In preparation for my year-end message, I’ve finally got this new photo gallery software installed on the Triscribe site. This solves the problem I had last year with a gazillion crazy pictures with no comments (this year, it’s going to be around 3,000). You’re also welcome to upload photos that you may have also. You do have to create a free account to do so. Also, you can order your own prints through Shutterfly and a few other vendors without bugging me… It’s at http://www.triscribe.com/gallery – check it out.
Month: December 2004
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Christmas TV
On PBS tonight:
Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle, with mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade and tenor Bryn Terfel. There’s something off in hearing opera singers sing “Jingle Bells” (although, Terfel’s pretty good with the rhythm; but Von Stade seems stuck with the operatic training – but she does nicely with her range).
Plus, of course, “The Nutcracker” (it ain’t Christmas without seeing it, in any version you watch it).
And, tomorrow, we shall all be at work. Physically. Mentally – that’s another story. But, at least I can enjoy Christmas Eve off….
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The day after the longest night
Last night was the winter solstice, which is apparently some Chinese excuse to freeze and eat a lot of good Chinese food made by P’s mom. P and I get into the house, drop our stuff and immediately make our way back out to go to the fruit stand.
(in Cantonese)
P’s mom: Where are you going?
P: FC wants to buy oranges.
P’s M: You don’t have to. (the subtext being, "it’s nice that you remembered that you’re supposed to bring oranges")
P: (to me, pushing me out the door) Go, let’s go! -
Tuesday into Wednesday
People are getting awfully excited that J.K. Rowling is finished with Book 6 of the Harry Potter series. Personally, I have to finish Book 5, and I doubt I’ll get that done this year. But, at least I got through Books 1 to 4, so that’s pretty good, even for me (and I’m not as fast a reader as I used to be either). I may get to Book 5 around Christmas, assuming I finish Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility” (yep, I’m back on my Austen fixation. This book is so not similar to the Emma Thompson movie – in fact, it’s a satire that’s pretty darn funny. I can see how this book has stood the test of time – “So, Marianne, when are you getting married?”/ “Ah, Elinor, so you have a beau. And, what is his income…?” – Western society – or humanity in general – has yet to advance, so far as I can tell).
Ohmigoodness, Slate.com has been sold… to the Washington Post. I always had my qualms about reading something so tied to Microsoft (aka That Big Conglomerate with the Rich Guy Bill Gates that Joel Klein in the DOJ tried to prosecute — well, Microsoft is still alive and kicking, and Klein is… the chancellor of the formerly known as NYC Board of Education – and it’s debatable as to how well that endeavor is going… never mind). But, the more Slate.com stuff I read, the more I liked it, even if that Rich Guy Bill Gates had some help in making it happen (maybe it’s envy talking – I mean, the guy is rich and powerful, so I can’t help not liking him all that much; but I suppose he can’t help but be powerful and it’s a good thing that he’s a philanthropist).
The point is, I liked Slate.com and liked it more when Doonesbury joined on board (again, putting aside that they were associated with Microsoft). See, good work ought to be recognized – good work such as cool writing and stuff like that. So, kudos to this interesting sale to WaPost. The WaPost isn’t a bad piece of media to now be part of. (well, it was that or the NY Times, considering how many former Slate people are now employed by the Times). Hopefully, no editorial changes (I like Slate.com and WaPost the way they are – separate and interesting entities – thank you very much).
Down to two more days of Christmas… yay… Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells…
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Monday
Caught the end of Bill Moyers’ on PBS the other night – lovely speech by Moyers honoring his wife/producing partner and noting that he still had other projects to look forward to. Nice article in Newsday, the newpaper he was once a publisher.
And, speaking of Asian Americans in the news – Newsweek profiles Andrea Jung, Avon’s CEO, as one to watch in 2005. Thought it was really fasinating.
Quite cold in NYC, just to give people that extra Christmas-y feeling. Geez, can’t wait for the 30 degree temperature again…
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The FC family’s annual pound cake ritual… Over 30 years of making pretty much the same thing 30 or more times. This is the first year my dad was totally sidelined, only giving advice from his bed. However, the cakes are pretty much the same as they have always been. There have been the occasional radical thoughts of adding chocolate or other flavors, or morphing them into ice cream cakes or biscotti, but those ideas don’t last long.
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NOW and laters
In catching up with the media news through late night recordings: Bill Moyers signed off from NOW last week. His feature piece on the vast right wing media conspiracy was really preaching to the choir, for those who would be convinced. The point worth remembering was his extended interview clips with his conservative counterpart, whose name I will stick in when I get the correct spelling. [It’s Richard Viguerie.] What is astounding is that these two Texans from opposite sides of the aisle can actually be cordial, dignified, and gentlemen-like. So unlike today’s political life! That’s what we’re going to miss about Bill Moyers.
The F is running express after witnessing one of the world’s worst pickup attempts on the train. The guy just graduated from NYU. The girl is doing finals in her graduate degree program at NYU. Goes for the throw — incomplete!
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Sunday
Eh, so let me know if I have to pay up, and how should I do that (cash, check, money order, dinner…): Time magazine names George W. Bush the Person of the Year. That was too easy for Time to do – I mean, the president is the person of the year for every year he’s president, for every decision he makes (good or bad). (my brother said that the runner up choice was Karl Rove, which would have really made me ill). Eh. I’m just not all that impressed by this selection. And, to think about it, had Kerry won the election this year, he would have been the person of the year (although, his campaign was hardly anything nicely run). Was my idea of the American voter such a bad idea (considering the overload of media coverage and recovery from the 2000 election?)….
Anyway, it’s Xmas week… Enjoy…
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Friday into Saturday
“The Apprentice” season closer was bordering on the annoying side. I mean, heaven help us, they have two lawyers in the boardroom with Donald Trump, George and Carolyn, plus Regis polling everyone in the universe who all approve candidate Kelly (aka West Point graduate/ex-Army guy/UCLA J.D./MBA) – except for candidate Jen’s rare bunch of supporters (the ones who were desperate trying to shore up Jen as a corporate woman – but who can deny that she’s an annoying bitchy-flying-under-the-radar person? and Jen’s law firm, Clifford Chance – the boss, who somehow tells Trump with a straight face that the firm didn’t want to lose her; and a clip of her firm’s NYC office all cheering for her, with one woman cheering a little too enthusiastically – umm, hello, this is a big corporate law firm??)…. Anyway, all the writing on this “Apprentice” subject has been hilarious, and well, more or less accurate.
And, while it was only fair that Kelly won (he did such a good job in his previous tasks – that whole “Mr. Trump, may we give 100% of our profits to charity?” and his Pepsi Edge bottle were cool and classy stuff), he did a little silly stuff in his final task (while it’s real nice that Kelly knows how to use Excel on his laptop, couldn’t he have told his mindless teammates to cease and desist in their less-than-disciplined-conduct? But, he did a good job mediating his team players’ disputes – boy, did West Point teach him that, or did law school? 😉 )…
Umm, I could say more, but my brain’s a little vegetable-like right now. 😉 Later…
Sandwich board selling Subway sandwiches at Union Square