CNN.

Always startling.


And just in case you didn't see the link in the comments of the last post..Holy Jesus Christ. I feel so bad for her! (just in case she's actually aware enough to realize how stupid that really was.)



In more relevant news, I return to school soon, so the posts will be updated more frequently after that, when my life returns back to nothingness.

Ahhh....

So, as half the readership of this lame little blog already know, the beach trip was absolutely, utterly, unquestionably, fully awesome. (In a spectacular way.) The sun blazed from dawn til dusk each and every single day, the water in the pool was crisp and cool, the ocean was warm, the food was delicious, the alcohol was plentiful, and the company was sublime. Plus, everyone got to witness my utter humiliation in "Butts Up". Could everyone send all the photos to a central repository (read: me) and then I can either post them all here, and everyone can retrieve them from the blog, or I can send them all out. In either case, gimme!

In other news, I've recently been reading/listening to "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer, the wunderkind of American literature. I have to admit that I actually think it really sucks so far. It's not quite purple prose that makes the book irritating, but something more akin to purple concepts. Images and imagery that seem to be completely superfluous that are unnecessarily extravagant or grasping for depth. The child narrator is also irritatingly precocious and I actually would rather smack him in the face rather than sympathize with his plight. I'm only halfway through though, but I figured I'd trumpet my irritation.

I'm also reading "Kitchen Confidential" by Anthony Bourdain. The book is a behind the scenes look at the restaurant culture, namely drug, sex, blood, alcoholism, crime, and a bunch of losers who couldn't hack it in the mainstream. The book also reflects Bourdain's perspective on food, which is what I'm really after. So far, I give it only 3 out of 5 stars. I mention this book, because I'm also looking for more books to read about food. Good books. Books i have read in the past have been Omnivore's Dilemma (awesome), Heat (awesome), Fast Food Nation (too shrill and not actually advancing my interest in food), and now Kitchen Confidential. Anyone? Suggestions?

And Happy Two Year Anniversary AJ! I love you.

Update.

Update:

1) SJewB is probably not coming.
2) Whitford and his girlfriend are coming.
3) Shogun is going to try and come.
4) Drumsets, guitars, guitar amps, microphones, and PAs are likely to be coming as well.

Sweet.

Beach Trip.

Just to give an idea...it appears that the most random, far-scattered, and assorted people in my life will all be converging on this beach house at some point over that week to see my extra 30 pounds of New York law firm summer life flab (no really.)...Just to give you an idea....this is what I'm aware of...

1) Derick and Melissa (Wash U and St. Louis.)
2) Kate G. (Wash U./St. Louis) (possible roommate too)
3) Jon T. (Wash U./St. Louis/NYC)
4) Nik R. and Aarti S. (Greenville/SanFran/Minnesota?)
5) John H. and Sara Beth M.(H?) (Duke/Nashville)
6) Roger S. (Jew.)
7) Mark O. (Greenville/Clemson)
8) Andrew N. (Wash U./St.Louis/NYC)
9) Andrea P. (Wash U./St. Louis)(maybe)
10) Emily N. and Dave N. (Duke/Philly/Georgetown)
11) Me and Ashley.
12) If you're missing from this list, it's your damned fault.

I vouch for you all. Well...most of you. And if you have any social unease, there will be plenty of booze to wipe it away. And a completely, aristocratically private beach. Once again, here are the pictures...

The house fits 20 people...so it appears as if we can squeeze a few more in (since many people are coming for only a little bit...) or we can squeeze a lot more in, if you're in more of a spring break mood. (Relax DA...you and wifey have already been guaranteed the master suite.)

Asian Cup.

I'm not sure if it was major or minor news, but Iraq recently won the Asian Cup...a prestigious international soccer tournament. I imagine the victory is a tier or two down from the world cup ( I mean, it is Asian), but apparently the celebrations in Iraq were riotously joyful and euphoric.

I must add, of course, the footnote that several car bombs went off when they first made it to the finals, killing 50 people celebrating the joyous occasion....and that "celebratory gunfire" also killed several people, although only in the single digits.

Anyhow, the reason I mention this, besides the sort of small uplifting feeling I have when I think about it...is a picture I came across in the NYTimes. This picture haunts me...because this is the Iraq that I somehow don't think about as much, or I never really see...and it is really just hits me hard because this is where the car bombs land.


But, despite my outlook, she looks thrilled, and she looks like she still has a childhood....so that's good!