to know lloyd dobler

is to love him. how true those words are. p. and i watched say anything today, and what a wonderful movie. it is easily my favorite american movie, i absolutely love it. every line: "i gave her my heart, and she gave me a pen" "a dare-to-be-great situation" "and don't you ever think it" "the world is full of guys. don't be a guy, be a man" "kickboxing, the sport of the future" "joe lies" and "i'm the distraction that's going with her to england" is just awesome. and who can forget the seminal scene with the boombox.... sigh.

oh andre

went to the us open on thursday night and saw sharapova and blake vs. santoro. sharapova won easily, but blake had a hard time beating a tired and injured santoro, who totally won over the crowd with his tenacity and drive. but, overall, i just missed agassi. just knowing that he wasn't there to play was tough. obviously, because the open is going on, i think more about it, but it really is quite sad.

also, who says we can't get peace on earth and goodwill towards all men, esp. sworn enemies:

stunning, sobering realization

i know the words to almost half of justin timberlake's futuresex lovesounds album. my head is hung low in shame (and moving up and down to the beat....)

secular politics

yesterday, i read an article in vanity fair by christopher hitchens. his new book has been out a while, but i haven't read it or even about it. but the article was an interesting take on reaction to the book, which basically, if my interpretation is correct, presents an atheist viewpoint against religion in general. conservatives, in a "know-thine-enemy" move, have propelled it to great success apparently. but anyways, the article talks about religion and politics, mentioning mitt romney, al sharpton and several other names. at the end, he writes something like (but much more eloquently, i'm sure) - one day there will be a presidential candidate who says he's not a man of faith, and there will be no major repercussions. it immediately struck me because it seems so hopeful, and i don't view hitchens as hopeful. still, it got me thinking - could it happen? in this country, where religion and politics are so hypocritically entwined, could we actually not care if a national candidate said he had no faith whatsoever?

finally, a sign

that things must changing for the good. yesterday, i think a pigeon pooped on me - yes, laid one right on top of my head as it was flying by. as disgusted as i was, i could only take solace in the fact that some very wise people ages ago said the indignity of being defecated upon is a lucky thing. allright, world, bring on the good luck, i'm SOO ready.

south africa fo sho

that was the slogan of the south african broadcasting company - or at least that's what it sounded like to me! i recently spent eight days in SA with two friends, and it was a wonderful trip. the country is beautiful and the people are extremely friendly. there are obvious signs that racial tensions still exist, as the country still seems segregated, though of course, now it's not apartheid. still, it's a great place and i really wish we had much longer to explore. still, here are some scenes from SA:

not completely useless

one of my not-so-secret shames - i'm a soap opera addict. maybe not a tape-everyday-without-fail addict, but definitely someone who stays updated on my favorite show, general hospital (snaps and swoons for sonny corinthos and jason morgan), on a regular basis. it takes very little for me to latch on, albeit temporarily, to a new soap. i don't really like most american soaps because they're ridiculous, but the indian ones are a whole 'nother story. indian serials, as they're called, are absolutely off-the-chain bad - contrived situations, rehashed plots, over-the-top characters, hideous actors/actresses, pathetically bad acting and overly-dramatic sound effects/visual tricks. still, despite all the negatives, i can start watching a show and follow it regularly for about six months before my frustration and disgust reaches dangerous levels. (of course, if there's a cute boy involved, my interest can be kept a little longer...) my willingness to put up with indian soaps has made me the source of astonishment/ridicule from my family, but it's ok, it's just the tip of the iceberg for them. but, now, thanks to a new study, i may not need to be so embarrassed by the shows. it seems, because the shows are so liberated-women-centric, they have actually changed gender attitudes in central india. while some of the stats in this story seem a little exaggerated, if even part of it is true, it's a good thing. though my personal opinion is that many of the female characters on these shows are really annoying, i'm sure they represent a whole new world to rural women in india.

bonkers for becks

please let me spend all my saturday nights with such attractive men. i was one of the lucky 66,000 to see david beckham play his first MLS start for the Galaxy against the Red Bulls. and we definitely got our money's worth, as our seats were amazing 2nd row, corner and becks played the entire game, despite a still-recuperating ankle. he played really well, setting up two goals in the first eight minutes of the game. we got to see him upclose several times as he took several corner kicks from right in front of us. though the loser crowd booed him at times, you couldn't help but notices the flash of bulbs and the immediate standing of the crowd sections as he ran by. he was pretty gracious as well, smiling at the crowd when he came near. sadly, he didn't make any of his own free kicks though, partly because of the artificial turf, which will take some time for him to conquer. but most importantly, he did take off his shirt at the end, thank you god (unfortunately, he was at the other side of the pitch when it happened, but i've included a shot, so you don't think i don't spread the wealth!). he is too pretty, and SOOOO fit, i could be getting close to dangerous levels of coveting him. plus, he's english - what is there not to like?

happy 60th india!

india celebrated its 60th anniversary as an independent and free nation yesterday. it's an interesting time for india - the country is growing by leaps and bounds in so many respects, but is still struggling to provide basic human needs in many other areas. the british left india with a lot of problems, surprise surprise, and it has taken leaders years to try to foster unity. of course, many political leaders have encouraged the differences as a means to their enduring power, but i try to remain hopeful that they will come to their senses soon. i understand its naive to think a country as varied - culturally, linguistically, religiously, geographically, and politically - as india wont always have an uphill struggle to find common ground, but i do hope it will happen. the pace at which india is changing in the metropolitan areas vs. the continuing lack of education and development in the interior is an even more daunting challenge for the country. and though the economic boom india has experienced because of the IT sector is vital, political and business leaders must soon realize that complete dependence upon other countries can only cripple them in the long run. india must begin to create economic opportunities that are 100% desi.

but for all its problems, india remains a country full of the enthusiasm, dreams, grace, intellect, beauty and hard work of a billion people. and those billion people have the capacity to be great and do magnificent things. so, all i can say is CHAK DE INDIA!!

jane in the city

those of you that know me, know that i ADORE jane austen. i've loved her since i was in high school. gotta admit, initially, emma didn't do it for me, but by the end, i was hooked. then i read p&p, saw the bbc miniseries (thank god for fitzwilliam darcy and colin firth) and that was it - a life-long obsession was born. so, the recent interest in jane austen has been interesting and somewhat fun. though austen's own words, esp. those of p&p, will remain among my favorites ever, i've enjoyed reading some of the fake "sequels" and modern re-imaginings. there are a bunch of books due out this summer and one of them, me and mr. darcy, starts with this line: "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single girl in possession of her right mind must be in want of a decent man." LOVE it!!