Jury Duty

Nuff said.

Some New Movie Recommendations

I've been telling friends and co-workers about three movies I recently watched. No...they don't involve sex-crazed Manhattanites who drink Cosmos and wear Manolos or a man in a suit. These weren't blockbusters at cineplexes, but they were hits with critics.

"Persepolis": An amazing animated film from Iran. The Academy Award-Nominated film tells the story of a Iranian girl who grew up after the Shah in Iran, and follows her through teenage years and adulthood. There were times during the movie I felt I wasn't watching an animated piece, because there was so much drama and, amazingly, great acting by the characters. (Of course this is because of a great script). It's in French with subtitles. A must see.

"The Savages": Laura Linney and Phillip Seymour Hoffman are sister and brother in this comeday-drama about siblings having to face the reality of adulthood while they take care of their ailing father. Both acting and screenplay are superb. There are moments of amazing wit and humor, and pain and pathos. Linney and Hoffman are consumate actors. I laughed, I cried...

"The Diving Bell and The Butterfly"/"Le Scaphandre et le papillon": Artist and filmmaker Julian Schnabel directs this memoir-inspired drama about Jean-Dominique Bauby. Bauby, the
France editor for Elle Magazine, suffered a najor stroke when he was 43 years old, which paralyzed his entire body, except his left eye. Bauby uses that eye to blink out his memoir. The movie is in French with subtitles. The first 10 minutes of the film are a bit dizzying, so don't watch it if you have a headache. What drew me to this movie was the fact that it was based on real-life events. The system Bauby and his nurse creates with communicating with his link eye is pretty amazing. You'll leave this movie reciting the French alphabet.

Cuuuuute

Love the concept of guys wearing shorts to the office. But...it can be scary if things don't fit right.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/31/fashion/31shorts.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

White Bordeaux: Oft-Forgotten Bliss

Yes, yes, yes...I've been telling people about white bordeaux and how delicious it is. I'm happy the Times wrote about it. Come have a glass with me.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/30/dining/30pour.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

"All the news that's fit to print"

It 's going to cost you more to pick up The New York Times.

The price for the Monday to Saturday newsstand will increase 25 cents, brinking the cost to $1.50. The new price will take effect on August 18. This comes a week after the Wall Street Journal said it will raise its newsstand price by 50 cents to $2 starting July 28.

A State That Never Was in Wyoming

Another story about Wyoming in the New York Times. The article talks about how in 1939, a group of rebellious Wyoming residents wanted to form a new state called Absaroka, pronounced "ab-SOR-ka," with chunks of South Dakota and Montana. It's a great read. So to all my friends who poo-poo'ed me for working and living in Wyoming, I told you so. Wyoming is the one place where you can find the best stories that papers like the New York Times want to cover. Go Wyo! http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/24/us/24wpa.html?em&ex=1217044800&en=d1f4b3a5d3037d9a&ei=5087%0A

(***This is the fourth MOST e-mailed story on the New York Times Web site.***)

A Healing Touch

Please take a moment to read and watch my friend's New York Times video piece about a chiropractic service for New York City's homeless. It's a great story.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/a-chiropractic-touch-for-aching-homeless-backs/

Daddy of 'em All

I went to the "California Rodeo Salinas" last night since I'm a rodeo expert now...hardly. But after having experienced two Cheyenne Frontier Days, I wanted to see how other rodeos were. First, the rodeo in "California Rodeo Salinas" is pronounced the Spanish way, roh-DAY-oh...as in Rodeo Drive. So I went to the roh-DAY-oh to catch rodeo events. They had all the events, barrel racing, saddle bronc riding, bareback, steer wrestling, team roping, and you have Professional Bull Riders. (Wow, I do sound like a rodeo expert.) But it's nothing compared to CFD, and now I know why it's the "Daddy of 'em all." I did enjoy my time last night, in fact I had a great time with friends, and it did bring back fond memories of Cheyenne Frontier Days in Wyoming. I'm so lucky that I got the chance to experience that rodeo and the concerts and those humongous turkey legs. Cowboy up!

Nelson Mandela Turns 90

An and amazing and inspiring story.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/19/world/africa/19mandela.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

You Get What You Pay For

Not too long ago, I slightly hinted that I liked Ikea. Their stuff's cheap and cute. But let's be honest, the quality is not the best. My coffee table is wobbly and one of my bookshelves is about to collapse. But for those on a tight budget, it's not a bad option. So these aforementioned attributes made Ikea somewhat attractive to me...that is until I experienced their Returns/Exchanges line.

First, you just don't wait in line, you need to get a number like how you need one at a bakery or a butcher shop. (By the way, do they still do that?) My first attempt at returning a bookshelf was futile. I pulled number 90, and they were serving number 70. I guess, the line could have moved fast, BUT, the employees were extremely slow. After each customer return, they would slowly print out these barcode stickers, place them on the items, and then disappear behind these plastic curtains like the ones in walk-in meat freezers. After about 20 minutes of waiting, I left. I returned to Ikea today, and the wait was much slower, but again, but still draining.

Ikea is like a combination of Costco, Wal-Mart and Target. You push around truck carts, walk down big aisles, get items at wholesale prices but then there's a bit of panache and "artistic flair," if you will. Ikea just opened their 35th store in New York City. My gosh, I can just see mad New Yorkers flock to the Ikea in Brooklyn's Red Hook section just south of the BQE. I guess, as you wait for your number to be called to return a tablecloth, you can enjoy the views of Lady Liberty and Manhattan. Again, Ikea's cheap...but the parking lot, the feeling that you're lost, not finding items listed in their catalog, and the dreaded Returns/Exchanges line. Yep, you get what you pay for.

Lennon's Lyrics Sold

A bit late on this post...but earlier this week John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance" lyrics were sold at auction in London for nearly $800,000. The prior owner was in the hotel where Lennon penned the lyrics. Pretty Cool.

Ha-pi-tu-mi-te-yu

A fun article from the AP about the Beijing summer olympics. Enjoy.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/getaways/07/09/china.beijing.ap/index.html

More Fires

California just can't seem to get a break. More fires, hot weather and gusty winds are fanning wildfires. Gotta give it up for the firefighters. More later. Be Safe.

Ugh, Defeat...

If you were like me and watched the Wimbledon match today between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, you probably yelled, squealed and jumped up and down. I was rooting for Federer, who reminds me of one of my other favorite tennis players, Pete Sampras. I watched in pain as Nadal went up two sets...but rejoiced when Federer -- the consumate athlete that he is -- came back in the third and fourth sets to force a 5-set match. It was an exciting match. My emotions went up and down. I don't care much for Nadal. Sigh, Federer did say that there is always next year. My eyes are on the U.S. Open now, and Federer's appearance. I am definitely going to try and attend a Federer match when I'm in New York to catch a Yankees game. Side: Okay, okay, I know many of you don't care for the Yankees, but c'mon, it's the Yankees, Yankees Stadium...no more after this season.

Happy 4th!

Independence Day snuck up on me! California is on fire...so please, if you plan to do buy fireworks, be safe and smart. On second thought, if you live in California, forego fireworks this year and just watch the fireworks display put on by the city.

Wyoming on "Meet the Press"

Turned on "Meet the Press" this morning, and realized that Tom Brokaw was in Wyoming! He intertiewed Gov. Dave Freudenthal (D-WY)...I've met and interviewed him before and he's terrific...and Gov. Bill Ritter, (D-CO). "Meet the Press" was on location at Jackson Hole, the site of the Western Governors Association Annual Meeting. Brokow asked both governors about hotbbutton issues in the West, especially ones surrounding the race for the White House. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA) was also interviewed.

But again, pretty neat to see Gov. Dave on "Meet the Press." Tom Brokaw ended his interview by saying something to the effect of: "...and folks this isn't a set, this is real." Their backdrop was the Grand Teton.

Seriously?

Sometimes I wonder if all those relationship columns are serious...do they write them specifcally for people who have never interacted with people before? Or perhaps, some do say or act like what columns say not to do.

This column caught my eye, because the headline link read, "I Spent Time in an Institution: Things you should never bring up on a first date." Haha...seriously?

http://msn.match.com/msn/article.aspx?articleid=4375&TrackingID=516165&BannerID=54188&menuid=6&GT1=26000

Hear Me Out...

I hate to post a gripe on Friday, but...it has to do with bad drivers. Having lived in big cities all my life, I never really had to drive much. In San Francisco I took the train and Muni, in New York I rode the subway, and in China, I walked and biked. In Wyoming, you pretty much had to drive everywhere to get anywhere. But I hated driving in Wyoming sometimes, especially during the winters. I always griped about how people in Wyoming didn't know how to drive on the highways, streets...that semi's went 80 mph on I-25. All of that was true, but bad drivers are everywhere. So sorry to Wyoming drivers for singling you out. Haha. Seriously folks, don't you hate it when you're driving and cars merge onto your lane without signaling? Or worse...when they speed to get into you lane, but then drive very slow. I haaaaate that. (Okay, breathe May, breathe.)

Rings of Fire

California is on fire! On Saturday, the heat gave way to lightning and thunderstorms which sparked more than 400 fires. Northern California is covered in a shroud of smoke. Fire is everywhere.

It's a Scorcher

Another hot one, hot night, hot weekend. Didn't sleep much last night...too hot, and some of my neighbors decided to cool off at 2 in the morning by drinking beers and setting off small firecrackers. Yeah, very smart. California is sizzling. Friday was the first day of summer and the mercury rose to the ocassion. Unfortunately, the heat is making for ripe conditions for wildfires, and it seems we've had an early and active fire season already. So for people like my neighbors who set off those little sparkle sticks -- stop.

Gotta Love This Guy

I woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. It's been hot again here in California, which makes getting a good night's rest difficult at times. I woke up late, frantically got ready for work and sped my way to work. Is sped an actual word? Anyway, I caught an episode of The Daily Show, and I'm happy. I love Jon Stewart. This is a funny episode, he pokes fun at how reporters have been covering the Midwest floods, oh, and Steve Carell is the guest. Enjoy.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/index.jhtml?episodeId=173998

Oh Ikea...

I'd only gone in to buy a lamp. Who knew it would become a 2-day adventure. I'm talking about Ikea. It's been several years since I last visited the Swedish home-furnishings mega-store. I went with my brother to the Ikea in East Palo Alto yesterday and I'd forgotten how humongous it was. We got lost looking for kitchenware. I got my lamp, assembled it when I got home, only to realize that it only took Ikea bulbs. So I returned today right when the doors opened. I picked up some other odds and ends along the way, and couldn't find my way back to my cart. I made a mad dash through the multi-level store in my flip-flops. Another reason for my heightened sense of panic was my cell phone, keys and Ikea coupon (yeah!) was in my cart...plus, I kept on turning the wrong corner. The ending to this story, I found my way back home.

Tim Russert 1950-2008

By now, you would have heard that Tim Russert passed away unexpectedly Friday afternoon. I was at work when I first got news. None of my co-workers believed it. It hadn't crossed wires yet, nothing on the internet. But after 10 minutes, a ping sounded from my computer.

"NBC News has confirmed that Tim Russert, host of 'Meet the Press,' has died. He was 58."

I was -- and am -- still shocked. We sat there watching Tom Brokaw deliver the news of Russert on TV; his honesty and sadness came through as his voiced cracked at times during the announcement. I watched the special edition of Nightly News with Brian Williams, and I saw Charlie Rose's program last night: both were devoted to Russert. I cried while watching both the programs, especially Charlie Rose's. There will definitely be an absence felt on Sunday mornings.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/15/weekinreview/15leibovich.html?_r=1&ref=weekinreview&oref=slogin#

I Knew This Was Coming...

Harlem and gentrification. I saw it happen in San Francisco's Mission District and, to an extent, East Palo Alto. Interesting article in the Times today about Harlems "transformation. I especially like the quote from a neighbor: "...feta cheese instead of sharp Cheddar cheese. That’s a whole other world.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/nyregion/13journal.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Daredevils in The Big Apple

Another reason why I love New York.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/nyregion/06climber.html