seven deadly wine glasses, one for each delectable sin… check out the whole collection at HAMILTON DESIGN (limited edition, inquire for cost). thanks to DOUG over at COCKTAIL CAPERS for scoping out these sick glasses…

perfect for the trailer park bachelorette party, or any yacht-based bridal shower… not to mention that fun meet the family pre-wedding cook-out you have to attend. this awesomely glittery beer cozy is sure to keep that bud cold. the best part is it’s only $8 at MARYPHILLIPSDESIGNS.COM

as a creative person, this is the most important pending legislation i have come across. unless your head has been buried in the sand for the last few years, you’ll know that as americans our democratic freedoms are disappearing as quickly as the polar ice caps. if you don’t know this, get with it. this particular bill, however, has really struck a nerve with me. my fellow bloggers and readers, i think it will with you too.

in a nutshell… if this bill (the U.S. Orphan Works Bills, H.R. 5889 and S. 2913, introduced into the House and Senate on April 24, 2008) is passed we will not inherently own our work. this includes music, blog entries, photos, doodles, etc. if we don’t pay to register our creations with some yet to be formed commercial registration office, we will have no commercial right to our work.

apparently, google has all ready announced that it plans to publish and disseminate anything they can find on the web, free and clear! theoretically, walt disney can swipe that sketch you made on your napkin, totally legally. in fact, they can xerox your sketch book and sell it for a million bucks, and be done with it. perhaps you think you can win in court against a big corporation in an instance such as this? think again…

here’s a little story, i attempted to copyright the name CELESTIAL COCKTAILS for myself (this was before i’d thought of INTOXICATED ZODIAC). well, guess who came a knockin” on my door talkin all sorts of legal action? CELESTIAL SEASONINGS, that’s who! so, what do cocktails and tea have in common? apart from a long island iced tea, i have no idea. but they won and i walked.

hey, but that’s ok, i’m safe… after all, i legally copyrighted all of my original astrology designs with the same intellectual property lawyer who won kate spade’s lawsuit against the gap. ha ha ha… this new law will force you to re-copyright anything and everything you ever created. all for a small fee of course.

are you breathing a sigh of relief because you don’t make your lively hood as an artist or blogger? well you are still not safe. home video recordings, cell phone photos, scrapbook entries, hell your kinky sex videos, are all fair game to the all mighty US corporation.

so watch this video on youtube and go to this website to sign petitions. spread the word… we have to stop this one peeps!

READ MORE:

IPA Statement to House Subcommittee March 20, 2008

Geneva/ May 7, 2008 Orphan Works Bill Catches Global Attention/ Intellectual Property Watch

More YouTube vids

MP3 Interview

those of you who rock outside the usa…

well after this weekend i think we can all agree that summer has arrived. 100 degrees in the first week of june… hmnn… definitely not normal weather. welcome to the end times. so if we’re all going out, let’s make it as fun as we can. and if there’s one sign that knows how to do that, it’s gemini. sign of the fun-lovin twins in these fun-loving days.

gemini’s accelerated mental facilities are certainly an asset in the accelerated times which in we are now living. these chicks can multi task like nobody’s business. especially when it comes to men and drinks. no gemini can have just one, so tickle her fancy with gemini’s feathery fennel. yes, it’s time to pop a cherry fennel cocktail and deflower your mouth.

FENNEL CHERRY POPPER

5 SPRIGS FENNEL (baby fennel has more flavor)
5 cherries
1 tbsp raw sugar
1 oz fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 oz mineral water
1 oz gin
1/2 oz maraschino liqueur
ice

muddle fennel and whole cherries with sugar, lemon and gin until macerated and sugar is dissolved. add gin, maraschino liqueur, mineral water and ice. stir very well and strain into martini glass. garnish with gemini’s fennel and libra’s cherry.

Aussie cosmetics brand, AESOP, recycled its medicinal glass bottles into a beautiful ceiling fixture. so, here’s an idea little miss. interior decorator… next time you design a trendy bar, recycle its old beer and bottles into a similarly exquisite fixture. VIA COOL HUNTER

check out these amazing pieces of body art… it’s hard to believe they are actually painted bodies. one for each sign of the zodiac. pay a visit to ASTROLOGYWEEKLY.COM to see the other ten signs.

the workaholic honey bee is certainly one of saturn’s capricornian minions. pay homage to the hardest working insect of the zodiac and enjoy this classic tipple. bees are like any other capricorn… without them… the world would grind to a halt. the goat, or bee, sees to it that things happen, deadlines get met, honey gets made, savings accounts are opened, combs of honey are stored for winter, ect. so thank your fellow capricorn next time you get the chance for keeping the spokes of our big world wheel turning.

don’t forget to also thank the honey bee by:

***planting a garden (yes one plant on your city rooftop does count),

***buying organic produce (and avoiding GM foods like corn, white rice, papaya. unfortunately, the only way to be sure you are avoiding GM foods is to buy organic due to the absence of government required labeling)

***minimizing your use of pesticides (rethink your lawn care and try going au natural. or practice integrated pest management)

***limiting the use of your cell phone (and all other wireless devices. FYI, these are also bad for us.)

***for the very ambitious among us, raising a hive. it’s not as hard as it sounds, and can be quite meditative.)

***taking government action: read here on how germany just outlawed several pesticides. (god forbid the US could so something as intelligent and progressive as that.)

SAVE THE BEES KNEES
2 oz organic gin
3/4 oz organic honey syrup*
1/2 oz fresh organic lemon juice

*make honey syrup by mixing equal parts hot water and honey. stir until dissolved.

Another five star martini month is coming your way dear Aries. Lucky you! Adopt Capricorn’s mantra: work hard, play hard, drink hard. The goat won’t steer you wrong. Make sure and hit all the happy hours you can with work buddies to boot.

All though no good time is a good time to procrastinate, this month is an especially bad time to procrastinate. Take your bull by the horns and get the job done. That may be cleaning out the bull’s dirty stall, finally getting your bartending certificate or finishing that project that has been hanging over your head. Just do it, but don’t forget to treat yourself to a well deserved nightcap along the way. A bull’s gotta have some fun after all…

Happy birthday dear Gemini! The heavens have unwrapped a fantastic month in your honor. It would be rude not to enjoy this celestial gift to its fullest potential. So in light of that, I advise you to dance, drink, create and explore with sheer abandon. this is your time birthday girl. So go ahead, call in sick and and take a long weekend. Be sure to fit as many pina coladas into it as you can!

All though it may seem like you are taking two steps forward and one step backwards, rest assured that nothing could be further from the truth. You’ll be pleased to hear, dear cancer, that June will actually be quite a productive month for you. And as you well know, productive doesn’t usually mean easy, and now is no exception. Make sure you have a bottle of the good stuff close at hand. I hear a stiff drink calling your name…

Make like you have a hangover from last month’s wild party dear leo. sleep in, eat chocolate, chat on the phone, be a couch potato. When the headache subsides, promise me you won’t go back for more. Instead, Take a walk in the woods, learn to meditate, write in your journal, take a class. It’s time to get in touch with your inner leo, and this month, drinking alone is a good thing.

I hope you got some good relaxing done last month, for this month holds a fair amount of work. Which you don’t dislike by the way, Virgo’s kind of get off on working hard. But like most people, you also like to see results. Sorry to disappoint you dear virgo, but this month all the fruits of your labor will happen behind the scenes. Just know that they are indeed happening. So go ahead, allow yourself a drink or two…

Put your thinking cap on this month dear libra. You’ll find yourself contemplating life, and of course this is best accomplished with the aid of alcohol. cooking can be a meditative process, and by extension bar cheffing. Get inspired by a creative cocktail recipe and make it your masterpiece. your overtaxed mind will welcome the distraction, and your taste buds will welcome the deliciousness.

Is your tried and true bevvie of choice just not working for you anymore? Good! Cut it loose and try something new. That applies to energy-sapping friends, destructive tendencies, outdated thought patterns. old habits die hard, but with the help of this month’s planetary aspects, it should be a little easier to kill them. And while your at it, kill the bottle too.

Your relationships will take center stage this month dear sag. This can range from heated discussions with your coworkers, to romantic conversations with your partner, to intense debates with family, to intriguing dialogue with your local bartender. It’s all about social dynamics, and politics ain’t easy. Just ask obama. Stock up on extra martini makings… you might well need them.

So many men, so little time. er, I mean, so much work so little time. Sorry to get your hopes up dear horney capricorney. Hopefully you squeezed in some lustful fun last month because this month you won’t have time for any trysts in the stairwell. You’ll barely have time to drink. But, as There’s nothing that cappie like more than routine, I’m sure you’ll find time to mix your nightly nightcap. Work hard, drink harder…

Focus on fun dear aquarius. Be sure to visit plenty of friends, just be sure to have a cocktail shaker on hand too. You’ll wanna get the party started with month, and what better way to do that than through the utilization of your very own specialty cocktails? or, have a marTEAni party with some children… make pretend bar cheffing is always fun to a four year old! Like I said, just have fun.

The change that got underway last month continues into this month, prodding you to let go of unhealthy habits, friends, jobs and diet. there is no such thing as a useless cocktail, but one can certainly do with a change of night cap once in a while. Now is that time. Embrace it, and as you sip, remember that change is good.