A Curb Your Enthusiasm Moment

The best birthday gift that I have received in some time has been the Season One DVDs of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" which my brother gave me (and my family and friends--it really is a gift to all who share in its brilliance).  For the first month of the summer, with no homework or other obligations to tie up my time, I spent just about every minute that I was at home (besides sleeping) watching CYE.  This is how great a show it is.  Anyhow, as a result of this devoted viewing, I have internalized the attention to detail that frames Larry David's approach to social situations, to the point where I tend to instinctively apply the Larry David procedure of dissecting an awkward social encounter.


Some of Larry David's most socially uncomfortable situations occur between himself and the fictional parents of his manager, Jeff Greene.  Here is Larry with Jeff's mother, played by Mina Colb.  In this episode, he accidentally fondled her breast.

One particularly Curb Your Enthusiasm-worthy moment occurred last night at a party.  As my friend and I were rounding up people to leave this affair, a guy entered the kitchen with a box of pizza.  Not having eaten much earlier in the night, I got excited about the pizza, as this exchange will show,
 
Me: Is that pizza?
Friendly guy: Yes, but it's all gone.
Me: Oh that's too bad, because I was going to tell you that I would have paid for a slice of that pizza.
Friendly guy: Well, here's a secret: there's another box of pizza on top of the refrigerator.

Understandably, I went to the refrigerator and got a slice of pizza.  It was so good that I went back to get another for the walk.  As we were about to leave though, I got stopped,
 
Angry Girl: Where did you get that pizza?
Me: Um...on top of the refrigerator.
Angry Girl: Who told you that you could have that?
Me: I mean some guy just said there was pizza on the refrigerator.  I can pay you for it.
Angry Girl: Whatever. Forget about it. (Angrily exits what was a most enjoyable conversation).


The item of contention: the flair up occurred over a mere two slices of Papa John's pizza. 


  Of course, after that I felt pretty bad, but I have to say, the beauty of being indoctrinated with CYE is that it lends a new angle of observation to these generally unpleasant situations.

Well this is a relief, Poll: Americans Against Using Torture.

I want to own a restaurant called Belle Salvador.  It would be a fusion of French and South American food, particularly food from...well El Salvador!

 


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Belle Salvador!

Keeping tabs on Diet Coke thefts

Now that I am working at Northwestern for the summer, I feel that it is imperative that I take advantage of the free food that lies often unnoticed in various locations throughout the campus, food for symposiums, conferences, gatherings, etc. 

My special goal is to steal as many cans of diet coke--my favorite beverage--as  I can.

So far I'm at five.

Four from the McCormick Tribune Center (there must be a conference this week), and one from the Block Cinema Moving Picture exhibit opening, though this one was technically not stolen because I volunteer at Block and thus am authorized.

 

A 'Millennium' even more overrated than Y2K?

Millennium Park, Chicago's huge public works project that began construction in 1998 finally opened last weekend to great fanfare.  The park is a private-public initiative--about half its funds came from public dollars and the other half came from wealthy donors like Oprah Winfrey, the Pritzkers (proud namesakes of the Jay Pritzker Pavillion), and the park's head fundraiser, former Sara Lee CEO John Bryan.     
 




Construction of Gehry's pavillion
 
Millennium Park is certainly a feat in many ways.  First of all, it turned a former unsightly and unproductive railyard into a grand public space.  It also advances Chicago's already solid reputation as a city that welcomes and inspires architectural grandeur of many styles and origins.  Among the architectural contributions to the park: Jaume Plensa's Crown Fountain, Anish Kapoor's "Cloud Gate" sculpture--known far and wide as The Bean, and Frank Gehry's musical pavillian and great lawn.  As Chicago Tribune architectural critic Blair Camin desribes it, the pavillion appears "with its stainless steel shells suggesting waves of sound washing over the audience" (A no place transformed into a grand space ; What was once a gritty, blighted site is now home to a glistening, cultural spectacle that delivers joy to its visitors).   Kamin's review of the park unfortunately is a bit over-the-top.  He has very few criticisms of the park.  I only hope for the City of Chicago's sake that they commission him to right the Millennium Park offical brochure. 
 
"Cloud Gate," aka The Bean, has received much attention, much of it positive.  The Chicago Tribune has been an especially avid booster of the Bean, writing overly cute articles about its naming process (Naming the Bean) with descriptions like this one of how the sculpture "lures, mystifies and delights visitors with its fun-house distortion game" (picture caption).
 
Millennium Park reminds me a lot of Chicago's Worlds Columbian Exposition of 1893.  It seems a very conflicted public work, just as the 1893 fair was.  While architect and planner Daniel Burnham and the other distinguished architects who he won over to the project sought to create an overwhelming set of neo-classical structures that would introduce the rest of the world to Chicago's status as a first class city, landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted (who designed Central Park, among many, many other projects) wanted to create a natural and publicly accomodating fairground. 
 
 
The Peristyle: one of Millennium Park's successes
 
Millenium Park suffers the Burnham-Olmsted conflict.  On the one hand, it is open for the public, with architecture is not merely cold and detached from its landscape--as "Cloud Gate" and the fountain suggest, but rather the public space is enhanced and encouraged by the architecture.  However, the park also seems to have an air of iconoclasm about it--more a monument to Frank Gehry and Jay Pritzker than to the city.  Of course, these men and the park's other patrons should be honored for their irreplaceable contribution, but since the public contributed 270 million to the park, can't there be a pavillion named after the people of Chicago?  Should are public spaces be monuments to individuals or monuments to the beauty and excitement of public-spiritded works of art?

One last note: with Illinois' and Chicago's current budget crisis (yesterday, for instance, the CTA was saying it might cut routes and raise fares because of a huge deficit in its budget), Millennium Park should not have received as much public financing as it did.  Even if it began in 1998, when states were experiencing surpluses and other financial boons, the city would only be irresponsible not to consider that a deficit could be just around the corner.  I don't know about you, but I could do without The Bean if it meant more investment in the city's public schools and transportation system.

Name Recognition in Political Candidacy

When the media-fueled frenzy of a Mike Ditka candidacy for U.S. Senator of Illinois ended last week with Ditka announcing that he would not run, I let out a sigh of relief. 

Still, my brief respite from bad news ended later that week when I read that California Governor, former body builder, and still-movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger called that state's Democrats "girlie men" for not passing his budget.  Schwarzenegger has capitalized on his easy recognition as a movie star in his campaign and in his tenure as governor of California.  On the campaign trail, he integrated many of his well known movie lines into his public appearances, such as this comment on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno:" "I can promise you that when I go to Sacramento, I will pump up Sacramento." 

I think it can be easily argued that Arnold got elected as governor because of his huge celebrity status, despite several accusations that he had fondled and sexually harassed various women over the course of his career, and despite that both of his Democratic opponents, Grey Davis and Cruz Bustamante, were far more experienced.  (Ironically, Schwarzenegger's allusions to his body builder status are derived from a recurring sketch that "Saturday Night Live" cast members Dana Carvey and Kevin Nealon performed, where the men poke fun at the body builder type, clearly inspired by Schwarzenegger.  Basically, Arnold in using the language of these characters, is cheerfully acknowledging a skit that makes fun of him).

Which brings me back to Ditka: had Mike Ditka declared his candidacy, he would be running against Barack Obama, a man who was editor of the Harvard Law Review, a community organizer, a scholar and professor, and a senator representing the Hyde Park area of Chicago in Illinois.  To run Ditka would risk this man who has a history of saying and doing obnoxious things, owning a restaurant, and coaching football, win as Arnold did, on his easy name recognition, over the incredibly qualified and well-liked Obama.  My opinion is that Ditka would not have had a chance; Obama is just too fundamentally appealing, but it was an insult to the importance of public office to suggest him over other more qualified candidates in the first place. 

Illinois avoided catastrophe, but unfortunately, California endures their's, day by day by day...

Because I can't think of anything else to do after college

I've finally figured out what I want to do after college, so I can perhaps stop throwing around the whole "probably law school" phrase as carelessly as I do now.  I want to get a masters or PhD in public policy.  The Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs is a tall order, one might suggest.  I might answer, yes.  Kareem Abdul-Jabar heights, Manute Bol even.  As the old saying goes, aim high.  Oh, and before this graduate school plan, I would live in California for one or two years.  I'm writing this down because I'm in danger of forgetting if I don't.

Need Someone Who Can Blow Up Large Balloons, this Tuesday (Uptown)...

I have discovered the funniest thing: Craigslist.com subject headings for jobs. I was looking in the "et cetera" job categories late this evening (early this morning) and found some choice job availabilities, such as:

-need fulltime BODYGUARD for family (North Suburbs)
-i need to photograph a Mexican-American grandma (Hyde Park)
-Have you just had surgery (knee, shoulder, chest,lung, spine,abdomen)? (Done By Mail)
-Enrique Iglesias look a like (Chicago)
-Help me sell my cubs t-shirts on game days only (wrigleyville)
-Need Help Changing My Bike Tires! (bucktown)

Almost immediately after John Kerry named North Carolina Senator John Edwards as his nominee for Vice President of the U.S., Republican party leaders declared Edwards and the Edwards and Kerry ticket as a whole too liberal. This is a charge that they've used against the Democrats since what... Walter Mondale's run in 1984? If this vague attack is all the Republicans have up their sleeve, Kerry and Edwards are in a good spot.  I have to say of this campaign strategy is that it's quite sad that the Republicans have to dust off the same tagline, but they certainly have little valuable policy initiatives to offer, so I guess what should we expect? 

Maybe Yankees fans aren't as bad as people make them out to be.

Blue State/Red State and the "Regan Democrat"

Salon has an interesting article about the attention that has been given to the supposed Red State/Blue State divide. I have mixed feelings, about the arguments used in this debate and about the premise of the debate itself. Still, I recommend the whole article, and I find this quote about the "Regan Democrats" especially poignant:

But yeah, there was a little bit of wistfulness, and I'll describe it to you. I was watching TV and they were running a lot of news footage from that era, the late '70s and early '80s. It was images of the fabled Reagan Democrats, you know, blue-collar guys voting for Reagan. I was thinking about the world that those guys came out of, where 20 percent of the private-sector workforce was in a union, and blue-collar people could live next door to white-collar people. The gap between the social classes wasn't that huge. They loved that world so much, they loved that affluent society. They voted for this candidate who evoked it so well, who talked about it so beautifully. And he killed it. Conservatism killed that world. It's so sad. It's just tragic. What's that old term? One of the great ironies of American history. But this is way beyond irony. It's tragedy.

From "How the Democrats Lost the Heartland"

Yesterday, I canvassed in Burbank, Illinois, and I visited one house. The woman who answered the door, to my delight, was wearing a Cubs t-shirt. This being the day of the Cubs-White Sox crosstown special, I assumed she was an enthusiastic Cubs fan. I figured that was already a good sign and started to give my rap about being from the Democratic National Committee, etc, etc. The woman immediately informed me that she was a registered Republican, and then, as I was thanking her for her time and preparing to depart from her stoop, I noticed that under the "Cubs" written on her t-shirt was the word "suck." Now that is neither correct nor necessary. I don't like White Sox fans who are so vehmently anti-Cubs, and when they're Republicans, well, what an unfortunate combination.

Financial and Bird Crap Woes

Tonight:

Exhausted, frustrated with Metra because they levy a $2 surcharge if you purchase your ticket to your final destination on the train if there is an open ticket counter at the station. Also, a bird crapped on my shoulder tonight. My legs are tired, it's totally weird having dinner at 11 PM every night, and God love my dirty, dirty feet (imprints from my black flip flops).

I have met so many people who are unemployed in my job as a canvasser for the Democratic National Committee, and I just wonder if Republicans feel a sense of urgency about the job situation in our country. The fact that so many of them still subscribe to the supply-side economics philosophy suggests that they do not, which is very sad for the direction of our country, since of course the Republicans are in power right now. At least Logan Square, where I canvassed this evening, was overwhelmingly Democratic. Wish people had more money though; for their sake and for ours!!

Speaking of which, I wish I had more money. I need a paycheck and soon. Ugh.

I just realized that a huge chunk of my friends are in Washington D.C. or Europe at some point this summer, two of my favorite places (well, Europe is awfully big territory to deem as a "favorite place," but nonetheless, it gets my vote). Needless to say, I am wistful and excited for them. I'm a pretty small person...I would be a good stowaway, no?

Short Summer Movie Reviews, Part Une

My first review of the summer is of The Joy Luck Club, directed by Oliver Stone and based on the book by Amy Tan. Without giving away too much of the film, I will say that this story of the relationships between four young Asian women and their mothers is structured very well in terms of conveying the themes of subservience in marriage and love. The four actresses who play the four middle-aged women are especially talented in their abilities to subtly but powerfully portray the trials and tribulations of these women both as wives and as mothers. I highly recommend The Joy Luck Club. The use of parallel structure to convey both the similarities and differences between the lives of the mothers and their daughters is quite effective. I wish the DVD had special features though! ***1/2


One of many stunning scenes in Oliver Stone's The Joy Luck Club

Today on the train...

I am starting a new blog entry series about various random happenings that I encounter on the train on my way to and from work called "Today on the train..."

Well, tonight on the train I sat across from two men who were taking a trip back from Chicago to Highland Park. One was talking on the phone almost the whole time. He had a very flamboyant voice inflection and told each of the several people he spoke with the same story about how he shopped at Water Tower Place and it was "like a Trump building," how he saw Stepford Wives and thought that "it was crap," saw the old water tower buildings that still stood even though they were built before the Chicago Fire and was amazed, and so forth. The interesting thing was, I really got a new, fresh perspective on the city from this excited man, since these are all sites that I have seen many times (well, not the Stepford Wives), and I also learned exactly what he thought of every. single. thing. that he encountered today. The other aspect of this particular situation that I found interestingwas how when people recount their experiences to various friends and family, they tend to adopt a particular script and continue to stick with it with each repeat of the telling of the experience.

Oh, "Human Behaviour." (Bjork)

Reality [TV] Bites

Inspired by my friend Stefanie, I have compiled an extremely valuable list of "reality tv" hits and misses to help you navigate your way through the reality television wasteland of today.

"American Idol"-Reprehensible in everyway, "American Idol," features a panel of three expert judges--a washed up pop star who reached her peak in the early 90s, the bass player for the band Journey, and a snarky British man.

"The Bachelor"-I have not heard of a premise more laughably degrading, or at least, not until "The Swan" premiered. Anyway, this show places one um...eligible bachelor with a bunch of extremely desparate and cloying females. Somehow these women all manage to fall madly in love with the bachelor after sharing limos, jacuzzis, and lots of romantic nights of hot passion. Even more ridiculous, the man falls in love with everyone of them, professing how hard it is for him to narrow his choice down to one girl considering he loves...well, all 30 of them. I can't believe I'm even writing about this show. I'm done.



"Survivor"-Next to "The Real World," viewers can blame "Survivor"'s unexpected success for opening up the floodgates to all sorts of crazy and unique reality TV ideas, such as romantic elimination games on islands, romantic elimination games at resort hotels, and romantic elimination games where contestants jet from resort hotel, to island, to resort hotel.

Despite its negative side effects, "Survivor" is a thoroughly enjoyable and somewhat intelligent program. Best of all, the casting is great, making for truly hilarious "characters," much more memorable than most of the hacks who have achieved their 15 minutes of fame on reality tv.


Richard Hatch

Take for example winner of the first season, Richard Hatch, a large, bearded, gay man who walks around naked and proclaims his ability to separate emotional considerations from the pure strategy of the game. Then there is "Big Tom" Buchanan, who confirms every stereotype you may have ever had about farm hicks from West Virginia, and if you're like me, you have had a lot. Is stereotyping endemic in the game of "Survivor" you ask? Of course. Other examples include the obnoxiously crude, Red Sox-loving Bostonian, Rob Mariano; the intolerant and ornery but still loveable former Navy SEAL, Rudy Boesch; and the Wisconsin trucker with masculine qualities, Sue Hawk. What a great show.

"Rich Girls"-Unfortunately this ingenious creation no longer graces the airwaves, but I must hand it to MTV for having the balls to totally abandon any pretense of reality with the concept of "Rich Girls." This show stars Tommy Hilfiger's daughter Ally Hilfiger as the calm and incredibly rich girl and her best friend Jaime Gleicher as the neurotic and also very rich girl. We watch as they entangle themselves in the usual travails of a high school senior, from trying on clothing in a private designer's showroom in Manahattan, to vacationing in London, to vacationing in Seattle, to vacationing in L.A., to more shopping.


Another long, hard day for Jaime Gleicher

Inspite of the gritty, no-nonsense topics that "Rich Girls" confronts, it is still a thoroughly enjoyable show, because, well, the clothes are fun to look at.

I took the most accurate villain personality test
created by: The Arch Villainess Gracie

Why am I looking up this song at f--king 1 am in the morning,

Two by two and side by side
Love's gonna find you yes it is
You just can't hide
You'll hear it call
Your heart will fall
Then love will fly
It's gonna soar
I don't care for any casanova thing
All I can say is
Love stinks

(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah



Oh Peter Wolf.

What's more, why am I posting its lyrics? So reckless.

Tom Jones and Love....

....Or just Tom Jones



What’s new pussycat? woah, woah
What’s new pussycat? woah, woah
Pussycat, pussycat
You’re delicious
And if my wishes
Can all come true
I’ll soon be kissing your sweet little pussycat lips!
Pussycat, pussycat
I love you
Yes, I do!
-"What's New Pussycat?"