I’ve been listening to a lot of Angels and Airwaves. Well, more than usual anyway. Their new album LOVE was released for free download through their website on Valentine’s Day. It’s pretty incredible and I would recommend everyone take a listen. My favorite song so far is Epic Holiday. They are playing the Marquee in Tempe on May 25th and I can’t wait!

The image above is a post secret from 2008. I thought it really summed up what AVA is all about, at least for me. It’s as we often joke, “the kind of music that can cure diseases.”

On Saturday I saw Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, a film I’ve been excitedly anticipating for several months. I have to say I was both inspired and disappointed. The visuals are amazingly creepy, giving familiar characters the Tim Burton treatment. Helena Bonham Carter was splendid as an insecure, yet cruel Red Queen. Her performance and lispy, ‘w’ heavy speech were very reminiscent of her Morgan Le Fey in the TV miniseries Merlin. I was not as impressed with Johnny Depp, who usually can do no wrong. His Mad Hatter looked like a ginger mix between Madonna and Elijah Wood, and his crazy ranting bordered on irritating. I loved Mia Wasikowska as Alice and Stephen Fry’s Chesire Cat. However, it lost the smug, likable nature of the Caterpillar I loved so much.

The visual brilliance of the film almost makes up for the lack of originality in plot. It reminded me very much of Prince Caspian, the most recent film from The Chronicles of Narnia series. Child(ren) grows up since her last visit to a magical world. She finally returns and that world is in trouble. An evil royal has taken control of the land and must be stopped, as foreseen by a prophesy. She defeats the enemy against all odds and restores peace and magic to the world. With all the amazing characters Burton had to work with, I expected a more creative storyline. However, as Lewis Caroll’s story is dear to my heart, I really did love Burton’s adaptation and reinvention.

I’ve been wanting dark green Converse for quite some time now, but the only green they offer is a kelly green. At Converse.com you can now order custom shoes from a selection of colors and prints. It is a pretty neat option, but costs $17 more plus shipping. I decided to go a cheaper route and bought white canvas shoes with plans to dye them green.

I picked up a package of dark green RIT dye (powder) from Walmart for $1.65 and gathered supplies. You will need:

• RIT dye (powder or liquid)
• bucket or sink
• old towel
• mixing bowl or old plastic container
• 1 cup salt
• 1 tablespoon laundry detergent

First you want to fill a mixing bowl or plastic container with hot water. I used an old Harkins cup. Mix in your powder dye until completely dissolved. If you choose liquid dye, you can skip this step. Next, fill your bucket or sink with hot water and add the salt and laundry detergent. I used a small bucket and an entire package of RIT dye.

Next, mix your dye into your water bath. Be careful with splattering and be sure to wipe up any spills immediately. Remove the laces and place your shoes in the bucket. The shoes will float to the surface, so to avoid this I used two bamboo skewers to hold them down. I left them in the dye for about 20 minutes. When your shoes look good and done, carefully empty your bucket. Rinse the shoes first with warm water and then cold. You will want the water to run clear.

I let the shoes sit for 5 minutes, rinsed again, and then set them on a towel to dry for the night. The next morning I threw them into the dryer and ran it for 10 minutes. Then I added black laces and voila: dark green.

EDIT: Frequently Asked Question

Will the rubber soles absorb the dye?
I’ve never had a problem with the rubber absorbing the dye, but I have heard of some people having issues. If your soles do stain, try scrubbing them with a magic eraser or with a paste made of equal parts hot water, baking soda, and white vinegar.

image by Peter Howe

It’s been almost five years since the summer I spent in Paris, France. I’ve been feeling pretty nostalgic lately, especially about this incredible trip. If you ever have the chance to go to Paris, I highly recommend it. Paris has hundreds of museums, including three of the most impressive ones I’ve ever visited: Musée d'Orsay, Centre Pompidou, and of course Musée Du Louvre. The food was amazing and the architecture was beautiful. Sitting in a cafe for hours was all we needed on a Saturday afternoon. I truly can’t wait to get back there and soak up all the city has to offer.

I’ve been watching past seasons of The 4400 on DVD and reminiscing about tv shows that were canceled before their time. It can be pretty disappointing falling in love with a show and its characters and then finding out the show has been canceled and none of the loose ends will be explained. Here are a few I miss the most.

The 4400 ended after its fourth season and after a killer cliff-hanger of a season finale. This show brought science fiction and drama together and played to everyone’s fantasy of having special powers. Healing, teleportation, mind control, pre-cognition, and telepathy were just a few of the many “gifts” with which the 4400 returned. Watching the show has made me long for them to return with a fifth season.
Buy The 4400 complete series box set.

Thankfully, everyone else loves Futurama just as much. Since its early cancellation, Matt Groening has put out four Futurama movies and the series has confirmed its return to television in June 2010 with new episodes and the original cast. Good news, everyone!
Buy the Futurama complete collection.

The Bluth family is everyone’s favorite example of severe dysfunction. This show was not only one of the most clever and sharp comedies on tv, but it was also canceled after only three seasons. Luckily for us, an Arrested Development movie is in the making.
Buy the Arrested Development complete series.

Joan of Arcadia was a rare television show, mixing family drama with police story-lines, all the while posing some pretty serious questions about God and religion. Sadly, it was canceled after only two seasons and a very unexplained season finale.
Buy the first season of Joan of Arcadia.

Roswell was one of my favorite shows as a teen. It combined the mystery of the Roswell alien crash with the WB’s perfect execution of teen drama. When they switched networks for the third season, the show went downhill which explains the early cancellation. However, the first two season were so great that I can’t help but wish the show had continued.
Buy the Roswell complete series box set.

Dead Like Me follows the (after) life of a group of reapers. This series created an intriguingly funny take on death and whatever happens afterward. It was canceled after two seasons, but a movie was made not long after. However, two of the main characters were replaced and fans (and me) were left wanting.
Buy the Dead Like Me complete collection.