Wall Street Fug

The fantastically bitchy girls from Go Fug Yourself made the cover of the Wall Street Journal. Here’s the article. I’ve heard that they are ND grads, but it’s an unconfirmed rumor.

Link courtesy of Fresh Hell

Soy un perdedor

A couple of days ago my uncle asked me “What are you doing tomorrow night?” I love that question, because it normally precedes some sort of invitation or fun idea. It did again, as my uncle had an extra ticket to a Beck concert. I like Beck but haven’t seen him live since I was about 19 and heavily under the influence, and I love free stuff, so, of course, I accepted. The show was at the Harborlights pavilion, a big white tent on the waterfront that changes names every year- I think it’s currently the Bank of America Pavilion, and the sound was surprisingly good. I saw a guy I used to have a crush on but I didn’t go say hi because he looked like he was on a date and I was standing around by myself eating a hot dog like a big dork (Reason #46 Why I Don’t Have A Boyfriend: Frequent public consumption of hot dogs), but then I felt like a jerk later for not having said hello, because it seems kind of mean, seeing someone you know and deliberately not saying hi. Likewise, I try not to press the ignore button on my cell phone because I hate the idea of someone else looking at their phone, seeing my name, and making the conscious decision not to answer. It just seems so cold. Anyways, back to the concert… it was great. Beck played a lot of his most popular songs, including “Loser”, and mostly high energy stuff that kept the crowd on its feet. (Um, ever since I got back from Nicaragua, whenever I dance, I end up doing some sort of bizzaro meringue. Can’t stop meringueing. Has this happened to anyone else?) Late in the show, he switched gears and played an acoustic set, during which the whole band sat down at a folding table and chairs and started eating dinner on the stage. The stunt went from amusing to really cool when they began playing their dishes in rhythm, spoons banging on bowls, forks on plates, and one of them was even doing the finger around the water glass trick, making it go OooooooOOOoooooo like I did at every bar mitzvah I went to in middle school.

Friday Photo

Sorry for the delay, folks. Blogger was down all morning.

I definitely dressed like this when I was younger. I did not, however, pose like this. I dig the jackets and the sunglasses.

Best and Worst concerts

I was inspired by a message board on Boston.com where people posted about their favorite concerts, and have decided to list my own top three:

1. Pink Floyd, Foxboro Stadium, 1994. I wasn't a huge fan of Pink Floyd before the concert, but I bought the tickets because they went on sale the same day as Smashing Pumpkins tickets, which sold out, and I was already in line with the cash. (Remember when you had to go get a wristband and wait in line for hours to buy concert tickets? Ahh, I love the internet.) Kim and I went together, and the concert was amazing- the best I've ever seen. I've been a true believer in the greatness of Pink Floyd ever since.
2. The Ramones, Riverside Amusement Park, 1995. I heard a day-of ad on the radio about a Ramones concert at the former Riverside amusement park out in western Mass., so a few friends and I jumped in a station wagon and drove out. It was great; they were set up on a small stage in the parking lot, and there were only about 300 people there- a weird mix of teenagers and middle-aged punks in leather with mohawks and children- with everyone jumping around and going nuts.
3. The Darkness, Avalon, 2004. Long live glam rock! Eri, a couple friends, and I got all decked out for the show in ridiculous groupie outfits and drank a bottle of rum before we left the apartment. It must have done the trick, because it was the one and only time I've ever scored backstage passes.

Oh yeah, and now for the worst (or most embarrassing) concert: Meat Loaf, Great Woods, 1994.

View from the bullpen

The Red Sox lost last night 7-2 and the Yankees won, putting the Sox one game behind in the playoff race. My mother had bought tickets back in January and took my father, my uncle, and me. She told us that we were in the very last row, but to our pleasant surprise, she had read the seating chart wrong and our seats were actually in the very first row of the bleachers, right above the bullpen. Because I went with my parents, I was at the game before it started and not drinking beers at the Cask until midway through the first inning in the normal fashion, so I got to see the pitchers warm up. I was standing along the fence when all of the sudden I felt someone looking at me. I glanced down, and there he was, my favorite player, a few feet below me, stretching his mighty thighs and staring straight at me. Well, he was actually looking at the big screen behind my head, but whatever, I felt the connection.
Because the Sox lost so badly I won't go into details about the game, but I was highly entertained watching the pitchers. Throughout the entire first two innings, they were throwing sunflower seeds. At each other, over the wall onto the field, and at the cop standing in the bullpen. The cop threw some back, so then they threw candy at him. It was cracking me up. They also all get up and watch the big screen whenever they show highlight reels.

On a somewhat related note, I think overall productivity in Boston sharply declines each September and October. At least you don't have to worry about the boss reaming you out for showing up late and drowsy, because chances are that the boss was also up late watching the game.

Happy thoughts

Since my last few posts have been more like rants, and I don't want to be all Blog O' Negativity, here are some happy thoughts:

• Charlie Weis grants a dying boy's wish
• The baby panda at the National Zoo is doing well
• I'm going to the Red Sox game tonight
• My new soccer team won last night and went out for beers for the first time
• puppies, rainbows, midgets, candy, Liquor Land, donuts
• Harpoon Octoberfest is this weekend

Hypocrisy in the Boston Archdiocese

I forgot to include this in my list of pet peeves; if there's one thing I really can't stand, it's a hypocrite. Controversy continues in the Archdiocese of Boston, this time surrounding the removal of a popular priest, Father Cuenin, and his subsequent replacement by the former spokesman of Cardinal Bernard Law. Father Cuenin was forced to resign after the archdiocese accused him of financial impropriety involving his use of a leased car. His parishioners maintain that their church council approved these expenditures and that true reasons behind his removal are purely political. Father Cuenin is a supporter of Voice of the Faithful, a Catholic group formed after the child abuse scandal, and signed the letter calling for Cardinal Law to resign. He also has suggested that the church should rethink the possibility of having female priests, married priests, and the teachings on homosexuality. A report released today indicates that the removal of Father Cuenin may stem from the fact that a parish bulletin encouraged parishioners to march in Boston's annual Gay Pride Parade.
I am a Catholic (although certainly not the best example of one), but this sort of stuff makes me not want to go to church anymore. The Archdiocese of Boston has a lot bigger problems to worry about than whether or not a priest supports gay people. High-ranking church officials covered up the sexual abuse of children for decades. Cardinal Law, if he really did know about it all, should be excommunicated and prosecuted. The archdiocese needs to regain the trust of its parishioners by fully acknowledging the scandal, holding those involved accountable, and taking steps to ensure that it will never happen again. Firing a popular priest and gay-bashing are diversionary tactics that aren't fooling anyone.

List #8....Pet Peeves

1. People clipping their nails on the T. It's just gross.
2. Worse than not using your blinker is using it and forgetting to turn it off.
3. "It's not the heat, it's the humidity."
4. Yankees fans
5. "So, what happens when you eat dairy?"
6. People who frequently change their email addresses. You know who you are.
7. Jennifer Love Hewitt
8. People who do circuit training in the gym, as in, instead of using the machines one at a time, they monopolize several machines at once, so no matter what you do, they always want to switch in with you.
9. The sizes at Starbucks. Forget you and your tall, I'll go to Dunkin' Donuts and get myself a small.
10. Deliberately showing thong straps.
11. Louis Vuitton.
12. Receiving a package without a note.

So, what happens when you eat dairy?

I am amazed how many people don't know what lactose intolerance means. I am more amazed at the number of people who, once you explain that you are allergic to milk/cheese/dairy, still ask "So, what happens when you eat dairy?" Do you want to know? Do you really want to know? I told you I was allergic, so you know it's probably something bad. And I'm tired of coming up with euphemisms like "stomach trouble" or "digestive problems", so I'll just tell you flat out exactly what happens: EXPLOSIVE DIARRHEA. Now stop asking.

Mr. T's touching foray into rap music

This music video displaying Mr. T's lyrical genius, in addition to his tiny camouflage shorts, is nothing short of hilarity. The funniest part about it is that it's not supposed to be funny. Well, that, and the backup dancers.

Recent reviews

Although I am generally quite lazy and a creature of habit, I went to two new (to me) bars this week. The first was Intermission Tavern, in the theater district. It was a cute place, and the food was tasty and reasonably priced, but the service was s....l....o.......w. So slow, that people at my table as well as the table next to us (yes, I was eavesdropping) cancelled drink orders because they took so long. In a location where most people are on their way to a show on a concert, Intermission Tavern had better learn to quicken its pace.

I had a much better experience at Delux, a funky little place in the Back Bay. It's definitely a hipster bar, but not annoyingly pretentious. Good drinks and good food, but small portions (for the food, at least). I will definitely go back. I have seen the future, and all I can say is "Go back."

Last night, I watched Trainspotting for the first time in ages. Ewan McGregor looks so young. I had forgotten how hot Sick Boy was. Curious, I looked him up online to see if he'd been in any other movies lately. Turns out his name is Jonny Lee Miller and he was married to Angelina Jolie for four years. Who knew? Lucky Angelina.

Recent observations

Drinking several gin and tonics on a weeknight is a Very Bad Idea. But damn, it's fun, especially when an old friend is in town. No, he doesn't look like that anymore.

Married people should be required to wear their wedding rings. A wedding ring is the difference between "He's a nice guy." and "He's a nice guy, but I wonder if the fact that he tucks his t-shirt in at the gym indicates some sort of fundamental incompatibility between us."

Friday Photo

Glasses? Check. Braces? Check. Faint moustache? Check. Framed picture of a tiger in the background? Check. Ridiculous Dream Team t-shirt? Check. Larry and Magic- together at last!

TV commentary

First, the good: the new Chris Rock show, Everybody Hates Chris, is supposedly hilarious. Chris Rock's comedy cracks me up, but not as much as the Simpsons episode when Ned Flanders goes to a Chris Rock show thinking it's a Christian Rock concert. "Well sir, I never heard a preacher use the M-F word so many times."

Now, the bad: Am I the only one who found Rock Star: INXS to be in very poor taste? Here's the premise- a few years after lead singer Michael Hutchence kills himself, his bandmates have a reality show in which they search for his replacement. Yeah, really sorry about the tragic, untimely death and all, but hey, we're getting the band back together! In a reality TV format! What's next- Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic are going to search for a replacement for Kurt Cobain? Or a SeaQuest reunion show where aspiring young actors try out for the Jonathan Brandis part?

White Stripes rock the Opera House

I saw the White Stripes show at the Opera House last night, and they rocked. I think my neighbor Peadar summed it up best: "fucking brilliant!" (Those Irish people swear a lot.) The variety and volume of music they create is rather astounding for a group with only two members. In addition to singing, Jack played guitar, bass, banjo, piano, and a giant xylophone, and Meg played the drums, some bells, and joined Jack singing on "Little Ghost." Jack wore some crazy red outfit and a hat he must have borrowed from Kid Rock, and Meg looked hott in black leather pants. The show lasted for a couple of hours and they hit most of my favorite songs, except for one- they didn't play "My doorbell" from the new album. I'm thinking about my doorbell, Jack, when you gonna sing it? Jon, however, saw the same show and does not worship at the church of Jack and Meg like I do. Although the show was grand, I would have preferred to see them at a smaller venue, but those are the breaks, as they say. Doesn't everyone always prefer to see their favorite bands in smaller venues? Assigned seating can be so stifling sometimes.

Pop-Pop with hair

Here's a link for all you Arrested Development fans.

You know you're getting old when...

• You go to a Young Alumni event for your alma mater and notice how young everyone looks.
• When making a purchase at the bookstore where you attend graduate school, the clerk asks you if you get a faculty discount.
• Your friends own houses.
• You hardly ever stay out until last call anymore.
• Where there was once a triceps, there is now arm flab.

On a scale of one to not surprising

Kate Moss being a cokehead is not surprising. People who were surprised by this must have also been surprised that Randy Moss (no relation) smokes marijuana. Kate Moss practically invented the heroin waif look of the 90's, and now she's dating Pete Doherty, the troubled musical frontman of Babyshambles. He was the lead singer of The Libertines, until they kicked him out for antics that made Shane MacGowan look like a boy scout in comparison. Much to my dismay, because I loved The Libertines.

Photo courtesy of Freakgirl

List #7...Words that are hard to spell (for me, at least)

1. license
2. restaurant
3. length
4. quandary
5. business
6. surprise

Exhausted.

I woke up early this morning and went on a 10 mile training run along the Charles river. Here's a helpful link for you Boston area distance runners. Then, I worked all afternoon bartending at the 90th birthday party of a Nobel Prize winner. Right now, I'm in the lab finishing up some experiments, and I can't wait to get home and flop on the couch.

On a completely unrelated note, this guy's name makes me laugh. Don't pretend like you don't think it's funny.

Halfway to St. Patty's Day

The Irish porno leprechaun would like to remind everyone that St. Patrick's Day is exactly six months away.

News of the week

The frivolous:

• Britney Spears and her leech of a husband are the proud parents of a baby boy, Sean Preston.
• Renee Zellweger filed for an annulment from her husband of four months, country signer Kenny Chesney. The guy wrote a song called "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy." Renee, shouldn't that have tipped you off?

The serious:

• Congressional hearings with Supreme Court nominee John Roberts come to a close. His "unflappable" performance has created a quandary for Democratic senators. Do they vote against him solely because he's a Bush nominee? Yes, he's a conservative, but conservative presidents tend to nominate conservative judges. That's the way the game is played. In my opinion, we're going to get stuck with a conservative no matter what, and at least Roberts comes across as extremely intelligent, capable, and well-respected in the legal field. And he's never made any jokes about pubic hairs in people's sodas, at least that I'm aware of. We could do a lot worse.
• Perhaps the most important lesson that Hurricane Katrina has taught us is that there are still a lot of poor people in the United States. The gulf between the haves and the have-nots continues to widen, and frankly, I think it's a shame that in one of the richest countries in the world, if not THE richest, so many people have so little. I could go on and on, but I'll save that post for another day.

Friday Photo

Okay, so he's too young to be considered awkward in this picture and is mostly just plain cute here, but those are some awfully short shorts. Happy birthday, Mr. Ford. (and you, too, Miss Callahan)

Is it just me, or...

are Louis Vuitton bags ugly? I've been seeing them everywhere lately. Disclaimer: STOP reading here if you own one or you will secretly resent me and my unstylish ways for all eternity. They are truly hideous. I hate the color scheme- diarrhea brown on normal poo brown? Who thought that looked good? What, just because something is outrageously overpriced it becomes trendy and cool? Maybe I'll design a logo with my initials, throw a few shapes in, choose a color scheme reminiscent of fecal matter, slap it on a purse or two, and charge a couple hundred each. They'll sell like hotcakes, I'm telling you. Okay, so maybe I'm a tad resentful because Loius Vuitton treated me worse than Hermes did Oprah last time I was in Paris. A couple friends and I accompanied a more stylish friend to the store because she wanted to buy something there, and we were waiting up front while she disappered in the back. It was raining out, and we were looking a bit dumpy in our rain gear and sneakers, so it wasn't long before we were accosted by a security guard/male model. We told him we were waiting for a friend, but he stood right next to us and glared until we took the hint and moved outside. A moment later, I heard a noise above my head and felt the rain again. I looked up, only to see the awning being retracted into the roof. No joke! The didn't want us standing in front of their store, so they retracted the awning to get rid of us! Too bad I wasn't a prostitute hired by Richard Gere, because I would have gone on a shopping spree at Prada or wherever and then have walked by with my purchases all "Big mistake. Huge." The moral of the story is that Louis Vuitton bags don't make this guy look cool
and they won't make you look cool either.

Fuck everything, we're doing five blades

Are you kidding? No, for real.

50 Things That Out of Town College Students Must Know About Boston

Sorry that this lengthy post is a bit Boston-centric for those of you not from Boston, but I got this in an email today and laughed my arse off because it is so true. Here goes:

1. In reality, very few people from South Boston are math geniuses. However, to be safe, assume that everyone from Southie is smarter than you.
2. If you want to wear skin-tight black t-shirts out at night, you are required by Massachusetts State Law to contain at least three vowels in your last name.
3. Crosswalks and traffic lights are merely suggestions.
4. Harmlessly bumping into another guy in a crowded bar is tantamount in other regions of the country to sucker-punching someone's grandmother.
5. Steak tips are a local delicacy.
6. The speed of walking in Boston is equivalent to the speed of jogging in other areas of the country. Keep up the pace or you will be chop blocked.
7. From the months of April until October, 85% of Boston's population subsists almost entirely on iced coffees from Dunkin' Donuts.
8. If you are a girl between 18 and 21, Bronson Arroyo will be contacting you shortly.
9. You are not going to win an argument with any of the scalpers outside of Fenway. Just pay what they ask and be on your way.
10. There is no rational explanation for why there is always a line outside of Ned Devine's.
11. Catholic Memorial will win the Super 8.
12. The mayor can say whatever he wants but do not dare park in a space that someone has shoveled out and marked with a cone, chair, pool table or llama. You can write all the whiny letters to the Globe that you want but you are still going to end up with a busted windshield.
13. The guy pushing his son in the wheelchair in the Marathon is Dick Hoyt. He's 65 and could still kick your ass. Make a comment and someone next to you will save him the time.
14. Don't be gullible enough to think that everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day.
15. There are no exclusive bars or clubs in Boston. You may think you're hot shit because you're sitting in Saint but the chick next to you is a single mom from Revere and the guy on the other side of you is a house painter from Dorchester. Get over yourself.
16. If you hear one of these arguments happening in a bar, don't go near it. Literally, walk the other way:
17. Red Sox-Yankees
18. Charlestown-Southie
19. Boston-New York
20. Boston-the world
21. Friendlys-Brighams
22. Barstool Sports-Sports Illustrated
23. No one cares about where you are from.
24. Yes, the Green Line's B line is one of Dante's Level of Hell. However, stop complaining because you should have rode on it a few years ago when it stopped approximately every 8 feet.
25. You are allowed to go to a Red Sox game without buying brand new Red Sox gear. You will be shocked to know that the majority of people going to Sox games are not outfitted in BoSox gear from head to toe. I only mention this because if you are sitting in front of me in a replica Curt Schilling jersey, Red Sox hat and you're quoting John Updike and then turn to someone and ask whose number 1 was retired, I am going to get you banned for yelling racial slurs at David Ortiz.
26. If you linger at all when crossing the street, you have forfeited your right of way.
27. Actually, even if you don't linger, you really don't the right of way when crossing the street.
28. If you don't want to hear World Champion Red Sox or Patriots fans complain, don't go to a sports bar. Because we will complain even though Boston is the undisputed sports capital of this country.
29. Every soft drink is a Coke.
30. Evacuation Day and Patriots Day are holidays that only Boston is cool enough to have. Remember to say a little pray that you are fortunate enough to live somewhere that celebrates holidays by drinking Guinness and drinking Guinness while watching a Kenyan run.
31. If you aren't going 50+ mph on Storrow Drive, get over into the right lane and let some guys with testes get to where they are going.
32. Unless you are Lance Armstrong, don't try and outpeddle my car. I'm not necessarily going to run you down, put please recognize the fact that my SUV could crush you and your Schwinn.
33. Being a Ms. Barstool is roughly the academic equivalent of being a Rhodes Scholar.
34. The top four athletes in Boston history, in no particular order, are Bill Russell, Ted Williams, Bobby Orr and Larry Bird. Tom Brady is sitting just outside the top 4.
35. There are a few phrases that are guaranteed to get you punched in the face at any Boston bar:
36. "26 World Championships"
37. "Dude, I don't care if you are from Southie, what are you gonna do- fraction me to death?"
38. "Charlestown- isn't that where all the Yuppies live?"
39. "Peyton Manning is a better quarterback than Tom Brady."
40. "Fidelity Investments is loaded with douchebags."
41. "Hey, say park my car in Harvard Yard."
42. Just to let you know that sometimes even people from Boston get a little nervous, I had a Whitey Bulger line in there originally but took it out. Never know who you are going to run into on Broadway.
43. No one calls it Cape Cod. It's the Cape. Does it really need more clarification? If you are going to the Cape, where do you thinking you are headed? Cape Canaveral? The Cape of Good Hope?
44. Everyone in Boston between the ages of 25-40 has a New Kids on the Block story.
45. Take lefts on red onto one-way streets. I don't know for a fact that it is legal but it makes perfect sense to me.
46. Recognize the fact that just because you may outnumber a guy when the fight starts, chances are you won't when you get outside. You would be amazed at how quickly someone will get involved in a fight against you just because he and the guy you're fighting both played sports in the GBL.
47. Spring starts in Boston when the girls hit BU's beach.
48. The best days of the year are when the Sox have a playoff game and the Pats are playing the same day.
49. There is an honor and dignity inherent in trying to get a parking space. Obey the rules. Even if they are unwritten.
50. Best way to assimilate- buy me a drink.

Note to self

Next time you get caught in a downpour without a jacket or an umbrella, try not be wearing a white T-shirt. And if it does happen again, try not to get into the same elevator as that guy who works in your building whom you have a crush on. Because, face it, you don't look sexy, you look wet and uncomfortable.

List #6...Best things about the fall

Although fall does not technically begin until the autumnal equinox on September 22, the start of the academic year and the cooler weather make it feel like my favorite season is already upon us. Instead of getting depressed thinking about the end of the Summer of Guilt-Free Indulgences (what, you didn't get the memo?) and the upcoming frigid winter, I have decided to compose a list of my favorite things about the fall.

1. Pumpkin muffins at Dunkin' Donuts. mmmm...delicious.
2. Thanksgiving
3. Halloween
4. Harpoon Octoberfest
5. football!
6. Sleeping under the covers instead of on top of them
7. Candy corn
8. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
9. foliage. those leaves sure can be purty.

Quote of the day

"He invited me into the house for a little bit. There he was with his tight little shorts, no shirt and his little red hat. He was doing some farming or something. He was covered in dirt. It was awesome."-- JP Losman on meeting Brett Favre

Looks like I'm not the only one with a crush on Brett Favre, or shall I say, Brett Fav-re.

The Farm

Last night, I attended a fundraising dinner for the Natick Community Organic Farm. The NCOF, referred to simply as "the farm" by everyone associated with it, is a non-profit, certified organic farm located off of Route 16 in Natick. Every summer, local teenagers participate in the Teen Work Program, where they garden, care for livestock, make repairs on barns, greenhouses, fences, etc..., and sell produce at the market stand. My sisters and I all worked at the farm when we were younger, and we loved it. Aside from learning about agriculture, working at the farm was a great experience. It was the first time I was given real responsibility and treated as an adult, and the first time I learned how satisfying it is to work hard at something you care about and believe in. For those of you in the area, I encourage you to stop by, purchase some fresh organic produce or maple syrup, and check out the farm. For those of you from afar, I encourage you to buy locally grown produce in order to support similar small farms in your area.

Weekend Highlights

Although a lousy Friday did put a damper on the weekend, there were some highlights:

• Got to hang out with Eri and her boyfriend Ryan, who were visiting for the weekend.
• Reclaimed my place at the Kids' Table at family events
• Watched Notre Dame beat Michigan, 17-10. ND is now ranked #10 in the AP poll. Offensive lineman Dan Santucci had some nice blocks; he's the younger brother of Eri's Marquette roomate Laura "Tucc" Santucci.
• Bought a pair of running shoes for $25 at the New Balance Factory Store
• Put both of my credit cards in a glass of water and stuck it in the freezer as a method to help curtail my significant credit card debt. Drastic times call for drastic measures.
• Found out that Ben Affleck was one of the kids in Voyage of the Mimi. I wonder if he played the boy who got hypothermia and had to get naked in a sleeping bag with two of the other boys to raise his body temperature. Or maybe he was the one who got sick from drinking salt water, until they made that contraption to collect condensation and use it as drinking water. Voyage of the Mimi ruled.

Top songs of senior year

I saw this on Brigita's site and thought I'd try it out for myself.
Here's how it goes:
A.) Go to musicoutfitters.com.
B.) Enter the year you graduated from high school in the search function and get the list of 100 most popular songs of that year. (I stopped at 25 because I didn't remember of a lot of the later ones.)
C.) Bold the songs you like, italicize the ones you hate, and underline your favorite. Do nothing to the ones you don't remember or don't care about.

Top songs of 1995:
1. Gangsta's Paradise, Coolio
2. Waterfalls, TLC
3. Creep, TLC
4. Kiss From A Rose, Seal
5. On Bended Knee, Boyz II Men
6. Another Night, Real McCoy
7. Fantasy, Mariah Carey
8. Take A Bow, Madonna
9. Don't Take It Personal (Just One Of Dem Days), Monica
10. This Is How We Do It, Montell Jordan
11. I Know, Dionne Farris
12. Water Runs Dry, Boyz II Men
13. Freak Like Me, Adina Howard
14. Run-Around, Blues Traveler
15. I Can Love You Like That, All-4-One
16. Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?, Bryan Adams
17. Always, Bon Jovi
18. Boombastic / In The Summertime, Shaggy
19. Total Eclipse Of The Heart, Nicki French
20. You Gotta Be, Des'ree
21. You Are Not Alone, Michael Jackson
22. Hold My Hand, Hootie and The Blowfish
23. One More Chance-Stay With Me, Notorious B.I.G.
24. Here Comes The Hotstepper, Ini Kamoze
25. Candy Rain, Soul For Real

My goodness, these songs are all terrbile! I don't remember a lot of them. No wonder I listened to the Pixies and the Cure, it's not that I was indie cool, it's just that everything popular sucked. I like Gangsta's Paradise because it reminds me of going to Bridget's with my fake I.D. freshman year of college. Run-Around is a good tune, but I don't like Blues Traveler. My younger sister and I went to a concert of theirs forever ago, and we left early because it was so BORING.

Bad Friday

I had a terrible day yesterday. First, I woke up with a headache like my head against a board, then I freaked out at my supervisor over the fact that I am not making any progress with my research and I have zero publications and I'm already in my third year of grad school with no end in sight. Then I spent the rest of the day feeling guilty about the freak out and about acting like a whiny lab diva. The worst was yet to come. I got home and found a letter from my attorney in my mail. Why do you have an attorney, you ask? Because I got into a car accident a couple of years ago and the other driver sued me for $72,000. $72,000. It was a random accident in a rotary, in which myself and the other driver were both pulling onto exit ramps and the front ends of the vehicles collided. The insurance companies found it to be a no fault accident, but he disagreed and sued me (the driver), the owner of the car (yeah, it was my friend's father's car. great.), and the insurance company. A few months ago, I was informed that the case had settled out of court, and there was much rejoicing. Yesterday, I found out via the letter that only the property damage portion of the case had settled and not the personal injury aspect. He was diagnosed with a sprained ankle two weeks after the accident (shady) and is also suing for $50,000 worth of mental anguish (double shady). So this unpleasant chapter of my life story is still open.

Sporting news

The aging patriarch of the Boston Celtics, Red Auerbach, has been ill and hospitalized for much of the last month. Get well soon, Red.

The Patriots won last night, beating the Oakland Raiders 30-20 on the opening night of the NFL. How can Tom Brady be that good-looking, that nice, and that damn good at football? Tom, I don't even mind if you surf the internet for porn. Is there any other example of someone who excels at the highest level, is rather easy on the eyes, and seems like a nice guy? Oh wait, I can think of one...

Bloc Party

I saw Bloc Party at Avalon last night with my sister Eri and her boyfriend, and we were all very impressed by the band's performance. The lead singer has a very thick British accent and may be the only musician from England whose accent doesn't disappear when singing. They played for about an hour and a half, mostly stuff form their latest album Silent Alarm, including my favorite track "This Modern Love". It was an all ages show, so the place was crawling with teenybopper hipsters, but the beers lines were short. Speaking of short beer lines, I'm very hungover right now, due to the fact that after the show we met up with an old college friend of mine, Justin LaReau, who's in town for a conference. Many margaritas were consumed. If life were a poker game, and being hungover was equivalent to having a good hand, drinking lemon-lime gatorade would definitely be my tell.

Friday Photo

Great pose. Great shirt. Is it silk?

Study names Boston most expensive city

Due due extremely high housing prices, Boston is now the most expensive city to live in, beating out New York and San Francisco. The study was performed by the Boston Foundation and the Citizens' Housing and Planning Association, so they might be a teensy bit biased. I'm inclined to believe it, having seen the prices of two bedroom condos (Why do they call them condos when they're actually apartments?) in my lovely but unglamorous neighborhood rise into the hundreds of thousands.

Da ya think I'm guilty?

Rod Stewart was ordered to pay $2 million to Harrah's casino for cancelling a concert in 2002. In his testimony, Rod stated "I know I keep you amused, but I feel I'm being used." and "I won't object if you call collect."

Boston to start tracking keg purchases

The city has plans to implement a new keg-tracking policy designed to curtail the rowdy parties that coincide with the return of thousands of undergrads to the Boston area each fall. Under the new legislation, liquor stores would be required to report the name, address, and date of birth of anyone who purchases a keg to the local police.

Boston police Capt. William B. Evans, head of the D-14 district in
Allston-Brighton, said the measure would let cops stay a step ahead of the troublemakers. ``It lets us target what possibly problem houses we might flag,''
Evans said. ``Sometimes you go in there and there are two, three, four kegs.''

Two, three, four kegs? Oh, the humanity! Rest assured, the long arm of the law will not dissuade resident troublemakers of 597 East Broadway from purchasing multiple kegs for the annual St. Patrick's Day bash.
Link courtesy of Bostonist.

If the pants fit

If you have a few minutes and are in the mood for a chuckle, listen to this audio clip of former President LBJ ordering some custom made pants. This link was brought to my attention by my history buff sister and brother-in-law.

List #5....Funniest Movies

This morning, a couple of my coworkers asked me for suggestions for funny movies, and I thought of two right away, Wayne's World and Dazed and Confused. I considered the fact that these might be my favorite funny movies due to some sort of nostalgia factor (they both came out when I was in high school), so I found this list containing the American Film Institute's 100 Funniest Movies, which I think are all pre-2000. There were some classic choices on there, a few that were a bit off (The Graduate? A great movie, but not exactly funny ha-ha) plus a lot of older movies I haven't seen. For the record, here are my top ten funniest movies:

1. Wayne's World
2. Dazed and Confused
3. Mallrats
4. Zoolander
5. Tommy Boy
6. Animal House
7. Coming to America
8. Raising Arizona
9. Annie Hall
10. Office Space

Ralph Fiennes, aka Ray Fines

I watched two Ralph Fiennes movies this weekend, and I also learned how to pronounce his name correctly (hint: it's not phonetic). The first was The Constant Gardener, which I didn't like very much. I won't spoil it, but the basic plot is that the activist wife of a British diplomat finds out about some shady dealings by a pharmaceutical company testing a new drug for tuberculosis in Africa. The love story between Fiennes (the diplomat) and Rachel Weisz (the wife) wasn't believable at all, and although I suspect one is supposed to admire and sympathize with the wife character, she came across as a manipulative biatch. And I'm not a big fan of conspiracy theories in general.
In contrast, I finally saw The English Patient and really liked it. I had read the book a while ago and enjoyed it, and the film, although altered from the book, did it justice.

Do you like butter?

The other day, I was sitting in a room full of people, and I took a flower and held it under Maria's chin and said "Do you like butter?", assuming that everyone else used to do this with buttercups when they were kids. Assumption incorrect. Blank and confused stares all around. "You know, you hold a buttercup under someone's chin and say 'Do you like butter?' and if you see a reflection then the answer is yes?" No one had any idea what I was talking about. I continued to explain another game we used to play with flowers, dandelions specifically, where you sing "Mama had a baby and its head popped off" then use your thumb to flick the yellow part off the dandelion stem. Now everyone was looking at me like I was completely nuts. I thought everyone played these bizarre flower games when they were kids. I couldn't have been the only one.

Fats Domino aided by LSU quarterback

New Orleans musician Fats Domino, who was reported missing earlier in the week, is alive and well, having been given shelter for several days by LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell. Sounds like the premise to a reality TV show- Fats and the Quarterback.

Go Irish

Notre Dame beat Pitt last night 42-21 in an offensive game that looked a lot like, well, Patriots football. Either Pitt is a lot worse than predicted, or Notre Dame is a lot better, because they sure looked good. Congratulations to the team and to Charlie Weis in his first start as a head coach. Maybe a few more games like these will shut up the haters.

Radio interview with New Orleans Mayor

Here's a link to a very intense radio interview with New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin. It really is a mess down there. Got this off of Ask Metafilter.

Former Channel One and current CNN reporter Anderson Cooper lost his cool during an interview with Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA).

COOPER: Joining me from Baton Rouge is Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu. Senator, appreciate you joining us tonight. Does the federal government bear responsibility for what is happening now? Should they apologize for what is happening now?

SEN. MARY LANDRIEU (D), LOUISIANA: Anderson, there will be plenty of time to discuss all of those issues, about why, and how, and what, and if. But, Anderson, as you understand, and all of the producers and directors of CNN, and the news networks, this situation is very serious and it's going to demand all of our full attention through the hours, through the nights, through the days. Let me just say a few things. Thank President Clinton and former President Bush for their strong statements of support and comfort today. I thank all the leaders that are coming to Louisiana, and Mississippi, and Alabama to our help and rescue.We are grateful for the military assets that are being brought to bear. I want to thank Senator Frist and Senator Reid for their extraordinary efforts.Anderson, tonight, I don't know if you've heard -- maybe you all have announced it -- but Congress is going to an unprecedented session to pass a $10 billion supplemental bill tonight to keep FEMA and the Red Cross up and operating.

COOPER: Excuse me, Senator, I'm sorry for interrupting. I haven't heard that, because, for the last four days, I've been seeing dead bodies in the streets here in Mississippi. And to listen to politicians thanking each other and complimenting each other, you know, I got to tell you, there are a lot of people here who are very upset, and very angry, and very frustrated.And when they hear politicians slap -- you know, thanking one another, it just, you know, it kind of cuts them the wrong way right now, because literally there was a body on the streets of this town yesterday being eaten by rats because this woman had been laying in the street for 48 hours. And there's not enough facilities to take her up. Do you get the anger that is out here?

Yikes. Good news is that aid is pouring in, both from private citizens and corporations. But the most pressing issue seems to be figuring out how to get all the people stuck in the Superdome and the Convention Center out of the city.

Friday Photo

Look Ma, new jeans! Okay, so I can't make too much fun of this photo, because the haircut looks a lot like one I used to sport, although mine had a little more party in the back. Too bad Scotty and I didn't know each other at the time, because we could have combined forces as the Blonde Mulleted Wondertwins and saved the universe from evil, one pair of Levi's at a time.

List #3...Favorite American cities

1. Boston. (obviously)
2. New Orleans. I love your delicious food, your fun bars, your friendly people with those strange accents, your voodoo shops, and the way you make me feel like I'm in another country. Get well soon.
3. San Francisco. Beautiful scenery with a funky vibe.
4. Miami. What can I say? I love the nightlife. Electric boogie.
5. San Diego. Sunshine, beaches, and Mexican food, without all the smog. Stay classy.
6. Chicago. A big, fun, city where there's always something to do. The best of the Midwest.
7. Philadelphia. Cheesesteaks. Allen Iverson. Bizarre new year's day parades.

As a corollary, and I do expect to catch some flak for this (especially from all those Seattle-lovers):
List #4...least favorite American cities
1. Seattle. Crappy weather and expensive coffee? Thanks, but no thanks.
2. Washington, D.C. I know it's the nation's capital and all, but this city has no soul.

Deep down inside, I'm a cutthroat capitalist

Although I normally do my best to refrain from waxing politic, those of you who know me well know that I learn to the left, and the far left at that. Socialist in theory, democrat in practice. This morning, those philosophies were questioned when my boss informed me that the lab just got a substantial increase in funding, and he wanted to use some of it to supplement the stipends of the three grad students in the lab. In other words, give us a raise. Too bad that it's prohibited under departmental regulations. All graduate students earn the set stipend, and nothing more. I understand that it's in the interest of fairness and equality, in that students should choose their labs based on the science, not on the money. But honestly, aren't some grad students more equal than others?

Stellastarr*

I won tickets from WFNX to see the band Stellastarr* last night at the Middle East. It was a good show and the fact that it was free made it even better. The Information, a good local nad opened the show. We were standing right in front of three FNX djs the whole time, so it was funny to see people who are normally only heard. Stellastarr* mostly played stuff from their new album, but did play last year's hit "My Coco" as their encore. Their set was briefly interrupted when some drunk buffoon ran onstage and made a beeline for the attractive female bassist. He was quickly apprehended and tossed out the back door, but I felt bad for the girl, it must have been pretty unsettling for her.

For those of you in Boston, Cake is playing a free concert at City Hall Plaza this Saturday, from 5-8PM.

*The asterisk is part of Stellastarr*'s name and does not indicate anything, but I never fail to look down whenever I see it written. Lemming.

Gaelic football

Good luck to my sister Eri and her Gaelic football team, Na Fianna, who will be playing in the National Championships this weekend in Philadelphia. For the record, Gaelic football is one of the most insane sports in existence. The ball is like a heavy volleyball, which you are allowed to punch or dropkick, but not throw or kick it off the ground. The goal is a soccer goal with football uprights- 3 points if you get the ball through the bottom part, which is guarded by a goalkeeper, and and 1 point for dropkicking it through the uprights. The most confusing part is soloing: when you're moving with the ball, you can only take five steps, after which you must solo it, either by dribbling it off the ground (keep in mind that this is like dribbling a very heavy volleyball off the grass, so it doesn't exactly bounce like a basketabll) or dropkicking it to yourself. And it's full contact, much more so than soccer. I tried to play a couple of times, but was turned off by the frequent maulings (see photo) and couldn't get the hang of soloing.