New Favorite Song

"Move On Up," by Curtis Mayfield. Along with the Hairspray soundtrack, this can get me out of any bad mood.

I had about 8 days that I could have gotten sick.. 8 days that I spent essentially sitting on the couch watching movies. But no, I started getting a cold yesterday and am fighting it head on so 1- I won't be sneezing tonight. And 2- won't be feeling sick during work this week since I missed 7 days already cause of the holidays!! Grrrrr! sniffle sniffle. My body is falling apart just from not exercising for one week. Working out makes such a difference with every part of my mind and body. Even just the walking I do during the city vs. Shmersey has an impact on my health. Gotta remember this!

Beautiful Music

Last night I saw an awesome performance at Joe's Pub-- AKIM FUNK BUDDHA
THE FLYING CARAVAN featuring my friend Rebecca Lerman singing beautiful, operatic vocals. It was an eclectic mix of singing, human b boxing, modern dance, tap dance, and performance art. Feels good to be back in the city. It's always relaxing to be at my parents in Schmersey, and hard to leave.. but then once I get back into to the city, it takes about five minutes to remember why I love it. So many interesting people. So much to do. I feel like in the past 3 days that I've been back at my apartment, I did all the stuff the city had to offer- went to the movies, went to a bar, saw a performance, went shopping, coffee, brunch and the Met.

This is a posting by my sister.. err the linguist?

What I've noticed between the Mid-West and East Coast is- people don't say "yo." It kinda bothers me, like the near extinction of the word, "shmuck." "Yo" in the mid-west is kinda like a joke, which is totally weird for me. And the reaction I get from the word is equally surprising. People give me funny looks, are taken aback and even shocked. It's similar to the twilight zone. Perhaps the twilight zone is parallel to the boondocks, I dunno, just a theory of mine. But either way, the mid-west is a place lacking popular nouns, adjectives, and parts of speech such as "yo," "dumb," and of course "mad."

Kung Foo Fighter

My sister was the victim in a Mischief/ kitten confrontation. She some how managed to get her entire arm scratched up.. like cross hatches. Now she's afraid that her friends will accuse her of "cutting." Yo, this is karma for when she laughed at me after Mischief scratched me across the face. Holllar.

KITTEN!!

My parents got a new kitten yesterday!!! She's absolutely adorable! And this will make it hard for me to go back to NYC tomorrow. I've already delayed my plans for going back. Was supposed to go back Wednesday or today.. Anyway, we haven't totally decided what to name her. The shelter named her Pheobe and we're thinking of Willa instead. Thoughts? Mischief isn't taking things well. He's sulking even more than usual. I thought getting a female kitten would work better than a male but it turns out only boy cats play with each other. And that the female cats are actually more dominant. Where as he's chasing her and he already hit her, she's ignoring him. Blah, I hope they get along. He needs a partner in crime. I was making serious progress with him beforehand. Nearly got him to fetch. When I say nearly, I mean he'd bring the ball back and drop it a foot away from me.

Merry Christmas!

oh wait, I guess I was about 5 minutes late on that one. Anyway, I haven't been posting cause I haven't been doing much. By not doing much I mean I've been eating, sleeping, eating, playing with Mischief, watching TV, eating, playing with Mischief and errr.. watching movies. I'm hoping to fit some shopping, perhaps reconnecting with nature- (that that is found in the suburbs) and some quality friend time but we'll see. I'm also hoping that by the time I go back into the city, my legs won't have trouble adjusting to mild exercise (or intense for that matter). And I've also been tearing-- mainly out of fear from the A&E show Paranormal State. H o l y crap. And when I say holy, I mean I'm going to have to start wearing a cross. It's on Mondays at 10. I'm going to have to recruit my roommate to watch it with me cause ain't no way I'm watching it alone. So folks, spirits exist. There's no question. How could there be with this show? It can all be one big hoax right? Like Man vs. Wild, not completely authentic, but come on, have an open mind. I've been getting into that kind of stuff a lot lately--- Again. There's definitely more to this world than what we can see. There's so much more to discover, stuff that's unexplainable.

Yesterday, on top of watching back to back episodes of Paranormal State, we saw something on Nostradamus and Edgar Cayce, both prominent prophets who accurately predicted both immediate and future events. I want to go back to college. I want there to be a course on these guys.. and others. Why do we value certain views of history, and not others, or certain types of science- and not others? We label the Middle Ages the Dark Ages. Yes, obviously the Renaissance made major advances in science and culture, but who's to say the practices of that time period didn't have value. We label Eastern Medicine "alternative medicine" but don't we incorporate those herbs into our drugs? Or what about the effect of placebos? They have a profound effect with some ailments. Mind and body. There's so much power we have yet to tap into.

I tend to get really interested in this kind of stuff for a few days, revive my interest in art history, history, the paranormal, and religion. Only to half forget about it a few days later when I realize I need to focus on the present again. And have decided it's better to live my life for what it is, then question why I'm here, how I got here, and what my surroundings are. Sort of why I took one day of philosophy in college, then switched out-- probably to take an art or business class. But I'm just saying... there's so much more to life. There are so many things that I cannot explain. Like why every birthday or astrology information about me is spot on- and we're not talking vague ideas.. we're talking qualities, for instance, that my father constantly professes I have, then shows up as a quality for those.. say, born on April 15th. And how about the chamber found under the Sphynx's paw that has yet to be excavated- and is though to be related to Atlantis. Just something to think about as you ponder the details and day to day of your own lives.

blah

I want to get in the Christmas spirit and start off (or end) the New Year on a good note. But it seems like nearly all my friendships are going through "a transitional stage." I guess change is always hard, especially when it feels like it's happening all at once. Habits are hard to break- friendships can turn into habits. I can look at situations and outings objectively and think- well, that wasn't really fun... or had more problems than good times. But for some odd reason, I have this loyalty to the past and people in my past. Like I think there is value in knowing people for years, or still talking with so and so from high school, or college. When really, I should leave the party before the lights get turned on, while the party is still decent. Not at the point when stuff unravels and turns ugly. I've never been one to walk away from my problems- or think "running away" is the answer.. but hell- maybe I should move to Paris. It's crazy that despite my adventurous spirit, I've worked in NYC for the last 5 years. I'm young. I should be doing something crazier. I read something about those born on April 15th in a birthday book today. As usual, it was spot on. Aside from saying my weakness was being judgemental (yes dad, it actually said that)- it also said that I have many different interests and am likely to have various careers and jobs throughout my lifetime. Wow- certainly fulfilled that one already! Also said that I'll finally be focused at around 35... I can deal with that. That sounds about right.

some thoughts from a friend that help- endings equal new beginnings.
when one thing ends another begins.

matter can not be destroyed nor created.

Only in New York?

Took a break from writing in my blog. I learned some important shizzizzle this week-- I'm amazing at flip cup! Was my first time playing at the office Christmas party. That's right folks- the office Christmas party on the conference room table. And I rocked! Given my track record of being good at all the work party "games", I may have fooled my coworkers into thinking I'm one of those. Oh wait, I am. Er, except I lack modesty. And, I just jinxed myself. No more flip cup for me! All those years in college starting dances parties instead of playing beer pong, wasted.

I'm excited to be home even though being around my loud, crazy family sometimes negates the relaxing part of being out of the city. Now I get to drive around and sing on the top of my lungs. I can walk down the street without bumping into people. Did I mention drive? Oh wait, can't do that today cause the weather is disgustmunch. And I get to play with Miggity Mischief. Here are some shots I snapped as I was leaving NYC yesterday. I warn you that the next few days may include a few shots of the cat.

Breasts and Bras

I agree with this article from The New York Observer- that women can no longer find alternatives to padded bras- mainly because Victoria's Secret offers padded only. And we are afraid to show our nipples! Who wants to be in a work meeting, when a draft sweeps through, you "perk up" and suddenly no one's paying attention to your WORDS.

Speaking of Victoria's- last week I discovered a few charges on my card that I didn't make. The last time I was at "Vicky's" I didn't have my card - so they looked it up using my license number, etc. They must have kept the card number floating around-- evil bastards. The fraud department from the bank said Vicky's gets the most fraudulent charges. I guess nipples aren't Victoria's only secret.

http://www.observer.com/2007/pad-girls-attack-21st-century-falsies

OMG Are you kidding!!

aaaah, I had so much hope for Jamie Lynn Spears!! 16!? Pregnant!!!?? Hello! Can someone say birth control!! Condoms?! Abortion?! Abstinence?! This is so sad. Are these the most fertile women ever??! Well if they're going to populate the earth with their spawn- at least they're cute-sort of. Jeeze- but the dumb factor negates the benefits of being sort of cute. I give up. Kids, USE A CONDOM! These people are giving Southern rednecks a bad name.

http://thesuperficial.com/2007/12/britney_spears_little_sister_i.php

On a more serious note.. ick, yak, cough. This reminds me of a theory in Freakonomics- that crime went down when abortion was legalized- essentially preventing the would be criminals from being born. Although abortion is legal now, clearly it's not done when it should be. BUT what do you think we'll be talking about in 20 years. Will Hollywood be overrun by a pack of emotionally damaged, unbalanced, no underwear-wearing, chain smoking, coffee chugging SPEARS??!!

By that time, I'll be rearing my future young in Paris. holla!

To the Moon

Just had a convo with a coworker that sort of blew my mind. A "why didn't I think of that." His comment- he doesn't believe man ever went to the moon. His reasoning is because 1- we have never gone back. 2- He believes it was faked to show up the Russians. 3- He says that Neil Armstrong never tells anyone what he experienced. 4- He doesn't think it's reasonable to think that only about 40-50 years after we started flying- we were suddenly able to reach the moon.

Any thoughts to this? I'm curious to get all your thoughts and comments because I haven't really researched into his theory- but it's something to think about.

Google Clouds- Business Week Article

Some quick reading to start your day. Last night I read an article in Business Week about Google Clouds-

"What is Google's cloud? It's a network made of hundreds of thousands, or by some estimates 1 million, cheap servers, each not much more powerful than the PCs we have in our homes. It stores staggering amounts of data, including numerous copies of the World Wide Web. This makes search faster, helping ferret out answers to billions of queries in a fraction of a second. Unlike many traditional supercomputers, Google's system never ages. When its individual pieces die, usually after about three years, engineers pluck them out and replace them with new, faster boxes. This means the cloud regenerates as it grows, almost like a living thing."

A Google employee wanted to teach students at his Alma matar about the mechanics of Google clouds. The article brings up interesting issues. The private sector potentially having access to ridiculous amounts of data. It reminds me of a science fiction movie where we hope the owners of this data are on the "right side." What can one do with this information? On the other hand, it's giving the power of the Google search engine and the force of their engineers to scientists and small groups that need to store and analyze their data.

It reminds me of the TED Conferences, (ted.com), where people from all fields come together to brainstorm about various issues, versus data being harnessed in this way. Heck, the guy probably went to a TED Conference and came up with this idea through it.

Finally, another interesting point is that the author notes there are only 5 super computers in the world- all based in the US. What does that mean for our future power? Google, Yahoo, IBM, Microsoft and Amazon.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_52/b4064048925836.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_best+of+bw

Florence, Italy

This image is from a photo I took while studying in Florence. I turned it into a silk screen... I think I traced it and figured out where to break the colors. Then printed it using multiple screens. It's sort of like the original concept for what people do using Illustrator, InDesign.. or Photoshop's "cutout" filter.

Quickbook Pro '06 for Macs Quickly DELETES ALL DESKTOP FILES

So my friend just told me this horror story and I thought I'd share so it doesn't happen to any of you Mac people. When you use Quickbook Pro '06, it asks you if you want to automatically update the program, and no matter how you answer, it will say you don't have enough space. THEN it will delete what's on your desktop to create space, including any desktop folders! So if you keep every important document at your fingertips and on your desktop, you're screwed. Apparently this is a recent problem within the last few days-- perfect timing to totally mess up any small companies who are just closing their 2007 books.

Before you even attempt to open this program, back up your files and put them in your documents folder. This link sort of explains everything although I don't completely understand what the guy means.

Oy, Why???

saw this as I was eating lunch. aaaawwwwww

http://www.boingboing.net/2007/12/17/photo-of-crocodile-w.html

More About Brooklyn Heights

This article in DealBreaker-referencing Brownstoner, answers my questions about Brooklyn Heights and the types of people that live there.

http://www.dealbreaker.com/2007/12/defend_brooklyn_goldman_sachs.php#more

"Defend Brooklyn: Goldman Sachs Invades Brooklyn Heights
The Brooklyn bloggers are up in arms after news leaked out on The Brownstoner, a popular blog about Brooklyn real estate, that a Goldman Sachs executive had purchased a brownstone on Joralemon Street in Brooklyn Heights. The Brownstoner went on to report that a broker had said that several Goldman Sachs bankers were looking in the neighborhood and that he knew of two other Goldmanite purchases in the area. We noticed the report this morning when it was picked up by Bloomberg.

Brooklyn Heights has long been popular with those who work in lower Manhattan. Access to several subway lines and the proximity to the Brooklyn Bridge make the commute to Manhattan quick and easy. Former Wall Street Journal editorial page editor long kept a house in Brooklyn Heights. Due to the work of preservationist icon and famed litigator Otis Pearsall,* much of the historic character of the neighborhood known as “America’s first suburb” has been retained. And it’s started to undergo something of a foodie renaissance, with restaurants like Noodle Pudding and Jack the Horse Tavern attracting crowds. CNBC’s Erin Burnett has said that her favorite restaurant in New York is Henry’s End, which sits on Henry Street in the Heights.

But a neighborhood revival is one thing. Three Goldman Sachs bankers moving in is another. The commenters on the blog ranged from those who adopted the pose of old money outraged that brash bankers might undo the genteel nature of their neighborhood to Park Slope socialists worried that yet another people’s republic—seriously, have you people ever been to the Food Co-op there?—might fall to the forces of capitalism next. And, of course, there were more than a few hipster types worried that their borough was losing it’s “special” status.

“Gentrified Brooklyn has gone from this alternative, creative-vibed place into a second-rate bourgeois social/money-climbing environment. Kiss Brooklyn's 'specialness' goodbye. It's worse than what it was alternative too,” one wrote.

All we can say is that it’s a good thing these people don’t know that one third of the permanent DealBreaker staff moved to Brooklyn Heights last March. They’d probably be marching in the streets."

2007 Songs in Ads

This is a great article in Ad Age about top songs in Ads.. so now you know who they are. No Googling and song recollection needed.

http://adage.com/article?article_id=122588

Interesting fact about Gold

This is a tip from a friend- "75% of all gold ever produced has been extracted since 1910. It has been estimated that all the gold in the world that has ever been refined would form a single cube 20 m (66 ft) a side."

perhaps my European excursion can be funded by money found in a shoe box..

Paris, Je t'aime

In the spirit of not leaving my apartment and reliving everything French, I watched one of the few movies I actually own, Le Divorce. I rarely watch movies more than once but this one has everything I like. It's set in Paris, it's about two sisters, about art, love, French culture- a perfect escape . If at some point, my life happened to mimic one of the characters' (minus the husband cheating), I wouldn't complain.

Advertising parties

To all those who every wondered what parties in advertising are like.. a picture is worth a thousand words.

Perfect Sunday

Ever wake up on a Sunday- not hung over, with nothing pressing to do and wonder why you're awake? That's how I felt this morning. I couldn't get myself to leave my apartment even though from my window- the weather didn't look that bad. Then a strange and intense craving for a Croque-monsieur came over me, forcing me to leave the warm, dry comfort of my room. This quest resulted in a twenty minute walk among puddles and drizzle and ended in me getting a swiss and ham sandwich from the grocery store across the street. At least I got outside, right? I'm sure my craving was directly related to seeing the movie "Paris, je t'aime" last night. My Junior year of college, I studied abroad in both Florence and Paris- obviously a life changing experience. However, a serious downside to the experience is knowing there are 3 cities I'd love to live in- but where to settle-- who knows? And how do I get back to those cities? Do I work as a au pair for a year, disregarding my career path? Do I save up and attempt to get a job at an ad agency there? What happens if I fall in love and want to marry a Frenchman or Italian? Will my kids have to experience what I did-- traveling on a 5 hr plus flight to see their grandparents once a year? I know, I know.. I should just live my life and see where things go. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

But for now, I'll just enjoy this perfect Sunday, where the weather is so miserable that it's perfectly reasonable to stay inside and not go to yoga, do laundry or any other errand.

Brooklyn

I WANDERED around Brooklyn today- Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO. Man... like a whole new world. Just kidding. But I really love those hoods. Both are so different but only a few blocks apart. I guess Brooklyn Heights reminds me of the West Village a little.. beautiful, historic brownstones and a nice shopping area. Obviously a serious waterfront view. We went to Grimaldi's and had amazing pizza-definitely worth the half hour wait in the freezing cold. And to round out our gastronomical delights, hit up Jacque Torres for some seriously chocolately hot chocolate. DUMBO reminds me of the Meatpacking district in its architecture but more artistically inspirational, focusing on interior design and photography versus high end clothing and nightlife. This picture brings things full circle----chocolate covered cheerios...



And I saw these guys on the subway going back. They're awesome. Perfectly referencing Kid 'n Play and hip hop of the early 90's. This pic doesn't capture their high tops.. man, watch out. Looks like the early 90's are coming back. It makes me want to jump, jump!


My favorite home store- West Elm and dream color scheme..

Contact High

So it's about 3am. I just got back to my apartment. Went to a work party at someone's apartment which was low key and involved eating lots of cheesy, creamy, fattening foods. Totally wasn't planning on staying out late but as usual- here I am. I wanted to meet up with a friend for one drink on my way home, but that turned into bar hopping with a coworker in Murray Hill.. i.e. we saw guys that were like two guidos in one. It was definitely a different mix than what I'm used to. It's amazing how just going to a different hood can result in an entirely different crowd. The guys were attractive, but perhaps no older than 23.

Anyway, I'm home. Wanting to pass out.. and getting a contact high from the ridiculous amounts of weed my neighbor must be smoking. This is the first time it's seeped into my room like this. night.

Ponderings

Why do I have the song that goes "Snoop Dogg, doooogggg.." stuck in my head now. And that's about the extent of what I can remember from the song.

Any why is my sister beating me in Scrabulous?

Why do I keep getting all vowels. Vowels replaced with Vowels.

Why do salad places always put too much dressing on, destroying the salad completely.

Why am I so addicted to hot apple cider.

Glow in the Dark Cats

Now we can see them just as well as they can see us in the dark..

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071212/sc_afp/healthscienceskoreacloning

Life is Beautiful

I finally just saw Life Is Beautiful. I don't know why I put off seeing these types of movies. I guess cause whenever I'm in the mood to see a movie, it's usually something light. Anyway, it was obviously very good. Interesting how it was almost like a play. Even though it was shot in Arezzo, it seemed like a sound stage. What struck me was that the whole time he was acting like the concentration camp was a game, and when you think about it, what the Nazis did was so absurd, ridiculous and horrible so it not being reality almost makes sense. Very interesting perspective and contrast between the beautiful Italian language and obviously horrific events that were taking place. Blah, I can't believe humans are responsible for such terrible acts and insane beliefs. But- they say the world is actually becoming a more safe place and less violent. I believe that.

check out this story if you get a chance about a young man in Africa who built a windmill.

Recovering.

Cheerios and blue glass. Oh My.

I told my dad about the incident and his response was, "It has nothing to do with karma. You’re sort of clumsy. You’ve always been sort of clumsy. Drinking makes you very clumsy. And you could never ever be a waitress. Although, that would be very funny"

Thanks D. Usually the "you can never be a waitress comment is followed by me dropping something. But this time I beat him to the punch. Other fallout from the party is that I jokingly posed with someone else pretending to pick my nose. There wasn't some serious digging, just sort of a scratch. The resulting photo is of me only, totally looking like I'm picking my nose. My coworker is threatening to send it around the office. He's awesome. But he gave me a free copy of CS3 so he can do whatever he wants.

I'm Awesome

I just did something that's brilliant in its idiocy. After coming home from a crazy "industry" party, I decided the perfect remedy to sober me up- would be cheerios! Soo... after pouring my cheerios into a cheapo, Target, pretty, blue, glass bowl, I somehow managed to knock a pan square on top of my cheerios, smashing the bowl into a million pieces all over my kitchen and living room. Brilliant. My foot is bleeding.. I think I cleaned it all up, but I hope my roommate doesn't step on anything tomorrow morning. After cleaning it up.. minus what's under the microwave, I filled up my water bottle, went into my room, and promptly knocked over my poland springs bottle on the floor spilling the it all on my rug. Nice. I'm going to bed.

peace out.

Music and coincidences

This morning I was at Starbucks waiting online and listening to Alicia Keys. As I neared the beginning of the line, I took my iPod off.. and the next song to come on AT Starbucks was the exact song I would have listened to on my iPod if I had kept it on.. with near perfect timing.

Grrr and stuff

So I just spent the last 3 hours organizing my photos. To be more specific.. in April, when I sadly knocked my computer off the bed and broke the screen, I had to transfer all my files to a new computer. Because iPhoto sort of sucks, it made duplicates of all my files and put them in weird folders. Like 1 picture per folder- whereas before, I had them nicely organized by date. I deleted about 5 GB worth of duplicates. Any programmers out there who work for Apple-- please develop an option like iTunes that shows all duplicates!

And all right. Let the drinking games begin. Hmmm.. between now and the holidays, I have a drinking/eating event at least every other day. I read on yahoo "news" that December 15th is a big party night for NYC.. I think second to NYE or something like that. I beg to differ. On Saturday, I had 4 parties to go to.. but only made it to 3. At the third party, I had water in my hand, but my friend "kindly" took it away from me and got me another drink. Oy.

Here's a random quote unrelated to story above-
"For every woman who's a gold digger, there's a man who is happy to be dug.'"

Colors

What Color Are You?

"I'm Green
The color of immortality, nature and envy - you are truly a unique person. While clearly the color of nature, you also symbolize rebirth, fertility and hope in the world. On the other side of the spectrum, a natural aptitude to money with green coming to signify money and possibly even marijuana!"

Fantasy Island

I spend most of my day looking at photos - stock images and photographer's websites. One of the unique problems or gifts- however you look at it, is that for each subject I need to research, I can get emotionally wrapped up in what I'm researching. As I listen to my iPod, delving into hundreds of pictures along similar themes, I'm either reminded of something, someone, a lifestyle I have, or a lifestyle I want. Today I researched some seriously beautiful greenery making me realize a few things. I need a vacation. Days off in the city certainly do NOT count as a real vacation. I need/want to travel. I miss traveling. I miss going to Mexico on a regular basis where my grandparents retired and I haven't been to in six years. I miss foreign countries. I miss greenery. I miss the fresh air. I want to lounge around on the beach where there are very few people and perhaps go hiking. Other thoughts that fly into my head are.. maybe I should go into finance and do something super boring, make tons of dough, then be able to travel a lot. BUT right now I'm going to walk away from that thought. Go make myself a cup of hot chocolate and will easily be reminded of how much I do, in fact, like my job and can make it another few months without fulfilling my green vacation fantasies. 

Good Morning!

Here's to starting the work week off right.. with some light reading. Before Mischief starting hitting the bottle (about a day after this picture was taken), he was quite a studious, adorable and inquisitive kitten.

A different perspective

I'll end the day with a different perspective. My friend sent me this email the other day. He's working as a production assistant on a horror film in Utah of all places. And you thought the fast pace of the city daily grind was tough.

"I had a decent day. In fact it was pretty funny all around. We were filming in the biggest crap hole I've ever seen. Literally. It was this abandoned mill that homeless and crack dealers would live in. There were literally mounds of shit all of the floor. I found a crack pipe in one corner, a toilet plunger on the front steps, dirty underwear somewhere else, and a used tampon too. We had to wear masks just to go in, and the crew was LIVID that we had to film in this place. It was sick, but after like 14 hours everything was funny to the point I was in tears."

Hanukkah

I was totally motivated to run some serious errands.. but then as I was going back into my apartment after doing my laundry, the guys from the Hanukkah truck were posted outside my apartment. Of course they asked me if I'm Jewish, to which I had to explain I'm half.. and even though my mom's Jewish, I don't celebrate any Jewish holidays. So if my sister is reading this-- yes, I got another Menorah, and I won't give this one away. It's for you, babe. I'm going to have to wait it out for a bit and hope they're gone by the time I leave my apartment again. So every Sunday I go through the same thing.. hating to do my laundry. But then when I finally get out and do it, I always feel at peace knowing that I've gotten it over with. And content as I wander around my hood in the process- falling in love with the characters, stores to discover, and streets. So here are a few scenes from my walk plus yesterday's festivities.

Las Vegas

I'm having trouble leaving my apartment.. again. Putting off doing my laundry and I'm hung over from the mass quantities of alcohol I consumed last night. Gatorade in the morning works wonders.. my tummy is okay, just have a headache. Anyway, sadly enough I have discovered the Real Housewives of Orange County and I'm addicted. I don't think my brain has enough capacity right now to do anything else. Plus, I lifted weights yesterday for the first time in..hmmm.. moonths, I'm dreading the 3 block walk, carrying my heavy laundry. One would think that yoga and push ups would keep my arms in shape but I guess not. It's called DOMS.. delayed onset muscle soreness. That's about all I remember from my exercise science class senior year of college.. and that muscles have fast and slow twitch fibers. Meaning if you have slow twitch, you have great endurance, and fast twitch meaning lots of power but little endurance. Or, if you're an awesome athlete, you can have strengths in both.

Anyway, while watching Bravo, I saw an ad for Las Vegas, all in Spanish.. pretty cool. I wonder if this is a new trend.

God is in the Details.

TGIF

Blah

I'm not feeling my normal happy self. Stressed about friend issues.. and feeling lots of negative energy. Not to sound too hippyish. I should go to yoga which makes everything better but instead I'm getting sushi with friends. Maybe Saki will have the same effect. Not to seem like a Julia/Jakob obsessed fan.. they sucked me in.. but I just read their latest post and that sort of infused more negative energy. Eeesh, that's rough. I guess I know what she's going through minus the all expense paid trips.. but yeah- the shit's going to hit the fan.

Paris Dreams

My friend said he didn't think my posts were personal enough.. so I thought I'd start the day off sharing my feelings. Duuuude! I dreamed that I was hanging out with Paris Hilton at some weird high school party. And then we joined her family or maybe she joined mine- on a trip to where else.. but Paris. I'm utterly distraught and confused. What does this mean? Do I read too much celebrity gossip. Did my last picture (taken in Paris) effect my dream? She isn't the first celeb that I've hung out with in dreamland.. hmmm.

Harvard and Facebook

Okay, First off, I don't have some vendetta against rich people or ivy league grads. I'm simply digesting the latest headlines. Yesterday's NYT article reveals that Facebook demanded Harvard's magazine, 02138, to take down unflattering documents about Mark Zuckerberg that were posted in reference to a lawsuit that claimed he stole code for Facebook's development. Wow, way to go NYT for leading millions of readers to the documents Zuckerberg wanted removed. I guess we know whose side they are on.

And now I will tie in my previous posts about our supposed meritocracy to the 02138 profile of Mark Zuckerberg so the rest of us don't feel bad that we have not yet developed a multi-billion dollar company. But as to its merits of originality, that's up for debate. So we already know that he was educated in the comfortable dorms of Harvard, at least until he dropped out.

He grew " up in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., an affluent enclave just north of New York City, Zuckerberg, the son of a dentist and a psychiatrist, showed an early interest in computer programming. Just before sixth grade, armed with his first desktop PC and the book C++ for Dummies, he began teaching himself how to code. After his junior year in high school, he attended Harvard Summer School for a three-month intensive course in ancient Greek. On Zuckerberg’s Harvard application, David Petrain, his summer-school instructor, described his pupil as a “rare combination of brilliant student and thoroughly likable human being.”

By that point, Zuckerberg had left Dobbs Ferry for Philips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. Excelling in math and science, he threw himself into his classes. He also joined the fencing team, a sport about which he rhapsodized on his Harvard application: “[Fencing] has always proven to be the perfect medium. … I rarely find myself doing anything more enjoyable than fencing a good bout.”

I don't resent him. I mean he's obviously smart.. I'm just sayin.. Now for the guys accusing him.. um... see for yourself.

"As boys, Zuckerberg and the Winklevosses were practically neighbors. Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, 26, are from Greenwich, Conn., less than 20 miles from Dobbs Ferry. Aside from being smart children from well-to-do families, however, they share few similarities. The twins, Olympic crew hopefuls, are the sons of a former Wharton School professor who now works as an investment consultant. The “craggy, Neanderthal-esque” twosome, as the Crimson described them, studied economics. Where Zuckerberg is pale and thin, the Winklevoss twins are tall and fit. Their style is more prepster than geek: They once rowed a crew race while wearing button-down shirts and ties. Since their graduation in 2004, the twins have raced all over the world, recently winning gold medals at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro. Their father supports their training."

But enough about their personal backgrounds. I highly recommend the article. It sounds likes his classmates are the ones who truly do have class. His behavior is shady at best and the accusation that he stole the idea of Facebook is credible. Non the less, I'm still on Facebook and would be lost without Scrabulous. But wait, are the makers of Scrabble suing the makers of Scrabulous...

It's In His Kiss

My friend just passed along a CNN article I thought you guys would be interested in. It's about some study they did on kissing and it was right on.. well duh. There's science we can all use...

"For men, kissing is more often used as a means to an end -- namely, to gain sexual access. Men also are more likely to literally kiss and make up, using kissing to attempt reconciliation.

Women on the other hand use kissing as a mate-assessment technique, Gallup notes. They subconsciously evaluate mating potential from the chemicals in their partner's saliva and breath, for instance.

Women also use kissing as a bonding gesture, as well as to monitor the status of the relationship. If her partner's kissing frequency or technique suddenly changes, that perhaps is a sign of his waning interest.

Other gender differences uncovered by Gallup's research:

• Men show a greater preference for tongue contact and open-mouth kisses.

• Men are more willing than women to have sex with someone without kissing, as well as to have sex with someone they are not attracted to or consider to be a bad kisser.

• Women place more importance on kissing throughout a relationship, whereas men place less importance on it as the relationship progresses."

So men, just realize, we're on to you. This study only confirms what I already knew.

Happy kissing!

Crazy First Dates

In last week's post Sun Shining Day, I mentioned one thing I learned about dating in NYC- that apparently women are crazy. Well, okay, so are men. My friend recently went on a first date with a guy that she met at a bar. After the usual getting to know you conversation, they felt comfortable enough to discuss their past relationships. Out of nowhere, he confessed that he killed his last girlfriend in a car accident- 7 years ago. Wow. Folks. We have a winner.

I in no way mean to be cold, and we all have our issues, but seriously, a first date is not the equivalent of therapy session. We all want to support our potential partners, but at some point, ya'll have to work out your own issues, at least enough to keep that kind of personal information to yourself until about the third date. Maybe all this crazy behavior is self sabotaging. Maybe these people are just not ready to re-enter the dating world and thus destroy the potential for any future relationships. So then please, use that dinner money on therapy and we will all be happy.

Boyfriends

I think having coffee around 4:30 wasn't the best idea. I'm pumped! This is a quote from someone on Julia Allison's blog about marriage,

"You are the only one who can create your reality and experience of life! If one is not happy with who they are/what they have now, that person is the ONLY one who can change it. A relationship may salve financial, emotional, or personal challenges temporarily, but, after that, you are still you, and that same relationship will magnify the “YOU” that you have been bringing to the table.

Love lesson: Be the best person you can be, and do your best to make all of your own dreams come true, and *THEN* attract someone who is your equal, who wants to *SHARE* the path with you, to go the rest of the way together. If one person is carrying the other, that person is going to get tired. Life is meant to be joyful - the only catch is that you have to already BE joyful to attract more of it!”

[Julia Allison's cousin], Andrea Sholer Ruston, newly married for the first time at age 40"

This is why the line "you complete me" sort of makes me sick. I also need to remind myself that you can't change someone and that you should like them for who they are now-- not for their potential. But what I really mean is... "music is my boyfriend."

Good Habits and Bad

I'm really trying hard to kick my turkey and cheese quiche with a salad but it's so good.. Fortunately, it's likely I'll burn it off during my insanely hard Monday night spinning class.

Good Morning

I can't say this picture has anything to do with my post. So I was thinking, why is it that I have so many male friends (gay and straight)? What types of conversations do I have with guys, both men I've dated and men I'm friends with, that I don't have with women? With women, I discuss my relationships, dates, other friends, gossip, work stresses, etc. but with men, we tend to talk about industry news, money, finance, politics, and religion in addition to discussing our relationships and dates. I obviously value all types of relationships, but I wonder- why don't women discuss finance, politics and what's happening in their industry. I'm sure this is a gross generalization and perhaps my experiences aren't typical. Or maybe it has to do with the type of time spent with my girlfriends lately. Most have boyfriends and are super busy. The time we spend with each other is usually brief and involves catching up over drinks at a loud bar, discussing our dates and boyfriends. Whereas, with guys I'm dating, we have much more time to talk- over dinner, late at night, morning, and over brunch. Any thoughts on this? Do you guys agree? Maybe guys cherish their girlfriends and female friends because they can discuss their feelings and relationships with them. What happens when a bunch of guys get together? Do they only discuss fantasy football or do their conversations delve deeper in relationships and women?

Hot Chocolate

On a lighter note, I just realized I have 3 different types of hot chocolate in my cupboard and not much else. But for reasons which I cannot explain, I BOUGHT a cup of hot chocolate while doing my laundry.

And check it out. How could I have possibly have put off doing my laundry so long if I had known about the festive atmosphere. Not to mention Mariah Carey's version of "All I Want for Christmas" playing on the radio. Doing my own laundry- $5. Cup of hot chocolate at Mud- $2. The crisp, cold air, holiday lights and sense of accomplishment that my laundry is done- Priceless.

Money and Finance

One positive of traveling 30 minutes outside of Manhattan was that I actually had time to read on the subway. Yes, I think I'm just about the only person who doesn't take the subway on a regular basis. No, I'm not one of those- only takes a cab people, but I do like to walk, and it so happens that my office is 10 minutes from my apartment.

Anyway, if you get a chance, check out this article on Portfolio.com about this guy, Blaine Lourd's experience working as a stock broker. For all the media's obsession with money and finance, this article was an eye opener. It basically talks about how stock brokers are simply sales people out to make a profit for themselves and their companies without caring about the long term financial health of their clients. Okay, so for a gal in advertising this is all new to me but I'm sure could be quite obvious to others. Anyway, the article essentially states that funds can't out perform the market. There's no genius guy that's going to pick stocks that will get you some kind of amazing return, and we're better off choosing index funds and working through a company like Vanguard. I'm trying to process this information with my limited financial knowledge.. but the article struck me because it revealed how we've placed all this emphasis on these fantastic investors that are making tons of money- but that really these people are no smarter than the average joe, just better salesmen.

I don't want to sound like I'm a poor girl in the media industry, bitter at the financial industry. But when did our country become so divided? Well I guess the obvious answer is with Bush's policies which will hopefully change if and when a democrat is back in office. I don't understand how, for instance, hedge fund managers are not taxed on their income. How does this remotely make any sense for someone making millions of dollars to be taxed less than someone on the brink of welfare? I also just read this article in Business Week about the Ivy Leagues creating massive expansions using private donations, shooting up the operating costs, and perpetuating the trend of the rich getting richer. Americans are raised on the belief that our country is a meritocracy but can you seriously still believe that everyone has equal opportunities now??? In Toby Young's book, "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People," he points out that at least in England, people are perfectly aware that they were raised with a silver spoon and do not flaunt their wealth. Where as in the US, we have tons of programs that show off the wealth of celebs, etc. on the premise that anyone can achieve that wealth. So what does that mean if you're poor- that you have only yourself to blame? I don't think so.

okay, that felt good. Now I must lug my dirty laundry 3 long blocks to the laundromat because I can't seem to get a hold of my driver.

tootles

This is Bay Ridge, Yo

So I find it interesting that a 30 minute subway ride out of Manhattan can take you to a whole different world. Bay Ridge, Brooklyn- more New Jersey than Schmersey. Being a NJ native, I say this with confidence. I wonder, is there something about being 30 minutes outside of Manhattan that breeds a certain type of character -perhaps with diner loving, guido tendencies? Let's look at the evidence- Long Island, parts of Brooklyn, parts of New Jersey, Westchester... What traits do those living 30 minutes outside of Boston, LA, San Francisco, Chicago embody?

Web Gossip

So I know that many people are against Julia Allison and Jakob Lodwick as media whores, but I actually respect both of them. They have both accomplished a ton for their age, and have pioneered technological movements. People tend to put them down just cause they have nothing better to talk about and don't focus on what they have actually done.. I think Jakob's most recent post about Gawker truly sums up about how I've been feeling about the site:

Two key Gawker editors leave Gawker’s premise is “people are bad”. It acts as if all humans are inherently awful. Any achievement is framed as an accident; a distraction from the achiever’s underlying depravity. This worldview is directly at odds with our city’s best and brightest. Nick, it won’t be easy to recruit someone better than Emily and Choire; as the months march on, the pool of creative youngsters who are willing to turn themselves into professional assholes will shrink. If you would like to reverse Gawker’s premise and turn it into something else entirely, we should talk. A publication that celebrates excellence instead of negating it could be a big hit in the near future.
http://jakoblodwick.com/post/20610702