Alanis Morissette - Real World [Requested!]

Alanis Morissette - Real World [Download Here]

Alanis Morisette - Flavours Of Entanglement [relinked!]

Flavors Of Entanglement - Alanis Morissette

Flavors of Entanglement^[1] is the seventh studio album and fifth international release by Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette. The album, which was originally set for an April release, was released May 30 in Germany, Benelux and Brazil, released internationally on June 2 and in the United States on June 10 (per an announcement from Morissette's official Web site).
[more about this]

Tracks:

1. "Citizen of the Planet" [download here]
   
2. "Underneath"** [download here]
3. "Straitjacket" [download here]
4. "Versions of Violence"** [download here]
5. "Not As We"** [download here]
6. "In Praise Of A Vulnerable Man"** [download here]
7. "Moratorium" [download here]
8. "Torch"** [download here]
9. "Giggling Again for No Reason" [download here]
10. "Tapes" [download here]
11. "Incomplete" [download here]

Whole Album (zipped) [download here]


** Highly Recommended

Pussycat Dolls - Artist Of The Month (September)

Pussycat Dolls (Artist of the Month!)

Tracks from PCD:

1. Don't Cha** [download here]
   
2. Beep** [download here]
   
3. Wait A Minute** [download here]
4. Stickwitu** [download here]
5. Buttons** [download here]
   
6. I Don't Need A Man** [download here]
7. Hot Stuff (I Want You Back) [download here]
8. How Many Times, How Many Lies [download here]
9. Bite The Dust [download here]
   
10. Right Now** [download here]
11. Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go** [download here]
12. Feelin' Good [download here]
    

Songs From Doll Domination:

1. When I Grow Up** [download here]
2. Whatcha Think About That (ft. Missy Elliot)** [download here]
3. Outta This Club (ft. R-Kelly) [download here]
   

Other Songs:

1. Sway** [download here]
2. Flirt** [download here]
3. We Went As Far As We Felt Like Going [download here]
4. Show Me What You Got (live) [download here]
5. PCD Megamix (Don't 'Cha, Beep, Buttons, I Don't Need A Man, Wait A Minute) Uncensored! [download here]
   

All Songs (zipped) [Download Here]

** Highly Recommended

Vote for your next Artist of the Month at our poll!

Grey's Anatomy - Volume I [Relinked!]

OST Grey's Anatomy - Volume I
Grey's Anatomy Original Soundtrack is the soundtrack album series for the television series Grey's Anatomy, with three volumes released in the series.
[more about this]

Tracks:

1. Such Great Heights-The Postal Service** [Download Here]
   
2. Ruby Blue-Roisin Murphy [Download Here]
   
3. Song Beneath The Song-Maria Taylor** [Download Here]
   
4. Where Does The Good Go?-Tegan & Sara** [Download Here]
   
5. Looking At The World From The Bottom Of A Well-Mike Doughty [Download Here]
   
6. Wait-Get Set Go [Download Here]
   
7. Could Be Anything-The Eames Era** [Download Here]
   
8. Portion For Foxes-Rilo Kiley** [Download Here]
   
9. The City-Joe Purdy [Download Here]
   
10. End Of The World Party-Medeski, Martin & Wood [Download Here]
    
11. Catch My Disease (live)-Ben Lee** [Download Here]
    
12. There's A Girl-The Ditty Bops [Download Here]
    
13. Whatever Gets You Through Today-The Radio** [Download Here]
    
14. Fools In Love-Inara George [Download Here]
    
15. Cosy In The Rocket-Psapp** [Download Here]
    

Album Download Part 1 [Download Here]
Album Download Part 2 [Download Here]


** Highly Recommended

Sara Bareilles - Love Song [requested!]

Sara Bareilles - Love Song [download here]

Vote for us here!

張敬軒 Hins Cheung - Urban Emotions [requested!]

Artist : 張敬軒
Album : Urban Emotions
Language : Cantonese

Tracks:

1. 他的故事 (His Story) [download here]
   
2. 願望樹上 (Above the wishing tree)** [download here]
   
3. 櫻花樹下 (Under the Sakura) [download here]
4. 隱形人 (Invisible Man)** [download here]
5. 狐 (Alone) [download here]
6. 夜宴 (Banquet)** [download here]
7. 酩酊天使 (Cruel Angel) [download here]
8. 鬧鬼愛情 (Haunted Love) [download here]
9. 不吐不快 (Rave) [download here]
10. 雪花抄 (Snow Flakes) [download here]
11. Déjà vu [download here]
12. Hate That I Love You [Cantonese] - Rihanna & 張敬軒** [download here]
13. Hate That I Love You [Mandarin] - Rihanna & 張敬軒** [download here]
14. 吻得太逼真 [Mandarin] [download here]

Whole Album (zipped) [download here]


** Highly Recommended

McFly - Radio:ACTIVE [Relinked!]

McFly - Radio:ACTIVE

Radio:Active (typeset as Radio:ACTIVE) is the fourth studio album by British pop rock band McFly, which will be McFly's first under their new, self created label, Super Records after leaving Island Records.^[1] The first single from the album will be "One for the Radio" that was aired on BBC Radio 1 on 1 June 2008 which contains a live audience clip recorded in Australia, set to be released on 14 July 2008.
[More Info About This Album]

Tracks :

1. "Do Ya" ** [Download Here]
2. "Falling In Love" [Download Here]
3. "Everybody Knows" [Download Here]
4. "Smile" ** [Download Here]
5. "One for the Radio" [Download Here]
6. "POV" ** [Download Here]
7. "Corrupted" [Download Here]
8. "The Heart Never Lies" ** [Download Here]
9. "Going Through The Motions" [Download Here]
10. "The Last Song" [Download Here]
    

Full Album Download (Zipped) [Download Here]


**Highly Recommended

busy... very busy.

I am busy.

I am working for a retailer cleaning out their visual's warehouse. No one could pay me enough to do this. It's filthy. It's labor intensive. So why am I there? They promised there would be "free shit" as things get cleared out.

So far, a modest amount has made it home with me.

The other reason I am so interested in working there is a very good friend and former co-worker was flown out to help clean this warehouse. I really enjoy working with her. Enough to get dirty, that's how much I enjoy her.

But in the meantime, my regular work needs to get done. So I am working at home at night, and then a little in the morning to get caught up on email. Then I go do labor at the warehouse. Afterwards its home to empty out the truck into the garage of the days haul. Later, you will find me at the computer trying to get caught up on work again.

In the middle I've added things like "dinner" and "class at gym" and let's not forget "walking the dogs" and "crying in pain" just to be certain I am good and exhausted. I am looking forward to the long weekend. I have zero plans. Blissful zero plans.

Pop & OST!

Another Cinderella Story (2008)

1. Selena Gomez - Tell Me Something I Don't Know (3:21)
2. Drew Seeley & Selena Gomez - New Classic (3:09)
3. Tiffany Giardina - Hurry Up & Save Me (3:50)
4. Drew Seeley - Just That Girl (3:17)
5. Selena Gomez - Bang A Drum (3:12)
6. Drew Seeley - 1st Class Girl (3:01)
7. Jane Lynch - Hold 4 You (2:30)
8. The Twins - Valentine's Dance Tango (2:12)
9. Tiffany Giardina - No Average Angel (2:57)
10. Small Change Chani & Lil' JJ - Don't Be Shy (4:03)
11. Drew Seeley - X-Plain It To My Heart (1:15)
12. Drew Seeley - New Classic (Live Version) (5:30)
13. John Paesano - Another Cinderella Story (Score Suite) (2:39)
14. Drew Seeley - New Classic (Acoustic Version) (2:41)

Download


Solange - Sol Angel And The Hadley St. Dreams (2008)

01. Solange - God Given Name (2:51)
02. Solange - T.O.N.Y. (3:52)
03. Solange - Dancing In The Dark (3:57)
04. Solange - Would've Been The One (4:30)
05. Solange - Sandcastle Disco (4:28)
06. Solange - I Decided (4:13)
07. Solange - Valentine's Day (3:26)
08. Solange - 6 O'Clock Blues (3:37)
09. Solange - Ode To Marvin (3:15)
10. Solange - I Told You So (3:56)
11. Solange - Cosmic Journey (6:11)
12. Solange - This Bird (6:07)
13. Solange - I Decided (Part II) (4:01)
14. Solange - Champagnechroniknight-Cap (4:09)

Download

The Saturdays - Up (2008)

Download

Heidi Montag - Heidi! (2008)

Heidi Montag - Heidi! (2008)

Album Sampler

1. Heidi Montag - Body Language (3:18)
2. Heidi Montag - Fashion (2:50)
3. Heidi Montag - Higher (3:29)
4. Heidi Montag - No More (4:05)
5. Heidi Montag - One More Drink (3:37)
6. Heidi Montag - Overdosin' (3:43)
7. Heidi Montag - Touch Me (3:55)
8. Heidi Montag - Body Language (Ft. Spencer Pratt) (3:34)

Download

Videos

Britney Spears - I'm A Slave 4 U (Rosie 2001).mpg

Download

Britney Spears - I'm A Slave 4 U (MTV VMA 2001).mpg

Download

Britney Spears - Pre Show Interview VMA 2001.mpg

Download

Emma Bunton - What Took You So Long.mpg

Download

Kelly Clarkson - Since U Been Gone Video

Download

Electropop + New Brooke!

Brooke Hogan - New 2008

1. Brooke Hogan - By Heart (3:47)
2. Brooke Hogan - Be Myself (3:42)

Download

Yelle - Pop Up (2007)

01. Yelle - Ce Jeu (3:41)
02. Yelle - À Cause Des Garçons (3:48)
03. Yelle - Dans Ta Vrai Vie (3:47)
04. Yelle - Tristesse/Joie (5:49)
05. Yelle - Mal Poli (2:54)
06. Yelle - Les Femmes (4:15)
07. Yelle - Je Veux Te Voir (4:21)
08. Yelle - Amour Du Sol (4:23)
09. Yelle - Mon Meilleur Ami (3:57)
10. Yelle - 85A (2:28)
11. Yelle - Jogging (3:25)
12. Yelle - Les Femmes (Siriusmo Remix) (4:09)
13. Yelle - + Cause Des Garçons (Drixxxé Remix) (4:36)
14. Yelle - + Cause Des Garçons (Obsession Remix) (5:43)

Download


María Daniela Y Su Sonido Lasser - María Daniela Y Su Sonido Lasser (2006)

01. María Daniela Y Su Sonido Lasser - A Bailar (3:54)
02. María Daniela Y Su Sonido Lasser - Fiesta De Cumpleaños (3:55)
03. María Daniela Y Su Sonido Lasser - Mi Primera Vez (3:05)
04. María Daniela Y Su Sonido Lasser - Beam Laden (4:24)
05. María Daniela Y Su Sonido Lasser - Mentiras (4:19)
06. María Daniela Y Su Sonido Lasser - Miedo 2005 (4:05)
07. María Daniela Y Su Sonido Lasser - Abismo (3:49)
08. María Daniela Y Su Sonido Lasser - Yo No Soy Así (4:02)
09. María Daniela Y Su Sonido Lasser - El Tuviera No Existe (3:12)
10. María Daniela Y Su Sonido Lasser - A Media Noche (3:58)
11. María Daniela Y Su Sonido Lasser - Miedo (4:06)

Download

María Daniela Y Su Sonido Lasser - Juventud En Extasis (2007)

01. María Daniela Y Su Sonido Lasser - Pecadora Normal (3:36)
02. María Daniela Y Su Sonido Lasser - Pobre Estupida (3:53)
03. María Daniela Y Su Sonido Lasser - Asesine A Mi Novio (3:42)
04. María Daniela Y Su Sonido Lasser - Tu Sombra (4:45)
05. María Daniela Y Su Sonido Lasser - Es Mejor Asi (3:50)
06. María Daniela Y Su Sonido Lasser - Que Vas A Hacer (3:18)
07. María Daniela Y Su Sonido Lasser - Dame Mas (4:11)
08. María Daniela Y Su Sonido Lasser - Pinta Un Bosque (2:55)
09. María Daniela Y Su Sonido Lasser - Amor Fugaz (4:30)
10. María Daniela Y Su Sonido Lasser - 100 X Hora (3:34)
11. María Daniela Y Su Sonido Lasser - Duri Duri (4:14)
12. María Daniela Y Su Sonido Lasser - Lucca (9:30)
13. María Daniela Y Su Sonido Lasser - Para Luis (5:10)

Download

New!!!

Adele - 19 (2008)

01. Adele - Daydreams (3:40)
02. Adele - Best For Last (4:18)
03. Adele - Chasing Pavements (3:30)
04. Adele - Cold Shoulder (3:11)
05. Adele - Crazy For You (3:28)
06. Adele - Melt My Heart To Stone (3:23)
07. Adele - First Love (3:10)
08. Adele - Right As Rain (3:17)
09. Adele - Make You Feel My Love (3:32)
10. Adele - My Same (3:15)
11. Adele - Tired (4:18)
12. Adele - Hometown Glory (4:31)

Download

Air - Moon Safari

01. Air - La Femme d-Argent (7:10)
02. Air - Sexy Boy (4:58)
03. Air - All I Need (4:28)
04. Air - Kelly Watch The Stars (3:46)
05. Air - Talisman (4:16)
06. Air - Remember (2:34)
07. Air - You Make It Easy (4:01)
08. Air - Ce Matin-La (3:38)
09. Air - New Star In The Sky (5:40)
10. Air - Le Voyage De Penelope (3:11)

Download


Luis Fonsi - Palabras Del Silencio (2008)

01. Luis Fonsi - Quién Le Va Decir
02. Luis Fonsi - Llueve Por Dentro
03. Luis Fonsi - Otro Día Será
04. Luis Fonsi - No Me Doy Por Vencido
05. Luis Fonsi - Aunque Estes Con Él
06. Luis Fonsi - La Mentira
07. Luis Fonsi - Lágrimas Del Mar
08. Luis Fonsi - Todo Vuelve A Empezar
09. Luis Fonsi - Persiguiendo El Paraíso
10. Luis Fonsi - Todo Lo Que Tengo
11. Luis Fonsi - Aquí Estoy Yo
12. Luis Fonsi - Tienes Razón
13. Luis Fonsi - No Me Doy Por Vencido (Ranchera)

Download

P!nk - So What

HQ/VBR

Download


Sugababes - Girls (2008)

HQ/VBR

Download

My very own book list

I didn't like the last book list offered by some random "literary people" and I have decided to just write my own.

1. May I Bring A Friend? - Beatrice Schenk de Regniers

One day, a small boy receives a very special invitation — the King and the Queen have invited him to the castle for tea. He accepts, with one question: "May I bring a friend?"

"Any friend of our friend is welcome here," says the King. But their guest's friend turns out to be someone they never expected!

Oh how I loved this book! When I was very young, I checked it out from the library EVERY TIME I COULD. Finally I got my own copy as a gift.

Narnia Chronicles - C.S. Lewis. I had the complete series and even a map of Narnia poster on my wall. I read them once a year all the way through about 5 years in a row.

2. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
3. Prince Caspian
4. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
5. The Silver Chair
6. The Magician's Nephew (Though this is the order they were written, I like to read it first as it is more of a pre-quel)
7. The Last Battle

8. The Complete Far Side - Gary Larson. If you haven't read it, you have no sense of humor. My favorite comic ever was never published because it was "too risque". In it, two bears are talking and the one is saying, "Is it true? Is it true? Is the Pope Catholic? Does a bear... well, I know YOU do Angelo!"

Artemis Fowl Series - Eoin Colfer. There are 6 books (so far) in the series with the most recent just being released this month.
9. Artemis Fowl (the first book)
10. Artemis Fowl - The Arctic Incident
11. Artemis Fowl - The Eternity Code
12. Artemis Fowl - The Opal Deception
13. Artemis Fowl - The Lost Colony
14. Artemis Fowl - The Time Paradox

I've read them all (except the new one) and yes, I know they are primarily children's books but that doesn't stop me one bit.

15. The Phantom Of The Opera - Gaston Leroux. I read this book on my way to Paris for the first time. I don't normally seek out classics or anything remotely not a comedy. I thought this would be a great introduction to Paris. Some history, some intrigue. I can't believe how engrossed I became in it. I can read quite quickly and I had to force myself to slow down and absorb the book more fully.

16. A Year In The Merde - Stephen Clarke. This comedy takes place in France. What's not to like? And there is a follow up called
17. In the Merde For Love, and
18. Merde Happens. I haven't read that last one yet.

19. The Preppy Handbook - edited by Lisa Birnbach. I once lived my life by this book. Now it's more of a guideline.

20. Letting It All Hang Out - RuPaul. I once lived my life by this book, oh wait I already said that. Sorry, but I do love this book. I have a strong affinity for trashy biographies and trashy auto biographies. The funny part of this book is from when it came out. I was in love with the Mac Cosmetics poster featuring RuPaul. RuPaul was doing a book signing. I had to have a signed poster. I also had to work that night. So I BEGGED Lyle to go to the Mac Cosmetic flagship store (then located on Santa Monica Blvd in WeHo), get a poster and then go to Book Soup for the book signing and get it signed for me.

Lyle is not a fan of drag queens. Lyle avoids all contact with drag queens. But somehow I had to convince him that any feelings he had about fearing drag queens had to be overshadowed by his love for me. That didn't work. So I told him if he didn't do what I said he'd regret it for the rest of his life. That didn't work either. So I told him if he didn't PLEASE go and do me this one little favor I would never shut up about it for as long as I lived. Strangely that did the trick and he got the poster (last one in the store) and went to the signing. When he approached the counter and offered the book and poster up for signing, RuPaul stood up and said loudly, "Well aren't you just the cutest thing! Come over here and give me a hug!" And there was RuPaul towering over Lyle by a least a foot. He signed the poster "Jim, Love ya - RuPaul".

Lyle tells me all of this story when I get home and I ask (somewhat franticly) where is my book? Where is my signed book!? "Uh, yeah about that..." and Lyle hands over the book to me which reads across the entire front page, "RUPAUL LOVES LYLE".

I was so bitter.

21. Valley Of The Dolls - Jacqueline Susann. You've got to climb Mount Everest to reach the Valley of the Dolls. But don't pack this book all the way up the mountain because its heavy and trashy. Great for the beach however.

22. Danziger's Travels - Nick Danziger. An amazing story of travelling unconventionally through Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan and China. Written in the 1980's it is still a fascinating read today.

23. Mississippi Sissy - Kevin Sessums. Its always strange when something that is not a comedy crosses my path. This autobiography was riveting and brought me to tears a few times. I could not put it down. Well, actually I had to put it down to go get tissues and recover. But this book will compel you to make it through to the end. The hardest part of reading it is that you keep remembering this is all true and one human being lived it.

24. Princess Bride - William Goldman. In the middle of the book, the "editor" has an explanation that there was going to be a whole additional chapter but that the publisher didn't approve and they had a stalemate as to what to do. So they compromised and the publisher agreed that if any reader really wanted to know what the "editor" thought should have happened here in this section of the book that they could write and ask for a copy. The "editor" begged you, the reader, to do this as it would cost the book company money and he was still angry with them. I loved this book so much, I wrote and asked for my extra chapter. Instead, I received a very funny letter stating that the printer was broken and to please accept their apologies or some such nonsense. I wished I had tucked the letter in the book at the time... If you liked the movie, you will love the book.

25. My Blue Heaven - Joe Keenan. He has also written
26. Putting On The Ritz, and
27. My Lucky Star and was a writer for Frasier and now Desperate Housewives. But My Blue Heaven was first for me. It's hilarious. I LOVE IT. As you're reading and thinking, "well this is nearly wrapped up and yet I still have a third of the book to go... what could possibly happen..?" TWIST! And off you go!

28. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe - Fannie Flagg. I saw the movie and liked it. I heard the book had more to it. It certainly does. Like an entire story about all the black people in the movie that you never heard about. Why look at that, they have a complete life as well! True to form, the movie and the book end differently and about 3 chapters from the end I threw the book across the room and vowed to never finish it. I finished it the next day. I have also enjoyed other books by Fannie Flagg. Who knew all that talent was sitting there on Match Game?

29. Misadventures In The 213 - Dennis Hensley. If the movie "Swingers" embodies what it was like to be young and crazy in Los Angeles for straight people, this is the gay equivalent. Dennis Hensley is a comic genius.
30. Screening Party by Dennis Hensley is great as well. It lets you sit in the room with all the funniest friends you've ever had and watch a movie with them and their catty comments. My favorite story is at the end when they go to an actual theater to see Glitter and run into Tyra Banks.

31. Auntie Mame - Patrick Dennis. Patrick Dennis, the fictional narrator of Auntie Mame and Little Me, was the pen name of Edward Everett Tanner III (1921–1976). Even better than the movie.

32. James And The Giant Peach - Roald Dahl. When I was in grade 4, every afternoon we had a half hour book sharing time. During this time a student would be called upon to share his or her favorite or current book that they were enjoying. When my turn came I chose James and the Giant Peach. I loved this book and it had my name in the title. The next day the teacher asked if I would read the next chapter instead of moving on to another student. I read every day for that week. James and the Giant Peach was a definite hit!

33. My Uncle Oswald - Roald Dahl. This is no James and the Giant Peach. This book is the story of "the greatest fornicator of all time." Uncle Oswald leads The life of a commercial sperm broker and it is a very adult tale indeed.

34. Six of One - Rita Mae Brown. I don't even know how I got this. But I did and I am glad. Juts and Julia in Runnymeade, Maryland have made many a day amusing for me.
35. Bingo - Rita Mae Brown. A sequel to Six of One
36. Loose Lips - Rita Mae Brown. Tells what happened between Six of One and Bingo but was written last.

37. Fraud - David Rakoff. In this collection of stories on his life (my favorite is when he is playing an evil modeling agent on a daytime soap opera) David Rakoff is as funny (or funnier) that David Sedaris.
I also enjoyed his second book,
38. Don't Get Too Comfortable - David Rakoff.

39. I've a Feeling We're Not In Kansas Anymore: Tales from Gay Manhattan - Ethan Morden. I loved this entire series. Yep, it's about a group of gays. They live in Manhattan and one of them is a writer. I've read them all including
40. Buddies
41. Everybody Loves You: Further Adventures of Gay Manhattan
42. Some Men Are Lookers,
and the conclusion of the Buddies novels
43. How's Your Romance?.

44. The Andy Warhol Diaries - Andy Warhol and Pat Hackett. I read it cover to cover. But the great beauty of this book lies in the nuggets you can unearth while you trudge through boring detail after minute boring detail. The most efficient way to do this is to own the (now defunct) Spy Magazine Index. This handy index allows me to turn directly to page 92 and pull my favorite reference to Bianca Jagger, "...I walked over to Halston's to pick up Bianca, she was cooking like a Puerto Rican, and she had the whole house smelled up with onions and hamburgers."

45. Tales Of The City - Armistead Maupin. I didn't want to be one of "those people" who jump on a bandwagon and read these just because everyone else was. So I didn't. For a long time. Then I was finally beaten down by my friend Robb who gave me the first one. I bought the rest of the series the next day. (this is exactly how I got hooked on the Harry Potter series. Blame Robb) Of course when I bought my books they were all completed and I didn't have to wait for each one to come out the next year, or experience the horror of only being able to read a chapter a day in the newspaper as some suffered. I read one book a day. I was done in 6 days. And I've re-read them in that same fashion a couple more times since. The beauty of reading so quickly is that I can forget what happens and the next time the story seems almost new to me. But oh how I enjoy them in the moment. Oh, and it was a huge leap for me to overlook all the hideous fashion of the 70's described in the first book.

46. More Tales Of The City - Armistead Maupin
47. Further Tales Of The City - Armistead Maupin
48. Babycakes - Armistead Maupin
49. Significant Others - Armistead Maupin
50. Sure of You - Armistead Maupin

51. The Boys On The Rock - John Fox. This is required reading in my opinion for every gay guy coming out. It is incredibly accessible, touching and identifiable. I loved this book so much I wrote a fan letter (one of possibly three I have written in my life) and purchased an anthology of short stories because John Fox had one in it. I kept looking for his next novel and was saddened to see a dedication to him in a future anthology stating that he had passed away to AIDS. This book is genius. It makes me sad that we will never get another novel from this great talent.

52. Madame Secretary - Madeleine Albright. Brilliant career. Brilliant book.

53. The Object of My Affection - Stephen McCauley. I wish this had never been made into a movie. I liked the book. I read it three or four times. The movie ruined it for me. I've never read it again.

54. How to Housebreak Your Dog in 7 Days - Shirlee Kalstone. I have lived by this book. More than once.

55. Marley & Me - John Grogan. I bought this for a friend's mother for Christmas one year. She loves dogs. I love dogs. This book is about a dog. Good match, no? Then I read it. From the very first page I knew where this book would end and I knew I had to finish it. Of course this was the January just after two of our dogs had passed away in November. I cried early, I cried often. I cried at funny things and I had to take a three week break before I had enough tears built back up to finish this damnable well written book. I have since apologized to the person I gave this to as a gift. As great as this book is, I can not recommend this book. If you must read it, have a friend make a bookmark and place it between pages 236 and 237. This book mark will read STOP NOW. I TOLD YOU SO.

56. Garlic and Sapphires - Ruth Reichl. The subtitle of this book is The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise, and that really sums up the entire book. I bought this book in the airport for Lyle right after they announced we would be delayed for 3 additional hours. He read it at the beginning of the vacation. I read it on the way home.

57. Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events The Bad Beginning- by Lemony Snicket I enjoyed these quite a bit. More clever than children should be allowed to read. But by about book 10 or 11 it got a bit mundane and I only slightly enjoyed the last book. Still, Slightly enjoyed is better than hated, despised or loathed and I promise you there is a difference dear reader. You may hate bananas (and who could blame you) and you might despise the smell of bananas (they really are quite awful don't you agree?), but if you loathed bananas then most likely you are gay. Because loathe, through very similar to despise and hate, dear reader, is a totally gay way of hating and it uses up your every fiber unlike hate and despise which you may be able to do while also doing something else, like getting people to sign petitions to ban bananas from the Earth, which no one would blame you if you decided to start.
58. The Reptile Room
59. The Wide Window
60. The Miserable Mill
61. The Austere Academy
62. The Ersatz Elevator
63. The Vile Village
64. The Hostile Hospital
65. The Carnivorous Carnival
66. The Slippery Slope
67. The Grim Grotto
68. The Penultimate Peril
69. The End

70. The Dog Who Wouldn't Be - Farley Mowat. Another dog book, this time by a beloved Canadian author. I thought based on loving this book that I would enjoy other books by Mowat. Nope. And just like all stories have a beginning middle and end, this one does to (see how I danced around that?) but I read this one when I was much younger and hadn't just lost a beloved pet. The book is still good.

71. Bridget Jones Diary - Helen Fielding. I was not going to include this book. It was on that other infamous book list and everyone questioned its standing to be on the 100 best books list, including me. But then I remembered that I really enjoyed this first Bridget Jones tale. I bought in Windsor, England in a bookstore with a view of Windsor Castle. My version has an entire chapter that isn't included in the American release that is all about how Bridget and her friends feel about Princess Diana's death. The phrasing, the abbreviations, it was all so new and exciting. I deemed it v.v.g. (very very good). Then I made the mistake of buying the second book, "The Edge of Reason" and I can't tell you how much I disliked it. It was such a re-hash. The poor girl had learned nothing and advanced not one bit. She seemed stupid and selfish for having not grown from any of the lessons the first book offered her. You know like in the Harry Potter series where you just wonder why on Earth after 5 years of hearing only partial snippets of conversation and jumping to the wrong conclusions EVERY SINGLE TIME, that Harry and his friend never stopped to say, "Wait a minute, you've only heard a very small part of much larger conversation. You can't just assume you know the rest of the conversation. Remember what happened the last time? Or the time before that? Or the time before THAT? Or the time before THAT? HAVE YOU LEARNED NOTHING?!" Anyway, so I include the first book by Helen Fielding, but completely dismiss the second. The same goes for the movie adaptations. I had to delete "The Edge of Reason" from my Tivo after it sat and sat for months and though I tried repeatedly to watch it in just 10 minute sittings, I still ahd only made it 22 minutes in. Bleah.

72. Take Big Bites - Linda Ellerbee. I freely confess my crush on Linda Ellerbee from when she was a co-anchor on ABC news overnight. Her blunt style and wry wit are right up my alley. After she left ABC I continued to follow her through all sorts of incarnations. I can't go so far as to say that if she read the phone book I'd show up for it, but if she were signing the phone book at a store nearby I most likely would be in line. This book wanders. It walks the globe and gives you free recipes. It tickled me and made me cry, but mostly it pleased me over and over again like a really expensive red wine with a perfect cooked steak.

In the first chapter the tone is set that made me know I would love this book:

Our first day aboard the cruise ship, when we plunged into obligatory small talk with other passengers, all we heard was how everybody loved Singapore.
"So clean."
There was a $500 fine for littering. Josh and I had littered on principle.
"So orderly."
There was a $500 fine for chewing gum. Although neither of us was fond of gum, we had gone out of our way to find some and chew it in public.
"Such nice restrooms."
There was a $500 fine for not flushing. Josh and I had not flushed.

73. C'est La Vie: An American Woman Begins a New Life in Paris and -- Voila! --Becomes Almost French - Suzy Gershman. Here is where I indulge my fetish for the idea of living in Paris. I will read almost anything that tells me what it will be like WHEN (not if) I live in Paris. In this book the writer's husband passes away suddenly and she decides to realize their promise of some day moving to Paris to live. Note to self, bring sheets from home (cheaper).

74. Almost French - Sarah Turnbull. From Australia to Paris, she marries a Frenchman and then discovers what it is like to live on the inside of Parisian life as an outsider.

75. Paris to the Moon - Adam Gopnik. Two Americans move to Paris to raise their newborn. Funniest part is the horror they feel on discovering that a relative has introduced their son to Barney the dinosaur on a trip to the states, and their son LOVES it.

76. Pasquale's Nose - Michael Rips. Perhaps you've always dreamed of relocating to Italy?

77. Under the Tuscan Sun - Frances Mayes. The book is so different to the movie. Knowing how much was changed for the film, I haven't seen it (though Tivo did just get it for me this week). I loved this first book. The later books became a little bit more tried and true more of the same. But as the original that established the brand, I enjoyed this one very much. Lyle did not care for it as he felt it was a bit too flowery. So fair warning, the author used to be a poetry professor.


It was my plan to work on this until I hit 100. Are you kidding me? Though I have read many more books than appear on this list, I can't remember them all. It's not that those books weren't any good it's more likely because those books aren't on a shelf in my current library. I need a little help to jog my memory of everything I read.

There are a number of books in my library that I did not include. That doesn't make them bad. It just means that I didn't mention them here. And yes, I know there are a lot of gay themed books on the list. Guess who's gay and wrote this list?

Saturdays Live!

The Saturdays - Live Nokia Green Room 2008

1. The Saturdays - Issues (Live Nokia Green Room) (4:04)
2. The Saturdays - If This Is Love (Live Nokia Green Room) (2:42)

Download

Unspectacular Me(me)

I can't believe it, wait, yes I can, I've been tagged by The T-Dude. I really think it may have been a passive aggressive move to just beat his wife to the punch. Everything okay over there kids?

1. Link the person that tagged you.
2. Mention the rules on your blog.
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag 6 following blogger's by linking them.
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger's blogs letting them know they've been tagged.

The problem is, everything about me is so spectacular! Anything dull or boring is not worth noting. But is the spirit of going along, I will attempt.

1. I am a night person. Not a morning person. I like the house all quiet at the end of the day with no one needing anything (and that generally means no dogs needing anything either.) I get this from my parents who are in their 70's and stay up later than me (well past 2 am).
2. Every ounce of stress in my life is kept neatly in one location on my body. In my shoulders. I believe my entire family keeps theirs in the same spot. Is that hereditary?
3. I hold a grudge. I may move on, but I NEVER forget.
4. I am afraid of the phone. Wait, is that spectacular or unspectacular? I don't like to answer the phone. I don't like to call people. Caller ID is a godsend. Text messaging is my life.
5. As Barbie was once programmed to say, "Math is hard. Let's go shopping!" For some odd reason I am unable to do any math in my head unless it involves % off at a store. And then I really only need to be close-ish to the right answer because I'm just trying to figure out if its gotten low enough for me to buy it.
6. I don't sleep on airplanes. If I'm going to fall asleep it needs to be during takeoff. That's when I am most at bliss. But once I wake up during the flight, I just stay awake. I generally read at least one book per flight.

I won't tag anyone. I never liked chain letters. Fell free to tag yourself however.

Unsmart Tart

Lyle made dinner Sunday night. From Daniel Boulud's cookbook, short ribs over whipped potatoes, parsnips and carrots (separate not all blended together). Those short ribs took three days to cook. Marinate for one day. Cook one day. Cool, then reheat the serving day. For dessert he had started a lemon custard tart with raspberries, also from the same cookbook) but it didn’t finish on time. Luckily one of the guests brought a chocolate cream pie from a bakery as they didn't know Lyle would be whipping up something special. It was very nice of them and it saved the meal.

Not to be cruel, but it was no made from scratch lemon raspberry tart.

A little bit after the guests left, the tart was cooled enough, set enough and FINALLY ready. We each had a taste. Just a taste though because we were both stuffed from dinner. We both agreed that that tart was going to be a scrumptious delight with a little cup of coffee for breakfast !

(stay with me, I’m getting there)

The next morning, Lyle was up first and I heard all sorts of commotion and the words, “COOPER!!! BAD DOG!!! BAD DOG!!! GET IN THAT BATHROOM RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!” Accompanied by all sorts of grumbling, growling and barking from Cooper. (very bad dogs get separated from the pack into the bathroom... mostly for their own protection.)

Turns out, Lyle had removed the tart from the fridge, set it well back on the counter to allow it to come to room temperature and stepped away for a moment to pee. Cooper swept in and gobbled up more than half of the tart from up on the counter.

Madness ensued.

By the time I was up and in the kitchen, there was tart on the floor, tart in the pan and Lyle was cutting the dog slobber pieces off of what remained in the pan to salvage what was left (yeah, it was THAT good).

Lyle let Cooper out before he left for work. Cooper was much chastised for the rest of the day. But I still was pissed about not getting any of the damn tart. So I made another one. One to replace what Cooper ate. I am a modest success in the kitchen (I ruined the whipped potatoes last night) this endeavor was stressful.

The recipe is from Daneil Boulod & Dorie Greenspan. First stop is the amazingly flaky buttery tart crust. Lyle made the recipe for his tart and lucky for me, it makes a double batch. There was still half in the fridge just waiting for our catastrophe! The dough is hard to work with when it gets warm. All of Southern California is warm during the day. I had to prepare everything, pull out the dough and work as fast as humanly possible. In the end, it started to break up and I was whirling about like a madman to get it back into the fridge for safekeeping.

Then the crust gets half baked.

Then it's time for the filling.

Creamy Lemon and Raspberry Tart
Adapted from The Cafe Boulud Cookbook

The filling
2 medium lemons
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks (I added an extra egg)
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream (I added an extra half cup of cream)
2 cups raspberries (I also used blackberries)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 300°F.

1. Finely grate the zest of both lemons; set aside. With a small knife, cut off the top and bottom of each lemon and then carefully cut away the cottony white pith and a tiny bit of flesh from each lemon—the juicy sections of lemon should now be completely exposed. Lay the lemons on their sides and cut each lemon crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices; remove the seeds.
2. Place the lemon slices, eggs, yolks and sugar in the container of a blender and puree until smooth. Strain the mixture into a bowl and whisk in the reserved zest and the cream. Give the bowl a good rap against the kitchen counter to debubble it—if there are bubbles in the cream now, there will be bubbles in your tart later. (It's not tragic, but neither is it attractive.)
3. Scatter the berries (are you kidding me? I placed mine very carefully in a perfect pattern!) over the bottom of the crust and pour over the filling (I used a ladle so as to not disturb the berry placement). Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the filling is set in the center. Transfer the tart to a rack and cool to room temperature.

Cut the tart into 8 wedges and serve as is with some lightly sweetened whipped cream, raspberry coulis or even a spoonful of berry marmalade.

I was on pins and needles wondering if I could pull all this off without having to call Lyle and tell him my plans. In the end I forgot I was cooking the damn thing and instead of 35-40 minutes I pulled it out at about 50 minutes. It was fine (whew!)

It has blackberries, red raspberries and white raspberries in a circular pattern.
I am so artistic!

And that, my dears, is what holds my marriage together... Fixing the most heinous problems that the dogs create as a surprise on his return from a long day at the office. No, I did not wear the French maid outfit.

Sálvame

SÁLVAME // CAPÍTULO 01X02: 'ANALÍZAME'

CLICK EN LA IMAGEN PARA LEER

Sálvame

SÁLVAME // CAPÍTULO 01X01: 'DESPIERTA'

CLICK EN LA IMAGEN PARA LEER

McFly - Falling In Love (acoustic)

Falling In Love (Acoustic) - McFly


Falling In Love (Acoustic) [download here]




Remember to request for your songs/albums
at our cbox! (:

I'll pass on the paté...

Lyle was at the store today by himself. Without me as his handy guide, he was forced to look at the aisle markers over head. He sent me the following picture:

"CANNED CAT!?"

Were We Expecting This?

Michelle Williams - Unexpected (2008)

The formewr Destiny's Child is back! With an amazing new album!

01. Michelle Williams - Unexpected Intro (0:46)
02. Michelle Williams - Hello Heartbreak (4:09)
03. Michelle Williams - We Break The Dawn (3:56)
04. Michelle Williams - Lucky Girl (3:53)
05. Michelle Williams - The Greatest (3:33)
06. Michelle Williams - Till The End Of The World (3:12)
07. Michelle Williams - Private Party (3:38)
08. Michelle Williams - Hungover (3:33)
09. Michelle Williams - We Break The Dawn (Part 2) (4:23)
10. Michelle Williams - Stop This Car (4:00)
11. Michelle Williams - Unexpected (3:39)
12. Michelle Williams - Thank U (3:49)
13. Michelle Williams - Too Young For Love (4:00)

Download

McFly - POV (Acoustic Version) [Requested!]

POV (Acoustic Version) [Download Here]



YOU REQUESTED!
SO HERE IT IS! =D
ENJOY!

Are They Aloud? Or Babes With Suga?

The Saturdays EP (2008)

The Saturdays is a new girlband from UK. They are the opening act in the Girls Aloud, Tangled Up Tour and the press called them the new Girls Aloud.

Their first single is called If This Is Love and it's dance pop. Check It Out!

The Saturdays es una nueva girlband de Inglaterra. Son las teloneras de Girls Aloud en el Tangled Up Tour y la prensa las llamó las nuevas Girls Aloud.

Su primer single se llama If This Is Love y es muy dance pop. ¡Escúchenla!

1. The Saturdays - If This Is Love (3:23)
2. The Saturdays - If This Is Love (Radio Edit) (2:56)
3. The Saturdays - If This Is Love (Moto Blanco Club Mix) (7:43)
4. The Saturdays - If This Is Love (Moto Blanco Radio Edit) (3:38)
5. The Saturdays - If This Is Love (GMTV 18.07.08) (3:02)
6. The Saturdays - If This Is Love (Loose Women 24.07.08) (3:11)
7. The Saturdays - If This Is Love (Nickelodeon 31.07.08) (3:41)
8. The Saturdays - Set Me Off (Album Track) (3:04)
9. The Saturdays - What Am I Gonna Do (If This Is Love B Side) (3:15)

Download

Sunday Supper 01

I'm sure I've mentioned that Lyle is taking a cooking class. If I haven't mentioned it, well, he is. There. Now I've mentioned it. Since he is working diligently each Wednesday night to master new ways to get butter into our diet, he thought that it would be nice to add one day on the weekend to utilize his fresh mad skillz and cook a meal. He told me to pick a cookbook for him and he would work his magical journey through it.

I knew immediately which book to grab. Sunday Suppers at Lucques, Seasonal Recipes from Market to Table. I chose this book because I was the one who suggested it as a gift for Lyle about two years ago. It is authored by a local chef, Suzanne Goin. It has amazing food photos (which Lyle greatly appreciates) and the book is organized into seasons - cooking with the freshest ingredients, and menus - so the combinations are already in place for you.

I'm going to skip the review of the book. The food speaks for itself. I can add that Lyle usually only cooks half of a suggested menu as we find that 8 courses is too much to take in. And we often spend most of Saturday trying to locate one or two difficult to locate ingredients. But it has been fun.

I will also add that Lyle is an amazing cook, but even with his capabilities some of these recipes get very involved. Give yourself plenty of time.

Verbatim copying of recipes to the boards is a violation of the copyright of the original author, so I will not be typing in or posting the recipes out of the book. That being said, If I can find a link to somewhere else I will do that or paste what already exists online and paste it here. If you are feeling brave, go buy the book. If you are afraid to cook but very hungry, make a reservation next Sunday at the restaurant.

Heirloom tomato salad with burrata, torn croutons and basil

(found here, scroll down near the end of the page). You just know its going to be dreamy with that Burrata cheese...

(paraphrased from pg. 135)

1/3 lb country white bread
1/2 cup olive oil
1 T oregano leaves
1/2 clove garlic
1 1/2 T red wine vinegar
1 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
3 lbs assorted heirloom tomatoes
1 t fleur de sel (a grey light sea salt, can substitute kosher salt)
2 T sliced opal basil
2 T sliced green basil
1 lb burrata cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley leaves
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Cut the crust off the bread and tear the loaf into 1 inch pieces. Toss with 2 T olive oil and toast for 12-15 minutes so that the croutons are brown and crispy on the outside but soft on the inside.
2. Using a mortar and pestle, pound the oregano, garlic and 1/4+ t of salt until it is a paste. Transfer the paste into a bowl and stir in both vinegars. Whisk in remaining 6 T olive oil.
3. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Core the heirloom tomatoes. Cut half the heirlooms into wedges and set aside. Cut the remaining heirlooms into 1/4 inch slices. Season the slices with the salt and some pepper. Place the slices so they overlap each other and arrange on a platter. Spoon a bit of the vinaigrette over them and scatter the basil on top.
4. Cut the burrata into 12 slices and tuck in with the slabs of tomatoes.
5. Toss the wedges and cherry tomatoes with the sliced shallots, 1/2 t kosher salt, pepper, and 3 T of the vinaigrette. Taste for seasoning and add more vinaigrette to taste. Toss in the croutons.
6. Arrange the salad on a platter, piled high in the center so the sliced tomatoes and cheese peek through. Toss the parsley and remaining basil on top.

Wild Salmon a la Lutece in a brown butter vinaigrette served over sweet corn, green cabbage and bacon.

WOW. Here's how the recipe starts: In a small saucepan, bring the milk and bacon to a boil... That is what you will use to create the batter that surrounds the salmon. Just when you think it can't get better, you are adding bacon to the vegetable and browned butter. unbelievable...

Almond financier with berries and creme fraiche/whipped cream

This recipe called for a cup of almond meal. Lyle couldn't find it anywhere so he made his own by blanching almonds, then peeling them and coarsely chopping them in the food processor. A lot of work it seemed at the time. However he made enough that we have had this dessert a second time and still have enough for a third go at it. My friend Tony who doesn't do desserts made a comment two weeks later about how good this cake was and he didn't have any of the cream!

Now just for the record I do help. Lyle gets the cook's jacket, I get the apron. I am the great locator (I mean let's be fair, if it's shopping I know where it is). We try to find fresh locally produced ingredients when we can and we try to find them local enough that we can ride our bikes to get the supplies, that helps because almost every recipe calls for butter, butter and bacon. And while I try not to get caught in the kitchen, I always get roped in. For this meal I assisted with the chopping of the almonds for the cake, the cutting of the bacon for the salmon and I made the vegetable dish that went under the salmon. I also arranged the plate element's for the tomato salad. My forte is making sure nothing goes to waste. I enjoy the leftovers the following day!