Importe/12

Importe/12 was a great NYC record label in the 80s that brought some excellent European dance music to the domestic US market.

Here are 2 fine examples of their songs

NYC Summers

As a rule, NYC weather sucks in July & August. Oppressive heat & humidity along with sky-high ConEd bills are what's on tap. I spent last w/e in San Francisco, where it was so delightfully cool that my friend Adrian had to turn on the heat. Looking forward to our first cool night which usually arrives shortly after Labor Day.

Young Spock

Just a brief comment from my quick w/e in San Francisco on some very goods news-- Zack Quinto (see my entry on Sylar) has been cast to play young Spock in the upcoming Star Trek movie. When Leonard Nimoy was asked what he thought of the choice, he simply replied "Logical".

Teeth, Teeth, Teeth

My rant today concerns teeth. One of the reasons I'm so into teeth is that when I was a kid one of the 3 things that I wanted to be when I grew up was a dentist. Another reason is that I've spent an inordinate amount of time and money at the dentist office. Hey, Dr. Cassidy, my root canal & crown paid for that cruise that you took on the QM2!

It's beyond belief that a certain wealthy blonde Swedish songstress, whom I happen to adore, has never bothered to fix her teeth. In the picture just above, you'll see that she has a gap between her central incisors and an eye tooth that's more like a fang as she's missing her bicuspid just below it as well as nearly all of her molars (on both sides). Her killer poodles are probably hunting me down at this very moment... Come to think of it, those poodles don't have very nice teeth either.

Pinkberry

Forget Jamba Juice, forget Tasti D*Lite, the hot frozen treat is Pinkberry! It's a pleasingly tart frozen yogurt topped with your choice of fresh fruits, cereals or candy -- I find that it's best with the fruit. It's such a sought after treat that folks on the left coast don't mind getting a parking ticket while waiting on line for their fix. Sure the name is kinda weird, Billy called it Dingleberry, but you can be sure that our favorite foursome (Carrie, Samantha, Miranda & Charlotte) will shoot a scene there in the upcoming Sex & the City movie.

Parsva Bakasana

Parsva Bakasana or side crow is one of my favorite yoga poses, most likely because it's very easy for me to do! It's great for building core strength and balance.

Yoga has definitely helped keep me centered & focused and has improved my mood, muscle tone and balance. I highly recommend a yoga class to anyone who's never tried it.

Airlinemeals.net

Another one of my favorite travel-related site is airlinemeals.net.

You can browse through in-flight meals by airline as well as see lounge food.

Here are a couple of pix that I've taken (even though my friend Jason scoffed at the idea while I was taking some of them) and posted on the site.

BA Lounge BKK
VS lounge JFK
MY lounge JFK
MY in-flight salad
MY in-flight breakfast

Sylar: Evil Incarnate in a Tasty Package

Yes, he's evil and he's scary, but my heart beats faster everytime he comes on screen, and it's not just because I know something bad will happen. He's Sylar (fka Gabriel Gray) on the fantastic TV show Heroes portrayed by actor Zachary Quinto. I think he's HOT!
Gabriel Gray
Zachary Quinto
Sasan on So noTORIous
Sylar!

It's kind of a good thing that I'm not scared of him as it's helping me to watch scary things without jumping out of my skin.

Here's one of my favorite youtube videos of Sylar...



But, alas, it's never to be as I think he & Mohinder have a thing going on...

Virgin America to take off on August 8th!

At last tickets are up for sale on Virgin America! Flights start August 8th. Initial routes are JFK-SFO, SFO-LAX. JFK-LAX will be added shortly. Introductory fares are $139 each way in coach and an amazingly low $389 each way in First. First has 8 very comfy looking recliner seats with a 55" pitch and a built in massage function among other things.

Here are a few things worth knowing about VX -

• Virgin America is the first U.S. airline with mood lighting.
• There will be over 3,000 MP3s on every flight.
• You can plug into 110v power at every seat.
• You can order fresh food, when you want it, from the screen at your seat.
• Red, the in-flight entertainment system, has over 25 pay-per-view Hollywood movies on demand.
• Virgin America is a cashless airline. Place your order, swipe your card and you're done.

I hope they give the majors (AA, UA, CO, DL) a run for their money.

Here's a slightly dated video (they've gotten the approval to fly now - thanks for your support) showing a few of the airline's onboard features.

Canada's Answer to the Village People

Does anyone remember the Skatt Brothers? They were Canada's answer to the Village People. I had almost forgotten about them until I heard them playing in a bar in Sydney during Mardi Gras. I have their first album in my vinyl collection. Do you see any similarities?



and here's their biggest hit. It was especially big on the gay club scene.

Several very useful sites to visit when choosing a seat for your flight

seat guru

seat expert

flat seats

This is only one of my many travel-related obsessions - you'll find out more in the days ahead. Be scared, be very scared!