Tuesday, February 10, 2009
caren's 2009 resolutions
i resolve not to watch ridiculous 'reality tv' in 2009. i will continue to watch project runway (although it bothers me that the weinstein brothers stole it from bravo) and i will watch top chef because both these shows are merit-based competitions. however, the hills, the city, the real housewives of whereever andthe gauntlet all rot my brain. it is a train wreck that i can't turn away from. having a production background, i get so angry with the poor edits and inconsistent timelines, that i wish i could tell the creators that these so called 'staged scenarios' have such a stupid overall look/feel (or that they should just hire me as their continuity director). i think the best thing about this resolution is that my bf and i won't get into a fight that has absolutely nothing to do with us and everything to do with audrina, whitney, vicki & puck!
Pop Culture Vortex: Watching the Grammys in my PJ's
I swore to myself (and to my boyfriend) that I wouldn't get sucked into the vortex that is the Grammys Sunday night but, as usual, I did. For some reason, I thought tuning in for the red carpet event pre-show would be enough to make me opt for the blackhole of Tylenol PM-assisted sleep, but the knowledge that Sir Paul was performing, plus the chance to watch all these self-righteous a-holes make fools of themselves with their excessive bling and ridiculous fashion and also having nothing better to do made me stick around for the whole thing.
The most startling news of the night actually came in the pre-show when it was announced that Chris Brown and Rihanna would be MIA for the show; they were both scheduled to perform. At the time it was reported that Chris Brown had been in an altercation with an unidentified woman following a party at the home of music's resident mummy Clive Davis. Today, we know that the woman in question actually is Rihanna, Chris Brown's girlfriend, who might be one of the best looking people on the planet. What a dick. Besides the absolute ludicrosity of hitting a woman (if he tried that with me, I'd knock his gleaming too-white teeth right out of his skull), what's the deal with being a twenty year-old millionaire, having tons of money and one of the hottest women around still being so pissed? Thank god Justin "JT" Timberlake was around to step in for Brown during the opening performance. Nothing like a little more self-promotion for that guy because we don't get enough of him all the time.
The first award of the night was given out by Whitney Houston. She looked good and seemed to be drug-free, however, her timing when thanking her 'entertainment business father' in the middle of the best R & b award was a bit off putting. Even the aforementioned mummy Davis seemed to feel awkward about it. Yes, he won an icon award (or whatever) but guuurl, mention it before you list the nominees not in between nominees and 'the winner is.....' Really.
How the Jonas Brothers got to do a duet with Stevie Wonder is beyond my comprehension. These are children! Celibate children! They have no business on the stage with Stevie! The verse/lyric flub made so blatantly by Nick Jonas (or maybe it was Kevin - they look the same to me) just confirms why they aren't ready to perform with Stevie, or to have sex for that matter. And seriously, aren't the Grammys supposed to be the most prestigious music awards show? If it weren't for T-Bone Burnett and Robert Plant, I would have sworn I was watching the Disney Channel (Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift performed a duet about being 15!). The irony of the whole show is that if only everyone presenting actually performed, it would have had some substance (i.e. Herbie Hancock, Green Day, Sheryl Crow, Blink-182, etc...). Instead, we're confronted with these excessively over-styled child stars doing the bulk of the duet with the seasoned veterans.
Speaking of ironic, at least Coldplay copped to ripping off the Sgt. Pepper outfits they've been wearing but it didn't stop them from looking ridiculous. You'd think they would have a better wardrobe, isn't the lead singer married to a fashion icon?? And of course, what music awards show wouldn't be complete unless Kanye stuck his two sense in and made a nasty remark about how he wasn't nominated and how bitter he is. And thank god someone named "Sean P. Combs" was there to patter around with Natalie Cole and poor third-wheeling Herbie Hancock. I've never heard of this "Sean P. Combs" and I wish him all the success in the world.
On the flip side, MIA is amazing (and everyone should own the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack). Her outfit however really needed to be re-thought. I am all for showing beautiful pregnant women, but come on, she looked like a circus act at a 2 yr. old's b'day party. That said, there's really no reason she had to overshadowed by being made to perform with Kanye West, TI, Lil Wayne and Jay-Z. Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against any of those guys, but MIA had a banner year, why should she be relegated to back up vocals on her own song?
In the end, it's the performances that make or break the night. Paul McCartney's performance with Dave Grohl on drums was awesome, although, I wish Dave wasn't chewing gum like a cow the whole time. And Radiohead killed it with the USC marching band performing "15 Steps." Robert Plant and Allison Krause also performed a song off a record that won three Grammys and I'm convinced they were booked so that people might get a chance to listen to the song that won all those awards, but I'm not hating on either of them. And to close the night, Stevie came back out to play a song as the audience filtered out and CBS cut to a "promotional consideration provided by Delta" spot. I'm so glad I know how the little people got there.
The most startling news of the night actually came in the pre-show when it was announced that Chris Brown and Rihanna would be MIA for the show; they were both scheduled to perform. At the time it was reported that Chris Brown had been in an altercation with an unidentified woman following a party at the home of music's resident mummy Clive Davis. Today, we know that the woman in question actually is Rihanna, Chris Brown's girlfriend, who might be one of the best looking people on the planet. What a dick. Besides the absolute ludicrosity of hitting a woman (if he tried that with me, I'd knock his gleaming too-white teeth right out of his skull), what's the deal with being a twenty year-old millionaire, having tons of money and one of the hottest women around still being so pissed? Thank god Justin "JT" Timberlake was around to step in for Brown during the opening performance. Nothing like a little more self-promotion for that guy because we don't get enough of him all the time.
The first award of the night was given out by Whitney Houston. She looked good and seemed to be drug-free, however, her timing when thanking her 'entertainment business father' in the middle of the best R & b award was a bit off putting. Even the aforementioned mummy Davis seemed to feel awkward about it. Yes, he won an icon award (or whatever) but guuurl, mention it before you list the nominees not in between nominees and 'the winner is.....' Really.
How the Jonas Brothers got to do a duet with Stevie Wonder is beyond my comprehension. These are children! Celibate children! They have no business on the stage with Stevie! The verse/lyric flub made so blatantly by Nick Jonas (or maybe it was Kevin - they look the same to me) just confirms why they aren't ready to perform with Stevie, or to have sex for that matter. And seriously, aren't the Grammys supposed to be the most prestigious music awards show? If it weren't for T-Bone Burnett and Robert Plant, I would have sworn I was watching the Disney Channel (Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift performed a duet about being 15!). The irony of the whole show is that if only everyone presenting actually performed, it would have had some substance (i.e. Herbie Hancock, Green Day, Sheryl Crow, Blink-182, etc...). Instead, we're confronted with these excessively over-styled child stars doing the bulk of the duet with the seasoned veterans.
Speaking of ironic, at least Coldplay copped to ripping off the Sgt. Pepper outfits they've been wearing but it didn't stop them from looking ridiculous. You'd think they would have a better wardrobe, isn't the lead singer married to a fashion icon?? And of course, what music awards show wouldn't be complete unless Kanye stuck his two sense in and made a nasty remark about how he wasn't nominated and how bitter he is. And thank god someone named "Sean P. Combs" was there to patter around with Natalie Cole and poor third-wheeling Herbie Hancock. I've never heard of this "Sean P. Combs" and I wish him all the success in the world.
On the flip side, MIA is amazing (and everyone should own the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack). Her outfit however really needed to be re-thought. I am all for showing beautiful pregnant women, but come on, she looked like a circus act at a 2 yr. old's b'day party. That said, there's really no reason she had to overshadowed by being made to perform with Kanye West, TI, Lil Wayne and Jay-Z. Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against any of those guys, but MIA had a banner year, why should she be relegated to back up vocals on her own song?
In the end, it's the performances that make or break the night. Paul McCartney's performance with Dave Grohl on drums was awesome, although, I wish Dave wasn't chewing gum like a cow the whole time. And Radiohead killed it with the USC marching band performing "15 Steps." Robert Plant and Allison Krause also performed a song off a record that won three Grammys and I'm convinced they were booked so that people might get a chance to listen to the song that won all those awards, but I'm not hating on either of them. And to close the night, Stevie came back out to play a song as the audience filtered out and CBS cut to a "promotional consideration provided by Delta" spot. I'm so glad I know how the little people got there.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Collision Course
Ahh, the holidays in NYC. Maybe I should rephrase this and say “Ahh, Christmas in NYC” because, let’s face it, no one gives a shit about Hanukah, and being a Jew, I am trying to talk myself into thinking that other people are still celebrating Hanukah these days (or at least acknowledging it). There are few things better this time of year than strolling around my favorite neighborhoods in downtown NYC: Soho, Nolita, and the West Village (basically anywhere below 14th street). How silly of me to think that people have not found out about the great food, shops, culture and beautiful architecture that these downtown neighborhoods possess, especially tourists.
The conflict that tourists create lies within the struggle of needing tourism to sustain our economy yet having no tolerance for the tourists and the baggage they bring, literally and figuratively. It is a necessary evil that New Yorkers have resigned themselves to dealing with, and I really try to take it in stride. I mean, now more than ever, we need people to come here and spend some cash, so that I don’t have to. And while I know we need them, I can’t help but single out the family visiting from Denmark with their matching Helli-Hansen parkas or the couple from Jersey pretending to be hip by hanging out downtown, only to end up at Shrek on Broadway, as particularly deserving of my scorn. Of course, it wouldn’t be so bad if they would just get out of my way.
I often wonder if these tourists know how annoying they truly are. From walking with their heads in the clouds (instead of looking straight ahead) to taking up the whole sidewalk, there’s simply no end to the annoyance. A family of five walks side-by-side, not to mention moving at the speed of a tortoise. Two middle-aged women from Indiana walk into Madewell (a hip jeans store) where the sales girls are no older than 21 (and all hail from Staten Island) only to ask where some high end Italian furniture store is. As if these girls have any clue. But rest assured, I steer clear of Old Navy, Victoria’s Secret and American Eagle since you can always find some Midwest family bum rushing those stores (because god knows they don’t have those stores back in Ohio nestled right next to the food court).
The piece de resistance is, of course, getting stopped and being asked for directions. They need them and I’ve got them. In truth, and this just might be the holidays talking, I do get some satisfaction out of knowing that I’ve lifted a weight off their back and made their lives so much easier (or at least their afternoon). When I am with my boyfriend, I’m sure they find us quite humorous when we start arguing over which one of us has the better, easiest, quickest directions. (What can I say; we’re a competitive couple.) On the other hand, there are few things as disturbing as not being able to decipher what a native English speaker is trying to get out; I never knew “R train” was so hard to say with a Southern accent.
But, hey, at least they ask me for directions and not the girl with the fake Gucci bag and the Uggs. What is it that makes me approachable? Do I look like a native New Yorker? Do I look like I know where I’m going? Do I walk with an air of confidence? Maybe they read knowledge in my willingness to walk right over them. (Kind of conflicts with the Main Street idea that all New Yorkers are rude a-holes, but whatever.) Either way, my love-hate relationship with tourists always turns a bit into “like” when they stop me to ask for directions.
The real annoyance here is also a story for another time. If the vendors in my Park Slope neighborhood conducted themselves like normal proprietors should then I would never have to leave my neighborhood and venture into the city. I am so perplexed that there is all this talk about supporting your local business owner so they don’t go under, yet the majority of them are cash only places that open up after 2pm on a Wednesday, or whenever their Bikram yoga class ends. Especially during the holiday season, you would think they would get their shit together and be readily available to shoppers. Us locals have to get our shopping done, too.
The conflict that tourists create lies within the struggle of needing tourism to sustain our economy yet having no tolerance for the tourists and the baggage they bring, literally and figuratively. It is a necessary evil that New Yorkers have resigned themselves to dealing with, and I really try to take it in stride. I mean, now more than ever, we need people to come here and spend some cash, so that I don’t have to. And while I know we need them, I can’t help but single out the family visiting from Denmark with their matching Helli-Hansen parkas or the couple from Jersey pretending to be hip by hanging out downtown, only to end up at Shrek on Broadway, as particularly deserving of my scorn. Of course, it wouldn’t be so bad if they would just get out of my way.
I often wonder if these tourists know how annoying they truly are. From walking with their heads in the clouds (instead of looking straight ahead) to taking up the whole sidewalk, there’s simply no end to the annoyance. A family of five walks side-by-side, not to mention moving at the speed of a tortoise. Two middle-aged women from Indiana walk into Madewell (a hip jeans store) where the sales girls are no older than 21 (and all hail from Staten Island) only to ask where some high end Italian furniture store is. As if these girls have any clue. But rest assured, I steer clear of Old Navy, Victoria’s Secret and American Eagle since you can always find some Midwest family bum rushing those stores (because god knows they don’t have those stores back in Ohio nestled right next to the food court).
The piece de resistance is, of course, getting stopped and being asked for directions. They need them and I’ve got them. In truth, and this just might be the holidays talking, I do get some satisfaction out of knowing that I’ve lifted a weight off their back and made their lives so much easier (or at least their afternoon). When I am with my boyfriend, I’m sure they find us quite humorous when we start arguing over which one of us has the better, easiest, quickest directions. (What can I say; we’re a competitive couple.) On the other hand, there are few things as disturbing as not being able to decipher what a native English speaker is trying to get out; I never knew “R train” was so hard to say with a Southern accent.
But, hey, at least they ask me for directions and not the girl with the fake Gucci bag and the Uggs. What is it that makes me approachable? Do I look like a native New Yorker? Do I look like I know where I’m going? Do I walk with an air of confidence? Maybe they read knowledge in my willingness to walk right over them. (Kind of conflicts with the Main Street idea that all New Yorkers are rude a-holes, but whatever.) Either way, my love-hate relationship with tourists always turns a bit into “like” when they stop me to ask for directions.
The real annoyance here is also a story for another time. If the vendors in my Park Slope neighborhood conducted themselves like normal proprietors should then I would never have to leave my neighborhood and venture into the city. I am so perplexed that there is all this talk about supporting your local business owner so they don’t go under, yet the majority of them are cash only places that open up after 2pm on a Wednesday, or whenever their Bikram yoga class ends. Especially during the holiday season, you would think they would get their shit together and be readily available to shoppers. Us locals have to get our shopping done, too.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
eavesdropping
my better half has a written a similiar article for his online magazine with the same name 'eavesdropping' (www.stevesword.com) but i just had to write about my whole take on the situation. we moved to brooklyn 7 months ago and and have been experiencing the culinary wonders of dining out. brooklyn is known for some amazing restaurants; while charming in stature, space can be somewhat limited. so last saturday evening after taking in a movie we went to our favorite sushi restaurant. i would say the tables are about 2 feet apart. so while i would hate for someone to eavesdrop on my conversation with my boyfriend you cannot help but do just that (unless the couple is signing, which we both know as well:)
the 'no-no's' of topics NOT to touch upon are obvious, yet people can't help themselves: your ex, dating services, partying habits, and the most awkward is the 'bill' at the end of the meal- guys, please don't make her 'reach'......
while all these things are like a car crash that you can't take your eyes off of, i have a bigger issue: the 'job dance'. i am in the production/advertising world (with about a million other new yorkers). i have been on almost everyside of the business and know a lot of people, so when the couple started throwing names around i immediatley knew everything. he is a up and coming creative and she, a media planner at the same agency. so the conversation obviously has some mutual ebb and flow to it, discussing the inter-office 'politics' yet being in two completely different areas of the business. i can only explain creatvie to media as church to state. while he is trying to impress her with his invite to the 'one show', the open bar, and after-party, she is trying to tell him how she convinced a client of an added value merchandising concept by putting another ad on yet another bus kiosk.
while all this back and forth about the 'biz' seems to fall on deaf ears (not mine of course:) the couple seem to revert back to the exes and who's apartment is closest to go and smoke weed. i feel quite lucky to have met someone 5 years ago that all we need to do short of eating and staring into eachother's eyes is eavesdropping on other's perils in dating.
the 'no-no's' of topics NOT to touch upon are obvious, yet people can't help themselves: your ex, dating services, partying habits, and the most awkward is the 'bill' at the end of the meal- guys, please don't make her 'reach'......
while all these things are like a car crash that you can't take your eyes off of, i have a bigger issue: the 'job dance'. i am in the production/advertising world (with about a million other new yorkers). i have been on almost everyside of the business and know a lot of people, so when the couple started throwing names around i immediatley knew everything. he is a up and coming creative and she, a media planner at the same agency. so the conversation obviously has some mutual ebb and flow to it, discussing the inter-office 'politics' yet being in two completely different areas of the business. i can only explain creatvie to media as church to state. while he is trying to impress her with his invite to the 'one show', the open bar, and after-party, she is trying to tell him how she convinced a client of an added value merchandising concept by putting another ad on yet another bus kiosk.
while all this back and forth about the 'biz' seems to fall on deaf ears (not mine of course:) the couple seem to revert back to the exes and who's apartment is closest to go and smoke weed. i feel quite lucky to have met someone 5 years ago that all we need to do short of eating and staring into eachother's eyes is eavesdropping on other's perils in dating.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Enough about Oprah, let's talk about Oprah; Oprah
This woman is the most self-serving person on our planet. Oprah masks all of her self involvement will her billions, that she donates to charities and causes (because she can't have kids of her own or be honest about her sexuality). While I can't stand her and her show, it is not the first time I have watched something I hate so much, yet can't stand to look away (i.e. HBO's 'Tell Me You Love Me' , The Hills, Kimora, and anything having to do with Tyra Banks- I'll get to her later; although I think Joel McHale on the Soup did a fabulous job of showing us the ridiculous person she is). I digress, anytime Oprah has a guest (or guests) on her show it always comes back to how Oprah was somehow involved and contributed to this person's success, accomplishments and importance. It's as if her publicist is writng the show.
example #1 You have a gay athlete on your show with the head of the Advocate discussing the importance of 'coming out as a public figure' so kids won't be afraid to be who they are, blah, blah, blah and all this bitch can talk about is 'remember when I played the psychiatrist to Ellen Degeneres on her show, the episode when she came out? Yes, she asked me to be the one.....'
give me a f____ g break!!!
example #2 James Frey's book 'A Million Little Pieces'- put on her book club- made him famous, made him $$ then we all find out it was partly fabricated. Well, when she had him back on the show to confront him and his publishers but all she could talk about was how he 'duped' HER and now SHE looks bad to her fans- boo hoo!
I could go on and on but I seriously feel like I would be just as guilty as the point I'm trying to make....... that I am giving her more attention than she deserves.
example #1 You have a gay athlete on your show with the head of the Advocate discussing the importance of 'coming out as a public figure' so kids won't be afraid to be who they are, blah, blah, blah and all this bitch can talk about is 'remember when I played the psychiatrist to Ellen Degeneres on her show, the episode when she came out? Yes, she asked me to be the one.....'
give me a f____ g break!!!
example #2 James Frey's book 'A Million Little Pieces'- put on her book club- made him famous, made him $$ then we all find out it was partly fabricated. Well, when she had him back on the show to confront him and his publishers but all she could talk about was how he 'duped' HER and now SHE looks bad to her fans- boo hoo!
I could go on and on but I seriously feel like I would be just as guilty as the point I'm trying to make....... that I am giving her more attention than she deserves.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Today?
I love getting pampered...whether it be a mani/pedi, massage or eyebrow waxing...I'm all over it. There are some pitfalls in the 'nail place' process that I have noticed in my experience over the years. For one, I've noticed that the more I frequent a salon (which means the more money I spend there), the more generous they become with MY money. For example, when I ask for a 15 minute massage - I mean 15 minutes...NOT 20! There is probably a good reason as to why I only want 15 minutes and that is I don't want to fork over an addtional 10 dollars (which in turn comes out to more with tipping); a girl needs to eat, ya know.
Secondly, they love to suggest how you should look and what procedures you might want to think about. I used to live in the West Village and there was a great place that I was a regular at (so much so that they let me borrow their magazines to take to the gym and drop off on my way back home). When I would go to get my eyebrows done they would look at my upper lip and ask 'Today?' Now, I don't know how sensitive you are, but I get bent out of shape pretty easily when someone critiques my looks. I have dark hair and have been struggling with the amount and visiblity of it in places on my body I would prefer it not be (no, no struggle there - brazilian). When I was little my mother would take me to Saks and get 15 minutes of electrolysis (torture) and I would use Jolen to lighten my arms and 'stache. Over the years, it has been under control. I'm not sure where I got this idea from but if I start to wax my upper lip- it will grow back like a man's. The point is, this isn't something that I need strangers pointing out to me as they attempt to squeeze a few more bucks out my budget.
The larger issue here is when one enters a spa/salon for services offered, chances are we know what we want and how much we are going to spend for it.....overselling is a turnoff in the pampering world.
Secondly, they love to suggest how you should look and what procedures you might want to think about. I used to live in the West Village and there was a great place that I was a regular at (so much so that they let me borrow their magazines to take to the gym and drop off on my way back home). When I would go to get my eyebrows done they would look at my upper lip and ask 'Today?' Now, I don't know how sensitive you are, but I get bent out of shape pretty easily when someone critiques my looks. I have dark hair and have been struggling with the amount and visiblity of it in places on my body I would prefer it not be (no, no struggle there - brazilian). When I was little my mother would take me to Saks and get 15 minutes of electrolysis (torture) and I would use Jolen to lighten my arms and 'stache. Over the years, it has been under control. I'm not sure where I got this idea from but if I start to wax my upper lip- it will grow back like a man's. The point is, this isn't something that I need strangers pointing out to me as they attempt to squeeze a few more bucks out my budget.
The larger issue here is when one enters a spa/salon for services offered, chances are we know what we want and how much we are going to spend for it.....overselling is a turnoff in the pampering world.
Bag It!
I love grocery shopping. I feel like I can check something off my 'to do list' once I leave the store. I do have a bone to pick with grocery store managers. While on occasion I do take the luxury of having my groceries delivered, for the most part, I carry them a whole two blocks home. Being a gym rat I am in perfect physical condition to do this small task. However, it would make life easier (and easier on my biceps) if the girls at the checkout learned how to bag groceries in a mannerly fashion. Do NOT put all bottles of soda, juice, and pickles in the one bag and cereal, wheat thins and a half pound of turkey in the other. It's common sense. But really, thanks for making sure one arm has more muscle mass than the other arm.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
We're still EATING
Friday evening, I was dining chez UWS with my beau and his family at their favorite local bistro. We usually know what to expect in regards to service, food quality, ambiance, etc. However, on this occasion, my soon to be mother-in-law and I had a rare moment of mutual bonding because I was brought up to believe that no one leaves the dinner table until EVERYONE is through eating (even if my father is trying to beat the turtles and snails in 'last place' with his filet of sole). This rule carries over to dining out as well. The waitstaff should be well aware of NOT clearing ANYONE'S plate until EVERYONE is finished eating. Unfortunately for us, my beau is a very speedy eater and it only caught the eye of our eager beaver waitress. It is somewhat awkward when you can't get the words out quick enough to tell her to leave the plate but it is even more awkward when the second person is through eating and the bus boy comes around to swipe their plate. Restaurant owners and managers need to teach their employees the proper etiquette of clearing the plates off the table.
On the flipside, one definitely makes up for flawed service as I experienced at my meal chez UES last night. I had ordered a dish that came with a side of potatoes. I asked if I could substitute a vegetable instead. No Problem. The meal came with the mashed potatoes. This is not a big deal, however, it is a little annoying when you have to beg the rest of the table to 'please, start eating' with feelings of guilt that YOU have held the meal up, when clearily it was the fault of your waiter. I know, I know, you are wondering how this is the 'flipside'?....when our bill came our wine was comped...NOW that is making good of bad.
On the flipside, one definitely makes up for flawed service as I experienced at my meal chez UES last night. I had ordered a dish that came with a side of potatoes. I asked if I could substitute a vegetable instead. No Problem. The meal came with the mashed potatoes. This is not a big deal, however, it is a little annoying when you have to beg the rest of the table to 'please, start eating' with feelings of guilt that YOU have held the meal up, when clearily it was the fault of your waiter. I know, I know, you are wondering how this is the 'flipside'?....when our bill came our wine was comped...NOW that is making good of bad.
The Introduction
I created this blog because I want to express my thoughts and opinions regarding day to day experiences that happen to me regarding work and social ethics. So many people don't know how to act accordingly, whether in the work place, the gym, a restaurant, etc. I hope that anyone and everyone will reply based on their own experiences. Enjoy. Or be afraid.
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