I Can't Stop the Cyclone, That's About to Explode

I don't really do resolutions on New Year's Eve because, well, I have enough things to live up to in my head year-round that I don't need to indulge in that particular cliche. Instead I'll join the "summing up my year" bandwagon.Enjoy a brief verbal and pictorial overview of my year. 2010, you were pretty interesting. Thank you to all of you who keep reading and commenting, it means the world to me.

* Started the year out in Istanbul
* Witnessed plans for the opening of the Music House
* Met Mercan Dede and Carlito Dalceggio
* Went to L.A.
* Did not like it (*cough* understatement *cough**cough*)
* Went back to Boston
* Got my 7th tattoo (or 5th depending on how you count them)
* Started the Like A Muse project/blog
* Had a blonde(ish) moment. Still growing out the streaks.
* Got internship with Gersh Agency based in L.A.
* Got upgraded to a paid reader at Gersh although amount of work they sent me drastically dropped
* Sent the boyfriend off to Iraq for the last couple times
* Went to Jodhpur, India with the family in time for Holi
* Returned to Boston to my favorite apartment I've ever lived in, with my cat
* Came back to Istanbul for the summer and my sister's high school graduation
* Saw Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood with my cousins and sister
* Went to Brussels, Belgium to see Mercan Dede and Elif Safak
* Went to Salzburg, Austria to watch our orchestra perform and my uncle receive a medal for contributions to the arts
* Traveled back to southern Turkey for sea times
* Started writing for MetalSucks and interviewed Roxana Shirazi, Wolf Hoffman from Accept, and Bobby Liebling of Pentagram
* Attended a Tarkan concert
* Back to Boston to see KISS with Elliot
* Elliot left for Austin, TX for two months while I got ready to move to a new apartment
* Kept making headway with the Muse Project, started writing a book
* Visited best friends in Chicago
* Treated boyfriend to Devin Townsend for his birthday
* Saw Dimmu Borgir and Enslaved
* Spent Thanksgiving in Virginia
* Traveled to Hong Kong with my boyfriend
* Came back home to Istanbul to finish off the year with my loved ones

When we crack this mountain, all hell is going to break loose. And my undies.

I admit, I enjoy Lady Gaga but I love this quote of hers.

"When you listen to a song like 'LoveGame', is it communicating my soul to you? No... I make soulless electronic pop. But when you're on ecstasy in a nightclub grinding up against someone and my music comes on, you'll feel soul."

How can you not like her? Come on!


Another good weekend with good friends. And kitties! I think if I was left alone with a bunch of cats for any amount of time, I would come out the happiest girl ever. I went to a therapist for a while and stopped because he annoyed me by repeating everything I said and nodding his head like an epileptic parrot. Plus he gave me the drugs, and that's pretty much all I needed to start feeling like me again. I haven't taken them in over 6 months though, yay me! Anyway, if I'd just spent that money in a room with cats and kittens all purring and rolling around on me, I probably would've been "cured" a lot faster.

My friend's kitties are getting better. They were running around and jumping and loving everyone last night. Big, big improvement from being all sad and sickly the last couple weeks. We also watched, How to Train Your Dragon. Man, that is one of the best movies of all time. Definitely one of the top animated movies. The details (especially on the characters' clothes and the dragons' scales and skin, and not to sound too gross but the arm hair! Every freckle and hair and blotchiness was so realistic and so well-done!) and characters are just wonderful. I mean, the main girl is kind of obnoxious and does do the dedicate-each-punch-to-something thing that my friend first pointed out to me, which I tire of. It's when a girl character is really badass but every time she hits or punches anyone or anything, she has to say, "And this is for (insert reason/person/assumption about her badassness). It's something that pisses of my good friend to no end and it's caught on to me and it's just like come on! You're pretty great and there aren't that many kick-ass female characters (no there aren't. There are awesome ones, and funny ones, and endearing ones, but besides, like, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, can YOU make a list of ass-kicking femmes? I will soon, but it's Sunday and I don't want to make my brain think) do you have to ruin it with that simpering line? But other than that, she's pretty good and the main guy is dorkily endearing to us girls with soft spots for nerds and the dragons! Okay, I know I have a habit of seeing my Egg in any animal on-screen but even Elliot agreed that Toothless, the main dragon, was pretty much Egglet. Right down to the love of food and barfing on command.

I raved about it when I first saw it on a plane and had to silently freak out in joy as to not wake the other passengers and it's still worth all the hoopla. Elliot adored it too. You must watch it.

Other than that, I cast my mom's co-workers as members of The Muppet Show (she's Miss Piggy), got a pretty interesting book even though it's won the Pulitzer ("Hell" by Robert Olen Butler) which generally goes to books I find boring, and I was asked by some Turkish reporter for a few words about my, "work" and photo. Uhh what? My mom asked around about him and we figured out how he got my name, but I sent a message politely declining. They can write about me after I sell a script or publish a book. Wishful thinking? Yes.

Look at the cute dragon, look!


Pictures I can't stop looking at because I don't have enough words to make a proper post. I'm going to go make chicken fajitas for me and Elliot. It's finally cold out and we've been having such nice evenings comfily watching movies on the couch while Egg sprawls and snores in between us. I like my little Boston family a lot.









I need this ring in my life.





I might have to get this shirt...

Of Bathrooms, Good Ass Jeans, and Top Ten Lists

I was in New York about a month ago and I was staying with my mom in her hotel when I clicked on the TV and came across Vh1's, Greatest Artists of All Time list. Man, I remember when I would watch these countdowns religiously. I thought they were fun and interesting and I loved to argue with the screen when they would pick something that was absolutely wrong. I don't know why I placed so much importance in these lists as it just boils down to what some people believe to be true. Just because they got Ted Nugent to grudgingly admit Bon Jovi is one of the greatest metal bands (on the Greatest Metal Bands countdown) doesn't mean they actually are. Plus, why pick only the bands people have heard of? Yeah, you're obviously going to pick Black Sabbath as number one but guess what? I will get yelled at metal elitists but I find them boring. What about bands like Angel Witch? Your average person has probably never heard of them but I'd argue they should get a space on that list. Just because no one's ever heard of them doesn't negate their influence and "best status." Note: I didn't know Black Sabbath won out as the number one, I guessed it and then I just looked it up. Ding, ding, ding I was right. I think I always wished they'd put more of an effort in picking their choice but when it comes down to it, no one wants to watch some show about how a dinky little black metal band is actually very good, they'd like to feature big names like Rob Halford and jackass Lars Ulrich and VH1 teacher's pet Scott Ian blow even more smoke up Black Sabbath's ass.

But then, that's the draw I think. I really loved to watch whom they interviewed more than the list. Watching Bruce Dickinson explain why certain people chose metal was priceless: "Some people turn to like, bunnies and stuff like that. Others turned to metal." No matter what the list though, they always picked people who absolutely looooved whatever number they were talking about. Peter Gabriel was on Greatest Artists list and they had like 4 people talk about how "In Your Eyes," is the best song ever. No. It is not. Say Anything is an overrated movie, I hate John Cusack's character and the fact that he still represents "the sensitive boy" that everyone wants. I don't fucking want him. And if you're going with an epic Peter Gabriel song, pick, "Solsbury Hill." It's used in every trailer for every dramedy about coming to terms with what life hands you (I'm thinking of that Topher Grace/Dennis Quaid movie that nobody saw) and if I didn't secretly like it a lot, I would be sick to death of it.

I also sometimes questioned the people they picked. They had some dude once with corpse paint and his title was, "Metal Expert." WHAT. What makes him an expert? Because he has dumb make-up on he knows what he's talking about? What about the other, "expert," the guy wearing a Saxon shirt? No one listens to Saxon, you tool, so if you really like them you're giving the field of, "Metal Expertise," a bad name and if you're wearing it ironically well you should just kill yourself now because you spent money to wear something you don't like but think is kitschy and then went on a national show to broadcast this. Can I have this job? I feel like I could do really well in this market. Could I earn money being an official, "metal expert," and make business cards? Now would I have to take a whole class or just one test? And if you're the expert, how come you just agree with all the choices give to you? Can you not think of any bands that best befit this list on your own? Well that's not very expert-like.

I would like to see people sitting there going, "Nuh-uh, I don't agree. Here's why." Like when Beyonce got on the list too. Are you freakin' kidding me? She has been around for ten years, maybe less. What the hell makes her so great that she surpasses someone like Muddy Waters who isn't even on the list? I'm not the hugest blues fan but I know the importance of someone's influence and skill and ability to, I don't know, WRITE THEIR OWN SONGS. Beyonce has some catchy songs, yes, but with simple lyrics that appeal to either brain dead girls or brain dead gay men, she doesn't play an instrument, doesn't compose anything (oh bullshit on the writing credits for songs. That means she was in the room where the people who actually wrote the songs were working), and beyond having a good voice, doesn't do anything else. To be the greatest at something, I think you should work at it. Having a good voice is luck, it's something the universe gave you. What you do with that voice is what makes you great. But wait Leyla, Beyonce did do great things with her voice. She rose up and worked hard and had to wear the same outfits as two other girls before she could be an artist in her own right! Blah, blah, blah whatever. "If you like it then you should have put a ring on it," is hardly ground-breaking material.

But, as I said. It's someone else's opinion. Just because I disagree with it doesn't make me right. But it doesn't make me wrong either. Here are a few of MY top lists. I spent days of research, mulling over the choices, arguing with myself the pros and cons of each candidate, and even going as far as interviewing independent third parties to get objective opinions. Nah, I'm just kidding. Thought of them right now off the top of my head.

The Top Ten Weirdest Cats
10) The orange cat in our backyard that likes to surprise sex the females.
09) The other cat in our backyard that licks the spicy curry off the chicken we give it.
08) Maru
07) Egg
06) The cats in Jakarta Kate's dad told her about (with the hook tails)
05) Cheetahs
04) Yet another cat in our backyard that retched at chocolate milk
03) Persian cats
02) Cornish Rex cats
01) Sphynx cats


The Top 5 Best Colors
5) Turquoise
4) Hot Pink
3) Grey
2) Electric Purple
1) Royal Blue


The Top Ten Most Flattering Pieces of Clothing I Own
10) H&M lace dress
09) Mavi skinny jeans (good ass jeans)
08) Rob Halford t-shirt
07) Urban Outfitters leopard dress with front pockets
06) Evil Dead leather jacket
05) Denim studded vests (both)
04) Victoria's Secret Pink push-up bra
03) Zara white lace skirt
02) Red beaded Ranna Gill dress handed down from my mom
01) BDG fitted black pants (not me in the picture)


Top Ten Best Hardcore Superstar Songs
10) It's My Life
09) Shades of Grey
08) Nervous Breakdown
07) My Good Reputation
06) Spit It Out
05) We Don't Celebrate Sundays
04) Shame
03) Sensitive to the Light
02) Silence For the Peacefully
01) Not Dancing, Wanna Know Why?


Top Fifteen BEST Cats
15) Siamese
14) Russian Blue
13) Norwegian Forest Cat
12) Scottish Fold
11) Kittens
10) Bengal
09) Snow Leopard
08) Tiger
07) Abyssinian
06) Van Cat
05) Egyptian Mau
04) Ocelot
03) Bombay Cat
02) Any stray that needs a home
01) Egg


Top Ten Best Elephant-Themed Pieces I Own
10) White inlaid elephant bracelet from India
08) Silver bangle with engraved elephants
07) Elephant ring from Kit's mom's store
06) White elephant Aldo pendant
05) Gold Aldo ring
04) Ganeshji tapestry
03) Camel bone elephant figurines
02) Marble elephant figure
01) Mina's vintage elephant necklace she gave me


Top Five Bathrooms I've Ever Used
05) Harrods
04) Beyti
03) Park Hotel in Japan
02) Every single one in any Taj/Oberoi Hotel In India
01) My own in Istanbul


Worst Five Bathrooms I've Ever Used
05) Chinatown
04) Any bar in Istanbul
03) Behind the train outside while shooting friend's film Ivan
02) Any stop in eastern Turkey
01) Delhi airport

It ain't the flash man, it's down to attitude

There have been so many easy to replicate, DIY fashion pieces popping up everywhere that I kind of want to try out. Especially the pins on a blazer look.



From blogger Sea of Shoes.

I loved this look from a couple months back and a recent blog did their version of it (the above picture) and it got me thinking about my own pin collection. I have quite a few pins, I used to collect them when I was younger, and they've just been hanging out in a box at home. I'm not really the blazer type but I rather like Silence and Noise's casual take on it. I also saw one in Zara recently, made of sweatshirt material, that seemed less business-woman and more me.


Then of course there's the studding everything I can find phase I seem to be going through. I want a pair of jeans like this:



And these which I keep reposting everywhere but it's been almost a year and I still love them and I will make them happen.



Oh and of course, studded boots. But not Docs. Knee-high leather or suede are more my style.


I have a new vest I'll be working on when I get back to Boston. Denim vests seem best suited for Viking metal band patches (well, technically they're for thrash bands but I favor Vikings over thrashers) and this is the patch I'll be working in as well as playing with different sized and shaped studs.



Free People always seemed a little hippie-dippy to me but my sister always manages to find cool pieces and make them look good. I guess I'm just terrible at mixing and matching because I can't do more than the basic pairing of tops and bottoms but I love all the outfits created on the website, especially these three. Time to start experimenting I guess.




Oh, and I might be a little late to the party on this, but how amazing is Daphne Guinness?