blog crack

Apple iPad - Here I Come!

2010-04-02T19:28:00.000-07:00

I am very excited to announce that my novel "All Good Things Die in L.A." will be on the shiny new shelves of the iPad's iBookstore (I know, that's a lot of 'i's).

For those of you who are out of the loop, the iPad comes out tomorrow and I look forward to how it's going to revolutionize the publishing industry!

I am honored to be a part of this process and thankful to my publisher Smashwords for making it happen. Thanks Mark Coker!

Woo-Hoo!

My book is now at Barnes and Nobles!

2009-11-23T18:16:00.000-08:00

I am excited to announce that my novel is now available at Barnes and Noble...well, on their web site! You can find it right here.

If you have read the book, please review it on the site. You can give it either a star rating or write up a quick review.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?ATH=Anhoni+Patel&SZE=25

E-book launch

2009-03-04T12:33:00.000-08:00

We know you've all been waiting with bated breaths for this special moment. Some of you thought this day would never come. But, alas!, the time has finally arrived...for the launch of All Good Things Die In L.A. This fast-paced and cinematic story centers around three ambitious characters who all want to desperately make it in L.A. Unfortunately, the city of angels isn't as glamorous as it seems. Save some trees and read guilt-free by downloading this novel as an e-book. You spend half your life in front of a computer anyway, what's a few more hours? This way you can read the book at your office or school when you're "working". You can also download it onto a portable e-book reader or even an iphone if you're fancy like that.

Read the book here!

The Coolest Kids Ever

2009-01-28T17:42:00.000-08:00

Daily Tease

2009-01-26T16:30:00.000-08:00

"Her hair was salt-and-pepper and was pulled back into a tight ponytail reminiscent of my fourth-grade P.E. teacher. I suspected that somewhere beneath her navy blue blouse, there was a whistle."

Daily Tease

2009-01-22T14:04:00.000-08:00

"I had never seen anything like it. It was like driving through a deserted movie lot where you half-expected to see a gritty saloon on the corner or zombies coming at you."

SF Station City Events Gallery: Inauguration at San Francisco Civic Center

2009-01-20T14:21:00.001-08:00

SF Station City Events Gallery: Inauguration at San Francisco Civic Center

Posted using ShareThis

A New Day

2009-01-20T11:37:00.000-08:00

Welcome President Barack Obama.

Thank You.

2009-01-19T16:31:00.000-08:00

Daily Tease*

2009-01-19T13:08:00.001-08:00

"She looked at me and sighed. My heart was in my throat and I was sweating. Is this what it felt like to break up with someone? Like the worst person in the world?"

* Daily teasers from my new novel.

Cooking

2009-01-15T20:57:00.000-08:00

Quinoa and lentils with carrots and zuchini. Lots of garam masala.

Yum.

Atheists Send a Message, on 800 British Buses

2009-01-07T16:26:00.000-08:00

From the NYT:

"...And so were planted the seeds of the Atheist Bus Campaign, an effort to disseminate a godless message to the greater public. When the organizers announced the effort in October, they said they hoped to raise a modest $8,000 or so.

But something seized people’s imagination. Supported by the scientist and author Richard Dawkins, the philosopher A. C. Grayling and the British Humanist Association, among others, the campaign raised nearly $150,000 in four days. Now it has more than $200,000, and on Tuesday it unveiled its advertisements on 800 buses across Britain.

'There’s probably no God,” the advertisements say. 'Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.'"

For more, go here.

This is Livin'

2009-01-03T16:15:00.000-08:00

Welcome 2009

2009-01-01T12:10:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the New Year!

Had a great night last night - saw Patton Oswalt at Cobb's Comedy Club in SF.

There was also some karaoke madness.

Spending today chillaxing and going over my 2008/prepping for the coming year. I, for one, am glad 2008 is over - it was simply too tumultuous. The highs were too high and the lows were too low.

On another note - did anyone else notice how much Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin were flirting together last night on the CNN NYE show?

Another One Bites the Dust

2008-12-31T13:48:00.000-08:00

Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009.

I am back from the Obama-dead. And this year I promise to be a better blogger. Unfortunately, I am now addicted to Twitter (twitter crack). And I haven't yet figured out how to create a tweet feed to blogger. Hm...

**UPDATE** All is well with the world - I have figured out how to add a Twitter feed!

Coconut Crab

2008-02-25T17:12:00.000-08:00

I found this very disturbing:

Introducing Derrick Ashong...

2008-02-22T08:58:00.001-08:00

Haven't heard of him? Neither had I, until I saw two of the best videos on Barack Obama ever.

This pushy reporter picked the wrong person to interrogate. There are good people out there who would have easily lost their cool but Derrick just rolls with the punches:

And, on a more personal note, Derrick gets a chance to tells us why - in his own way - he supports Senator Barack Obama. Watch the whole thing, you won't regret it.

Oh - and here's his bio: http://www.soulfege.com/bios/dnabio.php

The Closer - Michelle Obama

2008-02-18T17:56:00.000-08:00

Michelle Obama addresses a crowd at the Ohio State University on February 15, 2008.
They don't call her "The Closer" for nothing.

Barack Obama's victory speech in South Carolina

2008-01-26T20:49:00.001-08:00

This is one of the best speeches I've ever heard. The ending is particularly inspiring and incredibly moving.

Live From New York, It's Saturday Night!

2007-11-05T11:00:00.001-08:00

The Best Movie Poster Ever Created:

2007-10-25T11:03:00.000-07:00

Movie Review: Things We Lost in the Fire

2007-10-20T15:15:00.001-07:00

Susanne Bier (After the Wedding, Brothers), who is emerging as a powerful director of international acclaim, explores several things in her outstanding new film Things We Lost in the Fire: grief, addiction, love and, most of all, friendship. Creating star turns for Halle Berry and Benicio Del Toro, this is a movie you will remember long after the credits roll.

Things We Lost in the Fire opens in the midst of sorrow. Audrey (Berry) has already lost her husband Steven (David Duchovny) to tragic circumstances and is planning his funeral. At the last minute she remembers that she has forgotten to inform one of Steven's closest friends, Jerry (Benicio Del Toro), of his death. Through various flashbacks you discover that he is a down and out junkie who has long been a thorn in her side; she has never understood the nature of their friendship.

But, as you find out, Steven and Jerry are lifelong friends who have known one another since childhood. As Steven tells Audrey one night after she confronts him about Jerry, "He's my friend. He looks out for me. He's my friend." Bier reveals the depth of their friendship through Steven's obvious dedication and loyalty and Jerry's subtle attentiveness. It seems that he has remembered and held onto every word Steven has ever uttered, from insignificant details about his children to major insecurities about his marriage. The knowledge of these facts is dispersed throughout the film until you fully realize that, although he may seem like a total and complete fuck-up, Jerry respected and cherished his friendship.

Accordingly, Jerry comes to the funeral and for reasons that she does not quite comprehend, Audrey brings him into the fold of their family. Maybe she does it out of guilt for all those times that she urged Steven to give up on his friend. Maybe she does it out of obligation because it's what Steven would have wanted. Or maybe she's so desperate that she would do anything to be near any connection to her dead husband. Either way, Jerry's presence helps through the sheer force of the fact that he has already reached rock-bottom; when you're that low, it makes it better to be with someone worse off than you.

There are moments in Things We Lost in the Fire that are devastating in both their tenderness and their grief. You get glimpses of Audrey and Steven's idyllic life in Seattle with their two children through poignant memories that are handled with just the right amount of emotion and gravitas. Likewise, Jerry's struggle with his heroin addiction is acutely intense. Bier displays the same tight direction and control that she utilized in After the Wedding -- intimate close-ups that focus on faces, hands, eyes, and even ears so that they are no longer merely parts of a body but vehicles for conveying inexpressible emotions. The script from first time film writer Allan Loeb is nuanced and engaging, and although it relies heavily on flashbacks it neither confuses nor deters the momentum of the film.

One criticism is that, at times, the film seems a little too similar to 21 Grams. This could be because of Del Toro (who was in both films) or that the two movies also feature a grieving woman who loses members of her family to tragic circumstances. Another criticism is that a few plot turns come off a little too tidily. The fact that everyone just immediately takes to Jerry is a prime example of this. Something like that happens in sitcoms, not in movies that want to come off as realistic.

Nonetheless, Things We Lost in the Fire is a not-to-be-missed film. Don't be surprised if both Del Toro and Berry get nominated for Academy Awards.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Movie Review: Lars and the Real Girl

2007-10-20T00:06:00.001-07:00

Living in the garage next to his brother Gus' (Paul Schneider) house, Lars (Ryan Gosling) is a socially awkward 27-year old who much rather sit by himself in his puffy coat wringing an old baby blanket his deceased mother (who passed away while giving him birth) had knitted for him than interact with real, live human beings. As you see him at work and church and with his family, you quickly realize that he is badly in need of a Paxil or maybe even a hug. His pregnant sister-in-law, who has the doe-eyed demeanor of an eager puppy, Karin (Emily Mortimer), knows something is wrong and despite her fumbling attempts at getting him to open up, still can't get him to crack a smile or, as one of his co-workers would say, "chillax".

All this changes when Lars' new girlfriend Bianca suddenly shows up. Lars has never seemed happier, he's practically blushing and giggling like a little schoolgirl. Gus and Karin are pleased and delighted to learn of his new romance. That is until they meet Bianca, who's a life-like yet completely artificial blow-up doll. Unfortunately, as they discover, Lars is in the middle of a powerful delusion in which Bianca is 100% real woman. She's a wheelchair-bound and orphaned missionary from Brazil who also happens to be a registered nurse. Needless to say, Karin and Gus are speechless.

The scene in which the two first meet Bianca is one of the funniest scenes in the history of cinema. All hyperbole aside, it is truly hilarious. And, fortunately, the first of many laughs that Lars and the Real Girl has to offer. But humor isn't all there is to the movie. Lars and the Real Girl is essentially a sweet drama about a young man trying to work through his loneliness. When Karin suggests that Bianca go for a "check-up" to her doctor, Dr. Dagmar (Patricia Clarkson), a family practitioner trained in psychotherapy, who then diagnoses her with a serious sickness that requires weekly sessions, Lars begins the process of healing.

In order to help him, the entire town plays along with the delusion. Gus and Karin tell all their friends, and even go to the church for help. At first there is resistance but when the pastor poses the question "What would Jesus do?" everyone ends up going along with the idea. Eventually, they even start building their own relationships with Bianca. More hilarity ensues.

Lars and the Real Girl could have derived easy laughs at the expense of its main character but it strays away from such cheap shots. Instead it takes a much more difficult and nuanced road and comes off just as funny. But it's a witty, insightful humor rather than silly, slapstick antics. This can be accredited to director Craig Gillespie (who also surprisingly directed the insipid Mr. Woodcock) and writer Nancy Oliver's (best known for her work on "Six Feet Under") skills as well as the superb cast.

Gosling takes someone who could have easily been a serial killer in the making and turns him into a vulnerable character that you just can't help but root for. The character who garnered the most laughs (besides Bianca) was Gus due to Paul Schneider's pitch perfect comedic timing. The overall scene-stealer, however, was Kelli Garner as Lars' overly friendly and lovelorn colleague Margo.

Lars and the Real Girl is easily one of the best, and most original, movies of the year.

Rating: 5 out 5 stars

Yin and Yang

2007-10-17T17:14:00.001-07:00

Something about this photo just doesn't seem right...

Movie Review: Elizabeth: The Golden Age

2007-10-15T11:04:00.001-07:00

Directed by Shekhar Kapur (Elizabeth, The Four Feathers, Bandit Queen), the latest offering on the life of England's Queen Elizabeth I, Elizabeth: The Golden Age is little more than a linear character study set amidst an elaborate fashion show. With a stellar award-winning cast and a proven, skilled director the film is two hours of wasted potential.

A decade after the original, we meet the Queen (played by Cate Blanchett) again in the year 1585. She's matured and grown into her gowns but she's pretty much the same -- there are people still trying to marry her off, manipulate her or assassinate her. With its famed Armada, Spain is the most powerful country in all of Europe, and is ruled by the devout and fanatically Catholic Philip II (Jordi Mollà), who just needs a reason to wage war against Elizabeth and her "whoring" Protestant ways.

But none of this is the real focus of the film. In Elizabeth: The Golden Age, politics take a back seat to the Queen herself. While she comes off as a just, fair and intelligent ruler, the film explores her human side and the personal sacrifices she makes for the sake of her country. At least it tries to.

When adventurer and supposed pirate Sir Walter Raleigh (Clive Owens) appears at court trying to gain the Queen's favor, i.e. funding for his next expedition, Elizabeth becomes intrigued. While she cannot publicly converse and interact with him, she dispatches her favored lady-in-waiting, Elizabeth Throckmorton aka Bess (Abbie Cornish), to communicate with him in her place. However, as the Queen becomes more and more infatuated with Raleigh, his own attentions turn towards Bess.

Owens is fascinating and has a great intensity in his eyes that conveys his character's overwhelming conviction. But this is supposed to be about Queen Elizabeth's reign not about her obsessive crush on a roguish hunk. If you want that all you need to do is whip out a smutty historical romance novel. No -- this is supposed to be a historically based drama.

However, there is very little drama to be found in Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Writers William Nicholson and Michael Hirst, who wrote the screenplay for Elizabeth: The Virgin Queen, really missed the mark here. Instead of political intrigue, the brewing war between England and Spain and growing tensions between Catholics and Protestants, the movie pays attention to issues of less importance.

It is filled with regal, intricate and…VERY distracting costumes. They are especially distracting because there is little else to keep your attention. Fortunately there is more humor this time around. One particular scene, in which Raleigh introduces the humble potato to court, elicits genuine laughs. Besides the humor, there is also great beauty to the film. Some shots are works of pure cinematic artistry. The scene of an attempted assassination, easily one of the most powerful moments in the film, is breathtaking in its visual intensity; if freeze-framed the individual shots could be seen as paintings. This, of course, is due in part to Cate Blanchett's indomitable on screen presence.

However, the real scene stealer in Elizabeth: The Golden Age is Samantha Morton as Mary Stuart, Elizabeth's cousin, a queen in her own right and rival to the throne. Her performance brings a quiet ferocity to the film and imbues it with a missing gravity. On the other hand, the presence of Geoffrey Rush as the Queen's most trusted advisor Sir Francis Walsingham adds nothing to the movie. His character is completely, and unfortunately, underused.

Elizabeth: The Golden Age can be summarized quite nicely through one specific scene. In it the Queen, resplendent in one of her gowns, retorts to a threat made by a fuming Spanish ambassador. (It will feel familiar as it is featured quite prominently in the trailer. However, it doesn’t play out in the actual movie quite the same way.) She shows her strength for sure, but it is to the retreating back of the Spanish ambassador, making the whole gesture seem impotent and almost desperate. She is trying too hard, just like this movie.

Elizabeth: The Golden Age is essentially an ornate character study. It shows the human side of the Queen -- her neediness, vanity, insecurity and vulnerability -- but it is nothing you don't already know. We've seen it all before in Elizabeth: The Virgin Queen, and to much better results.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Movie Review: The Darjeeling Limited

2007-10-06T13:17:00.000-07:00

When this train pulls into the station, you may not want to board. One of the more anticipated films of the year, The Darjeeling Limited is just that -- limited. The movie is a disappointing road trip flick in which three spoiled, clueless, sorry saps travel by train through India while trying to absorb its "spiritual essence" via osmosis.

After he experiences a near death accident, the eldest of three brothers, Francis (Owen Wilson), organizes a spiritual journey through India's North East with his reluctant siblings, Peter (Adrien Brody) and Jack (Jason Schwartzman). It's been a year since the tragic death of their father (and longer since they've seen their itinerant mother) and they have drifted apart. Hoping for a bonding experience, as outlined on their laminated itineraries, they take off on a mysterious journey aboard the Darjeeling Limited.

The movie is split into two parts -- the first being a 12-minute short entitled "Hotel Chevalier" starring Natalie Portman as Jack's horrid, stalker-like ex-girlfriend, which serves as a prequel, and part 2, The Darjeeling Limited. Although watching part 1 is not essential to understanding what happens in the second part, it does give a little back story. And director/writer Wes Anderson has specifically stated that he sees the two films as a whole and that they should be viewed together. This may just be an indulgence on the director's part as the prequel doesn't play that important a role.

Nonetheless, the beauty of a Wes Anderson film lays in the details and the camerawork; here it can be found in the sweeping shots, the strange and quirky characters, the tight angles, the misuse of Indian pharmaceuticals, the lush, eye-popping color palette and the trinkets and artwork inserted into the sets decorating them like Christmas trees. One thing's for sure: he knows how to construct a scene. Unfortunately, other than that, there's not much to this film. Directed by Anderson and written by himself and Roman Coppola, The Darjeeling Limited is like a very striking, sophisticated model who's completely hollow and dead inside.

By now, audiences and fans of Anderson's style, as seen in his films Bottle Rocket, Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums, are familiar with his work. But the director seems to be stuck in a rut; it's time to break free and try something different. Or at least expand upon the old formula. But that doesn’t happen here. The Darjeeling Limited is full of the same old shtick, and it gets old fast.

Nothing here is anything you haven't seen before but with better results. The actors come off as whiny rather than witty, the writing is dull and the hijinks are minimally interesting. The only thing going for The Darjeeling Limited is the direction, if that. What the movie essentially does is objectify a foreign culture and religion and go on way too long while doing it.

Rating: 2.75 out of 5 stars

Movie Review: Vanaja

2007-10-06T13:12:00.001-07:00

Something has obviously gone wrong in a movie when the viewers begin to lose sympathy for the main character. And something has gone horribly awry if the viewers begin to root for the character to fail or die or meet his/her comeuppance, especially when that character, as is the case in the Indian film Vanaja, a 15-year old girl who's been raped. It sounds unbearably harsh, but the title character, Vanaja, is so exasperating, bratty, spoiled and unlikable that you will find yourself completely unsympathetic to her plight.

Vanaja (Mamatha Bhukya) is a "young woman" (this is in quotes because while the production notes state that the character is 15 and she even says as much in the film, she looks like she's 11 going on 12. You would think that if you were portraying a girl in sexual situations that you would try to cast a more mature looking actress or at least make her SEEM older, but not here. Here writer/director Rajnesh Domalpalli makes her look as young as possible causing many a scene in which you will feel the need to wash out your eyeballs) in rural South India who aspires to be a dancer of Kuchipudi after watching a local troupe perform. As the only child of a poor, alcoholic widower steeped in debts, this goal seems out of reach.

But when the time comes for her to leave school in order to find work, she finagles a position as a maid in a well-respected and renowned dancer's household, Rama Devi (Urmila Dammannagari who is excellent here), who for some reason tolerates her impudent and rude behavior. She manipulates Rama Devi into teaching her how to dance; and she obviously has a natural talent for it. Between disrespecting the head cook, getting lessons, dealing with her drunken father and sexually toying with the local postboy, things are moving along.

But then Rama Devi's slimy, disgusting 23-year old son Shekhar (Karan Singh) comes back from America. Vanaja and he hit it off immediately, which is disturbing to say the least as he looks older than 23 and she looks prepubescent. However, things get taken too far after Vanaja brashly yet inadvertently humiliates him in front of his mother and their whole staff. What follows is a storyline that defies all logic.

The writing is far-fetched as is the story. The acting is excellent if the goal was to make viewers despise practically the entire cast. While Vanaja runs a little less than two hours, the movie feels like it's eight hours long. There were times that watching the film felt akin to psychological torture. Save yourself.

Rating: 0.5 out of 5 stars

Movie Review: King of California

2007-10-01T16:33:00.003-07:00

There have been many movies about treasure hunting, but none quite like this one. First time writer and director Mike Cahill brings us a sweet, quirky comedy about fathers and daughters, Spanish gold and, of course, Costco. Three very disparate things which pull King of California in three different directions.

Responsible and mature, 16-year old Miranda (Evan Rachel Wood) works at McDonald's, struggles to pay the bills and lives completely on her own, that is until her father, Charlie (Michael Douglas), is released from the mental institution he's been holed up in for the past two years. It becomes immediately clear that, perhaps, he had been let out a tad too early. Especially when he reveals his quest to find a stash of missing treasure -- gold doubloons lost by a Father Torres in the 17th century.

Miranda is exasperated and disappointed yet indulges her father as it's the only means she has to get closer to him. Winner of the Worst Father of the Year award, Charlie's obsession leads them to Costco, where X marks the spot. Along with some help from his old friend Pepper (Willis Burks II), the three put their foolhardy plan into motion. And what seems like a father-daughter comedy turns, oddly, into a caper flick, making the film seem as bi-polar as Charlie himself.

Douglas does a good job of being a character who's completely disjointed from reality. The few scenes of him doing his "crazy eyes" are worth the entire film. But he is no where as near as good as he was in Wonder Boys. Likewise, Wood's performance here does not match up to her outstanding turn in 2003's Thirteen. She seems flat and lifeless at times.

Of course, that could also be the script. It's difficult to be off-beat and quirky and still retain a degree of character complexity and depth. Elements that are just plain sad and pathetic aren't given the sense of levity they deserve. Furthermore, the movie is all over the place. There's a jazz motif, a dramatic back story, the issue of gentrification and development, a history lesson, and familial dysfunction and none are explored to satisfaction. While the shots are framed well and the direction is interesting, King of California is too reliant on voiceover, which takes away from the film's momentum. And most people prefer their treasure hunts to be exciting.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Published on SF Station.com here.

Movie Review: Outsourced

2007-10-01T16:33:00.001-07:00

When Seattle-based customer care specialist Todd Anderson's (Josh Hamilton) smug boss tells him that he is firing his entire department and shipping him off to India to, in effect, train his own replacement, it is done with an almost malicious glee. Little does he know that he has just handed his employee a gift. Whether he is ready for it or not is a different issue.

At first Todd is clearly unhappy with the situation. He's disheveled, has a bad case of the runs and is being forced to stay in a country he knows nothing about. There is, of course, the obligatory sequence of scenes showcasing all the cultural differences Todd has to suffer through. Most films turn these scenes into campy, slightly insulting reductions.
But here they are done just right. And the differences are not all the obvious ones seen over and over again; for example, the habit of eating with one's right hand instead of the left; language miscommunications, and violations of personal space.

But Todd, which everyone pronounces as "toad", perseveres. His arrogant attitude diminishes as he gets more and more exposed to the country and his co-workers at the call center outside of Mumbai where he is doing his training. Some of the best and most endearing scenes occur during these training sessions.

It’s hard to imagine that the vast majority of the cast is "unknown" except for Todd, Asha (Ayesha Dharker), Todd's co-worker with whom he has instant chemistry, and Purohit N. Virajnarianan (Asif Basra), his replacement. The acting is right on and does not seem forced at all; except for a few tentative scenes with Josh Hamilton as Todd at the beginning of the film, which make you truly realize that this is indeed an indie film and not a big-budget Hollywood spectacle.

And thank god for that, as Outsourced is a little gem in the sea of highly marketed Fall films. It is both engaging and funny in a way that sets it apart from other movies this year. However, while the cultural elements are all on par, there is one plot turn which is wholly unbelievable -- that of the relationship between Todd and Asha, which seems neither genuine nor believable. With one fell swoop, the entire film's credibility is called into question. Why did co-writer/director John Jeffcoat tack on their relationship like that? By doing so he introduces a whole slew of sticky issues: exotification, interracial relationships, class dynamics, gender inequities, etc.

Nonetheless, Outsourced accomplishes what it sets out to do by taking a "hot topic" like outsourcing and turning it into a heartfelt cultural comedy. It could very well be the sleeper hit of 2007.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Published on SF Station.com here.

Movie Review: Fierce People

2007-09-22T16:04:00.003-07:00

The thing about films that open up in the fall is that any performance that demonstrates even the slightest bit of acting ability evokes an Oscar buzz. This is not to say that Diane Lane is sub par in her role as a junkie mother in director Griffin Dunne's Fierce People but that the entire movie is so bad that it overshadows all traces of talent.

It's 1980 and Lane plays Liz Earl (Diane Lane), a masseuse with a penchant for prostitution and a bad coke habit. You would think something like this would bother her 16-year old son Finn (Anton Yelchin). But in the universe of Fierce People, it's all just part of the package. There is no teenage angst here; just the lackadaisical milk bone reactions found in a "Leave it to Beaver" episode.

Because he gets busted buying coke for his mom, Finn ends up missing the chance to spend the summer with his father, a famous world-renowned anthropologist, in South America studying the Ishkanani (literally translated as "fierce people") tribe. Again, any other kid would have been pissed at this, but not Finn. He doesn't even really get angry when his mother suddenly drags him to Vlyvalle, New Jersey (i.e. the middle of nowhere) to stay at a cottage on the estate of Ogden C. Osborne (Donald Sutherland), her mysterious benefactor (read: sugar daddy) and the seventh richest man in the country.

In the completely unrealistic manner of the movie, Finn makes fast friends with Osborne's two über-privileged grandchildren, Bryce (Chris Evans) and Maya (Kristen Stewart), the slutty housekeeper and even Osborne himself despite the huge generational and class gaps between them. This doesn’t mean Finn, with his squeaky voice and jewfro, is in any way charming but that the movie's plot floats along a river of suspended belief.

To make the best of a "bad" situation, Finn decides to document the Osbornes much like his father does the Ishkanani, comparing the Amazonian tribe with the tribe of the rich and famous. However, it should be noted here that the term "document" should be taken loosely. All Finn does to this extent is keep a diary, watch his father's grainy research footage and insert annoying voiceovers that point out the obvious. Nonetheless, he discovers, in a traumatic and quite jolting dark turn, that there are not too many differences between the two.

Fierce People is not fierce. In fact it's quite the opposite. Based on the novel and adapted to the screen by Dirk Wittenborn, one wonders if there was something lost in the translation between book and script. The dialogue is flat and delivered just as stiffly. Watching the characters interact is like serving witness at an insipid cocktail party where people flit in and out of conversations and none of it means anything.

Published on SF Station.com here.

Movie Review: The Jane Austen Book Club

2007-09-22T16:04:00.001-07:00

Let me sum up this movie in two words: chick flick. Think Steel Magnolias and Beaches but with nothing remotely redeeming. If you're looking for a good date movie or something to see with your mother or friends, this is not the movie to pick. Go eat dinner or have some ice cream or talk about your feelings instead, and expect to see The Jane Austen Book Club, directed by Robin Swicord, running on the "Lifetime" channel shortly.

When strong, independent 40-something Jocelyn's (Maria Bello) beloved dog dies and Sylvia's (Amy Brenneman) husband of 20-plus years suddenly divorces her, a friend, Bernadette (Kathy Baker), decides they should form a book club in which they read one of Jane Austen's novels each month. (Why she didn’t suggest a weekend trip to Vegas or a week at a spa getaway is anyone's guess.)

To round out the group, they enlist Sylvia's young lesbian daughter, Allegra (Maggie Grace), a random woman who Bernadette befriends at the movies, Prudie (Emily Blunt), and bubbly comic book aficionado, Grigg (Hugh Dancy), who Jocelyn picks up at a hotel bar cougar-style. The movie follows the ladies (and man) during the course of six months as their lives morph and begin to reflect the relationship dynamics portrayed in Austen's novels.

Sylvia is trying to pick up the pieces of her life, Allegra falls in and out love, the unbelievably pretentious Prudie, a French teacher, is dealing with the advances of a student, and Grigg is crushing on Jocelyn but she's trying to set him up with Sylvia. Oh, and Bernadette's just plain crazy. You can zone out on whole chunks of the movie because you know, however unlikely it may be, that everyone is going to get their "happily ever after".

The tagline for the film says: "You don't have to know the books to be in the club." They're wrong. If you have never read any of these books, or even all of them, you will very much be lost. It'll be like taking acid and watching "The View"; you will not be able to keep up.

The best thing about this entire movie is Emily Blunt's haircut. It was really cute. Other than that -- nothing. Do yourself a favor: skip this movie and go read one of Austen indelible novels.

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

Published on SF Station.com here.

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

2007-09-11T18:18:00.000-07:00

(Stephen Crowley/The New York Times)

I find this image disturbing.

-taken from the New York Times article "Senators Press Officials on Iraq Progress".

170,000 Cigarettes

2007-08-27T16:58:00.001-07:00

I'd like to think this image has somehow been staged or photoshopped, but no - it's the real deal.

It's Winnie Langley who celebrated her 100th birthday by smoking her 170,000th cigarette. She started smoking in 1914 when she was 7-years-old.

The Daily Mail ran the story:

"An iron-lunged pensioner has celebrated her 100th birthday by lighting up her 170,000th cigerette from a candle on her birthday cake.

Winnie Langley started smoking only days after the First World War broke out in June 1914 when she was just seven-years-old - and has got through five a day ever since.

She has no intention of quitting, even after the nationwide ban forced tobacco-lovers outside.

Speaking at her 100th birthday party Winnie said: "I have smoked ever since infant school and I have never thought about quitting.

"There were not all the the health warnings like there are today when I started. It was the done thing."

Winnie, from Croydon, South London, claims tobacco has never made her ill.

She has outlived a husband, Robert, and son, Donald, who died two years ago aged 72.

The former launderette worker said she started the habit in 1914 - just weeks after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo on June 28 - which sparked the First World War.

The 100-year-old, who is awaiting her telegram from the Queen today, said smoking helped calm her nerves during the two World Wars.

She said: "A lot of people smoked during the war. It helped steady the nerves."

Despite the numerous health warnings, Mrs Langley insists she's never suffered because of the habit as she "has never inhaled".

AH! Never inhaled - like Bill Clinton!

We are the Champions!

2007-08-26T23:42:00.001-07:00

My teammate and I. Notice the well-coordinated outfits.

The Competition.

Yesterday I participated in the High Trek Adventure. It's kind of like a scavenger hunt on crack.

Teams of two are given two sets of clues (you get one set at the beginning and the second set halfway through). The clues are in riddle format. Solving the riddles will lead you to the appropriate destination where you have to have your picture taken. You must travel by either foot or public transporation (thank god! as you are travelling up/down hills and over large expanses of the city).

Their tag lines reads: "The Most Exciting Urban Adventure Game Ever Created". I don't know about that, but it certainly was incredibly fun.

This was my second year doing it. Last year I competed with my good friend Pete. We didn't quite solve all the clues and we didn't place very high but we still had a great time.

This year I wanted to do a little better. Especially since I, along with my fabulous teammate and co-worker Emeri, were competing against another team of officemates, both men. Let's just say there had been a whole lot of trash talking going on all week and our honor and pride was on the line.

The thing is, Greg, one of the other competitors had also done the race last year - and he placed 4th overall. He was good. And he knew it. Our other colleagues didn't think we (i.e. women) could beat them. Well, WE at least believed in ourselves.

And a good thing too because WE BEAT THEM!!! We came in third place and they in fourth. Ah! The sweet taste of victory is still lingering in my mouth.

I knew it was goiing to come down to a foot race, much like the last leg of every The Amazing Race finale ever. Just as we were getting our photo taken in front of the LAST clue, I heard a shout. I turned. The other team was 30 feet away and nearing. I screamed.

Photo taken - Emeri and I sprinted like our lives depended on it. It took all we had, especially considering the fact that we had just spent the last 3 hours running like maniacs all over San Francisco probably clocking in 10 miles!

Although I'm still sore today, every aching muscle was worth it. I can't wait to gloat at the office on Monday.

Liar Liar

2007-08-23T22:52:00.001-07:00

This has got to be the coolest bird on the planet. The Lyre bird, native to Australia.

A close second, of course, would be this guy:

Now, if only human males would go to such lengths...

The Pick-up Artist

2007-08-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

Last night while eating dinner I turned on the television and watched an episode of The Pick-up Artist on VH1. Has anyone else seen this show?

It's a "reality" show where a group of men sorely lacking in lady-luring skills are coached by a man named "Mystery", who is the self-proclaimed guru of pick-up artists. The contestants are given training and tasks and are eliminated one-by-one until a Master Pick-up Artist emerges.

Someone help these guys! They don't need a douche-bag like "Mystery" (what kind of nickname is that?) to help them. All these sad sacks need are sisters and/or female friends.

All Mystery, and his "wingmen", have are gimmicks. I wish I could describe some of them but my words do not do them justice, but they include ignoring women and treating them like objects in order to hold their attention and make themselves seem more interesting. He has his own company and seminar called The Mystery Method where they charge up to $3000 for a three day seminar.

Mystery, I have a question: What's up with the pirate shirts and the fur hat? It is not 1996 and you are not Jamiroquai .
-----------------------------

More on the series: "The VH1 series, The Pick-up Artist, is a tale of transformation. For these eight lovable losers, "socially awkward" is the understatement of the year. And when it comes to this lonely hearts club, desperate times call for desperate measures. Enter Mystery, best-selling author and ultimate pick-up artist--a former nerd from the Great White North who has discovered the secret to wooing women. Under his expert tutelage, he'll guide this group of hapless horndogs through the rough waters of romance and help them find the courage to overcome their biggest fear--talking to women.

In The Pick-up Artist, eight misfits will live together, learn together and love together as they compete for the title of "Master Pick-Up Artist." Over the course of eight episodes, the men will learn the ins and outs of the Mystery Method-- "how to open a set," "the number close" and "the kiss close" among others. Aided by his faithful wingmen, Matador and J Dog, Mystery will teach these average guys how to turn the women of their dreams into the women of their reality."

Frodo

2007-08-16T23:48:00.001-07:00

I got a puppy last Wednesday. He's a miniature Boston Terrier. He is the easiest going puppy of all time. But I must say: it definitely isn't easy being the Alpha. Being that bossy takes a lot of hard work!

But I'm proud, amidst all the hugs and love, I've already taught Frodo how to sit and stay.

He's a genius. I'm a proud mom, er, I mean pack leader.

Satisfied

2007-08-13T11:44:00.001-07:00

This is what I look like when I eat cookies:

Movie Review: Stardust

2007-08-11T22:09:00.001-07:00

One of the most anticipated movies of the summer, Stardust, lives up to expectations and delivers so much more. It succeeds as both a fantasy film and as a romantic comedy, which is a difficult feat. Some have compared it to the cult classic The Princess Bride, but while Stardust references other films, it is essentially unique.

Based on the graphic novel by Neil Gaiman and adapted to the screen by writer Jane Goldman and writer/director Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake), Stardust is an adventure with a romantic soul. It tells the tale of sweet and naïve Tristran (Charlie Cox) who is in love with a vain and self-involved woman named Victoria (Sienna Miller). When she's not accepting advances from the foppish Humphrey (Henry Cavill), she's stringing Tristran along.

One evening they witness a falling star, and Victoria issues him a challenge: if in one week he can retrieve the star and bring it back to her, she will agree to marry him. Problem is the star has fallen on the other side of the "heavily" guarded wall that borders their village, and which no one dares to cross. What the villagers don't know is that it's also the entrance to another dimension -- a magical kingdom known as Stormhold.

But Tristran, full of hope and eager to please, ventures forth. He finds the star, only to discover that it's actually a young woman, Yvaine (Claire Danes). Unfortunately, he's not the only person after the star's charms, which include immortality. The witch queen Lamia (played superbly by Michelle Pfeiffer) is also after her as is the (only-living) male successor to the thrown of Stormhold, Septimus (Mark Strong), who seeks the ruby necklace in her possession which will declare him the new king of the land.

Stardust is a charming movie that will please any number of audiences. The acting and writing are both excellent and engaging. The chemistry between Danes and Cox is palpable and their exchanges are layered with great volleys full of witty dialogue. In one of the film's highpoints, Danes delivers a declaration on the definition of love with the same wide-eyed wonder she demonstrated in Romeo and Juliet. However, it is Robert De Niro as the pirate Captain Shakespeare and Pfeiffer who steal the show. Indeed, De Niro's scenes are worth watching the whole film for.

This movie was made to be a cult classic. There are several pop cultural references, including a shot lifted directly from Lord of the Rings that any fan can spot and a catchphrase from Ricky Gervais' hilarious HBO show "Extras" delivered by the man himself in a brief cameo. And while Stardust could have done without a particular sequence that bordered on saccharine, in which the characters predictably grow and bond, all set to music, it is still among the very best of films of 2007 and definitely the most refreshing.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Movie Review: Becoming Jane

2007-08-03T23:09:00.001-07:00

Jane Austen is considered by many to be one of the world's greatest authors. Well, she certainly knew how to write chick lit. That is, the complexities of courtship and affairs of the heart. However, Austen herself never married and had no significant known relationships. How is it then that someone with no such experience could write about love so insightfully? Becoming Jane has its own theory on that matter.

Director Julian Jarrold (Kinky Boots) and writers Kevin Hood and Sarah Williams have crafted an insightful look into what may have been the turning point of Austen's life. Inspired by bits of historical evidence that Austen may have had a brief flirtation when she was twenty and still a budding writer, they came up with the story for Becoming Jane. We are introduced to our spunky, independent-minded heroine in 1795.

Like in many of her novels, Jane (played by Anne Hathaway sporting a passable English accent) has a calculating, fussy mother (Julie Walters) who is trying to marry her off, preferably to the highest bidder. Luckily, there is a beau to be found in Mr. Wisley (Laurence Fox), the dour nephew of the even dourer Lady Gresham (Maggie Smith) who owns the rectory over which Jane's unconventional and indulgent father (James Cromwell) presides. Unfortunately, Jane isn't very keen on Mr. Wisley.

Nonetheless, life is going on as usual in the countryside, but when Henry (Joe Anderson), Jane's older brother, visits things spice up a bit. Shortly after Henry arrives, his good friend Thomas Lefroy (James McAvoy), a debaucherous budding Irish lawyer who lives with his domineering uncle in London, gets shipped out to the country to stay with relatives as punishment for his whoring ways. The relatives are, of course, neighbors and friends to the Austens, and soon Jane finds herself in Lefroy's company, whether she likes it or not.

The two immediately begin to quarrel. In Austen's books, these kinds of exchanges are full of wit, fire and unresolved sexual tension. Here the words come off more like limp leaves of lettuce or overcooked carrots -- all the zest and crunch are boiled out of them; except for one memorable scene in the library which shines. In fact, while this section of Becoming Jane has its charming moments, and one can feel the chemistry just bubbling under the surface, it does not capture how Austen and Lefroy go from barely tolerating one another to falling head over heels in love. There's just something missing and rushed.

But after they do fall, the movie tightens up and moves towards a poignant ending. The direction is satisfying and hits all the necessary highs and lows, including the ubiquitous scenes of the English countryside. Despite its unevenness, Becoming Jane is a sweet, engaging romantic film.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Movie Review: The Bourne Ultimatum

2007-08-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

I saw The Bourne Ultimatum last night. It was amazing!! I think it's one of the most successful action series out there. They're well-done, smart and riveting. And this third installment does not disappoint.

In The Bourne Ultimatum, the protagonist, Jason Bourne, played by Matt Damon, is still on his quest to find out about his mysterious past. His flashbacks have increased and so have the C.I.A.'s attempts to off him.

From the very beginning, it was non-stop action. I was rushing with adrenaline and buzzing with it afterwards. There were some scenes that were so well orchestrated that people felt compelled to clap. These are jaded moviegoers and critics -- so that says a lot.

The script is well-written and Paul Greengrass' direction is tight. He captures both the chaos of the scenes and Bourne's intense control over the situations he finds himself in.

There is one particular scene, out of the many excellent ones, that stands out in my mind. It's an absolutely amazing car chase that makes me wants to watch the movie over again. This scene alone must have taken half their budget; they must have wrecked dozens upon dozens of cars on top of what was probably a very hefty insurance policy.

David Strathairn is excellent as Noah Vosen, head of black ops and coordinator for the top secret Blackbriar project (if you want to know what this means, you'll have to watch the movie!). He is the ultimate bad guy and absolutely drips with Machiavellian smugness. Joan Allen is excellent as well. By the way, she has really thin lips. As does Julia Stiles who also makes an appearance (but I won't say how).

All in all, The Bourne Ultimatum is one of the best movies of the summer and on my fav of 2007 list.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Checkmate

2007-07-30T16:18:00.000-07:00

I am in the midst of a chess revival.

I learned how to play from my father (who is a chess champion) when I was young. But, having the attention span of a gnat, I quickly lost interest. Over the years, I had picked it up several other times, and while I had great admiration for the "game" (if it can be called that) I never pursued it or tried to hone my skill; I use the word "skill" lightly here as whatever talents I posses vis-a-vis chess, they are defintely not considered skillful.

Anyway, I've been reading a book, The Immortal Game by David Shenk and it has inspired me.

I've taken chess up again. But it's frustrating. All this time, I have never, ever won a game of chess. At this point I feel as if I couldn't even win against a blindfolded 5-year old who didn't quite grasp the rules. Argh.

It's difficult continuing at something when faced with consistent defeat. Is this what is meant by "persistence"? Is this what the Red Sox had felt until 2004?

And losing at chess is unlike losing at any other game. I have little problems losing at, say, Cranium or Taboo, but losing at chess destroys me. It's as if your brain is dragged out, judged, sentenced and dismissed. It takes strategy and cunning and the most stoic poker face you can conjure. None of which I possess.

But I'll keep trying. I am determined. I will read up on strategy, I will study opening sequences, I will try to not throw hissy fits when my Knight gets taken in three moves.

And I'll announce the first time I win a game. Hopefully, it'll be sometime in the next decade.

Spring

2007-07-26T16:04:00.000-07:00

Saw this and it made me smile. It's appropriately titled "Spring", and it is painted by Pierre-Auguste Cot (1873).

Thrilla in Manila

2007-07-24T17:47:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the lack of updates as of late -- I'm still trying to get into the swing of things. For the last two weeks I've been going to bed between 5 - 7 in the morning, sleeping until noonish and then dragging myself into work.

With the exception of a few social appearances, I've been dead to the world.

But I will leave you with this:

Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

2007-07-13T00:49:00.000-07:00

I'm back and horribly jetlagged but here's a review of the latest Harry Potter film:

By the time Harry Potter reaches 18, it wouldn't be surprising if he will have dyed his hair black, pierced his face, gotten a few tats and walked around wearing a Joy Division t-shirt. Such is the arc of this young man's angst-ridden, tumultuous life. Of course, author J.K. Rowling's final edition to her beloved Harry Potter series comes out on 7.21 and who knows who Harry will turn out to be. What can be said is that the film adaptation of book 5, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is as dark, mysterious and wondrous as ever. Much like adolescence itself.

Director David Yates and screenwriter Michael Goldenberg have streamlined the thickest book in the series, coming in at a whopping 896 pages, into an absorbing and sharp movie falling under just two and a half hours. The tagline for the movie reads: The Rebellion Begins! And it certainly has. There is no quidditch here. No dances. In short, no teenaged fun. With the exception of one or two scenes, Harry (played by Daniel Radcliffe) is all business.

Part 1984, part Star Wars, the world in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is getting more sinister and dangerous. Driven by paranoia and fear and, of course, corruption, the Minister of Magic (think Prime Minister) first goes after Harry and then goes after Hogwarts, his school. Believing that Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) is gathering his own private forces in a move to take over the Ministry and attempting thwart all rumors of Voldemort's (Ralph Fiennes) return, the Minister instates a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton, who is amazing here).

And while she may look like a harmless 50s housewife, Umbridge is the most frightening character of all. Through ruthless means, she wiles her way into power and soon takes over Dumblemore's position as Headmaster sucking all life out of the castle's walls and ruling with an iron fist. Meanwhile, Harry is fighting his own battles.

Most of the school doesn't believe his claims of Voldemort's return. However, just when he feels most alone, he realizes that his friends, most notably Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), are right there beside him. Together they form Dumbledore's Army as a means to defend themselves against the growing threat of Voldemort.

Consisting of various students from across the houses, like scene stealer Luna Lovegood (Evanna Lynch), they begin to meet secretly and train under Harry's care. The sessions build both confidence and strength in the students and it is here that Harry gets his very first kiss with Cho Chang (Katie Leung). Dumbledore's Army is also a student counterpart of sorts to the Order of the Phoenix, an underground army consisting of various characters, including Harry's godfather Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), who had fought the Dark Lord the first time around.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is an engaging film that leaves you wanting more once the credits begin to roll. This is not to say that it is somehow incomplete but rather so engrossing that you do not want it to end. You are immediately drawn into his world. Thus, the sets, costuming and special effects are mostly top notch. As every year, the acting improves with the main principles -- Radcliffe, Watson and Grint -- supported by an array of superbly trained British talent in the likes of Fiennes, Oldman, Gambon, Alan Rickman as Professor Snape and, of course, Imelda Staunton.

Every director thus far has brought his own vision to the films and since Yates is slated to direct the next in the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, we can expect that things will only get darker for our young hero. But such is life, especially when you're a teenager.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Tokyo, Day 4 - The End

2007-07-04T09:24:00.000-07:00

href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3SIBPQUDnaw/RpO0Dhy5CWI/AAAAAAAAAnk/R5fHEJ3BlTA/s1600-h/ew.JPG">

Tokyo, Day 3

2007-07-03T08:22:00.000-07:00

Fake Food

Fake Food

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That is an actual watermelon, in the shape of a square.

Tokyo, Day 2

2007-07-02T23:30:00.000-07:00

The Japanese Hillary Clinton

Tokyo, Day 1

2007-07-01T22:55:00.000-07:00

Korea, Day 16

2007-06-30T22:43:00.000-07:00

Korea, Day 15

2007-06-29T22:33:00.000-07:00

Korea, Day 14

2007-06-28T22:15:00.000-07:00

Korea, Day 13

2007-06-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

Canned crickets. Yum.

Larvae. According to the "nutritional facts" on the packaging, they are very good for you.

One of the best tram rides ever.

Korea, Day 12

2007-06-26T00:52:00.000-07:00

On our way to the DMZ.

That mustard-colored line on the left demarcates the DMZ between South Korea and North Korea.

There is heavy barbed wire fencing all along the Han River as soon as you leave Seoul.

Across that river is North Korea.

The Peace Bell

Back in Seoul. Going up to Cafe Tess in Hongdae. I wonder what's on floors 2-5?

Walking about:

A blurry pic but worth the squint it takes to figure out what it says.

A bakery with a faux cathedral storefront. Heh?

Korea, Day 11

2007-06-25T13:50:00.000-07:00

Birds in Paradise

More Yut

Korea, Day 10

2007-06-24T13:43:00.000-07:00

It's Noraebang time!

Korea, Day 9

2007-06-23T14:25:00.001-07:00

The World's Oldest Bike is locked up in Incheon.

Visiting Kyung Mountain

Those mounds are traditional Korean burial sites.

This statue is hundreds of years old. They say if you touch it, you will bear a son. Hopefully not right away.

Another statue, guarding against evil spirits.

Kim Chee pots

Tasting fresh soy sauce and Gochu Jang.

Honoring our ancestors.

The end to a long day in the country.

Korea, Day 8

2007-06-22T15:19:00.003-07:00

Korea, Day 7

2007-06-21T12:05:00.000-07:00

In my room reading.

On the way to the COEX mall.

A girl I spotted at a cafe eating a tomato as if it were an apple. She peeled it and ate it plain.

They serve scissors with noodles so you can easily cut them.

Weird story. I was sitting on a bench with my feet up when this old man came up to me out of nowhere and, using no words whatsoever, scolded me and motioned for me to put my feet back down. I quickly complied, too stunned to even apologize. He then gifted me with this beautiful fan.

It looks like I have a bucktooth here.

Korea, Day 6

2007-06-20T23:58:00.000-07:00

The most confusing move of all time.

I made a cake.

Yut!

Washing my dirty feets.

Korea, Day 5

2007-06-19T20:20:00.000-07:00

Bunnies: for playing, not eating

The world's most crowded bookstore

The Korean Mullet Part Deux

Korea, Day 4

2007-06-18T20:17:00.000-07:00

Don't these girls look like dolls? This is how I discovered these new contact lenses that make your irises look huge (http://japundit.com/images/eyes.jpg). Lots of women wear them.

Korea, Day 3

2007-06-17T20:09:00.000-07:00

Korea, Day 2

2007-06-16T15:00:00.000-07:00

An ingenious invention; in public restrooms, it makes a loud noise so that you don't get embarassed when you have to make any, uh, noises

And introducing the Korean Mullet:

Korea, Day 1

2007-06-15T03:26:00.000-07:00

After waking up at an obscenely early hour due to jet lag, we went on a hike.

My father-in-law picking strange berries fresh off a tree. Risky and possibly dangerous yet delicious.

We hiked around a park area and then ventured to a place called "Eunach Hill". There are actually eunachs buried there (see above). Good Times.

A shrine. To what I don't know.

Along the trail, there were all these places to stop and exercise with awesome equipment, including this very cool stationary bike.

And these hoola hoops.

At the end of the trail, they had these high pressure air hoses so you could clean your dirty shoes!

Cool things we spotted:

A foot washer at the park

Strange and amazing things:

Kong kal, literally "Liar Bread". Street food. Tastes like french toast.

We walked by what looked to me to be a pet store and I was all "Look fishies!"

And then they told me they were for eating =(.

Black Sesame Cereal. Looks weird. Is actually yummy.

Korea, Getting There

2007-06-13T03:15:00.000-07:00

I'm going to Korea and Japan for the first time.

The Man...

2007-06-12T22:00:00.000-07:00

as defined by Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man

Yesterday I did a Google search for the musician Whitey, and that came up.

Hilarious.

Is Cocaine the new Weed?

2007-06-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

The New York Times ran a piece on the increased use of cocaine or, as one my fav authors Jay McInerney likes to call it, Bolivian Marching Powder, in this past Sunday's Fashion & Style section.

It's all about the ubiquitousness of coke in the NYC party scene (or really the party scene anywhere). Remember that rumor that, like, 99% of all the five-pound notes in England had traces of cocaine on them?

My god, what has the world come down to? Cocaine? That has got to be one of the world's worst drugs. And I don't mean the cost to life vis-a-vis the drug trade and addiction, I mean that it turns people into complete a**holes. Have you ever been around someone on this drug when they are coming down? It is not a pretty sight.

Why would you possibly do a drug that can easily give you the same effect as a few coffees and a shot of Novocaine? And why would you even want to feel like you've been shot full of Novocaine?

The article interviews "Teron Beal, 34, a songwriter and aspiring actor, [who] said he encountered cocaine regularly and does it occasionally — and not only in clubs and bars. “When you’re in meetings and you’re in the studio, it’s offered like coffee,” he said. “If you say yeah, they’re cool with it and if you say no, they’re like O.K., and they just go and do it in front of you.”

“Coke is the new weed,” he continued. “Everybody says that.”

Now, that's frightening. A word of advice: Take the coffee.

At most coffee'll give you the jitters and a bit of diarrhea, coke will give you a decade worth of addiction. Oh wait, coffee's addicting too. But, whatever, you know what I mean.

The article also quotes a totally douche-y finance guy who sounds like a walking stereotype for Eurotrash:

“I do it every day,” said Kristoff, a European transplant to New York who works in finance and would not give his last name. He said he pays $150 for two grams of cocaine. “If I have to work at 6 in the morning and I have to be on top of the game, I’ll do it. I’ll take a gram of coke and make half a million dollars.”

If this doesn't turn you off cocaine, I don't know what will. Do you really want to be in the same league as this man? Would you take a look at him and say "I'll have what he's having."?

I didn't think so.

Drink this instead:

To read the entire article, click here.

Dreamhouse

2007-06-08T23:50:00.000-07:00

I had been searching for this house for forever! I saw it once, fleetingly, several years ago and had tried to find it ever since. And today on my walk I found it!

It's a house that's an old firehouse. It's amazing.

According to the San Francisco Fire Department Museum:

Engine Company 44 - 1909
3816 22nd Street

Engine Company No. 44 is two-story stucco Mission Revival firehouse that was constructed by the McSheehy Brothers in the style most popular after 1906. Know as a “Hill Company” this firehouse gave protection to the Noe Valley area and Castro district of the City. It was sold at auction by the Department in 1959 to Mark and Beth Adams. For over forty years, they maintained the house as an artist's studio, and private residence in this quiet neighborhood.

*Sigh* - it was just sold for $2,695,000.

Kopi Luwak

2007-06-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of this thing? It's also called Civet coffee. And it is the world 's most expensive coffee. A pound of this stuff could set you back $600!

Why is it so expensive? Um...well let's just say it ain't Sanka. According to Wikipedia, it's "made from coffee cherries which have been eaten by and passed through the digestive tract of the Asian Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus). The animals gorge on the ripe berries, and excrete partially-digested beans in their feces, which are then harvested for sale."

Yes, you read that correctly. The coffee is SHAT out of an animal that's a cross between a racoon and a lemur. Who thinks of these things? Who was it that first saw the animal droppings and was all "Ooooh - look! Let's try to drink this stuff!"

Supposedly, it's the most complex and delicious roast in the world. People pay upwards of $50 a cup for it.

I'll stick with Teeccino, thank you.
---------------------------------------------------------

An amusing eavesdropped conversation on the topic:

Guy: You ever try Kopi Luwak?
Girl: No, who is he?
Guy: It's not a he, it's the world's most expensive coffee.
Girl: That's not the coffee that's made from cat shit, is it?
Guy: It's not made from cat shit.
Girl: They pick the beans out of the cat shit.
Guy: Sort of.
Girl: So that posers like you can drink it.
Guy: You don't understand the concept of gourmet.
Girl: Maybe not, but I understand the concept of eating shit.

--Starbucks, Court St, Brooklyn

Overheard by: Big Larry

via Overheard in New York, Jun 1, 2007

Barack Obama

2007-06-03T18:08:00.000-07:00

I'm a part of a group called South Asians for Obama. It's a national group that has chapters in over eight cities and I am very involved with the Bay Area chapter. We support Senator Barack Obama's campaign to become the next President of the United States.

That's me in the picture at a rally in Oakland a few months ago.

Making the decision to support Senator Obama was an easy one for me. I have been following his career since he was a State Senator for Illinois. Why do I support him?

Because I believe in him. I believe in what he says and what he stands for. When he opens his mouth, I sincerely believe that he's telling the truth rather than spewing political jargon. In fact, I've looked him straight in the eye and can tell you firsthand that the man believes in what he says.

And while he is a politician, he is not a panderer. When he speaks, it's from the heart. If he says something, he means it. For example, he disagrees with the war in Iraq, so he voted against it and supports a responsible, phased withdrawal. He says he cares about the well being of all Americans, and thus supports universal healthcare. He cares about the environment and thus he believes in green energy.

He does not say one thing and do another.

I guess what I mean to say is that I respect him. And for the first time in many, many years I am truly excited about an upcoming election. Here is a candidate that I can actually endorse wholeheartedly. One who I am willing to give precious time and money to.

Here is a candidate that truly represents what it means to be an American. Our country is founded on immigrants and diversity. People have come here from all over the world for generations and generations and forged their own special identities. We are a melting pot.

Who better to represent our people than someone who is part-Kenyan, part-White? Who grew up in Hawaii and lived in Indonesia for five years. Someone who knows what it's like to have to work hard to make a living. Someone who has a global perspective and an international sensibility. Someone who's intelligent but who is not arrogant. Someone with conviction.

If Barack Obama were to be President, I could honestly say that for the first time in my entire life, I would be proud to call myself an American.

I was also very proud to have met Senator Obama this weekend. I, along with the core committee of SAFO-SF were invited to a fundraising event in Sunnyvale, CA.

I was honored to hear him speak.

And I am happy to say that I got to thank him for his efforts and tell him how I felt about his run for Presidency.

This is me embarrassing myself.

The South Asians for Obama- SF core committee.

It was a very memorable day. Go Obama!

Quote of the Day

2007-06-03T10:28:00.002-07:00

Dude #1: How come when you have sex bad things happen, like STDs? Why can't you get sexually transmitted skills, like creativity?

Dude #2: Or juggling.

--NYU Kimmel

via Overheard in New York, Jun 2, 2007

And the Jerk Award Goes to...

2007-05-31T17:25:00.000-07:00

Andrew Speaker.

I can't believe this guy. This 31-year old Atlanta-based personal injury lawyer was diagnosed with a rare, dangerous and contagious form of tuberculosis (TB). His doctors cautioned him to stay away from other human beings. So what does he do?

He's goes to Europe. On a plane. And therefore exposes hundreds of people to his disease for 7 hours.

I guess he was supposed to get married and then go on his fabulous honeymoon and just didn't want to reschedule. After all, who's going to let a little TB get in their way of a good time?

According the the New York Times, "Andrew Speaker flew to Paris from Atlanta on Air France Flight 285 (Delta co-share 8517) on May 12 for his wedding in Greece..."

Did I mention that he KNEW he had TB? He is quoted as saying something along the lines of, "They didn't forbid me, they just said that I shouldn't go..." He even went as far as to fly into Montreal, Canada and then sneak across the border in a car to avoid detection. What is wrong with this guy?

And now ALL the people he flew with have to get tested. Officials are desperately trying to find the poor sucker who sat next to him on the trans-atlantic flight to Canada. He has yet to be found, that's because he's busy dying of TB in some poorly funded public hospital (god, I hope not).

A fellow passenger comments in The New York Times, "Jason Vik, 21, a passenger on the outgoing flight who just graduated from the University of South Carolina, Aiken, is now waiting for results of a TB skin test.

Mr. Vik spoke angrily about Mr. Speaker’s behavior. “He stepped on a plane with 487 people, one of the largest aircraft that Boeing makes, and he put us all at risk, just so he could go get married,” he said." The WTF? is implied.

As one of my friends commented, "...that's almost diabolically thoughtless."

The Weird Twist? His father-in-law, Robert C. Cooksey, just so happens to be researcher at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who specializes in tuberculosis. Coincidence? Hm, I think not.

I can just imagine this drama unfolding. Was Mr. Cooksey an angry father-in-law who didn't want his little baby girl marrying this schmuck so much so that he drugged him one night and then shot him full of a rare form of TB that he had concocted in his lab and up until then had only used to kill off mice?

I guess we'll find out. One thing's for sure: Andrew Speaker is a selfish jerk.

Giant Bunnies

2007-05-30T23:15:00.000-07:00

This image has not been photoshopped. This crazy mad scientist farmer dude in Germany has been breeding giant bunnies. And guess what he's planning to do with them?

Scaring the crap out of young children? No. He's selling them to the North Koreans for food. I'm not kidding.

I thought Koreans ate lots of rice and kim chee and fish. Since when do they eat rabbits?

But I guess if your country is ruled by some evil maniacal dictator who starves his people and brainwashes them into submission, then you can't be too picky.

The Pity Party was Cancelled

2007-05-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay I am well aware that I sounded totally pathetic in my post yesterday. I was sulky.

I did, in fact, have an awesome weekend and a GREAT birthday celebrated with lots of friends (and, yes, there was even a vegan ice cream cake).

On Saturday night I got taken to one of the best restaurants in the country: Fleur de Lys. Hubert Keller really knows what he's doing. The French restaurant offers an entire vegetarian tasting menu that is out of this world. My dinner there was quite possibly one of the best meals I have had in my life.

On Sunday I was surprised by my best friend who flew out from D.C. She called me on my cell and then while we were talking, walked into my house. It was awesome.

That afternoon, we went for brunch at Pomelo, an amazing place that serves dishes inspired by different places from around the world.

It was VERY yum. We even played a round of Fictionary, which Ann had gifted me.

Then that night a bunch of friends and I celebrated at Baobab, a Senegalese restaurant in the Mission.

I had a great birthday and thank you for all the best wishes!

It's my Birthday!

2007-05-27T07:05:00.002-07:00

Today is my 31st birthday.

I feel the same as 30 and still look like I'm 14.

However, today I'm feeling particularly restless. A part of me wants to walk off and disappear and shun all human contact for the rest of the day until it's time for cake.

An ideal birthday: eating Carvel ice cream cake with my parents and celebrating at home.

Unfortunately, today I will be getting neither.

Perhaps I'll be having a pity party instead of a birthday party...

The Prom, the Sequel

2007-05-26T16:55:00.000-07:00

As Sylvester Stallone returned to the screen in Rocky Balboa, I returned to the prom last nght. Yes, two days before I celebrated my 31st birthday I was on the 32nd floor of the Westin St. Francis Hotel dancing to a remix of "I Wear My Sunglasses at Night" with 400 high school seniors.

Isn't that, like, illegal? you ask.

My sister-in-law is a teacher and had volunteered to help chaperone the event and she had asked me to come along and keep her company and, perhaps, relive a bit of the old youth. Suffice it is to say: It was relived.

At first it was awkward. Here I was amidst a sea of adolescent hormones all contained in tuxes and wonderfully frilly dresses (and while I was tempted to wear my own old prom outfit, I did not). But then I quickly realized that I might as well not have existed. After all, it was all about them and their moment.

The most awesome of which occurred when the DJ played "Since You've Been Gone" and they all rushed to the dance floor and just completely rocked out. You had to be dead inside not to have had a smile on your face at the sight. It was amazing. They were singing along to every word, had their arms in the air and formed a collective body of ecstatic happiness. It was as if their entire experience as 18-year olds was captured in that very moment. And who knew Kelly Clarkson could bring it like that?

Anyways, while I did not rock out like it was 1999, as then I would have been the weird adult who was getting a little too into prom (and BTW- most of the girls there did look older than me. I don't know what it is, I was even dressed up and wearing make-up, but I ALWAYS, always look like I'm 14.), I did dance to a few songs with some of the teachers.

No, it wasn't my prom. That moment for me passed a long time ago. But it was still great.

Visual Happiness

2007-05-24T15:14:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when I'm stressed or unhappy I look at things like the photo above and it makes me happy right away.

Maybe because it's incredibly cute or maybe it's because it represents something I would do if I were a dog, or just bored.

Either way, I love it.

The Return

2007-05-23T19:30:00.000-07:00

Sadly, I know there is no one out there following this blog any longer. Nonetheless, let me first apologize. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just left like that. I should have at least left an explanation.

I was busy.

Lame excuse, I know. But true.

I didn't finish my novel, All Good Things Die in L.A., as I had hoped to do by my last birthday. It took me a little longer. Six months longer. And finishing this arduous task consumed me. It's all I could think of. And I finally did it in November. I finally wrote those beautiful words: The End.

I was left with a 600 page manuscript. I took a break. Celebrated the holidays. And then set off to whittle it down and fix it up. It's now 285 pages and I'm a few weeks away from being done with the editing.

So that was that. I guess, also, another reason for taking a break from the blog was that I felt a pressure to commit time to it. And I don't mean writing posts- those I could throw up easily enough. I mean reading and commenting on other people's blogs.

Blogging is a community. People read your blogs. You read their's. You all comment.

But I didn't have the time to do this any longer. I felt a lot of pressure to not only read but also comment on my virtual friends' blogs. So much so that I would find myself just writing things not out of an impulse to let them know how I felt or because what they had written rocked my world, but out of obligation. And if anything kills joy, it's obligation.

It was like being forced to make idle coversation at cocktail parties.

Something I am very, very bad at.

So why now? Why start blogging after such a long time? I guess the simple answer is that I just want to. I had been wanting, meaning to pick it up for a while and now, a year after my last post, just seems like the right time.

So, I'll write. There may not be anyone reading, but I'll still write.

And I am not going to let a pressure to comment stilt me any longer.

I'm doing this for myself.

The End of the Run

2006-05-23T12:54:00.000-07:00

As many of you know I've been working on a novel -- All Good Things Die in L.A.. I started it exactly on May 27, 2001, which also happens to be my birthday. It originally began as a short story which I had felt compelled to expand into a novel. A daunting task that I decided to undertake on the day I turned 25.

I always vowed to have written a novel by the time I was 30. It's just something I had always wanted to do. I have none of the usual qualms about turning 30; I'm not freaking out about becoming older (I dealt with that last year), what I'm doing with my life (dealt with that in my mid 20s) and/or my personal life (also dealt with that last year). In fact, I welcome 30 with open arms. Bring it on, I say. But I do really want, and need, to comeplete this task I have set out for myself.

Well, this Saturday is my esteemed 30th and I am furiously trying to finish my book up. I've been working on All Good Things Die in L.A. for five years and it's both frightening and satisfying to finally be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak.

So, as I approach the end I ask for all your good wishes (I could really use the help).

The Da Vinci Code

2006-05-19T03:17:00.000-07:00

If you haven't either read The Da Vinci Code or heard of it then you've been living under a rock for the past few years. Penned by author Dan Brown, there is no escaping this fast-paced novel. For those of you who have not yet read it: simply put, it is the best airplane book ever written and it will (temporarily) ruin your life. It is book crack. You'll sweep everything to the sidelines -- sleep, food, relationships, work -- until you finish it. It inspires addiction and cult-like behavior from fans. And it has been made into one of the most anticipated movies of the year.

Directed by Ron Howard (Cinderella Man, A Beautiful Mind), The Da Vinci Code (arguably) reveals "the greatest cover-up in human history." After a prominent curator is murdered in the Louvre, everyone's favorite academic-turned-action-star Robert Langdon (played by an oddly cast Tom Hanks), a world-renowned professor of religious symbology, finds himself entangled in a centuries old war, full of secret societies and covert Catholic orders, battling over the very foundation of Christianity. Luckily he has some help in the form of the sweet and lovely Sophie (Audrey Tautou), a gifted code-breaker with a mysterious past. Unluckily, he is being hunted down by some very zealous police officers, including Captain Fache (Jean Reno).

Chills and thrills aside, The Da Vinci Code has pacing problems. While the book doesn't give you time to breath, the film almost meanders its way through the 149 minute runtime. Scenes that are meant to be fast-paced and leave you on the edge of your seat are drowned out by scenes weighed down by exposition and flashbacks. Half the film consists of flashbacks! And not the well done ones that are seamlessly integrated into the storyline but the jarring kind that delay the plot's flow and serve to only create more confusion. Flashbacks work on the page where the author can go further in depth but not on the screen where movement is of the essence. Indeed, the reliance on flashbacks rather than actual dialogue or action to reveal the story's many secrets deflates the denouement. By the time the climax rolls around you're left wondering what happened to the last forty minutes.

Moreover, Hanks sports one of the worst haircuts ever seen in cinematic history. And I am not exaggerating. It is very distracting. It looks like someone crazy glued a bad weave straight onto his head. Paul Bettany as Silas steals the show as a damaged, misled monk with a violent streak and Ian McKellan also gives a strong, nuanced performance as Sir Leigh Teabing, a quirky English aristocrat and fellow scholar. Tautou seems to reinterpret her character somewhat infusing it with her own brand of wide-eyed innocence.

It seems odd that a pairing like director Ron Howard and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman who usually produce the stuff of Oscars came up with a film like this. Then again Goldsman did write Batman & Robin. While one could argue that there's only so much you can do with an adaptation and still stay true to the original story, that doesn't absolve the filmmakers of a tepid visual interpretation. To sum up this movie in one word: meh. Read the book -- it's better. Besides, if you don't eat, sleep, or go to work, you can finish it in a day. Or, even better, on a long flight.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

www.sonypictures.com/movies/thedavincicode

Show and Tell Thursdays: Prom

2006-05-18T00:32:00.000-07:00

To spice things up I'm thinking of starting something new: Show and Tell Thursdays. I'll post a picture and tell you'all a little story to go along.
Sound good?

Some of you may remember a little post of mine from early January about my Prom. Well...I was requested to post some photos from the event and here they are...AH! but first here is the post in a (slightly) abbreviated form. You'll have to get through that to get through the photos. Tee hee.

Personally, I loved the freakin' prom. PROM rocked. You know those moments, those rare moments in your life during which, all of a sudden, you have a moment of clarity in which you experience absolute contentment? Sometimes it could be at a party and some song'll start playing and all of sudden you'll get transported to this amazingly happy plane and you'll look over at friend and know they are on the same level and you'll both just smile. Well that was prom for me. It was the world at my feet.

It was the end of an incredibly hard year full of change. Classes were over. I had gotten into a great school. Track season had ended (I was a captain =>). Of course, then there was the whole incident in which I was "outed" as a lesbian... Long story short. We were hanging out at a track meet, I was going on about the whole "needing a date" bullshit for prom (this was, of course, because I had no date. I had really wanted to go with one of my best friends Steve L. but he had already gotten asked out by someone else. Damn you, Steve, damn you).

Anyways, I was saying that people should just bring their friends if they wanted to. One such friend, a girl, was all "I would totally love to go to prom!" To which I said, "You know what? Fuck it. You should come with me! It'll be awesome."
Bad move, Anhoni. Bad move. Some asshole (Kyle W.) overheard the last bit of this conversation and before I knew it, the next day the entire school thought I was a lesbian (of which I am not -- not that there's anything wrong with that) who was going to prom with a girl (again, also straight) whom I had asked to come as my lesbian lover. I had suddenly become a Queer figurehead. Ah, the memories!

Teachers gave me encouraging nods, as if to say "Stay strong, young sista, stay strong!" I got secretive little pep talks and one or two people even credited me for their coming out of the closet. No one believed me (except my friends) when I said "Dudes, I'm totally not a lesbian." Needless to say, this didn't help any in the getting a date for prom quest. Or maybe it did and I just didn't know it; we all know how guys are into that sort of thing.

Well, I panicked and decided to not go with my friend after all, deciding to ask another friend, David R., if he wanted to come instead. I thought I was pretty clear that I had no ulterior motives and that I was very much NOT interested in him as a boyfriend or anything of the sort, but, of course, he thought I had the hots for him anyways and proceeded to start acting weird, in the way adolescent boys are wont to do, for the rest of the remaining year and through all of prom itself. But that was just fine because I was...otherwise occupied with someone else during prom. But more on that later. Ahem.

Contributing to my Queer figurehead status, I was also the first girl to ever attend Prom wearing a pair of slacks (I wore a very tasteful DKNY ensemble). Again more nods from the teachers. It also didn't help that my mother decided to give me what she liked to call a "haircut" right before the anticipated event. I had a cute little bob, I came out of the Patel Salon with a decidedly butch boy cut. Ugh. It was the penultimate bad hair day look.

But even with all this crap, I still had the time of my life. I was with my best friends with whom I shared a stretch limo. I felt beautiful and carefree and it was the spring evenings of all evenings. We went predictably ape shit on the limo drive over and I felt an amazing pull towards one of my friend's charming dates (he was a childhood friend and they weren't going as a couple per say) who I just couldn't get enough of.

Prom was held in this great loft in Soho, the same place where they filmed the party scenes in When Harry Met Sally, and we had this amazing view of the city as the sun went down and twilight settled over the town. When I looked out onto the vista, I felt as if the whole world was laid out before me and it was full of nothing but opportunities. I could go anywhere and do anything. You know what I mean? That feeling you get (most often) when you are young and anything and everything is yet possible. I was absolutely brimming with that feeling.

The food was delicious and the music was amazing and even though my stupid, arrogant "date" refused to dance with me, my friend's date was more than obliged to do so. Afterwards, we hopped back into the limo and went clubbing all night then went to a classmates and had breakfast at 7am and then drove out to the beach where we reveled in the night and nursed our hopes.

It is one of my most cherished memories. Particularly for all that it represented and all the dreams of contentment that it held. I'll say it again. Prom was one of the best nights. Ever.

Okay...(cringe) here they are:

A New Low

2006-05-14T23:19:00.000-07:00

Today when I was coming back from brunch my neighbor, a little old lady who likes to know the comings and goings of her neighbors, got all excited and pointed and starting saying "Baby? Baby?" The Roommate for Life and I were confused and started looking around for a baby. Then she got up off her stoop and walked towards me, still pointing, and asked "Baby? You're having a baby?"

Uh, no. That would be my, apparently, huge, fat, bloated stomach.

We just laughed it off and I told her it was just the pants I was wearing which were folded up underneath my shirt.

Yeah...that felt good. Not.

Honeymoon

2006-04-22T20:10:00.000-07:00

Today is the Roommate for Life and my one year anniversary. It's very exciting. And the best part, when thinking back on the year since we've been married, is that we never have to go through planning another wedding(s) again! Yay!

To celebrate we are off for a week to sunny Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I'm am going to try and ween myself off of the internet for a week and concentrate on other less technology-based endeavors.

Which means I won't be posting or reading blogs until May 1st (not that I've been very good at that lately anyways).

I'll miss everyone but when I'm lying on the beach sipping something cool, I'll think of you'all!

At Last

2006-04-13T23:59:00.000-07:00

Today we had a break from the unrelenting rains that have been ravaging our San Franciscan psyches. It feels likes it's been raining non-stop since December, which is rare since it only really rains in Dec./Jan. and then pretty much stops for the rest of the year. But 2006 has been brutal. Can anyone say "global warming"?

Well, today we were given a much needed break from the sloshy weather. Yay!

It was *amazing* outside!! T-shirt and sunglasses weather.

It struck me just how much the weather can affect your moods. Everyone here was starting to get pretty damn depressed for a while there. But now -- joy!

Meth Mouth

2006-04-12T01:55:00.000-07:00

I found this disturbing.

Do you have the time?

2006-04-11T23:08:00.000-07:00

At my writers' workshop tonight, someone said that she believed the universal gesture of pointing to your wrist in order to ask what time it is will be lost on younger generations as they all check their cell phones to find the time rather than wear watches. Two people agreed, three of us (including myself) disagreed.

I think people who wear watches or want to wear watches will continue doing so while non-watch people will use their cell phones. I think a lot more people do the former than the latter.

Which do you do?

Do you check your watch for the time or your cell phone?

San Francisco

2006-04-04T16:30:00.000-07:00

Photo taken by Sonya Worthy

Thank You for Smoking

2006-03-28T23:21:00.000-08:00

Remember when people used to smoke in airplanes? Remember lighting up in the movie theater or after dinner? How about the hospital? If the tobacco industry had its way, firing up a cigarette in these public venues wouldn't be a remnant of the past. You'd be able to enjoy a long, cool cancer stick anytime your little American heart desired. But, alas, times have changed, and smoking just ain't what it used to be. Much to the chagrin of spin master Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart), the protagonist of Thank You for Smoking, one of the sharpest and funniest satires to come out in recent memory.

Naylor could make a child murdering serial killer somehow look good. Thankfully, as the tobacco industry's secret weapon, he only needs to sell the country on cigarettes. And he is very good at what he does. He lives and breathes spin. He teaches his young son Joey (Cameron Bright) about the variability of truth and tells a bunch of middle-schoolers to essentially question authority and doubt everything they've ever been told (before being cut-off and ushered out by their disgruntled teacher). And every week he meets with the M.O.D. (ministers of death) Squad -- filling out the threesome are Polly Bailey (Maria Bello) representing alcohol and Bobby Jay Bliss (David Koechner) representing fire and arms -- for lunch at their steakhouse of choice where each dish about the chills and thrills of spinning for a client whom a large percent of the country vehemently hates.

But Naylor is pretty much unfazed. It's as if he thrives on antagonism. His mission to spread the word leads him to California where he tries to get big-time movie producer/idea man Jeff Megall (Rob Lowe who is excellent here) to get smoking back into the movies, and goes to have a little chat with the dying Marlboro Man (Sam Elliott). His impressionable son accompanies him on the trip and Naylor is forced to face how his actions and motivations could affect his son. Add a sweet, young journalist (Katie Holmes), a back-stabbing boss (J.K. Simmons) and an ambitious, liberal, anti-tobacco Senator (William H. Macy) into the mix and you have yourselves a movie.

Directed and adapted to the screen by Jason Reitman and based on the novel by author Christopher Buckley, Thank You for Smoking is both engaging and just plain funny. The direction is tight with filmic frills reminiscent of Fight Club and The Royal Tenenbaums, and the writing possesses an acerbic wit. Every actor brings forth a stellar performance; special kudos goes to Adam Brody as Jack, Jeff Megall's fast-talking assistant who does so much with so little a role.

While Thank You for Smoking does well to entertain, it has a serious underlying critique about the nature of truth. If the government has its wizards of spin, the media is a funnel for spin, products are spun a dozen times over, and all advertising is the stuff of spin, then who can you trust? How do you make your decisions? How can you judge between what's right and what is wrong? In short: what is the truth? As Naylor would urge you to do -- question everything.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

V for Vendetta

2006-03-17T20:16:00.000-08:00

Man, the last month has been crazy! First my mom came to visit me for a week, then I went to Chicago, and now I'm in New York for a week.

Wrote a review for V for Vendetta. Check it out.

Imagine, if you will, a Western country ruled by a totalitarian regime whose hypocrisy is enshrouded in a faith-based rhetoric. Imagine a society is which the conversations and movements of everyday people are under surveillance. Imagine a people who have signed over their inherit rights as citizens in exchange for safety. Imagine a nation living in constant fear of a terrorist threat propagated by media outlets controlled underhandedly by the government. No, despite the similarities, it's not the year 2006. It's the futuristic, fictionalized world of Great Britain. And it is the setting for one of the year's most engaging Hollywood films thus far: V for Vendetta.

After a bio-terrorism attack leaves Great Britain in shambles, and fear forces the populace to instill a leader (played with great passion and aplomb by John Hurt) who rules with the iron fist of a zealot, a mysterious masked man (whose disguise bares a disturbingly close resemblance to the plasticized Burger King mascot) simply known as "V" (Hugo "Yes, I was both Elrond in LOTR and Agent Smith in The Matrix trilogies" Weaving) decides to take action. Dubbed as a terrorist by some and a freedom fighter by others, V plans on bringing his message of revolution to fruition a year from when he is first introduced -- November the 5th. Innocent bystander Evey (Natalie Portman) unknowingly becomes entangled in his scheme, and soon finds herself on the run from the powers that be, particularly detective Finch (Stephen Rea) who is hot on the trail of the two fugitives.

Based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore and brought to the screen and produced by the infamous Wachowski brothers, V for Vendetta, draws parallels to a variety of films, most obviously 1984, in terms of its critique of absolute power. It possess a unique aesthetic -- updated propaganda films from the Soviet era come to mind -- as one would expect from the makers of The Matrix, and a strong, some would even say heavy-handed, political take. The film forces its audience to analyze a number of issues including the idea of terrorism, the role of government, the separation of church and state and the media.

Indeed one of the most striking elements of the film is its depiction of (secretly) state-controlled media. It is the government that decides what the people see and how they see it. The media is its means of spin control. And, with chilling effect, the audience can't help but draw comparisons to a certain cable news channel with strong ties to our own regime.

Political discourse aside, V for Vendetta is an engaging and entertaining film. Even the side stories, though they could have easily been cut, were compelling. Stephen Fry as Evey's boss Deitrich gives a particularly standout performance. Although Portman's name, after her disastrous turn in the recent Star Wars trilogy, doesn't exactly align itself to action films, she does a good job here, and even manages to carry off a British accent. Weaving is linguistically masterful (V enjoys alliteration and Shakespeare, among other things) and creates a nuanced and sympathetic character despite the fact that his face is covered with an off-putting mask.

This would have been a five star film if not for the gratuitous love story, which I like to call the Speed effect (entirely random and inappropriate passion ignited through hardship) slapped on the end. V for Vendetta makes you think as well as lets you layback and mindlessly enjoy the show. Plus, it has a breathtaking finale for which the whole movie is worth watching. What more could you want?

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Slacker

2006-03-13T16:12:00.000-08:00

Okay, I have some serious blogging to catch up on...Here are some photos from my trip
to Chicago.

The City

The Crashpad

The View (from the crashpad)

The Glam shot

The Mood Pic

The Sleepover

The Blogging

The Putting on of the Face

The Stylin

The Fungigated Shoes that Needed to be Thrown Out But Were Still Worn

The Representin'

The Cousins

The Superstar

The Bride's Back

The Food

The Silliness

The Bride with her Siblings

The Family

The Family Again

The Cake

The Eating of the Desserts

The End of the Road (aka the best damn mac & cheese this side of the Mississippi, found at the Atlanta airport on the way home)

Why am I always eating?

Repeat

2006-03-03T23:50:00.000-08:00

Oh no! I think another episode of drunken blogging is in order. Last round: kamakazes, jaiger(sp?) bombs, b52s. oh. dear. lord.

What happens when you add eight drunken Patels together? Trouble. That's what.

I like the fact that we spent over twice as much on alcohol as on food (Ethiopian).

wait, wait. we interrupt this message for a commercial break...

three words, people, three words: back, crack & sack.

Brrrrr. It's Cold Outside

2006-03-03T09:35:00.000-08:00

Properly hydrated? Check.
Snacks? Check.
Drugs? Check.
Clothes for cold weather in which nose hair freezes? Check.

Chicago here we come!

My favorite cousin and I have travelled to the Windy City for one of our cousin's weddings.

It's sure to be lots of fun and has already proved to be great. Man, people can really pack it away in the Mid-West. Got off the plane, took the "L" to the bride's place, and went to get breakfast at an establishment called the Golden Nugget. It's not just a casino folks - out here it's a dining experience. The portions were gimongous and they wouldn't let me get anything off the kiddie menu.

It is SO, SO cold here. Everyone here is all "Oh, it's gorgeous! GORGEOUS!" Oh, these sad, sad people. It's really cold. However, this did not stop me from going on a run on a beautiful winding path around the lake. It's a treat to have such a beautiful landmark and such awesome trails.

Looking forward to tonight when the rest of my cousin's arrive. Let's just say: 1 bedroom, 8 people, 1 bathroom. I believe this will define our trip. Good times.

My Secret Addiction

2006-03-01T14:08:00.000-08:00

The RFL and I have recently become secretly addicted to that most unsavory and shameful of contraband: American Idol. Yes, yes, I know....and I'm sufficiently embarrassed. And in all honesty I haven't watched it in years. YEARS! But for some reason we've gotten hooked on the sauce this season.

Oh and what a season it is! Personally, I think it's going to come down to Paris Bennet, even though I think my girl Mandisa is a better overall singer.

Anyhow, while watching singer after singer be rejected and shot down and brought to tears, we started thinking about all the famous singers out there that would never make it on America Idol were they to audition.

Por ejemplo.

Bono (way too whiny)
Tom Petty (sounds like a horse)
Cher (sounds like a man in drag)
Cyndi Lauper (sounds too Brooklyn)
Bob Dylan (can't really sing)

Shall I go on?

Who else...?

Good Times.

2006-02-26T00:48:00.000-08:00

ah- memories...

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Tag-O-rama

2006-02-21T16:36:00.000-08:00

The Zigster tagged me last week. However, this thing looks hard and seems to require a lot of brain power, so we'll see how I do.

1. Most shameful thing you’ve done - I don't want to answer this. Let's just say it includes a toothbrush. Which wasn't mine.

2. Biggest regret - Not going home to visit my mom when she had cancer.

3. Most awkward romantic experience - my wedding.

4. Who’s scarier-cops or crooks? - cops.

5. Most important figure in music history - vanilla ice.

6. Is there a god - yes or no? - maybe. but there are defintely ghosts.

7. Why do we (humans) exist? - To try and better ourselves and the world around us. That, or to wreck shit.

8. Best decision you ever made - To marry the Roommate for Life (RFL). And to be a writer.

9. Object of your sexiest fantasy - um...I don't know...me?

10. Most important moment in history - I don't know about the *most* important, but I would say Gandhi's salt march.

11. Ugliest celebrity - I agree with Ziggy -- Paris Hilton. Or maybe even Victoria Beckham. Though neither should be called celebrities as they really have no talent.

12. Stupidest politician - Dubya.

13. Who killed JFK? - Dude. The C.I.A.

14. Who killed Jesus? - The jews. duh.

15. Who killed the radio star? - Menudo.

16. Funniest Comedian/Unfunniest - Chris Rock/Carrot Top

17. Worst singer - Clay Aiken.

18. Ideal career - What I'm doing now. Being a writer.

19. Is stealing ever justifiable? - Ever? Yes.

20. Origin of Life in 8 words or less – Baby Juice and Ovulation.

I now tag...Running42K. Good luck.

Changes

2006-02-16T17:29:00.000-08:00

I have a lot of issues with iTunes, one of which is the fact that their database doesn't have many, many songs, including Changes by 2Pac which I search for whenever I download a song (just in case they decide to put in on or get the rights or whatever) but never to any avail. Imagine my excitment when I searched for the video on my newest addiction, You Tube, and found it!

Listening to it after such a long time, I was moved by its poetic and fierce lyrics.

This one is for all the brothas and sistas out there.

Lyrics

Come on come on
I see no changes wake up in the morning and I ask myself
is life worth living should I blast myself?
I'm tired of bein' poor & even worse I'm black
my stomach hurts so I'm lookin' for a purse to snatch
Cops give a damn about a negro
pull the trigger kill a nigga he's a hero
Give the crack to the kids who the hell cares
one less hungry mouth on the welfare
First ship 'em dope & let 'em deal the brothers
give 'em guns step back watch 'em kill each other
It's time to fight back that's what Huey said
2 shots in the dark now Huey's dead
I got love for my brother but we can never go nowhere
unless we share with each other
We gotta start makin' changes
learn to see me as a brother instead of 2 distant strangers
and that's how it's supposed to be
How can the Devil take a brother if he's close to me?
I'd love to go back to when we played as kids
but things changed, and that's the way it is

[chorus]
Come on come on
That's just the way it is
Things'll never be the same
That's just the way it is
aww yeah
[Repeat]

I see no changes all I see is racist faces
misplaced hate makes disgrace to races
We under I wonder what it takes to make this
one better place, let's erase the wasted
Take the evil out the people they'll be acting right
'cause both black and white is smokin' crack tonight
and only time we chill is when we kill each other
it takes skill to be real, time to heal each other
And although it seems heaven sent
We ain't ready, to see a black President, uhh
It ain't a secret don't conceal the fact
the penitentiary's packed, and it's filled with blacks
But some things will never change
try to show another way but you stayin' in the dope game
Now tell me what's a mother to do
bein' real don't appeal to the brother in you
You gotta operate the easy way
"I made a G today" But you made it in a sleazy way
sellin' crack to the kid. " I gotta get paid,"
Well hey, well that's the way it is

[chorus]
Come on come on
That's just the way it is
Things'll never be the same
That's just the way it is
aww yeah
[Repeat]

We gotta make a change...
It's time for us as a people to start makin' some changes.
Let's change the way we eat, let's change the way we live
and let's change the way we treat each other.
You see the old way wasn't working so it's on us to do
what we gotta do, to survive.

And still I see no changes can't a brother get a little peace
It's war on the streets & the war in the Middle East
Instead of war on poverty they got a war on drugs
so the police can bother me
And I ain't never did a crime I ain't have to do
But now I'm back with the blacks givin' it back to you
Don't let 'em jack you up, back you up,
crack you up and pimp slap you up
You gotta learn to hold ya own
they get jealous when they see ya with ya mobile phone
But tell the cops they can't touch this
I don't trust this when they try to rush I bust this
That's the sound of my tool you say it ain't cool
my mama didn't raise no fool
And as long as I stay black I gotta stay strapped
& I never get to lay back
'Cause I always got to worry 'bout the pay backs
some buck that I roughed up way back
comin' back after all these years
rat-tat-tat-tat-tat that's the way it is

[chorus]
Come on come on
That's just the way it is
Things'll never be the same
That's just the way it is
aww yeah
[Repeat]

Chinese New Year Treasure Hunt

2006-02-14T17:28:00.000-08:00

WHAT: An annual event. A scavenger hunt on crack. Very much like The Amazing Race except only in San Francisco.

WHERE: Every nook and cranny of North Beach, Telegraph Hill, The Embarcadero, The Financial District and parts of Russian Hill in San Francisco, i.e. the heart (arguably) of the city, with TONS and TONS of hills! Basically, a trek over and under all those picturesque little views you see in the movies.

WHEN: Saturday February 11th, during the Chinese New Year Parade (celebrating the Year of the Dog). It should be noted that the parade is one of the biggest in California and it's absolutely insane.

WHO: Me, my cousin Nishant, Blythe, Sonya, Pete and Josh, otherwise known as The Ladies and The Tramps (note our dog theme).

WHY: Please see Intention #6 for 2006

Today (Feb 14th) is my anniversary; it was seven years ago to this date that I moved here from the east coast. This event was one of the best, most fun moments I've ever had in San Francisco. Seriously. If you ever have the chance to do this hunt: do it. I have a whole new appreciation for the city -- I had no idea just how beautiful and amazing it could be.

My cubbie mate.

2006-02-09T18:59:00.000-08:00

Pimp my Ride

2006-02-08T15:52:00.000-08:00

Since the office moved out and we now have the house to ourselves, we've had some upgrades.

Por Ejemplo, our bed. I wish I had taken pictures before it was unceremoniously carted away, but our love throne was one sorry sack. The mattress (apparently the R.F.L., roommate for life, got it for free from "someone", although he professes not to recall whom exactly...) sank in the middle and you could feel all the coils jutting into your back as you slept. The mattress, for some off reason, was mounted on top of a futon mattress which was itself mounted on top of an aging bed frame. It was like a pathetic bed sundae. Topped off with mismatching pillows and blankets.

I'm not a fancy person and, personally, the bed didn't really bother me. I can pretty much sleep anywhere, but the R.F.L.'s back was dying a slow death. So...when the opportunity arose for us to change our bedroom, getting a new bed was at the top of our list.

We decided to get the mother of all mattresses: a Tempur-Pedic. In KING size. We got a brand new frame, new sheets, new pillows, new blankets, the whole shebang. We have graduated from a pathetic, melty sundae full of conflicting flavors to a pimped out Carvel Ice Cream Cake. Basically, our new bed looks like this, but in green and brown:

I am very happy. WE are very happy. So happy in fact that I had a sleepover the first night I got the bed (last Friday night), and the R.F.L., being so chivalrous, offered the new bed to my friends and I while he took the guest room. What a great guy. If I wasn't sleeping like a baby, I would have felt bad.

On a smaller note, we also pimped our toothbrushes.

We went from a plain ol' toothbrush made out of recycled materials:

to this:

Has anyone used a Sonicare toothbrush before? I'm still skeptical. I mean my teeth feel clean but I still think a regular old toothbrush and a little elbow grease get the job done just as well. R.F.L. says it works on soundwaves. The soundwaves clean your teeth. How the hell do soundwaves clean anything?

Anyways, speaking of rides...These are ACTUAL license plates of cars parked on my street in SF. Weirdly, I took the first photo early last year and the other one this past weekend and both cars were parked in the SAME EXACT spot, outside my fav taqueria.

ps. Here you go Tahd. This one's for you. Now stop your bitching and actually read my blog.

Art by Tahd.