going too far

i honestly believe bush has gone too far this time. in the name of national security, the prez has authorized secret wiretaps on americans making calls overseas. the nsa doesn't have to get a court warrant to tap your phones... because you might be communicating info to "terrorists". come on... seriously?? how can he just blatantly ignore every single civil liberty our bill of rights affords citizens. i don't understand how he can be so single-minded in his approach to the world. already the majority of the world at large hates our guts because we ignore their needs and rights... and now he's doing the same thing here. i only wish that these reveltions would persuade more americans to pressure him to get in line... or as my friend m. would say... he needs to "get right." i honestly believe we're quickly sliding down a slippery slope, that leads to an authoritarian and totalitarian govt. and the thing that gets me more is that, in his twisted mind, he's able to justify it.

the saga continues...

went to a bon jovi concert in jersey last night. sigh. i am not afraid to admit that it was totally awesome. the band completely rocked the entire time, and they brought the house down with my favorite "it's my life." jbj... as some purists like to say... is SO hot... truly, it's mind-boggling how someone who once used to sport long, bleached hair and ripped, acid-washed jeans in the 80's now looks sexy as hell. his voice still sounds good and of course, the songs are timeless. my friend and i may have been the least excited people there... and we were still jumping up and down!

it's been a stellar year in concerts for me... u2, coldplay, and bon jovi... the everlasting, the new, and the classic.... when will i ever be able to top it?

the chronic what?

check out this video... it's absolutely hilarious, i can't stop watching it!!

hallelujah!!

yea!! how exciting that there's a small possibility that AD could be revived. monday's ep was so good, i will be sooo sad if they don't find a home for this show. hopefully the cast will be on board if something develops, since they seem to be experiencing a bit of battle fatigue!

mi padre es muy fabulouso!!

so, this article isn't the greatest, but i love the star of the show!!

i'm back!

and the topic to get me back on the blog: an adorably funny quote from a tv show i'm loving more every time i watch it. brace yourselves, i've fallen off the teen-drama wagon, it's everwood. and the line, by the amusing and touching bright, in reference to another character's trademark behavior: "we've all seen the movie, she bought the dvd, and you know what she did? she sold it on ebay." LOVE it!!

mmm, chocolate

my roommate is baking these ultimate dark chocolate brownies right now. the smell is soooo good!! let me just send out a little pointer to all the fellas out there - chocolate is a girl's best friend. seriously, it never lets you down, it's a total comfort, and it doesn't discriminate - ever!!

even though it's so bad for you, i love that the holidays mean that people start making these awesome desserts and fun food things. i'm cooking thanksgiving dinner for three friends on thursday, starting to get a little nervous. the menu isn't too large, but it'll be the first time i'm handling an entire meal, start to finish, on my own. but, luckily, since i'm a vegematarian, i won't have the hassle (or stress) of cooking a turkey to perfection. everything should be relatively simple, but let's see!! stay tuned for my personal report card!

movie mania!!

it's been a week of finally seeing movies that i've been waiting months for. i saw hp: the goblet of fire last night, 2 days before its release. it's absolutely wonderful. all the kids are great, growing up quickly and acting their parts very well. one of harry's scenes at the end is absolutely heartbreaking. and ralph fiennes as voldemort is unbelievable, he's absolutely stunning, totally terrifying and creepy. i loved the humor they injected into the movie as well, making you realize the weight of the wizarding world rests on kid shoulders. as huge as the book is, they definitely took leaps with the story, but i liked it overall. all i want to do is find a bootleg version somehow to watch over and over again!!

and then tonight, i went to see walk the line, the johnny cash biopic. i have to say, i admired mr. cash, even though i'm not completely familiar with his music. and i loved this movie. really. reese witherspoon is great, she plays this part with so much grace, humor, pizzazz, and honesty. and joaquin phoenix.... ahh, joaquin... he is so wonderful in everything he does, and this is no different. he is magnetic and charismatic as johnny cash, you really can't stop watching. he totally conveys the confusion of the man - someone with personal flaws and who was susceptible to damaging demons, yet who was supremely talented, loving, funny and strong. joaquin is amazing, i love him even more after this. they both sang well, bringing similarity without fully copying the original styles. several scenes were very good and very sweet. their love story is inspirational, made me want something similar (of course, without the wait, drugs, and divorces...) (thanks to l. for the screening!)

finally... movies that fulfill the expectations that i had and left me wanting more. it is films like these that made me love the silver screen. one bringing a magical book to life and the other giving us a peek into the life of a legendary man.

to the gilmore powers that be:

what's the deal with this luke having a kid story? it may end up being quite cute because luke can be so sweet when it comes to people he cares about. but, at least initially, i think it will bring so much pain and confusion to luke and consequently, lorelai. this couple and their romance have sustained me through many months of frustration over my own lack of love-life. i virtually live for the moments of their relationship, but i think there's gonna be some rough waters ahead, and i HATE it. so to those who rule the gilmore world, please don't let this story line ruin this relationship in the long run.

why the delay?

read an article in vanity fair about the president's vacation and his dealings with crawford, texas. the article talks about the split between local residents who love and hate bush's residence there. i started thinking about a sentence in the piece that referenced the delay in bush's response to katrina. the article talked about the time it took for him to realize and act upon the fact that people were dying in nola. it mentioned the numerous trips he took in the days following katrina's landfall, instead of taking steps to relieve the devastation in the gulf coast. i immediately flashed to the image of bush sitting in the classroom on 9/11 when he was told that the towers were attacked. it took, what, 7 minutes for him to leave the room to get more information on what happened? it just shows a pattern of massive misunderstanding, unbelievable arrogance and an inability to know how to handle crisis on his own. without someone whispering in his ear or leading him around on a leash, bush is completely incapacitated.

art and bush

first, new polls show bush has the lowest approval rating of his presidency. yea, at least americans are sensing that something is wrong with this man and his policy. i hope the dissatisfaction will lead to some changes in his outlook on how we approach the world and our responsibilities.

second, went to the MoMA and remembered how much i enjoy seeing certain artists and their work. i always love monet, rothko, gaudi, johns, and others. today, i discovered that i like seurat and works by elizabeth murray. i love seeing the texture on paintings and how the use of varying thicknesses of paint makes the piece fun.

out and about

spent the day walking around new york yesterday. had a friend in from chicago and the weather was gorgeous, what a great way to spend the day. we started out by going to see "the little prince" an opera at Lincoln Center. it was my first experience with opera, and since it was an English-language one, i think it was a good way to intro myself to the genre. though i think i'll have to give classic opera a try before completely denouncing them.

we then went to chinatown, which is fine if you go at an off-time, but otherwise, it is crawling with tourists who are a pain in the ass. seriously. we then made our way through little italy and the LES, to the east village. ate dinner at this cute mexican place, maryann's. food is good, ambience is nice, sangria a little too sweet.

on our way back, we stopped by bryant park to see the ice-skating rink they've set up. it's really quite cute with people falling and tripping along the way, just the thing to put you into the holiday spirit. christmas is on it's way to the city, i can't wait to walk around and see all the holiday decorations!

i hate it

i'm not cut out for the dating world. seriously. i don't have the patience or the skills to navigate the ins and outs of men and their lame excuses for existence. sorry, that was harsh, but it's just too frustrating to deal with all the crap. i know i'm completely new to the whole deal, so i'm still learning, but i've honestly come to realize i don't know how to handle all the bs that comes with the dating world.

further evidence...

that all tv associated with the name fox, SUCKS!! so, fox (not news) has reduced the number of new "arrested development" episodes to be produced and has also delayed the broadcast of new episodes until december. all this in favor of "prison break" - which isn't a bad show - but come on... better than AD? for the love of bluth...

election day '05

so, the media is touting yesterday's elections as a big win for the democrats and a set-back for bush. while, i'm not sure the results signify quite that, i do think they show a lack of momentum for the republican party. i think some good dems in governorships is a good sign for the party in the long-run. even though i've come to believe most politicians are corrupt and/or immoral, i think governors stand a chance on the presidential stage far better than senators. the national voting record just isn't there to throw in their face at every campaign opportunity. let's see how these elections foreshadow in the next several years, i think a lot more depends on the war and bush's handling of the government in the coming months.

jess-ilicious!

okay, so tonight was by far my most favorite gilmore girls of the season. i'm a die-hard fan of the show, but this season has been a little tough to watch. i love the lorelai-luke story, he keeps getting sweeter and better, though i'm just waiting for her to break his heart. but more importantly, the whole dynamic is off with the estrangement of rory and lorelai, which i understand plot-wise. however, the magic of the show is gone - the quick convos, the random pop culture references, and the general wackiness these two create. but tonight, our man was back... jess came back in a guest appearance, and it was awesome, though way too short. his character was settled and tried knocking some sense into rory... but more importantly, it was great to see the actor back and in fine form. he always bring a sense of sarcasm and intelligence that is SO attractive! thank you, milo, for visiting the gilmore universe once again - we missed you!

filmed out

i volunteered for a film festival this past week, it was great. the days were long, but i got to see some really amazing movies. my favorites - born into brothels, waterborne, highway courtesans, call center, continuous journey. though i have to say, at this moment, the idea of movies that are serious and real freaks me out a little. i need to see a popcorn fluff movie made with a big budget!

happy birthday!!

happy birthday to my man (i wish!), shahrukh khan!! he turns 40 today and is only getting better with age. hard to believe i fell for the scrawny little kid in "deewana" more than 13 years ago!! anyways, just wanted to send out an eternal birthday wish for him with hopes that this year brings him all the happiness and success he desires.

Diwali Mubarak!

Happy Diwali! Today is the largest festival for Hindus, it's called Diwali, a.k.a. the Festival of Lights. Diwali is the New Year for our lunar calendar. It signifies a time of new beginnings and the coronation of Ram after returning from a 14-year exile.

Anyways, for me, Diwali means family. My mom always hosts the community pooja, so it means cleaning the house, lighting dozens of diyas, cooking great food, wearing new clothes, and celebrating with close friends. I'm not at home this year, but my heart definitely is!

not again...

Geraldo Rivera is launching a daily talk show today... and he claims it's different from his previous outing. i'm not a fan of his and take offense to the fact that he parlayed his "success" into a reporting career (granted, it was at fox, which discounts it as being real journalism anyways, but still). geraldo's new show "geraldo at large" is described as an "action-oriented half-hour" of news. what the hell does that mean, action-oriented? argh!

a weird ny smell...

so, evidently, there was an interesting smell on the island of manhattan last night. i didn't smell it, but everyone seemed to agree it was a nice change from the usual odors:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1258934

my take on it: someone achieved their life's dream yesterday, accomplished something they've wanted for a really long time. and the smell? why, the sweet smell of success, of course!

buh bye, ms. miers

so, supreme court nominee harriet miers withdrew her nomination today. as much as i wish i could celebrate this partial loss for the bush admin., i think the withdrawal will actually mean a more conservative pick. miers was definitely shady regarding her views and judicially inexperienced, but the gamble could have paid off for major cases involving privacy. i think the conservative backlack against miers was a major factor in her decision, and i think bush will be scared to pick someone who angers his base as much. his support in all realms of policy seems to be quickly deteriorating, and he's gonna look for someone who can be easily confirmed. whether that actually happens remains to be seen, because i think democrats are salivating at the chance to use some of this political momentum.

not miss piggy!

which one are you?

http://www.matthewbarr.co.uk/muppets/

just took the test, and i'm gonzo... and i've got the nose to prove it!! though i totally love my muppet persona, i have to say, i always thought i was more the statler and waldorf type!! just in case you don't remember, they were the two guys who sat in the balcony heckling everything, sarcasm and wit at its best.

on pencils

had a random thought while trying to get to sleep last night. i bought some great notecards this weekend and was looking forward to writing some letters, and i just thought about how much i love pencils. i love the scratchy feeling of the lead against the paper, that you can feel yourself going against the grain. i love their erasibility, laying endless possibilities at your fingertips. when tom hanks said that he would send a "bouquet of freshly-sharpened pencils" to meg ryan in you've got mail, i thought it would be one of the best and most romantic gifts ever.

beautiful day

had a friend from my masters days visiting me in the city this weekend. it was great, hadn't seen each other for over a year, so it was wonderful to catch up. we, along with another friend from school, walked along central park this afternoon, it was gorgeous. it is still slightly chilly today, luckily the rain seems to have passed for now. though i wish we would have more fall days, rather than a straight transition to winter. anyways, the air was crisp, the conversation good, and the laughs plentiful. thanks for coming, j.!

"i would change..

my life to better suit your moods"... it's a line from a rob thomas song. a friend and i went to see him in concert last night and had a great time. yes, i'm admitting that i went (and paid for it). he's actually surprisingly versatile, and his voice sounds great. my favorite moment was his acoustic version of push, which is my absolutely fave matchbox 20 song. probably the most sketchy moment was his cover of madonna's borderline. just didn't seem right. also, p., just had to remind you - he kissed a man in plain sight of everyone, told you he swung both ways!! ;)

Legalize it, time you recognize it..

i'm absolutely OBSESSED with sean paul's new song "we be burnin." who knew that i wouldn't be able to get a song about pot out of my mind. i wonder if those groups out in california who are trying to legalize marijuana will use this as their new theme song!

elizabethtown

went to see elizabethtown this weekend, the latest offering from director cameron crowe. i'm a relatively big crowe fan, his say anything is one of my most fave movies EVER. i'm sad this movie doesn't come close to the grandeur, wistfulness, and oddity that it could have achieved. the main problem, to me, was that the movie lacked a real story - why do i care about these people and what happens to them? the best part of the movie? easy:


he is so wonderful to look at, you just sometimes forget that the character doesn't really suit his persona. however, the entire time i'm watching it, i'm thinking, topher grace, where are you? overall, mr. crowe, i say, take some advice from your own work and find "a dare-to-be-great" scenario once again.

it has got to stop...

seriously, this rain is out of control. it's been more than a week of this non-stop downpour. i know the city doesn't have it as bad as some places, but, since i can recognize that, i get to complain too!

baller turned superhero?

so i'm not a boston red sox fan, but it didn't stop me from admiring nomar garciaparra. now i see this story:

nomar saves the day

and i totally remember why. he just honestly seems like a decent guy. but all i could think when reading this story was: who can leap over buildings in a single bound... superman!!

happy dusshera!!

happy dusshera!! it's a big hindu holiday, celebrating basically the victory of good over evil. since i'm not at home, i'm gonna celebrate with my mom's homemade daal and some brown rice. yum!

congrats j & j

went to philly this weekend to attend the wedding of a college friend. i felt so privileged to see this wonderful couple (formally) start their life together. they started dating our freshman year and have been a fun and loving couple since then. the most wonderful moment of the weekend:



half way through the ceremony, the groom sang a beautiful song to the bride. i can honestly say everyone in the church was as moved as the bride. anyways, just wanted to say congrats to j. and j.

maybe i'm too cynical...

but i'm questioning today's nyc subway terror threat alert. i realize three suspects have been arrested (in Iraq, mind you) and that extra security is always a good thing... but with washington officials sort of downplaying the need for bloomberg's alert, i wonder just how necessary the city-wide alarm is.

homeland security officials have said the source of the info was a of "doubtful credibility" and initially hesitated to step in line with bloomie's call for heightened vigilance. it just seems too coincidental to me, mayoral elections are less than a month away, and though bloomberg has a comfortable lead, anything that screams 9/11-terror connection always leads people to be a little scared and fall back in line with the established regime. either way, if a real attack was thwarted by the nypd, thank you and keep up the amazing work. however, i'm sad to say, i just can't discount the fact that bloomberg might have gotten a little extra mileage out of his terror alert press conference and "come take a ride with me on the subway" photo-op this morning.

two things...

the thing that got me started today was the news item that post-katrina contracts were going to be re-bid on accd. to the head of fema. it turns out that several firms were awarded contracts without any sort of competitive bidding on the bill. it makes me mad to think these companies were so eager to make a quick buck off the misery of millions of people. honestly, i know "brownie" was totally ill-equipped to handle the aftermath, but c'mon, didn't you think this would be a problem later on.

secondly, was this crazy story:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/10/06/potter.gay.reut/index.html

i think it's absolutely hilarous and weird. hp gay?? not that there's anything wrong with that, but still, where do people think of these things? and why would you choose to out your theory to a bunch of little kids??

beantown!

have to admit, for a new york girl, boston was the wrong place to be this weekend. and even though the yanks were less than spectacular this weekend, i had an amazing time in beantown.

went to visit some friends and it was just a great weekend. great weather and the city was beautiful. boston is pretty manageable on foot, so i would recommend just walking around to get a true sense of the city. use the T, which is the subway system, it's a great way to get around. harvard was gorgeous, made me insanely nostalgic for college again, and the north end's little italy was very cute. we ate at a great restaurant, marcello's, on newbury street, that served both italian and persian food. my friend and i stuck the persian food and were totally amazed. we both thought it might taste a little like indian, but the flavors were totally new and fresh. went out on landsdowne street, a good place to go, the cover is for a whole row of clubs, so try them out till you find something you like. all in all, even though it's the home of the dreaded red sox, boston was the place to be this weekend!

taking a stand

was walking in the 42nd street subway station and saw this quote by frederick douglas:

"Those who profess to favor freedom, and deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightning. "

it turns out they are sponsoring a series of wall posters questioning our continuing presence in iraq and the current environment in the u.s. of equating dissent with anti-patriotism.

the next poster in the series refers to edward r. murrow, one of the greatest broadcasters ever, and his refusal to stay quiet during sen. mccarthy's communist witch hunt. i think the poster ties into a new film, good night and good luck, a drama on mccarthy and the hearings.

i love mr. douglas' words, i love that it once again shows how relevant and cyclical our history is. a quote that describes an era so long ago and is once again so applicable proves, at least to me, that we go through these times again and again, rarely learning from our mistakes. i hope we eventually shed this atmosphere of intimidation.

a true new york day

whew, today has been a whirlwind day, one that you can only have in this great city!

the first incident, unfortunately, illustrates just how psychotic i've become. so i was at work when i learned that jon bon jovi would be in our building for an interview shortly after i leave work. how unfair!! i decided to take matters into my own hands, and leave work about 10 minutes late to stand outside our main entrance. so, i'm totally having a pretend phone conversation while staking out the front door. five minutes later, a non-descript black van pulls up and richie sambora and jon himself jump out of the van.... he looks absolutely wonderful, was wearing a gray shirt, faded jeans, sunglasses.... everything was totally working for him!!

so, then we go to see a taping of "hope & faith" the abc sitcom. it was fun, it was a friend's bday, so it was a nice way to celebrate. it took more than four hours, so by the end, i was ready to get home. made me appreciate live television even more.

so, i get off the 7 and decide to walk home through times square instead of around it, figured it's 10 on a friday night, let's see what's going on. well.... interestingly enough, i see the middle of broadway portioned off and a whole bunch of people just standing around. there's floodlights, and i think i see a whole bunch of desis there. so i ask around and it turns out Salman Khan is shooting for his new movie. i get a closer look, the guy is standing in a phone booth, dressed in a white halter dress and brown wig, and is making a call while changing out of the clothes. it was insane, to be just walking around and run into this shooting randomly.... he looked good and it was such a great way to end a fun day!!

hp4: the movie

just saw the latest trailer for the fourth harry potter movie, it looks great. i'm a huge hp fan, and i can't wait for this movie to come out. i find those kids so adorable, and i think daniel radcliffe, the one who plays harry, is gonna grow up to quite the little hottie (evidently he already is among the pre-teen/teen generation). anyways, check it out, the movie's out november 18th.

on a side note, i was reading an interview with terry gilliam (director, 12 monkeys & the brothers grimm), who was considered for directing the fifth installment. he said he hated the first two movies, because they were unoriginal. i just have to say, i understand where he's coming from, but at the same time, the director had it hard -- he had to appease a whole world of kiddies who wouldn't want harry's world messed with. personally, i think chris columbus did a great job of bringing the series to life, within the constraints of hollywood and audience demands.

Hello, Hello... Hola!

Welcome!! On the advice of my friend, I decided to start a blog. I feel like I'm a little on the late side of this trend, but thought I'd give it a try. So stay tuned, and enjoy the show!!

With no further ado, I dedicate this first post to my dear Ms. M:

my marilyn monroe moment: (and no, i didn't sing happy birthday to the pres)

so i was on 8th ave, on my way to a movie, and i must have been walking along a subway grate... and yes, the image you created was right... a subway roared through underneath me and up flew the skirt. i was mortified.... (no doubt people had seen, esp. the man sitting in the truck two feet away), but sadly still, two seconds later, i was laughing uncontrollably because the only thing i could think of way, this is the closest i'll ever come to the blonde bombshell.