http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/ en Copyright 2010 Mon, 04 Oct 2010 13:15:46 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=3.2 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Anchors are intrinsically deemed weighty and are geared to impose a heavy handedness in their functionality, but when one owns a hotel named The Atlantic, a hotel on Block Island, RI and garners, the owner that is, the metaphorical sequential jump from the ocean reference and the semi, very semi-credible anchor “placement” possibility fixture and then literally incorporates an echoed perverse bond to an “anchors away” sensibility, a crassness – “I define my milieu without regard to all” – a rendering here affirmed by numerous reviews of his establishment; look them up; I am basically plagiarizing – an appreciation forms for this man’s rotund thinking and makes me discard a general dismissal of his antics, for any mentalistic term so inferred from his canonical defensiveness leaves me no longer dubiously accepting proxies to an explanation.

He thinks in the nasty man mode, a form that does not accept intersubjective possibilities, but can, based on that platform, take psychological discordant fuzz and in its own boxed mystification plant instantiative truth-theories.

A specific or two: it is uncommon for an on premises hotel owner to generate a surly, contemptuous air upon receiving guests’ “Hellos,” ours, one subsequently witnessed in his dealings with others, employees and guests. However, we did not care, for my friend and I, immediately welcomed the relative quiet and hilltop view of ocean and fields, a condition that can mollify almost anything, and it did, until the big deal ice theft accusation.

The hottest day of the year, less than a week ago, and my gracious, lovely love offered to get me an ice coffee while I did nothing on the veranda other than drink heat and wipe sun lotion. Important: no ice machine for guests; rather unusual considering it is strictly a summer place; the lack of ac was not important; the coffee, left over breakfast wear, needed ice supplement. So Ms. Fashion went behind the bar, no one around to serve in any sense, owner in office and only ice was wanted and her finesse counted an inclination for assistance. She took – conceded by us as perhaps not “right.” The owner’s shortcomings, a synonymy of barbed wire need, applicable only when gerrymandered to determine rage to lash and an extralogical determinant to supplant his provincial psycho quiver, staged the set for this anomalously physically un toned Island resident – considering the clear cut fitness most of his guests adhered to – yelled, castigated her, publically berated her, deemed her as one analogous to a safe cracker, called her as one in the line of past interlopers who ruffle private papers and read others expurgated financial statements.

This man is sickening. Not even good when confronted with the gentility of my, “Mr. Guy, you over did it.” Your harangue for a misplaced fork; the application of your ice (r)age has the variable of sweat. Make your displeasure a supplementation to a priori midnight angst. Request the peach, and you did in your apology to her: paradoxically rather formulaic, since presumably never previously delivered. Your pointed finger to my gut and face was a sign, sporadically triggered to translate. ATLANTIC INN

-Alan Nadler]]> http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2010/10/unrequited_heat_in_ice_age_rag_1.html http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2010/10/unrequited_heat_in_ice_age_rag_1.html Mon, 04 Oct 2010 13:15:46 -0500 A spiked black-leather band around the wrist or neck -- that was all it took to freak the heck out of your average New Yorker in late '70s, early '80s. We laughed at the pet-shop owner’s scowls as we appraised the fit of a choker and spiked dog collars on one another, adding to their dismay with an occasional woof woof. There were no “Punk Outfitters.” We got our combat boots from Army surplus stores, and the rest of our paraphernalia we made ourselves.

Back in them olden days, the desire was for a look that made people shudder, or at least notified clearly in no uncertain terms that we were not one of “Them”! We were not part of their system of conformity. Everyday household items became a means to expressing these sentiments. Our rage combined with our fashion, and safety-pins that had once held up our diapers were now appropriated as accessories to hold together clothes or an earlobe. No-income sensibilities found creative usage for sharpies beyond tagging up LOUD FAST RULEZ on subway walls. A quick scribble on fingernails was decorative but did not accommodate a manicured pampered look. These nails were Mad Max’ish FLAT BLACK, no glitz, no gloss. And for a change-up, painting WhiteOut was the perfect antidote to those preppy girls being pretty in pink. For spice, a bit of yellow highlighter leant an ambiance of, “we will survive in the gutter better than you yuppie scum!”

Eventually, black nailpolish became the Vogue must have, but for us early punks who got our asses kicked for daring to sport dry marker on their nails, seeing models pose in Chanel’s black-polish felt somehow heathen! But we also knew, they still didn’t get it right. Our nails weren't a mirror for the soul -- all shimmer and shine with their glossy counterfeit black. Our ink was the certitude of tenebrous bleakness. Ours was the dead end we felt was offered us -- as the Sex Pistols gospel held it, “No Future For You!”

But then, something happens if you don't hit an early extermination. Suddenly you find yourself in your 30s or 40s and pink doesn't look so bad anymore. Actually it’s kinda cute. Maybe. And coating your nails with sharpies just doesn't have the same Raison D'Etre when you’re helping your child with homework and preparing school lunches. And you start to care that walking around with the scent of WhiteOut on your fingers might make other parents think you are a low-rent glue sniffer.

When my son was five and his new playground pals gathered round me to point at the piercings in my nose, eyebrow, under chin, and around my ear, and inquire loudly why I had metal in my face, the last bit of visual punk in me stepped aside. I always thought I’d raise a punk rock kid, but this is not how my punk ethic needed to express itself -- humiliating my son.

I have had only two manicures in my life, when it was a gift from someone else. I found it painful to sit and have someone I didn't know hold my hand with the touch of a loved one. They didn't want to converse, they wanted me to soak my hands in the pretend Palmolive, act pampered, and shut up. I didn't dig any of the colors they had on their wall for me to pick either. I suppressed the desire to ask for the marker that the receptionist was using to label plastic bottles. I just did cliche red and felt like a harlot sell-out.

Then one day my friend, the iconic makeup artist Mike Potter, pops on me that he is making nailpolish, and before I can sputter, “Et Tu, Bruté,” he pulls out what looks like a small flashlight. He says nothing, just takes my hand in his as a beloved would, twists the top, and the magic wand is painting. And it's a Proust Madeleine moment, I was a teen living by wits in New York City with street punk on my finger. I look up with him, tears welling in my eyes. He smiles, the arch grin of Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka: I make the impossible possible. This is necromancy in a bottle -- pure flatte black is here! It even applies like the spongy sharpie head, uniform, no brush strokes. It’s so innovative that if your nails were painted with this stuff and Matisse happened to time travel and was strolling by a café where you happened to be nursing a macchiato, well, he would stop dead in his tracks and do a portrait of the being who had managed to display gouache on, as the dictionary calls it, “the flattish horny part on the upper surface of the tip of each finger.”

It wasn't a stunner to find out Potter was christening his line K.O. -- as in Knock Out. It was Rock'em Sock'em Robots to me, I was floored.

And then it got better.

He took out another flashlight. He took my other hand. I closed my eyes.

I felt the vague dampness glaze my fingernail. After I opened my eyes the tears jumped ship and gushed down my cheeks.

“OH, oh! It’s WhiteOut! With highlighter mixed in" -- but not the look of yellow snow. It’s called Powder and it glows, but in a matte way.

“Who can take a rainbow...”

The punches kept ah’coming. He did my pinkies in Liberty-– the color of an old school oxidized penny or our lady of the harbor.

The sound of flip-flops, the pungent scent of chlorine filled my nostrils as the color of damp cement was spread on my middle fingers, it is called Flatte Top.

The Coup De Grace hit my toenails, red of the cheap splatter film color, getting its point across, vivid but no gratuitous shine. It is fittingly named after its inspiration, Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

For the first time I have given a gift of PINK nailpolish to a grown woman. But with KO’s Calamine, I did not have the icky feeling that I was colluding against the feminist movement. It’s a decoration in remembrance of things past -- when that pigment of red mixed with a lot of white covered all mosquito bites. I could feel my momma dabbing it on with a cotton ball and uselessly admonishing, “Don’t scratch.”

With his his trunk-sized Louis Vuitton suitcase of makeup and brushes spread before him, Mike Potter conjures legends. He is the artist that created the famous Hedwig look for the film Hedwig and the Angry Inch. He’s the one who makes the lives of photoshop experts at Vogue a lot simpler. The only problem with being a patron of Potter is that there's no way you could ever try this at home. Potter doesn't just apply makeup, he transforms you. “How can I bottle you?!” was the constant plea his clients would pout, knowing they'd return to postmidnight Cinderellas.

Somehow Mike Potter found a way to bottle the reconstructing of who we are through our memories. I look at my nails, and it is the richness of printing ink dried. It is a teen girl encountering the world with the same passion that black absorbs in the universe and hides within. It was punk, it was a communal sense of hope within despair, a reminder that anything is possible. We will be heard. All captured in a bottle that looks like a flashlight.

~Laura Albert ]]> http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2009/08/beauty_roadtest_ko_nailpolishp.html http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2009/08/beauty_roadtest_ko_nailpolishp.html Road-Tests Fri, 14 Aug 2009 12:47:47 -0500 Many fashion-conscious folks would be resistant to going gray, finding it too safe. Not New York City-based designer Rebecca Turbow, who has designed an all gray line of clothing called… Safe. This spring, the designer showed her Fall/Winter 2009 collection during New York Fashion Week at the downtown Moeller Snow Gallery. The models stood on white cubes, donning the mod clothing done in all gray (with a bit of black thrown in).

When it comes to personal style, Turbow practices what she preaches. For years she has only worn monochromatic color combinations, even going as far as dying all her clothes and painting the bottoms of her shoes. Therefore, she was a perfect fit for our latest denim road-test. To wit, we asked Rebecca to test out a pair of Bzen's "Nathalie" tapered jeans. We thought this might meet her design expectations, since this Montreal-based premium denim line produces 100% hand-stitched, hand-sanded products. Constructed of black Japanese fabric, the style is washed down until it reaches a soft gray color: a perfect fit for Turbow’s own wardrobe. We asked her 10 questions:

Tell me about Safe.
The original concept of the line is about clothing and how it keeps you safe.

What’s your latest collection about?
It’s a little more grown-up, more sophisticated. I was calling it “’80s prep school.” It’s got a ‘80s vibe mixed with the ‘60s-mod era.

For a long time you only wore the colors green and white. And now you only wear the color gray. Explain?
It started about nine years ago, and I was really drawn to this shade of green. I started dying everything that color, and before I knew it, everything was green. It wasn’t even intentional, it just sort of happened, and then I became the girl who wore all green and white. Then last year, I needed a change in my life and I switched to gray. It’s great because I got to look forward to a whole new color.

What did you think of the Bzen jeans?
I think they are great. The color is really good. I’m really into cool grays, and these are a really nice cool gray in a medium shade.

Where did you wear your new Bzen?
I wore them all day doing errands, and I ended up going out all night in them as well! I went to a birthday party at the bowling alley Lucky Strike. Then I went to the Beatrice Inn, and I was there all night!

What did you pair with the denim?
I wore a silk, sort of oversize T-shirt, from my Fall 09 line. It almost acts like a dress because it’s pretty big and long. It looked really cute, because the jeans are really tight and skinny. Also, I wore my favorite little leather scrunch boots.

How did they fit and feel?
I love the fit and they look awesome! And they are really skinny, which I really like. My only issue is the waist was so low on them that they cut into my hipbone, which was kind of uncomfortable. But, I definitely got a ton of compliments …

Do you ever feel stifled by only wearing gray?
It can be so difficult. I’ve been trying to find winter boots this year and it’s impossible! It’s so much harder than you think it would be.

~Meredith Craig de Pietro]]> http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2009/08/post_32.html http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2009/08/post_32.html Road-Tests Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:51:25 -0500 While many designer labels feel compelled to display the trademark moniker prominently on pieces as a testament to their own prestige or popularity, the designers behind Millions of Smiles, Michael Swan and Chris Leba, prefer to let their talent speak for itself.

Much like the cohesion the two designers exhibit when creating their collection, which has attracted high-profile clientele like Britney Spears and Drew Barrymore, the duo also transmits an unmistakable synergy in other aspects of their lives– not unlike Tribeca's new hotspot, Macao Trading Co-– which does a lovely balancing act of its own. With an unconventional menu, of which most items are available in two seemingly polar culinary genres, Chinese and Portuguese, Macao offers dishes such as Manila clams Portuguese prepared with chorizo and a Chinese counterpart dressed in black beans and chilies.

Even on a recent night in the belly of a recession, the restaurant is perfectly full. However, this comes as no surprise, as Macao is the handiwork of the Employees Only creators and Chanterelle’s David Waltuck. Joining psychoPEDIA for a taste-test of the new eatery, Swan and Leba, already seated with glasses of Tsingtao beers in hand, discuss the dishes and much more:

Do you know the story behind this place?
CL: You know how Hong Kong was a British colony, Macao used to be a Portuguese colony. So it had this great mixture of heritage. Macao is like the Las Vegas of Asia. I always hear these outrageous stories. It’s very similar to Vegas– call girls, gambling, shopping.

Appetizers arrive: Chinese-style shrimp served in crispy wrappers, Portuguese-style Manila clams and Portuguese-style fennel and artichoke salad with chickpeas.

CL: That was faster than McDonald’s. The service here is awesome.
MS: I wonder how Vegas is doing right now?

I think people still drink and gamble even when the economy is struggling. Dating is up…
CL: I guess people want company during hard times. So you’re in a good place. I think you’re ready. Are you on Nerve? You’re going on Nerve. Are you Jewish? Then you’re going on JDate too.

What do you think of these appetizers?
CL: The clams are really good. They’re interesting. I’ve never really tasted anything like this. What is that?
MS: Chorizo.
CL: It’s really good. The salad is fine but I didn’t love it.
MS: I don’t think they needed to fry the chickpeas. But the shrimp is really good.
CL: OK. So you’re in a good place. You’re ready.
MS: I think you’re ready. You just need to say that you’re going to get back out there.
CL: Just say yes to the universe. It’s liberating to say what you want. You have to make a hard stand and it’s going to go one way or another, instead of waiting around forever. Women are so funny like that, they just decide– and then that’s it.
MS: I was just reading that we find people who we look like. Like the spacing of our eyes, the shape of our face. It’s interesting. What happens in your mind while you’re growing up that clicks, I like this, I don’t like that. Then suddenly, you have a type. Do you have a type?

I don’t know. I don’t think so. Do you have types?
CL: Most say they don’t have a type. Women are more open. All my girlfriends looked different but I definitely have a type. Guys have a blueprint. And they’re looking for the woman that fits that. Confidence and passion are hot.
MS: And there’s a physical thing that needs to be there. I think especially for men, because physically, they have to be aroused.
CL: Yeah, you can’t fake it.

Entrees and sides arrive: Grilled lamb chops with red pepper jam, Portuguese-style grilled sirloin with bleu-cheese butter, a Chinese-style whole bass crisp fried with ginger & scallions, Swiss chard with currants & pine nuts, and Bacalao fried rice.

MS: I’ve been married for ten years now. Every relationship breaks down to this: you have to have the skills. It’s like playing tennis. You have to be good at it. Meaning for example, being supportive. It’s just very easy. When I was younger I had this habit, if my girlfriend said “black”, I’d say “white”. Now I’m like, “totally”. “I totally see what you’re saying”. Even if I don’t agree– I trade that with, I’m on your team. It’s a skill. But it takes years and years.

I like that. So what do you think of this course? This whole fish is pretty spectacular.
MS: The fish is delicious. I like the presentation. And the fried rice is amazing. There are pieces of fish in here.

And how about the lamb chops?
CL: Really good. The red pepper jam is interesting. But a couple of them were cooked a little more than I’d have liked.

What do you think of the vibe in here?
CL: I love those lights over the bar.
MS: We were looking at them before. I like the vibe but the décor is a little over the top.
CL: They could’ve scaled back on the props.
MS: But I love the darkness and the rustiness.
CL: The rice pudding– that is insane.

By now dessert has arrived. It all looks amazing and my cappuccino smells so good, I sip it by the spoonful. The rice pudding is insane. And although the name might throw you, the fried milk, which tastes like custard covered in a cinnamon-sugar shell is unusual and delicious. And obviously, you can never go wrong with chocolate torte.

On the way to the restroom Chris runs into their friend, John, at the bar. He joins us with a fabulous looking drink.

What are you drinking?
John: I’m not sure. The bartender asked me what I like to drink and I said something with scotch or whiskey and he gave me this. It’s so good– tastes like there is cardamom, bitters, orange. It’s a little spicy.

Later, co-owner Jason Kosmas, tells me a few of the secret ingredients: J&B Scotch, Mahjong, Carpano vermouth, five-spice bitters and Navan, a vanilla liqueur. Sweet and spicy? Uh, pretty tasty. Like pretty much everything here.

~Lisa Germinsky

Macao Trading Co., 311 Church St, NYC. (212) 431-8750

The Verdict:

Taste: 9/10
Looks: 8/10
Value: 9/10
Service: 10/10 Overall: 36/40


First photo courtesy of Millions of Smiles
Second photo via New York Times
Third photo via Paper
Fourth photo via NYCFoodie
Fifth photo via Village Voice
Sixth photo via Time Out NY
Seventh photo via Bloomberg
Eighth photo via At First Bite
Ninth photo via nyjournal.squarespace.com
]]> http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2009/07/post_31.html http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2009/07/post_31.html Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:24:50 -0500
It was sometime in mid-2008 that we came across an e-flyer for a party called ‘Trading Places’. Not only did it share the same name as one of the greatest comedies ever, but it also hinted at a night that might have something more to offer than your typical Shoreditch-based bash which specializes in ‘ironic party-music’.

Trading Places has been going for nearly a year now and it regularly attracts many of the key faces in London’s creative community. From designers and stylists, to bloggers and musicians, this monthly roadblock brings everyone together under one big exclusive roof. Parties aside, the ambitious minds behind ‘TP’ have much more to offer than music and mayhem. They also have their own blog, A Tribe Called Next. The popular site is regularly updated with music, fashion and lifestyle and has a growing army of supporters. The collective also recently collaborated with the renowned street-artist Insa to create a super-limited-edition T-shirt and some stylish artwork for the last ‘TP’ flyer. We spoke to the collective about what goes on behind the scenes. Here is how they collectively answered:

How many people promote Trading Places and how many have you done so far?
There are 4 of us in total. A Cyde, Kish, Reggie Yates and Suz P. We have done 8 parties so far.

What was the initial idea behind the parties?
Essentially, we just wanted to have a place where we could party. There was no club-night that ticked all the boxes for us, so we wanted to start something for friends and family.

Why did you choose the name Trading Places?
Watch the movie.

What’s the music policy?
The music policy is just good music. And good records played badly.

Have you clubbed in any other countries?
Due to immigration policies, we haven’t been able to, as yet. Although, we are currently in talks with Embassies. When we get our real passports, we’ll holla.

Describe a TP party to someone who’s never been…
Bring a towel.

What type of clientele would you say TP attracts?
Friends, family and foes.

What made you decide to make TP ‘guest list only’? Do you think some folks might see that type of party as being snobbish and elitist?
Yes. Because we are snobbish and elitist, innit.

Do you think people dance more or less than they used to?
More or less. It doesn’t matter though; Trading Places parties have dance routines that everybody follows.

What’s your favorite/worst ever movie with lots of dancing in it or ‘dancing’ in the title, and why?
I’d have to say Jean-Claude Van Damme in the movie Breakin.
What’s your favorite dance move ever and why?
It’s called the ‘take em home’, which is pretty self explanatory.

What’s next for TP?
Guest DJs Eddie Murphy and Dan Ackroyd.

~Donald Crunk]]> http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2009/07/post_30.html http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2009/07/post_30.html Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:30:18 -0500 Dear PsychoDoc: I love sex just as much as the next guy, but my girlfriend seems to want it all the time. When I come home late from work, when she wakes up in the morning, when I’m playing Xbox – there’s just no escaping her! We’ve been together for five months and I still find her sexually attractive, but too much of a good thing is never good for anyone. I find myself becoming more and more detached from our sexual encounters. Sometimes I just lay there while she gets on top of me and does her thing! It’s weird, because she wasn’t like this when we first started dating. How can I tell her that she needs to slow down without hurting her feelings?
-Cordin ,26, Manchester-

Dear Oversexed and Exhausted: As men get older, they start to realize that women are, in fact, way hornier than men. So, as you get closer to 50, start to lose your hair and gradually slow down in the bedroom, you’ll find that your woman is turning into Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct. Although, if you look deeply into her eyes while she’s pouncing on you, underneath all the passion and sexual frustration, what you’ll see is someone looking for attention. And lots of it. You say you’re coming home late from work and she disturbs you while you’re playing Xbox, but have you ever thought that she may be throwing all this ass your way because that’s the only way she feels she can connect with you?

The solution is to do something that requires the two of you to get out of the house. Try and inject some romance, and an element of surprise into the relationship, like-– oh, we don’t know-– a weekend at a five-star resort in the Sonoran Desert? I guarantee that she’ll ease off on the sex a bit, because you’ll be ticking some of the boxes that have been left unchecked for so long.

Why do you think she wasn’t so fuck-happy when you first met? You were probably trying really hard to impress her by doing lots of cool stuff, so you were satisfying her emotionally and physically. But now you’ve gotten so complacent, that she’s using your penis as a substitute. I think your girl just wants to be reminded of why she fell for you in the first place.

PsychoDoc is written by Donald Crunk, the founder of the Styleslut creative collective. He is not a medically-trained doctor or shrink, but is a highly-trained professional in life. He can be reached at psychodoc@psychopedia.com.

Psychopedia recommends:
Canyon Ranch: Arizona
Two Bunch Palm: Palm Springs- try the healing water or the treament for couple.
Tantra Yoga Workshop in Ireland]]> http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2009/06/psychodocdealing_with_a_girlfr.html http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2009/06/psychodocdealing_with_a_girlfr.html Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:58:10 -0500 Twenty years ago, the singer-songwriter King Creosote was working in a little record store in St Andrews, a university town in Scotland. From there, it developed from a mere group of friends and associates into a record label and creative collective called Fence. Nowadays, while making a living from music and running Fence Records, that doesn't mean the love for rural(ish) Scotland is gone-- as KC lives and workes in Anstruther, a tiny village in Fife. Every year, Anstruther plays host to Homegame a festival celebrating the music he and some friends have created from nothing. PsychoPEDIA caught up with KC just before Homegame to chat about his roots in St Andrews.

In a university town like St Andrews, what’s the opinion on the students-- positive influence on the intellectual side of the town, or negative scourge on the nightlife?
When Prince William announced his plans to attend, the number of female applicants for his course from the United States alone numbered 400. Rates took a hike up 30%, putting an end to our local record shop lease. That aside, the town certainly buzzes when the students are back. And it’s good for local bands like ours; we've had countless pub gigs and students’ functions to play at over the years. Due to there being so many foreign students, in the early days of Fence, word of our musical exploits and our homemade CDs travelled the world at the end of each term.

Where did you go out for music and dancing in St. Andrews?
When I was still at school we could get into the union discos held over the summer holidays -- quite a buzz at age 15 or 16 -- and every few years or so the students’ committee had the savvy to book one of the touring bands. I saw the Beat International in there, but not, say, Chesney Hawkes! Every few years the pubs start putting on live bands again, but none are designed for this purpose, so there'd be no stage, or even enough room, and then folks owning the flats above would complain, so that would be that. When I moved back into the St. Andrews area after uni and a stint busking around Europe, there was nowhere to go in town to dance unless you braved the megabop in the union. Pubs a plenty, and again, sporadic live gigs mainly by student bands. When we started putting on Fence shows, it was an instant hit with students and locals alike, and we'd very little competition. Ideal.

Are there any really good restaurants you can recommend?
Ah, well I'm a vegetarian, and a fussy one at that (I don't eat fish, nor slimey veg like mushrooms and aubergines, and not overly fond of greens either), so my own tastes run as far as Italian, junk, Indian, Mexican, and at a push, Thai. There's a great Indian restaurant called The Balaka, and a good Italian place on South street called Zizzi. For veggie burgers and veggie chillis with chips etc, it's hard to beat Fife's original rock cafe Ziggy's, always impossible to get into on a weekend without a reservation.

What's the art scene like? Any particularly good galleries or homegrown artists you’re aware of?
Ah, this is trickier...they do have exhibitions in the Crawford's Art Centre. I went to one called "no noise samples" in which an artist had invented all sorts of crazy musical instruments out of household machinery (old style telephones, ironing boards, bits of bicycle, pots, hoovers, etc.) and each came with a set of headphones. They had a piece of music by the instrument on loop. Other than that I know of one other gallery on Market Street that at least one famous pop star has bought from, and then there's an incredibly busy picture framer by the cathedral wall kept on his toes by the local art club (who are always on the lookout for nude models, I might add).

There seems to be a lot of creativity focused into a fairly small area around Fife...do you think it directly inspired you? And why do you think so much good work comes out of the area?
It is a beautiful part of Scotland, as beautiful in its way as the mountainous west coast, and it is a corner far enough from the main corridors of Scotland to attract those needing inspiration and solitude in their work, hence the musicians and artists here. The poet John Burnside still lives in the East Neuk of Fife, Ian Banks once lived near St. Andrews, and author Ian Rankin hails from Fife. There must be something in the air! For me, though, it is home, and I'd find it nigh impossible to live anywhere else for any length of time. The people here have an easygoing, uncluttered attitude to life, and celebrate in the good simple things. If you have everything you need and want, why leave?

You said earlier that an being an outsider wasn’t easy in Scottish villages-– does the same apply in St. Andrews?
I think the real St. Andrews is a place no visitor would really want to go. Us locals refer to it as "The Bronx." The “real” St. Andrews as portrayed by tourist information and advertising is very much a romanticized version of the town, and so yes, very easy to experience firsthand. With regards to finding the real St. Adrian - the local - this changes month by month. Few shop workers and such can afford to live in this town, and certainly not in the centre. Students far outnumber locals in the winter, and likewise tourists far outnumber locals in the summer. St. Andrews is deserted in June. Running into one of the caddies would give you a different impression again. The town centre is very accessible to locals anyway, so you can't avoid folks like me!

What do you miss most now that you no longer live in St Andrews?
What I miss most about living in St. Andrews is the buzz of having the students and academics around, as annoying as they are when throwing flour and eggs at each other. And the fact that it is such a microcosm and therefore a law unto itself. It has a good cinema and cafes, amazing beaches and ruined architecture, and it's a wee bit of a sheltered fantasy place. The hardest thing about living there is staying on whilst your friends all leave for the real world eventually.

How does St Andrews compare to other university towns like Oxford or Cambridge? Do you think it's more or less affected by its student population?
I've only been to Oxford and Cambridge a couple of times, and usually to play shows -- drive in, find the venue, soundcheck, play gig, leave. Parking is a nightmare in all three, that's for sure. If you were looking for a school of wizardry, Oxford is most likely the place to find it.

Finally, anything or anyone else you think deserves a special mention in discussion of St Andrews?
I'd give a special shout out to Couch on Bell Street, and to the North Point Cafe on North Street. A visit to the Castle and the subterranean passage is a must, and to take yourself on a walk from the east sands, along the Scores, all the way to the end of the west sands.

~Chris Harding]]> http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2009/06/my_town_st_andrews_scotlandall.html http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2009/06/my_town_st_andrews_scotlandall.html Wed, 03 Jun 2009 01:41:18 -0500 Dear PsychoDoc: I was making out with my boyfriend the other day, when all of a sudden, I started to think about Angelina Jolie. She was dressed up as Lara Croft from Tomb Raider. I couldn’t get her out of my head and I was getting really turned on by the thought of her kissing and touching me. I’ve never been with a woman before and the thought of ever doing a vagina freaks me the fuck out. The only woman that I’ve been attracted to is Angelina. What does all this mean? Am I a lesbian who’s scared to come out of the closet?
-Pauline, 22, London-

Dear Curious and Confused: This is something that we all-- man, woman and child-- have experienced at some point in our lives: an unadulterated and unexplainable attraction for Angelina Jolie. There’s just something magical about those tattoos and those lips and that voice that makes you want get a big slice of Jolie Pie.

Since she’s the only woman who’s turned you on, I wouldn’t read too much into it. You know how guys have man-crushes? Well, I guess Angelina is yours. I actually think that it has more to do with Lara Croft, than it does Angelina. Is there any way that you could get your boyf to dress up in that outfit from the movie? That would probably help you get over it because a) a man would look pretty fucked-up dressed as Lara Croft and b) picturing Ms. Pitt with a penis is pretty yucky.

Failing that, you could always pick someone up on one of those bi-curious-friendly dating-sites, get stupidly drunk and see how you feel trying out a few bases with them. If you don’t puke at the thought of your night of drunken bisexual passion the morning after, then I hate to break it to you, but you’ve got a touch of the lesbian in you. Which is not a bad thing, by any means! If this is the case, give it another try when you’re sober. If everything runs smoothly, then look in the mirror, pump your fist in the air, and proudly yell ‘I bat for both teams!’ If you get to that point, though, tell your dude where you stand-– because making him taste other girls on your mouth, without his knowledge, would not be cool.

PsychoDoc is written by Donald Crunk, the founder of the Styleslut creative collective. He is not a medically-trained doctor or shrink, but is a highly-trained professional in life. He can be reached at psychodoc@psychopedia.com.

*Psychopedia recommends the personals at Nerve.com. Lots of quality, smart AND sexy men, women and big-swinging bis!
]]> http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2009/05/psychodochow_to_determine_whet.html http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2009/05/psychodochow_to_determine_whet.html Mon, 25 May 2009 17:43:14 -0500 Born in 1986, Mark Essen sort of missed the Atari boom. In fact, the original 8-bit Nintendo-- which inarguably revolutionized gaming -- was unveiled a year before he was even conceived. However, Essen has ostensibly defied his age and become recognized as one of the premier video game artists of his generation. At the present moment, Essen's work will not be found programmed into the latest PS3 blood bath, but rather, projected onto a wall in a Chelsea gallery, fully interactive; a stark contrast to the often cold stoicism ingrained in modern art.

A recent graduate of Bard College, Essen designs games that resemble the 25-cent polygon-ridden Atari coin-ops that existed for a brief, but absolutely vital, window of time. On the surface, his games appear to be pure, playable homage, though once examined, can be unveiled as something both reactionary and subversive. In 2008, BusinessWeek did a write-up on one of Essen's online "action" games, entitled "You Found The Grappling Hook." Soon after the mention, Essen reconfigured the game and re-posted it -- this time, to be based around an office full of BusinessWeek writers. The goal? To seek out the employees who could no longer stand to work for BusinessWeek and pitch them out a window. Graphically straight out of 1983, the "revamped" version highlighted exactly what it is to participate in the 21st century's digital landscape: Create, Send, Respond, Fashion New Response, Re-Send.

Mark Essen's latest work is currently featured in one of the most expansive, talked-about shows to date at The New Museum in downtown NYC, called "The Generational: Younger Than Jesus," exclusively showcasing 50 different artists aged 33 and under, of which he is the youngest. Essen sat down with PsychoPEDIA and named for us a handful of absolute must-play titles. Seek them out and see them differently than you did when you were a kid and Mom made you press Pause when dinner was ready:

1. Crystal Quest (Mac)/ Sexy Hiking (PC)
Two gnarly, mouse-controlled, very unforgiving games. When you finally squeeze through that gate in Crystal Quest after clearing the screen, the game audibly sighs. When you get to the end of a Sexy Hiking level it just screams at you.

2. Rampart (SNES)/ Ken Griffey Jr (SNES)/ Virtua Tennis (PC)
The game play in these comes pretty naturally if you know how to pack, or have a basic understanding of baseball or tennis. The best part is you can still play them for hours. Totally tubular games, to be sure.

3. Joe and Mac (SNES)/ Contra 3 (SNES) / Jurassic Park 2 (SNES)
Way cool games to get you pumped. A few scenes: break a woolly mammoth apart piece-by-piece with fire and bones (Joe and Mac); kill hordes of bees flying out of a giant turtle's mouth (Contra 3), shoot a raptor in the face while hanging from a power line (Jurassic Park 2).

4. Metal Warriors (SNES)
You can jump out of your giant robot and get into a different one. Some of them can fly. Totally awesome.

5. Mech Warrior 3050 (SNES)/ Steel Battalion (Xbox)
The only way to play Mech Warrior is 2-player co-op. One person controls the legs, the other the turret. Combat is super-clunky so you have to collectively memorize exactly what to do in each level. While I haven't played Steel Battalion, I'm sure it's great. Flight sims always tempt you to build that ultimate setup of rudder pedals, throttle levers, joystick and seat, but I've never been able to justify it. This game forces all the players to invest the money and space for a huge panel of buttons and joysticks as well as three pedals, so the online matches must be pretty groovy. Ultimately we're going to need a control panel that connects to other panels that control different parts of the vehicle, like Rock Band. …I guess you could just join the army.

6. Mondo Medicals (PC)/ Stench Mechanics (PC)
Coolest games I can think of where the player wears a space suit besides Metal Warriors.

7. Star Fox (SNES)/ Star Fox 2 (SNES - never released)
Outrageous colors and crazy abstract low-poly models. Everything is moving pretty fast but it's all choreographed so well and the music blows me away.

8. Pilot Wings (SNES) / Wings 2: Aces High (SNES)
Flying is the ultimate mode of travel in 3-D games, and these two were the funky beginnings that did it best. Pilotwings was all about flying relative to the ground, Wings 2 was relative to your opponent in the air.

9. Over Flanders Fields (PC)
This is the best WWI dog-fighting simulator I've found. The planes are so slow and the graphics are really beautiful. It doesn't need a soundtrack. It's great.

10. Arena Maze of Death (GG)
I pretty much just like this for its name and the fact that you can play it on a Game Gear.

The Generational: Younger Than Jesus runs at the New Museum in NYC through June 14th 2009.

~Ben Zoltowski

Seventh photo by David Waldman
Eigth photo by Danielle
]]> http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2009/05/graphically_speakingvideogame.html http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2009/05/graphically_speakingvideogame.html Tue, 19 May 2009 13:26:40 -0500 In show business, the first impression can sometimes be the last impression. The deciding factor in giving an unknown (or even an experienced actor whose opportunities have been limited) a chance to read for a part is often based on first impressions. In the world of horror films, Kelly Wagner is the one to know. Wagner has come to specialize in casting horror films, including big hits like The Grudge and Hostel, and she agreed to let PsychoPEDIA in on a few inside tips for aspiring actors to consider before they step into her office:

How did you end up specializing in horror film casting?
I was a horror freak growing up. A Nightmare on Elm Street was one of our favorite movies when I was 10, 11, 12. I used to sneak out of bed in the middle of the night and go into the TV room and turn on A Nightmare on Elm Street because I loved Freddy Kreuger. I didn't necessarily seek out horror films but The Grudge was the first and it became such a hit that we kept getting calls for horror films. Then I started to realize I'm getting to cast these films that I loved when I was younger. So that led me to meeting Eli Roth, which led to even more, taking the Hostel route, doing those kinds of films. I did realize when I was doing these horror movies that I loved them and I felt really comfortable with them. I tend to like the supernatural horror movies but I also enjoy the slashers.

What makes you good at casting?
Everyone has a sick fascination with wanting to be in one at one point in their life. When I say everyone, I mean the actors and actresses around town. Horror movies are filled with young ingénues that get killed. It's fun to put those kinds of things together. Actually, rarely when I'm casting a horror movie, when we do auditions we rarely do the screaming. People think, "Oh, I'm going to scream. I can scream for you. I can be in horror movies. Listen to how well I can scream." People always say that to me. "I'm a great screamer. You should put me in one of your horror movies." The fact is, I don't think on any of them did we ever do the horror scenes. It was always the other scenes, the acting scenes. Then we figured if they could act the part, the elements on set and that are put in front of you will naturally make it a horrific situation. So we never scream at auditions.

How does an actor get a foot in your door?
That's very difficult. I'll be honest, through their agents and managers. It's a submission process. So it's usually off of a phone pitch or sometimes off of a look, depending on the role.

What do you look for when they enter the room?
I definitely like to cast based on the essence of someone versus an over-performance. So I'm definitely sensitive to who they are as a person and that plays into my decisions on how far they'll go on the auditions, for me. I am more of a talk to them, get to know them, do the scene kind of person versus them just coming in and doing the scene and leaving. It's important that you have the essence of a character with you innately and that it's not just about a performance.

So you're almost casting the person, not the actor.
Right, I do that a lot.

Give us an insider tip on what you look for in an audition?
It's important that you let the film team lead the room. When people come in and try and lead the room, it becomes uncomfortable for the film team, for the casting director, for the director. It's important that the actor be able to let someone else lead the room because that shows how you're going to be on set. You have to be adjustable because anyone can make a choice. Let's face it, you get sent sides. You look at your sides and you think, "Oh, there's 10 different ways I can take this character." The fact of the matter is that you're probably not going to hear ahead of time which direction, so you have to make a choice, stick with it and carry it out. More importantly, if it happens to be the wrong choice, it's not your fault. Hear the correct way and be able to make the adjustment. That's the most important because I've seen people book parts and then in rehearsals or on set, a filmmaker or director has decided to make a change to the character and the actor isn't able to make that change because they're so stuck in the way they were doing it that they inevitably get fired.

What never to do at the audition?
Stop themselves. You should always go through with your scene. What I can't stand is when people come in and they mess up a line and they break character. "Wait, I messed up that line. Sorry, let's go back again." No, show us that you can continue. Show us that you are the character and you're not here just reading our lines. A person in real life may think, "Oh, when I see so and so, I'm going to say X, Y and Z" but then when they see them and they don't say it, you don't get to go back. You don't get to go, "Oh wait, rewind that sentence." So I want to see that they're quick on their feet. It’s important with any acting, but the biggest mistake you can make and the best way to impress is to be able to come in and go with the character and not worry about the specific lines.

What irritates the casting directors?
You should never stop yourself because a lot of people stop themselves and you're not in the mood to have someone stop themselves 10 times in a row. It's also not necessarily appropriate to ask if you can do it again. Let us decide if you're going to do it again. People get annoyed by that because honestly, a lot of it, when you walk in that door, we know if you're going to work or not visually. So when someone comes in and they ask you can they do it again and again and again, and you're thinking, "I'm not going to be able to use this girl because of X, Y and Z anyway but now I have to sit through her doing it 10 times…" And it's never personal. It's hard to not take it personally because there's a lot of rejection but it's not personal.

How can someone impress you?
Back to what I was just saying, being able to make a choice and then being able to be broken of it. Being malleable to what we're looking for. Being able to do things in a different light and not being stuck in one direction. A lot of people come in with their idea and we let them do their read. Then we say, "Okay, let's have you think about it from this perspective instead." And they're not able to show that change. That's immediately where they're going to get cut. You need to be able to take direction. That's the simplest way of putting it.

~Fred Topel]]> http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2009/05/lights_blood_actionhorror_film.html http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2009/05/lights_blood_actionhorror_film.html Thu, 14 May 2009 13:23:05 -0500 Despite being on our screens for barely a year, Jeff Leach is already earning a reputation for being one of Britain’s hottest new talents. The energetic young presenter who landed his first gig while DJ’ing topless and wearing a Mexican wrestling mask, is the face of BBC’s teenage talk-show "The Surgery". With a slew of exciting new TV and radio projects planned for this year, the young multi-tasker talked us through why he loves being in TV and his ‘brilliant and awful’ life growing up in Harrow:

What’s great about working in TV?
The live shows I’ve done have been my favorite aspect, by far. I love meeting strange and interesting people and catapulting myself at them headlong and finding out how their minds will react.

Anything you hate about working in TV?
People already established in the industry disliking me before they have even met me, just because I’m new, full of beans and eager. A couple of folk have actively made me feel like shit, simply because they feel threatened by me because I am a new face.

What was life like growing up in Harrow?
Brilliant and awful. I developed my love for acting, comedy and music, because of the lovely and interesting group of friends I had there. I smoked a lot of weed and existed in a very tight-knit group, restricted and safely comforted by the life of suburbia. It was a great place to grow, develop and explore who I was and who I wanted to become. However, once I left, I’ve never looked back.

Favorite bar?
When I was about 13 or 14, we used to go to the Filamouth & Firkin Pub, which then became The Junction. I also used to drink at the Trinity Bar. This was the hangout for all the rock, Goth, grunge, hip hop and skater kids, so it housed my expression and changing styles. Harrow thrived with a local scene of great bands like The Rakes and The Natives and skaters like the Death Squad (including the Dirty Sanchez boys), who I actually knocked about with whilst I worked at the Boondox skate shop. There was a general sense of local town warmth with an underlying edge of violence. People got mugged and stabbed, but the local off-licence sorted me out bottles of Red Square from the age of 14.

Favorite restaurant to go to in Harrow and why?
Harrow isn’t particularly famed for its gastronomic delights. However, Harrow on the Hill has a selection of fine eateries. My favorite restaurant is Akash Tandoori in Sudbury Hill. It’s a fine Indian curry house, previously called Saathi. I went there every weekend for about 6 years. I even had a 50% off gold card and always got free drinks.

How would you describe Harrow to someone who’s never been there?
The town center is suburban and developing. Full of the shops you’d expect of a once flourishing middle-class town, but with enough dark alleys to lose a wallet or a mobile phone in. The hill is a fantastic day out, steeped in heritage and historical beauty. And as for my little area of Sudbury Hill -- well, it’s got more chicken shops and crap off-lisences rammed onto its small main street now, than all the family owned friendly shops that used to be there.

If you had 12 hours to show me a good time in Harrow, where would you take me?
Onto Sudbury Hill with your drinks and drugs of choice and something to start a bonfire with.

What’s next for Jeff Leach?
Besides struggling with sobriety and an overwhelming need for fashion, I ‘m currently working on a radio pilot for BBC 6 Music, writing and developing a comedy series for television, filming a number of comedy sketches I’ve written for an upcoming TV pitch and DJ’ing at all of the hottest parties currently on offer.

~Donald Crunk]]> http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2009/05/my_town_harrow_ukjeff_leach_un.html http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2009/05/my_town_harrow_ukjeff_leach_un.html My Towns Tue, 05 May 2009 19:45:31 -0500 Dear PsychoDoc: I’m a guy and one of my closest friends in the whole world happens to be a female. And before you say it, no, I am not gay! We’re just really tight buds because we have lots of stuff in common. We first met when two mutual friends hooked us up to go on a blind date. It was weird because we got on like a house on fire, but it didn’t take long for us to realize that our relationship would never be anything other than Platonic. Now that we’ve been friends for two years, I’ve started to catch feelings for her! When we’re together, she really turns me on. I want to tell her how I feel, but I think she just sees me as a friend now. I don’t want to scare her off, but I’m not sure if I can hold my feelings in any longer. What should I do?
-Tarik, 26, New York-

Dear Overly Friendly and Frustrated: I never thought that guys like you actually existed; I thought you were all an urban myth? Who meets hot chicks with stellar personalities and then makes them a friend? Lame! Nah, but seriously, I have to commend you on nurturing the long-forgotten art of the ‘befriend-then-bang.’ You meet a girl, make it seem like your intentions are 110% friendly, then all of sudden, you sneak up behind her and before she knows it, she’s making you eggs after a night of hot, passionate sex. Are you at all familiar with the art of flirting? You gotta do that to test the waters before you make a move and look like a total asshole.

Make a few sexually suggestive comments and see how she acts. If she flirts back, or does that cute girly thing where she giggles and looks all coy, then she’s a goer. Don’t worry about messing up your friendship. What all women (and men, to be honest) want, is a best friend that they can fuck. I’m 88% certain that the thought has crossed her mind more than a few times over the course of your friendship. Unless you’re a total douche-bag or something. Which you’re not, right?

This plan is totally failsafe, unless you’ve displayed many negative qualities with other women, and let your friend know about it. Because, then she’ll just be like ‘’I’m really attracted to him, but he treats other women like shit. I could never get with him.’’ If that is the case, then perhaps you should keep your feelings to yourself. Although, if you’ve just been a little bit of a douche, then you’re cool. She expects that. And that would actually work in your favor, because then she’ll be like ‘I love him, but he can be a bit of an ass at times. Maybe I can change him if we started dating.’’

You see where I’m going with this? Good Luck!

PsychoDoc is written by Donald Crunk, the founder of the Styleslut creative collective. He is not a medically-trained doctor or shrink, but is a highly-trained professional in life. He can be reached at psychodoc@psychopedia.com.

One of PsychoPEDIA’s favorite lighthearted dating books? Flirting 101: How to Charm Your Way to Love, Friendship and Success, by Michelle Lia Lewis and Andrew Bryant ($13).

And our quick-reference guide to seven women you can never date:
1. Your best friend's sister
2. Your secretary
3. The ex-girlfriend
4. The hot trailer girl
5. Your friend's ex
6. The high-maintenance piranha
7. The stripper
]]> http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2009/05/psychodocim_in_love_with_my_be.html http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2009/05/psychodocim_in_love_with_my_be.html Fri, 01 May 2009 21:08:08 -0500 Make no mistake: Manchester, England's hottest music export of 2009 is the The Whip. The band channels T. Rex, New Order and Primal Scream into an electro-glam rock and pop frenzy resulting in a uniquely modern sound. With the release of their full-length debut X Marks Destination (Razor and Tie), the Whip is finally making the big trans-Atlantic jump.

We caught up with the Whip on their North American tour, and asked them to shed light on the United Kingdom's 'Second City.' Needless to say, with a population of 2.5 million that includes well-known institutes of higher learning, countless museums and the BBC Philharmonic, there was more to the city than our pub knowledge of football and Oasis:

What's the best way to get around Manchester?
There are loads of buses, we still get old-school double-decker buses in some parts. The tough dudes sit at the back upstairs. The center itself is pretty tight and the places I would want to be are pretty close together. There is a tram in the city that’s easy to hop on or off. I say use your trotters and get fit.

Good neighborhood to hang out in?
Chorlton is a pretty cool suburb about a five-minute bus ride from the center of town. There are loads of bohemian arty types in this area. Lots of bars and all-night house parties. Fee and Nath live here and rarely sleep. There is a really nice tapas place just in the city center off Deansgate called El Rincon. It’s really genuine Spanish tucker and the fish is great (surely not from the Manchester ship canal). The lady in there is a tough cookie but I like the abuse when I’m eating good Spanish food. And there are a lot of cool bars around the northern quarter. For years there were just a couple of cool bars that would play cool music around that area. All of a sudden there are 10 or so bars. Trof is my favorite in the area -- it’s got a really relaxed feel. It’s dimly lit and chilled out with some big fat couches and they usually have some nice music playing. Good olives too.

Seems like there are loads of museums and parks in the city. Any particular recommendations?
Yeah, the latest museum that was built is Urbis. It’s a modern building close to the site of the IRA bomb which graced our city in ‘96. They changed the whole area and it looks pretty nice. Skater kids hang out there and get drunk but it’s a nice little garden. They put a stage up there and we played a show last summer. It was a fun night.

Fave music stores?
In the Northern quarter area, again, the best two shops are opposite each other. Vinyl Exchange sells secondhand and promo CDs and vinyl. I used to have scabs on my fingers from flicking through music in the racks there. They really cram the stock in. Picadilly Records is the other shop. It’s over the road and sells more new stuff but they put little write-ups on each record. There is a lot of love and attention that goes in to some of their finds. They got right behind the Whip early on and gave us ‘single of the month’ in their hallowed window. Cheers.

Best places to catch a gig for an up-and-coming band?
On Oldham Street is the Night and Day Cafe. If a band had to graft from the start it’s likely that they came through the doors here. I saw the Rapture there years ago, which was pretty memorable. Actually I think I’ve played the drums, the bass guitar and synth in there with various bands. The other place a couple of streets over is the Roadhouse. It’s a cellar venue, I put my guitar through the low roof once. It was an accident, they had rubbish polystyrene tiles up there.

Favorite place to play a show?
There are four academy venues up by the university buildings on Oxford Road. We just played a sold-out gig there. It was a great night for us at the end of a crazy Euro disco party of a tour. Last summer we played at the Castlefield Arena as part of a big free festival in town. That was a great gig and a lot of Manchester saw us there (10,000 – 15,000) -- it’s a natural-bowl type setting and everyone was right behind us. It’s cheating on home turf though.

Good place for brunch?
Trof does a mean brunch, or the Cornerhouse Cinema-- they do a post beans on toast.

Cool restaurant options for vegetarians?
There is a nice place in Didsbury called Greens. The guy who owns it is one of those TV chefs in the UK. Nice tucker though. They do fake black pudding and fake duck but in a meaty kind of way.

Best restaurant when someone else is picking up the tab?
The Malmaison does Russian with a certain economic sting to the taste. It’s good for drinks before we play the warehouse project. The warehouse project is amazing. It’s a club set under the railway station and it a car park during the week. It used to be a railway shed and has great brick structures inside. There have been many messy Whip nights in there. Love it so much.

Is football a huge part of life (or is that just because the Manchester United fans we meet have convinced us of this)?
Football is huge for me. I actually follow a second division team called Wolverhampton Wanderers, if you cut me a bleed ‘old gold’ (my team’s strip color). We used to have a relative who played for them so my dad always took me there. I love following both City and United though. United are such a good team at the moment. I saw the wolves there a few years ago which was amazing. You get some fierce rivalry that can get pretty ugly. You guys seem to have a more polite and sensible rivalry with sports, but football can get crazy over here.

What is the one thing a person absolutely has to experience when they visit?
Meat pie, chips and gravy from a proper chippy, or some decent old-fashioned food from Sam's Chop House. A nice steak and kidney pie.

Can you tell us a secret/little-known fact about the city?
I think I just gave them all away.

Could you give a few pointers regarding slang?
We constantly make fun of these in a ‘mank’ accent:
No way mate. = I can’t believe it. (people say mate all the time, all the time, you’d think you had a thousand friends)
Proper sound = really nice person
Do one = get out of here
Minger = ugly girl
A made ya = you are my son/daughter

~Abbey Braden]]> http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2009/04/my_town_manchester_ukthe_whips.html http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2009/04/my_town_manchester_ukthe_whips.html My Towns Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:15:36 -0500 Emily Thomas knows how to color hair. After all, she has been one of Cutler Salon’s most sought-after colorists for over 10 years. But although her clientele, like celebrity chef Rachael Ray and socialite Nicky Hilton, pay top dollar for her services in either of Cutler’s Miami or New York City locations, Thomas still knows how to save a few dollars with hair care during these challenging economic times.

Thomas lent some frugal expertise to psychoPEDIA on some basic upkeep tips. She shared a vast amount of suggestions, from simply asking one’s stylist questions, to inexpensive drugstore-product buys, and how to maintain luscious locks on a tight budget.

Who are some of Cutler’s top clients that you think have great hair?
Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber come often to our Soho location and Bjork came in recently. Rodney did Fergie’s hair for the Grammys – her look was all over the Internet.

When did you move down to Miami to open Cutler’s new location?
I moved in April 2008. So, it’s almost been a whole year I’ve been living down there and traveling back and forth to accommodate my clients who are based in New York City.

For the ladies out there who aren’t fashion models or celebrities and don’t have a big budget, what would be the first thing you’d suggest to lower their hair-care costs?
There’s a multitude of salons right now that are offering hair-care classes. You’d be surprised how many of them help their clients learn quick tips of the trade. For example, many ladies spend hundreds of dollars each month on blowouts – twice a week is the usual maintenance routine. To save money, salons are offering classes on how to do the blowout yourself. So rather than go to the salon twice a week, you could go only once a week or every other week, once you figure out how to do it yourself.

As far as color goes, what would you suggest to keep costs down?
For starters, a hot trend right now is that grown-out root, beachy look. Take a look at Cameron Diaz’s current hair style or even Gisele’s look – both of them have their roots grown out. It’s more of a natural vibe that’s really trending in all the fashion magazines and editorial spreads. So, in a nutshell, keeping up with a fashion trend could save you money!

How about for the girls who are hiding grey hair and can’t face a seeing an inch or let alone a half-inch grow out?
Clairol makes an incredible product called Root Touch-Up. It’s really easy to use at home and most importantly really inexpensive to purchase. I think it’s around $8 or $9 tops? If you have tons of grey hair or just a little bit of grey hair, this is a great product to use in-between salon trips. So, if you normally see your colorist every two months, you could stretch it to three or four months with this product.

What are some other inexpensive drugstore finds you’d suggest?
I always recommend L’Oreal Color Vive shampoo to clients who don’t want to spend salon prices. Redken shampoos and conditioners are great too. It’s usually around $11 to $13 per item. Another great drugstore find is Johnson’s Baby Shampoo. It’s really mild – that’s the main thing to watch out for with shampoos for those with color-treated hair. Shampoo is essentially a detergent, which is really harsh against the scalp and of course the hair itself. Johnson’s is really soft and of course really cheap too! And color conditioners from a variety of lines at the drugstore are a great way to keep color looking shiny as well.

What are some other quick tips?
I know it sounds really simple, but just ask your colorist or stylist what to do. You’d be surprised at how helpful they’ll be when you say, “I need to save money on my hair. Can you help me?” Bottom line: colorist and stylists want to keep their clients. I want to keep my clients I’ve had for two, three, five and ten years, even if I don’t see them as often as in the past. I always pay close attention to my clients’ needs. It’s my relationship with them that’s most important, and making them happy.

On a fun ending note, who would be a dream client who you’d switch from a blond to a brunette?
Without a doubt….Kate Hudson.

~Jessica McMenamin]]> http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2009/04/hues_of_cheap_chicbeating_rece.html http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2009/04/hues_of_cheap_chicbeating_rece.html Thu, 23 Apr 2009 03:00:00 -0500 Not since the days of Ron Popeil selling sprayed-on hair have consumers been as transfixed by an infomercial product as they seem to be with All Star Products’ Snuggie. The Hawthorne, NY-based company—which has also developed and marketed hot-sellers like Strap Perfect, the “Ultimate Bra Strap Solution” (didn’t we solve that problem in the ’60s?)—hit pay dirt with a glorified monk’s robe-meets-straight-jacket that purports to ban couch-potato chills and remote-fumbling spills. And they have been outrageously successful–- to date, over 4 million Snuggies have been sold.

The Snuggie’s incessant, 60-second spots are rooted in classic direct-advertising technique (corny dramatizations, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink, “act-now!” package discounts), while taking on a post-modern catchiness in an era when everyone’s an expert in virtually simulating ironically authentic fervor around cultural shrapnel.

So who better to evaluate the Snuggie’s practical value and larger stronghold on late-night-purchasing consciousness than Sam Reich, Director of Original Content at CollegeHumor and Executive Producer/Director of MTV’s The CollegeHumor Show?

We had Sam hunker down for a few days with the literal security blanket. In his words:

Is it secretly comfortable and amazing to wear the Snuggie privately in your own home? And what ultimately distinguishes it from a standard blanket or sheet?
I hate to be the bearer of bad robes, but the Snuggie isn’t exactly comfortable. It feels like a limp hug, the kind you get from a pretty-but-frigid girl. Frigid is a good word, too. I’d say it raised my temperature a total of one degree. And it’s clingy. Clingy like a holiday sweater. A holiday sweater that trips up your feet.

What activities would you recommend and not suggest while wearing the Snuggie?
Recommended activity: staying completely still. Without any fastener in the back, the Snuggie is like a hospital gown without back-ties. And if there’s one thing more embarrassing than wearing a Snuggie, it’s losing your Snuggie. Not recommended activity: ping-pong. It wasn’t long before the Snuggie was hanging off me like a barber’s apron. It did, however, make a soft padding for the many balls I missed that hit my chest.

Can you picture couples having Snuggie sex in some weird new fetish movement?
When I put on the Snuggie, no one wanted anything to do with me. First, there’s what it does to you physically. It’s the opposite of a bodice. It makes you look like a melting wicked witch. Second, there’s the static electricity. Whenever I touched anyone, I would give them a shock. And not just a little shock, but a visible blue shock, a miniature Street Fighter Hadouken. If people wanted to have sex in this, they would probably also be into nipple clamps.

Does it make you feel at all monk-like when you’re wearing it?
I did look pretty wise. Except I wasn’t wise, since I theoretically just spent $20 on a mail-order bathrobe.

Imagine how heads would have exploded had Vince Offer of ShamWow fame been the promotional face of Snuggie.
There’s probably a combo product to be made. A Snuggie/ShamWow hybrid that soaks up your feces. The ShamWow is absolutely comparable to the Snuggie. These commercials seem to say, “Sure, it’s a sponge, but it’s the best sponge.” The Snuggie is the best blanket. These products aren’t innovative, but they’re the latest and greatest version of something you already have. We need the best of everything. That’s why there’s Godiva chocolate and $50,000 wine and Windows 7.

At the end of the day, Snuggie seems to be the apotheosis of viral culture, impulse-buy habits and pure American laziness. Would you agree?
The Snuggie is a great example of viral marketing. Come up with a product that’s silly and cheap enough to buy on a lark. The Magic Bullet Blender and Hula Chair are just as silly—as if anyone actually makes that much guacamole or expects to wiggle their way to fitness—but they’re big investments by comparison. The Snuggie is marketed in such a way that it’s almost a joke. You can’t tell me the makers actually expect people to wear them to sports games. Imagine how embarrassed that kid would be. “We’re rooting for you, son!” “Jesus, Dad, take off the sleeved duvet.” But in the process of the video being passed around, they’ve found a group of suckers. Waifs who probably weigh less than 100 pounds and wear blankets around the house already. And who knows? These people just might have found their Messiah. At closer to 200 pounds, I’m sticking with holiday sweaters.

- Kenny Herzog


For more Snuggie style, check out SnuggieSightings.com.]]> http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2009/04/blanket_statementscollege_humo.html http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2009/04/blanket_statementscollege_humo.html Mon, 20 Apr 2009 03:00:00 -0500