* early August 2009

And Art says, fight the power.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions!!

One week and counting!!

* Taken by the one and only Andrea Spratt

Fast, plenty of cars and not a rip-off is preferred. Thanks!!

Subway heroes, as they are inevitably tagged even before the grease from the tracks is rubbed off, come along every now and then — indeed, as the story of Chad Lindsey suggests, perhaps more often than we know.

Minutes after rescuing a man who had fallen onto the subway tracks at the Penn Station stop on Monday, Mr. Lindsey managed to melt back into the anonymity of the city, escaping the notice of the police, paramedics and subway workers.

“I’m of many minds of being in the spotlight,” he said after a call from this reporter, whose short account of the accident on The New York Times’s City Room blog on Monday prompted one of Mr. Lindsey’s friends to disclose his identity on Tuesday. “But what the hey,” he said.

Mr. Lindsey, 33, is from Harbor Springs, Mich. He moved to New York City three years ago and settled in Woodside, Queens.

He can take it from there:

“I was waiting for the C,” he said from his office on West 30th Street, where he works as a proofreader. “I’m an actor — shocker.”

He said almost everyone seems to be an aspiring actor nowadays, but in this case, it is a critical point to the story: Mr. Lindsey currently appears in an Off Broadway show called “Kasper Hauser,” in a role that requires him to repeatedly lift a character who cannot walk.

On Monday, as he waited for the train, about 2:30 p.m., he was thinking ahead to the reading he was heading to. “I’m kind of zoned out, and I saw this guy come too quickly to the edge,” he said. “He stopped and kind of reeled around. I felt bad, because I couldn’t get close enough to grab his coat. He fell, and immediately hit his head on the rail and passed out.”

Mr. Lindsey said he sensed a train was approaching, because the platform was crowded. “I dropped my bag and jumped down there. I tried to wake him up,” he said. “He probably had a massive concussion at that point. I jumped down there and he just wouldn’t wake up, and he was bleeding all over the place.”

He looked back up at the people on the platform. “I yelled, ‘Contact the station agent and call the police!’ which I think is hilarious because I don’t think I ever said ‘station agent’ before in my life. What am I, on ‘24’?”

* via BuzzFeed!

There is flattery, there is shameless flattery, and there are conversations with Arianna Huffington. She'll talk to old men about their libido, beautiful women about their intelligence, the unemployed about their talent and the wealthy about their artistic depth. In her hands, a compliment is the social equivalent of a Tomahawk missile, launched in stealth at a heavily researched target and perilously difficult to defend against.

As recently as five years ago, this ability — plus a native braininess and a healthy dose of opportunism — had earned her a regular seat at soirées in the Washington–New York City–Los Angeles triad, as well as a modest media profile. She was once referred to as "the most upwardly mobile Greek since Icarus."

Today Icarus is in her shade. In February the Huffington Post, the website she started in 2005 with Ken Lerer and viral-marketing guru Jonah Peretti, became the 15th most popular news site, just below the Washington Post's and above the BBC's. It garnered 8.9 million unique users that month, according to Nielsen — more than double what it attracted a year ago. It gets a million-plus comments from readers a month. A business newswire recently valued the site at more than $90 million. Only one independently held online-content company (Nick Denton's Gawker properties) is worth more.

HuffPo, as it's known, has reached this level of prominence with 55 paid staffers, including Huffington. Twenty-eight of them are editorial, compared with more than 1,000 at the New York Times. Open the site on any given day and you will be greeted with copy from the Associated Press, contributions from unpaid writers, stories whose legwork was done by other news outlets and a smattering of entries from the site's five reporters. In terms of traditional newspaper content, that's about the level of a solid small-town daily.

But some people believe this model may fundamentally change the news business. When the Seattle Post-Intelligencer became the first large daily newspaper to stop printing and move entirely to the Web, on March 18, the new site was structured uncannily like HuffPo, its original content reduced and jostling for space with guest blogs, wire stories and links to other news sites.

The success of her site has allowed Huffington, 58, to reinvent herself again, from Bush-bashing pundit to media mogul and digital pioneer. But as the enterprise grows, even a pedigreed networker like Huffington may find that it's hard to keep friends in the media when she's killing their business.

Necessary Huffness
All the residents of Huffington's large romantic stone house in Brentwood, Calif., are female: Huffington, her sister Agapi and her two daughters Christina, 19, and Isabella, 17. The walls of the living room are adorned with paintings by Françoise Gilot, one of Picasso's lovers, and Kimberly Brooks, the wife of actor Albert Brooks. Isabella's room is covered with photographs by Annie Leibovitz. Most members of the house staff are women — Huffington even uses her housekeeper as chauffeur when necessary. "My mom's not good at driving," Isabella says. The matriarch is a deft hostess; there's always something to eat and, in the way of female gathering places, lots of conversation.

The Huffington Post was hatched at a party here not long after the 2004 presidential election. Former AOL executive Lerer, who professes to hate parties and to barely have known Huffington at the time, had already launched an anti-NRA site. He saw the need for a counterpoint to Matt Drudge's popular right-leaning website. "For about half an hour it was called the Huffington-Lerer Report," says Lerer. "But I'm shy." He and Huffington raised a million dollars, and Lerer brought in Peretti, his buddy from the anti-NRA website. The Huffington Post was to have three basic functions: blog, news aggregator with an attitude and place for premoderated comments.

Yaaaayyy!!! Peggy's band is getting love from critics and fans and deservedly so!! We are so happy for you Peggy!!

Excerpt:

And the band appears comfortable with its pop instincts: a pair of new songs, played midset, were even frothier and looser than its album. They helped the band build momentum, which was high toward the end of its 45-minute set, when the group deployed its two best songs. “Everything With You,” a wistful love poem, was big and bright, and “A Teenager in Love” sounded like an optimistic Cure record, with shuffling beat underneath swooning keys.

But those songs only shine on the surface, their good cheer masking a cynical core lurking in the lyrics. Warm on the outside, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart seethe with refreshingly mordant wit. Some of their most clever lyrics appear to limn transgressive shades of intimacy. There’s incest, maybe, on a jangly song with an exuberant, unprintable title, and teacher-student love on “The Tenure Itch”: “His indiscretions you don’t mind/He says your thoughts need form/But your form’s not hard to find.”

But it’s not that Mr. Berman isn’t capable of seeing the bright side, or celebrating how it arrives in brief flashes. “I can’t see into the sunset,” he sang on “Come Saturday,” which was the loudest the band got all night. “All I know is that you’re perfect/Right now.”

* The Dwight t-shirt and the heart glasses are both recent gifts from the best hubby in the world! That is Jonah.

Dear Diary:

On early mornings, the path ringing the Great Lawn in Central Park is densely populated with unleashed dogs and their owners, all busily interacting. Trying to maintain a semblance of discipline amid the canine and human socializing can strain communication between master and dog.

On a recent outing, I heard someone calling, “Chester! Chester! Chester!” first sweetly, then with increasing intensity, and finally, angrily.

When no Chester appeared, the frustrated caller tried a new tactic: “O.K., Chester, I’m leaving. Goodbye. Have a nice life.”

Henry Sacks

The young woman was floating face down in the water, about a mile southwest of the southern tip of Manhattan. Wearing only red running shorts and a black sports bra, she was barely visible to the naked eye of the captain of the Staten Island Ferry: When he caught sight of her bobbing head, it was like glimpsing the tip of a ballpoint pen across a busy city street. Less than four minutes later, a skiff piloted by two of the ferry’s deckhands pulled up alongside the woman. One man took hold of her ankles while the other grabbed her shoulders. As she was lifted from the water, she gasped. Skip to next paragraph The City Go to Section Front » WABC

A flier posted during Hannah Emily Upp's absence.

“I went from going for a run to being in the ambulance,” the woman said several months later in describing her ordeal. “It was like 10 minutes had passed. But it was almost three weeks.”

On Aug. 28, a Thursday, a 23-year-old schoolteacher from Hamilton Heights named Hannah Emily Upp went for a jog along Riverside Drive. That jog is the last thing that Ms. Upp says she remembers before the deckhands rescued her from the waters of New York Harbor on the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 16.

Rumors and speculation abounded about what befell Ms. Upp. She disappeared the day before the start of a new school year at Thurgood Marshall Academy, a Harlem school, where she taught Spanish. She left behind her wallet, her cellphone, her ID and a host of troubling questions.

It was as if the city had simply opened wide and swallowed her whole — until she was seen on a security camera at the Midtown Apple store checking her e-mail. Then she vanished again. And then reappeared, not only at the Apple store but also at a Starbucks and several New York Sports Clubs, where news reports said she went to shower.

Was she suffering from bipolar disorder? Running away from an overly demanding job? Escaping from a city that can overwhelm even the most resilient?

Other questions lingered. Did she forage for food? Where did she sleep? Most baffling of all, how did she survive for so long without money or any identification in one of the world’s busiest and most complex cities?

Most touching part, excerpted - warning, tears may fall:

But it was Mr. Harten’s testimony that gave a new perspective on the conversations leading up to the water landing. He said he had worked in 10 to 12 emergency situations, but never one like that. On the tapes, Mr. Harten was the last person to speak to Captain Sullenberger, when he said the plane was going into the river. “I asked him to repeat himself, even though I heard him just fine. I simply could not wrap my mind around those words.”

The plane disappeared from his radar, Mr. Harten said. “It was the lowest low I ever felt,” he said. “I wanted to talk to my wife. I knew if I spoke or heard her voice, I would completely fall apart. I settled for a hasty text message — ‘Had a crash. I’m not O.K. Can’t talk now.’ ”

He said his wife, Regina Harten, told him later that when she received the text message, she thought he had been in a car accident.

“The truth was, I felt like I was hit by a bus,” he said.

As he put it: “It may sound strange, but to me the hardest, most traumatic part of the entire event was when it was over. During the emergency I was hyperfocused, I had no choice but to think and act quickly. But when it was over, it hit me hard.”

He added, “Even when I learned the truth, I could not escape the image of tragedy in my mind. Every time I saw the survivors on television, I imagined grieving widows. It’s taken me over a month for me to be able see that I did a good job. I was flexible and responsible, and I listened to what the pilots said, and I made sure I gave him the tools he needed. I was calm and in control.”

Mr. Harten is scheduled to return to the job on Thursday after 45 days of paid leave. Mr. Harten admitted that “it might take me time to regain confidence,” adding, “I know I will get there.”

After Mr. Harten finished, Captain Sullenberger told him: “This is the first time I’ve heard the detail of your experience, and I’m greatly touched by it.”

* Thanks to Omar Wasow for the great pictures!!

* Thanks to Jaime Fazzone for the daffodils!!

* Thanks to Mary Dailey Pattee for the invite!

Hi Andrea, This is off this topic, but...since I don't know any people in New York City I'm grasping at straws. Nothing ventured nothing gained. I've been a regular visitor to your blog for years, writing occasional comments - or emails when you had your address on this blog. I have an amazingly talented young singer friend who needs to be in NYC during the month of March and part of April to mix her recently recorded cd. Do you by any chance know anyone in New York who could offer accommodation for the month of March and part of April to Emily Braden, a young (27)amazingly brilliant singer/musician from Victoria, BC, Canada (originally from Boise Idaho)? Emily is a good friend of mine and a major talent. She's having a tough time finding a place to stay. She is sweet, clean, tidy and respectful and just needs a place to sleep at night. Of course she is willing to pay (though she's certainly not hugely wealthy.....yet. If there is any justice in the world she will be one day.) Here is a link to her myspace page, which features some of her music. www.myspace.com/emilybraden

Anyone I have ever known who listens to Emily falls in love with her and her music. She's a special human who is obviously born to sing and entertain. I know she sang around NYC in various places while she was there last - living in Harlem and recording her album. Even if you're unable to steer Emily towards accommodation I hope you'll be able to see her perform there sometime.

The upcoming cd is going to be brilliant - definitely goosebump inducing Grammy worthy material. I've seen Emily play with the best of the best (ie Wynton Marsalis and co and others) and seen their obvious respect for her musical talent and work ethic.

As I said, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Sorry if this is irritating, but I know Emily is having a tough time finding a place, and it kills me to see such an amazing person have to stress out about things that should be easier for people like her (who give so much to the world through art).

Thanks BuzzFeed! Here's a sample:

Andrea: You know what I want?

Jonah: What?

Andrea: To give myself a back-cial.

Jonah: That's what everyone wants!

Andrea: It is??!!

Jonah: Oh yeah. It's not just the American Dream, it's the Universal Dream.

Click to see it animated!

Yaaaaayyy! Our friend Duncan is nicely featured in this week's NY magazine (photo and article pasted below) and in a Discovery documentary coming out soon - you can catch the first part of it below. Nice work Dunks! Doesn't mean you'll be too busy to babysit though...sorry!

When compared with the ways it has transformed dating, shopping, terrorism, and interpersonal communication, the fact that the Internet is changing how a few social scientists work may not seem like much to get excited about. But if Duncan Watts is right, it should be. The Columbia University sociologist is among the most active and imaginative of a group of scholars who are using websites like Facebook, eBay, and Amazon to try to answer some of the most basic questions about human behavior—why ideas spread, what we look for in choosing friends, how we decide what things are worth to us.

Few have embraced the Web as a research tool quite like Watts, who’s taken a leave from Columbia to work at the New York lab of Yahoo Research, in large part because of the trove of data that it allows him to work with. Among his recent projects is Music Lab, a music-downloading site he co-created where thousands of users get to listen to songs they’ve never heard before. The site has allowed Watts to study how a song becomes a hit. In an experiment described in his most recent paper, he took the popularity rankings of the songs on the site and, unbeknownst to the users, reversed them. What he found is that while there is a self-perpetuating quality to popularity, we’re not utter lemmings—people will like something more if you tell them it’s popular, but they won’t like it as much as something that actually is popular. What’s more, the manipulation seemed to drive people away from the site—they didn’t look around for songs they liked more than the artificially popular ones; they just gave up and left.

If it seems like the popularity of songs is slight subject matter for a serious sociologist, don’t be fooled. “Changing how people think is the biggest business that there is,” says Watts, “for governments, for philanthropies and businesses—for everybody.”

As you know, a little bump has entered our lives so are making the move to (gasp) Brooklyn! This apt is great and I doubt we'll ever live in a place with such high ceilings again! Check out our craigslist posting and let me know if you want to move in!

Not admiring a mistake is a bigger mistake. - Robert Half

If I had more time I would write a shorter letter. ~ Mark Twain

Downturn spurs "survival panic" for some. By Nicole Maestri, Reuters.

A paralegal, recently laid off, wanted to get back at the "establishment" that he felt was to blame for his lost job. So when he craved an expensive new tie, he went out and stole one.

The story, relayed by psychiatrist Timothy Fong at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute and Hospital, is an example of the rash behaviors exhibited by more Americans as a recession undermines a lifestyle built on spending.

In the coming months, mental health experts expect a rise in theft, depression, drug use, anxiety and even violence as consumers confront a harsh new reality and must live within diminished means.

"People start seeing their economic situation change, and it stimulates a sort of survival panic," said Gaetano Vaccaro, deputy clinical director of Moonview Sanctuary, which treats patients for emotional and behavioral disorders.

"When we are in a survival panic, we are prone to really extreme behaviors."

The U.S. recession that took hold in December last year has threatened personal finances in many ways as home prices fall, investments sour, retirement funds shrink, access to credit diminishes and jobs evaporate.

It is also a rude awakening for a generation of shoppers who grew up on easy access to credit and have never had to limit purchases to simply what they needed or could afford.

Instead, buying and consuming have become part of the national culture, with many people using what is in their shopping bags to express their own identity, from the latest gadgets to designer handbags.

For those who need to abruptly curtail spending, that leaves a major void, said James Gottfurcht, clinical psychologist and president of "Psychology of Money Consultants," which coaches clients on money issues.

"People that have been ... identifying with and defining themselves by their material objects and expenditures are losing a definite piece of their identity and themselves," he said. "They have to learn how to replace that."

DEPRESSION TRIGGER

Beth Rosenberg, a New York freelance educator and self-professed bargain hunter, said she stopped shopping for herself after her husband lost his publishing job in June.

She is now buying her son toys from the popular movie Madagascar for $2 at McDonald's, and is wearing clothes that have hung untouched in her closet for years. She said it has been stressful to stick to an austere budget after she used to easily splurge on $100 boots.

"I miss it," she said of shopping.

Resisting temptation now could be even more difficult, as struggling retailers roll out massive discounts to lure shoppers during the holiday season.

I have been SO BAD about blogging photos. I apologize but school has kept me so busy!! This morning Jonah said the state of my blog makes him sad so I had to post at least one photo! Here's a teaser for so so much more to come when school calms down a bit: me and Shani at her and David Fenkel's awesome wedding!

I am sickened by the idea that taxpayers may be bailing out high-flying investment bankers who made millions and millions of dollars over the years. And all this may happen because one guy says we should do it quickly! and "trust me". What is happening to our country?

Bob Herbert wrote a great piece on this yesterday:

A Second Opinion?

By Bob Herbert

Does anyone think it’s just a little weird to be stampeded into a $700 billion solution to the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression by the very people who brought us the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression?

How about a second opinion?

Everything needs much closer scrutiny in these troubled times because no one even knows who is in charge, much less what is going on. Have you ever seen a president who was more irrelevant than George W. Bush is right now?

The treasury secretary, Henry Paulson — heralded as King Henry on the cover of Newsweek — has been handed the reins of government, and he’s galloping through the taxpayers’ money like a hard-charging driver in a runaway chariot race.

“We need this legislation in a week,” he said on Sunday, referring to the authorization from Congress to implement his hastily assembled plan to bail out the wildly profligate U.S. financial industry. The plan stands at $700 billion as proposed, but could go to a trillion dollars or more.

Mr. Paulson spoke on the Sunday morning talk shows about “bad lending practices” and “irresponsible borrowing” and “irresponsible lending” and “illiquid assets.”

The sky was falling, he seemed to be saying, and if the taxpayers didn’t pony up $700 billion in the next few days, all would be lost. No time to look at the fine print. Hurry, hurry, said the treasury secretary.

His eyes, as he hopped from one network camera to another, said, as salesmen have been saying since the dawn of time: “Trust me.”

With all due respect to Mr. Paulson, who is widely regarded as a smart and fine man, we need to slow this process down. We got into this mess by handing out mortgages like lollipops to people who paid too little attention to the fine print, who in many cases didn’t understand it or didn’t care about it.

And the people who always pretended to know better, who should have known better, the mortgage hucksters and the gilt-edged, high-rolling, helicopter-flying Wall Street financiers, kept pushing this bad paper higher and higher up the pyramid without looking at the fine print themselves, not bothering to understand it, until all the crap came raining down on the rest of us.

Yes, the system came perilously close to collapse last week and needs to be stabilized as quickly as possible. But we don’t know yet that King Henry’s fiat, his $700 billion solution, is the best solution. Like the complex mortgage-based instruments at the heart of this debacle, nobody has a real grasp yet of the vast implications of Mr. Paulson’s remedy.

Experts need some reasonable amount of time — I’m talking about days, not weeks — to home in on the weak points, the loopholes, the potential unintended consequences of a bailout of this magnitude.

The patchwork modifications being offered by Democrats in Congress are insufficient. Reasonable estimates need to be made of the toll to be taken on taxpayers. Reasonable alternatives need to be heard.

I agree with the economist Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, that while the government needs to move with dispatch, there is also a need to make sure that taxpayers’ money is used only where “absolutely necessary.”

Lobbyists, bankers and Wall Street types are already hopping up and down like over-excited children, ready to burst into the government’s $700 billion piñata. This widespread eagerness is itself an indication that there is something too sweet about the Paulson plan.

This is not supposed to be a good deal for business. “The idea is that you’re coming here because you would be going bankrupt otherwise,” said Mr. Baker. “You’re coming here because you have no alternative. You’re getting a bad deal, but it’s better than going out of business. That’s how it should be structured.”

The markets tanked again on Monday as oil prices skyrocketed. Time is indeed short, but alternative voices desperately need to be heard because the people who have been running the economy for so long — who have ruined it — cannot be expected to make things right again in 48 or 96 hours.

Mr. Paulson himself was telling us during the summer that the economy was sound, that its long-term fundamentals were “strong,” that growth would rebound by the end of the year, when most of the slump in housing prices would be over.

He has been wrong every step of the way, right up until early last week, about the severity of the economic crisis. As for President Bush, the less said the better.

The free-market madmen who treated the American economy like a giant casino have had their day. It’s time to drag them away from the tables and into the sunlight of reality.

A completely non-descript and normal looking young man and his wife are quietly eating lunch. The man says to her, "I am watching all these people around us and you know how in the East Village people may look strange on the outside but they're pretty normal on the inside? It's the opposite here. People appear normal but actually they're dysfunctional and yet overly confident."

HA HA!

While Jonah and I checked out the Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill neighborhoods this weekend, I spotted the. cutest. puppy. walking towards us (easily as cute as the puppy above although I couldn't find a photo that really looked like him). As usual, I stared down the pooch with no regard for the human being walking the fluffiness. My googley eyes met puppy's heart-shaped eyes and there was no stopping the love fest that ensued. I was practically making out with the pooch when I finally looked up at the human holding the leash to ask what breed her dog was...and I noticed that her face was the same face I watch hours of every week on my murder wall (what Jonah calls the wall onto which I project my assortment of DVR'ed crime shows)...Detective Eames!! So cool!

She was super nice and the best part is that her puppy is a rescue! Go Kathryn!

The other day I overheard a woman ask another woman, "Do you live on the island?" and I thought, "Island, what island?" Oh, right!! How exotic and tropical! We live on Manhattan island - not a concrete jungle!!! All of a sudden, pollution was replaced by a coconut scented breeze and my hand was fisting a Strawberry Daiquiri instead of a Red Bull*. The honking, pushing and rushing? Just mellow islanders going about their laid-back lives... Witness the delusional power of words.

Word of caution: If you overstate this point to friends, family and even to yourself, this tactic will turn pathetic in a New York minute.

* I do not drink Red Bull. I just know too many people who do.

The other day I overheard a woman ask another woman, "Do you live on the island?" and I thought, "Island, what island?" Oh, right!! How exotic and tropical! We live on Manhattan island - not a concrete jungle!!! All of a sudden, pollution was replaced by a coconut scented breeze and my hand was fisting a Strawberry Daiquiri instead of a Red Bull*. The honking, pushing and rushing? Just mellow islanders going about their laid-back lives... Witness the delusional power of words.

Word of caution: If you overstate this point to friends, family and even to yourself, this tactic will turn pathetic in a New York minute.

* I do not drink Red Bull. I just know too many people who do.

I am loving this site I found via * via BuzzFeed! And it's not just because of its great name - it actually seems to works and you know if you're needing this service while on the go, you really really need it to work.

* Thanks to Thrillist for the image!

From Toni Bowers' list of commonly mangled words:

Previously, TechRepublic ran an article about 10 grammar mistakes that make you look stupid. The examples cited involved the misuse of words in written and verbal communications. I’d like to go a step farther here and talk about words that may be used correctly but are pronounced wrong. They also may be much more flagrant examples of stupidity.

A caveat: My ear may be abnormally sensitive to mispronunciations since in college I developed an unnatural affinity for linguistics (can you say “Get a life?”). However, people often make snap decisions about character and intelligence based on their language biases, so it’s something you should be aware of. Here are some of my pet peeves, which you may or may not ever use in your life.

Note: This article originally appeared in our Career Management blog.

#1: Realtor

Many people — I’ve even heard it from people on national TV — pronounce this word REAL-uh-ter. Is this a case of wide-spread dyslexia, transposing the a and the l? It’s REAL-tor. That’s it. You’d think only two syllables would be easier to pronounce, but apparently not.

#2: Nuclear

Do you know how tough it is to be an advocate for the correct pronunciation of this word (NU-clee-er) when the president of the United States pronounces it NU-cu-lar? I don’t buy that it’s a regional thing. Ya’ll is a regional thing; nu-cu-lar is not.

#3: Jewelry

It’s not JOO-la-ree, it’s JOOL-ree. Again with the making things harder by turning a word into three syllables. What’s with that?

#4: Supposedly/supposably

The latter is a nonexistent word.

#5: Supposed to/suppose to

I think this one is more a matter of a lazy tongue than of ignorance. It takes an extra beat in there to emphasize the d at the end, but it’s worth it. And never omit the d if you’re using the term in a written communication or people will think you were raised in a hollowed-out tree trunk somewhere.

#6: Used to/use to

Same as above.

#7: Anyway/anyways

There’s no s at the end. I swear. Look it up.

#8: February/Febuary

As much as it galls me, there is an r between the b and the u. When you pronounce the word correctly it should sound like you’re trying to talk with a mouthful of marbles — FEB broo ary.

#9: Recur/reoccur

Though the latter is tempting, it’s not a word. And again, why add another syllable if you don’t need it?

#10: Mischievous/mischievious

I know, I know, it sounds so Basil Rathbone to say MIS cha vous, but that’s the right way. Mis CHEE vee us is more commonly used, but it’s wrong.

And last but not least, my personal all-time pet peeve — the word often. It should be pronounced OFF un, not OFF tun. The t is silent.

* The Word Nerds thank BuzzFeed!

This is great. I only wish I had thought of it!!

For more click here.

Reduce Your Risk

Consider this number: 10 million. That's how many cases of cancer are diagnosed worldwide each year. Now consider this number: 15 million. That's how many cases of cancer the World Health Organization estimates will be diagnosed in the year 2020 -- a 50 percent increase -- if we don't get our act together.

Most cancers don't develop overnight or out of nowhere. Cancer is largely predictable, the end result of a decades-long process, but just a few simple changes in your daily life can significantly reduce your risk. Here are 31 great tips.

1. Serve sauerkraut at your next picnic. A Finnish study found that the fermentation process involved in making sauerkraut produces several other cancer-fighting compounds, including ITCs, indoles, and sulforaphane. To reduce the sodium content, rinse canned or jarred sauerkraut before eating.

2. Eat your fill of broccoli, but steam it rather than microwaving it. Broccoli is a cancer-preventing superfood, one you should eat frequently. But take note: A Spanish study found that microwaving broccoli destroys 97 percent of the vegetable's cancer-protective flavonoids. So steam it, eat it raw as a snack, or add it to soups and salads.

3. Toast some Brazil nuts and sprinkle over your salad. They're a rich form of selenium, a trace mineral that convinces cancer cells to commit suicide and helps cells repair their DNA. A Harvard study of more than 1,000 men with prostate cancer found those with the highest blood levels of selenium were 48 percent less likely to develop advanced disease over 13 years than men with the lowest levels. And a dramatic five-year study conducted at Cornell University and the University of Arizona showed that 200 micrograms of selenium daily -- the amount in two unshelled Brazil nuts -- resulted in 63 percent fewer prostate tumors, 58 percent fewer colorectal cancers, 46 percent fewer lung malignancies, and a 39 percent overall decrease in cancer deaths.

4. Pop a calcium supplement with vitamin D. A study out of Dartmouth Medical School suggests that the supplements reduce colon polyps (a risk factor for colon cancer) in people susceptible to the growths.

5. Add garlic to everything you eat. Garlic contains sulfur compounds that may stimulate the immune system's natural defenses against cancer, and may have the potential to reduce tumor growth. Studies suggest that garlic can reduce the incidence of stomach cancer by as much as a factor of 12!

6. Sauté two cloves of crushed garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then mix in a can of low-sodium, diced tomatoes. Stir gently until heated and serve over whole wheat pasta. We already mentioned the benefits of garlic. The lycopene in the tomatoes protects against colon, prostate, and bladder cancers; the olive oil helps your body absorb the lycopene; and the fiber-filled pasta reduces your risk of colon cancer. As for the benefits of all of these ingredients together: They taste great!

7. Every week, buy a cantaloupe at the grocery store and cut it up after you put away your groceries. Store it in a container and eat several pieces every morning. Cantaloupe is a great source of carotenoids, plant chemicals shown to significantly reduce the risk of lung cancer.

The Power of Antioxidants

8. Mix half a cup of blueberries into your morning cereal. Blueberries rank number one in terms of their antioxidant power. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, which are unstable compounds that can damage cells and lead to diseases including cancer.

9. Learn to eat artichokes tonight. Artichokes are a great source of silymarin, an antioxidant that may help prevent skin cancer. To eat these delicious veggies, peel off the tough outer leaves on the bottom, slice the bottom, and cut off the spiky top. Then boil or steam until tender, about 30-45 minutes. Drain. Dip each leaf in a vinaigrette or garlic mayonnaise, then gently tear the fibrous covering off with your front teeth, working your way inward to the tender heart. Once there, gently scoop the bristles from the middle of the heart, dip in a little butter or lemon juice, and enjoy!

10. Coat barbecue food with a thick sauce. Grilling meat can create a variety of cancer-causing chemicals. But researchers from the American Institute for Cancer Research found that coating the meat with a thick marinade and thereby preventing direct contact with the charring flames reduced the amount of such chemicals created. Another tip: Precook your meat in the oven and then throw it on the grill to finish.

11. Every time you go to the bathroom, stop by the kitchen or water cooler for a glass of water. A major study published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 1996 found that men who drank six 8-ounce glasses of water every day slashed their risk of bladder cancer in half. Another study linked the amount of water women drank to their risk of colon cancer, with heavy water drinkers reducing their risk up to 45 percent.

12. Take up a tea habit. The healing powers of green tea have been valued in Asia for thousands of years. In the West, new research reveals that it protects against a variety of cancers as well as heart disease. Some scientists believe that a chemical in green tea called EGCG could be one of the most powerful anticancer compounds ever discovered.

13. Have a beer tonight. Beer protects against the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, known to cause ulcers and possibly linked to stomach cancer. But don't overdo it. Drinking more than one or two alcoholic drinks a day may increase your risk of mouth, throat, esophageal, liver, and breast cancer.

14. Throw some salmon on the grill tonight. Australian researchers studying Canadians (go figure) found those who ate four or more servings of fish per week were nearly one-third less likely to develop the blood cancers leukemia, myeloma, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Other studies show a link between eating fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, halibut, sardines, and tuna, as well as shrimp and scallops) with a reduced risk of endometrial cancer in women. Ah, those amazing omega-3s at it again!

15. Take a multivitamin every morning. Many studies suggest getting the ideal levels of vitamins and minerals can improve your immune system function and help prevent a variety of cancers.

All Together Now

16. Get about 15 minutes of sunlight on your skin each day. You've heard of the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D haven't you? Turns out we've been so good at heeding advice to slather on sun lotion and avoid the sun's rays that many of us aren't getting enough of this valuable nutrient. Researchers find that getting too little vitamin D may increase your risk of multiple cancers, including breast, colon, prostate, ovarian, and stomach, as well as osteoporosis, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and high blood pressure.

The best source? Exposure to UVB rays found in natural and artificial sunlight. About 15 minutes a day ought to do it. Avoid overexposure, of course. That can increase your risk for cancers of the skin. You can also get vitamin D in your calcium supplement if you choose a supplement that contains both.

17. Carry a shot glass in your beach bag. Then fill it with sunscreen and rub it all over your body. A shot glass holds about 1.5 ounces, which is how much sunscreen dermatologists estimate you need to protect yourself from the cancer-causing UV rays of the sun. Repeat every two hours.

18. Cut a kiwifruit in half, then scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Now eat! Kiwi is a little hand grenade of cancer-fighting antioxidants, including vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein, and copper. You can also rub a couple of cut kiwifruit on a low-fat cut of meat as a tenderizer.

19. Use a condom and stick to one partner. The more sexual partners a woman has, the greater her risk of contracting human papillomavirus, or HPV, which causes cervical cancer. Having an unfaithful husband also increases her risk.

20. Cut out high-fat animal protein. A Yale study found that women who ate the most animal protein had a 70 percent higher risk of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, while those who ate diets high in saturated fat increased their risk 90 percent. So switch to low-fat or nonfat dairy, have poultry or fish instead of beef or pork, and use olive oil instead of butter.

21. Have your partner feed you grapes. They're great sources of resveratrol, the cancer-protecting compound found in wine, but don't have the alcohol of wine, which can increase the risk of breast cancer in women. Plus, the closeness such an activity engenders (we hope) strengthens your immune system.

22. Sprinkle scallions over your salad. A diet high in onions may reduce the risk of prostate cancer 50 percent. But the effects are strongest when they're eaten raw or lightly cooked. So try scallions, Vidalia onions, shallots, or chives for a milder taste.

23. Make a batch of fresh lemonade or limeade. A daily dose of citrus fruits may cut the risk of mouth, throat, and stomach cancers by half, Australian researchers found.

Unecessary Chemicals

24. Take a 30-minute walk every evening after dinner. That's all it takes to reduce your breast cancer risk, according to a study from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. Turns out that moderate exercise reduces levels of estrogen, a hormone that contributes to breast cancer. When 170 overweight, couch potato women ages 50-75 did some form of moderate exercise for about three hours a week, levels of circulating estrogen dropped significantly after three months. After a year, those who lost at least 2 percent of their body fat had even greater decreases in estrogen. Another study linked four hours a week of walking or hiking with cutting the risk of pancreatic cancer in half. The benefits are probably related to improved insulin metabolism due to the exercise.

25. Buy organic foods. They're grown without added pesticides or hormones, both of which can cause cellular damage that may eventually lead to cancer.

26. Learn to love dandelions. Using commercial pesticides on your lawn may increase your risk of cancer, since most contain pesticides such as 2,4-D (linked to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma) and MCPP (associated with soft-tissue cancers). Plus, pesticides used solely on lawns don't have to go through the same rigorous testing for long-term health effects as those used on food. And, as E/The Environmental Magazine noted in a 2004 article, no federal studies have assessed the safety of lawn-care chemicals in combination, the way most are sold.

27. Buy clothes that don't need to be dry-cleaned. Many dry cleaners still use a chemical called perc (perchloroethylene), found to cause kidney and liver damage and cancer in animals repeatedly exposed through inhalation. Buying clothes that don't require dry cleaning, or hand washing them yourself, can reduce your exposure to this chemical. If you must dry-clean your clothes, take them out of the plastic bag and air them outside or in another room before wearing.

28. Choose cucumbers over pickles, fresh salmon over lox. Studies find that smoked and pickled foods contain various carcinogens.

29. Switch from french fries and potato chips to mashed potatoes and pretzels. A potential cancer-causing compound called acrylamide forms as a result of the chemical changes that occur in foods when they're baked, fried, or roasted. Not surprisingly, many foods with the greatest amounts of acrylamide are also some of the worst-for-you foods, such as french fries, potato chips, and baked sweets. Although the results aren't final yet, Michael Jacobson, Ph.D., executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, estimates acrylamide causes between 1,000 and 25,000 cancers per year. His agency has petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to set limits on the amount of acrylamide foods can contain. The FDA is studying the issue.

30. Go for a spray-on tan. They're available in most tanning salons these days and, unlike tanning beds, there's no evidence that they increase your risk of skin cancer.

31. Call up your bowling pal and hit the lanes. A study from the State University of New York at Stony Brook found that men with high levels of stress and those with less satisfying contacts with friends and family members had higher levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in their blood, a marker for the development of prostate cancer.

* via BuzzFeed!

There's a list to help you avoid cellphone radiation but number one is so frightening I couldn't read further.

10 Tips: Cell Phones & Limiting Radiation Exposure (KDKA) There is a new warning about the health dangers of cell phone use. The director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and UPMC Cancer Centers has issued the new advisory.

Practical Advice to Limit Exposure to Electromagnetic Radiation Emitted from Cell Phones:

1. Do not allow children to use a cell phone, except for emergencies. The developing organs of a fetus or child are the most likely to be sensitive to any possible effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields.

My right ear feels a little throbby and hot right now...

I am so completely obsessed with Veronica Mars. I'll admit that when I started watching the show, which I did simply because I love and have to watch all PI/sleuth/detective related shows, I wasn't immediately captured by it. It was easy to mock the oh-so-clever writing and the silly setting but last night I had a major realization: Veronica Mars is the coolest girl on earth. The character really is an impressive blend of precocious, sarcastic, funny, sweet, not syrupy sweet and delightfully devious. If reincarnation is true, please please please let me be her (or Jerri Blank of course)! Thank god I have a job because otherwise I would have spent today stalking my postman for the season three dvds I ordered last night.

Talk of the Nation, June 30, 2008 · When a video clip on the Internet gains widespread popularity through e-mail and other venues of Internet sharing, it becomes what's known as a "viral video." The often highly pixelated and wobbly images have such an air of authenticity about them that it's hard to watch without thinking, "Maybe I can make a video that goes viral!" The truth is, it's not only harder than it looks; people are paid a great deal of money to make things go viral.

Internet entrepreneur Jonah Peretti, hula-hooping viral video star Lauren Bernat and TV Week contributing writer Daisy Whitney talk about the highly controlled world of "viral video" and what's real, what's fake and how video became a big gun in the online marketing arsenal.

We dined at Momofuku Ko last night to celebrate our 3-year wedding anniversary (actual date is 7/7 but trying to get a Momofuku Ko reservation on a specific date is impossible so...) and it was pretty amazing. The dishes were delectably tasty (David Chang seems to have cornered the market on this culinary skill). My favorites were the fluke in buttermilk and poppy seeds, the split pea soup with crawfish and mushroom, the soft-boiled egg with caviar and chips and the short ribs. While the wine pairing was worth doing once and certainly fun - we made it more fun by ordering two levels of the wine pairing and asked not to be told which level we were getting so Jonah and I played the taste-test game! - I have to say it was too much booze for me. Next time, I would love to share a bottle of wine or sake instead. What also made the experience phenomenal was watching David Chang in action: It's crystal clear that he is having the time of his life doing what he loves and being adored for it. So cool to see people glowing in their spotlight. Also, a typical New York restaurant thing happened. The couple sitting next to us told us that two women had posted on craiglist saying they had a Ko reservation for four for that night and were looking for two men to join them and that those interested could send along their photos. Of course we eagerly anticipated watching this group walk in and scrutinizing their dinner partner choices but alas they must have arrived after we left. The guy who told us this also reluctantly admitted that he had tried for over four months to get his reservation. Lastly, I was tickled to find that David Chang was pretty shy upon being asked which parts of Japan he liked most. He timidly responded that he loved Tokyo but not Osaka and the Kansai region. Hoped for more (in my efforts to have us become BFF) but I suppose the chef's gotta cook!

P.S. Taking photos wasn't allowed which is why there are not photos.

While running an errand to court today, I saw a gaggle of cameras and reporters and learned that deliberations begin today in the unimaginably horrible rape and torture case of a Columbia grad student.

* Thanks to Michelle for the photo!!

Excited for fall classes!!

Update: No 'Where in the world is Andrea Harner?' photos available so I will just tell you that we are in St. Barth's and it is fantastique bien sur! We've made many fish friends whom we will post and introduce you to in a few days.

Just finished my last final and am now packing for a one week trip to a warm and splendid place thanks to incredibly generous friends!! I will post pictures and have you guess where I am!

Also, since we're BFF I wanted to update you on my summer plans. I am so excited to tell you that I have a summer job at an investigative firm!!! The name of the firm need not be disclosed, nor does my PI name :-) I will be working there from June through mid-August.

Hope everyone has a fantastic week and that New York's weather controller realizes it's time to move away from the rain and cold to sun and warmth!

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. - Tenneva Jordan

This couldn't be more true could it? Until a few years ago I couldn't understand why my mom would act this way at the expense of what I perceived to be her not getting what she wanted. Then I finally realized that she would act selflessly because what she wanted most was for everyone else to be happy which in turn made her happiest.

I am nearing the finish line of semester end and am busy writing a term paper and studying for finals. What's strange is how calm I have been. For anyone that knows me this is entirely uncharacteristic and thus I have even pondered, "am I ok?" The truth is that I have never been better and there are three reasons why (actually there are four but that breaks the brilliant holy trinity analogy so let's say it's three plus a bonus). Perhaps these can be helpful to you - hope so!

1) Nightly baths. I grew up surrounded by the Japanese tradition of nightly ofuro and was always told it's the best de-stresser and I am telling you, it really is. The key is to take hot baths and to submerge fully so that the heat of the water literally forces your neck and shoulders to relax. Every night as I immerse myself in the ritual, it feels like I am adding days to my life. I also sleep better and wake up without any neck tension!

2) Exercise. Jonah's suggestion that we buy an elliptical machine was one of his best ideas (and he has a million for me to choose from!). Consistently working out at least 3 days a week has worked wonders for my mental health.

3) Acupuncture. Call it what you will but it works. I found an incredible practitioner who, just by her nurturing personality does double duty as a therapist. After every weekly session I walk out of her office feeling truly grounded and calm.

Bonus: Switching from coffee to green tea! I was in love with coffee but I've since found a better paramour. Aside from all the well-documented health benefits of green tea, it is delicious and gives me the kick I need to start my day without the edge of coffee. I used to feel anxious while riding the subway but since the switch I almost feel physiologically unable to be anxious anymore! Warning: Most green tea sold here is no good. The green tea I devour every morning is sencha sent from my family in Japan. In terms of flavor and probably greater health benefits, try getting your hands on sencha or macha from Japan. You know you have a good green tea when the color is in fact very green!

I'm sure this is for "gun hei fat choy" but it's more fun to think it's the car of a big guy named Choy.

* Spotted in Chinatown. Of course.

The Eyebeam Benefit last night was radical!! It highlighted Eyebeam artists' works, honored Craig Newmark of Craigslist, featured a thought-provoking and inspiring speech by Founder John S. Johnson, showcased Comedy Central's John Mulaney and the band The Walkmen. It was fun and money was raised for freedom and creativity - mission accomplished!

I am both a firm believer in the preventative medicine power of exercise (both in terms of physical and mental health) and a total sucker for these "keep your brain sharp" products. I figure there are worse things I could spend my money on...until I can't remember what I spent all my life savings on!

SAN FRANCISCO — When David Bunnell, a magazine publisher who lives in Berkeley, Calif., went to a FedEx store to send a package a few years ago, he suddenly drew a blank as he was filling out the forms.

Decaying brains, or the fear thereof, have inspired a mini-industry of brain health products — not just supplements like coenzyme Q10, ginseng and bacopa, but computer-based fitter-brain products as well. Continue reading...

En route to SFO. Why of why does the weather in SF have to be colder than in NYC? It's an awesome 78 degrees in NYC right now...be back Sunday!

My cousin Roy's daughter (what does that make her in relation to me?) is proud of her mouth cavity:

* via my cousin Angelina!

In just the past week I've heard all these words incorrectly used. I venture to say that they are misused so often I bet you can easily guess what the speaker actually intended to communicate.

1) NONPLUSSED

2) HEADY

3) UPPITY

So far this seminar has been incredibly illuminating and engrossing! I want to be a forensic interviewer of children!

Forensic Interviewing of Children, Adolescents, and Adults
Sponsored by: The FBI New York Office Victim Assistance Program

Thursday, April 17, 2008

8:30 am - 8:45 am Sign In
8:45 am - 9:00 am Opening Remarks
9:00 am - 10:30 am Forensic Interviewing of Children and Adolescents,
Martha Finnegan, MSW, LCSW, Child Interview Specialist & Catherine S. Connell, MSW, ACSW, Child Interview Specialist
10:30 am - 10:45 am Break
10:45 am - 12:15 pm Martha Finnegan, MSW, LCSW, Child Interview Specialist & Catherine S. Connell, MSW, ACSW, Child Interview Specialist
12:15 pm - 1:15 pm Lunch (on your own)
1:15 pm - 3:15 pm Martha Finnegan, MSW, LCSW, Child Interview Specialist & Catherine S. Connell, MSW, ACSW, Child Interview Specialist
3:15 pm - 3:30 pm Break
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm Touring the Home of the Internet Child Pornography Pedophile, Special Agent Timothy Wittman
4:30 pm - 4:40 pm Interviewing Infants & Talking with Toddlers: Assessing Safety and Risk for Children Ages 0 - 3, Selina Higgins, LCSW-R, MSW, MA

Friday, April 18, 2008

8:30 am - 9:00 am Sign In
9:00 am - 10:30 am The Sexually Exploited Youth: Redefining Victimization,
Sharon Cooper, MD
10:30 am - 10:45 am Break
10:45 am - 12:15 pm Sharon Cooper, MD
12:15 pm - 1:15 pm Lunch (on your own)
1:15 pm - 2:45 pm Interviewing Parents and Other Adults Suspected
of Sexual Abuse of a Child, David Mantell, Ph.D
2:45 pm - 3:00 pm Break
3:00 pm - 4:30 pm David Mantell, Ph.D

A thrilling trio!
so painfully cute to watch,
nose grease smudge on glass.

April is National Autism Month so let's take this opportunity to learn! Check out this Thursday's event my friend Beth Rosenberg helped organize!

For more info click here.

My hubby is in this week's New Yorker magazine!

Wish me luck. And if you are interested check out the following:

Frye standard
Daubert and Federal Rules of Evidence
Dusky test
Civil commitment
Jackson v Indiana
Riggins v Nevada
M'Naghten test
NGRI
GBMI

All the Op-Eds are great today but this one is especially apt and funny.

No more electing prosecutors, NYC! Too high-strung!!

Blackberry broken
Jonah asked, how will we text?
Cold turkey my dear.

* At Duncan's birthday party. Thanks Sal Pal Sally!

Arising before 5 am really shouldn't be undervalued. You feel one step closer to death which then makes you want to live more! I imagine the feeling is similar to that experienced while fasting. So as I head to the airport and then on to a top-secret location that's my prescription for you folks!
Xoxo,
Dr. DreHarner.com

BFFs when we lived next door to each other from 10-12 years old and here we are now. Oh deer!

* Thanks for the pic Kei!

Guaranteed that if you vote for Obama you too will fly out of the polling place high on inspiration!

* via Natalie/

The doomed conversation began like this:

AndreaHarner.com: I'm having trouble with an incoming wire transfer from Austria.

AndreaHarner.com: Aren't you the bank?

More and more I see how growing up in Japan has handicapped me when dealing with the rest of the incompetent world.

Jonah had it a few days ago and surprise now I have it.

While in the Bay Area over the holidays, Annie Maxwell so awesomely drove up from Santa Barbara to hang out with us! However, she not so awesomely bet against our fish parenting skills. Over dinner she bet that one of our three fish would be dead upon our return to NYC. It was a $10 bet and we were very serious about it. Who ended up winning the bet? The answer lays within this little piece of mail I received about 10 days after the bet.

Dip the Brita pitcher gently...GENTLY!! all the while muttering soothing sayings like, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, fishies..."

Once CAPTURED!, gaze at them through the embossed Brita logo and ponder if they know what's happening:

Do not forget to bring at least a third of their tank water. Be prepared for your hubby to complain about how heavy the water is and for you to grab it out of his hands and carry it yourself and to wake up sore the next morning.

LOCK THEM IN in case of nasty fall which would be their certain death:

Embody a loving and optimistic attitude as you embark on their transport:

The scene at his 421 Broome St. apartment at 6 pm last night.

For all the latest, check out BuzzFeed.

As you may know, BuzzFeed asks bloggers if they've written about trends that have been covered by BuzzFeed. Some comic relief amidst the realization that Scientologists are taking over:

This is a very good article on the struggles of raising rich kids and it begins like this: "America’s burgeoning money culture is producing a record number of heirs—but handing down values is harder than handing down wealth."

Quotes:

Recently, I phoned Andrew Solomon, heir to a substantial pharmaceutical fortune and author of the beautiful depression memoir The Noonday Demon, and asked if he’d discuss the psychological effects of inherited wealth. In the most gracious way, he declined. I pointed out that in his book, he was willing to talk about a depression so profound he attempted to contract HIV in order to have a reason to kill himself; yet he was too shy, on the phone, to talk about his inheritance. Why was that?

“I just met this morning with a very sharp 48-year-old,” says Charles Collier, author of Wealth in Families and senior philanthropic adviser at Harvard University. “And he said to me, ‘I don’t want my children to be entitled, but I want to have a jet. I came from nothing. Haven’t I earned my jet?’” (Family advisers to the megarich say you’d be amazed how often this comes up, this question about private jets. Anxious business executives raise their hands in almost every seminar about it, seeking expiation.) And perhaps this fellow has earned his jet. But his children haven’t. The problem with money, as he doubtless discovered, is that it sets up its own paradox: Hard work may yield it, but growing up with it often discourages hard work.

Thanks to Omar and other hosts and guests for a super fun night!

More from the Theresa Duncan - Jeremy Blake tragedy:

We are moving about 5 blocks south and need to secure movers right away! Know any dependable movers that you've had a good experience with? Please let me know! Thank you and last final tonight so I will be able to blog again - may need to enroll in a refresher blogging course!

Remember when I used to blog??!!

From the ages of 5 - 9 I lived in Nagoya, Japan, attended Nagoya International School and had a BFF named Mod Noranitipadungkarn (believe it or not I am still able to spell this correctly). From ages 10 - 12 I lived in Tokyo for the first of several stints in this great city, went to Seisen International School (an all-girls Catholic School!) and my BFF was Kei Petersen - our nicknames for each other were Flo and Fro...obviously. Well, within this past week I have reconnected with both of them! Mod is living in Bangkok and Kei lives here in NYC! It is so exciting. I especially liked being reminded by Mod that I used to "like Madonna and love to sing". Ummm, good to know my inner child is still alive!

The one luxury I still afford myself everyday is the NYT crossword puzzle! Have I converted anyone to this lifelong hobby? Hope so!

Interesting article on Giuliani's tenure as mayor.

He was, to the popular eye, Eliot Ness reincarnated, an unsparing prosecutor for a crime-shadowed age. And when the United States attorney in Manhattan resigned in January 1989, he earned a tabloid salute:

Like a medieval crusader, he rarely flinched at hard tactics in pursuit of exalted goals. Continue reading...

This is a very sad and very lonely story.

For the last years of her life, Christina Copeman kept to herself.

Ms. Copeman had died of heart disease, the medical examiner said yesterday. The police said she had been dead between a year and 18 months. Continue reading...

Here's something LOL in the meantime, courtesy of Beth Rosenberg!

*********************

TO: All Employees
DATE: October 01, 2007
RE: Christmas Party

I'm happy to inform you that the company Christmas Party will take place on December 23, starting at noon in the private function room at the Grill House. There will be a cash bar and plenty of drinks! We'll have a small band playing traditional carols...feel free to sing along.
And don't be surprised if our CEO shows up dressed as Santa Claus! A Christmas tree will be lit at 1:00 pm. Exchange of gifts among employees can be done at that time; however, no gift should be over $10.00 to make the giving of gifts easy for everyone's pockets. This gathering is only for employees! Our CEO will make a special announcement at that time!

Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Patty

FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director

TO: All Employees
DATE: October 02, 2007
RE: HolidayParty

In no way was yesterday's memo intended to exclude our Jewish employees. We recognize that Chanukah is an important holiday, which often coincides with Christmas, though unfortunately not this year. However, from now on we're calling it our 'Holiday Party.' The same policy applies to any other employees who are not Christians or those still celebrating Reconciliation Day. There will be no Christmas tree present. No Christmas carols sung. We will have other types of music for your enjoym e nt.

Happy now?

Happy Holidays to you and your family.

Patty

FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director

TO: All Employees
DATE : October 03, 2007
RE: HolidayParty

Regarding the note I received from a member of Alcoholics Anonymous requesting a non-drinking table ... you didn't sign your name. I'm happy to accommodate this request, but if I put a sign on a table that reads, 'AA Only'; you wouldn't be anonymous anymore. How am I supposed to handle this?

Somebody?

Forget about the gifts exchange, no gifts exchange are allowed since the union members feel that $10.00 is too much money and executives believe $10.00 is a little chintzy.

NO GIFTS EXCHANGE WILL BE ALLOWED.

FROM: Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director

TO: All Employees
DATE: October 04, 2007
RE: HolidayParty

What a diverse group we are! I had no idea that December 20 begins the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which forbids eating and drinking during daylight hours. There goes the party! Seriously, we can appreciate how a luncheon at this time of year does not accommodate our Muslim employees' beliefs. Perhaps the Grill House can hold off on serving your meal until the end of the party - or else package everything for you to take it home in little foil doggy baggy. Will that work?
Meanwhile, I've arranged for members of Weight Watchers to sit farthest from
the dessert buffet and pregnant women will get the table closest to the restrooms.
Gays are allowed to sit with each other. Lesbians do not have to sit with Gay men, each will have their own table. Yes, there will be flower arrangement for the Gay men's table.
To the person asking permission to cross dress, no cross-dressing allowed, though. We will have booster seats for short people. Low-fat food will be available for those on a diet. We cannot control the salt used in the food we suggest for those people with high blood pressure to taste first. There will be fresh fruits as dessert for Diabetics, the restaurant cannot supply 'No Sugar' desserts. Sorry!

Did I miss anything?!?!?

Patty

FROM: : Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director

TO: All Fucking Employees
DATE: October 05, 2007
RE: The Fucking HolidayParty

Vegetarian pricks I've had it with you people!!! We're going to keep this party at the Grill House whether you like it or not, so you can sit quietly at the table furthest from the 'grill of death,' as you so quaintly put it, and you'll get your fucking salad bar, including organic tomatoes. But you know, tomatoes have feelings, too. They scream when you slice them. I've heard them scream. I'm hearing them scream right NOW ! I hope you all have a rotten holiday! Drive drunk and die,

The Bitch from HELL!!!!!!!!

FROM: Joan Bishop, Acting Human Resources Director

DATE : October 06, 2007
RE: &nbs p ;Patty Lewis and HolidayParty

I'm sure I speak for all of us in wishing Patty Lewis a speedy recovery and I'll continue to forward your cards to her. In the meantime, management has decided to cancel our Holiday Party.

and have many observations and even theories!!

Stay tuned and alert.

I woke up this morning in my sushi pajamas and walked up to the fish tank to feed the cute fellas and Jonah goes, "woah. stop right there." And I was like, "what?" and he pointed to my pajamas and said, "you don't want to traumatize them!"

:-)

Excellent point!!

I so rarely get sick. This is reminding me that I am a pathetic baby when I'm ill. The only nice thing is that my hubby babies me by doing things like making me green tea even if he put too many tea leaves in and thus the tea was too strong...not that I'm critical or complaining!!!

:-)

With fellow Top Chef enthusiasts Kenny and Katherine (the group photo was simply too special to share) we tried out Top Chef Season One winner Harold Dieterle's restaurant in the West Village called Perilla. From the moment we sat down Katherine and I hounded our waitress, asking about Harold and if he was cooking in the kitchen that night and in fact he was! Just knowing that hot Harry was cooking for us and having such engaging conversation (Katherine couldn't get enough of my forensic psychology classes) took my mind off the food a bit but I remember it was good! Also, the restaurant's ambiance is nicely unpretentious and the music isn't so loud so you can actually enjoy conversation! Here's what we ate:

I've finally retired my ancient Sidekick II for the Blackberry Curve. Although the Sidekick's keyboard is far superior and unrivaled in the current pda marketplace, I am pretty happy with my new gadget.

A pigeon had attached itself to my elbow by locking its beak around my elbow skin. I was completely confused, grossed out and generally traumatized. For some reason I had to go about my life like this for what seemed like an entire day. When finally I was able to ask Jonah to pull the pigeon off my elbow, it ripped apart leaving its body in Jonah's hands and it's beak to neck still attached to my elbow. It was something.

This game is so much fun. It is as they advertise: A Game of Hilarious Comparisons! The judge of the round (changes every round) can either put one or two green adjective cards down and then the players play one of their subject cards and hope that particular judge likes theirs the best! What I like is the subjectivity of the judging and the opportunities for lobbying! I highly recommend it as a gift for the holidays! Here are highlights from an Apples to Apples death match from this past weekend.

Jonah listens to lobbying!

THIS WAS THE TOUGHEST OF THE NIGHT!

First time but not last time! player Amanda:

When your card is just so off the mark it may get embarrassingly shut out like this:

Cameron's Apples to Apples face:

If this is making your mouth water just looking at the pics, imagine what it was like placed in front of me! So delicious and beautiful.

* Monday's NY Post.

This past weekend we bought three goldfish for the 10-gallon tank we had been prepping for three days (having goldfish isn't as easy as you may think!) and we are head over heels in love with them and are loving having a fish tank in the apt.! They are lively, cute little fellas and I have spent long periods of time just watching them do their thing which consists of sucking at the top of the water which creates bubbles, doing the cutest little shimmys, inhaling little plant leaves then spitting them back out whole and seemingly searching for food all. day. long. They are all personality but lacking names! So I ask you, based on the photos and descriptions below can you give me some suggestions??

Fantail Fish: The most typical looking goldfish of the bunch. Fastest swimmer, clearly most clever, at one feeding he ate almost all the food (consequently the longest poops!) which is when we realized we may have to feed each according to their intellectual ability and some as you will see need more help than others. Clearly he's the alpha of the group but whether or not he's superior or a bully depends on your political perspective!

Oranda Fish: Orange guy has a carrot top fro that I can't wait to see grow!, has a flat face like a bulldog and is the most beautiful glistening gold color. He gets just one or two fewer food pellets during free for all feeding frenzy time. He likes to hang out with the "alpha" fish and I think of him as the middle child of a sibling trio - not as aggressive at his older sibling nor as slow as his younger - just in the middle and consequently gets passed over a bit while attention is mostly paid to the sibling drama between the oldest and the youngest.

Moor Fish: Black beauty with a pea brain. He swam against the filter current once or twice which may not seem like such a weird thing to do but trust me, it's a little special. He swims backwards sometimes which is of course adorable although it was less adorable the time I saw him bump his head into the branch sitting in the middle of the tank - ok so it was newly placed there but the point is that the others have not come close to doing things this little guy does - he has his own marching band whose offbeat he follows. His inbreeding takes the heaviest toll on his...eye sight! Goldfish are near-sighted to begin with but man is he sight-challenged. Food pellets will be sprinkled evenly in the tank as instructed and this guy doesn't see them while his mates are feasting and once he does figure it out he still can't get to the pellets most of the time. Of course this was distressing to us so we bent over backwards as only ridiculous parents would and Jonah has taken to custom feeding him - this involves placing the pellets at just the right angle in front of him as he happens to be swimming towards us. This has seemed to work and of course as he is our special needs baby we can't help but favor him a bit. Just a bit.

Whoopee cushion left in apartment building hallway:

* You're jonesing for more George. Here it is.

The moment I set eyes on the large gray kitty George, I was in obsessive love. He was gregarious, hilarious, filled to the brim with 'tude and even though huge, he thought he was svelte and sexy. Unfortunately he terrorizes Black Cat - the only black cat in the photos and whose eyes you see in the background of a photo in which she sits atop a dresser, her only "safe place". George doesn't realize his awesomeness nor his terrorist tendencies. He may be looking for a new home. If and when that day comes it will be a fight to the death to see who gets to lay their paws on George first!

* Thanks again to Evan Roth & Michele Walther for a fun party!

Thanks to Amy Wood (pictured on the right, Nectar on the left), we enjoyed a delicious feast at the always great Blue Ribbon Sushi! Thanks again Amy!

A few notes:

1) Thank god for Jonah who is skilled at and loves to cook because it means you can still throw a dinner party even when you selfishly but necessarily opt out because of midterms.

2) My one regret: I forgot to photograph the chanteurelle mushroom crostinis, garlic tomato salad and cucumber-mint-feta salad he made and the strawberry shortcake I love from Ceci Cela bakery!

3) It's obvious from these photos that Sparky is a wonderful dinner party presence!

4) Don't know what to cook for a dinner party? Themes can be helpful and fun! Ours was an outdoor, summer Parisian dinner. Raw seafood, meat and cheese. All pure, fresh yummy food.

5) Michael Jackson's Thriller creeped into our dinner party.

6) We had a Pinot Noir taste test and we all agreed that Cameron's mom's Bernardus Pinot Noir was the winner!

7) It is great fun to bring together friends who've never met who you think would get along.

8) Thanks to Shani and Fenkel for taking some mighty special photos - they are mixed in below!

I woke up this morning remembering that part of my dream last night consisted of me saying to Jonah, "New York magazine sometimes has interesting articles, doesn't it?"

Ugh.

Hopefully after my last midterm today my burnt out subconscious will be less willing to entertain mundane and unimaginative real world thoughts!

* Thanks for the photo, Lily!!

If only the Pope were Japanese!

Oh, if only...

I love people...sometimes.

Midterm 3 of 4 (Social Psychology and the Legal System) is tomorrow at 2pm and last midterm (Statistics) is Monday evening.

I miss blogging!

I plan to blog tomorrow night with a glass of wine in hand.

Nighty night,
A

MIDTERMS.

* Fabio Blancarte, an old high school friend, who came to NYC to use my Hello Kitty on a piece of sushi phone.

* Thanks to Tam and Mark for knowing I'd love this photo and for each sending me this photo independently!

This was a fantastic talk. I mean, why on earth would an innocent person confess to a crime he/she didn't commit??!! For as long as I can remember I've been reading about this stuff so I knew about The Innocence Project (only reason I ever wanted to go to law school was to work for them!) and the frightening number of people they've successfully exonerated thanks to DNA (keep in mind that if and only if the crime you were falsely convicted of still has intact, testable DNA, often after decades, could you even harbor the remote possibility of being exonerated). What I didn't know continues to shock me to this day. Did you know that interrogators are legally allowed to present false information to a suspect in order to secure a confession????????!!!!!!!!! Here's an example from the well-publicized case of Marty Tankleff. Marty was 17, 17 years ago and awoke in his house to discover his mother and father lying in pools of blood. Right away he was nabbed the prime suspect even though there was another person who was glaringly obvious as the real prime suspect but we won't visit that aspect here. His mother was pronounced dead on the scene and his father who was barely still alive was rushed to the hospital. Marty was interrogated using the standard physical and psychological deprivation techniques I'm sure you all know just from watching Law & Order but basically you're deprived of any physical and psychological comforts like extra clothing, jewelry or belongings, you are stripped to your basic necessities, have no visible phone as a reminder of contact to the outside world and you are only given minimal water, food and bathroom privileges. On top of this, imagine Marty having just learned that his mom is dead and his dad is near death. After hours of unsuccessfully trying to get Marty to confess, one of the detectives, likely the bad cop in the routine (Mutt & Jeff routine is what we call it in grad school), left the room supposedly to take a call and upon returning tells Marty that his father has emerged from his coma and has named Marty as the murderer. Marty fell apart and thought if his own Dad said he did it, he must have done it and not remembered it. The "good cop" then wrote up a confession for Marty to sign but when it came time to sign it, he came to and refused. Nevertheless the harm had been done and Marty is on record as partially confessing. To this day, the "good cop" who was present when the "bad cop" came in with news from the hospital, says that what he heard about Marty's dad seemed so real he even believed it at the time and only found out later it was a lie. Marty's dad never awoke from his coma and died two weeks later. Still, the partial confession, garnered out of a straight up, bold-faced LIE, still stands and the Innocence Project is fighting to free Marty who has already done 17 years for a crime he didn't commit. There are numerous examples like this one that highlight the deeply disturbing fact that it is entirely legal to lie in order to gain a confession from a suspect. And of course while lies are being used to gain false confessions, real murderers remain free.

* En route to eating adventure in Queens!

The food was delicious and I'm counting the days until we go back to the strangely named Jackson Diner! Plus, they were so baby friendly it was not only sweet but effective!

* Thanks to Andy for the Jackson Diner suggestion and to Mark & Tam for driving!!

* Prospect Park, Brooklyn.

* Thanks again to David Fenkel and Shani Ankori for a fun night!

I dreamed last night that I flashed the peace sign everywhere and all the time. I'd flash it tilted of course and I'd say it like I thought I was cool, not hippie. It was kind of liberating to just be that person who does that. I may have been brain damaged too.

It's remarkable how much I am stimulated by and thoroughly enjoy every one of my classes! I come home from school super energized (almost manic) about all that I've learned that day and I recount every detail to Jonah who fortunately is the most intellectually curious person I know and delights in seeing me so happy! My most intriguing class continues to be Kirschner's Psychology of Criminal Behavior. We've watched videos of prime suspects in recent homicide cases being interviewed by an Assistant District Attorney after which Kirschner drills us, in that laid-back Socratic style, on what mental illness or illnesses we think the suspect has (in each of these interviews it's clear the subject is the killer). All the interviews we watch are from cases for which Kirschner was retained, either by the prosecution or the defense, to evaluate the suspects mental state at the time of the crime . The following image is from the first interview we watched and did our best to diagnose.

This was a fascinating case (oh wait, I use that descriptor for all the interviews but this was especially fascinating!). The story goes like this. 19 year old Mr. Smart (real name) was charged with killing his grandmother by beating her to death with a mallet in the Bronx apartment they shared with some other relatives. Mr. Smart who was neither loquacious nor clearly withholding information and more just kind of there, explained with the help of the ADA's focused questions, that he woke up at around noon, hung out and watched TV then left the apartment at 4:30 and strolled around his neighborhood, got some rolling papers, smoked two joints, said "what's up" to a few people but never engaged in conversation with anyone and then returned to his apartment at 9pm to discover cops there wanting speak with him about his grandmothers dead body, his clothes sitting in the building incinerator covered in blood and the blood splatter on the bandanna he was still wearing. He claims that he didn't do it and that someone must have taken his keys when he left them somewhere, had them copied, then returned to him without his knowing and then using those copied keys entered his apartment, put on his clothes and murdered his grandmother. Even after repeated questioning by the ADA that went something like, "Mr. Smart, do you understand that it's hard for me to believe that that's what really happened?" he would answer, "Yeah but that's what must have happened." The questioning went on like this for a few minutes and then concluded.

Our class made fools of ourselves trying to diagnose him considering we still know nothing! but it great fun nonetheless. In the end, Kirschner told us that of course he knew much more about this case than we were exposed to and had met with Mr. Smart on several occasions to evaluate him and this is how he diagnosed him: Schizophrenic with some elements of Antisocial Personality Disorder and Mild Retardation. The strange thing was that he was below average intelligence (quite clear in the interview) which most schizophrenics are not. In line with typical onset time of schizophrenia he was 19 and I asked if he had any record of criminality in the past and sure enough, there was nothing. What was plain to see above all was his utterly flat affect, lack of emotionality and his delusion that enabled him to sincerely believe he did not commit the crime.

Kirschner then asked us if he seemed dangerous and we unanimously agreed that his mild manners and all 150 lbs of him on his 5'9'' physique did not seem threatening to us. Kircschner then told us that while Mr. Smart was being held in jail awaiting trial, a 250 lb, 6'2'' guy who had violated a restraining order was put in his cell with him. Mr. Smart stomped the guy to death. When the guards got there and he was questioned he said, "I didn't do it. I don't know who did it but someone must have come in here and done it."

So how did you like your terribly abridged, blog version of Psychology of Criminal Behavior 101??

Keep in mind that only a small percentage of crimes are committed due to mental illness versus character pathology but more on that later!

Yay for JP!!

Jonah would like to state for the record that he was wearing his shirt first when he showed up at Duncan's shortly before the party started. Then Duncan changed from a t-shirt into this shirt and when asked why he chose a nearly identical shirt to Jonah's he replied that he had to wear a purple shirt to represent Yahoo!

You know how I know I have good ideas? Because the few I've thought through seriously have been implemented several months later by people and companies in much better positions than I am in to do so. Case in point:

Upscale Movie Theaters

I've always said this would be a good idea anywhere there are lots of wealthy people. I'm certain that wealthy people in New York would prefer to dish out more money to guarantee a nicer movie going experience. While it may be sad for a minute to squash a democratic vestige - movie theaters - people will get over it in a quicker minute. And us plebeians can overcompensate by repeatedly mentioning how great Loews theaters are.

Rarely is a parent empirically right when they say, "my baby is the cutest dancer!" or "my kid is the smartest second grader" but in this case Jason & Meg may in fact be correct in saying Ollie Kottke is the cutest sleeper ever!

Apparently I sometimes grind my teeth while I sleep and Jonah's stopped me a few times, mid-grind. It's unfortunate that I'm such a stress case even while I sleep - one's nature is a bitch, isn't it?!

Any suggestions for for the teeth grinder??

P.S. All my teeth have become nubs.

Oh wait, that's me! How did Andrea Harner finagle that, you ask??!! Answer is I was fortunate enough to be asked to join the photo shoot (wearing my favorite color!) so now you know what the mystery event was! And here's the accompanying article!

* Thanks to Lily for this photo!!

A: Rat.

* Broadway & Prince.

* Elizabeth & Grand.

Loved these until I found out they were Alligator Sausages. Then, all I could imagine was that I was taking a bite out of an alligator's side. Still pretty yummy - just more weighty of a bite/thought:

My favorite were these Jambalaya Won Tons - delicious sauce:

Seafood Gumbo:

Shrimp Po' Boy:

The cutest thing in the restaurant:

Chicken Po' Boy:

The End!

* NoNo Kitchen in Park Slope!

This captivating image reminds me of a similar image seared in my brain from that day six years ago. After walking around in a daze for the few hours after the towers went down I stumbled into Duke's Deli on Broadway between Prince & Houston which is usually maniacally busy and frantic but was eerily quiet and close to empty that day. The sense of numbness I'm certain all the patrons and workers felt that day was broken when a firefighter, covered head to toe in dust, debris and ash walked in and sat down. His face struggled to carry the horror that had already changed him. A deli worker swiftly brought him something to eat and drink - she intuited exactly the right thing to do and performed her task with an elegance one evinces only when guided by their heart. He gratefully and silently ate and on our way out the few diners including myself each walked past him either touching his shoulder or whispering thank yous.

This captivating image reminds me of a similar image seared in my brain from that day six years ago. After walking around in a daze for the few hours after the towers went down I stumbled into Duke's Deli on Broadway between Prince & Houston which is usually maniacally busy and frantic but was eerily quiet and close to empty that day. The sense of numbness I'm certain all the patrons and workers felt that day was broken when a firefighter, covered head to toe in dust, debris and ash walked in and sat down. His face struggled to carry the horror that had already changed him. A deli worker swiftly brought him something to eat and drink - she intuited exactly the right thing to do and performed her task with an elegance one evinces only when guided by their heart. He gratefully and silently ate and on our way out the few diners including myself each walked past him either touching his shoulder or whispering thank yous.

Once a week Zee and I get together to drink bubble tea and speak only in Japanese. This treasure can only be credited to too many bubbles/too much caffeine.

Had a lovely time getting to know Stuyvesant Town and its great communal resources and soaking up Fenkel/Ankori hospitality - thanks again Dave and Shani!!

Had a great get-together at Josies (aka Mark & Tams)...thanks again guys!!

My first two classes, Psych of Criminal Behavior and Statistics were fantastic and my Criminal Behavior professor charmed me off my feet! I had just purchased a globe so I walked into class carrying a big box. I suppose I could have alluded to the box containing my ex-boyfriend's head but I held back. It was only my first day of class!

For those of you curious what my courses are this semester click here.

Finally, did you know that John Jay (since it's a CUNY school) is costing me Jonah $3000 a semester, $6000 a year??!! Pretty great huh?? Yeah CUNY! YEAH JONAH!!

* by Zee.

First day of grad school...wish me luck!!

This family vacation was deeply satisfying - it felt like one big love fest and silly fest - the best fests! Missing them and Japan a lot right now - I hope to spend more time with both in the near future.

I don't think I've spent a happier night than last. After delighting in the surprises Jonah presented upon my arrival of an utterly delicious mushrooms-clams-corn-basil-onion-garlic-black pepper pasta he cooked for two hours, a bowl of strawberries for desert and fresh flowers!, I snuggled into the sanctuary of his arms, reveling in memories of this family trip and quickly drifted into dreamland with an unfettered smile.

Still as intriguing as ever, here's New York Magazine's take.

Give me a B! Give me an I! Give me a TCH!

Anyone wanna hang out tomorrow at 4:40 AM?

* Early August, uptown Bloomingdales.

* Spotted by Paul Ohan at uptown Bloomingdales.

* Thanks to Alex for a deliciously fun evening last week!

The other day while singing Rihanna's Umbrella in the shower, Jonah busted in, flung open the shower curtain and shoved this umbrella at me...here's Andrea's Umbrella, photographic version:

Missing Jonah and our fun, colorful breakfasts together!

American Apparel continues to gross me out.

New Yorkers are silly and easy to love!

* Two Boots on Bleecker btw Broadway & Lafayette.

* Chinatown, NYC.

* Chinatown, NYC.

Two of my many banana designs I like to present to Jonah as part of breakfast party-time!

Look carefully:

Choose wisely:

If you haven't yet been to the NY Aquarium, you should!

Update!!! The 70% pima cotton 30% seaweed sheets I mention below have been found at the 6th Ave Bed Bath & Beyond store! AND, they are now $100 instead of $200!!! The sales associate told me that they are in fact the best sheets they sell but their customers just weren't buying them at $200 so they are now clearance items for half off. I highly suggest buying a set if you are in the hood! I am going to buy another one while they are still around!

There comes a time in every blogger's life when she has to admit a mistake and apologize to her readers. My time has come. I have learned that the bed sheets I thought I was reviewing were not in fact the the sheets I was challenged to review. I have slept on the aforementioned sheets since realizing this mistake and can no longer stand behind them as the best sheets. They are fine and undoubtedly good quality but they are not nearly soft enough for my liking. The sheets I thought were the best bed sheets were sheets I purchased from Bed, Bath and Beyond a while ago. For some strange, unknown reason, BBB no longer stocks them nor can I find them anywhere online - this mention is the best I can find and as you can see the links don't satisfy. Jonah says, "they've probably been recalled!" Probably.

The good news is that this past weekend while staying at The Standard Miami I discovered delightful, heavenly sheets by Fili D'oro. I researched them and discovered they only sell to hotels (The Standard and The Ritz-Carlton among others) however I just called The Standard and asked to purchase a set and they say that upon receiving their next shipment of sheets, they will sell and send a set! The Fili D'oro sheets and the elusive Seacell sheets are truly the softest, loveliest sheets.

For those of you who bought the Thomas Lee sheets based on my recommendation (I already know of one) I truly apologize for my erroneous review. They have a 30 day return policy so that's an option or if you love the sheets, well then perfect!

Apologies again.

Update: Jeremy Blake's body identified. RIP.

I am obsessed with this case of apparent double-suicide. Journalists are suggesting that harassment by the Church of Scientology and other seemingly paranoid thoughts as detailed in Theresa Duncan's blog post from May feuled this tragedy. I can't stop scouring the internet for updates because there are so so many unanswered questions and it's plain creepy.

Did she really kill herself? Her blog doesn't seem like the blog of someone who would kill herself - obviously one can beguile their readers but still...she didn't seem in the depths of despair. If so, then why? There must have been a trigger. Did she have a history of depression? Pills and booze found next to her body plus the conspiracy stuff...conjures up a little Marilyn...A long suicide note? What does it say?

As a romantic it fits in my world view that Jeremy Blake was unable to fathom living without her so he took his own life. I can get that. Or...he faked his death for an art piece about death and fame. It's his final act in resignation from the art world. He killed her. He broke up with her and his guilt overwhelmed him. The body that washed up onshore that they're suspecting is his probably is...otherwise, is he sipping on a pina colada on a remote beach?

Who knows but why aren't more people talking about this online? It is because the art world is snooty and insular and private? Or is this all a hoax?

The mystery will be revealed in the fall!

* Thanks to Bram for the introduction of a lifetime!

Another in the very exciting subway series of guess who?!...

* At the yummy Chevy's in Battery Park City.

One of New York City's many weird and cute offerings:

* Thanks to Lily for the photo!

* Spotted outside of the Bodies exhibit.

The Bodies exhibition was awesome and holding up the bridge was tiring!

I had the awesomest dream last night. I was riding my grandmother's horse Foxy (who after a lifetime of being ridden a lot then not so much is almost feral) bareback which I've never attempted before. What amazed me was that even without reins and a saddle I was able to navigate Foxy and we had a great system down pat. At the end of the fantastic day I jumped off her and while trying to hold back tears of joy I signing her: I (I pointed to myself) love (I crossed my arms as if hugging myself) you (I pointed to her). Foxy then picked up her front legs and signed the same message back to me. We beamed and embraced and I was the happiest girl on the planet.

* Great discovery made during dinner with the Wilkies.

We had a nice dinner with Mark and Tam and Josie last week - thanks for bringing giggling Josie and beautiful flowers!

While away this week we hired a gardener to take care of our sprawling gardenS.

Our dining experience last night at Wd~50 was well, quite an experience. We went all out and indulged in the tasting menu although opted out of the wine pairing. Let's just say that towards the end of the evening we equated this type of food, molecular gastronomy, to new media art: An honorable exercise in innovation, some of it's delicious and awe-inspiring and some of it fails miserably. An absolutely worthwhile experience for the curious and adventurous - you are guaranteed a memorable time!

Here it is in chronological order with dishes listed as they appear on menu.

The hungry!

Nice earthy, textured placemats and wooden tables to off-set the less than natural food preparation:

A toast to the curious!

Hamachi, fried corn, lime pickle, grapefruit - delicious:

Shrimp and tarragon macaroons - these were divine and incredibly fun to eat (think cheese puffs):

Foie gras in the round - hated the watercress dollops but otherwise really interesting rice crispies version of foie gras that enabled me to enjoy foie gras - the cacao balls were an incredible pairing that worked magnificently:

"I'm now a yuppie. Not sure how I feel about that..."

Sweetbreads, cabbage-kaffir, water chestnuts - pretty good although I am not entirely comfortable with sweetbreads, the greatest euphemism of cuisine:

Beef tongue, fried mayo, tomato molasses - the tongue resembled a cow tongue too much for me to enjoy it - otherwise the tomato molasses and fried mayo were good:

Miso soup, sesame "noodles":

Interactive food!

This Japanese-inspired dish was greatly appreciated, yummy and fun:

DIY noodles!

Surf clam, watermelon, garlic chive, fermented black bean - this was mediocre:

Lamb belly, black chickpea, cherried cucumber - the lamb belly which was basically bacon was very good but otherwise the dish was only alright:

Cameranda:

Argan oil horchata, cantaloupe, carob - was delicious:

Fried butterscotch pudding, mango taro, smoked macadamia - this was disgusting - the fried butterscotch tasted like hotdogs:

Soft chocolate, avocado, licorice, lime - was remarkable:

"Cool" black currant jelly - pretty cool:

The chef Wylie Dufresne himself:

The satiated foursome:

It was that time of the year again this weekend when my spoiled, jaded ass declared, "there's nothing fun to do in New York City!" and thank god for Jonah's better attitude because he suggested we finally do the Top of the Rock and it was super fun! P.S. We took advantage of a special deal combining Top of the Rock tickets with the Bodies exhibition tickets so that will be blogged when we do that too!

After Top of the Rock fun, we knew we wanted to eat Korean bbq but didn't know how to pick one restaurant in K-Town so we used our trusty sidekicks which yielded good reviews telling us to go to Kang Suh. Other than service that would have been appropriate had we asked them to please leave us alone, it was totally delicious. Highly recommended!

Sometimes you're so hungry and happy eating that you end up with only three photos that scream, "afterthought!":

* May 17, 2007.

* Houston & Lafayette, NYC prom season '07.

Thank you to Omar Wasow for the fantastic hosting and fun party!

Update: One of the owners of Ed's tells me, "They are live and are so right up until the time you order one." I suggested he amend their menu so that the word 'live' is all over it.

Other than the fact that we're pretty sure their lobsters aren't live lobsters and are therefore frozen lobsters, it was mediocre.

On Wednesday night I forcibly snuggled up to Jonah with a 70% completed Wednesday crossword and said we were going to complete it by team work! As I figured out some tough answers we both remarked how I have gotten noticeably better since I started hard-core crosswording 6 months ago. Just as I began to revel in this, the greatest compliment of all came. "You're really going to be good when you're an old lady," Jonah said. If you were in the apartment across the street you would have been momentarily blinded by a flash of light coming from our apt. because I was beaming.

My love of Funny Face extends to an insatiable appreciation for funny faces made by little people!

Natalie!

Josie!

* Chibi of Chibi's Sake Bar.

Man it feels good to be registered! I've been realizing recently how much I have loved being back in school. Can't wait to get my dirty paws on these subjects in the fall!

The sheer size and pattern of this nearly tips it over into NSFW category. Ow. Ew.

You know when people say, "you can't order the same thing!"?? Well they're wrong.

Apparently the ladies next to us did the same thing with a different dish and drink so Paul's pointing and saying, "they're us."

Can you guess what this was?

Club soda and cranberry. Note to self: Next time, club soda with just a splash of cranberry.

This is how you pose for a photo when nothing else will work:

Do I see a guy who will begin a creative writing MFA program at the New School this fall??!! I do! Congrats Paulito!! Now you're gonna bring in the big buckeroos!!

It's ok to resort to the do you like seafood?/ to see food? level when all else fails:

Who are the Gucci Girls?! You're dying to know, I can feel it.

Me and my mom! We should be paid by Gucci...in merch:

From left to right: Hot! Hot! Hot!!!

In the midst of completing my final paper for school, I received a D80 as a gift-loan, as part of a sponsorship PR program from Nikon (THANK YOU, Nikon!). Now that school's out for summer! I have finally had the time to "make it my own": inserted the charged battery and the memory card (double thank you to Nikon), strapped on the strap and set my custom settings.

Off to the Jersey Shore later today - I'm sure that location is what Nikon had in mind for my inaugural photo shoot with the D80!

Even though I don't love her music since Vespertine, she remains an inspiration and proof of a creative genius fairy on earth!

Thanks to Flickr for the first and second to last photo!

* In front of Grace Church on Broadway & 11th.

We went to the Jordan All-American Classic last weekend which showcases the nation's best high school senior basketball players at Madison Square Garden...imagine being one of these kids, knowing Jordan's watching you! It was fantastic - as Annie says, having tickets to something is the best feeling because you know you're in for something new and exciting! P.S. Tickets started at $10!!

Be on the lookout for MVPs (pictured above) Corey Fisher and Donte Green - you may just see them in the NBA!

Guy #1: There's an acoustic, Fugazi cover band from Austria! Isn't that insane?

Guy#2: I don't know, is that insane?

Guy #1: It's insane. Trust me.

Guy #2: Ok.

Check us out at Central Park!

Thanks Kenyatta! LOLOLOLOLOLOL.

I've noticed something peculiar as I've gotten older - I can hear things more acutely and this is not a joyous occasion (even as Jonah says I'm turning into a superhero!). As a consequence I've taken to wearing earplugs to sleep, to study (I snuck them in to my GRE test!) and to read. The effect is immediate and soothing. The world is at a safe distance and I can finally focus and relax. If you are a reader who is at all tempted right now I highly recommend it!

The best part of these particular earplugs is that once you've smushed the little fellas and fit them in your ear holes (it will become a sacred ritual in no time), the package itself becomes a real source of entertainment. Just as your spouse gets quiet and unwinds into sleep mode, firmly say your spouses name in that tone of voice that makes them think something's wrong. Then grab the package with one hand, hold it up and with your other hand point aggressively to the QUIET PLEASE! and then you and your spouse can laugh and laugh and laugh. I have endless fun doing this to Jonah every night.

Excerpt from a fellow fan's musings and a brief history of earplugs (Thanks to Jason for the link!):

Concentrating was easier, and I began to leave the earplugs in to write. Errands in the city, or when I had to take the subway, were much more pleasant at a slight sonic remove. It's like listening to music on an iPod, but instead of filling your head with sound, you fill it with your thoughts and your own breath. continued...

P.S. If anyone can help me find cute, dangling earplugs like the ones Audrey Hepburn used in Breakfast at Tiffany's, please let me know!

We attended the Rhizome Benefit last night and while it was fun, that fun was unfortunately not captured in photos. Sorry guys. Sometimes a shutterbug doesn't shutter so much. This is all I got for you.

Thanks for a great night, Cyrus, Caitlin, Eric and Leslie!!

Juiceboxxx was great as expected and I'm proud to state the obvious which is that this site is quickly becoming a Juiceboxxx destination!

Wow. I had never thought about how Gawker affects celebrities (that could be because I never think about Gawker) but Jimmy Kimmel made me do so for the first time and in the process, won my sympathy.

Thanks to BuzzFeed and Jason for encouraging me to enter and acknowledging my texterity- I'll text you if I do!

* via BuzzFeed.

This to me, is proof of genius. That may be perplexing or just overly simplistic to many of you but it's fact to me. From the beginning Prince was a dizzying, unbound artist, unique even then when there were more true artist-musician-performers than today. Baby you're a...star!

Thanks for the link, Jason!

His big eyes darted around nervously, scoping out his fellow trees, scrutinizing the temperature, feeling the vibe...making sure his timing wasn't egregiously off. He reminded himself that others before him had done it and survived...some were even lauded for their perfect timing! And...he...bloomed...just a little shy bloom at first...but then he couldn't stop blooming and he knew then, that for the first time in his young life, he was a leader.

I was so in fear of the revamped GRE that I knew I had only one chance of taking the current GRE which is shorter than the revamped one and doing well enough not to retake it . Even though that test isn't rearing its ugly head after all, the dread of it served me nicely. Thanks ETS - owe you one.

After spending four years and $12 million on research, the Educational Testing Service has abandoned plans to introduce a revamped Graduate Record Exam this fall.

The Educational Testing Service had wanted to administer the test on only 35 days a year. That would have allowed E.T.S. to create original tests for each day in the hopes of preventing cheating. In 2002, for instance, the testing service discovered that some people in China, Taiwan and South Korea had taken the test, memorized questions and answers and posted them on Web sites, allowing other students to log on and see the questions in advance. continued...

Thank god something good came of the shooting: Now auxillary cops get bulletproof vests.

The Village Tannery:

Upclose:

* Bleecker between MacDougal & Sullivan.

In my Experimental Psychology: Research Methods class this semester I've been learning lots of scales to measure various things such as depression, OCD and anomie. It occurred to me yesterday that I have a profoundly simple, highly unscientific scale I'd like to propose to measure marital happiness. The scale consists of one question and the way it's rated is that if you answer yes to the question then you are happily married and made an excellent spousal choice. Ready for the scale? The one big question?? The Super Duper Unscientific yet Intuitive Measurement for Marital Happiness and Spousal Choice???

HAD YOU AND YOUR SPOUSE KNOWN EACH OTHER AS KIDS, WOULD YOU HAVE BEEN BFF?

If you answered yes, I suggest you call your wife/hubby now and express your delight in having found them.

From today's Metropolitan Diary...

Dear Diary:

Cheryl Chan

* Photo by Zee from our bubble tea date the other day!

* Times Square, March '07.

What began as Duncan dropping by early Sunday evening turned into a six-person hang-out fueled by wine, noodles I cooked!, dinner and a Pictionary game lasting several fun hours. My highlight was drawing "metal detector" by drawing an airplane, a runway and a terminal (more like a box to which the runway ran into) which had my team correctly screaming airport. Since they had the right context I then drew a stick figure and an arrow towards something that slightly resembled the metal detectors we all suffer through at the airport. "Metal detector!" someone screamed on my team - "Bingo!" My lowest of lows was when I tried drawing the essence of "Michael Jackson". I must remind you all that the Pictionary timer is extremely short and unforgiving. So I started out drawing jerry curls on a face and an arrow from the hair to a fire - remember the Pepsi commercial??!! - and that wasn't successful so I moved onto the nose. I mean, THE NOSE. I circled where the nose would be and then drew an x through it. Still nothing. Which is when I resorted to drawing a penis on the figure and drawing a really small stick figure next to it and then well, you can imagine what I had to do. Still nothing. Lots of laughs but nothing. The timer ran out which is of course when I realized all I ever needed to draw was THE GLOVE. All this is to say that Pictionary is super fun - I encourage you to buy the game (and a white board!) and sic it on your guests!

I love good documentaries which is why I loved Air Guitar Nation. My cousin Harmony suggested we see a movie and said she'd see anything that wasn't a horror flick so I chose this movie and didn't tell her what we were going to see. It's safe to say she had no idea what was in store until the first few seconds of the film when the air guitar-ness thrashed onto the scene and from that point on we as well as the whole audience were riveted and laughing for much of the movie. This doc follows the inception of the US Air Guitar Championships in 2003, the characters that bring it to life and then culminates with the US stars entering the World Air Guitar Championships in Finland. The story is incredibly well woven and I found myself feeling so happy for the filmmakers for making such a successful story and thoroughly enjoying their creation. I highly recommend you seeing this!

P.S. Asians and half-Asians will delight in and feel endeared to C-Diddy. Asian pride!!

Always one of my favorite sections of the NY Times, Metropolitan Diary captures some of that New York City magic!

Dear Diary:

Stephanie Andriole

* More of this week's Metropolitan Diary here.

I was recently accepted into John Jay's Forensic Psychology Masters program!! I am eager and excited to begin classes in the fall.

Here are my main areas of interest - perhaps one or two of you out there has similar fascinations!

The indeterminate art and science of jury consulting: Unnatural Selection by Matthew Hutson. Jury selection took its first halting steps toward science in 1972, when seven Vietnam War protesters were charged with conspiracy and put on trial in conservative Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Pretrial polls indicated that 80 percent of potential jurors would vote to convict. Social scientists armed with community surveys explored which backgrounds and attitudes suggested sympathetic jurors (good: women and Democrats; bad: the religious, college educated, subscribers to Reader's Digest). In the end, the Harrisburg Seven received only one minor conviction, and a field was born.

Psychopathology of cults, especially the Aum Shinrikyo: Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche by Haruki Murakami. The sarin attack exposed Tokyo authorities' total lack of preparation to cope with such fiendish urban terrorism. More interesting, however, is the variety of reactions among the survivors, a cross-section of Japanese citizens. Their individual voices remind us of the great diversity within what is too often viewed from afar as a homogeneous society. What binds most of them is their curious lack of anger at Aum. Chilling, too, is the realization that so many Aum members were intelligent, well-educated persons who tried to fill voids in their lives by following Shoko Asahara, a mad guru who promised salvation through total subordination to his will.

Serial returners: Chronic Returners May Be 'Bulimic' Spenders. Dr. April Lane Benson, a psychologist who authored "I Shop, Therefore I Am," said serial returning is a well-kept secret because it carries so much embarrassment and shame. It's "something people don't tend to talk about because the person who is the compulsive returner is often very perfectionistic and feels that they should be more in control," said Benson, a psychologist who specializes in treating compulsive shoppers.

* My favorite sushi in NYC: