#CatBand – It’s Exactly What It Sounds Like

Apparently musically inclined felines are “a thing” right now– you heard all about metal cats, kitties with metal head parents posing for the camera. I must say I’m a huge fan of the contrast between fluffy four-legged-friends and their tatted up hardcore owners. Talk about showing off your soft side.

So while we’re on the topic of musical kitties – I feel it is my obligation to tell you about #catband. What happens when you strum your kitty like a ukulele? Or put your cat’s tail in your mouth and mimic a bag pipe? Most cats would know not to stick around to endure such a game – but apparently there are obedient cats that do not mind doubling as an instrument for Internet entertainment.

Image source Instagram

Search #catband on Instagram and you’ll stumble on cats being played like bongos, bagpipes, keyboards, you name it. Check out some of the best #catband videos I found – my personal favorites being bagpipe and trombone, but honestly, they’re all pretty damn awesome. Stayed tuned for when I try this with my kitten, and sorry Marlo if I have to take some time off because I was mauled attempting to play my cat like a French Accordion.

Think I’m making up this trend? Read more about it on Time.com, there’s even a whole Tumblr dedicated to #catband.

http://instagram.com/p/myBoW7EMp0

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kenny Kim (@beggarsnthieves)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rachel Green (@rgreen85)

http://instagram.com/p/mn1YU3y1WY

Posted by Nina

Online Dating.. In Person?

Image source Digitaltrends.com

If you’re single, you know how awkward the bar scene can be. Hey, he/she is cute. Should I talk to him/her? Do I offer to buy him/her a drink? Or is that totally archaic? What if he/she rejects me? Where’s the closest place I can pick up a pint of Ben & Jerry’s if he/she does reject me?

Okay, that last one may just be me.

Anyway, what if you could find out all about the good-looking bar-goer before you approach them? Then you could be like, “I see you go to Planet Fitness. I think I’ve seen you on the treadmill” or “I know your birthday was four months ago, but happy belated!” or even “Glad to see you are not a registered sex offender, wanna go back to my place?”

That would be weird. And a bit disturbing. But it could be our future, people! A new facial-recognition app called NameTag makes Facebook-stalking in real time a reality. Designed to be used with Google Glass, NameTag allows users to instantly “scan” someone’s face and pull up their name, social media accounts, and even check the person against criminal databases.

I’m already cringing imagining everyone wearing Google Glass (which does not compliment any outfit, mind you) and looking like something out of Star Trek, but the thought of this app spreading like SnapChat scares the bejeezus out of me! Not that I have anything to hide, but a little mystery never hurt anyone. Can’t we just wait until we get home to stalk our potential mate online? How am I supposed to tweet about the smelly passenger next to me on the MBTA now? What is this world coming to?

Google has not yet approved the app, and let’s be honest, no one actually has Google Glass, but it may not be far in the future, folks, so delete those drunken Facebook photos from college, stat!

Posted by Erin

 

Love Actually is All Around… and Apparently So Are Turtlenecks

Image source Buzzfeed.com

I can hold my own in most sports, I enjoy beer, and I would choose to wear comfortable shoes over pretty heels any day – but I will put my stereotypical girliness on full display at Christmas time with my love of Love Actually. Holiday joy + cheesy romance = girly cult favorite. I can’t wait until ABC Family channel plays it 45 times between now and New Years. I also can’t believe it came out TEN years ago… that cute, wise kid must be a lady-killer by now!

Because BuzzFeed will never get old and will always make me laugh out loud, I bring you this gem that points out something that I didn’t realize in my hundreds of viewings…. That love actually is all around, and so are turtlenecks. I don’t remember if these awkward, swallow-your-neck up shirts were super stylish in the early 2000s, but apparently the movie’s wardrobe team got a discount on bulk turtlenecks and mandated one in every scene.

Check out the whole article – here are a few of my faves with even better captions.

The “Jamie Only Packed One Turtleneck To Mend His Broken Heart” Grey Turtleneck Of Despair

The “Sigh, Mia” Black Turtleneck

The “I Am Naked in Every Scene Except Two, And For Those, I Wear Pink” Turtleneck

The “This Precious Angel Just Wants You To Sing Her Christmas Carols” Turtleneck

The “My Best Friend’s Wife Just Realized I’m In Love With Her, So Now I’m Going to Zip Myself Into a Turtleneck of Humiliation” Turtleneck

The “I’m Going to Cheat On You As Soon As You Leave To Go To A Wedding” Turtleneck

The “Stripes Mean We Are Serious About Learning Another Language” Turtlenecks

The “Grown Men Wear Sea Colors” Turtlenecks

The “Hi, Karl” Turtleneck Sweater

Images source Buzzfeed.com

Posted by Amanda

All the Cool Kids Are Doing It…

Ready for the weird fact of the century? From age ten through my high school graduation I was a competitive synchronized swimmer. That’s right, wipe that floral bathing cap, sideways dive image out of your head, I’m talking three hour practices four days a week with strength trainers, Pilates instructors and lap coaches. Laugh all you want, but to this day swimming a synchro routine is the best workout I’ve ever had. The sport may have granted me a rockin’ bod and a ridiculous lung capacity as a teen, but synchronized swimming wasn’t exactly what the cool kids were doing in high school.

Of course, now that I’m a few years out of high school and I’ve (reluctantly) left the sport, synchronized swimming is all the rage in the entertainment industry. Marie Claire writer Erin Flaherty took a stab at the sport for a glamorous beauty feature in the July issue and reported that while trying Hollywood’s latest obsession she “nearly drowned.” The Aqualillies, a team of synchronized swimmers featured in Flaherty’s article, are being hired left and right to perform at parties all over LA.

I’m jealous. The nerdy sport that consumed my free time in high school is now actually cool.

So while I kick myself for not going to a college with a synchronized swimming team, I dare you to give the newest exercise trend a shot. Local clubs and teams to join for a swim can be found at Esynchro.com, and I promise it’ll be a workout like no other. Kate Moss tried it and reported that it made her exceptionally toned (like she wasn’t toned before?).

Oh and any casting directors out there looking for bathing beauties for upcoming movies…give me a call. I can still hold my breath well beyond normalcy and perform a killer rocket split.

Posted by Mary

Do Not Want: Cheeseburger Cocktail

I thought the culinary cocktail trend was going a wee bit far with the launch of meat-flavored vodkas, but a new carnivorous concoction makes smoked salmon Bloody Marys sound borderline potable. Meet The Cheeseburger Cocktail, a protein-rich drink created in honor of National Sandwich Day. A combo of rum, beef stock reduction, muddled Roma tomatoes and iceberg lettuce water, the libation is topped off with an aged cheddar cheese crisp and dill pickle.Yum…?

The cocktail’s creator, Trevor Burnett of Tipicular Fixin’s in Toronto, remarks that the drink is meant to complement other meat dishes. But of course! I know I’ve been on the hunt for a salt-laden, meaty beverage to quench my thirst after eating a salt-laden, meaty steak. Burnett seems so taken with meat/cocktail pairing that he plans to bring bacon, turkey and duck versions to the market. Turducken-tini anyone?

Posted by Abby