I heard this song was about art

The year was 1999.

Fringe, cowboy hats, and bedazzled clothing were making heads turn.

Bill Clinton was getting good press despite his recent impeachment hearing.

The Yankees swept their second World Series in a row.

Hilary Swank was in the prime of her career.

People really liked "American Beauty."

The music world seemed lost (well, except for that one Smog album). But then, as 1999 drew to a close, America witnessed a musical event that held all the promise of the new millenium:



Now, I am not trying to dispute the fact that Christopher Cross is an amazing musician, or that he has a voice of gold. But please, just watch this and try to tell me that the cover is not a worthy tribute to the original. First of all, look at J.C. Chasez jamming with C.C. at 2:00... you know he is a fan. Second, the Jesus poses. Third, how awesome were the late 90s? The Billboard Awards had so much money that they could just fly everyone over the audience... twice.

This one goes out to the haters, and the lovers. You know who you are. And so does J.C.

Hi.

I'm back from France! But I am living in New Jersey, working. It is picturesque, like what David Byrne warns against in many Talking Heads songs, but I miss Paris and, yes, Parisians. Even fake Parisians.

Cannes, canettes

I got to Cannes on Monday and had to walk uphill for like a million years to the cruddy vacation rental where we're being put up.

I forgot an important dress in Paris, my camera broke, I fell down and gave myself a burn-unit on my ankle and a goose-egg on my elbow, my sunglasses suspiciously disappeared during a fancy luncheon, my internship moved offices without telling me, and I still think French people are ehh. But then last night, I was running errands for my (found) internship, and outside the Palais des Festivals I saw dozens of excited people in eveningwear holding up signs saying "just one invitation please for Up."

We went to the late show, I snuck my camera in to take pictures of us in 3-d glasses and fancy dresses, and I cried during almost the whole movie, because it had Ed Asner and balloons and dogs and birds and a fat little Asian kid.

Now I'm sitting in a beach-view suite filled with tacky glass and red metal furniture, looking at pictures of puppies snuggling with a squirrel and trying to decide what to have for lunch for the next month.

This came from another part of the world.

It is made out of particles from Africa, Europe, and America!

I am excited because I am going to Paris in one week! Look for me in business class, wearing a onesie.

You might have heard that I like pets

There is a bunny in Alabama looking for a home for Easter. Also, a Blue Heeler.

Elsewhere, some kids were recently late to their babysitter, an angry lady threw a bunch of stuff around, and some puppies are missing!

But if you were worried about what the world is coming to, don't be, because this Australian Cattle Dog swam five miles through shark infested waters, survived on an island called Saint Bees (who is Saint Bees??) for months by eating wild goats, and then got rescued and went back to normal!





Okay, seriously, who is Saint Bees???

Popover and kefir sales are down...

Last night Whole Foods celebrated Earth Hour by turning off "non-essential" lights in the store. I was there on the scene at the Union Square Whole Foods, where the Earth Hour Promise was translated as killing the lights in the bagel/scone case, the refrigerated dairy case, the leafy green vegetable wall. Not dimmed were the lights in the frozen food case, over the salad bar, and... everywhere else.

In other "green news," the new issue of Metropolitan Home is about eco-friendly construction and renovation. The highlights for me: lots of cedar-slat screens, a modernist organic community garden in Napa, cargotecture (container architecture) and some meatball recipes.

In me news, you might already know that I just got back from Morocco, but you might not know that I am addicted to the paddle ball game that came with my phone. I started playing it on the airplane home, and now, I play it on the subway to avoid thinking about the messed up train schedules and annoying commuters.

Your mission (or, ARG)

From: xxxxx

Date: February 24, 2009 2:35:39 PM EST

To: Zoe

Subject: Documentary Film Project Opportunity

Emmy Award Winning Creator of Word World on PBS Kids Seeks Documentary Team to Record the Creation of a New, Innovative, Tween Property:

The creator and CEO of Emmy Award winning Preschool series Word World, which airs on PBS Kids, is ramping up to launch a new, technology-based tween entertainment property. It's partially funded by the Department of Education, and teaches literacy through an entirely new genre: experiential fiction, or "x-fi": an interactive story format that offers new, more meaningful ways for fans to interact with media. The property simultaneously features animated TV storytelling, webisodes, mobile applications, gaming and content, graphic novels, online gaming experiences which influence the outcome of the overall "mission", collector cards, a peer-to-peer social network that includes blogging, emails, and texting, and offline components including real world challenges, meetings and prizes to be sent directly to kid participants.

The development team of this property is comprised of best in class creators: an Emmy award winning TV producer, an MIT expert in gaming, an urban fashion and lifestyle mogul,a creator of Spawn and Batman, and an inventor of the Alternate Reality Game (or ARG) movement -- the creator of the first well known ARG called "The Beast".

We are looking for a student or group of students with a strong interest and some background in documentary. If interested, please contact xxxxx at xxxxx@blablabla.com with a resume, a brief essay explaining why you would like to be involved in the project, and preferred method of contact. If you meet the qualifications, you will be contacted for an interview.