sex and two cities

Yesterday I saw the apartment of a real life Carrie Bradshaw. Actually it was more like a Carrie, Samantha, and a Miranda in one. Definitely not a Charlotte. The woman was a bio tech consultant who is bicoastal. She is my dream. Spending half of her time in a fabulous San Francisco apartment and the other half of her time in a likely fabulous New York apartment. This is her SF stomping ground. She added the beautiful fixtures to the apartment herself, her taste is exquisite. Waterworks bathroom with a beautiful counter and drawers. Her kitchen is a single woman's kitchen, but a woman who lives well. Her fridge and freezer are full of wine and Grey Goose. Her kitchen cabinets lined with chapagne flutes.

She had a desk built into the wall and a stereo wired throughout the house. Her furniture was exquisite, and she was able to give warmth to a converted warehouse loft. I especially liked her laundry room, which had beautiful Miele appliances and exquisite cabinetry. If a woman has to do laundry, she should do it in style.

Her closet was lined with hundreds of pairs of Manolos and a few designer purses and Nieman Marcus dress bags were hanging on hooks. This is a woman who perfects the art of living well.

hao do yu dew

Oh to have a last name that is so easily interchangeable with everyday words. Hao do yu apple?

hao

Here is a list of things that can be haoed. It's nice to have a name that can be easily translated.

Hao are you?
Haoigarchy
Haopoly
Haoigolpolous
Haose
Haody
Haowaii
Mahaolo
Haole

If you can think of more haos add them here.

throw exception

This is an example of why liberal arts grads should not program. After reading this glowing puff piece in the New York Times, I hopped over to Unigo to check out the goods. Apple assessment, before releasing a product, perhaps test at least three or four of the links to see if they work. While startups are eager to have their sites go live, even if they have to call them 'Beta,' (gmail has been in beta for about five years), perhaps a basic funtionality threshold should be passed. How about, one bug per 100 user sessions, or maybe per 2 user sessions. This site blows. Ebert and Apple give it one apple. If anything, it might survive as a Facebook app, but a standalone site. Save your money, investors, buy stock in Merrill.

gg vs. the oc

Ok ladies, everyone knows about Gossip Girl, the hottest show on earth. Well, it is produced by the same person as that great once popular show the OC, which started out as a riveting story about rich California teens getting in trouble, somewhat in the vain of 90210, but more glamorous, and finally dwindled to going off the air. It was also the model for reality television gone wild shows like Laguna Beach and the Hills.

Well, rich teens are back, but this time we can watch them on the Upper East Side which is great because they can wear winter clothes! They also wear uniforms to school, but unlike the drab plaid typical uniforms that we wore in Catholic school, these outfits are hip, with girls wearing designer versions of kilts and Alexander Mcqueen jackets and ties. I wouldn't be surprised if Catholic School started to inspire the runways next year.

While the settings are slightly different, the shows are pretty much the same. We have the same characters, with similar problems and plots, which is all a mere showcase for the glamour of life as an overprivieldged teen. Since the OC, Gossip Girl has upped the ante a bit, with more conspicuous consumption, gratuitous sex, and of course less actual school (while the OC at least showed the kids in class once in a while, Gossip Girl rarely even makes it into the halls of the prestiguous academies that these kids supposedly attend). America, why do we love these shows, is it because they provide a real window into the life of the rich and sexy, or is it because we want to reminisce about out own lost teen years, or is it merely because we love to see children making out? Well whatever the reason, hats off to you Gossip Girl, for giving us some great eye candy for another season.

Here is a brief analysis of some of the overarching themes and characters in both shows.

The wayward blonde
This character is the bread and butter of the show. It takes the form of a rich blonde girl who is brooding and sentimental. Also, she is hot. Without this character, no one would watch.
OC - Marrisa Cooper
Gossip Girl - Serena Van der Woodson

The poor kid, the outcast
The wayward blonde is always dating a poor outcast. This is because she wants to rebel against her parents. If this guy were not dating the wayward blonde, he wouldn't be in the show. The show chronicles the development of the relationship. Parents dissaproval, girl's rebelliousness, and finally parents realizing that the 'bad guy' is actually a 'good guy.' This can take up at least an entire season of episodes, which is great because the writers don't have to come up with a plot. Just substitute the characters, and voila, a script.
OC - Ryan Atwood
Gossip Girl - Dan Humphrey, oooh Humphrey, hardly a name oozing 'money'. Which is why Dan's sister is always saying 'We're Humpreys' as in we're not good enough for the Upper East Side.

The wayward blonde's brunette sidekick
This character is typically a princess who is best friends with the wayward blonde. She starts out as a bitch, but then turns nice. She is always looking out for the blonde girl, who tends to get into trouble until everyone hugs. Yay.
OC - Summer Roberts
Gossip Girl - Blair Waldorf

The good looking guy
This guy is a pretty looking American looking guy who usually looks like an Abercromie or American Eagle model. He is either dating or in love with the wayward blonde. He doesn't factor in that much. He usually starts off as a jerk, but evolves into a real sensitive poetic soul. He usually has some family problems. In the OC, his father comes out as gay. In Gossip Girl, his dad is a cocaine addict. The plot thickens. Also important, this guy usually starts out as blond, but when he becomes sensitive his hair is brown.
OC - Luke I can't remember his last name
Gossip Girl - Nate, almost forgot his last name but then remembered it is Archibald

The quirky guy
This character is another main character of the show. While the OC gave more airtime to this guy, the producers probably realized that viewers don't want to see quirky. They want to see glamourous, they want to see money. That's why in Gossip Girl, the quirky guy gets to be an ass hole with lots and lots of money. In fact he is the richest guy in the show.
OC - Seth Cohen
Gossip Girl - Chuck Bass. This guy is so rich that he can merely say the words, 'I'm Chuck Bass,' to either indicate he is an ass hole, or get what he wants, or both. This is my favorite line in the show because he says it with humor and irony.

Ok, well that is the main part of the show. But of course no show about rich kids would work without a view of their seriously disturbed parents. They add some more drama to the show, and of course, more incest. They are always hanging out together, thrown together to save their kids, fast friends who can't help but hang out when their kids are.

The milf
Ok the hot mom. No glamorous show would be complete without this character. She is always marrying an extremely rich older man who basically owns the town. She is also the wayward blonde's mom, which makes sense because the hot girl should have a hot mom. She usually starts off as an overbearing mother who puts one of her kids in an institution. In the OC it is wayward blonde herself who goes to a hospital for rich kids, in Gossip Girl, it is wayward blonde's brother.
OC - Julie Cooper
Gossip Girl - Lily Van der Woodson

Rich Older Man
He doesn't see much airtime, but makes an appearance every so often to say hi to the milf he married. He is also related to quirky guy, which makes sense because in order to be quirky on tv you must also be filthy rich.
OC- Caleb Nichol, grandfather of quirky guy
Gossip Girl, Bart Bass, father of quirky guy

True love
This guy is the true love of the milf's youth. The milf is in love with this guy, but has to marry the rich older man because of the benefits of money, the main point of the show.
OC - Jimmy Cooper, wayward blonde's dad
Gossip Girl - Rufus Humphrey, poor guy's dad
This guy usually connects the parents in some incestuous way. In the OC, he was quirky guy's mom's high school sweetheart. In Gossip Girl, he is wayward blonde's boyfriend's dad, or poor guy's dad. This makes the show more incestuous, which is another reason we like to watch.

Dad who embezzles money and runs away from the law
Since no rich man could possibly earn his money, he must steal from his friends and clients. This is great for us average Americans. It makes us feel better about our own pathetic lives, because in order to be rich, you must also be a crook. This makes us glad to be poor because if we were rich, we might be going to jail. But of course, this doesn't happen because the guy usually escapes on some form of non traditional transportation.
OC -Jimmy Cooper, escapes on a yacht
Gossip Girl - Captain Archibald, escapes on a G5 private plane

Mom who comes from money
Since a woman could never earn money, she must inherit her wealth. She always marries a man who works in a corporate job that her dad helped him get. This causes some tension in the marriage because the man feels less manly when married to a woman with her own money.
OC - Kirsten Cohen, daughter of rich older man
Gossip Girl - Don't know her name, daughter of I don't know, married to Captain Archibald, dad who embezzles money and runs away from the law, mother of Nate Archibald, good looking guy

Peripheral parent who has a secret
This was mentioned earlier. In the OC it is looking guy's dad who is gay and in Gossip Girl it is good looking guy's dad who is in rehab. Of course Gossip Girl is not without it's parent that turns gay. Brunette sidekick's dad comes out of the closet and runs off with a man. This shows that rich people are not perfect like we think, but instead are usually sexually confused. And of course, the OC has to also have a parent who battles substance abuse. This is quirky guy's mom who is an alcoholic and goes to a glamorous rehab center that is kind of like a spa with counseling.

We could have an overlapping category here.
Parent in rehab
This is the parent who has a drug or alcohol abuse problem. This shows that rich people are always on drugs.
OC - Kirsten Cohen, quirky guy's mom
Gossip Girl - Captain Archibald, good looking guy's dad who is also embezzling money, which makes sense because thieves are also drug addicts. Oh if only he were also gay.

Gay Parent
This is clearly the parent who comes out as gay. It is always the dad because if it were the mom, rather than being tragic, it would be hot.
OC - Good looking guy's dad
Gossip Girl - Brunette sidekick's dad

One more plot twist. In Gossip Girl, wayward blonde's brother comes out as gay. This is because we are more tolerant of gays. It is also because we want to capture the gay audience, who are also watching for the clothes. Since there are better clothes in Gossip Girl, more gays are watching.

Perfect parent
Well with all these whacked out parents, there has to be one who keeps his head on straight and saves the day. It is someone's dad. Of course it has to be a man, because men are grounded and women are usually off marrying rich older men or checked into rehab. This guy is also a flaming liberal with an unconventional past. Basically the show is saying that the best kinds of parents are the 'cool' dads.
OC- Sandy Cohen, quirky guy's dad, former liberal protester
Gossip Girl - Rufus Humphrey, poor guy's dad, former b-list rock musician

There you have it. Rich people's lives revealed. Kids with problems, parents with more problems.

Well, this is a basic overview of the show. Two shows, two coasts. One plot with a few key differences. The East Coast is of course full of old money, with names like Van der Woodson, and Waldorf. Who are these people? While the West Coast tolerates new money, and even a Jewish character. Chrismakuh anyone? Other than this, we are basically watching the same show. Which is great because I really miss the OC.

I hope this information helps you watch the show and understand everything that is going on. Without this analysis you might have been confused. Happy viewing.

sugar mama

we may be the first generation where not all men feel compelled to be the sole breadwinner of the family. the odd thing is, as their breadwinning responsibilities shrink, their housekeeping and parenting responsibilities have apparently not grown in proportion. so says a New York Times article on how rare it is to find couples who share their homemaking equally.

(remember when the housewife's professional name changed to "homemaker"? when did we change that to "stay-at-home [parent]"?)

this transitional decade may cause some friction for modern couples. imagine Minnie, a girl with a promising career, and Mickey, a working guy who isn't quite sure if this is what he wants to do for the rest of his life.

• Mickey thinks he's marrying a career-woman-for-life. He's happy that they're on track for a comfortable life together with upward earning potential. He's in for a surprise when he finds out they're going to be a single-income household.
  
• Minnie enjoys her work, but feels strongly that children need a full-time parent to ensure they develop to their full potential. She always intended to stop working once she had kids. She's in for a surprise when she finds out Mickey needed some more time to find his ideal career and isn't ready to earn enough to support their family alone.
  
• Is it wrong for Minnie to be "traditional" and assume she'd be the stay-at-home parent by default? and even if it makes more sense for her to be the working parent, what if Mickey just seems incapable of being a good parent or keeping a clean home?
  
• Is it wrong for Mickey to expect he could have equal option to be the stay-at-home parent since Minnie is so good at her work and has the higher income? and why can't they just live more modestly if it does have to be his income, so he doesn't have to be miserable at a corporate job?
  

you may think communication is enough to avoid such friction. but who would dump their mate just because they don't see eye to eye on breadwinning responsibilities?

note: for R's sake, this is not about us.

phoney phones

hum. look familiar? apple rolled out a 3q iphone today. Here is Blackberry's coming version. Personally I prefer the physical keyboard. Why does everyone want to be like Apple?

the color of money

I hope this upholds.

A recent ruling by a federal court may mandate the creation of currency that is sized to accommodate blind people. I think this is a great idea. Most countries have currency that are different sizes or colors depending on denomination. This makes it easier for people with vision problems or disabilities to distinguish. In the US, our currency is limiting for many people. A change will open the world up to a large population of people who currently have difficulty doing something that we take for granted. With something so easy to fix, why not just fix it? It is sad to me for people to fight something that would greatly improve peoples lives due to nominal cost.

prada

Photo movies.yahoo.com.

A few years ago I walked into a store in Soho. I thought it was a sample sale, although something was a bit odd because there were tables of donuts and people walking around with headsets. I contemplated browsing and looking like I belonged, but I stupidly asked where I was. I was told that it was the wardrobe closet for the coming movie The Devil Wears Prada, which was filming a few blocks away. I left without full comprehension of the clothes that I had missed browsing. This was a potential entree into the world of Vogue, and I hadn't even asked to look around.

A movie! I thought. I had recently read the book and was excited to see how they would interpret it. Meryl Streep. Anne who? Of course, I was one of the first to flock to the theater to see the release. Since then I have seen repeats on HBO. It wasn't what I expected, but it is fun enough to watch.

Recently watching The Devil Wears Prada inspired a second reading of the novel by Lauren Weisenberger. The first time I read it, I wasn't that thrilled, an entertaining read but not as enjoyable as the hype.

Here is one of those few books made better by the movie. I was able to better picture the great descriptions of clothes, shoes, and of course, bags and accessories in the book. I almost got a better picture into this glamorous world than the visuals in the movie would allow. I think the shots of clothes in the film could've been longer, rather than three second snapshots of outfits. The most memorable clothing scene in the movie amounts to a two minute montage with coats and bags being flung onto Andy's desk.

A second reading of the book also allowed me to appreciate the bitter sarcasm in Weisenberger's book. Some of her one liners are downright funny. The bitterness of both the main character and the boss are not conveyed in the movie, which portrays Andy as a chipper, sweet, positive girl with no fashion sense, and Miranda as a possibly tough boss, but not that bad.

The movie is missing any of the edge in the book and I am wondering why they chose to leave out some of the best quirks, like the turnstyle scenes where she sings pop songs to enter the building. Perhaps, song rights? Perhaps casting Andy as a cheery brunette rather than a thin blonde makes her more identifiable to the rest of America.

I would like to see a remake of this movie, one that more accurately represents the book, one that translates the clothes and sharp wit into something screenworthy. I'm waiting for Woody Allen to remake the movie. And believe me, I won't miss the wardrobe closet on that one.

Chanel jellies

Chanel was my first, and still foremost, fashion love. Chanel will always have a special place in my heart. Perhaps these jellies from the 2009 Cruise Collection will have a special place in my closet?

chanelling marilyn monroe

Photo nymag.com

I am so glad that Whitney won ANTM! Finally, a plus sized model makes it big. Since the camera does add ten pounds, I bet she is really a size two, but who cares. It's a great opportunity for women to be more comfortable with their bodies and to see a beautiful woman role model who has a healthy self image and isn't starved. The fashion industry should take note!

As for Anje, I don't really know how she made it to the final two. She looks oddly melanin deprived like she's missing the pigment allele. Thanks Tyra, for making a strong statement for the benefit of women everywhere.

flowers are beautiful

I love this patch of flowers. So beautiful. I feel like there is a blanket of flowers that you simply want to lay in or have a delightful picnic. The light reflecting makes it look a bit like the sea. Very peaceful.

Love Actually: A really bad movie, or the downfall of western civilization?

I recently saw the movie "Love Actually". How do I explain my reaction? Let's just say that I wanted to come up with new ways of regurgitation.

I had many problems with the movie, but for this post I'm going to focus on one: its simplistic portrayal of love, and how it set feminism back 300 years. (Please keep in mind that I have never considered myself a feminist.)

One of my pet peeves with media is when men fall in love with women based solely on looks. Details such as character development, getting to know a person, and developing a real relationship are glossed over or entirely omitted. In real life, when two people share a physical but no emotional attraction, their relationship lasts at most for 3 or 4 awkward dates. (Just look at "Sex and the City" -- I am totally serious.) So why do books and movies repeatedly show a man going gaga for a pretty face? For each relationship in this movie, let's look at how well the man got to know the woman before falling in love.

• Keira Knightly and her husband's best friend. It is not known if they had a conversation.
  
• Hugh Grant and the servant. They had about 2 conversations. Most of their dialog was her saying "Your biscuits, sir".
  
• Alan Rickman and his secretary. They had brief one-sentence exchanges around the office.
• Colin Firth and his Portuguese maid. They had the most dialog before falling in love, but it was in languages the other didn't understand.
• The porn couple. They had the most fulfilling relationship.

The other oddity about the relationships in this movie was how the women were in lower classes. Let's examine.

• Keira Knightly and her husband's best friend. Their occupations are unknown.
  
• Hugh Grant and the servant. A prime minister falls in love with his servant.
  
• Alan Rickman and his secretary. A managing director falls in love with his secretary.
  
• Colin Firth and his Portuguese maid. A wealthy writer falls in love with his maid.
  
• The porn couple. Again, this is the least unflattering relationship -- their social status is approximately the same.
  

What kind of message is this sending to young girls? That in order to marry a successful man, you must first master dictation or biscuit serving?

When one starts to look wistfully back at American romantic comedies because of their character development and strong females, you know you have a problem. Now, if you'll excuse me, there are some pillows that need fluffing.

milk

Amazing looking Murakami exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum. I always think of Murakami as cartoony but many of these works look deep.

Photo New York Magazine.

power hour

i like working in a business group led by a woman. i had reservations about joining because she had a reputation for being a bitch, but the whole time i've worked with her she's been more open and accessible than any other exec i've worked under.

even though i don't report directly to her, she made a point of scheduling lunch with me this week to check in on me. throughout the lunch, she kept repeating the point that we are alike, and are rare among women. she points out areas in my life where i maintain high standards and thirst for challenges, and lets me know that most people lose their beyond-the-home drive and good-enough-isn't once they have kids. she even lamented the problem of finding awesome women, only to find that their husbands were duds and therefore bad matches for hanging out as a power foursome.

i get the feeling she's actually at a loss for peers - female executives like herself that she can bond with, without fearing the political or judgmental risks that come with showing vulnerability at an executive level. what this woman needs is a Cashmere Mafia.

i'm much too junior to offer her a mutually satisfying bond like that, but let's remember...before we get to that rank/age/point, build up that network of peers so it's not so lonely at the top. Sex and the City and Lipstick Jungle didn't just happen by meeting in a bar. They were friends from way back, and they nurtured those friendships with regular hangouts and unspoken support contracts through all kinds of life changes.

evolution of the eco-bag

Everywhere I go - Sephora, Michael's, Safeway, H&M - I try to sound nonchalant but inside I'm thrilled for having remembered: "Oh, I don't need a bag". Half the time they are in robot mode and they try to bag up my purchases anyway. So I whip this baby out.

Great gift I got for the holidays - a trio of Acme Workhorse bags. Not only are they super-durable (made of tear-proof nylon) but they are super-light and they fold up into themselves so they're absolutely tiny when you're not using them. Thus, you can tuck them into the corner of your purse instead of dorking out with those big green grocery bags (so last year).

With three, I can keep one in the car, one in the purse, and one in the drawer by the door for any occasion. Right now, they have a 4 for 3 promotion so you can share with a friend! And believe me, you will have lots of friends when they see how eco-conscious, stylish, and generous you are.

animal planet

some highlights from the urban safari.


street chicks


a sheep's gotta eat

driving with rabbit

What more can i say? Rabbit is officially car mascot.

same shoes

Today I purchased a lovely pair of purple shoes. I had admired them several months ago in a store, and as I browsed today found that they were still available. What a great way to treat myself on a bday! Shoes. Upon arriving home, I looked down and lo and behold, I already had those shoes. I am the girl who browses the racks in stores and picks something out that I think is original and cool. Sometimes, a friend might look at me and say it looks exactly like what I have on.

vday treats

what better way to celebrate vday than with food.

mornings

Sun rises on an empty office. Sports talk. One person is laying down asleep. Let's have a sleep party.

office door

Our waiting room consists of a few broken chairs parked on the far corner of the sales floor. Occasionally we will receive a few rare birds as guests.

Scenario one
A man comes in for an interview wearing jeans, sneakers, and a sweatshirt. He looks like he popped off the bus on a trip to the West Coast and didn't want to leave his belongings at the youth hostel where he was staying. Ok. Here's a tip. Get the job before you start dressing like a scrub. If you don't got it, fake it. Ladies, get that H&M suit and iron it until it looks like it's from Armani. This guy missed the interviewing class in school.

Scenario two
A mod couple comes in waiting for our general counsel. Perhaps they are suing us for copyright infringement from Jeremy's trendy attire. They look hot. We do not. Sleek black outfits. Sunglasses. The works. Makes me want to go out and buy a latte.