The Liberator Zeppelin: I LOVE this crazy thing!!

I had no idea what I was getting into when I ordered the Liberator Zeppelin. All I knew was that it looked like fun to me. That, I was right about.  

We put it in our living room and it has become everyone’s favorite place to be - to do homework, to read, to nap, for movie night, and, of course, for fooling around. It’s like a massive waterbed with none of the nausea. It moves with you and around you and feels just heavenly. And I love the pebbley texture of the one I picked out. It is so soft. The hard part is convincing any one of us to get off of it. It’s comfy enough to make you late for dinner!

What came as a surprise was how many boxes it came in, what a werid experience it would be to put together, and how enormous it would be. Although not one of those are complaints.

My advice? Be prepared.

The whole deal came in eight boxes total and they are heavy. Six of them contain the insides for the thing, and since they’re compressed, they were much heavier than they looked. So, bring a friend along for this little adventure.

Putting it together was a hoot. It’s a timing thing really. You have to undo all of the masses of tape holding the stuffing together and be sure it’s inside the inner cover before you unleash it. Because once you set it free from its plastic encasement, it starts growing. A lot. And you do not want that stuff all over the place.

And, word to the wise, set the Zeppelin up wherever you intend it to stay. Once it's assembled, it is heavy. H-E-A-V-Y. Heavy. That is what makes it so squishy and comfy and wonderful. But forewarned is forearmed. 

I knew it was eight feet by three feet when I ordered it. What I didn’t realize was that when it gets squashed down or over, it seems even bigger since it gets shorter in height and wider in diameter. It looks like the luxury beanbag that ate Manhattan after we play on it and before we fluff it back up! But it's a small price to pay for perhaps the best make-out spot ever!

Still, whatever temporary surprise or madness it caused, it was more than worth it. You could use this thing as a bed or a couch in a bedroom or family room or play room (interpret that however you like…) And Liberator makes a ton of different styles and sizes. So if the Zeppelin doesn’t suit, they probably have one that does.

They also have different shapes of very firm pillows to use in the bedroom to make various positions easier. And those you can hide away in the closet when not in use!

And now, I gotta go, my Zeppelin is calling…

BB Design Fine Furnishings Massive Memorial Day Sale

It's the biggest warehouse sale they've ever had at their Frisco location.  In fact, it's actually two huge sales in one location.

Sale #1 - Everything in the warehouse sale is marked up to 90% off.  The sale will be held Friday 5/27, Saturday 5/28 & Memorial Day.  The sale hours will be during normal business hours 10:00AM-5:00PM.  Doors will open at 10:00 AM. 

Big time markdowns on name brands like Century, Hickory Chair, Maitland Smith, John Richard, Sherrill, Taylor King, Henredon & more! 

**Due to limited space, no strollers or young children permitted.  No refunds, returns, or exchanges.  Everything is sold as is.  Prices are non-negotiable.  Cash & Carry.

Sale #2  - All regularly priced inventory will also be an additional 10% off IBB's already competitive prices!

For more info visit them on the web.

And, like them on Facebook.

The Heart Attack Grill: Killing customers and laughing all the way to the bank

The food is free if you're over 350 pounds. The burgers are named the single, double, triple, and quadruple bypass. The shakes are made of butterfat. If you think it sounds like some Hollywood conceived nightmare, think again. It's the real thing. It's the Heart Attack Grill.

First opened in Arizona in 2005, it opened Friday, May 13 (how apropos) in Dallas, TX. Some call it a gimmick. But it's more than that. It's a scary invitation to eat yourself to the grave and people are signing up for the ride.

The "brains" behind this operation is Jon Bosso, who calls himself Dr. Jon. He used to own a series of Jenny Craig's. He wanted to make changes to help his clients but was not allowed by corporate. So he flew the coop and open HAG. He claims that the place is somehow shock therapy to help people see just how bad overeating can be.

I not only doubt that. I don't believe it all all. My guess is that there's more money in catering to people's weaknesses than trying to help them overcome. Not that the latter is his responsibility. But do we really want to contribute to the obesity epidemic in any way? Perceived or otherwise?

Customers have to wear hospital gowns. The waitresses are dressed like nurses on a porn set. And Bosso is dressed as a doc, of course. There's a blood pressure machine and a massive scale in the restaurant, as well as a wheelchair. Why the wheelchair you ask?

Apparently if you finish a tripe or quadruple bypass burger, a "private" nurse will wheel you to your car.

Also on the menu are unfiltered cigarettes and flatliner fries. Fried in lard, but of course. It might be funny if these things were on the menu but no one actually ordered them. But that's all that's on the menu and people certainly are ordering them.

I suppose Mr. Bosso has the right to open the Heart Attack Grill. But it sure would be nice if folks felt at least the teensiest bit of social responsibility. Does anyone really need to be adding to the world's problems?

After meeting Bosso, I feel even more sure of the insidiousness of this enterprise. The man is not jovial about what he's created. He's perfectly pleased with himself.  Smug, in fact.

And there's something almost haughty and self-possessed about the guy as he strides through the aisles praising the massive customers. You can almost see him rubbing his hands together, throwing his head back, and letting out an evil "Ah ha ha ha" like some character from an old B horror film.

It all comes down the question of whether you use your powers for good rather than evil. You have to wonder when the last time was that the guy took a long, hard look in the mirror. I'd like to think that if he knew this wasn't a joke, maybe he'd reconsider. But I doubt it.

If you happen to be reading this, Mr. Bosso, I have a question for you. You already killed your spokesperson. (At 29. And Bosso admitted to being part of his death.) Who's next?

For more on the Dallas opening, read The Heart Attack Grill is Open, and It's Even More Terrible Than We Imagined on the Dallas Observer blog City of Ate.

Mad Hatter's Ball...Ummmm, is anyone else in costume?

I had a bit of an Elle Woods in Legally Blonde moment. You know the scene when Elle shows up at the party dressed as a Playboy bunny and no one else is in costume?

In my case if was a full on Mad Hatter’s costume and a few other people were in costume. But I did feel like I went a little overboard as I stepped out of the car and watched other guests enter the event in cocktail dresses and wild hats.  Oops.

Not to mention that I didn’t notice that my hat said 420/69 on it where the 10/6 should be. Sigh. A couple of handsome, drunk guys generously pointed it out to me though. Not sure I played it off very well.

But it did prepare me for when two older ladies asked me about the meaning. I just took a deep breath, giggled, and said it meant something naughty and definitely not appropriate for the neighborhood Halloween party.

The event was the Mad Hatter’s Ball, the Lakewood Service League’s annual, spring fundraiser.  This year it was held at Lofty Spaces all decked-out as Wonderland with TrueBeautyRX as the event’s presenting sponsor.

As for the food, there was a dinner buffet by Wolfgang Puck Catering and the cutest dessert buffet with jars of jelly bellys, giant swirly lollipops, and gourmet versions of childhood snack cakes like Twinkies and Ring Dings. A live band and casino games were the entertainment for the evening.

The live auction included all sorts of high-end trips and packages and the silent auction had some impressive packages as well. As far as I could tell, they raised some serious cash, including $7,500 in donations (outside of the auction) to send nine teenage mothers and pregnant teens to a summer camp support program.   

After one martini with a sugar swizzle stick, I forgot all about my costume. Now if I can just remember to fix that hat before Halloween.

Here at the top ten looks for the night:

Playing Subject to Photographer George Krause

There’s something very warm and inviting about the way photographer George Krause not just looks at, but sees people. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve known him for years or just met him, he’s equally as interested in discovering your story through his lens.

You might not know you were in the presence of greatness from his casual, Saturday afternoon style of dress to his laidback demeanor. But the guy’s a rock star by all counts.

Krause graduated from the Philadelphia College of Art and was honored with the first Prix de Rome and the first Fulbright/Hays grant ever awarded to a photographer. He also has two Guggenheim fellowships and three grants from the National Endowment for the Arts under his belt.

His work is all about that talent he has for looking and seeing and watching and capturing. This Saturday he was taking Sfumato portraits at the Photographs Do Not Bend Gallery doing exactly that. And I was exited to go.

Krause photographed me several years ago at his studio in Wimberley, TX. So I thought to might be fun to have a go at it again since this clearly would be a very different experience. That first time around was a nude, full body shot.

It was such a crazy day. It was cold and raining and you have to stand in this big light box to be photographed that is just a short walk from his house. So, you’re naked and cold and in this barn type of space, trying not to shiver (or giggle for that matter) while the photograph is taken. 

This time was much easier. Krause was taking head and shoulder portraits using his smaller, portable light box.  Several people were at the studio when I arrived on Saturday just after noon with my girlfriend and daughter (who were also there to be photographed).

I was tickled that Krause remembered me despite it being so long since we had seen one another. He gave me a big hug and told me all about his new large, portable light box that he’s hoping to bring to Dallas before too long to do another a series of nudes.

Then he invited me to step into the box. It’s actually a bit more like an open cave then a box. At 5 feet tall, even with very high heels on, I had to stand on several wooden boxes in order for the light to hit in just the right spot, which also means that my head was almost touching the top of the “cave.” Then he snapped a few shots and he was off to the next subject.     

Krause invited me to come out to his studio again some time, which I look forward to doing before too long, and then we said our good-byes. As I walked through the small showing of his work at the gallery, I was reminded again of why I enjoy his work so much.

Krause’s photographs slow the world down to a complete stop at an instant when one might never otherwise think of stopping. And I am grateful for the opportunity to not just look but, instead, like Krause, to really see.

NKOTBSB

I can't believe it. I never got to see either of them years ago in their prime (or mine) but I am finally going to get to see New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys in concert together. To make it even cooler, I'm going to see them at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, which looks to be a super cool venue.

For tickets to this tour stop or others, visit their site.