one world, one dream

how fun are the olympics! i loved the opening ceremony, just thought it was beautiful, what with the drummers, the synchronized human blocks, the globe surrounded by the planets and then finally, that absolutely stunning olympic flame - the scale and everything was just unbelievable. and that little chinese kid - a 9-year old who survived the earthquake and then went back to save two more of his classmates, all because he said he was a class leader and it was his responsibility - was just adorable. don't know how much of the games i'll actually watch, but it promises to be an exciting two weeks...

xoxo - um, maybe not

but i did have a gossip girl sighting today - not so much the show, but the girl that plays the younger sister was at my plaza with two other dudes - who, sadly, were not nearly as cute as the boys on the show... yes, it may make me a bit cougar-ish to say that those children are cute, but they are!

hello, unemployment

yesterday was my last day of work - how weird to be an officially "unemployed" person - i guess i'm technically a student again, but i have 6 weeks until classes start! and to celebrate my first day of freedom, i got some amazing ice-cream from kyotofu (yes, it was non-dairy, soy ice cream) but it tasted more like a chocolate mousse - soooo good. (and while on the topic, in the fro-yo discussion, red mango beats pinkberry - in the original flavors. pinkberry green tea is still pretty good...) watched gh - ah, jason. and then went grocery shopping and cooked an awesome dinner - what a lovely day!

and the beat goes on...

i know i'm moving, somewhere in my head i really do, but seeing my roommate's craigslist posting for my replacement totally shocked me!

"Your own, furnished bedroom in a two bedroom apartment. Share bathroom and kitchen/dining/living room. Your bedroom furnished with full-size bed, dresser, and night table. There's a good sized closet, window with a/c unit, and cable tv in the room (if wanted). Apartment amenities include: separate home office, wireless internet access, jacuzzi bath, separate, personal storage closet in the bathroom, extra storage in the basement, laundry facilities in the basement ($1 wash, $1 dry), all new appliances, 42" flat panel tv in main room w/surround sound. Rear facing apartment, second floor, very quiet, nice neighbors, minutes to theatres, subways, Times Square. All utilities included except long distance telephone charges on the house phone. Need first and last month's rents plus security deposit. Looking for a one year lease but will consider a month-to-month. Current room mate is leaving August 15th to go back to Graduate School. Room will be cleaned, painted, and bedding replaced prior to move in date of September 1st. I would prefer a female room mate, non-smoker. Building does not allow pets. If interested please email me to arrange a viewing as I will need to work around my current roommate's schedule to show the room. Thank you."

words of wisdom

by one of the most revolutionary thinkers of all time. in yesterday's washington post, there was an article about a rare recording of gandhi giving a speech in english - it is absolutely remarkable - one, because he's speaking in english, which he did not like to do for speeches. two, because it's actually been preserved and three, because of what he says. the article talks about some of the mixed feelings about gandhi, and while i recognize he may have had faults, his ideas are absolutely stunning. i have found myself, in the past, thinking about what india could be like if he had not been killed - how would it be different. and to actually hear him speak makes me believe it could have been a whole new world:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/30/AR2008063002252.html?hpid=topnews

i am not a circus act...

at least that's what my horoscope for today says - not kidding. it is the funniest thing... and i think i'm going to adopt it as my new mantra for the year - there are so many situations where i can so see myself repeating that under my breath!

he's not JUST hot

i've refrained from posting about the 75-foot becks poster hanging outside the SF macy's proclaiming his new armani underwear ad because i feel that would be gratuitous and perhaps, a tad bit obsessive. but please, feel free to google it to enjoy yourselves... ;) however, the info below is just awesome and lovely. it's referring to the news conference after the galaxy's bad 4-1 defeat against the dc united on sunday:

"But there was a moment in Beckham's post-game press conference that told me a lot about him. Early on, he interrupted himself to note that a tape recorder next to him on the table had stopped. Before continuing with what he was saying, he picked up the recorder, turned the tape around, and pressed Record for the reporter. That moment, which was so genuine and charming, told me more about him than anything that I had ever read or seen about him through the cynical gaze of the media (and that includes when I was in the press for last year’s appearance here). Forget the money, the looks, his wife, everything. That was such an awesome little gesture, and I can’t think of another athlete who would do that, no less one of his global status, especially after such an embarassing loss."

haters

seriously, does this surprise anyone? jeter is easily a great player, he makes a ton of money, has led a team to multiple rings and, most importantly, gets all the girls he wants - this is nothing but the other players seeing green. whatever - in the words of kanye: "if they hate, then let them hate and watch the money pile up - the good life"

Jeter voted most overrated player in Sports Illustrated poll

When you think about Derek Jeter's career in pinstripes, four-time World Series champion, World Series MVP, eight-time All-Star and captain are all labels that may come to mind immediately. But when several players in the majors thought about Jeter, they slapped him with another tag: Overrate
In a Sports Illustrated survey of 495 Major League Baseball players in its June 23 issue, Jeter was voted the most overrated with 10% of the vote. Struggling Giants lefthander Barry Zito was second at 9%, while Alex Rodriguez and Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew were tied for third with 7%. Mets third baseman David Wright and Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis tied for fourth at 4%.
Being named the most overrated player in baseball by some of his peers didn't stop Jeter from going 2-for-3 Thursday and scoring the decisive run in the Yankees' 2-1 win over the Padres, completing a three-game sweep and extending the Bombers' winning streak to seven.
When the Daily News informed Jeter of the survey results, he shunned it altogether.
"I don't want to hear about it," Jeter told The News. "I don't want to hear about it, I don't want to talk about it. All negative stuff I don't want to talk about."

supercool

went to see r.e.m. last night at the garden, what a great show! it was sort of my first real introduction to their catalog, as i've only really followed their big hits, but it was awesome. of course, i loved hearing the songs that i know, but some of my favorites to see were drive, fall on me and the single from the new album, supersonic something. michael stipes was fun to watch, he is definitely less talkative/charismatic than bono but he moves a lot more, which sort of to me, just showed how much he enjoys his own music. it really just showed his passion for the music.... and it was just fun to watch his interesting moves. he also says supercool a lot and said "thank you very much" after almost every single song. they also sang a song i'd never heard called "leaving new york" which was just almost too much for me to listen to in my current state of immiment departure. still, they've got a new fan in me!

i'm no doctor

but it is possible that i'm developing carpal tunnel. it's interesting, because i don't spend THAT much time on a keyboard, but i've had a serious pain in my left wrist for like 3 days now. augh - i'm too old...

on that note, i had the funniest convo with two sales girls at muji - one of them pointed at my jade pendant and asked if it was chinese. i said i think so, i got it in chinatown like 15 years ago. she goes, wow, i was 5 then. and i said, so you're 20... you're just a kid. she turned to her checkout friend and said - did i just get that, really? (in my mind, i just thought, dude, you brought it up....) and that one laughs and says something, followed by yeah, i'm 18. 18. i just walked out the door... and promptly got soaked to the bone on my way home - literally walked through a heavy downpour, until i was as wet as jumping in a pool, but it was fun!!

signing off

it's a complete and utter shock that tim russert is gone. i caught the abc breaking news cut-in and was literally flabbergasted - how could a journalist that good, that young, suddenly not be here? immediately after hearing about it, i just thought: not before the elections, that's tragic for him and for this country - REALLY. everyone remembers him for the white board, that was just one way that he was able to distill complex political issues into comprehensible ideas. everyone has been sharing little tidbits about his life and personality, and truly, it just seems like the business (and of course, his family) lost a passionate, intelligent, deeply human person. to see such professional journalists choke up and still be able to talk about their friend and boss was so moving, what they must be feeling...

take two

i'm loving the current renewal of interest in 80s n early 90s era tv shows/cartoons - basically shows that were popular when i was a kid... but, some of them freak me out because they've been reimagined - baby sitters' club, tmnt, even transformers. another case in point:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/business/media/11cartoons.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

whose boo?

there are so many girls that would die to hear those words from this man:

http://community.livejournal.com/ohnotheydidnt/24170636.html

s**** & giggles

first things first - this one's for you, b.g. ;)

whew, it has been a whirlwind couple of weeks - a few in india, a day in amsterdam and then, lovely days in the city with friends. india was wonderful, i learned how to drive a manual car - no, i didn't kill anyone and yes, i did manage to dodge cows in the street. i also was lucky to visit one of the major temples in india with my aunt's family, it was a beautiful and meaningful trip. amsterdam - loved walking around, and no, didn't visit "the district" or one of the cafes - saving those for travels with friends! and finally, some great weekends with friends in new york - the above title refers to a hilarious and often personal conversation with a few friends at blockheads, accompanied by margaritas - here's to many more of those.

lastly, a big congrats to a. & s. for tying the knot this weekend in philly - what a true honor to see your wishes and prayers from freshman year come to life. also, if anyone is looking for a good time in philly, grab an outdoor seat at continental midtown about 11 on a saturday night - guaranteed entertainment!!!

all smiles and wins

the yanks beat the red sox just now, yea!! it was a fun game, though i wish i were actually at the stadium instead of my living room, but nonetheless what a fun one. 15-9... yes you read that correctly, really high scoring game, but my boys pulled it out in the end. i was actually laughing cuz jeter had a huge grin on his face throughout the game - i loved it! he really is just a cute one. matsui had a few big smiles as well, and even the boston first baseman, sean casey, was laughing it up during the game. nice to see some lightness in the most anticipated matchup in baseball. either way, can't wait to go to my first game of the season, but guessing it's going to have to be after the trip to the motherland!

satyagraha

friday, i went to see the metropolitan opera's production of "satyagraha" - an opera based on gandhi's non-violence movement. (thanks for the ticket v & n) some facts to know - the opera is sung in sanskrit - a language that is largely out of use, save for a few pandits in india. there are no subtitles, because the composer felt they would be distracting. and philip glass, said composer, uses a lot of repetition, scale-y sort of music. and, the length is close to four hours. as you can tell, my experience was a little less than stellar. i admire anybody that tries to do something different in south asian arts, especially on a stage as prestigious at the met. so, in that sense, to see the met sold out for this was awesome. still, i really think this is almost a missed opportunity. the "language barrier" that is created by the sanskrit chanting, repeatedly, without any comprehension was just too much to bear for so long. sure it was beautiful singing, but at one point, you really feel like you need to have more than a general sense of what's being said. parts of the staging were magnificent - the giant puppets, the use of newspaper - but other parts - the tape, the tape - was just plain annoying because of the length and pace. i realize the show is intended to invoke a "feeling" rather than a particular set of events, but still.... as it ended, the audience rose in the longest standing o i've ever been a part of it and this is what the nyt made of it, and i couldn't agree more.

"To some degree the ovation at the end, after a 3-hour-45-minute evening, was necessary. The audience had to let loose after all that contemplation."

backstreet's back... oh wait, wrong boy band

it's new kids on the block - yeah, boooyyyy. i thought about posting this tomorrow, but wanted to give you all tons of advance notice - you know you want it (don't lie, especially not to yourself). nkotb will be on the today show on friday. can't you just feel the excitement of seeing donnie, danny, jordan, jon and joey all growed up (though danny still looks like a serial killer) i personally am a true fan of donnie, couldn't get enough of "the bad boy" and love that i get to see him occasionally as an actor these days. i was totally excited by the prospect of a reunion a few weeks back and since yesterday, have been humming "the right stuff" to myself - "the first time was the right time, the second time a blast..."

congrats, port charles!

today is the 45th anniversary of my fave soap - general hospital. i've been watching gh since junior high - though not in any way on a daily basis. still, i manage to stay up with the story lines which are awesome by the way. there are some great articles out there for people who also have an appreciation for the best soap on tv! long live sonny! (and jason. and stone. and jagger. and original lucky. and nikolas. and spinelli. and miguel...)

6 things to love about gh

45 years of gh

interview with luke

just call me zoltar

as a gag, i took my friend a. to get a psychic reading on her birthday... couldn't resist, so i got one too. besides my being almost pathetically unable to stop from rolling my eyes and laughing out loud, it was one of the funniest things i've ever done. the best stuff - i was a psychic in my past life. that's right people, i used to know what was going to happen in the future and now, i'm lucky if i know what the date is tomorrow. also, if jason from california who is now in new york is reading this, let me know - evidently, we're soulmates. no jasons? ok, maybe john, or someone whose name starts with a j? nope? maybe a middle initial? - that's how my reading went... ;)

grrr, argh & c'mon boys!

my brackets fell apart between the hours of 2 and 6 yesterday - it was lovely. i had actually been doing okay until sunday, but all number one seeds in the final four, who woulda thunk it? certainly not me. whatevs.

and the yankees home opener is tonight - the final one at the grand stadium. soo wish i could be there, but i think this thing has been sold out forever. still, it's an ugly-ish day in the city today, so maybe it's okay. it'll be interesting to see things under girardi, but i'm sure the boys will still be the boys. go yanks!

rewiiiind...

do you think the dems ever wish they could just turn back the clock? the unending drama between obama and clinton must be frustrating the party. while i do think it's great that voters in more states are excited by the process (see record turnout in pa), i do wonder if the party will somehow cannibalize itself. you have to wonder if at some high office in the dnc, they aren't wondering, please, why couldn't we have just chosen a likeable white guy? i mean seriously, this one should be in the bag - if you take the question of, is your life better today than 8 years ago and look at gas prices, food prices, credit levels, real estates woes, the strength of the dollar... just so many things, it really should be difficult for the dems to lose this one. but now, the latest polls are showing that mccain would beat both obama and clinton. that could be because dems are truly split now and will overwhelming vote down party lines in the end, but it is scary to think of the head start that mccain is getting. all i know is that dems truly find a way to screw themselves over every time.

5 years +

i've given a lot of thought to what it means that today is the 5th anniversary of the start of the invasion of iraq. i don't know if "staying the course" will be the best or worst decision 50 or even 100 years from now. when i think back to where i was five years ago - reporting in missouri - it hits me how long ago that really was. we knew the first strike was coming, we just didn't know exactly when. i can still remember standing in the newsroom and seeing the story break - green and black video, with occasional bright flashes - across every tv screen. my producer sent our team to the local mosque to capture reaction from the local imam and other members. i don't know if any were iraqi, obviously, all were muslim. i recall thinking, this is it, we've taken a turn we can't easily reverse from - it was a little surreal actually. my entire journalism "career" has been with the backdrop of war, and that is a scary thought, because sometimes i feel like this is all old hat. but i saw this piece in a ap article last week, and to be honest, it has stayed with me for days now - it so clearly highlights how not-common it all is. it talks about the civilian death toll in iraq:

At the height of unrest from November 2006 to August 2007, on average approximately 65 Iraqis died each day as a result of violence. As conditions improved, the daily death toll steadily declined. It reached its lowest point in more than two years on January 2008, when on average 20 Iraqis died each day. Those numbers have since jumped. In February, approximately 26 Iraqis died each day as a result of violence, and so far in March, that number is up to 39 daily. These figures reflect the months in which people were found, and not necessarily -- in the case of mass graves -- the months in which they were killed.

the low point was 20 iraqis each day - it is an entire generation of people, many of them men in their 20's, that are being killed. not to mention how many u.s. and coalition troops have been killed and don't get me started on the veterans that are coming home to a despicably-damaged VA system. what are we doing to our world? i don't support the immediate withdrawal of american troops, i think that leaves iraq more vulnerable than ever. but can we afford to continue - morally, monetarily, and mentally - at this rate? sometimes i wish we could turn back the clock, maybe i would never have had to see muslims of all types flock to that missouri mosque to pray for the days & events to come. maybe i would never have had to ask the imam what he thinks this means for muslims around the world. maybe i wouldn't have had to hear him say that this will greatly damage the relationship and trust other countries will have in us. but, this is 2008 and turning back the clock isn't possible. what is possible is learning from the past five years and hoping that whatever policy we pursue in the future will take into account the lasting consequences of those decisions.

can he survive?

the spitzer story has literally gobsmacked the city and state. everyone seems so shocked by it, and i don't think it's that he got into trouble, it's that it's a prostitution situation - tawdry rather than "steamroller". i have to admit, i'm disappointed by it, but am starting to feel for his family and even him - the state of their marriage, details about the hookup, etc being discussed 24/7 in news is unappetizing. and of course, everyone has a witty or judgemental comment to make about it - but let's face it, he's not the first guy, or even politician, to do this, and he certainly wont be the last. i don't know if i sound like i'm defending him, because i'm not, but at the end of the day, this is just plain sad. still, a lot of bad decisions were made, and i wonder where this is all headed... if he chooses not to resign, most likely, state officials in albany will decide to start impeachment proceedings. it made me think, if clinton could survive the process, could spitzer? i mean, obviously, removing the prez carries a lot more weight than the ny guv, but still, how far would this actually go? he's made a lot of enemies and in an election year, this is huge - but it is also a tremendous time-sucker. i guess we'll have to just wait and see..

bollywhat?

i watch indian entertainment shows every saturday morning. and bless my roommate for appearing at least somewhat interested/tolerant of them, cuz sometimes, it's truly hilarious to explain what is going on the screen. whether it's barely dressed women attempting to dance or questionably dressed men trying to stay on the beat, it's always hilarious to see it from an outsider's pov. today, a great song from the 60's was on and i found myself explaining one of my favorite oldies to her, and though the movie is wonderful, it sounded absolutely ridiculous. still, i've been on a total hindi movie binge these past few weeks, and i think i always will be!

thank you, yahoo email

i opened up my yahoo email acct today to what i thought would be an annoying macy's ad... instead this is how i greeted the day. well, hello and good morning to you too.


(i know, slighty x-rated for me, but just too funny to resist, knowing my ridiculous crush on him...)

rain on my air conditioner

i have a window unit, so that means, on a rainy night like last night, full, fat drops of rain can sound like pellets when they bounce off the metal top - which means lovely sleepless or fitful nights. which also means lovely or odd dreams. weird, yet fun.

sadly depressing

so the website i was talking about yesterday is "garfield minus garfield" - basically, someone has taken to posting a garfield comic strip every day in which garfield has been completely removed. so all that remains is jon and his thoughts/actions - which, without context, seem really sad. he has no interaction, so everything he says and does just seem strangely out of whack - i read through them and then i wanted to talk to anyone, just to remind myself that i don't exist in a vacuum...

yankee nation

so much to write about today - the media's decision to run with the prince harry in afghanistan story, the clemens investigation, the garfield without garfield website... there are more, but the one that i love:

from the nyt article on the transition of control of the yankees to steinbrenner's sons:

“Red Sox Nation?” Hank says. “What a bunch of [expletive] that is. That was a creation of the Red Sox and ESPN, which is filled with Red Sox fans. Go anywhere in America and you won’t see Red Sox hats and jackets, you’ll see Yankee hats and jackets. This is a Yankee country. We’re going to put the Yankees back on top and restore the universe to order.”

i'm not so sure about his conspiracy theory about espn and red sox fans (but it could be true, after all, espn is in bristol, ct - and that is most emphatically, not new york) but still, that last sentence is awesome.

oscars away

another one bites the dust... actually, it was a great time. a few of my friends came to the party, we had a great time! the cooking went well, actually had everything under control and, for once, no huge hiccup in the prep - it was a good feeling! as for the show, it wasn't horrible - some good wins, some really boring moments and of course, some wonderfulness from jon stewart. some of the reviews have panned him, but i think he was great - gracious, funny and, at times, a normal person who seemed excited to be doing what he was doing. glad the once song won, glad javier won, though day-lewis was lovely and was blown away by the 11-year old who sang - all in all, a fun evening with friends!

overheard in line

while waiting to be seated for brunch, my friends and i overheard this conversation between a gay guy and his girl friend.

boy: all girls are crazy
girl: ok
boy: and... all boys are stupid
girl: ok
boy: the key to all relationship is, finding someone who is the same amount crazy or stupid as you are, no more, no less
girl (and everyone around): ok

this guy was dropping a lot of wisdom during those 20 minutes, but this was easily the most memorable...

and it begins

it's that time of year again, and i don't mean the holidays. well, it's a holiday, but not a celebratory one right now. i was hoping my soon-to-be-adopted bunker mentality would save unnecessary mental drama, but today at work, one show got a promotion for the world's tallest roses - and they're beautiful. i mean, gorgeous. i'm not a huge fan of red roses, but these are stunning - about five feet tall with a large flower. in absense of a personal picture, here's their company pic.

v is...

loving using the word "fit" today - INNIT

my pseudonym

"angry marriage-hater"

not really, but that's what someone called katharine heigl in 27 dresses which i saw tonight and it made me laugh out loud.

also, woo woo to eli and the giants - nyc hearts you

yet i love it

"New York can also devour its young. It demands flair and personality, with performance."

this was written in reference to the city's demands upon its sports teams, currently on the giants and eli manning. but i wonder, is it appropriate for the city and its citizenry in general? sometimes it definitely feels so.

much has been made

massively annoyed. that pretty much singularly sums up how crazed i was yesterday toward obama's campaign. they had scheduled an event in denver that i was monitoring/writing. it was supposed to start at 10:25. well, well. 11: little college girls scream their love for obama as well as try to sound coherent while explaining the caucus process. 12: watch a middle-age man try to drum up enthusiasm from a frustrated crowd. 12:30: chants of "obama" "yes we can" (luckily there was good background music going on) 1: caroline kennedy shows up. 1:15: he finally arrives on stage, with no explanation for his 3 HOUR DELAY. he's been running late at every event, but this one topped the cake. it doesn't help, that at this point, anything any candidate has to say has been heard repeatedly, so i rarely have any expectations of "news." not to mention, edwards was making his announcement at the same time, and i totally wanted to hear that.

so yes, much has been made of obama's race - but the question is this: would america really elect a desi president? can you imagine a prez who constantly runs on IST?

so many thoughts....

am loving that facebook has a group called "My Friends are Getting Married. I'm Just Eating Laddoos." if ever two sentences summed up my existence, these must be it.

am thinking that teddy kennedy interjected a lot of energy into the dem campaign - that rally yesterday was insane. obama was being annointed as the new, next generation. (and it may have just been me, but teddy looked like he was gunning for veep) as they talked about him being reminiscent of jfk, i really thought about what it may have been like to be alive in that age - were people really that hopeful and optimistic? i know jfk was an inspiring figure, i just think it would be amazing to be that enthusiastic about the future and what we as americans could accomplish, within the context of the greater world.

am realizing that even though i rarely agree with his politics, sometimes bush the man is very sweet. he visited an inmate-transition program in baltimore today, and got all emotional when talking about people needing support for their second chances. he said he knew what addiction was like and mentioned his own drinking issues. the way he met and spoke with some of the clients was just moving - you couldn't help but admire that, regardless of everything else he has bungled.

am admitting how freakin' hot javier bardem looked at the sag awards sunday - perfectly cut suit, open white shirt and mussed up hair. and when he spoke - sigh. seriously, find me an indian boy with a spanish, scottish or english accent, and i'm done. pack it up, adios america, i'm crossing the pond.

am forgetting what else i was thinking.

sadness and disbelief

was my reaction to the news of heath ledger's death yesterday. i left work right before the news crossed, so i missed the initial craziness, but just finding out about it was craziness enough. i didn't know him, he wasn't my favorite actor, but i did like him and i enjoyed his work. of course at work today, it was a lot of speculation as to how and why, but until things are known, it's better not thinking about that. suffice to say, he has a daughter who will now grow up without her loving father, family that has to bury their son and fans who will be robbed of his talent. i have been so moved by people's tributes/remembrances of him, though it just makes me sadder to see their grief. i do wish for the best for those who were closest to him, hopefully they can find some peace soon.

they might be giants

yea! how excited was i when the giants and eli manning won on sunday night. we were watching at a bar in the nabe, and how funny because when they put tynes in during OT, every single person groaned and threw up their hands! luckily it went our way and the poor packers fans had to hang their cheeseheads in shame. even though they've been an inconsistent team, let's hope the giants can pull off a win two weeks from now. even if they don't, their performance in the post-season has been uplifting... and predestined by eddie murphy. now, he's weird. period. but when you're right, you're right.

movie mania

ooh, what a wonderful way to spend a frigid weekend in the city. i did venture forth to philly for a short trip which was fun and relaxing. we watched the simpsons movie while we were there - hmmm, not sure i would have been able to watch that in theaters. it was funny, but not nearly as engaging as it needed to be. then, i saw once - amaaaazing. just a cute small film about two musicians, the songs were great. it received a lot of hype last year and i can see why. and finally, northanger abbey on pbs. ok, so it's not my fave austen novel, but the movie was pretty good actually. plus, can i give them props for finding some really cute people for the series - the dude playing wentworth in persuasion was hot. and henry tilney, who i didn't really picture as attractive, was actually adorable in a teasy, sarcastic way. lovely. i now want to speak in a british accent for the rest of the week ;)