DO THE COSMONAUTY

Move over Macarena

FOR HORROR MOVIE LOVERS

I watched House of The Devil last night. Finally a really good horror movie (like they used to make them). It's in the likes of The Omen, Rosemary's Baby and Amityville Horror (the original ones). Highly recommend it!

FOR A BETTER 2010

Being the good Latin that I am, and friend, I share with you the following NYE traditional tricks for a better year. All of these to be done at midnight:

FOR GOOD LUCK:
1. wear yellow underwear on NYE

2. eat a leaf of cabbage

3. eat a spoon of black-eye peas

4. eat 12 grapes and make a wish for each one

5. mop part of your house, and then dump the bucket of water out the door (this cleanses your house of bad luck)


FOR $$
1. trade a dollar bill with someone and keep it in your wallet all year

2. leave a cabbage head under your bed right before midnight, and remove afterwards

3. eat a mandarin and save the seeds in your wallet

FOR LOVE

1. wear red underwear (instead of the yellow, or with the yellow... up to you really)

FOR TRAVEL

1. walk around the block with a piece of luggage/backpack with an item of yours inside. Through the years we have decided that if you run, you will travel by plane. If you walk you will travel by bus

I can verify that this works. Those of you that know me, know I am constantly traveling... so try it!

*******

Now it's quite a task to do all of these right at midnight. I suggest you start out like 15 mins ahead of time. It makes for lots of fun.

Happy Happy New Year!!!

20 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT... DEATH

By LeeAundra Temescu

Provided by Discover magazine

1. The practice of burying the dead may date back 350,000 years, as evidenced by a 45-foot-deep pit in Atapuerca, Spain, filled with the fossils of 27 hominids of the species Homo heidelbergensis, a possible ancestor of Neanderthals and modern humans.

2. There are at least 200 euphemisms for death, including "to be in Abraham's bosom," "just add maggots" and "sleep with the Tribbles" (a "Star Trek" favorite).

3. No American has died of old age since 1951.

4. That was the year the government eliminated that classification on death certificates.

5. The trigger of death, in all cases, is lack of oxygen. Its decline may prompt muscle spasms, or the "agonal phase," from the Greek word "agon," meaning "contest."

6. Within three days of death, the enzymes that once digested your dinner begin to eat you. Ruptured cells become food for living bacteria in the gut, which release enough noxious gas to bloat the body and force the eyes to bulge outward.

7. So much for recycling: Burials in America deposit 827,060 gallons of embalming fluid -- formaldehyde, methanol and ethanol -- into the soil each year. Cremation pumps dioxins, hydrochloric acid, sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide into the air.

8. Alternatively, a Swedish company, Promessa, will freeze-dry your body in liquid nitrogen, pulverize it with high-frequency vibrations and seal the resulting powder in a cornstarch coffin. They claim this "ecological burial" will decompose in six to 12 months.

9. Zoroastrians in India leave out the bodies of the dead to be consumed by vultures.

10. The vultures are now dying off after eating cattle carcasses dosed with diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory used to relieve fever in livestock.

11. Queen Victoria insisted on being buried with the bathrobe of her long-dead husband, Prince Albert, and a plaster cast of his hand.

12. If this doesn't work, we're trying in vitro! In Madagascar, families dig up the bones of dead relatives and parade them around the village in a ceremony called "famadihana." The remains are then wrapped in a new shroud and reburied. The old shroud is given to a newly married, childless couple to cover the connubial bed.

13. Sometimes, under the right conditions of temperature and humidity, fatty tissue of a buried body will turn to a soap-like substance called adipocere, or grave wax. Adipocere formation relies on a cold, damp environment and an absence of oxygen; once begun, this saponification can continue for centuries.

14. Well, yeah, there's a slight chance this could backfire: English philosopher Francis Bacon, a founder of the scientific method, died in 1626 of pneumonia after stuffing a chicken with snow to see if cold would preserve it.

15. For organs to form during embryonic development, some cells must commit suicide. Without such programmed cell death, we would all be born with webbed feet, like ducks.

16. In 1907, a Massachusetts doctor conducted an experiment with a specially designed deathbed and reported that the human body lost 21 grams upon dying. This has been widely held as fact ever since. It's not.

17. Buried alive: In 19th-century Europe there was so much anecdotal evidence that living people were mistakenly declared dead that cadavers were laid out in "hospitals for the dead" while attendants awaited signs of putrefaction.

18. Eighty percent of people in the United States die in a hospital.

19. More people commit suicide in New York City than are murdered.

20. It is estimated that 100 billion people have died since humans began.

LITTLE VENEZUELAN FLAVOR FOR YOUR TUESDAY

Thanks to DJ Sun for sending me this. Oscar De Leon is not only one of salsa music's icons and most beautiful voices, he's also a fellow Venezuelan. And his live performances are amazing (from personal experience). Hope you enjoy!

By the way, Oscar is the guy singing and playing the bass. It's his signature.

SHEPARD FAIREY'S MAKING OF TIME MAGAZINE COVER

I WANT THESE

These are so awesome! Found them in Flickr during one of my many image searches of the day.

He also provides a link with instructions for making your own.

BLOCK PARTY DEC. 20TH

Just like Ralphie Parker, Matt made me go back and decode this e-flyer. Truth be told, it had been a while since I saw A Christmas Story and forgot how some folks turn classics into nerd fests.

Anyway, in honor of Matt’s (aka Sizzle and DIRB! founder) holiday homecoming, we’re officially coming together to DJ as DIRB! for the first time. As the e-flyer states (thanks for that, too, Matt), it’s goin down on Saturday, December 20 at Block 21. [Check out the “cool” writeup we got in Houston Press, “21 Jump Street“.]

So, no secret circles. No secret meetings. No decoding. Just dip thru this weekend and DIRB with us (Matt, Gracie, Antonio, El Jeffe & Squincy Jones). Your life could hang in the balance.

Another crummy post brought to you by Dusty Crates, DIRB!, Awwwready, Grills/Frank151 and Ovaltine.

JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS

and for the kiddies

UH OH!

Why is the iPod doomed? Check out the article here.

GO VOTE!!

I went and voted today during my lunch break. It only took 30 mins. Walking to the building I was bombarded with campaigners handing me flyers for who knows who. One of them gave me a nail filer. As a citizen in the world of advertising, I found it a very clever idea. It actually made me read it, and it's the only campaign piece I kept. All the other gazillion flyers went right into the recycling bin as soon as I found one (BE GREEN!)

Cool! We can do our nails while waiting in line! Awesome idea... thanks Judge Kathy Stone!

DEFINITELY ON MY "TO READ" LIST

Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy
From Amazon.com

How much do we know about why we buy? What truly influences our decisions in today’s message-cluttered world? An eye-grabbing advertisement, a catchy slogan, an infectious jingle? Or do our buying decisions take place below the surface, so deep within our subconscious minds, we’re barely aware of them?

In BUYOLOGY, Lindstrom presents the astonishing findings from his groundbreaking, three-year, seven-million-dollar neuromarketing study, a cutting-edge experiment that peered inside the brains of 2,000 volunteers from all around the world as they encountered various ads, logos, commercials, brands, and products. His startling results shatter much of what we have long believed about what seduces our interest and drives us to buy. Among the questions he explores:

• Does sex actually sell? To what extent do people in skimpy clothing and suggestive poses persuade us to buy products?
• Despite government bans, does subliminal advertising still surround us – from bars to highway billboards to supermarket shelves?
• Can “Cool” brands, like iPods, trigger our mating instincts?
• Can other senses – smell, touch, and sound - be so powerful as to physically arouse us when we see a product?
• Do companies copy from the world of religion and create rituals – like drinking a Corona with a lime – to capture our hard-earned dollars?

Filled with entertaining inside stories about how we respond to such well-known brands as Marlboro, Nokia, Calvin Klein, Ford, and American Idol, BUYOLOGY is a fascinating and shocking journey into the mind of today’s consumer that will captivate anyone who’s been seduced – or turned off – by marketers’ relentless attempts to win our loyalty, our money, and our minds. Includes a foreword by Paco Underhill.

THIS FRIDAY!!

This Friday night my friends Gracie Chavez and Antonio are back with the rest of the DIRB! crew. Friday, October 3rd at Boondocks Bar (1415 Westheimer, in The H). They're also working on having a surprise guest DJ, courtesy of HMH (HoustonsMostHated.com)

Join us in Doing It Real Big!

AND HOUSTON PRESS 2008 BEST DJ IS....

The very tall, one-and-only Squincy Jones!! Felicitations homie on a well-deserved recognition.

Check out every Thursday night at his weekly Speaker Boxx with Dayta at The Backroom of The Mink (3718 Main, Houston,TX)
myspace.com/speakerboxxthursdays

Also stay in touch with his whereabouts and download his mixtapes at:
www.awwready.blogspot.com
myspace.com/squincyjones

DID YOU KNOW (PART 1)

In old England, people couldn't have sex without the consent of the king (unless they were members of the royal family). When a couple wanted to have a child, they had to ask the king permission. When granted, the monarchy gave the couple a plaque to hang outside their door while having sex. The plaque read "Fornication Under Consent of the King" (F.U.C.K.).

It's the origin of probably the most used and versatile cuss word.

I WAS THINKING...

As I hid in the closet of my house during Ike while listening to the news on a Walk-Man... I wondered:

All this new technology, cool-ass expensive gadgets! We all survive on our iPhones and iPods, cell phones and cordless phones. They are supposed to make our lives easier. And they do... BUT NOT when you are hiding in a closet, with no electricity and a hurricane trying to knock your house down!!!!

At the end, there we were relying on what is now an "outdated" artifact for news and updates. A Walk-Man, and a traditional, old-school telephone. My iPod was of absolutely no use. An iPhone or SideKick would of been of no use either... I mean internet signals weren't working at that time. Cell phone service was practically non-existent, and it's still not working properly.

Haha! And I used to think my parents were strange for still keeping an old telephone when there are cordless phones now, or my mom for using a Walk-Man at this day and age.

So next time you are toying with the idea of throwing away your outdated technology, think about it. Those are our only reliable tech-friends in times Mother Nature decides to "shake-it to the ground".

SPANISH ROMANCING, ONE SEMESTER AT A TIME

First Semester




Second Semester




Have a little Latin mami you want to romance, but don't know how? No fear. You can make a beautiful serenade for her using the few Spanish words you know. Let Spanish Mike show you how.

You can also download the song and lip sync it to your amor...

One Semester of Spanish Love Song
Second Semester of Spanish Love Song

CALLING VENUS, CALLING MARS

By Elizabeth Woyke, Forbes.com

It's easy enough to spot a girly cell phone -- just look for bright finishes in shades of pink, purple and red. But is it possible to use a phone like a girl? Research says yes.

There are subtle but powerful differences in how men and women use technologies such as computers and Internet browsing. Men read more news; women drive e-commerce. Women typically do more semantic searches, typing in full questions rather than just keywords.

So, too, differences abound in how we use mobile phones.

Read the full article at Calling Venus, Calling Mars

WACKY BEAUTY TIPS THAT WORK

Toothpaste on a zit? Vinegar in your hair? Some of that ridiculous-sounding advice you've heard in passing is really right on
By Cosmopolitan

You've been told this line before: "Okay, I know it's weird but..." What follows is surprising advice — about anything from clearing up a zit to taming a flyaway — that totally does the trick. Call it word-of-mouth beauty. Sure, these tips might sound strange at first ("You put diaper cream where!"), but there's logic to them. We rounded up tons of such pointers (from pros as well as real girls) and tested them at Cosmo. Though a few clunkers had to be kicked to the curb, all the rest, presented here, are real gems.

1. Powder Your Roots: If your hairline starts to look greasy, dig up a big, fluffy makeup brush, and dip it into a pot of loose powder. Tap it once on the back of your hand to remove the excess, then dust it over your roots. It mops up oil and blends into your strands, so no one will know you didn't shower.
2. Scent Strands with Perfume: Spray a light shot of fragrance into the bristles. Run it through strands from roots to ends and your hair will smell amazing throughout the day.
3. Cure Calluses with Vaseline: Slather on the petroleum jelly, and put on socks before bed to dissolve tough calluses overnight.
4. Spot-Treat Smudges: Dip a cotton swab in eye-makeup remover, and trace it along your lids to erase any slipups or goofs when there's no time to redo your whole look.
5. Fix a Flushed Face: If you turn red and stay that way after exercising (like seriously red for hours, even though you're healthy and hydrated), take an antihistamine like Benadryl when you leave the gym to reduce redness.
6. Soften Your Body with Avocado: Take a ripe avocado, remove the pit and skin, and mash it up in a bowl. Slather it all over your body; let it sit for 20 minutes, then rinse off. Your skin will be so soft — avocado is a natural moisturizer.
7. Super-Glue a Nail: Instead of tearing off your nail when it breaks, put a tiny dab of Super Glue over the split, and paint a generous layer of your favorite nail polish shade over it. Go for an opaque option (like red, purple, or coral) to camouflage and seal the crack.
8. Use Makeup Remover on Stubborn Lipstick: Don't try to rub off red lipstick (which makes it smear across your mouth — not so sexy). Instead, take a cotton ball or tissue, dip it in makeup remover, and just dab to erase the dark stain fast.
9. Tame Brows with Eye Cream: Pat any kind of rich eye cream over brows to help keep them hydrated and banish those icky white specks that look like dandruff.
10. Buff with Baking Soda: If you find yourself streaking (not glowing) after applying self-tanner, put some baking soda on a loofah, and scrub away the stripes.
11. Brush on Hair Spray: For the final step of your blow-dry, spray hair spray onto your brush, and run it through strands from roots to tips. This way, your do isn't so plastered and stiff but still holds volume and shine.
12. Boost Body Lotion with Baby Oil: If you're craving shiny legs that aren't greasy, blend a drop of baby oil into your normal body lotion for extra luster.
13. Dab Essential Oil on a Hangnail: Put on apricot oil, the kind found in health-food stores, to protect cuticles from turning rough and raggedy.
14. Quell a Cold Sore with Cream: When a cold sore is coming on, dab a bit of thick moisturizer, like Aquaphor, over it to prevent it from getting worse.
15. Freeze Your Eyeliner: If the tip of your eyeliner pencil crumbles and smears on your lids, store the liner in the freezer for 15 minutes before use so the tip is firm and goes across your skin smoothly.
16. Use Toothpaste on a Zit: Use just a pea-size amount. Let sit for 15 minutes to absorb the oil so the pimple won't get more clogged, then wash off.
17. Heat Up Your Curler: If you have stick-straight lashes, try blasting your metal eyelash curler with a hair dryer for a couple seconds to heat it up so your lashes bend more easily. And use a waterproof mascara. The formula dries faster than other mascaras, so it sets the curl more effectively.
18. Use Soap Without Water: You know those fancy bars that are actually too pretty to use? Toss them in your underwear or tee shirt drawers to make your skin smell delicious.
19. Groom Brows with a Toothbrush: Mist an (unused!) toothbrush or eyebrow comb with hair spray to help flatten and tame unruly brows.
20. Put Diaper-Rash Cream on Dry Spots: Slather on a thick layer of diaper-rash cream to heal cracked elbows and feet.
21. Lubricate Your Lashes: An easy way to draw attention to your eyes without putting on a pile of makeup is to comb petroleum jelly lightly through the tips of eyelashes to get a sexy, subtle sparkle.
22. Spike Lotion with Bronzer: If you don't have time to book a self-tanning session, mix a few pumps of body bronzer with regular hand lotion and pat it on your legs for a gradual dose of sexy, beachy color.
23. Air-Dry Your Curls: Let your hair dry indoors before going out in the cold. The curls will be really bouncy and piecey-perfect.
24. Press a Tea Bag on Splotches: If your skin is sensitive or just looking irritated and puffy for some reason, steep a bag of green tea for a minute or two, let it cool down, and dab it over your face. The antioxidants in the tea take down inflammation.
25. Shave with Conditioner: Ran out of shaving cream? Do double duty by coating your stems with a thick hair conditioner. It softens the hair so it's easier to shave off and makes legs feel amazingly silky.
26. Amp Shine with Vinegar: Mix one part vinegar with four parts carbonated water, and soak dry hair. Leave on for 15 minutes before you shampoo to lock in shine and combat dullness.
27. Exfoliate Your Pits: If your underarms start to look dry and flaky, an easy trick is to exfoliate them with a gentle face scrub to keep that skin pretty when going sleeveless.
28. Customize Your Body Lotion: Instead of shelling out for an expensive perfumed body product, you can make your own by pouring a few drops of fragrance into any scent-free lotion. Rub it on-the scent will last for hours.
29. "Brush" with Mouthwash: If you're too wiped out after a late night of partying to clean your teeth, rinse with water and mouthwash, then use a dry toothbrush on the area where your teeth hit your gums.
30. Make an Egg-White Mask: To revive tired, dull skin without hitting the spa table, try this: Crack open an egg in a bowl, separate the yolk, and use the egg whites to make a face mask. The proteins help to heal and restore skin's moisture. Leave it on for five minutes, and rinse off.