Superman: "I'm Superman. I can do anything."
Wonder Woman: "Except, apparently, face your fear."
Something about this quote makes me grin like a Cheshire Cat.
June 28, 2008
June 27, 2008
Murder on the Fitchburg Express
Creepy things are afoot on the Boston T lately. This past week, three people were killed by a train on three consecutive days.
On Tuesday, a 15 year old boy got hit by a commuter rail train; on Wednesday, another man got hit by a commuter rail train - the one that stops at my station; and on Thursday a woman was hit by the Orange line in Sullivan Square.
Sadly, the man who was killed on Wednesday was actually one of Sarwar's favorite math professors at Clark. We were shocked and saddened to hear the news.
What's going on? Why has the MBTA suddenly become the most dangerous mode of transportation? Perhaps it's the phenomenon of the copy-cat crime coming into play. Sometimes all you need is the media to start buzzing around one kind of freak-accident tragedy, and then everyone else who wants to commit suicide decides that that would be a fantastic way to go.
In general, there has been way too much drama surrounding the T nowadays. A few weeks ago, a Green line train crashed into another one, killing the T driver. Then, there were two subway fires on the Red line in the span of a week, forcing half the stations on the line to shut down - which, along with construction delays, made that line painful to ride on. And just a few days ago, a Green Line operator was fired because a woman reported that she saw him asleep at the wheel of a train.
It's madness. It seems like every day you turn on the TV or go to Boston.com, and there is a new T-related tragedy to deal with. Next thing you know the ferries will start sinking, buses will begin self-combusting, and the Blue line (so far, the only train line to be spared) will come to a screeching halt, too.
When does it end?
On Tuesday, a 15 year old boy got hit by a commuter rail train; on Wednesday, another man got hit by a commuter rail train - the one that stops at my station; and on Thursday a woman was hit by the Orange line in Sullivan Square.
Sadly, the man who was killed on Wednesday was actually one of Sarwar's favorite math professors at Clark. We were shocked and saddened to hear the news.
What's going on? Why has the MBTA suddenly become the most dangerous mode of transportation? Perhaps it's the phenomenon of the copy-cat crime coming into play. Sometimes all you need is the media to start buzzing around one kind of freak-accident tragedy, and then everyone else who wants to commit suicide decides that that would be a fantastic way to go.
In general, there has been way too much drama surrounding the T nowadays. A few weeks ago, a Green line train crashed into another one, killing the T driver. Then, there were two subway fires on the Red line in the span of a week, forcing half the stations on the line to shut down - which, along with construction delays, made that line painful to ride on. And just a few days ago, a Green Line operator was fired because a woman reported that she saw him asleep at the wheel of a train.
It's madness. It seems like every day you turn on the TV or go to Boston.com, and there is a new T-related tragedy to deal with. Next thing you know the ferries will start sinking, buses will begin self-combusting, and the Blue line (so far, the only train line to be spared) will come to a screeching halt, too.
When does it end?
June 25, 2008
You
You
You are still a whisper on my lips
A feeling at my fingertips
That's pulling at my skin
You leave me when I'm at my worst
Feeling as if I've been cursed
Bitter cold within
Days go by and still I think of you
Days when I couldn't live my life without you
Days go by and still I think of you
Days when I couldn't live my life without you
Without you
Without you
You
You are still a whisper on my lips
A feeling at my fingertips
That's pulling at my skin
You leave me when I'm at my worst
Feeling as if I've been cursed
Bitter cold within
Days go by and still I think of you
Days when I couldn't live my life without you
Days go by and still I think of you
Days when I couldn't live my life without you
Without you
Without you
June 24, 2008
Things on My Mind
1) I love BIC ballpoint pens. I'm using a blue one right now and getting the best handwriting ever.
2) The word slap can be said in Hindi/Urdu in at least four ways: chaanta, thappar, jhaapar and tamaacha. Fascinating isn't it? I wonder if there are more.
3) James McAvoy, Richard Hammond and James Blunt are three extremely talented and good-looking British men. mmMmMm.
2) The word slap can be said in Hindi/Urdu in at least four ways: chaanta, thappar, jhaapar and tamaacha. Fascinating isn't it? I wonder if there are more.
3) James McAvoy, Richard Hammond and James Blunt are three extremely talented and good-looking British men. mmMmMm.
June 23, 2008
Hey Papitay!
Mad props to Vish for introducing me to this song from Kismat Konnection. It's on e-volver but how could I not post a Shahid song on here?
It's incredibly catchy. I love the (sax?) hook in the background. I love the vocals. And needless to say, Shahid's dance moves leave one (well, me) salivating as well. It's possible that Vidya Balan is in the video, but I never had a chance to notice.. I was, ahem, otherwise preoccupied.
And I have no idea what the chorus means or what the words are exactly.. but to me it sounds way too much like 'heya pappi, hey papitay' so I have even more reason to lurve this song. (For those of you who don't know, my mIRC nick, email address, and general nickname for most of my cyber-life was Papitay. Don't ask why, long story.)
So now there's another Shahid song, calling my name (remember when Shahid wore a Northwestern sweatshirt in Fool & Final?) and I cannot help but wonder if someone, somewhere is trying to send a sign... *sigh*
Oh well. Enjoy the song. I have a feeling it's gonna be this year's Mauja Hi Mauja.
It's incredibly catchy. I love the (sax?) hook in the background. I love the vocals. And needless to say, Shahid's dance moves leave one (well, me) salivating as well. It's possible that Vidya Balan is in the video, but I never had a chance to notice.. I was, ahem, otherwise preoccupied.
And I have no idea what the chorus means or what the words are exactly.. but to me it sounds way too much like 'heya pappi, hey papitay' so I have even more reason to lurve this song. (For those of you who don't know, my mIRC nick, email address, and general nickname for most of my cyber-life was Papitay. Don't ask why, long story.)
So now there's another Shahid song, calling my name (remember when Shahid wore a Northwestern sweatshirt in Fool & Final?) and I cannot help but wonder if someone, somewhere is trying to send a sign... *sigh*
Oh well. Enjoy the song. I have a feeling it's gonna be this year's Mauja Hi Mauja.
June 18, 2008
Apathy
Last night's episode of The Daily Show featured Lara Logan, chief foreign correspondent for CBS News. I couldn't place the accent, but don't be fooled by her babeness, people: she means business.
Among the many things that she said in her gutsy and forthright manner, I especially liked that she questioned how the U.S. news media never shows dead American soldiers on television (see video below for that portion of the interview).
This is an idea that I've struggled with in the past. In fact, I've heard that there's actually an unwritten rule about this in the world of broadcast journalism: you can show dying/dead black people, brown people, yellow people, old people, women, and even children - but not white people.
Think about it: if Katrina had hit the Upper East Side, do you think you would have seen a single image from the death and destruction that followed? Would you even know how to begin imagining such a picture? Lots of homeless white people, sitting on crates in hunger, with flies on their faces. Hmm, have we ever even seen a picture like that?
Would people, the government, the world have responded faster than they did if they'd seen white people suffering instead of the typical image of a poor black person struck by calamity?
The U.S. news media actively protects the ordinary public from such images, and in doing so reinforces all of our worst and deepest cultural/racial/social stereotypes. In the case of not showing dead American soldiers on television, they perform an additional (and even greater) disservice to not just the public, but the soldiers themselves.
By not honoring and reminding the public about the sacrifices made by the very people who are protecting them; by not bringing the war into the living rooms of ordinary Americans; by not making a visually compelling case that the war must come to an end, the media is acting irresponsibly and playing a big part in shaping our apathetic attitudes towards this war.
We continue to feel that the war is 'someone else's problem'; we become numb to the situation, and learn to ignore the rising number of casualties and fatalities each day; we drive ourselves to focus even more inwardly into our own lives, and not give a crap about the world around us. Instead of worrying about the common good, we think, "as long as it doesn't affect me, I don't care."
I don't know about you, but I don't like being insensitive and blindfolded. All of this sounds suspiciously like the age-old 'divide and conquer' strategy to me, and we all know how great that worked out in the 20th century.
Don't we owe it to ourselves to remain vigilant? To keep asking questions? To keep caring?
Among the many things that she said in her gutsy and forthright manner, I especially liked that she questioned how the U.S. news media never shows dead American soldiers on television (see video below for that portion of the interview).
This is an idea that I've struggled with in the past. In fact, I've heard that there's actually an unwritten rule about this in the world of broadcast journalism: you can show dying/dead black people, brown people, yellow people, old people, women, and even children - but not white people.
Think about it: if Katrina had hit the Upper East Side, do you think you would have seen a single image from the death and destruction that followed? Would you even know how to begin imagining such a picture? Lots of homeless white people, sitting on crates in hunger, with flies on their faces. Hmm, have we ever even seen a picture like that?
Would people, the government, the world have responded faster than they did if they'd seen white people suffering instead of the typical image of a poor black person struck by calamity?
The U.S. news media actively protects the ordinary public from such images, and in doing so reinforces all of our worst and deepest cultural/racial/social stereotypes. In the case of not showing dead American soldiers on television, they perform an additional (and even greater) disservice to not just the public, but the soldiers themselves.
By not honoring and reminding the public about the sacrifices made by the very people who are protecting them; by not bringing the war into the living rooms of ordinary Americans; by not making a visually compelling case that the war must come to an end, the media is acting irresponsibly and playing a big part in shaping our apathetic attitudes towards this war.
We continue to feel that the war is 'someone else's problem'; we become numb to the situation, and learn to ignore the rising number of casualties and fatalities each day; we drive ourselves to focus even more inwardly into our own lives, and not give a crap about the world around us. Instead of worrying about the common good, we think, "as long as it doesn't affect me, I don't care."
I don't know about you, but I don't like being insensitive and blindfolded. All of this sounds suspiciously like the age-old 'divide and conquer' strategy to me, and we all know how great that worked out in the 20th century.
Don't we owe it to ourselves to remain vigilant? To keep asking questions? To keep caring?
17th Time Lucky!
Boston Celtics Win!
A blow-out finish to a fantastic run, and a record-breaking team turnaround.. after 22 years, the Celtics are NBA champs for the 17th time. Game Six tonight was completely AMAZING - Celtics took control in the first quarter and sealed their victory by half-time... seamless defense, awesome offense.. it was a breathtaking game. That's what basketball is about, people. That's what I'm talkin' about.
Yeah, I know, it's weird for me to be this excited about a sport, but a good game is a good game. And after cricket, basketball is the only sport that gets me pumped. So, good stuff.
June 17, 2008
Go Irish
Well, not literally. I could never support Notre Dame.. gasp. Hmm, just to clarify and make sure I don't get sued, let me say: GO CATS! *jumps up and down with purple pom-poms*
But it's an Irish sort of day. Why? Well, I started off the day by drinking in the soundtrack from Once, which I've fallen completely in love with.. not just because of its Irishness and Czechness, but because every single song is a complete story and is just.. magnificent.
To be honest, though, I couldn't take the sadness and emotional investment required to enjoy the songs, so after a while I decided to shift gears and delved deep into 1990's pop music.
That's right - I brought out all the Britney, N*Sync, Hanson, Enrique, Backstreet, Take That, Five, and Boyzone I could find (and, err, I had plenty). I had so much fun re-discovering all the old music that defined my teen years, it turned out to be quite the remedy for a sad heart. I was literally dancing around town in a wonderfully cheerful mood (c'mon, how can you resist Relight My Fire?).
But one song in particular has lodged itself firmly in my head and gets the award for Best Rediscovered Song of the Day.. remember the flash-in-the-pan, teeny-bopper Irish band - B*Witched?
Yep. Now that's what I call blast from the past. I've been listening to this song and skipping around like a merry leprechaun all afternoon. Most fun.
And then of course, tonight is Game 5, Celtics-Lakers, so I wore green today and will be glued to the telly tonight, rooting for the team. Let's go Celtics! *clap clap clap clap clap*
So yeah, it's been an Irish sort of day. I guess all I need now is some lager and potatoes, and the day will be complete :)
But it's an Irish sort of day. Why? Well, I started off the day by drinking in the soundtrack from Once, which I've fallen completely in love with.. not just because of its Irishness and Czechness, but because every single song is a complete story and is just.. magnificent.
To be honest, though, I couldn't take the sadness and emotional investment required to enjoy the songs, so after a while I decided to shift gears and delved deep into 1990's pop music.
That's right - I brought out all the Britney, N*Sync, Hanson, Enrique, Backstreet, Take That, Five, and Boyzone I could find (and, err, I had plenty). I had so much fun re-discovering all the old music that defined my teen years, it turned out to be quite the remedy for a sad heart. I was literally dancing around town in a wonderfully cheerful mood (c'mon, how can you resist Relight My Fire?).
But one song in particular has lodged itself firmly in my head and gets the award for Best Rediscovered Song of the Day.. remember the flash-in-the-pan, teeny-bopper Irish band - B*Witched?
Yep. Now that's what I call blast from the past. I've been listening to this song and skipping around like a merry leprechaun all afternoon. Most fun.
And then of course, tonight is Game 5, Celtics-Lakers, so I wore green today and will be glued to the telly tonight, rooting for the team. Let's go Celtics! *clap clap clap clap clap*
So yeah, it's been an Irish sort of day. I guess all I need now is some lager and potatoes, and the day will be complete :)
Onced
"I watched Once this past weekend. Worth it? Most definitely. Would I watch it again? Not for a long while. I don’t know why, maybe it hit a hidden button on me, but I found it to be a downer, which ironically I don’t think the movie is meant to be. I guess it’s the fact that it revolves around two people who belong together, but pitfalls of a previous commitment hinder any possible future.
I am hooked on the soundtrack though. The music in the movie was absolutely perfect, I fell in love with every song right away, that’s tough to do, on the first listen anyway. Also, the songs are quite uplifting, but the lyrics are dejecting. The contrast kills me, my heart doesn’t know which way to turn. I guess it’s akin to an addiction, you know it’s bad for you, but you want it anyway."
June 16, 2008
Scourgify!
Why? If you saw the grime on my microwave and stove, you'd wanna be a wizard too. Euurghh.
Am I weird?
Am I weird?
June 14, 2008
Happiness is always a by-product. It is probably a matter of temperament, and for anything I know it may be glandular. But it is not something that can be demanded from life, and if you are not happy you had better stop worrying about it and see what treasures you can pluck from your own brand of unhappiness.
~ Robertson Davies
I think I'm gonna need a few days to chew on that one and decide how I feel about it.
~ Robertson Davies
I think I'm gonna need a few days to chew on that one and decide how I feel about it.
June 10, 2008
The Freedom to Fail and Imagine
Below are two videos chronicling J.K. Rowling's commencement speech at Harvard last week. Unlike most addresses, it was actually refreshingly wise, humble and thought-provoking. Do watch, there is much to reflect and chew upon..
Out with the old...
Recently spotted at Coolidge Corner. Fun eh?
Y'know, now that I think about it, I'm so bored of Superman. I think it's time we retire the old man and bring in a newer, fresher super-hero. Like Spider-Pig.
Why don't we get to see Spider-Pig anywhere? Do we discriminate against animal heroes? In that case, explain the cult status of Super Ted.
Yeah. That's what I want. A neon Spider-Pig sign. Gimme.
Y'know, now that I think about it, I'm so bored of Superman. I think it's time we retire the old man and bring in a newer, fresher super-hero. Like Spider-Pig.
Why don't we get to see Spider-Pig anywhere? Do we discriminate against animal heroes? In that case, explain the cult status of Super Ted.
Yeah. That's what I want. A neon Spider-Pig sign. Gimme.
Lost & Found
You know it's hot when your just-out-of-the-shower wet hair is 90% dry in the three minutes it takes for you to run from your apartment to the train station.
Of course, your shower is meaningless by the end of those three minutes because you're a sweaty pig by then, but that's besides the point.
It's hot, people. Scorchingly so. I might need to break out the Fair & Lovely at this rate.(*)
Funny things happened today. As I sat down in the train, I noticed that someone had dropped an iPod Nano on the floor. It was in a velvety black case, so I picked it up and opened it.. it was a red one, like mine (oh yeah, I replaced the Mini - rest in peace, Poddina) and strangely it was still playing a song (I think it was a band called The Happening?) which is odd considering the iPod stops when headphones are yanked out of it accidentally. More importantly, how did the person who lost it not know it had dropped when the music stopped playing in their ears? Tres bizarre. Of course, I turned it into the Lost & Found at North Station, hope the rightful owner gets it back.
Then, I was walking behind a guy who dropped a quarter. And then he dropped a penny. I picked up both, tapped him on the shoulder, and returned them. I figured that keeping that penny wasn't really going to bring me the kind of good luck I needed, so I should do the honest thing and not rob a man of his $0.26.
So those were my two acts of kindness for the day. That's me: always the finder, never the keeper.
Midterm was alright. I got there late (damn you Green line) so I was pretty flustered to begin with, and then I totally didn't pace myself, so it ended up starting great and then ending a little disastrously. Plus my back was (and still is) killing me from lugging my laptop around and I couldn't concentrate. Meh. C'est la vie.
The good news is that I'm seeing Landon Pigg live tomorrow! It's at a really tiny venue called Club Passim in Harvard Square (which also serves the most amazing veggie pizzas, as I learned first-hand on Sunday), so it should be pretty intimate, up-close and personal. Super excited.
Umm, that is all. For now.
(*) FYI: there is no Wikipedia entry for Fair & Lovely. Who thinks I should create one?
Of course, your shower is meaningless by the end of those three minutes because you're a sweaty pig by then, but that's besides the point.
It's hot, people. Scorchingly so. I might need to break out the Fair & Lovely at this rate.(*)
Funny things happened today. As I sat down in the train, I noticed that someone had dropped an iPod Nano on the floor. It was in a velvety black case, so I picked it up and opened it.. it was a red one, like mine (oh yeah, I replaced the Mini - rest in peace, Poddina) and strangely it was still playing a song (I think it was a band called The Happening?) which is odd considering the iPod stops when headphones are yanked out of it accidentally. More importantly, how did the person who lost it not know it had dropped when the music stopped playing in their ears? Tres bizarre. Of course, I turned it into the Lost & Found at North Station, hope the rightful owner gets it back.
Then, I was walking behind a guy who dropped a quarter. And then he dropped a penny. I picked up both, tapped him on the shoulder, and returned them. I figured that keeping that penny wasn't really going to bring me the kind of good luck I needed, so I should do the honest thing and not rob a man of his $0.26.
So those were my two acts of kindness for the day. That's me: always the finder, never the keeper.
Midterm was alright. I got there late (damn you Green line) so I was pretty flustered to begin with, and then I totally didn't pace myself, so it ended up starting great and then ending a little disastrously. Plus my back was (and still is) killing me from lugging my laptop around and I couldn't concentrate. Meh. C'est la vie.
The good news is that I'm seeing Landon Pigg live tomorrow! It's at a really tiny venue called Club Passim in Harvard Square (which also serves the most amazing veggie pizzas, as I learned first-hand on Sunday), so it should be pretty intimate, up-close and personal. Super excited.
Umm, that is all. For now.
(*) FYI: there is no Wikipedia entry for Fair & Lovely. Who thinks I should create one?
June 9, 2008
To the Time Killatorium!
Midterm tomorrow morning. Meh. Did some studying but mostly spent today in hardy procrastination. It's hard to be motivated when your grade carries no relevance to life, except having the power to either boost or wound your ego, but since I possess very small quantities of pride anyway, that's not such a big deal either way.
Something smells funny. Hmm. Could be me. I haven't gotten out of my PJs in, umm, 28 hours. Yes, it's probably me.
In other news, I have developed a bizarre Internet gut instinct. I get the feeling that something intangible has changed in my online 'trackings', even before I know for a fact if it has. I know when I have important email even before I open my inbox. I know that the blogs I follow have been updated before I see them in my iGoogle RSS feed. I know that the xinugeist visitor counter has spiked and people have been reading it, even before I check.
It's kind of spooky and I don't know why this is happening. I used to feel this way about my cellphone a long time ago - I knew when the phone would ring and who it would be, even before it rang. Nobody calls me anymore so that ability eventually died away, but it seems that the animal instinct has channeled itself into another form of 'survivalist' skill.
Hmm. I don't believe that we descended from apes, but we are clearly evolutionary creatures. Cool. Word to my fellow homosapiens (did I use that right??).
Alright, enough putzing around trying to avoid sleep and disturbing dreams. I shall turn in now.
G'nite, world.
Something smells funny. Hmm. Could be me. I haven't gotten out of my PJs in, umm, 28 hours. Yes, it's probably me.
In other news, I have developed a bizarre Internet gut instinct. I get the feeling that something intangible has changed in my online 'trackings', even before I know for a fact if it has. I know when I have important email even before I open my inbox. I know that the blogs I follow have been updated before I see them in my iGoogle RSS feed. I know that the xinugeist visitor counter has spiked and people have been reading it, even before I check.
It's kind of spooky and I don't know why this is happening. I used to feel this way about my cellphone a long time ago - I knew when the phone would ring and who it would be, even before it rang. Nobody calls me anymore so that ability eventually died away, but it seems that the animal instinct has channeled itself into another form of 'survivalist' skill.
Hmm. I don't believe that we descended from apes, but we are clearly evolutionary creatures. Cool. Word to my fellow homosapiens (did I use that right??).
Alright, enough putzing around trying to avoid sleep and disturbing dreams. I shall turn in now.
G'nite, world.
Your Friendly, Neighborhood Faux Pas
So I was channel surfing and found Spider-man 2 playing on FX. Couldn't remember which one that was, so I clicked the information button and read:
"Peter Parker fights a man who has mechanical testicles."
WAIT. WHA.. !?!?
Oh.
You mean TENTACLES.
Talk about mental Freudian slip, eh?
Incidentally, the movie was at its climax (ha ha) when Spidey is saving MJ from Doctor Octopus. He's holding up this huge metal girder so that it doesn't fall on her and kill her, it's very heavy, he's sweating bullets and dying under the strain, they could all be crushed to a million pieces... and this is what he says:
"I didn't mean what I said earlier."
And MJ, all teary-eyed and smiley, says "So you do love me?"
And Spidey, who can barely breathe under the weight of steel pylons and is clearly dying, grunts, "Uh huh."
And MJ, who is totally clueless and oblivious to the situation continues in her soppy voice, "Even when you said you didn't?"
Ugh. Seriously woman, I know it's great when the guy actually admits to feeling emotion when he's been acting like a prick, but is this really the time? Somebody get me a trash can. Imagonna hurl.
"Peter Parker fights a man who has mechanical testicles."
WAIT. WHA.. !?!?
Oh.
You mean TENTACLES.
Talk about mental Freudian slip, eh?
Incidentally, the movie was at its climax (ha ha) when Spidey is saving MJ from Doctor Octopus. He's holding up this huge metal girder so that it doesn't fall on her and kill her, it's very heavy, he's sweating bullets and dying under the strain, they could all be crushed to a million pieces... and this is what he says:
"I didn't mean what I said earlier."
And MJ, all teary-eyed and smiley, says "So you do love me?"
And Spidey, who can barely breathe under the weight of steel pylons and is clearly dying, grunts, "Uh huh."
And MJ, who is totally clueless and oblivious to the situation continues in her soppy voice, "Even when you said you didn't?"
Ugh. Seriously woman, I know it's great when the guy actually admits to feeling emotion when he's been acting like a prick, but is this really the time? Somebody get me a trash can. Imagonna hurl.
June 8, 2008
Love In The Time of a Heatwave
Dil ke badle mein dil de
Tu sauda humse karle
But I just wanna be your lover-girl..
Is that really what love is? A sauda? Merely a transaction?
"Here you go luv, all my hopes and dreams and desires, and as a special bonus - my heart and my soul - just like you ordered, all yours for the cost of a burrito lunch and some yellow tulips."
Hmm. I probably shouldn't be taking my cues from Alisha Chinai, but blame the E-volver comments section for reminding me about cheesy 90's pop music and sending me down this train of thought in the first place.
In other news, it's bloody hot. We finally made it to Kickass Cupcakes in Davis Square yesterday, and while the deep-friend cupcake was really quite amazing, it was too hot to enjoy it when I was feeling so damned deep-fried myself. There was no wind, no air, it literally felt like a sauna. And the heat wasn't helping my feet either; I have penny-sized wounds at the backs of my feet because of wearing bad shoes on Thursday when it was all humid and rainy (yes they've got band-aids on them, but I have to change them frequently because of all the oozy stuff they're oozing.. v. painful and gross.. damn summer shoes) and the heat made them ITCH.
Later in the afternoon, we checked out the Coolidge Corner Arts Festival, and while the raspberry fruittata from J.P. Licks did help, the mercury hit 90F and I went from fried to boiled. But I did enjoy the Arts Festival; it reminded me of our neighborhood Bucktown Arts Festival in Chicago. There was lots of wonderful hand-crafted jewelry, hand-painted silk scarves, beautiful photography and also, interestingly, sock monkeys (yeah, toy monkeys made of socks).
Two artists stuck out of the crowd for me: there was an Israeli lady named Tami Rodrig, who made the cutest silver jewelry and accessories out of bottle-caps. She told us how she went to India and collected so many of her bottle-caps there because the refrigerators have bottle-openers attached to the door handles and they collect caps in a tube at the bottom, so she was like a kid in a candy store.
And then there was this photographer called David Stern who had shot the most breathtaking pictures of Italy, and then printed them, in gorgeous and stunning resolution, on ceramic tile so you could hang the pieces in your kitchen or living room. Simply amazing stuff. There were sunflowers, and rivers, and crumbling Italian houses decorated in flowers and vines, and boats, and sacks of chillies and red peppers... it was so beautiful, I was literally left salivating. I need to go to Italy. NOW.
And then I finally got around to watching Atonement, which is quite possibly one of the saddest movies I've ever seen. It's about (what else?) true love, although love that is only experienced for a few, brief, stolen moments before being snatched away because of misunderstandings and confusions. The kind of love that is enough to sustain years of separation and, eventually, depressingly, death.
The eternal love story - isn't that what we're all striving for and dreaming of? The kind of love that isn't a transaction, isn't a negotiation, isn't a calculated risk.. but is mad, desperate, all-encompassing, ever-lasting, flawed, painful, insatiable..
Can it be real? Or is the dream all we will ever really have?
I am a dreamer
And when I wake
You can't break my spirit
It's my dreams you take..
Tu sauda humse karle
But I just wanna be your lover-girl..
Is that really what love is? A sauda? Merely a transaction?
"Here you go luv, all my hopes and dreams and desires, and as a special bonus - my heart and my soul - just like you ordered, all yours for the cost of a burrito lunch and some yellow tulips."
Hmm. I probably shouldn't be taking my cues from Alisha Chinai, but blame the E-volver comments section for reminding me about cheesy 90's pop music and sending me down this train of thought in the first place.
In other news, it's bloody hot. We finally made it to Kickass Cupcakes in Davis Square yesterday, and while the deep-friend cupcake was really quite amazing, it was too hot to enjoy it when I was feeling so damned deep-fried myself. There was no wind, no air, it literally felt like a sauna. And the heat wasn't helping my feet either; I have penny-sized wounds at the backs of my feet because of wearing bad shoes on Thursday when it was all humid and rainy (yes they've got band-aids on them, but I have to change them frequently because of all the oozy stuff they're oozing.. v. painful and gross.. damn summer shoes) and the heat made them ITCH.
Later in the afternoon, we checked out the Coolidge Corner Arts Festival, and while the raspberry fruittata from J.P. Licks did help, the mercury hit 90F and I went from fried to boiled. But I did enjoy the Arts Festival; it reminded me of our neighborhood Bucktown Arts Festival in Chicago. There was lots of wonderful hand-crafted jewelry, hand-painted silk scarves, beautiful photography and also, interestingly, sock monkeys (yeah, toy monkeys made of socks).
Two artists stuck out of the crowd for me: there was an Israeli lady named Tami Rodrig, who made the cutest silver jewelry and accessories out of bottle-caps. She told us how she went to India and collected so many of her bottle-caps there because the refrigerators have bottle-openers attached to the door handles and they collect caps in a tube at the bottom, so she was like a kid in a candy store.
And then there was this photographer called David Stern who had shot the most breathtaking pictures of Italy, and then printed them, in gorgeous and stunning resolution, on ceramic tile so you could hang the pieces in your kitchen or living room. Simply amazing stuff. There were sunflowers, and rivers, and crumbling Italian houses decorated in flowers and vines, and boats, and sacks of chillies and red peppers... it was so beautiful, I was literally left salivating. I need to go to Italy. NOW.
And then I finally got around to watching Atonement, which is quite possibly one of the saddest movies I've ever seen. It's about (what else?) true love, although love that is only experienced for a few, brief, stolen moments before being snatched away because of misunderstandings and confusions. The kind of love that is enough to sustain years of separation and, eventually, depressingly, death.
The eternal love story - isn't that what we're all striving for and dreaming of? The kind of love that isn't a transaction, isn't a negotiation, isn't a calculated risk.. but is mad, desperate, all-encompassing, ever-lasting, flawed, painful, insatiable..
Can it be real? Or is the dream all we will ever really have?
I am a dreamer
And when I wake
You can't break my spirit
It's my dreams you take..
June 7, 2008
A Good Sign
Finally. Today, Hillary Clinton suspended her presidential campaign and Barack Obama is now the presumptive nominee for the Democratic party. After all the drama and mud-slinging, and a historic primary season, everyone's coming together. We're all celebrating how American politics (and the American public) has become re-energized as a result of this process, and how, in the grand scheme of things, it is an incredibly huge step forward for the country, having come this close to electing a woman, and actually having nominated an African American for president.
So, when President Bush is asked about this situation, one would expect him to speak with great pride right? To reflect upon this unique moment and remind us, in deep and meaningful words, that history is being made as we speak, and he is honored to see such times?
Sha right! Can there be a deep moment that Bush does not entirely ruin with his complete lack of articulateness?
"I thought it was a really good statement, powerful moment when a major political party nominates an African-American man to be their standard bearer. And it's good for our democracy that that happened. And we also had a major contender being a woman. Obviously Hillary Clinton was a major contender. So I think it's a good sign for American democracy."
Yeah. No tenses, bad grammar, chewed up sentences. This man couldn't sound eloquent if you threatened to send his country to war. Oh wait a minute..
Boy, I miss having a lucid president. The countdown to January 20, 2009 begins..
So, when President Bush is asked about this situation, one would expect him to speak with great pride right? To reflect upon this unique moment and remind us, in deep and meaningful words, that history is being made as we speak, and he is honored to see such times?
Sha right! Can there be a deep moment that Bush does not entirely ruin with his complete lack of articulateness?
"I thought it was a really good statement, powerful moment when a major political party nominates an African-American man to be their standard bearer. And it's good for our democracy that that happened. And we also had a major contender being a woman. Obviously Hillary Clinton was a major contender. So I think it's a good sign for American democracy."
Yeah. No tenses, bad grammar, chewed up sentences. This man couldn't sound eloquent if you threatened to send his country to war. Oh wait a minute..
Boy, I miss having a lucid president. The countdown to January 20, 2009 begins..
June 6, 2008
Virtual Facelift
For some reason, I decided today that it was time to change the blog template and freshen things up a little around here.. so, voila! We've gone 180 degrees from cute polka dots to dramatic silhouettes.
Must admit, I do like this new look, but I'm still not entirely sold on it. Considering how much time I spent today perfecting each aspect of it (damn XML, and all computer languages) you'd think this was going to be permanent, but I have plenty of time on my hands, so you may see me going through a couple of iterations before settling on the final look. My biggest peeve with this one is the fact that I can't seem to get the Blogger NavBar to show up at the top of the page when I log in; I think it's because the header image is so huge.
To be honest, I was hoping to find a chartreuse-based template, and did find one that I really liked but unfortunately it wasn't compatible with the new Blogger. So I guess I'll keep searching until I'm satisfied. General criteria include something stylistically bold, in the darker (and greener) color palette, and sticking (for now) to the two-column layout.
Hmm, I wonder if I should put so much energy into this, given how I am inevitably moving to WordPress anyway? Oh well, it can't hurt to play around a little.
Let me know what you think and thank you for your patience while the site is under construction. *ding ding*
June 5, 2008
I'm so tired. Just so so tired. Tired of wanting and waiting; tired of not speaking and not knowing; tired of living a half life of uncertainty, confusion and self-sabotage; tired of lacking self esteem and will power; tired of parsing right from wrong; tired of constantly disappointing myself, despite very low expectations, and falling to ever deeper levels of self loathing and disgust; tired of the tears and headaches, chest pains and binge eating; tired of being.
I want to go to sleep and never wake up. I want to get into a shower and never get out. I love this city, but I can't live here anymore. I want to get out of here, move away, go some place else, a place where I know no one, and nobody knows me. I want to go to the top of a snowy mountain in the Himalayas and do nothing but soak in the natural beauty, pray for serenity, let the cold numb all my senses, and then wait until my soul succumbs at its appointed time so I can go join my Maker and finally say farewell to this meaningless blip of a life full of pain and loss and enter the eternal afterlife, the only place I'll be able to find true, real happiness and peace.
I'm physically, mentally, emotionally.. simply.. exhausted. I'm done, man. I'm done. I'm so done.
I want to go to sleep and never wake up. I want to get into a shower and never get out. I love this city, but I can't live here anymore. I want to get out of here, move away, go some place else, a place where I know no one, and nobody knows me. I want to go to the top of a snowy mountain in the Himalayas and do nothing but soak in the natural beauty, pray for serenity, let the cold numb all my senses, and then wait until my soul succumbs at its appointed time so I can go join my Maker and finally say farewell to this meaningless blip of a life full of pain and loss and enter the eternal afterlife, the only place I'll be able to find true, real happiness and peace.
I'm physically, mentally, emotionally.. simply.. exhausted. I'm done, man. I'm done. I'm so done.
Wise Words
"People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that's what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that's holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life. A true soul mate is probably the most important person you'll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake. But to live with a soul mate forever? Nah. Too painful. Soul mates, they come into your life just to reveal another layer of yourself to you, and then they leave. And thank God for it. Your problem is, you just can't let this one go. It's over, Liz. David's purpose was to shake you up, drive you out of that marriage that you needed to leave, tear apart your ego a little bit, show you your obstacles and addictions, break your heart open so new light could get in, make you so desperate and out of control that you had to transform your life, then introduce you to your spiritual master and beat it. That was his job, and he did great, but now it's over. Problem is, you can't accept that this relationship had a real short shelf life. You're like a dog at the dump, baby - you're just lickin' at an empty tin can, trying to get more nutrition out of it. And if you're not careful, that can's gonna get stuck on your snout forever and make your life miserable. So drop it."
"But I love him."
"So love him."
"But I miss him."
"So miss him. Send him some love and light every time you think about him, and then drop it. You're just afraid to let go of the last bits of David because then you'll really be alone, and Liz Gilbert is scared to death of what will happen if she's really alone. But here's what you gotta understand. If you clear out all that space in your mind that you're using right now to obsess about this guy, you'll have a vacuum there, an open spot - a doorway. And guess what the universe will do with that doorway? It will rush in - God will rush in - and fill you with more love than you ever dreamed. So stop using David to block that door. Let it go."
~ From Eat Pray Love, by Liz Gilbert
There were many parts of this book that I loved, but this particular exchange really moved me. Everything about it is perfectly true, and like all truths, it is an elegantly simple idea that is extremely hard to discern and understand until it is made obvious to you. And then it makes perfect sense and you wonder why you didn't see it before.
Almost everyone has felt the sadness and disappointment of losing a soul mate, or wondered about 'what could have been'. Here's hoping that this passage, and the rest of Eat Pray Love, helps its readers ease that pain and move on.
"But I love him."
"So love him."
"But I miss him."
"So miss him. Send him some love and light every time you think about him, and then drop it. You're just afraid to let go of the last bits of David because then you'll really be alone, and Liz Gilbert is scared to death of what will happen if she's really alone. But here's what you gotta understand. If you clear out all that space in your mind that you're using right now to obsess about this guy, you'll have a vacuum there, an open spot - a doorway. And guess what the universe will do with that doorway? It will rush in - God will rush in - and fill you with more love than you ever dreamed. So stop using David to block that door. Let it go."
~ From Eat Pray Love, by Liz Gilbert
There were many parts of this book that I loved, but this particular exchange really moved me. Everything about it is perfectly true, and like all truths, it is an elegantly simple idea that is extremely hard to discern and understand until it is made obvious to you. And then it makes perfect sense and you wonder why you didn't see it before.
Almost everyone has felt the sadness and disappointment of losing a soul mate, or wondered about 'what could have been'. Here's hoping that this passage, and the rest of Eat Pray Love, helps its readers ease that pain and move on.
June 3, 2008
It's official. My iPod is dead.
It won't come on. Is giving me the sad face error. Isn't being recognized in iTunes. Won't go into Disk Mode. Can't be restored. And being a first generation mini that would have been three years old in August, is no longer covered by warranty. The original battery died a few months ago and I had replaced it at home, but looks like the old thing has given in, once and for all. It, like all things, has run its course and is now.. dead.
Why? Why does everything always happen at once? Why is it that when your nights are sleepless and your heart is restless; when you're being brave and not giving in; when you're trying to ignore the signs and do the right thing; when you've given up hope and are trying to take comfort in the little things; when the only thing you want to do at 2AM is update your iPod so you can make sure that songs about sadness and pain will accompany you on the morning commute because those are the only things that make you feel better nowadays; why is it that at that very effing minute, your one friend and constant companion deserts you? What's your problem, God? I have enough problems as it is. Did you really have to take my music too?
FUDGE.
It won't come on. Is giving me the sad face error. Isn't being recognized in iTunes. Won't go into Disk Mode. Can't be restored. And being a first generation mini that would have been three years old in August, is no longer covered by warranty. The original battery died a few months ago and I had replaced it at home, but looks like the old thing has given in, once and for all. It, like all things, has run its course and is now.. dead.
Why? Why does everything always happen at once? Why is it that when your nights are sleepless and your heart is restless; when you're being brave and not giving in; when you're trying to ignore the signs and do the right thing; when you've given up hope and are trying to take comfort in the little things; when the only thing you want to do at 2AM is update your iPod so you can make sure that songs about sadness and pain will accompany you on the morning commute because those are the only things that make you feel better nowadays; why is it that at that very effing minute, your one friend and constant companion deserts you? What's your problem, God? I have enough problems as it is. Did you really have to take my music too?
FUDGE.
June 2, 2008
Objects of My Desire
Ok I admit it - I'm a geek for all things ThinkGeek. I just got their most recent catalogue in the mail, and I can't believe how many things I asterisked for future reference to give myself (and some for other peeps). A couple of things that I'm lusting over:
Doormat with "Welcome" in Binary ($39.99): Not that I can read (or decode?) binary, but I'm a wannabe geek so this is just plain COOL. Plus it's actually a pretty attractive doormat and it matches my living room. Hmm.
Equal Measure Cup ($12.99): I have a feeling that this would make cooking a much more entertaining and educational experience, no?
Outdoor LCD Window Thermometer ($14.99): C'mon, who doesn't want to know the temperature outside without having to turn on the TV or laptop? You could just look at the window and read this screen. Tres convenient.
Office File Folders with Attitude ($7.99): If I was still working, I would get these in a heart-beat. Why? Because they'd really make it easier to remember what's in the folders that I used for precisely these purposes anyway :P
Mini Business Card File Cabinet ($12.99): Again, cube goodies don't make sense to buy right now, but I always did want a funkier way to store my stacks of business cards. Sigh, this would have been perfect.
Various T-shirts ($14.99-$18.99): Need I say more?
Aaargh. So many choices, such little ability to indulge oneself.
Doormat with "Welcome" in Binary ($39.99): Not that I can read (or decode?) binary, but I'm a wannabe geek so this is just plain COOL. Plus it's actually a pretty attractive doormat and it matches my living room. Hmm.
Equal Measure Cup ($12.99): I have a feeling that this would make cooking a much more entertaining and educational experience, no?
Outdoor LCD Window Thermometer ($14.99): C'mon, who doesn't want to know the temperature outside without having to turn on the TV or laptop? You could just look at the window and read this screen. Tres convenient.
Office File Folders with Attitude ($7.99): If I was still working, I would get these in a heart-beat. Why? Because they'd really make it easier to remember what's in the folders that I used for precisely these purposes anyway :P
Mini Business Card File Cabinet ($12.99): Again, cube goodies don't make sense to buy right now, but I always did want a funkier way to store my stacks of business cards. Sigh, this would have been perfect.Various T-shirts ($14.99-$18.99): Need I say more?
Aaargh. So many choices, such little ability to indulge oneself.
The Interpretation of Coincidence
Why is it that, no matter where I turn nowadays, I bump into Carl Jung? The ghost of the old man seems to have taken it upon himself to haunt me. Fictional books, away message quotations, personality tests... he's everywhere. I'm beginning to miss good ol' Siggy Freud.
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