Verena Says

I might have artfully placed his lamb stuffie, but this is — no joke — what’s going on in my bed right now.

Also: Snoring.

fatmanatee:

ariah:

The greatest story ever sold is a fantasy covered in blood.

via

As my brother has already spent his 2-3 months on an engagement ring, this has been on my mind lately.  It feels uncomfortable for me to even bring up, as the issue of an engagement ring is something that affects a girl more directly.  Diamonds are currently the standard, and although there is a quiet movement to tweak that (most notably in the spoof De Beers ad in the fake NYT paper), it hasn’t really gotten a discussion going.  What say you, friends?

Note: this is a really ballsy poster.  I don’t feel comfortable condemning anyone who owns diamonds of any sort.  The debate isn’t there yet, like it is for gas guzzlers or fur coats.  And even at that point, I wouldn’t automatically condemn people for lifestyle choices.  I hope this makes sense.

I’d like to throw my voice into this mix. As someone who worked in the jewelry biz for over 4 years, it’s a topic close to my heart. And what I wanted to point out is those “Conflict-Free Diamond” certificates that Russell Simmons was promoting for de Beers and that everyone thinks make everything better are a load. of. bull.

Namely, unless you’re in the big diamond business - i.e. buying a stone 3cts or larger, “Conflict-Free” means nothing. The smaller stones are so numerous that while the certificate says “Sri Lankan” or some shit, they are literally impossible to track. Your stone probably went from Congo, to Sudan, to Pakistan, to Belgium, to London and back again before ending up as a “Sri Lankan” stone.

The big ones are a little harder to cycle around, but that said: the bigger they are, the more money there is in covering the tracks. So really, it’s a lose / lose situation.

Point is: buyer beware. Know what you’re “buying” into. Your actions have repercussions.

UPDATE: What do you know? If I’d clicked on the link, I’d see that my tirade was neatly summarized there. For your reference:

“Asking for conflict-free certificates is not enough. In April 2006 after a scathing report by Partnership Africa Canada about activities in Brazil, an internal review showed that 49 of 147 Kimberley Process certificates were fraudulent. Besides these fraudulent certificates, real certificates could still be issued if conflict diamonds were smuggled and mixed with legally traded ones before being certified.”

This is also worth noting. Because it’s true:

All gems are valued based on their rarity (as are most things in life). But diamonds are abundant. De Beers has a huge vault where they keep most of the world’s supply of diamonds. If it ever got released into the market, the way it would be if they weren’t a monopoly, diamonds would be worth nothing. It’s literally a pretty rock.

Alright, so listen up. My besty Sydney is a really awesome and talented artist. (See Above.) And she’s currently competing in some Saatchi Gallery Artist Showdown thing that sounds really competitive and important for her to win. If you like it (which I know you do), it’s really important to me, to her, and to Dumbo that you go, right now, to her page and vote for her.

Got it?

Also: don’t vote for anyone else. Obviously.

(PS. There is a very awesome instructional voting graphic (that I made) on my actual Tumblr, but its not showing up in the dashboard. So if you’re at all confused, look at the real, live post. Not just it’s dashboard shadow.)

Golden Globes Worst Dressed: WTF Was Up With The Hair?

“Now, best dressed is fun and all, but it’s time to get down to business. Who looked bad, who looked worse, and who looked positively fugly, comin’ right up!”

Golden Globes Best Dressed: How J-Lo’s Ass Finally Won Us Over

“We all know that the only reason people watch awards shows is for the red carpet, so we’re not going to waste anyone’s time by pretending otherwise. (Why else would E! have a three-hour red carpet pre-show?) Click through for Brangelina, Sue Sarandon’s rack, J-Lo’s ass, and much, much more…”

hydeordie:

So I did pretty OK on Molly’s surprise/blindfold present right?

via molls

Fucking rad.

Everyday Surprises

So. I get up, I drag the dog out of bed, blow my nose, and head to the closet. I take off the bathrobe I had put on earlier (it was cold and the robe was cozy), drop it on the floor and I peruse the closet. Jeans? Leggings? Approximately how sick (jeans) and / or chubby (leggings) do I feel today? I wonder how cold it is outside, if it might rain, and when? I go back to the bed, sit down and open up weather.com, which tells me we’re in for a 27-32 degree day, with a light wintry mix expected this evening. Jeans it is. Satisfied, I walk back to the closet.

I bless the rains down in africa!!!!!!!!!