A beautiful mix of politics and pop culture: Remember the middle section of The Graduate, where Benjamin follows Elaine to Berkeley and keeps asking her to marry him? Finally she says, "I'll think about it." Benjamin reacts in shock: "Really? You'll really think about it?" That's how some Europeans and several American observers are reacting to Bush's comment that he'll think about joining the Iranian nuclear negotiations. Now it is worth noting, Elaine did end up marrying Benjamin, or at least running out on the frat boy that she'd agreed to marry. So who knows, maybe a shift on Iran is in the works, too.
More on rap! This time it's in Sudan.
This guy is very attached to his hamster. And I say, more power to him.
Rami kindly invited me to his place for a wine-tasting a few days ago. A lot of people showed up, mostly young intern-types like us. Now I am cultured and know all about "fruit-forward" wines and how to tell if a wine is "flabby" or "has legs" or is "dry." We all unanimously liked the Picpull (Picpul?) white wine, very nice. By the end, though, all the reds started tasting like all the other reds, and having never been much of a red wine fan, I preferred the whites. And now I know why.
I've also been able to keep up with the weekly tango lessons, and I can now do backwards AND forwards ochos. I discovered that the place I dance on Saturday nights lets you in for free if you volunteer for an hour beforehand. I like free almost as much as I like dancing. Probably more, in fact. So this is a happy discovery.
Fatema and I saw and approved of Born into Brothels, the documentary that won the Oscar this year. It's really touching, with a litte hope and a little sadness (well, ok, a lot of sadness.) I highly recommend it.
Monday, February 28, 2005
Careers I Won't Pursue
Rapper: Ok, we've discussed Palestinian hip-hop and I wrote and article (published! published!) about Palestinian and Israeli hip-hop, and now I've happened upon an Evangelical Christian Puerto Rican rapper named Vico C. The hip-hop market is hot! Even South Africa is in on it. Maybe I should switch career tracks and work on releasing my own album! Well, at least, as a night job? No...? ....Anyway, the interview is interesting and I want to see if I can find his music somewhere.
Oscar-Winning Actress: I stayed up past my bedtime last night, just to watch the Oscars, which I make fun of in public but secretly enjoy. Actually, I just like seeing the dresses. Great dresses on Halle Berry, Cate Blanchette, Scarlett Johansen, except for the fuzzy-hair-nest-thing she had going on, Hilary Swank, and. Kirsten Dunst's bob made me want to get my hair cut. Penelope Cruz's 'do made me want to grow it out. Annette Bening looked classy, hip, and happy. I was amazed at Beyonce's eyeshadow. No only did it change every 30 minutes, but it completely covered her skin. No skin showing. Impressive. Renee Zellweger, though fit and toned, looked a little off to me, something about the proportions of hair to face to dress...I kept thinking of a toy soldier. Natalie Portman had the Roman Goddess look going on, but I'm afraid it just didn't work. Gwyneth Paltrow is beautiful, but does anyone else think she should start wearing gowns that, well, fit her chest...? Actually, that goes for most women wearing strapless, sleeveless, red-carpet ball gowns. The squishy-chest look is not, never has been, and never will be, flattering. On anyone. (There are, believe it or not, strapless gowns that do not produce the squishy-chest look. If you are a movie star, you can afford one.)
Oscar-Winning Actress: I stayed up past my bedtime last night, just to watch the Oscars, which I make fun of in public but secretly enjoy. Actually, I just like seeing the dresses. Great dresses on Halle Berry, Cate Blanchette, Scarlett Johansen, except for the fuzzy-hair-nest-thing she had going on, Hilary Swank, and. Kirsten Dunst's bob made me want to get my hair cut. Penelope Cruz's 'do made me want to grow it out. Annette Bening looked classy, hip, and happy. I was amazed at Beyonce's eyeshadow. No only did it change every 30 minutes, but it completely covered her skin. No skin showing. Impressive. Renee Zellweger, though fit and toned, looked a little off to me, something about the proportions of hair to face to dress...I kept thinking of a toy soldier. Natalie Portman had the Roman Goddess look going on, but I'm afraid it just didn't work. Gwyneth Paltrow is beautiful, but does anyone else think she should start wearing gowns that, well, fit her chest...? Actually, that goes for most women wearing strapless, sleeveless, red-carpet ball gowns. The squishy-chest look is not, never has been, and never will be, flattering. On anyone. (There are, believe it or not, strapless gowns that do not produce the squishy-chest look. If you are a movie star, you can afford one.)
Thursday, February 24, 2005
More About Blog
This is great: actual query letters people have sent to Hollywood. Some are hilariously indecipherable. Read the comments, too. I found it at work and had to close the window because I was afraid I would start laughing too loudly...
I've been published! When the newsletter is posted online, I'll put a link up. It's a brilliant article about hip-hop. Ok, maybe not brilliant. But relevant, at least.
I've been published! When the newsletter is posted online, I'll put a link up. It's a brilliant article about hip-hop. Ok, maybe not brilliant. But relevant, at least.
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
All About Blog
Everybody's doing it!
...but some people are getting in trouble for it.
You can even help save the world while blogging. If so inclined, you can donate toward the relief effort for the recent 6.4 Iranian earthquake at the International Federation of Red Cros and Red Crescent Societies, Oxfam, or Islamic Relief.
...but some people are getting in trouble for it.
You can even help save the world while blogging. If so inclined, you can donate toward the relief effort for the recent 6.4 Iranian earthquake at the International Federation of Red Cros and Red Crescent Societies, Oxfam, or Islamic Relief.
Monday, February 21, 2005
President's Day
Ok, you can spend your money however you want, even if it's on the previously-mentioned Lincoln French Fry. But isn't it going a bit too far to claim that your purchase marks "a great day for marketing and a great day for Abe Lincoln"?
This has been a strangely good weekend. My uncle is still in the hospital, and was holding on by a thin thread, the doctor warned on Friday. My cousin from California and my uncle from nearby came in on Saturday for the occasion of the removal of the ventilator-if he hadn't been able to breathe on his own, it could have been his last breath. (Long explanation, so never mind. It was serious, anyway.) So in an impromtu reunion, the house was full of relatives: two cousins, a cousin-in-law, a first cousin once removed, an uncle, an aunt-in-law-ish, and a family friend whose relation I am not quite sure of. It made for a crowded dining room and some fascinating conversations. It was great to catch up and gab and play with the baby. On the other hand, the only reason we were all there, from Boston and California and DC, was because death seemed imminent.
All that gabbing around the dinner table, and all those stories about distant cousins and crazy aunts renewed my interest in seriously keeping track of geneology. It's an idea I've toyed with a few times, and I know my grandma has kept track of some would-have-been-lost information from the Range side. If I could just start writing things down in an organized way, collect stories when I can, and keep it up. For me and for my family, for future family, you know...something to have and refer to and think about. Plus, there are some great anecdotes.
Besides spending time with family contemplating serious issues of hospice and nursing homes, I Did Social Things this weekend, like eat Egyptian food, courtesy of Loay and his miniscule kitchen. Rami provided the manoushe and we had a foul and egg breakfast Mubarak would be jealous of. Then, thanks to Google, I found a happening dance community and hit the dance floor on Saturday night. When I parked and saw all the people walking in, I thought, there must be something else going on...this many people can't be going swing dancing. But there wasn't, and they were. It was great, lots of people, live band, information about upcoming classes and dances, non-creepy guys to dance with. Fatema and I hit the Smithsonian and are now Well Educated on various subjects, like First Lady's dresses and the Ipswitch house and Brown vs. Board of Education. We also saw Hitch, the first movie I've seen in a long time where I consistently laughed out loud in the theater (Recommended! See it!) in Union Station, also home to a great food court and some excellent architecture.
This has been a strangely good weekend. My uncle is still in the hospital, and was holding on by a thin thread, the doctor warned on Friday. My cousin from California and my uncle from nearby came in on Saturday for the occasion of the removal of the ventilator-if he hadn't been able to breathe on his own, it could have been his last breath. (Long explanation, so never mind. It was serious, anyway.) So in an impromtu reunion, the house was full of relatives: two cousins, a cousin-in-law, a first cousin once removed, an uncle, an aunt-in-law-ish, and a family friend whose relation I am not quite sure of. It made for a crowded dining room and some fascinating conversations. It was great to catch up and gab and play with the baby. On the other hand, the only reason we were all there, from Boston and California and DC, was because death seemed imminent.
All that gabbing around the dinner table, and all those stories about distant cousins and crazy aunts renewed my interest in seriously keeping track of geneology. It's an idea I've toyed with a few times, and I know my grandma has kept track of some would-have-been-lost information from the Range side. If I could just start writing things down in an organized way, collect stories when I can, and keep it up. For me and for my family, for future family, you know...something to have and refer to and think about. Plus, there are some great anecdotes.
Besides spending time with family contemplating serious issues of hospice and nursing homes, I Did Social Things this weekend, like eat Egyptian food, courtesy of Loay and his miniscule kitchen. Rami provided the manoushe and we had a foul and egg breakfast Mubarak would be jealous of. Then, thanks to Google, I found a happening dance community and hit the dance floor on Saturday night. When I parked and saw all the people walking in, I thought, there must be something else going on...this many people can't be going swing dancing. But there wasn't, and they were. It was great, lots of people, live band, information about upcoming classes and dances, non-creepy guys to dance with. Fatema and I hit the Smithsonian and are now Well Educated on various subjects, like First Lady's dresses and the Ipswitch house and Brown vs. Board of Education. We also saw Hitch, the first movie I've seen in a long time where I consistently laughed out loud in the theater (Recommended! See it!) in Union Station, also home to a great food court and some excellent architecture.
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