shot surgery

I highly doubt that anyone could manage to alter their body shape as drastically as that video above would have you believe, but it's a good illustration of just how much you can do with Photoshop, if you know what you're doing...."For those of you who have seen, time and time again, these manipulated images — be it a retouched wrinkle or a dramatically trimmed waistline — and are aware of the reality behind them, you're maybe able to look at ads and mags and keep your head straight.

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Sleepy dog

And then I'll have to once again have the conversation about why human food is not for dogs, especially food with chili oil in it.... The days are getting so short now that it's not only dark when I get up for work (4:30 a.m. is dark, no matter the time of year), but dawn is just breaking as I get into the office, at 7. It's dark when I walk out of the office at 5, and the holiday traffic in LA means it's rare to get home before 7:45.

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wedding at the Mission Inn

Last Saturday, a good friend got himself married at the Mission Inn.... In a lucky coincidence, the Mission Inn had decorated for the holidays, though it's pretty awesome-looking year-round. There were hordes of people flocking to see the lights, and we had to fight our way through them to get to the chapel.

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Tin snips of tenaciousness



My mother came over today to check on me and help out around the house, as I have managed to acquire irritation pneumonia. Got it from all the grout from the new tile floor that was put in last week, and as I have discovered, grout and lungs do not like each other at all.

Nothing gets in the way of my mother when she decides she's going to get something done. Nothing. Not even a stubborn and ugly light fixture that was at the top of her aggro list. She hated the old fixture so much, she went out and bought something to replace it; but she didn't stop there. This is what was left after she got frustrated and took tin snips to the metal casing around the wiring. It took about an hour, but in its place, there is now a new Moroccan lantern, which we jerry-rigged with brute force, electrical tape, zip ties, and a little finessing of metal from me. Isn't it awesome?

As you can see, I come by my driven nature honestly. And my hatred of ugliness.