tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77755611303371752652012-01-31T02:36:58.261-08:00this was a t.log about my travels. now it's a b.log feeding my narcissism.rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.comBlogger2111100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-63676789710143008882011-02-28T23:07:00.000-08:002011-02-28T23:14:01.909-08:00

i started my new-found self-employed consulting status about 5 weeks ago, and have learned a great deal about how challenging this type of work is going to be for me. if anyone who has worked from home has any true and tested tips to help me- actually get work done.- not lose my sanity and start muttering to myself on public transit. and/or- not allow work and non-work to blend into one unholy

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-15595021009151947142011-02-15T18:17:00.000-08:002011-02-15T18:25:35.407-08:00

thanks to m.r. for forwarding this article to me from the wall street journal. Get Out of My Way, You Jerk!Researchers Study 'Sidewalk Rage,' Seeking Insights on Anger's Origins and Coping Techniquesby Shirley S. WangYou don't need a car to get road rage.For many people, few things are more infuriating than slow walkers—those seemingly inconsiderate people who clog up sidewalks, grocery aisles

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-31016101719224284992011-02-03T06:36:00.001-08:002011-02-03T06:46:48.747-08:00

i am slowly moving into my new place. m.r., my roomie, has been here since january 1, while i camped out at my parents' place while they were away. they are now back and my motivation to properly move in has hit an all-time high. i love my parents. i just love them more from afar. while my belongings continue to collect dust on atlantic avenue, due to my own procrastination and anxiety about

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-67742850735239959622011-01-12T17:53:00.000-08:002011-01-12T17:58:11.272-08:00

i don't usually do restaurant reviews. but i wrote back in may 2010 or so about how montreal bagels were now available in brooklyn at a new montreal deli restaurant that opened, called "mile end." i finally got to go to "mile end" when i was in new york for my extended visit. and by finally getting to dine there, i don't mean once or twice. i was sucking back poutine, smoked meat, bagels and

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-47063308901050589312011-01-12T17:30:00.000-08:002011-01-12T17:48:56.004-08:00

[i'm going to pretend that i've been blogging regularly and just launch into it again.]i spent way too much time in my storage facility in brooklyn this past november and december. way too much time. but i did my inventory and counted up my things. 58 boxes! of things i've never allowed to buy again, tote bags top the list. no matter how cute, no matter how indispensable they seem. i have

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-45423967049197521632010-05-27T16:25:00.000-07:002010-05-27T16:28:47.258-07:00

i wish i had thought of this! again, kept back by my own lack of initiative.From "The Gothamist"Everyone complains about waddling gangs of tourists blocking the sidewalks of this fair city, but nobody ever does anything about it (beyond unleashing the occasional barnyard noise or cane swipe). Until NOW. As you can see from this photo, taken at 22nd Street and Fifth Avenue, some disgruntled local

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-6772328717889735292010-05-26T12:26:00.000-07:002010-05-26T13:46:27.905-07:00

Jews in London: Expulsion & ResettlementOne of the places I wanted to visit in London but didn't get a chance to is London's Jewish Museum. It re-opened in March 2010 after having been closed for 2 years for renovations. Nevertheless, I learned a lot about the history of the Jews in England, much of which was completely new to me. Apparently, there are about 300,000 Jews in England now (I'm

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-90825895011335982062010-05-23T10:58:00.000-07:002010-05-23T11:12:31.378-07:00

(i promise: i'll be done soon with all the london-trivia!)Clerkenwell GreenThe area of London I worked in is called Clerkenwell. Clerkenwell took its name from the Clerks' Well in Farringdon Lane. Just beyond the green (which is not ‘green’ at all; it is a small area enclosed by buildings with a disused public washroom in the middle) are the relics of the 11th Century church and hospital of St

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-33722492416981865142010-05-20T10:57:00.000-07:002010-05-20T11:19:54.356-07:00

ExecutionersThe name of the first known public hangman in London is "Bull" (of "Night Court" fame? incidentally, when is that show going to come out on DVD!). Hangman Bull was followed by the more famous Hangman "Thomas Derrick." Derrick is famous, why? Because of this ingenious device that he invented for more efficient hanging of mans. Derrick's invention was like a crane upon which 23

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-64817387349542653682010-05-18T13:28:00.000-07:002010-05-18T13:45:24.475-07:00

London Stone:If you walk east down Cannon Street, on the other side from the railway station, you will find an iron grille set within the Bank of China building. This is where you can find what remains of "London Stone." The stone is about 2 feet tall and has a very faint groove on its top. For many centuries it was popularly believed to be the stone of Brutus of Troy, brought by him to London

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-91879550622943485542010-05-18T09:56:00.001-07:002010-05-18T10:31:01.592-07:00

One of the first books I bought when I got to London in September was "London The Biography" by Peter Ackroyd. I had been very slowly making my way through it. It was too thick to carry around, so I'd read it for a few minutes before bed every night as a taste of the city I was exploring as much as I could after work and on weekends. I finally motored my way through the rest of the book and

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-47871748246942922572010-05-11T14:24:00.000-07:002010-05-11T14:39:56.858-07:00

greetings from discovery coffee. there is no longer internet in my sublet, due to c.a. (my roommate in whose name we had cable and internet service) departing to ottawa and our time in the apartment lasting only til the end of may. yesterday, i was at discovery coffee from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm and that was truncated only because i had an appointment at 4:30 pm. i have been drinking more latte

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-16534770292981345172010-04-19T14:06:00.000-07:002010-04-19T14:08:30.391-07:00

check out this flickr page of signs from teaparty rallies around the u.s. do i laugh, do i cry? tea-bonics

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-88206049571836676702010-04-15T15:34:00.000-07:002010-04-15T15:37:00.599-07:00

Fresh St-Viateur bagels are now available in New York City every Saturday morning at the new Montreal-style Deli in Brooklyn - Mile End. In celebration of the tremendous honor of New York Magazine's Best of 2010 award, Mile End Montreal Bagel is now offering a special rate on pre-orders of Montreal bagels. The hand rolled bagels are picked fresh out of the St-Viateur wood fired oven at midnight

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-39581576896965826252010-04-15T15:23:00.000-07:002010-04-15T15:32:39.598-07:00

1. Justice Stevens is retiring from the US Supreme Court and the interwebs are abuzz with speculation about who Obama will appoint to take Stevens' seat. This article (linked here) is an excellent write-up of a different kind of diversity, sorely lacking on the bench.2. How f*cked up is Facebook? Rather, how f*gazied are the people on Facebook? Apparently enough so that an application called

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-14571866246636853092010-04-05T03:41:00.000-07:002010-04-05T03:46:42.558-07:00

i've been in london for about a week now. my friend got married on saturday. the jet-lag this trip has been awful - and the combination of jet-lag + lumpy mattress (at the travelodge i stayed at for 3 nights around the date of the wedding) + indian wedding chaos = little to no decent sleep. i thought i had left a suitcase at j.m.'s and m.r.'s in greenwich to take the rest of my stuff back home

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-65452316113787724292010-03-18T18:57:00.000-07:002010-03-18T18:59:48.131-07:00

there sure were a lot of anonymous spammy-type comments on the blog. i went through to wipe it clean. we'll see how long that lasts. i am definitely going to have to be more vigilant.i can't believe the semester is almost done. april 9 is the last day of classes and then the exam period begins, and i am officially jobless as of the end of may. argh! i have to find out if i qualify for going

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-42856806547476318402010-03-18T18:16:00.000-07:002010-03-18T18:21:54.438-07:00

i'm reading "the diviners" by margaret laurence. i first picked up "a jest of god" by her in a used book store on oak bay ave. after which, i found "the diviners" and "stone angel" at another used bookstore. i'd forgotten how much i enjoy her writing style and how her characters have a pitch-perfect melancholy to them. i've been reading a lot lately, mainly parking myself at my local

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-69666457848785053642010-03-04T23:27:00.000-08:002010-03-04T23:33:57.324-08:00

[I don't know what happened to me or where I went. I lost my way, perhaps. Anyway, I am back now. I hope I don't lose myself again.]Teaching has been great. I'm really enjoying it and wish I were better at being on top of the lectures. There is just no way I can get through everything I think the course ought to cover, but I will do my best to get through as much as I can. Being back in

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-84833317622547125222009-10-31T14:52:00.001-07:002009-10-31T14:52:59.775-07:00

that everyone i know in london is married or in a long-term living together relationship.i miss nyc more than ever!

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-20323782357995784742009-10-30T10:32:00.000-07:002009-10-30T10:44:07.246-07:00

on the occasion of my birth, i like to reminisce about birthdays past. it's very cool that i'm celebrating with j.m. and m.r. this year because j.m. figures prominently in one of my best birthday memories. j.m. and i met while we lived in residence at ubc. her room was next to mine. i roomed with a weirdo (in a bad way) and she roomed with a weirdo (in a good way). we became fast friends and

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-42116952669226196302009-10-27T04:54:00.000-07:002009-10-27T04:57:27.496-07:00

26.10.2009Work was absolutely dead today (now yesterday). None of the three other people I share my four desk cubicle with were in and it made me ridiculously unmotivated to do anything. Instead, I worked on finding a job. Not exactly a real fun thing to do with my lack of supervision, but necessary – oh so necessary. I’m starting to freak out about the course I’m teaching in January.

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-87383954899015078902009-10-25T14:56:00.000-07:002009-10-25T16:21:35.018-07:00

on 18.10.09, i went to see a show at the slaughtered lamb in clerkenwell with k.l. sondre lerche was headlining his own show while on tour with the fray. amazing. k.l. and i bought tickets online, which was lucky cause the show sold out. of course the show sold out, it was sondre lerche! has there ever been a more adorable, cuter, funnier, wittier, better guitar playing norwegian person ever

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-85395714347933954222009-10-25T13:08:00.000-07:002009-10-25T14:53:39.238-07:00

25.10.09the BFI london film festival has been on since oct. 14th and i have been meaning to see a film ever since i saw the posters advertising it on my commute. a lot of the bigger name films have already sold out. yet i could easily blow much of my weekly necessaries budget on tickets to the film festival. i have to be very discerning about what i went to see. at GBP 12 a pop (for evening

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-19852376149403912062009-10-23T23:46:00.000-07:002009-10-24T00:10:38.639-07:00

i just read an article in the NY times online about how marathon runners are bemoaning the fact that slower runners are entering marathons and crapping on the cache of having "run a marathon", that slower runners have "disrespected the distance" and have "ruined the marathon's mystique."oh come on.if your worried that people won't take you for the serious runner that you are and mistake you for

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-51138673043616629042009-10-20T11:46:00.000-07:002009-10-20T11:50:40.063-07:00

ACT NOW!! DO NOT DELAY!! THIS IS A ONCE-IN-A-WHILE OPPORTUNITY!!I WILL BE IN NYC FROM NOV 12-NOV 22!! (yay, can't wait!)

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-48126679268945937062009-10-18T11:53:00.001-07:002009-10-18T12:05:47.150-07:00

... from about a hundred miles away, in the nosebleeds at the old vic. i went to see "inherit the wind" on friday night. it was excellent!highlights:* the adorable couple sitting next to me (that in itself could be a highlight since i rarely see couples i can non-sneeringly call adorable that aren't already in my circle of acquaintance) who could not understand much of the tennessee-accented

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-64388215266832744082009-10-06T06:36:00.000-07:002009-10-06T07:33:51.831-07:00

some photos of the brighton pier & pebble beachafter the pier, j.m. and i walked around brighton a bit. we came across a strange church that was all curvy in design and had no windows. bizarre. the pictures i took of it didn't come out so well & could not be photoshopped into anything better, alas. the church stands at the base of a really cute hilly street chock-a-block with really cute,

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-37246145482454063542009-10-06T05:03:00.000-07:002009-10-06T06:35:36.402-07:00

03.10.09j.m., m.r., their friend c. & i headed to brighton for the day. j.m. found ridiculously cheap train tickets from victoria station and m.r.'s ladies football team (he coaches) had a match in brighton anyway, so it was all very convenient.first stop was "vegetarian shoes" where j.m. bought a fun pair of boots.then the royal pavilion -- george IV, who became the prince regent when he father

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-45864397039165658352009-10-06T04:47:00.000-07:002009-10-06T05:02:40.156-07:00

work, work, work.is great. i like the people, the work is interesting & big perks:* the stipend situation isn't as bad as i thought. i'm breaking even on transportation and lunch.* amazing 65p sandwich place just down the street. sandwiches for 65p. and not just ham & cheese or roast beef sandwiches: i've had a brie, rocket & tomato on a pumpkin seed bread, an emmenthal, cress & jalapeno on

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-27682498541404892702009-10-06T03:45:00.001-07:002009-10-06T04:44:26.388-07:00

my neck is killing me. boo.at first i figured it was just a wonky night of sleep, but now i don't know. maybe a combination of wonky sleep + poor posture + staring at computer (i think i need to make my workspace a bit more ergonomic. or a lot more ergonomic.) the weird thing is that j.m.'s neck was hurting a few days ago and m.r. says his was in similar shape a few weeks ago. strange

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-12316799617298410482009-09-29T00:32:00.000-07:002009-09-29T00:36:13.152-07:00

today's my first official day as a tier 5 temporary worker at AI. exciting times. will share more about the day later.but first. it's been a while since i've reported on the notorious dr. k. the latest from the hague:PROSECUTION, JUDGES IN KARADZIC CASE STAND-OFF Stalemate as prosecutors decline trial chamber’s request to trim charges ahead of trial.By Simon Jennings in The Hague (TU No 617,

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-36213047288908643942009-09-27T03:02:00.000-07:002009-09-27T03:13:54.263-07:00

i'm presently sitting in the midst of a group of university of exeter freshers who are being coordinated and shipped off to their residences via shuttle bus. the customs officer was delighted that he wasn't going to have to process yet another student visa when i stepped up. my flight over was grand. i was seated next to a lovely english couple from lincoln, england. we had a nice chat. and

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-44180372658102835112009-09-25T17:07:00.000-07:002009-09-25T17:15:12.729-07:00

my visa came through and then it took about forever to get my flights booked but i am finally leaving YVR tomorrow for LHR. i arrive in london on sunday at 10:30 AM. a direct flight on air crapada -- at this point, i would have taken a cargo ship to london! my first day in the office at AI is tuesday!! in the midst of a major packing throwdown. i have 2 checked bags and 2 carry-on (though i

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-24444900871049030312009-09-13T11:34:00.000-07:002009-09-13T11:44:45.352-07:00

a while back, i went for a hike near squamish, bc with s.b. and a.k. the hike -- the stawamus chief -- was definitely a work-out (at least for me). a.k. seems to be running up it, in my estimation. and my tired old body, wayyyy out of shape, was groaning and creaking for days afterwards. but it was good pain. we made it up to the first peak. of course my camera ran out of batteries at the

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-1003939509029543392009-09-10T13:04:00.001-07:002009-09-10T13:05:34.436-07:00

I just received my passport back from the British High Commission with my visa approved!! I am now back to being internationally mobile! SO EXCITING. It's a cool-looking visa actually. I will now promptly return to the online survey the High Commission asked me to fill out. I was scared to do it until I had my passport in hand. Yes, a little paranoid.HOORAY!

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-35391400556948800572009-09-07T22:07:00.000-07:002009-09-07T22:26:34.856-07:00

actors.Well, Two of them anyway. And both are Bollywood royalty. Ranbir Kapoor -- The latest generation of the Kapoor Dynasty (son of Neetu Singh and Rishi Kapoor. His family tree in Bollywood goes back five generations.)Saif Ali Khan -- If the Indian government hadn't abolished royal entitlements, Saif's father (Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, the famous cricketer) would still be the 9th Nawab of

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-22915926749912946202009-09-02T19:14:00.000-07:002009-09-02T20:02:55.505-07:00

the visa saga has an update. on monday, i went to the visa application center in vancouver operated by "worldbridge" (aka WB = worthless bottomfeeders): the entirely useless service that the british are using to process visas in canada (and a bunch of other countries). and when i say useless. i mean it. the british high commission has nothing to do with you until you've met with WB, been

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-36366993308761403642009-08-28T11:00:00.000-07:002009-08-28T20:10:23.419-07:00

i am royally peeved with the UPS delivery guy who was supposed to deliver a very important, urgent package to me yesterday. yes, the chances that he's reading this are next to nil, but i still need to rant. in order to prove to the uk border agency that i have had GBP 800 in my account for the past 3 months (this is the piddly amount they expect you to "maintain" yourself on in the UK -- i'm

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-90068000427520966202009-08-27T14:50:00.000-07:002009-08-27T14:53:44.016-07:00

ever since i've been visiting in surrey, my dad and a couple of family friends have been suggesting that i open my own law firm. to which i always roll my eyes and say no way. i like law. i'm not a business person. if i were to open a business, it would be a combination stationary store / book store / music venue / art gallery / coffee shop / publishing house. not a law firm. today, my dad

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-18482902112640655412009-08-24T13:41:00.000-07:002009-08-24T13:54:19.888-07:00

is it just me or is the word "star" used too liberally to describe people who have achieved a modicum of renown. for instance, a "reality-tv star" (and i think with very few exceptions, reality-tv personalities are not so star-like) is alleged to have killed his model (ex?)girlfriend (not model girlfriend as in best girlfriend, we should all attain to her level of girlfriend-y-ness, but model as

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-2974413453277759052009-08-24T00:53:00.000-07:002009-08-24T07:43:28.867-07:00

as part of my long exile in surrey, bc, i'm taking in the cultural sights and sounds. sounds mainly tonight. i went with my mom and my aunt to see the RED FM idol finals. RED FM is a south-asian (mainly punjabi tho') radio station in the lower mainland (vancouver and environs) that my parents listen to religiously. the commercials on RED FM are hilarious. you'd have to know punjabi to really

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-52337244543501827482009-08-01T02:20:00.000-07:002009-08-01T02:58:46.477-07:00

i traveled with my parents all over the greater surrey region (including south surrey and parts of langley/white rock) in search of a portable air-conditioner for my parents. traveled from big box store to big box store (all blessedly air-conditioned) only to find out that all air conditioning units & fans (of the non-ceiling fan variety) were sold out. everywhere. well, not true. at "

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-37778771336311734332009-07-29T12:52:00.000-07:002009-07-29T12:57:16.499-07:00

vancouver is so disgustingly hot and humid. it's like nyc in the dead of heat. but one big difference is that people don't typically have air conditioning here. we're off to go find a portable unit for my parents. good lord, i'm melting. still here kicking it in surrey, awaiting news on my visa. any day now is what i've been told. i'm tiring of the idle life of living with parents and

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-63976541543055654062009-07-14T11:33:00.000-07:002009-07-14T20:50:42.048-07:00

hello, hello.terribly sorry (esp. to D.G.) for the lengthy absence from blogging. it's been a crazy month with homelessness leading to scant interwebs access. i can't remember when i last had a fixed address (though i call L.C.'s place in toronto home -- at least for purposes of passports, etc.).i am now in surrey, bc. a place that perpetually smells like masala and is populated by more indian

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-84187796264690743212009-06-11T05:18:00.000-07:002009-06-11T05:20:41.373-07:00

Taiwan 96-year-old grad student: All-nighters workBy ANNIE HUANG Associated Press WriterJun 11th, 2009 | TAIPEI, Taiwan -- A 96-year-old Taiwanese man who will receive his master's degree in philosophy this weekend said he was able to compete with younger students by pulling all-nighters before exams.Chao Mu-he, better known to his classmates at Nanhua University in southern Taiwan as "Grandpa

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-33016064453292219302009-06-09T03:52:00.000-07:002009-06-09T03:55:33.939-07:00

one of the highlights (low lights?) of v.k.'s visit was our eurovision concert watching fireplace mishap.i have a working fireplace in my apartment. v.k. and i decided to start a fire since it was a chilly evening. we ventured out first to buy snacks and a lighter. there was firewood and i had paper for kindling so we were good to go. of course, we had to open the flue. it was the most

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-68355013962972686192009-06-05T01:35:00.000-07:002009-06-05T02:38:48.220-07:00

hot on the heels of v.k.'s visit, d.g. was in town. well he was in amsterdam, passing through the netherlands in the middle of his holiday to london. he was persuaded to visit me in ye olde haguee. i picked him up at den haag HS station and we wandered around town. first stop: herring. i have photographs of d.g. and his herring. i abstained, mainly because herring + early in the day =

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-83701268272405184532009-06-01T07:09:00.001-07:002009-06-01T07:10:49.987-07:00

took a break from my work to walk in greenwich park. 'tis such a lovely day here today. making it difficult to work. but work i must. i walked through the park to greenwich village, found a cafe there for lunch and ambled back to j.m.'s and m.r.'s lovely abode, which is spacious and bright. anyway, back to the grind.

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-16352238994910963192009-05-30T11:11:00.001-07:002009-05-30T11:26:42.596-07:00

monday (con't):before i keep going on our dining experience at cafe de punt, i forgot to mention our process of getting to amsterdam. v.k. was staying at an airport hotel in an place called hoofddorp, which is one of those places that grew up out of the fact that the airport was near. we took the train to schiphol and then took the airport shuttle to the hotel. we check in. then we proceed to

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-3260361831170708602009-05-29T02:59:00.000-07:002009-05-29T05:41:33.140-07:00

v.k. came to visit for a whirlwind long weekend of hilarious times. theme songs for the weekend: flo rida's "right round" and lady gaga's "poker face" (which mysterious did not play at all on mtv when v.k. was here, but otherwise plays all the time). saturday:v.k. arrived early on a saturday. after i convinced here that she would be jet-lagged and that running around amsterdam on saturday

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-14639242344813110092009-05-27T02:32:00.000-07:002009-05-27T02:34:58.480-07:00

i don't know if this work-related blogging is interesting to anyone reading (save me), but since is public and involves my otherwise unpublic worklife, i'm blogging about it. just try to stop me.check out the following link discussing the agreement on opinio juris. fascinating stuff. the link is here.comments. spirited discussion. welcomed.

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-15194543854231182662009-05-27T00:13:00.000-07:002009-05-27T00:20:12.974-07:00

as part of my saving money exercise (which will take on more urgency when i'm living in london, surrounded by glitter and fabulosity that can only be purchased with many, many GBP), i have been saving on the cost of a latte a day by making coffee at home in a french press.i've taken heed of all those studies that show just how much you can save in a week / a month / a year if you give up your "

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-8508625411791640962009-05-25T14:55:00.000-07:002009-05-25T14:58:47.219-07:00

may 25, 2009photos of the press conference.

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-52557262837547804092009-05-25T07:19:00.000-07:002009-05-25T07:29:07.740-07:00

we held a press conference today in front of the ICTY concerning a motion filed today seeking dismissal of the indictment on the basis of an agreement entered into by karadzic and richard holbrooke providing that karadzic would not be tried at the ICTY if he were to disappear from public life, stepping down as president of the republika srpska, etc.i was at the press conference. most of the

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-88349469725884508832009-05-23T15:53:00.000-07:002009-05-23T15:59:20.023-07:00

it's almost final. i will (very likely) be in London for 6 months starting July. i got an internship with Amnesty International. yes, unpaid. boo. but I think I can swing it and the gig sounds so interesting and might just help me figure out TROML. yippy. i will have to enforce a regimen of poverty. i get a daily lunch & transportation stipend and a return flight, so it could be worse.my

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-77876284863416082742009-05-16T03:07:00.000-07:002009-05-16T03:10:49.862-07:00

An associated press article about Karadzic's defense. Check it out here.

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-70063980011724120732009-05-14T07:02:00.000-07:002009-05-14T07:14:02.645-07:00

This series of rantecdotes has to do with men in the Hague. Three incidents to report.1. I was waiting to cross the street. A couple of guys in a service truck were stopped at the light. I made eye contact with the guy sitting nearest to me. I smiled, like normal people do. He took this as some kind of invitation to be sexually harassed. I get lewd gestures from him until the light finally

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-80397410906101838872009-05-14T06:21:00.000-07:002009-05-14T06:55:11.331-07:00

i've got a few rantecdotes i need to get off my chest. mostly generalizations about dutch people. and yes, L.B., i know that L.M. had a delightful time in amsterdam and met wonderful dutch people. i'm not saying wonderful dutch people don't exist. in fact, even i have met a few. this is for the few bad apples.Dutch people don't understand queuing. Unless there is a sign specifying that you

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-52339863282645752942009-05-14T00:59:00.001-07:002009-05-14T01:04:12.798-07:00

Beautiful vistas from Blarney Castle. Emerald Isle, indeed! Oh, and one of me pouring imaginary boiling oil on N.O.

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-38834898762408137382009-05-14T00:42:00.000-07:002009-05-14T00:58:46.279-07:00

Photos of: Gallarus, Irish Surfers, Postcard from the Edge, Killarney Lakes & the Rock of Cashel (this kind of looks likes a frown-y face to me).

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-87540210474759383252009-05-11T13:32:00.000-07:002009-05-11T14:37:51.936-07:00

I spent the weekend of May 2-3 in Cork, visiting N.O. and hanging out with his dad (and other members of his family, as it turned out).Cork is a fun town. I had a great time. N.O. senior drove us around to see the sites around Cork. We went to:On 02.05.2009:1a. The Rock of Cashel (aka Cashel of the Kings and St. Patrick's Rock): located in Munster - in the town of Cashel, County Tipperary.

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-44485565324357488852009-05-11T09:04:00.000-07:002009-05-11T09:07:11.318-07:00

a few pictures of my street and the amazing beer place a few doors down

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-12509526524674311422009-05-11T08:41:00.000-07:002009-05-11T08:44:53.875-07:00

spinoza:

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-23543422307988918932009-05-11T07:17:00.000-07:002009-05-11T07:53:08.625-07:00

there are so many things to blog about. i have notes on what i wanted to blab about from weeks ago. but i have been super lazy about blogging. it's tragic. i won't bore you with the full-scale version, so here's a re-cap. and i will blog more regularly.1. 30.04.2009: queen's day attack on queen beatrix. this probably made international news. what's strange about being here is that i

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-30534807196247995332009-04-30T14:24:00.000-07:002009-04-30T14:35:44.614-07:00

april 30, 2009:spent queen's night (evening of april 29th) in the hague. i had my doubts as to how "wild" things would get. i'd been told that it's quite a change from the usual "scene" in the hague. i was totally dubious. and totally wrong. scads of people, more people than i thought lived in the hague emerged in the evening and converged in nearly every nook and cranny in this city. it

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-68503339613216174692009-04-28T23:43:00.001-07:002009-04-28T23:47:53.487-07:00

it's so fantabulously great when someone who SO deserves it finally gets their dessert. and what a dessert it is! i'm speaking of my dear, beloved, admired, entirely fantastico HLP (heterosexual life partner), A.W., who had the brilliant, hilarious, mind-bending idea of sending a stripper in her place to her 10-year high school reunion. and then filmed it.sound hilarious? omg. it's totally

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-7076520270160285912009-04-28T11:16:00.001-07:002009-04-28T11:24:13.993-07:00

it's hard to believe i've been here for 2 weeks now! once i end up uploading the pictures on my memory card to my laptop, i'll taken and then post some pictures of my new place. it's a nice highly ikea-ized apartment and i'm planning to have the interns over for drinks next week. this week is "queen's day", which is the birthday not of queen beatrix but of her predecessor. the night before

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-67310467161722288222009-04-19T11:23:00.000-07:002009-04-19T11:29:20.411-07:00

i was worried that i'd be in the dark ages of bollywood during my time in den haag. but, not to worry. i'm watching a show right now on Den Haag TV (DHTV) called Hindi Music.NL which is, in the vein of all hindi programming outside of India, an hour-long advertisement for Bollywood. now i know i'll never be alone here. at least four times a week, i can tune in to be with my people. omg -

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-70044804970611291112009-04-17T17:04:00.000-07:002009-04-17T17:17:13.058-07:00

i found a place to live!tonight is my first night chez moi. i miss E.B., but i'm sure he's delighted to have his place back again. plus i spent the night hanging with him and some of his friends, so he can't miss me too much. my new place comes with a bike, but the lock is some sort of james-bond-style intense thing, so i haven't been able to figure it out yet.also, J.H. forwarded an article

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-11377919832436282192009-04-15T00:28:00.001-07:002009-04-15T00:34:45.940-07:00

allergies!why do you vex me!!i'm grossing out my gracious host, E.B., by snotting and snorting and sneezing (triple S threat) all over his lovely apartment.seriously, this is bad news. it's pollen galore here. i thought i'd have escaped the worst of it on account of having left sacha the cat, but not to be. day 1 was great. mishaps: didn't get my security badge due to some mix-up. didn't

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-49810371565495634102009-04-13T10:11:00.000-07:002009-04-13T10:17:09.142-07:00

after an absence, i'm back on the blog. let's hope it lasts awhile. my packing process was quite a humourless experience, except that i had to push back my flight to toronto 3 times because i was so far from finished packing. it's really tragic how far my assumptions about time were from the reality of time. egad. anyway, my time in toronto was short, but sweet. by short, i mean 28 hours

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-7649818007355718252009-03-27T11:13:00.000-07:002009-03-27T11:20:24.199-07:00

of my goal, i caved and had a latte today.butA. the new coffee shop on classon is run by a S.H.A.G. (a Scaldingly-Hot-Australian-Guy) and he puts a boing-boing in my step.ANDB. igavenoticeyesterday. yes, you read that right:I. GAVE. NOTICE. YESTERDAY. after 4 years, 6 months & 1 week of employment, i'm unemployed on april 8th, 2009.

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-27260642576731611772009-03-23T08:30:00.000-07:002009-03-23T08:31:51.648-07:00

when you wake up with random pieces of snotty kleenex stuck to your person and have no recollection of blowing your nose.yes, gross. yes, really happened.that's kind of all i got today.

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-68739809852528821952009-03-02T09:55:00.000-08:002009-03-02T09:59:06.905-08:00

nicolas sarkozy.i started getting the financial times for free - i signed up for a 2 week trial and they just keep sending me the paper. not so inspiring about their finances. but i'm not complaining. anyway, i am always overjoyed when there is an article about n.s. i absolutely adore him. really, for no good reason. maybe it's his name, sarkozy. rolls off your tongue in such a delightful

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-31141270212108500562009-02-21T02:11:00.001-08:002009-02-21T02:18:11.093-08:00

words cannot express my happiness.

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-50058249706377005602009-02-16T10:25:00.001-08:002009-02-16T10:40:27.711-08:00

1. i came to work not realizing that the office was closed. i could swear that last year we didn't get a holiday for presidents' day. i knew it was presidents' day today, but i thought it was bidness-as-usual at the office. not so. as i exited the 4/5 train at bowling green, there did seem to be a lot less people around. which i chalked up to it being a holiday for everyone else, but me.

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-61868150955206020102009-02-07T04:31:00.000-08:002009-02-07T04:37:32.255-08:00

SHIG = Scaldingly Hot Indian Guy.His name is Paul Banwatt and he's a drummer in "The Rural Alberta Advantage". And if you haven't heard this band, step to it foo'!! Their lead singer (Nils Edenloff) is a super-sweety from Deadmonton and sounds a bit like the frontman from Neutral Milk Hotel. And Amy Cole rocks the beats like yo' momma. Yes, f'reals. So please please please support RAA. How

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-36853200597302814322009-02-06T10:08:00.000-08:002009-02-06T10:23:41.440-08:00

you better run.another story in the chronicles of my "writing-cheques-my-body-can't-cash" mouth. i was walking up third avenue around 70-something-th last weekend, on my way to get a juice. (as part of my new healthy me, i am occasionally gagging on a vegetable juice. candle cafe on the UES makes one that doesn't taste like greens collected off "resources road" and pre-chewed by livestock. (

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-30042290463707479832009-01-23T13:51:00.000-08:002009-01-23T14:01:52.076-08:00

many of you query (okay, two of you) why i would voluntarily attempt to go caffeine-free for 2 weeks. there is really no answer to that very pertinent question. i am re-aligning my health more generally: more leafy greens, less licorice. i have not had any refined sugar since jan 11th either. at least not consciously. so, maybe i'm getting a bit more serious about nutrition (a wee bit) --

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-64772623330954088722009-01-13T23:21:00.001-08:002009-01-13T23:27:09.804-08:00

i've gone cold-turkey off of caffeine. yes. despite my passionate love for coffee and coffee culture, despite my (often) desperate search for coffee-places, and despite the fact that coffee offers much-needed succour on the daily trudge to work, i've decided to remove coffee from my diet for 2 whole weeks. this is crazy. for me, anyway. the last caffeinated beverage i had was a latte at

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-91930110263983360682009-01-10T22:23:00.000-08:002009-01-10T22:33:37.932-08:00

* and not the kind referred to on craigslist postings.it snowed in new york today. beautiful big puffy flakes of snow. my street is suddenly pristine, unsullied. brooklyn looks clean! no mean feat. i hear it will snow more this week, which many view as a curse. frankly, i think snow is wonderful. seasons are wonderful. i've already witnessed a playful snowball fight. (last winter, L.B.

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-78699708132342982962009-01-08T14:20:00.000-08:002009-01-08T14:44:03.217-08:00

on wednesday mornings, i take the bus to the gym. the bus rider-ship in the mornings is essentially: parents with young kids going off to kindergarten, 1st grade or to playschool, elementary-schooled aged kids going on their own to school, people going to their jobs and me. this past wednesday, i boarded and the bus was packed. i got a seat near-ish the back. for the entire bus ride (about 20

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-22996145412836824852009-01-06T09:26:00.000-08:002009-01-06T09:29:41.042-08:00

big hearty warm and fuzzy thanks to D.G. for finding the clip of me on ABC News. I didn't even try to find it. D.G. to the rescue. Diane Sawyer knows me! I practically know her! Herenow, my only hope is that this hits the airwaves with force and i get discovered!

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-31856768487173703252008-12-30T22:32:00.000-08:002008-12-30T22:52:04.817-08:00

greetings from gate 50 of the edmonton "international" airport. i am awaiting a red-eye flight to toronto. as i sit in the lego-land environs of this airport, i ruminate on why, exactly, did i stop blogging here on the eve of the us presidential election? so much has happened since.the mcpain went away. sort-of. palin is going to be interviewed new year's eve on "the hour with george

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-71466965609666701202008-10-28T08:17:00.000-07:002008-10-28T08:35:28.115-07:00

john mcpain got me out of my too-busy-to-post mode. loads going on. the rehabilitation through the arts fundraiser is tomorrow night. there's still time to join us. www.rtaontheriver.org. and if you haven't heard, i'm collecting $33 buckaroos from my friends for my birthday. one buck per year of my livin'. the money will go to rta. it's a birthday cause link from my facebook account. go

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-38336974268129648932008-10-14T09:04:00.000-07:002008-10-14T09:09:24.372-07:00

tv has everything. everything? yes, everything. take, for instance, the history channel's new series: "Jurassic Fight Club". ah-maze-ing!! this is really fascinating stuff. taking forensic files / tru tv to the next level, merging it with animal planet. tv really is the best. Here's a blurb about the show from the history channel website:Groundbreaking Forensic Evidence Leads to

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-59599295033715277662008-10-13T03:27:00.000-07:002008-10-13T03:29:17.246-07:00

palin - p + st = stalinearly morning thoughts as i listen to NPR.

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-38839740629318267822008-10-08T19:02:00.000-07:002008-10-08T19:10:13.588-07:00

haven't been much on a computer lately. my kid brother got married this past saturday. wow. punjabi wedding madness. i arrived in vancouver tuesday and it was a non-stop extravaganza of family, food, music, dancing, whiny children and family members commenting on how "healthy" i look (translation: you've gained weight). i have the additional pleasure of hearing about how much my hair is

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-54732290183961380162008-09-20T17:28:00.000-07:002008-09-20T17:30:35.611-07:00

just wanted you to see this article "u.s. court is now guiding fewer nations". major refs to the supreme court of canada. woohoo.

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-38199670864061605432008-09-20T17:10:00.000-07:002008-09-20T17:24:00.965-07:00

the new york post is hard hitting. i was at oslo getting coffee this morning before my hair cut and i spotted a copy of the new york post to browse while i waited for my latte. what do i see on the cover page. this was one of the cover page news items. really? really, this is news? last time i checked, the u.s. government was planning to revamp the financial regulatory market (hello!) and

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-6755582071684339812008-09-18T09:02:00.000-07:002008-09-18T09:11:05.347-07:00

this is a link to an opinion piece on salon.com about the palin yahoo account emails that were hacked into and then circulated on gawker (and maybe other sites as well). the indignation of many conservatives and bat-shit insane right-wing nuts who were unusually quiet when it was revealed that the US state apparatus was spying on its own citizens and violating any concept of their privacy or of

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-11921873920921041402008-09-18T02:03:00.001-07:002008-09-18T11:24:52.620-07:00

a few weekends ago, my firm took me and others to a weekend getaway in a chocolate-obsessed paradise in pennsylvania. as a part of this weekend, we had a night of fancy food + karaoke (classic combo, like burger & fries, p.b. & jam). apart from the company at my entirely partner-free, cool-people heavy table, the food was notable. the chef worked as the white house top chef (this would be a

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-78638335886063154662008-09-17T05:57:00.000-07:002008-09-17T06:11:43.433-07:00

as many of you know, i work for banks. investment banks. and big insurance companies too. big woolly mammoths of capitalism that have been feasting on the world forever. or at least since i can remember. as a further commentary on just how awful my luck is, all the wrong banks (i.e., the banks i don't work for) are shrinking, bankrupt-ing or being folded into others, while the right banks (

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-52651931880645453832008-09-06T14:20:00.000-07:002008-09-06T14:48:10.970-07:00

have you ever wondered how and who decides what to name hurricanes and tropical storms? guess what? i have.apparently there are several lists of tropical cyclone names. the lists vary region by region and are drafted a couple of years in advance. the lists are decided upon either the world meteorological organization or by national weather offices involved in the forecasting of the storms.

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-17806782354867597262008-08-21T14:22:00.000-07:002008-08-21T14:35:50.782-07:00

First, an aside:I'm trying to come up with a trendstery name for my work 'hood. The financial district doesn't roll off the tongue like SoHo or Dumbo or NoLiTa or TriBeCa.A few thoughts.(1) FinDis(2) FiDi(3) 'Cial (pronounced 'shl')(4) The DistrictPlease add better suggestions. These suck.Second, the main point.Hot on the heels of hearing about one new culinary delight in The District comes

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-53175901269814959402008-08-17T03:55:00.000-07:002008-08-17T04:04:32.040-07:00

atlanta, 1996, named izzy for "whatizit?" 'nuff said. even the mascot for the 1986 chernobyl nuclear reactor accident was better.los angeles, 1984: more like the mascot for a patriotic chain of greasy fried chicken joints. Check this site out for a gallery of olympic mascots. the first official mascot was 1972, munich. there was also an unofficial mascot for the 1968 winter games in grenoble.

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-39073641897817912792008-08-17T03:36:00.001-07:002008-08-17T03:48:58.245-07:00

hosting the olympics is a pain in the a**. you have to spend ooodles of money preparing your bid, political capital trying to get your long-suffering population to get behind the idea (or at least some portion of your population), promise the IOC all sorts of venues and infrastructure you can ill-afford, move homeless people / alter regional topography to give those venues & that infrastructure

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-3679208507383219612008-08-15T08:10:00.000-07:002008-08-15T08:27:20.832-07:00

the latest development in the financial district is the opening of a place called yorganic. a fro-yo place! this is a watershed moment. for those of you not in the know, dining down here is equivalent to searching for the holy grail. there are a few okay eateries, but the quest for an appetizing lunch begins around 11:30, as i compile options. there is always the well-subsidized cafeteria,

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7775561130337175265.post-1919448529297762512008-08-11T02:24:00.001-07:002008-08-11T02:25:04.093-07:00

is named raji. 'nuff said.

rxmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17019096008110924525noreply@blogger.com0