For Christmas vacation, my family and I went on a cruise to the Bahamas.
It started out pretty rough. About half an hour before we were supposed to leave to catch our flight, the airlines called to tell us that the flight was canceled. Luckily, there was another one leaving at Reagan at the same time.
We met my sister in Newark, but again, luck was on our side. The train to the airport and baggage lines delayed her a bit, but the flight was also delayed so everything worked out.
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The cruise itself was pretty awesome. The rooms were bigger than we expected and the ship was basically a giant, moving city. They had all sorts of activities, like ping-pong, shuffleboard, air hocket, foosball, basketball, a casino (I won 2nd in the poker tournament!), a gym, parties/shows in the evening, live music throughout the ship, etc.
The best part was probably the food. They had both formal sit-down and buffet restaurants. Since it's a pre-paid amount for the entire cruise, we didn't have to worry about paying at each meal. We definitely took advantage of this and ate several times a day. It was kind of a weird feeling not having to pay a bill at each meal and just leaving after we were done.
They also had nightly shows, including a comedian, a Broadway-esque revue, and the sort of show one might find in an amusement park. Other than the comedian, the show weren't all that great, but they were a nice way to end the days.
We were supposed to visit 2 islands, but the weather prevented us from visiting the second one (which was owned by the cruise company!). I would say that Nassau isn't even worth one full day, but we were stuck there for 2...
On the way back, we had a day in Miami. We were all pretty exhausted since we left early that morning and had walked around all day at the Vizcaya house. We all napped for a couple of hours and then headed to South Beach for dinner.
I've only been to Miami twice and both times we went to South Beach after sunset.
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I'm definitely a convert when it comes to cruise ships. I expected tiny rooms, a bunch of old people, and to be bored for much of it. None of that was true. Although it seems like we didn't do a whole lot, I was never bored. It was relaxing and yet there were still enough activities to keep the days interesting.
I'd go again.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Sunday, December 14, 2008
NYC!
I went to NYC this weekend for my sister's birthday dinner, and I had a great time.
It might seem like an odd reason to go all the way up there, but there were a lot of other people going that I hadn't seen in awhile, and I didn't have any other plans in town, so I went.
The bus ride itself was uneventful, although I will say that having electrical outlets at each seat and a driver that speaks English are both major pluses. They also took out rows of seats, so there was a lot of leg room. Highly recommended - (http://www.boltbus.com)
I had to switch trains when I got into the city, and as luck would have it, my train was closed for maintenance. There was another (hot) girl who also needed to take the same train, and I think she may have motioned towards me while we were leaving the station. I'm not sure though, because that would be really weird since we had literally just met and there was no reason for it.
I was actually surprised by the number of people that came up to me while I was waiting for the bus in DC to ask me questions about another bus. There were lots of other people waiting and I've never thought of myself as looking all that approachable.
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The dinner party on Saturday was pretty fun. My sister's two friends from Austin who are now also in New York were both there and it was fun to catch up with them. One of her high school friends was there too and it was amusing to hear what he's doing now. We went to a cool bar afterwards (she had reserved a minibar which had empty bottles along all the walls as the decor - my new iphone wallpaper!).
It's always interesting to meet "significant others" to see what characteristics people you know look for in their mates, and of course, to do your own analysis of whether the looks/personalities match up the way you would want.
I didn't have much time today, but I hung out with my cousin for most of it. We played a little bit of DDR at his place (he's going to a DDR-inspired off-off-Broadway play tonight), then brunch and then Grand Central (where they had a big Christmas fair). I had an enlightening conversation with him over brunch, and saw a side of him that I hadn't seen before.
------
All in all, a really fun weekend and hopefully some good pics to come...
It might seem like an odd reason to go all the way up there, but there were a lot of other people going that I hadn't seen in awhile, and I didn't have any other plans in town, so I went.
The bus ride itself was uneventful, although I will say that having electrical outlets at each seat and a driver that speaks English are both major pluses. They also took out rows of seats, so there was a lot of leg room. Highly recommended - (http://www.boltbus.com)
I had to switch trains when I got into the city, and as luck would have it, my train was closed for maintenance. There was another (hot) girl who also needed to take the same train, and I think she may have motioned towards me while we were leaving the station. I'm not sure though, because that would be really weird since we had literally just met and there was no reason for it.
I was actually surprised by the number of people that came up to me while I was waiting for the bus in DC to ask me questions about another bus. There were lots of other people waiting and I've never thought of myself as looking all that approachable.
-------------
The dinner party on Saturday was pretty fun. My sister's two friends from Austin who are now also in New York were both there and it was fun to catch up with them. One of her high school friends was there too and it was amusing to hear what he's doing now. We went to a cool bar afterwards (she had reserved a minibar which had empty bottles along all the walls as the decor - my new iphone wallpaper!).
It's always interesting to meet "significant others" to see what characteristics people you know look for in their mates, and of course, to do your own analysis of whether the looks/personalities match up the way you would want.
I didn't have much time today, but I hung out with my cousin for most of it. We played a little bit of DDR at his place (he's going to a DDR-inspired off-off-Broadway play tonight), then brunch and then Grand Central (where they had a big Christmas fair). I had an enlightening conversation with him over brunch, and saw a side of him that I hadn't seen before.
------
All in all, a really fun weekend and hopefully some good pics to come...
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Britney's back!
In case you missed it, Britney released her latest CD - Circus - this week.
As with all her CDs, it took me a few listens to really like it. All in all, I think it's more rounded than Blackout and displays her talents better.
I find it highly amusing that she can spell out a curse word in one song, but then two songs later, the actual word is bleeped out. But maybe that's just on the basic CD?
Here's the video for the title track:
Circus
Hard to say the girl's not in shape:
Brit's Bod is Back
As with all her CDs, it took me a few listens to really like it. All in all, I think it's more rounded than Blackout and displays her talents better.
I find it highly amusing that she can spell out a curse word in one song, but then two songs later, the actual word is bleeped out. But maybe that's just on the basic CD?
Here's the video for the title track:
Circus
Hard to say the girl's not in shape:
Brit's Bod is Back
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
News?
I had a heated discussion with my dad yesterday about the news media already announcing some of Obama's Cabinet members, even though they haven't been made official.
The main sticking point I had was that although they named the attorney general (some black guy from the Clinton years), they wouldn't do the same with Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State - even though both candidates seem to be at the exact same point in the nomination process.
In general, though, it seems like the news media should hold off on a lot of these nominations until they become official. I'm not suggesting the press should only report what the government says to report, but I think for some things, there's no reason to try and "be the first" to report an announcement. I really don't see the point.
The main sticking point I had was that although they named the attorney general (some black guy from the Clinton years), they wouldn't do the same with Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State - even though both candidates seem to be at the exact same point in the nomination process.
In general, though, it seems like the news media should hold off on a lot of these nominations until they become official. I'm not suggesting the press should only report what the government says to report, but I think for some things, there's no reason to try and "be the first" to report an announcement. I really don't see the point.
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Obama's Victory Speech
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/11/05/text-of-obamas-election-night-speech/
Overall, I had the same reaction to his Virginia rally speech - not his best, but he finished strong.
The moment itself spoke much louder and carried much more emotion than he could ever convey in words that night anyway.
Inauguration 2009!
This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time – to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:
Yes We Can.Overall, I had the same reaction to his Virginia rally speech - not his best, but he finished strong.
The moment itself spoke much louder and carried much more emotion than he could ever convey in words that night anyway.
Inauguration 2009!
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Historic Night
And so it ends.
After 2 years of endless campaigning, Barack Obama has become the first African-American president-elect and the first Democrat to be elected President in 12 years.
His journey has been nothing short of historic and his victory tonight reflects both America's desire to be inspired and Obama's own tireless campaign strategy to reach every corner of the country.
I went to the rally in Virginia yesterday, and even though he was an hour and a half late, and the entire ordeal took much longer than it should have, seeing 100k people enjoying themselves at a political rally is probably something I will never forget.
Whether Obama will be able to accomplish all of his agenda items is something that remains to be seen, but his power to inspire and to "get out the vote" cannot be denied any longer.
After 2 years of endless campaigning, Barack Obama has become the first African-American president-elect and the first Democrat to be elected President in 12 years.
His journey has been nothing short of historic and his victory tonight reflects both America's desire to be inspired and Obama's own tireless campaign strategy to reach every corner of the country.
I went to the rally in Virginia yesterday, and even though he was an hour and a half late, and the entire ordeal took much longer than it should have, seeing 100k people enjoying themselves at a political rally is probably something I will never forget.
Whether Obama will be able to accomplish all of his agenda items is something that remains to be seen, but his power to inspire and to "get out the vote" cannot be denied any longer.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Campaigning
I don't understand the idea of campaign yard signs.
I get the ones that advocate a certain policy position or vote yes/no (only one, obviously) on a certain proposition.
And if it's actually in someone's yard, I can understand that - people are strong supporters of a candidate and are proud to express their support to the world.
But what about the ones that are in a random field or especially the ones right outside the polling place? Is the premise that, if someone has no idea how to vote, they will suddenly pick a name since they saw a sign for it? God, I hope not. The mere thought of that scares me - I would much rather those people don't vote at all.
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I'm also skeptical of voter registration drives. If people don't care enough to register to vote on their own, is their vote really worth it? Since everything is done by secret ballot, simply registering someone to vote also isn't enough. There's no way to tell if they actually voted for the candidate that registered them, or even if they'll end up voting at all.
It's also been reported that face-to-face contact with voters is the most effective way to register someone. Well, yeah, but that's because there's probably a lot more pressure to sign the form than to simply hang up the phone.
Although it's admirable to get more citizens involved in the democratic process, the reasons for which it's being done aren't so admirable. By reaching outside the normal electorate, Obama is basically conceding that the current voters wouldn't elect him into office.
If that's the case, and the new voters are only voting for him under pressure, where's the win in that? And more importantly, if he does win, will he have enough political capital to make any bold moves once he's in office?
I get the ones that advocate a certain policy position or vote yes/no (only one, obviously) on a certain proposition.
And if it's actually in someone's yard, I can understand that - people are strong supporters of a candidate and are proud to express their support to the world.
But what about the ones that are in a random field or especially the ones right outside the polling place? Is the premise that, if someone has no idea how to vote, they will suddenly pick a name since they saw a sign for it? God, I hope not. The mere thought of that scares me - I would much rather those people don't vote at all.
----
I'm also skeptical of voter registration drives. If people don't care enough to register to vote on their own, is their vote really worth it? Since everything is done by secret ballot, simply registering someone to vote also isn't enough. There's no way to tell if they actually voted for the candidate that registered them, or even if they'll end up voting at all.
It's also been reported that face-to-face contact with voters is the most effective way to register someone. Well, yeah, but that's because there's probably a lot more pressure to sign the form than to simply hang up the phone.
Although it's admirable to get more citizens involved in the democratic process, the reasons for which it's being done aren't so admirable. By reaching outside the normal electorate, Obama is basically conceding that the current voters wouldn't elect him into office.
If that's the case, and the new voters are only voting for him under pressure, where's the win in that? And more importantly, if he does win, will he have enough political capital to make any bold moves once he's in office?
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Mac whore
So I officially became a Mac whore today.
I traded in my ThinkPad at work for a MacBook Pro.
I now have a regular MacBook, a MacBook Pro, an iPhone and an iPod (albeit an old one).
I traded in my ThinkPad at work for a MacBook Pro.
I now have a regular MacBook, a MacBook Pro, an iPhone and an iPod (albeit an old one).
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
One more..
I'm not sure when this became an anti-Palin blog, but here's another video:
She's much more qualified than originally thought, if she reads ALL the magazines and newspapers.
She's much more qualified than originally thought, if she reads ALL the magazines and newspapers.
Monday, September 29, 2008
VP Debate Drinking Game?
I was thinking a fun game would be to drink every time Sarah Palin made a rambling statement that didn't make sense and completely avoided the question.
But based on her previous interviews, you might be trashed in the first few minutes.
But based on her previous interviews, you might be trashed in the first few minutes.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Oh, there's the elephant!
I can imagine the deliberations right before they picked Palin to be the VP nominee.
McCain's entire strategy revolved around her gender. It has nothing to do with the fact that she supposedly advocates reform and has staunchly conservative views. I'm sure there are male Republican members who have a similar record, and probably have more/better experience to back up their claims of reform.
So he picked her purely because of her sex, yet any attack or question about her experience is ruled to be sexist. Even though it was sexism that got her the pick in the first place!
Loved the SNL opening, and actually like Amy's Clinton better than Tina's Sarah (rest of the show sucked though):
http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/palin-hillary-open/656281/
McCain's entire strategy revolved around her gender. It has nothing to do with the fact that she supposedly advocates reform and has staunchly conservative views. I'm sure there are male Republican members who have a similar record, and probably have more/better experience to back up their claims of reform.
So he picked her purely because of her sex, yet any attack or question about her experience is ruled to be sexist. Even though it was sexism that got her the pick in the first place!
Loved the SNL opening, and actually like Amy's Clinton better than Tina's Sarah (rest of the show sucked though):
http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/palin-hillary-open/656281/
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
More politics!
I've always thought Matt Damon was a douche, but this little video changed my opinion (slightly):
Palin's supposed to be interviewed by ABC later this week and I'm wondering if we'll learn anything new about her, or if she'll just repeat the obnoxious lies from her acceptance speech.
The lying continues from the McCain side:
http://www.jedreport.com/2008/09/why-is-john-mccain-defending-s.html
Why that ad - and the obvious mischaracterization - hasn't gotten more press, and the stupid line about lipstick is taking over the airwaves, is beyond me.
I know Obama wants a clean game about the issues, but if the other side wants to play dirty, he should at least respond just as vigorously.
Palin's supposed to be interviewed by ABC later this week and I'm wondering if we'll learn anything new about her, or if she'll just repeat the obnoxious lies from her acceptance speech.
The lying continues from the McCain side:
http://www.jedreport.com/2008/09/why-is-john-mccain-defending-s.html
Why that ad - and the obvious mischaracterization - hasn't gotten more press, and the stupid line about lipstick is taking over the airwaves, is beyond me.
I know Obama wants a clean game about the issues, but if the other side wants to play dirty, he should at least respond just as vigorously.
Friday, September 05, 2008
Palin = Umbridge
My Gmail status today was: does palin remind anyone else of umbridge?
I did a quick search and this page popped up:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080903194746AAkjgMG
Kinda creepy that it's word-for-word what I had.. there's also a Facebook group for the same idea.
Seriously though, her personality and the pasted-on smile reminded me of Umbridge the moment she started talking, and the whole censorship of books put her over the top: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2008/09/sarah-palin-ban.html
As creepy and scary as she is, I'm glad that McCain picked someone who could fire up his party because it makes the election exciting and probably a lot closer than it would have been if he had picked a boring, predictable running mate. I'm also pleasantly surprised that both candidates (so far) have shown a lot of restraint and haven't made the race about petty personal attacks. They've kept it about the big policy questions and other factors that should make a difference in how we pick our leaders.
It's also almost comical the way the Republicans spin everything. If the Democratic VP nominee had a 17-year-old unwed daughter, the Republicans would have had a field day and probably wouldn't have stopped talking about it until Election Day. The Clinton impeachment hearings are a pretty good indication of that... However, since it's on their side, any attack whatsoever is just sexist.
Palin also conveniently left out all of her extreme views (anti-abortion even in the cases of rape and incest, book banning, pro-gun control, teaching creationism in schools, etc.), and lied about her already short record (she claimed that she was against the Bridge to Nowhere, but only took that position after she realized it was incredibly unpopular, and she never gave the money back!).
We'll have to see how the Democrats respond to her, but I really hope her extremely conservative views are given a broader audience, because my guess is that she wouldn't be nearly as popular if everyone knew her stance on various issues.
I did a quick search and this page popped up:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080903194746AAkjgMG
Kinda creepy that it's word-for-word what I had.. there's also a Facebook group for the same idea.
Seriously though, her personality and the pasted-on smile reminded me of Umbridge the moment she started talking, and the whole censorship of books put her over the top: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2008/09/sarah-palin-ban.html
As creepy and scary as she is, I'm glad that McCain picked someone who could fire up his party because it makes the election exciting and probably a lot closer than it would have been if he had picked a boring, predictable running mate. I'm also pleasantly surprised that both candidates (so far) have shown a lot of restraint and haven't made the race about petty personal attacks. They've kept it about the big policy questions and other factors that should make a difference in how we pick our leaders.
It's also almost comical the way the Republicans spin everything. If the Democratic VP nominee had a 17-year-old unwed daughter, the Republicans would have had a field day and probably wouldn't have stopped talking about it until Election Day. The Clinton impeachment hearings are a pretty good indication of that... However, since it's on their side, any attack whatsoever is just sexist.
Palin also conveniently left out all of her extreme views (anti-abortion even in the cases of rape and incest, book banning, pro-gun control, teaching creationism in schools, etc.), and lied about her already short record (she claimed that she was against the Bridge to Nowhere, but only took that position after she realized it was incredibly unpopular, and she never gave the money back!).
We'll have to see how the Democrats respond to her, but I really hope her extremely conservative views are given a broader audience, because my guess is that she wouldn't be nearly as popular if everyone knew her stance on various issues.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
US Open
Things to do before I die:
#256. Attend a tennis Grand Slam event in person.
Check!
This Labor Day weekend was kinda hectic. My parents' family friends stayed with us on Friday night, and then we drove Saturday afternoon for NYC. Normally the drive takes about 4 - 4.5 hours, but traffic was ridiculous and even after taking a few shortcuts, it still took us 6 hours.
We were all kinda tired, so we didn't do much that night except walk around Times Square. If you've never been, you should definitely check out the indoor ferris wheel at the Toys R Us. It's pretty cool.
On Sunday, my dad, my cousin and I went to the US Open. Fun fact: I've now visited the grounds of all 4 tennis Grand Slams (Wimbledon in England, French Open in Paris, US Open in NYC, and the Australian Open in Melbourne). We couldn't get tickets to the main stadium and instead had a grounds admission pass which basically lets you wander around the smaller courts and if there's room in the larger stadiums, you can see those too.
I've been to other major sporting events before, but I have to say that this one was really unique. I was surprised at how quiet everyone was (and they say that the US Open is one of the rowdier tennis events!), and at the fact that the ushers only open the gates during changeovers. I was also very impressed at how good the juniors were. We were there on the first day of the boys and girls singles and some of the kids we saw were absolutely incredible. Since they played on the smaller courts, we got a close-up view of the game and I was pretty amazed.
I think if I lived in New York, I would definitely try to get out and see more games (the evening sessions at Arthur Ashe seem to have a whole different feel). We left my sister's apartment around 10am and got to our seats before the game started at 11 - and that was with getting our tickets, the security scan, and looking around!
----
Last week's DNC was interesting. It started out pretty slow and kinda boring, but the main personalities of the party really delivered when it mattered. Hillary finally showed some passion and emotion that was lacking at critical times during her own campaign, Bill gave an articulate and impassioned endorsement of Obama, and Biden was able to make Michelle Obama cry.
And, of course, Obama surpassed even the highest expectations in his own speech. It was well-written, well-delivered and set the tone for the political season.
So far, the RNC is kinda slow as well. I don't remember too much about past political conventions, but it seems like they're paying an inordinate amount of attention to Palin. On the second (really the first) day of the convention, they should be focused entirely on McCain, no?
I wouldn't be surprised if the Democratic Party went through a major shake-up if they lost this election.
#256. Attend a tennis Grand Slam event in person.
Check!
This Labor Day weekend was kinda hectic. My parents' family friends stayed with us on Friday night, and then we drove Saturday afternoon for NYC. Normally the drive takes about 4 - 4.5 hours, but traffic was ridiculous and even after taking a few shortcuts, it still took us 6 hours.
We were all kinda tired, so we didn't do much that night except walk around Times Square. If you've never been, you should definitely check out the indoor ferris wheel at the Toys R Us. It's pretty cool.
On Sunday, my dad, my cousin and I went to the US Open. Fun fact: I've now visited the grounds of all 4 tennis Grand Slams (Wimbledon in England, French Open in Paris, US Open in NYC, and the Australian Open in Melbourne). We couldn't get tickets to the main stadium and instead had a grounds admission pass which basically lets you wander around the smaller courts and if there's room in the larger stadiums, you can see those too.
I've been to other major sporting events before, but I have to say that this one was really unique. I was surprised at how quiet everyone was (and they say that the US Open is one of the rowdier tennis events!), and at the fact that the ushers only open the gates during changeovers. I was also very impressed at how good the juniors were. We were there on the first day of the boys and girls singles and some of the kids we saw were absolutely incredible. Since they played on the smaller courts, we got a close-up view of the game and I was pretty amazed.
I think if I lived in New York, I would definitely try to get out and see more games (the evening sessions at Arthur Ashe seem to have a whole different feel). We left my sister's apartment around 10am and got to our seats before the game started at 11 - and that was with getting our tickets, the security scan, and looking around!
----
Last week's DNC was interesting. It started out pretty slow and kinda boring, but the main personalities of the party really delivered when it mattered. Hillary finally showed some passion and emotion that was lacking at critical times during her own campaign, Bill gave an articulate and impassioned endorsement of Obama, and Biden was able to make Michelle Obama cry.
And, of course, Obama surpassed even the highest expectations in his own speech. It was well-written, well-delivered and set the tone for the political season.
So far, the RNC is kinda slow as well. I don't remember too much about past political conventions, but it seems like they're paying an inordinate amount of attention to Palin. On the second (really the first) day of the convention, they should be focused entirely on McCain, no?
I wouldn't be surprised if the Democratic Party went through a major shake-up if they lost this election.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Olympics de-brief
I'm kinda pissed that I'm not in Dallas for the Liukin rally this weekend. It's kind of a shame that Shawn Johnson seems to be getting more publicity and attention - Liukin won 5 medals, including gold for the all-around! I suppose it's all about personality though - Shawn's got the perkiness going for her, while Liukin seemed more focused (and honestly, a little pissed she didn't win the balance beam).
I went to the Carly Patterson rally back in 2004 and I still remember it pretty well. I wonder if she's play a prominent role in the one for Liukin.
I still think it's pretty crazy that out of the entire world, the past two female Olympic all-around gold medalists went to the same gym and trained together.
While the overall Olympic coverage was very impressive and amazing - to be able to cover that many events on every NBC-affliated channel as well as live streaming events online is no small feat - I think they could have done a lot more to emphasize the athletic prowess (for example, comparing the world record in the 400m to the average human's time) and spent more time portraying China as a country.
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I'm going to the US Open on Sunday with my dad and cousin. I've never been to a professional tennis match so I'm pretty excited. Oddly enough, I've visited 3 of the 4 Grand Slam sites, but not Flushing, NY.
I went to the Carly Patterson rally back in 2004 and I still remember it pretty well. I wonder if she's play a prominent role in the one for Liukin.
I still think it's pretty crazy that out of the entire world, the past two female Olympic all-around gold medalists went to the same gym and trained together.
While the overall Olympic coverage was very impressive and amazing - to be able to cover that many events on every NBC-affliated channel as well as live streaming events online is no small feat - I think they could have done a lot more to emphasize the athletic prowess (for example, comparing the world record in the 400m to the average human's time) and spent more time portraying China as a country.
-------
I'm going to the US Open on Sunday with my dad and cousin. I've never been to a professional tennis match so I'm pretty excited. Oddly enough, I've visited 3 of the 4 Grand Slam sites, but not Flushing, NY.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Olympics Update
Well, you can get an update anywhere, but here's my take ;)
I'm glad that we got the 1-2 (Liukin-Johnson) in women's gymnastics - apparently it's the first time in history that taken both gold and silver. Although, I'm really shocked at the judging (Americans would nail perfect routines and the Chinese would literally fall on their asses and yet they both get the same score?!?) and the amount of times the judges needed to get on the phone to figure out some of the scoring. You'd think they'd get more seasoned judges for events like the women's finals all-around.
I was surprised that the Alicia chick was competing again. They interviewed her on NBC and I was also surprised that her voice was so high-pitched, I was expecting it to be deepr. Too bad she didn't medal though, even though this time she stuck her landing. Even worse is that she lost to the German chick who looked like a dude and is in her 30's. I feel bad for the Russian girl who got a 0 on vault because she didn't pay attention to the light. She suffered from Alicia syndrome too and messed up her floor routine right afterwards (although I'm not sure if they ever posted her score officially)..
It's really hard to gauge how good the atheletes are until you can compare it something you've done yourself. They were running the 100m and 400m today, and it's a little clearer. The women ran the 400m in less than a minute. That's one lap at the elementary school track. I'm pretty sure it took me about 2-2.5 minutes if I was running my fastest.
What's left in the Olympics? Swimming's done, as is gymnastics for the most part, yet we still have a week to go!
I'm glad that we got the 1-2 (Liukin-Johnson) in women's gymnastics - apparently it's the first time in history that taken both gold and silver. Although, I'm really shocked at the judging (Americans would nail perfect routines and the Chinese would literally fall on their asses and yet they both get the same score?!?) and the amount of times the judges needed to get on the phone to figure out some of the scoring. You'd think they'd get more seasoned judges for events like the women's finals all-around.
I was surprised that the Alicia chick was competing again. They interviewed her on NBC and I was also surprised that her voice was so high-pitched, I was expecting it to be deepr. Too bad she didn't medal though, even though this time she stuck her landing. Even worse is that she lost to the German chick who looked like a dude and is in her 30's. I feel bad for the Russian girl who got a 0 on vault because she didn't pay attention to the light. She suffered from Alicia syndrome too and messed up her floor routine right afterwards (although I'm not sure if they ever posted her score officially)..
It's really hard to gauge how good the atheletes are until you can compare it something you've done yourself. They were running the 100m and 400m today, and it's a little clearer. The women ran the 400m in less than a minute. That's one lap at the elementary school track. I'm pretty sure it took me about 2-2.5 minutes if I was running my fastest.
What's left in the Olympics? Swimming's done, as is gymnastics for the most part, yet we still have a week to go!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Bollywood show, Olympics
We went to a Bollywood show this past weekend in Atlantic City. I've been to Indian shows in the past, and I'll say I was pleasantly surprised that the audience actually behaved themselves for the most part.
The whole coordination with everyone was kind of ridiculous though. We met my sister there about 2-3 hours before the show started and met the other family at the venue like 5 minutes before it started -- it's a good thing the show started late - otherwise we would've been pissed since we had their tickets and had to go outside to get them.
The show itself was actually pretty good. 4 of the biggest names in Bollywood sang and danced to their most famous songs. They also mixed it up with Amitabh Bachchan delivering some dialogue from his movies. I'll admit that the whole Bachchan adoration was completely lost on me (and there was a LOT of it during the show), but I guess I didn't grow up watching his movies. I'm assuming he's something like Elvis or the Beatles here.
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Wow, the US women's gymnastics team really screwed that up. That Alicia chick will forever be known as the one who lost it for her team. One fall is acceptable, but another one on the floor exercise? You're in the fucking Olympics! Get it together!
Too bad she's not even competing for an individual all-around so she has no chance to redeem herself. I'm sure she's won all sorts of medals in previous competitions, but for millions of people who only watch the Olympics, she'll be the reminder of why we won silver instead of gold. Apparently, Nastia Liukin goes to the same gym as Carly Patterson (the Gold winner of the all-around in Athens). Either her or Shawn Johnson (who has a really nice ass by the way) better win the all-around gold tomorrow.
Phelps is ridiculous. Is there seriously no one else in the world who can compete with him? I also don't get how there's so many different events within swimming that an individual can enter. Do all individual sports have that many? It doesn't seem like it, which makes the whole "most Olympic gold medals" incredibly unfair. Kobe's pretty good too, but he can only get one medal per Olympics...
The whole coordination with everyone was kind of ridiculous though. We met my sister there about 2-3 hours before the show started and met the other family at the venue like 5 minutes before it started -- it's a good thing the show started late - otherwise we would've been pissed since we had their tickets and had to go outside to get them.
The show itself was actually pretty good. 4 of the biggest names in Bollywood sang and danced to their most famous songs. They also mixed it up with Amitabh Bachchan delivering some dialogue from his movies. I'll admit that the whole Bachchan adoration was completely lost on me (and there was a LOT of it during the show), but I guess I didn't grow up watching his movies. I'm assuming he's something like Elvis or the Beatles here.
---------
Wow, the US women's gymnastics team really screwed that up. That Alicia chick will forever be known as the one who lost it for her team. One fall is acceptable, but another one on the floor exercise? You're in the fucking Olympics! Get it together!
Too bad she's not even competing for an individual all-around so she has no chance to redeem herself. I'm sure she's won all sorts of medals in previous competitions, but for millions of people who only watch the Olympics, she'll be the reminder of why we won silver instead of gold. Apparently, Nastia Liukin goes to the same gym as Carly Patterson (the Gold winner of the all-around in Athens). Either her or Shawn Johnson (who has a really nice ass by the way) better win the all-around gold tomorrow.
Phelps is ridiculous. Is there seriously no one else in the world who can compete with him? I also don't get how there's so many different events within swimming that an individual can enter. Do all individual sports have that many? It doesn't seem like it, which makes the whole "most Olympic gold medals" incredibly unfair. Kobe's pretty good too, but he can only get one medal per Olympics...
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Video and Photos on the Internet??
Here are some pics from the coolest concert ever (stolen from the friend of the violist because I'm too lazy to post mine on Picasa):
Concert Pics
Ugh, I was trying to make it all fancy, but apparently you can only embed your own photos, so a link will have to do...
But here's a really cool video with Paris Hilton!
Concert Pics
Ugh, I was trying to make it all fancy, but apparently you can only embed your own photos, so a link will have to do...
But here's a really cool video with Paris Hilton!
Monday, August 04, 2008
Groupie for a day
Yesterday was the most fun I've had since I moved up here, and I have my friend in Delaware to thank for all of it.
We started out going to a Nationals game. I was a little worried at first since the forecast called for 100 degrees and it was outdoors, but our seats were in the shade so it was pretty comfortable. Oh, but they were also right behind the foul pole (or whatever it's called), so we decided to try and find better seats. The Nationals are the worst team in the MLB so it was only about half-full (like that optimism? ;) ) so we were able to get a much better view on the opposite side of the stadium.
Surprisingly, the Nationals actually won and they're now on a 3-game winning streak! Overall, it was pretty fun even though I didn't know anything about either team and there were only 3 innings where a team scored. I found it sorta interesting that the game length isn't determined beforehand. The Nationals were already in the lead, so the game ended after the top of the 9th.
After the game was the main event - the Flobots concert. My friend's girlfriend knew the only female member of the band and we were able to get VIP treatment throughout the show. I always thought that the band would be super-busy beforehand preparing, etc. but it turns out they mostly have downtime before they go on. The only times the band chick didn't hang out with us was when she performed! We got to hang out in the green room with some members of the band and a bunch of other groupies, and then got first-class viewing room on the balcony overlooking the stage (we even made a picture on an online review of the show - I'm the third guy from the left in the plaid shirt and beer bottle).
I didn't know too much about the band before the show, but they were really really good. I was also surprised about their whole political call-to-action message - particularly because all the band members we met before the show seemed pretty low-key. I really hope they continue to do well and we'll see more of them soon. I read somewhere that they're planning a "big surprise" during the DNC in Colorado later this month.
Yup, definitely best day ever since I moved up here.
We started out going to a Nationals game. I was a little worried at first since the forecast called for 100 degrees and it was outdoors, but our seats were in the shade so it was pretty comfortable. Oh, but they were also right behind the foul pole (or whatever it's called), so we decided to try and find better seats. The Nationals are the worst team in the MLB so it was only about half-full (like that optimism? ;) ) so we were able to get a much better view on the opposite side of the stadium.
Surprisingly, the Nationals actually won and they're now on a 3-game winning streak! Overall, it was pretty fun even though I didn't know anything about either team and there were only 3 innings where a team scored. I found it sorta interesting that the game length isn't determined beforehand. The Nationals were already in the lead, so the game ended after the top of the 9th.
After the game was the main event - the Flobots concert. My friend's girlfriend knew the only female member of the band and we were able to get VIP treatment throughout the show. I always thought that the band would be super-busy beforehand preparing, etc. but it turns out they mostly have downtime before they go on. The only times the band chick didn't hang out with us was when she performed! We got to hang out in the green room with some members of the band and a bunch of other groupies, and then got first-class viewing room on the balcony overlooking the stage (we even made a picture on an online review of the show - I'm the third guy from the left in the plaid shirt and beer bottle).
I didn't know too much about the band before the show, but they were really really good. I was also surprised about their whole political call-to-action message - particularly because all the band members we met before the show seemed pretty low-key. I really hope they continue to do well and we'll see more of them soon. I read somewhere that they're planning a "big surprise" during the DNC in Colorado later this month.
Yup, definitely best day ever since I moved up here.
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