Pretty Numbers

Federal reserve in action

2009-06-17T06:44:00.000-07:00

My thumbs!

2009-05-08T07:39:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up and occasionally these days so many people told me I had 'weird thumbs' and I didn't really understand why. I just thought everyone's thumbs looked like mine. But it turns out I have what is officially known as 'clubbed thumbs' and, only about .4% of the population has this genetic trait. I found a blog dedicated which contains some interesting facts about us clubbers. Apparently it used to be a sign of European nobility. Also palm readers call it 'murderer thumbs' because a disproportionate number of killers have this trait. Hmmmmmmmmmmm. Anyway, it's good to know I'm not deformed.

Fun friday song

2009-05-01T08:23:00.000-07:00

This is a such a perfect song. It's a really catchy David Byrne'seyesque little tune that has all of the instruments and vocals doing something different but they sort of weave around one another and it comes together perfectly. I also like the feeling of the resolve once the verse starts after the chorus. It's subtle but it's a great release.

Losing my lunch

2009-04-30T07:43:00.000-07:00

This was the most disturbing part of last night's press conference:

President Barack Obama said Wednesday night that waterboarding authorized by former President George W. Bush was torture and that the information it gained from terror suspects could have been obtained by other means. "In some cases, it may be harder," he conceded at a White House news conference capping a whirlwind first 100 days in office.

How could he possibly know that this information could have been obtained in other ways? What if they couldn't obtain the information in other ways? Will he be held accountable for the deaths of Americans if G-d forbid they occur when it could have possibly been prevented?

I also noticed that when Obama made the statement that waterboarding is torture, he followed it up with 'And I'm not the only one who thinks this way' or something to that effect. It sounded so juvenile to me. As if he isn't confident enough in his own views and feels he has to prove that people are backing him up.

I'm not sure if I'm more disgusted or frightened.

Speaking of stupid girls....

2009-04-30T07:27:00.000-07:00

If by any chance you are female and are in a self hating kind of mood and you want to be treated like the dumbest girl on the planet, bring your bike to get repaired. Wow. Those skinny bike shop guys really treat you like an imbecile. This probably works for car repairs as well.

Perpetuating the stereotype

2009-04-30T06:06:00.000-07:00

Cmon models! You can do better than that! It's almost like they are trying to act dumb. That's the best they could come up with about their moms?

It's like i don't even recognize you anymore

2009-04-24T09:06:00.001-07:00

god I'm sick of this 'going green' sh*t. Last night I was wandering around my old stomping grounds - Avenue A where Peter and I used to party till the break of dawn and then at sunrise get potato perogies at odessa's. There was this cafe we loved called Alt coffee right next door. I brought lots of visitors there because it was a great place to catch up on a Sunday, had lots freakos and of course great coffee.

One Sunday about six months ago I went back but it just wasn't the same. I was talking on my cell phone and the barista came up to me and flashed a sign that said 'no talking on the cell phone'. WTF? Can a cafe really do that? Tell you not to talk on the phone?

Then last night I realized it was completely renovated and under new ownership and is now an organic/eco friendly/sustainable/green/recycable/biodegradable friendly cafe/store. Seriously. It says that on the window. One of those places where people feel really good about themselves because they bought a change purse made out of plastic that would have otherwise ended up at a landfill. I had to text Peter the news.

Me: Alt coffee is now an organic/eco friendly /sustainable/green/recycable/biodegradable friendly cafe/store.
Peter: That's good to know. Happy belated earth day.

The Twittersphere

2009-04-14T09:51:00.000-07:00

Hysterical

Via JW

So much wedding bliss makes me sentimental

2009-04-14T08:32:00.001-07:00

I've been playing this song over and over today. What a beautiful line - 'Try your wings'. I hope to move out of New York and when I do, I will be playing this song on the way out.

Shmoldova

2009-04-13T11:09:00.000-07:00

Thousands take to the streets in violent anti-government protests in a little smudge of a country somewhere in Eastern Europe. Obama is silent, of course.

Why care about hundreds of pro-freedom demonstrators beaten in the streets and jailed in cells once run by the KGB? Obama's congressional intimates are busy flying to Havana to adore the Castro brothers. (So much for the pro-democracy Cubans rotting in Fidel's prisons: Guantanamo bad; Cuban torture chambers? Viva la revolucion!).

What a world

2009-03-26T10:20:00.000-07:00

As soldiers are in harms way in Iraq and Afghanistan and amidst one of the worst recessions in history, the Senate is working on legislation that is the equivalent to a fantasy football league.

UNRWA : LORDS OF MISERY

2009-03-06T07:02:00.000-08:00

Via JIDF

Love, dogfights, and tacos

2009-02-17T11:28:00.000-08:00

I rewatched Amores Perros this past weekend, one of my favorite movies. It also happens to have a stellar soundtrack with this Nacha Pop song being the highlight. Mix in some Gael Garcia eye candy and you are pretty much set for the next two and a half minutes. For your viewing pleasure:

Daily dose of jew hating

2009-02-15T09:48:00.000-08:00

With all of these angry and border line violent anti-Israel protests going on all over the world these days, one can see how easy it is to hide behind a cause and inevitably reveal their anti-semitism. As scary as it is, it makes sense for the general public to keep silent about antisemitism when it is covered up by a demand for 'freedom' and an 'end to oppression'. However when there is no cover up in sight, when it is publicly clear that one should hate the Jews and strangle them and eat their heads, and I still do not see anyone coming out against it, this is what is more frightening than ever. Hatred accepted by the general public is a slippery slope.

Via mererhetoric

Don't Hate

2009-02-14T16:56:00.001-08:00

I don't really understand the whole hating on Valentine's bit. I feel like if the holiday doesn't mean anything to you, there's no reason to be all bitter about it. The way I see it, we should thank all of those people who spend money on crappy flowers and three course meals because at least it makes them happy and stimulates the economy to boot!

And anyway, if we should be thankful for anything on Valentines day it should be Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown, my absolute favorite of the Charlie Brown specials. Vince Guaraldi's warm jazzy piano plays throughout and there's the classic good griefs, and brooding Charlie pining over a redhead and my personal favorite - Schroeder at the piano being obsessed over by the slightly psycho Lucy. Schulz is truly a genius.

If you are going to talk about yourself all of the time...

2009-02-12T12:26:00.000-08:00

At least try to sound like an interesting person.

Thanks,
PN

Obama's new press secretary

2009-02-11T11:48:00.000-08:00

Have we found him?

I have never seen anyone so happy to get a meaningless answer than this guy.

Get ready for the lovefest!

2009-01-27T07:22:00.000-08:00

I can't wait for the Muslim world to start hugging us now that Obama chose Arabic television for his first formal interview. He has really demonstrated his diplomacy and his words will damage Al Qaeda more than any number of troops or bombs or explosions. We should all learn from such a mature and level headed leader.

Wow, I think I can actually get through the next four years just being sarcastic.

By the way did anyone catch the interview on TV? I did and I have to say I became extremely uncomfortable when Obama got to the following part. I felt he was trying a little too hard to say the 'right' thing.

“Israel is a strong ally of the United States. They will not stop being a strong ally of the United States. And I will continue to believe that Israel's security is paramount, But I also believe that there are Israelis who recognize that it is important to achieve peace. They will be willing to make sacrifices if the time is appropriate and if there is serious partnership on the other side.”

Bloggy sleepy

2009-01-11T21:26:00.000-08:00

I should be blogging more often but this time my excuse is valid. I've been in Europe for the past two weeks. I owe big big thank you's to those that sent holiday gifts so those are coming your way in the snail mail. Details about my trip to come....

Now that's no girly man

2008-12-15T12:20:00.000-08:00

My second thought after 'what a fucking fuckhead' after I watched the video of a shoe being thrown at the President was that Bush has AMAZING reflexes. This only confirms my belief that Bush is a man's man. Not only did he duck with perfect timing, he was completely calm throughout and if you notice in the clip, he nonchalantly reassures the secret service that he is ok immediately after the second shoe was thrown. No drama, no nothing. What a guy.

What I've learned in the past two weeks

2008-12-11T08:14:00.000-08:00

Those with the biggest egos I've ever encountered are either
a)doctors or b)musicians.

I suspect these same people have really low self esteem.

Beginning of the end

2008-11-19T10:24:00.000-08:00

Obama can't keep his promise and hires lobbyists to work in the White House.

Last Laugh

2008-11-17T09:52:00.000-08:00

This is a compilation of interviews with Peter Schiff (Ron Paul's economic advisor), an accomplished economist who warned against the current market down turn for years and in the process became the laughing stock of Wall Street. During one of these interviews Ben Stein recommends buying Goldman Sachs when it was trading at $230. As of this morning Goldman is trading at ... $62.

Giving Up

2008-11-04T06:58:00.000-08:00

Obama will likely win. I've never seen 'queues' like this on election day before. (I'm listening to the BBC this morning which is evident that I've really lost hope). I'm waiting for the rain to start this afternoon so I don't have to listen to Obama supporters while I wait in line to do my civic duty.

Somewhat related I was sitting next to Gwyneth Paltrow's mom in Starbucks the other day. She was making phonecalls in Pennsylvania for Obama. Good for her. Talking to 'the American people'. I wonder if she told them she was Gwyneth Paltrow's mom.

I'm going to go get my free Starbucks now and try to come to grips.

=(

Yet another quote that must have been taken out of context

2008-11-03T07:32:00.000-08:00

The latest, (and why this has only been publicized two days before election day is beyond me) is that Obama has no problem with higher energy prices provided we can develop cleaner coal emissions through a cap and trade taxation policy. Do people realize how detrimental this will be to the U.S. economy? Coal supplies more than half the electricity consumed by Americans. Plus it's one of our biggest exports. So not only does this affect coal state jobs and export revenue, but we will all have the burden of additional increases in energy prices.

Obama speaks for the poor people like I speak Gaelic.

6 Days to go - Welcome to obamamedia

2008-10-29T22:03:00.000-07:00

The Penn and Teller interjection is really annoying, but this a must-see clip of Obama stuttering his way out of the facts in response to the notion that a capital gains tax increase will inevitably bring less revenue into the government.

H/T JIDF

Obama Associations Cheat Sheet

2008-10-29T08:21:00.000-07:00

H/T JIDF

Quote of the day

2008-10-28T12:39:00.000-07:00

"SSh Karol! You don't want the UWS Jews to stop patting themselves on the back for their progressive vote long enough to actually think!"

-Ari on Karol's post about the L.A. Times sitting on a tape of Obama’s Khalidi Bash

On a similar note, why is Obamamedia covering up these stories? Wouldn't they want to sell news? My friend M sent over a very interesting article explaining why.

So why weren't those legions of hungry reporters set loose on the Obama campaign? Who are the real villains in this story of mainstream media betrayal?

The editors. The men and women you don't see; the people who not only decide what goes in the paper, but what doesn't; the managers who give the reporters their assignments and lay out the editorial pages. They are the real culprits.

Why? I think I know, because had my life taken a different path, I could have been one: Picture yourself in your 50s in a job where you've spent 30 years working your way to the top, to the cockpit of power … only to discover that you're presiding over a dying industry. The Internet and alternative media are stealing your readers, your advertisers and your top young talent. Many of your peers shrewdly took golden parachutes and disappeared. Your job doesn't have anywhere near the power and influence it did when your started your climb. The Newspaper Guild is too weak to protect you any more, and there is a very good chance you'll lose your job before you cross that finish line, 10 years hence, of retirement and a pension.

In other words, you are facing career catastrophe -- and desperate times call for desperate measures. Even if you have to risk everything on a single Hail Mary play. Even if you have to compromise the principles that got you here. After all, newspapers and network news are doomed anyway -- all that counts is keeping them on life support until you can retire.

Quick Debate Review

2008-10-15T23:56:00.001-07:00

McCain came off very strong, he does much better when he doesn't have to focus on walking and talking. Also, I have a very hard time following Obama's logic when he gives his explanations. There is no linear connection in his statements. He is seriously a pro at spewing complete gibberish and it's a talent I wish I had. I think McCain made the right decision steering clear of technical economic accusations. He's not great explaining that issue, and Obama would just BS his way out of any finger pointing, so 'Joe the plummer' was certainly the way to go. IMO.

Ok, I feel slightly less panicked about the possiblity of an Obama win.

X Rated Quote of the Week

2008-10-15T23:48:00.000-07:00

A guy friend after trying to hit on some girl at a party:

"This girl has a cock but I just showed her mine is bigger."

Sidenote: Something tells me I'm going to get a hit spike after this post. I'm looking at you google pervs!

31 Today

2008-10-06T22:49:00.000-07:00

I turned 31 today. It's weird to officially be in my thirties. People have a different reaction to 31 than they did to 29 and even 30. It's strange to have my mind increasingly sharpen but also worry about a stray grey hair and fine lines around my eyes which seems so juvenile in a way. It's taken effort to look back at the past thirty years to see how I've grown, to see what I still need to work on. It's also difficult to focus in on what I'm most proud of. I'm hard on myself. I know that.

There are so many things about me that haven't changed since I was ten. Like my loner tendencies. When I was in elementary school, I used to walk around my desolate suburban block and think about what I learned that day. Tonight I walked the streets of NYC, slightly less desolate, and thought about what I've learned in the past year. Warning: it's long and sometimes a bit cliche, but it's from the heart.

I've learned that it's hard for me to communicate my feelings and I'm learning to overcome that. I've learned to compliment people more. I've learned to recognize just how much I have to offer, despite my failed relationships. I've learned to really appreciate a crusty french baguette and homemade vegetable soup. I've learned who is a true friend, and that it isn't someone who throws away years of friendship after a catty fight. I've learned, especially from an ex-friend recently, that people can be so fake for the many years that you know them, and that even though you've seen them drop other friends like they were a piece of garbage, it's hard to realize just how shallow they are until the same thing happens to you. I've learned to judge people by their actions and not their words. I've learned that I can actually live off of five hours of sleep a night, and that I may be both a morning and night person. I've learned that you need to work on relationships and that one event in a person's life cannot make them happy. There are bumps in the road no matter what. I've learned that you can't force attraction. I've learned how to make an amazing shabbat meal. I've learned that giving flowers to someone is an easy and special way to brighten their day. I've learned that those who achieve great things are probably not on facebook all of the time. I've learned that giving on a daily basis and not one big gift is what love is all about. I've learned that modesty is so much more attractive than the alternative. I've learned that a friend who doesn't respect my spiritual path is no friend of mine. I've learned that I respect people a great deal who are honest about their weaknesses and who don't flaunt their strengths. I've learned that people who are quick to get angry are usually ignorant. I've learned that no matter how low I have felt, there is always a way out of my mood, even if it means watching comedy clips on youtube. I've learned what it's like to be on a motorcycle in the summertime over the brooklyn bridge. I've learned that one of my greatest strengths is my ability and willingness to recognize my flaws and grow as a person. I've learned that I want my kids to be respectful and slightly afraid of their parents. I've learned that riding in the back of a cop car isn't so bad (when you are not being arrested). I've learned that good health cannot be taken for granted. I've learned the art of a tupperware lunch. I've learned that my brother is the most loving person in the world. I've learned to hear the beauty in a psalm being read out loud. I've learned that online social networking is the death of real life mental connection, and therefore life as we know it. I've learned that cooking for the person I love, and making music give me an enormous amount of pleasure. I've learned that connections can be made in the most unlikely of places. I've learned that guy friends are fun, but a best girl friend is a true gem; so rare and so special.

31 Today - Aimee Mann

Good times once again at the UN

2008-10-01T16:12:00.000-07:00

Why has this not gotten publicity? Was it just overshadowed by the financial crisis? Ahmadinejad spews anti-semitic conspiracy theories and how does the UN General Council react? With applause and a big hug from the president, of course.

Please watch this and pass it on.

Pessimism =(

2008-09-25T10:01:00.000-07:00

I was talking to my right-leaning boss the day of the Lehman collapse last week and said 'I'm afraid this will cost McCain the election'. She didn't believe me, or maybe she didn't want to believe me given how ridiculous it would be for people to vote for a big government candidate in the midst of a recession. However with this bailout, (regardless of whether it is necessary or not) I'm pretty convinced that this is the absolute worst thing to happen to the McCain ticket.

Why? Many voters will be convinced that while the government is not willing to provide for health care for the poor, they are more than willing to shell out trillions for a wall street debacle. They will view this as largely political, and they will complain that once again, only corporate wealthy types are protected from the government and not the poor people. These frightened people will call for socialism and Obama will play on that fear for the remainder of the campaign.

I was very optimistic when Palinmania swept the nation, but in the past week I have lost some hope. (Yes, I had hope!) The timing is almost uncanny, even frightening. McCain cannot make any stupid moves. I think he thought postponing the debate to tend to economic matters would make him look like a serious politician for the people, but the media has once again schewed this view.

Then again, I live in NY, far from a swing state, so I don't know how this is all playing out in other places. I just hope McCain stands firm and calls out Obama for the manipulator that he is.

Because everyone needs a little 3 o'clock pick-me-up when you are trying to rescue the oppressed!

2008-09-17T16:02:00.001-07:00

The European media is going crazy with Tony Blair's sister-in-law, Lauren Booth's 'troubles' during her lastest activist attempt in Gaza.

Interviewed last week for Ynet by Noa Raz, Ms. Booth insisted that the conditions in Gaza were worse than those in Darfur, where an estimated 400,000 have been killed since 2003. She also compared Gaza to a concentration camp. “You were in the concentration camps,” she told the 20-something reporter, who was born in Israel two generations after the Nazi Holocaust. “And I can’t believe that you are allowing the creation of such a camp yourselves.”
A few days before the Ynet interview was published, Ms. Booth was photographed by an AFP photographer while purchasing Snickers bars and bottled soft drinks at an apparently well-stocked Gaza supermarket.

Grab a Miller Lite and enjoy

2008-09-14T14:46:00.000-07:00

Kat Mo over on Ace's site had me laughing out loud with a spot on imaginary barbeque with this year's candidates. Read immediately.

Matt Damon!

2008-09-11T08:20:00.001-07:00

Karol links to Matt Damon's rip on Sarah Palin. The funniest part of it, as Petitedov pointed out hilariously in the comments section, was his mention of 'actuary tables'.

'Wow, he breaks out really complex terminology like "Actuarial tables" to get the message across that Matt Damon is smart!'

Love that Petitedov.

Ok I have to be a bit nitpicky because this is the nature of my work and I love it when people try to act like they know what the hell an 'Actuary table' is. First of all Matt, it's and 'Actuarial table'. And you don't DO Actuarial tables. You READ and ANALYZE Actuarial tables. And according to the 'Actuarial tables' the average age of an 70 year old insured male is 85.1. That one-third number you got from NPR or something was the percentage of past presidents that died in office, many of whom were assassinated, died before the two term limit, and died at a time when life span was much shorter than it is now.

I'm not sure why I'm even wasting my breath on Matt's other idiotic questions like if Palin banned books or thinks dinosaurs were here 4,000 years ago but I'll just say maybe instead of asking those questions, Matt, you should ask your old U.S. government teacher from the South Side what exactly the purpose of having three branches of government are again? Or I can just tell you. They are to prevent any one branch from overreaching their boundaries! Therefore, a president, much less a VP could never ban books on an entire nation or tell schools what to teach their students. That's why you live in fabulous L.A. and not a lil ol' fishermans' town in Alaska!

G-d Bless America!

Man, and why are the dumb ones so hot again????

I hate the media

2008-09-11T07:48:00.000-07:00

I'm so sick of hearing about how after 9/11 the immediate response from all around the world was one of great sympathy. How everyone was an American for at least a few months. How countries from far and wide -- SHOCKER ALERT -- condemned the attacks! Can you believe it?

Yes, yes, I know, it was because Bush squandered all of the sympathy we had, and blew it out of his ass with his gun-toting-cowboy-unilateral-warmongering ways.

But even in the context of today's media without any mention of the war, I've heard over and over again about how other countries were by our side. Do those guys want some kind of freaking reward for having empathy after witnessing the cold blooded murder of 3,000 people? Thanks, World, for showing us that you care. Because the way I see it, that should be the default response to a tragedy. Sympathy. Condemnation. Anger. Bitterness. Sadness. These are all natural responses that normal human beings (usually) have. The media really has no reason to point this out over and over again and emphasize how Europeans have sympathetic feelings too!

Let's just all try and remember the victims today without bringing in 'world views', shall we?

Conversation of the day

2008-09-08T20:34:00.001-07:00

Friend #1 to Columbian girl: What's that spanish song 'mucha gasolina' about anyway?

Columbian girl: It's about gasolina.

Friend #2: Mucha. Mucha gasolina.

Dayum

2008-09-02T07:16:00.000-07:00

Do all Alaskan ice hockey players look like this?

Is there still an abundance of single men in that state?

Why don't I live in Alaska, again?

Somewhat related - I predict the story of Palin's daughter's pregnancy will fade out and be old news in no time. Sarah Palin can do no wrong! Really, I'm not being sarcastic! I also predict this Sarah Palin lovefest will boost Alaska's tourism to record numbers.

Seriously, have you seen those bad-boy hotties from the cold cold north????

Election '08 is ON BABY!!!!!

2008-08-29T10:36:00.000-07:00

I could not be more excited about McCain's VP pick. A commenter on Ace's site said the only thing better than this would be Palin coming out as BI. SO TRUE!!!

Embarrassment. Do something. Please.

2008-08-28T08:58:00.000-07:00

I'm embarrased by my alma mater.

The background of the story is that a hypersensitive student complained to the Brandeis faculty when her Latin American professor used the term 'wetbacks'. And he wasn't even demeaning anyone. He was critiquing the use of the word! Whole story here and here.

The faculty then placed a monitor in the prof's classroom and threatened him with termination. Apparently, the prof was never given a written account of the charges against him, and his appeal was cut off by the faculty.

I'm so sick of everyone being so overly sensitive, but I'm more disgusted by the reaction - caving in to their request to just shut up, think like robots and not speak our minds. I wish people would have more courage to defend themselves at least, instead of crying to those that will make them feel better after the big bad bully offended them.

I called Brandeis' President today and left a message in support of the professor because it's a small step I can take to rectify the ridiculousness that is overly PC behavior on campus. You can do the same:

Jehuda Reinharz
781-736-3001
jreinhar@brandeis.edu

Schedule of Events for DNC

2008-08-26T12:45:00.000-07:00

This is amusing.

WTF Quote of the weekend

2008-08-25T10:54:00.000-07:00

"He is a man of the earth"

- Woman from Maine sitting next to me on the bus from Boston to NY on why she is such a gung-ho Obama supporter.

I kid you not.

For the girls!

2008-08-21T07:10:00.000-07:00

For some reason, I think boys have a more interesting time browsing around Victoria's Secret than I do. I find their lingerie be tacky and impractical. Their catalog and website, on the other hand, boasts tons of treasures to be had including these fabulously pretty maryjanes (I love a splash of red against a neutral outfit) and oxford heels (schoolgirl sexy!). I only wish 99% of the heels I fell in love with weren't 4'3/4 inches high or completely flat. What ever happened to medium heels?

Comments on comments

2008-08-19T12:02:00.001-07:00

I read a few 'high profile' (for lack of a better description...I really do not like that term, there is something unbelievable pretentious about it) fashion and food blogs. I'm a big believer that anyone can add intelligent and thoughtful comments to any post, be it a strudel recipe or what kind of boots to wear with a neon green Topshop dress. So why do people insist on leaving inane comments like 'OMG that is soooo cute!!!' or 'that looks sooo yummy I HAVE to try that recipe!'. I don't know. These comments just seem so mundane and superfluous. What about what color would match with what, or what wine to serve, or accessory suggestions or ideas for a vegetarian version? If you don't have anything intelligent or inquisitive to say peeps, just keep it to yourself....

While i'm at it, another thing that pisses me off...

2008-08-07T12:41:00.001-07:00

Can someone please explain to me why no matter what time of day or night it is, and no matter where you are in New York, there is ALWAYS a line at the drug store? You would think that when there's either a Rite Aid, Duane Read, CVS or Walgreens on practically every corner of this city, it would diminish the chances of having to wait on line for fifteen minutes at, say, 1 am on a Tuesday. On York Avenue. By the river.

Last night while waiting impatiently after a very long night to pay for cat food at Walgreens, I was trying to figure out what was taking so long. Is it the old people who take a really long time counting change? Is it the high maintenance women who love to use their debit cards and for some reason haven't learned how to press 'Enter' and 'No cashback' in less than ninety seconds? Is it the coupon clippers who insist that the jar of peanuts is $1.69 and not $1.89? Or is it the cashier people themselves that forget what they are doing as they are taking their time ringing up the merchandise while flirting with the security guard?

Maybe it's all of the above but one thing I do know is that Manhattan drug stores bring out my violent nature. The things I do for my cat.

What not to say

2008-07-31T08:51:00.000-07:00

Where did the expression 'It is what it is' come from? It's such a retarded thing to say since it doesn't add anything to the conversation and usually it's false, as if there is no reason why anything happens.

I also hate the expression 'I just threw up in my mouth a little'. I end up picturing that actually happening and it really grosses me out. For some reason 'Gag me with a spoon' doesn't bother me at all, probably because it's actually kind of funny.

Expressions that are so overplayed make me cringe. Do people think they are cooler when they say these things? Because they aren't, it's just annoying and gross.

Also, LOL is retarded, don't write that either.

Terrorist Fashion

2008-05-23T10:17:00.000-07:00

Freshjive, one of the designers who supplies Urban Outfitters, designed t-shirts depicting a 'victimized' Palestinian child holding a gun and a photo of Arafat with the caption 'the Good Ol' Days'. (Scroll down to see them). Many people wrote letters to both Freshjive and Urban Outfitters. UO, after making this egregious error did the pull the T-shirts from their stores. Freshjive on the other hand has made a public statement denying the fact that he supports terror.

This is the second time Urban Outfitters has made a ridiculous political statement with their merchandise. You'd think they would learn from past experiences.

On a semi-related note, as much as I love fashion, I could never ever work in that field.

Once again. No news here folks.

2008-05-15T09:21:00.001-07:00

So, I did a search on all the main news websites and this didn't make the front page on any of them. A mall in Ashkelon was struck by Iranian-made Grad missiles which are no pansy-ass missiles. These things have serious range and destructive power and it's quite amazing that not more people were hurt.

Ahmadinejad spews venom. The world ignores. Moving along...

2008-05-14T07:46:00.000-07:00

"The Zionist regime is dying. The criminals assume that by holding celebrations ... they can save the sinister Zionist regime from death and annihilation," Ahmadinejad said. He used an Arabic word, ismihlal, that can also be translated as destruction, death and collapse.

It's time we starting taking these threats seriously. People in denial really piss me off.

Pretty numbers and music

2008-05-12T14:14:00.000-07:00

I doubt any of my eight readers would be interested in this but Livescience has an article on the geometrical patterns that can be seen in music. It's kind of cool, although I'm not sure it's any sort of earth shattering breakthrough. Math and music have been known to be correlated for quite a long time. All of my favorite musicians, whether they know it or not, do extremely interesting things with time signatures and chord progressions that I consider to be extremely technically creative yet simple at the same time. Does that make sense? I dunno. Anyways, read the article if you want to know if Britney Spears and Lennon are a match made in heaven...mathematically speaking of course.

But Not Forgotten

2008-03-25T09:31:00.000-07:00

Lately (and not so lately) there seems to be a lot of death affecting friends of mine. It's all really depressing, so I just thought I'd post this Dorothy Parker poem. I'm not even sure if it is about death, but it fits somehow.

But Not Forgotten

I think no matter where you stray,
That I shall go with you a way.
Though you may wander sweeter lands,
You will not forget my hands,
Nor yet the way I held my head
Nor the tremulous things I said.
You will still see me, small and white
And smiling, in the secret night,
And feel my arms about you when
The day comes fluttering back again.
I think, no matter where you be,
You'll hold me in your memory
And keep my image there without me,
By telling later loves about me.
Dorothy Parker

Stuff that white people like

2008-02-20T18:17:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure I agree with all of it but some of it is pretty funny nonetheless. Presenting stuff that white people like.

This one might be my favorite:

#37 Renovations

All white people are born with a singular mission in life in order to pass from regular whitehood into ultra-whitehood. Much like how Muslims have to visit Mecca, all white people must eventually renovate a house before they can be complete.

Ma Lady

2008-02-18T19:33:00.000-08:00

Check out the new blogger on da block: Lady Mathematician. It's not really new, there are many archives, but the blog has come back from the dead recently and you should all encourage the Lady to keep on going.

Angelika sucks but see Persepolis

2008-02-18T18:16:00.000-08:00

I really dislike the Angelika Film Center even though I am there all of the time. It's one of those art house movie theatres that has a really good concept; there is a cafe upstairs serving all kinds of treats that are both healthy and crappy, there is a good selection of films, and there is a large waiting area with couches so you can show up a bit early and read some film reviews. But at the same time, the place always reeks of nauseating cleaning fluid, the bathrooms are disgusting, the seating is cramped, the seats are low, you can't see shit when someone taller than 5'5" sits in front of you, you can actually feel the vibration from the subway rumbling past every eight minutes, and did I mention the place stinks? The only reason I go there is because Aroma cafe is across the street, one of my favorite cafes in the city, so I linger with a cappuccino while I pick out the movie I want to see.

Today I did this and decided on Persepolis, which I was blown away by. This is coming from a person that has little to no tolerance for animation. I was bored to death sitting through that annoying Ratatouille movie, for example. But Persepolis, with much simpler animation and no color was able to wonderfully depict a story that uniquely combines the struggle against Islamic Fundamentalism and a coming-of-age story of a woman trying to find her place in a world she feels she doesn't belong in. See this movie now.

Okay I lied

2008-02-14T07:48:00.001-08:00

One more Obama post, but this one is in honor of Valentine's Day, everyone's favorite Hallmark holiday!

Barack Obama's entire campaign platform in one little crunchy sweet treat!

More political valentines here.

Stop it

2008-02-13T20:58:00.000-08:00

I promise to stop the Obama hatin' soon but before that I just have to say that if I hear one more time that Obama has crossover appeal I'm going to scream. Obama supporters just love to say this and I really have no idea why. Because Republicans want someone completely fresh faced to look pretty and raise taxes? Where are these Republicans? I certainly haven't met them.

Sexual Politics on Wall Street???

2008-02-13T08:22:00.000-08:00

An even more troubling sign is the rise of Barack Obama. Here's a guy we all know is going to raise taxes on hedge-fund managers without offering them a dime in kickbacks. But when hedge-fund guys hear him talk they forget, maybe for the first time in their entire lives, their own narrow interests. Ask them why and they can't explain it. They just go all gooey on you.

In my experience this is how people behave when they're thinking about sex. Seriously, Obama has got me wondering if a lot of the guys in my industry have suddenly gone a little gay on me. It's not like any of them would ever actually do it with a dude; I wouldn't go that far...yet.

Read the whole thing.

Paranoid Android

2008-02-11T19:41:00.000-08:00

The city of New York has this unique ability to take the most pleasant of moods and turn it around faster than you can say 'crossing Delancey'. This happened the other night after a long work day. I was exhausted but felt remarkably productive having handed in a big project, having a belly full of sushi, and having nothing to do that evening except stop by Trader Joe's to pick up some necessities (i.e. chocolate bon bons, pumpkin scones, and sparkling cranberry juice. Those are too necessities!)

I decided to stop by a club on 14th street to arrange an event that I organize that was coming up pretty soon. I normally stop by to talk to a manager beforehand to make sure all of the drink specials and cover charges are set. I walked a good twenty minutes to the club only to find the lights off and the doors locked. As I turned to walk back towards the train, I saw a very tall, burly man with a wide stature turning the lock of the door to the club and letting himself in. Relieved that I didn't completely waste my time treking over there, I ran after him calling out 'Excuse me sir! Excuse me!', before he had a chance to slam the door right behind him. He quickly turned around, took a step forward, looked down at me with cold menacing eyes and yelled 'Back off! Step back!' I did but not before he yelled at me again 'Step back! I don't need anyone following me into doorways!'

I didn't quite know how to react. I never before had an encounter where a man about two times my size actually felt threatened at the sight of me. For those that don't know what I look like, I'll just say I'm about as nonthreatening as a 5 foot 3, 125 pound Ashkenazi Jewish girl can possibly look. I tried to calm him down telling him I just had some questions about bringing a group of people to his club but he continued to treat me like I had some sort of pocket knife I was about to pull out.

I finally left, advising him that maybe he should be worried about other things far more than short girls that like to salsa dance.

And I was off.

Election griping

2008-02-07T21:47:00.000-08:00

With Romney dropping out today, I am really dejected. The more I had read about Romney, the more I liked him. He had great business credentials, proposed tax cuts, promised to put a stop to no money down mortgage loans as a result of the recent subprime fiasco. He was someone I could count on to control spending. He was outspoken about the threat of Islamic terrorism and the danger of pulling out of Iraq now. He came across as honest, serious and genuine and doesn't have an ex-Fugees member singing songs about him on You Tube.

But I will carry on supporting McCain, someone I'm not nearly as disappointed at as my fellow Republicans.

I will say that unlike my fellow Republicans, I prefer Hillary over Obama. I am disgusted when I see reactions to Obama speeches. The emotions that can be seen from endless empty promises give me the chills. I'd rather have someone with straightforward evilness take office than someone who has three word catch phrases.

I was trying to explain to a coworker why I could never vote Democrat. I can't say I've followed elections for the past few decades, but I can't remember any Democratic candidate being so vocally socialist on so many issues. And especially when universal health care comes into play, I have the urge to cover my ears. I feel there is no need to screw up what is the best health care in the world, something my loved ones can take advantage of. It's disgusts to me to hear 26 year olds complain about health care when all they get is ear checks every three years. There is a reason we don't care about health care when we are young. We simply do not need it yet.

I'm done with my griping for a while, but I fear this election will turn me into a true grouch.

The giving of the sympathy

2008-01-15T12:24:00.000-08:00

One of my (oh so many) (NOT!) faults is that I am horrible at communicating. But it really depends on what type of communication.

For example, if I hear bullshit, I generally call it out. Like, when I sense that someone is being intellectually lazy and not thinking about an idea logically, I'll tell them straight out. I don't think many people like this about me. I could probably use a bit more tact when it comes to correcting people's thinking process or telling them that what is spewing out of their mouth is load of frog's turd (not in those words). I'm not saying I'm always right, just that I have this instinctive reaction to tell it like I see it. And sometimes in a not so nice way. However, this is not one of my faults. I think more people should be like this so stop being so damn polite everyone!

But when it comes to communicating on an emotional level, I am truly horrible. I can be depressed for days/weeks/a month on end and none of my friends will know. I have a lot of trouble expending the energy to explain to people what is bothering me, let alone myself. And the thing is, I don't dread sympathy. I have friends, where, the last thing that they want is sympathy. They are terrified of a pity party. I don't really understand what the big deal is. Sympathy rocks. It shows that your friends actually care (or at least pretend to). (However, I am not a fan of lame sympathetic words like 'awwwww that totally suuckkkkkks' because that shit does not help in any way. How NOT to show sympathy is fodder for a whole other post altogether). But good sympathy, like tough love, and fresh perspective, and wise words from someone who has been in your shoes and 'chin up girl there's other fish in the sea' even if you have heard it from your mom a dozen times before, could help. It gives you that ounce of hope in the back of your mind that just needed to be reaffirmed.

Another thing with sympathy is that you could tell straight away when the sympathy-giver is not being genuine and is just trying to stay stuff that they think you want to hear. These sympathy givers probably do care for you, they are just really bad at making you feel better because they are afraid of insulting you. For all of the sympathy givers out there, please do not do this. It's highly annoying and chances are, it's really not what the sympathy receiver wants to hear. I realized that one of big reasons I hated telling people when I was emotionally unstable is because hated hearing this lame kind of sympathy. So I've decided to come out and tell everyone that lame sympathy sucks even though you may really mean it but please just don't even try it. If anything, just tell the person that they are being stupid for feeling bad and they should be grateful for the things they have. That's way better than lame OR fake sympathy.

I joined Jdate so you don't have to

2008-01-07T20:32:00.000-08:00

I joined jdate the other day. Lady Mathematician stepped up and basically filled out my entire profile. She went the strong personality/humorous route and stressed that I'm looking for a man who likes steak, guns, flying planes, right wing politics, and well, kicking some major ass. I'm basically looking to weed out all of the pussies.

The most amusing message I've gotten is 'I'm a vegan and a committed pacifict but maybe we will get along?'

Um, yeah dude. Maybe in another freaking solar system.

Best Text messages of recent memory

2008-01-07T20:26:00.000-08:00

Happy new year to the coolest girl in NY!

EMIGHOLZ!!!!!! (referring to the last name of a highschool classmate that a friend and I were racking our brains to remember)

I am walk o' shamin' it

I'm free tomorrow night (from a very very cute boy)

Don't forget to eat melon. Yummy!

I miss you

I bought a car today. An '02 UV Beetle with a 5 speed manual transmission. It sort of smells like crayon.

Passivity: Officially an epidemic

2007-11-27T09:49:00.000-08:00

So, in case you are one of the three New Yorkers who hasn't heard about this story, let me update you with some details.

Some hipster guy from Williamsburg sees a girl on the subway. She's writing in her journal and takes no notice of him. For him, it's love at first sight. He chickens out and doesn't talk to her in the end. He goes home, regrets it, and makes a detailed website about their 'encounter'. Some friend of the girl finds the website, calls the girl, contacts Romeo himself, and voila, a match is made in heaven. They meet for coffee (on Bedford Ave, where else?) and they hit it off, spawning a media whirlwind.

As the story explodes on the internet, they get a slot on Good Morning America and now there are talks about a movie deal.

Say what?

So let's review. Some guy is too chickenshit to talk to a cute girl on the subway, decides instead to go home, jerk off in his jammies, make a website about it, happens to find the girl and he gets rewarded with all of this press? What kind of message are we sending the kids?!

You know what I think should make the media go in a frenzy? Some guy that actually has the balls to talk to a cute girl on the subway. Because really, all of these 'Missed Connections' on Craigslist are entertaining and fun to read and all, but how many of them pan out in the end? Answer: Not many. And now just because one cute story did pan out, and it happened to be between a Drew Barrymore-esque Aussie intern with flowers in her hair and some generic hipsterboy, it instills hope where hope surely has no place.

Sometimes I think humans are doing everything in their power to oppose natural selection. It used to be that the strongest and most confident men were able to spread their seeds effectively. It was the weak and passive men that had trouble with the women, and therefore were evolutionary punished. Has it now come to the point where the strong man is the one with the strongest HTML coding skills?

It's a sad world, people.

I'd like to give a big thanks to my friend Patrick who now represents all chickenshit boys in New York who refuse to put any effort into making the first move when the first move is appropriate and not days later when the moment is gone and the girl thinks you are semi-creepy but will meet you anyway because you were loser enough to put all of this effort into your web design.

Thanks, Pat.

Santa and his ho's

2007-11-15T07:06:00.001-08:00

I know it's been too long since I've blogged, but if there's anything that gets me back into blogging mode, it's a story about Santa and his ho's.

Will record labels be a thing of the past?

2007-10-01T12:23:00.001-07:00

Leave it to Radiohead to surprise us not only with an album release that was supposed to be out next year, but to give us high quality mp3's without a definitive price - it's apparently 'pay what you wish'.

Random question

2007-09-28T11:26:00.001-07:00

Why is it a thousand times more exciting to get a text message than a voice message?

More craigslist insanity - help I can't stop reading this stuff

2007-09-25T20:29:00.000-07:00

HAHAHAHAHA

We met over a steaming pile of turds. . .

Me- I was picking up my dog's shit, following the law, minding my own business.

You- old woman who looked like a broomstick with a bad weave- who said to me mid-scoop "you shouldn't let your dog do that (poop), he should do it over there (points to middle of street)"

I just wanted to say I should've gotten your phone number, but I was just too angry to ask. You see, I felt a real connection between us. The audacity of an old bag to yell at my (4 pound puppy nonetheless) dog for shitting, having the shit picked up and then properly thrown away, overwhelmed me with rage. And I like to surround myself with petty, trite people that fill me with rage. My shrink says it's 'constructive.'

So how about this, give me your number and the next time my dog needs to take a shit I'll drop you a line, come over, and let him shit in your wrinkled crusty mouth.

then coffee?

Stop being cool.

2007-09-24T22:56:00.000-07:00

My newest addiction is Best of Craigslist. I had to link to this one particular poster and his very articulate assessment of growing up alternative and eventually becoming a hipster. It's really spot on.

On the Eve of Yom Kippur

2007-09-21T13:44:00.000-07:00

In the hours before a fast it's really amazing how much attention I pay to my meals. I concentrate on each and every flavor, if the chicken has a hint of sweetness, and the texture of each bite of a potato. I gulp down cold water knowing I won't be able to quench my thirst like that in the next 25 hours.

I didn't start fasting during Yom Kippur until my senior year in college when my calorie-conscious roommate perusaded me suffer along with her. I didn't take the fast seriously until two or three years out of college when I went to an orthodox service. Going to synangogue wasn't any longer a chance to check out the guys sitting in your row. It was about reconciling, and feeling the reconciliation.

I plan to fast every Yom Kippur from now on, and to make a conscious effort to really think about what I did in the past year and how I can improve myself. It's a challenging day, but then again I'm no stranger to challenges.

Looking good, eh.

2007-09-21T09:28:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to all you Canucks out there. Except for those of you that work here and earn the American dollar. You got screwed!

This should be good.

2007-09-04T21:50:00.000-07:00

I read the amazing novel and almost cried during the trailer when I saw this yesterday. Here's a preview.

Via gatewaypundit

The new 21

2007-09-04T18:55:00.000-07:00

So I'm about a month away from turning thirty and I have to be honest, this feeling of dread is beginning to nag. All my friends who've turned thirty already told me I'd go through this. They said the anticipation of it would be the worst, but once I crossed over to the other side, it's really not bad. In fact, it's quite a relief.

I'm trying not to get all dramatic/neurotic about it, but I'm having a hard time thinking about anything else. I feel like I've outgrown some things and at the same time refuse to outgrow others. I'm thankful and proud of the things I've accomplished, but somehow feel like I deserve more given the effort I've put into various aspects of my life. Even the celebration itself conjures up conflict. I want to go out, but I'm bored of getting drunk at bars. I need to do something different, but it seems like everyone has to get up early the next morning for some sort of reunion or a barbeque with the in-laws.

Last year I threw myself a big 29th birthday party. This year I'll be spending it without my close friends, and will instead be at a wedding upstate. I'm actually thankful I don't have to plan anything, don't have to make a big deal about anything, don't have to think about what this turning point means in my life.

To make my last 30 days in my twenties a bit more exciting and less dreadful, I've put together a list of things i want to do. Some of which I've done. I hope these don't sound too Lifetime-ish.

-Get a drastic haircut. I'd like to give a special thank you to Petitedov who pushed me and took me to the craziest hairdresser ever and gave me a fabulous haircut.

-Kiss someone new. Someone I'm attracted to. When I'm not drunk.

-Stay up late with friends as much as possible and pour our hearts out.

-Laugh

-Cry

-Write a new song

-Help my family out as much as I can.

-Get a massage

-Flirt

-Ride my bike to the beach and look out into the ocean one last time before summer ends.

The Mysteries of The Game

2007-08-21T09:48:00.000-07:00

After fifteen years of dating I would like to say that I am through with playing games. When I meet someone I like I want to tell them how much I like them. And that I would like to spend my days and nights with them and not worry about what they will think of me in the morning. But I will never be able to do that.

I think the reason we wish we didn't have to play games is because people want to behave like animals. They want to forget that they have to think and analyze situations and instead just run up to that person like the dogs do in the doggie run and just start humping them.

But we aren't animals. We are humans that have very advanced thought processes, but we still we can't explain why we want certain things. Why do humans want a challenge and animals do not? Why does it repulse us when the opposite sex comes on too strong? It's these mysteries of human behavior that I feel like no one will ever be able to explain.

Never send a man to do a woman's job

2007-08-13T13:57:00.000-07:00

Alright people. I need your advice. This is just too precious of a story not to share.

I was supposed to meet up with a friend on Sunday night. We talked that morning to cement our plans, but I had to cancel them since my brother was in town. I told him I was free during the day and asked if he wanted to go to the McCarren park pool to hear some music and drink some beer. He sounded depressed and moody and kind of gave me the runaround. I told him we could just meet for a quick coffee and that I would be happy to cheer him up and he sounded grateful and agreed to meet me.

I rode my bike to Brooklyn and called him once I got to Bedford Avenue. No answer. I texted him to tell him where I was and that was waiting for him at a coffee shop. I get a text back telling me that he has to show apartments (he's a real estate broker) and that he was really bummed about it. I truly felt sorry him. Here it was, a beautiful day in the park with free music, beer and lounge chairs, and he had to run around Manhattan in the heat answering questions about tax abatements and square footage. Serious bummer, man.

I ended up going to the concert by myself. I had a nice time by myself. I bought myself a drink, I read myself a book, and I watched Ted Leo rock out. I had to leave the concert a bit early to meet my brother so I left midset, put on my sunglasses and walked down Bedford Avenue where my bike was parked. And then I spot, across the street walking towards me, my friend with some other girl! I bolted in the opposite direction to make sure it was actually him, and noticed her put her hand on his cheek as they stopped to talk to the owner of a cafe. I suddenly felt like one of Charlie's Angels and imagined myself jumping out of the bodega with a perfectly aligned scissor kick.

I should add to this story, that this so-called friend expressed interest in me at some point and there was some romance between us but I told him I wasn't ready for something serious. I also should add that it was quite strange to see someone you hung out with numerous times, do the same things, i.e. walk around and say hi to people in the neighborhood, but not with you. It's not like I was jealous. As I said, I don't have romantic interests in this person. I was just annoyed that I was lied to and truly felt bad about the situation I presumed he was in.

The next day, I got an email from him with more apologies and more lies about how it was 'one of those days'. He was even quite specific, said he had to run around Manhattan showing aparmtents that cost $26,000 a month to a 60 year old gay guy and his 20 year old boy toy.

So my question is, what would you do? Would you confront him about the lies? Would you milk it, telling him that you felt so bad that he had to work all day on this beautiful Sunday? Would you get revenge? Or would you just forget about it?

Hey jealousy

2007-08-09T18:10:00.000-07:00

I met a friend for lunch the other day who works at Google. We met in his office in Chelsea so he showed me around a bit before we ate. Maybe I'm just really jealous that he gets to work at a place with gourmet (free) food, a game room, an exercise room, fun themed happy hours and a lateral hierarchy, but I thought the following were a bit unnecessary:

-Razor scooters available to all those who find it more efficent to ride, not walk down the hall.
-A 'spa' salad bar in addition to the regular salad bar.
-Not one but four 20 inch monitors for each engineer.
a regular 'decorate your cubicle contest. (I saw last contests winners who's cubicle was decorated like a harem.
-Not one but four cappuccino makers on the floor.

Seriously. Work should not be that fun.

No such thing as a free show

2007-07-26T21:03:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago on a Sunday, I called my friend Peter to see what he was up to. He had read a write up about a band performing outdoors with 77 drummers and wanted to check it out. I was totally up for it, and we set a time to meet up.

When I arrived there, the line was at least a half mile long and the venue was already half way filled to capacity. We didn't bother waiting and I found out later they turned away most people on that line.

This happens quite a bit in NY during the summertime. There are many free shows, so even if someone is only sort of interested in seeing the band, they'll definitely attend a show if there isn't an entrance fee.

But the downside is that those that have a strong desire to see the show end up either getting turned away, or having an unpleasantly long wait, or can't enjoy the show fully because of the sheer number of people. And usually at venues like McCarren park where there are other activities like dodge ball and water slides, little attention is actually paid to band most of the time. And speaking as someone who likes to concentrate on the music when I see a show, that gets really annoying.

One could argue that free shows open up exposure to a new audience, but I think most people that go to free summer outdoor concerts do so with the sole purpose of getting drunk with their friends, not to hear new music.

I'm sure there's some economics theory to back this up like lowering entrance barriers, but I propose that there be entrance fees to all shows in NY. The number of music fans in NY is just too large to have a free show be enjoyable. I'd be interested in hearing your viewpoints on this issue.

I will say....

2007-07-25T07:58:00.000-07:00

Work is way more fun when you have crush.

Colorful memories of the wild west

2007-07-18T00:57:00.000-07:00

Ari, Karol, Dawn and I spent last weekend in the most glorious state I've ever been to- Montana. I would put it right above Oregon on my Most Beautiful States I've
Visited list. Everytime I looked up, I saw endless blue. And everytime I looked straight, I saw distant mountains with distinct shades of emerald. And everytime I looked down, I saw my sneakers covered in lovely brown dry climate dust instead of black soot. Being back in Manhattan, I keep recalling these vivid scenes, and keep thinking about our wonderful hosts without whom this trip would not have taken place.

I also attended a rodeo where I was convinced that I must find a boyfriend with the name of Cody Miller or Tyler McMillan. And preferably, they should be able to stay on a bull for over 1 minute.

Anyways, I definitely plan on coming back to this little paradise in the wild west. But first, I must go hat shopping.

For a minute there, I lost myself.

2007-07-17T11:37:00.000-07:00

I realize I'm not the only one to list Radiohead as their favorite band, but I think this is going a bit too far.

Via Brooklyn Vegan

Award for saddest song that came up on my IPOD today goes to....

2007-07-10T13:15:00.000-07:00

Elvis Costello's 'Baby Plays Around'.

It's not open to discussion anymore
She's out again tonight and I'm alone once more
She's all I have worth waiting for
But baby plays around
And so it seems I've always been the last to know
To hold on to that girl, I had to let her go
I wish to God I didn't love her so
'Cos baby plays around

Maybe not

2007-07-06T06:31:00.000-07:00

Y'know, if medical funding keeps going to idiotic studies like this instead of actually trying to find a cure for cancer, I'm moving to Canada.

Defriended

2007-07-05T19:47:00.000-07:00

I'm in the midst of 'breaking up' with a friend. I've never broken up with a friend before since I tend to forgive and forget very easily. As long as I know they are a good person at heart, I usually get over most stupid and thoughtless actions. But I guess this an exception because I do think this person has a good heart and genuinely good intentions. However, she possesses a certain character flaw that I cannot deal with which is, in my eyes, not being able to associate right from wrong.

I know this is kind of vague and subjective, but I've recently found it very interesting/disgusting how many aspects of a person's life this can bleed into. It starts from having sympathy for a stabber who gets convicted, to Palestinians who just can't lead a normal life, to an acquaintance of ours who has clear malicious intent. It has never ceased to amaze how many excuses a person can come up with for acts of hate/violence/non violent misbehavior.

For me it's less a feeling of anger. The logic that leads to this sympathy is so foreign to me, and it gets to the point that no matter how much fun I can have with this person, there's only so much I can relate to before I get extremely confused, like I'm lost in a maze and I'm not sure how to get out. It's an odd reaction, but it's the best way I can describe the feeling of not wanting to associate with a person anymore.

Question

2007-07-02T11:09:00.000-07:00

So let's say hypothetically you had just finished a 30 mile bikeride. It was your first bikeride of the season, you were sweaty, gross, and tired, had just dragged your bike on the subway, were ready for a hot bath, and had no intention of talking to anyone on your way home.

And then a past obsession of yours walks on the subway, sits down, and has a vacant seat next to him. He's a C list celebrity, someone you've seen in concert a number of times, and is probably a very approachable person. You fantasize about having an amazing conversation about music and pasts and pain and family and love and religion and goals. You want to tell him about the demo you are recording and ask if he lives in New York now.

But you don't. Do you move on, or bang your fists on that subway door regretting your decision?....

Yet again: Idiots using our tax dollars

2007-07-02T10:15:00.000-07:00

Yet another example of how government-run programs only lend themselves to more headaches and inefficent spending, is the National Flood Insurance Program. Basically, since insurance companies have to charge extremely high premiums in flood-prone areas due to the risk that multiple homes will be demolished after a flood, homeowners insurance does not include flood coverage. So, the government stepped in with the NFIP. However, the goverment has no idea how to plan for the risks they are taking. They do not have sufficient reserves to cover future claims, and they can't raise premiums since it's now a political issue. Hurricane Katrina left the NFIP in billions of dollars in debt, so finally, the House has decided to do something about it and just passed reforms.

There are some positive outcomes like premiums charged must be 'actuarially sound' so that the NFIP can actually build up a reserve. Also, they will place a penalty on mortgage lenders who fail to require flood insurance in high-risk areas.

This is all well and good, but the NFIP still has billions of dollars in debt to repay, and there is still zero incentive for anyone to buy flood insurance since the governments kicks in through disaster relief. Also there is no mention of what seems to be most problematic and crippling, the vicious cycle of repeated flooding in coastal areas. You'd think there would be someone over there that would address this issue before another Hurricane Katrina hits.

OMG

2007-06-27T11:55:00.000-07:00

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG

I need need need to get tickets to this.

I'm sure it will never happen again, BBC

2007-06-19T14:23:00.000-07:00

BBC apologizes for stating ...umm....facts? Guess they should go back to their more accurate headlines.

Important matters for a change

2007-06-19T04:28:00.000-07:00

For the third day in a row I've been holed up in my apartment after coming down with some sort of hellish tonsil infection. (Tonsilitis for those of you with that science degree). Seriously, it's so bad that my doctor took a step back after shining that flashlight in my mouth while I said 'AAHH'. Apparently my tonsils are so big they are touching ever so slightly. I'm not entirely sure what that means, but I do know that I can only eat ice cream and wonton soup. Which isn't the worst thing in the world.

Anyhow, without the energy or the proper body temperature to actually do anything productive, I am stuck watching HGTV and Fox & Friends, while reading the requisite In Touch and People. This are things I've discovered in the past three days:

- No one told me that Kevin Connelly, also known as the short guy from Entourage and my latest obsession, was dating Nicky Hilton for two years on and off. He seemed like such the down-to-earth-I-wanna-bring-my-girlfriend-to-McDonald's type of guy. Although according to People, he is single now, and would love his potential girl to enjoy watching the Bicycle Thief as much as he does. Do you think Nicky has seen any movies pre-1989?

- After watching Mark Consuelos guest host on Regis and Kelly, I have officially coined the two the cutest couple ever. Enrique Iglesias was on the show and Kelly and Mark joked that Anna and Enrique were the taller, younger, better looking and more successful version of them. Maybe, but I doubt that Anna and Enrique have any sense of humor whatsoever. As beautiful as they are, don't they just seem to be so boring?

- Cate Blanchett is looking worse and worse these days. Girl's gotta go back to eating some Aussie red meat.

Stalkers need to step it up

2007-06-08T11:19:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure why I read Gawker Stalker on a regular basis. It's one of those things I just love to hate, like bad chick lit and old 90210 episodes. Today's stalker series features a powerful man who managed to win the hearts and minds of America's youth through Fleetwood Mac:

Bill Clinton
88 2nd Ave
Jun 8th, 2007 @ 10am
Walking down 2nd avenue in front of FRANK restaurant surrounded by secret service men. He's a fox. Apparently everyone else though so and FREAKED out like — people followed him. He's bigger than a rock star.

A fox? Rock star? If anything, I always had hope that at the very least, my fellow New Yorkers had a decent eye for aesthetics. Boy, have I been proven wrong.

There is no such thing as one cat too many

2007-06-07T08:43:00.001-07:00

To all of those who say that nothing good can come from global warming, I say NONSENSE!

Several shelters operated by a national adoption organization called Pets Across America reported a 30 percent increase in intakes of cats and kittens from 2005 to 2006, and other shelters across the nation have reported similar spikes of stray, owned and feral cats.

The cause of this feline flood is an extended cat breeding season thanks to the world’s warming temperatures, according to the group, which is one of the country’s oldest and largest animal welfare organizations.

So good

2007-05-13T20:22:00.000-07:00

I just watched Quinceanera, a wonderful independent, low budget film. It's about a 14 year old Mexican-American girl who is about to celebrate her big 15th birthday, but she is ostracized from her community due to a secret she's keeping. Everthing about this movie is what I wanted on a chilly Sunday evening. The supporting characters were amazing, the peek into Mexican American culture in LA, the invading gentrification, the wealthy Mexican cousins, and the difficult highschool experience dealing with sex and boys amidst conservative parents. I really can't emphasize enough how good this movie is.

Pretty numbers

2007-05-08T11:17:00.000-07:00

While catching up on my John Stossel articles, I came across this especially interesting one about how the media likes to scare the public about potential catastrophic events when there's a miniscule likelihood of these events happening. The article talks about an experiment that 20/20 ran to see how much people actually paid attention to likelihoods:

Media exposure clouds our judgment about real-life odds. Of course, it doesn't help that viewers are as ignorant about probability as reporters are.

To demonstrate that, "20/20" ran an experiment. We asked people to put on blindfolds and then to pick up a red jellybean from one of two plates that held a mixture of red and white jellybeans.

We offered $1 to anyone who could pick up a red bean.
Here's the catch: While one plate held 20 jellybeans and the other 100, the plate with 20 beans had a higher percentage of red ones. We put up signs that told people this clearly: "10 percent red" of the small plate and just "7 percent red" of the big plate.
Surprisingly, even with the percentage signs in front of them, a third of the people picked the plate with 100 beans.

What people saw overwhelmed their ability to think abstractly about probability. They saw more red on the big plate. It's one reason people obsess about things that have a small chance of hurting them but ignore real threats.

?????

Things like this really grind my gears. These people were given hard cold facts about what the end result was likely to be, yet they chose to ignore it.

How do you say 'calm down' in french?

2007-05-04T12:58:00.000-07:00

This Sunday the French will decide on a President, the candidates being Segolene Royal, the female socialist with experience in education and childhood development, and the right of center Nicolas Sarkozy who promises to boost the French economy. Sarkozy has the reputation for being a bit of a firecracker, but when I saw a clip of the debate recently, it was Royal who extremely thin skinned, accusational and emotional:

But that was just a skirmish. The exchange of the evening came when Sarkozy promised to ensure the rights of disabled children to attend public schools. Royal, a former junior minister of education, raised her voice as she accused him of "immorality" and "lies," alleging that his government had eliminated school programs for the disabled.

"Playing with the handicapped as you just did is really scandalous," Royal declared. "This attains the peak of political immorality."As Royal hammered away, Sarkozy told her icily to calm down."To be president of the republic, you have to stay calm," he said. To the moderators, he added: "I don't know why Madame Royal, who is normally calm, has lost control of her nerves.""I did not lose control of my nerves, I am angry," Royal retorted. "When there is injustice, there can be healthy anger.""When you use words that wound, you divide people although it's necessary to unite them," Sarkozy said, in a reversal of his rivals' charges that he is divisive.The consequences of the verbal fireworks remain to be seen. Royal's aggressiveness and energy may aid her bid in what is expected to be a narrow race. She made concerted appeals to women, describing the troubles of mothers who were denied pension benefits because they left a job to raise their children. And she occasionally rattled Sarkozy, not an easy feat.

Jeez Louise. You'd think a presidential candidate would be able to keep her cool in sudden, dire situation, let alone a debate about school programs for the disabled.

Neoneocon has an interesting take on Royal as compared to Hillary:

Man or woman, that’s not a good characteristic for a leader to have in this day and age. Say what you will about Hillary, she’s got the cold calculating steel to handle the pressure of the job.

Everyone's doing it

2007-05-03T09:29:00.000-07:00

Pdov and Karol have posted wonderful Dorothy Parker poems which made me want to post one of my favorites:

Unfortunate Coincidence

By the time you swear you're his,
Shivering and sighing,
And he vows his passion is
Infinite, undying ---
Lady, make a note of this:
One of you is lying.

My gay best friend

2007-05-03T07:25:00.000-07:00

Pdov has a great post about the dangers of a single girl's relationship with her gay best friend (GBF from here on in). As someone who lived with her GBF for two years in college, I can say that codependency is all too likely, especially in my case in which my best friend hadn't officially come out of the closet. It was very natural and we found comfort in eachother's craziness. I gained a lot from our friendship, but I did realize that in a lot of ways, I had no need for a boyfriend. I was the Grace and he was the Will, and we made eachother laugh, and we liked to eat sushi and he yelled at me because I didn't mop the floor and I yelled at him because he was OCD about mopping the floor and then we made up and went out to the Worcester outlet mall to see what was on sale at DKNY. We are rarely in touch these days since our social paths split. Once he came out, he sort of went crazy with the gay dating scene and after college I went crazy with the music nightlife scene.

Which maybe goes to show you that a relationship cannot be sustained on emotional support and a common location. There needs to be similar interests and other common ground. Or maybe we are both just bad a keeping in touch.

Conversation of the day

2007-04-26T21:46:00.000-07:00

Me: The 6 year old kid who interviewed me today for Bring Your Son/Daughter to Work Day was so precocious. She told me how she wanted to alleviate poverty and help the unfortuneate by setting up community meetings and working on various charities.

Coworker: Yeah, wait 'till she gets into a relationship.

C'mon someone

2007-04-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

I think the whole 'having a cool engagement story' is sorta played out and a bit cheesy. Most of the stories I've heard take place on the beach, or a fancy restaurant, and the guy is usually super nervous about everything going smoothly, and there's got to be some body of water in the background or a team of waiters with champagne or a palm tree, perhaps. Just once, I'd like to hear someone say 'yeah we were having mad crazy sex and just decided it was time to get hitched so we celebrated over burgers and beers at the neighborhood bar'.

Funding is telling

2007-04-26T05:49:00.000-07:00

From a capital markets perspective, this news is no good for Republicans. The flow of contributions to Obama from people that have been in the political landscape for so long just shows where they expect returns. As they say, there's no free lunch. Not even in the White House.

I do believe news like this is much more telling than any preliminary poll. And as someone who never has, and probably never will vote for a Democrat, I can't say I'm ecstatic, but at least I'm prepared for the worst.

UPDATE: Jason from WWR sends over this related article. Bill Richardson's stock is priceless.

Rainy night in NY

2007-04-25T20:13:00.000-07:00

On the M79 going westward this evening, I got into a conversation with the busdriver about why the crosstown buses are always on time but the avenue buses tend to be sporadic. As we crossed the park, the busdriver stopped to pick up a pedestrian. He declined and insisted that he likes walking through the dark streets at 11 pm. I got off at 2nd avenue and walked the ten blocks home. It was drizzling, but it felt nice. I called three people on the way home but no one answered. Where is everyone on a rainy Wednesday evening?

The man plays a sitar

2007-04-24T08:33:00.000-07:00

The man plays a sitar
It's his first week in America
No one listens at first

He sits barefoot on the stage
His head stares down in a daze
Fingers pick his makeshift guitar
I wonder how his presence is big,
though his sound is small