That Sucks

I lost my sunglasses. Oh well, a friend told me they were out of style anyway. Really?


I always thought you just wear them until they break or you loose them, and then you buy new ones.

This particular pair I've had for three years. Not a bad run.

Where Did My Day Go...

I woke-up at 9 am, having gone to bed last night at 2 am, after working on my screenplay and imbibing a bottle of wine. Once again, I make a note, a bottle is a little much for one night, after recalling my $100 contribution to the Obama campaign. The wine induced donation, as I recall, was provoked by Hilary's "3 AM" TV ads, negativity and “politics of fear”.

From 9:00 to 9:30: I slowly ease into the day, drink two cups of coffee, click through the usual suspect news, finance, and blogs “that I read” sites, while listening to Jack Johnson’s “Sleep Through the Static”.

From 9:30 to 12:30: I read three chapters of “World History” AP Prep Workbook and completed the questions at the end of the chapters. Why? Umm, because I can...

From 12:30 to 2:30: I watch “Lust and Caution” directed by Ang Lee.

From 2:30 to 4:30: I go to the gym and run on the treadmill for a hour and a half. On my personal TV monitor, I watch two “Curious George” cartoons, approximately three and a half music videos, and about ten minutes of the N.J. “Fear Inspiring” News, before turning off the TV monitor.

From 4:30 to 6:30: I shower and venture out for Chinese takeout. I eat it front of the computer, once again clicking through more news and blogs “that I read” sites, nap for 5 minutes in front of the computer, before editing about twenty pages of my screenplay on screen while listening to N.W.A.’s “Greatest Hits”.

At 8:30: I take a diazepam, grab a half a bottle of wine, printed off my entire completed screenplay and started editing it hard copy.

At 2AM: I go to bed, but before going to bed I eat a bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter and bananas. While in bed, I put in my teeth guard and ear plugs to muffle the car alarms. Its spring now and I can sleep with the windows open.

Newark-Essex Pride 2008

Maybe some of you have read this recent NYT article: "In a Progressive State, a City Where Gay Life Hangs by a Thread"

NEWARK, Nov. 30 — To live in Newark often means grappling with unrelenting poverty, the anesthetizing lure of drugs, murderous gangs, a lack of decent jobs.

But for gay men, lesbians and transgender people, there are additional obstacles that are seldom acknowledged: gay bashings, H.I.V., open hostility from many religious leaders and sometimes callous treatment by the police.

When venturing outside his Central Ward neighborhood, Tyrone Simpson, 19, stays on main thoroughfares and steers clear of the men in gang colors looking for easy quarry. Dynasty Mitchell, 21, an aspiring poet who works at a supermarket, has learned to blend in by stretching a do-rag over his head and adopting a thuggish gait in public.

“If you’re not prepared to fight, you’re not going to survive in Newark,” said Mr. Simpson, who is unabashedly gay.

Well, guess what? Newark is planning it's first: Pride 2008

I might volunteering, but I can tell ya I'm not going to wear a do-rag and walk with a thuggish gait.

Visit to Ithaca, NY

I recently purchased a flip video and shot this video clip, well actually Devon shot it. But anyway, the quality seems really poor. When I view the video on the software provide by flip it looks great, but when I uploaded it to YouTube it looses a lot of quality. I need to do a little research.

Top 10 Best Newark Annual Events

If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of car payments.

Kid Gets Bullied for His Singing...

Andrew Johnston performing on "Britain's Got Talent".

"I get bullied a lot...at school. I've been bullied all my life since I was six. My mates have been telling me to leave the singing. They don't like that kind of music."

Simon Cowell asked Johnston how he deals with the bullying. Said Johnston: "I carry on singing."

I was definitely feeling for this kid.

On Being “Green”

The disposable plastic shopping bags were accumulating...

 

...so I purchased three reusable shopping totes.

 

Now every time, I pad out to the store, I grab my Cambodia purse, which not only contains the three reusable totes, but bunch of plastic produce bags that I reuse.

 

At first, I was a little timid to start this regiment. I live in a very working class neighborhood, where garbage is garbage, recyclable or not. But to my surprise, store owners and clerks have thanked me for bring my own bags. I guess it saves them money.

Encouraged by “green” effort, on my way out to the local takeout Chinese, I decided to take back the plastic quart soup container. You know get a refill, instead of a new container each time. They have been accumlating. I been eating a lot of Wanton Soup lately. Well the Chinese lady almost fell over, when I presented to her, then she couldn't stop laughing.

"Safe Sex" Prom Dress

Granddad makes one for his granddaughter.

The Great Forgetting

I'm starting to relate to this NYT article: "The Great Forgetting"

Recently:

1) I asked a friend, if I attended a mutual friend's wedding. It turns out, I did. Granted it was fifteen years ago, but still.
2) Found a head of lettuce in the freezer. No clue how it got there.
3) Went to the gym, pulled down my sweats (I get changed at home, the gym is only a few blocks away), only to realized I didn't have gym shorts on.

Also, instead of writing notes or lists, which I loose or forget where I put them, I just place things in the walk path so I remember.

 

On this particular day, I needed to return mail Netflix DVDs, and buy Woolite and toothpaste.

H’s Tentative Visit Schedule

Day 1: April 16th

Wicked the Musical Long before Dorothy dropped in, two other girls meet in the Land of Oz, One, born with emerald green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very a popular. How these two unlikely friends end up as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch make for the most spellbinding new musical in years.

Day 2: April 17th

Museum of Natural History Including a wonderful Butterfly exhibit features up to 500 live, free-flying tropical beauties from Central, South, and North America. In the Hall of Oceanic Birds.

Central Park Time and weather permitting, a house drawn carriage ride around the park. Also possibly visit Mona, Ingrid and Sebastian, who live on the UWS.

Movie Night: "Juno" PG-13

Day 3: April 17th

International Center of Photography The Permanent Collection at ICP contains more than 100,000 photographs. The collection is strongest in its holdings of American and European documentary photography of the 1930s to the 1990s.

Earth Fair A free two-day festival features more than 50 business and non-profit exhibitors and lots of learning! Kids can participate in hands-on art projects, yoga demos, contests, and games, while adults enjoy samples, give-aways, and more. The festival takes place on Vanderbilt Avenue, along the west side of Grand Central.

Also, possibly meet-up with Carol and Noah, maybe at the Earth Fair.

Movie Night: "Lars and the Real Girl" PG-13

Day 4: April 19th

Newark Museum The Newark Museum, New Jersey's largest museum, invites you to enjoy unforgettable experiences in the arts and natural sciences. Take an inspirational journey through 80 galleries of world-class collections including American, Asian, African and Classical.

Harvest Moon Inn For dinner

Day 5: April 20th

Return to Ithaca and hang-out for day or two.

Randy Pausch Lecture: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

Randy Pausch, a 47-year-old computer science teacher who has terminal pancreatic cancer gives his last lecture. It's pretty long (74 minutes), but even the first 20 minutes are worth a watch. While watching this you can help (at least, I couldn't) drifting to the thought that this guy is dying as he speaks. He gave the lecture for his kids, so they'd have something to remember him by. Very inspiring.

Happy Birthday, Breana !!!

My niece turned seventeen yesterday and passed her drivers test. Congrats, Breana. Last year she purchased an orange VW bug and has been practicing driving with a learners permit during the entire year. My brother, her father, made her the car cake for her birthday that matches her car down to the license plate. And if you look close, you can see one of those dreaded orange driving test cones, near the rear of the car. How cute?

Jill Bolte Taylor's Stroke of Insight

Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor had an opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: One morning, she realized she was having a massive stroke. As it happened -- as she felt her brain functions slip away one by one, speech, movement, understanding -- she studied and remembered every moment. This is a powerful story about how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another.

I’m becoming more and more fascinated with the brain. Growing-up
“outer space” always seemed to be touted as the “new frontier”, but that concept has faded over the years. It seems, to me at least, that now the brain has filled this void. I recently purchased a few books about the brain, but haven’t gotten around to reading them. There are a lot of books being published about the brain recently, a lot related to happiness. The way I see it though, humans have created “machines” that are millions of times strong and smarter than humans, but they lack the humanity element that makes humans human. More insight and understanding of brain might help bring this added dimension to “machines”.

Also, my mother suffered brain damage during a car accident years back, and while she has since died, I always wondered how her perception of reality differed. It clearly did, but she never really talked about it. I'm not even sure she knew, but the video provides some evidence that she must have, except her injury was on the right side of the brain, not the left side, so it most likely wasn't the same experience described in the video.

Newark Art Scene

Newark has yet to develop a dense concentration of galleries that cater to walk-in clientele. Instead, its artists, like plants that thrive despite the absence of formal gardens, find ways to exhibit in unconventional spaces.

Republican Congressmen Scatter

They want to get re-elected in 2008.