.ru.
It should be interesting to see where this vampire obsession leads. The Swedish movie "Let the Right One In" has so far been the most mature products of this trend, despite the youthfulness of the main character. I'm looking forward to seeing if the new show "Vampire Diaries" that is planning to air on CW gives the typically teen audience something a little bit more tasty to chew on than the over-sensationalized Twilight movies.
