Happy Halloween!

Ho ho ho!

it's all about spirits and spirits.

so this week has involved a little bit of running around trying to figure out if i can make a costume idea work that initially sounded a bit ridiculous, but slowly started to seem do-able. here's a few highlights from the last couple of days:

unitard - i actually considered getting one of these. A few calls to ballet and dance company supply stores and several online searches later, i learned that with unitards, they either dont come in the color that I want and when they do, they dont come in a size that will fit me (or wont arrive in time for halloween). at one place, when the woman didnt have what i was looking for, she recommended i check out Party-City cos they have lots of costumes. im sure they get called for all kinds of weird stuff during halloween season.

So later, I went to the mall, where I had a very nice conversation with the lady at the hosiery department at Hecht's where she explained the difference between tights and thigh-highs. I thought they were the same thing. so where does panty-hose fit into the picture? It's the same as tights right? I also asked her the question on everyone's mind, "if tights are marked 'one size fits all' how long are they really?"

Later that day i discovered that tights that are marked "one size fits all" should also say "not for tall people".

Last night I realized that I dont know a whole lot about clothing assembly and was so glad to be able to leave all of that in the hands of my friend, Miraj. She worked her seamstress magic while I just stood there and played the role of mannequin.

Ive mentioned the costume idea to a few people, and the response has been pretty much the same from most people, "wow, you really get into it don't you?". I usually just nod and say "yeah, i do".

Im excited that the whole thing is coming together nicely, but I also know that the payoff is so not going to be worth the effort and trouble that has gone into this silly costume. But the one thing I have gotten from all of this is a ton of self-amusement.

Stay tuned for the spectacle.

eben reloaded!

check out alex's brand spanking new site! the boy sure does know his woodgrain. and his drawings aren't so bad either.

Man, I wish I had kids...

2004's Scariest Halloween Costumes [via]

Everybody loves a parade

so today is the Vienna Halloween Parade. So that means getting home after work will be even more of a bitch because good ol Maple Ave is gonna be blocked off for 4 hours and even the back roads are gonna be packed. woohoo!

I didnt really think the parade was that big a deal, but apparently its huge! This morning as I was driving to work, I saw the sidewalks lined with blankets (and a few lawn chairs)- a full 9 hours before the event! talk about a sad life. like that's really gonna save you a spot. (oh wait, this isnt new york).

I was planning on going to a movie right after work to avoid having to get anywhere near the parade traffic until it's over, but if im not completely frustrated by the time I get home, I might have to check this out.

I almost forgot...

today marks one year since i left beloved NYC and moved to glorious Vienna, VA. wow.. its been a whole year. and the truth is, i want to move back just as badly as i did when i left. which in a way is a relief. one of those "some things never change" things that lets you know you havent been changed.

So im going to Argentina!

a few people have asked "why Argentina?" and well the first reason is, why the hell not? and the second reason is, well, I know someone there, specifically one of the first of many people I shared the apartment with at good ol 3rd n' A, Grant. He's been there for a few years, most recently setting up whatsupbuenosaires.com.

Grant recommended I learn as much spanish as I can before i get there. So first I went out and bought this. Then I changed the language on the iPod to Español. I havent started reading the book, but I already know that Browse is Examinar, Playlists is Listas reproducción and Song 1 of 1000 is Cancione 1 de 1000. I think I'm gonna be just fine...

This may be "so yesterday's news" already, but I just saw Jon Stewart's appearance on CNN's Crossfire last Friday. You can read the full transcript here. Here are a few of my favorite moments:

STEWART: Now, this is theater. It's obvious. How old are you?

CARLSON: Thirty-five.

STEWART: And you wear a bow tie.

...

CARLSON: You need to get a job at a journalism school, I think.

STEWART: You need to go to one.

...

CARLSON: I do think you're more fun on your show. Just my opinion.

STEWART: You know what's interesting, though? You're as big a dick on your show as you are on any show.

I agree with Jon Stewart that the media's responsibility should be to the people as opposed to the politicians and corporations. But I also think part of the problem is with the people who buy into all the BS that is thrown at them by the media.

The media has the responsibility to focus on issues that are of real relevance and the people have the responsibility to demand that of the media. That doesnt seem to be happening enough on either side.


Here are some follow-up articles about Jon's appearance on the show: [via]

Jon Stewart Bitchslaps CNN's 'Crossfire' Show

Crossfire's Response

So the Faint/TV On The Radio show on sunday was awesome.

The opening band, Beep Beep sucked. and neverecho has since changed the name of her blog.

I missed seeing TVOTR when they were in town earlier this year, so I jumped at the opportunity to see them again. They did not disappoint and delivered a solid set. My only complaint would be that it could've been longer.

I really didnt know what to expect of The Faint, but I was blown away. It had all the elements of a great show: high energy, a not-too-full-of-themselves attitude, great beats, cool visuals, very responsive crowd and... strobe lights! It was probably one of the best performances I'd seen in a while.


While at the show, we got to talking about old shows that we'd been to. Im really glad Ive been fortunate to see some great bands before they broke up (like Soundgarden) and I started thinking about shows that I would have loved to have seen but will never have a chance to due to the bands' break-up/demise or due to the fact that I was not born at the time. Here are my top 5:

  - Jimi Hendrix
  - Queen
  - Joy Division
  - Nirvana
  - A Tribe Called Quest

A few runner-ups worth mentioning: The Beatles, Elvis, Milli Vanilli....

So if time and space was not a constraint, who do you wish you couldve seen perform live?

the prequel

earlier in the evening, i was explaining my frustrations with watching the first season of smallville. for starters all the business of a new freak created by meteor fragments every episode was getting a little old, a little too x-filesy and i remembered why i stopped watching in the first place.

but the second part and the main source of my frustration was the constant, almost cheeky hints that they kept dropping - mainly about what destiny holds in store for young clark and lex. we all know where clark and lex end up. but when i think about it, the source of my frustrations really lie in my excitement to see the turning point when they realize their destiny and the fact that they are taking too long to get to it.

as silly as it sounds, i found myself using my opinions about smallville as an analogy to how i felt after we walked out of watching The Motorcycle Diaries. Let me first admit that i dont know a whole lot about Che and the point of this is not to get into a discussion about his life and the things he did. but i was intrigued by the concept of the movie and what it had to offer - some understanding as to how a normal twenty-something med student became one of the most popular revolutionary figures in history. though unlike smallville, i wasnt frustrated at the end of the film. it's always fascinating to see what is now part of history, in the making.

but maybe not all transformations happen in the form of life-changing events or epiphanies. i guess i just prefer my destiny-defining journeys to be delivered within 128 minutes.

so who's ready for episode III?