|
What's News Pussycat?
Today was a horrible news day. America lost 6 of her astronauts. Israel lost her first. The universe lost 7 of her souls. The nature of these freak accidents is such that its cause won't be known for quite some time. There are a few facts: the shuttle's height, speed, crew, quirk at takeoff and the ensuing massive and hazardous debris field. Nothing else is known. Yet news anchors have a responsibility to fill the day with news. Today there was no news other than the shuttle accident. But there isn't that much to report. So we get what we get - never-ending video loops of the disaster, annoyingly repetitive reporters and quasi experts all saying the same thing. Not a new problem for news anchors but it never gets any better. Be My Friend
Over the course of this past year I have given some thought to the concept of friendship and how people come together as friends. Usually, people become friends by bonding over specific topics: food, film, music, politics, etc. Having an issue to discuss helps reduce natural barriers and provide something to focus on. So before you realize it, an hour has passed and you have a new friend. Trips like the Israel adventure I went on are perfect for just that - making friends over specific areas of interest. But trips are only one mechanism for friendship. Most people don't have the time or money to travel often. And anyway, when on vacation our inhibitions are naturally lower - easing friend formation. How do you make friends in the normal course of your life? Where you live is of no concern - I've heard complaints on the difficulty of making friends from people in the pedestrian-heavy city of New York as well as the driver-heavy city of Los Angeles. How many Star Trek conventions can someone really attend? I've recently become involved with a cool group of people who are trying to solve this problem. I'm helping Feast for Eight with various brainstorming and strategic ideas. Their concept is simple - everyone complains about the difficulty of making friends so why not organize fixed-price dinners that bring together 4 men and 4 women over specific events, topics or ideas?! The project's differentiation from dating services is made very clear. This is not a way to meet the love of our life. But you may make some new friends. There are all sorts of dating services: personals, casual encounters mailing lists, chat rooms, speed dating, etc. But there are almost no services that seek to build friendships. Their tagline says it all: Social Intercourse: Eat Responsibly! Check 'em out. Here are some of the upcoming events (I particularly recommend the Valentine's day party!): Thursday February 6 - Meet the Coordinators Sweet and Vicious 5 Spring Street 212-334-7915 8pm-11pm 'Meet the Coordinators' gatherings - designed specifically for potential clients who may be curious. Everyone is welcome to attend these laid back social evenings. We feel that it is important to be readily available to answer any questions that clients will have about Feast. Always casual, always a pleasure! Wednesday February 12 Dinner - Swap A Date Bring your Ex or someone whose single & of the opposite sex! Global 33 99 2nd Avenue 212-477-8427 Open bar: 2 hours, 4 tapas tax and tip Happy hour starts at 7:30pm Dinner: 8:30 pm Price: $55 Bring someone of the opposite sex, whether it be your best friend, your ex, your brother or sister or someone who you think would be great for others. Spend an evening with 3 other 'couples' and mix and match! (This is strictly for singles). Friday February 14 V-day Mayhem, Screw Cupid! Otto's Shrunken Head Tiki Bar 538 E. 14th St. between A/B 212-228-2240 9pm until whenever! We provide the eye-candy; you bring your sex appeal! Enjoy Social Intercourse with Feast For Eight, watch Bambi (http://www.bambithemermaid.com) violate herself in every way, and rock out to Persnickety's 80's sexual funk-a-delic beats. Friday February 21 Dinner - Let's Talk Bloomberg - Right wing, left wing, conservatives, liberals and whatever! Chango 239 Park Ave South Happy Hour: 7:30 - 8:30 Dinner: 8:30 Price: $55 Wednesday March 5 - Just move to New York City? Need a friend, or seven? Global 33 99 2nd Avenue 212-477-8427 Open bar: 2 hours, 4 tapas tax and tip Happy Hour: 7:30 - 8:30 Dinner: 8:30 Price: $55 The Bullshit Steams Ahead
The concept of bullshit is amazing to me. It lies somewhere between spin and lying. Possibly a synonym to "white lie," bullshit is used by people to cover up silly mistakes or over exaggerate minor accomplishments. Everyone bullshits; little kids about spilling the apple sauce and 80 year olds about their memory not really abandoning them. Today I was exposed to an onslaught of bullshit as I prepared to administer my high school entrepreneurship class' final examination. About a third of the class had some sort of "problem" in one form or another. Because I know that my students read this page I will refrain from detailing embarrassing facts. Rather I'd just like to vent a little about the absurdity of bullshit and how it seems that teenagers are the masters of this crappy game. Of course, bullshit has a negative connotation because it can often be spotted, called out and mocked by an astute listener. I had to hold back laughter as some excuses made their way from my students' rear ends to my ears. What's more so, most people know I am easygoing, understanding and simple to get a hold of and communicate with. So most standard kid bullshit simply doesn't apply - not that these facts would slow the bullshit train in the least! The lesson for this posting? Don't bullshit me. I will respect an admission of guilt followed by a sincere apology more than a sorry cover-up of pungent horse shit any day. More than one way to skin an orange
Typifying the often self-serving and uninterestingly personal tone of most blogs, I'd like to discuss peeling fruits. It seems that every time I try to slice and peel a fruit, any fruit, I do it a different way. Sometimes I make my task of eating easier and sometimes more annoying - but I never remember which technique I used in the cutting so I can never repeat easy eating methods. Do you have a standard way you cut things? Do you remember your style from fruit to fruit? Does the technique differ depending on the subject? I'm never sure whether to go from stem to stem or vertically between the stems. Also never sure what different to start the rinding process from. Please help. Et tu Mama?
Eleven months after its release, I finally saw Y Tu Mama Tambien. My rule of thumb is that any sexual imagery which is not arousing is actually disturbing. I cringed through a lot of the non-erotic sex scenes but nevertheless enjoyed the movie. Foreign films are not a genre I indulge in very often and the last weirdly sexual film I saw (which I am willing to admit to) is Secretary (I enjoyed it a lot). In any case, sex aside, what interested me about the film is Luisa's story arc. The first time we see her she is pure and draped in white. Her husband, Juno, likewise in all white is quickly tainted by the boys who spill wine on him. That basically takes him out of the picture, she can't help him clean the suit and stays behind when he leaves with mommy. She can't help in because she soons need to start caring about herself. The boys then begin to fulfill their role in life - stewarding the cancer-stricken Luisa through life's evolution and self realization by literally guiding her to "Heaven's mouth." They don't know what their role is, they don't know she has cancer and they don't know that Heaven's Mouth even exists! They literally help her find herself when she gets, as a gift, a doll which has her name embroidered across its chest. The doll belonged to the niece of an old woman who remembers every detail about her entire life. The old woman is a foil for Luisa, who knows her life is almost over. The last time we see Luisa she is wearing black - having come full-circle from the white of the film's beginning. She enters the water or Heaven's Mouth and we never see her again. A film definitely worth seeing, just get ready to cringe at the weird eroticism. |
home | about | pics email | xml 
movie writings Pi Brazil Marathon Man A Clockwork Orange Vanilla Sky Minority Report Men in Black II Andromeda Strain Dr. Strangelove Platoon Time Code On the Waterfront Day of the Jackal Farenheit 451 American Graffiti Comedian Deterrence The China Syndrome Three Days o.t. Condor Late Great Planet Earth A.t. President's Men, 2 Black and White Catch 22 Star Trek: Nemesis Adaptation Gangs of New York Y Tu Mama Matrix Reloaded Bruce Almighty Kill Bill 2 Eternal Sunshine War of the Worlds Mission: Impossible III blogsploitation jewish encyclopedia online dictionary israeli bloggers view from here punks of zion joho the blog urban kvetch rambo's blog hanan cohen the ginrod jewlicious nun bet |
archives 01/06/2002 - 01/13/2002 01/13/2002 - 01/20/2002 01/20/2002 - 01/27/2002 01/27/2002 - 02/03/2002 02/03/2002 - 02/10/2002 02/10/2002 - 02/17/2002 02/17/2002 - 02/24/2002 02/24/2002 - 03/03/2002 03/03/2002 - 03/10/2002 03/10/2002 - 03/17/2002 03/17/2002 - 03/24/2002 03/24/2002 - 03/31/2002 03/31/2002 - 04/07/2002 04/07/2002 - 04/14/2002 04/14/2002 - 04/21/2002 04/21/2002 - 04/28/2002 04/28/2002 - 05/05/2002 05/05/2002 - 05/12/2002 05/19/2002 - 05/26/2002 05/26/2002 - 06/02/2002 06/02/2002 - 06/09/2002 06/09/2002 - 06/16/2002 06/16/2002 - 06/23/2002 06/23/2002 - 06/30/2002 06/30/2002 - 07/07/2002 07/07/2002 - 07/14/2002 07/14/2002 - 07/21/2002 07/21/2002 - 07/28/2002 07/28/2002 - 08/04/2002 08/04/2002 - 08/11/2002 08/11/2002 - 08/18/2002 08/18/2002 - 08/25/2002 08/25/2002 - 09/01/2002 09/01/2002 - 09/08/2002 09/08/2002 - 09/15/2002 09/15/2002 - 09/22/2002 09/22/2002 - 09/29/2002 09/29/2002 - 10/06/2002 10/06/2002 - 10/13/2002 10/13/2002 - 10/20/2002 10/20/2002 - 10/27/2002 10/27/2002 - 11/03/2002 11/03/2002 - 11/10/2002 11/10/2002 - 11/17/2002 11/17/2002 - 11/24/2002 11/24/2002 - 12/01/2002 12/01/2002 - 12/08/2002 12/08/2002 - 12/15/2002 12/15/2002 - 12/22/2002 12/22/2002 - 12/29/2002 12/29/2002 - 01/05/2003 01/12/2003 - 01/19/2003 01/19/2003 - 01/26/2003 01/26/2003 - 02/02/2003 02/02/2003 - 02/09/2003 04/06/2003 - 04/13/2003 04/13/2003 - 04/20/2003 04/20/2003 - 04/27/2003 06/01/2003 - 06/08/2003 06/15/2003 - 06/22/2003 06/22/2003 - 06/29/2003 11/23/2003 - 11/30/2003 12/21/2003 - 12/28/2003 12/28/2003 - 01/04/2004 01/04/2004 - 01/11/2004 01/18/2004 - 01/25/2004 01/25/2004 - 02/01/2004 02/22/2004 - 02/29/2004 03/07/2004 - 03/14/2004 04/11/2004 - 04/18/2004 04/18/2004 - 04/25/2004 04/25/2004 - 05/02/2004 05/02/2004 - 05/09/2004 05/23/2004 - 05/30/2004 05/30/2004 - 06/06/2004 06/06/2004 - 06/13/2004 06/13/2004 - 06/20/2004 06/20/2004 - 06/27/2004 06/27/2004 - 07/04/2004 07/04/2004 - 07/11/2004 07/11/2004 - 07/18/2004 07/18/2004 - 07/25/2004 07/25/2004 - 08/01/2004 08/01/2004 - 08/08/2004 08/08/2004 - 08/15/2004 08/15/2004 - 08/22/2004 08/22/2004 - 08/29/2004 08/29/2004 - 09/05/2004 09/05/2004 - 09/12/2004 09/19/2004 - 09/26/2004 09/26/2004 - 10/03/2004 10/10/2004 - 10/17/2004 10/17/2004 - 10/24/2004 10/24/2004 - 10/31/2004 10/31/2004 - 11/07/2004 11/07/2004 - 11/14/2004 11/14/2004 - 11/21/2004 11/21/2004 - 11/28/2004 11/28/2004 - 12/05/2004 12/12/2004 - 12/19/2004 12/19/2004 - 12/26/2004 12/26/2004 - 01/02/2005 01/02/2005 - 01/09/2005 03/06/2005 - 03/13/2005 05/01/2005 - 05/08/2005 05/08/2005 - 05/15/2005 06/12/2005 - 06/19/2005 06/19/2005 - 06/26/2005 06/26/2005 - 07/03/2005 07/03/2005 - 07/10/2005 07/10/2005 - 07/17/2005 07/17/2005 - 07/24/2005 07/24/2005 - 07/31/2005 07/31/2005 - 08/07/2005 08/07/2005 - 08/14/2005 08/14/2005 - 08/21/2005 08/21/2005 - 08/28/2005 08/28/2005 - 09/04/2005 09/11/2005 - 09/18/2005 09/18/2005 - 09/25/2005 09/25/2005 - 10/02/2005 10/02/2005 - 10/09/2005 10/09/2005 - 10/16/2005 10/23/2005 - 10/30/2005 11/06/2005 - 11/13/2005 12/04/2005 - 12/11/2005 12/18/2005 - 12/25/2005 12/25/2005 - 01/01/2006 01/08/2006 - 01/15/2006 01/15/2006 - 01/22/2006 01/22/2006 - 01/29/2006 01/29/2006 - 02/05/2006 02/05/2006 - 02/12/2006 02/12/2006 - 02/19/2006 02/19/2006 - 02/26/2006 02/26/2006 - 03/05/2006 03/05/2006 - 03/12/2006 03/12/2006 - 03/19/2006 03/19/2006 - 03/26/2006 03/26/2006 - 04/02/2006 04/02/2006 - 04/09/2006 04/23/2006 - 04/30/2006 04/30/2006 - 05/07/2006 05/07/2006 - 05/14/2006 05/14/2006 - 05/21/2006 05/21/2006 - 05/28/2006 06/04/2006 - 06/11/2006 06/11/2006 - 06/18/2006 06/18/2006 - 06/25/2006 06/25/2006 - 07/02/2006 07/16/2006 - 07/23/2006 07/23/2006 - 07/30/2006 08/06/2006 - 08/13/2006 08/13/2006 - 08/20/2006 08/27/2006 - 09/03/2006 09/03/2006 - 09/10/2006 09/24/2006 - 10/01/2006 10/01/2006 - 10/08/2006 10/08/2006 - 10/15/2006 10/15/2006 - 10/22/2006 10/22/2006 - 10/29/2006 11/05/2006 - 11/12/2006 11/12/2006 - 11/19/2006 11/19/2006 - 11/26/2006 11/26/2006 - 12/03/2006 12/03/2006 - 12/10/2006 12/10/2006 - 12/17/2006 12/17/2006 - 12/24/2006 12/24/2006 - 12/31/2006 12/31/2006 - 01/07/2007 01/14/2007 - 01/21/2007 01/21/2007 - 01/28/2007 01/28/2007 - 02/04/2007 02/04/2007 - 02/11/2007 02/11/2007 - 02/18/2007 02/18/2007 - 02/25/2007 02/25/2007 - 03/04/2007 03/04/2007 - 03/11/2007 |
