Hottie Body Hump Club

Oscar Fashion... My Favorites...

I had two favorites last night:

Cate Blanchette in Givenchy

Mila Kunis in Elie Saab

Others that I loved:

Sandra Bullock in Vera Wang

Amy Adams in L'Wren Scott

Gwyneth Paltrow in Calvin Klein

Jennifer Lawrence in Calvin Klein

Anne Hathaway in Givenchy

Penelope Cruz- had to include her since she just gave birth! She is wearing L'Wren Scott

Michelle Williams in Chanel

Camila Alves in Kaufman Franco

Natalie Portman in Rodarte

National Geographic's Killer Wave

My longest post yet…SORRY! But it may entertain you if you have the time.

Most of you know that I love movies, but what some of you may not know is that I LOVE LOVE LOVE watching anything instantly from Netflix through my Wii. Seriously my instant queue is made up of random movies and documentaries that I would probably be embarrassed for most people to see. So while I could spend every night watching some ridiculously random movie I have come across on the watch instantly section of netflix, I try to throw a documentary on every once in a while. (haha who am I kidding?! I watch a documentary probably 1 out of 3 times) I'm pretty sure I know a lot more than the average person about the FBI, the Secret Service, the White House, Air Force One, etc. because for a while I had this dream (obviously in kateland) of being in the secret service...it all started with that movie The Sum of All Fears. Seriously I wanted to be the person driving the black Tahoe recklessly to ensure the President escaped. Fortunately I have a very rational and wise dad who told me that along with other reasons, my lack of athletic ability would greatly hinder this dream and I let it go. But I still thrive on any insider information and the rush of adrenaline that comes with it...but I have majorly digressed.

 Back to tsunamis...So the other night I thought as I was flipping through my Netflix I should really watch this tsunami documentary. It was only after I had started it that I realized my horrible mistake because I would obviously have nightmares for days to come. After a little research here is some basic information I have found. According to Merriam-Webster a tsunami is “a great sea wave produced especially by submarine earth movement or volcanic eruption.” Basically tsunamis happen when there is an earthquake in the ocean or a volcanic activity, there have been a few occurrences when tsunamis have happened because meteor activity.  Tsunami comes from the Japanese word meaning “harbor waves.”  Many people say that a tsunami sounds like a freight train. Tsunamis can’t be felt aboard ships nor can they be seen from the air in the open ocean. In deep water tsunami waves may reach speeds exceeding 500 miles per hour. Tsunamis also usually have extremely strong currents. The Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 is believed to have killed more than 150,000 people, making it one of the most destructive tsunamis in history. Tsunamis are the most prevalent in the Pacific Ocean, around the Ring of Fire. Some tsunamis have been known to surge vertically as high as 100 feet, but most cause the sea to rise anywhere from 10-20 feet.

Here’s what I took away from the actual documentary:

1)      There have been a lot of tsunamis (meaning a few) in Killo, Hawaii. This made me happy because I live on the East Coast, but sad because Hawaii is my favorite place ever. Now I’m very concerned about possible tsunamis.

2)      Volkswagens (at least the old ones) can float. So if I’m ever in Hawaii again, or really the west coast, I will do my best to rent an old Volkswagen in case of a tsunami. There was this guy from Crescent City, California on the documentary talking about being in his Volkswagen with his wife and that it floated. (Don’t worry I found this to be true on Wikipedia….haha jk but I did verify this.)

3)      There is a city in Japan that has a wall all the way around it in case of tsunamis…they close the openings to the beach in case of a tsunami warning. They have four minutes to get them all closed.

4)      Scientists believe there is a 1 in 10 chance of a major tsunami striking the Pacific West Coast in the next 50 years. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?!?! (besides the fact that I will not be moving to California anytime soon.)

5)      If you feel the earth shake while you are on or near a beach/ocean you should immediately go to higher land…like leave everything and start running. Also if the waves and the ocean start receding like a hairline, don’t just stand there marveling at the ocean floor, you need to get out of there pronto.

6)      Lastly I learned about Canon Beach, Oregon. First of all they do a tsunami test often because they are at risk. However, they don’t want to scare tourists or anyone for that matter, so instead of a shrill alarm they have a moo’ing sound (as in a cow) which people sit around and laugh at and dogs appear to go crazy.  Also Canon Beach Elementary is in a dangerous area so basically if a tsunami hits they will be in harm’s way.  However, the students at this school have regular tsunami drills, like we had tornado and fire drills. I was a bit confused during this part because they are talking about these drills and then all the kids suddenly get under the desks. I’m no expert but it seems to me that hiding under a desk isn’t going to do much when your building is destroyed by a tsunami. I think I maybe missed something about them practicing for tornadoes?!  Anyway this is where I got really confused…they then got out from under the desks and went and lined up outside.  Clearly I missed some key information because not only do I not understand why being under the desks was necessary at all, I’m also confused why lining up outside is going to help when a giant wave is heading towards you. FINALLY things started to make sense…they were getting organized in lines so they could start their march up to higher ground. They use the buddy system and cheer each other on as they go, which is all uplifting but you would think that they would be moving a little faster if an actual tsunami was on its way. I mean hello did they not hear that tsunamis in the open ocean can travel up to 500 miles per hour?!?! Luckily during this particular test they got to higher ground in 13 minutes, but they only have like 15 minutes or something to get there. Anyway there are plans to relocate the school. However this documentary was made in 2004 and it is 2011 and the school is still in the same place. I don’t know about you but I personally would think that this would be at the top of the to-do list…especially since they believe a tsunami could strike at any time. Sorry about this tangent but this seemed to be the most ridiculous part of the documentary to me…just move the school, these are your children!!!!

Anyway below are some pictures of tsunamis or what they would look like. Please note that it was very uncomfortable for me to look at these pictures because I’m now terrified of giant waves. Also here is a quiz you can take to see if you learned anything: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/02/100227/tsunami-quiz/.

This is because I literally was freaking out about all of the other pics...you get the idea.

I’m also EXTREMELY scared of icebergs. (this started in oceanography with Rebecca Jane and Sarah and our book had this full page picture of an iceberg, similar picture shown below, and it said that like 10 percent of icebergs are above water and 90 percent are below---that is TERRIFYING!!!!!!!!! Thank God I wasn’t on the Titanic!)

I'm not lying...I had my eyes covered when I googled icebergs. These seriously give me chills.

In conclusion, FINALLY, I decided to watch the movie 2012 yesterday. I knew this was a bad idea because I’m already stressed about all the theories surrounding the year 2012. But I thought to myself what better do I have to do? Well let me tell you I can think of about 1 million things that would have been a better use of my time. All this movie consisted of was the world being completely destroyed by earthquakes, fires, and flooding (basically tsunamis). Then to make matters worse, I also woke up at 4am this morning and looked at my emails on my phone and had one from the Wall Street Journal about a New Zealand earthquake that killed at least 65 people. Well let me just say that I will be making an appointment to get Xanax ASAP.  

Happy Birthday Tess!!

Everybody make sure to wish Telfair a Happy 25th Birthday!!

The Romantics

While I was perusing through the Redbox the other night at Harris Teeter I came across The Romantics. I had completely forgotten about this movie and thought I should definitely give it a try. It's about a group of college friends who come together for Lila (Anna Paquin) and Tom's (Josh Duhamel) wedding. They have been dubbed the Romantics because at some point or another they have all dated or slept together. Each character has his/her own agenda but the main story focuses around Laura (Katie Holmes) and the fact that she and Tom dated for 4 or 5 years. She is still in love with him and throughout the movie you are wondering where this will lead to. The rest of the cast includes Malin Akerman, Jeremy Strong, Candice Bergen, Adam Brody (love seth cohen), Elijah Wood, Dianna Argon and Rebecca Lawrence.

The above picture is from a photo shoot the cast did for J.Crew

The movie didn't get great reviews. However, I loved it. I don't know if I was in the mood for this type of movie, a little Indie and a little artsy, but I loved it. I thought the cast was awesome and I loved the music. It has been compared to St. Elmo's Fire and The Big Chill, both of which I also love. It's a little depressing to some (Frank specifically...) but I thought it was passionate and great. For those of you who know me well, you know I love a good love story (even if it is far-fetched) and I'm a sucker for passion. So I don't know if my friends will like it or not, I could see Caroline, Jane Andrews and Molly really enjoying it or really hating it, but I recommend it to my girl friends, if for nothing else then the scenery and music.

Some songs from the movie:

1) Betray by Son Lux

2) Girls Aren't Supposed to by Lorene Scafaria

3) We Can't be Friends by Lorene Scafaria

4) Brutal Hearts by Bedouin Soundclash (My favorite!!)

5) Preparedness by The Bird and The Bee

6) This Will Be Our Year by The Zombies (also love this song!!)

The Romantics Movie Trailer Official (HD)

Valentine's Day Dinner

Here are 2 good recipes for you. Both are fairly easy but somewhat time consuming! (please keep in mind that I was letting myself indulge for Valentine's Day...these are not diet friendly!!)

 Crescent Chicken Squares

1 (3-oz) cream cheese, softened (I probably use more like 5-oz...I didn't say it was healthy!!)
3 tbsp. margarine, melted
2 cups chicken breast, cooked and cubed
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. milk
1 tbsp. onion, chopped (once again I used a little more bc I think it adds flavor)
1 (8-oz.) can refrigerated crescent dinner rolls (I recommend buying 2 just in case you mess up! I always do!)
1 tbsp. margarine
3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg, slightly beaten

Start by preheating your oven to 350*.

Blend softened cream cheese and 3 tbsp. of melted margarine until smooth. I do this in my Kitchen Aid stand mixer, but you could probably just stir well.

Then you will add the cooked chicken, salt, pepper, milk and onion to the cream cheese mixture.

Next you will separate the rolls into 4 rectangles and seal the perforations. Spoon a little bit (maybe 1/4-1/2 cup) of the chicken mixture on the middle of each rectangle.

You will then pull the corners of the dough to the center to seal.

I didn't do the next step how I usually do so I will just have to tell you without pictures. In a bowl mix your slightly beaten egg and 1 tbsp. margarine melted. In another bowl place the bread crumbs. Take each ball of goodness and dip first into the egg mixture, and then lightly into the bread crumbs. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 20-25 minutes.

I served it with sauteed mushrooms and a spinach salad. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture before I started eating which is why my plate looks so messy!!

Terrific Texas Sheet Cake (One of my dad's favorites growing up!)

So I have a few disclaimers about this recipe...it is supposed to be cooked in a very large pan, cookie sheet so it will be thin. I don't have one so my baking time always varies. Also, the icing goes on while it's still hot which can look messy. I shared this one with my roommates, and Cassie and Cam which explains the missing pieces.

Cake:
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup margarine
1/4 cup cocoa
1 cup cold water
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda

Icing:
1/2 cup margarine
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp buttermilk
1/4 cup cocoa
1 (16-oz) package powdered sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300*.

First you will combine 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups of flour in a large bowl.

Then you will mix margarine, cocoa, water and vanilla in a saucepan. Bring to a boil.

Then you will pour this mixture over the dry ingredients (flour and sugar).

Add eggs, buttermilk and baking soda. Stir together. Then pour batter into greased and floured 15x2x12-inch or 18x12x2-inch baking pan. (the cake is supposed to be cooked in a jellyroll pan which looks like a cookie sheet with 2-inch sides...it's supposed to be very thin.) Bake at 300* for 30 minutes. If you use a different size pan (a smaller one) then you will notice that it may not be done after 30 minutes, cook until the cake is set.

Meanwhile...you will begin preparing the Fudge Frosting.

Combine margarine, buttermilk and cocoa in a saucepan. Bring to a boil.

Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. I don't ever use the whole bag of powdered sugar, probably about 3/4's of the bag. Taste the icing as you go along to make sure it's not getting too sweet. Stir all of this together.

Once the cake is ready take it out of the oven and let it set for about 5 minutes. While cake is still warm pour icing over the cake. It will eventually harden...if it doesn't no worries it will be a gooey, yummy mess! Obviously I got a little distracted and forgot to take a picture before I gave some to Cassie. But I did my best...

Cassie was a lot smarter than I was and stuck to a simple heart.

Please note that although the fudge icing goes on while the cake is warm, it is best to let the cake cool before adding decorative icing... OOPS!

By the time I ate it, all the white icing had smeared together. But it was still delicious!!

IBM's Watson

Last night I spent a romantic evening watching Gossip Girl, 90210 and Jeopardy. Somehow in the past year I have missed any news regarding IBM's supercomputer Watson. So obviously I was a bit surprised when I saw Watson playing against two human contestants. Of course it wasn't actually Watson, instead it was an avatar. The real Watson is housed in a refrigerated room.

 I've done a little research this morning just to get a little background on Watson, if this seems inaccurate it could be because a lot of this research involved computer related terms that mean nothing to me. Here is what I have taken from my research. Watson is a supercomputer built by IBM. Watson was named after IBM's founder Thomas Watson and was developed as part of the DeepQA Research Project. For Watson to be able to play on Jeopardy it took 7 years of research and planning, and multiple practice rounds. Watson had to be programmed to understand the natural language process so it could compete against other contestants. Watson is not connected to the internet and goes off information that has been stored in its system. It uses clues from the questions to find the answer. An ensemble of algorithms help to gather and score evidence. Watson is programmed not to buzz in until it reaches a confidence level of at least 50 percent. On the avatar if Watson is feeling confident about its answer, there will be green lines swirling. Watson can learn things as he goes along, which allows him to basically get smarter the more he plays the game.

Watson competes against former Jeopardy contestants Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter, who are basically the best of the best. Last night Watson tied Brad Rutter for first place. Watson will be playing again tonight and then tomorrow night as well. I really recommend that you watch this because it's fascinating!!! It's just crazy how far technology keeps advancing! Here's a website where you can learn all about Watson: http://www-03.ibm.com/innovation/us/watson/.

Below is a video of some of Watson's practice rounds.

Watson Sparring Matches: Pop Culture Performance

Movies with a great love story...

These are not in any order!

1. The Notebook

2. Casablanca

3. Pride & Prejudice

4. Pretty Woman

5. Sweet Home Alabama

6. Country Strong

7. P.S. I Love You

8. Titantic

9. Love Story

10. Love Actually

11. The Holiday

12. Dirty Dancing

13. You've Got Mail (for Katie and Molly)

14. Gone with the Wind

15. Dangerous Beauty

16. Sleepless in Seattle

17. Father of the Bride

18. An Affair to Remember

19. Beauty and the Beast

20. An Officer and a Gentleman

Probably my favorite quote from a movie is from The Notebook:

Allie: You arrogant son of a bitch.

Noah: Would you just stay with me?

Allie: Stay with you? What for? Look at us, we're already fightin'
Noah: Well that's what we do, we fight... You tell me when I am being an arrogant son of a bitch and I tell you when you are a pain in the ass. Which you are, 99% of the time. I'm not afraid to hurt your feelings. You have like a 2 second rebound rate, then you're back doing the next pain-in-the-ass thing.
Allie: So what?
Noah: So it's not gonna be easy. It's gonna be really hard. We're gonna have to work at this every day, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, for ever, you and me, every day. Will you do something for me, please? Just picture your life for me? 30 years from now, 40 years from now? What's it look like? If it's with him, go. Go! I lost you once, I think I can do it again. If I thought that's what you really wanted. But don't you take the easy way out.

Oh the passion!!!! XOXO

Happy Valentines Day!

A Valentine's Day Wish List....

3.1 Phillip Lim Dress

Alice + Olivia Dress

Roland Mouret Dress

Tiffany's Necklace

Tiffany's Ring

Heart-shaped Peep-toe shoe by Alexander McQueen

These shoes make me want to go dancing...maybe because they remind me of Dirty Dancing

National Geographic's Love book

Happy Valentine's Day! XOXO

Chicken Tamale Casserole..

So after the Super Bowl, and really this past weekend in general, I'm really trying to eat a little healthier. Countdown to Vegas has officially begun and I need to be looking my best... Anyway the one main problem with this is that I love pretty much anything that is Italian or Mexican. I would seriously just switch off the two every night if I had absolutely no self-control. So last night (even though I was still full from the weekend...the grossest feeling in the world!!!) I was craving Mexican. Well I decided to go on Cooking Light's website and find some inspiration. Here is what I found:  http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001854020.

I hope that shows up because I'm too lazy to type out the recipe right now. Anyway basically you take a box of Jiffy cornbread, 1 egg (I already had eggs so didn't use the substitute), 1/4 cup of Mexican shredded cheese, 1/3 cup fat-free milk, 1 tsp of ground cumin, 1/8 tsp of ground red pepper, 1 can of cream style corn, and 1 can (4-oz) of chopped green chilies (drained) and you mix all of these together. I added some chopped sweet onions as well.

Then you spread this out into a 9x13 pyrex dish that has been sprayed with PAM. You bake this at 400*  for about 15 minutes, or until cornbread is set.

So this is what it looks like after it comes out of the oven the first time around. I probably should have let my cornbread cook a little more but oh well! So now you pierce the cornbread all over with a fork. Then you pour a can of red enchilada sauce over the cornbread. You then top with 2 cups of shredded chicken. (I used a rotisserie chicken and used 2 1/2 cups of chicken...I would recommend using more chicken)

Then on top of the chicken, you sprinkle another 3/4 cup of Mexican blend cheese.

After this is done you put it back in the oven for another 15 minutes. I added another 5 minutes just to let the cornbread set a little more...I would recommend doing this before adding the enchilada sauce, etc. Here is what the finished version looked like...

Then you cut into squares and serve with a tablespoon of light-sour cream on top and a side salad!

It turns out a little messy and it's not so pretty but it is delicious!! I would definitely recommend trying for all you Mexican lovers out there!! I'm getting ready to eat some leftovers for lunch...YUM!