Full Throttle Chocolate!

I have eaten more chocolate this month than the entire rest of 2012 combined. (Does that turn you on? I'm guessing no ... lol) All this chocolate-eating is due to Christmas parties, getting gifts of candy, and seeing one particular friend a few times, with whom I traditionally share a choice bottle of red wine and an equally distinguished dark chocolate bar, size large.

Chocolate is generally not on my radar. I don't crave it, rarely eat it under normal circumstances, never seek it out. I'm fortunate though that I can eat it in almost unholy amounts and not gain an ounce. Thank you, high metabolism.

While googling the health benefits of chocolate, I unearthed this sweet little treat in Beverly Hills, for the hardcore chocolate lover. BeverlyHillsChocolateTours.com. This little outfit offers 1.5 hour walking tours along Rodeo Drive (pronounced row-day-oh - not row-dee-oh, as in a rodeo with cowboy wranglers and grumpy bulls. This mis-pronunciation is the quickest way to spot an out-of-towner, but I digress ....) and the surrounding area of the "historic chocolate shops" of Beverly Hills. Free samples are available at each of the 9 shops visited and you'll learn all about this yummy dark seducer.

I haven't taken the tour yet, but with Valentine's Day around the corner, I offer this to you as a great gift idea for the beloved chocoholic in your life.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

1966 - Smooth and Cool like Glass

Rest in peace, Mr. Brubeck.

Move over Jackson Pollock

I remember reading about a 5k last year - I think it was in Arizona - where runners were pelted with colored dust during the race. (I also have a vague recollection that the runners were naked, but that's likely just my deviant mind's wishful thinking.) I had every intention of participating the next year but wasn't keen on travelling to Arizona just to run a 5k.

Come to find out this week, the good folks over at The Color Run travel around the US to put on these "5ks of color-running madness" (from their website) and they sound like a blast. The concept is inspired by Holi - the Hindu Festival of Colors - welcoming the new spring season. And now, as luck would have it, there's a Color Run scheduled at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego on November 3rd. The race isn't timed (instead just for fun), and you can get dusted off by being "blown dry" before heading home.

More info at The Color Run.

What's left behind?

I stumbled upon this illustration by Joe Wierenga a few weeks ago and it's popped back into my thoughts every day since. Sometimes several times a day. Today - I can't get it out of my head. Haunting me, I suppose you could say. It's made me think about how men and women deal differently with relationships ending .... and I love it. More about Joe at his website here.

Courtesy of Lit Motors

An electric, untippable, fully-enclosed motorcycle. 200 miles on a charge and top speed well above 100mph. First release early 2014 at a $24K pricetag, which will inevitably drop if it makes it into mass production. LOVE!
More info about the C1 Electric at techcrunch.
   

     

Headed for Splitsville

Source: tumblr

People Who Just Had Sex

For a day or two after I lost my virginity, I was convinced people would be able to tell, just by looking at me. I very clearly remember sitting in a restaurant, not being able to look the waitress in the eye. I sheepishly gave my order and told myself to "ACT AS NORMAL AS POSSIBLE!" Makes me giggle now to remember it. :-)

And it wasn't actually just the first time, but more like the first few times before I didn't feel like I had a giant sign over me, proclaiming "I just had sex and want that to remain a secret!" Out of an ultra-self-conscious adolescent mix of modesty, curiosity and fear, I'd look at others to see if anyone showed any tell-tale signs of recent effing. Nope. None. And it's true to this day: I've never looked at another human being and thought, "Awwwww, you just lost your virginity." lol

There's that nebulous time between finishing love-making and being seen again in public. Several hours for those who roll over and go to sleep, all the way down to a split-second (or less) for the thrill-seekers of sex in public. Not my cup. I need at least a few minutes to pull myself together, to hide that WOW-factor. ;-)

Enter Vice magazine's new interview series "People Who Just Had Sex." Each short episode is an interview with a couple immediately after sex, describing what they did. No room for shyness here. The vibe of the videos is sweet and very, very relaxed - not surprising with the Post-O glow. The discussion is graphic and candid. I liked seeing people still body-drunk from their lover. Sexy. You can watch the videos here.

Party Trick

Kitchen Surfing

I know people hire private chefs but I never knew how one would find a private chef - except maybe through word of mouth, a domestic agency or a google search, I suppose. Well, today I stumbled upon the website Kitchensurfing. It's a reservation service that connects personal chefs with foodies. Private chefs post about their food specialties/style and foodies can scheduled online an evening meal prepared in their own home. The chef will come to you and cook in your kitchen. Really, really like this way of finding and scheduling a chef!


Secondly, if you have an outstandingly-beautiful home yourself, you can rent your kitchen/dining room out to chefs and other foodies for an evening's meal. As the home owner, you could either rent for cash or a seat at the table for that meal. I can't imagine that someone with a gorgeous home would likely opt to rent out their kitchen for shekels. The intrusion just wouldn't be worth it. However, I definitely CAN see how socially-adventurous people would be interested in joining their visitors for a meal. Frankly, this is particularly good for the well-heeled yet socially-isolated, lonely or *gulp* agoraphobic.

The site also includes chef reviews and pictures. Really brilliant ........ More info at KithenSurfing.

"The Viagra Condom"

An ingenious development in safer-sex technology. The Durex company has created a condom featuring a special gel on the inside of the condom that increases blood flow to the penis, thereby increasing the strength of a man's erection.  Wearing the condom has essentially the same effect as taking a blue pill. The company is seeking product approval in Britain and I'm hoping this little beauty finds it way to stores in America. (It's not currently available in the U.S.)  Gentleman - meet the CDS500 condom.

Good Boy!

I absolutely love the photography of Seth Casteel, the pet photographer over at http://www.littlefriendsphoto.com/. Sure, they look scary but it's their personal moment of ball-fetching ecstasy. lol

A Touching Prayer

Dear God,
Please send clothes to
all those poor ladies
on my grandfather's computer.
Amen

Let's make a deal!

The simplest and most obvious way to celebrate Soul Train's Don Cornelius's life is to dance to some old school funk. Dance around clothing-optional, when no one's looking, getting lost in the thump. So make me a promise that you'll do this at least once by the weekend. I'm going to, too. Actually, I already did.

I tranced to "Soul Makossa" by Manu Dibango.
The song's below.


And now, it's your turn, gentle reader. Do it for Don.

Don Cornelius - May he rest in peace.