Stacy Horn

I was just asked for feedback about the Bumble & Bumble University Model Project, and what is there to say really? You get your hair either colored or cut or styled for free. It’s as win/win as it gets. The “students” are actually all working stylists who go there to learn a new technique, (as far as I was able to tell) and every move they make is watched.

Well, I just learned that for everyone I refer to the Model Project I get $10 off a product and so does the person I referred and there is no limit to how much credit you can rack up.

If you live in New York there is no earthly reason not to do this. I’ve tried everything, getting my hair cut, I recently got it colored, and last week I got it styled, and each time I walked out of there happy as hell. You can keep going back all year, (I’ve already booked my next coloring appointment) and they estimate people like me save $800 a year in salon costs.

So if you’re in New York, email the Model Project and say Stacy Horn sent you!

Santa Girl up by Lincoln Center.

This article at The Nation freaked me out. There is a big plan (called the CLP, Central Library Plan) to change the 42nd Street research library, one of my favorite places in New York. From the article:

“The centerpiece of the CLP … is the construction of a state-of-the-art, computer-oriented library designed by British architect Norman Foster, in the vast interior of the Schwarzman Building. To make space for this library within the library, the seven levels of original stacks beneath the third-floor Rose Reading Room—stacks that hold 3 million books and tens of thousands of adjustable and fixed shelves—will be demolished (the exterior of the building is landmarked; the stacks are not). When the new library is completed, patrons will be able to leave the building with borrowed books and other materials; for decades, those materials had to be used inside the library.”

I agree libraries need to change and the more materials that are digitized and made available online the better, but this plan is all over the place. For instance, I don’t quite understand why this needs to be both a research and lending library. Why can’t it be made an even better research library? They’re closing some collections down, moving a lot of books offsite, which I can live with, but there’s not a lot of specifics about what we’re getting in return.

I decorated! As usual I decorated the bookshelf next to my desk and that’s probably it for me.

Yesterday I was reminded of the existence of this wonderful band, Manhattan Valley Ramblers. I saw them a couple of years ago at a house concert and I made a short movie of them. But now I’m obsessed with one of the songs they did, a waltz called Keys to the Kingdom. If you skip ahead to the 1:39 mark you’ll hear it.

Bill Christophersen, the fiddle player, has made made a fantastic recording of it, but I must admit I would love a recording with John Saroyan playing along on the guitar.

I made the colossal mistaking of reading some of the comments on Facebook in response to Lowe’s explanation for pulling their ad from All-American Muslim. There are so many ugly, damaged people in American. Here is my Christmas wish for those people:

“For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”

Petting Finney who bites me in return. Oh, what is that beautiful thing on my wrist? Thank you, Citizen Reader.

– The Higgs boson. Like a lot of other people, I’m waiting to hear the news from the CERN press conference this morning about whether or not they have found evidence for the Higgs boson. I don’t think anyone expects they have definitive evidence, but they must have something … interesting.

Update: Two experiments at the LHC (large hadron collider) found hints of the Higgs, everyone is very excited, but they need another year of data before they can yell “eureka!”

– Grimm vs Once Upon a Time. I was wrong. Once Upon a Time is the superior show. It kept getting better while Grimm kept going nowhere. I’m sorry Grimm. By the way, the sidekick guy (the Blutbaden) should be the star.

– The Christmas Spirit from a Jew during the depression. I read this story of kindness on the Smithsonian’s website (and it’s also a book).

– Lowe’s pulling ads from the TLC reality show All-American Muslim. For the love of God. Either they’re a racist company or they’re like politicians who will switch positions, sacrifice their morals and integrity and say whatever they need to say to get elected. (I’m looking at you, John McCain.) Either ways, Lowe’s sucks, as do the people and groups that put pressure on them.

Yes, another cat picture. Except for swimming, I was home most of the day yesterday working on my book. Here is my little hoverer.