Lunchbox Lab
While I'm waiting for that day, I thought I'd round up some resources to help keep you from burning out on the daily lunchbox routine.
Marriage Material
Dear Gillian,
My son is 25 and recently got engaged to his girlfriend of seven months. My husband and I are worried because she is quite the 'wild child.' I think this marriage might be premature because I don't think that this girl is grounded enough to want to make this last. She still parties a lot and flirts with his guy friends. I think my son is just infatuated and doesn't "see" her for who she really is. I don't want to alienate him and ruin our relationship. Should I just keep quiet?
Regards,Wordless and Worried
Dear Wordless and Worried,
You walk a fine line. While one's job as a parent never ends, your son is now an adult and can make his own decisions. I understand that you don't want to see him go down the wrong path, but life is (hopefully) long and sometimes we can only learn through our own experience. Is this one of those times? I can't tell.
So, give it a shot and speak your mind -- but make sure to do so with great caution and a very gentle nature. Remind your son that marriage is a major commitment and that choosing "the one" should be done after much thought and consideration. Tell him that it takes a long time to REALLY get to know someone (usually a lot longer than seven months) and that, at twenty-five, he needn't be in a rush to the altar. Let him know that you will love and support him no matter what decision he makes, but you do have some concerns. If he wants to know specifics, he will ask.
If you are met with resistance or hostility, just lay off. Your fears of possible alienation are well founded; being too controlling will likely hurt your own cause.
And who knows, your son may have a better read on his fiancée than you do. Sometimes it's wonderful to be proved wrong.
Gillian Zoe Segal is a new advice columnist for the MOLI View. Look for her column in the Life and Love section every Thursday. Do you have a question for Gillian? E-mail her or send her a message on her personal profile page.
Rickets Thicket
If you've ever known the disheartening chore of pumping breast milk at midnight after your only night out in three months (a wedding, no less) and then pouring said milk down the sink because-for god's sake they had not one, but two custom cocktails created for the event, and who wouldn't want to try both?-and then had the baby start wailing from her crib, well then you know that breastfeeding, though healthful and bonding, isn't always fair. Some times it just feels a little like a run-on sentence (see above).
The latest in unfairness, although I confess the Times article wasn't the first time I heard about it, is that there's ongoing concern among pediatricians about vitamin-D deficiencies (including rickets) in breastfed babies. The article cites a recent survey of studies that estimates up to 78% of breastfed babies who are not supplemented in wintertime may have Vitamin-D deficiencies. Breastfeeding is still the preferred method of feeding infants (if it's possible for the parent (s), but human milk is very low on vitamin D, which helps in the absorption of calcium and is crucial for strong bones, among other things. The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends a vitamin D supplement for breastfed babies to help prevent bone-bending rickets, and other more common, but less critical levels of deficiencies.
People Are a Trip: Frank
Watch the video!
Frank was kicking it at a miniature boat festival, demonstrating his craft for a few interested fans. His passion? Making stuff.
"People Are a Trip" is a video series shot with a crew of one (me!) in New York City. I do spontaneous interviews with people on the street and with influential underground musicians. They answer my blunt questions with the truth of the moment. They are hilarious. No, poetic. Well, maybe quite philosophical.
Juliana Luecking, aka QueenJuliana, is a MOLI View videomaker and contributing editor for Life & Love.
Three's a Crowd
Dear Gillian,
My girlfriend and I recently had a threesome with a good friend of hers, and it was the first threesome for all of us. My girlfriend really liked it and wants to do it again, however, I don't want to go down that road because I'm now attracted to her friend (and I think her friend might be attracted to me too). I love my girlfriend and want to stay together. How do I bring this up to her so she doesn't get jealous? I feel, in a sense, like I've already cheated on her. Help!
Three's a Crowd
Dear Three's a Crowd,
While many guys would kill to be in your shoes, if having another threesome with your girlfriend's friend makes you feel uncomfortable, just say "No." Tell your girlfriend that you love her and, while you enjoyed your little escapade, you feel that going down that road again may complicate your relationship. Explain that it's hard/confusing for you to be intimate with her friend and remain emotionally detached. Let her know that, because of how much you value your relationship, you want to control the situation before things get messy. Knowing the great importance you place on what the two of you have should alleviate possible jealousy on your girlfriend's part.
But what about your girlfriend's desires? Perhaps romping with a different third might work for you. Someone you don't already know on such a personal level (not in your social circle) might save you the complicated emotions. If this does not work, would you consider giving your girlfriend your blessing to hook up with her friend without you? Just because you felt conflicted about having a threesome, there's no need to put an end to her fun.
Gillian Zoe Segal is a new advice columnist for the MOLI View.Look for her column in the Life and Love section every Thursday. Do you have a question for Gillian? E-mail her or send her a message on her personal profile page.
Monday NIGHT!
Friday NIGHT!
FUN FACT
Ryan and I share the same birthday! March 1st
We are trying to make remembering dates easy
Registry
CLICK HERE to visit our registry. Send me an email at jensley@moli.com if you have any problems
You can send gifts to
Jenn Ensley and Ryan Lowe
2712 Ravella Way
Palm Beach Gardens
FL, 33410
About myregistry.com
At MyRegistry.com you can add items to your registry from any web site or brick and mortar store in the world. Unlike registries that are set up by individual companies to increase purchases on their sites, MyRegistry.com s truly a universal gift registry with no ulterior motives. You have the freedom to mix and match items from any of your favorite sites and stores and create your dream gift registry.
How to purchase gifts:
Your guests purchase gifts for you directly from the stores included in your registry. The transaction of purchasing and shipping an item will be done at the store itself (your guests will be automatically directed to the store). Once they purchase a gift for you, they are asked by MyRegistry.com to mark that gift as ‘Purchased' to prevent other people from purchasing the same gift again.
The process of purchasing a gift is as follows: When your guests find your registry they have the option to choose from any of the items that you listed. When the guest decides what they want to buy you, they click the ‘Buy Gift’ button located in the same box as the item. They will then be directed to the store’s website where they can purchase the gift you added on your registry.
Whether they bought the gift or not, once they close the website’s window they will see a page where MyRegistry.com asks them to report if they purchased the gift. If they select one of the options under ‘No’ and click "Submit", that gift will become available again in the registry. If they select one of the options under ‘Yes’ and click submit, that gift will become unavailable for other guests.
Area Accomodations
Westchester Marriott Tarrytown
670 White Plains Road Tarrytown
New York 10591
For Hotel Reservations, please call:
Phone: 1-914-631-2200
For online reservations please CLICK HERE
Rooms have been reserved at the Westchester Marriott Tarrytown in Tarrytown, NY. Westchester Marriott Tarrytown is a short distance to The Castle on the Hudson. Group rates for the “Ensley/Lowe Wedding Guests†will be available before February 1, 2008.
- Hotel in Westchester County NY with full array of amenities & services for sophisticated travelers
- This hotel is nonsmoking
Castle on the Hudson
400 Benedict Ave
Tarrytown NY 10591
For Hotel Reservations, please call:
Toll Free: 1 800 616-4487
For online reservations please CLICK HEREGuests of the Castle are offered countless in-room amenities while visiting the resort, such as:
- Large desks with telephone and data processing line as well as a facsimile machine hook-up
- Direct TV satellite system with a Stereo Sound System and an in-room movie system with the "newest releases"
- High speed internet access
- Goose down comforters, Frette linens and plush bathrobes
- Mini-bar and private in room safe
Tower suites feature four poster beds, wood-burning fireplaces, marble bathrooms, turret alcoves and breathtaking views of the hillside, the Hudson River and Manhattan.
Airports
JFK - John F. Kennedy International
40 miles from the Marriott and approximately a $150 taxi fare
LGA - LaGuardia
30 miles from the Marriott and a $150 taxi fare
EWR - Newark Liberty International
and
HPN - Westchester County Airport
12 miles North of the Marriott with a $25 taxi fare
Mediocre "Express"
A process server with a formidable appetite for marijuana, Dale Denton (Seth Rogan) loves his job, his high school girlfriend (Amber Heard), and his pot dealer, Saul (James Franco). After picking up some of Saul's finest product, the infamous Pineapple Express, Dale heads off to his last legal target of the day, arriving only to accidentally witness a mob hit. Fearing the discarded roach will be traced back to his dealer, Dale and Saul hit the road, trying to evade the murderous wrath of a criminal kingpin (Gary Cole), his pocket policewoman (Rosie Perez), and two lackeys ordered to carry out the hits (Kevin Corrigan and Craig Robinson).
Radical DysFUNction
The Four Agreements, The Last Lecture, Chicken Soup for the Soul - it seems as though every week there's a new self-help guru on the bookstore shelves ready to guarantee his or her readers a shot at a better life. Forgiveness, it appears, is key: forgive everyone everything, and your awesomeness shall reign.
But what is one to do with all that smoldering resentment?
According to performance artist/provocateur Karen Finley, plastering on the ol' happy face when you want to choke the life out of somebody is unhealthy. Instead, she suggests digging in your heels, cultivating a massive grudge and harnessing the rage to empower yourself - or to self-destruct. Whichever comes first.
I discovered Finley's 1993 "self-help" book Enough Is Enough: Weekly Meditations for Living Dysfunctionally whilst researching a blog entry last week and, I have to tell you, it may just be the most humorously astute reading of the human psyche committed to paper. A slim compendium of weekly "wisdoms" illustrated with her own crudely childish drawings, each entry is followed by tips and reminders that allow you to reap the maximum benefit of "throwing public tantrums," "controlling others," and "seeking revenge."
"Living for today is more complicated than it looks," she warns in an entry called "Taking More Than One Day At A Time." "It is beneficial to worry about what is going to happen next week and to go over and over in your mind incidents that have occurred in the past. Why? Because then you don't have to deal with the problems that are facing you now, in the present, and everyone knows that now will pass and you can worry about it later, in the future."
Irresponsibility was never so much fun.
Finley, whose radical, socio-political performance pieces famously include acts like smearing chocolate over her naked breasts, making a yam disappear up her bum and dousing her body in honey, has long been a lightning rod for criticism. As Enough Is Enough reveals, the provocative Illinois native may not have a "softer side," but she definitely has a funnier side.
Seek out Enough Is Enough for your most cynical acquaintances -- and let the dysfunctional fun begin!
Wendy Case is the MOLI View's contributing editor for Arts & Entertainment.
Black Magic Woman
Healing magic was the first subject Lila Downs planned to research for her thesis in anthropology at the University of Minnesota. But the brujo (medicine man) that the Mexican American hoped to study in her mother's native region of Oaxaca could not be found. So she wrote about textiles instead.
On Tuesday, the folksinger offers an alternative thesis on witchcraft with her latest album, Shake Away (Manhattan Records).
She was looking to heal herself. "I wanted to have a baby and I couldn't," she reveals over the phone from Califas. For a time, she wondered why she came into the world, if not to give birth to a child in turn. "My last album was a big party, to take away the pain. This time I was looking for a cure in the magic of my people."
Downs returned to Oaxaca to seek out 70-year-old Doña Queta, a woman known for her healing powers. Doña Queta intuited Downs's fear: She knew that not being able to have a child had shaken the confidence Downs always felt as a singer. "She told me to talk to my body, to caress my breasts," Downs relates. "Sometimes we forget to love ourselves."
The singer also revisited the sacred symbol of the serpent that has held special meaning not only in her culture, but for her own family. Her grandmother used to say that her father, an American, was a wind serpent, who entangled with her mother, a water serpent.
Downs herself used to have a terrifying recurring dream about a snake biting her.
Making Shake Away, Downs decided to embrace her fears and surrender herself to the serpent. In the process, she says, she discovered the source of her power: "Even though I can't have children, I'm a she-wolf."
The clearest declaration of power on the album is Downs's cover of "Black Magic Woman," where she revels in the role of the mysterious witch in the Santana classic. Growling deep at the bottom of her register, there is no doubt that the singer is a she-wolf. But just to emphasize the point, she switches from English to the indigenous tongue of Oaxaca to close the song with a magical chant.
As always with Downs's work, Shake Away ranges widely across themes, genres, and vocal styles. In addition to magic-drenched tracks like "Ojo de Culebra" (Eye of the Serpent), there are protest anthems such as "Minimum Wage" (a country tune in English in the voice of a migrant laborer) and "Justicia" (Justice), a simmering rock duet with Spanish pop star Enrique Bunbury. There are two beautiful covers, in English and Spanish, of Lucinda Williams's gorgeous love ballad "I Envy the Wind."
Then there's "Los Pollos" (The Chickens), my favorite track on the album, a very silly duet with Gilberto Gutierrez, of the Vera Cruz folk outfit Grupo Mayo Blanco, that warns all roosters and hens in the neighborhood to run because someone's going to be stewing chicken and rice that afternoon.
Co-produced by Downs and her husband and long-time collaborator Paul Cohen, Shake Away is more proof that, with the music they've made together, the couple has bequeathed a lasting and inspiring legacy to the rest of the world.
Celeste Fraser Delgado writes about Latin music and the American Dream for MOLI.
The House of Weird
I'm fixin' to get hitched and, as anyone who's taken the plunge before knows, working out the wedding details can be a challenge. As the awesome Evelyn McDonnell told me recently, any marriage that makes it through the planning stages was meant to be.
When I asked my betrothed where we should hold this shindig, he came up with some interesting propositions: the zoo, a vintage trailer rally, and a go-cart track among them. Gawd, I love this man. But, by far, his best proposition was House on the Rock -- the bizarre roadside attraction that constituted life's work of the eccentric Alex Jordan, Jr.
There are plenty of wacked-out architectural marvels out there that pay tribute to the singular vision of their slightly unhinged creators (Watts Towers, Winchester Mystery House, etc.), but none to rival the deranged, obsessive energy of Spring Green, Wisconsin's House on the Rock. According to the geniuses at Roadsideamerica.com, the house - a fascinating, albeit unwieldy, Japanese-looking structure built atop a sheer 60 ft. tall pinnacle rock (70 ft. in diameter at its base - graduating to 200 ft. in diameter on its surface), was conceived of by Jordan's father as a big "eff you" to Frank Lloyd Wright. Apparently, Mr. fancy pants architect insulted the elder Jordan's capabilities by telling him, "I wouldn't hire you to design a cheese crate or a chicken coop."
It is reported that Jordan, Jr. inherited the project from his father in the '40s. But information regarding HOTR's origin is hazy. Junior, a legendary recluse, was not forthcoming about anything regarding the project and, when he died in 1989 at the age of 75, he took much of the mystery with him.
The house, which features among other oddities, the Infinity Room (an observation deck that juts out 216 feet from the structure over the forest canopy without any visible means of support), is quirky enough on its own. But the real lure of HOTR is the unbelievable aggregation of junk housed on its grounds. It would seem that Jordan, Jr. never met a garage sale he didn't like. And, in order to display such oddities as his collections of self-playing mechanical orchestras, full-sized steam engines, pipe organs and German beer vats, a 200-ft.-long sea monster replica and the "world's largest carousel," he constructed a veritable Habitrail of enormous, hanger-like buildings that snake through the woods surrounding the house. And that's just for starters. The man's doll collection (yes, doll collection) alone will blow your mind. Thousands upon thousands of baby dolls, Santa dolls, circus figurines, etc. are scattered throughout the place. Creepy? Yes. But mesmerizing all the same.
Because of its proximity to our Detroit-area home, HOTR wasn't a practical option for our nuptials. We've instead decided to take our vows at the odd little shipwreck museum on Belle Isle (let the wisecracks begin). But, if you're still looking for a last-gasp summertime road trip, I can't recommend House on the Rock enough. It's open now 'til November 4th.
I promise, it'll make everything else in your life seem normal as hell.
Wendy Case is the MOLI View's contributing editor for Arts & Entertainment.
Holy Rollin'
When I first discovered Delta Spirit, a group from San Diego known for their soulful Americana rock and energetic live shows, I thought of another of my favorite bands-Kings of Leon. But thanks to lead singer Matt Vasquez's emotion-filled voice and passionate, spiritually-themed lyrics there's really no confusing the two-or mistaking Delta Spirit for any other band of the moment for that matter.
Fitting their distinct, jamboree-style sound (a recent audience member ripped the fender off their trailer and used it to play along) is a back story that reads like music world urban legend. Back in 2005 Jonathan Jameson, (bass) Brandon Young (drums) and Sean Walker (guitar) decided they wanted to start a band. Young was walking through a park late one night when he noticed a guy singing on a bench (Vasquez) and got his contact info. When he told Jameson about the talented busker, it turned out that he had already approached that same guy, too. Obviously a higher power was at work.
The World of Tomorrow
There aren't too many of us who can say that we knew what we wanted to do with our lives from childhood. Eugenie Huang of emerging accessories line Deka Ray holds both bachelor's and master's degrees in architecture, but from the time she was only eight years old the precocious talent has been designing strange, one-of-a-kind jewelery that catches the eye.
It was a book about famed sculptor Alexander Calder that first inspired Huang to play with wire, crafting earrings instead of doing her homework. While she pursued a full-time career in architecture, the same obsession with shape, material and form that drove her professional studies also informed her inventive jewelry designs; the resulting styles gently toe the line between statement pieces and over-the-top ornaments: "I appreciate constraint. You can play around with the design, but ultimately the pieces have to relate to your body."
Tips for Fall
My darlings:
Here are some tips for fall, since yesterday the leaves on the giant maple began to tip red, and the sight of it tipped me right over to that place where you can smell the cinnamon, the cold northern wind, the briskness, the turn to winter just coming up.
Yes, here are some tips for fall, whether you live in the brash blue and white of the Peninsula Floridiana or the silver and black of Nueva Jork or anywhere else, like up here, land of red-tipped maples and blue thoughts. Fall is a state of mind in this country; encouraged and perhaps pummeled into our psyches by holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving, making wax paper pressings of fall leaves, not to mention the election coming up, the grand big try to save the country thing happening, which gives fall that special zing of hope.
Tips for fall:
1. Vote.
2. To tell if that fake fur that trims your favorite jacket is really fake and not made of dogs in China, check this out.
3. Buy a solar bag.
4. Instead of throwing out that ugly brown console, repaint it.
5. If you're employed, don't complain about your job, greenify it.
6. If you're not employed, learn an eco-skill because you'll need it and we're counting on you.
7. Become more aware of the temperature of the outside world.
8. Practice decluttering.
Love,Jana
Dress To Impress
When going on castings, which are in fact interviews that actors go on for commercials, print ads, and films, you are told what the part is, and the "type," meaning what to wear. I have been told to dress as a "downtown type," "club goer," or simply "NY hip," or, "You're going in for the role of bartender, or prostitute.'' I'm told my type is the hooker with the heart of gold, the girl at the club that helps get the hurt guy to the hospital, the bartender that defends the nerd: tough with a sweet interior. For each role, you dress appropriately. You're not going to go in for a hooker role in an ankle-length skirt, and you're generally not going to go in for a Mop N Glo commercial in a bustier, pencil skirt, fishnets, and heels, unless of course the casting calls for it.
But that's acting.
In real life, so many have lost their jobs due to Bush's war and the recession that's been created from it, I have to assume there are a lot of people interviewing for all kinds of jobs. In honor of Labor Day, here is my two cents on how to present yourself.
Most important: cleanliness. Even if it is a construction job, show up clean and smell clean. Investigate the place you are going to interview for. If it's retail, dress like you already work there -- if not clothes from the store, clothes that look like they'd be in the store. If it's a casual company, no need to overdress. Overdressing for an interview can make you feel just as silly as you would showing up as a male stripper at a funeral. My point is, know where you're going and dress accordingly.
Side note: It's always good to have an outfit stashed in your closet for a funeral.
Another important thing that people have literally at times not been hired because of is bad shoes. Make sure your shoes fit the job description; don't skimp on them. I know for a fact friends have broken up with people because of bad footwear, and bosses have not hired people because of bad footwear. If you wear a cheap shoe, please make sure it looks like you spent money on it. And don't wear inappropriate footwear. Like for men, a sock and sandal are a no-no, and personally I think it is incredibly offensive (there is a website here dedicated to it for public shaming, enjoy). Even if you are going in for a sporty mountain-climbing shoe store interview, save that hideous combo for your own time. Crocs are also included in this category.
We dress differently all the time for work, exercise, family functions, weddings and funerals, evening and playtime. Usually I am a proponent of dressing however you want and as badly as you want. There's nothing I love more than taking a chance and the worst-dressed list. But if you need a job, it's a different story. Sorry, but everyone has to do it. If you are going in for a job as a clown, don't forget the red nose.
And with that, I bid you adieu.
Theo Kogan is the MOLI View's contributing editor for Fashion & Design. Her THEOlogy column appeared Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Architect Fiona Winzar
fiona winzar land in my inbox yesterday.
Lady in Red, the Sequel
We last saw Lady In Red when she was struggling with her love or lust for a lying and cheating fool, in Lady in Red, Part Deux. Now she's moving on. Here we pick up with her in: Lady in Red, the Sequel.
Dear Theo,
I am moved to tell you I am meeting someone new next weekend. He is someone that I have known for a while, but not someone I have met in person. His long-time girlfriend moved to the East Coast last summer, and I have just kind of kept in touch with him. It was a long breakup for them.
So, for the last nine to 10 months, I have just gone on with my life and, as you know, gotten involved with someone that wasn't good for me. I feel like this is going to be a fresh start. And I'm certain this guy isn't a cheater. He lives in the Southwest and is an artist. He's also a member of an art collective, and travels quite a bit. He's 28. These young guys just keep popping up.
I'm excited and nervous all at the same time. Any advice, of course, would be appreciated.
Hope you are doing wonderful as ever!
-Lady in Red
Dear Lady in Red,
I am so happy to hear you have moved on and it is great that you're so excited to meet this guy. The best advice I can give you right now is a classic; don't count your chickens before they hatch. And what I mean by this is, wait till you have met him and see if the two of you jive well. I am glad you are certain he's not a cheater, but a traveling young artist is somewhat of a nouveau rock star (like chefs), and I would most definitely be careful. Piece of advice #2: Don't put all the eggs that haven't hatched in one basket yet either.
I am not telling you not to trust him. I am just suggesting that you watch out for yourself and be discerning. Sometimes when we are attracted to the same types of people (for you, young and living in other cities), we are living a lesson over and over until we really learn it. I am not trying to stomp on your bed of roses, just reminding you that when you collapse into that bed, you most likely will find a thorn or two.
Have fun and keep your eyes and ears open for clues. 'Till next time…
Theo Kogan is the MOLI View's contributing editor for Fashion & Design. Her THEOlogy column appears Tuesdays and Thursdays. Every other Tuesday, she answers your questions with her tough-love advice. Send your questions via e-mail or here on MOLI.
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