The Coolest Kids in Town: a blog about Baltimore, DC, and the misadventures of two-city life.

Well friends, it's Festivus , which means the holiday season is winding down fast and pretty soon you'll be fighting off the dreary days of January while counting down the seconds till Spring. However, if the thought of facing all that snow is already giving you cabin fever - fear not, as masters of procrastination we here at TCKiT are ready to pass on to you some of our time-wasting wisdom. Ridicule and Oregon Trail are two of my favorite things, I devoted hours to them as a child, and now some brilliant person has taken the best part of the latter (hunting, obvi), combined it with all of the former, and created a hunting trip with would-be VP Sarah Palin; together you take aim at (endangered) wild game on the Alaskan tundra and get points for everything you kill, it's really a thing of beauty. Just be sure you don't accidentally hit the little McCains who appear from behind trees because that'll cost you points. If you get tired of playing, addicting games (...

Texas likes to spare you pain. Texas likes to spare you suffering. And thus, dear reader, Texas would like to spare you 'Twilight.' If you've been thinking of caving in to (ex) friends and/or (not so) loved ones who would like you to go see this film, let me save you your $8.00 and tell you everything you need to know right here: I give it a grade of...... F-minus. I'm not going to summarize the movie for you, because every single other site on the internet has done that. Instead, I'm just going to let you know: 'Twilight' is terrible. The acting sucks, the lighting is that stupid gray wash (which I thought we had all moved past, Film Industry ), the dialogue is stilted and awkward, the premises are unbelievable (200 years old, immense wealth and unlimited power and the vampires choose to repeat high school ? Really?), and the overt abstinence messages are disingenuous and insulting in their delivery. I want my money back.* *Actually, I don't - I live i...

I am so ready...

Everybody In... Vests: Leather: Cords: Khaki... A Go-go: Country: Groove: Rock: Soul: Swing: Holiday 1: 2: Love Train: Crazy Stripes/Love Train: West Side Story America (When you're a Jean): Cool (When you're a Khaki): Are you a Jean or a Khaki?: Loose Fit/Stretch Fit: Stretch Fit: Loose Fit: Celebrity Endorsements Lena Horne: Claire Danes/Patrick Wilson: Mary J. Blige: Aerosmith: Common: Luscious Jackson: Madonna/Missy Elliot: Willie Nelson/Ryan Adams: Will Ferrell: Audrey Hepburn: the skinny black pant and my personal favorite of all time - Juliette Lewis/Daft Punk : Black&White/Denim Invasion Ashton, Zooey, Scarlett & Jay: Orlando & Kate: Miscellaneous Jessica Miller: the pants of fall Bonus : A pretty decent effort by Gonzaga High:

So you're sitting at work. You're bored. You want to get connected to the world, but you're sick of checking cnn.com, and the BBC uses too many big words for you to understand. Also, too few pictures. For so long, you would have wallowed in ignorance and silence. Well, no longer: Tex and Coda are here to save you. First, you're going to check out BuzzFeed . After that, you're going to set a new bookmark for Dark Roasted Blend , your morning mix of interesting and odd stories from around our world. If you're the type who's a little more image-conscious, then you're going to want to check out Frost Fire Zoo , a daily blog of funny, interesting and odd images from around the world. If you happen to be feeling a little fancy, you can check out Unusual Life , a site that collects images and stories about all the unique homes, museums, and other institutions from around the world. And last, but not least, we have our Ol' Faithful: Oddee , a collection of l...

Well kids it’s fashion week in New York, which means the world’s highest paid consumers are seated in tents at Bryant Park right now while bloggers, oglers, and the odd stylist are seated behind them soaking it all in; but thanks to the internet it also means that even if you weren’t one of them you can still get all the details. pretty much lives up to its name, as a blog about the latest goings on in the world of high fashion. Their posts are generally about models, designers, new lines, everyone ripping off everyone else's designs, the staff's crippling obsession with Gossip Girl (which I totally share), and a fun little section called ‘streetwalker’ where they stop fantastically dressed people on the street near the Fashionista office in SoHo and take their picture. The site in general can be a little pretentious and name-droppy (which makes when they get stuff wrong sort of refreshing – see the entry when they mixed up their Olsens ) but they do have great insider infor...

I'm in love with a new site: It's an awesome little travel site meets social networking site. It's Lonely Planet meets Facebook , and I am loving it. On the site, you can create a page, make lists of your favorite places, best and worst travel experiences, etc. You can also make recommendations to other readers, network and coordinate travel, check out trip reviews, and even keep an interactive map/journal of your own experiences! Best of all? It's free. Love it. Leave me a note in the comments if you want an invite! Also... The best site I've found so far for international travel search. Like Kayak , it searches multiple carriers' websites at once, so you really can find some fantastic deals. I use it whenever I buy flights to get my second opinion. My first opinion, however, still comes from: Kayak is the best travel search website that I've found so far. It reliably provides low prices, it searches multiple carriers, and it's fast and simple, requir...

So being broke makes Texas want to shop. Sick, right? Well, in vain hope that my little dance around the internet will make it rain, I am presenting to you Texas' top 5 shopping sites. They are, in order: 1) Uncrate is the coolest little mens' shopping guide since Esquire got pages. It lists cool stuff by category, gives price in the lower left corner, and always finds the hottest before it's hot. I like to shop here for watches and cool tools. However, if you're more interested in engaging your feminine side... 2) Outblush is the sister site of Uncrate , and although the more enlightened women among us will find it a little difficult to swallow (women don't even have a category for watches, let alone tools (although "gadgets" is offered), it's overall a cool site, designed in the same style as its masculine counterpart. 3) I know I've already posted about ThisNext , but that's how much I love it - I'm telling you again. This is a really...

Boy, it's been a while, hasn't it, folks? Well, to refresh your palate for some total TCKiT deliciousness, I have composed a post of the funniest comics we've found on the web lately. Kill some time, have some laughs. You'll love it! (Love not guaranteed) First up, the awesome Achewood . The characters are based on a pile of stuffed animals; there's a 5 yr old, an IT guy, a couple of drunks, an elder gentleman and some really hilarious references. Sample below: Next, check out Dr. McNinja . He is a doctor who is also a ninja. Although I think he is predominately a ninja. Sample! If you're not dead with laughter yet, move on to #3 - Don't Forget to Validate Your Parking ! The best part about this comic is the dialogue. It's like a graphic novel version of Entourage , and just as funny. The narrator is a young screenwriter, and the comic centers around the friends, agents, and clients in his life. Sample, people, sample: Last, but certainly not least, chec...

For those of you who are like me and just got terribly depressed when they realized that winter won't be ending any time soon I'm here to offer my solidarity and a healthy dose of distraction; neither of which will involve blackberry wine and orange Fanta. First up: TV. I’ll be honest, I couldn’t be happier about the end of the writer’s strike, and while I count down the seconds until the new Office episodes begin I feed my John Krasinski addiction on Sidereel. Sidereel might have its faults (the wait for a show to load can be longer than some of my classes), but I love it for being one of the final holdouts against those bastards at the RIAA – all the shows on Sidereel are both free of commercials and charge. For those of you who’d like to like to turn your attention in a more musical direction start with Deezer. Deezer lets you stream music from their impressive database, and if you become a member (sign up is free) then you can create and save your own playlists to keep c...

Alright, people. The day is here: March 4th. Date of the Texas primary elections. Remember, y'all, it's a two-step process: Primary THEN caucus. Find out more about the Texas Voting Process here. Find your polling place. Find your caucus place. And on March 4, 2008, do the right thang. A lot of people worked very hard to make sure you were able to vote today, people. Don't waste it. And in case you're undecided? Here is this:

Being blessed as I am with the attention span of a gnat, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that I spend about half the time I’m supposed to devote to Kant and Kuhn searching for new music or impossible to find songs that I heard once about six years ago. Lucky for me the internet is around. When in search of new music I head for pure volume. Pure volume took over where the now defunct mp3.com left off, giving both signed and unsigned bands a chance to be seen and heard. Bands can make a page and give as much or as little information about themselves as they want, most add music, and some even link to their personal websites or their iTunes site. Best of all the search feature is easy to use and there are a plethora of charts, videos, tour dates, and new album listings, making browsing effortless. Or maybe you’ve been looking for an album by an unsigned/foreign/long broken up band? Check out Shopindi.com. I know, I know, it sounds like the only thing you’ll be finding on a place ...

Babies, Texas done gone and mixed her up some alkyhol. And because she is a generous type, she's going to share the recipe with you. Now, keep in mind, this is a drink only for the classiest among you; it is an elementary recipe, but one guaranteed to rattle your tastebuds. Get prepared for episode one of Truck Stop Bartender, featuring... The Paternity Test! (working title) Oh, yeaaaahhh..... Alls you gotta do is take one part Orange Fanta and slap it in the face with one part Mogen David (or a substitute of comparable quality) Blackberry Wine and bam, baby. There it is. I'll be taking name suggestions. + = awesome.

Do I even need words?

We here at TCKiT know that if there's one thing the American public loves, it's responsibility. No, seriously - you better love it. And if you don't, you better take two shots of rojo , paste on your best botox smile , and tell it you think you're ready to move in together. Because baby, it's time. That said, check out the following three links to get a better handle on the gorgeous little bundle of HANDLE IT that's about to come screaming into the world exactly 9 months from right now. Start with VA Joe's Candidate Calculator to get a handle on who you even like. Answer a series of (fairly) simple questions and get at least an idea of who you'd like, custom made while you wait! Then hop on over to MPR's Select A Candidate to get a second opinion. (Yes, that's MPR, not NPR, you pedantic jackholes.) After you are done there, hit up 270 to Win , where you can get an immediate visual and check to see if your pony (party) is ahead. And last, but n...

So Texas is gray tonight, sweeties, and in honor of that fact, Texas is making a list of the saddest 25 songs she thinks she's ever heard. Pitch in if you want. 1. I Can't Make You Love Me - Bonnie Raitt “Turn down the lights; turn down the bed. Turn down these voices inside my head/ Lay down with me, tell me no lies: just hold me close - don't patronize. Don’t patronize me.” About: Self-explanatory. 2. Brick - Ben Folds Five “She’s a brick and I’m drowning slowly – off the coast and I’m heading nowhere. She’s a brick, and I’m drowning slowly.” About: His teenage girlfriend's abortion the day after Christmas. 3. Angie - The Rolling Stones “Angie…Angie…when will those clouds all disappear? Angie…Angie… where will it lead us from here? With no loving in our souls and no money in our coats, you can’t say we’re satisfied…but Angie…Angie, you cant say we never tried.” About: Love as a casualty of poverty and time. 4. Fast Car - Tracy Chapman “You got a fast car; I want ...

It's a good day. I recommend you celebrate today by doing what I like to do: listen to the I Have A Dream Speech , delivered in 1963 from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and believe in America, in yourself, and in the human spirit again. If you like video , see the man speak here.

Want to shop crazy expensive designer brands in private sales for ridiculous percentages off? Then you want an ideeli invite. Leave your email in the comments if you're in.

OK, so usually I try to keep things in a theme, which I am sure you people appreciate because you are relatively classy individuals. However, today, I am so inundated with really cool shit that I can barely walk, let alone organize it into a simplified theme. With that in mind, I give you: Meebo , a website where you can go and, with absolutely no obligation or messy downloads, logins, or extra windows, use your AIM, Yahoo! messenger, GoogleTalk, MSN messenger, or ICQ in-place. It's awesome for if you happen to be at work, or in a library or the computer section of a BestBuy or something like that. GrandCentral by Google is a website that lets you register a phone number in any part of the US, then have your calls forwarded through that number to a number of your choice. Allows for great consolidation - the only downside is that your callers will be required to state their name before the call will even connect. If you call that a downside. ELDUB is a random, cool, visually appea...

Good morning, babies. Texas is back at work and back in Texas. Fortunately, I had a spectacular winter break, so that means I'm starting out the day feeling charitable. And greedy. Hence, this: Join up at Moola to play fun, free online games. The site is ad-supported, so there's a buttload of commercials everywhere you look, but the games are pretty awesome and more importantly, you can win money! You start with a free, site-given penny, then build your way up by doubling it on each win. At eleven dollars, you can cash out! Now, that is not to say that I am all about building my stacks/stacking my cash. Sometimes I like to use my furious finger-clicking skills to help out the little guy. This is why my homepage is set to Search Kindly . It's a website where, through your everyday google searches (pineapple hat, pictures of Mount Everest, Welshman dating, drawing scooby doo), you can donate funds to a charity or non-profit organization. Yeah, that's right. Do something ...

Hey y'all! I'm back in CSTX and quietly winding down from a beatific winter holiday. On Monday, the posts will begin anew, but for now, I'm tired and lazy. So I'll offer my personal favorite thing to get for free - laughs. Check out Achewood , the best comic I've read to date, web or not. A sample below: Peace!