Alex's new book
Cyrus Klinenberg was also in attendance because he's an alert fan:
Although he got distracted at one point and started playing baby whisperer to mother on the verge of delivery Sue Murray:
Sounds healthy...Sounds CUTE!
It's inevitable that your son morphes into you at some point - here's a physical example:
Congrats on your book, Alex!
Rest easy. I've found it:
World's smallest handrail:
* New School bldg on 12th St.
Thanks to my Aunt Suzi for this photo!
Two of my favorite people go head to head!!
This is hilarious. He's a pretty good rapper (watch out Eminem) and has some great rhymes too:
P.S. I just watched this 5 times in a row and I'm considering squaring that and watching it 25 times!!!
P.P.S. For a deservedly more in-depth treatment of Weird Al, check out my friend Cameron's post.
While celebrating Arianna's new book On Becoming Fearless
Arianna spoke, Paul Hipp sang:
And we posed with a chandelier - it's simply good PR:
I usually don't like themed parties, or rather, I was never that girl that got super into it and hoped everyone else would too but I have to admit, it certainly changes up the environment and gives your eyeballs a treat! Jonah and I cheated because we had just been to Arianna's book party so were dressed up.
Slim Jims'll keep you slim and happy!
And gross:
Jonah and his new company's science advisor! Are they ahead of the curve or in trouble??!!
For the record and total transparency, I would have worn these green tights in the 7th grade when I went through a psychadelic colored Benetton clothing phase - I would have paired it with a magenta top:
Sssshhh, don't tell:
Hey, let's hang out in the kitchen! It always was the most fun place at house parties:
These boots are made for sitting:
Oh dear. Do you prefer the armpit-baring flex?
or the more civilized flex? Or no flex at all? That's ok too.
Oh my gosh, Bud Light is sooooooo good!
Hey qt!
HEY QT!
Interested in preserving your ethnic identity by getting plastic surgery? You're in luck. Dr. Kwan is passionate about preserving ethnic identity through plastic surgery or rather, passionate about helping his wannabe-Caucasian clients rationalize their actions by deluding them into believing they're preserving their ethnicity. And making tons and tons of money while perpetrating the delusion.
Yeah! Don't misinterpret! When an Asian woman wants a crease in her eyelid that didn't exist all her life, it's just to preserve her ethnicity. And when she wants her nose bridge raised and her nostrils narrowed, that's called ethnic preservation!
Ooooh, that's good! Using the Asian model minority status to make Asians feel good and empowered about being wealthy and hence a justifiably sizeable percentage of people who have plastic surgery!!
Any thoughts on this bullshit?
Through thick and thin (stealing a cab from someone who was clearly there before you and wife beatings), JC Loves U.
If you laugh at this you're a bad, bad person*
* It's not so bad being a bad person.
"...death begins in the colon. Don't believe it? Ask any coroner. Autopsies often reveal colons that are plugged up to 80 percent with waste material." - Vegetarian Times, March, 1998
Oh, those vegetarians!
I have to admit that the idea of 'cleaning myself out' is enticing however I also understand the counterpoint that your intestines aren't your kitchen, as in something to clean out and organize.
* Thanks to everyone who shot me up with knowledge this weekend as I went from party to party, spreading the cheer and the question, "To colonic or not to colonic?"
** I've exercised rare restraint by not listing names of friends who contributed to this discussion. I suppose I can understand that not everyone would appreciate their google name searches yielding 'colonic conversation contributor' results.
Interspersed through photos of last last Saturday night are photos of the Old Police Building on Centre St. which we were across the street from half of the evening, sitting/standing on a fire escape and is the building that if I had my wish, would be my residence.
* Those of you who picked up on the title of this post as being a Grateful Dead song, congratulations, you're also a hippie.
These horses belong to people who live near the bottom of our ranch (like how I subtly made us sound better and them lesser?) but I like taking pictures of them as if they're ours.
Pretty right? I mean the horses.
Hey, pretty lady...
Sometimes fouls sleep laying down:
Even if it looks really scary and the other horses seem concerned, don't panic.
Psst. Photography tip: If you forget to zoom out before taking a photo you might just end up with a masterpiece on your hands:
* Labor day weekend '06
...like this one of friend and blogger Katy!
I think the issue of our elderly parents and how to take care of them (or not) is a fascinating topic because of how differently people of different cultures view it yet are increasingly adopting a US like approach. But is that the best approach? Are we happier? What's the right balance?
What do you think?
My friend Hannah and her husband and baby went to Maine for a little family vacation and brought back these souvenirs for me! Ranked in order of my affection.
Love this guy like I love Hurley
My new art gallery-going friend:
Birds
I declare today September 20 to be the first ever "International Ban Booger Picking in Public Day". The impetus for this much needed declaration was the major offender sitting right next to me in the New School Quiet Room today. He was a well-dressed Asian guy who nearly made me vomit by using his index finger, with the occassional use of his thumb for leverage, to mine for gold. And then he rolled gold. It was amazing to what depths even I, who likes gross things more than most, can be grossed out.
The way to make this work is by shaming offenders. There have been numerous studies on shaming as the most effective way to curb behavior. Numerous. So when you see someone's fist up their nostril, scream, point and yell, "Booger picker! Booger picker! Booger picker!!!" And they will thank you. And the world will be a better place.
P.S. Asians, you aren't exempt from this ban. Sorry. Actually, you need to be more vigilant because there are clearly some propensities there.
Reading this excerpt, I laughed out loud thinking a) that's funny! and b) I'm going to choke on my vomit when my future child describes a relationship she has as "friends with benefits".
People reading Kant, Hegel and Kierkegaard dress in all black.
P.S. Here's a great joke for people who know makeup and will enjoy conjuring images of Hotty Depp:
Q: What makeup do pirates like using to create their smokey-eyed, exotic and dangerous look?
A: NAARRRRRRS.
Thanks to Annie Maxwell for letting us know about this special day. Aarrrggg Annie, aaarrrrggg!
It was the 50th anniversary party for the ranch and we were partying!
And I knew I wouldn't have to handle any of my problems that day (located in my grandmother's bathroom):
It looked like we had company!
And more company!
It was a ____ caught in __________!
We drove down to the lower ranch where the party was on the back of my grandmother's truck. I have so many childhood memories of riding in the back of her truck - too many cousins to fit in the front and she preferred us in the back anyway. As a 30 year old, it physically hurt a bit more than I remembered:
Trees and sky. Wasn't so into it when I was a teenager but now I'm an aficionado:
Run Penny 2!
Penny 2 as always, ran like the wind and followed us. The origins of her name will be divulged tomorrow.
Poison oak. When my brother lived at the ranch during a brief stint in high school he got a poison oak rash in a less than ideal place. Jonah asked him, "what were you doing, Ed?" Silence.
Me and the lady of the mountain, my grandmother Carol Harner, aka Nahna. If I'm as fiesty as she is in her mid-80s I will be delighted...and fiesty.
Jonah rocking at Carol's Country Club:
Nahna set up an incredible little museum of 50 years of ranch memorabilia. Uncle Mark, a museum goer:
Some other museum goers:
Cute. At least what I consider cute:
Introducing my Aunt Suzi who always means business. And by that I mean family business. She has never, not even once, not sent me a birthday card, graduation card, etc. Yay Aunt Suzi!
The lower pond:
Cousin love - we're a family of visor heads:
There are old trailers laying around:
Jonah and mini trailer for size:
Inside the trailer-camper is a little spot for a spot of tea:
We also have a fine display of racist art - come check it out sometime!
Mother and daughter photos never tire! (for mother and daughter at least...)
Hanging out:
Aiden! You've got a big stick!
Guy with gun on right. Guy with fanny pack on left:
It was so hot this was the closest we could get without feeling heat:
Hello. My name is Mark.
More hanging out:
My dad the Rockstar Energy drink-drinking cowboy:
Gettin' dangerous on the ATV:
Where's Jonah?
Uncle Mark on an ATV date:
My dad is a gun-shooting conservative:
Jonah is a gun-shooting liberal:
My brother Ed is a middle of the road, nearly naked spectator:
Cousin Jessica holding the Chuck It
The ball is chucked and Gracie is in the weeds and barely breathing:
Eyes always on the prize:
Good dog!
Amazing Gracie, you are ready for your close up and a rest!
Jonah's sick of pictures and ready for a rest too:
At the end of the day we went to the hippest cafe in town. Well, the hippest cafe that stays open until 8 pm.
Happiness is Mariposa, CA indeed!!
Thanks for the fun times, family!
* Labor Day Weekend 2006
Over Labor Day weekend I heard all the weird and frightening details about the eighteen year old Austrian girl who was kidnapped and held for over eight years in a windowless cell and then now I hear about the fourteen year old girl who was kidnapped and held for ten days until she snuck a text message to her mom that consequently saved her. Craziness.
Makes me think of a great book I read a few years back. It's about...guess what? A guy who kidnaps a girl and keeps her for a long while and all the mind games and tortures that ensue. If you're drawn to this morbid stuff and prefer it served to you well-written, you'll love The Collector by John Fowles
We touched down in Oakland and within an hour our eyeballs were feasting on this!
Then my paws were all over it:
And then my mouth cavity was all into it:
For the record, In n Out burgers are my favorite burgers.
And I really don't need to be challenged on this.
* Near Oakland airport over Labor Day weekend 2006.
Be prepared to be amazed but feel sick to your stomach:
It's not surprising that he died in 1999 at age 35.
via Kottke.
In the hot field of behavioral economics another interesting article has been written and tells us that most people have strong 'loss aversion' which often makes us lose out on beneficial, risky opportunities.
A new and awesome addition to the corner of 23rd & 10th Ave is this piece of art. Talk about something to look at and think about...
*"The Memory of Truth" by Ligorano/Reese at the Jim Kempner gallery.
On Becoming Fearless
"Women have so much potential, yet we hold ourselves back. If my daughters, and women of all ages, are to take their rightful place in society, they must become fearless." For Arianna who entered Cambridge as a woman with a thick Greek accent, to running for California governor to switching political parties and becoming a Web entrepreneur, fear is certainly something that hasn't stopped her. Fear is universal but overcoming fear is an individual journey. My goal is "etre bien dans sa peau" which Arianna mentions in her book as what the French call "to feel good in your own skin". Let's all try just a little harder to overcome our fears and to fulfill our dreams fearlessly!
To see and hear the fearless woman in person visit the Union Square Barnes & Noble for her book signing tonight at 7 pm and say I sent you!
The OCD terrier is my favorite:
Thanks to Nicole from Vancouver for the link!
Peter SAAAAARRRsgAAAARRRRd.
Last night I dreamed that Jonah and I had lunch with Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Saarsgard and then we went to hear a string quartet in a beautiful little garden that reminded me of Paris. They were really nice, we had a great time and we all looked forward to getting together again.
Because of this dream I feel justified for now having fond feelings for them.
I'll always feed you David Sedaris, my readers.
Memo: If you go to a Barnes & Noble cafe hoping to read your psychology homework, it probably won't happen. There will inevitably be two people on their first-date and you will not be able to resist the real-life psych material that the conversation provides! On one hand it was so painful to watch the awkward body language and to hear the even more awkward repeated usage of words and phrases to fill space. On the other hand it was delicious to my senses and I had to stop when realized I was doing nothing but eavesdropping for almost an hour.
P.S. The guy was into the girl and the girl wasn't into the guy.
In response to the most asked question by my readers, "what desk and chair system can we buy for your blog studio, Andrea?" my answer is the Aura offered by Poetic Tech.
It's modest:
Has its own air circulation system:
Chair rotation system:
All for a modest $6000.
I.....'m waiting!!! Still waiting.
Thanks to Alex Reppen for introducing me to this little puppy!
If you move both your little eyeballs to the right, you'll notice a new kid on the block. Thanks to fun web work with Ann, I now have a section for my video projects - enjoy!
Walking home on Saturday night Jonah asked me if I had a choice to either die in my sleep or to be told I had a short while to live, which would I prefer? Of course our respective preferences were immediately clear as day to each other but we still enjoyed discussing (those of you who find yourselves bored, try discussing a topic - fun times!). Jonah argued for the latter choice which would enable you to say your goodbyes and I replied horrifyingly, "I don't even like to say goodbye at parties!! Do you think I want to say goodbye forever??!!" But then he said, "what if people wanted to say goodbye to you?" and my ego kicked in thinking it might be cool to hear some good stuff about you before you die but alas I would, in no uncertain terms, choose the 'death in sleep' option whereas Jonah would choose the 'time to say goodbye' option. And that's the fundamental difference between us.
What would you choose and why??
If you like this post, digg it!
A great piece from The Economist: In-flight announcements are not entirely truthful. What might an honest one sound like?
"GOOD morning, ladies and gentlemen. We are delighted to welcome you aboard Veritas Airways, the airline that tells it like it is. Please ensure that your seat belt is fastened, your seat back is upright and your tray-table is stowed. At Veritas Airways, your safety is our first priority. Actually, that is not quite true: if it were, our seats would be rear-facing, like those in military aircraft, since they are safer in the event of an emergency landing. But then hardly anybody would buy our tickets and we would go bust.
The flight attendants are now pointing out the emergency exits. This is the part of the announcement that you might want to pay attention to. So stop your sudoku for a minute and listen: knowing in advance where the exits are makes a dramatic difference to your chances of survival if we have to evacuate the aircraft. Also, please keep your seat belt fastened when seated, even if the seat-belt light is not illuminated. This is to protect you from the risk of clear-air turbulence, a rare but extremely nasty form of disturbance that can cause severe injury. Imagine the heavy food trolleys jumping into the air and bashing into the overhead lockers, and you will have some idea of how nasty it can be. We don't want to scare you. Still, keep that seat belt fastened all the same.
Your life-jacket can be found under your seat, but please do not remove it now. In fact, do not bother to look for it at all. In the event of a landing on water, an unprecedented miracle will have occurred, because in the history of aviation the number of wide-bodied aircraft that have made successful landings on water is zero. This aircraft is equipped with inflatable slides that detach to form life rafts, not that it makes any difference. Please remove high-heeled shoes before using the slides. We might as well add that space helmets and anti-gravity belts should also be removed, since even to mention the use of the slides as rafts is to enter the realm of science fiction.
Please switch off all mobile phones, since they can interfere with the aircraft's navigation systems. At least, that's what you've always been told. The real reason to switch them off is because they interfere with mobile networks on the ground, but somehow that doesn't sound quite so good. On most flights a few mobile phones are left on by mistake, so if they were really dangerous we would not allow them on board at all, if you think about it. We will have to come clean about this next year, when we introduce in-flight calling across the Veritas fleet. At that point the prospect of taking a cut of the sky-high calling charges will miraculously cause our safety concerns about mobile phones to evaporate.
On channel 11 of our in-flight entertainment system you will find a video consisting of abstract imagery and a new-age soundtrack, with a voice-over explaining some exercises you can do to reduce the risk of deep-vein thrombosis. We are aware that this video is tedious, but it is not meant to be fun. It is meant to limit our liability in the event of lawsuits.
Once we have reached cruising altitude you will be offered a light meal and a choice of beverages—a word that sounds so much better than just saying ‘drinks’, don't you think? The purpose of these refreshments is partly to keep you in your seats where you cannot do yourselves or anyone else any harm. Please consume alcohol in moderate quantities so that you become mildly sedated but not rowdy. That said, we can always turn the cabin air-quality down a notch or two to help ensure that you are sufficiently drowsy.
After take-off, the most dangerous part of the flight, the captain will say a few words that will either be so quiet that you will not be able to hear them, or so loud that they could wake the dead. So please sit back, relax and enjoy the flight. We appreciate that you have a choice of airlines and we thank you for choosing Veritas, a member of an incomprehensible alliance of obscure foreign outfits, most of which you have never heard of. Cabin crew, please make sure we have remembered to close the doors. Sorry, I mean: ‘Doors to automatic and cross-check’. Thank you for flying Veritas.”
I tear up imagining his sweet morning ritual - brushing out his locks, one stroke, two strokes, 100 brush strokes, encasing the heart and soul of his rattail and voila, leather and feather extensions!
* From Coney Island '03. I saved this photo for years, just waiting for that right time and I know you're thinking, she really picked the right time to share this with us! You're welcome.
** More on rattails.
An interesting New York Times article on our desire to be famous. This is not only interesting because it tackles the most interesting question of human psychology but also because I just started taking two pyschology courses in preparation for grad school!
---
Mental Health & Behavior
The Fame Motive
By BENEDICT CAREY
Published: August 22, 2006
Money and power are handy, but millions of ambitious people are after something other than the corner office or the beach house on St. Bart�s. They want to swivel necks, to light a flare in others� eyes, to walk into a crowded room and feel the conversation stop. They are busy networking, auditioning, talking up their latest project � a screenplay, a memoir, a new reality show � to satisfy a desire so obvious it is all but invisible.
What�s the formula for fame? Some write fictionalized memoirs, like James Frey, top; others, like Paris Hilton, above, become famous for, well, simply being famous.
�To be noticed, to be wanted, to be loved, to walk into a place and have others care about what you�re doing, even what you had for lunch that day: that�s what people want, in my opinion,� said Kaysar Ridha, 26, of Irvine, Calif., a recent favorite of fans of the popular CBS reality series �Big Brother.� �It�s strange and twisted, because when that attention does come, the irony is you want more privacy.�
For most of its existence, the field of psychology has ignored fame as a primary motivator of human behavior: it was considered too shallow, too culturally variable, too often mingled with other motives to be taken seriously. But in recent years, a small number of social scientists have begun to study and think about fame in a different way, ranking it with other goals, measuring its psychological effects, characterizing its devoted seekers.
You don't know what pressure is, people! reads the invisible thought bubble out of Princess Kiko's head.
* This news is late to grace this blog because it takes three days for news to travel from Japan to NYC.
Whether this is real or part of a sketch show, it's pretty funny in a mean, mean way:
Thanks to KO for this high brow piece of art!
Someone loves ice cream and she's in this picture:
Andrea, Edward and an unidentified, curious party at Hanauma Bay:
Syuri wins cutest smile:
Edward gets an A for effort:
It's easy to miss Hawaii:
My preferred applied sunscreen pattern:
Syuri and her band:
Girl power:
Gross power:
You can never be too old to harass nostrils:
Or youthful cheeks:
Nahna's glasses represent!
Introducing the newleyweds, The Hams:
Thanks to my godbrother Hiromi Yoshida for the cds of pics!
Back in NYC...just in time for the Washington Square Park Star Wars Kid Convention!
...and we are headed back to NYC. Thanks to aviation technology for making this possible and to Court TV and Animal Planet for making it a joy.
Who's going to be eliminated on Project Runway tonight??!!
Last week our friend Annie Maxwell came over to watch the show and it was then that we wrote our guesses for the final three contestants - so far so good but will our cute little time capsules make it past tonight??!! Only sweet sweet time will tell...
Alright, people. It's....back to school time!!! Lesson #1: How to Roll a Blunt
Now this is the kind of entrepreneurial spirit I like! Take a common human problem (ie blunt rolling ignorance) and meet that with a clever solution (instructional booklet).
It's especially entrepreneurial in my book if you engage in some degree of copyright infringement:
Jonah said he thought I'd really enjoy doing something similar to which I replied, "you mean like write a book and sell it on the street?" And he said, "it doesn't have to be a book but I think you'd love the hustle." Noted and noted!!
Happy Birthday Momma!!
Love your daughters Andrea and Andrea:
Full disclosure: I was wearing flip-flops so perhaps they wouldn't be as lenient with sneaker-wearers but it's worth a try or further honing of the method.
Even more full disclosure: I grew up in Japan (thank you fate/parents!) so I have a remarkably different view of cleanliness than most Americans do. Similar minded folks or full on OCD sufferers, try this new strategy!
I tried walking through security without taking off my shoes and when they insisted, I took my left foot out of my flip-flop, and swung it up in the air saying, "I HAVE A TOE FUNGUS." I thought that would be enough but damn, with the recently increased measures it wasn't. I repeated, " I have a fungus" and threw in "with an open wound" and unless they offered me slippers I couldn't let my foot touch the bare floor. So instead I was asked to sit in a chair while they screaned my flip-flps and my feet never touched the dirty floor.
This photo represents the exact opposite of my current surroundings as I wait amidst lifeless workers, flourescent lighting, loud, barely comprehensible pa announcements and no cuteness whatsoever, for the second hour in JFK's terminal 6 for my delayed flight. Flowers, life!, sweet sweet dog, cuteness!, nice feelings all around:
I got sick of whining for In 'n Out Burgers to no avail and Jonah got sick of me whining so we're off to California, in search of those elusive burgers I love so!
We will be eating burgers and visiting family through Tuesday. Happy Labor Day weekend, readers! You deserve a break!!
Specially selected shots from our upcoming southern documentary.
Sally Christian Slater:
Sally Sylvester Stallone:
