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Buon Compleanno!

my cousin is crazy cool and amazing.  today (on her actual birthday) she's running a half marathon!

Are you living your life?

Manifest your destiny.

Thrifty treasures

One of my absolute favorite places to shop is Thrift Town.  I'm going to have to fight the temptation of going more than once a week because I'm on the prowl for apartment knick knacks.

I had two good finds today:

An antique-ish looking jewelry box with an old school map of the world.  Now all I need is a globe.

A wooden hanger with the cool detail on the neck of it:

Can't wait to splurge at the next Alameda Flea Market!

Update

As many of you know, 2009 has been a very contentious and emotional for me. Thank you to everyone who held my hand during this time.

I must report some good news. I got a job!  And I'll be moving to the big city in about two months!  I'm hesitant to put the exact details of what I'll be doing and where, so you'll have to ask me in real life.

I'm so excited for this position.  It took me a long time to find it, but it has been worth the wait.  I'm going to be able to do something I love, give back to the community, learn new things, and do what I was meant to do with my life.

I should begin writing substantive posts soon.  I have been bouncing a lot of ideas and thoughts in my head the past few weeks and they're ready to be spewed out.

Happy Birthday ta-ta-ta-traaacy!

happy birthday ta-ta-ta-traaacy! now we've known each other for 12 years!

Is Jay-Z an occultist?

Word?!

The Tyranny of Tabs

I hate hyperlinks.

Any hyperlink embedded into articles I'm reading, I'm always compelled to open it in a new tab. Read the next article, and then there are more links and more tabs are opened.  In five minutes, I'm swamped with dozens of tabs in one browser.

It's annoying. Before I know it, I will have wasted hours after just trying to read a few articles.

It gets worse if you're part of any social networking site. There's suggested links, twitpics, youtube videos, etc. 

And so, my friends, I give you "The Hierarchy of Digital Distractions." (via swissmiss).

"You lie!" + Kanye outburst

Seriously, watching this made me laugh for the first time today.

Repeat Assault: India Arie

I went to the John Legend concert last night, t'was AWESOME! I got to Estelle perform "No Other Love" with him too.

But the cherry on top was India Arie. That girl sang her ass off---so frikkin talented, inspirational, moving, and enchanting.

And now I can't stop listening to her song "Therapy." (BTW, "Ready for Love" is one of my favorite songs of all-time, and hearing it love was A-MAZING and hauntingly beautiful. Her mom came out and sang the last few lines of it too.) You have to applaud her for lyrical talent--who else can use the word "overpopulation" in a song?

Repeat Assault: Merry Happy - Kate Nash

"I can be alone, I can watch a sunset on my own."



One of my favorite songs and lyrics.

What Would Barry Goldwater Do?

I'm all over Goldwater these days. Don't be shocked if you catch me talking like a retired, former Senator from Arizona.

via the Washington Post archives, Goldwater had this to say about then-first lady Hillary Clinton in 1994:

On Hillary Clinton, who was an ardent Goldwater supporter in 1964: "If he'd let his wife run business, I think he'd be better off. ... I just like the way she acts. I've never met her, but I sent her a bag of chili, and she invited me to come to the White House some night and said she'd cook chili for me. Someday, maybe."

Can you imagine Goldwater cheering her on with the rest of the Traveling Pantsuits?

Is ennui inevitable in every relationship?

Can two people really love and be "in love" with each other forever?

The only example of everlasting love I can think of is...

"Thanks for the adventure. Now go have one of your own."

awwwwww... that's Love.

Godmother extraordinaire

I have the best god-daughter in the world. She's the smartest and most mature 8-year-old I've ever met. And thanks to me, she knows how to spell paleontologist.

I just unearthed this great photo of the two of us bowling. She looks so happy. Ahhhh, to be a kid.

That's what she said.

I'm aware of my crassness.

Goodnight

The Second Coming

TURNING and turning in the widening gyre

The falcon cannot hear the falconer;

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere

The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

The best lack all conviction, while the worst

Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand;

Surely the Second Coming is at hand.

The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out

When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi

Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert

A shape with lion body and the head of a man,

A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,

Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it

Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.

The darkness drops again; but now I know

That twenty centuries of stony sleep

Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,

And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,

Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

William Butler Yeats

BART: What's on your iPod when you're looking at the window?

For those lucky enough to get a seat on BART during your commute, what do you like to listen to while you gaze out the window?

Sometimes while I'm riding, in my head--where all the good stuff happens--I pretend I'm making a music video of the East Bay. You can find similar projects on YouTube, so I know I'm not crazy.

Presently, I'm romanticizing the commute with these:

1) Fast Car - Tracy Chapman

2) Hometown Glory - Adele

3) Summertime - Nina Simone

4) Sideways - Let's Go Sailing

5) Transatlanticism - Death Cab for Cutie

#welovenhs

The GOP received a harsh spanking this week via Twitter, but not from the usual culprits (Bill Maher, Keith Olbermann, etc). After certain GOPers began bashing National Health Service (NHS), tweeters from across the pond raised their arms, tweeting favorable and personal accounts of tax-funded healthcare. Even Prime Minister Gordon Brown joined the chorale:
Did you hear about how Stephen Hawking got dragged into the healthcare debate? If not, you're in for some gut-wrenching LAUGHTER. Then read this satirical post about it.

"President Obama is now my homeboy too," says 11-year old reporter, Damon Weaver

Damon Weaver gained national notoriety via a YouTube video of his interview with Joe Biden last year. And recently, Obama granted the young man an interview.

You can tell the kid is shaking in his boots but he maintains his composure well throughout the entire video. He definitely has a bright future ahead of him. How awesome is it to be 11 and have this interview on your resume?

I'm sure he had everyone in the room rolling with laughter he reminded the President that Joe Biden is one of his homeboys. Just watch the video and then show it to your lazy siblings/cousins!

Karaoke Madness

My family's blood is laced with an unwieldy addiction to karaoke.
We're not competitive with each other, but we are known to stir a crowd.
We're a band of karaoke connoisseurs!
I LOVE my family.

My karaoke co-conspirator.
You can see the reflection of the TV with the karaoke lyrics in the background.

Good news from the West Bank

I know I blog a lot about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and most of it not so happy stuff. But Thomas Friedman's Wednesday column actually highlights some good things coming from the West Bank thanks to Prime Minister Salam Fayyad:

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is to the wider Middle East what off-Broadway is to Broadway. It is where all good and bad ideas get tested out first. Well, the Palestinian prime minister, Salam Fayyad, a former I.M.F. economist, is testing out the most exciting new idea in Arab governance ever. I call it “Fayyadism.”

Fayyadism is based on the simple but all-too-rare notion that an Arab leader’s legitimacy should be based not on slogans or rejectionism or personality cults or security services, but on delivering transparent, accountable administration and services.

Fayyad, a former finance minister who became prime minister after Hamas seized power in Gaza in June 2007, is unlike any Arab leader today. He is an ardent Palestinian nationalist, but his whole strategy is to say: the more we build our state with quality institutions — finance, police, social services — the sooner we will secure our right to independence. I see this as a challenge to “Arafatism,” which focused on Palestinian rights first, state institutions later, if ever, and produced neither.

Things are truly getting better in the West Bank, thanks to a combination of Fayyadism, improved Palestinian security and a lifting of checkpoints by Israel. In all of 2008, about 1,200 new companies registered for licenses here. In the first six months of this year, almost 900 have registered. According to the I.M.F., the West Bank economy should grow by 7 percent this year.

Sorry for the long-ish block quote, but the whole piece is worth reading.

Congratulations Judge Sotomayor \\ have a great weekend!

Congratulations to the newest member of SCOTUS, Judge Sonia Sotomayor!
All Democrats voted yes and 9 of the 40 Republicans voted yes.
The NYT has this nifty chart of how the Republicans voted & interesting stuff popped up:
(1) Six of the nine Republicans that voted yes, were from states Obama won.
(2) Three of the nine Republicans that voted yes, included Lindsey Graham (S.C.),
Christopher Bond (Mo.), Lamar Alexander (Tenn.)

--

We're nearing the end of the summer so I'm going to have fun in the sun this weekend.
Have a wonderful weekend!

thursday thank you's

thank you, DICK'S, for the veggie omelette with extra tomatoes and four cups of coffee.

thank you, J., for providing me with sustenance and inspiring conversation.

thank you, tailor lady, for hemming my pants for my interview tomorrow.

thank you, tailor guy, for running after me into the parking lot with my mom's drycleaning that I left inside.

thank you, borders, for having Beowulf on the Beach in stock.

no thank you, sleezebag at the post office, for whistling at me this morning. you singlehandedly devolved the male race.

overall, thursday was a great day.

good night!

a song for snogging.

What words do you live by?

"Life has meaning only in the struggle.

Triumph or defeat is in the hands of the gods.

So let us celebrate the struggle!"

-Swami Sivananda

@ The Griffith Observatory

Repeat Assault

"Smack Into You" by Jon McLaughlin

It's not the kind of song you'll find in the annals of superbly-made music. But my mood gravitated me to this. Apparently, it's not an official song of his and Beyonce supposedly has a version of this on her album.

Smile...for your Sears Portrait!

Photographer: "1, 2, 3, 'Bikini'!"

Kim, Clinton & Co.: (chirp chirp)

Why the long faces? Could they not come to a consensus on the background? Look Kim's and Clinton's hands. Kim's hands placement make him look eager to leave and awkward. Whereas Clinton looks like he's trying to hide something.

My mandatory department store portrait, circa 1991:

Poetry meets art in the bathroom of a cafe (in Berkeley)

Do you enjoy a good mind f**k?

Then feed on SoulPancake.com

It spewed from the loins of Rainn Wilson (aka Dwight Shrute), which makes it doubly awesome.

In the last few days...

Updating you on recent world haps...

5.) Only Clinton could go to North Korea?

(via Times Online)
Only this morning I found out that Bill Clinton was in North Korea fraternizing with the enemy and securing the release of two U.S. journalists, Euna Lee and Laura Ling. What will Lee and Ling say about North Korea in the coming days?

4.) The passing of Corazon "Cory" Aquino, former Philippines President

(via Pinoy Wired)
Cory Aquino was the subject of my 6th grade essay, "My Heroines," the other was Hillary Clinton. An iconic woman, she rallied and ran against ex-President Ferdinand Marcos in 1986, became a uniting figure during the People Power Revolution, and shepherded democracy in the Philippines after 20 years of Marcos' authoritarian control and imposition of martial law. Although her presidency was far from perfect--she struggled with economic and agrarian reforms and faced strong opposition from the military in the form of five coup attempts--she is hailed by the masses for her role in halting Marcos' oppressive regime. To this day, she is a national and international hero. She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize (which she lost to Elie Wiesel) and was Time Magazine's 1986 Woman of the Year. A huge loss for humanity, but her courage and noble work will always be remembered.


(via Huffington Post/Associated Press)
NYT Obit.

3.) The Iranian Revolution will be _____-ised.

(via CBS News)
Despite the Ayatollah's repeated affirmation of Ahmadinejad's victory, anger over the Iranian elections have not subsided and the protests have not come to a halt. To the chagrin of Iran's highest leaders, the protesters are proving to be stubbornly resilient. Should the protests continue over the next few months or within the next year, will President Obama recognize and speak with Ahmadinejad?

2.) (In a sultry Marilyn Monroe voice) Happy Birthday, Mr. Pre-ssi-deeennnnnt...

(via Wikipedia)
President Obama turned 48 today!

Speaking of POTUS, thanks to the Beer Summit, America learns Obama has bad taste in beer.

1.) "Recent Rise in International Disputes Traced Back to Cute U.N. Tour Guide"

"Idle hands are the devil's playthings."

I know I've been remiss lately in keeping up with blogging, but I've had my hands busy.

First, I started a new internship! I'm really happy about it. But I'm more excited of the prospect of landing a FT job afterwards within the field.

Second, I'm volunteering with a non-profit. I telecommute and do everything from Peet's. Yay for Peet's free wifi and highly-caffeinited coffee.

And third, I've been reading a lot books. Last weekend, I finished reading God-Shaped Hole and The Little Prince. Since then, I've started to read a couple of different books. There's the 6th Harry Potter book because I was slightly devastated by the lack of color in the movie. Then there's a book about meditition because it's something I've always wanted to start. And Crime and Punishment as usual. I'm still trying to make a dent in that one.

But mostly, I've been stuck on Reza Aslan's How to Win a Cosmic War: God, Globalization, and the End of the War on Terror. I started reading it because the book's argument reminds me of a class I took in college on Terrorism and Homeland Security. I'm promise to write more about it when I finish.

I have to start working now, I have a busy day. Ma'a Assalama!

"To me, there is only one form of human depravity - the man without a purpose." Ayn Rand

Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero.

Seize the day and place no trust in tomorrow.

The REAL 2009 UCLA Commencement Speech

After Franco pulled out, officials contacted Brad Delson (Communication Studies B.A. '99 & guitarist for Linken Park). Hilarity ensues.

He reflects on not being the first choice, sings a song, and..just watch:

What if James Franco had delivered the 2009 UCLA Commencement Speech?

It would have gone something like this...

James Franco's Rejected UCLA Commencement Speech from James Franco

Did you ever blow on dandelions as a kid?

During grade school recesses, my friends and I would sometimes pick dandelions from the field (before schools taught kids about respecting all living things).

We'd pick a dandelion in perfect condition, make a wish, and blow. Then we would stand there in awe as they flew gracefully with the wind.

I don't think I've done that since. (sigh)

(picture via this blog)

My Top 5 Twittering Journalists

I’m a news junkie.

There. I said it.

And technology is my persistent enabler.

Because of Twitter, folks on the other side of the world can learn instantaneously of a plane crash, a protest, or a passing. Thomas Friedman will need to revise The World is Flat—again.

While the efforts of citizen-journalists are laudable, I still depend on credentialed members of the press. Luckily for us, a pantheon of journalists opened Twitter accounts, posting 140-character news alerts and links to substantive articles and blog posts.

Here are my top five twittering journalists:

5.) @chrislhayes: Chris Hayes, Washington, D.C. Editor of The Nation.
Why you should follow him: Young, hip geek. His tweets convey genuine emotions towards political haps. It’s cute.


4.) @nytimeskristof: Nicholas Kristof, New York Times Columnist (and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner) and family man
Why you should follow him: The life of a famous, world-trekking journalist is tough. It’s endearing to see him discuss both. He is constantly tweeting from all over the world. His life is awesome—yours, not so much. So live vicariously through him.


3.) @anncurry: Ann Curry, Correspondent and Anchor, Today Show, Dateline NBC
Why you should follow her: As one of the more reputable tv news correspondents, she has to be constantly up-to-date. She does a great job at delivering breaking news just milliseconds after news breaks. Just a week before Iranians went to the polls in mid-June, she tweeted stunning pictures and provocative observations. Before she goes to bed every night, she tweets profound and inspiring quotes.


2.) @DavidShuster: David Shuster, MSNBC anchor
Why you should follow him: His tweets are honest and more often than not, bitingly sarcastic. It’s so obvious when he’s frustrated or disappointed re: political haps.


1.) @jdickerson: John Dickerson, Chief Political Correspondent for Slate magazine
Why you should follow him: Because I’m personally a huge fan of his work. He tweets about current events, his own analysis, his family/home life, and sometimes a combination of all those things.


Other notable Tweeters:
@newmediajim – I think he’s on the camera side of news events, press briefings, etc. Tweets when/where he’ll be shooting. Refers to family members as newmediakid and newmediawife. And it feels like you're getting an inside scoop when he says he setting up at the White House.
@maddow – Just because Rachel Maddow is so disarming.
@anamariecox – She founded Wonkette. Enough said.

You can get a day’s worth of news just by looking at the Trending Topics. It seems so natural for journalists to utilize Twitter. Twitter allows journalists to write about what matters to them, rather than what network bosses deem "newsworthy," (i.e. Paris Hilton leaving the jail, Mountain lions running amuck along on a freeway, celebrity surgical enhancements, etc.) and will attract viewer and generate mountains of moolah from advertising.

New media, user-generated social networking sites, and politics--we've come a long way. During the America's colonial period, isolating social unrest was too easy because you can only ride so fast on a horse. News, as the colonists had it, was often days, weeks, or months old. And now, Twitter is starting to make online news look slow.

Authoritarian states are intimidated by the site, fearing it spreads social unrest. Recent events in Iran, Honduras, and China prove this. Thus, the adage: The tweet is mightier than the sword.

Golden Gate Park

I ventured into Golden Gate Park on Independence Eve. Lovely roses, waterfalls, and streams...sigh.

Walking down the aisle. ("Sweet Thing" by Chaka Khan is playing in the background..)

Golden oldies

Comfort music.

Currently gracing my desktop wallpaper is

Lt. Dan Choi.

He graduated from West Point in 2003 in Environmental Engineering and Arabic. (He was one of just eight Arabic graduates in his year.) From 2006 to 2007, he served in Iraq (an Arabic-speaking country!) as an infantry platoon leader. In June '08, he transferred to the New York National Guard.

Despite his impressive resume, (I hope to add "Fluent in Arabic" to my skills section someday,) he was recently kicked out of the army because he said he was gay.

I know, my jaw just fell from face when I first heard this on the Rachel Maddow show. Doesn't that just make you cringe in shock and dismay?!

Say you're on the 11th floor of a burning building. Do you ask, "Hey, Mr. Fire Fighter, can I just ask, are you gay?" And if he says, "Why yes, I am," do you then ask for a different fire fighter to save your burning a$%? Will you refuse help from a skilled professional because he or she is gay?

Lt. Choi’s discharge highlights/bolds/italicize the inherently counterproductive nature of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. It's simply appalling that it still exists.

Please join me in petitioning our government to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. (I already gave the President my two cents about it and I’m still waiting to hear back. I understand, he’s a busy guy.)

You can tell your representative, one of our senators, or the President himself.

(The picture of Lt. Choi is from the No H8 Campaign, a non-profit that is protesting Prop. 8 with photography.)

Repeat Assault

My soundtrack for this past week almost entirely consisted of Kings of Leon. And it's still playing. Great band, great music. Lead singer, Caleb Followill, has intoxicating, (and sometimes inviting,) vocals.





(And yes, that was me rocking out to this song at the Jamba Juice parking lot the other day.)