Well the weather outside is frightful ...

.... but isn't this cloud-shaped umbrella delightful?

It inflates when you pump the handle!

Stream today, purchase tomorrow

Finally! The Where the Wild Things Are soundtrack is here in all it's aural glory (comes out tomorrow via DGC/Interscope). Warning: Karen O. may bring you to tears the way she does best. Ugh, I really cannot wait for this movie.

Courtesy of IMEEM:

Where the Wild Things Are Soundtrack

Don't mess with this mug

These brass-knuckled mugs keep your java safe from those who wish to steal a sip.

And here, more creative coffee cups.

Presidential smiles

It appears Mr. Obama is happy all the time, or at least was consistently smiley-faced at the MoMa reception on Wednesday. Check out that glorious grin:

Barack Obama's amazingly consistent smile from Eric Spiegelman on Vimeo.

This guy is good people

Landlord Ed Pierce works 8hrs/day in a Walgreens photo department to support a family ... but it is not his own. The parents of two families in his building have lost their jobs, and rather than send them out into the street, Mr. Pierce has taken on additional employment to help out his tenants. More here.

Double, double, toil and trouble

My favorite holiday is fast-approaching, and here to ring in the festivities is Tim Burton's Halloween-inspired fashion shoot for Bazaar. Also coming up is the crazycreepycool artist/director's retrospective at the MoMa, which is sure to be a weirdly wonderful treat for the eyes.

The tides are turning

My two-month unemployment (or partial employment) streak is officially over, as I got that magical "you're hired" call yesterday afternoon! First real-live job: foreign rights assistant (or, as my brother put it, "international pusher of words") at a legit, old-timey literary agency whose backlist boasts such greats as F. Scott Fitzgerald, J.D. Salinger and Agatha Christie. The office has typewriters, Filofaxes, and piles and piles of beautiful hardcovers that give off that incredible musty book smell.

So, goodbye to part-time telemarketing, blogging and freelance bumming around, hello working world.

Peace and pumpkin

Apologies for my absence the past two days - I took some time to reflect on how I want to spend this next new year (5770 in the Jewish calendar), and decided it's time to be more go-with-the-flow rather than go-go-go. In light of that mental move, last night I tried a new recipe (I find cooking to be the most relaxing activity), from Momofuku chef David Chang. It's fall-appropriate, involves Sriracha, and ... well, what else do you need to know?

Spicy Roasted- Pumpkin Soup With Whipped Tofu
1 medium- size sweet pumpkin, about 4 pounds
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons grape seed oil
4 – 5 cups chicken stock
2 – 4 tablespoons Sriracha hot sauce, to taste
2– 4 tablespoons honey, to taste
1/2 teaspoon Japanese seven-spice blend (shichimi togarashi)
8 ounces soft or silken tofu
1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Garnish: 1 bunch scallions, green and white parts finely chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and pulp, reserving the seeds. Season the pumpkin with salt and pepper, and drizzle each half with 1 tablespoon grape seed oil. Place the pumpkin on a baking sheet and roast for about 1 1/2 hours or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
2. Scoop out the flesh, of the pumpkin and purée in a food processor or blender with 1 – 2 cups stock. Pour purée into a saucepan, add 2 more cups stock, hot sauce, and honey to taste, and reheat gently, stirring to combine. If the soup is too thick, add more stock and season to taste with salt.
3. Meanwhile, toss the cleaned pumpkin seeds with 1 tablespoon grape seed oil and 1 teaspoon salt, place on a baking sheet, tray and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the seeds are crispy, dry, and golden. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the seven- -spice blend.
4. Place the tofu in a food processor or blender, and purée until smooth. Season with vinegar and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.
5. Top each bowl of soup with 1 tablespoon each of whipped tofu and, pumpkin seeds. Sprinkle with and scallion and serve.

I substituted vegetable stock for chicken stock. Check out Sunrise Mart or M2M for the more exotic Asian ingredients, and feel free to use pre-cubed or pureed pumpkin if hacking into a big one seems overwhelming.

I'm on the pursuit of happiness

If you haven't yet heard Kid Cudi's new jam (ft. MGMT and Ratatat), enjoy:

L'shana tova

I always suspected he'd make a good Jew - he even speaks Hebrew! President Obama recorded a greeting to those celebrating Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year), which begins at sundown tonight. It is an appropriate sermon for the day, calling for peace and the repairing of old divisions between friends and enemies, Israel and Palestine, with the chance to start anew.
Barack atah ... here it is:

The Foodie Travel Guide

The Guardian put out their list of the 50 best things to eat in the world, and where to eat them. I have been to three of the fifty restaurants, but the pho restaurant in Vietnam was a terrible situation (chalked up to my own poor judgement - let's just say when they tell you not to drink the water in Southeast Asia, they're not kidding). Oh well, maybe I'll have to return to remedy the experience.

I'm with Bernanke

Yesterday, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke announced that the worst of the recession has very likely passed. Despite the fact that he doesn't think this change is great enough to alleviate the pain of the millions of Americans suffering from unemployment, I'll take a lethargic recovery over none at all. Here, something uplifting from my main man:

Rap-rock makes a bangin' comeback

What do you get when you mix the bluesy-70s-esque rock stylings of The Black Keys with the aged-to-perfection hip hop know-how of impresarios Damon Dash and MC Jim Jones? Blakroc, that's what. This genre hybrid project is no Bloodhound Gang: the Keys are giving rap-rock a full-on makeover. The album, which comes out November 27, features such legends as Mos Def, RZA, Raekwon, Q-Tip, Ludacris, Pharoahe Monche, and the late ODB. Phew. Listen to a little sample here, and get pumped.

B's a class act

For those who missed the orgy of Tweets surrounding the VMA's last night (reportedly over a million during the course of the show - Iran, schmiran, right?), Beyonce behaved like the classy b*tch she is and smoothed over Kanye's idiocy by giving Taylor Swift her deserved time in the limelight. Here's hoping Hov will rethink keeping crazy Mr. West in his new Rat Pack, cause there's a difference between deservedly cocky and just plain egomaniacal.

Yoshi, Luigi and Mario, oh my

This Super Mario nail art is awesome; reminds me of last Halloween when my friends and I went all out as Mario Party characters. Which reminds me that Halloween is in, like, almost a month. There is nothing I love more than that holiday: preparations, decorations, costumes, candy, and the age-old, carnivalesque thrill of the masquerade. I'm working on a few ideas now - luckily, this year it's on a Saturday (meaning parties Thurs-Sat, meaning opportunities for at least three different disguises). Anyone have any great costumes in the works?

Jay-Z at MSG

Tonight, Jay-Z is giving a benefit concert at Madison Square Garden to coincide with the release of his eleventh studio album (The Blueprint 3, in case you've been living under a rock). All proceeds go to The New York Police & Fire Widows' & Children's Benefit Fund. Tickets were sold out the first day of presale, but thanks to a speedy pal, I'm going! Fuse is broadcasting it live at 9pm, so you can catch Hov and the bevy of special guests (Kanye? Rihanna? Pharrell? Alicia Keys?) expected to pay tribute to the lives lost on 9/11.

Fashion week freebies

Tonight is Anna Wintour's ... I mean, Fashion's Night Out (on a side note, that lady is a loon - saw The September Issue last night and yikes, cannot believe how freakishly normal her kid is). It's an evening meant to invigorate our long-lost (?) love of shopping, a.k.a. "boost the economy," a.k.a. empty our wallets, but it doesn't have to be all about spending.

Here, the downtown recessionista's guide to doing tonight on the cheap (adapted from nymag):

Unis: 226 Elizabeth St., at Prince St.
Thai food from Lovely Day (my #1 fave restaurant). D.J. Johnny Mischeff from the Jane Hotel spins.

Tory Burch: 257 Elizabeth St., nr. Prince St.;
Across the street, La Esquina is barbecuing (paired with Champagne).

Le Labo: 233 Elizabeth St., nr. Prince St.
Free five-milliliter bottle of one of the scents from Le Labo's collection.

Korres: 110 Wooster St., nr. Prince St.
"Detox" cocktails based on the beauty brand's natural ingredients. Makeup artists offer complimentary touch-ups, and all visitors receive a gift bag full of Korres cosmetic, bath, and skin-care best-sellers.

Space.NK: 99 Greene St., nr. Spring St.
Free gift bag full of samples from Eve Lom, Nuxe, and Space.NK Laughter fragrance. Complimentary face masks and mini-facials.

Chanel: 139 Spring St., at Wooster St.
Free mini-manicures in Jade (debuts today!)

Tracy Reese: 641 Hudson St., nr. Gansevoort
Sally Hansen manicurists will be offering complimentary nail services. They're also serving drinks like the "Frocktail" and the "Plentini."

Opening Ceremony: 35 Howard St., nr. Broadway
Block party - custom-made wares out of the back of befitting custom cars. Check out the Thai Tie truck nearby from Band of Outsiders, which will be selling clip-on bow ties and neckties and dishing out Thai-inspired desserts from Momofuku pastry chef Christina Tosi.

C.O. Bigelow: 414 Sixth Ave., nr. 9th St
Free tube of Mentha Lip Shine, a glossy balm scented with peppermint oil. Free sodas from a vintage soda fountain.

Rag and Bone: 100 Christopher Street (at Bleecker Street)

Turning store into an Irish pub, complete with free beer, sawdust on the floor and an Irish band.

See you there!

Auto-tuned ABC's

Now even a baby can go platinum (or just sound like it) with the "I Am T-Pain" iPhone app, allowing users to Auto-Tune their own voices. Kid Cudi thinks it's "really fresh." Jay-Z is shaking his head in disgust.

Hasbro joins Google in world domination

San Fran's Candyland is so yesterday. Tomorrow marks the launch of something bigger, better, and more billionaire-friendly: Monopoly City Streets, a joint venture by Google and Hasbro using Google Maps as the board. It is essentially a giant game of Monopoly, wherein each player starts with $3 million and can buy any street in the world, with the goal of becoming "the richest property magnate in existence." Gather up your millions, citizens of the world. It's your move.

Happy Monday

Cheers to all those enjoying the day off from work or school - hope you're kicking off the last weekend of summer with a bang. Double cheers to my fellow unemployed folk, for whom summer does not yet have to end! An event appropriate for your all-white outfit: Deer Tick is playing tonight's Rocks Off Boat Cruise, and tickets are just $25 at the door.

Color me happy

Taking a little break from the sights and sounds of the city, meaning I've been away from my computer, relaxing by the pool with a glass of rosé sangria in hand (thanks Meika), yet somehow unable to get thoughts of apartment decor out of my head. I've always been a fan of chalkboard paint, but it's not super-easy to find, and the gray color palette can be a bit limiting. Martha to the rescue, with instructions for making your own CUSTOM-COLORED chalkboard paint! Oops, craft-dork alert. But come on, you know that's cool.

You are what you eat

Check out these peaceful pears:

Now you can have your spiritual practice and eat it too!

Hang on

Interview this morning, moving to the East Village this afternoon. Life is a little up in the air but it feels great.

photo via Leslie Miles by way of Flavorwire

Oops, he did it again

Jay Z's eleventh studio album, The Blueprint 3, comes in the wake of wolf-cries of retirement and will be released to the Hov-hungry public on September 11th. Listen to the full album here.