Go Providence!

So, I love Providence's basketball team. Because I am from Rhode Island, and because I love scrappy underdogs who are perpetually on the bubble (granted, Providence is usually in the NIT). But now they beat Pittsburgh, the number one team in the country, and will probably make it to the NCAA tournament. I am super excited. Yes, they will probably lose in the first round. But I'm cool with that.

No other news to report...I'm in Chapel Hill, which is always so busy that I don't get much real work accomplished. But it does motivate me to work while I'm away, so it serves its purpose. Plus, I get to eat at Pepper's Pizza. And that is a wonderful thing.

Everyone else is doing it...

From best to worst (in my humble opinion):

I love this dress on Marisa Tomei. I know, I might be the only one. It does, in fact, look like a set of paper napkins. And it's white, which was overdone this year. But...I just like it. It fits her well, and it's interesting to look at.

Well played, Viola Davis.

I've read a few critiques of Amy Adams' dress--particularly the bib/veil coming out of the center of her chest. But I really like the color (not white!), it fits her very well, and the stitching on the bodice is cool.

The only other white dress I liked. Yes, Taraji looks like a wedding cake. But a tasty wedding cake--and that is rare.

Okay, I confess. I like this dress. In fact, it would be higher up on the list if not for all the critics out there who are telling me I should hate it. What can I say? I'm a lemming. (Also, my crush on Kate Winslet may be interfering with my objectivity here).

Anne Hathaway's dress looks see-through. I don't think it is, but the juxtaposition of the white bands at the top and middle of her dress next to the slightly darker bodice makes it appear as if her skin color is shining through. Also, why is the lower band curved? It appears to be outlining a belly that she doesn't even have.

I think Freida's other sleeve got caught on the limo door as she was getting in, and she decided to go with it. I know people like this dress, and the color is fab. But the sleeve bugs me. Not only does it miss its counterpart, but it also looks like it belongs on Sophia Loren.

The dress is beautiful, but the color reminds me of cheerleaders on prom night. The horror!

The dress might be boring, but AJ is hot. Although she would be hotter if she ate a sandwich.

I do love Marion Cotillard, but she looks like a corpse bride. What's with the leg showing through? Is there a slit in the dress? Did they run out of material? And the top of the bodice looks like it's about 3 inches away from her skin. Was she hoping to stash an Oscar there?

Was there a wedding at the Oscars that we didn't see? (Why so many brides?)

SJP's breasts are coming close to falling out of her dress. Which would be okay, if they weren't smushed up against her armpits.

I love that Amanda Seyfried looks perpetually like her character in Mean Girls. Her dress is fug, but not even fug enough to escape being boring. I dislike the bow, but I dislike the almost-orange color more.

Tilda Swinton wouldn't be so far up the list, if not for the fact that this is the best outfit I've ever seen her wear. Props for coming close to normalcy, Tilda!

Jessica, take the napkin off and wash your hair. This is the Oscars!

Oooh, look! I can totally check my makeup in your dress!

This...feels almost too easy. Pass.

I think Heidi might have worn a design from one of the losing designers from this season's (yet unseen) project runway. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if this is the dress that got someone eliminated.

This dress makes Melissa Leo look simultaneously like an 80 year-old woman and a 12 year-old girl. Perhaps she is playing homage to Benjamin Button ("Pssst! Don't do it! It's not worth it!")


Meryl: "Oh, Sophia, you make me look so young!"
Sophia: "And you make me look well-dressed."
Meryl: "We both win!"

I have no words.

RuPaul's Drag Race

In the past few days, I have watched two episodes of this fabulous show. And it is a masterpiece. 'Drag Race' is a clear immitation of ANTM (a guilty pleasure and a train wreck). RuPaul is a sassier, more stylish, and more confident Tyra Banks--Tyra needs to be adored, but RuPaul knows she is. The prizes are also similar. The winning drag queen receives $20k, a spread in Paper magazine, a spot on the Pride tour, and a commercial deal selling eyelash extensions. The queens go through challenges, of course. The second episode featured a group performance, while in the third episode, the ladies had to channel Oprah while portraying a newscaster, on-air salesperson, and talk show host. At the end, the bottom two have to "lipsynch for their lives" to stay for another week. And, of course, every reality show needs ending taglines. The loser gets, "sashay away" while the winner hears, "Shante, you stay!" Magical!

Anyway, watch it. I promise, you will not be disappointed...

Random Thoughts

Just a few things I have been thinking about (and thought you should know, because I guess I'm just that narcissistic):

1. Wild animals are not pets. It should never, ever be legal to keep them in your home. I don't care if they can drink wine out of stemmed glasses. And what is the point in asking for an explanation when these "pets" attack? The explanation is that you brought a wild animal into your home. End of story, jackass.

2. The NY Times has list of promising dinner-for-breakfast options. Now, I'm more of the breakfast-for-dinner type, but I applaud their out of the box thinking. Last night, I did make a pizza (although it was dinner food). I make this every so often, and it really makes an excellent dinner. I used Trader Joe's whole wheat pizza dough (actually yummier than their white wheat version), and topped it with tomato sauce, mozerella cheese, sliced tomatoes, grilled chicken, and basil. It's an excellent meal, and pretty healthy!

3. Speaking of food, I am trying to eat more healthily. I am already a pretty healthy person, but I have been thinking about trying new grains and vegetables. My latest obsession is quinoa, although I have not yet tried it. Any advice on good food?

4. Now this is a teaching film I could go for. NY Magazine suggests this is the best film of the year. It's the story of an upper middle class white teacher struggling to teach a class of poor immigrant and minority youths. Cliche? Yes. In fact, having been such a teacher, I really hate this storyline (seriously, why does simply being white and willing to teach kids of another race automatically qualify one for a movie or book deal?) BUT--it's a French film. And better yet, the reviewer says this film ends in bitterness, not triumph. Excellent. Also, I like this description of the movie: "every class [the protagonist] leads is a juggling act that’s deeply disillusioning—then inspiring—then frustrating to the point of despair—then unexpectedly touching—then a god-awful mess." Yup, that sums up teaching.

5. What's creepy about this? When models fall, their faces remain perfect. Scary!

Working from home

One of the supposed advantages of being a graduate student--and, eventually, a professor--is the ability to work from one's home. This is true of many professional jobs, of course, but academia does seem to offer greater flexibility in this regard. And many people take advantage of this. My mom did, until being chair forced her to go to work. And most of my peers extol the virtue of working from home.

I have to admit, I don't really like it. I've always preferred going into an office. Once I was given an "office" (initially, this was a spot in the hallway that was buffered with a makeshift cubicle wall, and shared with another graduate student), I began going in every day to work. Even before this, I spent a lot more time in my shared Hamilton offices than many of my colleagues. And getting a closet-sized office to myself was the best thing that happened while in graduate school.

This is not to say that I never spent the day at home. But these were usually special occasions--I spent most of my time studying for comps at home, because I wanted the quiet. And when I'm down to the wire on a deadline, there's nothing that beats being able to wake up at 6am and immediately begin working. Also, it's not that I confine work to the office. When I did go into school to work every day, I brought my work home in the evenings and weekends. But it still allowed me to feel as if there was a delineation between "work" and "home".

This year, I don't have an office. And working at Penn requires a 20 minute walk, mostly over a windy bridge, and only offers a drafty (although pretty) library to do work in. So I don't really get out much. Instead, I wake up and move into the living room, where I eat breakfast, work, eat lunch, work, eat dinner, watch TV, and work. All in the same damn room. I hate it, and it has definitely slowed my productivity (despite saving me the commute). I cannot wait to have an office again.

So, what are others' preferences? I have the impression that my fellow graduate students love working from home--why?

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

...Actually, I only have the good and the ugly to report.

The good: Alison and I went on a lovely snowboarding trip for three days. We are tired and sore, but feeling refreshed for work. Pics and description of our "weekend" (Wednesday-Friday, really) below.

The ugly: Awardees of the RWJ were contacted on Friday, and guess who didn't get a call? Worst Valentine's Day ever (since I didn't find this out until today). It really, really sucks. But last year prepared me for rejection, so I'm doing okay.

Back to our trip. We went to Bear Creek (where two of our fabulous friends got married!) on Wednesday at around 4pm, and went snowboarding for a few hours before dinner. I had the opportunity to break in my new snowboard, and it was awesome. Here's a picture of the board:

The first night was a lot easier than we thought it would be. We headed to one of the easier hills, to practice. It was only our fourth time snowboarding, and we managed to stay mostly upright. We then had dinner at the lodge, and relaxed in the room.

The next day, we snowboarded all day. Somehow, we always manage to miss ideal conditions. It was warm on Wednesday (over 60 degrees), which had melted much of the snow and prevented them from making more. On Thursday, much of the snow had turned to ice or puddles, and it was extremely windy. We went on the intermediate slope, and did okay for the first half of the day. After lunch, though, I became really off-balance and tired, so we went back to the beginner hill. Here's a picture of Alison shredding (well, at least gliding), as well as one of me. Note the snow on my butt. That's from all the falling.

After our day on the slopes, we ate some yummy soup and watched tv in our room. I iced my knee, which was now twice it's normal size, and a lovely shade of purple.

They did not make any more snow on Friday, but they did groom the slopes, so it was much easier to handle. We returned to the intermediate hill, and I had a much easier time. Alison exchanged her snowboard from some skiis. Since she has skiied since age 13, she spent much of her time waiting around for me. Here is Alison looking dapper:

I fell a few more times that day, and added a few bruises to my other knee, and a very large, swollen bruise to my hip--I don't know why, but I always look and feel like I've been in a traffic accident after snowboarding, while Alison is largely injury-free. Although she does have a nasty nest egg on the back of her head at the moment.

Anyway, all in all, a good time. It was great to get away, and to get more experience on the slopes. If we can swing it, we'll go once more this year. Hopefully after a generous snowfall!

Waiting for Godot

Or waiting for word on postdocs. Same difference--idle talk, moving nowhere.

In the meantime...Alison and I went to see Slumdog Millionaire last night (fair warning: my discussion of this movie will include some mild "spoilers"). It was a sweet, funny, disturbing, saddening, and hopeful movie, all in one. A "made for Oscar" movie, in other words. I don't know if I hope they win, though. I liked the movie, particularly the first half or so. It kept me entertained, and the acting was excellent (particularly the star and the game show host--awesome). However, I was disappointed in the end, although I think this is largely because of all the hype. I expected the movie to be an out-of-the-box, thought-provoking film. But it hewed too close to a typical Hollywood script to be all that innovative. It wasn't an Indian film, it was a film set in India. And that was too bad. I was also continuously distracted by the juxtaposition of the good brother's light skin and the misguided (to put it kindly) brother's dark skin. I think this was less about racism than classism, but it still bothered me. I also thought the brother's change of heart at the end was entirely out of character--more a plot device than anything. That said, I did enjoy the movie a great deal. I think the cinematography was amazing, the acting solid to great, and the story was innovative. I just wished it really had been as much an outsider film as the critical acclaim suggests.

In other news, I thought I would post another recipe. This is a soup I've been making a lot lately, and Alison and I love it. You can leave out the bacon, and it would be a great vegetarian soup as well.

Guilty Pleasures Soup
1 package of bacon (10-12 strips)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp dried thyme
3 tbsp flour
2 cups low salt chicken broth
2 cups milk
3 russet potatoes, peeled and diced (or equivalent if russet not avail)
1.5 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
tobasco to taste
sea salt to taste

1. cook bacon in skillet, and transfer to plate with paper towels to soak grease, set aside
2. cook carrots, onion, and thyme in separate pan with oil and a little remaining bacon grease (either use big pot or transfer to pot when done)
3. sprinkle flour and stir
4. gradually whisk in broth
5. gradually whisk in milk
6. add potatoes and bring to boil
7. reduce heat and simmer until potatoes tender (@20 min)
8. add cheese 1/3 cup at a time, stirring to melt
9. chop bacon into squares and add to soup
10. season with tobasco and sea salt to taste

--Goes well with sourdough bread. :)

A Trip to Rum Bar

Alison and I met a friend for drinks last night, at Rum Bar, which offers half-priced mojitos on Monday nights (score!) And, then this happens:

Man so drunk he can't focus his eyes: Hi ladies.

All: Um, hi.

Man: (Starts talking to me as Alison & Isabel go back to conversation) Where are you from?

Me: Philly

Man: Where do you live?

Me: In the neighborhood. Where do you live?

Man: 13th and Spruce, in the gayborhood. But I'm not gay. I'm a straight man. Do you think people think I'm gay, because of where I live?

Me: No, I don't think so.

Man: Are you engaged?

Me: Yes. To a woman.

Man: Oh, did I insult you talking about the gayborhood? I didn't say the F-word, did I? I don't use that word.

Me: No, you didn't. It's fine.

Man: There was a gay guy in my frat in college. I used to be like, "Hey, Zim!" 'Cause his name was Zimmerman.

[Long period of being trapped by man and his friend, who describe to me where Penn State is, why they hate the Steelers, and how they began drinking at 9am because they won a lot of money off the superbowl. Alison and our friend, meanwhile, get the bill.]

Man: So, do you think I could get your number?

Me: Um, do you remember that I told you I was gay?

Man: You are? Really? With who?

Me: Her (pointing to Alison).

Man: Ohhhhhh. Well, do you have any straight friends?

Alison: No, we don't have any straight friends.
[We start to leave]

Man: (Shouting across the bar) Good luck with your boring gay life!

No one should drink all day, because this is what happens.

Random thoughts

I really enjoyed this article by Judith Warner (one of my favorite opinion columnists) on myths about teenagers. The main idea is that, no, teenagers are not having rampant sex. Nor are overscheduled or overmedicated (mostly). I am so glad she wrote this column, although I wish it had come in conjunction with a major pseudo teen scandal so it could get more attention. I have failed to find any "overscheduled children" among any demographic of youth that I have had contact with in the past several years (yes, even the well-to-do). And sexual behavior among teens has been on a decline for many years now. What bothers me about these myths is, not only are they not true, they are also usually built around fears of the upper middle class, despite the fact that the issue being discussed (sex, health, and stress) are more likely to be experienced by the lower class. So we end up ignoring real problems in favor of fabricated ones.

Enough said. Anyway, updates. I am currently reading through the transcripts from my interviews. I am somewhat shocked by the number of interviews I conducted, in part because I can barely remember my time there. I do remember the participants and interviews themselves, but the rest of my experience there is hazy...like a bad dream.

Speaking of bad dreams: Last night I dreamed that I was rejected from the postdoc that I am really hoping to get. This may have something to do with the slice of pizza I ate at 1 am, after getting home from drinking and dancing at Silk City.

Lastly, I am super excited for two upcoming vacations. Alison & I are going to the Poconos in two weeks to do some snowboarding (yay!), courtesy of a Christmas gift from my parents. And then in March, we are going to Miami for Alison's 30th birthday. Neither of us have ever been, and we haven't ever done a "tropical"-type vacation. We are really, really excited. If you've been, feel free to send recommendations!