Ich will dir mein Herze schenken

Boy Meets Girl...

2011-04-21T04:09:00.002-04:00

This doesn't have a happy ending, which I didn't see coming, but I also never knew it was beginning either.

Summer 2010

I was taking my last set of math classes.

I was really struggling.

Complex Variables.

I was drowning, so I called out for help.

She answered, well she walked up to me and told me she could help me out.

We exchanged email addresses (I don't even remember getting her phone number.)

So I started talking to her after class.

She would stop for a smoke, and I'd sit nearby and talk to her about anything, everything.

I thought she was a little crazy.

Smart too.

Did I mention the curly hair?

Or the magnificent bosom?

Yeah, well we'd talk, then start walking downtown, the 10 blocks to her train and to my bus.

We did this after every class.

It was the best 20 minutes of my day.

Wir müssen durch viel Trübsal in das Reich Gottes eingehen

2010-12-31T11:18:00.004-05:00

We must pass through great sadness that we God's kingdom may enter (BWV 146)

Back to basics. Listening to Simone Dinnerstein host the WKCR FM 89.9 Bachfest right now.

This is always the happiest and saddest part of the year for me.

What now?

Butter(fly) end of Summer

2009-09-07T00:05:00.003-04:00

I'm going to watch Madame Butterfly tonight at the Met Opera (in front actually).
It'll be the last event of my summer, even though classes have already started and Autumn is already underway. I, hilariously, almost got into a fight the last time I tried to watch Madame Butterfly at the Met.

Skool Redux (part 2)

2009-09-04T01:23:00.005-04:00

I've finally settled on my new schedule and it's going to be Math/Stats all the time.
No more German Fairy Tales or Acting class, at least for now.
I'll try to fit in a dance class somewhere along the way.
Fall for Dance is right around the corner...

Upcoming food stuff...
I'm thinking the next (Cheesy) potluck will be awesome, the last few themes (Tofu, Queens, Wizard of Oz) have been slightly off.
Also looking forward to Omnivore New York and Le Fooding (yes, I have tickets for Friday night!)

Folding Hangover

2009-07-02T11:29:00.001-04:00

It's the annual post origami convention letdown.
But here are some pictures of the origami exhibit for your viewing pleasure!

Ilium

2009-04-08T06:09:00.001-04:00

I've been up all night reading about gods and heroes, and now it's time for sleep.

Break

2009-04-06T21:44:00.002-04:00

I have the next 13 days off.
Besides some origami teaching on Good Friday, the potluck on Holy Saturday, and a wedding the following Saturday, I'm completely free.
What should I do?

Lonely?

2009-03-26T01:57:00.004-04:00

I just watched this week's episode of Gossip Girl. Nate and Blair have a moment at the end where they both seem overwhelmed by all the changes/unexpected turns in their ridiculous lives.
I don't like change and I miss being around people. The only ones I see on a somewhat regular basis are my brother and V, everyone else seems to be drifting away. And there still are no candidates for BNF 2009. I need to fix this.

In the middle

2009-03-18T15:34:00.001-04:00

I have three midterms the next few days...and I signed up for more Math classes over the summer.

Reading

2009-01-29T03:39:00.001-05:00

I just finished my reading.
It's almost 4am.
This might be a long couple of months...

A New Hope

2009-01-15T01:29:00.003-05:00

I was walking home tonight after dinner with my parents and I felt really lucky to be alive in the here and now. Granted my health has been better, I'm currently unemployed, and LOVE has been a comedy of errors of late (unlike the epic disasters of years past, mind you), but everything else is fantastic especially when you're listening to Pamina sing of her love for Tamino.

Hard Road Ahead

2008-11-05T01:53:00.002-05:00

The election result as momentous as it is, is just the beginning.
I just hope the Dems don't fuck this all up.

Monica

2008-10-10T01:19:00.003-04:00

(I will pretend that my friends actually read my blog on a regular basis.)
Monica! Call me whenever you get out of work.

(pre) Fall For Dance 2008

2008-09-07T23:57:00.004-04:00

Waited on line to score some Fall For Dance tickets which went on sale at 11AM this morning. MB met me there around 7:30 and we spent the better part of the morning trading stories and gossip. There was a somewhat crazed, Jewish lady in front of us on the line and she became increasingly agitated by the lack of line progress as the clock crept towards and then past high noon. We finally, finally got the tickets after five hours of waiting and made our way down to Cafe Centosette to meet the rest of MB's crew for Sunday brunch. It was a somewhat hectic experience as our waitress seemed to be completely overwhelmed by our mere presence at the tables. But I did enjoy my 2 glasses of OJ and on the way back to the subway, KC and I bumped into Eric van der Woodsen in front of the Strand.

Sweatiest Ever

2008-09-04T20:27:00.002-04:00

I was told by a friend that I was the "sweatiest [dude], ever".

This day included the following:
the MoMA
Ruby Tuesday in Times Square
Death Race (2008)
Private Dance Party
Pancakes

I also made a new friend along the way...

Pulse 87

2008-08-28T02:00:00.003-04:00

The insomnia is back.
I found my old Walkman and turned on the radio. Stumbled upon WNYZ 87.7 while I was resetting the preset stations. It's a Rhythmic CHR station which basically means it plays dance club music. So now I can go deaf while I go loopy from lack of sleep. Yay.

So tonight's excitement, I met a bunch of dancers on my way home tonight. I was a little drunk as I walked my way back to Union Square after a PG-13 night on the town. I'd passed by several large herds of newbie NYU kids and I assumed the crew on the uptown BMT platform was the same. A W train pulled in and they seemed to be waiting for an N, so I told them to get on. We all boarded together and sat down, but an N train pulled into the express track, so we all changed over and got seats on the express. I was feeling chatty, so I started talking to my neighbor, Lindsey, and eventually was talking to the whole crew (Mandy, Laura, Francesco) about bad choreographers, poor turnout and the upcoming dance/performance season. My own performance on the ride back to Queens was apparently so impressive that the woman sitting across from me started smiling and talking to Laura even though she didn't know any of us. I overheard her say something like, "Only in New York can you have complete strangers blah blah on the train...", but right then the N pulled into my stop.
I believe in NY and I believe that NY believes in Sang. :)

Beijing 2008

2008-08-25T22:55:00.004-04:00

It's been two weeks of nonstop Olympics viewing in my house.
And it was an exhilirating two weeks to be sure.
Now I have to go back to my normal life which seems diminished in comparison to the drama and the spectacle of the Olympics.
Everything seems a little less.
And it is.

Breath

2008-08-15T03:40:00.002-04:00

So I have this problem, well, I don't know if it's actually a problem, more like a disconnect between my inner and outer lives. Of course, to even write or complain about this sort of thing is ridiculously self-involved, but the who the hell is reading this blog anyway? There aren't enough pics on this blog to warrant checking back on a regular basis (most of the pretty/party pics are in the NY Miscellany blog). The reason I mention this "problem" at all is that I happened to revisit my old Xanga blog, which was refreshingly frank compared to this one (also a somewhat painful walk down memory lane). I just wrote what I felt, no matter how puerile or paranoid or desperate. Not that I want to feel that way again, those were some shitty, shitty nights when I was writing back then, but it feels more real looking back on it now. And there were some moments of joy and hope. Most of the entries in this blog have been rather bloodless and clinical, not exactly in keeping with the title "Ich will dir mein Herze schenken". So on the eve of another half-birthday, I'll finally get around to what I should have done in the beginning - give you my heart.

Hosting Fatigue

2008-07-25T02:19:00.000-04:00

I'm hosting potluck #50 later tonight. It might actually be #75 or #100. I've lost track over the past five years or so. We also hosted a ton of poker games before and during this recent string of dinner parties. I'd estimate that at least 200 different people have been over for our hospitality since I moved back to Sunnyside. And now I wish someone else (besides Audrey) would host a regular party already!!!

Best Tennis Match Ever

2008-07-06T23:59:00.000-04:00

If you watched the Wimbledon Men's championship match between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal earlier today, you know what I'm talking about.

It's even better than the 1980 Borg / McEnroe final which I remember seeing as a kid (the one with the 18-16 tiebreak).

But don't just take my word for it, Caroline Cheese (the MBM commentator for the BBC said the following at the end of the match,

2128: As the darkness fast encloses Centre Court, I can just see two figures dressed in white, carrying vastly different silverware. Rafael Nadal has just ended Roger Federer's Wimbledon reign, and has he also replaced the Swiss master as the world's best player? A question for another day when we've all had a lie-down. If you missed this final, watch it on iPlayer, get the DVD, whatever. You must see it. It was possibly the best match we will see in our lifetimes. I feel like crying, so I'll stop twittering on and say bye bye from Wimbledon 2008.

ESPN Classic will be airing the entire epic match on Monday, 7pm, so go see it!!!

Origami USA Convention 2008

2008-07-02T09:18:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone, here are my pics from the Origami USA Convention 2008.

More Ketchup Please

2008-06-19T00:31:00.000-04:00

Sorry about the lack.
Lessee, in the past 40 days and 40 nights...
Bought 2 new pairs of running shoes for my marathon training with TNT.
Went to my last opera of the 2007-8 season (was the libretto really that terrible, yes).
Spent a parade-y afternoon with the Norwegians.
Saw Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black, & Ed Norton on the big screen.
Tasted Times Square.
Saw the Yanks beat the Blue Jays.
Won some money playing poker.
Hosted two potluck dinners (C-food & soccer themes).
Went to eight (nine?) other parties celebrating beginnings, anniversaries, and unhappy endings.
Continued my fourteen (14!!!) year streak of attending every Shakespeare in the Park performance (Hamlet, not everybody loved it).
And for the past two weeks I've been reveling in the soccer awesomeness that is Euro2008.
Hup Holland!

The Slip: Halo 27

2008-05-08T11:34:00.002-04:00

Nine Inch Nails has a new album available for download off their site.

I remember the first time I saw Trent Reznor.
@ Webster Hall about 15 years ago.
I went with Jenny.
I was crazy about her.
I still have all those bootleg NIN cassettes she gave me.

Ko, finally

2008-04-29T23:29:00.003-04:00

I finally ate at Momofuku Ko last night and now everyone can read about it too.

The Platonic Blow

2008-03-18T13:06:00.000-04:00

The Platonic Blow
W. H. Auden
It was a spring day, a day for a lay, when the air
Smelled like a locker-room, a day to blow or get blown;
Returning from lunch I turned my corner and there
On a near-by stoop I saw him standing alone.

I glanced as I advanced. The clean white T-shirt outlined
A forceful torso, the light-blue denims divulged
Much. I observed the snug curves where they hugged the behind,
I watched the crotch where the cloth intriguingly bulged.

Our eyes met. I felt sick. My knees turned weak.
I couldn't move. I didn't know what to say.
In a blur I heard words, myself like a stranger speak
"Will you come to my room?" Then a husky voice, "O.K."

I produced some beer and we talked. Like a little boy
He told me his story. Present address: next door.
Half Polish, half Irish. The youngest. From Illinois.
Profession: mechanic. Name: Bud. Age: twenty-four.

He put down his glass and stretched his bare arms along
The back of my sofa. The afternoon sunlight struck
The blond hairs on the wrist near my head. His chin was strong.
His mouth sucky. I could hardly believe my luck.

And here he was sitting beside me, legs apart.
I could bear it no longer. I touched the inside of his thigh.
His reply was to move closer. I trembled, my heart
Thumped and jumped as my fingers went to his fly.

I opened a gap in the flap. I went in there.
I sought for a slit in the gripper shorts that had charge
Of the basket I asked for. I came to warm flesh then to hair.
I went on. I found what I hoped. I groped. It was large.

He responded to my fondling in a charming, disarming way:
Without a word he unbuckled his belt while I felt.
And lolled back, stretching his legs. His pants fell away.
Carefully drawing it out, I beheld what I held.

The circumcised head was a work of mastercraft
With perfectly beveled rim of unusual weight
And the friendliest red. Even relaxed, the shaft
Was of noble dimensions with the wrinkles that indicate

Singular powers of extension. For a second or two,
It lay there inert, then suddenly stirred in my hand,
Then paused as if frightened or doubtful of what to do.
And then with a violent jerk began to expand.

By soundless bounds it extended and distended, by quick
Great leaps it rose, it flushed, it rushed to its full size.
Nearly nine inches long and three inches thick,
A royal column, ineffably solemn and wise.

I tested its length and strength with a manual squeeze.
I bunched my fingers and twirled them about the knob.
I stroked it from top to bottom. I got on my knees.
I lowered my head. I opened my mouth for the job.

But he pushed me gently away. He bent down. He unlaced
His shoes. He removed his socks. Stood up. Shed
His pants altogether. Muscles in arms and waist
Rippled as he whipped his T-shirt over his head.

I scanned his tan, enjoyed the contrast of brown
Trunk against white shorts taut around small
Hips. With a dig and a wriggle he peeled them down.
I tore off my clothes. He faced me, smiling. I saw all.

The gorgeous organ stood stiffly and straightly out
With a slight flare upwards. At each beat of his heart it threw
An odd little nod my way. From the slot of the spout
Exuded a drop of transparent viscous goo.

The lair of hair was fair, the grove of a young man,
A tangle of curls and whorls, luxuriant but couth.
Except for a spur of golden hairs that fan
To the neat navel, the rest of the belly was smooth.

Well hung, slung from the fork of the muscular legs,
The firm vase of his sperm, like a bulging pear,
Cradling its handsome glands, two herculean eggs,
Swung as he came towards me, shameless, bare.

We aligned mouths. We entwined. All act was clutch,
All fact contact, the attack and the interlock
Of tongues, the charms of arms. I shook at the touch
Of his fresh flesh, I rocked at the shock of his cock.

Straddling my legs a little I inserted his divine
Person between and closed on it tight as I could.
The upright warmth of his belly lay all along mine.
Nude, glued together for a minute, we stood.

I stroked the lobes of his ears, the back of his head
And the broad shoulders. I took bold hold of the compact
Globes of his bottom. We tottered. He fell on the bed.
Lips parted, eyes closed, he lay there, ripe for the act.

Mad to be had, to be felt and smelled. My lips
Explored the adorable masculine tits. My eyes
Assessed the chest. I caressed the athletic hips
And the slim limbs. I approved the grooves of the thighs.

I hugged, I snuggled into an armpit. I sniffed
The subtle whiff of its tuft. I lapped up the taste
Of its hot hollow. My fingers began to drift
On a trek of inspection, a leisurely tour of the waist.

Downward in narrowing circles they playfully strayed.
Encroached on his privates like poachers, approached the prick,
But teasingly swerved, retreated from meeting. It betrayed
Its pleading need by a pretty imploring kick.

"Shall I rim you?" I whispered. He shifted his limbs in assent.
Turned on his side and opened his legs, let me pass
To the dark parts behind. I kissed as I went
The great thick cord that ran back from his balls to his arse.

Prying the buttocks aside, I nosed my way in
Down the shaggy slopes. I came to the puckered goal.
It was quick to my licking. He pressed his crotch to my chin.
His thighs squirmed as my tongue wormed in his hole.

His sensations yearned for consummation. He untucked
His legs and lay panting, hot as a teen-age boy.
Naked, enlarged, charged, aching to get sucked,
Clawing the sheet, all his pores open to joy.

I inspected his erection. I surveyed his parts with a stare
From scrotum level. Sighting along the underside
Of his cock, I looked through the forest of pubic hair
To the range of the chest beyond rising lofty and wide.

I admired the texture, the delicate wrinkles and the neat
Sutures of the capacious bag. I adored the grace
Of the male genitalia. I raised the delicious meat
Up to my mouth, brought the face of its hard-on to my face.

Slipping my lips round the Byzantine dome of the head,
With the tip of my tongue I caressed the sensitive groove.
He thrilled to the trill. "That's lovely!" he hoarsely said.
"Go on! Go on!" Very slowly I started to move.

Gently, intently, I slid to the massive base
Of his tower of power, paused there a moment down
In the warm moist thicket, then began to retrace
Inch by inch the smooth way to the throbbing crown.

Indwelling excitements swelled at delights to come
As I descended and ascended those thick distended walls.
I grasped his root between left forefinger and thumb
And with my right hand tickled his heavy voluminous balls.

I plunged with a rhythmical lunge steady and slow,
And at every stroke made a corkscrew roll with my tongue.
His soul reeled in the feeling. He whimpered "Oh!"
As I tongued and squeezed and rolled and tickled and swung.

Then I pressed on the spot where the groin is joined to the cock,
Slipped a finger into his arse and massaged him from inside.
The secret sluices of his juices began to unlock.
He melted into what he felt. "O Jesus!" he cried.

Waves of immeasurable pleasures mounted his member in quick
Spasms. I lay still in the notch of his crotch inhaling his sweat.
His ring convulsed round my finger. Into me, rich and thick,
His hot spunk spouted in gouts, spurted in jet after jet.

Die Stille vor Bach

2008-02-22T02:45:00.006-05:00

I saw The Silence Before Bach (Die Stille vor Bach) by myself at Two Boots Pioneer Theater on the last night of its run. It's Pere Portabella's latest work and though I feel like I've been waxing hyperbolic too often of late, the movie was an amazing fusion of music and film. I would say more, but this review on Not Coming to a Theater Near You captures the spirit of the film. That set piece on the U-bahn with all those kids playing the Prelude to Cello Suite #1 was my favorite, even more than all the snippets from the Goldberg Variations.

Jake Shimabukuro @ Highline Ballroom

2008-02-19T12:14:00.003-05:00

I capped off my birthday weekend by attending a Jake Shimabukuro show at the Highline Ballroom. For those not in the know, Shimabukuro is an incredible ukelele player. He'll be appearing on Late Night with Conan O'Brien tonight. If you don't catch him you can check out this amazing rendition of George Harrison's While My Guitar Gently Weeps.

Macbeth @ BAM

2008-02-14T01:45:00.002-05:00

Just back from watching a fantastic Macbeth @ BAM tonight. It was the 2nd time I've been to a fantastic performance at BAM in the past year. I should really go more often considering how easy it is to get there and back. There are still tickets available for the tail end of the run, so anyone out there that loves Shakespeare should boldly go.

12 Days of Ickness

2008-02-11T21:52:00.000-05:00

I've been sick ever since the night of Die Walküre at the Met. The weather isn't helping any, but I'm determined to get some sleep and get better. This is the first time in years that I've actually gone to bed before midnight, more than two days in a row. I have a full week ahead of me, I hope it doesn't kill me.

18-1

2008-02-04T02:04:00.000-05:00

The Giants won the Super Bowl.
There was much rejoicing.

New Year's Momentum

2008-01-15T06:59:00.000-05:00

It's been a busy first two weeks of the year. I made a couple of resolutions or maybe 2.5. The standard one (I will lose some weight) and a more fun resolution (I will dance more). So far there's been some opera, bhangra, wii, a Feuerzangenbowle, dance, and a bon voyage. And that doesn't include the 6 parties (birthdays or just because we like to party) or 5, new to me, restaurants (Light Horse Tavern, Gradisca, Stand, LITM, & Native). It's only gonna get better.

Revisiting Older Posts

2007-12-30T06:04:00.000-05:00

This was my favorite one this year.

One Boy, One Girl, Seven Cups

2007-12-30T05:28:00.000-05:00

It all started innocently enough, at a big family dinner in Chinatown. Went to Mandarin Garden to meet the extended family (not mine). Well not actually Mandarin Garden, it had to be either Mandarin Court or Shanghai Garden (right next to each other on Mott). After a gut busting meal (7 courses?) at MC, we trekked over to Zinc Bar for some bossa nova.

More drinking, music.

More walking, past the sculpture near NYU housing, past the cheese caves at Murray's, past Caliente Cab Co., past 85 Bedford, finally landing at White Horse Tavern.

More drinking, more food.

We discussed why I should never, ever marry.

A subway ride to the 24hr Starbucks on the UWS.

And then we had 7 cups of coffee & tea in less than an hour (along with some tips on health and fitness from our baristas, Exodus & Dan).

That's why I'm still up at 5:30, argh.

Back Back Back

2007-10-15T03:30:00.000-04:00

It's been months since I've done any updates, so I'll try to fill in as much as possible these next few days/weeks...

UPDATED
late July thru mid August (now with lots and lots pics!)

UPDATED
thru first week of September.

My favorite new web comic

2007-09-15T04:20:00.000-04:00

This made me laugh out loud at 4am in the morning.

And this was one of the best episodes ever.

Power of 10

2007-09-12T13:58:00.000-04:00

You might see me on TV tonight, that is if you happen to flip over to CBS and watch that other Drew Carey game show.

Staten Island Yankees 2007 Finale

2007-09-07T03:14:00.000-04:00

It wasn't actually the end since the SI Yanks advanced to the Penn-League playoffs, but it was the last day of the regular season and it was Friday so that meant fireworks!!!

AB and JV seemed to enjoy the beer too. :)

Check out the rest of the flickr set.

Opera for All (second time around)

2007-09-06T02:56:00.000-04:00

Back to Hong Kong Station for lunch.

Then it was off to Lincoln Center for another year of Opera for All at City Opera!

It was a great preview for the season, especially Don Giovanni which I was seeing with my bro two days hence. EVOC provided the after-party entertainment again.

AW and I stopped in to a local pizza joint (hi Mario) to grab a quick bite and then I had one of those surreal New York encounters - Xian walked in along with a posse of HCHS kids. Xian and I caught up briefly before we went on into the night.

Power of 10 (taping)

2007-09-05T02:50:00.000-04:00

Feel the power (that's what she said).

Followed by a visit to Boston Pizza (in Astoria).

Sunnyside über alles

2007-09-03T02:44:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure how I ended up in the East Village on Labor Day, but I had lunch at Rai Rai Ken before meeting EH's journalism school classmate for a tour of Sunnyside. Walked around for a bit and we stopped in to a Sunnyside dinner party (not hosted by me). I might have been the only non-writer/journalist there.

More Béisbol

2007-09-02T16:03:00.000-04:00

Another baseball game, this time in the Bronx.

The NY teams lost more often than they won (at least when I went to the games).
It was probably my fault in some way.
Le sigh...

Serra Serra

2007-08-30T02:35:00.000-04:00

Finally saw the Serra exhibit at MoMA tonight.

AB was late, I almost left to go home.
I don't like it when people are late/don't RSVP/don't call.
When I say "don't like" it's actually more like "fucking hate".

Mets at the Movies

2007-08-29T02:25:00.000-04:00

My bro and I had tickets to watch the Mets play the Phillies on the big screen inside the Ziegfield.

Was this the beginning of the end?

Check Out

2007-08-28T12:10:00.000-04:00

I had fun at this, my first singles event ever. I actually ran into a couple of people I knew and made a new friend at the fair trade table.

Some others didn't seem to have such a good time.

Loreley & Ceci Cela

2007-08-27T17:47:00.000-04:00

All I ever do is wander around and eat and drink and drink and eat.

But sometimes I am content. And sometimes it's only content.

Bon Voyage Dana

2007-08-26T17:40:00.000-04:00

DK was leaving NOLA in a few days and it was my last chance to see her.
We met and settled in at Caffe Roma on Mulberry. It used to be run by a member of the Genovese family who disappeared in the '70s, but I digress. We shared egg creams and cookies while she detailed the crazy events of the past month and her decision to make a somewhat permanent move to the still recovering city at the mouth of the Mississippi. I'll miss her, but maybe that means a trip thru MSY is in the offing.

Zabb

2007-08-25T17:36:00.000-04:00

It's all part of my Tour de Queens.
Right next to UFC stands Zabb.
See what happened!

UFC UFC UFC

2007-08-24T17:32:00.000-04:00

That would be Unidentified Flying Chicken.

Why isn't it Frying?

It was tasty, though not as tasty as Bon Chon's.
Then again we were all pretty drunk at Bon Chon, and UFC still doesn't have a liquor license.

MJ @ Mina's

2007-08-22T17:31:00.000-04:00

Same MJ, new venue.
I really need to get these girls on the gambling tip.
It's just no fun otherwise.

I did see this bit o' fun downtown earlier in the day.

Superbad

2007-08-21T17:25:00.000-04:00

Stopped into Momofuku II with JK before we went to a showing of Superbad, my favorite movie of the year. My most favorite end credits ever!

Blast From The Past

2007-08-20T17:22:00.000-04:00

Another person from the past reentered my life today.
We'll see how this pans out...

Origami @ AMNH

2007-08-19T17:20:00.000-04:00

Another early morning/afternoon of teaching origami to the kids.

There were a couple of Arsenal fans in the museum that day!

Photos of the Hearst Tower, New York's first Gold LEED certified building.

Guac-Off

2007-08-18T17:16:00.000-04:00

DB & JS hosted their 2nd? annual Guac-Off. It was very fun and tasty.
I need to realize that no one ever expects you to show up on time.

(Halfie) Potluck

2007-08-17T17:15:00.000-04:00

A most fun summary of the night.

I love black & white cookies.

Some photos from Bryant Park.

Birthday Dinner

2007-08-16T17:14:00.000-04:00

With Dad.
We ate an insane amount of food.

Top Chef Ketchup

2007-08-15T17:07:00.000-04:00

Spent my Ides of August catching up on my backlog of Top Chef episodes.
Padma is terrifically boring, and why oh why does she speak so slowly?
I can't fast forward fast enough!

Round Up The Usual Suspects

2007-08-13T16:57:00.000-04:00

Saw Casablanca in Bryant Park with RV and LL. There were lost balloons and tasty sandwiches galore. Made some new friends (Hannah, Albierobrob) in my attempt to acquire some precious space on the grass.

AMND Redux

2007-08-12T16:50:00.000-04:00

You can't keep runnin' away from love
'Cause the first one let you down
And though others try to satisfy you, baby
With me true love can still be found

Went back to the Delacorte to see A Midsummer Night's Dream from a better vantage point.

Trance Trance

2007-08-12T03:06:00.000-04:00

I've been listening to trance music all night...specifically remixes of Gouryella...

(lyrics to Ligaya)
This is the first day of my life
For once I'm sure
That this is where I long to be
No need to know
If there is something more than this
No need to go
Cause there is nothing more than this
My future is so clear
Cause everything's right here
Inside of me
Inside of me

Red Sox Futures

2007-08-11T16:08:00.000-04:00

We were supposed to visit Fenway for the first time this weekend, but the overcast day and our somewhat brutal overnight schedule led to the cancellation of our Boston travel plans.

We enlisted Jason for another walk to Sripraphai and enjoyed some Thai along with our baseball.

Marco & Wine

2007-08-09T13:23:00.000-04:00

Another visit to my favorite place in Chinatown, Marco Polo.

Post work visit to Vintage NY Wine Bar.

A Midsummer Night's Dream (Flooding edition)

2007-08-08T13:13:00.000-04:00

So the MTA is completely unprepared for any sort of deluge.
What's gonna happen when a hurricane finally hits NYC?

It afforded me a chance to catch the first night of AMND.
My streak is still alive!

More Poker

2007-08-03T13:10:00.000-04:00

We hosted again. It had been a while. It's still fun.

The sky from LIC right before everyone came over.

MJ @ Cara's

2007-07-31T13:09:00.000-04:00

Unfortunately, we did not actually play for money.

QBQ BBQ

2007-07-28T13:03:00.000-04:00

Our foray to the Water Taxi Beach for the 2nd QBQ BBQ was sandwiched in between a Mets game (a makeup game for a rainout) and some poker at MC's.

CitiField takes shape

Simpsons (Movie)

2007-07-27T12:59:00.000-04:00

Da da da da da da da da dadadada.

We went to the Kwik E Mart beforehand to snap some pics.

Eisenberg's & Violinists

2007-07-26T12:51:00.000-04:00

Went to Eisenberg's Sandwich Shop for lunch today, a departure from our usual Thursday forays into Chinatown. My pastrami was pretty tasty, but it still doesn't compare to Katz's Delicatessen.

Another detour on my way home. I took the R/W to Times Squares tonight and got off to transfer to the 7. I usually just stay on the R/W until it gets to Queens, but for some reason I decided to traverse the tunnels of the Times Square subway station and came upon these two girls playing their violins. I stood there for a good twenty minutes while Dilyana and her friend played some Baroque hits by Bach, Vivaldi, and Boccherini.

The Four (Eight) Seasons

2007-07-25T23:11:00.000-04:00

Went to the Naumburg Bandshell tonight to check out Lara St. John perform with the Brooklyn Philharmonic. St. John, a noted violin soloist, is perhaps most-well known for the furor over the cover photo of her debut album release Bach Works for Violin Solo. They performed the Four Seasons twice. Actually it was The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi interspersed with the Four Seasons of Buenos Aires by Ástor Pantaleón Piazzolla of nuevo tango fame. And right now I just heard this amazing ring tone of Debussy's Arabesque. I totally have to get that for my phone.

Waiting for Higgs

2007-07-25T10:57:00.000-04:00

Did someone find the "God Particle"?

Andy Samberg is funny

2007-07-24T23:30:00.000-04:00

Went to a preview screening of Hot Rod tonight. It was a very uneven film (my friend was cringing in her seat the entire time, whispering stuff like, "it's terrible, this is terrible"), but the movie did have some ridiculously funny moments, especially the dancing Asian dude. I sort of wish it was even more crazy than it was.

The buzz around Andy Samberg has been building for a while now, first when Lazy Sunday came out, then there was Dick in a Box, and recently NY Mag did a whole spread on him.

Afterwards we argued over the awesomeness (or lack thereof) of the film over some Korean food at the "big house"

Siren Music Festival

2007-07-21T23:43:00.000-04:00

This might be the last year for the Siren Music Festival. My crazy day with HP didn't give me much of a chance to enjoy this fest. I got there pretty late and only got to hear We Are Scientists before my queasy stomach got the best of me. I'm not sure if it was the crowd or lack of sleep or Nathan's hot dogs & fries, but I was in no condition to stick around for the rest of the show and made my way back into safe harbor before deciding to call it a night. There's always next year, or not.

Harry Potter Finale (recap)

2007-07-21T14:27:00.000-04:00

It was a completely crazy, exhausting day and I loved almost every minute of it. Here are some more flickr sets of the event. (I show up in both of them!)

I'll admit I wasn't always an HP fan. I didn't even know about the series until the 4th book (Goblet of Fire) came out in 2000. One of my co-workers at the time told me that I would love the books whenever I got around to reading them. I've actually only read the first four books so far, having seen the movies before reading each of the books (which might be a 1st in the history of something or other). I'm not sure if I can hold out, now that Deathly Hallows is out and the series is over. My brother started reading it as soon as I brought it home. He'd already read 500 pages by morning and would finish the book by nightfall. I'm going to start reading Order of the Phoenix right now.

Harry Potter Finale (part 3)

2007-07-20T02:19:00.000-04:00

...on into the night.

Harry Potter Finale (part 2)

2007-07-20T02:11:00.000-04:00

...and continues...

Harry Potter Finale (part 1)

2007-07-20T02:06:00.000-04:00

And it begins...

Mein Zwilling???

2007-07-19T02:41:00.000-04:00

What do you think?

Just Another Concert in the Park

2007-07-17T01:36:00.000-04:00

I love and hate the annual Concerts in the Parks by the NY Philharmonic. I love hearing world-class musicians play for free. I hate all the yuppie scum at the park that won't shut up and just listen when the music is playing. I'm all for picnicking and gabbing with friends, but there's a time and place for everything. *sigh*

Tonight's program featured Conductor Sir Andrew Davis, and Soprano Measha Brueggergosman.

SpongeBob is apparently a fan too.

Harry Potter 5

2007-07-16T01:15:00.000-04:00

Started my Harry Potter week by having lunch with a fellow muggle in midtown before I saw Order of the Phoenix with bro at night. The muggle, who will remain nameless, ALMOST spoiled the movie for me, but someone else had already beaten her to it. At least she's not a spoilsport like this bitch.

Lovely midtown Manhattan.

Bastille Day (on 60th)

2007-07-15T01:07:00.000-04:00

The fi:af hosted it's annual Bastille Day event.

Had a few tasty treats before I walked down to Grand Central to catch a train home.

(Beer) Potluck

2007-07-14T05:23:00.000-04:00

I'm really running out of ideas for these potlucks.

Well more pics then!

I think JB is going to kill me when she sees this.

Non-Cultured

2007-07-13T05:08:00.000-04:00

Am I addicted to meeting new people? I haven't met anyone terribly interesting this year (except for the V sisters).

Well time for another party then, this time with the Culture for the Non-Cultured Meetup group. I think I might have been the most outgoing/friendly/drunk person at this party by whatever measure one could devise.

Strange (Aussie) Fruit

2007-07-12T05:48:00.000-04:00

Strange Fruit flying thru the air!

More info about these artists.

2007 NFL Supplemental Draft

2007-07-12T02:49:00.000-04:00

I know most of you probably don't follow (American) football as closely as I do, but the NFL Supplemental Draft is later today. Teams that select players with a supplemental draft pick this year forfeit their corresponding pick in next year's draft (i.e. if a team uses a 2nd round pick in the 2007 supplemental, they'll lose their 2008 2nd round pick).

The Supplemental Draft is for those players that did not declare in time for the regular draft (in April), but are trying to play in the NFL this season. It's comprised of players that are no longer eligible to play college football between the time of the regular draft and the supplemental draft . Most of these players lose their eligibility involuntarily (e.g. loss of academic eligibility due to poor grades), but some like Chris Patrick actually could have continued their college careers. Ten players will be appearing in the 2007 Supplemental Draft. History would seem to show only a few of these players will be selected and even fewer will have much of an impact on their teams.

Krystle Warren

2007-07-08T05:03:00.000-04:00

Krystle Warren @ Zebulon!

I don't know where I got the energy to do all this today.

I Love Staten Island

2007-07-08T04:57:00.000-04:00

Thwarted in our attempt to find some culture across the water we ventured forth in search of some tasty food. We heard of a pizza place in Staten Island called Denino's. After a few phone calls and searches on Google we found it. We had some fried calamari, an entire pizza (with toppings!), and two pitchers of soda for the price of a couple of slices at Sbarro. It really was tasty, Bruni agrees. After pizza we walked across the street to join the throngs at Ralph's Famous Italian Ices which had maybe a million flavors of ices and ice cream.

Figment of a Festival

2007-07-08T04:27:00.000-04:00

We tried to get to the FigmentNYC art festival on Governors Island, but there were way too many already lined up
for the ferry. We made the decision to exit the line after a few minutes, but not before we made a couple of (hoop) friends and possibly one enemy.

Escape From Bellevue

2007-07-07T04:19:00.000-04:00

A rock musical about the first person to escape Bellevue since 1963. And the obligatory review in the paper of record.

Bon Chon Birthday

2007-07-06T04:07:00.000-04:00

We all went to Bon Chon to celebrate J's (belated) birthday. There's been a recent craze for Korean fried chicken in NYC, go fig. Here are some pics from the evening. IB made a surprise appearance! You may be seeing more of her soon. :)

Da Vinci Code

2007-07-05T05:17:00.000-04:00

I watched this movie on my DVR. As far as Church conspiracies go, I very much prefer the story in Hyperion.

A Jersey 4th

2007-07-04T04:51:00.000-04:00

I wouldn't have predicted I'd spend my 4th of July in Jersey City, but I did. Yay, party!

Who are these people?

Autobots Roll Out!

2007-07-03T04:41:00.000-04:00

I saw what was possibly the greatest transforming robot movie of all time.

The best part of all was hearing the original voice of Optimus Prime, Peter Cullen.

Listen to this Peter Cullen interview/podcast by the comics fiends at About Heroes.

Hollywood Diner

2007-07-02T04:24:00.000-04:00

I like their ginormous salads.

365/365 July

2007-07-01T04:21:00.000-04:00

Stopped by for another dose of 365.

Had a little snack next door at the foot of Gwathmey Astor Place right before the show.

Watch it rise out of the parking lot! Some like the GAP, while others pointedly do not (especially, it seems, prospective buyers).

My contribution...

Hipsters in LIC

2007-06-30T03:44:00.000-04:00

I went to the first Warm Up at PS1 of the summer.

I think all of Brooklyn was there.

Look at them.

Utley

2007-06-29T23:58:00.000-04:00

Oh and I made a new friend in Philly this afternoon. She said her name was Chase.

Citizens Bank Park

2007-06-29T23:55:00.000-04:00

It was an overcast day in Philly and I was there to see the first game of a day-night doubleheader (to make up a rain-out in April). The Mets won 6-5.

NY Baseball Past

2007-06-28T23:36:00.000-04:00

The Glory Days: New York Baseball 1947-1957.

NY Baseball Present

2007-06-28T23:17:00.000-04:00

Go Go Curry.
What is up with those Japanese and baseball?

Origami Convention Weekend 2007

2007-06-25T05:42:00.000-04:00

I'm happiest either when I'm at the Origami Convention folding or when I'm dancing to old school (70s) disco or when I'm eating/cooking something really tasty with friends. I wish there was a way I could combine all three.

I managed two out of three this weekend. Waking up at 6am to get to FIT by 8am. Folding until midnight, maybe later. Running around to get V's party all set and ready (so freaking stuffed, I don't think it's humanly possible to consume more pork). But everything worked out great. Thanks S & J! I'm just exhausted now.

Again, here are a couple of shots of stuff that I folded over the weekend and I'll post the rest to flickr. (By the way I gave all the models away, so if you want one, I'll gladly teach you how to make them yourself.)

You can also try this flickr stream for those that can't wait for my photos.