Whatever happened to ICEE?

Now that summer’s come early to Manila (read: massive heat wave), I can’t help but scramble for cooling treats like ice cream, cold drinks, etc.  The other day, I waxed nostalgic remembering that cold slushy drink in a cup that predated the Slurpee called ICEE.  As a kid, I used to love going to the supermarket with my mom, knowing that I’d get myself a freezing cola or bright red cherry ICEE afterwards.  Anyone looking to bring in new products to the Philippines, bring back ICEE please! 

ICEE as I remember it

Apparently, the ICEE bear has gotten a makeover from being a bottom-heavy, goofy and loveable layabout (in the tradition of Shaggy from Scooby-doo)…

The good ol' ICEE bear just enjoyed dancing and drinking... ICEE!

… to a “too cool” ice-boarding, sunglass-wearing, “these are modern times so let’s get active” polar bear:

 

Check out the ICEE Company website for information and interesting fan photos like these ones:

Adorable fan photo

Strange fan photo

Apparently ICEE is today available in the US, Canada, Mexico, China and the Middle East.  What happened to the Phils?  We need you back, ICEE bear (goofy or jock version).  It’s hot here…

It’s a Hello Kitty world…

… we just live in it!

I love Japan and their whole appreciation for anything and everything “kawaii” (cuute).  It all started in the late ’70s when I was around 5 years old, and someone gave me some stationery (this was before e-mail) featuring a cat with her name spelled in fat letters – Hello Kitty.  Clean lines, no facial expressions or cartoon bubble talk, Kitty was just a cute little cat in overalls sporting a red ribbon.  Then along the way, something happened and Kitty exploded and became a multi-million dollar global phenomenon.  People like Paris Hilton took the humble cat from Japan and went insane with her.  Here are just a few of many great examples of where Kitty’s at today (many are from kittyhell.com) :

 

Ok, so I do think Hello Kitty fruit is super cute —

I would so buy these! Kawaii bananas at a Japanese supermarket

 

And I would totally buy this yogurt maker if I could find it —

Healthy, calcium-rich and Kitty-cute: what more could a girl ask for?

 

But I don’t think I’d want to be friends with the girl who decides to get married in this get-up–

Scarlett O'Hara meets Cinderella in Hello Kitty Hell

 

Nor would I like to see this in my bathroom…

I think my husband would leave me if I ever installed this

 

Though I may consider delivering  a baby here at the kawaii-cute Hello Kitty hospital in Taiwan–

How could you not love working here? Unless you were a man... who hated Hello Kitty

awwww

 

Then there are the more interesting Kitty items such as —

The Hello Kitty Rosary (for cute Catholics)

 

Conversely, there is the Hello Kitty burqa (for cute Muslims)

 

The Hello Kitty AK-47 …

This model proved unpopular with communist rebels...

 

The Hello Kitty-Louis Vuitton bong for cute, brand-conscious potheads…

 

We get to see Kitty’s super-cute internal organs through the Kitty meets Dr. Romanelli doll…

If only my heart and spleen were that adorable

 

And from the “I didn’t know there was a market for that” department…

Beck’s Hello Kitty Beer

Not a good thing to bring to a tailgate party

 

The equivalent of a huge “Kick Me” sign for any man…

It's the kitted-out Hello Kitty Ferrari

 

You know the universe is coming to an end when Darth Vader becomes a Kitty fan–

Scary Schoolgirl and Hello Darth make for a great disturbance in the Force

Flood Weary in the Philippines

The recent spate of sad events in the Philippines — starting with Typhoon Ondoy on September 26th  — really kept me from adding to this blog.   But, after the tragedies and doing your best to help those affected, life goes on…

But back to the batcave and the rain/floods:  Though we can blame the unusual amount of rainfall on climate change, and the clogged drains on pollution, and denuded forests for the landslides, I always think… it’s been pouring buckets on this country forever!  We just never pre-plan anything here (except for the latest product launch and celeb debut, but I digress), and we never learn from from the past.

Just to prove my point, check out this vintage political cartoon from the 1931 Free Press (below):

Deja Vuuuuu....

Hmm, except for the vintage cars and outfits, and a shark in the water instead of the seriously real crocodiles and snakes from the September flooding, this looks sooo familiar…

 

Bad Food Photos = Great Entertainment

I know it’s strange but I love collecting really bad food photos.  Whether a result of a truly bad recipe, bad food styling or better yet, BOTH,  I’m amazed that ad people back then allowed this stuff to make it to print.  Knowing that it’s almost a science now with Food Testers, Stylists and Photographers being paid top dollar for magazine features and ads, it’s nice to know that once upon a time, people really just didn’t care…

Anything with ‘aspic’ should usually raise red flags

Mmmm!

 

It’s like raw meat surrounded by little bunches o’ brains

 

Having mastered Peas, Del Monte then offers up this tempting creamed Corn concoction

 

It’s amazing how creepy spaghetti can look in the wrong hands

 

I love the tagline, “Some things can be copied and some things can’t.”  Well, thank God for that!

Run, kids! Mom's made the Haystack!

 

The Frankfurter-Kraut Crown — the perfect holiday centerpiece!

 

A very rare way of serving “Pork with Spaghetti” or as I call it, “Hairy Pork” : P

 

Saved the BEST for last! 

Lime Walnut Salad — lime gelatin, celery, pimiento, pineapple and cottage cheese.  Truly. Award. Winning.

A lesser-known Weapon of Mass Destruction

 

Stay tuned for Part 2 someday soon… I have a huge collection : O

Mmmm… Bacon

Not this Bacon...

THIS bacon... Mmmm!

 

When you ask a Vegetarian which food item they were hard-pressed to give up, the anwer is usually… Bacon.  There are a few things in this world that can affect humans as much as the smell of sizzling… Bacon.  Maybe Calvin Klein should create ‘CK Bacon’ and unleash the feral side of any meat-eating woman on the unsuspecting cologne-wearer.  Anyway, I’m apparently not the only person who has a weakness for these strips of pork belly.  There are hundreds of Bacon tribute sites and fan pages online.  Predictably, a lot of strange bacon-related items have been cropping up.  So here’s how I picture a day in the life of a bacon-obsessed person…

 

Have a morning shower with a nice juicy bar of Bacon Soap

 

 

Sit down to breakfast with a morning-brightening Bacon Placemat

 

 

Mmm, is that coffee or bacon?  Brew a sizzling cup of Maple Bacon Morning coffee

 

 

Slap on that snazzy Bacon Suit that drives women (and hungry dogs) wild

 

 

If it’s cold, make like a bacon-wrapped weenie dog with the cozy Bacon Scarf

 

 

Don’t forget your Bacon Briefcase!

 

 

… And your Bacon Lunchbox!

 

 … And your Bacon Wallet!

 

 

Make sure all your files are in your trusty Bacon USB Flash Drive

 

 Get into your delicious-smelling car care of your Bacon Air Freshener

 

 

At the end of the day, kick back with a bottle of Squeez Bacon…

>yikes<

 

 

Wash it all down with your favorite diet soda…

 

 

And don’t forget to floss for that extra clean feeling 

 

 

Unwind and ponder the day with a Bacon Martini

 

Then sit back and welcome the heart attack.

Gitanes Cigarette Ads are beautiful

I don’t smoke, but I really enjoy going through vintage cigarette advertising.  A genre in itself, tobacco ads encompassed all design styles and ranged in subject matter from the scientific to the fashionable and iconic, and even to the bizarre…

Strange "Don't smoke & drive" (?) Russian Ad

 

But I love love classic French cigarette brand Gitanes‘ vintage ads.  The modern (now considered retro-modern) designs and bright, bold colors are just lovely.  And despite the eye-catching designs, the ads are very subtle – there are no cigarette health facts or hard-sell headlines.  Just simple, beautiful designs featuring a gypsy lady.  Here are some examples:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sophia Loren does not like you…

 I think Jayne Mansfield’s in trouble.

Get this woman and her bread rolls away from Sophia!

Sweetie! Darling! I miss AbFab.

 

I really really miss the many mis-adventures of the forever bombed best friends, Patsy and Eddy.  I was such a fan while I was at university in the early ’90s that I actually planned my second year classes to all start at 11am so I could have my morning coffee watching Absolutely Fabulous on the A&E Channel.  Seriously.

 

The main cast (without Mother): Eddy, Saffy, Bubble & Patsy

 

Anyway, I recently read that this Fall, there will be a US version of AbFab executive produced by Jennifer Saunders (Eddy and AbFab’s creator) and overseen by the producer of Arrested Development (which I also loved).  Kristen Johnson of 3rd Rock from the Sun will play Patsy while an actress named Kathryn Hahn will play Eddy.  Despite the seemingly solid cast and production crew, I still wonder why there was a need to America-fy this classically neurotic, dysfunctional yet loveable British series.  I wish they could just show the original episodes in syndication. 

 

American Pats & Eddy : (

 

Oh well…  I’ll just have to comfort myself with my two videos purchased long ago.  Despite it being almost 20 years since the first season, this show is still timelessly hilarious.  I miss Patsy (played by Joanna Lumley), Eddy, Saffy, Bubble and Edwina’s Mother.  I’m chanting as we speak…

 

Classic wine-tasting episode:

Donor Look-a-likes

From guest blogger Vern of http://my-stuff-and-stuff.blogspot.com/:

 

This is one of the strangest things yet.  Now, the California Cryobank (CCB) allows you to choose a sperm donor chosen by the best of their subjective abilities to be celebrity look-a-likes. They have hundreds of actors, musicians and athletes to choose from with links to pictures of celebrities in case you’re not sure what they look like. (So if you just want to pick some random celebrity for your kid to look like?!) Some famous names include Van Halen, Yao Ming, Adam Sandler, BJ Penn, Balthazar Getty, Antonio Banderas, Cedric the Entertainer and Christian Bale.

I did a search for Prince William (handsome young lad) and this is how his profile reads: 

 

Ambitious and Adventurous

“At 6’3”, 203 lbs, Donor 11194 towers over the competition. He’s also a charmer with blue eyes, blond hair, and a friendly smile on a handsome face. He plans to express his creativity through acting and directing professionally, and hopes to become a catalyst for positive change in the world. The son of an English/Hungarian mother and a German/Dutch father, he’s a gentleman in the Old World sense, placing a high value on honesty and honor.”

His vial costs $490. Oh, and this donor also resembles Rick Shroder – yikes.

Devilishly Divine Joan Crawford

“If I can’t be me, I don’t want to be anybody.”

 

Despite what Christina Crawford wrote in “Mommie Dearest”, how can you not love (or love to hate) Joan Crawford?  Now she was a total Hollywood diva.  After all the stories about her cattiness and nose in the air attidude, the wonderful thing is that she could back up all the airs with top-rate acting and screen presence.  From Grand Hotel to her later B-movie attempts, the camera adored her.  She even stood out as the hateful Crystal in the original (1939)The Women (one of my favorite movies).  And considering she was in that movie with greats like Rosalind Russel, Norma Shearer and Paulette Goddard, that’s saying a lot.  Here are more delicious quotable quotes from Christina’s Mommie (I didn’t include “No wire hangers!”):

“I, Joan Crawford, I believe in the dollar. Everything I earn, I spend.”

“Helga, I’m not mad at you.  I’m mad at the dirt.” (to her maid)

“If you want my opinion, far too many actresses today are little more than tramps and tarts.”

“We’re paid to turn shit into gold.” (on Hollywood)

“Women’s Lib?  Poor little things.  They always look so unhappy.  Have you noticed how bitter their faces are?”

 

Ok, so maybe she really was a scary mom...

 

But bitch-ay or not, you just gotta love her.  Unless you’re another Diva like Bette Davis (looove her) who reportedly couldn’t stand dearest Joan, and the feeling was mutual.  In several Bette biographies, there are just loads of gems about their ‘little’ feud…

 When asked why she avoided Joan at Hollywood functions, Bette stated:

“You hang around that woman long enough and you’ll pick up all kinds of useless shit.”

Love is in the air...

Sigh, these Divas, gotta love them.

Classic Joan photographed by Hollywood photog, Yousuf Karsh

The KISS family

After years of planning, we may finally go the KISS route this Halloween —

My husband can now look exactly like Gene because the ‘authentic’ Gene Simmons’ Demon outfit is now available to all… for USD 500!  Gene, gene, gene – such a businessman…

In our plans, my daughter is supposed to be Paul/Starchild (since no one else wants to be) but dressing up as mini-Gene is too adorable to pass up…

Or, she could come in the too CUTE Toddler Ace Frehley/Spaceman costume:

Hmm…even kids who dress like Paul Stanley/Starchild can’t help acting a little cheeseball:

I’ll obviously be Peter Criss/Catman, but I refuse to dress up in this creepy adult version (with thigh cut-outs)…

Whether we do this Halloween 2009 or not, we take comfort in knowing that EVERY family can now be a KISS family… “You wanted the best, You got the best!”  Woo hoo!

Goodbye John Hughes

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

– Ferris Bueller from Ferris Bueller’s Day off

 

John Hughes, writer-director of ’80s classics like Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off died at the age of 59 on Thursday, August 6th.  There have been a lot of unexpected and sad deaths of famous people this year, but John Hughes was different in that he wasn’t a global superstar like Michael Jackson, but his death made me feel like I’ve lost a cool friend from my youth.  Hughes’ films may have seemed like silly teenage comedies to some, but I feel that they were actually smart and accurate representations of my generation.   If you belong to Generation X (hello Douglas Coupland), you can joyously quote a line from at least one John Hughes film. 

So today as a tribute to the man… It’s an 80s Hughes flashback! 

Sixteen Candles – my first favorite ‘teen’ film. 

 

It's Long Duk Dong!

Sigh, the final scene with Samantha and Jake… and the cake 

 

 

Some Kind of Wonderful

 

The Breakfast Club

 

Pretty In Pink

 

Weird Science

 

It's Chet! Hilariously played by Bill Paxton

 

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

 

So to you, John Hughes, thanks for the memories…

“I can’t believe I gave my panties to a geek…”

– Samantha Baker from Sixteen Candles

Vintage ads by mad men

I wonder how I could have possibly suspected that the following ads were conceptualized, written and produced by a bunch of men in a 1960s HBO’s Mad Men-style office:

 

Every man dreams of being married to a peppy wife…

"I worked hard procuring arsenic for your coffee, dear"

 

Cute “men are better than women” ad…

Taken a few seconds before Angela stabbed both men with the climbing pick...

 

The just-about-to-be-divorced man’s guide to buying presents for the wife…

I think this ad made me grit my teeth down to stumps...

 

Great Hannibal Lecter type imagery for an ad selling synthetic pants…

Linda bided her time, waiting for the perfect moment to throw a match down Bob's dapper yet highly flammable DACRON pants...

 

Adorable ad about female drivers…

"Officer, I'm so dumb that I mistook my husband for a speed bump and ran right over him"

Dating Yourself – The Typewriter

I saw this vintage ad the other day and I unexpectedly got a little thrill.  Seeing this simple typewriter made me remember the day my parents gave me my dad’s old portable typewriter to keep as my very own.   I was 9 years old and it’s funny but at that age, getting my own typewriter made me feel like a teenager borrowing the car for the first time.  And then I realized… most kids today probably have NO idea what this contraption is.  They will never know the sound of a typewriter in action, or how important liquid paper or correcting tape used to be, or how one used to crumple up sheets and sheets of paper because we couldn’t edit before ‘printing’.  Talk about dating myself! 

 

 Remember Mr. Nooni-nooni-noo from Sesame Street?  My kids were watching snippets from our ‘Old School Sesame Street’ DVD and my 7 year old son asked me, “Mom, is that a big old telephone on wheels?”   Me:  “No, that’s a typewriter.”  My son:  “A what?”   Eep.

My kids do not know what this is : (

 

So I guess anyone who remembers the typewriter can now be relegated to that category we used to place our parents and their “I remember when coca-cola used to cost 20 centavos…” stories.  Sigh.  Oh well, viva vintage and all that.  Let’s celebrate the typewriter!

 

Here’s a cute vintage ad (1954) for the perfect portable typewriter for students…

Gals & guys, from nerds to hep cats, could even match their typewriters.

 

IBM was always on the cutting edge…

When laptops were still a pipe dream...

 

Clunky yet cute and pink — what every young girl would have loved…

Barbie's typewriter

 

Guide to proper typewriting posture (still applicable today)…

Listen to Stella Pajunas, people!

 

Guide to improper posture (still applicable today)…

Well... I could see how this would hurt

My favorite classic leading men…

 I just felt like swooning over black and white photos of beautiful classic leading men this morning.  Perhaps I’m also swooning because my neighbor is currently fogging his yard with clouds of anti-mosquito poison…

Anyway, watching old Hollywood movies wasn’t easy as a child in the Philippines — if you wanted to see an American black and white film, you had to rent a video.  From a young age, I listened to my dad talk about these Hollywood greats and learned to love the movies, the glamor and the actors.  As much as I love Brad Pitt, Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe, it seems like no one can hold a candle these days to the super actors of yesteryear.  These photos below show how timelessly gorgeous they still are. 

Loved him in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Cool Hand Luke and Butch Cassidy…

Woo hoo, Paul Newman

 

My mom’s ultimate favorite (along with Alain Delon) and star of the tragic A Place in the Sun…

Gorgeous Montgomery Clift

 

In this photo, he’s playing Jett Rink, my favorite character in Giant…

Swoon, James Dean

 

Super talented anti-hero star of Cape Fear and Night of the Hunter…

Robert Mitchum : )

 

My mother’s faaavorite actor, and beautiful Frenchman…

Alain Delon

 

Gorgeous and still really active today…

Before his spaghetti western days... Clint Eastwood

 

Channeling Hugh Jackman, another photo of Clint Eastwood…

Sigh

Fun with Lederhosen

Whee!

 

I had a great time watching “The Sound of Music” the other night with my 3-year old.  I’ve always wanted to go to Austria as a result of having grown up with this classic film.  The lovely views of the green hillsides, the beautiful architecture, and then I saw Kurt and Friedrich sing “D0, Re, Mi” in their lederhosen…

There’s just something about the Bavarian traditional costume…  Lederhosen is directly translated as “leather pants” and was worn by highland German and Austrian men.  It’s rather cute on little boys and I guess on some grown-ups too.

 

Cute!

 

Adorable!

 

Not so cute

 

I'm on the fence with this one

 

SCARY. Bad bondage lederhosen... (check slickitup.com if you're brave)

 

Authentic photo of George Bush on his Bavaria tour

 

Boris Becker: Looking good in lederhosen

 

 

There’s apparently been such a resurgence of interest in lederhosen, that these best-selling toys had to be made:

 

The perfect pocket toy – a wind-up, hopping pair of lederhosen

The little man on the packaging is in his briefs, chasing his pants : (

 

 

Gamma Deathbot Leder

He does your dirty work for you... while dressed as an Alp dweller toting a beer stein!

 

 

Who wouldn’t want an electronic yodeling pickle? 

Press the big button, hold the pickle to your ear and instantly feel like you're in the Alps

 

 

It took great minds to come up with the remote-controlled, hopping and yodeling pair of lederhosen

The remote control is a knockwurst sausage. Ingenious.

 

 

So auf wiedersehen, lederhosen!  We shall meet again, I’m sure. 

Cool! Lederhosen as it was meant to be worn

vs.

Vassever!

Sound of Music – a ‘where are they now?’ special

I love this movie

 So last night I saw “The Sound of Music” for the first time with my 3 year old daughter.  It was another ‘maman moment’ as I realized I finally had a daughter to share this lovely film with, much like my mother did with me ages ago (boo hoo, tears of happiness).  Anyway, at 3, she was a little bored with all the ‘talking parts’, so we just forwarded to all the songs.  She especially loved watching the kids, especially little Gretl. 

It got me thinking… Where are the actors who played the Von Trapp children today?   Then I remembered that a few months ago, my friend Lara sent me an email with these photos (below).  Enjoy!  And I only have these comments:  What happened to Kurt and Liesl?! and wow, Gretl aged really well.

 

 

Vintage ‘gay’ ads

Remember when the word ‘gay’ meant happy?  I do, because as a child I had books and heard songs about “happy and gay” straight people.  I’m sure today’s younger genearation is only aware of the homosexual connotation, which is totally fine… but they would probably find the following ads a tad bit puzzling:

Just take Ovaltine at bedtime and wake up... gay

Midol takes away periodic pain and makes you gay. Not bad!

Gee, you really didn't have to...

I want a gay home. I really do.

Gay Johnny looks a little sad today...

He should ditch Texas and go on a Gay cruise.

Totally adorable potential Pride parade souvenirs

Now these following ads don’t have the word ‘gay’ in them, but I think they were targeting the demographic. 

It's so much fun being in the army!

I guess Barbie got rid of him -- Allan, the erstwhile "buddy" of Ken.

         Disclaimer(as of June 2010):  Turns out the ad below is a parody of an original vintage ad by Jantzen.  Sorry!

My favorite ad - you just have to do a double-take. Lure him away from the poolboy?! Peek-a-boo trunks?!

For more vintage gay ads, click HERE

Boney M and Baccara: Obscure Euro Disco Tribute

Part of a strange list of my favorite secret classic dance songs, shared with Dead or Alive’s ‘You Spin Me Round’, Falco’s ‘Der Kommisar’ and anything ABBA, is Boney M’s Rasputin.  The group had a lot of hits, but this to me is the ’70s Euro-disco BEST.  How can anyone resist lyrics like:

Rah-rah Rasputin, lover of the Russian queen, There was a cat that really was gone. 

Rah-rah Rasputin, Russia’s greatest love machine, it was a shame how he carried ooonn….

Hilarious! And strangely enough, the lyrics are also pretty historically accurate.  So get up and dance to the German disco group manufactured by the guy who eventually put together Milli Vanilli.  Go Boney M!… “Oh, those Russians!”

And speaking of Russians, I thought these two women of Baccara were total Soviet Svetlanas when I first saw this classic video just a few weeks ago.  I can’t believe that I’ve never heard of Baccara before.  Maria and Mayte, former Spanish flamenco artists, quickly became ’70s Euro-disco goddesses with this single. 

 This video is, well… surprising!  There’s a lot to take in:  the lyrics, outfits, dance moves, facial expressions, flower background… the list goes on.  I was stunned but I did laugh a lot…  “Baby, I wanna keep my reputation…”

Classic pulp fiction covers…in Spanish

You can really find art in the least likely of places.  Take pulp fiction covers from the 1950s-70s.  These were the cheap paperbacks that titillated a mostly male crowd of low-brow readers.  Despite their possible not-award-winning content, I think pulp fiction covers are just great.  What makes this collection below even more awesome is the fact that the titles are en espanol!  It just adds another dimension to the super-badness of it all. 

 

The series for baad boys…

Never give a 'chica' on 'drogas' a weapon...

 

 

 Ayayay!  El Robot!

 

 

The sleazier James Bond…Senor Suave, Extraordinario FBI!

Watch as he suavely uses his girlfriend as a human shield...

 

 

Secret Service guys always get the chicks…”Just leave me alone already!”

"Vete ya! Wait... are you wearing two panties?"

 

 

Even the “King & I” looks sleazy when given the pulp fiction treatment…

Deborah Kerr smiles, but her eyes say "H.E.L.P.!"

 

 

Why we should never give weapons to mermaids…

"I'm gonna have me some fisherman stew for dinner!"

 

 

I seriously love this gorgeous cover…  note “la muerte” ghost hand in the corner

 

 

Believe it or not, this woman is a ‘good guy’…

I don't want to 'fly' with Cherry. I think she's going to rehab : (

 

 

I wonder what the “Fatal Gems” in the title is referring to (wink wink nudge nudge)…

Sexy spies always sleep with Ak-47s... topless

 

Find more Spanish Book Covers HERE

Sophia Loren visits our planet

I posted this photo a month ago of Sophia Loren holding two items that every Filipino who grew up in the ’60s-’70s is familiar with — the dreaded wooden giant spoon & fork. 

That photo was actually taken from Sophia’s 1971 cookbook, In Cucina Con Amore (published in English as “Eat With Me”).  I’ve been wanting this book for a while because the recipes were all written by Sophia herself.  Imagine, owning a cookbook from a woman who once said about her famously voluptous figure:  “Everything you see, I owe to spaghetti.”  Take that, anti-carb crusaders!

I'm eating some spaghetti today!

As much as I love Sophia, I think some of the photos from her cookbook are just hilarious.  It’s like she’s some alien visitor to our planet, the way she poses with food.  Mangia mangia!

"Come cheese, let us smile for the camera"

"What is this little oily product? Get it away from Sophia"

"Fascinating!"

"Sophia likes you, stuffed pheasant birds. Come, let us pose holding each other."

Paula Deen’s Krispy Kreme Burger

She’s done it again.  Just when I thought I was familiar with Southern domestic goddess Paula Deen’s  arsenal of deep-fried, bacon-wrapped, sugar-stuffed recipes, she manages to produce another eyebrow-raiser. 

Enjoy this video of her putting together a great sandwich.  Watching this sends a chill down my spine : O  ….

Then again, I’m really curious.  Is it just me? 

Looking super in the ’70s

I don’t know any other decade this past century that has had the most laughable fashions other than the 1970s.  Maybe it was something in the water back then, but everyone seemed to feel like they were at the forefront of some avant-garde style revolution.  Having lived through the ’70s as a small child, I never really realized anything was wrong… until I started seeing fashion photos from the decade, particularly the later disco-infused years.  These GREAT catalogue photos from Plaidstallions.com really showcase the best of the worst.  When I’m feeling down, I look at these and I smile : )  Git down, party people! 

 

The 1970s version of loungwear for sleazebags 

Tooth necklace is model's own

 

 

Man Mates: great pastel colors, pointy butterfly collars, bandana…simply irresistible!

"Hey baby, want to cruise in my Camaro?"

 

 

A “Big Yank” outfit for big & tall men who like butterflies

He'll pound anyone who says "cuute shirt!"

 

 

For creepy couples you don’t want to hang out with

"I don't know about you, but I'm feeling frisky in this navajo blanket"

 

 

More matchy fashions for creep-ola swingin’ couples who like to disco

"Oh yeah, wow... I can SEE the music!" (as acid starts kicking in...)

 

 

Creepy couples can have summer options too!

The flared pants, white star belt and white shoes are pushing it... but a matching halter top?! Dump him!

 

 

So you can match your pimp…

 

"Where's my money at?!"

 

 

 

What the really cool and sophisticated girls wore to the disco

Seriousy, there are no words to express my thoughts...

 

 

For the fashion-conscious ’70s boy… (who is today still in therapy)

"I hate you, mom."

It’s World Population Day

June 11th is World Population Day. 

Whenever I hear the words ‘population explosion’, I always think of the Philippines.  When I used to live in Canada, this would always come up about the Philippines in my Southeast Asian Government classes.  Now, I don’t need to study facts or statistics, I simply need to leave my home to see children everywhere — playing on dusty sidewalks by busy intersections, clutching their young mother’s hand while she begs for money, sleeping in wooden carts in empty lots. 

I always wondered how one can live in this country and not even consider the idea of a reproductive health plan.  I am against abortion, but am pro-birth control.   Underprivileged women need the information and free birth control to help them gain control of their lives.  As a nation, we seriously need to keep our population in check if we are to begin the long process of eradicating poverty.

The Philippine Star details the story of the UNFPA (United Naitons Population Fund)’s 20th World Population Day:

[The UNFPA released a statment that] calls on governments to promote women’s reproductive health and prevent maternal and child deaths through family planning programs and the use of contraceptives. Even the person in charge of direct aid for the poor in the Philippines, Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral, is pushing for the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill as resources shrink in the recession and the population continues to boom.

The UNFPA points out that an investment in contraceptive services could be recouped four times over in terms of savings in public education, health care and other social services. The UN agency also says that family planning alone can reduce maternal deaths by up to 40 percent.

So “Happy World Population Day” and may everyone in government seriously think about giving the Reproductive Health Bill a shot.  Just look out your windows, people!  Look.

 

Political Cartoon from 1937 shows this is not an new issue

Fabella Hospital, Manila's "baby factory" as 20% of Manila's babies are born here to indigent moms.

 Read more about Fabella Hospital HERE.

Pre-war Manila was so beautiful

I love looking at old photos.  Black and white photographs always evoke a sense of nostalgia in me, even if they’re of a history I wasn’t a part of.  Looking at old photos of Manila is especially interesting because the images capture a world that really seems forever lost to time.  As our grandparents’ and their friends’ stories go, these were the days when people shopped on Escolta wearing smart hats and white suits, when weekends were spent swimming and picnicking on the banks of the Pasig River, and when you got dressed to enjoy a night out at the Jai Alai Building’s Sky Room. 

To give a better sense of what pre-war Manila was like, I’m posting old photos of the Philippines that I found in the LIFE Magazine Photo Archives.   This amazing set of photographs was taken in November 1941 Manila, the week before the outbreak of war with Japan.  The days of calm before the storm…

 

The beautiful Jai Alai building, designed by Welton Becket, who also did the iconic Capitol Records Tower in LA:

The Welton Becket-designed art deco Jai Alai Building

 

 Watching a game of Jai-Alai:

 

The main commercial district, Escolta:

When men wore white suits...

 

Inside a Manila Department Store:

Taken in late November a week before Pearl Harbor, stores were ready to celebrate Christmas.

 

View of the busy Sta. Cruz Plaza, Manila:

 

Japanese businesses still open:

 

The Manila City Hall and its manicured courtyard:

 

Shopping at stalls near the Quiapo Church:

We loved tiangges even back then...

 

Lovely interiors of the Quiapo Church:

 

Having lunch at the Manila Polo Club:

 

Getting ready to watch a baseball game, Manila Polo Club:

 

View of the clean, art-deco Quezon Bridge:

Note that we used to drive on the left side of the street

 

When men used to wear hats… a second-hand hat stall off Carriedo St.:

 

Manila Hotel swimming pool:

 

Ready for what’s coming- the popularity contest winner of the Manila College of Pharmacy smiles and shows her support for the boys:

Lip Augmentation is not good

I don’t know why wax lips are still in joke shops when there are now women who actually pay to achieve this bizarre ultra-plump-pouty look.  Maybe part of the fluid injected into your lips makes you instantly believe you look like Angelina Jolie.  Aside from Megan Fox (who can kind of pull it off), the rest of these women remind me of the freaky melting women from Soundgarden’s Black Hole Sun video.  Creepy!

I'm meltiiingg....

 

Why Brittany, Why?

 

There was NOTHING wrong with her to begin with

 

Olivia Newton-John’s daughter, Chloe Lattanzi, felt she needed duck lips at 23

 

Dearest Donatella… no no nooo

 

The Philippines hasn’t been spared…

 

 

The one who can probably pull it off: Megan Fox Before & After

 

Great parting shot…  Donatella is now Janice the Muppet!

Where did Clairol Herbal Essence go?

 

I loved the long-haired ‘nature lady’ who used to grace the label of this shampoo.  She used to bathe in a forest and birds and butterflies would happily hover over her.  Clairol Herbal Essence came in a cool bottle, was a beautiful deep aloe green and most importantly, smelled so herbal essence good.  I found an old ad (above) and was surprised to also find an on-line petition demanding the return of Herbal Essence.  I wonder if the “Gee Your Hair Smells Teriffic” fans have the same passion.  These ’70s women are loyal! 

Speaking of Gee Your Hair Smells Teriffic, here’s something from the “You learn something new every day” department:  Did you know that after Jergens stopped making the popular shampoo in the US, that the only place it was available in the entire world was the Philippines?  According to this site:

By the mid-1980’s the products disappeared from [US] store shelves.  Jergens had discontinued manufacturing the product.  After that, the only place in the world where the items were still available was in the Philippines!  Jergens had licensed the product to a manufacturer in the Philippines, and up until today the product has remained available for purchase there!

Well… lucky us! 

"Gee, you look like my mom"

Philippines: 13th in Asia yet 14th Happiest in the World

Wealthy Singapore - but are they happy?

Below is the CIA’s list of the Top 10 Wealthiest Nations in Asia.  No surprise that Las Islas isn’t on the list but it was depressing to see that Malaysia, our former ‘not so successful’ neighbor (when I was a kid), is now at number 8.  It also says something that when I google’d photos of Malaysia, not one had a shanty, a mountain of garbage, or a half-dressed child.  But all is not lost, the Philippines stands at number 13, just behind China and ahead of  Kazakhstan(Borat’s home).  Not bad, at least we’re still ahead of Indonesia!

Top 10 List of the Wealthiest Countries in Asia  (c/o CIA World Factbook, rank based on GDP per capita)

1. Singapore – 27,800
2. Japan – 23,400
3. Hong Kong – 23,100
4. Macau – 17,500
5. Brunei – 17,400
6. Taiwan – 16,100
7. South Korea – 13,300
8. Malaysia – 10,700
9. Thailand – 6,400
10. Turkey – 6,200

Despite not making the Top 10 of Asia’s Wealthiest, the Philippines apparently ranks 14th out of 143 nations the in the New Economic Foundation’s Ranking of the World’s Happiest Places.  The basis for ranking being:

• life expectancy (ours is 71 years)
• people’s happiness with their lives (55% of Filipinos are apparently thrilled with theirs)
• and environmental impact (hmm…) 

Costa Rica was crowned the happiest and greenest place on earth (take that, Disneyland).  The highest ranked Western nation is the Netherlands at 43, with the US at 114.   So yay to South America and to us:  Viva and Mabuhay!  Let’s dance!

Happy Filipinos - sayaw nalang tayo!

Fascinating Family Photos

My friend Rissa sent me a GREAT link last week.  I’ve been wanting to post these superb family photos for a while but my husband (aka my angel-wing wearing good conscience) says it’s not nice to poke fun at other people’s family snaps.  I see his point, but I also feel that these are too good to pass up sharing.  So, as a compromise, I’ll just post photos sans any comments from me.  Zip, zip it, zoo zoo.  I’m a  mime (with a blue pen ; ).  Enjoy…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WTF OMG CREEP-alert! Paging Child Services...

Mmmm… Tiffin lunches are wonderful

Tiffin lunch = MMmmm!

 

Last night, I watched as Padma Lakshmi (star of Top Chef and Carl’s Jr.’s recent ad) explained the virtues of the tiffin trade in India on Discovery Travel & Living.  Mumbai is apparently the only city in the word where home-cooked food is delivered by the dabbawala or Tiffin Man to working people all over the city.  Basically, your mom or wife cooks your food, the Tiffin Man picks it up around 9-10am, then through a complicated series of train/cart transfers, your tiffin gets to you, filled with hot steaming rotis, curries, meats and a sweet treat at lunchtime.  Amazing!

 

Dabbawallas deliver non-labeled tiffins directly to you

 

It just makes no sense to bring your lunch with you in the mornings as this system of over 5,000 Tiffin Men delivering to over 200,000 working people has been in place forever!  Plus, the dabbawallas, lowly educated Indians from the Pune region, have built their lives around this trade. It’s such an amazing system that you can easily find diagrams and flowcharts online explaining its intricacies.  Click HERE for more on the tiffin trade.

Here’s a popular tiffin recipe for Coconut Chicken.  Mmmm….

 

 

1. Cut 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.  Fry them in oil. 
2. Add 1 thinly sliced carrot, 1/2 cup sweet peas, 1 chopped green onion, 1 tablespoon curry powder, salt and pepper to the chicken.  Cook for 5 minutes.
3. Combine 1 can of coconut milk to the mixture and mix well.  Cook for 10 to 15 minutes more. 
4. Pack into your son’s/boyfriend’s/husband’s waiting tiffin and if you don’t live in Mumbai, just look at it until he comes home…

The latest in children’s fashion… ZZ Top??

What a GREAT tribute to ZZ Top from Diesel, taken at this year’s Pitti Immagine Bimbo fashion show in Florence.  I hope they played “Sharp-dressed Man” when these kids walked the runway (see below).

With my husband in a mullet, wayfarers, and a mustache as Frank Beard, and with two furry guitars for the kids, this would also make the perfect Halloween group costume! 

Speaking of “Sharp Dressed Man”, here’s the video from 1983 (a GREAT year in music videos if you ask me).  You just have to say “Whee-heeew!”  I love these classic videos with loose women, that car, and the hilarious makeover storylines (I miss Legs!)…   Update: ugh, they just took the classic video off Youtube! Here’s a live version instead.   Bummer, I love that ’83 video.

The best Action Figures you can buy today

We all have our favorite action figures from childhood — my brothers recently passed their Star Wars collection on to my eager and grateful son, and my husband had Spiderman and Madelman (“you know, the Spanish GI Joe?” ) figures.

 

Vintage 'Madelman in Kenya' - what's with the white purse?

 

Below are MY current favorite action figures.  I hope someone gets me one or two for Christmas…

 

Crazy Cat-lady: comes with 6 cats and a wild look in her eye

 

 

Obsessive Compulsive Man:  

Comes with worried look, surgical mask and a moist towelette

 

 

Angry Mob: Villagers with ‘mad’ faces and various weapons

 

 

Marie Antoinette: Her wig, dress and head are all removable

 

 

Mr. Bacon vs. Monsieur Tofu: whichever side you’re on, it’s an epic battle

When did Tofu become french? (love the monocle!)

 

 

Zombie Pet Shop figures: Scary, undead pets for playtime

 

 

Avenging Unicorn Playset: comes with 3 problem people (Bad Boss, New Age lady, Mime) and 4 interchangeable horns for unicorn to skewer them with

I guess unicorns don't like mimes : (

Get some Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding in you!

Just looking at this makes my teeth hurt

If you don’t give a snit about your waistline or your blood sugar levels, then I suggest trying out this very popular recipe for “Bill Nicholson’s Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding” from Paula Deen’s cookbook.  It’s highly recommended by all the Southern folk who love Paula, especially because they love anything deep-fried and caked in sugar down there.  I may make this for the holidays for my 7 year old, who is sad to be on an enforced break from Krispy Kreme and DQ.   Sorry D, mommy will shower you with sugar soon…

1. Cube 2 dozen (!) regular glazed Krispy Kreme donuts into a large bowl.  Pour in a mixture of 2 beaten eggs, 2 4.5-ounce cans of fruit cocktail (undrained), 1 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk, 1 9-ounce box of raisins, 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 1 pinch of salt.  Mix all ingredients until donuts have soaked up as much liquid as possible.
2. Bake at 350 degrees in a pan for about an hour or until center has jelled.  Top with butter rum sauce (Melt 1 stick butter, stir in 1 pound box of confectioner’s sugar (!), add rum to taste and heat until bubbly).  Pour over each serving of bread pudding.   Makes 20-24 servings (!!)… but I suggest halving the recipe… or running a marathon the same night.

Propaganda posters are so cool

American WW2 Poster

No matter what the ideology, I love the passion put into propaganda posters.  I really like the mid-century period of propaganda design, and the clear winner in my books is… the Soviet Union!  Their posters are really design-forward.  Here are more examples of  posters from different WW2 participants.  You can really spot the differences in message and design among the countries… 

USSR: Great design, no smiles

Lenin with Dirigibles

Russian Air Force

GREAT Poster:  Urging men to sign up to work in the Urals (1924)

Party Posters

 

England:  Let’s go, boys!

 

We all love each other!

 

 German Propaganda:  Aryan…

 

Italian Fascist Poster:  classic

 

American Propaganda:  Pride and Emotion

Woo hoo, let's join the Navy!

Aww, a Norman Rockwell poster!

 

Philippine Propaganda:  Great, and heavily influenced by US Propaganda

The flag is upside-down symbolizing the Philippines is at war

Check out Vintage Fruit Crate Labels HERE

‘Yes we can’ own a Chia Obama

You know you’re a popular president when they’ve turned you into a Chia Pet!  Each Chia Obama comes in either a ‘happy’ (above) or  ‘determined’ (below) pose, has Obama’s trademark ‘Yes We Can’ written on the side, and most importantly… sprouts green Chia hair.  Kinda creepy but definitely kitschy!  I personally wouldn’t want this as a present, but for those who do, just click on the photo below to go directly to the Chia Pet site.  This would make a great wedding giveaway…or maybe not.