I love Cat Deeley - she and Phil Keoghan from The Amazing Race are my favorite TV hosts. Cat makes it look so easy. She's beautiful and approachable, moves things along gracefully, handles the judges well, and is a proud mama bear to the contestants on So You Think You Can Dance. Cat is also a fashion risk-taker and has mentioned that she doesn't have a stylist - she chooses her own outfits. She takes chances with fashion, and although sometimes it doesn't work out, she always looks fabulous.
TV Guide Magazine has a cute story about hanging out with Cat Deeley. She has a new boyfriend, Irish comedian Patrick Kielty, who she has known for ten years and makes her sandwiches and cheese plates. She also just bought a new house and is obsessed about decorating it. She has talked about her famous Fourth of July barbecue, which is getting larger and larger as her SYTYCD family grows, so she probably needs more space. I wished she did host American Idol when Ryan Seacrest was sick - it would have been a nice change. Perhaps the X Factor?
Thursday, August 30, 2012
So You Think You Can Dance - Top 8
Now the show is getting really good. Last night was one of the best nights of dancing I've seen this season, and the top 8 really stepped it up. Jesse Tyler Ferguson was back as a guest judge, and he was great as usual. It's clear he is a big fan of the show and has watched it from the beginning, so although he doesn't have the dance expertise, I think he's a much better guest judge than some of the dance experts that clearly had not watched the show (*cough* the Ballet Boyz *cough*)
The group number was choreographed by a new choreographer, Peter Chu, who was a competitive gymnast and cheerleader, and studied at Juilliard. He has his own foundation, chuthis. The group number was pretty entertaining, and I hope he comes back.
Favorite routines
1) Chehon and Anya's tango from Miriam Larici and Leonardo Barrionuevo. I got chills watching this dance, and felt like a voyeur looking into a very private moment. Anya is amazing as usual, and this dance really took advantage of Chehon's amazing posture. These two had great chemistry as well. Chehon wasn't perfect technically, but the whole package was still fantastic.
2) Cole and Allison's contemporary from Sonya Tayeh. Cole was appropriately creepy, and Allison is great as usual. Cole is definitely better off in dark, creepy dances rather than happy ones like last week's cha-cha or the dentist routine from a few weeks back. Some of the moves in this piece were crazy, like when Allison went upside down, or when Cole lifted her up with just one arm. Plus Bjork and Sonya are just a match made in heaven.
Least favorite routines
1) Lindsay and Alex's jazz from Sonya Tayeh. The dance itself is fine and they danced it well, but they lacked the chemistry necessary for this dance to work.
2) Melanie and Cyrus's jazz from Mandy Moore. I love Melanie, and unfortunately she outshines Cyrus in this piece. It's a very cute piece, and I actually like the fact that Mandy Moore is willing to do fun, happy jazz and contemporary dances instead of just dark, creepy ones, but Melanie is totally the star here.
Solos - from my favorite to least favorite
Boys:
1) Cyrus
2) Cole
3) Chehon
4) Will
Girls:
1) Eliana
2) Lindsay
3) Tiffany
4) Witney
Eliminations
I was right that Witney and Lindsay ended up in the bottom two this week, and it was no surprise that Lindsay was booted out. Witney stands out more than Lindsay, and she also has more of the sex appeal.
I was right that Cole was in the bottom, but was shocked that Will also made it to the bottom. Poor Will - I really enjoy his dancing and he did well tonight in the hip-hop piece from Christopher Scott, but his solo was the the least entertaining among the boys. With Will gone, Tiffany is the last contemporary dancer standing.
Predictions on who will be in trouble next week
Girls: Witney and Tiffany
Boys: Cole and Chehon
Only three weeks until the finale!
The group number was choreographed by a new choreographer, Peter Chu, who was a competitive gymnast and cheerleader, and studied at Juilliard. He has his own foundation, chuthis. The group number was pretty entertaining, and I hope he comes back.
Favorite routines
1) Chehon and Anya's tango from Miriam Larici and Leonardo Barrionuevo. I got chills watching this dance, and felt like a voyeur looking into a very private moment. Anya is amazing as usual, and this dance really took advantage of Chehon's amazing posture. These two had great chemistry as well. Chehon wasn't perfect technically, but the whole package was still fantastic.
2) Cole and Allison's contemporary from Sonya Tayeh. Cole was appropriately creepy, and Allison is great as usual. Cole is definitely better off in dark, creepy dances rather than happy ones like last week's cha-cha or the dentist routine from a few weeks back. Some of the moves in this piece were crazy, like when Allison went upside down, or when Cole lifted her up with just one arm. Plus Bjork and Sonya are just a match made in heaven.
Least favorite routines
1) Lindsay and Alex's jazz from Sonya Tayeh. The dance itself is fine and they danced it well, but they lacked the chemistry necessary for this dance to work.
2) Melanie and Cyrus's jazz from Mandy Moore. I love Melanie, and unfortunately she outshines Cyrus in this piece. It's a very cute piece, and I actually like the fact that Mandy Moore is willing to do fun, happy jazz and contemporary dances instead of just dark, creepy ones, but Melanie is totally the star here.
Solos - from my favorite to least favorite
Boys:
1) Cyrus
2) Cole
3) Chehon
4) Will
Girls:
1) Eliana
2) Lindsay
3) Tiffany
4) Witney
Eliminations
I was right that Witney and Lindsay ended up in the bottom two this week, and it was no surprise that Lindsay was booted out. Witney stands out more than Lindsay, and she also has more of the sex appeal.
I was right that Cole was in the bottom, but was shocked that Will also made it to the bottom. Poor Will - I really enjoy his dancing and he did well tonight in the hip-hop piece from Christopher Scott, but his solo was the the least entertaining among the boys. With Will gone, Tiffany is the last contemporary dancer standing.
Predictions on who will be in trouble next week
Girls: Witney and Tiffany
Boys: Cole and Chehon
Only three weeks until the finale!
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Shadow of Night
"Shadow of Night" is the second book in the All Souls trilogy written by Deborah Harkness. I've written about the first book, "A Discovery of Witches."
SPOILER ALERT
The second book picks up right where the first book left off - Diana and Matthew landing in Elizabethan England. A lot of the book is about Diana getting adjusted to living in that time period, as well as adjusting to being Matthew's wife. In this era, Matthew is a spy for Queen Elizabeth I and a member of the Congregation. He is also known as Matthew Roydon, the leader of the "School of Night," a group of men who are known for heretical thoughts. The other members are playwright Christopher "Kit" Marlowe, mathematician and astronomer Thomas Harriot, explorer Sir Walter Raleigh (famous for being the founder of the Lost Colony at Roanoke), aristocrat Henry Percy (the 9th Earl of Northumberland), and poet George Chapman (who wrote the poem "Shadow of Night").
In Harkness's world, Marlowe and Harriot are daemons, while the others are humans. Marlowe is also in love with Matthew, and is immediately adversarial towards Diana. Diana meets Matthew's vampire father, Philippe, who ends up having a great influence on her, and runs into her own father, Stephen Proctor. Diana and Matthew also interacts with other historical figures such as Queen Elizabeth I, Emperor Rudolf II, astronomer John Dee, alchemist Edward Kelley, and poet and author Mary Sidney (Countess of Pembroke), who becomes a friend of Diana's. They travel from England to France to Prague, and Diana eventually finds the training that she needs from witches in London. Diana finds out that like her father, she is a weaver, a special kind of witch who can create spells instead of just reciting existing ones. They also track down Ashmole 782 while it is intact, and discover something monstrous about the book, but in the end they cannot take the book back to the present.
There are brief glimpses of the present time. A lot of the other members of the Conventicle, such as Matthew's vampire mother Ysabeau and Diana's witchy aunts Sarah and Emily, have gathered at Sept-Tours, the de Clermont family's castle, in order to prepare for battle with the Congregation. There are hints at terrible things happening, but no detail. I hope Harkness will go into further detail in the next book about what happens in the present while Diana and Matthew are back in time.
This book is more stuffed than the last one. Harkness clearly knows her Elizabethan era and delights in including a lot of details. Sometimes it gets to be a little too much, but overall the book is still enjoyable. Diana's struggle in adjusting to the Elizabethan era and in becoming a wife to a very possessive vampire is actually relatable, and Harkness has a very clear sense of who Matthew and Diana are as characters. Their love story is still intact despite all the challenges, even though there is more danger ahead. I look forward to the next installment.
SPOILER ALERT
The second book picks up right where the first book left off - Diana and Matthew landing in Elizabethan England. A lot of the book is about Diana getting adjusted to living in that time period, as well as adjusting to being Matthew's wife. In this era, Matthew is a spy for Queen Elizabeth I and a member of the Congregation. He is also known as Matthew Roydon, the leader of the "School of Night," a group of men who are known for heretical thoughts. The other members are playwright Christopher "Kit" Marlowe, mathematician and astronomer Thomas Harriot, explorer Sir Walter Raleigh (famous for being the founder of the Lost Colony at Roanoke), aristocrat Henry Percy (the 9th Earl of Northumberland), and poet George Chapman (who wrote the poem "Shadow of Night").
In Harkness's world, Marlowe and Harriot are daemons, while the others are humans. Marlowe is also in love with Matthew, and is immediately adversarial towards Diana. Diana meets Matthew's vampire father, Philippe, who ends up having a great influence on her, and runs into her own father, Stephen Proctor. Diana and Matthew also interacts with other historical figures such as Queen Elizabeth I, Emperor Rudolf II, astronomer John Dee, alchemist Edward Kelley, and poet and author Mary Sidney (Countess of Pembroke), who becomes a friend of Diana's. They travel from England to France to Prague, and Diana eventually finds the training that she needs from witches in London. Diana finds out that like her father, she is a weaver, a special kind of witch who can create spells instead of just reciting existing ones. They also track down Ashmole 782 while it is intact, and discover something monstrous about the book, but in the end they cannot take the book back to the present.
There are brief glimpses of the present time. A lot of the other members of the Conventicle, such as Matthew's vampire mother Ysabeau and Diana's witchy aunts Sarah and Emily, have gathered at Sept-Tours, the de Clermont family's castle, in order to prepare for battle with the Congregation. There are hints at terrible things happening, but no detail. I hope Harkness will go into further detail in the next book about what happens in the present while Diana and Matthew are back in time.
This book is more stuffed than the last one. Harkness clearly knows her Elizabethan era and delights in including a lot of details. Sometimes it gets to be a little too much, but overall the book is still enjoyable. Diana's struggle in adjusting to the Elizabethan era and in becoming a wife to a very possessive vampire is actually relatable, and Harkness has a very clear sense of who Matthew and Diana are as characters. Their love story is still intact despite all the challenges, even though there is more danger ahead. I look forward to the next installment.
Monday, August 27, 2012
A Discovery of Witches
I recently discovered the book "A Discovery of Witches" by Deborah Harkness, the first book in the All Souls trilogy. I saw it in the bookstore while waiting at the Austin airport, and it was intriguing enough that I bought a copy when I was back home. I'm normally not into books that involve supernatural creatures like vampires or witches (never got into Anne Rice or the Twilight series), but the historical bent of the novel intrigued me, as well as the credentials of the author. Harkness is a professor of history at University of Southern California, who specializes in history of science and medicine during the Elizabethan era. She also writes a wine blog.
SPOILER ALERT
The main character in "Witches" is Diana Bishop, a witch and a Yale professor whose main scholarly interest is researching alchemical manuscripts. In this world, there are three types of supernatural creatures: vampires, witches, and daemons. After her parents died when she was seven years old, Diana turned her back on her magical powers. While doing research at Bodleian Library at Oxford, she recalls a mysterious alchemical manuscript called Ashmole 782, but the magical manuscript was missing three pages. Although she only spends a few minutes with the text, other supernatural creatures who also want the manuscript start finding her, and most of them are not the friendly type. A 1,500-year-old vampire and scientist, Matthew Clairmont, appoints himself her protector, and the two of them fall in love. This is a problem because there is an ancient covenant that forbids the union of different creatures. The Congregation (the ruling group consisting of 3 witches, 3 vampires, and 3 daemons) are after Diana and Matthew for both this breach of the covenant and Ashmole 782. In the meantime, Diana's powers start reasserting themselves, but she could not control them. In the end, Matthew and Diana decide to use her timewalking ability to travel back to Elizabethan England to escape the Congregation and the other creatures searching for Diana, to get Diana the tutoring she needs for her powers, and to find Ashmole 782 while it is still intact.
I enjoyed the book immensely. Harkness is a very intelligent writer who does not dumb down the materials for her readers. The love story between Diana and Matthew is also compelling, and the other characters (such as Matthew's vampire mother Ysabeau and Diana's aunts Sarah and Emily) are believable. Harkness is also very adept at using conventional lores about vampires, witches, and daemons, and using them for her story. For example, vampires have their own family structure made up of parents who make their children vampires, and brothers and sisters are made by the same parents. Vampires are also usually involved in professions that take full advantage of their immortality - scientists and financiers. Daemons are creative types who gravitate toward the arts or fashion design, and can be a bit unstable. Witches live in haunted houses who can expand if expecting guests, and in typical fashion can brew potions and recite spells.
Harkness stuffs a lot of details into this book, and the pace can be leisurely at times (especially in the beginning), but overall it's a fun read.
SPOILER ALERT
The main character in "Witches" is Diana Bishop, a witch and a Yale professor whose main scholarly interest is researching alchemical manuscripts. In this world, there are three types of supernatural creatures: vampires, witches, and daemons. After her parents died when she was seven years old, Diana turned her back on her magical powers. While doing research at Bodleian Library at Oxford, she recalls a mysterious alchemical manuscript called Ashmole 782, but the magical manuscript was missing three pages. Although she only spends a few minutes with the text, other supernatural creatures who also want the manuscript start finding her, and most of them are not the friendly type. A 1,500-year-old vampire and scientist, Matthew Clairmont, appoints himself her protector, and the two of them fall in love. This is a problem because there is an ancient covenant that forbids the union of different creatures. The Congregation (the ruling group consisting of 3 witches, 3 vampires, and 3 daemons) are after Diana and Matthew for both this breach of the covenant and Ashmole 782. In the meantime, Diana's powers start reasserting themselves, but she could not control them. In the end, Matthew and Diana decide to use her timewalking ability to travel back to Elizabethan England to escape the Congregation and the other creatures searching for Diana, to get Diana the tutoring she needs for her powers, and to find Ashmole 782 while it is still intact.
I enjoyed the book immensely. Harkness is a very intelligent writer who does not dumb down the materials for her readers. The love story between Diana and Matthew is also compelling, and the other characters (such as Matthew's vampire mother Ysabeau and Diana's aunts Sarah and Emily) are believable. Harkness is also very adept at using conventional lores about vampires, witches, and daemons, and using them for her story. For example, vampires have their own family structure made up of parents who make their children vampires, and brothers and sisters are made by the same parents. Vampires are also usually involved in professions that take full advantage of their immortality - scientists and financiers. Daemons are creative types who gravitate toward the arts or fashion design, and can be a bit unstable. Witches live in haunted houses who can expand if expecting guests, and in typical fashion can brew potions and recite spells.
Harkness stuffs a lot of details into this book, and the pace can be leisurely at times (especially in the beginning), but overall it's a fun read.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Last Season of The Office - Part II
Mr. Y reminded me of a couple more classic The Office episodes that should be included in the favorites list:
- Fun Run, Parts I and II - Michael hit Meredith with his car, Jim and Pam were outed as being a couple, Dwight performed a mercy killing on Angela's cat Sprinkles, and Michael organized a rabies charity run.
- The Delivery, Parts I and II - the episode where Pam gave birth to baby Cecelia. It's one of the more realistic depictions of labor and delivery I've seen on television. Labor for first-time moms usually takes awhile, so it makes sense that Pam wouldn't go to the hospital right away. Dwight decided to ask Angela to have a baby with him, and also decided to remodel Jim and Pam's kitchen after discovering mold, even though Jim and Pam told him to just get the iPod and not to touch anything else. Pam was having problems breastfeeding and Lee Kirk, Jenna Fischer's fiance at the time (and now husband), guest-starred as the lactation consultant that Jim didn't like. It was also hilarious when sleep-deprived Pam accidentally breastfed the wrong baby.
- Traveling Salesman - this is the episode that actually shows Michael Scott being a competent salesman. As much as an idiot he can be, it's nice to be reminded that Michael Scott can be good at something. Michael decided that the sales team would pair up to visit their clients. Andy with Michael, Karen with Phyllis, Stanley with Ryan, and Jim with Dwight (they used to sales calls together). It was clear that Jim and Dwight actually made a good team, and Stanley and Phyllis schooled their younger counterparts.
- Fun Run, Parts I and II - Michael hit Meredith with his car, Jim and Pam were outed as being a couple, Dwight performed a mercy killing on Angela's cat Sprinkles, and Michael organized a rabies charity run.
- The Delivery, Parts I and II - the episode where Pam gave birth to baby Cecelia. It's one of the more realistic depictions of labor and delivery I've seen on television. Labor for first-time moms usually takes awhile, so it makes sense that Pam wouldn't go to the hospital right away. Dwight decided to ask Angela to have a baby with him, and also decided to remodel Jim and Pam's kitchen after discovering mold, even though Jim and Pam told him to just get the iPod and not to touch anything else. Pam was having problems breastfeeding and Lee Kirk, Jenna Fischer's fiance at the time (and now husband), guest-starred as the lactation consultant that Jim didn't like. It was also hilarious when sleep-deprived Pam accidentally breastfed the wrong baby.
- Traveling Salesman - this is the episode that actually shows Michael Scott being a competent salesman. As much as an idiot he can be, it's nice to be reminded that Michael Scott can be good at something. Michael decided that the sales team would pair up to visit their clients. Andy with Michael, Karen with Phyllis, Stanley with Ryan, and Jim with Dwight (they used to sales calls together). It was clear that Jim and Dwight actually made a good team, and Stanley and Phyllis schooled their younger counterparts.
So You Think You Can Dance - Top 10
The All-Stars are back on So You Think You Can Dance, and for the most part they really elevated the dancing of the top 10.
My favorite part was seeing Alex Wong back on stage. He has bulked up since his days competing on the show, and he is still an amazing dancer. Mr. Y and I were talking about how crazy it is that he's back as an all-star after just three dances on the show, two of which were instant classic.
Benjamin Millepied, better known as Mr. Natalie Portman and the choreographer for the movie Black Swan, was the guest judge. He knew what he was talking about and had some great technically comments, but it was clear he was not that familiar with the dancers. He choreographed an interesting piece for the L.A. Dance Project near the end of the show.
The group number was choreographed by Tyce, who also danced in it because Cole was slightly injured. Mr. Y and I were afraid that Cole would have to withdraw from the competition, so it was relief to know that he was only slightly injured. Tyce was a much better dancer than choreographer, although seeing Eliana front and center was great.
Favorite routines
1) Eliana and Alex's contemporary from Stacey Tookey. Eliana really elevated her dancing when she got to dance with a worthy partner. Not that Cyrus wasn't fun, but he clearly was not in the same league as Eliana dance-wise. This piece was fantastic from start to finish - haunting and beautiful, and the two dancers fit each other perfectly. Easily the best dance of the night.
2) Tiffany and Brandon's disco from Doriana Sanchez. I thought this routine was fast and fun, and those lifts were crazy. Tiffany has been the stealth front-runner this season - she wasn't featured much in the auditions round and was mistaken for Audrey in the beginning, but she had never been in the bottom and had consistently danced very well (despite my constant predictions that she'll be in the bottom three because she wasn't as well-known as the other dancers). I have always loved the way Brandon danced, and he was again fantastic in this routine.
Least favorite routines
1) Chehon and Lauren's hip hop from Dave Scott. I normally like Dave Scott's routines, but both of his pieces tonight were not that great. This one was slow and in all the wrong ways. Chehon tried, but he was way out of his element. Good thing he had that amazing solo when it turned out that he was in the bottom two.
2) Audrey and Twitch's hip hop from Dave Scott. Another misfire from Dave Scott tonight. The routine was just weird, and Audrey was so out of her element that I eventually gave up trying to watch her and watched Twitch instead. Even Twitch couldn't do much with this piece.
Eliminations
I didn't realize they're only doing the bottom two this week, because I had originally predicted the bottom three. I only got one girl right - Audrey, and she was also the one eliminated. I was surprised Witney ended up in the bottom two as well, and I'm glad the judges saved her. She had been one of the most interesting dancers, and her jazz routine tonight with Nick Lazzarini was excellent.
The two guys who were in trouble were Chehon and George, which I also predicted last week. I thought George was a goner, although he gave it a good fight with the best solo I've ever seen from him. Chehon's solo, though, was much better. George had been in the bottom a couple of times before, so he wasn't surprised that he was eliminated.
Predictions on who will be in trouble next week
Girls: Witney and Lindsay
Boys: Cole and Chehon
My favorite part was seeing Alex Wong back on stage. He has bulked up since his days competing on the show, and he is still an amazing dancer. Mr. Y and I were talking about how crazy it is that he's back as an all-star after just three dances on the show, two of which were instant classic.
Benjamin Millepied, better known as Mr. Natalie Portman and the choreographer for the movie Black Swan, was the guest judge. He knew what he was talking about and had some great technically comments, but it was clear he was not that familiar with the dancers. He choreographed an interesting piece for the L.A. Dance Project near the end of the show.
The group number was choreographed by Tyce, who also danced in it because Cole was slightly injured. Mr. Y and I were afraid that Cole would have to withdraw from the competition, so it was relief to know that he was only slightly injured. Tyce was a much better dancer than choreographer, although seeing Eliana front and center was great.
Favorite routines
1) Eliana and Alex's contemporary from Stacey Tookey. Eliana really elevated her dancing when she got to dance with a worthy partner. Not that Cyrus wasn't fun, but he clearly was not in the same league as Eliana dance-wise. This piece was fantastic from start to finish - haunting and beautiful, and the two dancers fit each other perfectly. Easily the best dance of the night.
2) Tiffany and Brandon's disco from Doriana Sanchez. I thought this routine was fast and fun, and those lifts were crazy. Tiffany has been the stealth front-runner this season - she wasn't featured much in the auditions round and was mistaken for Audrey in the beginning, but she had never been in the bottom and had consistently danced very well (despite my constant predictions that she'll be in the bottom three because she wasn't as well-known as the other dancers). I have always loved the way Brandon danced, and he was again fantastic in this routine.
Least favorite routines
1) Chehon and Lauren's hip hop from Dave Scott. I normally like Dave Scott's routines, but both of his pieces tonight were not that great. This one was slow and in all the wrong ways. Chehon tried, but he was way out of his element. Good thing he had that amazing solo when it turned out that he was in the bottom two.
2) Audrey and Twitch's hip hop from Dave Scott. Another misfire from Dave Scott tonight. The routine was just weird, and Audrey was so out of her element that I eventually gave up trying to watch her and watched Twitch instead. Even Twitch couldn't do much with this piece.
Eliminations
I didn't realize they're only doing the bottom two this week, because I had originally predicted the bottom three. I only got one girl right - Audrey, and she was also the one eliminated. I was surprised Witney ended up in the bottom two as well, and I'm glad the judges saved her. She had been one of the most interesting dancers, and her jazz routine tonight with Nick Lazzarini was excellent.
The two guys who were in trouble were Chehon and George, which I also predicted last week. I thought George was a goner, although he gave it a good fight with the best solo I've ever seen from him. Chehon's solo, though, was much better. George had been in the bottom a couple of times before, so he wasn't surprised that he was eliminated.
Predictions on who will be in trouble next week
Girls: Witney and Lindsay
Boys: Cole and Chehon
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Last Season of The Office
I used to be a regular watcher of The Office, but stopped after Steve Carrell left. Apparently I missed a pretty bad season last year when the show tried to find its footing after Carrell's exit, and the ratings fell. Now comes news that next season will be the last season for The Office.
I agree that the best days of The Office have passed. The Office used to provide consistent funny episodes, by Steve Carrell's last season, only a few episodes really stood out as being good. I think it's great that they can give the show a proper ending, and the original showrunner, Greg Daniels, is coming back for this last season. I will be watching again.
In no particular order, my favorite episodes of The Office:
- Casino Night - Jim's confession of love and his first kiss with Pam
- Garage Sale - Michael's proposal to Holly
- Niagara, Parts I and II - Pam and Jim's wedding
- Gay Witch Hunt - Michael's accidental outing of Oscar and his misguided sensitivity seminar, complete with a kiss with Oscar
- Stress Relief, Parts I and II - Starting with Dwight setting the office on fire to punish his coworkers for not listening to his instructions as fire safety officer, and ending with a really awkward roast of Michael and Michael's attempt at counter-roast
I agree that the best days of The Office have passed. The Office used to provide consistent funny episodes, by Steve Carrell's last season, only a few episodes really stood out as being good. I think it's great that they can give the show a proper ending, and the original showrunner, Greg Daniels, is coming back for this last season. I will be watching again.
In no particular order, my favorite episodes of The Office:
- Casino Night - Jim's confession of love and his first kiss with Pam
- Garage Sale - Michael's proposal to Holly
- Niagara, Parts I and II - Pam and Jim's wedding
- Gay Witch Hunt - Michael's accidental outing of Oscar and his misguided sensitivity seminar, complete with a kiss with Oscar
- Stress Relief, Parts I and II - Starting with Dwight setting the office on fire to punish his coworkers for not listening to his instructions as fire safety officer, and ending with a really awkward roast of Michael and Michael's attempt at counter-roast
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Facekinis
Apparently the new craze in China is for people to wear these crazy facekinis while on the beaches. As opposed to Americans and other Western societies who favor tan skins, the Chinese people (and a lot of East Asians generally) value pale skin more than getting a tan. Pale skin is associated with wealth and prosperity because if you're pale, that means you are wealthy and don't have to work in the fields. In Asia there are a lot of whitening creams being sold in drugstores. During really sunny days it's not unusual to see a lot of the women wearing long sleeves and pants, and carrying umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun.
I find these facekinis ridiculous. They make people look like bank robbers or Mexican wrestlers. Plus they don't look that comfortable. Why go to the beach or go swimming if you won't even enjoy a little bit of sun?
I find these facekinis ridiculous. They make people look like bank robbers or Mexican wrestlers. Plus they don't look that comfortable. Why go to the beach or go swimming if you won't even enjoy a little bit of sun?
Bizarre Foods America - Blues Trail
Mr. Y and I were watching Bizarre Foods America last night. Andrew Zimmern was traveling down the Delta Blues Trail from Memphis, Tennessee to Jackson, Mississippi. A lot of the foods did not look appetizing - full of fat and random meat parts.
One of the most interesting parts of the show was when Andrew visited a pork rind factory in Clarksdale, Mississippi. The owner is a Chinese-American named Kim Wong, and he came to the United States when he was pretty young. A lot of the Chinese immigrants came to work in the fields after the Civil War, and eventually worked their way up to owning grocery stores. Kim Wong's family owned one of these stores, and he got the idea of improving on the pork rind recipe by using the Chinese recipe to make roast pork. Now his factory makes pork and chicken rinds, and they look really delicious. It was so weird listening to Kim's son, a first-generation American, speaking in very thick Southern accent.
Andrew also visited the Chow family, who had been living in Mississippi for four generations. Again it was very odd to see Chinese people in our parents' generation speaking with very thick Southern accent. They had invited Andrew over for a big family meal, and had four wok stations set up in a car port. The food was a mix of Southern and Chinese food - Crawfish Cantonese, Venison Pepper Steak, Fried Rice, Chinese-style spareribs with Mississippi honey, Pig's Feet, etc. The food looks absolutely delicious. From a historical perspective, we usually assume that the Chinese are the more recent immigrants to the United States, and it was fun to learn about the Chinese who came to Mississippi in the 1800s.
One of the most interesting parts of the show was when Andrew visited a pork rind factory in Clarksdale, Mississippi. The owner is a Chinese-American named Kim Wong, and he came to the United States when he was pretty young. A lot of the Chinese immigrants came to work in the fields after the Civil War, and eventually worked their way up to owning grocery stores. Kim Wong's family owned one of these stores, and he got the idea of improving on the pork rind recipe by using the Chinese recipe to make roast pork. Now his factory makes pork and chicken rinds, and they look really delicious. It was so weird listening to Kim's son, a first-generation American, speaking in very thick Southern accent.
Andrew also visited the Chow family, who had been living in Mississippi for four generations. Again it was very odd to see Chinese people in our parents' generation speaking with very thick Southern accent. They had invited Andrew over for a big family meal, and had four wok stations set up in a car port. The food was a mix of Southern and Chinese food - Crawfish Cantonese, Venison Pepper Steak, Fried Rice, Chinese-style spareribs with Mississippi honey, Pig's Feet, etc. The food looks absolutely delicious. From a historical perspective, we usually assume that the Chinese are the more recent immigrants to the United States, and it was fun to learn about the Chinese who came to Mississippi in the 1800s.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
So You Think You Can Dance - Top 14
It was great to welcome back So You Think You Can Dance last night after two weeks of Olympics. It has been so long that I almost forgot who the competitors were.
I thought the theme last night was awesome, and I am surprised they haven't thought about this before. All of the dancers re-created Mia Michaels's most famous routines. The dancers did a good job, some better than others, although I don't think any of them are as good as the originals. But since these dances are so iconic, it would have been a tall order to overshadow the originals.
Sidenote: NappyTabs' little boy is so adorable!
Favorite routines
1) Cole and Lindsay - Addiction. Mia originally choreographed this routine for Kayla and Kupono. I thought Cole captured the intensity of being the addiction as well as Kupono. Cole was freaky, in a good way. Thankfully he didn't stay in character for the judges' comments. Lindsay wasn't as good as Kayla, but she did get rid of being the pretty dancer as Mia asked her to do, and it was the best dance of the night.
2) Witney and Chehon - the Bench. This was one of the most iconic dances in So You Think You Can Dance history, and Witney and Chehon had the tall order of replicating Heidi and Travis. I actually think it was a smart move for Chehon and Witney to take it in a slightly different direction. Travis was more accessible than Chehon, but Chehon's remoteness brought an interesting new angle to the dance.
Least favorite routines
1) Janelle and Dareian - the Bed. This is the most dancing I've seen Janelle do, but she was still invisible compared to Dareian. Dareian did a lot of awesome dancing, but the piece overall fell flat. I knew that if Janelle ended up in the bottom three, she was leaving.
2) Amelia and Will - the Butt Dance. This was the perfect dance for them, but Amelia seemed too uncomfortable and didn't throw herself into the piece as much as Randi did. Will outdanced her and got into the character very well. It's funny to compare Will to Evan, because they're so different physically, but Will was so fluid that he brought a different physicality to the dance.
Eliminations
I was only right about one of the girls, but I was right about all of the guys. The bottom three girls were Janelle, Amelia, and Lindsay. When I saw that I knew Janelle was a goner, but it was a close call between Lindsay and Amelia. Both have excellent partnerships, and have danced some of the most memorable pieces this season. I was never a big fan of Amelia, although she has been better since dancing with Will, so I can't say I'm upset she was gone.
The three guys who were in trouble, as I had predicted, were Dareian, Matt, and George. I thought the race was between Dareian and George. All of them did pretty good solos, and the judges decided to save George. I do think that's the right decision - Dareian is flashier, but George is the better dancer.
Next week is the top 10, and the partnerships will be broken up. The dancers will get to dance with all-stars, which would be awesome.
Predictions on who will be in trouble next week
Girls: Eliana, Audrey, and Lindsay
Boys: Cyrus, George, and Chehon
I thought the theme last night was awesome, and I am surprised they haven't thought about this before. All of the dancers re-created Mia Michaels's most famous routines. The dancers did a good job, some better than others, although I don't think any of them are as good as the originals. But since these dances are so iconic, it would have been a tall order to overshadow the originals.
Sidenote: NappyTabs' little boy is so adorable!
Favorite routines
1) Cole and Lindsay - Addiction. Mia originally choreographed this routine for Kayla and Kupono. I thought Cole captured the intensity of being the addiction as well as Kupono. Cole was freaky, in a good way. Thankfully he didn't stay in character for the judges' comments. Lindsay wasn't as good as Kayla, but she did get rid of being the pretty dancer as Mia asked her to do, and it was the best dance of the night.
2) Witney and Chehon - the Bench. This was one of the most iconic dances in So You Think You Can Dance history, and Witney and Chehon had the tall order of replicating Heidi and Travis. I actually think it was a smart move for Chehon and Witney to take it in a slightly different direction. Travis was more accessible than Chehon, but Chehon's remoteness brought an interesting new angle to the dance.
Least favorite routines
1) Janelle and Dareian - the Bed. This is the most dancing I've seen Janelle do, but she was still invisible compared to Dareian. Dareian did a lot of awesome dancing, but the piece overall fell flat. I knew that if Janelle ended up in the bottom three, she was leaving.
2) Amelia and Will - the Butt Dance. This was the perfect dance for them, but Amelia seemed too uncomfortable and didn't throw herself into the piece as much as Randi did. Will outdanced her and got into the character very well. It's funny to compare Will to Evan, because they're so different physically, but Will was so fluid that he brought a different physicality to the dance.
Eliminations
I was only right about one of the girls, but I was right about all of the guys. The bottom three girls were Janelle, Amelia, and Lindsay. When I saw that I knew Janelle was a goner, but it was a close call between Lindsay and Amelia. Both have excellent partnerships, and have danced some of the most memorable pieces this season. I was never a big fan of Amelia, although she has been better since dancing with Will, so I can't say I'm upset she was gone.
The three guys who were in trouble, as I had predicted, were Dareian, Matt, and George. I thought the race was between Dareian and George. All of them did pretty good solos, and the judges decided to save George. I do think that's the right decision - Dareian is flashier, but George is the better dancer.
Next week is the top 10, and the partnerships will be broken up. The dancers will get to dance with all-stars, which would be awesome.
Predictions on who will be in trouble next week
Girls: Eliana, Audrey, and Lindsay
Boys: Cyrus, George, and Chehon
Monday, August 13, 2012
Los Angeles Lakers
I have been a massive Lakers fan practically since I was born, and I am really excited about the upcoming season. The Lakers added Dwight Howard and Steve Nash in the offseason, and those are great players who I think will fit well with Kobe and Pau. Howard is a great defender and rebounder, and as as long as his back holds up, he is the top center in the NBA and is a better player than Andrew Bynum. Steve Nash has always been a consistently excellent player, and although he is slowing down, he is still a major improvement on the point guard front from Ramon Sessions. He also has a good attitude and he and Kobe seem to be getting along well, which is a good sign.
I'm also excited about Antawn Jamison. He signed a one-year, $1.4 million contract, which is a bargain considering how much he could've gotten elsewhere. He is clearly serious about trying to win a championship, especially having been on terrible teams for most of his 14-year career. His signing really helps improve the Lakers' bench, which was terrible last season. Jamison averaged 17.2 points and 6.3 rebounds last year with Cleveland, and in his career has averaged 45.1% from the field, including 34.1% from the three-point line. He has been called this generation's James Worthy, and I hope he lives up to the billing.
It will be a fun season in the NBA!
I'm also excited about Antawn Jamison. He signed a one-year, $1.4 million contract, which is a bargain considering how much he could've gotten elsewhere. He is clearly serious about trying to win a championship, especially having been on terrible teams for most of his 14-year career. His signing really helps improve the Lakers' bench, which was terrible last season. Jamison averaged 17.2 points and 6.3 rebounds last year with Cleveland, and in his career has averaged 45.1% from the field, including 34.1% from the three-point line. He has been called this generation's James Worthy, and I hope he lives up to the billing.
It will be a fun season in the NBA!
The Olympics Are Over
Last night marked the end of the 2012 Olympics. The past two weeks had gone by so quickly, and it was a fun ride.
My favorite highlights (in no particular order):
- Michael Phelps. After a slow start at the 400 IM, Phelps went on to win four more golds and two silvers. He is now the most decorated Olympian ever, and he had elevated his sport to amazing new heights. People kept asking him if he was really done and he said yes. I hope he meant it and never came back, because it's rare that an athlete can go out on top.
- The U.S. women gymnastics team. What a wonderful bunch of girls - they worked together to win team gold, and then Gabby, Aly, and McKayla went on to win their own individual medals. Even though Jordyn Wieber didn't qualify for the all-around and faltered during the floor exercise, she had shown so much class and team support. I hope she comes back for Rio. By the way, if you haven't seen the memes going around of McKayla's pouty face during the vault medal ceremony (she won silver after falling on her butt during her second vault), you have to check these out.
- Missy Franklin. She was the breakout star of the swimming team this year, with her great attitude, big smiles, and five medals. She won the most golds for any female Olympian - four golds, and she also has a bronze medal. To think she's only 17 and will most likely be back for Rio.
- Synchronized swimming. I was so excited to catch some synchronized swimming. Only in this sport will you see crazy amounts of makeup and insane outfits. Plus what they do look easy, but it's incredibly hard. The Michael Jackson routine performed by the Russians was my personal favorite.
- U.S. diving. After failing to win any medal in the past two Olympics, the United States overhauled their diving program and the results were four medals. Kelci Bryant and Abby Johnston won silver in the 3-meter springboard, and David Boudia and Nick McCrory in the 10-meter platform and Troy Dumais and Kristian Ipsen in the 3-meter springboard won bronzes. The most amazing medal was obviously David Boudia's gold in the individual 10-meter platform. Boudia was the last diver to qualify out of the preliminaries, but fortunately for him no score carried over. He performed the best six dives of his life in the finals, and narrowly edged China's Qiu Bo and Great Britain's Tom Daley for the gold.
- Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings. Watching these two win their third gold medal was fantastic, especially since it's the last Olympics for Misty May-Treanor. They really have a very deep bond, and it was a pleasure to see how hard they worked. Despite all the brouhaha about the bikinis, no one would mistake Misty and Kerri as anything but serious athletes.
- The U.S. women. The U.S. women won 29 of the team's 46 golds. If the U.S. women were their own country, they would tie for third with Great Britain for the number of gold medals. In some sports the women clearly outperformed their male counterparts - boxing, beach volleyball, gymnastics, soccer, track and field, and water polo.
My favorite highlights (in no particular order):
- Michael Phelps. After a slow start at the 400 IM, Phelps went on to win four more golds and two silvers. He is now the most decorated Olympian ever, and he had elevated his sport to amazing new heights. People kept asking him if he was really done and he said yes. I hope he meant it and never came back, because it's rare that an athlete can go out on top.
- The U.S. women gymnastics team. What a wonderful bunch of girls - they worked together to win team gold, and then Gabby, Aly, and McKayla went on to win their own individual medals. Even though Jordyn Wieber didn't qualify for the all-around and faltered during the floor exercise, she had shown so much class and team support. I hope she comes back for Rio. By the way, if you haven't seen the memes going around of McKayla's pouty face during the vault medal ceremony (she won silver after falling on her butt during her second vault), you have to check these out.
- Missy Franklin. She was the breakout star of the swimming team this year, with her great attitude, big smiles, and five medals. She won the most golds for any female Olympian - four golds, and she also has a bronze medal. To think she's only 17 and will most likely be back for Rio.
- Synchronized swimming. I was so excited to catch some synchronized swimming. Only in this sport will you see crazy amounts of makeup and insane outfits. Plus what they do look easy, but it's incredibly hard. The Michael Jackson routine performed by the Russians was my personal favorite.
- U.S. diving. After failing to win any medal in the past two Olympics, the United States overhauled their diving program and the results were four medals. Kelci Bryant and Abby Johnston won silver in the 3-meter springboard, and David Boudia and Nick McCrory in the 10-meter platform and Troy Dumais and Kristian Ipsen in the 3-meter springboard won bronzes. The most amazing medal was obviously David Boudia's gold in the individual 10-meter platform. Boudia was the last diver to qualify out of the preliminaries, but fortunately for him no score carried over. He performed the best six dives of his life in the finals, and narrowly edged China's Qiu Bo and Great Britain's Tom Daley for the gold.
- Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings. Watching these two win their third gold medal was fantastic, especially since it's the last Olympics for Misty May-Treanor. They really have a very deep bond, and it was a pleasure to see how hard they worked. Despite all the brouhaha about the bikinis, no one would mistake Misty and Kerri as anything but serious athletes.
- The U.S. women. The U.S. women won 29 of the team's 46 golds. If the U.S. women were their own country, they would tie for third with Great Britain for the number of gold medals. In some sports the women clearly outperformed their male counterparts - boxing, beach volleyball, gymnastics, soccer, track and field, and water polo.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Basketball Player Punched in the Crotch
French basketball player Nicolas Batum deliberately punched Spanish guard Juan Carlos Navarro in the crotch during the last 23 seconds of their quarterfinal game in the Olympics. The French needed to foul, and Batum certainly delivered. When asked by Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski why he punched Navarro, Batum stated, "I wanted to make sure he had good reason to flop." Amazingly, Batum was not ejected. Instead the referee simply called an unsportsmanlike conduct call (the second one against France that night after Ronny Turiaf clocked Rudy Fernandez just a few minutes earlier), and Navarro hit one of the two free throws.
At the U.S.-Argentina game, Carmelo Anthony was also punched in the crotch by Facundo Campazzo, who stated later that he did it in retaliation for Chris Paul's hit earlier.. Campazzo was also not ejected.
Wojnarowski makes a good argument in this article that if a United States player had done the same thing, the outcry would be ten times worse. Even though Batum is an NBA player with the Portland Trailblazers, he is thought of as representing France at the Olympics, not the NBA. But the U.S. players are seen to represent both the country and the NBA. Four years ago in Beijing, the Spanish team came under fire for making slanty eyes. As Jason Kidd mentioned back then, if the U.S. team had done that, "We would've already been thrown out of the Olympics. At the least, we wouldn't have been able to come back to the U.S. There would be suspensions."
Batum did apologize later over Twitter - "I want to apologize for my stupid act at the end. I showed a bad image of France and myself. Congrats to team Spain."
At the U.S.-Argentina game, Carmelo Anthony was also punched in the crotch by Facundo Campazzo, who stated later that he did it in retaliation for Chris Paul's hit earlier.. Campazzo was also not ejected.
Wojnarowski makes a good argument in this article that if a United States player had done the same thing, the outcry would be ten times worse. Even though Batum is an NBA player with the Portland Trailblazers, he is thought of as representing France at the Olympics, not the NBA. But the U.S. players are seen to represent both the country and the NBA. Four years ago in Beijing, the Spanish team came under fire for making slanty eyes. As Jason Kidd mentioned back then, if the U.S. team had done that, "We would've already been thrown out of the Olympics. At the least, we wouldn't have been able to come back to the U.S. There would be suspensions."
Batum did apologize later over Twitter - "I want to apologize for my stupid act at the end. I showed a bad image of France and myself. Congrats to team Spain."
Samyr Laine
Mr. Y and I were watching the Olympics tonight and heard the amazing story of Samyr Laine. He was born in New York to Haitian parents, and competes for Haiti in the Olympics in the triple jump.
Samyr went to Harvard as an undergraduate, and was the freshman year roommate of Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook. In this Bloomberg article, he talked about playing a lot of video games with Zuckerberg and both of them not sleeping much. He was also the fourteenth person to sign up for Facebook when he and Zuckerberg were sophomores, and as he mentioned in the Los Angeles Times article, he is still friends with Zuckerberg and talks to him every couple of months.
After graduating from Harvard, Samyr got a master's degree in kinesiology and sports management from University of Texas while training. Then he went to Georgetown and got a law degree, and was a summer associate at a prestigious law firm, Shearman & Sterling. He studied and passed the bar exam while training for the London Olympics, and he also started a foundation, Jump for Haiti, to help the poorly-funded athletics community in Haiti. It was only in the past 18 months that he was able to concentrate solely on training. Samry mentioned in a BBC Sports article, "I am a US citizen but when it comes to competing or representing Haiti I feel I am an ambassador on an international level. I wear my red and blue on my sleeve and the country is near and dear to me."
Although Samyr didn't medal in the triple jump, his is still a great story for so many reasons. Let's hope he can continue to inspire and raise money for Haiti.
Samyr went to Harvard as an undergraduate, and was the freshman year roommate of Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook. In this Bloomberg article, he talked about playing a lot of video games with Zuckerberg and both of them not sleeping much. He was also the fourteenth person to sign up for Facebook when he and Zuckerberg were sophomores, and as he mentioned in the Los Angeles Times article, he is still friends with Zuckerberg and talks to him every couple of months.
After graduating from Harvard, Samyr got a master's degree in kinesiology and sports management from University of Texas while training. Then he went to Georgetown and got a law degree, and was a summer associate at a prestigious law firm, Shearman & Sterling. He studied and passed the bar exam while training for the London Olympics, and he also started a foundation, Jump for Haiti, to help the poorly-funded athletics community in Haiti. It was only in the past 18 months that he was able to concentrate solely on training. Samry mentioned in a BBC Sports article, "I am a US citizen but when it comes to competing or representing Haiti I feel I am an ambassador on an international level. I wear my red and blue on my sleeve and the country is near and dear to me."
Although Samyr didn't medal in the triple jump, his is still a great story for so many reasons. Let's hope he can continue to inspire and raise money for Haiti.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Filming on New York Streets
I've seen a few productions filming on New York streets over the years, and recently saw Smash filming on 9th Avenue and 666 Park Avenue near 7th Avenue. I've also seen Law and Order, Law and Order: SVU, Ugly Betty, and 30 Rock. Too bad I rarely got to see any actual stars - just a lot of trailers, cables, lights, props, and people milling around. I did get to see Mariska Hargitay once - she is so beautiful. I've also seen Lara Spencer and Josh Elliott from Good Morning America - much taller in real life.
It always amazes me how many people it takes to film movies and TV shows, and how all of them have very specific jobs. Another fascinating thing I've seen is the craft service table. There are usually so much food and drinks - everything from fruits to candies to different brands of bottled waters and little bottles of alcohol, and these are just for the snacks. I've also seen food trucks parked near sets around lunchtime.
The most annoying thing about these shows filming on actual streets is the traffic, and how obnoxious the production assistants got when they are telling people to get out of the way. If you're going to inconvenience people by blocking sidewalks and streets, at least be nice about it. Plus you're only a PA - no need to go on a power trip.
It always amazes me how many people it takes to film movies and TV shows, and how all of them have very specific jobs. Another fascinating thing I've seen is the craft service table. There are usually so much food and drinks - everything from fruits to candies to different brands of bottled waters and little bottles of alcohol, and these are just for the snacks. I've also seen food trucks parked near sets around lunchtime.
The most annoying thing about these shows filming on actual streets is the traffic, and how obnoxious the production assistants got when they are telling people to get out of the way. If you're going to inconvenience people by blocking sidewalks and streets, at least be nice about it. Plus you're only a PA - no need to go on a power trip.
James Bond's 50th Anniversary
James Bond celebrates his 50th Anniversary this year, and Entertainment Weekly's August 2012 issue celebrates all things Bond, including pictures of the new Skyfall.
The first Bond movie I ever saw was Octopussy, although I didn't know what it was called at the time. I saw it at a pretty young age, around 9 or 10, and it was in Asia. The film was dubbed and I'm pretty sure a lot of the racier scenes were removed and the dubbing would tone down the sexual references. I saw it years later as an adult and realized that it was the movie that I saw as a child, and there were definitely scenes that I didn't see the first time. My most salient memory was the circle buzz saw above the bed.
My favorite Bond, contrary to popular opinion, is Pierce Brosnan. He always looks like he's having fun, and that he's in on the joke no matter how outlandish the situation (invisible car race in an ice palace - really?). Plus he was Bond for my favorite Bond movie - Tomorrow Never Dies. I am a big fan of Michelle Yeoh, and she was great at being one of the few Bond girls who can actually kick Bond's butt.
Daniel Craig makes an excellent Bond for the newly serious Bond movies, and Casino Royale is definitely one of the best Bond movies ever. However, he is so dour, and always seem so angry in real life as well. I actually saw him in person once at a Whole Foods in Manhattan with his then-girlfriend Satsuki Mitchell, and what drew my eyes to him first was not because I recognized him as James Bond, but because he had a big scowl on his face. I think the best part of Casino Royale was actually Eva Green. She was a great Bond girl - beautiful and brainy, and it's not hard to see why Bond fell so hard for her.
Mr. Y admitted that as a child, his favorite Bond movie was Moonraker. According to EW, Moonraker was rushed to production to capitalize on the popularity of Star Wars. I can see how a kid would love that movie. As an adult, Mr. Y's favorite Bond is the Spy Who Loved Me.
The first Bond movie I ever saw was Octopussy, although I didn't know what it was called at the time. I saw it at a pretty young age, around 9 or 10, and it was in Asia. The film was dubbed and I'm pretty sure a lot of the racier scenes were removed and the dubbing would tone down the sexual references. I saw it years later as an adult and realized that it was the movie that I saw as a child, and there were definitely scenes that I didn't see the first time. My most salient memory was the circle buzz saw above the bed.
My favorite Bond, contrary to popular opinion, is Pierce Brosnan. He always looks like he's having fun, and that he's in on the joke no matter how outlandish the situation (invisible car race in an ice palace - really?). Plus he was Bond for my favorite Bond movie - Tomorrow Never Dies. I am a big fan of Michelle Yeoh, and she was great at being one of the few Bond girls who can actually kick Bond's butt.
Daniel Craig makes an excellent Bond for the newly serious Bond movies, and Casino Royale is definitely one of the best Bond movies ever. However, he is so dour, and always seem so angry in real life as well. I actually saw him in person once at a Whole Foods in Manhattan with his then-girlfriend Satsuki Mitchell, and what drew my eyes to him first was not because I recognized him as James Bond, but because he had a big scowl on his face. I think the best part of Casino Royale was actually Eva Green. She was a great Bond girl - beautiful and brainy, and it's not hard to see why Bond fell so hard for her.
Mr. Y admitted that as a child, his favorite Bond movie was Moonraker. According to EW, Moonraker was rushed to production to capitalize on the popularity of Star Wars. I can see how a kid would love that movie. As an adult, Mr. Y's favorite Bond is the Spy Who Loved Me.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Katie Ledecky at Age 2 with Michael Jordan
Sally Jenkins, a columnist with the Washington Post, wrote a great article about Katie Ledecky, the 15-year-old who stunned everyone by winning the Olympic gold medal in the women's 800-meter freestyle race. She is also the youngest member of the United States Olympic contingent.
The best thing is the picture of a 2-year-old Katie coloring on a book while sitting in a luxury box at the MCI Center with Michael Jordan and Ted Leonsis, the majority owner of the NHL's Washington Capitals and the NBA's Washington Wizards. Katie's uncle, Jon Ledecky, was a friend and former partner of Ted Leonsis.
The best thing is the picture of a 2-year-old Katie coloring on a book while sitting in a luxury box at the MCI Center with Michael Jordan and Ted Leonsis, the majority owner of the NHL's Washington Capitals and the NBA's Washington Wizards. Katie's uncle, Jon Ledecky, was a friend and former partner of Ted Leonsis.
Lightning McQueen Powerwheel Turned Into Real Race Car
Now this is cool. A dad turned a Lightning McQueen Powerwheel into a mini race car. My son, who loves Cars, would have gone crazy over this.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Olympics Round-Up
Olympics Round-Up:
- Mr. Y mentioned yesterday how terrible Australia did in swimming at this Olympics. Today there is news that Australia will hold an independent review of their swimming program.
- Great picture of the Olympics rings hanging below Tower Bridge in London.
- Nice - getting kicked out of the Olympics because there's tetrahydrocannabinol (i.e., pot) in his system. Couldn't he wait until after the Olympics? And if it's true that he ingested it accidentally, then he should not be eating stuff without knowing what's in it.
- Best photograph of an Olympic athlete so far: Oscar Pistorius, the double amputee, inspiring another generation to persevere.
- Mr. Y mentioned yesterday how terrible Australia did in swimming at this Olympics. Today there is news that Australia will hold an independent review of their swimming program.
- Great picture of the Olympics rings hanging below Tower Bridge in London.
- Nice - getting kicked out of the Olympics because there's tetrahydrocannabinol (i.e., pot) in his system. Couldn't he wait until after the Olympics? And if it's true that he ingested it accidentally, then he should not be eating stuff without knowing what's in it.
- Best photograph of an Olympic athlete so far: Oscar Pistorius, the double amputee, inspiring another generation to persevere.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Maze Made From 250,000 Books
Brazilian artists Marcos Saboya and Gualter Pupo used 250,000 books to create a maze called "aMAZEme" at the Royal Festival Hall in London as part of the Southbank Centre's Festival of the World. It will be on display until August 25, 2012.
It's a pretty cool maze, and I wonder how long it took them to install the maze. The only other information I found was that the maze was inspired by Argentinian writer and educator J.L. Borges, and was created in the shape of Borges fingerprint. The maze covers an area of 500 square metres, or approximately 5382 square feet, and sections stand up as high as 2.5 meters, or approximately 8 feet. Quotes from book sare projected onto the maze walls, and there is also accompanying audio.
It's a pretty cool maze, and I wonder how long it took them to install the maze. The only other information I found was that the maze was inspired by Argentinian writer and educator J.L. Borges, and was created in the shape of Borges fingerprint. The maze covers an area of 500 square metres, or approximately 5382 square feet, and sections stand up as high as 2.5 meters, or approximately 8 feet. Quotes from book sare projected onto the maze walls, and there is also accompanying audio.
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