Shoes and Town

Two things - I have seen The Town twice already. I think everyone gives amazing performances. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend going. Blake Lively is amazing as a slutty drug-addicted/selling Charlestown mother. Ben Affleck is fantastic in all of his roles - writer, actor, director. He can wear many hats and pull them off nicely. I want to see it again. I don't know what it is about the movie, but something haunts me and leaves me yearning for more. I really feel for the characters and I find myself being sucked into the projection screen.

Below is Blake Lively in her role as a 37-year-old oxy addict. And the direct opposite, a filthy rich young socialite in Gossip Girl.

On a cheerier, note, I am in LOVE with these shoes. Charlotte Olympia Eve ankle boots, but they are just a little steep - in height and price ($1481.75). Seen on Kate Hudson and Olivia Palermo.

And yes, my mind is very random.

Bucket List

I have always wanted to go skydiving. I have always wanted to go scuba diving. The only problem is, being asthmatic, I am far more terrified to go scuba diving. Despite the vast blue ocean, I am afraid I would feel claustrophobic. Thus, I choose skydiving.

I was going to go in San Diego a few years ago, but I didn't have enough money. I came across these gorgeous pictures on My Modern Met and it reminded of my diving desires. I have included a few photos taken by Christopher Wilson. They were taken over the Utah Salt Flats and in the skies of Raleigh, North Carolina. As the post on Met says, his use of negative space and color is amazing. Check out his work here.

A Beer Diagram

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."

- Benjamin Franklin

"He was a wise man who invented beer."

- Plato

I follow I'm Just Creative on twitter and I came across their graphic on the many varieties of beer. See the full image here, found on Posterous Account.

On Vimeo, Zack Luye reviews teas for adagio Tea V. I would be more than happy to do similar beer reviews for any microbrewery who will have me. Did you hear that Boulevard, Schlafly, Breckenridge, Dogfish Head and O'Fallon? More than willing to put my journalistic video skills to good use!

Song of the Day

Song of the Day: Evil| Interpol, from their album: Antics

Always a classic. Enjoy!

Journalism/Web Nerd Alert

Oh, goodness I am a nerd. I just submitted by URL of my website to both Google and Bing, and now when you Google my name, My website is the third option, with my resume as the fourth option. So excited. Yay SEO and journalism classes! (Yes, big nerd).

American Beauty

Everything about American Beauty is perfect. Sam Mendes could not have been a better choice for a director. Mena Suvari is a delightfully innocent temptress. Kevin Spacey is brilliant. The honesty of this film never ceases to strike me.

The bag scene is probably the best scene I can think of in a film. I love the score (Thomas Newman is a genius). I have included the words and the scene below. Enjoy.

It was one of those days when it's a minute away from snowing and there's this electricity in the air. You can almost hear it, right? And this bag was just... dancing... with me. Like a little kid begging me to play with it. For fifteen minutes. And that's the day I realized there was this entire life behind things... this incredibly benevolent force, that wanted me to know there was no reason to be afraid. Ever. Video's a poor excuse, I know - but it helps me remember... and I need to remember. Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world... I feel like I can't take it, and my heart is just going to cave in.

[Image via]

Money Money Money MONAAAY

While perusing StumbleUpon, I came across a post by design boom. At first, I skipped through it quickly and then swiftly pressed 'Stumble,' but then after looking a few other random places on the Internet I started to think about the money post again. I went back to look and I have a new appreciation for designer Dowling Duncan and his redesign of the U.S. bank notes. See the official project here.

This project was very well researched and almost everything has been considered. The money was structured in a vertical format because people tend to deal with cash in a vertical fashion. Each bill is progressively larger and the notes are all different colors to easily tell which note is which.

• $1: the first black president
• $5: the five largest Native American tribes
• $10: the Bill of Rights (the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
• $20: 20th century America
• $50: the 50 states
• $100: the first 100 days in office for President Franklin Roosevelt

Our money, in America, has looked the same for as long as I can remember. Sure, there have been additions - such as the the watermark and the strip that has the amount written very tiny and embedded in the paper-cloth substance, but we haven't had any significant changes in paper notes in a long time. I'm not suggesting that this design needs to come to fruition, but it is a thought.

Then, I thought some more on the subject. I can't decide if change is the thing we need, or, like the U.S. Mint, I like the comfort of sameness. It is easier. And safe. Hmm...

Which is your favorite?