Where have I been?!

All kinds of places. First, to the homeland.

There was mall-going. There was football-watching. I beat my parents at Scrabble. And I'm not gonna lie -- there was some QT with theAmish.


Don't scoff. They cook a mean fried chicken!

On Monday I went back to the godforsaken job, thereby percipitating a bit of a lull until Wednesday, which saw excitement in the form of an International Center training session (I love volunteering there already) and an OK Go concert at Irving Plaza.

OK Go were, quite simply, delightful. Their studio recordings are no match for the live show, at the very least because you're not treated to the sight of their impeccably dressed hipster roadie slinking about the stage when you're listening to a CD. And the band does a choreographed dance to close the show. There is no way to describe the awesomeness of this dance. It must be witnessed firsthand.

Then on Thursday I watched Cyrus carve a pumpkin because I hate using big knives, and then I toasted and ate the seeds. Friday I saw Shopgirl and got drunk and played Skee-ball. Saturday was a day of Brooklyn fun. And that pretty much catches you up to today.

It's very sad, but Halloween shenanigans this year have been minimal. Seems like everyone decided to take this year off -- therefore, there was no point in investing much time and money into costume design and procurement. I did, however, buy the wig portion of my costume before the lack of party options became apparent, so I'll be wearing that tomorrow night.

It's the pause that refreshes in the corridors of power...

On my way to the office this morning, just as I was surfacing from the subway at Rockefeller Center, this song serendipitously came up on my iPod...

...and I sprang into action as a corporate warrior, dedicated to taking down The Man from the inside!


Seriously. Just try to hand me a TPS report.

Weekend celeb sightings

Did I see Gilmore Girls prettyboy Milo Ventimiglia (Rory's erstwhile boytoy Jess) kickin' it with some friends at the Musical Box on Avenue B last Friday night? I'm not sure. My vision may have been a little fuzzy after several glasses of Greek wine at that restaurant with the flaming cheese. If it wasn't him, it was his doppelganger, right down to the short stature and gelled hairstyle.

On the other hand, I definitely saw Steve Buscemi in Prospect Park on Saturday afternoon. This is a commonplace sighting for people that live in my neighborhood, but I'd never seen him before. Looks exactly as he does on film, but his hair seemed more grey.

Who knew that Steve Buscemi once fought alongside Vince Vaughn in a bar brawl?! Thanks, IMDb!

Confound You, Keanu

Just when I'm prepared to write you off, you have to show up in Thumbsucker and completely rock the house as a wolf-worshipping new age orthodontist.


I'm quite the fan of early Keanu. What cold-hearted cynic couldn't love Bill and Ted? (Somewhere at my parents' house, I even own the soundtrack for 'Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey' on cassette tape.) He was also great in 'Parenthood,' where he got to deliver the iconic line: "You know, Mrs. Buckman, you need a license to buy a dog, to drive a car - hell, you even need a license to catch a fish. But they'll let any butt-reaming asshole be a father."

Oh, and let's not forget his work in Paula Abdul's "Rush, Rush" video. Wooo!

So it's not that he's a bad actor. I think he's just really, really perfect for some roles, and in others the combination of deadpan delivery and earnest expression doesn't play well. However, after 'Thumbsucker,' he's completely forgiven for obliterating my preteen movie star crush with the clunker 'A Walk in the Clouds.'

I'll say it: I like Keanu. Again. In 15 years or so, he'll be a hipster icon a la Bill Murray and we will have a Keanu Renaissance on our hands. Mark my words.

I also really liked young actor Lou Pucci, who played the main character in 'Thumbsucker.' He's got this Wiley Wiggins-in-Dazed and Confused thing going on -- I think it's the hair hanging in his eyes. Wiley Wiggins, where have you been?

(Oh, I just found his blog. Now I know!)

Remember back before it started raining?

Yeah, me neither. Luckily, I have photographic evidence, taken two weekends ago at the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Note how the crappy cameraphone lends that sexy, blurred look to each shot. Instant artiste!

The Hudson River, as seen from Riverside Park in late afternoon:


A Sage Advice reader points the way across the Brooklyn Bridge:

Mini bananas at a stand in Chinatown:

Just what I have ALWAYS WANTED

An intellectual justification for your 17th viewing of Cruel Intentions

Slate, this is why I love you.

That come-on from Sarah Michelle Gellar's character that they won't print? It's "You can put it anywhere."
















Oh yeah -- I said it!

We (might) be Strokin'

A coworker tipped me off to this interesting tidbit from Curbed yesterday:

"The Stroke Heard Round the Slope

As Park Slope spreads its wings and flies, to Fourth Avenue and beyond, a shocker comes in from the South:

Heard this rumor that one of the Strokes (and his black Range Rover) moved to Park Slope (south slope) on 15th Street between 6th and 7th ave...

Now, we have experience in this situation, so before we jump to conclusions we'll just say HOLY SHIT A STROKE MOVED TO BROOKLYN AND NOW THE SOUTH SLOPE IS THE KEWLEST NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE WORLD AND WAY AWESOMER THAN WILLIAMSBURG BECAUSE THE 'BURG IS FOR TURDS. Thank you."

Could it be that a bonafide Stroke is gracing our neighborhood with his greasy, retro-rock presence? But which Stroke?
Is it...


The lead singer one, whose dad owns the modelling agency?

Is it... the Drew Barrymore one? (probably not)

Is it... one of the other three whose names and faces I can't remember? (hmm, not especially helpful for sightings in the ''outdoor seating area'' of Bar 4, or while picking up a six-pack and some hair grease at La Dolce Vita.)

Unsubstantiated rumor or no, one fact emerges with crystal clarity: THE 'BURG IS FOR TURDS might be the best catchphrase ever. Who wants to print t-shirts?!

Le Scandale de Friendster

I was without computer access on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and within that short time I missed out on a stalkery scandal of sorts. As most everyone who cares must know by now, Friendster -- without any warning -- introduced some new feature wherein you can actually see who's been viewing your profile. Freaky!

I then read that this was an unintended glitch on Friendster's part, and apparently they've since corrected it. Since I logged in on Sunday night for the first time in about a month, I totally missed out on the relevatory bonanza of finding out who's been viewing my profile. So stalkers, rest assured -- I remain blissfully unaware of what you've been up to. Stalk on in peace, I guess!

Of course, this is only one half of the dilemma: I'm now racking my brain trying to remember whose profile I've viewed in the past month, and if they'd be totally freaked out by seeing my photo on the "who's been stalking you?" page. The last time I logged on was probably...early September or late August? And I don't usually venture beyond my friends' profiles, and their friends' profiles, so...?

Damn, look what you're doing to me, Friendster! I'm not a maladjusted Internet perv -- my conscience should be clear!