Thou Shalt Not Be Boxed: June 2004 Archives

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June 27, 2004

Fahrenheit 9/11

Before the movie we saw the trailer for the movie version of The Phantom of The Opera. It nearly killed us.

No Really.

This country is a mess mess mess. And while right now all the fingers are being pointed in one direction, we should remember the old adage - there are four more pointing right back at us. The sad thing is that - with the exception of GWB just being who he is as a person, president or not - you could flip flop all the party associations and/or make the movie about corporate America in general and still have the same issues. The politicizing of the issues does not change the fact that these things are happening b/c we as a country allow them to happen. It is up to each and every one of us to individually make the choices that can make things right. To gather the facts, question mass opinion, spend the energy spent ranting and raving and finger pointing making a difference, listening to each other, respecting freedom of speech and freedom of opinion.

I'm ranting and raving now. I'm going to spend the energy getting a good night's sleep instead.

Posted by nikl at 10:14 PM | Comments (0)

It's Easy To Forget

It's easy to forget who were are. It's easy to forget where we came from. It's easy to forget the people who sacrificed, worried, supported, demanded for/about/of us resulting in where we are today. It's easy to forget that there are people who love us no matter what we think, say or do. It's easy to forget that a little effort can go a long way. It's easy to forget that while you may never see the fruits of a good deed, a good deed does good for the soul. It's easy to forget that we are responsible for our actions. It's easy to forget we deserve to be loved. It's easy to forget that there's no reason to settle. It's easy to forget that we are worth it.

Posted by nikl at 10:05 PM | Comments (0)

June 23, 2004

Patience, is a Virtue

"She's moving so SLOWLY... in a rush - I'll go this way," I think as I go the long way around the half-filled food island of the Lucky Deli around the corner from work.

There's just the right amount of time between ordering your coffee and breakfast sandwich, getting to the back for OJ (they have the regular up front, but not the vitamin enriched kind) and getting back to the front in time to get your coffee, pay for the sanwich in advance, and have the sandwich ready by the time you've paid and are ready to walk out the door. This girl shuffling along in her flip flops is NOT throwing me off schedule. I'm wearing flip flops. I'm managing a respectable pace.

I come around the other side half-filled food island, at least 3 feet ahead of her ("SO incredibly slow," I think, "how can someone have that much leisure time in the morning?"). I grab the last of the Immunity Defense Tropicana, dodge the stock boy and the Slow Girl, all in one motion. Hell yeah.

As I complete the turn and begin to head back up to the front, my iPod chord catches on the corner of the back food island, which has no food yet, just open gaping holes filled with steaming nasty water. In half a second, my iPod is yanked off it's clipped perch on the corner of my bag, and lands with a loud-assed THUD. An inch more to the left and it would have been immersed in the steaming nasty water.

Ok. I get it. Slow down. Chill out. Patience, is a virtue.

Posted by nikl at 10:56 AM | Comments (0)

June 22, 2004

Best Spammer Name

I just got spam from "Polynomial Fanny"

Believe it folks.

Posted by nikl at 02:26 PM | Comments (0)

Callista is a Blogger

Not to mention a mad good writer. The MisAdventures of Callista Chen

Posted by nikl at 02:25 PM | Comments (1)

Editing, or Coincidence?

From the top center feature well of http://www.digitalcity.com/newyork as of noon on Tuesday.

Note the "secondary text link" beneath the main feature highlighting the new Shakespeare in the Park... Me thinks, not a coincidence :)

hilarious.

Posted by nikl at 02:20 PM | Comments (0)

June 13, 2004

Finally Watching The Tonys

You know I've come a long way from performing a two person version of Les Mis with my best friend in my living room when I've let an entire week go by before watching the Tonys.

Running commentary:
- Was that Billy Joel/Jane Krakowski debacle supposed to be a joke?
- Pauvre Karen Ziemba. I mean, really. But you go Anika (who looks fabulous). what an incredible speech to start off the night.
- Ok. You see, the climax number from Caroline, or Change? It works as the climax number of Caroline, or Change. Not so much as a stand alone. Then you are with her when her voice almost breaks. And you are into the style and aren't thrown off by the lack of a melody line or structure. Put the kids onstage, let Anika sing - sell some tickets.
- The Avenue Q train has taken off. What did I say when it opened...
- So nice to hear two women belting their asses off together and not be connected by them (thier asses, that is)
- so mad I didn't see Big River
- What is L.L. doing? OMG. What's happening? Carol Channing - what?! Help... Help! OMG. WHAT IS HAPPENING??? Make it stop.
- Ok. I met Jeff Marx in the rec.arts.theatre.musicals newsgroup in 1994. How ODD is it to see him winning a Tony. A. Congrats! B. What DID I SAY when Avenue Q opened????
- The L.L. and Carol needs to stop NOW NOW NOW
- Stop SHOWING CAROL
- Drive-by shooting joke: Not funny
- Go Audra
- They did such a great job of creating hints of the scenery for each of the featured performances
- Mario Cantone - SETTLE DOWN
- Why was Jen Johnson sitting behind Joe Mantello?
- WHAT is Scarlet Johannsen's hair doing?
- Everyone's been talking about Felicia's speech, but damn. She just said it all.
- Now, did the music cut off the I Am My Own Wife producer b/c his time was up? Or b/c he started talking about gay marriage?...
- Avenue Q wins best musical. WHAT DID I SAY WHEN IT OPENED????

Posted by nikl at 01:25 PM | Comments (0)

Good Marketing, An Aphrodisiac

I knew I loved the Verizon commercial with the little boy talking to his grandmother while on the floor wearing flippers and mardi gras beads. Then I found this Slate article about the campaign. I hadn't realized there were two other families, and until I watched the rest of them, I hadn't consiously realized that my favorite commercial was part of a series - or even that the family in it is an interracial family - something I'm usually all over. The article talks about how the whole campaign is done in "sitco-mmercial" style, and the three different families were created to speak to different market segments (the interracial Elliott family is the one for the mass market). As some who know me know, to me, good marketing is just plain hot. This, is good marketing.

Now, it may have been successful to have three separate agencies do the three separate families for the campaign above, but whichever agency did the Verizon Yellow Pages ads in the subways needs to be fired - immediately.

Posted by nikl at 01:06 PM | Comments (0)

June 07, 2004

Ignorance is Ugly

Ignorance is ugly. Ugly, ugly, ugly >. Regardless of your position on the matter, that is just, well, ignorant.

Posted by nikl at 04:24 PM | Comments (0)

June 06, 2004

30h, Yeah

It's come and gone and I'm still here! As those of you who have already rounded this bend can I'm sure attest, everyone asks how it feels. Honestly? It feels like I'm 29. Or maybe even the end of 28. It's more as if this is just yet another signpost on the journey I've been on for the last few years - and will continue on for, well, ever. I'm less tolerant of drama and wasted time and being disrespected and mistreated - but that didn't start on Friday :).

I'm gonna have to go out on a limb and say that I have the world's most fun friends and family. Here's proof. About 100 people from all walks of my life came out to the Belt Theatre/Cafe (an awesome space, btw), to enjoy Jim and Callista and Pia's cupcakes and the DJ/Karaoke stylings of John Alden. It was an evening full of just the amount of madness and mayhem I wanted to ring in my next decade :).

Posted by nikl at 11:55 PM | Comments (0)

June 04, 2004

Soap on, Soap Off

My friend Laura started a soap company called Real Fine Soap, and in March, I got to join her and her boyfriend as they peddled their wares @ one those madenning Shecky's Girl's Night Out shopping parties. Laura just sent me this picture of us from the event.