nyny: July 2006

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

i watched parts of two movies tonight...

It is not our abilities that show what we truly are; it is our choices.
-Headmaster Albus Dumbledore

Will you join with the Nessie Alliance in seeking for the peaceful existence of our underwater ally?

Monday, July 24, 2006

so what does this say about me...

I'm not really sure what to think about the fact that I really like Gnarls Barkley's song "Crazy." I mean, his name is Gnarls Barkley, for crying out loud. I had planned on hating the song on principle, since his name is so ridiculous. But it turns out it's ok.

You know what they say...don't judge a book by its cover!

weekend round-up

the following are significant or at least semi-significant thoughts/events from the last few days:

1) For the first time ever, I purchased something from my all time favorite non-bookstore, Anthropologie. Things in this store are generally out of my $$ range, but today I found a little something. So exciting.

2) I want to become a fan of jazz music. The other day I got in my car just in time to hear a man on NPR describe the ability to "create at the same velocity" that things are usually destroyed. Intrigued as to what he was talking about, I kept listening as he expounded. Turns out it was Stanley Crouch talking about his new jazz book. I'm not really a jazz fan, but mostly b/c I've never listened to it...not b/c I've listened and didn't like it. By the time I got home, the way he talked about jazz music (not even the music itself) had really connected with me. So I think I want to give it a try.

3) This sounds ridiculous, but last night I saw my first ever Patrick Swayze movie, Point Break. It was pretty good. Before this I had an idea, but I didn't really know what he looks like. And so I don't understand what the big fuss is all about...he IS NOT cute.

4) Yesterday was the hottest day on record for Los Angeles county. It was 119 in the valley, but the coast was perfectly cool in the low 80s.

Friday, July 21, 2006

C.S. Lewis on Self

chew on this for awhile.

From “Two Ways with the Self”:

Self is the one thing of all others which is called I and me, and which on that ground puts forward an irrational claim to preference…

…the very self-love which he has to reject is to him a specimen of how he ought to feel to all selves; and he may hope that when he has truly learned to love his neighbour as himself, he may then be able to love himself as his neighbour: that is, with charity instead of partiality.

In a discussion of forgiveness in Mere Christianity:

Do I think well of myself, think myself a nice chap? Well, I am afraid I sometimes do (and those are, no doubt, my worst moments) but that is not why I love myself. In fact it is the other way round: my self-love makes me think myself nice, but thinking myself nice is not why I love myself. So loving my enemies does not apparently mean thinking them nice either. That is an enormous relief…

I remember Christian teachers telling me long ago that I must hate a bad man’s actions, but not hate the bad man: or, as they would say, hate the sin but not the sinner. For a long time I used to think this a silly, straw-splitting distinction: how could you hate what a man did and not hate the man? But years later it occurred to me that there was one man to whom I had been doing this all my life – namely myself.

In honor of old Jack’s British roots, may I just say: bloody brilliant.

Thursday, July 20, 2006

serious question about strange phenomenon

The more people I meet and talk with, the more perplexed I become at this strange phenomenon:

Why is it that every college seems to have a kid that runs everywhere?

more fun with books...

Because everyone needs a good summer read, I thought I'd stick with the spirit of my last post and offer some book recommendations. (i.e. the book I'm reading now and the next two on my list)

Up to bat: Better Off by Eric Brende

I've just started reading this, and so far it's excellent. An MIT graduate student and his wife try to live electricity-free for a year. They join a society that even the Amish consider outdated. Brende is not against technology in general, but is fed up with how it runs our lives and even takes priority over individuals. He is wondering if there is some middle point, and if so what that point is, where technology truly makes things easier but doesn't overtake everything and make life ridiculous. I'm only on chapter 3, but so far I've found the book challenging, thought-provoking, and entertaining.

On Deck: A Generous Orthodoxy by Brian McLaren

This book came out awhile ago, and a couple of weeks ago I looked it up on amazon.com. As I enjoy and truly respect McLaren's other books, I was shocked to see it had an average rating of only 3 out of 5 stars. This really surprised me, so I looked at several pages of reviews. With exceptions I could count on one hand, the book received either a one star rating or a five star rating. It was either branded as poisonous heresy or heralded as an insightful, integral part of understanding Christianity's place in today's world. This split opinion intrigued me, and always a sucker for controversy, I picked up the book.

In the Hole: West of Jesus by Steven Kotler

This book is right up my alley and I cannot wait to read it. The tagline on the cover reads, "Surfing, Science, and the Origins of Belief." That description is pretty much dead on, as the book is basically Kotler exploring the neuroscience and biology of belief via a sort of mythical surfing narrative. Should be great. In fact, I may actually decide to read this one before McLaren's.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

booktastic

Like many people I know, I love books. As those who have read my last few posts know, I someday hope to have a personal library with a sliding ladder in my home or apartment. Yesterday at work, this subject somehow came up with one of my co-workers. This particular guy, Arturo, is telling me how a few years ago he went through a sort of self-realizing experience that caused him to view ownership differently. So he moved, sold most of what he owned, bicycled across the country, and some other stuff like that. However, he had his own library and kept most of his books.

Here's the good part...he said he's got about 20 (twenty) boxes of books in his garage, and I can come over and take ANY and ALL the books that I want!!! They are quality books---history, classic literature, etc.---and are all in great shape. So, in the next couple of weeks or so my library will grow quite substantially and, equally important, quite inexpensively. I'm so excited!!!!

run-ins with the rich and/or famous

I have lived in southern California for a little over two years, and until about a month ago I had seen one famous person. Well, I guess that's not true. I saw Paula Abdul once, but it was at a scheduled appearance with a bunch of press. I didn't know about it, but just happened to be in Hollywood that night. And I guess I've also seen some famous people at Clipper games.

Anyway, I'm talking about seeing people randomly out in public. Once at the California Science Center I saw that bald guy with the gap between his front teeth from VH1...the one who commentates on "Best Week Ever" and "I Love the 80's" and all those shows. I don't remember his name. So, until recently he was the biggest "celebrity" I had personally run into.

Then I start working in West Hollywood on Sunset Boulevard. In the last month or so I have had the following three encounters:

1) One day I walk outside my building to go to lunch, and I realize that Jessica Simpson is walking right in front of me. It was crazy. She's a lot smaller than she looks on TV. So that was cool.

2) About two weeks ago I am walking down the street to go to happy hour at a little pub. On the way we pass a couple little restaurants with sidewalk seating. At one of these restaurants, there's Keanu Reeves just kicking it with one of his friends. He's really tall, which kinda surprised me.

3) Also a couple of weeks ago, I went to this red carpet launch party thing downtown for work. The company was launching a couple of new products, so it was kinda a big deal. I'm not sure why he was there, but Milli Vanilli was at the party. I understand that one of MV's members is dead, so this was obviously the other guy---Fabrizio, or Fab for short. So, not only did I meet him and talk with him, he kissed each of my cheeks! He's French, so I guess it's a typical European greeting.

As someone recently pointed out to me, it seems a person is a true southern Californian when he can do more than see a famous person and not think it's a big deal. You're truly a southern Californian when it doesn't even phase you and you don't even remember that you saw them in the first place. Wonder if I'll ever get to that point? I sorta hope so.

Monday, July 10, 2006

after 24 years...

On the eve of my 24th birthday, I thought I would pass along some helpful hints I've picked up along the way in the form of a top ten list. Thankfully, these tips are certainly NOT indicative of everything I've learned or gleaned in the last 24 years, but they are clearly useful nonetheless...

10) If your chapstick has been in your hot car all day, be sure to hold it upright when you take the lid off. Otherwise, you will most likely be splattered with melted chap-goo.

9) When leaving your car in a parking garage/structure, be sure to write the location of your car on your parking ticket

8) After clicking "print," always double check to be sure your document has in fact printed before closing it...unless, of course, you are smart enough to save it first.

7) Keep a napkin supply stashed in your glove box. You NEVER know when you will need it. (another good thing to keep in your glove box--a city map)

6) Always check the expiration date on any cans or bottles of soda that you buy. There is nothing worse than getting back to your car and taking a drink, only to find it expired and flat.

5) Don't be afraid to buy reduced fat Wheat Thins. They taste EXACTLY the same as the regular ones.

4) Even though every number you'll ever need is in your cell phone, memorize a couple of important ones. You never know when you'll be caught in an emergency without your phone handy.

3) Check to make sure you have all the necessary ingredients on hand BEFORE you begin a recipe.

2) A person can never have too many books. If this person is lucky, like I hope to be one day, these books will be organized in a personal library with a sliding ladder.

1) It is absolutely impossible to overestimate the importance of perspective.

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

life's little surprises

sometimes the best things in life are the little surprises. usually it's things that aren't that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things, but make your life so much better in the moment. here's some of the best unexpected day-brighteners:

* when you open your 20 oz. bottle of diet pepsi to discover that the lid entitles you to a "free 20 oz. dew or pepsi"

* an unexpected green arrow in the left turn lane

* you go to borders expecting to pay full price for a particular book, only to find it in the bargain section

* when you have an evening just to relax and chill, and one of your favorite movies happens to be on tv

* you receive a free trial issue of a cool magazine

* the gas station/mini-mart has Mambas

* you go out to eat and the soup of the day is cream of broccoli

* you get real mail (i.e. not a promotion, bill, circular, etc.)

i'm sure there's tons more out there. i can't wait till one of them unexpectedly happens so i can add it to the list...

nyny