i like .... this amazing video.

Now this is truly amazing! Witness a parachute jump from the edge of space, as caught on camera. It is actual military footage and it is a-m-a-z-i-n-g. The video then cuts to a beautiful underwater scene that turns into some amazing surfing footage. This entire piece is the music video for Boards of Canada's 'Davycan Cowboy.' Boards of Canada is generally quite excellent, and although this is arguably a weaker track, the footage gives it a boost. In fact, the picture and sound go together perfectly.

Enjoy!

oh, japan.

File this under 'the Japanese make some crazy stuff!'

rellerindos

One of the best parts about living in New York is all the candy. Yes, I said candy, and no, I'm not kidding. As far as I'm concerned, high fructose corn syrup and sugar are the nectar of the gods, and NYC is Candy Mecca!

My most recent discovery happened last night. My friend innocently handed me over a bag of Mexican candies, and suggested I try one. Well, after all the ghetto things I've heard about candy from Mexico over the years (it's tainted with lead, child laborers package it, etc., etc.) I timidly said no, until I realized ... what the hell. It's candy.

The treat that I popped in my mouth was heavenly. Spicy, sweet, sour and salty all at once. What were these nuggets of goodness? Rellerindos, tamarind flavor!!

I am going to hunt through all my local bodegas and see if I can find more. They are DELICIOUS.

last minute gift ideas

Two last minute gift ideas for anyone trying to think of a unique and fun gift for someone (or yourself):

* Sponser a chimp at the Chimpanzee sanctuary in Florida! They're all chimps that were used in the Air Force's space program, lab chimps and/or their offspring. I love this organization and everytime I read their website my heart breaks for all those poor chimps who've been so horrifically abused. (Can you imagine NOT HAVING TOUCHED GRASS FOR 40 YEARS? Some of those chimps have been through that and worse.)

Here's the link: http://www.savethechimps.org/give_adopt.asp
You can pick which chimp you want to sponser and read their life stories. Also, you can also sponser a chimp's move to Florida, donate blankets and food, join the organization and/or help buy some chimps dinner with their meal program!

* If you want a unique, handmade gift by a very talented artist out of California, check out http://www.sappymoosetree.com/. The artist is a person I have known online for a long time, and I have two of her lovely products which have a special place in my bedroom. She specializes in adorable stuffed animals -- gotta see them to believe it.

life: an update

Feeling a little bit better today. Getting out and forcing myself to be social with friends and classmates has been good. My over inflated tution actually covered my dinner out last night with my professor and class, so it was nice to nosh on some Egyptian goodies. I chowed down on falafels, lamb and chicken kabobs, roasted veggies, hummus and pita and some yummy salad and cheese. The food was excellent, for the record.

Then it was a stop off at a friend's bar she manages in the East Village. It was crowded and totally not my scene, but with a $2 glass of Yuengling, who can complain that much? I stayed for a drink and then jetted out to catch my train before Late Hours began.

Things improved later in the evening when I took advantage of the wonderful views on my roof and had a friend over. Great conversation, weather that isn't too cold, and a misty view of Manhattan will always add flavor to one's night.

Today I had lunch out with a friend (his treat) and caught the new-ish Coen brothers flick, No Country For Old Men. I have enjoyed the work of the Coens in the past, and this was no exception. A bit of a departure from some of their earlier work, and quite disturbing, but it is a well rounded and beautifully shot movie. Very violent, though, but it fits in with the script.

In an interesting aside, I had an interesting conversation with a Hassidic Jewish guy in a used bookstore today. He was really curious about my life. He was asking all sorts of questions -- what bacon tasted like, what I thought of Hassidic Jews, if I knew any Hebrew, did I know any Jews, and the like. We even went over my martial life -- or rather, my lack of one! He was very open, and told me he couldn't be caught talking to a woman in his religious community, but he could outside of his neighborhood. We even shook hands, which is a very tabboo thing for most Hassidic men. He was very proud of being a father and having 5 children (at age 35), and was very into being Jewish, but he was also genuinely curious about non-Hassidic life. He even announced he felt women and men were equal ... but not to tell his wife that! Anyway, he was a friendly fat little fellow and maybe I'll bump into him again. We had a good conversation.

Now I'm contemplating the pile of finals and papers I have to finish before the end of the coming week. So much to do! At least having work on my mind will keep me from dwelling too much on the lamer aspects of my life right now ... I guess give thanks for the small things, right? Even if those small things otherwise suck.

I am taking tonight off from doing work, and then it's back to the grind in the morning. I wish you all a good weekend, and hope that life, or finals, or whatever, are going well.

lights and candles

My candle in the window isn't there anymore. (Is everything leaving me? Feels that way.) I don't know if you remember, but a while back I wrote about the comfort of a routine I had developed for evenings I was feeling lonely or low. I'd look out my window and would always see a candle flickering in the window of an apartment a few streets over. It was always such a warm and welcoming sight, and served as a reminder that there were other people out there, at home like me, enjoying the warmth of a flame.

Sadly, my candle is gone. I went to go look for it the past few nights, and it hasn't been there. This is a little too fitting for someone who is not feeling warmth or love right now! I keep losing things and people I love and depend on. Men, candles ... metaphors ... ugh.

Luckily, there's a new candle in a different window to cheer me up. In fact, the owner of this candle has Christmas lights all around the edge of their window, which glow bright white in little star shapes. They also have the red candle that burns on the windowsill. Love it.

The weather may be getting colder, but thank god for the holiday decorations. Like last year, people are out doing themselves in my neighborhood to display plastic lit up Santas, strings of lights and blinking technicolor snowflake ornaments. I might have to try and take some snaps of the Christmas display for this blog. There's something incredibly sweet about a family that takes the time to put up decorations. It shows some dedication to the holiday spirit.

I'm feeling sad right now, but at least I have my lights and blinking flakes and the like. I guess the world can't be totally gray if I have red and green colors flashing all over my nightly walk home from the subway.

But I still say ... life is a series of departures. My Christmas Candle in the Window will be departing after the holidays, and come January, all those decorations will be packed away to collect dust. I'd say that's pretty blue, and not at all a happy thought.

a sad day post

In the end, this is all it came down to,--
a frustrated, confused phone call and me in tears, knowing that the best friend I'll ever have (that I will ever want to have) is leaving me, extracting from me, mining out bits and pieces of my heart and head and my being --

what is left?

and

what more is there?

What is life, if nothing but a series of departures?

dancing on the train

Well, dear God, the following clip just made the evening news. Apparently some girls entered an online dare to win $10,000 for the best pole dancing contest and they decided to film themselves going nuts on a N subway train.

I have to say, it took some serious guts to do this. That said, they're all musical theater majors, which explains a lot -- every acting student I know is pretty much clinically insane.

The clip is semi-vulgar, but there's no nudity. Just lots and lots of smiling men, girls hanging from bars, and some crazy dance moves.