I enjoyed being interviewed last night by the cool chicks Jackie and Lisa at CHRW's Broadly Speaking show. For a listen, click here!

"...the American compulsion to take your identity from your profession, with its corollary of only one trade to a practitioner, may be a convenience to society but it is burdensome and constricting to yourself."

* Thanks to Richard Gilman RIP for immortalizing these written words and to John for sending this along!

Thanks for the link Jamie!

The Prestige is great entertainment. And that's not just because ScarJo's in it. It's got magic, duplicity, revenge and David Bowie. Oh and ScarJo (AnHa's a little obsessed). It's especially fun to talk through it afterwards with your movie buddies or just your different personalities. Let me know what you think!

I came across these horse photographs in a Soho gallery and corresponding Guess ads flashed before my eyes. I think you'll see how this makes sense. Enjoy the exhibition.

This beautiful and wistful horse:

flashed this before my eyes:

and this horse love image:

conjured this image:

Agreed? Thank you!

Could coffee protect your liver against alcohol?

Cellphone radiation makes brain more excitable.

Thanks New Scientist!

Wow. This photo never ceases to amaze me. We were so young, so intoxicated and so sassy - we dragged our deans into the photo - Firkie's in the right-hand corner and Harriet's to the right of me - oh, which one is me? Why, the only lady in gold, my friends! Rock on!! Dazed and confused! Youth!! High school really was fun. What I wouldn't give to hug everyone in that photo right now!!

Thanks for posting this Katy!

My favorite new article in a long time: Doggies are drug addicts too. Pathetic, just pathetic.

"We couldn't keep our dog's addiction a secret any longer," Laura Mirsch says. "The neighbors all knew that Lady was a drug addict, and soon the other dogs weren't allowed to play with her."

In the end, Lady seems to have found a way to manage her problem.

"She seems to have outgrown the wild toad-obsessed years of her youth," Mirsch says, "and now only sucks on weekends."

Suuuuure.

via Kottke.

A male oriented site that I happen to love for its writing and impressively good picks is Thrillist. The site turned one years old yesterday so we celebrated by drinking free bud lights and suffering for it today. Sure was fun though!

Teeth! Show me teeth!!

Jonah's a good sport about advertising the sponsor's product:

It was suprisingly fun for being in a club in Chelsea - good music and good vibes - although it's my loss for getting there too late to see Throwdini in action.

Duncan was mesmorized by the pretty ladies until I told him they were really young. Then he wasn't interested at all.

I miss my twin. Not only does she live on that other coast, she's been traveling in Thailand for the last month. Here are some photos she sent me - enjoy the beauty, wonder and hilarity that is Flatty! And Thailand of course.

Pretty lady, pretty architecture:

This is an indigenous flower called the Purple Rain flower:

What???!!! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!!!

Nature:

Andrea has always loved cows - look at her expression:

All through high school her bedroom was decorated with cow posters, cow stuffed animals, cow ceramic art:

Get it out girl. Get it out:

Aka - Please don't do the nasty in here. Thank you.

Near naked in the fields - you know, it's a blonde custom to do when visiting Thailand:

Nature:

Get it out! Lube it up if ya have to!!

Flatty needs a break. She needs a break!

Big animal, brave man:

Flatty the Forest Nymph:

Andrea's fearless (fearful?) friend Dede with a big kitty:

The End:

Thanks to Dede for taking these great photos! Miss you much, Flatty!

* Bed, Bath & Beyond spawns these little guys.

Ladies who asked where I got this cute cherry blossom suitcase, congratulations on also having good taste and good sense enough to want to purchase this baby. Flight 001's where I got it - it looks like you can order online too. It's a great weekend trolley - small enough to carry on too! Be prepared for airport security people to tell you how happy it makes them to see this suitcase after seeing the same black trolleys over and over again. Love this luggage!!

Wow. This movie has been so hyped and with teasers like this, I'm believing the hype! Hope it lives up to it.

Thanks Hannah!!

This is too funny: The mean Paris Syndrome.

"Around a dozen Japanese tourists a year need psychological treatment after visiting Paris as the reality of unfriendly locals and scruffy streets clashes with their expectations, a newspaper reported on Sunday.

"A third of patients get better immediately, a third suffer relapses and the rest have psychoses," Yousef Mahmoudia, a psychologist at the Hotel-Dieu hospital, next to Notre Dame cathedral, told the newspaper Journal du Dimanche.

Already this year, Japan's embassy in Paris has had to repatriate at least four visitors -- including two women who believed their hotel room was being bugged and there was a plot against them."

Thanks to my brother for this great link!

It was our first time in Montreal and it met our high expectations. Now how often does that happen to a jaded New Yorker?? Not often and for that, merci Montreal.

F walking! Airport shuttle it!

Digimart put up Jonah (and me, parasitically) in the lovely boutique H�tel Godin:

Concrete never looked so good until it was the ceiling of the room:

Who's got the cutest suitcase? Me.

Foliage!! Nature!! Montr�al!!

Rue de Boullion!!

How could this not be my favorite rue in Montr�al??

A tree grows in Montr�al and it gets hugged:

Cute Montr�al architecture:

My favorite restaurant in Montr�al:

The main drag:

I like this! Sold!

Weirdos on their way to dinner:

Sans Menu on the Western side of Montr�al was just right - good food, wine and great laid-back atmosphere:

The lighting was romantical:

The company was delectable:

Oops. Hunger was prioritized over documentation:

Montr�al's Old Town:

More Old Town:

Is this getting Old yet? Arr�t, I tell you, arr�t!

Cuteness that only a European city provides:

Nice-looking restaurant we didn't eat at:

Souvenir for your boo:

Souvenir for your biyatch:

Between the Old Town and the pier:

Old grainery across the way:

Jonah points out the weird architecture across the way:

It would be cool if the Canadian flag had some blue in it...and some stripes perhaps...and to top it off, some stars...ha ha ha ha ha!!

Thanks to my bro for this link!

You should go to Bond & Bowery and you will not have lied.

Rat party 24/7.

...at least for the box:

* Greta of Cats 24/7 fame!

I finally have proof that the guys who ride bikes with modified pipes have tiny testicles. Thanks, New Scientist!

via Kottke.

Compliments of the New Yorker. He's still out and about, smooth talkin' and fugitivin'!

The other night we were hanging out in our living room when we heard loud, angry yelling that sounded like this: "Bitch, I know you live on the third floor!! Why won't you come down here, you slut? Are you too fucking scared, you cunt? Tell me what apartment you live in! I've gotta gun on me. I swear I'll come up there!" Except I missed the gun part. I was so annoyed at how loud and offensive he was being that I yelled, "shut up!" out the window which of course riled him up (good job, Andrea, lots accomplished!) He then repeated the gun thing and Jonah suggested we call the cops. I was completely amazed at this option which I hadn't even remotely thought of. So he called and reported this guy. I heard him describe him as wearing as a white hat, white sneakers and black t-shirt and jeans. Then he answered what was obviously a question about the boy's race and said, "white or hispanic...can't really tell, maybe sounds hispanic...not sure". He then declined to leave our phone number and when he go off the phone he said, "Isn't it funny that the race options were black, hispanic, white and no mention of asian?? Especially since we are so close to Chinatown???" And I thought, MODEL MINORITY!!!! YEEEEAAAHH!!!

SFGate's Special Report on Sex Trafficking.

...and to Project Runway for picking the most edgy designer!!! I did not think they would go that way but I clearly underestimated them. Jeffrey's collection was to beg for.

How do I put this dope dress on my wishlist?

Listen up people. The buck stops here. And now. The New York City filming commission (or whatever) needs to exercise *a lot more discretion* when deciding what movie can film here!!

Let me explain: After class last night I walked down Fifth Ave towards Washington Square Park to meet Jonah on the other side of the park for dinner (sushi for two is an easy, rewarding and romantic menu choice). I was about to cross the park when I was stopped by kids (ok fine, early to mid-twenties PAs) waving red flags saying, "there's no southbound traffic through the park, but you can go east and west!!" People were generally compliant and complacent although a few people nearly wrestled the PAs to get into their building - their residence - their home. I made the mistake of asking, why the disruption? The answer: "It's a Will Smith movie about how he's the last person alive in Manhattan with zombies!!"

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME??!!! A WILL SMITH-ZOMBIE MOVIE???!!! AND HE AND THE STUDIOS MAKE A GAZILLION DOLLARS WHILE THE FINE, TAX-PAYING PEOPLE OF NEW YORK ARE MORE THAN TRIVIALLY INCONVENIENCED IN THEIR OWN CITY???!!

Now do you understand??!!!

P.S. Had it been a Woody Allen or Scorcese movie it would have been fine.

We had one of the most delightful nights at the Sugar Bar a few weeks ago. It's all about great live open-mic music (but it doesn't suck, it's fantastic), mostly oldies but goodies like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder...and if you're lucky...

This lovely lady will sing Janet's What Have You Done For Me Lately? again:

You'll terrify that she'll fall during one of her dance convulsions but mostly you'll feel invigorated by her red hot energy:

Ladies of the night:

Yes, Sally and I always coordinate wearing a single, dark, luscious color plus gold earrings.

You saw it here! And you saw it here first!!

Sun's fancy fingers, freeze framed and photographed for you, courtesy of EagleEyesHarner.com

is a new burger joint down the street.

It elicits varied responses:

My two-second review: Nice, relaxing, spacious atmosphere, burgers are ok considering they make the serious mistake of not asking to what degree you like it cooked because they cook it their way, and the wait staff needs more experience.

Oh! Perfect!

* Broadway @ Spring

This skunk resides on Martha's Vineyard...right there with you folks with homes on the Vineyard!

* Yay, my friend Mary has a blog! Check it!

If you're a people watcher and also a street/unique fashion watcher, you will love Facehunter. Actually you're probably "reading" it now. Check it now! If you've found Mary-Kate's (you know who I'm referring to) cameo you should get back to work - that's enough facehunter for you today.

A must-see:

After spending a wonderful weekend in Montreal I am heading home to NYC today. Why was I in Montreal? I was tagging along to Jonah's speaking engagement at Digimart, a conference about new modes of digital distribution. It begins today and if Jonah has anything to do with it, it will be a great conference. If you're in the very nice and cool city of Montreal that I had the pleasure of meeting this weekend, check out Digimart:

Photos from Montreal are forthcoming!

Lights! Camera! Kitten!

As Connoisseur of Cute, it's usually easy for me to determine who's cuter - child or animal - but this is just too much:

The Meowing Order:

Thanks to Kersten for sharing all three cuties with us!

While working on the last touches of our Southern Documentary, I came across the cutest little death weapon:

This is hilarious and uncomfortable, hilarious and uncomfortable...enjoy!

Thanks to my cousin Angelina for this!! Hard Gay runs in our family!

I am clenching my fists over this cuteness!! Ow.

via Megnut!

I am loving Mark's blog even though ever since the birth of his baby Josephine (nickname Bean) he only blogs about his ____ (insert the obvious). But you know what they say about good writing, food, etc! It doesn't matter what the subject is if it's done well! Well, I have evidence of that...not to mention that it's delightful to see a friend and new father enjoying his new ____ so much.

Excerpt:

Side note: I have realized the only way to scare off the few remaining readers of this semi annually posted weblog is to post only about the new baby.

Side note side note: It is not lost on me that I have become a guy that lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn, has a baby, and blogs about her. My dreams of moving to the lower east side and contracting hep B in the bathroom of some hipster bar somewhere are lost forever.

I won't ruin the surprise of the animated gif which aptly demonstrates baby goggles.

I mean it. You'll agree when you see her up close - it's creepy really - she's the kind of pretty that makes you look the other way because she's just so pretty. Meow.

Thanks Jason!

Guys,

What is the best clothing dye out there? I want to dye a thin, wool sweater and a cuoderoy jacket (I'm thinking I'll dip a paintbrush in the dye solution and paint it - is that weird?). Thank you!

Don't disappoint me,
Andrea

and this video helped to make it happen. Actually, this video was the deal clincher:

Did you know that Cellist Yo-Yo Ma forgot his 266-year-old, $2.5 million cello in a New York taxi??

He later retrived it but still...

* This post is compliments of my Fundamentals of Psychology textbook. You are very fortunate.

Another beautiful day in Yosemite:

Meet the Griswalds:

When biking, never forget your sunscreen! And always err on the side of a tad too much:

What's all that dirt on my brother's leg? Oh nevermind, that's the beginning of his leg sleeve tattoo. My parents are excited:

Girl power biking team:

Boy power:

I've gone to Yosemite every summer and it's splendor has never let me down:

Even the paths are pretty:

It's fun being at the front of the group, isn't it?

Yes it is!

You never want to let them get any closer than this:

Who says guys can't multi-task? They're biking, breathing and in the middle of pirate joke #576:

What is this I spot??

I do believe it's a deer:

There's nothing like a swim in the Merced River after biking:

Even though there was 'a little situation' as Jonah's back got scratched up again. What happened was Jonah emerged from underwater to find the pitbull that never stopped swimming in the river, swimming/climbing on his back. Ow:

Does this photo leave you wanting more rock?

P.S. Our friend Duncan climbed to the top of El Cap. Pretty cool and crazy.

I haven't figured out how to put this on my wishlist yet so until I do, know that I want one of these hypoallergenic cats. Thanks in advance.

A small California biotech company says it is ready to deliver the Holy Grail of the $35 billion pet industry: a hypoallergenic cat.

Two cats with a mutant gene that produces a modified protein far less likely to induce allergies.
At the start of next year, the first kittens � which the company calls �lifestyle pets� � will go home to eager owners who have been carefully screened and have been on a waiting list for more than two years.

Continue reading "Cat Lovers Lining Up for No-Sneeze Kitties by NY Times' Elizabeth Rosenthal" »

I LOVE THIS. I LOVE JAPANESE TV. THANK GOD FOR YOUTUBE.

I get so much joy from this little octopus living in our bathtub. Every morning it's like, "Hey, Octopus! So happy to see you! What's shaking this morning? I love you, I love you, I love you!"

Your very own bathtub friend can be adopted here.

Two nights ago while Jonah and I were walking up Elizabeth street from Canal, we crossed paths with Ziggy Sobotka at around Grand street. Ziggy and I met eyes and I thought, Ziggy doesn't seem nearly as dumb as he is on the show and that folks, was my first lesson in 'TV is not real and actors are not their characters'.

If you don't already watch The Wire, do it now! Tell your boss with a really grim look on your face that you have to leave as "there's been an emergency" and don't say "emergency", spell it out like it's just too emotionally heavy to say ("there's been an e-m-e-r-g-e-n-c-y") and he won't question you further. He'll also never want to talk to you again for putting him in such an awkward situation.

This is time well-spent, both for performer and viewer!

One guy to his friend: "Your nose is what I want. Like, seriously".

Except that we really won't. We'll go a third season not knowing who The Others are, what the Dharma Initiative is and where the polar bears came from. Yet I keep watching and that's how I know Lost is a good show and I am a sucker.

The other night friends and I compared TV shows to different drinks. Well, it started by me saying that my 24 addiction was the closest I got to crystal meth addiction - it's a dirty, dirty high and barely in a good way! I've never seen Deadwood but Tim likened it to a Bordeaux. We agreed that Sex and the City was a Kir Royal at its best, a Pinot Grigio at its worst. I'd like to assert Lost as being a Zinfandel - rich, mysterious but still easy to drink. Finding an analogy for The Wire may have to bring drugs back in the equation - a high quality 8 ball?

P.S. You know you're a pathetic urban jungle dweller when you feel that time spent watching LOST is time spent in nature.

This is not photoshopped. This is not staged. This is this cute. And I know cute.

Thanks to Gabby for popping this puppy out!

Arianna is working hard, looking good! and spreading the good cheer of fearlessness...everywhere I turn it's Arianna this and Arianna that and it dawned on me...Arianna is now a one-name wonder. Awesome. My favorite people can't bother with two names: Prince, Bjork, Madonna, Amy (Sedaris), Stephen (Colbert)...

Check out the new New York Magazine story, The Human Blog.

Also, here's a behind-the-scenes at the Colbert Report video.

One of the many interesting things I've come across in my psych courses is this example of identical twins which nicely illustrates different lifestyles, different aging process and 'imagery principle' or 'a picture speaks a thousand words':

I love, love, love perfume. The quest to find the best perfumes is so enchanting and addictive...yet I make sure to stop and smell the perfumes along the way.

This is an interesting New Yorker article about the making of an Hermes perfume and some Hermes perfume history and let me tell you, the Hermes perfume I use and adore, Un Jardin en Mediterranee is truly divine.

Who knows...our olfactory machines could be wired completely differently and you may find it revolting but isn't life about taking risks? Especially the really important risks worth taking??

P.S. I also love Creed's Neroli Sauvage and Serge Luten's Fleurs d'Oranger.