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: