"uhh, about once a week."

"Have you ever had one of those days where nothing all that monumental happens, but by the end of it you have no idea who you are or what the hell you are doing with your life? Do you ever have one of those days?"

- Robin, HIMYM.

dichotomy of pride.

On Sunday PB spoke about Pride and how there are two types. For those of us who have grown up in a church environment, this is not anything new. But also for those of us who have grown up in a church environment, reminders are always good.

The Superiority version of Pride is the one that most people know and think of. The one in which someone thinks that he/she is always right or entitled to something or better than others. He/she can seem ridiculously full of him/herself at times. He/she cannot admit that he/she might be wrong or that someone else is right.

The Inferiority version of Pride is the one in which the person is constantly berating him/herself, always bringing him/herself down, etc. Some people confuse this with intense humility but really, it looks more like incredibly poor self-esteem (not that that is necessarily always the reason for the self-deprecation).

The issue in both of these situations is that there is too much of the Self and not enough of God/Others. Pride is the right category for both attitudes because both attitudes are self-centered/self-absorbed. Humility isn't thinking less of yourself; it's thinking about yourself less.

When PB reiterated this Pride dichotomy, it hit me hard: I am a really, really prideful person. Why? Because I suffer from BOTH ends of the spectrum and encompass none of the middle section of humility and healthy balance. I either think I am the Most Awesome Person Ever or that I have no utility and no value. My attitude is always me-focused.

I was aware of this before but I always thought I'd eventually grow up and learn some real humility. 22 years into this life, I am still far from humble. That's humbling.

important question of the day.

I blame Eve for the following situations. She was singing ridiculous songs all throughout lunch.


Me: hey
you busy?
I have something to ask you.
Garland: no
ask
wassup?
Me: well
hm
how do I say it
Garland: ...
in simple words
Me: okay...
I'll just ask it.
...
well
DO YOUR EARS HANG LOW?
do they wobble to and fro
can you tie them in a knot
can you tie them in a bowwww!
Garland: ...
you are getting slapped later.
Me: :)


Me: yeah, anyways
I have a question
Gil: yes??
Me: well
hm
how do i say this
okay
well
Gil: ...?
Me: do your ears hang low?
do they wobble to and fro?
Gil: >.<
Me: can you tie them in a knot?
can you tie them in a bow?
Gil: i choked on the water i was drinking once i read that...
hahahaha
and my coworkers sitting next to me are looking at me funny
Me: nice.


Burtner: um...have you lost it?

to quote an eloquent stranger.

"At the end of it, I realized that I was older, more used up, and less attractive than when I had started."

healthcare reform fail?

In the words of Gilliguinea Pig (recent friend of Gabriellephant): "Healthcare is officially going to suck now. Thanks, Massholes."

NYULocal article on where it can go from here.

I haven't adequately processed all this. Between all the drama going on in the world and in my mind, I haven't been able to articulate anything lately. But hopefully it'll stir up dialogue for you.

i say this all the time.

But it's pretty true. I am a terrible person.

this sunday: brooklyn concert for haiti.

VulpesVulpes and Green Street are both performing -- for a cause.
Make it happen.

haiti earthquake.

This morning, some of us interns gathered around my computer to watch Obama address the earthquake in Haiti.

Please continue to keep the people of Haiti and their families elsewhere in your prayers.

The IRC is accepting donations for crisis relief in Haiti.
Or you can text "HAITI" to 25383 to donate $5 to help the IRC rescue lives.

remaking of ferris bueller?

Word on Nylon is that there is a possible remaking of Ferris Bueller's Day Off in the works. As terrible of an idea as that may be, Nylon decided to at least ameliorate some of the potential damage that this could incur upon pop culture by suggesting their own casting.

IMO, Anton Yelchin should be the modern day Ferris. But then again, he's already done that role. So they shouldn't bother making the remake, right?



Without a doubt though, if there is going to be a movie being made, Stein and Sheen must retain their original roles.

this is going to be my kid, i hope.

Ridiculously cute.

avatar (aka pocahontas in space).

I just got back from watching Avatar in IMAX3D at Lincoln Center. Quick response:

• I heard from many people that it was amazing. I heard from a decent amount that it was "meh." My conclusion about the overall movie: I found it amazing only because I was in an IMAX3D theater; if I watched this movie in a regular theater, I too would find it to be very mediocre. Essentially, the beauty of the movie is in the CGI, the effects, and the creation of the planet and species. I can imagine it was harder to appreciate all of that in just a regular theater (and let's not even think about it on DVD, BluRay or not).
  
  (Technology never ceases to blow my mind...and make me feel like an old woman.)
  
  
• Besides the effects, I really admired that Cameron created this entire world with its own biology, culture, language, etc. Even though I am really, really not into fantasy stuff, I've always found it amazing and awe-inspiring to see people like J.R.R Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and even J.K Rowling create brand new worlds with intricate details. The creation of a new language amazes me too -- Elvish, Klingon, and now the Na'vi language.
  
  
• It is essentially the same storyline as the movies Pocahontas, Ace Ventura 2, and others...as well as the storyline of America's history. Nevertheless, I greatly appreciate the still-much-needed reminder of the morals behind Avatar...because clearly we as a human race have not learned enough.
  
  
• I can see how super right-winged people can be upset by this movie. I still think everyone needs to calm down a bit (on every end of the spectrum), but at least I can see what the hoopla was about now.
  
  
• I found the overall movie to be a bit ironic. I will find it even more so if they create some kind of DVD 3D kit for it.

That's all, really. I haven't slept much in the past days so I'm calling it an early night tonight seeing as this is going to be a full week. Signing off.

yesterday, i discovered my fear of guns.

After a few hours of watching Brian pack to once again leave New York and head back to Hong Kong, Mike and I got a bit tired and invaded his brother's room for a nap. A good while into our attempt to sleep on the twin-sized bed (fortunately, we are both "little people" as he said), Michael grunted in discomfort and went to adjust something around his waist area, just beneath his shirt. I figured he was fixing his belt until I heard something hit against metal. The noise was definitely too loud and solid to be from a belt buckle. I opened my eyes and what did I see lying right next to me? HIS GUN. This is no euphemism. I do mean his bullet-filled people-shooting gun sitting in his holster sitting right next to my thigh. After a slight freakout on my end, he took it off, took out the bullets, and placed it on a table before returning to sleep.

I decided to get up and try on more of Brian's overly large clothes instead.

I also made a note to myself to always make sure from now on that I check to see if the person I'm sharing a bed/cot/mattress/whatever with isn't carrying a loaded weapon.


Don't be fooled by the cute hat (which isn't even his) or the boyish smile. The NYPD gives guns out to 28-year-old ManBoys like this.

Somewhat unrelated: Brian owns the world's largest beater, as displayed by Michael.



Brian's essentials that he's bringing back to Hong Kong. Haha.

& I enjoy trying on every single article of Brian's closet as he packs.

Lose 10 pounds in 10 days! You can do it too!

the decade according to 9-year-olds.

The decade according to 9-year-olds from allison louie-garcia on Vimeo.

Really interesting.

Found this from Herman (along with a ton of other nifty vids that I will soon share!)