A do-it-yourself renovation in the high desert

My eyeballs fell out of my head when I saw the home Edmund and Lizet renovated in Joshua Tree National Park, California.  The L.A. weekend warrriors purchased a run-down 1950s home in the desert and transformed it into an inviting retreat and rental for creative types.



Visit High Desert Homestead's rental site, here.

I believe in The Beatles

I sent this essay by 12 year-old Macklin Levine to two different friends this week, and both said they cried.  I did too.  If you love your dog, your dad or The Beatles, you'll be touched by Macklin's story featured on NPR's "This I Believe."

NPH ought to do H&K for free the way they resurrected his career



Though I loathed Harold and Kumar Go to Guantanamo Bay, I know I'll be seeing the 3rd installment of the franchise, A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas.  Photo via First Showing

"Dream House" is a nightmare for Daniel Craig

Dream House starring Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz looks very promising. The thriller opens on September 30, 2011.

Better late than never...

I've been saying for a while that Johnny Cupcakes ought to have an Asian man model their clothing.  They finally did it. Y'okay.  What am I going to complain about now?

Getting from Point A to B just got more fun

My new ride is a 2011 Tornado Red Volkswagen GTI.

Lady Gaga, Leo, Adam, You and I

Lady Gaga posed as a man for the cover for her latest single, "You and I."  I am pleasantly surprised how convincing Gaga looks as a male.  I get a Leo Romero mixed with Adam Goldberg vibe from her male persona.

 

Pro skateboarder Leo Romero +

Actor Adam Goldberg = 

Lady Gaga posing as a guy

Adam via Red Army Skeleton News. Leo via Emerica. 

Z is for Zombie

I'm more into ghosts than zombies.  In fact, the first season of the cable series The Walking Dead left me feeling like a corpse. But I figured The Walking Dead may be one of those shows that gets it rear in gear in its second season. How charming is Steven Yeun in this promo for season two from last month's Comic Con?

My top zombie films:

28 Days Later (2002)  Ironically humans are the most frightening part of this unsettling zombie piece by Danny Boyle.

REC (2002) Technically the zombies aren't dead in this Spanish film, but are infected with a virus that makes them act like violent flesh-eaters. Now I am creeped out by Barcelona apartments the same way The Grudge made me scared of Japanese houses.  Photo via Blood and Beer

Dead Snow (2009) Norwegians know zombies. And Nazis. And snow!  Photo from Dread Central

Raise your hand if you look like Rain

Most mornings when I leave the house I feel like this.

Or this.  (Whenever I put on glasses I instantly see Rain peering back at me.)

Frankly, I'd rather look like this.

Though my real dream is to look more like this.

Pics courtesy of Fat People of Color and No Good for Me

David kicks Volatile Organic Compounds to the curb

Ajumma's been without cable television for the entire summer.  David Bromstad has likely been pimping his Mythic color collections on HGTV for months.  I just learned about his low-odor, non-toxic paint line from a friend, and I think it's fabulous (and pretty).

See David's fab four collections at Mythic Paint.