I like throwing parties.
When a few people get together with the notion of throwing a party, there’s a mysterious mix of nervousness and excitement that surround the upcoming event. When each of the planners invites a bunch of people — perhaps with some crossover and familiarity but for the most part within their own individual [...]
Category Archive for 'culture'
Just Saw a Skit on PBS
Posted in culture, television on Nov 27th, 2009
I’m a big fan of educational programming. I think it’d be really difficult to write educational materials that are enlightening to both kids and parents, which actually promoting learning. I especially like the ones that have pop culture references.
Just like Mathnet was a parody of Dragnet whose characters taught mathematical concepts to Square One viewers, [...]
When eating out, I prefer not to mention payment terms until the bill comes due. If you were comped a meal or have some sort of discount coming your way, it shouldn’t have any affect on the quality of food or service. Yet in my gut, I feel that it will have an impact; that [...]
It Comes in Passion Red
Posted in culture, life in general, travel on Sep 21st, 2009
License? Check.
Insurance? Check.
Rolling on two wheels? Sweet in way that is hard to describe, but I’ll try. It’s got something to do with the wind in your face. Seeing familiar roads from a vastly different (and taller) viewpoint than when in a car. The responsiveness of the throttle. Being part of your surroundings instead of [...]
As seen in the parking lot of a Columbia parking lot, this resident is taking the Choose Civility initiative a little further.
I see the “normal” stickers and magnets on lots of vehicles around Howard County. Vehicles whose drivers have disrespectful, unempathetic, inconsiderate, and intolerant roadside manners.
This was refreshing.
I’ve been borrowing a lot of movies lately. One of them has shiny things, old-school computers, horrendously trendy but period synthesized music, Paul Reubens, a 21-year old Sarah Jessica Parker, and a child lead who hasn’t been seen in years. The dubbing is fair, but it’s a classic. Flight of the Navigator embodies a kind [...]
We Remember
Posted in culture on May 25th, 2009
A few months after September 11th 2001, a college friend and I gave ourselves a walking tour of Washington, D.C. The mood was somber, with an eerie tension that would soon spread across the country. The overcast afternoon was fitting.
Though I’ve been back since with better equipment, I still prefer these photographs taken with my [...]
Over the past week or two I read Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us).
Why the other lane always seems faster, why we suck as drivers, how our eyes and minds betray us on the road, issues of congestion, why dangerous roads are safer, among other topics. The [...]
I Miss the Old Barber Shop
Posted in culture on Sep 9th, 2008
It’s hard to get a decent hair cut these days.
My haircut is usually a closely cropped buzz just short of a Bic, but it’s the experience of it that I miss. The warm lather and the smooth skin that can only be left by a straight razor. The friendly chatter I’ve only seen depicted in [...]
Bits and Pieces
Posted in culture, life in general, music on Jul 21st, 2008
I’m remiss for not posting earlier, but there’s a winner to the latest caption contest. Paul won a pair of song downloads from iTunes for his super-sweet-like-a-ninja caption.
There are fourteen ninjas in this picture enjoying a keg party.
Had someone written a caption referencing pirates there would have to have been a death match or brownie-making [...]
My First Jewish Wedding
Posted in culture on Jul 17th, 2008
This weekend I journeyed up to New Jersey to attend my oldest cousin J’s wedding. The ceremony — held in the courtyard of the Newark Art Museum — introduced me to a lot of traditions that I had only heard about indirectly from friends or in movies. In short, it was a lovely ceremony and [...]
Gas Prices Detrimental to Relationships
Posted in cars, complaints, culture on Jun 6th, 2008
People are going out to the movies less due to gas prices. That fact has been all over the media. I haven’t seen any stories and photos about the gas lines at the wholesale clubs, but they’re there. With gas prices hovering at $4 per gallon, people have also begun to realize the cost of [...]
The Annapolis Greek Festival 2008 is going on this weekend, Saturday 11am-11pm and Sunday 12pm-7pm. Those hours aren’t listed on the web site, but I happened to stop by this evening to grab a bite to eat and check things out. The festival has been hosted by Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church forever, [...]
While waiting at a stop light, I took a photo of a large brick building at the corner of W. Pratt and Greene Street the other morning. The color of brick is in stark contrast to the white building behind it, so much so that the entire photo looks like I ran it through a [...]
The Weight of It All
Posted in complaints, culture, in the news on Apr 4th, 2008
The weight of everything is being lifted, one bit at a time. Lots of little things that I’ve been working on have finally come to fruition. My tax returns are completed and mailed. I contracted to have a new and improved splash image created for my placeholder site and am pleased with the results. Over [...]