truth in advertising
Last night TS and I saw
An Inconvenient Truth. For those not in the know, it is a documentary of Al Gore's powerpoint presentation on Global Warming that he has given around the world. (It also seemed a bit of 100 min campaign ad to me, but TS didnt agree on that point)
Before the movie we were bombarded with random ads from TV shows to Broadband companies to the requesit Coca-cola. But the previews were so precisely to the general audience . . . whomever does the audience marketing research for previews did a great job for this one . . .
Word Play (a documentary about crossword puzzles)
Trust the Man (a movie about New Yorkers in love/marriage)
Who Killed the Electric Car? (a documentary about where the "future" of cars went)
Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos (a documentary (mocumentary?) about the NY soccer team in the '70s)
the last one left the audience silent, purely silent, but looks, well, like a potentially cheesy Hollywood version of events :
World Trade Centerbut all and all staight to the psuedo-intellectual aware of effects of our lifestyle, but probably not doing a whole lot about it, since we all were sitting in an over air-conditioned, over lit cinema on the upper west side.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
as seen on
Ideal Bite: (some other environmental friendly films)
Nacho Libre - Jack Black, who drives a hybrid and supports
Stop Global Warming , plays a priest-turned-wrestler trying to save an orphanage from closing; yes, it’s based on a true story (Jun 16).
Superman Returns - studio Warner Bros has kicked off a host of
environmental initiatives . Star Kate Bosworth pulled up to this year’s Oscars in an electric car (Jun 30).
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest - Orlando Bloom footed the bill for tree plantings in Scotland aimed at mitigating his carbon use, and he works with
Climate Star (Jul 7).
The Illusionist - starring Edward Norton, who masterminded the
Solar Neighbors program (Aug 18 - also Edward’s birthday).
an example of park slope 'tude
Tonight as I walked home from the grocer I saw a poodle-like pup taking its owner for a walk. The pup sniffed out a respectable place to leave his mark . . . apparently finding the McDonald's bag on the sidewalk a suitable spot to do buisness . . . already this dog has learned to poo on corporate america . . . oh yeah, this is the slope. . .
I thought Carrie Bradshaw had shamed us all . . .
Did we not all learn back in 2003 that no New York gal with any sense of fashion should ever sport a scrunchie in Gotham, lest she be mistaken for a tourist from Macon, GA?
But last night, at Porters Lounge, the otherwise stylish barkeep was restraining her long blong hair with non other than a black knit scrunchie! I was shocked, confused, taken aback. . . but wait, might the scrunchie be returning in a retro-chic fashion?
broadway
I like to go to the theater from time to time and last night I saw a new rendition of some old classics. The choreography was simple but brilliant, the instrumentals smooth and spunky in all the right places and the chorus, well, it warmed my heart. But sadly yesturday was both the opening day and closing night of "Broadway Lullaby" at St. Bridget's. But let me tell you, the pre-K thru 1st grader's rendtion of "You're Never Fully dressed without a smile" was stellar.
NY lazy day
Today I feel I got to cover quite a bit of NY borough ground . . . BK, SI and Manhattan all in one day!
I started out with a Park Slope classic with my Dad, La Bagel Delight on a friend's stoop and then on to Coney Island to show Dad the Wonder Wheel* and see some classic sights and rather aweful hotdogs at Nathans. Later, after bidding Dad adieu, TS and I went for a walk through the park then on to a ferry ride (my first of the season) where I also had a nice treat of bud light tall boy (my first of the season). After debarking back in Manhattan we wandered around, and I had the opportunity to introduce TS to a NY staple, Century 21.
*sadly, no rides today because the amusement Midway had been rented to a group of young Hasidic boys for the day.
Tompkin's square, how had I never been there?
Yesturday I went to Tompkins Sqaure Park for the first time. what? the first time? Surely I must have walked by it at some point because I've been to some of the bars/restaurants nearby . . . But what a gorgeous park!* No wonder people are always telling tales of lazy afternoons there. Luckily I'll get to breeze through again on Friday . . .
*Sadly, all photos online I found of the park were of it in winter, or of the dog run, neither meeting the great green scene that it is now
What not to wear
The other day I was strolling up Lexington Ave headed toward the MET when I saw this guy:
(For those of you not in the know, he is Clinton from the show
What Not to Wear)
Here I am rummaging through TS's backpack wearing jeans, green runners and a short black jacket. I'm not sure exactly what Clinton was thinking as his eyes met mine, but I'm pretty sure it was along the lines of "our show will never die"
the draw of Fendi frames
I had a patient today that wanted to make sure that she didnt need a prescription lens in her "for fun" Fendi glasses she wanted to buy.* During the history she disclosed that she had recently had LASIK surgery so she wouldnt need glasses . . . and sure enough, she didnt really need a prescription. . . so she went ahead and orderd the $280 frames with expensive Critzal lenses without prescription . . .
. . . I mean I know I'm only a lowly optometrist, but isn't the point of going through laser eye surgery so that you
don't have to wear glasses?
*Let me just note here, these were to be clear lenses, not sunglasses
a trip to G-Vegas - men vs women, a theme
I just returned from Greenville, home of the Pirates. I am happy to announce BK graduated!
I stayed with CR the first night and awoke to this lovely continetal breakfast spread.
The second night I stayed at BK's and awoke to the sound of machine fire from the last scene of
Jarhead. . . . hmm, I think its an easy conclusion to draw that
WoCo stays are a tad more enjoyable.
bubble boy
TS and I tried to go a tribecca film festival film last night, specifically
Toots up at 68th st (it seems most films were not being shown in the actual neighborhood of tribeca). We waited on line* for close to an hour to discover that not only were there no tickets for us (we were closer to the end of the line, than the front) but that they infact had no tickets available to anyone in the line.
Turns out that had we slipped the filmstudent "line manager" a cool $10, we would have gotten tickets. damn. I've got to use that trick sometime.
We ended up dinning at
Cafe Mozart, listening to live jazz. During our stroll down to Columbus Center there was a frenzy of activity in front of Lincoln Center. We ambled over to investigate. It turns out it was day 4 of David Blaine's lastest
stunt of living under water for 10 days. Wow.
This is why I love NYC . . . you never know what the hell you'll end up seeing.
*thats NYC speak for in line
someday
I was planning on going to this dive bar tonight with a few friends from the slope/gardens. Its open mic tonight, but not anykind of open mic, its read your old teenage diary open mic night.
But, general apathy of all parties involved and fear of melting in the rain led me to sorting socks on my bed.
My mind had wandered* during the trivial task of matching size and colors . . . patients from today, my new green shoes arriving in the mail, if TS's train came yet . . . just kind of all over . . . and then my next thought was "I wonder what Mom is up to"
It was so jarring. Where did that come from? Is there a part of my brain removed from reality? If so, what else goes on there?
*anyone ever note how close "wandered" and "wondered" are?
Broome St ponderings
Overheard in Soho today, spoken by a young woman to a young man:
"Its ALL about the mitochondria"
yes, sister, it is indeed
What's a gal to do?
Yesturday was my only free Sunday for the next 5 weeks and I was looking forward to doing nothing. Well, by doing nothing, I mean cleaning my room. But then I checked my messages and had been asked out to brunch by JS. And moments later asked to join LA for brunch! 2 brunches in one day? could that be possible? What to do?
Hmm, it turns out one was brunch at 11, one was brunch at 2, so obviously, YES, 2 brunches in one day!
Oddly, on LA's roof while we were all enjoying the spread, the sun, and our second round of Mimosas, we heard a "BA-BOOM!" and turned to see black smoke billowing from somewhere around the Manahattan bridge. Fellow brunchers included a handful of Times Reporters, so immediately everyone was blackberrying their way to figure out what happened . . . a propane tank exploded at the fire station. 15 min later we could only see wisps of white smoke/steam, and returned to the strata at hand.
Later that evening after a walk round Prospect Park, before heading to bookclub*, I remembered my original goal of the day of cleaning my room and managed to unpack from Charlotte before running to catch the F . . . so much for my spring cleaning . . . maybe I'll make summer cleaning . . .
*which really turned into nightime bruch - wine, guac and cookies. . . the true food groups
