Carousel

It's Friday! woo! I'm very very happy that it's Friday. It's been a long week for me and frankly Friday is the day to celebrate the release! Carousel is a little bit different today, but I think you'll like it anyway.

You blew your shot with Saint Peter when you blew Peter Saint. But hey, no worries. You can save your soul online at reserveaspotinheaven.com. For less than the cost of a couple of cocktails, you'll get a certificate of reservation, registered in the Book of Light; a first class ticket to paradise (why climb stairs when you can fly?); an official ID card; and the heaven 101 mini informational guide (find out what's really behind those pearly gates). A few more bucks and you'll have VIP access to the Big Guy and a pass that gets you to the Land of Milk and Honey as well as Thug Mansion, where the cool angels hang.

Got enemies? Ensure they burn for all eternity; sign them up for one-way tickets to firey damnation at reserveaspotinhell.com. Sound familiar? well they do to me...oh that's right, we've played this game before; indulgences.

For those of you in DC, I have found the deli shop! It's a great gourmet shop and I stumbled upon it (don't ask me how) the other day. The owner, Steve Gatward came stateside to set up a new shop after selling gourmet meat in the UK and Australia. It gets daily deliveries from regional producers (Amish sausages from Pennsylvania, anyone?). And Gatward is happy to oblige special requests (hungry for ostrich?) with a day's notice, and grind beef to order for burgers. The store also stocks marinades, mustards and sauces along with striped butchers' aprons from England. Go ahead and pair your feast with Napa's best pinot. It's called "Let's Meat on the avenue" 2403 Mount Vernon Avenue, at oxford Avenue, Alexandria (703-684-6328).

I have been craving a vacation, and today I indulged in my fantasy of the perfect Caribbean vacation. There are so many options, but here is one.

Let me tell you, Nicaragua is the New Costa Rica; gorgeous beaches, adventure activities and a killer exchange rate...(I don't necessarily agree wit their politics though). Now you won't find five-star resorts or boutiques, but you will find $10 meals, and $60 beachfront rooms. And if you prize getting there before the crowds while getting away from it all, you've arrived.

So you arrive in Managua and turn around: You'll want to catch the first tiny plane off the mainland. The Corn Islands, off the Atlantic coast, are two of the last bits of unspoiled paradise in the Caribbean.

The culture in Big Corn is more Nicaraguan local than European backpacker. You'll want to zip around in a $1 taxi to waterfront bars and homey restaurants. The islands' most luxurious hotel (king-size beds, infinity pool) is Casa Canada. Relax with a cold Tona (the national beer) and a $10 lobster at Anastasia's on the sea, the only over-water restaurant on the islands.

If the bustle of the Big Corn island is too much, take the 30 minutes roller-coaster boat ride to Little Corn island - and leave civilization behind. Casa Iguana is a neo-hippie resort with beachfront cabanas, board games, and hammocks galore. Kick back on the deck to watch the sunset or join a communal dinner in the no shoes allowed restaurant. Prefer to keep your sandals on? The veranda-fronted rooms at Hotel Los Delfines may look a little dated (dig the mirrored headboard) but they have all the creature comforts right in the heart of downtown (such as one exists).

For an island only one mile square, little corn offers a surprising variety of food.Credit Euro expat hoteliers, like the Italians at bio farm Farm Peace & Love and the French and the Spanish at Ensuenos. The best eatery, Habana Libre (+505-848-5412), Serves authentic Cuban food with the fastest service in the country. Order the slow-roasted pork in advance.

If you tire of the many white beaches (the best are on the north end) go underwater with a snorkeling or scuba trip. Dolphin Dive can help you explore the local reefs and spot giant turtles. Not so aquatic? Hit the dirt dance floor at the Happy Hut reggae club and try the Nicaraguan version of bottle service; coca-cola and a bottle of Flor de Cana rum for about $5.

A bathing suit and a good book aside, you won't need much on the Corn Islands, but bring plenty of cash - there are no ATMs. But with prices so low, you can afford to say an extra day or two.

Things I love thursday

The Washington Nationals — I know that they aren't the best team, but they're my team, and the first "real" baseball game I ever saw was with them.

Ice Cream — I can't help but love the guilty pleasure. I had ice cream yesterday at the baseball game that I went to...and it was delicious. I ate it up so quickly that I left fudge smeared all over my lips...worth every bit though.

Soft Sheets — My blankets are warm and inviting. I slipped into them last night and I don't think my head hit to the pillow before I passed out.

Cool mornings — It's getting very hot here since summer is on its way, but I love cool, misty mornings. It's not sweltering hot, but its not cold anymore.

Birds Chirping — I know lots of people hate the birds in the morning, but I actually don't mind them. They make me happy to listen to them, and prepare me for my day.

Red Cardinals — I woke up this morning, got dressed, and walked out to go to work...and I saw this bright red cardinal on a branch. It's the first one I've seen in the area this spring. It was also the first thing that I saw stepping out of my building, and it just made me smile. I've always loved cardinals.

Thinking the best of people — I like to think the best of the people around me. Or at least I try to. I know it's a bit naive...but sometimes, it's good to give someone a second look.

People that support — They will always find a way to tell me when I'm slacking off, or overreacting in just the right way for me to hear it. <3>

a certain young — "snotty", dark and deliciously intelligent gentleman that makes me laugh and feel better. Even when I don't deserve it.

Paper cranes — I knew how to do them perfectly ages ago, and then forgot...so I had to relearn it. I plan on doing something with them later...you'll see.

Video Mania — I love videos that make you laugh and just enjoy everything around you. Here are a few. Doki Doki!

Movie dream

There’s a new movie coming out with Eiko Ishioka's Costume design in it! I can't tell you how much I love Eiko Ishioka's designs...they are always unique and I find them immensely inspiring. The film is directed by Tarsem, who previously collaborated with Ishioka on the movie The Cell.

Events take place in a 1915 hospital, where a bedridden patient befriends a little girl with a broken arm and offers to tell her an adventure story about five men - an Indian adventurer, an African ex-slave, a masked bandit, an Italian bombmaker, and Charles Darwin (what? yes!). The girl is enthralled by the exotic tale, and waits eagerly for every new chapter. But the storyteller, a broken man emotionally and physically, has a dark motive for telling the tale: he wants her to steal something at the hospital in exchange for the story’s conclusion. Here is the trailer:



I did a quick Google search on when the film is coming out: nothing. I did a search for it on IMDB, and learned that it was completed in 2006. Hmm. That’s when I started digging into the YouTube comments. One guy writes that he saw it at a private screening in LA a week ago, and that they asked the audience to critique for the purpose of determining whether it will go on the big screen or on DVD. Another person writes that they have not yet found a distributor. And then there is this comment by Khan Higou:

"I spent a year working on post-production of this movie (in Paris);
I know every single image of this feature and believe me, it IS beautiful for
sure. And you Americans are not lucky about this independent movie
(self-produced, directed, even self-distributed, no big studio logo in front of
this trailer, did you notice…) ’cause I heard it has been rated R in the US; a
way to punish Tarsem everybody thinks here ’cause the movie is not that
violent"

Further research turned up one review that indicates that the film has not been sold for distribution due to scathing reviews at the Toronto Film Fetival. The reviewer writes that Zoe Bell (Death Proof) was the president of the jury that year. “(She was) seated two seats away from me quite enjoyed at least from what I could get from her reactions to the film while it was being shown.” Maybe she didn’t like it so much after all.

Maybe the ending is a little predictable, I admit the cell in terms of plot was pretty crappy...it was a bad movie...but seriously but the visuals look stunning! I want to see this - and I want to love it.

Death Bed...the bed that eats

I've been trying to catch up on some old cult classics, to expand my experience with movies. I came across the other day "death bed". I’m not sure how to explain what makes Death Bed: The Bed That Eats so special, or if I should even try. I certainly didn’t know anything about the film when it was first recommended to me (by some hairy-palmed weirdo lurking around the K.A.T video rental in Clarendon a few years back). Completed in 1977, this “forgotten horror classic” was never officially released. Legend has it that director George Barry had no idea anyone had even seen the picture until he Googled himself and found a bunch of websites raving about it. After 25 years, the company "Cult Epics" finally put it out on DVD.

Death Bed is definitely rave-worthy, but again, I'm at a loss to explain why without taking away some of the mystique. Here’s the overview from Cult Epics:

“At the edge of a grand estate, near a crumbling old mansion lies a strange
stone building with just a single room. In the room, a four-poster bed waits to
absorb the flesh, blood and life essence of unwary travelers…”

So it would seem the title is fairly self-explanatory. And yet there’s more to this story than just OM NOM NOM. Demonic elemental spirits for instance, and Timotei-haired beauties writhing in toxic yellow foam. Also, Aubrey Beardsley’s ghost is trapped in the wall and he won’t shut up.

See, now, I’ve already said too much! At this point, you’re either raring to rent it or you’ve grown bored and are scrolling back to the romantic tuesday column. Either way, I commend you.

But my heart belongs to daddy!

Today is a very special day. Not only because it's Earth Day (have you done something green today?), but also because it's my father's birthday! Happy Birthday Dad! I wish you the best in everything that you do, and today should be an amazing day! Love you

weekend review

Good Monday! Well, at least I hope. So how was everyone's weekend? I hope you all had a wonderful time, and if you took part of the Time Capsule Challenge Hurray!! Well lets not beat about the bush, today is Monday and that means a weekend review.

Friday 4-18:
Ah Fridays. I always love it when Fridays come around. Not because it's the end of the work week (even though that is an added bonus), but it's also the beginning of a short time period where things are abuzzing. This Friday I enjoyed a very good night with a couple of friends at Le Bar, which is in the lobby of Hotel Sofitel in DC. I had been there a while back...but unfortunately...don't' remember much of the journey. They've recently remodeled it (will not too recently), and it's website describes it as "modern cocktail bar meets art deco splendour". This isn't too far from the truth, though slightly exaggerated.

We went when there weren't that many people (it fills up pretty quickly at night), and could actually enjoy each other's conversation. Of course, we ordered food, since Le Bar has a pretty good menu. The service was a bit slow, but I imagine because the people that were there were just getting off their shift and the night-time arrivals hadn't shown up yet.

Apparently they have amazing martinis, and are renowned through the entire city as the martini place. You get a choice of many, including some of their signatures like "L'Enfant"-Which if I recall was vodka, chambord, grand marnier and lemon- and "The Marquis de Rochambeau" -which is vodka, dry vermouth, anchovies and olives. I'm not a major martini fan (though I don't mind them I suppose), and I was happy with my gin and tonics.

If you plan to go to Le Bar I will have to remind you that it's not necessarily the most economical of choices. It is on the pricey side, and in my opinion a bit over priced. But it's not horrible. I was perfectly willing to pay for my own drinks and food, but thanks to gallantry (and the fact that I was called a lady), I was treated to a spectacular night of good food, good drinks and good company.

Later on that night, I went home and in my moment of "inspiration" I created my time capsule. Unfortunately I don't have a digital camera, so I had to take a picture with my regular film. I'll upload it as soon as I get them developed. I then fell asleep to some amazing jazz, and a serenade.

Saturday 4-19:

Luckily I was not feeling as bad as my friends, so when I got up, I was feeling very ginger (oh ginger and Jo...how I love you). I found my finished time capsule and decided that today was the day that I would bury it somewhere in the city. Lord knows if anyone will find it. So I trotted off downtown, hid it (in an undisclosed area) and then went to go see a movie. Danearys endorses the movie: The counterfeiters! What an amazing movie. It's about the people behind the counterfeiting of several thousands worth in various currencies during the Nazi regime. It's moving, and truly shocking...but so well done. I don't want to give away anything about it, but I encourage everyone to go see it. Warning though: Since it's a German movie, there are subtitles...but I'm telling you....GO SEE IT!

Afterwards I went out with a few friends (with less partying, but fun nonetheless) to a nice Thai restaurant. It was the last day of Thai week, and I had to take advantage of the reduced prices! Yummy! Then it was back home for some movie time.

Sunday 4-20:

The first major thunderstorm of the warmer months woke me up. The lightning was so bright that it woke me right out of a deep sleep followed by such a loud clap of thunder, that I had to cover my ears. Beautiful! I love thunderstorms, and while yes I know that several people are afraid of them, and if I were stuck out in one I wouldn't be so keen on them, but they are truly nature's reminder of power. Apparently that very storm created tornadoes up in Prince Georges county in MD. It was a laid back day and I didn't do anything rigorous. I was supposed to go out with a couple of friends to go to the earth day celebrations on the mall, but I heard that they were canceled, due to the rain. Instead we went to the grocery store, developed a challenge for each other (I'll post on that later), and munched on ice cream and raspberries while watching dorky movies. What bliss is mine!

Overall, a very busy and full weekend. But one that I would never change. what about you? what did you do?

Time is a funny thing- review of the time capsules

First let me state how happy I am that some of you took me up on the challenge I presented to you all last week. It was the first time that I had actually done that and I was curious to see the turn out. It seems that a few of you did exactly that, here are some examples:

Eric:

"I'm a photographer, so film and my pictures are important to me. I took old containers and filled them with copied negatives of my favorite pictures and trinkets. I put them in one shoe box and buried it the park. I don't think anyone will dig it up, but even if they do. It'll be a time capsule of a moment in my life."

Mark:

"I had a bad break up. Actually I had several. So I made this. It's buried in my grandmother's attic. I'll pull it out at some point".

Pamina:

"I always liked my childhood. Remembering what made me happy."

Rachel:

"I didn't take any pictures of my time capsule but i put in it all the things that reminded me of high school. I hated that place. Maybe when I'm ready I'll go back and open it up. For the meantime, it's better off in the cow pastures"

Laura:

"We had just moved into a new (but old) house. My husband and I wanted to remove the linoleum flooring (which was ugly) and put down some carpet. When we started pulling it up we found perfectly preserved newspapers from the 1960's. We didn't want to disturb it, since they were originals. So we put down some of the newspaper headlines that we had lying around the house and did a shoddy job of re carpeting that area. We have a note for when we move out for the next family that lives here. It explains why we did such a bad job"

Sarah:

(no description)

Greg:

"I found these in my grandfather's basement when he died. They're old and past their expiration date. But I figure it'd be a good idea to keep them. It has fond memories attached to it"

Megeen:

"-always pads (hopefully in the future it'll be better for us girls)
-my play pearls from childhood.

-a letter to the person that opens it

-girl scout cookies (they'll rot away)

-a picture of the pope

-a recipe for brownies

-a picture of my hometown"

Tallayah:

"I didn't really have anything that I was willing to put into a time capsule. But I remembered that you said it could be for anything important to show change and how I was then. So I took a picture of me at that moment holding my dog. Put it in an envelope and hid it away. When I look back. I'll remember what was important."

Fatima:

"-rope

-a piece of a sail

-sand from my favorite beach

-a small shell

-a piece of a floaty

-a picture of my family fishing

-a picture of my home town on the coast of morocco. "

Mori:

" I filled up a chest full of my grandmother's things. I intend to wear them when I am old"

Frank:

" My wife died in childbirth, and the my baby girl died not long afterwards. This was a long time ago, back in 1953. I put everything that reminded me of her and of our times together into a box and gave it to a museum to do what they will with it. I don't know what happened, but I'd like to think that they're being saved for a time when people would like to look at back at the time when I was a young man. "

Carousel??????

Unfortunately today my dearests, there is no carousel. My links do not seem to be working, so I will have to fix that later. But, I have something else for you. A mission! Lately, as many of you know, I've been going through a strange phase where I have to make something. Well now it's your turn. Your mission this weekend is to make a time capsule. A time capsule (in case you didn't know) is a container (any container), full of odds and ends that you think represent you, your "time", or your generation. Actually it can really be anything. But, all time capsules are sealed for a certain amount of time, to be opened on some later date. You can open it, your children can open it...anyone can open it. It will be a connection from the past. Or as I like to view it a modern day treasure hunt YARR!

So....go on....make yours. Tell me what you put in it, or send me pictures and I'll post them up. Enjoy! You have your mission!

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Things I love Thursday

C'est jeudi, vous devrait être heureux ! Translation: It's Thursday, you should be happy! I am at least. I'm hoping I'll be able to spread this infectious joy to you. I woke up this morning with a strange feeling. I felt extremely restless (I actually still do feel really restless), but happy at the same time. Things are changing, I can sense it...though I have no idea what it will be.

Anywho....shall we begin?

The "no complaints" experiment- I heard about this through a friend of mine. I'm trying really really hard to give it a shot. The aim is to go 21 days without complaining (though you're allowed to complain if you then follow up with a solution of some kind). Whenever you complain you give yourself a physical change, so that you are aware of it. In my case, I'm using a bracelet. I'm going to switch the bracelet from one wrist to the the other whenever I hear myself having a moan. My goal is to keep the bracelet on one wrist for the whole 21 days.

Freedom- We are all free to be whoever we want. If you want to be a walking contradiction, a whirlwind, a mind bending Sphinx-like riddle, someone who is happy with themselves and doesn't answer to anyone else, you can be! Let criticism roll off your back. No one is stopping you but yourself.

Icing- I love icing on stuff: cupcakes, cakes, cookies, gingerbread houses. I love how you can manipulate it into anything. It is the combination of sugary-artsy-goodness.

Cookies- Especially Macaroons. Yummy!

Random notes- I like reading random things that I find on the floor or on the street. I know that a hygienist would call me insane for touching something that has been left on the dirty streets of DC, but it's interesting to see what you find and to make up stories behind it.

Balloons!- yes they make my happy. Sometimes I get the inexplicable urge to pounce on them.

Dreams- I had a dream last night that someone I really cared about told me that he didn't want to see me anymore. I asked him why and he said that I caused him too much pain and that he was tired of trying to deal with it. That dream hurt so much, but when I woke up I realized that I had to show people I appreciated them, and that...if I was hurting them, then I was sorry. I generally have better dreams than that, and most people would ask why I loved that dream. The honest answer I don't love the dream itself, but rather the message. It reminded me that I have to keep relationships clear of clutter, for both my own emotional well being and theirs.

Having lots to do- I don't like being busy for the sake of it, since I think that usually happens because we're fearful of being alone or feeling like we have no direction. But I love having lots of projects on the go, piles of juicy stimulation and exciting people around me. I have a head full of ideas and starry-eyed vision right now I know. I have so much to do this week, but I am totally amped about all of it!

Tree houses- I just like 'em. I have a vision of an apartment in a big city with a rooftop garden, lush and verdant...and a tree house in the corner. It will require a secret password for access.

Honourable mentions- chocolate for breakfast. Coco Chanel -she really had a lot of character. Betty page-my fascination still continues. Blue hair-oh how I wish. The gym-I know it's a real pain in the ass for me to get up, but I am trying to do the best for my body. Friends and family- The are support stones and help me to remain somewhat sane. Poetry-I've been reading a lot of poetry lately. It's been very therapeutic, and enlightening. EFT- I find that it works for a lot of things, and keeping on it really helps. My job- I love my job, hate the work. :) My office plant- is the pride of my office at the moment. It's very vibrant and alive. I'm trying to follow it's example.

Living between Wednesdays

I stole this title from another blog that I've been reading (it's called Living between wednesdays.blogspot.com) and I have to admit that it's quite appropriate. Wednesdays, more commonly known as hump days, are in-between-days. You're not quite at the end of the week, and you're not quite at the beginning either. For me it can be one of the most challenging days. Anyway, today I came into the office and Lo! I find material that I just had to share...for all you others pushing through the hump.

Ok, I know. Everyone and their granny has already blogged about this, but I just gotta chime in to quickly say that Garfield Minus Garfield is the most unexpected riot. Some old sage dude said something along the lines of "the greatest truths are the simplest, so likewise are the greatest men" and that tenet definitely applies here:

"Who would have guessed that when you remove Garfield from the

Garfield comic strips, the result is an even better comic about

schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and the empty desperation of modern

life? Friends, meet Jon Arbuckle. Let’s laugh and learn with him on a

journey deep into the tortured mind of an isolated young everyman as

he fights a losing battle against loneliness and methamphetamine

addiction in a quiet American suburb"

It's a shame that any attempt to make a Garfield Minus Garfield day-to-day calender would be cockblocked by copyright litigation. Hey I generally loathe day calendars. But seriously, I'd consider having an excuse to purchase and read the paper version of Garfield Minus Garfield every gosh darn day.

Dating Mr. Big

As I mentioned in my last post, I dated a guy who had lots of money. I'm talking about...lots. Now none of it was his money, it was all his family's...and even that I'm betting actually came from some scandal in his home country (I won't get into the politics of where his money came from). But my love affair with, I'll call him Andre, began one night when I answered the phone and a very bold, pleasing voice stuttered an awkward hello. I was flattered. I had met him at a small party held by another well-to-do friend of mine and I never thought I would receive a personal call from him. He was very smooth, and had a million and one women all over him at the party. So naturally I was shocked when he called me.

A whirlwind first date followed, and then a heady courtship that lasted on and off for a few months, until I found myself in a painful triangle with the woman who was to become his fiance. He's still out there I assume, splashing money about, if he hasn't been arrested for something. As for me, I've moved out on my own where I am working like a regular girl, in a regular life, in a regular city. While I've put Andre far behind me. I've never forgotten the lessons I learned from dating a big shot:

1. If a man asks you to meet him in New York for your first date, run- but not to New York.

Who doesn't love a bold romantic gesture? Just don't ignore the red flags: Andre did indeed pay for me to go to New York for our first date, later he bought me jewelry, and paid for a million and one things. Perhaps all of that blinded me to the difference between us, and the fact that he had recently broken up with his first fiance and was in no way ready for a relationship.

2. Greed is not good for a relationship.
I remember Andre saying things like "Thousands is not enough, I want to have more when I am on my own". Once he said he'd have to sell part of his "empire". OK, Obi-Wan. Too much success can give a guy confidence- which normally isn't bad, but so much so that they start dating multiple people because they think they deserve it. And that's exactly what Andre did.

3. If it seems like he has something to hide, trust your gut, he has something to hide. Andre was always very shady. He constantly was asking who strangers were and didn't like it when I helped other people because that made him nervous...and not in the good protective way but because he would then think I had something against him. Later on, experience proved that he was a pretty shifty guy that I really shouldn't have been involved in.

4. When friends don't have anything nice to say about your boyfriend, listen.

People, that weren't apart of Andre's "crowd", found him arrogant, cruel and cold. Even though they were my friends, and yes they weren't the top cream layer of DC, Andre would treat them with disdain. They were worth more than he was, and it showed he really had no respect for people.

5. You really can learn from every experience.

Andre encouraged me to improve myself, without changing exactly who I was; to never forget the lessons that my family had taught me, and I thank him for those things. I now know how to distinguish people that actually care for me and people that are just using me for something. He also made me realize that if you do something wrong it's important to own up to it early on, and I have learned the value of being loyal, not only to yourself, but to your friends and the people you care about.

Getting over the K-fed Syndrome

Good morning to you all. I am trying to be very good on the updating regular scheme, and getting back to all your emails and replying as much as I can. So in response to a gathering of emails that I received the other day, I'm making today "wake up romantic Tuesday". What is on today's menu? well now, you'll just have to see now won't you?

"I'm a nice guy that treats women well, and I wouldn't say I'm necessarily hideous. But can somebody explain to me why, for the sake of all nice guys, women keep dating these jerks?"

Oh boy, let me tell you. This one is tough and I get a lot of emails about it and I've written a few articles on the topic before. (They're all labeled under advice if you like). But I'll take a shot at explaining what I call the K-Fed Syndrome. Remember when Brittany spears was a symbol...and seemingly normal? Well, what the hell was it with Kevin Federline? After that I think everything went downhill from there. Anyway, I digress. K-Fed Syndrome...when a normal girl dates an asshole.

The best way to describe it is to use a story. Last week I went out to happy hour with my friend Rachel. I hadn't seen her in a while, so I didn't mind at all that she wanted to bring her boyfriend to drinks. The first thing she told me about him was "He's not as bad as he seems". Talk about an endorsement. When we walked into her apt, I saw this moderately good looking guy sitting on the couch. He rolled his eyeballs toward me, rolled them around my body, and then rolled them back toward the football game rerun on ESPN2. He reminded me of an annoying teenage boy. Throughout all of chatting and catching up, Rachel would do all these things for him, practically mother him. He complained he was hungry and when dinner was going to be. So to keep him busy while we drank our wine she brought him over a bowl of tortilla chips, salsa and chicken wings, and he responded with: "That's it?", and then eat it angrily. While it was nice to see her again, it was a pain to see her with someone like him, and the more I thought about Teenager Man on the train ride home, the more pissed off I got, because Stephanie isn't the only woman I know who gravitates towards dickweeds. I'll admit, I've been the one that has done this in the past. I have dated some people who, at the time were the apples of my eyes, but were probably not the best choice.

I used to date a rich guy, who came from a really rich family. He made sure that at least half of our conversations were about him, and how he has more talent in his little finger than anyone else we knew had in their entire body. At the time, I'm not sure he even knew what I did in my free time, or what I liked. Then there's my friend Mary, who's gorgeous, and her boyfriend seems to ogle every female in the room except her.

In all these cases, my friends have been in their relationships for so long that they don't even realize they're dating down. By this I don't mean dating a guy who's less successful- a woman could earn quadruple her guy's income and as long as he treats her well, I'm all for it. But if you've ever said what Rachel said to me recently - I just have to learn not to expect so much, emotionally- you are in danger. If you make excuses for him like I guess I wouldn't want a guy who's too romantic, and you're a romantic at heart, then you're dating down.

I've tried to understand this, and I went through all my memories of past relationships. I even asked lots of friends to get their input, and I can only say that it's the very smart, capable women who are moderately successful that date down precisely because they're used to being successful. I'll quote someone: "I just figure I can turn any bad situation around by trying harder. It's a vicious cycle: Once you date a few bad apples, you come to think that's all you can expect. You get demoralized, and that just attracts more of the wrong kind".

This is what I've got to say: no...you are not supposed to want to FIX the person that you date. Sure change is good, and it's inevitable in a couple, but stop trying to fix someone. Also, remember relationships aren't supposed to suck. They are hard, and they need constant work. But they are not supposed to downright suck. You deserve to be loved, to be paid attention to, to gaze across the room, see your boyfriend and think God, am I lucky to be with that guy, and know that he's thinking the same thing about you. If you ever feel like you're not getting that out of your relationship; that mutual happiness then it's time to get out.

As I write this one of my friends, relates to me his experience with having been the loser boyfriend. "When I was dating Alison, I still had some growing up to do. One night she was trying to talk about how our relationship might be more satisfying for both of us if we communicated better. And I actually asked her, 'Can we talk about this during the commercials? 24's on now'. I wanted the sex and the companionship that came with having a girlfriend- but not the work. I wish now that Alison had told me to go home and watch my own TV, but instead she sighed and said, 'Ok'. While my behavior was never her fault, she might have been surprised at what a good kick in the ass would have done for me. Luckily the next few women I dated gave me just that, and I shaped up considerably. That's why I say to any girl, my future girlfriend included: if you want me to be an excellent boyfriend, accept nothing less".

Now while this is all very very moving, and empowering...I encourage you all to stop before you go on a power pout. Think about what you want and what is achievable. It's great if men could become godlike, but they aren't gods...and it's unfair to want them to be. If you're with a good guy now, and say he doesn't get to see you all the time, be sure you tell him, but remember that he's trying his best probably. Decent guys will try to make improvements but they can't accomplish Herculean efforts. Sure you can always find prettier, handsomer, skinnier, sexier, wiser, richer, younger or zippier. But more often than not, one might learn the most, laugh the loudest, and smile the widest with those they've already found, especially when they stop looking elsewhere. And guys, remember the same goes for you. Follow the greatest rule: do to others, what you'd like to be done to you.

Weekend Review of 4-11 to 4-13

Well it's Monday. And I have to admit that I'm not very excited about the fact that I have to get back to the working world. But, I like being able to buy food so I must work.

Friday 4-11: I went to a semi formal on Friday night, to celebrate the AePi organization. I don't know how else to describe besides calling it fun and full of nostalgia. I wore my very simple, Marylin Monroe type dress, and felt very much like a cupcake... pretty and tasty as it's been such a long time since I've dressed up. There was dancing and good fun all around, not to mention I got to spend the evening with some of the best people I know. The picture to the left is of one of my favourite couple friends. They looked so good.

Saturday 4-12: One of my friends couldn't celebrate his birthday on the weekend or on Friday. So his girlfriend threw a surprise birthday party at her house. We all bought something to drink and waited in silence, trying not to give away the surprise part until the right moment. It went off without a glitch and the party was a lot of fun. Seriously though, what isn't awesome about a party, big hats, cigars, pipes, wine and cake? Party quote of the night, spouted by a girl that nobody knew, and that no one had any idea how she showed up at the party: "Ew the dog farted...I guess it's not so bad. You guys should smell mine".

Here is a picture of my friend J coming into the house. You can't really see him, but his reaction was priceless...if not a bit delayed.

What's not awesome about big hats? who can forget the lovely ladies of the house?

Sunday 4-13: I woke up with a raging headache. and enjoyed some good post-party Chinese food. The rest of the day consisted of napping, and cleaning. Before passing out again to wake up on time for work. Which is today.

Overall this weekend was a lot of fun. I wish that all of you could have been to all the social events I attended and that, mis amigos, we would have long conversations about practically anything. What did you guys do?

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Yay! It's the end of the week. Let me tell you, I am excited about it. It has been a very very long week for me and now that I can somewhat breathe, I can enjoy my weekend. As such, I'm starting it with a kooky selection of carousel works for you.

Thanks to my job, I have been working very closely with facebook applications (unfortunately I cannot tell you what applications I am making). Now, I'm not a financial analyst, but if I had to point out the one Achilles Heel of Facebook, it's this:
Brands can basically advertise for free on the site by creating "applications" that ostensibly function as ads.

Witness the "TopShop Fashion Fix" application, where every time you click, a new stream of TopShop outfits are unloaded onto your screen - then you vote on your favorites, and challenge your friends to do the same. There are hundreds of others, but the latest is particularly interesting: The Louis Vuitton application.

You send Louis Vuitton "gifts" to your friends - basically just graphics of expensive and very branded LV merchandise - then wait for them to do the same thing back to you. The more "gifts" you get, the more Louis Vuitton stuff appears on your profile - and the more "gifts" you send, the more new "merchandise" you're allowed to preview.

Setting up this application probably cost the Louis Vuitton people $5000 - assuming they hired an outside techie and didn't get the LVMH in-house computer team to design it. Meanwhile, they'll make hundreds of thousands of virtual dollars back in brand extension, product placement, and the priceless experience of getting young men and women to interact with their brand, even if they're not setting foot in an LV boutique.

I'd go so far as to say Facebook is losing money by allowing branded applications to exist on its network. But whatever, as long as I can play facebook stalk, I don't really care.

This weekend, Variety ran a smirky story, about Sacha Baron Cohen, the artist formerly known as Borat (and also Ali G, yo!), whose latest prank is playing Bruno, a flamboyantly gay fashion reporter from an unknown chiffon wonderland.

According to the Hollywood trade paper, several odd incidents involving a foreign fashion writer have been written up in local crime logs and also reported by regional Associated Press bureaus. Looks like he's got everyone fooled, though it's not like he's made a trip to Fashion Week. Meanwhile, I am hoping that Borat's wife, Isla Fisher, is part of this whole practical joke, and that's why she's wearing the stupidest outfit ever for her next movie, Shopaholic. Sadly, it doesn't seem to be a prank.

Quote du-jour: "If she comes past the shop, hopefully she'll just keep walking...I don't really covet that sort of thing." - Alexander McQueen, on Paris Hilton

In Bold political moves, Tanzanian president condemns witch doctors for harvesting albino body parts.

Eight sex myths….interesting.

Media lovefest with Obama continues: ABC goes to Iraq, finds the three soldiers who support Obama, and then declares military is supporting him for president. That’s some fine reporting there, Lou.

At a Maine high school, students will be required to complete 40 hours of community service, 10 hours a year, to graduate. “I don’t think we should have it at all. We have enough to handle”. Shut up, you whiny complaining people.

If you can’t sleep…why not listen to cold play, or read a book about celebrities.

Sect’s rights violated for sex-rights violations.

One of Japan’s top bloggers makes regular “meet the fans” tours. His website gets 50,000 hits a day…but he’s a cat.

The FBI leaves you alone in the interrogation room. Do you A) Keep quiet? B) Ask for a lawyer? Or C) scream at your accomplice for messing up the plan? (with video goodness).

Bulk purchase of eggs and ketchup by persons under 18 years of age banned by Nanny State town to prevent “anti-social behavior”.

State senator gets a speeding ticket in a school zone the same day that he proposes legislation to increase the fine for speeding in a school zone. Oops!

The next bond…Latin America + Emo + self-stunts?

Schoolgirl says she was beaten up over her anti-illegal-immigration poster. School surveillance tape shows her beating herself up.

Things I love thursday

Has Thursday already come so quickly? This week has been fairly chaotic on the work front. Very very busy, and I have been running around doing everything I can to keep up. But I will make it up to you all next week. I would like to thank you guys for your comments and wanted to explain my comments section. Because I want this page to load up smoothly, I have refrained from posting everyone's comments. It's not that I don't appreciate them, and I read all of them. The reason I posted two comments the other day, was because I wanted to test something. So let me repeat, because I don't post them doesn't mean that I don't read them; I don't favor one reader from the other I promise. So now, onward to Thursdays!

bands, singers, DJ's...and just musicians in general. As most of you know, I am a music junkie. I chase new music and am willing to listen to anything. I was going through my massive storage of music and I realized, that I adore musicians. They make music, which I add to the soundtrack of my life. I have so much, and I don't think I nearly have enough. Give me more!

Food. "D: I do not eat soup for breakfast. G: I eat soup everyday, because I remember when I had no soup". I've been thinking about how incredibly lucky I am to have enough money to enjoy the food that I eat. I love food, and I think it comes from the very Latin side of me that you express so much through food. If you love someone, you want to make something for them. Because metaphorically speaking, you want to nourish them...what's the most basic? Give them food of course!

People who love me. Yes, I love people who love me. Because no matter how much I fight them, or no matter how I change, they will always love me.

Learning. I'm not the world's center for knowledge. I wish I was, but I'm not. So I'm always out to learn more and more about the world. There are some subjects that I know more about; but some that I don't know anything really. One of those is math...I think I'm going to look through my old math books and see if I can't relearn some of the things that I've forgotten.

Spoofs. Things like SNL (Saturday Night Live) make me laugh. Yes, some of the things I don't agree with, but laughing takes a lot of stress away from the day.

Washington D.C: I love this city. Yes it doesn't have the reigning nightlife and highprofile-ness of New York, nor does it have the eccentricities of San Fransisco. It doesn't have as much history as say Paris, or an international business-house like London. But I love it. It will only grow more, and there is so much room for potential. Plus, it's a politics town, and I like learning the "politics" of Washington d.c. Also, I have my vices...and one of them is pride...I love being able to grumble to myself in the metro, when I'm bogged down by tourists, "Move people, We have a country to run".

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Hello! welcome to the last day of the week where you can go home tonight and do whatever it is that you want to do! I have some things to keep you occupied...enjoy!

An apple a day makes Hermes Ok? I really do eat an apple every day, or at least some form of round fruit. But I usually just throw it in the depths of my bag and hope it's still ok when I go searching for it at three in the afternoon. Hermès doesn't think that's a great idea. In fact, they've gone so far as to develop a separate purse for my apple. They’ve just launched a new section on their website called, “travel the world of hermes”. You can watch videos, (some awkward but some with very good looking people), read illustrated storybooks and watch the computer add color to a blank silk scarf.

As you can see the slideshow below displays the granny-smith-apple-green, lambskin apple holder with stainless steel lining. And of course it comes with a horn-handled knife for snack time. A little apple shoulder purse might be adorable for a 12 year old’s allowance, but I’m guessing that this is just a bit out of an adolescent’s price range….and mine.

The Saudi king says: Let’s get Arab Muslims, Jews and Christians together in Riyadh and peacefully talk about God. Saudi top religious figure replies: Sure, but no Jews.

Police nab burglar playing dead at funeral home.

London marathon runners warned that, although they are allowed to carry a shield and a spear, they are not allowed to use them to hunt any cows they come across.

Kennedy had a stadium named after him. Reagan has an airport. Where will Bush have his name emblazoned? In San Francisco, it looks like that honor will go to a sewage plant.

Police investigating complains that a man placed a “get off my lawn” device on his home. And simply because I love you all, I have the clip right here too:

Man tries to cash check at bank, check bounces. Man decides the logical next step is to rob the bank.

After a traffic stop, police officers call registered owner of a car for verification. Owner promptly calls back and tries to buy crack.

She apparently talks to animals…it’s amazing what you hear when you’re connected to animals’ brainwaves. I wonder what my dog would say.

Interviews with billionaire publishers are generally pretty boring- until one starts talking about his fondness for whores, his crack addiction, and then confesses to killing a man.

Man discovers that “pretty” lady is a “strong” male. Pays him to leave. Also discovers his cell phone’s missing. Goes to cops to lay charges. Then it gets weird.

Man believes dead wife is contacting him from beyond the grave…on her mobile phone. She calls him, calls him anytime, calls him any day or night. Calls him…he’s a Blondie fan too

Problem: thieves are stealing flowers from graves
Solution: install a surveillance camera
New Problem: thieves steal surveillance camera

I was looking at a magazine the other day and I saw a beautiful picture of a flashy model, who was giving me the gorgeous model stare through the camera lens. And then I scrolled down....

Seriously? Does france have an april fool's day? Crocs? I find those about as sexy as the burger king in a bikini...no thank you.

A quote: "If I gain more than two or three pounds, like I have right now, I’m going to eat vegetables tonight. I don’t ever cut out vodka and tonics. My trick is that if I eat vegetables at night three or four days in a row, I quickly snap back to my ideal weight." --Tom Ford to Prestige magazine.

I wish it was a joke...but it's not. Giorgio Armani (yes boys the one that makes Armani suites) makes roller skates now.
1. If any designer's making roller saktes- shouldn't it be Heatherette?

2. The new business plan - the one where he refrains from sticking his name and logo on everything in order to re-establish himself as a luxury instead of mass market brand- was introduced less than six months ago. So has it not started yet or did they just ditch the idea?

3. Why don't they come collaged with pictures of Beckham rocking his Armani briefs?

4. Does Giorgio himself roller skate through the streets of Milan? Because I would love to see that.
5. Who, exactly, is the target consumer for this $425 product? I'm dying to know.

I recently was wandering accross the art section of the Web (and by that I mean just looking through the galleries at various museums) and came accross this one at the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo. I was floored, immediately. It's called Women Observing Stars. It was made in 1936 by Chou Ota, a Japanese artist. Not only for the time was it strange for anyone in Japan but a scientist to have access to a telescope, but the presence of a teleschope in such a traditionally-executed piece was remarkable enough; it's an inflitrator. Hard geometric lines clash with soft, flowing figures. But it was the main observer's fixed gaze that drew me in. Hands firmly gripping the mechanism, she seems completely removed from teh rest of the grou, lost in the starts, so to speak. I love it. You should too:

This game is maddening. I love playing it though. It’s not hard, but see how far YOU can go.

Acno's Energizer Help Acno clear a level by moving the balls into the energizer.

Play this free game now!!