About 55 years ago, Santa Claus was feeling a bit mischievous. After all, Christmas time was fast approaching and he wanted to play a little heartwarming prank to remind the people living outside of the North Pole that miracles do happen once in a while. So Santa Googoled "awesome Christmas prank," and came up with a wonderful plan.
North Pole Santa found out that Colorado Springs-based Sears Roebuck & Co. was posting an advertisement for kids, where they can call the certain number and talk to Colorado Springs Santa. North Pole Santa picked up his Santaberry and texted Colorado Springs Santa about his plan. The Santas worked together to put some charms here and there so the phone number printed on the ad would be "accidentally" misprinted. As much as the Santas loved to talk to the kids, they wanted to create something special that would last for years and years, bringing smiles to not just kids from Colorado Springs but to both kids and grown-ups from all over the world. The misprinted phone number ended up being connected to the operations hotline for the Continental Air Defense Command's Commander-in-Chief. As the calls from kids started to pour in, Colonel Harry Shoup, who was the Director of Operations at that time, had his staff check the radar for Santa's location and promptly updated all the kids on Santa's whereabouts. The Santas were fist bumping, for their prank seemed to have worked.
Three years later, Continental Air Defense Command turned into North American Aerospace Defense Command, or more commonly knows as NORAD. Ever since, NORAD tracks Santa on Christmas Eve, updating everyone in the world where Santa is. As for Santa, he also got a little surprise Christmas present of his own as a result of his prank. He finally had a super-high-tech-sleigh-GPS installed. Of course, Santa can tell where the kids are without the GPS, but having one speeds up the process. This can't hurt, seeing that Santa has a lot to do in one night: eating cookies, drinking milk, delivering presents and happiness.
~Fin~
If you are looking for the fact-based version of this story, check this one out, especially on Christmas Eve... :)
Merry Christmas!!!
xx-N
Monday, December 20, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Brains vs. Fashion...!?
I figured after doing a bunch of best-of-lists, it's about time I actually wrote something. My "serious" posts have been about fighting stereotypes and negative thoughts associated with it. The notion of fashion vs. intelligence is definitely a blog-worthy topic to tackle, as I'm certain there are many, many stereotypes that comes with it.
"Fashionistas are not smart"
I bet this is one of the most-believed stereotypes. Also very untrue. Fashion is a form of art, and to produce an art piece, yes, you would need this vital organ called brain to work. A great work of art and regular day-to-day styling do not pop up from thin air. Fashion is something you work with everyday when you decide your outfit. Some people have a rather misguided concept that if you are brainy-smart, you can get away with a very unfortunate wardrobe choice. I'm sorry to burst the bubble, but this is not the case. On to the next topic...
"Looks does not matter, especially if you got the smarts"
Okay, before you turn green and go Hulk on me, you should know that I actually hope that this was true, as people should be judged by the inner beauty. Unfortunately, we don't live in the Disney world where your furniture will put up an amazing dinner show just because you are hungry. Since the first bits of yourself that gets registered to a stranger are highly visual, it's understandable that the said stranger would probably have some idea of who you are through your looks. You got the smarts, so why not work that to your advantage? But don't go sulk in the corner because you don't look like a supermodel. You do realize that a fashion model's job is to make the clothes look pretty, right? So, if you are a model, great job pulling off all sorts of outfits! As for the non-models, your job is to best project your inner beauty to your outer beauty, which really isn't that hard if you got the basics covered.
Know what works on you, and what don't.
The highway to fashion disaster is wearing something that doesn't suit you. This unfortunately seems to be happening on a regular basis for many people. Know that what you like does not always equal what works on you. The easiest way to figure this out is just trying on clothes at your favorite boutique/store, and see if you can pull it off. It's free to try on clothes, you see. If you don't trust your judgement, recruit your fashion-obsessed buddy (there is always one around you) to come shopping with you to be your personal Tim Gunn-Anna Wintour hybrid. Trust me, a true fashionista would jump at an opportunity to be a stylist and trash talk hideous outfit without hurting your feelings.
The trick here is to tell apart a true fashionista from a textbook fashionista. A textbook fashionista never ventures outside of a fashion norm (thus, textbook), will stick to the safe zone, and consider everything outside of the safe zone as a "faux-pas." I suppose you won't go wrong with this kind of fashionista; however, you won't get any original, unique styling ideas from them, either. On the other hand, a true fashionista is not afraid to invent new looks that are original, or incorporate looks that are straight off of runway. I would say a true fashionista signature style would be ones that are stylish, yet original, and can easily pass as one of the photo spreads from a fashion magazine.
At least do regular maintenance.
Above statement can be shorted into two words: look clean. Truth is, most people can't tell if you got a $100 or $10 shirt on, but everyone can tell if your shirt has your lunch on it or looks like you slept on it. Proper clothes maintenance is all it takes, and by that I mean putting your laundry machine, ironing board, shower, and razor to good use. After all, it defeats the purpose if your clothes look clean and you don't... ;)
xx-N
"Fashionistas are not smart"
I bet this is one of the most-believed stereotypes. Also very untrue. Fashion is a form of art, and to produce an art piece, yes, you would need this vital organ called brain to work. A great work of art and regular day-to-day styling do not pop up from thin air. Fashion is something you work with everyday when you decide your outfit. Some people have a rather misguided concept that if you are brainy-smart, you can get away with a very unfortunate wardrobe choice. I'm sorry to burst the bubble, but this is not the case. On to the next topic...
"Looks does not matter, especially if you got the smarts"
Okay, before you turn green and go Hulk on me, you should know that I actually hope that this was true, as people should be judged by the inner beauty. Unfortunately, we don't live in the Disney world where your furniture will put up an amazing dinner show just because you are hungry. Since the first bits of yourself that gets registered to a stranger are highly visual, it's understandable that the said stranger would probably have some idea of who you are through your looks. You got the smarts, so why not work that to your advantage? But don't go sulk in the corner because you don't look like a supermodel. You do realize that a fashion model's job is to make the clothes look pretty, right? So, if you are a model, great job pulling off all sorts of outfits! As for the non-models, your job is to best project your inner beauty to your outer beauty, which really isn't that hard if you got the basics covered.
Know what works on you, and what don't.
The highway to fashion disaster is wearing something that doesn't suit you. This unfortunately seems to be happening on a regular basis for many people. Know that what you like does not always equal what works on you. The easiest way to figure this out is just trying on clothes at your favorite boutique/store, and see if you can pull it off. It's free to try on clothes, you see. If you don't trust your judgement, recruit your fashion-obsessed buddy (there is always one around you) to come shopping with you to be your personal Tim Gunn-Anna Wintour hybrid. Trust me, a true fashionista would jump at an opportunity to be a stylist and trash talk hideous outfit without hurting your feelings.
The trick here is to tell apart a true fashionista from a textbook fashionista. A textbook fashionista never ventures outside of a fashion norm (thus, textbook), will stick to the safe zone, and consider everything outside of the safe zone as a "faux-pas." I suppose you won't go wrong with this kind of fashionista; however, you won't get any original, unique styling ideas from them, either. On the other hand, a true fashionista is not afraid to invent new looks that are original, or incorporate looks that are straight off of runway. I would say a true fashionista signature style would be ones that are stylish, yet original, and can easily pass as one of the photo spreads from a fashion magazine.
At least do regular maintenance.
Above statement can be shorted into two words: look clean. Truth is, most people can't tell if you got a $100 or $10 shirt on, but everyone can tell if your shirt has your lunch on it or looks like you slept on it. Proper clothes maintenance is all it takes, and by that I mean putting your laundry machine, ironing board, shower, and razor to good use. After all, it defeats the purpose if your clothes look clean and you don't... ;)
xx-N
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Harry Potter and Underrated Characters
Theater release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (sadly, not 3D) gives me the perfect excuse to write about, well, Harry Potter. I guess I am a bit of an huge original book series fan, so I felt disappointed by some of the film adaptations. The reason? The fact that a majority of rather minor characters that I love did not make it to the film, or got the screen time they deserve. The real-world issues, such as budget and overall running time of the movie, are pretty understandable. After all, we don't have goblins running our bank. So to shed some light on those lovable side characters, I'm doing a super-biased list of my favorites. In no particular order, because hey, I love them all. By the way, there may be spoilers, so if you're not caught up with your issue of the Daily Prophet, read at your own risk. I'll try to not spoil what happens at the very very end, though.
1. Neville Longbottom
I seriously have no idea why his role got super downsized in most of the film adaptations. He's the "mirror" of Harry. If Voldemort didn't pick Harry, Neville would have been the chosen one, and I'm certain he would have been just as great. He does start off as "that rather dorky kid" but he definitely has his super shining kick ass moments, especially in the end of the Deathly Hallows. So really, why is he always holding some cactus plant and being sort of useless in most movies? Sure, the dude knows his Herbology, but he doesn't have to be walking around with some random plant all the time...
2. Dobby
First off, Dobby is adorable, not annoying. He may not look like My Little Pony and have rainbows coming out of his nostrils, but that's rather shallow standards for the definition of adorable. He should totally get the screen time he deserves. Besides, the mental image I got going for my Dobby is about hundred times cuter than what the special effects people came up with. :)
3. Tonks
Let's see. Auror. Member of the Order of the Phoenix. Got pink hair but can change hair color (and looks, in general) at will. Sort of clumsy. What's not to love about her? Not to mention, she married my favorite Defense Against the Dark Arts professor of all times. She rocks! I wish her role was more true to the book (aka more screen time!) in the Half-Blood Prince.
4. Fleur Delacour
I started off with a neutral "eh *shrug*" feeling about her, because in the Goblet of Fire, she was like your typical super gorgeous girl who gets all the guys, your super secret crush included. But I have to say she did a 180 in the Half-Blood Prince. I love that scene that takes place after Bill Weasley, her fiance, is seriously injured by a baddie-werewolf. Pretty much everyone thinks that Fleur is pretty shallow, only loves Bill for his good looks and now that's all messed up, thanks to the werewolf, and will call off the engagement. Our girl proved everyone wrong by sticking by her fiance. Not every good looking girls are shallow bubble-heads, people. That scene was so touching, it's a shame it didn't make it to the movie.
That's a wrap! Now, I'm going to go get me some magical sweets at Honeydukes. ;)
xx-N
1. Neville Longbottom
I seriously have no idea why his role got super downsized in most of the film adaptations. He's the "mirror" of Harry. If Voldemort didn't pick Harry, Neville would have been the chosen one, and I'm certain he would have been just as great. He does start off as "that rather dorky kid" but he definitely has his super shining kick ass moments, especially in the end of the Deathly Hallows. So really, why is he always holding some cactus plant and being sort of useless in most movies? Sure, the dude knows his Herbology, but he doesn't have to be walking around with some random plant all the time...
2. Dobby
First off, Dobby is adorable, not annoying. He may not look like My Little Pony and have rainbows coming out of his nostrils, but that's rather shallow standards for the definition of adorable. He should totally get the screen time he deserves. Besides, the mental image I got going for my Dobby is about hundred times cuter than what the special effects people came up with. :)
3. Tonks
Let's see. Auror. Member of the Order of the Phoenix. Got pink hair but can change hair color (and looks, in general) at will. Sort of clumsy. What's not to love about her? Not to mention, she married my favorite Defense Against the Dark Arts professor of all times. She rocks! I wish her role was more true to the book (aka more screen time!) in the Half-Blood Prince.
4. Fleur Delacour
I started off with a neutral "eh *shrug*" feeling about her, because in the Goblet of Fire, she was like your typical super gorgeous girl who gets all the guys, your super secret crush included. But I have to say she did a 180 in the Half-Blood Prince. I love that scene that takes place after Bill Weasley, her fiance, is seriously injured by a baddie-werewolf. Pretty much everyone thinks that Fleur is pretty shallow, only loves Bill for his good looks and now that's all messed up, thanks to the werewolf, and will call off the engagement. Our girl proved everyone wrong by sticking by her fiance. Not every good looking girls are shallow bubble-heads, people. That scene was so touching, it's a shame it didn't make it to the movie.
That's a wrap! Now, I'm going to go get me some magical sweets at Honeydukes. ;)
xx-N
Saturday, November 13, 2010
You may be a Figure Skater IF...
To celebrate the (very delayed) beginning of figure skating season, the "you may be a figure skater if..." list is on! For those who don't follow figure skating as religiously as I do, the season begun about a month ago and goes on until March of next year (roughly). I hope the non-followers of the sport get the joke as well as the followers. :)
By the way, figure skating is that ice skating sports where you wear this shoes. Just so there's no confusion with that hockey shoes of terror.
1. You hear a favorite song and starts to mentally map out the choreography...
2. and design the costume inspired by the song.
3. You love the smell of the ice.
4. You love the chilly temperature setting at the rink, only if you're the one skating (otherwise it's just freakin' freezing in there).
5. You dread skating on the same rink with 100+ other hockey shoes, because hockey blades create numerous ditches on ice, consequently trapping figure skating blades. argh.
6. You don't think it counts when someone says "I can ice skate!" and promptly pulls out a hockey shoes, and can only skate forward. Here's the analogy...Hockey Blade: Figure Skate Blade = Cardboard: Notebook Paper.
7. You get too worked up when figure skating don't get the TV coverage it deserves, and none of your friends get it.
8. You have developed a secret crush on figure skaters more than once.
9. You heard "Carmen," "Masquerade," "Concierto de Aranjuez" and Phantom of the Opera mashup one too many times.
10. You would love to see someone bold enough pull off a "Single Ladies" program, complete with that Beyonce choreography. Any takers? It would be legendary!
11. You come back with 10 or more bruises on your legs/other body parts and you just shrug it off.
12. In the earlier days of skating, you have smacked your head on ice more than you should and wondered why people around you are so freaked out.
13. You hear The Man In the Iron Mask soundtrack and immediate think of that fantastic program by Alexei Yagudin at Salt Lake City Olympics.
14. For someone who plays sports, you have zero accumulated sun damage. Word.
15. You love clothes that sparkles. Come on, it's the only kind that stands out on ice!
16. Sometimes, you feel like Cinderella (minus Prince Charming) trying to find that perfect shoes that fits. Also...
17. It irritates you when non-figure skaters don't understand that your skating skill drops exponentially when skating with the shoes that doesn't fit...
18. or blades that aren't sharpened.
19. You can't purely enjoy watching those figure skating flicks because chances are, there are about 20 things that are just blatantly incorrect.
20. You read through this list and actually understood what I wrote. ;)
By the way, the Grand Prix Series is at its fourth competition, Skate America! Gotta go get my skates on!
xx-N
PS: I have nothing against hockey; in fact, I do enjoy watching the sports. Although, I may be slightly biased towards figure skating because I do figure skate. :)
By the way, figure skating is that ice skating sports where you wear this shoes. Just so there's no confusion with that hockey shoes of terror.
2. and design the costume inspired by the song.
3. You love the smell of the ice.
4. You love the chilly temperature setting at the rink, only if you're the one skating (otherwise it's just freakin' freezing in there).
5. You dread skating on the same rink with 100+ other hockey shoes, because hockey blades create numerous ditches on ice, consequently trapping figure skating blades. argh.
6. You don't think it counts when someone says "I can ice skate!" and promptly pulls out a hockey shoes, and can only skate forward. Here's the analogy...Hockey Blade: Figure Skate Blade = Cardboard: Notebook Paper.
7. You get too worked up when figure skating don't get the TV coverage it deserves, and none of your friends get it.
8. You have developed a secret crush on figure skaters more than once.
9. You heard "Carmen," "Masquerade," "Concierto de Aranjuez" and Phantom of the Opera mashup one too many times.
10. You would love to see someone bold enough pull off a "Single Ladies" program, complete with that Beyonce choreography. Any takers? It would be legendary!
11. You come back with 10 or more bruises on your legs/other body parts and you just shrug it off.
12. In the earlier days of skating, you have smacked your head on ice more than you should and wondered why people around you are so freaked out.
13. You hear The Man In the Iron Mask soundtrack and immediate think of that fantastic program by Alexei Yagudin at Salt Lake City Olympics.
14. For someone who plays sports, you have zero accumulated sun damage. Word.
15. You love clothes that sparkles. Come on, it's the only kind that stands out on ice!
16. Sometimes, you feel like Cinderella (minus Prince Charming) trying to find that perfect shoes that fits. Also...
17. It irritates you when non-figure skaters don't understand that your skating skill drops exponentially when skating with the shoes that doesn't fit...
18. or blades that aren't sharpened.
19. You can't purely enjoy watching those figure skating flicks because chances are, there are about 20 things that are just blatantly incorrect.
20. You read through this list and actually understood what I wrote. ;)
By the way, the Grand Prix Series is at its fourth competition, Skate America! Gotta go get my skates on!
xx-N
PS: I have nothing against hockey; in fact, I do enjoy watching the sports. Although, I may be slightly biased towards figure skating because I do figure skate. :)
Saturday, October 30, 2010
All Hallows Eve Movie
You know, Halloween is pretty awesome. It's the only time of the year where you can get skull motifs at almost any store. Not to mention, candies go on sale and you get to be someone else. Also, it's the time of the year where horror movie characters gets the spotlight. So to honor that, I've put together a must watch psycho-thriller movie (with a horror-ish touch) list. For example, Usual Suspects is a great thriller movie, but it's not that scary. FYI, I don't care much for movies that makes you sit through 2 hours of random dude with chainsaw/sickle/other bladed weapons that would draw immediate attention if caught running around with, chasing after some not-so-bright people whose weapon of choice is nonstop annoying screaming. Yeah...I'll leave that for some other horror flick lists. One last thing, I think it goes without saying that movies on this list are probably all rated-R's. Kids, go watch Casper or Harry Potter.
1. Silence of the Lambs
Sorry to be totally predictable and all, but this movie is that good. Won the Oscar, too. Speaking of which, since when did psycho-thrillers stop being on the Academy Awards fave list? I don't think I've seen one take home an Oscar recently.
2. Hannibal
Being a Thomas Harris fan, it's inevitable for all four Hannibal Lecter movies to make this (somewhat biased) list. Did you know that the ending of the Hannibal-the-movie is completely different from Hannibal-the-book? Usually I get pretty disappointed when a plot is drastically changed, but the change in the movie was so well written that I actually liked both endings.
3. Seven
2 words: Total. Classic. Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman are pretty awesome, but *bleep* does some fantastic job as a *bleep*.
5. Hannibal Rising
Who wants to know how Hannibal became, well, the Hannibal we know? If your answer is yes, this is the movie to watch. Every villain you develop a love-hate feeling has a good character development. Darth Vader and Hannibal Lecter just have that.
6. Red Dragon
This movie probably has the least Hannibal Lecter appearance, but still a great thriller movie. I would say it's worth watching.
7. Identity
A mixture of And Then There Were None and The Minds of Billy Milligan. I bet you won't guess who the mastermind is...
Sidenote -- Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Tim Burton: check. Johnny Depp + Helena Bonham Carter: check. Sacha Baron Cohen as Italian barber singing with superthick Italian accent: check. Great art direction: check. Highly recommended for those who can stomach (mostly) Johnny Depp singing while splattering gallons of fake blood and can handle some serious black humor. If you're going to watch it, I hope meatpie isn't your favorite dish. ;)
Happy Halloween!
xx-N
1. Silence of the Lambs
Sorry to be totally predictable and all, but this movie is that good. Won the Oscar, too. Speaking of which, since when did psycho-thrillers stop being on the Academy Awards fave list? I don't think I've seen one take home an Oscar recently.
2. Hannibal
Being a Thomas Harris fan, it's inevitable for all four Hannibal Lecter movies to make this (somewhat biased) list. Did you know that the ending of the Hannibal-the-movie is completely different from Hannibal-the-book? Usually I get pretty disappointed when a plot is drastically changed, but the change in the movie was so well written that I actually liked both endings.
3. Seven
2 words: Total. Classic. Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman are pretty awesome, but *bleep* does some fantastic job as a *bleep*.
4. Shutter Island
Is the ending really what it seems? or is there more to that? For the ending to be that straightforward, there're serious plot holes, which means that there's more... High five to you if you can crack it.
5. Hannibal Rising
Who wants to know how Hannibal became, well, the Hannibal we know? If your answer is yes, this is the movie to watch. Every villain you develop a love-hate feeling has a good character development. Darth Vader and Hannibal Lecter just have that.
6. Red Dragon
This movie probably has the least Hannibal Lecter appearance, but still a great thriller movie. I would say it's worth watching.
7. Identity
A mixture of And Then There Were None and The Minds of Billy Milligan. I bet you won't guess who the mastermind is...
Sidenote -- Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Tim Burton: check. Johnny Depp + Helena Bonham Carter: check. Sacha Baron Cohen as Italian barber singing with superthick Italian accent: check. Great art direction: check. Highly recommended for those who can stomach (mostly) Johnny Depp singing while splattering gallons of fake blood and can handle some serious black humor. If you're going to watch it, I hope meatpie isn't your favorite dish. ;)
Happy Halloween!
xx-N
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Somebody to Love
In my previous article, I wrote about how it's quite okay to be different and to be yourself, and that if you're not liking the said "different" person around you, leave that person alone instead of resorting to bullying. I was being somewhat vague, in not stating that I was writing in response to the string of anti-gay hate crimes. Well, Vanity Fair posted this article online. Reading about this very sad incident happening in the city that is supposed to be very liberal, and also in the city that I love - it just breaks my heart.
I'm not trying to change people's opinion; everyone's entitled to their own belief system. I'm making my voice (somewhat) heard in hopes that people may see things from different perspective. If what I'm writing makes you want to stop reading, there's no one stopping you from doing that.
So really, what's up with the hate? Just because some people prefer to have a relationship with people of the same sex doesn't make them any less human than people who prefer to have a relationship with people of the opposite sex. For that reason, I personally don't like to label people based on their sexual orientation. Here's a question for straight people: Do you go out announcing that you're straight? I bet the answer's no. I mean, I never came out as straight. So why is it that there's an unspoken expectation for gay people to make an announcement, and when they do, it's a huge deal? The notion of dating is personal enough, so let's not make an event out of it. And FYI: posting other people's sex tapes online is so last decade, Heidi Klum would Auf Weidersehen you off of runway in a split second.
Speaking of runway, it is a very well known fact that gay men have amazingly great taste in fashion. So really, if a person is to be anti-gay without being super hypocritical, that said person should swear off all designer clothes for the rest of his/her life. How is it that a person can love the designers' work, but fail to respect them as a human? Don't you think that's very contradicting? If I'm going to have a favorite designer - Alexander McQueen - I'm going to love his work, and respect him as a talented designer. He deserves that much. Going along with that logic, there is a song played and sung at every major sports event, written and sung by a gay man I absolutely love. We Are the Champions, written by Freddie Mercury, performed by Queen. Again, isn't it going to be very contradictory to be anti-gay and yet love Freddie Mercury and Queen, when some of the well-known Queen songs - Bohemian Rhapsody, Somebody to Love to name a few - were written by Freddie Mercury, and are about being gay, being rejected from society, and dying from AIDS? Food for thought.
Homophobia, along with hammer pants, are better off left in the 20th century. If we have enough common sense to not wear that hideous pants, I'm pretty sure we can turn the unconditional hate to unconditional love.
xx-N
I'm not trying to change people's opinion; everyone's entitled to their own belief system. I'm making my voice (somewhat) heard in hopes that people may see things from different perspective. If what I'm writing makes you want to stop reading, there's no one stopping you from doing that.
So really, what's up with the hate? Just because some people prefer to have a relationship with people of the same sex doesn't make them any less human than people who prefer to have a relationship with people of the opposite sex. For that reason, I personally don't like to label people based on their sexual orientation. Here's a question for straight people: Do you go out announcing that you're straight? I bet the answer's no. I mean, I never came out as straight. So why is it that there's an unspoken expectation for gay people to make an announcement, and when they do, it's a huge deal? The notion of dating is personal enough, so let's not make an event out of it. And FYI: posting other people's sex tapes online is so last decade, Heidi Klum would Auf Weidersehen you off of runway in a split second.
Speaking of runway, it is a very well known fact that gay men have amazingly great taste in fashion. So really, if a person is to be anti-gay without being super hypocritical, that said person should swear off all designer clothes for the rest of his/her life. How is it that a person can love the designers' work, but fail to respect them as a human? Don't you think that's very contradicting? If I'm going to have a favorite designer - Alexander McQueen - I'm going to love his work, and respect him as a talented designer. He deserves that much. Going along with that logic, there is a song played and sung at every major sports event, written and sung by a gay man I absolutely love. We Are the Champions, written by Freddie Mercury, performed by Queen. Again, isn't it going to be very contradictory to be anti-gay and yet love Freddie Mercury and Queen, when some of the well-known Queen songs - Bohemian Rhapsody, Somebody to Love to name a few - were written by Freddie Mercury, and are about being gay, being rejected from society, and dying from AIDS? Food for thought.
Homophobia, along with hammer pants, are better off left in the 20th century. If we have enough common sense to not wear that hideous pants, I'm pretty sure we can turn the unconditional hate to unconditional love.
xx-N
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Baseball: A Love Story
Before I do a vol.2 of "Favorite Soccer Players," I would like to do the baseball version of it. Then it occurred to me that how I came to like my teams can make an article on its own. I'm calling it a baseball love triangle, and here's why
I was forever being undecided between Yankees and Red Sox. Yes. For real. If I were Twilight fanatic, I'd throw in a Edward-Jacob metaphor, but it would be an insult to equate baseball to aemo-stalker vampire or a fluffy dog werewolf.
In all seriousness, I think that liking Yankees is one of the things you're expected to like - along with Starbucks and subway musicians - if you love all things New York. So, I did like them because it was the thing to do, but I just couldn't bring myself to love them. There always were managerial decisions that I just hated. When they let go Joe Torre, I was pretty upset, but I still tried to like the team. So I convinced myself with a lame excuse ("Well, they probably needed to change up the team to give a fresh start...") and held onto it. I knew in my gut that if I'm only trying to make-believe that I'm attached to the team, when I'm not. Then they let go Godzilla after that awesome World Series win, which made me realize that I am so over that team. See, it's not the team, it's me...
Then there's the other team - Red Sox. From what I kept hearing, it was either you love or hate Red Sox; the middle ground seems to not exist with this team. With all that hype, it was only natural that I decided to check them out. What's up with the weird stereotype that if you like Yankees, you automatically have to hate Red Sox? After spending some quality time with my ESPN, I ended up feeling pretty close to the team and the players. I went to the light side (or dark side? Fine by me, I still get the lightsaber in the team color) and now am totally attached to the team. Just like it's hard to explain why you love certain things in your life, I really can't explain why I love the team. I just do. For those who actually kept track of my baseball woes in the past articles, yes, it was Red Sox not being able to make it to the playoffs that I was totally depressed about. Mike Lowell's retirement only fueled my bummed-out-ness. To make up for it, Daniel Nava better make the team full time next season, and everyone on the DL better get back in the game. :)
I have no idea whether this is going to gain or cost me readers. Yankees fans, you still got the entire NYC and more, sans Mets fans. Red Sox fans, I hope you enjoyed it. Everyone else, I hope got my jokes (if you didn't, pretend you got them anyway). ;)
xx-N
I was forever being undecided between Yankees and Red Sox. Yes. For real. If I were Twilight fanatic, I'd throw in a Edward-Jacob metaphor, but it would be an insult to equate baseball to a
In all seriousness, I think that liking Yankees is one of the things you're expected to like - along with Starbucks and subway musicians - if you love all things New York. So, I did like them because it was the thing to do, but I just couldn't bring myself to love them. There always were managerial decisions that I just hated. When they let go Joe Torre, I was pretty upset, but I still tried to like the team. So I convinced myself with a lame excuse ("Well, they probably needed to change up the team to give a fresh start...") and held onto it. I knew in my gut that if I'm only trying to make-believe that I'm attached to the team, when I'm not. Then they let go Godzilla after that awesome World Series win, which made me realize that I am so over that team. See, it's not the team, it's me...
Then there's the other team - Red Sox. From what I kept hearing, it was either you love or hate Red Sox; the middle ground seems to not exist with this team. With all that hype, it was only natural that I decided to check them out. What's up with the weird stereotype that if you like Yankees, you automatically have to hate Red Sox? After spending some quality time with my ESPN, I ended up feeling pretty close to the team and the players. I went to the light side (or dark side? Fine by me, I still get the lightsaber in the team color) and now am totally attached to the team. Just like it's hard to explain why you love certain things in your life, I really can't explain why I love the team. I just do. For those who actually kept track of my baseball woes in the past articles, yes, it was Red Sox not being able to make it to the playoffs that I was totally depressed about. Mike Lowell's retirement only fueled my bummed-out-ness. To make up for it, Daniel Nava better make the team full time next season, and everyone on the DL better get back in the game. :)
I have no idea whether this is going to gain or cost me readers. Yankees fans, you still got the entire NYC and more, sans Mets fans. Red Sox fans, I hope you enjoyed it. Everyone else, I hope got my jokes (if you didn't, pretend you got them anyway). ;)
xx-N
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Reality, Science Fiction, and Flying Cars
A certain Wikipedia page told me that in five years, we're gonna reach that monumental year from Back to the Future II. Cool! But really, how does reality compare to science fiction? I know there are number of other lists like these and I've always wanted to make my own "reality vs sci-fi" list. Let's just say I'm doing it 5 years early, and hoping that certain technologies pull it off in the next 5 years to make sci-fi a reality.
1. HOVERBOARD!!!
Yes, it is an all-caps situation. We (somewhat) have 3-D TV, car that runs on electricity, and all other cool gadgets with the apple logo. But when are we getting this? FYI to whoever in charge of making this: Please make it run on water, it sucks when you stall on the pond when you're running away from the crazy-looking bully.
2. Flying Cars
Caution: the above picture do not qualify as a "landing attempt." Learn how to drive without wrecking things, else you just wasted gas and contributed to global-freakin-warming. This whole flying car business seems so close to coming true...but probably won't. [HUGE sigh] However, if miracle happens and flying car becomes a reality, I insist on mandatory IQ tests (as part of the steps you need to take to get that license) and more strict punishment for people who wreck other people's cars (especially the intentional ones).
3. Transgenic Super-Soldiers
Bonus points if you get one to look like Jessica Alba. Then again, I suppose this is one of those things we're glad that it didn't happen?
4. Iron Man's 3-D CAD, and...
Seeing from the movie, that CAD comes with some kind of automatic body scanner (have you seen Tony enter his hand dimensions?), and automatic assembly function. Also, because Tony is pretty busy between saving the world and crashing parties, the correct fasteners will be chosen for you. Uh...I want me one of those? Pretty please?
5. Iron Man's 3-D Printer
3-D printer that prints stuff out in Titanium!? As in, not some plastic? And it will do all the assembly, and painting? So. Jealous. Yes, even if it's a comic book/movie thing. While we're at it, I also want Tony's car collection before he lands his powersuit on it. :)
See, I was going to do 10, because everyone does Top-10 lists, but sadly, I ran out of cool gadgets. Maybe I'll add them later on. Technically, I could do Star Trek for the rest, but the technology on Star Trek that hasn't become a reality is still to far out there. Although, I'd love a "Beam me up, Scotty" to become a reality one day, granted that it's Scotty beaming me up. I want me in one piece.
xx-N
1. HOVERBOARD!!!
2. Flying Cars
3. Transgenic Super-Soldiers
Bonus points if you get one to look like Jessica Alba. Then again, I suppose this is one of those things we're glad that it didn't happen?
4. Iron Man's 3-D CAD, and...
Seeing from the movie, that CAD comes with some kind of automatic body scanner (have you seen Tony enter his hand dimensions?), and automatic assembly function. Also, because Tony is pretty busy between saving the world and crashing parties, the correct fasteners will be chosen for you. Uh...I want me one of those? Pretty please?
5. Iron Man's 3-D Printer
3-D printer that prints stuff out in Titanium!? As in, not some plastic? And it will do all the assembly, and painting? So. Jealous. Yes, even if it's a comic book/movie thing. While we're at it, I also want Tony's car collection before he lands his powersuit on it. :)
See, I was going to do 10, because everyone does Top-10 lists, but sadly, I ran out of cool gadgets. Maybe I'll add them later on. Technically, I could do Star Trek for the rest, but the technology on Star Trek that hasn't become a reality is still to far out there. Although, I'd love a "Beam me up, Scotty" to become a reality one day, granted that it's Scotty beaming me up. I want me in one piece.
xx-N
Saturday, October 2, 2010
It Gets Better
In light of recent news followed by a video message from Ellen DeGeneres, all of which I'd like to call It Gets Better Movement, here's my 2 cents.
Before pointing fingers and blaming people - because that's way too easy - I'd like to think why people are acting the certain way and how to best understand them. Why do people bully each other? I get that there are some people who just get on your nerves or simply annoy you, and that's natural. Unless you are one of those extraordinary people who can just love everyone, chances are, there will be people who we love AND hate in our lives. That's okay, as long as you don't channel that hate energy to do something very destructive.
By the way, by "people we hate in our lives" I mean people who are otherwise good person but you are somehow annoyed by them - I'm trying to get into bully's perspective here - not people who are just morally wrong. I get a feeling that there's all the talk on HOW it's a bad thing but no one's really thinking WHY. I don't think you can solve the problem without understanding both ends.
I think it's quite natural for us human beings to be intimidated by character traits that are different and thus unknown from the rest of us. After all, our immune system does fight against things that are foreign and hostile to our body, right? But here's the thing: it's not a cold virus, it's people we're talking about. Before we go into fight mode, we should all take a moment to understand the differences and make the unknown known. Then, you might be surprised to realize that a "freak" and a "weirdo" is not so much a "freak" and a "weirdo" after all. They may not be like you in many ways, but it doesn't make them a bad person. It's okay that people are different, because that's how we learn - through differences. Before you slap a stereotypical label on a person, think again. All it takes is an effort to get to know your classmate, your teammate, your colleague, and your future friend. It doesn't hurt to take that effort. If you become friends with that person as a result, that's awesome! But if it's still not working out, move on, and I'd say don't keep bothering that person after it became clear that you and that said person don't get along.
Take a look at the history of mankind and you'll see that it's ridiculously easy to hate and ridiculously hard to love (within the moral standards). Just pick any given disputes and you'll learn that the very most underlying cause comes down to: "this person A didn't like this person B (insert excuses here) and hey, while we're at it, let's shoot some huge guns at each other." Seriously? That's only fun when it's a plot of some action flick. So the question is, are you one of those people who learned something and decided to give the hard way a shot?
Lastly to the bullied: seriously, it freaking gets better. In 5 years, maybe less, those people who are causing you pain won't matter to you anymore. If you want some kind of "ha! take that bully!" satisfaction, LIVE. Live, work your butt off, and have one successful life. I'd say that's WAY better than you being stuck 6 feet under becoming a full course dinner to the bugs, don't you think?
xx-N
Before pointing fingers and blaming people - because that's way too easy - I'd like to think why people are acting the certain way and how to best understand them. Why do people bully each other? I get that there are some people who just get on your nerves or simply annoy you, and that's natural. Unless you are one of those extraordinary people who can just love everyone, chances are, there will be people who we love AND hate in our lives. That's okay, as long as you don't channel that hate energy to do something very destructive.
By the way, by "people we hate in our lives" I mean people who are otherwise good person but you are somehow annoyed by them - I'm trying to get into bully's perspective here - not people who are just morally wrong. I get a feeling that there's all the talk on HOW it's a bad thing but no one's really thinking WHY. I don't think you can solve the problem without understanding both ends.
I think it's quite natural for us human beings to be intimidated by character traits that are different and thus unknown from the rest of us. After all, our immune system does fight against things that are foreign and hostile to our body, right? But here's the thing: it's not a cold virus, it's people we're talking about. Before we go into fight mode, we should all take a moment to understand the differences and make the unknown known. Then, you might be surprised to realize that a "freak" and a "weirdo" is not so much a "freak" and a "weirdo" after all. They may not be like you in many ways, but it doesn't make them a bad person. It's okay that people are different, because that's how we learn - through differences. Before you slap a stereotypical label on a person, think again. All it takes is an effort to get to know your classmate, your teammate, your colleague, and your future friend. It doesn't hurt to take that effort. If you become friends with that person as a result, that's awesome! But if it's still not working out, move on, and I'd say don't keep bothering that person after it became clear that you and that said person don't get along.
Take a look at the history of mankind and you'll see that it's ridiculously easy to hate and ridiculously hard to love (within the moral standards). Just pick any given disputes and you'll learn that the very most underlying cause comes down to: "this person A didn't like this person B (insert excuses here) and hey, while we're at it, let's shoot some huge guns at each other." Seriously? That's only fun when it's a plot of some action flick. So the question is, are you one of those people who learned something and decided to give the hard way a shot?
Lastly to the bullied: seriously, it freaking gets better. In 5 years, maybe less, those people who are causing you pain won't matter to you anymore. If you want some kind of "ha! take that bully!" satisfaction, LIVE. Live, work your butt off, and have one successful life. I'd say that's WAY better than you being stuck 6 feet under becoming a full course dinner to the bugs, don't you think?
xx-N
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Paper or Plastic?
As it turns out, I'm keeping the designer bag and baseball to later posts. Mainly because I came up with something else I want to write about, but besides, designer bag can wait and baseball just became way too depressing. For me, that is.
So I'm a bit of a techie-nerd - I non-obsessively follow the gadget news and such. Then as I was reading the second book of Millennium Trilogy, I couldn't help but wonder: Will paper books disappear one day? My straight answer is: I freaking hope not!
I do agree that e-books can be very lightweight compared to paper books. Also it comes with adjustable fonts, and I think some e-books or e-magazines come with embedded video clips these days. I'd say that would make one great picture book for sure. However, there can be a case where you won't be able to read your book, because the said book ran out of battery, or worse, the book can "forget" what it was about. Note to self: backup your book collection...
On the other hand, with paper books, you won't have to worry about batteries or memories. Also, try walking around carrying a 5-lb textbook, topped with "I'm so sleep deprived" stare and chances are, sketchy people will think twice before messing with you. It's like carrying around a pepper spray, except it'll also make you smarter. Awesome, right? But in all seriousness, I think we all spend too much time staring at a computer screen that we all need a break from it. In fact, I am staring at one as I write this. Sure, books and magazines with embedded video clips are wonderful; however, nothing can beat imagination. Maybe you can get the same image with e-books, but I don't think I can - it's just not the same without being able to physically turn the pages. There's one reason I love to read, and that's because I can go anywhere - even to places that doesn't exist in this world. I think it's great to see what other people pictured what Middle Earth and Alagaesia to be like, but it's also great to have your own version of what Robert Langdon and Lisbeth Salander would look like and talk like.
With that, I think I'm remaining non-techie for this one and choosing paper over plastic. ;)
xx-N
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
How to Survive a Zombie Outbreak
Since I did go see Resident Evil IV, I figured the movie deserves an article. I'd say zombie flicks are pretty fun to watch, even though the plot is pretty predictable and we all know what happens in the end (if you don't you haven't seen enough zombie flicks, and by enough I mean at least 2). So really, how would you make it to the end of the movie, alive and uninfected? Here's my take...
- Do not let those undeads bite you. If you're got bit, find the antidote, like, now.
- Contrary to rule #1, if your body can adapt to the weird-zombie-creating-virus, it actually helps to be infected, as you will have superpower of some sorts.
- But that's if you're seriously lucky, as in the main protagonist of the movie lucky, so rule #1 still holds in most cases.
- When you see people huddled in the dark corner, that said people are most likely undeads, so stay clear.
- Same can be said for animals.
- Undeads really like the sneak attack method, so watch your back or invest in a sidekick who is decently smart.
- Do not trust that person who carries a flashing neon sign of "I'm so desperate to survive."
- It helps if you can fly an airplane/helicopter, or know someone who does.
- The main bad guy of the day won't kick the bucket that easy - utilize every resource available.
- Collect coins like Mario does.
It was this topic, designer bags, or baseball. Figured this topic was far too fun to write to let it slide. For the next article, I'm going for either one that I didn't write about...stay tuned :)
xx-N
Saturday, September 25, 2010
A Gleeful Visit to High School
Anyone got the pun? [crickets] Glee! You know, that TV show where everyone breaks out into (mostly) showtunes and classic rock - don't get me wrong, I LOVE them both - somewhere in the school (again, mostly) and no one really pays attention but they keep singing anyway?
Being out of high school, it's sort of refreshing to watch a high school TV show that's probably as real-ish as it can get. I also like how they got most cliches and high school stereotype thing covered. While I have general beef with the whole stereotype dealio, it's also true that we were one of them to some extent when we were in high school. What I like, is that they split those traits to several characters so to give them more reality and diversity. I for one, see part of my high school self in...[counts] three of the New Directions. Emphasis on part, because I'm not exactly the real-life version of the TV character. It may be the case for others, but not for me. :)
Yes, I was that overachieving one. Maybe I still am? I mean...it's kind of inevitable when you want to be good at what you do. Although over time, I did learn to take a chill pill once in a while. And FYI, I do not send my competitions to a freaking crack house. I'm a Gryffindor; I like fair play, and I hate things that are just blatantly wrong. kthx.
Question: How is it that in a TV show, there's a seriously good chance that a character with a love of high fashion, Beyonce, and Lady Gaga are gay dudes? Newsflash people, girls love them too.
Tech-geek: check. Glasses: check. Bowl-cut: [blank]. Super preppy style: [blank]. Also happens to be my favorite character. I'd say geeks are awesome in music, because: a) as we spend hours studying, we end up building a serious iTunes music collection if we don't want to sit in silence (and we don't want that); and b) we got that whole frequency-harmony-sound-wave deal down. :D
Being out of high school, it's sort of refreshing to watch a high school TV show that's probably as real-ish as it can get. I also like how they got most cliches and high school stereotype thing covered. While I have general beef with the whole stereotype dealio, it's also true that we were one of them to some extent when we were in high school. What I like, is that they split those traits to several characters so to give them more reality and diversity. I for one, see part of my high school self in...[counts] three of the New Directions. Emphasis on part, because I'm not exactly the real-life version of the TV character. It may be the case for others, but not for me. :)
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| Rachel |
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| Kurt |
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| Arty |
Happy weekend :) [fade out with Queen playing in the backgound]
xx-N
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Alexander McQueen Pre Spring/Summer 2011
As I was going to write this article, someone decided that it would be a great idea to hack Twitter, which happened to be where I kept all the fashion related news articles. Impeccable timing, don't you think? So instead of writing about London Fashion Week, I get to write about my most favorite designer label of all times - Alexander McQueen.
I think the first time I learned about him was when I saw his clothes on Marie Claire fashion spread. Until then, I always had "LOVE!" and "...miss" in every designer collection. No offense, but I can't just love everything and still have a solid style of my own. Then I saw some pieces by Alexander McQueen and I just loved every single one of them. Since then, McQueen has never failed me in terms of originality and gorgeousness. And yes, I do love that crazy stiletto shoes Lady Gaga totally rocked in Bad Romance music video. I'd wear that shoes in a heartbeat! Let's hope that I have enough balance skills to not break a leg. Literally.
Now, onto Pre Spring/Summer 2011 collection. McQueen likes to use black/red with gold, and for this collection, the main color of choice is black.
McQueen is also known for having a very theatrical design - and yet be very wearable. It's every girls' (and some guys') dream to wear those crazy-gorgeous dress that you would only see in theater, and somehow McQueen made that dream come true by making the theatrical patterns wearable. LOVE. IT.
I think the first time I learned about him was when I saw his clothes on Marie Claire fashion spread. Until then, I always had "LOVE!" and "...miss" in every designer collection. No offense, but I can't just love everything and still have a solid style of my own. Then I saw some pieces by Alexander McQueen and I just loved every single one of them. Since then, McQueen has never failed me in terms of originality and gorgeousness. And yes, I do love that crazy stiletto shoes Lady Gaga totally rocked in Bad Romance music video. I'd wear that shoes in a heartbeat! Let's hope that I have enough balance skills to not break a leg. Literally.
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| I'll totally rock this one day :D |
I'm loving the idea of having a similar look, but have one for cocktail dress and another for eveningwear. You can see how the cocktail dress style is a bit downplayed by using the gold motifs on shoulders only.
McQueen is also known for having a very theatrical design - and yet be very wearable. It's every girls' (and some guys') dream to wear those crazy-gorgeous dress that you would only see in theater, and somehow McQueen made that dream come true by making the theatrical patterns wearable. LOVE. IT.
Lastly, this eveningwear is my favorite of all. Some of McQueen's looks are inspired by traditional orientalwear - I think this particular look is inspired by kimono - and McQueen adds a flair of originality while maintaining the class that is present in every traditional style. I have to say, that takes serious talent.
I hope all the fashionistas out there liked this article. I also hope I have enlightened those who are not really into fashion. I disagree with the stereotype where fashion is deemed as a genre for girls and gay dudes. Fashion is a form of art, and everyone should be able to enjoy it! At least, don't be judgmental and hate it without knowing it first...
xx-N
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day!
That's what my twitter feed said, so it's probably true, which means that my plan on writing about how much I adore Alexander McQueen Pre-Spring/Summer Collection 2011 got pushed back. Again. Do I get a "good call, matey" call and a raised rum bottle from all of my non-fashion-holic readers?
So in honor of the pirates - the ones from 16-18th century Caribbean - here's why they are awesome.
xx-N
So in honor of the pirates - the ones from 16-18th century Caribbean - here's why they are awesome.
- I like skull motifs. But I'm not a goth. Details are for later posts :)
- The only occasion where guys can legitimately wear fluff-ed up shirt, scarf, rather tight pants, with optional black eyeliner. This said look can be "super hot," if you can correctly pull off the pirate vibe. Exhibit #1: Johnny Depp
- Pirates get to sail in galleon. Enough said.
- Good pirates are usually good fencers - at least the ones who are alive at the end of the movie. I've taken up fencing before, and thus, I like it when fencing gets spotlight.
- A whole bunch of pirates can make an awesome navy, and a great pirate can make an awesome navy captain. I didn't make this up - history proved this to be true.
- Pirates usually make a great classic story (Treasure Island), or movies (you know which one).
- Pirates have codes, that are more like guidelines. Apparently, they're pretty flexible on minor details.
xx-N
Friday, September 17, 2010
When you're alone and life is making you lonely...
You can always go Downtown. As sung by Petula Clark.
But really, what do you do when you feel like you're in need of a time out and you need to forget all your troubles and forget all your cares? I'd love to go to that said Downtown in the song, because it sounds like a magical place where you can get your smile back on. The only place I can think of is Disneyland, but that's not someplace you can go everyday. Well, for most people, anyway.
I haven't figured out a magic cure, but I know one thing for sure. My friends somehow always make me feel better and give me that push I need to be positive and to get back in the game. As is the case for everyone, I've had friends come and go in my life. It does suck when you lose touch with a friend. A lot. However, the saying, "with ever door that closes, there's always a new one that opens" is quite true. One thing I learned over time is that, thanks to this thing called Internet, it's very possible to be in touch with my friends without living in the same city. It's also possible to get back in touch with a friend and have a total blast catching up and get back on a "we talk often" basis. With instant messaging, facebooking, and tweeting, I don't think it's the physical distance that matters; these days, it's the emotional distance that does matter.
All in all, my besties are my Downtown, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Happy Friday!
xx-N
But really, what do you do when you feel like you're in need of a time out and you need to forget all your troubles and forget all your cares? I'd love to go to that said Downtown in the song, because it sounds like a magical place where you can get your smile back on. The only place I can think of is Disneyland, but that's not someplace you can go everyday. Well, for most people, anyway.
I haven't figured out a magic cure, but I know one thing for sure. My friends somehow always make me feel better and give me that push I need to be positive and to get back in the game. As is the case for everyone, I've had friends come and go in my life. It does suck when you lose touch with a friend. A lot. However, the saying, "with ever door that closes, there's always a new one that opens" is quite true. One thing I learned over time is that, thanks to this thing called Internet, it's very possible to be in touch with my friends without living in the same city. It's also possible to get back in touch with a friend and have a total blast catching up and get back on a "we talk often" basis. With instant messaging, facebooking, and tweeting, I don't think it's the physical distance that matters; these days, it's the emotional distance that does matter.
All in all, my besties are my Downtown, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Happy Friday!
xx-N
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Evolution of Soccer Team
Huge HI and THANKS to my readers - what are they called? Not tweeps so...bleeps!? Come on guys, help me out here. Who's got better nickname? Anyway, thanks to all (and some by my own clicking), I got past the 100 hits. I'll try my best to keep my articles interesting ;)
Back to things I love. I have TONS, but I suppose if I had to break it down to huge pile, it'd be: nerdy techie stuff, arts, and sports. I don't want to fall under any single categories, so I'm going to try alternating among those topics. The topic for the day: SOCCER! As a sidenote, I also love baseball, but sadly, none of my teams are making it to the MLB playoffs, unless my fave team #2 decides to win at least 7 games in a row and this other team loses at least 7 games in a row...not to mention, my fave team #1 is long gone. sigh.
Back to things I love. I have TONS, but I suppose if I had to break it down to huge pile, it'd be: nerdy techie stuff, arts, and sports. I don't want to fall under any single categories, so I'm going to try alternating among those topics. The topic for the day: SOCCER! As a sidenote, I also love baseball, but sadly, none of my teams are making it to the MLB playoffs, unless my fave team #2 decides to win at least 7 games in a row and this other team loses at least 7 games in a row...not to mention, my fave team #1 is long gone. sigh.
My love for Euro soccer started here. Of course, thanks to David Beckham :)
Then Ronny came along and this team became my favorite for really long time. Basically, until they decided to get rid of him. Then there was some Euro soccer dark age for me. I sort of liked AC Milan, but not as much to really follow them because - I really don't know why - I guess to me, Ronny is always a Barca player. But really, a girl's gotta have her Euro soccer fix.
While watching the World Cup, I probably did bug out enough of my friends with my craziness (sorry...). I was talking with one of my friends who was into soccer as well, and thus, less annoyed with my insta-hooligan-esque excitement. He suggested this team, I checked it out, and as it turns out they have a whole bunch of my favorite players from this World Cup! Not to mention, the soccer legend, Beckenbauer played there! And then there was light. Thanks mate.
Okay, maybe not so fast...Robben's out due to injury and most of the squad are on Germany national team, so maybe the team's condition is not at its best. But hey, the season has just started, which means the fun has just begun!
xx-N
Sunday, September 12, 2010
No Day But Today
After yesterday's post, I feel the need to write about something with the "hope" theme, and yet still be about "I LOVE NY." Because...
The writer/composer of the musical, Jonathan Larson, based the characters and plot on what really was going on in the city when he himself was trying to make a living and write that one great musical that would change the history of Broadway. In the late 80's and early 90's, so many artists were dying from AIDS, yet no one really knew what was going on. The level of treatment was not as advanced as today, nor the understanding of the disease on its own. RENT shows you what it was like to be living with "low T-cells" back then. This aspect also interested me first, because the musician who I absolutely love has died from AIDS complications. Freddie Mercury was the vocal of this rock band called Queen. I'm sure you've heard of their song at least once - just go to any sports event. ;)
It's hard to explain how RENT gives you the power to live. It's something you have to experience it first hand. Take a closer look at the lyrics, and you'll see that there's...
xx-N
PS: Feel free to leave comments here or on any other posts - I'd love to hear what you guys think of my articles :)
There's only now
There's only here
Give in to love
Or live in fear
No other path
No other way
No day but today
--RENT, Jonathan Larson--
I'm such a huge Renthead - fan of the musical, RENT. The message is so simple yet so strong - live your life to the fullest. I "met" with RENT at the perfect timing. I was feeling pretty lost at that time and had nowhere to really turn to. I was taking all these classes, didn't really like any of them, but I needed all those classes to graduate and move on to take classes that I actually like. Maybe my problems are pretty small compared to yours. But see, I think everyone has their own problems, own tough times, and it's not up for comparison to see who's got it the hardest. The truth is, we all go through rough times, and if you think it's rough, it's rough. So in my world, I'd call it one of my tough times. I seriously don't think I would've gotten through it had I not put the RENT soundtrack on heave repeat every single day, for more than 6 months straight (sorry, my ex-roomie).The writer/composer of the musical, Jonathan Larson, based the characters and plot on what really was going on in the city when he himself was trying to make a living and write that one great musical that would change the history of Broadway. In the late 80's and early 90's, so many artists were dying from AIDS, yet no one really knew what was going on. The level of treatment was not as advanced as today, nor the understanding of the disease on its own. RENT shows you what it was like to be living with "low T-cells" back then. This aspect also interested me first, because the musician who I absolutely love has died from AIDS complications. Freddie Mercury was the vocal of this rock band called Queen. I'm sure you've heard of their song at least once - just go to any sports event. ;)
It's hard to explain how RENT gives you the power to live. It's something you have to experience it first hand. Take a closer look at the lyrics, and you'll see that there's...
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| No Day But Today |
PS: Feel free to leave comments here or on any other posts - I'd love to hear what you guys think of my articles :)
Saturday, September 11, 2010
I LOVE NY
The title says it all. I love NY. I love RENT (the show is never over for Rentheads), the fact that I can get my Starbucks almost anywhere, the skyscrapers, Vogue Fashion's Night Out and NY Fashion Week, just to name a few.
But that's not my topic of the day. For someone who loves NY and was in the state (okay, not the city, but I was in the state of NY) on this day, 9 years ago, today is a day I can never forget. I still remember where I was and what I was doing. I was in the chemistry class when I heard it on the school speaker. I thought it was a prank at first. Then I zoned out because I was still slightly sleepy and the news was just too ridiculous. Seeing from my classmates' reaction I started to think maybe this is not some really sick joke and had to ask my friend what the hell was going on. I seriously didn't expect the two towers to crumble down, so then I thought it was an unfortunate accident and hoped that there were not many people being hurt. When we were asked to gather at the school chapel, I started to think that this was no accident after all. After that, I basically heard what everyone else heard on the news.
Ever since that day, it's not the political story that I remember the most. I still remember the small online news article that focused on an interview to a kid, probably around 10 at the time. His father was one of the first responders - a firefighter. That kid had one wish for Christmas, and if his wish was to be granted, he would be just fine with not having Christmas presents anymore for the rest of his life. He wanted his father back.
It's always the innocent people and the brave ones on the front line who get hurt the most. That's the thought that came to my mind as I looked over the sky with no airplane trails - the kind of cloud I love the most. The clear blue sky has never looked so sad.
Like John Lennon said, I hope that someday, the world can live as one.
xx - N
PS: I updated the comments so everyone can post.
PPS: Made small changes as I found some grammatical errors and such...
But that's not my topic of the day. For someone who loves NY and was in the state (okay, not the city, but I was in the state of NY) on this day, 9 years ago, today is a day I can never forget. I still remember where I was and what I was doing. I was in the chemistry class when I heard it on the school speaker. I thought it was a prank at first. Then I zoned out because I was still slightly sleepy and the news was just too ridiculous. Seeing from my classmates' reaction I started to think maybe this is not some really sick joke and had to ask my friend what the hell was going on. I seriously didn't expect the two towers to crumble down, so then I thought it was an unfortunate accident and hoped that there were not many people being hurt. When we were asked to gather at the school chapel, I started to think that this was no accident after all. After that, I basically heard what everyone else heard on the news.
Ever since that day, it's not the political story that I remember the most. I still remember the small online news article that focused on an interview to a kid, probably around 10 at the time. His father was one of the first responders - a firefighter. That kid had one wish for Christmas, and if his wish was to be granted, he would be just fine with not having Christmas presents anymore for the rest of his life. He wanted his father back.
It's always the innocent people and the brave ones on the front line who get hurt the most. That's the thought that came to my mind as I looked over the sky with no airplane trails - the kind of cloud I love the most. The clear blue sky has never looked so sad.
 |
| From Gary Sinise's Twitpic |
xx - N
PS: I updated the comments so everyone can post.
PPS: Made small changes as I found some grammatical errors and such...
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
NY Fashion Week
Yes, I do realize that yesterday I wrote how much I love soccer and today, I'm writing about my take on this NY Times article I read about Fashion Week. Total polar opposites. I just happened to like a whole lot of non-stereotypical things and just pick one topic per day. Hopefully I won't run out of stories anytime soon!
Who remembers middle school and/or high school lunch time? Wasn't it a somewhat dreadful event until you found your own group of buddies and a table to go with it? I was lucky and got away with having friends to sit with, or when they were busy with something else, I managed to turn that into a "make new friends" opportunity. That doesn't mean that I never felt that sense of anxiety - I did. While that phase leaves most of us after high school, that is apparently not the case for full-time fashionistas. That article talks in detail on NY Fashion Week seating arrangement, and while I did imagine some effort would go into who sits next to whom, I have to say, the level of intricate planning that goes into it was beyond my imagination. Here's the blurb to get the idea of complicated-ness:
"After its close association with Style.com for the last decade, Vogue is breaking away with its own Vogue.com franchise, which will compete head-on with the reviews and runway news of Style.com. For the effort, Vogue hired two former Style.com writers, Sarah Mower, a critic, and Candy Pratts Price, its creative director. That makes it tricky to seat the Vogue and Style.com teams together, as had been the norm."
Now, throw in some x numbers of other fashion writers, designers, bloggers, and celebrities, and you get the picture. Sort of.
To those who think fashion is "easy" and "doesn't take much thinking," think again. Without the fashionistas throughout the history, women could still be wearing that torture device called corset. As for men...well let's just say that at one point in history, it was considered to be very classy for men to be dressed in clothes with lace trimmings paired with high heels. Aren't you guys glad that someone outdated that look centuries ago? ;)
xx - N
Who remembers middle school and/or high school lunch time? Wasn't it a somewhat dreadful event until you found your own group of buddies and a table to go with it? I was lucky and got away with having friends to sit with, or when they were busy with something else, I managed to turn that into a "make new friends" opportunity. That doesn't mean that I never felt that sense of anxiety - I did. While that phase leaves most of us after high school, that is apparently not the case for full-time fashionistas. That article talks in detail on NY Fashion Week seating arrangement, and while I did imagine some effort would go into who sits next to whom, I have to say, the level of intricate planning that goes into it was beyond my imagination. Here's the blurb to get the idea of complicated-ness:
"After its close association with Style.com for the last decade, Vogue is breaking away with its own Vogue.com franchise, which will compete head-on with the reviews and runway news of Style.com. For the effort, Vogue hired two former Style.com writers, Sarah Mower, a critic, and Candy Pratts Price, its creative director. That makes it tricky to seat the Vogue and Style.com teams together, as had been the norm."
Now, throw in some x numbers of other fashion writers, designers, bloggers, and celebrities, and you get the picture. Sort of.
To those who think fashion is "easy" and "doesn't take much thinking," think again. Without the fashionistas throughout the history, women could still be wearing that torture device called corset. As for men...well let's just say that at one point in history, it was considered to be very classy for men to be dressed in clothes with lace trimmings paired with high heels. Aren't you guys glad that someone outdated that look centuries ago? ;)
xx - N
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Football! or...Soccer! vol.1
Yes, I love football. Also known as soccer. What's the deal with calling the same sports differently!? Okay, soccer it is. Just in case people expecting NFL talk won't get confused when I start talking about my all-time favorite players and dropping names like Franz Beckenbauer, Canarinho, and Man-U.
Unfortunately...I wasn't born early enough to see him play live. But! He's one of the soccer legends who is very closely tied to Bayern Munich, one of the Bundesliga (that's German soccer league) teams I now support. He played for the team, then after retiring, went on to become a coach and until recently, served as the president of the club. I bet it was so awesome to see him play...
Meet Ronny. The only soccer player I know who is smiling when he's playing at one of the rather big matches. I think the first time I saw him play was with the Canarinho in 2002 Japan-S.Korea World Cup. When every other players look like they're bringing their A-game and looking serious, you can almost hear Ronny whistling his way across the pitch. By the way, I still think he should have played in South Africa...
Seriously, how is it that I had to enter "David Beckham, soccer" to get the picture of him actually playing soccer? Else all I got was his model shots. All that aside, I do like him as a soccer player. His free kick is definitely golden! He's probably one of the reason I started following Euro Soccer, and my first ever Euro team was Man-U. :)
By the way, who else is so used to vuvuzela horns that you wonder why the supporters are so quiet when watching soccer matches without vuvuzela?
xx - N
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| Franz Beckenbauer |
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| Ronaldinho |
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| David Beckham |
By the way, who else is so used to vuvuzela horns that you wonder why the supporters are so quiet when watching soccer matches without vuvuzela?
xx - N
Monday, September 6, 2010
Inspi(RED)
FYI: The following opinion is entirely my own. Just making that clear. :)
If you guessed what the topic is from the title, you are awesome! If not, you will be awesome once you read this. Trust me.
Ever since my 5th grade teacher introduced me to the idea of buying UNICEF Christmas Cards, where the proceedings go to UNICEF and eventually to help out the kids who are not as fortunate as us, I have been interested in charity. I'm not one of those Hollywood celebs who can just donate billions, so I've been looking for something that feels "right" for me, and then I learned about Product RED. Wikipedia always summarizes the best so here's the quick snippet:
"Product Red, styled as (PRODUCT)RED, is a brand licensed to partner companies such as American Express, Apple Inc., Starbucks,Converse, Motorola, Gap, Emporio Armani, Hallmark, Microsoft, and Dell. It is an initiative begun by U2 frontman Bono and Bobby Shriver ofDATA to raise money for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria." (Full Article)
I can see how this campaign can get some heat, for one can argue that it's using life threatening disease as a way to make people buy the respective companies' products. I do agree that that is one way to look at it. But also, it is true that the percentage of the money you spend on your shirt, iPod, and Caramel Macchiato goes to the fund that is then used to provide medications for people in need. If you're buying those things anyway, isn't it better to choose the (RED) products? At least that's how I feel about it. Especially with this economy, not everyone can take a huge step to save the world, but I think we can make small baby steps to save one person, one day at a time. Everyone's entitled to their own belief, so I'm not saying that you should buy the (RED) products from now on. However, this campaign is something I support, so I would like to share and let you know that it's out there, in case you didn't know about it until now. Knowing is always better than not knowing. :)
Beside, the iPod in red is pretty cool and fabulous regardless of the whole charity campaign deal, don't you think?
Writing this made me want that Caramel Macchiato. Well, I shall go have that cup of coffee. :)
xx - N
If you guessed what the topic is from the title, you are awesome! If not, you will be awesome once you read this. Trust me.
Ever since my 5th grade teacher introduced me to the idea of buying UNICEF Christmas Cards, where the proceedings go to UNICEF and eventually to help out the kids who are not as fortunate as us, I have been interested in charity. I'm not one of those Hollywood celebs who can just donate billions, so I've been looking for something that feels "right" for me, and then I learned about Product RED. Wikipedia always summarizes the best so here's the quick snippet:
"Product Red, styled as (PRODUCT)RED, is a brand licensed to partner companies such as American Express, Apple Inc., Starbucks,Converse, Motorola, Gap, Emporio Armani, Hallmark, Microsoft, and Dell. It is an initiative begun by U2 frontman Bono and Bobby Shriver ofDATA to raise money for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria." (Full Article)
I can see how this campaign can get some heat, for one can argue that it's using life threatening disease as a way to make people buy the respective companies' products. I do agree that that is one way to look at it. But also, it is true that the percentage of the money you spend on your shirt, iPod, and Caramel Macchiato goes to the fund that is then used to provide medications for people in need. If you're buying those things anyway, isn't it better to choose the (RED) products? At least that's how I feel about it. Especially with this economy, not everyone can take a huge step to save the world, but I think we can make small baby steps to save one person, one day at a time. Everyone's entitled to their own belief, so I'm not saying that you should buy the (RED) products from now on. However, this campaign is something I support, so I would like to share and let you know that it's out there, in case you didn't know about it until now. Knowing is always better than not knowing. :)
Beside, the iPod in red is pretty cool and fabulous regardless of the whole charity campaign deal, don't you think?
Writing this made me want that Caramel Macchiato. Well, I shall go have that cup of coffee. :)
xx - N
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Friendship
Before I dive into my next post, I just would like to thank you all for taking your time to visit my blog. As you can tell, I just started and had no idea whether I would get hits at all. Turns out I did - thank you!
So in the previous post, I wrote about how I'm not going to win "the most awesome person in keeping in touch with friends" award. Yes...I need to work on that. Writing about that made me think about my friends, and I realized there are many different kinds of friends and all of them are special to me. Just because some are not my BFFs and I don't spill every single details of my life doesn't mean that I care less. In fact, I seriously don't think friendship should get ranked or categorized - this is not middle school, or Fantasy Baseball/Football/(insert your sports obsession here).
Just this afternoon, I saw this twitter feed that had a caption from a Bob Dylan song. That caption means nothing special except for just three of my friends. While working on a project, the particular line became the running inside joke. Two years later, I swear all of us still get that joke and have a little laugh over it. I don't know about them, but seeing that twitter feed, I sure did get that warm and fuzzy feeling in the heart of mine. Well, actually my brain processed that, but it just looks so nice on paper if I used "heart" rather than "that wisecrackin' brain of mine."
I'm wrapping this up by sending one huge shout out to ALL of my friends - you rock, you're awesome, and thank you for playing a part in my life!!!
Have acup keg...or two...or hundreds...of friendship love! Happy weekend!
xx - N
So in the previous post, I wrote about how I'm not going to win "the most awesome person in keeping in touch with friends" award. Yes...I need to work on that. Writing about that made me think about my friends, and I realized there are many different kinds of friends and all of them are special to me. Just because some are not my BFFs and I don't spill every single details of my life doesn't mean that I care less. In fact, I seriously don't think friendship should get ranked or categorized - this is not middle school, or Fantasy Baseball/Football/(insert your sports obsession here).
Just this afternoon, I saw this twitter feed that had a caption from a Bob Dylan song. That caption means nothing special except for just three of my friends. While working on a project, the particular line became the running inside joke. Two years later, I swear all of us still get that joke and have a little laugh over it. I don't know about them, but seeing that twitter feed, I sure did get that warm and fuzzy feeling in the heart of mine. Well, actually my brain processed that, but it just looks so nice on paper if I used "heart" rather than "that wisecrackin' brain of mine."
I'm wrapping this up by sending one huge shout out to ALL of my friends - you rock, you're awesome, and thank you for playing a part in my life!!!
Have a
xx - N
Friday, September 3, 2010
Happiness
So here I am, pondering over what to write for my first post.
With mere minutes, I did come up with at least 5 things to write about. You know, movies...music...current events...sports...Gaga... But that's all for later posts.
Then the perfect idea came to my mind.
In general, I try to do my best at doing small nice things to my friends once in a while. Of course, I'm no Mother Teresa, and I'm way far from claiming that I'm good at it. Yes, I do forget birthdays (and I'd be worse if my little black book called FB didn't tell me), and I'm probably not too good at the keeping in touch game over emails. Let's be honest here, with the social networking deal spreading this wide, it's almost impossible to "like" every posts or reply-tweet on every feed you get. But you can do small good things at least once a day. Preferably offline. "But why?" you may ask. "Does it really make a difference if I compliment her new haircut? or his tie that actually matches his shirt for once?" Yes, it does matter. It makes people smile. That person may have been having one crappy day, and needed that one reason to smile.
Wouldn't you love to give someone a small cup of happiness?
Happy Friday!
xx - N
With mere minutes, I did come up with at least 5 things to write about. You know, movies...music...current events...sports...Gaga... But that's all for later posts.
Then the perfect idea came to my mind.
In general, I try to do my best at doing small nice things to my friends once in a while. Of course, I'm no Mother Teresa, and I'm way far from claiming that I'm good at it. Yes, I do forget birthdays (and I'd be worse if my little black book called FB didn't tell me), and I'm probably not too good at the keeping in touch game over emails. Let's be honest here, with the social networking deal spreading this wide, it's almost impossible to "like" every posts or reply-tweet on every feed you get. But you can do small good things at least once a day. Preferably offline. "But why?" you may ask. "Does it really make a difference if I compliment her new haircut? or his tie that actually matches his shirt for once?" Yes, it does matter. It makes people smile. That person may have been having one crappy day, and needed that one reason to smile.
Wouldn't you love to give someone a small cup of happiness?
Happy Friday!
xx - N
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