Monday, April 28, 2008

Blog of the Week & Daft Punk

I totally forgot feature a weekly blog in my last post. Well this week check out one of my "go-to" blogs, Grub Street. It's under the food tab on the home page for New York Magazine. The site has introduced me to great places to eat in the city and they usually post when there are open tables at the more exclusive restaurants.

Last night ... or technically yesterday morning, I mentioned a Daft Punk song on my "Top 10 Songs to Ring in Spring"... I mentioned it because I heard it at a party over the weekend and it was like the first time I heard it. It was stuck in my head all day yesterday and today I found myself listening to the song on my iPod at work. Maybe it's one of those songs you have to hear at a party to really appreciate.

I know I've featured a Daft Punk song recently (see Something About Us)... but this is the last time for a while.

I'm sure you'll enjoy this one, and if you don't then maybe this will give you a good reason to throw a party this weekend and kick spring off with some sweet jams.

Enjoy.


Sunday, April 27, 2008

Update

At the risk of sounding like negligent parent I honestly have to say I've been swamped with work in the past couple of weeks so I haven't been able to blog so much. I apologize and will make it up to you.

Summer is approaching fast and the stress of finals, papers, locking down a (paying) summer job, and organizing my annual trip to Bay to Breakers is falling on me way too fast... much like the feeling you get when you play Tetris on level 10.

So I'm trying something new tonight. This may be a little weasley but surely a better alternative then seeing the same Curb Your Enthusiasm clip every time you visit. in a nutshell here are abbreviated versions of blogs I would have posted in the last couple of weeks if I had so much time. (Press play down below to que the old school "frantic" music)

Soooo...


-Uma Thurman's new movie "The Life Before Her Eyes" is prettaaay prettaaay good. Definitely recommend it. Be advised. I don't remember coming out of movie that mesmerized since Donnie Darko... Yea its like that.

-Lake Show Baby!! Woo Hoo! Need I say more. Nothing better than kicking off summer with the Lakers in the playoffs with a solid chance at taking back the champiionship.

-Pope was in town a week ago but unfortunately wasn't able to see him at Yankee Stadium or sneak into the UN to see the speech he delivered to the General Assembly. I did however see some excellent pictures. I'm not too worried about it since I'll most likely visit the Vatican in my time abroad next semester.

-For those of you reading this from NYU... (roomies, Dack Attack, Magill) All-Sports party is back in full effect. Looks like it's going to happen after all... Wrestling team holdin' it down keeping the party alive.

-Kanye West's Glow in the Dark Tour is receiving great reviews. A-Rey, my LA source checked the concert out last weekend and said it was "Craaaaazy"... Too bad the tickets are ridiculously expensive or sold out.

-I really want a road bike.

-Top 10 Songs to Ring in the Spring 2008

10. Jurassic Park Theme Song (I guess?)
9. Journey- Any Way You Want it
8. Janet Jackson- Someone To Call My Lover
7. The Beatles- Here Comes the Sun
6. Estelle- American Boy
5. Daft Punk- Digital Love
4. Justice- D.A.N.C.E
3. Tom Pety- Free Fallin
2. Bill Preston- Nothing From Nothing
1. Naughty by Nature- Feel Me Flow


Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Curb

In attempt to mix things up I won't post a "make up" Top Ten list for this week instead I chose to share a clip from one of my favorite shows on television, Curb Your Enthusiasm. If you haven't heard, this show is written and stars Larry David, the creator of a little show from the 90s called Seinfeld. I think of it as the "real-life" visualization and reenacting of events in David's life that have inspired the type of comic genius of Seinfeld.

I know it's hard getting into a new show. It feels like you're so behind that it's too late to appreciate it so you just forget about it. That's why I don't watch "Lost". Not to worry, that isn't an issue with "Curb". Much like its predecessor each episode is a completely random series of events.

This is one of the funniest musical montages I've ever seen! (check out John Legend's get up too.)

Sunday, April 06, 2008

Try This!

In a recent issue of Esquire I stumbled upon a section dedicated to sleep trivia. It was a collection of cool little facts about sleep, tips on how to get to sleep (i.e. when you toss and turn all night or if you're on a plane) and why we need it. The article came to my attention with perfect timing since I was on a plane where I rarely get decent sleep.

Within that special section I was given what is quite possibly the most valuable sleeping advice I have ever received. I was skeptical at first when I read about a guaranteed method of falling asleep so I had to see for myself. I have to say that after trying it myself on several occasions it has yet to fail me. I am confident this strategy will be as useful to you as it has been to me if executed properly. I encourage you to try this....


Before completing these seemingly arbitrary tasks you should note that a major reason it can be hard to fall asleep is because when we lay down and are left alone with our thoughts, we tend to think mostly about stressful issues. Even if your life in general may not necessarily be stressful you can still think of things, people or situations that evoke anxiety and make it difficult to doze off.

A great way to keep your mind off those type of thoughts is to do the following

1. Focus on a color- think of a color, any color and visualize it. concentrate (e.g. yellow)

2. Begin to list (in your mind) as many objects as you can that are that color. These can be anything at all. So for yellow I would think of Lakers jerseys, my pair of Iversons in 6th grade, the van in Little Miss Sunshine, The McDonalds arches etc.

3. Once you feel you have listed for a long time, then begin to think of categories and then name every thing in that category that is the color you have chosen. Ex. Food- yellow bell peppers, mangoes, mustard, butter. When you can't think of any more think of a new category like animals, articles of clothings, cars,

4. If you can make it this far (I never have) then you have to start thinking of phrases or names that contain the color you are thinking. Ex. Follow the Yellow Brick Road, Yellow Fever, etc.

The last stage is very difficult and I have on all occasions fallen asleep in the middle of stage 2. But I challenge you to try this trick and enjoy the benefit of never having trouble getting to bed.

Good Night!

Friday, April 04, 2008

Blog of the Week



I've been thinking of whether or not to take advantage of my acceptance to a program abroad... I'm not sure where though.. tons of factors going into this situation but in the process I finally found a new weekly gimmick! Do you ever think of just how many web-pages there are in existence? How every general thing I can think of is probably floating out there, maybe it was written years ago or maybe being created just as you think about it. The internet is the ultimate source of information. I enjoy stumbling across the most obscure web-sites and blogs. So from now on I'll feature a blog that I think is pretty cool or noteworthy.


This weeks blog is something I recently discovered but find amazing! It's definitely one of my new favorites. You can find this blog on the International Herald Tribune website under the "Culture" tab... (or by clicking HERE).... It's called Globespotters. It's a community of contributors around the globe who share their local insights to would-be travelers on topics like dinning, nightlife, special events, shopping and hotels.

Check it out if you are planning a trip in the near future. You can even post questions.

Thursday, April 03, 2008

The Opportunity Cost & A Belated Top 10

One thing that is always tough to do (at least for some of us) is to sit down and calculate expenses. Recently I have found myself staring down a huge list of both expenses and some very important decisions that will have lasting affects on my life. As these plans and big decisions become more concrete I'll share them with you all, but the point I am struggling to get at today is that things cost a lot!

Every thing we do costs something whether it be time, money or the infinite other opportunities we let pass up. Yes we've all heard this the first day of Econ. right? "No such thing as a free lunch" that is, unless you are with Dickie Shiriani : )

With that in mind I had an old friend over the other night who apparently has not taken full advantage of his own educational opportunities here at NYU. To put it bluntly this person is a poster child for neo-conservative America and his views on social issues mirror those of a Grand Wizard in the Ku Klux Klan. It's more sad than it is shocking when I think about it.

We had a little "debate" on issues that I haven't expressed about ever before on this blog. We talked about the "War" in Iraq (If that's what you want to call it) and it made me think... I remembered hearing how much the war costs a day and it turns out that it is estimated to cost US tax payers 341 MILLION DOLLARS A DAY!.... that is depending who you ask because some statisticians have incorporated the costs Americans have incurred as a result of the increase in the price of oil...

I'll stop here before I fill up my whole home page trying to express a frustration that statistically you most likely share with me. but before I go I will imagine the TOP 10 things I would do with the $508,000,000 million the US has spent on this war.


TOP 10

10. Pay off student loans

9. Hire a personal chef and a full cooking staff

8. Buy a building in Manhattan and get Bobby Flay to open a Thai restaurant downstairs

7. Pay Bravo to take "Millionaire Matchmaker" off the air

6. Loan money to the Dodgers so they could build a championship team

5. Build a network of energy efficient schools in developing countries

4. Sponsor the education of every child in Haiti for a 20 years... and throw in some Nike Frees for all them while I'm at it.

3. Customize a space shuttle with an elastic cord that would pull 100 tons of waste and make daily trips up to space so I could sling the waste toward the sun

2. Hire a marching band to follow me and play songs at my request. (e.g. The Imperial March, Final Countdown, The Gap Band, Stevie Wonder etc.)

1. Throw a party a party on a deserted island and have the theme be "Castaways from Gilligan's Island"