Oct 31, 2006

Happy Halloweeeeeen!

We all know that Halloween is a holiday for all ages, so I thought I'd spread a little cheer this year with a fun Halloween link, sure to entertain anyone who has ever carved a jack-o-lantern!

And even though I feel bad for pets forced into costume, I couldn't resist swiping this photo from Kam of Billie as Yoda... too cute!


Oct 28, 2006

Piperlime

I happened to be doing some online browsing today on bananarepublic.com when I noticed a sidebar advertisement for the latest Gap, Inc. company, Piperlime, a brand new online shoe shop featuring "a hundred top brands." So far it looks pretty cool, like Gap's more selective and edited version of Zappos, and it also includes the best part of Zappos, free shipping both ways (purchase & return). For me, when it comes to online shopping, there's no better sell than free shipping (also see Amazon.com & Bn.com's free shipping over $25.)

Whether the shoes are good is another story, but I'm probably not the expert in that category anyway. Read more on Piperlime here. Happy shopping.

Oct 27, 2006

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful Mom who is celebrating a very big and special birthday! It goes without saying that my mom is a superwoman in her own right. No one can pull together huge events/parties for her friends and family like she does, somehow juggling countless tasks on one plate without batting an eyelash and still looking sophisticated and stylish. And then there's her uncanny ability to always check up on her kids to make sure everything is under control (it usually is, but we always appreciate your care and concern, Mom!). Thanks for everything and happy birthday!

Here's a photo from Huan & Molly's engagement party a couple weeks ago:


Oct 25, 2006

Tick, Tick, Tick...

So while we're still a few months away from the premiere, I watched the trailer for the 6th season of FOX's 24 and it was enough to get me excited for the time being. Jack is back and he looks like a caveman! Chloe dyed her hair! The world is coming to an end -- again! See for yourself and get psyched for January.

In other miscell. news, did anyone else catch Madge today on Oprah, discussing her African baby adoption for the first time? Check
here if you missed it, or just google news it for the thousands of identical news updates. I personally think the whole controversy has been blown up by the media and is kind of ridiculous, but what baffled me most was Madonna's faux-British accent! Anyone else catch that? Madonna, just cause you married Guy Ritchie and your kids may have cute British accents if you raise 'em in London, does not mean you can suddenly pick one up for yourself. On the other hand, if you're gonna fake it, I say go all the way instead of picking and choosing every other word to accent. (Still, I got nothing but love for you, Madonna! You are the original American Idol.)

(Note to readers: Apologies, again, for my poor posting habits. Won't bore you with excuses. Cheers.)

Oct 14, 2006

Domaine de Pouy

As someone who has dealt with name issues for as long as I can remember, I'm always looking out for books (see Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake) or other pubs that detail modern identity questions and issues.

Thanks to Huan, I read another such
article on the topic in the New York Times last week, which should be read by anyone who has ever had any issues with their "foreign" name, whether self-inflicted or a product of daily life. As someone who talks frequently with new and different clients daily at work, I'm constantly reminded of how unusual my name really is, even in spite of some complimentary reactions to it. Nevertheless, I'm still happy about the decision I made, and this article helped me realize that I'm obviously not the only one. It discusses how in today's age, it's quite common to hear immigrants and children of immigrants going by their "real" names rather than Americanized adaptations or even other, unrelated American selections (e.g., "Melissa").

So despite the fact that Pouy is neither my real name nor anything Americanized, I've never felt a name suited me better, and at the end of the day, I think that's what counts.


And heck, I have a wine named in my honor, what could be cooler?


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Oct 13, 2006

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Happy Birthday wishes go out to my wonderful Dad on this lucky Friday, the 13th! I think all those who know how great my pops is can agree that he deserves whatever he wants for his birthday this year and I hope he gets it!

Oct 8, 2006

Oops. I'm still here.

Hi, I'm back. Sorry readers, my waning usage of the Internet (shocked, aren't you?) combined with an utter lack of any decent or otherwise entertaining inspiration has led to the slowdown of my blog. (Or... The new fall season of TV has started, and well, we all know what that means.) I'll try harder.

For now, all you so-called indie fans can check out CNN's special report on the indie scene. It's an interesting read -- from which I gathered what I've already known for quite some time: that the term "indie" basically describes nothing concrete or meaningful now -- and the "How Indie are You?" quiz is even better. I scored a 3 out of 10 which officially made me a "poser." I guess I already knew this, though.

Speaking of "indie," I will now a quick tracks of what I've been enjoying in recent days. There have been a few new releases in the past few months that I'm trying to catch up with and take in; here is one of many.

The Decemberists made their big-label debut (not so "indie" by definition) with the release of The Crane Wife (Capitol, 2006) earlier this week. Upon first listen, I was not impressed nor excited. But I kept it on repeat during my daily commute, and it started to make more sense with each listen, and it's even beginning to grow on me. At this point, I definitely don't think it comes close to their best effort (though many bloggers and critics are giving it rave reviews!) , but I guess they have to be commended for going out of the box. This album is more poppy (read: "mainstream" accessible) with spurts of classic rock that will surprise any old Decemberists fan. Check out Podbop's review for the album's background story (based on an old Japanese folk tale) and an awesome Lego depiction of the band.

Posted here is the first track of the album, which is not necessarily my favorite, but one of the stronger tracks that is shorter than 10 minutes long. Give 'er a listen and see what you think.

The Decemberists :: The Crane Wife 3


P.S. If you have not noticed, I'm now using the new and improved blogger beta which has tons of crazy features that I haven't learned to use yet. I'm working on getting all the old things from my template back, while also hoping to make it more snazzy and organized, too. Stay tuned.

Oct 1, 2006

Redskins on a Roll

After today's nailbiter against Jacksonville and an amazing overtime reception by Santana Moss to seal the game, the Redskins are looking as good as ever! Okay, so they're still only 2-2, but in the past two games they've shown how explosive their offense can be and how well-rounded a team they are. Today, in particular, proved that last week's domination of the Texans wasn't just a case of whooping a bad team; the Skins appear to have what it takes to win close games against a competitive team. Most importantly, they are exciting to watch again. I know that's something all fans can agree on. Hail to the Redskins!
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