I think my subconscious goal every morning is to dress like a mermaid.  Or maybe just some kind of mythical creature in general.  But with a gorgeous necklace like this can you really blame me?

So.  It’s election year.  I think they planned so that it would fall on the same year as the Olympics.  You know, so everyone’s in good spirits before they get all pissed off.  In New York it’s also Fashion Week.  Something I forgot to pay attention to because I was too busy pretending that summer would never end (I’m still in denial — today was the hottest it’s been in weeks.  Ask my sweat glands.)  So we’ve got the Presidential Election and Fashion Week.  Ironic that the two should come to the forefront of my attention at the same time as they have nothing to do with each other.  I mean, Hillary’s pantsuit (and I’m sure Palin’s, too) isn’t exactly screaming avant-garde.  But I guess that’s what’s going on in the world and since I don’t live under a rock, it’s hard to avoid.

Fashion and politics.  When something goes wrong in one, children ask why Mommy used to dress like a slutty disco queen.  When the other takes an unfortunate turn, they ask why Daddy isn’t coming home.  One provokes a cringe, the other an ache.  I think this is why I don’t understand politics and government.  They are not beautiful things.  They are entities that were, somewhere along the way, deemed necessary to preserve order.  I don’t know if it all started with good intentions or was immediately about taking over the world, but in my 20something years of observation, it hasn’t looked good.

In politics there is a huge division of people.  They are only unified when they are for something and against something else (did you NOT hear the crowd at the Republican National Convention?)  Fashion, like the Olympics, unites people.  It brings countries, cultures, and people together to celebrate beautiful work.  And it’s subjective, which creates tastes and style and allows for individuality.  I don’t see that in politics.  Differences aren’t celebrated.  I see red and blue.  Might as well be black and white.

Now, I don’t follow politics all that much, just as I don’t follow fashion trends (I set the trends, duh).  So when I look at this election and there is a big, huge war (apologies for the double positive there) in the middle of it that has put the world into such a sorry state and neither candidate plans on pulling out of it because they can’t, because it’s an issue of national security, it’s quite disheartening.  If we just put down the guns, put our hands up, and said, “We just want to help you be the best you can be, take it or leave it,” do you think they’d gun us down?  Well, I don’t know if they would, but fighting fire with fire doesn’t stifle the flames.  Then again, aren’t we over there for oil?  So maybe we don’t really want to *help* them so much as *control* them.

My prediction?  If we continue along the same course, self-destruction.  Just like every powerful civilization in the history of the world.  I just hope we leave something behind as cool as the pyramids.

*wink, wink*

These are the dog days of summer.  When everything seems to slow down a little bit and life seems a little more relaxed and enjoyable.  But, as with the best of everything, they are fleeting and last for a very short time.  Of course, this makes them all the more beautiful.  In any case, better to bask in that hot August sun than worry about the setting of it.

A while ago I read this book.  Now I’m reading this book which has led me to listen to this song on repeat (as I will so often do when I need something to really sink in).  And if you head on over to the Wikipedia page for that song and scroll down to Legacy, you’ll see some interesting facts on just how popular that song is.  Now what I would like to know is why the fuck does everyone on the planet have such a thick skull?  The ideas provoked here obviously resonate with anyone who has half a brain, yet nothing really seems to change.

It was a few years ago that I rejected the idea of religion and any superior being that so much of the world puts their faith into.  Though they are all founded on human morality, they have been polluted with meaningless rituals and lists of rights and wrongs.  Who is to decide what is moral?  We’re all human.  It doesn’t make sense that any one person or group of people know what is ethical.  Human nature and common sense should be able to dictate those things.

As of recent, I’ve decided that this also applies to governments because whatever we’re doing, it’s not working.  There’s too much greed and, in effect, violence for someone to look at the state of the world as a whole and say, “Yes, this is okay.  Let’s keep it up.”  No way.  I don’t accept that.  It’s like we’re fighting for peace.  How the fuck can you fight for peace?  I have an idea on how to achieve that goal:  Stop.  Fighting.

That being said, I know we live in a materialistic world and I am most definitely guilty of *needing* those shiny new toys.  That glowing apple icon?  Gets me every time.  Four inch patent leather mary janes?  Sold.  $100 haircuts so that my hair is one less source of stress in my life?  Done.  Luxury condos in Battery Park City?  Give me a few years, I’ll get there.  I am certainly not above desiring all of the pretty things of the world, and New York isn’t exactly the city of frugality.  It’s tough to not want everything.

However, college/living abroad/traveling/moving apartments every year has taught me that there is a lot of unnecessary crap in our lives.  After living in Italy for 4 months and taking home the only two suitcases that I had brought with me (though stuffed with plenty more than I came with), I realized that minimalism makes life a lot easier.  My pack rat days were over.  Only take what you need, leave the rest for someone else.

In the last 6 months or so, that zen mentality of mine got lost in a mess of cool new tech products, clothes, restaurants, bars, vacations; basically all things excessive and expensive.  I’ve wanted and needed the latest and greatest and wouldn’t be satisfied until I had it.  That is, until I took a spill off my bike a couple of weeks ago.

At first glance all seemed fine.  Minor scrapes to myself, the bike was okay, and though everything fell out of my bag, it all seemed like it took the crash well.  Then I got to work, took out my laptop, and realized the case was totally warped and the latch broken.  Uh oh.  After turning it on, the machine seemed to be working properly.  Within a couple of days, though, that was not the case: the DVD drive was eating discs, the camera wasn’t being recognized, and the trackpad button felt weird to the touch.  Upon inspection at the Apple store, I was informed that yes, those things collapsed from the impact and no, the fact that I bought the machine 6 months ago doesn’t matter because the warranty has been invalidated.  The price tag for repair?  $1200.

However, the hard drive, screen, keyboard, and trackpad are not busted.  Everything I need to do my job is fine.  And for that, for not having to replace a $2000+ machine, for not even having to actually get anything repaired, I woke back up.  I remembered that this is just a tool that allows me to do the things that I do.  I’m taking my ever-so-graceful spill as a big shove from the universe to get my head on straight.  Yes, it’s sad that I can no longer take stupid Photobooth snapshots when I’m procrastinating, and it’s sad that my new machine is now a used machine, but such is life.

I’m probably getting far too big a lesson out of this incident, but if you know me, you know how attached I am to my pretty aluminum baby.  My baby that was dropped on it’s head and now has some permanent brain damage and a couple of scars to show for it.  But I’ve relearned my lesson: that you have to appreciate what you have.  Otherwise nothing will ever be good enough and you’ll turn into a greedy little bastard.

This was the opening act for Yo La Tengo at the last McCarren Park Pool Party of the summer.  They were certainly entertaining to watch, but the sound coming out of the speakers wasn’t too good and it was hard to understand what exactly was going on.  But they definitely had some good drum beats.  The kind that make you want to do this.

I’ve begun to believe that there is a direct relationship between the amount of dirt encrusted into your hair/clothes/skin and how hip you are.  Actual location: 2nd ave at St. Mark’s Place.  More photos to come on Flickr (once I get around to going through them).

Excellent places to visit on the hippest street in Manhattan:

1. St Mark’s Ale House: Lots of good stuff on tap including (my) seasonal faves by Sam Adams.  Plus, the staff is awesome.
2. Grassroots Tavern: A dark bar for a good pint.  Recommended for those bitterly cold days of winter.
3. Tahini: Formerly Chickpea, but basically the same good stuff that is dank village falafel.
4. Mamoun’s: Compare it to Tahini.  I can never decide, but I think Mamoun’s is better when drunk and Tahini is better sober.
5. Zen Sushi: Half price sushi and a late night happy hour?  SOLD.
6. Yakitori Taisho: De-sushied Japanese food and pitchers of beer to wash it down.  I’ve only been here with former colleages who knew what to order.  Great food, but beware.
7. Sing Sing: Get your karaoke on.
8. La Palapa: Hands down the best Mexican food I’ve ever had.
9. La Paella: Bangin’ tapas bar.  Go with a group and eat your heart out.
10. Continental: Cheap drinks and live music.  No guarantees the music is good, though.

Rest in Peace:

1. NY Milkshake Company which moved to Midtown… boo to Midtown.  I miss the mint chocolate chip waffle sandwiches.
2. San Marcos had the best margarita specials.  It’s now Grand Sichuan.

Yesterday I went to the last McCarren Park Pool Party of the summer.  The first two bands were a little strange, but Yo La Tengo pretty much rocked my world (as a first time listener).  You can definitely tell a professional band from amateur by the quality of sound that comes out of the mikes.  And the sound that came out was a sweet, sweet melody (interspersed with lovely harmonies).  More photos from the show to come on Flickr.

All that smog makes the skyline look pretty surreal.  Not particularly beautiful, but interesting nonetheless.

As the days are obviously getting shorter, which means we’re getting that much closer to the dreadful ice and snow, I’ve been trying to snap lots of photos of the city in the midst of its summertime goodness.  Oh, I know what you’re thinking, “Fall fashion is so great!”  Not as great as sundresses and sandals.  And definitely not as great as this watermelon.  Fuck fall; I’m rejecting it this year.