Oh man, this is cool.

Yes, I know I've already linked to The Big Picture, but this is really neat. They've made time-lapse images of world landmarks going dark for Earth Hour over the weekend. Each time I click on a photo and watch it dim, I find it strangely calming.

But, what—no New York?

I sometimes wish we would have another blackout here. I'm a big advocate for the fight against light pollution, and I'd love to see the stars again.

Green news updates

I am in love with certain developments going on right now that I think evidence a turning back to the land, a new respect for ecosystem of the planet as a whole.

Two NY Times stories this weekend tapped into this:

Forging a Hot Link to the Farmer Who Grows the Food

Loggers Try to Adapt to Greener Economy

Of course, the economy plays into these phenomena, not just altruism, but I'm glad to see people turning to more environmentally conscious niches in order to adapt.

Saturday...

...with Brian and Leslie in the cemetery.

Parakeets. On the ground for once, not flying (and screeching) 'round their nests up in the main gate.



Brian does a Vanna White on the soon-to-bloom daffodils.





Koi swims through the shadows.

Dear folks:

Carrie M has been crazy busy today living her non-blog life.

Eric is right — as soon as I have loads of extra time and brilliant ideas I should created canned posts a la TLB. (We try to be more timely here, and follow the news or the vicissitudes of my mind, but you're right. Good idea.) P.S. I thought only 9-year-olds had peanut allergies? Just kidding. Don't mean to mock your EpiPen.

Meantime, everyone look at the cute chicken, apropos of nothing. Awww.

Happy Friday! I promise to post more soon!!!

More lunchiness

Your fearless blogger is still bogged down with actual work work as well as lifestyle maintenance, so meantime someone go buy me a PB&J from this place.

Peanut Butter & Co.

Holy god, those sandwiches sound good. Maybe it's the sad raininess of today that makes a sweet, gooey treat sound so amazing. And check out these flavors: white chocolate! maple! Fancy PB: You will soon be mine.

Thx to D.M. for sending me this link. In return, everyone go look at his site again.

The greening of the White House

Does the nation have enough Michelle Obama admirers? Probably. But add me to the list anyway. Not for her overly discussed triceps (and related penchant for sleeveless dresses) but for her advocacy of healthy, local eating. I am so thrilled that she has chosen to take up this cause, which is part of a movement gaining great steam and that even families hard hit by the recession can participate in and benefit from.

Obamas to Plant Vegetable Garden at White House

Mrs. Obama Speaks Out About Her Household

It's so amazing that the residents of the White House are models for a simple, health-conscious, earthy lifestyle. I hope Michelle inspires more mothers to steer their kids away from McDonald's, and more families to dig their own victory gardens. If people grew their own food, and could experience what vegetables are really supposed to taste like, maybe we could take tiny steps toward lessening the obesity epidemic and cutting down on carbon emissions from the industrial farming industry.

We can always hope.

Photo: Michelle Obama and Washington schoolchildren helped break ground on Friday for a vegetable garden on the South Lawn. Todd Heisler/The New York Times

Lunch Hour Enlightenment*

Hi, all!

I feel like I've not been blogging much, but maybe you didn't notice. One, I am busy at work, and two, I'm preoccupied by other things not related to making snarky comments on current media 'news.' Until I get some more time or can gather my thoughts, check out the insanely awesome book I'm reading!

The Face on Your Plate: The Truth About Food, by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson

I know my blog readers are like 97.9% meat eaters, but all the more reason for you to read this book. First, though, you should all run out to your local independent bookstore and buy The Omnivore's Dilemma, which shows that even if you're not ready to become vegetarian or vegan, you can still understand where your food comes from and make good choices about the welfare of the world.

Cheers.


* KV will recall that this is the same name as a piece I wrote for The Literary Brothel back in, like, 2001. Oh how times change! Or do they?

Signs of Spring 2009

I am busy editing at the moment, so until I get some time to really blog, go check out the Boston Globe's Big Picture, currently featuring their own "Signs of Spring."



I meant to do a post on Friday about spring/equinox festivals around the world, but these photos can tell it better than I can. I know it's 30 degrees for a high today in NYC, kids, but I heard lots of birdsong this weekend and saw ever more crocuses in bloom. So keep hope alive!

Meanwhile, my mom reminds me that back home in California, where March is the height of spring, not the beginning, my very favorite wildflower ever in the whole wide world is blooming along our road: baby blue eyes. I wish I could be back there to see all my favorite wildflowers spring up, but for now I'll make do with buying daffodils at the local deli.


Photo of crocusses in the park of the castle in Husum, northern Germany by Heribert Proepper/AP.
Baby blue eyes photo by dracoLLL on Flickr.

Happy Saturday!

I love this guy's energy!



"Who looks at the big blue wavy ocean and says, 'Ooh, I'd like to stand on that!'?"

I told you

Either A.O. Scott is an FPC reader, or I am freaking brilliant.

Remember two weeks ago when I posted about how the movie "Two Lovers" marks a return to the realistic filmmaking style of postwar Italian cinema? Of course you do. If not, here's the link to the post:

Neo-neorealism is the new modernism

Well, this Sunday's New York Times Magazine has a feature on the EXACT SAME topic:

Neo-Neo Realism

A.O. Scott, quit copying me! I coined the term "Neo-Neorealism"!

See what value you get by reading my blog? I am at the cutting edge of all media trends.

(Or, more likely, I was just lucky to have one insightful thought once. Sigh.)

Quotelicious, volume 2

Fridays here at FPC used to be Cute Animal Fridays. (Remember the puppies? Aww.) As of last week, they are now time to share quotes from the remarkably witty Oscar Wilde. I don’t always agree with his viewpoints (usually dripping with cynicism), but I the man had a way with words.

“Illusion is the first of all pleasures.”

“One's real life is often the life that one does not lead.”

“Work is the curse of the drinking classes.”

“Men marry because they are tired; women, because they are curious; both are disappointed.”

“Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast.”

“The secret of life is to appreciate the pleasure of being terribly, terribly deceived.”

Love it

Sometimes the cover of the New York Post makes me laugh out loud, as this one did yesterday.

Hilarious.

Signs of Spring 2009

Looking back at the dates of last year's Signs of Spring, I realized that at this time in 2008 I was already seeing crocuses in bloom and even the start of daffodils, tulips, and cherry blossoms. I thought, "Perhaps I've been remiss! Maybe spring has begun and I've missed it!"

So a couple days ago I ran out to a garden near my work, up at Tudor City, hoping to come back with photographic evidence of spring's harbingers. Alas, it's still too soon. I think this winter was colder and snowier than last, so it's taking longer for things to sprout.

But look!




Actual growing things!

In my fifth East Coast winter I'm still surprised when it becomes clear that the cold, dark days won't last forever. But I'm also savvier about knowing where to look for promises of the summer to come. I'll keep looking; you keep checking back here. (And also, of course, stop and look around you--the signs are there!)

Further proof that my mother is the greatest ever

These came in the mail today. (The cookies, not the flowers; the flowers are mine.) Hooray!


Of course, you should know she works at an elementary school and is obligated to buy cookies from cute little girls, but I still appreciate it!

Go Vermont!

Vermont Lawmakers Consider Same-Sex Marriage Bill

I knew there was a reason I liked the Green Mountain State.

Michael Ian Black and I are meant to be together

And not just because I got a sweet pic of his hipster shoes last summer in Bryant Park, or because I saw him at the Brooklyn Book Festival last year, or because I attended the taping of his pilot with Michael Showalter that just got picked up by Comedy Central (obviously because my charming face was third row in the audience).

The ultimate proof is that we share the same feelings about St. Patrick's Day:

Celebrating Wonderful Irish People With A Shitty American Holiday

Why you shouldn't get plastic bags at the supermarket

Please enjoy the following film.

Behind the scenes

Awesome, right? It’s my first movie! It’s terrible but awesome! (Right?)

Two weeks ago on my rooftop I saw that the one tree in our backyard was full of plastic bags blowing in the wind. I realized I could take video with my camera. I then found out I have iMovie on my Mac. I then discovered how to add music and photos. Voila, the masterpiece of cinema you see before you. Yes, it’s shaky—it was windy up there. Adds to the authenticity, no? And yes, I didn’t strip out the audio from the video clip. The birds add a little something, yes? And yes, the turtle is the end. I know I should add an end card.

But, whee! Maybe I’ll subject you to new vids all the time now. Keep looking.

Three lovely poems for today

I took a lot of Irish literature courses in college. Like, a lot. And I kept the books. And added more over the years.

I picked a few of my short (very short! to spare my blog readers!) favorite ones to share with you here. These are all very dear to my heart. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Clearances #5
by Seamus Heaney

The cool that came off sheets just off the line
Made me think the damp must still be in them
But when I took my corners of the linen
And pulled against her, first straight down the hem
And then diagonally, then flapped and shook
The fabric like a sail in a cross-wind,
They made a dried-out undulating thwack.
So we’d stretch and fold and end up hand to hand
For a split second as if nothing had happened
Beforehand, day by day, just touch and go,
Coming close again by holding back
In moves where I was x and she was o
Inscribed in sheets she’d sewn from ripped-out flour sacks.

The Singers
by Eavan Boland

The women who were singers in the West
lived on an unforgiving coast.
I want to ask was there ever one
moment when all of it relented,
when rain and ocean and their own
sense of home were revealed to them
as one and the same?

After which
every day was still shaped by weather,
but every night their mouths filled with
Atlantic storms and clouded-over stars
and exhausted birds.

And only when the danger
was plain in the music could you know
their true measure of rejoicing in

finding a voice where they found a vision.

Sweet Dancer
by W.B. Yeats

The girl goes dancing there
On the leaf-sown, new-mown, smooth
Grass plot of the garden;
Escaped from bitter youth,
Escaped out of her crowd,
Or out of her black cloud.
Ah dancer, ah sweet dancer!

If strange men come from the house
To lead her away do not say
That she is happy being crazy;
Lead them gently astray;
Let her finish her dance,
Let her finish her dance,
Ah dancer, ah sweet dancer!

St. Patrick's Day, Part 2

Having been chastised by a friend for my negativity surrounding this holiday (or actually, for being so judgmental about the drunk morons running around the city right now; said friend did not appreciate my post-lunch Facebook status: "Dear drunk girl on the sidewalk: You're wearing shamrock tights and a Packers jersey. This does not make you Irish. P.S. It's 1 p.m. on a Tuesday."), I have decided to look past the inanity of the modern, commercialized holiday exploding around me (e.g. photo at right).

On that note, when I get home tonight I'm going to delve into my rich trove of Irish literature and share with you all some wonderful tidbits of prose and poetry from the Emerald Isle.

I know you can't wait.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I am not wearing green today. In recent years I’ve grown increasing disenchanted with this silly, commercialized holiday that serves as an excuse for young men to drink too much Guinness and holler at girls. What began as a religious holiday (in Ireland pubs were traditionally closed on March 17 and everyone went to mass) has turned into a pointless bacchanal.

Not that I’m entirely against pointless bacchanals. But this one has a two-pronged source of irritation for me.

1) The dissipation of any real traditions relating to Irish-American heritage means we’re stuck with shamrock-shaped Peeps and green plastic beads. As an American of Irish heritage, this just makes me sad. One hundred and fifty years after the great Irish immigration to this country, we’ve become so assimilated that we’ll accept anything that’s marketed to us as Irish. (The only true tradition I can see that still holds is the innate love of whiskey.)

2) Aside from the Irish-American aspect of this holiday, the root feast day is something to which I take exception. Quoted on Wikipedia: “As one of the earliest Christian missionaries traveling abroad to spread the Christian faith, Saint Patrick is important because he serves as a testament to the overall missionary legacy of the Church. His example afforded later Christian missionaries the opportunity to assess the best methods to employ when confronting pagan groups abroad. … Patrick’s example would inspire later missionaries to undertake great missions to evangelize abroad in later years.”

Oh great, so not only is he responsible for stomping all over the perfectly wonderful, nature-centered beliefs and traditions of the pre-Christian people in Ireland, but he helped inspire later missionaries to do so all around the world. Got to love proselytizing.

I am proud of my Irish heritage and interested to learn more about them, but I won’t be knocking back a few green-dyed Budweisers at O’Shannahy’s Authentic Irish Pub this afternoon.

P.S. Did you know? The name Morrisroe originates from County Roscommon, and one theory is it’s an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Muiris Rua ‘son of red Morris.’ I’ve heard other explanations, though. One problem is the name is so rare that it hasn’t been much looked into. One website on Irish genealogical research says, “Historically, the Irish have been very stable geographically. … An even clearer example may be found in the uncommon name Morrisroe. There are only 34 listings for Morrisroe in all of Ireland, and 33 of those are found in just four adjoining parishes along the Mayo/Sligo/Roscommon border.” Most Morrisroes hail originally from the region around Ballaghaderreen, which means “the way of the little oak.” Love it.

The only 3 photos

I just discovered that there's a group on Facebook for my tiny hometown. While I debate if I should join the 149 other souls on this group, or if I should run swiftly away, allow me to share with you the three ridiculous photos that have been posted by the group "Murphys."

Cemetery.

Really? People, I know we can do better than this. This is just ugly. And slightly scary.

Caption: "Murphys Hotel gets new sign."

Again, really? 1) Someone please tell me the Hotel did not install a tacky neon sign. 2) There's honestly a crowd gathered for this event. It's probably just all the drunks from the bar downstairs who stumbled out to see what the ruckus was.

Main St.

That's better! At last a photo that actually shows the town. This is pretty much all of it, folks. Please notice shamrock painted on street (it's there all year) and banner for "Chicken-in-a-Barrel" celebration in the background. BTW, I am not mocking this event. I've been and the chicken is delish. Seriously.

Okay, I'm off to join this group.

This is not something you expect to happen.

Woman shot with arrow in NYC

Perhaps someone's LARPing got out of control. Danielle? Jess?

Quotelicious

Following in the footsteps of the Literary Brothel (and don't I always?), which often posts Bukowski quotes, I've decided to post quotes from Oscar Wilde when I'm too lazy to write a real post. (Sorry, KV, but you know it's true.)

Why Oscar Wilde? That guy is a quote machine! And I like that his lines can often be read as sarcasm but with a gem of truth. Some favorites for today:

"A man can be happy with any woman as long as he does not love her."

"At twilight, nature is not without loveliness, though perhaps its chief use is to illustrate quotations from the poets."

"Wisdom comes with winters."

"Life is far too important a thing to ever talk seriously about."

"What is the difference between literature and journalism? Journalism is unreadable and literature is not read. That is all."

Note: These should all be read after watching "Paris, je t'aime" because that's what I keep picturing right now. Speaking of which, man(!) when is "New York, I Love You" coming out? I saw that thing filming all over the place last winter.

Update: April, apparently. Whee! I just hope it doesn't suck. The trailer makes it seem kind of trite and overly romanticizing of this city. Real people here don't talk about how much they love New York.

C'mon, Obama. You can do this.

Obama Is on the Spot as Rulings Aid Gay Partners

Note

I am aware that the text size of the posts and sidebar is quite small, and rather than drive you all blind or, worse, drive you away from by blog, let me assure you I am working on fixing it.

Cheers!

I am crying on the inside

NY Times: As Cities Go From Two Papers to One, Talk of Zero

Boo.

Not-so-random encounters

The last two mornings, I’ve crossed paths with the same elderly gentleman peering into a trash can in Union Square station as I walk from the Q to the 6. Both mornings, he came from my right as I approached the can, looked in, and walked off to my left as I continued ahead. It’s like we’re in a choreographed dance.

In a city of 8 million people, it’s startling to have chance encounters with the same person more than once. Yet it happens with amazing frequency. And I’ve decided it’s because we all stick to our own schedules, and sometimes those schedules interweave for a time.

Last winter I waited on two consecutive days for the L train at 8th Avenue and both times ended up standing right next to the same middle-aged guy in a leather jacket covered in Chicago Bears logos. These encounters occurred at different hours of the evening and at different spots on the platform.

The two years I worked in the West Village, on my morning walk down Carmine from West 4th I would at least once a week pass the same chic woman with dark bobbed hair clipping along in the opposite direction. Something about her was striking and I liked noticing her, while I wondered if she noticed me in return.

This topic is a common theme in writings about New York, and I’m not the first to remark upon it. But I will say that these recurring chance encounters fascinate me; I love that exciting burst of recognition and warmth of familiarity in a city full of “strangers.”

photo by Nivad on Flickr.

Long overdue changes to blog appearance under way

Please bear with me while I fiddle with things!

Thx.

Update, 10:55 p.m.: Still fiddling! Whee! Don't think this is the final form, but it's getting there. Let me know if anything is not showing properly. Also, I'm aware the links are gone. Going to have to rebuild those from scratchy-scratch. No prob.

Let me know what you think in general, though!

Life's rough in a WWII-era factory.

Sorry no posts yet today! Maybe tonight. Work is crazzzzy.

Here's me:

Real posts soon!

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Check out this blast from the past.

Hott. This photo rocks for so many reasons. Missing front teeth? Check. Pigtails? Check. Oversize '80s sunglasses? Quadruple check.

There are very few photos from my childhood that have been scanned, so thanks, Steven, for posting this. It should be an enticement for all of you to go check out my brother's post at Passing Perception about his recent trip back home and to the ski resort we all frequented as kids. I cannot tell you how vivid my junior-high memories are of that place, and how much I wish I could experience its natural beauty again.

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Neat sinkholes!

Earth Science Picture of the Day is my homepage on my home computer. Today's is stellar. Ancient water! Weird creatures! Astounding geology!

I {heart} Earth science.
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To help you in answering the poll question

I realize not everyone may have been keeping up with news from 'Zim,' and may not have read this NY Times story on Saturday.

Zimbabwe’s Opposition Plans to Investigate Crash

Now you know. Please speculate accordingly.

Update: Tsvangirai Calls Crash an Accident. Oh all right, fine. It doesn't mean I have to believe it. And let me just point out the detail that Tsvangirai had to be moved to Botswana for treatment because the hospital he was taken to in Zimbabwe did not have running water! I don't know why there's not more foreign interest in and aid for Zimbabwe.

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It's that time again

Everyone drop what you're doing and go look at The Morning News' 2009 Tournament of Books, which begins today. I've followed this super-fun event every year since its inception. Does it matter that you have not read the big, literary, hardcover books included in the tournament? Heck no! (I'm usually at least a year behind on reading the hip new books.)


The deal: TMN (which is a wonderful website whose headlines you should be perusing daily) selects 16 books from the past year and puts them in b-ball–style brackets, then has famous young authors make determinations in each match-up. The commentary from the booth, by Kevin Guilfoile and John Warner, is always delightful. You have never seen books talked about in quite this way!


Let the literary nerd games begin.
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Signs of Spring 2009 (rooftop edition)

It's crazy warm here today--like in the upper 60s. For the first time in months, you can exist outside without a heavy coat. Whee! I took to the roof to read the paper and noticed a few sure signs that winter is slipping away.

Sign #1: It's warm enough that my neighbors can hang out clothes to dry in their backyard.


Sign #2: My other neighbors' fluffy dogs can enjoy a rest in a patch of sun.


But! My other other neighbor's pool still has a thin sheeting of ice. For now.


This is not about spring's approach, but is a photo to show the proximity of my beloved new C-Town to my house. Please ignore the wretched new Ikea in the background.

Happy Saturday, everyone!

You're not a proud American?

Perhaps you’ve heard of Stephen Fowler. Since his recent appearance on ABC’s “Wife Swap,” he’s been discussed (or lambasted, really) all over the media and blogosphere. (See Stephen Fowler Sucks for an exhaustive collection.)

The quick lowdown: He’s a wealthy British environmental entrepreneur who lives in San Francisco with his “life coach” wife and overachieving kids. His wife swaps with a family in Missouri that likes to play paintball and eat McDonald’s for dinner. Crazy culture clash and name-calling ensues.

I hope you all watch at least some of the episode, embedded below in five parts for your convenience. My thoughts while watching this were that both families have problems, and could learn from each other if they’d stop being so narrow-minded. The rich parents should stop pushing their kids so hard and being so judgmental and holier-than-thou. The Middle America family should try to achieve better health and serenity and not ride gas-powered vehicles everywhere.

I’d be curious to know what my blog readers think. Stephen Fowler is what gives us big city, coastal liberals a bad name. Yet the Missouri family’s blind patriotism and cultural ignorance is not beyond reproach. Sure, I realize ABC hand-picked families at the extreme end of either spectrum to create fireworks, but I think this show opens up a lot of interesting questions about the state of America and Americans today.

Enjoy.

Friday shout-out

This weekend you should all go listen to The Juicy Show, podcasts by my friend Dhaval. He has amazing, eclectic taste in music. They are all good, but I particularly recommend episodes 2, 5, 10, 12, and 13.

Also check out the Juicy Show blog, an awesome grab bag of spiritual musings, uplifting music, vibrant colors, and Batman cartoon episodes.

Go now! Then come back to FPC. Thanks.

Update: Dhaval requests I also recommend Episode 16, which is new this week. There.

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