Quick shout-out

To my loyal readers (if any of you still exist):

I know, I know. I have been super lame about updating this blog in the last week. I got unexpectedly busy with a huge final project at work, so have gone into hibernation mode. Tomorrow is my last day, though, so this weekend and into next week I should have lots of updates about this week, and things I do in the next few days, as my time will be spent doing last-minute exploring of the city. So I have not disappeared, or died, or gotten sick of this blog. Never fear!

Incidentally, in light of my having given up Facebook, I now have a LinkedIn account (Facebook's more respectable, well-behaved cousin), and a Twitter (what can I say? I need outlets for my random thoughts. And I am a busy-body about what other people are doing). For privacy reasons, I am not giving out my LinkedIn account, but if you so choose, you can find me on Twitter under @tootiefruitie52.

Anyway, back to regular updates soon. For your patience, here is a cool photo of the arch at Washington Square that I took while waiting for a cab (which took *way* too long to hail. This is New York; the place is lousy with cabs. It should not take more than five minutes to find an empty cab):

Washington Square is pretty impressive when lit up at night

Also, I cannot believe that I leave New York in less than a week... So the great adventure is winding down.

The Dark Knight Rises

About the only thing of note that I did this weekend, was to go see The Dark Knight Rises.

Dude. It was So. Good. Very much darker than the last two-- even The Dark Knight. I was skeptical that the movie could top the previous movie, but in many ways I think it did. They really pulled out all of the stops, including a cameo by Liam Neeson. Without going too much into it (so I don't allow for spoilers), I also appreciated that there was a nod to the French Revolution, once Bane's plan is under way. And they definitely have given up trying to pretend that Gotham is a combination of New York and Chicago-- they were definitely going for straight-up New York. Namely, having very prominent and obvious shots of the ongoing construction of Freedom Tower, aka the new World Trade Center tower, kind of killed any kind of illusion on that front.

The one thing I was confused about though, was the ending. Without going too much into it, it was definitely left pretty open, considering that all those involved in the movie says that TDKR is the last of the Nolan Batman movies. Well, Man of Steel is coming out next year; maybe they are trying to pave the way for an Avengers type superhero combo movie (my boyfriend, who is way more into comic book heroes than I ever was, has mentioned on occasion that DC Comics has its own Avengers-like, namely The Justice League). I would be surprised, given the Avengers' popularity, if they don't start trying to do something like that. Why else the Spiderman reboot like 6 years after the last one?

At any rate, I want the box set of Nolan's Batman when it comes out for Christmas.

I did manage to get some interesting snapshots before the movie. I went to the Regal Theatre at Union Square, but surprise surprise, they were sold out until the 6:15PM showing (this was at 3:00PM), so I got to hang out for a while. I didn't know that Union Square was such a happening place. I'd been there before on a number of occasions, and had never seen as much as I saw today. Namely, Occupiers, Hare Krishnas, a rag-tag street fair of sorts with artist booths. I actually even bought a canvas for $20. What can I say, I am a sucker for street art, and have a new apartment to decorate. I also got a cool shot of the Flatiron building; in an effort to avoid really awkward panhandlers on the subway, I got off on the wrong stop, one stop north of 14th street/Union Square. I don't know what neighborhood it was, but it was really nice, and suitably bougie. And lo and behold, I stumbled upon the Flatrion building. I am starting to suspect that randomly stumbling upon well-known if not straight-up famous things in New York, is a fairly common occurrence... Pictures are below.

Upwards shot of the Flatiron Building

A shot of some of the artist stands alongside Union Square

Foodtruck-topia, alongside Union Square

Hare Krishnas. I didn't want to get too close when taking the shot-- because that's awkward-- so it is kind of hard to see

In the lobby of the theatre, I saw that the battle for the hearts and minds of the New York soda-drinking public is still raging

And for all of you out there who, like me, have epic '90s nostalgia: "Welcome to Goodburger, home of the Goodburger, can I take your order?" I didn't know one actually existed. Ah, the 90s. A much simpler time. Anyone else wish we could go back? But there is no going back, I am afraid

Finally, I feel like I should briefly address my post from the other night. I wish I could feel more empathy for people. But I always wished, and hoped, that people could be good, and just...live and let live. That's all I've wanted, that's all I have ever wanted. But more and more, people are unwilling to do that. There is just so much ugliness in the world; at times I've tried to shield myself from it, at other times I have tried to speak out against it, often in less-than-sugarry terms. And I have been shouted down for it, because people often don't want to hear such things. But I am also a firm believer in near-unqualified freedom of speech (namely, anything that isn't inciting or directing violence, or the proverbial shouting fire in a crowded building). Because unless we have the freedom to express ourselves, even if in unpopular or "offensive" ways, then we are not free as a society, as people. And it doesn't matter if the person trying to make you temper your speech is your government, your boss, or your family. It is one of the dearest freedoms we have. And the reason I am so uncompromising about it, why I take it too its logical extreme, is because the moment you let someone cow you down to be quieter, you start down the slope that ends where we all lose our voices.

I suppose too that I have never really related well to people; who knows why that is. I just could never seem to fit in with most people, so my cadre of friends has always been small. Perhaps I held people to too high of a standard and, being disappointed, withdrew myself from them. So I have always been something of a lone wolf. And then to just see the pointless crap people put each other through-- I feel a need to attack, to speak out. Maybe someone will listen. Can't it all just stop? Can't we all just get along and mind our own businesses? I think I grew up in a large bubble, and going to college, then out into the world, starting pay attention and read the papers, plus just some of my interactions with people over the years, shocked, but mostly, disappointed me. I have known many good, solid people in my life. People I would trust with my life, people I would sacrifice everything and anything for. I know within people, most people, there is a capacity to be good, and to take the higher ground. But so many don't. So many mire in the gossip, the opportunism, the nastiness. I wish I could stop shouting everyone down, but as a person I feel I can't, because there is so much wrong. But in my disappointment, in my constant fighting, I've felt the human warmth that I should feel, slowly drain away, for all but a few people I really consider my friends and family. I have started to keep to myself more, because in my sadness, there is nothing that I see in the world that surprises me. Perhaps I could, and should, stop paying attention, stop the fighting, external and internal. But what's the point in that? The bad stuff doesn't just go away. At any rate, even if I do that, I doubt I will understand people or fit in with them any better. I do however, find it immensely sad. I can feel myself changing, like a spell in an old story or movie that slowly turns someone's heart cold, into stone. You can feel it happening, but you can't stop it.

I took down my Facebook page to stop dealing with people who would attack me, yes. But I also took it down because in my speaking out, I became and am angry. There are people on Facebook with whom I was friended, who knew me before I got to this point. I am sure that they have seen enough, but honestly, I would rather them remember me the way that I was, namely normal and feeling and nice, particularly to those I love and loved. They don't need to see me now. And perhaps I can return to them one day the way that I was, but that day is not today I am afraid.

I, Misanthrope

I have decided to stop fighting the fact that I am a misanthrope.

Even from a young age, I always tended to prefer the "antagonist" or "flawed heroes" in stories. I found the goody-goody types annoying, and if they weren't just out-and-out evil for no reason, I quickly identified with these "darker" characters because they were the only honest ones-- the only ones to point out the hypocrisy of the so-called pretty-boy heroes or Pollyanna princesses in distress. When I was 11 or 12, one of my favorite characters was Daria, from the MTV show by the same name. I appreciated and identified with her cynicism, because it was honest. And Dr. House from House, is pretty much my definition of awesome.

I think initially, I was at one point genuinely personable and naive and willing to give people the benefit of the doubt. But then I started interacting with them. I think the tragic events of the last day in Colorado, just proves my point. I might be called maladjusted or mean or imbalanced because of this, but is a world in which I cannot even go to the theaters without fearing that my "fellow man" might shoot me, a world that I really want to "adjust" or conform to? Is that one that I really want to accept? These bouts of violence are obviously extreme, and not everyone is crazy. But even in the everyday: people gossip, people judge, people try to use whatever influence they have over you-- be it a relationship, monetary, numbers-- to get you to do and think as they do. And if that doesn't work, often they resort to out-and-out force. Whether it is two guys beating the crap out of each other, or the passive-agressive "office politics," it just doesn't seem that species homo sapien sapiens is a very agreeable species. Today at work, we listened to a whole talk where the guy giving it explains how it is a very common practice in Russia for business people-- or really anyone who has a little money-- to bribe the government to drum up a sham criminal prosecution against someone with whom they have a dispute. Nice.

Also telling is the number of highly-educated, influential and profound thinkers over the years who were self-avowed misanthropes, or at least displayed misanthropic tendencies. Jonathan Swift. Sartre. Kurt Vonnegut. Mark Twain. Heiddeger. Oscar Wilde. Jane Austen. Hell, even Albert Einstein famously said, "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity. And I am not sure about the universe." Considering the intellectual prowess of that list, I think that is at least strong circumstantial evidence that I am not wrong in coming to this conclusion about people generally.

A poignant example of what I am talking about, both in its substance and in the context I found it in-- namely, abandoned on the street being stepped on in the rain-- is this sign I saw when I was walking home. It is rather telling.

But rather then rant and vent, I am posting videos for you all that are much more entertaining than listening to me whine. They express my frustration in a way I never could, because it is no longer socially-acceptable to tell people off, no matter how much they might deserve it. Courtesy of Youtube. I unfortunately cannot claim credit for their creation; whoever did compile this, is awesome. Enjoy!

200 of the best movie insults of all time

Incidentally, I deleted my Facebook account. Technically it is only de-activated, but so long as I don't sign on to it for 14 days, it will be permanently deleted. As you may have gathered, I am not shy about sharing my opinion, regardless of what people think, and did so frequently on my Facebook. I got tired, however, of constantly defending myself from peoples' mindless drivel, in replies to things I posted, on my own wall. So, I shut it down. This probably won't help my readership on this blog, considering that much of the traffic comes from the link that was on my Facebook page. Oh well.

And finally, since I like quotes so much, I think I will end with a few from famous people, relevant to tonight's topic:

“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.” ― Marilyn Monroe

“Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.” ― Ernest Hemingway

“I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

“Those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.” ― Bernard M. Baruch

“I wrote the story myself. It's about a girl who lost her reputation and never missed it.” ― Mae West

And finally, another gem from the incomparable Marilyn Monroe:

“When it comes down to it, I let them think what they want. If they care enough to bother with what I do, then I'm already better than them.” ― Marilyn Monroe

Weekend of Chill

What kind of day was today? The kind of day where I don't eat dinner until 9:45PM, because I didn't leave the office until 9:00PM. And then I was at this restaurant in Little Italy, and kept getting "ciao Bella'd" by the male waitstaff. I can't tell if it was subtle quasi-pickup line, or if it is just an Italian thing.

Luckily, this weekend was not like today. First, I slept in really late. Like really late. But, considering I work long days (like today, although this was *way* longer than normal) perhaps it is just my body getting what it needs on the weekend. Stock up for the next week or whatever. But, since each day, between waking up late, and putzing around getting ready, I didn't really leave the apartment until 2:30PM each day. So I couldn't do anything epic or touristy that took several hours. Which, frankly, was fine. It's nice to have a relaxing day.

Saturday I walked around the West Village/Greenwich Village, because it was not a neighborhood I had yet been to. And, it was *Borat voice* very nice. Lots of boutiquey shops and little bars and cutesy restaurants, everything of course overpriced. I could definitely tell it is another place where the other half lives. And I really liked it. Because let's face it, I have stupid expensive tastes. I did manage to find some new brown (leather!) flats for not that much (sale!) at one of these boutiques. I had been looking for a pair because the brown flats I have now-- which are a very useful thing to have, btw-- are a couple years old and have seen better days. I also *might* have had a slice of cake as the first thing I ate in the day. I was walking down the street, and saw a line out the door at this one bakery. I figured if there was a line like that, it must be a thing, and I should try it. So I got in line, got my slice of lemon cake, and went and sat on a park bench. The bakery is Magnolia Bakery, and apparently, as I learned after, it is a thing. The case was super moist and crumbly, but I do think it could have been a bit more lemony in flavor. But all and all, a nice slice of cake. And it was very pleasant to sit on a bench in a little park in a neighborhood square, eating cake, relaxing and people-watching. I did a lot sitting and relaxing and people watching. At this square, at another park/square thing in the neighborhood, at a fountain along the water on the west side (very pretty seeing the sun set over the Hudson, looking on to New Jersey. That was my favorite part of the day, just sitting there and relaxing as day turned to dusk). This is pretty much what I did when I wasn't walking around, just seeing what was there.

I also managed to pick up another decor item for the apartment. I went to this store that was like furniture and household accessories, called MXYPLYZYK (seriously. And no, I don't know how to say that). It was definitely my style: more modern than not, but with a bit of quirk. Like higher quality and more legit versions of the type of style of things you might see in the household stuff section of Urban Outfitters. I ended up buying a small decorative vase that I think will go well with what little color scheme there is (all my furniture is dark brown or black), and help bring more color into the place. I felt awful though. I was looking at this set of three bowls (kind of Asiatic in style, like rice or sauce bowls). I was kind of drawn towards them because they had owls on them, and it's kind of a thing with my sorority. If you aren't in a sorority, you definitely won't understand, so just take my word for it. They were in these boxes, which had their fronts exposed, stacked one bowl on top of the other, with some cardboard between. Stupid me, I thought that the bowls would be somehow tied down or secured in their packaging (I guess from a lifetime of growing up in California, where everything is secured as much as possible because, earthquakes). Well, they weren't and I ended up dumping two of the ceramic bowls out. I managed to catch one, but the other smashed to the ground and shattered. So, I ended up with two owl bowls to boot. The guy discounted the price to reflect the lesser bowl, but I still felt terrible. I didn't mind picking up the extra bowls-- it was right, considering I had just smashed one and the set was now ruined in terms of selling to someone else, and they are relevant to my life-- but I just felt so stupid and embarrassed and sorry. But the owner and the associate were just really nice about it. Like really nice about it, and were reassuring me that it was fine, didn't even raise any voice or anything. So that was appreciated, because I am pretty sure that as I was signing the receipt, my hand was shaking a bit. So yeah, in conclusion: if you are in New York, you should totally check out MXYPLYZYK, not only because they have cool stuff, but because the owner and his staff are good people.

The other thing I learned about the West Village, is that it is basically New York's answer to the Castro in San Francisco, and Boystown in Chicago. Except-- to my surprise, given NYC's history-- not as extreme. So that was interesting. I think I may have found the original Stonewall bar. The Stonewall thing was New York, right? Not San Francisco? I should know this having grown up in the Bay Area, but I forget things like this easily. So, it was fun and quirky in that way, too.

To end the day I decided I wanted to see a fun movie. So I decided I wanted to see Rock of Ages. Unfortunately, it was only playing at a theatre in Times Square (seriously, why do I always inevitably wind up back in Times Square?). So I had to fight the touristas. But it was worth it: the movie was very entertaining, was surprisingly good (since I had not seen, but was nonetheless skeptical, of the musical) and had like a solidly legit cast (Seriously: Mary J. Blige, Alec Baldwin, Paul Giamatti, Russell Brand, and of course Tom Cruise). And was a genuinely "feel-good movie." After Tropic Thunder and now this, it is official: Tom Cruise is at his best when he is playing batshit, mildly self-parodying roles. Although, given what's gone down in Tom's life as of late, there was something unintentionally poignant about the role he played in the movie. You'd have to see it though to see what I mean.

Sunday was even less adventuresome. I headed up to the Upper East Side, got some lunch at a Thai place, and headed over to Barnes and Noble. I've decided that I need some reading material that isn't caselaw or stupid internet news articles. So I picked up like five, wildly different books: Ernest Hemingway on War, Seven Gothic Tales by Isak Dinesen, A Battle for the Soul of Islam, A Farewell to Arms, and The History of the World According to Facebook. Again, wildly different. Then, I took myself over to Central Park, found a bench (actually, a couple benches, since I was at this one, but the weird line dancing and music that was going on about 10 yards away finally drove me to find a quieter, more secluded place), and read. Read the Facebook book first, since it was humorous and a quick read. Then started in on A Farewell to Arms (also, definition of some kind of stereotype (dunno which one): reading Hemingway in Central Park. It's like what female protagonists in Edith Wharton novels do, except for the fact that they probably aren't reading Hemingway because it was either too early yet, or he was a contemporary of that time period). It was so nasty and muggy out on Sunday (to the point of, standing outside for five minutes made me sweat like I had just run five miles) that honestly, sitting and reading was about all one could do without feeling like death.

That was basically my day on Sunday. I was out on the Park for a couple hours, then walked around the Upper East Side for a little while. Note: I love the Upper East Side. Which is a problem, since I saw in a realty office window a listing ad for a 2-bedroom apartment in the neighborhood, renting for $18,000 per month. So... the French should be happy: I also ran into the French Embassy, which is at like 5th Ave and 77th-ish street, right across from Central Park. So pretty much the most expensive real estate in New York. And it isn't exactly small. Your French tax dollars at work!

Below are some pictures I took while at Central Park. Until next time. Actually, I should have lots of updates this week, because I have having kind of a busy week-- things almost every night after work. So thank god my emergency stay-late-at-the-office happened tonight, and not another day.

View of Turtle Pond from Belvedere Castle, Central Park

Belvedere Castle, Central Park. Apparently it was built in 1868/69 as a lookout tower, and was converted into an observatory for the National Weather Service at the turn of the 20th century. Yay for incredibly Victorian Age

Balcony at Castle in front of stone steps leading down to pond

France. Actually kind of literally, since it is the Embassy and Embassies are technically small slices of sovereign soil in a foreign land. Even though it is sitting on some of the most expensive real estate in New York

Also, I checked lilmonsters.org. Lexi still isn't listed as having been adopted. I don't know if it is because they just haven't updated the site, or because the guy decided not to adopt her. I hope it is the former. But if it is that latter, I so wish I could take her with me to Chicago. She deserves a good home. I am still so sad about the pet policy at my building. I kind of wish I had thought about looking around more for a place that allows doggies. But, it is pretty much exactly what we were looking for in every other way: was the right price, location, etc.

But I still want doggie. :(