Good news for E Street Band fans and Simpsons fans alike! Max Weinberg will be the first E Streeter to get the full Simpsons treatment. While Clarence Clemons narrated an episode in 1999, Weinberg will be the first band member to get animated. Though there's not much on the episode, airing February 10th, we do know it's a Valentine's themed show featuring Bart's love interest Mary Spuckler (voiced by Zooey Deschanel). Political biographer Robert A. Caro also appears as himself, as does Sherlock‘s Benedict Cumberbatch.
If you can't get enough Max now that he isn't Conan's band leader, he'll exercise his acting chops on Hawaii Five-O this Monday as a "weapons expert who owns a gun shop."
Last weekend, a few friends and I trekked to New Orleans to surprise a friend for her birthday. We didn't realize Mardi Gras was already in full effect, so we were surprised to attend four parades over the weekend. Well, five parades if you count the Krewe of Barkus parade, featuring dressed up dogs (see photo above - by far the cutest parade participants of the weekend!) Of course, with Mardi Gras parades come beads, beads, beads, and they are everywhere. It got me thinking: what can we do to "green" Mardi Gras? The beads can't be recycled easily, so what can be done instead of throwing them away?
1. If you have kids, they will love beads in their dress-up collection. So many different colors! They'll be the best accessorized kids on the block. If you don't have kids, consider donating beads to a pre-school, daycare or Goodwill.
2. Get retro. Remember beaded curtains from back in the day? Make your own with Mardi Gras beads. Fun for the playroom door or a unique way to dress a window.
3. Get crafty. Are you familiar with Pinterest? If not, it's a site that has a million ideas for the arts-and-crafts-capable (among other things). Chandeliers, picture frames and lamps are very popular items to create from beads. Here are a ton of ideas >>
4. Sometimes you need a quick centerpiece for a dinner party... fill a vase or fish bowl with beads to create an easy, festive centerpiece. No glue gun needed! That's my kind of craft.
It goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway) that all the beads you use should be cleaned and sanitized. Have at it!
Looking for fun ways to spend your weekend (other than celebrating that we are one month closer to summer...)? Here are a few things to do around the Sound:
- Think warm. The Seattle Boat Show wraps up on Sunday, but there is plenty to see and do at CenturyLink Field & South Lake Union before then. Friday night, check out Sails & Ales, an evening featuring Washington craft beer. There's also the Splash! acrobatic shows - Friday @ 7pm and Saturday at 3pm. Watching acrobat daredevils will take your mind off the cold weather for a little while. "Picture yourself on a boat in a river..." or Lake Washington. Instant mental sunshine.
- And speaking of acrobatics, Cirque du Soleil: AmaLuna features characters loosely inspired by Shakespeare's The Tempest. Seattle is the first stop on the U.S. tour, so you'll be of the first to see the spectacle under the traveling Grand Chapiteau (a climate-controlled tent) through March 24th at Marymoor Park. The story is secondary to the acrobatics and juggling, so this is great for the kids, too.
- If you're looking for date night out, Dr. John plays Jazz Alley all weekend. For a musical date night in, try a Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers album. Heartbreaker Mike Campbell celebrates a birthday on February 1st. Or if something across the pond is more your taste, the great Graham Nash celebrates his birthday on Saturday.
There's a new category for viral pictures - the "bad tip receipt." A few months ago, there was the woman who was a "single mother" and couldn't tip and earlier this month, a person blaming President Obama and not tipping. This is the next receipt-gone-viral, via reddit. A pastor saying he gives 10% to God, so why would he give a server 18%? While I haven't found any back story on this yet, it looks like the waiter added the gratuity, making me think this was a large party and probably a few separate checks (but I'm just assuming.) When will people learn that writing excuses for not tipping on a receipt will only gain them anonymous notariety on the internet?
Today in 1969, The Beatles gave their last concert, atop the Apple building in London. The 42-minute lunchtime performance includes "Dig a Pony," "Don't Let Me Down," "Get Back," "I've Got a Feeling" and "One After 909." The show was filmed for Let It Be. When police end it, John Lennon quips, "I'd like to say thank you on behalf of the group, and I hope we passed the audition."
Alright, it's not new in the "just recorded" sense, but a tape has surfaced of Eddie Vedder demos from late 1989 or 1990. Antiquiet.com has come into possession of a tape that was dubbed for a coworker of Vedder's when he worked at San Diego Petroleum. On it, they found tracks "including a couple entirely 'new' recordings (to the PJ fanbase at least), a few familiar ones, and most substantially, far more listenable dubs of both 1989 Bad Radio demos."
Proof we're either all too sensitive or that Australia is missing out on important film milestones? A man boarded a Qantas flight wearing a t-shirt saying, "My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die," - only one of the most quoted lines from the very quotable The Princess Bride - and sent the plane into a tizzy. You see, a few passengers freaked out about it being a terrorist threat... and it sounds like no one would accept that this was just a quote from a movie.
The great Warren Zevon would have been 66 today. He is connected to David Letterman in my mind after being a guest many times and leading the band on occasion. You probably have similar memories to mine. On his final Letterman appearance (which was also his final public performance), he left the audience with his well-known life philosophy: "Enjoy every sandwich."
Since Zevon and Letterman had such a great rapport, I thought it would be fun to post the very first time he was on Dave's show in 1982. He performs "Excitable Boy" and "The Overdraft."
For more on your favorite Mountain artists - from concerts to tributes to new releases - Join The Club and find out first!
A few weeks ago, Bob Seger announced the Rock and Roll Never Forgets Tour with a stop in Tacoma, but no other info about things you might want to know... how to buy tickets, when they went on sale... that kind of stuff. We have more details now, including a very special guest!
Tickets go on sale next Saturday, February 2nd at 9am local time. You'll be able to get them through LiveNation.com. There will be a pre-sale for fan club members, and you can find out more about being a member here.
Joining Mr. Seger is the one-and-only Joe Walsh!
Should be a very fun night -- Friday, March 29th at the Tacoma Dome. Join The Club for details on how to listen and win tickets from The Mountain!
Jimmy Page's name has been buzzing lately, thanks to Led Zeppelin's Kennedy Center Honors in December and his birthday earlier this month, but did you know the rock icon is now the face of designer fashion? Page is working with fashion icon John Varvatos as the face of Varvatos' Spring/Summer 2013 collection. In this video, Page is featured stylishly riding around London in a taxi, while up-and-comer Gary Clark, Jr. plays his song "When My Train Pulls In." (If you're unfamiliar with Gary Clark, Jr., you can hear him on The Mountain2.)
Washington is the Evergreen State, but all I've seen lately is grey. Grey, grey, grey. Oh, and whatever color fog is (grey-ish?) So, if you're like me and spending more time indoors, here are a few ways to keep your home winter-ready and earth conscious.
Have a wood-burning fireplace? Keep the cool ashes and mix them into your compost. The extra nutrients will be great for your soil come planting season.
Invest in a programmable thermostat. That way, you don't have to mess with the temperature or worry that you've left the heat on while you're at work, or out of town.
Use electric snow removal tools instead of gas or good ol' manpower. Electric tools still use energy, but they don't emit carbon dioxide like gas powered tools do. To be really eco-friendly, grab the shovel, broom and scrapers and put some elbow grease to the task (and make the kids help!)
Plus, while you're spending time inside and in front of the computer, Join The Club! You could win free concert tickets and take advantage of that time out of the house.
A sign of the times? PNC Bank and Chase are upgrading their ATMs to now dispense exact change. No longer will we be ruled by the tyranny of the $20 bill! OK, that's a bit much. The reason for the change seems to be two-fold. One, having more precise ATMs means fewer bank tellers (ugh, the robots win again), but it also means people who may not have funds to pull out another $20 will be able to get the cash they need.
What do you think about this new money-grabbing option? Is it worth losing some in the workforce for a faster ATM experience?
Earlier this week, a video of Linda McCartney's animated drawings hit the internet, with a re-recorded version of "Heart of the Country" in the background. There was no explanation, but internet commenters pondered if this was a marketing plan for Linda McCartney's veggie food line. Turns out the internet speculation was right. Today, the video has re-surfaced, this time with a voiceover by Elvis Costello to promote Linda McCartney Foods new "chilled" line. The video is part of a full #LoveLinda campaign.
You never know what you'll find on the web, but if you Join The Club, you'll get real info on shows and contests right to your inbox!
Stephen Stills fans, rejoice. On March 26th, he will release a four-disc retrospective of his career. From his time as a solo artist, Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Still & Nash (& Young), the collection, titled carry On, will take listeners chronologically through Stills' career. There will be big hits, lesser known songs and even 25 previously-unreleased tracks, for a total of 82 songs! One particular highlight is a song called "No-Name Jam," which was recorded with Jimi Hendrix in London in 1970 (presumably from the recording session of Stills' eponymous solo album, but I haven't found any confirmation either way yet) . You can preview one of the previously unreleased songs here at Rolling Stone.
Here is the complete track list for Carry On; *denotes previously unreleased:
Disc One:
“Travelin’” –- Stephen Stills*
“High Flyin’ Bird” –- The Au Go Go Singers
“Sit Down I Think I Love You” -– Buffalo Springfield
“Go and Say Goodbye” -– Buffalo Springfield
“For What It’s Worth” –- Buffalo Springfield
“Everydays” –- Buffalo Springfield*
“Pretty Girl Why” –- Buffalo Springfield
“Bluebird” –- Buffalo Springfield
“Rock ‘n’ Roll Woman” –- Buffalo Springfield
“Special Care” –- Buffalo Springfield
“Questions” –- Buffalo Springfield
“Uno Mundo” –- Buffalo Springfield
“Four Days Gone” -– Buffalo Springfield
“Who Ran Away?” –- Stephen Stills*
“Forty-Nine Reasons” -– Stephen Stills*
“Helplessly Hoping” –- Crosby, Stills & Nash
“You Don’t Have to Cry” -– Crosby, Stills & Nash
“Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” –- Crosby, Stills & Nash
“4+20″ –- Stephen Stills*
“So Begins the Task” –- Stephen Stills*
“The Lee Shore” –- Stephen Stills*
“Carry On/Questions” -– Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
“Woodstock” –- Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Disc Two
“Love the One You’re With” -– Stephen Stills
“Old Times Good Times” –- Stephen Stills
“Black Queen” -– Stephen Stills
“No-Name Jam” -– Stephen Stills & Jimi Hendrix*
“Go Back Home” -– Stephen Stills
“Marianne” –- Stephen Stills
“My Love Is a Gentle Thing” –- Stephen Stills
“Fishes and Scorpions” -– Stephen Stills
“The Treasure” -– Stephen Stills*
“To a Flame” –- Stephen Stills*
“Cherokee” –- Stephen Stills
“Song of Love” -– Stephen Stills
“Rock ‘n’ Roll Crazies/Cuban Bluegrass” -– Stephen Stills
“Jet Set (Sigh)” –- Stephen Stills
“It Doesn’t Matter” -– Stephen Stills
“Colorado” –- Stephen Stills
“Johnny’s Garden” -– Stephen Stills
“Change Partners” –- Stephen Stills*
“Do for Others” –- Stephen Stills and Steve Fromholz*
“Find the Cost of Freedom” –- Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young*
“Little Miss Bright Eyes” –- Stephen Stills*
“Isn’t It About Time” –- Stephen Stills
Disc Three:
“Turn Back the Pages” –- Stephen Stills
“First Things First” –- Stephen Stills*
“My Angel” –- Stephen Stills*
“Love Story” -– Stephen Stills
“As I Come of Age” -– Stephen Stills
“Know You Got to Run” -– Stephen Stills*
“Black Coral” –- Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young*
“I Give You Give Blind” -– Crosby, Stills & Nash
“Crossroads/You Can’t Catch Me” –- Stephen Stills*
“See the Changes” –- Crosby, Stills & Nash*
“Thoroughfare Gap” -– Stephen Stills
“Lowdown” –- Stephen Stills
“Cuba al Fin” (edit) –- Stephen Stills
“Dear Mr. Fantasy” –- Stephen Stills & Graham Nash
“Spanish Suite” –- Stephen Stills
“Feel Your Love” -– Crosby, Stills & Nash
“Raise a Voice” –- Crosby, Stills & Nash
“Daylight Again” -– Crosby, Stills & Nash
Disc Four
“Southern Cross” -– Crosby, Stills & Nash
“Dark Star” –- Crosby, Stills & Nash
“Turn Your Back on Love” –- Crosby, Stills & Nash
“War Games” –- Crosby, Stills & Nash
“50/50″ –- Stephen Stills
“Welfare Blues” –- Stephen Stills*
“Church (Part of Someone)” –- Stephen Stills*
“I Don’t Get It” –- Stephen Stills
“Isn’t It So” –- Stephen Stills
“Haven’t We Lost Enough?” –- Crosby, Stills & Nash
“Ballad of Hollis Brown” –- Stephen Stills
“Treetop Flyer” –- Stephen Stills
“Heart’s Gate” –- Stephen Stills
“Girl from the North Country” -– Crosby, Stills & Nash*
“Feed the People” –- Stephen Stills
“Panama” –- Crosby, Stills & Nash
“No Tears Left” -– Crosby, Stills & Nash*
“Ole Man Trouble” -– Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young*
“Ain’t It Always” –- Stephen Stills
If you or someone you know doesn't have insurance or can't afford a flu shot, there are 4 area public health centers vaccinating for free. They are offering the nasal spray vaccine along with the traditional shot. I wonder what percentage of people still opt for the good ol' fashioned needle? I can't say I'm one of them.
The free vaccines will be administered here:
Columbia Public Health Center
4400 37th Ave S, Seattle, 206-296-4650
Saturday, January 19, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Thursdays, 3-7 p.m. through January
Eastgate Public Health Center
14350 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue, 206-296-4920
Saturday, January 19, 10 a.m.—2 p.m.
Wednesdays, 3-7 p.m. through January
Federal Way Public Health Center
33431 13th Place S, Federal Way, 206-296-8410
Saturday, January 19, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Saturday, January 26, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
North Public Health Center
10501 Meridian Ave N, Seattle, 206-296-4765
Saturday, January 19, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Tuesdays, 3-7 p.m. through January
Mick Taylor, of course of Rolling Stones and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers fame, turns 65 today. Though his time in the Stones was short-lived, his contributions helped to define the band on album like Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St. But did you know that the first song Mick Taylor ever played on with the Stones was this one?
That was actually the first time Taylor played live with the band, only weeks after coming aboard. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards both credit him with bringing the song to life, saying it was more traditional 1930's country before his rearrangement.
Recently, Taylor joined the band on stage during the 50th anniversary reunion shows. If the Rolling Stones decide to do any more touring (wishful thinking!), you'll be the first to know - especially if you Join The Club!
Paul McCartney has recut the song "Heart of the Country" from Ram for a new YouTube clip featuring Linda McCartney's animated drawings. Sir Paul tweeted the link and said it was, "great to see Linda's animation up on YouTube." There doesn't seem to be much explanation about the clip or why it's just now appearing, but a few commenters wonder if it is linked to a marketing campaign for Linda McCartney's vegetarian food line. In any case, it's a nice 40 second moment in time. Watch for yourself:
If this is the launch of some kind of ad campaign, do you think there will be backlash? Or is any reason to hear and see Macca a good thing? (By the way, if this leads to more - a concert or something - we'll keep you updated if you Join The Club.)
Did you know there's a new U2 album on the way? According to The Sun, Bono confirmed the album will be called 10 Reasons To Exist. Sounds like there are about 6 songs ready to go so far. This is similar to a report from a few months ago, but at that point, the project had a few different working titles. Sounds like now we know the 13th U2 album will be 10 Reasons To Exist. No release date yet, but a great way to stay in the loop on all things Mountain is to Join The Club!
If you've been holding your breath that by some miracle Christine McVie walks out on stage with the rest of Fleetwood Mac on May 20th in Tacoma, you should probably go ahead and come up for air. According to Mick Fleetwood, McVie is happy with her life in England, where she gardens, cooks and takes care of her dog. Her desire for a quiet life combined with her fear of flying are some of the reasons she left the group in 1998 anyway. Fleetwood says, though, that McVie is planning to hop a flight to see him and her ex-husband John McVie in Hawaii before the start of the tour. Impromptu jam session, anyone?
If you don't have tickets yet to see Fleetwood Mac at the Tacoma Dome yet, they are still on sale or you could try to win them from The Mountain! Join The Club and watch for more info in your inbox.
There's talk about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame lately since the induction ceremony is coming in April (and Heart will finally be there!), but did you know today in 1992, a few true legends got their place in the Hall of Fame? --The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Johnny Cash, Bill Graham and Leo Fender. Not to say the rest of the inductees weren't worthy -- The Yardbirds, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Booker T. and the M.G.’s, Sam and Dave, The Isley Brothers, Doc Pomus, Elmore James, Professor Longhair -- this has to be one of the most influential Rock HOF classes.
Here's a video from that night of an amazing tribute to Jimi Hendrix. There's no shortage of talent (or tuxedos) on stage! Watch for Neil Young, Carlos Santana, The Man in Black Johnny Cash and Jimmy Page (who was The Man in White that night)... just to name a few.
You know, if you want info first about any HOFers heading to the area, Join The Club! You’ll get updates straight to your inbox… you could even win free tickets.
Were you a fan of the supposedly Seattle-based show The Killing? After it was canceled in July, there were rumors of its potential reappearance on DirecTV or Netflix, but as of today, it's back on AMC. There aren't many details yet, but it sounds like both AMC and Fox TV (the production company) are making concessions and compromises, including budget cuts, to bring season 3 to the people. According to Hollywood Reporter, "Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman are both set to return, while some of the show's other names, including Billy Campbell and Michelle Forbes, will not."
The production of 12 new episodes will start on February 25th in "Seattle"... er, I mean, Vancouver.
Since it's only the 3rd week of the year, you're (hopefully) still hanging on to that New Year's Resolution. If it happens to be to travel more, there's a new website that can help with your lodging while being eco-friendly. BookDifferent.com features the usual hotel search options - price, location, reviews, amenities - but it also offers the the search option "Eco Label." Hotels have been rated based on the Green Key and Green Globe international standards (both organizations focus on green initiatives in the tourism industry.)
The site seems to be most helpful if you're planning a European getaway, with numerous options in the Netherlands, Paris, Rome and more (Can I come with you? Just pack me in your suitcase, I'll be quiet.) In Seattle, only one hotel gets the Green Globe seal - the Pan Pacific in Belltown. You can search just like any other hotel site and then click the "eco label" option to get the additional green info.
Another cool benefit of BookDifferent - each booking includes a charity donation. Their website states that with each hotel booking, 50% of their commission goes to a charity of your choice (they provide options, but you can add your own.) What a unique spin! Have you heard of other travel sites that have a charity component?
However you travel this year, have fun! If you want to take your sustainable lifestyle on the road with you, BookDifferent.com seems like a good way to start.
With Fleetwood Mac prepping for their 2013 tour, Stevie Nicks is back making the media rounds (though when isn't she?) and this weekend's feature in The Guardian is well worth the read. You know the narrative: Will Nicks and Buckingham like each other on stage? Will they speak? There's an innate tension that comes with the phrase "Fleetwood Mac tours again."
However, this time around, Nicks says the tour will be different. Those feelings of "blah" (my words, not hers), of phoning it in, have dissipated as the band has reunited on positive terms and it sounds like we're in for a real treat when they play the Tacoma Dome on May 20th:
"The result is that the band promise they won't just be going through the motions when they hit the road this year – unlike last time around. "I'm thinking," Nicks says, "that this is going to be a very different tour. The audience is going to see a very different Fleetwood Mac up there – we talked about how we really need to appreciate what we have and who we are and how far we've come."
There's new music that has come out of this new feeling of grace, too. Though she's not sure how it will be released, Nicks says she and Lindsey Buckingham have recorded as a pair, and the whole band has a few new songs as well. It all sounds promising... we can only hope this all adds up to a killer live show!
Have you ever wondered what Toy Story would have been like if PIxar never existed and the whole thing was done with actual toys? OK, probably not. A few guys spent the past two-and-a-half-years putting together exactly that, though. The results are pretty amazing. You probably don't have 2 hours to watch the movie in its entirety, but it's worth watching at least a few frames to see how well done the Real Live Toy Story is.
Puppy Friday by Leslie Scott,posted Jan 11 2013 8:04PM
I really like to post puppy videos on Fridays. Friday... and puppies... two great tastes that go great together? Wait, that doesn't sound right at all.
Anyway, this week's Puppy Friday video is a dog teaching a puppy to go down the stairs. Get ready to say "awwwwww."
Exciting concert news this afternoon! Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band are hitting the road on the "Rock and Roll Never Forgets Tour!" The tour starts in Toledo, OH on February 27th and makes its way to the west coast for a Seattle date on Friday, March 29th at the Tacoma Dome.
This morning, the nominees for the 2013 Academy Awards were announced by Emma Stone and host-to-be Seth McFarlane. Lincoln tops it with 12 nominations (is anyone shocked?), while Silver Linings Playbook, Les Mis and Beasts of the Southern Wild have also been well-represented.
BEST PICTURE Amour Argo Beasts of the Southern Wild Django Unchained Les Miserables Life of Pi Lincoln Silver Linings Playbook Zero Dark Thirty
BEST DIRECTOR Michael Haneke, Amour Ang Lee, Life of Pi David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook Steven Spielberg, Lincoln Behn Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild
BEST ACTOR Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln Joaquin Phoenix, The Master Denzel Washington, Flight
BEST ACTRESS Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook Emmanuelle Riva, Amour Quvenzhane Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild Naomi Watts, The Impossible Rachel Weisz, The Deep Blue Sea
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained Alan Arkin, Argo Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Amy Adams, The Master Helen Hunt, The Sessions Sally Field, Lincoln Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE Brave Frankenweenie ParaNorman The Pirates: Band of Misfits Wreck-It Ralph
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"Skyfall" (Adele, from Skyfall)
"Suddenly" (Hugh Jackman, from Les Miserables)
“Before My Time” (J. Ralph featuring Scarlett Johanssen and Joshua Bell, from Chasing Ice)
“Pi’s Lullaby” (Michael Danna, Bombay Jayashri, from Life of Pi)
“Everybody Needs a Best Friend” (Walter Murphy, Seth MacFarlane from Ted)
A British man is taking sustainable living to a whole new level. John Newson filled just ONE trash bag in 2012. I'm happy when I make it a week, even with recycling everything. Mr. Newson says he wanted to challenge himself to see how far he could go, so he spent the year recycling and composting everything he possibly could, and reusing those things he couldn't recycle. The result? One trash bag filled with "plastic film he could not recycle."
A new year, a new vocabulary. At least that's what the people at Lake Superior State University believe. Each year, they publish a list of words never to be spoken again. They accept nomination for banned words year-round.
Let's see what words got the honor of the ban this year:
fiscal cliff
kick the can down the road
double down
job creators/creation
passion/passionate
YOLO (You Only Live Once)
spoiler alert
bucket list
trending
superfood
boneless wings
guru
We can all agree on "fiscal cliff," right? "Boneless wings" has made me laugh for years, since most of them could just be called "fried rounds of chicken." It's not nearly as catchy, though (but so delicious!) As for YOLO... somehow I don't think that "word" will only live once; it may out live us all.
I admit it, I'm a Resolutioner who started with a clean slate on January 1st. One of my main goals for the year (hell, let's start with the month) is to be more diligent about packing lunch. Buying lunch everyday is not only expensive, but also wasteful with packaging, bags, and extra food. Luckily the internet is ripe with ideas for people like me who are trying to be diet-, budget- and Earth-conscious.
My favorite idea is from LunchboxBunch.com >> Salads in a Jar. Using mason jars, layer dressing on the bottom with the salad items you love and when it's time to eat, flip it over onto a plate and you've got a salad already tossed. It's portion controlled and the mason jar can be used over and over again. Plus, it's a great way to get more colorful foods into your diet. These salads can be made ahead for an entire work week, so you can just grab it and go in the morning. (I'm going to try that and see for myself. Consider me a little skeptical on the 5 day thing.)
Another great way to get out of the plastic habit is with reusable sandwich bags. These bags are dishwasher safe, reusable and made of cotton. They come in cute patterns and the kids will like them, too.
Finally, there's this >> a desk-sized portable Crock Pot. I had no idea this existed, but it's a good option if you don't like using plastic or using the microwave (or using plastic IN the microwave.) Looks like it just plugs in and slowly warms food at your desk. Not sure if your coworkers will love the gradual smell of food seeping into their offices, though...
I hope your new year has started off well! Good luck on your resolutions, if you have any, and if you have any other brown bag lunch tips, I'd love to read them in the comments!
Whenever there's a story about a celebrity selling or auctioning a car, I'm reminded on the Seinfeld episode when George bought "Jon Voight's car." Jerry pulls "Jon Voight's pencil" out of the glove box (clip here because, well, why not?) Too bad it was John Voight's car, not Jon's.
Next week, someone can really say they bought Freddie Mercury's car, however... and they could pull Freddie Mercury's tissues out of the glove box. The 1974 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow gets auctioned next Saturday in Birmingham, England. It's estimated to go for anywhere from $14,000 to $17,000.
Mercury bought the car in 1979 and drove it until his death in 1991. It's in good condition and, yes, has a box of tissues in the glove box that the family was too upset to remove.
