burnt

I tried to make shaving easier, but it didn’t work.

There’s a product called Magic Shaving Powder that’s formulated to stop razor bumps by chemically removing facial hair. It’s been around for a while and there are lots of people who swear by it for their shaving needs.

I’ve used this stuff in the past to varying shades of success, and since it had been a while since I last tried it, I decided to try to use it to remove week-old stubble. This was a special version that contained aloe vera and Vitamin B to help moisturize the skin as it took off the hair, so I figured it was a little safer than the rather smelly and caustic original version.

Big mistake.

The trouble started when I couldn’t get the powder mixture to blend right with water following the package instructions. I tried mixing it every which way, more water, less water, and everything in between, but it never formed a cream, just a weak, watery mixture. That should have been my first sign to stop.

Undaunted, I began to apply it to my face. It hardened up quickly, so I decided to add more water to keep it moist. That was mistake number two. I had nasty smelling depilatory all over the bathroom and it began to burn my skin.

I tried scraping the stuff off my face with a spatula, but it only made the pain worse. I then used a washcloth and got most of the mixture off, but none of the hair.

That’s when I decided to shave. With clippers and a razor.

I’m an idiot. Third mistake so far.

The shave itself wasn’t painful, but my right cheek was raw from the combination of friction and chemicals. Should have stopped while was ahead.

Since everything I had to treat the pain had alcohol in it, which was going to make it worse with the raw skin, I decided to use aspirin and water to soothe the pain. I dissolved some aspirin in a bowl of water and coated my face with it. It helped relive the pain instantly, but it only stopped the redness temporarily.

So here I sit typing about 24 hours later with one really red cheek and pain with the other mitigated by a nice solid coat of Lanacane. Next time, I’ll skip the Magic and stick with a couple of occasional bumps in my usual shaving routine.

Carry on…

Macy's to invigorate flagship store

Launches ad campaign, "Take Me to State Street"

Sandra M. Jones
Chicago Tribune

CHICAGO - Macy's Inc. is unveiling a brand campaign aimed at breathing new life into its downtown State Street flagship store, which has alienated some shoppers since converting from Marshall Field's last year [more]

What are your Two's?

(from DeWitte, via the Lost Anjel)

Now, here's what you're supposed to do... And please do not spoil the fun.
Hit forward, delete my answers and type in your answers. Then send this to
a whole bunch of people you know INCLUDING the person who sent it to you.
The theory is that you will learn little known facts about those whom you know.

Subject: What are your Two's?

Two names you go by:

Steve and "that black guy"

Two things you are wearing right now:

t-shirt and shorts

Two things you would want (or have) in a relationship:

love, laughter

Two of your favorite things to do:

shop and blog

Two things you want very badly at the moment:

dinner and a 48-hour day

Two pets you had/have:

Poochie and Benny (dogs)

Two people who will answer these questions, or first to send it back:

Evan and Heather

Two things you did last night:

ate and slept

Two things you ate yesterday:

BBQ Sandwich and ice cream

Two people you have last talked to:

Kevin and Ken

Two things you're doing tomorrow:

working and shopping

Two longest car rides:

Virginia to Savannah, Ga.
Virginia to Madison, Wis.

Two favorite holidays:

Halloween & Christmas

Two favorite drinks:

Blenheim Ginger Ale and pomegranate juice.

Got Crocs? Be Careful on the Escalator

WASHINGTON (AP) — At rail stations and shopping malls around the world, reports are popping up of people, particularly young children, getting their toes caught in escalators. The one common theme seems to be the clunky soft-soled clogs known by the name of the most popular brand, Crocs. [read more]

Happy 25th Birthday to :-)

Language experts say the smiley face and other emotional icons, known as emoticons, have given people a concise way in e-mail and other electronic messages of expressing sentiments that otherwise would be difficult to detect.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — It was a serious contribution to the electronic lexicon. :-)

Twenty-five years ago, Carnegie Mellon University professor Scott E. Fahlman says, he was the first to use three keystrokes — a colon followed by a hyphen and a parenthesis — as a horizontal "smiley face" in a computer message. [read more]

Most women own 19 pairs of shoes -- some secretly

Belinda Goldsmith

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - American women have come out of the closet with a secret -- most own about 19 pairs of shoes and some have hidden purchases from their partners. [Read more at Reuters]

She keeps the work on schedule

Note from Steve: This is another of my oldest and dearest friends. She was recently one of the subjects of a newspaper article on men and women who fill nontraditional roles in their places of work.

Erinn Hutkin
The Roanoke Times

ANGIE BAUGHMAN - CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGER

The atmosphere often changes when she steps onto a job site.

Suddenly, hard-hat-wearing construction workers apologize when they curse. They also don't chew. Or spit.

At 33, Angie Baughman is the only female project manager for Roanoke's Lionberger Construction. In May, she earned her master's degree in construction management from Virginia Tech after a short career as an architect.

Her job means overseeing several projects at once -- right now, it's the renovation of a Blacksburg church and building new retail space at Valley View Mall.

While an on-site supervisor runs daily operations at a job site, it's up to Baughman to handle the budget and the bills, correspond with architects, line up subcontractors and compile estimates.

Essentially, she's charged with keeping the guys working, keeping the job on schedule and making money.

"It ultimately rests on my shoulders to make sure it happens," she said.

After working in architecture for five years, Baughman decided she didn't like spending her days in front of a computer. Architects she worked for in Roanoke encouraged her to return to school for a master's in construction, leading her to attend classes while working full time.

She quit her job in December 2006, planning to focus on school. A week later, she received an e-mail about a part-time job at Lionberger from her department head at Tech. Starting work part-time, she thinks, eased her transition as a woman. And in construction, she found everything she felt her former career lacked.

"I get to go to the job. I get to talk to the guys. I get to see the project happen," she explained. "I like being able to keep busy on the job."

Even in school, Baughman knew she was outnumbered. She estimates 75 percent of students in her master's program were men. Even when there were speakers from construction companies, seeing a woman was rare.

Yet when she decided to switch careers, no one was less surprised than Baughman's mom. She knows her daughter is a self-proclaimed tomboy who hates shopping, except for a weakness for shoes. Baughman loves sports -- helping coach high school soccer and playing pick-up basketball. With her dad, she is making improvements on her Roanoke house.

On the job, Baughman tries to balance being confident with taking the guys' advice. If a man with 20 years' experience tells her a certain fastener will work, she'll likely listen.

On the other hand, she believes some guys at a site will ask her questions just to see if she knows the answer.

"You're a little bit discriminated against at first until people know you," she said.

A few weeks ago, for instance, Baughman was picking up a tape measure at Lowe's. A couple of guys saw her shopping and tried telling her, "Honey, you need this one."

Baughman just let them talk.

There's time enough for them to figure out she's the boss.

todd, cynthia & emmett

I had an old friend visit for Labor Day, and met a couple new ones.



This is my friend Todd M. On the left is a picture of us in 1996, when we were back in college. On the right is us, literally, today, on the Roanoke City Market.

Mom said we look better now. I just know we're older and larger.

Todd is one of my oldest and dearest friends, but I don't get to see him often because we live on opposite ends of the state (and we both tend to be quite busy). It's a rare occasion when we can get together in person.

Today he stopped in with his new wife and son and had a late lunch with me downtown.



Todd has a beautiful family. At left is is his lovely wife, Cynthia, and at right is Emmett, their son. They are both a delight. Todd is a lucky man.

Just so you'll know, I do realize these pictures are blurry as hell. My old standby digital camera is falling apart after four years of steady use, and I'm slowly talking myself into replacing it. The pace becomes quicker when I get pictures like this.

The Devil Wears Hermès (He Bought It at the Caesars Palace Mall in Las Vegas)

By MICHIKO KAKUTANI

Published: August 21, 2007

Dana Thomas has written a crisp, witty social history that’s as entertaining as it is informative. (more at The New York Times)

Retail leader, mayor, John Belk dies at 87

The Charlotte Observer

Former Charlotte Mayor John Belk, who ran his family's retail chain for over 50 years, died Friday morning. He was 87.

Belk served four terms as Charlotte's mayor from 1969-1977. That was longer than anybody before current Mayor Pat McCrory.

"John was a highly respected businessman and beloved community leader who played an integral role in the growth, development and success of his company and the Charlotte community," the company said in a statement. "He will be truly missed."

A funeral service will be held Monday at Myers Park Presbyterian Church in Charlotte.

Lord & Taylor to launch $10m celebrity model-focused rebranding ad campaign

WGSN

Department store group Lord & Taylor is set to launch a $10m celebrity model-focused rebranding campaign to spotlight both its updated image and 181-year heritage. The campaign will debut in mid-August and run through the Holiday season.

Showcasing the results of a four-year repositioning, the campaign features a cast of celebrities that include models Carolyn Murphy, Lauren Hutton, Jacquetta Wheeler, Hanne Termote, Megan McNeirney and Erin Heatherton, as well as artist Ed Ruscha, socialites Lauren Davis and Lydia Hearst, plus the children of John McEnroe and Clint Eastwood.

"The stunning images depicted in this campaign will signify Lord & Taylor's relevance in the speciality department store arena," noted CEO Jane Elfers.

Created by ad-man David Lipman and shot in California by Mario Testino, the "striking ads project Lord & Taylor's innate style: unapologetically classic with a multigenerational attitude", said the retailer.

The images will appear in multi-page spreads in the September issues of Vogue and Vanity Fair and in ads featured in W, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, Town & Country, Cookie, In Style, Interview and GQ as well as in major national newspapers.

In addition, 25 billboards will be placed in Boston, Chicago, Connecticut, Detroit, Philadelphia, New York, railroad stations in upscale suburban areas and the Bryant Park Tents during New York Fashion Week.

As part of the re-branding, a $250m capital budget has been earmarked over the next five years by NRDC Equity Partners, which purchased Lord & Taylor from Federated for $1.1bn in 2006.

fight the power

New rules currently under consideration for Film Permits (Chapter 9, Title 43 of the City Rules of New York) could possibly have an negative impact on independent filmmakers and photographers and their ability to engage in creative work in New York City.

The rules would require any group of two or more people who want to use a camera in a single public location (taking pictures or filming on city property, including sidewalks) for more than a half hour to get a city permit and insurance.

The same requirements would apply to any group of five or more people who plan to use a tripod in a public location for more than 10 minutes, including the time it takes to set up the equipment.

Permits would have to be obtained for specific dates and times and exact locations, and the minimum $1 million insurance would be out of reach for many individuals.

In the media, city spokespeople are saying this will not affect the millions of tourists that take pictures and video in New York, but as written, the rules could potentially make hobbyists (like myself) and tourists, as well as artists and commercial practitioners, criminals for taking pictures of New York attractions.

(If you don't know why this issue is important to me, you might want to click here)

Spontaneous documentation of the urban environment is the heart of my photographic work, and with the already strict enforcement of similar rules at malls and shopping centers, I could potentially end up with a severely limited subject range.

Please sign the petition linked here, and help defend New Yorkers' (and my) First Amendment rights.

click

If you’ve been paying attention to my Flickr site, you may have noticed I’ve been taking an inordinate number of photographs of late. It’s a project of sorts: a reminder to me that no matter what is (or isn’t) going on in my life, there are still moments of beauty, of texture, of creation. It’s never really cemented into conscious projects before, but the seeds have been subversively planted by the artist that’s still in me…somewhere

The biggest set of the current collection has to be the Downtown Roanoke collection. Conceptually, it’s simple: take a camera out at lunchtime and photograph what I see. Through the camera lens, I’ve discovered my lunch commute is covered in interesting things, great and small. There’s architecture, neon-fired creativity, remnants of a far more urban and gritty past, and quirky things like a dog fountain and a lunar rocket, that most towns just can’t pull off. Roanoke is cool.

The aforementioned neon signs are part of the (obviously) eponymous collection. I have a fascination with signs in general, but neon signs are even cooler than that. The collection spans from the simple to the grandiose, old and new. There are always the ones that got away from the camera, including several in downtown Roanoke that recently bit the dust, but there’s no shortage of them, and as long as they hold my interest, I will photograph them.

The third set of note is the latest New York photoset, taken last weekend. This trip was a little different, as my mom went with me and we explored some locations decidedly different than the typical New York destinations everybody talks about. Not a lot of larger stores or even chains this time, but rather a quirky collection of local flavor, which showed the limitless possibilities of creativity. It was fun to visit and just as fun to shoot.

the persistent buzz

Well, what can I say?

For those of you still with me, I’ve been busy (as usual) with a case of a slow inter-web, which kind of puts a damper on posting.

Two things are to blame for the latter: a marginal ISP and even worse phone service. This week, there’s been a persistent buzz on the line that shows up from time to time and affects my already slow transmission speed, typically cutting it down by a third or more. I’ve called the phone people and they don’t hear what I hear, with their “repair’ doing pretty much nothing.

The worst part about slow internet service is that just about everything on the Web is designed for high-speed connections, which I can’t get because I live in Middle-of-Nowhere, Va. Just about every site is hard to load, if not impossible. Just posting this is a pain in the rear.

And the solution is not a satellite. Those are a rip. No more than I use this stuff at home, I have time to wait a little while for stuff to load, just not freakin’ forever like now.

Luckily the buzz subsides typically in a few days, so eventually I’ll move from carrier pigeons to the Pony Express.

In other news…

Today’s my day off for Independence Day, which I will likely spend sleeping or doing laundry, my two most reliable and persistent habits. If I had the money, I’d outsource the sleeping, but I think the laundry would be more feasible.

I don’t know if I’d be happy with somebody else doing my laundry though. It’s kind of therapeutic and interesting to use the machines and try out the new products. I’m a Tide man, by the way. Downy too. And Bounce. God bless Procter & Gamble.

Maybe I could a laundry to iron everything, because that’s the worst part for me, even though I do have a fancy European pressing machine that helps alleviate some of the tedium. It’s old, but it’s cool as hell.

Ready, set, shop.

I’m on the verge of buying a professional butter warmer to go with the popcorn machine. The prices aren’t bad for new, but I’d love to get a slightly used one for a little less if I could. I’d have to get different bags if I did use pour-on butter, of course, but that’s minimal for the pleasure connected to having movie-theater style popcorn.

I’ve also ordered a new pair of summerish looking loafers. Cole-Haan. Saddle tan. No kilties. They’ll be good for work. Casual, but a little more formal than boat shoes, yet not as formal as lace-ups. I care about these things. There’s a look involved.

Eastland rising.

Pat sent me a pile of pictures and ads for Eastland Mall in Charlotte recently, as well as for SouthPark. Uploading’s been a pain of late (see above), and I’m always wiped these days, so I’ve been stalling a bit, but they’re very cool. The Ivey’s ad alone is worth the wait.

One of these days, I’ll be where I want to be (here with y’all regularly, like the old days), but until then, stay tuned.

Sesame Street - The Count hires Ernie to answer his phone

Best. Sketch. Ever. Even my dad still talks about this 30 years later. Click here to watch it on YouTube.

The Count hires Ernie to answer his phone so that he won't be bothered with calls while he is counting. However, when the phone rings, the Count wants to count the rings, and won't let Ernie pick up the phone until it's too late. "I told you it wasn't going to be easy," the Count explains.

Liz Claiborne passes away at 78

Chain Store Age

Fashion designer Liz Claiborne has died, the company she founded said Wednesday. She was 78.

Claiborne died Tuesday after suffering from cancer for a number of years, said Gwen Satterfield, personal assistant to Claiborne.

Claiborne founded Liz Claiborne Inc. in 1976 along with her husband Art Ortenberg and Leonard Boxer. Their aim was to create a collection of fashions aimed at the growing number of women entering the work force.

The clothes became an instant hit, and the company went public in 1981. By 1985, Liz Claiborne Inc. was the first company founded by a woman to be listed in the Fortune 500, according to the company's Web site. The company, whose brands now include Ellen Tracy, Dana Buchman and Juicy Couture, generated sales of almost $5 billion last year.

Liz Claiborne retired from day-to-day operations in 1989.

one last time...

Bob Barker enters the stage for the last time for his final episode of "The Price Is Right" in Los Angeles on Wednesday, June 6, 2007. Bob Barker signed off on 35 years on "The Price Is Right" and 51 years in television in the same low-key, genial fashion that made him one of daytime TV's biggest stars. (AP Photo)

I want this setup for my house, back wall and all. I used to have something similar at Tanglewood, or thought I did. LOL

We're gonna miss you, Bob!

"they're (not so) grrrreat"

Does 'Big Cereal's self-regulation mean anything?

According to published reports, cereal giant Kellogg is voluntarily phasing out advertising to kids under age 12 unless and until the foods meet certain nutrition guidelines. They have also agreed to stop licensing popular advertising characters connected to the affected products.

Is this a step in the right direction? Maybe, but it seems a little silly to me.

Anyone who’s read about the dangers of processed foods knows that breakfast foods like Pop Tarts and Froot Loops are not good for you, even as part of a “balanced breakfast.” And we all know that kids are gullible. I know I would try to stick everything in the supermarket cart I saw on Saturday morning cartoons (Remember those? Where have they gone?)

But…

Unlike with similar initiatives aimed at the tobacco and cigarette industry, the target market is not easily able to go buy (or have someone buy them) the product. Your five-year-old will beg and scream for Corn Pops, but it’s not like he can drive himself to Kroger and stock up.

Parents are buying this crap for their kids. Taking the commercials off cartoon broadcasts doesn’t mean anything if the parent goes and buys it for them anyway. And part of the reason that kids are so overweight and obese these days is because parents are enabling them with foods that are bad for them.

While it’s likely that some cereals and other products could be reformulated to be healthier, and hopefully they will be, by this intuitive, so much of what is going on is just window dressing.

Think about the kids menu at your favorite restaurant. Hot dogs, chicken nuggets, fries…none of this stuff is substantially healthier than a bowl of cereal (especially when studies have shown a link between increased levels of saturated fats in the body and the development of diabetes). But nobody (yet) has suggested that we take off the Oscar Meyer or Ore-Ida commercials.

Yes, I know it’s voluntary, but it’s a double standard, and in the media clip-entrenched world we live in, it makes something that (generally) does include some vitamins and minerals in its primary ingredients out to be the bad guy. Giving a kid another processed product in lieu of the suddenly evil cereal will not necessarily improve their health.

I guess my point is, what’s being done doesn’t hurt, but until an effort is done to make food healthier for all of us, especially kids, we’re really not doing anything special here by taking away Tony the Tiger.

new rules for 2007

I think George Carlin came up with these, and my cousin Cindy sent them to me. Enjoy.

• New Rule: Stop giving me that pop-up ad for classmates.com! There's a reason you don't talk to people for 25 years. Because you don't particularly like them!? Besides, I already know what the captain of the football team is doing these days--mowing my lawn.
• New Rule: Don't eat anything that's served to you out a window unless you're a seagull. People are acting all shocked that a human finger was found in a bowl of Wendy's chili. Hey, it cost less than a dollar. What did you expect it to contain?? Trout?
• New Rule: Stop saying that teenage boys who have sex with their hot, blonde teachers are permanently damaged. I have a better description for these kids: lucky bastards.
• New Rule: If you need to shave and you still collect baseball cards, you're a dope. If you're a kid, the cards are keepsakes of your idols. If you're a grown man, they're pictures of men.
• New Rule: Ladies, leave your eyebrows alone. Here's how much men care about your eyebrows: do you have two of them? Okay, we're done.
• New Rule: There's no such thing as flavored water. There's a whole aisle of this crap at the supermarket, water, but without that watery taste. Sorry, but flavored water is called a soft drink. You want flavored water? Pour some scotch over ice and let it melt. That's your flavored water.
• New Rule: Stop screwing with old people. Target is introducing a redesigned pill bottle that's square, with a bigger label. And the top is now the bottom. And by the time grandpa figures out how to open it, his ass will be in the morgue. Congratulations, Target, you just solved the Social Security crisis.
• New Rule: The more complicated the Starbucks order, the bigger the asshole. If you walk into a Starbucks and order a "decaf grande half-soy, half-low fat, iced vanilla, double-shot, gingerbread cappuccino, extra dry, light ice, with one sweet-n'-Low, and one NutraSweet," ooh, you're a huge asshole.
• New Rule: I'm not the cashier! By the time I look up from sliding my card, entering my PIN number, pressing "Enter," verifying the amount, deciding no, I don't want cash back, and pressing "Enter" again, the kid who is supposed to be ringing me up is standing there eating my Almond Joy.
• New Rule: Just because your tattoo has Chinese characters in it doesn't make you spiritual. It's right above the crack of your ass. And it translates to "beef with broccoli." The last time you did anything spiritual, you were praying to God you weren't pregnant. You're not spiritual. You're just high.
• New Rule: Competitive eating isn't a sport. It's one of the seven deadly sins. ESPN recently televised the U.S. Open of Competitive Eating, because watching those athletes at the poker table was just too damned exciting. What's next, competitive farting??? Oh wait!? They're already doing that. It's called "The Howard Stern Show."
• New Rule: I don't need a bigger mega M&Ms. If I'm extra hungry for M&Ms, I'll go nuts and eat two.
• New Rule: If you're going to insist on making movies based on crappy, old television shows, then you have to give everyone in the Cineplex a remote so we can see what's playing on the other screens. Let's remember the reason something was a television show in the first place is that the idea wasn't good enough to be a movie.
• New Rule: No more gift registries. You know, it used to be just for weddings. Now it's for babies and new homes and graduations from rehab. Picking out the stuff you want and having other people buy it for you isn't gift giving, it's the white people version of looting.
• New Rule: and this one is long overdue: No more bathroom attendants.? After I zip up, some guy is offering me a towel and a mint like I just had sex with George Michael. I can't even tell if he's supposed to be there, or just some freak with a fetish. I don't want to be on your web cam, dude. I just want to wash my hands.
• New Rule: When I ask how old your toddler is, I don't need to know in months. "27 Months." "He's two," will do just fine. He's not a piece of cheese. And I didn't really care in the first place.
• New Rule: If you ever hope to be a credible adult and want a job that pays better than minimum wage, then for God's sake don't pierce or tattoo every available piece of flesh. If so, then plan your future around saying, "Do you want fries with that?"

way to shop?

Macy's regional buying strategy is criticized

By SUZANNE KAPNERF
The New York Post

Even as Macy's spends millions of dollars to create a national brand through advertising and store renovations, behind the scenes the company still operates through seven regional buying offices, a system that analysts have panned as outdated and costly.

Macy's argues that its regional divisions allow it to better tailor merchandise for different stores, ensuring that marquee locations such as Macy's Herald Square carry more upscale items than do stores in less affluent neighborhoods.

But analysts point out that Macy's is one of the few large retailers to still rely on regional buying offices. J.C. Penney, Kohl's and Nordstrom are among those that have switched to central systems, yet manage to pepper stores with local flavor, these people said.

As Macy's sales continue to lag expectations, the company's cost structure is increasingly becoming a topic of conversation. This is especially true as savings from its merger with the May Department Stores Co. start to run their course.

"Macy's cost structure is too high, and, as a result, their prices are too high," said Robert Buchanan of A. G. Edwards. "That is a key reason why they are likely to lose market share."

Buchanan estimates that Macy's could save $100 million a year by eliminating all but two of its buying offices. He favors the retention of regional merchandise managers to ensure that products are tailored to individual stores.

Such a move would help bring Macy's expenses in line with competitors. According to Buchanan, Macy's expense-to- sales ratio is 32 percent compared with 27 percent for Nordstrom and 25 percent for both J.C. Penney and Kohl's.

Macy's has tried centralized buying in its home department with disastrous results, making it less likely the company would move quickly to streamline other divisions, observers said.

The move to central buying for bedding, furniture and other items for the home pre-dated Macy's, then known as Federated Department Stores, 2005 merger with the May Co.

Logistical problems with warehouse and distribution centers overwhelmed the Macy's team. Then the housing slump kicked in, further hurting sales of home goods, which have been among the company's weakest performers.

The pressure to cut costs by centralizing operations comes as Macy's finds it increasingly difficult to integrate the roughly 400 stores it acquired from the May Co.

Macy's is adding more promotions and adjusting merchandise through a seven-box grid. Prices range from good, better, best. Styles are lumped into four groups with traditional being the most conservative and fashion the most trendy.

Tinkering with the merchandise only works if consumers perceive products sold at Macy's to be of comparable or better value to what competitors are offering, analysts said.

For instance, towels sold at Macy's under its private label Charter Club brand for $16 stack up poorly against Target's Fieldcrest towels, which regularly go for $11.99, said Robert Passikoff of Brand Keys.