Toasty on a Tuesday

It's late on Tuesday night, and I just got home from a truoly enjoyable evening with Brunette. After staying late at work to give a tour to a bunch of corporate lawyers - not a single eligible bachelor in the bunch! what's the point? - she and I headed over to National Geographic for another great lecture. This one was about Nairobi and its role as amajor African city. I have a story to share later, when I'm more focused.

But after the lecture we braved the downpour and made it to The Daily Grill for a late dinner. I'd never been there before, which had been the source of an ongoing argument with Foreign Guy for like 2 years. "Hey, this is that place where we ate with XX." "Um, no, I've never been there." "Yes you have! You ate with me." "Um, no I haven't." And so on. So now I've been there for real. There was this *fantastic* pork chop with a blackberry sauce and a side of sauteed zucchini and apples. I think I have a new favorite pork chop. I splurged on TWO glasses of wine - I'm not ashamed to say I love a good fruity riesling - and now I'm a little toasty. Hooray!

A few random tidbits:

1. I'm loving spending so much time with Brunette again! I think I've had enough wine to say that I'm glad she's single these days, cuz we really missed her back when she was dating that guy. We never got to see her without him! Brunette, I'm glad we're having fun again! :-)

2. I'm sitting here watching tonight's episode of House, which I recorded. How old school am I? I actually put in a tape and set the VCR. Is TiVo really worth it? Must investigate.

3. Speaking of House, I've decided that the best way for me to quench my misanthrope craving -- give me a guy who's cynical and hates the world and I'll be infatuated instantly - is by having tv crushes. I need to keep filling my real life with good, solid, friendly, reasonable guys. No more real curmudgeons, as long as I have my regular House fix I'll be much better off.

4. Brunette and I had a lot of fun talking about how I could simplify my life by selling most of my old stuff on Craigs' List and moving to a new, smaller place. It sounds so appealing. Must work on it.

5. And here's the big news...... Woohoo! One of my images got chosen for the juried exhibition at CHAW! Hooray! It's the image called Tiles that I took in early November. The exhibit opens in January - I'll share more details soon.

A Moment of Clarity

Do you ever have a moment that puts the whole state of your life into stark relief? Well, I had one this morning. I was sorta feeling a weird creepy-crawly sensation on my arm when I was coming in to work on the bus, and then I had a definite strange twitchy feeling on my back when I was in a meeting first thing. I left the meeting to go to the restroom and my worst fear was true.

I HAD A ROACH INSIDE MY SHIRT. A big one, that somehow got on me as I was getting dressed or was already in my shirt or something. It was crawling on my back, and now it's dead.

How did this become my life? I hate living with roaches! I've been trying lots of different ways to clean up my kitchen and to get rid of them, and I often sport Eau de Raid. But this is ridiculous. I'm gonna go for a full extermination again. But I've got to start saving up some money to be able to move out. I don't know when I'll be able to do it -- spring? The money situation is not great. But I've got to get out of these big high-rise buildings and hopefully to a place where I can get rid of the little critters that haunt me day and night. Ick.

More T'giving

Scotte has posted more photos of our Thanksgiving feast. Enjoy! But be forewarned, they may make you really hungry! I'll say it again, Scotte and J-Lo, thanks for such a great holiday!

I Survived a Monday!

Heck, today was a long day. I survived work after all, but like many I'm feeling totally overwhelmed by all that needs to be done. Bah.

But I had another great photography class. I can't believe there are only 2 weeks left! I got really good feedback on my bracketing photos. We watched another hour of that documentary on the history of photography. I've got a long post brewing in my head about the photograph as an agent of social change. But I'm tired and I don't feel like battling my dialup to upload photos, so that may appear in a few days.

Random sidenote - Jon Stewart just announced that today, November 28, is his birthday. So give a shout-out and a happy birthday to my tv husband! I wonder what the Aquarius-Sagittarius lovematch is like. Probably not so good -- I had a run-in with a Sag back in college that wasn't one to write home about.

Another random sidenote - what are the chances that I would be seeing the film footage of the Hindenberg explosion twice in one night? Seriously, in class tonight and just now on the Daily Show. Odd.

Okay, I gotta sign off and go to bed. I hope everyone's Tuesday goes better than today!

You know what rocks?

Four day weekends!

You know what doesn't rock?
Coming back to work on a Monday AFTER a four day weekend. Ahhhhhhhhhh! Can. Not. Focus.

Three Cheers

to Desperate Housewives really getting good again! Carlos has found God and Gabby's at war with a bad-ass nun??? I love it! And while I like the way the story arcs have ended up, I hope we haven't seen the last of Roger Bart and Joely Fisher, they've been great.

A Tasty Blast from the Past

At Thanksgiving, CL asked me for the recipe of a drink I had made at one of her bartending parties a year or so ago. It must have been a great party cuz I didn't even remember doing it! So now, for your drinking pleasure....

The Bushwacker

The Signature Drink of St. Thomas

(or so the bartenders told us spring breakers)

Mix together equal parts:
- Malibu Rum
- Bailey's
- Amaretto
- Kahlua
- Godiva Chocolate Liqueur (Go Diva!)

Blend all of this with ice. It should turn out to have a nice frothy, milkshake-like consistency. Pour into glasses and sprinkle with nutmeg. Drink. Repeat.

I call this the "ultimate girl drink" cuz it tastes like dessert but is actually strong enough to get you quite hammered. Good times.

Hey Brunette, remember that hot bartender who said "Bushwackers are my faaaaaaavorite drink" while showing us, ahem, how well his jeans fit? That's a nice image to pull up from the memory banks! By my calculation that was 8 1/2 years ago...how did that happen???

Armchair Time

It's the Sunday after Thanksgiving a year before the midterms... so of course it's a great time to speculate about the 2008 election. Chris Matthews and his gaggle of talking heads went over a whole bunch of names today. Chris has cutesy names for all of the potential candidates but there's no way I could remember them all...maybe check his web site to see if they post the transcript. But here's who they discussed:

Democrats
Hillary Clinton - the 800 pound gorilla. Everyone thinks she's the one to beat, and I do hope things sway a different way cuz I don't think she's the right candidate.
Joe Biden - He's an established Senator with major foreign relations cred, and he's coming out to the left of Hillary on the war. But as we all know, no Senator has won the Presidency since JFK/LBJ. Although he's on Meet the Press again right now - he's definitely trying to get himself out there, but I wonder if anyone outside of the Beltway and DE knows who he is. He just told Tim Russert that his vote for the Iraq war resolution was a mistake, basically saying that trusting the President was a mistake. The new litmus test for potential nominees?
Evan Bayh - I don't know much about Bayh, other than that he's been the head of the DLC (which I think is too moderate) and my parents in Indiana think he's too slick. He has the unknown problem and the Senator problem.
John Kerry - He's been acting like the head of the Party lately with his criticism of the war (too late) but I don't think anyone has asked him to be. The CM guests were laughing about how Kerry seems to be the only one who didn't get the memo about not running again.
John Edwards - Y'all know I've been falling in love with Edwards this year. I'd much rather see him be the candidate than Hillary.
Mark Warner - He's one to watch. I actually don't know much about him, but he's obviously had success in Virginia and people are ascribing much of Tim Kaine's victory to Warner. He's a new face on the national scene and comes from a governorship, which is usually a better launching ground. We'll see.
Bill Richardson - I really liked Richardson when I started seeing him out during the 2004 election season, but I don't know much about him anymore He's been working on negotiations with Korea, I believe, but I don't know how New Mexico feels about him. The pundits actually had nothing to say about him, whether that's good or bad.
Russ Feingold - Feingold's probably best known for campaign finance reform, and I think he's been coming out against the war recently. (Is that right? I didn't look it up, but I think I've seen him talking lately.) But he's a twice-divorced (they said) Senator from a small state.
Tom Vilsak - The Gov. of Iowa was used as an example of the kind of lesser-known, dark hourse candidates who will likely emerge in the next year or so. They will likely be to the left of Hillary. Should be very interesting.

Republicans
John McCain - The first 400-pound-gorilla on the GOP side. He is definitely the one to watch, cuz I think his decision on whether or not he runs will affect the decisions of everyone else in the field.
Rudy Giuliani - The other 400-pound-gorilla. He's probably seen as too moderate for most of the Republican party, but the pundits are giving him a lot of consideration based on the thought that the GOP will really bring out big guns to try to beat Hillary.
George Allen - The VA Senator and former Governor was mentioned as not really having the network needed for major fundraising for a national campaign. I don't know much about his politics, even though I lived in VA during his Gov. years. I was too busy trying those new-fangled ice beers to pay attention to politics. But I have heard that his office has the biggest turnover on the Hill.
Sam Brownback - Scary. Super-religious, super-conservative, and he likes to threaten the District's budget over social issues. I hope this one goes nowhere.
Mitt Romney - I guess the Mormon is doing okay in Massachusetts. But I don't think he has much national potential, even though the pundits did cite his "saving the Olympics" as a major credential. I just can't take him seriously after he took his shirt off in his campaign ads.
Condi Rice - Apparently, while the rest of the administration is sinking like a stone, Condi's approval ratings are way up. She's fairly popular, but has no history of being elected to anything. I have no idea how she'd connect to people. I don't like her cuz I see her as being just as much a part of this war as anyone else. But I don't really know how the rest of the country feels about her.

Overall, the gaggle predicted we'd be looking at some combination of Hillary-Edwards-Bayh against a possibly powerhouse ticket of McCain-Rice. Of course, everyone winkingly acknowledged that it's WAY too early to speculate. But it's fun!

And speaking of armchairs, I'm noticing that my beloved old blue recliner is starting to look a little threadbare. Perhaps I need to do some furniture shopping after Christmas?!?

We Found a Find!

Brunette and I went on an adventure today. We spent a long time earlier this week trying to figure out what to do today, going through the whole list of "what do people do for fun?" and couldn't come up with anything appealing. Then she said "Hey, I need to go grocery shopping at Wegmans. Wanna go with me?" Well, as a carless girl in the city, I love any opportunity to go to a big store with a car. I can stock up for months. As an Upstate New York girl, it cracks me up that so many people here think Wegmans is the Second Coming of grocery stores, since I grew up going to Wegmans every week. But it is a nice store, and I welcomed the opportunity to go.

When we were planning our NoVA outing the other day, we thought we might go hunting for a new restaurant to try. The original plan was Korean, since she'd been craving it and I've actually never tried it. But today she had a hard time plotting out a Korean restaurant to go to that would be on the way or in the same area as Wegmans (we'd welcome any suggestions), so we decided to just head out there and see what we could find.

Well, we got to Wegmans without seeing any viable restaurant options, but we didn't want to eat in their little market cafe (that's not my thing) so we thought we'd keep driving down that main road to see what was there. We drove what seemed to be a VERY long time in that surreal barren-with-gray-office-parks landscape and we couldn't see any restaurants. We were asking "where do these people go for food? Don't they eat????" When finally we saw a strip mall complex that looked like it had some restaurants in it. As we pulled in, I spotted a sign for Indian food and that decided it. We were a little wary as we saw a firetruck and firemen in full gear coming out of a place next door, but we ventured forth anyway.

And that's how we found Mirchi Indian Cuisine. When we walked in, they were very friendly and we soon learned that yesterday was their grand opening. So we were there on only their 2nd day of operations. It was so cute! There seemed to be a family running things, and I think they had started advertising by putting the word out to their friends cuz there were a number of customers there who were very congratulatory and smiley at the guys who were running the place, patting them on the back and hugging. And Brunette and I both laughed when we commented that the main guy who seemed to be in charge was wearing what was most likely his day-job shirt, a very Initech-looking embroidered logo polo shirt. Cute.

It's not a full service place - I'm not sure what the term for it is, but you come in and order at the counter and then they bring the food to you. There is a soda "station" where you get your own silverware and such. But that's okay, the prices were very reasonable.

And the food! It was delicious! I went with my usual, a chicken tikka masala and garlic naan. That plus a small soda came to just over $14. The c.t.m. was really tasty and had a little more of a fiery kick than normal, but it was great. I ate almost every single bite, I didn't want to give up any last morsel of the tastiness. Brunette had the lamb saag and a plain naan, and she said hers was also super-tasty.

So I don't know how often you all are out in Ashburn, but I highly recommend you stop by this place if you do. Brunette and I have already decided this will become a semi-regular thing, Wegmans and Mirchi on a lazy weekend afternoon. C&M, if you come with us, don't worry -- there's something called a Beef O'Brady's in the same shopping mall that you can go to while we enjoy curry goodness. :-)

Check out Mirchi's web site - it looks pretty impressive, even though it's obviously new. I might send them an email about how much I loved the food and see if it ends up on the "testimonials" page. I wish them luck!

Hint Hint. Wink Wink. Nudge Nudge.

March of the Penguins comes out on DVD on Tuesday. There are approximately 30 shopping days left until Christmas. I have an Amazon Wish List. I'm just sayin'.

Baby It's Cold Outside

I love having the day after Thanksgiving off. I did next to nothing today...slept in, downloaded my digital photos, watched The Bourne Identity and a marathon of Doug Wilson's Moving Up on TLC, and took a long winter's nap. A few more random thoughts....

1. It's now cold enough in my apartment that Cleo, trusty cat, has taken to sleeping on the hardwood floor in front of the heater, with her little head scooted up directly under the radiator. She's cute, but I'm glad she's found that spot to be warm rather than laying on top of my arm as I type. That's sweet and cuddly and all, but it makes it very hard to type.

2. I'm sorry about Pat Morita. I hope Mr. Miyagi rests in peace. I think most of us around my age learned how to paint a fence and wax a car by watching him.

3. The narcissim/voyeurism continues. Move over Rob and Amber, cuz Chris and Adrienne are the new reality power couple in town. She "won" her career on tv, they met on tv, they worked out their relationship on tv, and now they're going to get married on tv.

4. I heard a news announcer earlier say "Michael Brown has a new job" and I thought to myself, oh, as long as he's not some emergency planning consultant then he can do whatever he wants. Well, guess what? He's starting a disaster preparedness consulting firm. I'm sure he'll do a heckuva job.

5. Even though I've mocked it in the past, this Jennifer Love Hewitt "Ghost Whisperer" show is actually pretty spooky. There's an evil Bridezilla ghost in this episode and I actually jumped at one point. A ghost in a full wedding dress is a scary sight!

Mmmmm....sandwich?

I just re-rented The Bourne Identity just to see the scene with Clive Owen and Matt Damon again. Yowza. I think this was the first thing I ever saw Clive in, back in 2002. He and Matty are both on my laminated list.

Best Thanksgiving Ever!

Thank you, ScottE and J-Lo, for inviting me to the best Thanksgiving I've ever been to! The food was incredible, the people were great, and the only emotional drama of the day was onscreen. Really, how many Thanksgiving celebrations include a screening of that "instant camp classic" Showgirls?!? Nomi was definitely a key part of our giving thanks. As it should be.

Since I got to be the photojournalist of the day, I'll share a few pics of the boys' delicious meal. Who knew they put on such a good spread out in West Hyattsville? Now you'll see why I was coveting this invitation all fall! (Scotte, I'll keep watch on what photos you're posting - I don't want to steal your Thanksgiving Thunder!)

Mmmmmm......here's my plate. There's turkey, gravy, a pop'n fresh roll, mashed potatoes, dressing, corn casserole, green beans, carrots, collard greens, drunken cranberries, and OH YEAH, sweet potatoes! I did go back for seconds on the mashed potatoes, dressing, and OH YEAH, sweet potatoes. Our lovely bird was delicious, but you know...at some point it's all about the sides!




The real star of the evening! Paula Deen would be so proud! The dressing, the sweet potatoes, the turkey itself, it was all smothered in buttery goodness. Thanksgiving is no day to diet.



And here's me, after several (6 total?) glasses of wine. I'm wearing the blindfold that came with the Showgirls deluxe edition, and just a few minutes later I tried to pin the pasties on my friend JJ's shoulder. Good times! By the way, the Vigonier that C&M brought back for me from their honeymoon in Canada was a big hit. Even the folks who don't normally love white wine really liked this one. I'll have to find out the name of that winery and get some more - it was delicious! And very fitting as a first glass at 3:30 in the afternoon.

All in all, a fine time was had by all. Thanks to the boys, who are definitely the hosts with the most. At just before midnight, we caught the last Branch Avenue train back into the city (wow, we were lucky) and after taking 2 tums, 2 aspirin, and some Nyquil, I totally passed out and slept until almost 10 today. A Thanksgiving success!

And remember, kids, dancing ain't f**king. Always listen to your Nomi.

No Day But Today

I took advantage of some use-or-lose time this afternoon and cut out of work early to go see the movie Rent. While I have several good friends who are huge fans of Rent the musical, I have actually never seen or heard it. I'm not sure why - I am a fan of musical theater but somehow this one just escaped my radar during my college and Pittsburgh years. So I walked into this without any real expectations - I wanted to like it, but I also know that sometimes movies of musicals can be a travesty (or a bombastic pomposity, natch).

I have a couple of reactions....

- I didn't *love it* and I felt a little disconnected from the rest of the packed audience. By their sniffling reactions it seems that these were mostly people who have loved this show for 10 years and are clearly emotionally invested in the characters. For the most part, I was not. I didn't hate it, but I also don't have any reason to describe it with superlatives.

- That being said, I was very impressed with Rosario Dawson's overall performance and I really liked Jesse L. Martin's voice. I also thought Angel and Joanne were very strong.

- I was surprised with how cheesy some of the lyrics were. I didn't really like many of the "love songs" cuz the words just didn't seem believable. Sure, most musicals have a major cheese factor, but since this one was trying to be so "real" and edgy, the cheesiness was a little more pronounced.

- I found Idina Menzel to be really unappealling. And I'm a big Wicked fan - but the matinee that I saw featured her understudy, so I've never actually seen her live. I do love her voice as Elphaba and listen to the soundtrack all the time. But somehow I found her grating on film. Maybe she's someone who is better on stage - with her personality projecting out that way rather than being flat on a screen. She was a bit overpowering and I daresay irritating. Or maybe I just didn't like Maureen. Probably a combination of the two. And I really wanted to like her cuz I love the story of Idina and Taye Diggs. But oh well.

- My biggest reaction is more of a sociological observation, and I'm not sure if I can articulate well or not. But as I was watching it I kept thinking that the whole story and its themes felt really dated. Edgy new bohemians, multiculturalism and homosexuality, poverty and AIDS. For some reason it all felt very 1990's to me. It's not that these issues are no longer relevant - certainly they're all still important and should be of concern or something we're working to broaden awareness and acceptance of, etc.

But I felt that this is no longer the "cultural moment" in which those themes make a statement. Not anymore. I hate to say it, but the story felt very pre-9/11, pre-red state/blue state. I think there has been a cultural shift in the last 5 years or so, leaning more towards social conservatism and fears of terrorism instead of where I think we were 10 years ago, focusing more on expanding awareness of different cultures and lifestyles and on social issues. I've read a lot lately about how no one talks about AIDS anymore, and how that's hurting the financial cuase of raising $$$ for care and research. Having 1/2 of the main characters in this movie living with AIDS felt really out of step with our usual sociocultural fare these days. For better or for worse.

I'm not saying this is a good thing, but I almost found myself thinking "how quaint" when watching the movie, cuz it does feel like it's a slice of another time. It's a time that I really miss -- I was younger 10 years ago, obviously, and was more excited about all the boho possibilities for a young person in the arts. Now I'm 30 and a manager and more driven by my desire for financial stability instead of inspiration and big ideas. Maybe part of my disconnect while watching the movie was knowing that if I had seen the show when I was 21 or so, I would have fallen in love with it. So maybe I just missed the moment in time in my own life that would've been right for Rent. Hmmm. But I'll probably be getting the soundtrack anyway....I can't get that "525,600 minutes" song out of my head.

Bracketing Experiment #2

Here's my next experiment.







Check out the way the light changes with the different exposures.


Amazing difference, huh? You can really see it with the light from the windows and the lamps in front of the building.

Bracketing Experiment #1

So I went out and played with the camera for a little while after work today. It was pretty cold out so I didn't last very long, but I did try three different experiments in bracketing. It's fun!

The camera has auto settings for different F-stops, which determine the size of the aperture and thus the amount of light that comes into the lens. Think about your eye and how the pupil dilates based on the light you're in. It's kind of confusing, but I think it's true that the larger the number of the F-stop, the less light is being allowed in. My camera has auto settings in 1/3-stops from -2.0 to 2.0. The default setting is right in the middle at 0.

Here's the first round -- look at how the color changes. Cool!

Mallophobia

So I have to go to the mall. As I am carless, Pentagon City is pretty much the best bet for all of my mall-going needs. I have two things I need to accomplish: get my hair cut cuz it's driving me crazy and buy my little bro his very specific Christmas present.

I happen to dislike malls - the crowds, the sounds, the colors, escalators, etc., it all goes into that category of overstimulation that really freaks out a born introvert like me. (Going back to Cookie's post with the assessment of an introvert being those who do not gain energy from being around other people, but rather can be drained by it and need recharging. That's me.)

And, due to my own poor planning, somehow I'm stuck now with the need to go to the mall as the most frenzied mall time of the year is rapidly approaching. I usually try to avoid all shopping arenas in the months of November and December. Eeeek! But now I've backed myself into this mall corner.

What are my options? Unfortunately, I'm thinking that I may use some of tomorrow to kill some time and go do the hair/shopping thing. Am I insane for thinking I should go to a mall the night before Thanksgiving? That's gotta be better than Black Friday, right? But between the mall and going to see Rent tomorrow, I should be able to use up enough time until my evening plans.... I'll let you know what I decide and give you a report from the front. I'm more than a little scared.

Don't Get Sick!

Hmmm. I just got a virus in my spam email with the subject "Paris Hilton & Nicole Richie." I don't know what I did recently but the amount of spam I'm getting is through the roof, and just now I had THREE quarantined viruses. I'm glad Earthlink has good spamblocking capabilities. I apologize to those of you who've gotten trapped in my spamblocker before, but it really does take good care of me. Avoid Paris at all costs!

I Love a Good Hobby

Tonight was another photography class. It was the first critique of everyone's work. This summer, I was really nervous on the first critique, but I was really looking forward to tonight and enjoyed it a great deal. I love seeing what other people do with their images - what they see - and learning from the choices they make and the techniques they use.

And I like getting feedback and advice on my own work. I didn't have the best images to show tonight, cuz I was having a few challenges with those darn streetlights. But I do really like the one I posted below and this one here, and I got a good response on both. And some of my fellow classmates had a few really great images both in color and b&w. This city has many different faces at night. I love that spending 2 hours looking at images and discussing them can be such a total escape - I don't think about work or life or anything else while I'm in class. It's totally worth it!

I was catching up on what they learned last week and I'm excited to try it - it's a technique called "bracketing." You change the F-stop or the shutter speed in small increments and keep taking the same shot to see how the light levels and intensities change the overall image. One guy in the class had some amazing results and I was really inspired by his images. So keep watching this space for more images...

In the meantime, our instructor said that there were over 120 submissions for the juried show. I don't know what my chances are, but I'd love to see another piece of mine hanging on the wall. Fingers crossed!

A Command Performance

Thank you, ScottE, for the link to this WaPo article and my new favorite news item:

"I was trying to escape. Obviously, it didn't work," Bush quipped, facing reporters again until an aide rescued him by pointing to him toward the correct door.

Proving F. Scott Wrong

This post was inspired by a piece on Chris Matthews' show this morning. He referred to F. Scott Fitzgerald's assertion that "there are no second acts in American life," and spotlighted his own admiration for the truly world-changing work that Bill Clinton has been doing since leaving the Presidency. Esquire magazine has a cover story this month written by Joe Conason on what he's calling Clinton's "Third Term," his crusade through the Clinton Global Initiative to combat AIDS around the world.

I've read the article and it's fascinating. Bill Clinton continues to be a major force in the world - he's largely taken himself out of capital-P Politics, and is instead really trying to use his influence and resources to save lives. He cites Jimmy Carter as his own mentor/model on what can be done post-presidency, and the parallels are clear. I was reinspired myself a few weeks ago when Jimmy Carter was making his rounds on the talk shows with his new book, since Carter really does seem to be the ideal model for what someone with that level of power and access can accomplish. Who better to take on the "world's greatest problems, from war to pollution..." than an ex-President. (Sorry for the Evita reference, it just popped in there.) The SNL cartoon aside, this is a very small pool of gentlemen who really have the opportunity and the ability to be change agents.

I had a lengthy conversation with my mother (whom I turn to with any questions about 1960's-80's history that I never learned in school) about modern Presidents and what they have done after leaving office. I'm familiar with Clinton, Carter, and George H. W. Bush, of course, but I was a little fuzzy on what Nixon did after leaving office. I remember when he passed away, I was a freshman in college then, but my only memory of him really growing up was the lingering legacy of Watergate and not anything that he was doing as a statesman. But Mom told me more about his continued efforts to build good relations with China, and how that did help restore his reputation and remove some of the stain of Watergate. Interesting.

It is inpsiring (or at least to someone who wants to be a believer, like me) to see what these leaders are able to accomplish once they no longer have to live within the bounds of partisan politics and agendas. After the next 3 years and the planning/fundraising for the Library and all are done, I'm interested to see what Bush 43 does with his time. He'll also be a young ex-President with the possiblity of several decades in which to pursue whatever he wants. The cynic in me expects him to just join the Carlyle Group or something similar. But I wouldn't mind being surprised to see him take on some of the issues that have come up in his Presidency -- domestic infrastructure, poverty, public health. We'll be watching.

FYI, If anyone wants to read that subscription-only Esquire article let me know and I can share it....

I Always Approve of Exposed Brick

After the movie, we followed MCB's suggestion and went to Matchbox for dinner. I've actually never been there before, and I was very happily surprised by how much I liked it. I was ready to blot when we first got there and they told us it would be a 1 hour - 1 hour 15 minute wait. Yikes! I hate waiting that long. But I was convinced to stick it out, and I'm glad cuz we actuallly got a table after only about 20 minutes. So, the food rundown....

Appetizer: We split a plate of their sliders. Mmmmm, boy, were they tasty! A discussion arose about why their sliders were so good as compared to our other favorite sliders, at McCormick & Schmick's. Matchbox goes for a buttered roll and a big thick pickle slice, wheras M&S goes for a usual bun but a slice of cheese. We all agreed it was pretty much the pickle that made the difference. If we ever had a slider with both the pickle and the cheese, watch out!

Salads: MCB and I both eyeballed one of the side salads when we first got the menu, and our server strongly endorsed our choice. So we each started out with a small bistro salad - mixed greens, sliced pears, and a goat cheese crouton with a basil vinaigrette. I believe many of you already know of my love for goat cheese. I could eat it with a spoon. And have! So this salad was definitely a great choice, and it was a way to make sure we actually ate some greens today.

Entrees:
Moi: I again followed a recommendation from the server and got the grilled mahi, which came with chive mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. Very tasty overall. It was a huge portion of fish and I couldn't eat it all. Those potatoes were yummy. The only downside was that it was a pretty salty dish when you ate all of the pieces together, so I kept on grabbing for the beer. Not a bad thing, really.
MCB: She went with a signature pizza. I can't remember what it was called, but I know it had sausage and onions on it. I think she liked it overall, but again the portion was too big. She was able to share one piece and still bring two pieces home as leftovers. And I bet even that is enough for a full lunch tomorrow.
MH: She also went with a pizza, that I think was called something like the "Fire & Smoke." It was marked as one of the hot 'n spicy pizzas on the menu. She said she really enjoyed the first 2 pieces, but by then the spiciness kicked in and it was too hot for her to finish. MCB also tried a piece and agreed that it was a little too hot. No leftovers went home there.
The Johnson: He also picked fish, going with the grilled salmon. It came with a side veggie and some sort of potato cake. He really liked the dish and was happy to see that it all came on a square plate. (Square plates are pretty funky.) As the only guy at the table, he filled his role of being the one to lick the plate clean. Good job, Johnson! ;-)

All the Rest: The service was very friendly and I did really enjoy both recommendations that I picked. I liked the decor - exposed brick and three levels. It was a bit of a drag to only have a single bathroom each, esp. as we were all enjoying items from the bar.

We did have a really good time on the whole -- so I give it 2 happy thumbs up! I'd love to hear about other experiences people have had there.

PS - Woohoo! This is my 200th post! Can't believe I've made it there that quickly. I guess I'm chatty - can you tell I live alone? :-)

Maybe I Am....Talking 'Bout Buzz

MCB, MH, The Johnson and I ventured out to see "Walk the Line" today. After a delay when they were cleaning the theater, which meant we didn't get our usual visit to the concession stand (probably better that way, I certianly didn't need any more Coke or popcorn), we got great seats right in the center/back and settled in for a great movies. My random buzz, in no particular order:

1. Possible nominations - my predictions: All the reviews are talking about how great Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon are in the roles of John and June Carter Cash. And they're right -- I see possible noms for both of them. So here's another entry on my part for Best Actor, along with Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jake Gyllenhaal. So if I see more than 2 more great male performances I'm gonna have to start negotiating with myself to come up with 5 predictions as nominees. Yes, I am crazy enough to negotiate with myself on my own Oscar predictions. But this is my first call for Best Actress, and the first time I've thought Reese would score one. I do love her, going way back to Election, Cruel Intentions, and The Man In the Moon, so I'd love to see her get recognized for her talent. She's more than just Elle Woods!

2. The music in the movie is great, of course. I was amazed on how great both of their voices were. Most of us have read all about the movie by now, and how the director wanted to make sure that whomever was cast as Johnny and June would have to do their own singing. Reese has a great solid, slightly twangy voice. And Joaquin channels a freight train, just like all those critcs used to say about Johnny Cash himself. He reaches so deep with a voice so rich...wow. Trust me, we girls enjoyed it a great deal.

3. The movie has a lot of similarities to Ray, which some people may use against it. But really, isn't it that Ray Charles and Johnny Cash had similar life stories? As I was watching it, I again wondered what the correlation it is between having horrible tragedy early in life, or family-related trauma, and becoming an acclaimed artist. The obvious connection is that having such horrible experiences makes someone more able to plunge the depths of pain, and heartache, and despair, and that's what often makes their music (or art, etc.) so provocative and relatable. I also had a similar thought while watching this, about how I grew up listening to Johnny Cash but never knew that he had such a checkered past. Same with Ray Charles. I guess once people reach that iconic status, the younger generations never learn much about them other than their legend and their music. My parents certainly never told little me about drug addictions or womanizing on the part of some of their favorite artists.

4. As June Carter, Reese had some of the greatest lines in the movie. My favorite went something a little like this: Johnny: "Don't worry baby, it'll all work itself out." June: "Nothing ever just works itself out. Other people always work it out for you, and you think it just works itself."

The Actual View from 16th Street

I contend that my roof has one of the best views in the city.

DC's Times Square

Chinatown looks so different than it did even just a year ago. Land of Neon. These two images didn't come out as great as I wanted, cuz the streetlights are a little too overpowering. But it's a start.

Some New Snaps

I am taking that new Night Photography class at CHAW, and even though I missed class this week I need to bring some new images for critique on Monday night. I like taking night images, but I know I have a lot to learn. I don't have a tripod, so many of my images end up blurry cuz it's really hard to hold still - especially when it's about 30 degrees out! But I took a bunch of photos last night and I'm happy to share them here. Tell me what you think - I can take it! ;-)

Back From Hogwarts

I just spent the afternoon with Harry, Ron, Hermione and the gang. What a great way to use up some vacation time! I promise I won't spoil anything -- I'd be happy to discuss it with people once they've seen it -- but for now, a few comments:

1. This is not a kids' movie. It is absolutely a PG-13, and it's much heavier than the first 3 movies. Just like the books -- the kids are growing up and the challenges they face are more adult. I laughed at all of the innuendo and hormone-driven romantic humor, I jumped several times because some scenes really were scary, I cringed during the whole cemetery scene which is very tense, and I really did tear up when the big event happens. If you read the book, you know what I mean. And I heard lots of sniffling around me, too. This was mostly an adult audience - surprisingly diverse, so I guess Harry has lots of fans -- and we were all enjoying the film on adult levels.

2. The casting of the "new" characters was spot-on. Ralph Fiennes is everything you want him to be (I can't wait to watch him in the next few) and Brendan Gleeson is just great as Mad-Eye Moody. He's always a bright spot in any film he's in, and he does it again here. And with this movie, Michael Gambon really became Dumbledore more to me and I don't feel the loss of Richard Harris as much as in the 3rd.

3. Emma Watson is growing into a very beautiful young woman. (That make me sound old to say that.) But watch out, I think she's gonna really be something.

4. When you see the movie, just remember that book 4 was about double the size of any of the previous 3 books. So don't expect that the whole book will be in the movie -- they had to cut it to pretty much main themes/bare bones. I think it's best to judge the movie on its own, not as a comparison to the book in its entirety.

That's all for now -- anything else would spoil something! I hope you all enjoy it!

A Little Information....

...Can Go a Long Way....?
...Can Be a Little Dangerous...?

I'm not sure which category this falls into. But my brother shared a slightly disturbing web site with me. Little bro is a guidance counselor in a middle school (how crazy was it when I visited over the summer to see teenagers calling out to him "Hey Mr. Brother!" and introducing him to their parents?!? I mean, I remember when this kid was the idiot who got his head stuck in the rungs of the stairwell. And now he's shaping young minds??? And he claims he doesn't read this....we shall see!).

Anyway, yes, little bro works in a school and now pays attention to the kind of news that affects young kids and the people who work with them. Reality is that means he has to pay attention to things like registered sex offenders and where they live. So now he has used this site, Family Watchdog, to map their area.

I took a look at it and it's pretty disconcerting. Just in my neighborhood, the number of registered offenders is a lot higher than I expected. (Although I was glad to see there was no little box on my actual building - the nearest one is a block away. That's disturbing enough.) The sociology of geography is interesting to look at, objectively. There are definite patterns to where these people are living in the city of DC, pretty much what you'd expect when you know the makeup of the neighborhoods. It's also astounding to see how many red boxes - representing those who have been convicted for offenses against children - are so close to schools. If you click on the boxes, you can access precise information and a photo of each individual.

So my rhetorical question is...how useful is this information? Yes, I know people like my brother and those in jobs like his do feel like they can better protect kids with this kind of data. But is it better to know on the macro level (reminding everyone to be safe and watchful) rather than on the individual level, which could lead to negative interactions between the registered offenders and the community? Trust me, I don't believe that our prison system does much in the way of rehabilitation, and I heard enough first-hand stories from my Dad when he worked in a max. security prison to know that sex offenders do not have an easy time of it socially while they're incarcerated. But there is an argument (some say naive, I accept that) that people do deserve a second chance. This is not saying they deserve a clean slate, but I do fear that info like this can bring out people's fears and thus their worst behaviors, so I'm sure that there are nasty incidents of discrimination as a result.

I'm rambling....but I do think it's interesting to question whether the extreme levels of detail that we can get in information now is always helpful. Or if it's sometimes better to have more general knowledge and worry about taking care of ourselves, not always focusing on what we're able to find out about other people.

Old friends, New friends

A gang of us went out to Austin Grill tonight for the super-cheap happy hour. I don't think we've actually been there since summer. It was a great time! 5 baskets of chips, 2 large bowls of queso, 10 swirlie (swirly?) margaritas, 1 spilled drink, 1 wipeout, and 1 broken picture frame... Great stats, and I was still home by 7:30!

Tonight was an example of my favorite kind of night, when I'm surrounded with cool people from a whole bunch of different social circles. I've lived in DC long enough and worked or volunteered in enough places that I know several different groups of people, and I love introducing them to each other and watching my friends become friends themselves. Nothing makes me smile more than seeing my favorite people all getting to know each other and getting along. It just makes sense, right, that funny, smart, quirky, snarky, cool people would all hit it off, don't ya think? I love to watch it happen!

So to all my friends out there, old and new, from work or from school or from the "real world," I hope you all continue to enjoy each other and thanks for making me smile!

PS - How did it get so freakin' cold out so quickly?!?!?!?

A Debut at the Zoo

Tickets to go see Tai Shan will be available starting Monday! We won't get much time with the little butterstick to start with (10 minutes? not enough to quench that cute-cuddly-baby fever!), but it's certainly a fun reason to take a few hours off in this holiday season....

I'm so excited!

I have Fandangoed my future. Friday, November 18. 3:25 pm. I have a hot date with a British wizard. Hooray!

I'm looking forward to the Goblet of Fire....I really loved this book, and remember appreciating it so much for being a more adult, multi-layered story. I can't wait to see the Triwizard Tournament - all that underwater stuff was freaky!

Funniest Man in America

Oh God, I'm watching "The Office Season 1" on DVD. Steve Carell is currently my vote for funniest man in America! My sides hurt from laughing so much.

Remember, Michael Scott is:
A friend First,
A boss Second, and....
An Entertainer, Third.

What is Charity?

There is a very interesting article in today's NYT about charitable giving trends and about philanthropic support for poverty, in particular. I am a fundraiser, so this stuff is pertinent to me in my day job. But I'm also an Aquarius who wants to save the world, in some small way, so I find it interesting in any light.

The discussion of why support for human services is on the decline is disturbing, but it makes sense as an explanation. I work in the arts/culture sector, and it's true that we do get a lot of support because of the benefits and "glitz" that we can offer to donors and board members. For years I've gone to networking events with other fundraisers, and I've learned that usually the hospitals, universities, and major "established" arts groups do have more staff and more resources at their disposal. And knowing that it takes money to raise money, well, you can tell that many social services groups probably start at a disadvantage....

The article also hints at the emerging controversy over tax-exempt status for charities. They've certainly got a strong argument, when you look at how the numbers stack up on total endowment, total contributions, and total money spent on direct services. My organization benefits greatly from our tax-exempt status, but we're certainly not curing cancer or feeding the homeless. That's a tough call -- personally I would love to see some sort of standard that requires charities to spend a certain % of their income on direct services. But professionally I know that would be hard to administer and would radically change the way the sector operates. Perhaps that's not a bad thing.

Blech!

Ok, call me a traditionalist, but in my mind sodas should be either fruit-flavored, cola-flavored, vanilla-flavored, or root beer. I do like Jones New York's cream soda, but some of their wacky Thanksgiving flavors are just a bit too much. Can you imagine? Turkey and gravy? Green beans casserole? And now, salmon? Ew. Does fish-flavored soda actually sound tasty?

Full Moon Fever

So when I saw the moon tonight, suddenly this crazy day made sense. Yep, it's totally a full moon kind of night.

Would you believe that there was a fire at my office today? I swear to God, there was a fire in my apt building on Saturday and one at work on Monday. And I had nothing to do with it! But even I am starting to wonder....

After sitting outside with the Lunch Club and eating our hard-fought California Tortilla burritos (I'm never going there during the lunch rush again, you can quote me), we got up to head back into the office. Only to see hundreds of people streaming out of the doors. So we joined in the evacuation, which actually lasted 2 hours. They finally let us back in only to get our things and then close the building. My understanding is that no one was hurt, but there may have been some water damage. And where I work, that is a pretty serious matter. I suppose we'll find out tomorrow what the real extent of it all is.

Anyway, after all that time sitting outside, my cold and my stiff neck were none too pleased. But there was no way I was going to miss the opportunity for a free afternoon off! So MH and I headed to the Regal Gallery Place Cinemas (my fave theater in town) to see Derailed. This now completes my long weekend with Clive. I watched the Croupier on Friday and Closer (again) on Saturday. I highly recommend a Clive Own film fest. Anyway, Derailed was pretty good. Somewhat predictable and with more than a few plot holes, like any suspense thriller, but still a good way to spend the afternoon. (I'd spend any afternoon with Clive.) Jennifer Aniston does a good job breaking out of the Rachel mold. I do like her, so I hope she does well with her post-Friends movie career. MCB and I saw a trailer for her new comedy with Vince Vaughn - totally must-see!

Lookee! I'm Famous!

Woohoo, I made the Express! Me and K-Fed. This issue's definitely a keeper!

Mentholated

So, I kinda smell like old people right now. I try not to whine too much on this blog (cuz who's that fun for?) but I have to share.... somehow this weekend I wrenched my neck. It occurred early on Saturday, but I'm not sure how. Maybe when buying groceries? Did I have too much in the little basket? It didn't seem so, but I think I pulled something without knowing it. By the time I got home Saturday afternoon, I had a full-on stiff neck starting. That probably would've been no big deal, had the rest of the day not happened.

My trusty old building (emphasize the old) had another fire on Saturday afternoon. No big deal this time, luckily, but it meant I did have to evacuate. And evacuating means getting Cleo (trusty cat) into her carrier and outside with me. Well, the instant the alarm bells went off, Cleo went flying under the bed. Damn. So now with my stiff neck, I had to use my super-human (not) strength to shove the bed across the room, lift the mattress and box springs, pull Cleo out from under, keep myself from getting knocked over when the mattress/box springs fell back onto the frame, get Cleo into her carrier, and then carry her down 5 flights of stairs and outside quickly. Um, ouch. Poor cat was terrified by the fire trucks and such, but all it took to get her feeling better once we got back inside was a can of tuna. But my neck was down for the count.

So I've now had this stiff neck/shoulder pain thing for 48 hours, and for some reason this morning it started spasming. Yeeeowch! I admit I don't have the greatest pain threshold in the world, but damn if I didn't want to faint a few times cuz the pain hurt so much. And you really don't realize how much you use your right hand/arm in getting ready until it hurts -- everything from turning off the alarm to shampooing, brushing teeth, putting in contacts, etc. It all takes major right arm usage.

Now I'm at work having a very hard time focusing. But thankfully CG just went on a little excursion with me to CVS where I bought a total old people product -- Ben Gay heat patches. So now I have a big white patch sticking out of my sweater, and I smell like Ben Gay. Sexy! I hope that this feels better soon. I'd hate to miss my photography class tonight, but since we'll be outside actually shooting, I'll really need my good arm. This smelly patch better work!

DC Cheap Eats

Take a stroll back over to ScottE's blog for a link on cheap food finds here in DC. I found it amusing. Two of my most overrated places were on there!

Their list:
1. The Breadline
2. Ben's Chili Bowl
3. Lauriol Plaza
4. Matchbox
5. Capital Q BBQ
6. The Burro
7. Left Bank
8. The Diner
9. Sushi Aoi
10. Moby Dick House of Kabob

I do like Ben's and I need to go back soon, esp. since it's so close by. Capital Q is a total dive, but the food I had was delicious. I've never tried the other places, but I have heard stories from T about Matchbox's super-strict "no seating until your whole party's here" policy, which gets annoying. I'm always open to trying a new sushi or kabob place -- has anyone tried them?

Speaking of Overrated

Does anyone actually think Teri Hatcher is still attractive? I keep hearing how she's so beautiful, but I think she looks terrible. She seems to be either over-exercising or starving herself to death, or both, and her face looks so haggard and drawn. I saw some magazine cover with her over the weekend that was so airbrushed that it didn't even look like the same person -- or maybe she's had very recent plastic surgery. But I just don't buy all the hype that tells us we're supposed to think she's beautiful.

I respect her cohorts, Nicollette Sheridan and Felicity Huffman (my fave), for looking their age. Marcia Cross apparently has a portrait in her attic, cuz she hasn't aged a bit since she was Kimberly. And Eva Longoria, well, I think she's younger than me so she's not even in the same category. But she's gorgeous, no question. Although I wonder if they'll ever have Gabby show for real? Do we think this pregnancy will last?

"I Was Wrong"

John Edwards adds his voice to those Democrats who are now expressing regret for voting for the Iraq war resolution with an Op-Ed piece in today's Washington Post. Many people will argue that this is just pure politics, as Edwards gears up for an inevitable 2008 run, and I'm sure that's a little bit of a factor. But I do honestly believe that he and others *do* feel regret, and do feel a responsibility, because of their vote. And I can respect a public figure who admits a mistake. Since we know the Administration never will....

The big argument on the Sunday talk shows these days is whether Congress and the Administration used the same intelligence, or whether there was manipulation or (to be less cynical) a level of selectivity in the information that the Admin shared with Congress in order to get the vote that they wanted. Tim Russert and Ken Mehlman are having that exact argument right now. (I'm so sick of hearing the phrase "cherry-picked.")

Yes, the discussion of "who knew what" and assigning responsibility is mostly a political game, as both sides will try to use it to their advantage in the next 2 election cycles. But, as Edwards discusses, the real discussion at this moment should focus on stabilizing Iraq, building more international support, and bringing our troops home safely and soon.

More Oscar Buzz

Last night, MCB and I saw Jarhead. That in and of itself is noteworthy, since the two of us tend to have totally opposite movie tastes. But this was one we both loved. As per our discussion in the car (on the way to a disappointing dinner at Clyde's), here are my predictions for this movie come Oscar-time:

- Best Actor: Jake Gyllenhaal. I could see him scoring the Matt Damon/Edward Norton nomination, where the Academy decides to reward ayoung up-and-comer who is displaying a lot of talent in promising roles. He'd never win, but the nomination itself would validate his choices.
- Best Supporting Actor: Jamie Foxx. If the Academy continues on their "We love JAmie" track, this is certainly a worthy performance for them to honor. I'd need to check for sure, but I think this may have been the first role he signed on for after the successes of Ray. I think he did that Stealth movie before Ray even came out. So this is really the first role for people to see what he's going to do with his career after becoming an Oscar winner. He's really good in this. There was one scene, though, where I let out an unexpected snicker. He's in the middle of a very dramatic conversation with Jake/Swofford, and I just thought to myself "Damn! Wanda's done good!"
- Best Cinematography / Art Direction - I don't know if this falls into one or both of these categories, but the movie was really very visually striking. The desert really comes alive, with its bleak, barren openness. And the scenes with the oil fires are amazing - it really looks like they've stepped onto a Martian landscape.

Those are the predictions I feel most confident on, but I'll say I don't feel *as* confident on the acting categories as I do with Capote. And directing is a hard one to call. After years in working in theater, I do think I finally learned how to tell the signs of good direction, rather than just strong performances or technical accomplishments. But this movie was hard to call - maybe because I sort of agree with some of the reviews that have said the movie is remarkable for its neutrality -- in that it's really a character drama and not so much about action or any message. So that's why I'm more drawn to the performances rather than the direction as a whole. But I wouldn't be surprised if Sam Mendes did get a nod.

A brief comment on one of my favorite actors - Peter Sarsgaard. I love him (as does MCB) but we both agreed that this didn't really feel like his best role. He did a good job, of course, but my expectations of him are so high that I felt he could've gone even further. Again, I wouldn't be surprised if his name does get mentioned during Awards season cuz he has just a rock solid track record, but I feel like there's still a better role for him out there.

Believe the Hype?

This is continuing a conversation started by ScottE and MCB, which ScottE has discussed on his blog. So we've been talking about places in DC that are over-rated, versus places that actually do live up to the hype. I've come up with a little list of my own, based on my experiences in the DC social/cultural scene --

5 Places that are Over-rated
1. Cakelove
2. Tryst
3. The Diner
4. Clyde's
5. The bar in any Kimpton Hotel

5 Places/Activities that Live Up to the Hype (or that Deserve More Hype)
1. The Original Jumbo Slice (as long as that's the name of the one that's closest to the corner of 18th & Columbia)
2. Kramerbooks
3. That photo gallery/boutique on Connecticut - I think his name is Claude Taylor
4. Walking the Mall and the Monuments on a sunny day
5. Regal Gallery Place Cinemas

5 Places/Things I Need to Explore to See if they Deserve the Hype
1. The new Columbia Heights Giant
2. the National Museum of the American Indian
3. Busboys & Poets
4. Screen on the Green
5. Pasta Mia

5 More that are Over-rated (Cuz I couldn't stop thinking of more)
1. Coppi's
2. Jaleo
3. 701 Restaurant
4. Lauriol Plaza
5. Georgetown (I just don't get it, probably because I don't have a car so it's hard for me to get there and it just doesn't seem worth it. The storefronts along M Street are adorable, sure, but I don't care for the crowds, the parking, the prices, etc.)

So what's your list? Agree or disagree on any of these?

"Quite strange"

Rock on, Dalai Lama! Thanks for giving the shout out for DC voting rights. I get so frustrated, cuz I love living in DC but I *hate* the fact that I'm not represented. Do my opinions and needs not count? According to the folks at DC Vote, the US in the only democracy in the world that denies voting rights to the citizens of its capital city. I love the Dalai Lama's advice: "...if there is no reason, then shout."

A Crying Shame!

Oh no! Arrested Development has been cancelled! They aren't gonna order any more than the original 13 episodes for this season. Damn Fox! (I love having reason to say that.) I admit, this one weighs heavily on me cuz I feel a little guilty. I wasn't able to follow the show to its new Monday time slot, so in a teensy-tiny way this is partially my fault. But come on, couldn't they find a good time slot and stick with it!?! I hate when networks move good shows all around and you lose them in a bad time slot. Ah well, Bluths, it was fun knowing you. I shall continue to follow you on Netflix.

I am a Sucker for Rec's

I love personalized recommendations online. I don't know what it is, but I could (and have) spend hours clicking around on Amazon's recommendations or on Netflix. I love to rate the items that I own, or the ones I'm not interested in, to see what they might offer up in my recommendations list. I do sometimes buy or rent things off of the list even if I'd never heard of them, and I've been pleasantly surprised most of the time. Sure, I know it's kinda creepy that they are tracking my purchases, but I accept it.

I think this little hobby of mine, which is also a huge time-waster, first emerged when I was taking MIS in grad school. We were studying relational database design, and I learned that the geeky, analytical side of me really loved to think about data, and how it is categorized and sorted, etc. So starting to play with Amazon's rec's was kinda fun, cuz I kept trying to detect patterns in whatever the offerings were -- trying to sense what the back-end database or algorithm might be "thinking" based on what I had rated myself. Yeah, I know, I'm kinda a geek. But I do still have a lot of fun playing with all those recommendations!

Do you have any secret little geeky pastimes? Or have you ever gotten a really good new book, movie, CD, etc. off of a blind recommendation?

Feels Like a Friday

I'm so glad I don't have to work tomorrow! My apologies to all those who do, but I'm just dang glad to have a free Friday off!

Random twitterings for today....

1. Suddenly the value of my undergrad degree has skyrocketed. Who knew that my alma mater is now the 3rd most expensive school in the country??? When I went there, it was a measly $15,600 a year. Supposedly they have hiked the tuition up in order to offer more financial aid to students, but I can tell ya this is a school that is pretty tight on giving away money. There's a reason they call it the University of Richkid. I enjoyed college and I think I got a good education, but I wouldn't say it's worth all that and change!

2. I'm going out for sushi tonight! Thank goodness for sushi happy hours -- can't beat cheap raw fish and alcohol.

3. This is much more serious than just a list posting deserves, as I'm rattling off whatever's on my mind -- but I heard earlier this week that the Voting Rights Act was set to expire and would need to be extended/confirmed by the new Congress next year. This sounded preposterous to me, but also slightly, sadly somewhat possible. I've done a little searching -- and here's how the DOJ clarifies it. No expiration date per se, but still some provisions that had a time limit and have already been extended a few times, maybe will be again. Amazing to think that such a rumor could get legs, that we're still at a point in our society where people are afraid of such basic rights and freedoms being taken away. But if you read those provisions, it doesn't sound that far from what we've all heard has happened in the last 2 Presidential elections in certain places.

4. There's starting to be a lot of talk among my friends about the M word..... about who's ready for it, who's not, who might be getting what piece of new jewelry in the coming months. My social circle has been pretty resolutely single for some time -- with C&M being the only marrieds or soon-to-be-marrieds -- and I hope we can keep that up for a while. As the oldest in most of my various social circles, I'm not ready to start watching all my younger friends get hitched. A few here or there, sure, but not the whole gang! Are there any other single holdouts out there??? Of course, if Mr. Right wanted to sweep me off my feet anytime soon, I wouldn't say no.... The funny thing is, though, that when you're not looking, you don't find anything! ;-)

5. It's time to start a new book again. I keep intending to read Collapse by Jared Diamond next, but that's a big hardcover that's pretty heavy to read! (I do most of my reading in bed.) That's a major reason that I haven't even picked up my copy of Bill Clinton's My Life since I got it. That sucker is huge! I did just get a bunch of new paperbacks, so they may win out.... Stay tuned!

Don't Let the Screen Door Slam

This post is dedicated to DM, the single most die-hard fan I've ever met. He's just recovering from a trip to Philly for a concert and is considering another road trip soon. They don't make fans like Jersey fans anymore.

For your consideration, Bruce Springsteen for Senate. Wouldn't it be great to watch the Boss become a Senator?

Thanks, MCB, for the link. I agree with you, he should be allowed to wear jeans. Especially those jeans from the cover of Born in the U.S.A. I'm looking at that CD on my desk right now. Yum. It certainly would make my job of having to shmooze those Hill types with cocktail chatter a lot more fun!

Insert your Springsteen lyric puns here.

Not in Kansas Anymore

I have covered my views on intelligent design in a previous post. Now the Kansas School Board has held their vote and decided 6-4 in favor of new public school science standards. From John Hanna's article in today's Washington Post:

The new standards say high school students must understand major evolutionary concepts. But they also declare that the basic Darwinian theory that all life had a common origin and that natural chemical processes created the building blocks of life have been challenged in recent years by fossil evidence and molecular biology.

In addition, the board rewrote the definition of science, so that it is no longer limited to the search for natural explanations of phenomena.

Did you catch that? The board rewrote the definition of science. Does that sound frightening to anyone else????

Oh, so exciting!

Tonight's prospects are very exciting....

...it's election night, and I'm crossing my fingers for Virginia and New Jersey. I hope all you VA folks got to the polls today!

... A new episode of House, MD, which is becoming one of my favorite shows!

... An all-new Gilmore Girls, and Jess is making an appearance! I hope he shakes Rory out of this spoiled, entitled, bratty, meaningless existence she's been pursuing this season.

... And it's election night! Which means a great episode of The Daily Show in the making. Last night's ep with Barack Obama was hilarious, so I have high hopes for tonihgt, too!

Another Example of Photo Manipulation

Here's another very interesting thing I learned in class last night....

There's a famous photographer named Edward Curtis, who in the first 3 decades of the 20th century created more than 40,000 images of Native Americans. His work is often thought to represent the "last days" of the Plains Indians' more traditional ways of life. This is his image An Oasis in the Bad Lands from 1905.

The documentary interviewed several Native Americans who acknowledge the power of Curtis's images, but revealed that they really were a lie. While many wished that he was depicting the true culture of the time, showing images of a culture with such beauty and dignity, he was actually manipulating them all from the very start.

As he was taking pictures, Curtis traveled with trunks full of costumes and props. If a subject or a scene that he wanted to photograph didn't look "Indian enough," he would dress them up in whatever he had on hand. If Native American children were playing with bats and baseballs, he would trade them for sticks. If an elder was wearing modern-style clothing, he would make them change into a headdress or buckskin to achieve the image he wanted.

While his photographs are still beautiful aesthetically, they do not show a true slice of life for Native Americans. Yet for generations since, they have come to define the culture. His images are very well known -- I'd seen many of them before, and I know that for me as well as probably for most others who saw them they definitely contributed to what my own view of Native American culture was and had been.

So herein lies a classic example of the ethical dilemma of photography -- if the viewer believes that an image is depicting something real when it has actually been manipulated, is the image a lie? Does that discount its value as an artistic work? My view is it depends on what the photographer's purpose was -- was he working as a photojournalist or as an artist? What do you think?

Point. Click. Happy.

Tonight was the first session of my new Night Photography class at CHAW. I had been debating signing up for this due to time and money, but I'm SO glad I did it. It's just so much fun for me, and such a creative and intellectual outlet, to be having a conversation with a great group of people about a topic I love.

Tonight we watched the first hour of a PBS special on the history of 20th Century photography. It again brought up one of my favorite topics to think about, the ethics of photography. Did you know that photographic manipulation has been around since long before Photoshop? We saw examples of what were called "composographs" - manipulated images that were very common in the early days of tabloid journalism in the 1920's. One of the NY papers, for example, capitalized on the extreme public reaction (in the new age of celebrity) to Rudolph Valentino's death by running a composograph on the front page showing "Rudy in Heaven." Seriously! They had doctored up a photo to make it look like Rudy was among the angels. Crazy!

I love this topic cuz it challenges one of the very things we hold dear -- unlike most other art forms, people tend to believe that a photograph is representing reality. That if something is shown in a picture, it's true. This has huge ramifications for modern life -- think about photojournalism, advertising, sociology, cross-cultural understanding, etc. So learning all about these techniques for manipulation is helping me be more skeptical. I learned in my early class about a number of examples of manipulation in the pages of National Geographic. So it's been interesting to go to these Nat Geo photo lectures knowing that....

Another great thing about tonight's class - I got to see that my 2 images from the summer are still up on exhibit! I love seeing my own work, looking so professional hanging on the wall! If you're anywhere near CHAW over the next week or so, go check it out.

Let the Buzz Begin

Fall is my favorite time of year for movies. Some people go deer hunting or duck hunting or whatever. I go Oscar-bait hunting. Fun! So I thought I'd start sharing some of my predictions for nominations....perhaps this could lead to an Oscar poll and/or party. I haven't done one in a few years, but heck, the Oscars are my Superbowl!

So, first up, I offer for your consideration.....

Capote

• Best Actor - Philip Seymour Hoffman (The man is a master, and he totally loses himself in this role. His Truman Capote is funny, charming, sad, unsettled, and at time surprising in his level of both strength and manipulation. Hidden beneath that flamboyant facade was a very shrewd writer and student of the human experience.)
• Best Supporting Actor - Clifton Collins, Jr. (His performance starts out very quietly, but that slow burn really pays off in the last 1/2 hour of the film. I've never seen him before but he's pretty darn unforgettable.)
• Best Supporting Actress - Catherine Keener (She's great in just about everything she does. This role, as Harper Lee, is a little underwritten but she does manage to liven up a few key scenes where she challenges Truman to be better -- a better writer and a better person.)
• Best Adapted Screenplay (I think adapted cuz I seem to recall this was based on a book. But the writing was fantastic. And I think Academy voters will probably like the story behind this film - that it's three best friends who put it together, and one directed, one wrote the screenplay, and one starred as the main character.)

So this is my first toss of a hat into the ring. I've seen some other good movies this year -- Cinderella Man, A History of Violence - but this is the first one that really feels to me like it's gonna be a player come Oscar time. I can't wait!

Oh, and Onyah's recommendation, I did watch 28 Days Later. Creepy! But it was also a surprisingly provocative film and I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected. Zombies aren't really my thing, but apocalyptic horror/science fiction can be downright fun.

Weekend Images 2

This picture was taken on the fly in one of our local independent bookstores. My friend found a great book about the history of environmentalism. I loved the exposed brick and the way the shelves and the spines create such a feast of color and geometry.

Weekend Images 1

Hmmm. Blogger is not letting me off easy on trying to post these - so I'm gonna do it one at a time.

First up - my favorite of the weekend. This is a view of the front stoop of one of those beautiful row houses on the 1600 block of Riggs in NW. The tile work is amazing, and I loved the contrast of the green and the yellow.

What a Beautiful Weekend

With this great weather, I got to engage in one of my favorite activities on Saturday.... just walking around the city and exploring a bunch of different things to do.

My oldest friend from college came to visit, since he had to be in Richmond anyway to give a lecture to history students at our alma mater (doesn't that make us sound old???) and we had a great time enjoying this sunshine. From eating outside (in November!!!) to checking out used bookstores to discussing architecture and historic preservation as we explored residential neighborhoods, it was such a relaxing, escapist day. I think we walked about 5 miles or so, all told, and I have the blisters to prove it! Watch for photos soon...

But this is really one of my favorite things to do on a weekend, and a reason why I love living in this city. I could not imagine wanting to be anywhere else!

So how did you enjoy the gorgeous weekend?

Where's the Line?

Between flattering and creepy?

As I've mentioned before, I take cabs fairly often. And I'm chatty with the drivers. It's never seemed to be a concern before, but I had a strange experience tonight that makes me think maybe I should chat a little less. Read the story and let me know what you think....

I hopped in a cab in Dupont tonight, and when I told the driver my address he turned at me and said "X Street? Really?" I said Yes, and then he said "Wow, you know I've been looking for you!" I figured this was just Saturday night small talk, so I kinda laughed and let it go. He said "You don't believe me that I've been looking for you?" And he's kinda laughing and sounds very cheery and non-threatening when he says this. I then replied with something like "Oh, it's Saturday night, I don't believe much on a Saturday night." He kept at it though, and said "You don't believe me? Do you remember me? Stefanie?"

Um, red flag. WHAT? He knows my name? I said "No, I don't remember you...." And he's still kinda cheery and says "Oh, I gave you my number once and said you could call me anytime. I picked you up at X Street (near my work) and dropped you off at X Street (my apartment)." Hmmmmm......this is starting to seem pretty weird. I kinda laugh and say No, I don't remember, and then we laugh about how it's a small town and you're bound to run into people again.

Then he started an apparent small-talk conversation about what kind of stuff I like to do for fun, where I like to go out, etc. I kept it very vague and was still friendly, but made sure I mentioned that I had just had a guy friend stay with me (he doesn't need to know that he's my gay guy friend).

When we finally pulled up almost to my apartment, he said something like "is this where we're going? Are you sure?" But I didn't hear it clearly, so I'm not sure that's exactly what it was. When he stopped, I already had my money out and leaned forward to hand it to him. He said "Keep your money and let me take you out for a few drinks." Hmmm. Again, I smiled, but insisted that he take the money. He kept saying otherwise and refused to take the cash, so I ended up just dropping it down onto his seat. He tried to give me his number again, but I started getting out and said there was no need for him to give me his number, that this is a small town and we'd probably run into each other again. Probably not the 100% best thing to say, but I needed to just end this conversation and keep it from getting negative.

So I think this was just a case of a guy being nice and asking me out, which I could just take as flattering....but I'm not totally sure. The fact that he remembered me was creepy, and that he knows where I live. He was not at all threatening in his demeanor. But I do think this needs to be a lesson for me to be more careful about what I do say when I'm being chatty. Less personal, no names. What do you think? Would you have done anything different? Or should I do anything different?

I'm gonna have to think about this for a while....perhaps it's best for both my wallet and my sense of well-being to be more anonymous and stick to the bus/Metro as much as possible.

A Much-Needed Break

About an hour ago, I learned some new information from my boss that really pissed me off. I won't bore you with details, but the gist is that a conversation happened above our heads with one of *our* key constituents that has totally mucked up our year-in-the-making plan. It involves the possiblity of a lot of money, sorely needed, and a good relationship that we've worked hard to build. The big cheese at our place is not easily managed, and he has a sort of free-wheeling attitude about his ideas and getting what he wants, regardless of other factors. That's all fine and dandy if he does it in his own arena (we don't actually work for him, it's a partnership thing), but when he does it in our world it really gets ugly.

So I had just learned all this and ranted to my boss and to one of my colleagues. I came back to my desk and was fuming, thinking about whether any of my 3 usual confidantes were still here for the day. It's Friday and they often leave early for use-or-lose, so I couldn't find any of them. (I guess the Rock Star plan had already started -- hope it was fun!)

Before I had a chance to have a real explosion, though..... a red email popped up. We use Groupwise, where red emails = high priority. The subject line featured the two most beautiful words in the English language. ICE CREAM. Turns out that there was some leftover ice cream from our last monthly full staff meeting, and since it was Friday afternoon folks decided to clean out the freezer. So we just had a little impromptu ice cream social, complete with hot fudge, caramel sauce, and whipped cream. It was perfect!

And luckily, the ice cream not only literally cooled my jets, but if gave me a casual, social setting in which to touch base with one of my other colleagues where we agreed together to clean up this whole nasty situation, that was not of our making. Behold, the power of frozen dairy products.

The Silver Fox Jumps Over the Brown Dog

(I couldn't resist the title, sorry!)

Last week, I wrote about the rise of Anderson Cooper. Now it seems that his ascension is complete. CNN has booted Aaron Brown, and now Anderson's 360 is going to have the prime 10- to midnight slot. Two hours of Anderson, every night!

A Pre-Holiday Plug

Are you looking for a good holiday gift to send to family members, coworkers, the dog-sitter, etc.? Do you like brownies? Mmmm, brownies.

Shameless plug time -- a friend of mine from grad school quit her job a few years ago and started a home-based business where she makes these AMAZING, sinful brownies. She'll package them up and ship them to just about anywhere across the country. It really is a great gift idea. My mom's been sending them to her relatives, and I've even used them as an office gift for people who've helped us out on events.

Check it out - Brownies on the Brain. Once you try them, you'll never forget!

51-48

That was the vote in the Senate on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Dammit.

Metro Doesn't Fear Change

Check out Metro's ideas for redesigning the train cars. What do you think? As a shorty (5 foot 2 on a good day), I prefer the floor-to-ceiling poles. The hanging handle things are harder (that's a lot of h's!) and I always feel like I end up swinging around somewhat uncontrollably. I like that the back of every seat would include a pole up to the ceiling, that could help for short people. I'd love to see them come up with some better ideas for the buses, too.

A Bad Bar Night

A group of us did end up going out to the Reef tonight. It's one of my favorite places and I usually have a great time there, but tonight was not all that fun. Our group was all good, as it was a nice mix of people and we had some fun conversations. (And I got to sing along to Mr. Neil Diamond's "America" and EA/Onyah and I busted out a little Tiffany.)

But there was this group of guys there that seemed to be making a point of messing with people. It was really one guy in particular, and his buddies laughed and high-fived him as if he was cool. The main guy was super-tan and wearing a seashell necklace. He looked way too old for both. About an hour inton the evening, Seashell Guy came over and sat with our group, and started saying some really crazy stuff as if he'd known us. I didn't hear all of this directly, but I guess it was hard to tell if he was trying to pick somebody up, or if he was being mocking, or if he was just mean. One of my friends who watched this all happen thought he was really freaky. After a few minutes of really awkward, forced conversation - during which he was overly familiar and just plain strange - he left and went back to his friends. They all cackled and high-fived, etc.

This was bizarre, and we were all stuck wondering what the hell had just happened. Unfortunately, it was one of those experiences that brought up all those old adolescent fears of having the "cool kids" be mean to you. (Think Carrie at the prom.) Self-doubt sucks, and you never want to feel that you and your friends were the targets of random, drive-by mocking.

For the next hour, we watched as Seashell Guy seemed to do the same thing to at least 3 other groups of people. He usually approached a girl to focus on and it always seemed to be a strange, awkward situation. Was this his version of game? It seemed seedier than that. My opinion was that it was just undirected, shits n' giggles, stupid juvenile behavior. Again, he and his friends were way too old for this. Not that age precludes stupidity.

So, now I'm kinda pissed. My friends and I had wanted a fun, carefree night out. And instead it all just turned weird.

The good news is that I already got my new copmuter cord! So no more jerry-rigging, with me having to use one hand to hold the melting cord in place while I type on the computer. It all works again! What a beautiful thing.

Happy Anniversary. Kinda.

Lest we forget....let's have a moment to honor this anniversary. It was one year ago tonight that most of us (91% of us in our nation's capital, at least) were hoping to wake up to a regime change. Alas, it was not meant to be. One down. Three more to go.

Meanwhile, Jon Stewart is having a *field day* talking about the Senate yesterday. He used my same analogy -- saying that right there in the Senate you could see a brand new pair of donkey testicles emerging.... it's true! (Remember, I grew up on a farm, not much makes me blush!)

Archipelago

I went to another great National Geographic Live program tonight. This one was called Archipelago: Portaits of life in the World's Most Remote Islands. It's the first in a 3-part series they're calling Masters of Photography. This lecture again featured amazingly beautiful images, as the photographers spent years studying the remote atolls and islands in the northwestern corner of the Hawaiian archipelago. I had no idea there were so many uninhabited islands spanning thousands of miles (I think thousands) between what we know of as the state of Hawaii and Midway Island. Midway is the only one that has a human population; the rest are all teeming with amazing life, including plans, sea birds, and marine life.

These photographers use a fairly unique method as they try to take "portraits" of this native life. With the help of scientists and some well-rigged studios, they were able to isolate plants, birds, fish, against either white or black backgrounds to take these portraits, focusing on the beauty and the uniqueness of each subject without any background. I had to wonder a bit about the ethics of this technique, although the photographers assured everyone that this was all done with the utmost care without damaging habitats or harming the animals or plants. We had a fascinating conversation in my photography class this summer about the ethics of photography, particularly using examples of National Geographic projects, and I'll share more details on that some other time. Regardless of thoughts on this technique, the images were striking. Some of them were adorable, with fuzzy baby chicks, some showed sea life to hve more personality than I'd ever imagined, and some showed the true wonder of nature's own survival skills.

Unlike the program last week, this lecture included a lot more discussion of conservation and the damage that human civilization has inflicted on these habitats. They told a heart-breaking story, illustrated with photographs, about a young albatross that they watched from hatching until it was almost ready to take flight. He lived near the shed in which they worked, so they called him Shedbird. After molting all of his baby chick feathers and starting a few test runs on flying, Shedbird suddenly started seeming listless. After a rapid decline, he died. One of the scientists they worked with was curious as to what had happened to this seemingly healthy bird, so they performed an autopsy. When they opened up Shedbird's stomach, they found that it was completely filled with plastic. Pieces of trash - lighters, bottle caps, plastic bags shreds, toy pieces - all debris that floats in the ocean. The image of this bird's body opened up and filled with the plastic was horrifying, and they actually took a picture of all of the plastic trash after it had been emptied out of the body. There were probably more than 100 pieces. Curious and disgusted, the team performed more autopsies on birds as they died and found the same thing. In fact, the photographers said that on these islands, part of the cycle of life is that birds that die quickly decompose and you find the bones along the beach often. They said they often see rib cages of dead birds that are still filled with plastic debris. This human trash is literally killing these animals.

The program was cosponsored by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, which is a non-profit dedicated to helping to preserve/protect this refuge. I know that the Ocean Conservancy is another major group trying to preserve the marine ecosystem. I want to do some research into what other groups are trying to help minimize human damage on this pristine part of the world. I'm not sure what I can do at a small level, but I'll try to find out.

Anyway, I'm really enjoying these National Geographic programs. I'm looking forward to the next one!