Like most of you familiar with what's hip these days, I have heard snippets about this show; tidbits here and there about this new ABC comedy. Then, on one random night last week, I decided to give it a go and see what the talk was about. And oh em gee - I'm addicted. It's got the filming style of The Office and the charm of Arrested Development...with a bit more "gay" spiced in.
The show centers around one extended family - the patriarch who married a gorgeous Colombian woman with a cutie patootie son named Manny, the daughter who has a husband and three children (each with their own set of problems), and the gay son who just adopted a Korean baby with his partner Cameron.
Characters to look out for (and love truly madly deeply):
Cameron
Phil
This show might appear to have the makings of a silly junky comedy. But to all those naysayers out there - the show is worth your while; I dare you to disagree. You can watch on Hulu and/or check out the free pilot episode on iTunes!
My dog Simba loves him some peanut butter! He's an incredibly sweet boy, and at 12 years old, he deserves to indulge in life's little pleasures. In honor of Simba's birthday this week, here's a short clip.
For those of you who have not experienced the utter thrill that is Improv Everywhere, I have arrived here to explain to you all the joy that IS watching their group. About a year ago, upon moving to Manhattan, I found out about a not-so-little improv group in New York City geared towards catching the general public off-guard. I signed up for their emails, and now I have come to not only enjoy, but adore watching these endearing video diaries of their adventures.
One of my favorite adventures to watch was the "Best Funeral Ever," (photo above) where they "crashed" an unknowing funeral that the group knew would have only a small amount of people attending. This wildly inappropriate decision to take over a funeral had quite the reaction by fans and non-fans of the group. I recall dragging my coworker over to my computer, where I made her watch the video and decide whether Improv Everywhere had lost their marbles. This was performed back in April, and in fact turned out to be an April Fool's joke-- which was only made knows days later, once the stress of watching had finally worn off. Everyone involved was an actor, no deceased people were harmed in the making of that video. They indeed pulled off a truly unique prank, even making it to the local news. Kudos, Improv Everywhere!
I have included some of my favorite videos below, but to get the true experience, please go to their site and find out how to get involved; who knows, perhaps YOU could be the next member of the "No-Pants Subway Ride" (image below)!
For our latest mission, over 2,000 people walked “invisible dogs” down the streets of Brooklyn on a Sunday afternoon. The leashes were on loan from the current owner of 51 Bergen Street, the factory space where the invisible dog toy was invented in the 1970s. Participants of all ages spread out from Red Hook to Brooklyn Heights, very seriously walking their very silly dogs.
We’ve had tons of ideas emailed to us over the years. Out of all of them, one stands out as the absolute most suggested: “You know how it’s weird in musicals that people just break out into song for no reason? You guys should stage a musical like that in a public place.” We’ve probably gotten over 100 emails just like that. Well, we finally decided it was time to make it happen.
For our latest mission, 16 agents staged a spontaneous musical in the food court of a Los Angeles shopping mall. We used wireless microphones to amplify the vocal performances and mix them together with the music through the mall’s PA system. We filmed the mission with hidden cameras, mostly behind two-way mirrors. Apart from our performers, no one in the food court was aware of what was happening.
For our latest mission, 50 Improv Everywhere agents created an art gallery opening on the 23rd Street subway platform in Manhattan. We put up 30 placards next to objects in the space (pipes, electrical boxes, signs, advertisements), transforming them into works of art. The gallery included a bar, a coat rack, and a cellist.
Earlier this afternoon, four-year-old hip-hop dancer Miles Brown appeared on Ellen, where he explained that he doesn't like that his dancing makes people happy. That's too bad, because his adorable performance certainly put smiles on our faces. {Jezebel}
My mom has recently decided to turn her successful career as an artist in a whole new direction- just for kicks (well, just for cakes...haha)! These desserts are not only yummy and covered in fabulous homemade frosting, but they are also decorated to the nines! ...They certainly are no cake wrecks.
My birthday cake last month was a two-tiered orange-almond cake (although unusual, it was so tasty!), covered in fondant displaying dogs I know and love. The detailing was quite impressive:
It was super cute, but the cakey fun didn't stop there --- Then, my mother decorated what felt like dozens of cakes last week for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, one for each night we ate outside in the sukkah.
Finally, mother dearest created a three-dimensional tricycle atop a chocolate frosted cake for a two-year old's birthday party (pictured below); golly, was the girl's mother excited... the two year old, however, cared more about playing with our dog. At least it looked gorgeous!
In honor of my mom's new blog about her cake-decorating hobby, I decided to add a shoutout on From Sarah, With Love - Who knows, maybe I'll earn myself another fancy dessert by Jeanette Kuvin Oren.
Never in my life has a television show made me feel as warm and fuzzy inside as last night's episode of The Office. Jim Halpert and Pam Beesly have finally said "I do." For those of you who read my From Sarah With Love entry about Jill and Kevin's world-famous dance down the aisle, this Office video will mean that much more.
2. Become a die-hard supporter of Jim and Pam, two lonely Dunder Mifflin employees in Scranton, PA, simply looking for someone to crack jokes with (at Dwight Schrute or Michael Scott's expense).
"'Eating the sands of time' is a metaphor for the changing directions that artistic expression has taken over the course of human existence." This title was given to an exhibit at the Rhode Island School of Design, a title that I think fits the following performance. Although it's somewhat lengthy, I recommend at least skipping through parts of it to get the general idea. From Ukraine's Got Talent, this is Kseniya Simonova with her sand masterpiece:
I was sent this video today, unsure of what this form of art would make me feel; but after watching, I continue to think about this sand art, along with the sounds and pace of the overall piece. It's quite magnificent, as this performance tells a story in an almost magical way.
In support of my boyfriend Mike's job, I would like to post Bill Thompson's FIRST television ad, now that Thompson's the official democratic candidate for Mayor (as of the 9/15 primaries)-- running against current Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
My bf Mike is a big-wig (or so I'd like to think) in Thompson's campaign as the Field Organizer for Southern Brooklyn, gathering volunteers for every event-- and some! He works his butt off, so I thought I'd support the cause by spreading the good word.
Take a look-see:
Let it be known that I am not a NY resident (anymore), and thus have no real say in the Mayoral voting matter; but NYMagIS indeed a NY-resident... and they had a thing or two to say about this video.
• As mayor, Thompson will always be encircled by a minimum of three people, but sometimes whole throngs.
• Often, those people wear hard hats, which signifies that they are Real People.
• We like how they mention that comptroller is "the city's second-most powerful office," since most people probably have no idea what a comptroller is.
• We don't like the clip of Thompson saying, "And it revitalizes New York City, and it gives us new energy." What does? What if the beginning of that sentence was something crazy?
• The opening shot shows text reading "Bill Thompson. Democrat." The slogan at the end of the ad is "Thompson. Mayor. Democrat." Bill Thompson only wears blue shirts. Get the picture? You're all Democrats, he's a Democrat — just do it, people.
NYMag posted a great little article several weeks ago with recommendations on how Thompson should beat out Bloomberg. I'd like to note, that"even after being outspent thirteen to one, Thompson is within ten points of Bloomberg in the polls" (NYMag)-- and that's old info already, the race has gotten even closer in the past couple weeks!
1. Keep repeating “Mayor for life, mayor for life.” Thompson will need to win at least a third of the white vote. (Ferrer drew slightly less than a quarter.) A reliable bet is to stoke anger over Bloomberg’s defiance of term limits, a simple issue that resonates with educated white voters, who have high turnout rates. “He should say ‘Mayor for life’ every time he talks,” says one Thompson adviser. “New Yorkers don’t want an imperialist mayoralty.” While Bloomberg says he’s ruled out a fourth term, Thompson should try to convince voters that the mayor will try to run again. Says a campaign aide: “I strongly believe it was what changed the people’s perception of him. It opened the door for us.”
2. Don’t bother introducing yourself: With only a few million dollars to spend, Thompson can’t afford to try to sell his bland life story (though he is a Trekkie). But with 55 percent of New Yorkers saying Bloomberg doesn’t deserve a third term, all Thompson has to do is say why it’s okay to feel distaste for the incumbent. “The campaign doesn’t have to introduce Thompson as much as redefine Bloomberg,” says a Democratic operative.
3. Ride the anti-Republican wave: Sure, today Bloomberg’s a registered Independent who supports gun control and gay marriage, but he did bring the 2004 GOP convention here, and he’s on that party’s ballot. The trick is to shackle him to the right wing. Says a senior Thompson aide: “It’s just Republican philosophy to say ‘Don’t tax the rich.’” Look for Thompson to employ catchphrases like “the Bush-Bloomberg economy.”
4. It’s the middle-class economy, stupid: Drawing in middle-class voters is the heart of Thompson’s campaign strategy, as it was for Ferrer. But this time, particularly with the rise in property taxes, sales taxes, water rates, and subway fares and unemployment, the charge that Bloomberg has neglected them could very well stick. Thompson, who likes to refer to a recent study that claims that 151,000 middle-class residents left the city in 2006, will try to make the case that Bloomberg has rendered the city unaffordable.
5. Appeal to Latinos by talking about schools: Hispanics won’t turn out in the numbers they did in 2005, when Ferrer won them with 66 percent. Thompson needs to put a dent in the shift back to Bloomberg. Because Latinos represent the largest ethnic population of public-school students, Thompson will go after the mayor’s education policies, criticizing classroom sizes and questioning claims of improved standardized-test scores.
6. Get under his skin: Turn Bloomberg’s occasional outbursts into an anger-management issue to get voters to dislike him. Bloomberg’s on-camera sneering at an Observer reporter (“You’re a disgrace”) generated a surprising amount of coverage, suggesting that maybe the voters suspect he’s dismissive and imperious. “Anything that points to his hypocrisy—that’s what he freaks out about,” notes a senior Thompson aide. “When he’s under attack, he says dumb things,” notes another Democratic operative. The two debates in October offer Thompson his best opportunity to rattle the mayor—that is, if Bloomberg shows up.
-- Keep your eyes peeled-- this Mayoral race could be a doozy! --
Like most of you familiar with what's hip these days, I have heard snippets about this show; tidbits here and there about this new ABC comedy. Then, on one random night last week, I decided to give it a go and see what the talk was about. And oh em gee - I'm addicted. It's got the filming style of The Office and the charm of Arrested Development...with a bit more "gay" spiced in.
