House = Holmes?

Well this is the first time I am hearing about the comparison between Dr. House and Sherlock Holmes, but it does make a lot of sense that the character of House is based on Holmes, take a look at the comparison:

HOUSE
Name: House
Compatriot: Dr. Wilson
Drug of Choice: Vicodin, Morphine
Job: Solve Mysterious Cases (Medical)
Home: 221B, Shares Apartment with Dr. Wilson in Season 2
Skill: Incredible Deductive Powers
Nemesis: Jack Moriarty
Character: Arrogant S.O.B.
One True Love: Stacy Warner
Instrument of Choice: Piano for Contemplation
Pastime: Watches Soaps
Outside Help: Relies on Staff to Do the Dirty Biz
Significant Props: Walks with Cane
Miscellaneous: Has Wounded Leg

HOLMES
Name: Holmes
Compatriot: Dr. Watson
Drug of Choice: Cocaine, Morphine
Job: Solve Mysterious Cases (Criminal)
Home: 221B Baker Street, Shares Apartment with Dr. Watson
Skill: Incredible Deductive Powers
Nemesis: Moriarty
Character: Arrogant S.O.B.
One True Love: Irene Adler
Instrument of Choice: Violin for Contemplation
Pastime: Reads the Agony Column in Newspaper
Outside Help: Relies on Baker Street Irregulars to Do the Dirty Biz
Significant Props: Walks with Cane, Smokes Pipe
Miscellaneous: Watson Has Wounded Leg

Now all we have to do is wait to see Dr. House wear that ridiculous detective hat and the comparison will be completed~ hehe

I wanted it for so long

In the past week there is a sudden jump in my desire for the iMac. It's much stronger than when the new iMac came out back in September. I think about it like every minute! With such a strong desire, I am curious of how long have I wanted the iMac, so I did a little search on this blog and found 20 posts that contain iMac. The first one was on September 1st, 2004, a little over 2 years ago. The title of the post is "My #1 future purchase", the #1 future purchase it referred to was the Powerbook, which i did get, but the iMac was also part of the plan in that post. The current iMac "form" - rectangular LCD display as a whole computer was introduced at that month, however it was still running G5. Then in May 2005 I have another post about iMac because it was newly revised. In that post I actually have an estimate time of buying the iMac - no earlier than Spring 2006! In Summer of 2005 when Steve dropped that bombshell of switching to intel, I wrote about my schedule would be late 2006 when it is intel-based. When Apple added iSight and Front Row to iMac in Fall of 2005, I wrote about it, but retain my estimated schedule late 2006. Who knew in a couple of months by January 2006 it will become intel-based so soon, and of course i was once again drooling over it This time firmly believed I will buy one and still tentatively scheduled it as a late 2006 purchase. Then finally come this past September when iMac is once again updated but this time added a 24" giant model. At that time I wrote "serious consideration of getting one in a few months."

Now here we are, late 2006, almost November. The year is coming to an end. My desire of this gorgeous machine is more than ever after more than two years of obsession. Will iMac once again update itself this coming January during Macworld? Will I wait until the next OS Leopard come pre-install in the machine in 2007 first? What will I do? What will be my final decision?

Queens Plaza become a park?

Is it just me or the city just finally realize people should be the priority, not cars? With more transit options planned out in the near future (Second Ave Subway, LIRR-Grand Central Connection, BRT) , correcting the confusing traffic black spots (Times Square Bow-tie, Brooklyn Grand Army Plaza) and giving back space to the pedestrian (Astor Place, 34th Street/Herald Square). Looks like the city is moving in a healthy direction for city life. Here comes the news of another horrible traffic spot that pedestrian of all ages would avoid - will have a make over - Queens Plaza! Anyone who pass by there (most likely in cars cos no one dare to walk in that area), would know how confusing it is to just drive through the area, Jackson Avenue, Northern Boulevard, entrance to the Queensborogh Bridge, the 7 and N trains over your head, they all glue together and the lanes are just mesh together. If they do complete this project to realign lanes, end the confusion, create more open space and just clean up the current mess - it would be a great example for the rest of the city.

Bizarre dream about a floating bamboo hut in the middle of the ocean with a space post office in it!

It's Halloween so writing about a bizarre dream is only appropriate. In the dream I am going to an interview for a space post office in a tropical paradise. You know, places with round house that make out of bamboo and coconut and floating on water! The space post office is on the upper level, and I was in the lower level where the restaurant is, the owner of the restaurant is a couple, Sandy and Thomas. They are really nice and offer me food and drink, but they are a bit weird though, in their own world most of the time. Just like in the middle of a conversation, they would look out the "window" - which is all I can called it because there isn't any outer wall! They would catch the jumping crab that is jumping on the giant lotus leaf that are surrounding the structure and talk to the crab! Very weird couple indeed! but the structure itself is very strange as well. It's this round bamboo house floating in the middle of the ocean, with giant lotus leaves surrounding the area. It really is floating, the ocean is right outside the "window" of the lower level, you can practically touch it! I was afraid that the water would spill over and come into the structure the entire time. Anyhow, so I walk to the upper level, knock on the door of the post office. A quirky looking alien in a suit answered the door....and then i wake up.

I wonder did I get that job? not that I want to work in the middle of the ocean for a space post office, but I am very curious...let me have a continuous dream about this place again tonight!!

Weird Choking thoughts

I was watching an episode of 30 Rock. In this ep, Tiny Frey's character talked about how she always afraid she might choke to death and no one would know because she live by herself alone. Neighbor would find out weeks later when their dog smell the dead body. I actually have the same thought all the time! I always worried about it! granted I live with a roommate and my parents call me fairly often, so if there's anything happen people would know in days instead of weeks. But I dunno, it's just a weird fear, i wonder if other people think about that too...

Speaking of choking, u know those signs in the restaurant where they have instruction of how to help choking victim and signs of whereabouts of the first aide kit? Whenever I see them I feel like choking~ Seriously! it's a subconscious thing, I have no idea why! I just feel a little bit sick when I see them and I can't help but think I might choke right there. So I usually pretend I don't see it and turn my head whenever I am in a restaurant.

Wow, I am weird~ lol

Movie Watch List

There are some interesting movies coming out in the next few months. This year there's no highly anticipated movies like LOTR, Narnia, Harry Potter or King Kong, but they are still worth your attention.

Happy Feet - Who can say no to the cute Penguins?

Flushed Away - another CG animation from Dreamwork, this year there's just so many of them and it shouldn't generate too much of an interest, but the voice talent is hard to ignore - Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, but most importantly Sir Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis! yeah, White Wizard and Gollum reunited~ lol

Stranger Than Fiction - Will Ferrell is always great, but this time the concept is just so intriguing, and with awesome supporting cast like always delightful Emma Thompson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman and Queen Latifah, this one looks like a winner!

For Your Consideration - If you like Christopher Guest's Best In Show and Mighty Wind, you definitely want to catch his newest creation!

The Fountain - a thousand years sci-fi story with Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz, how can I miss that?

Eragon - best-selling hottest fantasy novel that was written by a teenager is now a movie, dragon all the way through!

Night at the Museum - Ben Stiller in Museum of Natural History when all exhibits come to life! I love museums! :p

Pan's Labyrinth - A Spanish film, but with stunning graphic and a out of the world story - think MirrorMask, this film looks like pure magic.

300 - I know this is next March, but just go see the trailer on Apple Quicktime, it's Sin City meet ancient Greece!

Music Watch List

I was asked about what I am listening to lately. I realize I haven't talk about music here for a while and also since the charts stopped recording my listening habit from my ipod, so I am gonna talk about what's rocking in my ipod lately.

There are some returning favorites that have new album out, one of them is John Mayer. His third album "Continuum" is by far my favorite of all his album. I can't deny that I am a sucker for really sad song that makes me cry. This album has one "Dreaming with a Broken Heart," The first verse got me so sad the first time I listen to it..

"When you're dreaming with a broken heart
The waking up is the hardest part
You roll outta bed and down on your knees
And for the moment you can hardly breathe
Wondering was she really here?
Is she standing in my room? "

Other good songs are "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room" "I'm Gonna Find Another You", my favorite is "In Repair", which is very much me. There are some albums that only one or two songs u like, this one, I like almost all of them, so this is an awesome album.

Another favorite returns with a brand new album, Evanescence - "The Open Door." The verdict is actually still out there, I love their debut album very much, but this one, honestly I haven't "feel" it yet. But I have been starving of their music for so long that I am a little biased here, it's gonna take me some time to see if it's a truly good album.

Then there are some new artists - one of them is Landon Pigg, his album quickly hogging a lot of ipod time. I found him out after a free download from iTunes, then I found his album and one song quickly become my favorite "Can't Let Go," It's another "me" song, and there's a particular person in mind with that song. Other songs in the album all have cute lyrics "Tin Man" "Eggshells" "Trickery", just look at the titles!

OK Go - "Oh No", I think I talked about them before, their famous music video and stuff. But the album is actually quite good.

Brand new british singer James Morrison "Undiscovered" - Great voice, a very sad voice, a good comparison would be Jonny Lang here in the States. He should definitely be on your watch list. I just love British singers!

Sandi Thom "Smile...It Confuses People", is another great import from the other side of Atlantic, I saw her poster on a signing event in Border one day, I looked her up in iTunes, preview her songs and quickly fall for her voice, her song "I Wish I was A Punk Rocker (With Flowers in my hair)" is such a upbeat unique song, then "Lonely Girl" and "Superman" are both very emotional.

Last but not least - a song from an animated feature from a long time ago - Little Mermaid - Part of Your World. It got stuck in my head after I watched the Little Mermaid DVD, so I might just as well put it on my playlist and keep on listen to it until I get so tired of it and then it will be out of my head~ lol~

Broken finger

I don't know what's going on but I keep on hurting myself. A few days ago I jammed my right thumb into the drive bay of a dell laptop at work, rip open the area between the end of the nail and the skin, needless to said blood was spilled. Well today my wallet somehow was stuck in my stupid new jeans' crazy narrow pocket and while I was trying to get it out, i broke my nail of the same thumb....it split open in the middle and it is deep! it was so nasty!! yuck! I never had that before! I never thought it was possible because you only heard girl would have broken fingernail, never thought it could happen to me. I was horrified. It's so inconvenient too since it's my right thumb, u can see it affect how I write, how I use chopsticks, how I wear my contact lens....u get the idea. I think I am just gonna wrap it with bandage and try not to do anything with it for a week~

Halloween

Not that I have anything against Halloween, it's just that it never got me excited at all and I never really "get" it~ maybe because I didn't spend my childhood here~ maybe because all I remember was during high school when stupid kids were doing what I can only called vandalism instead of anything that can be classified as fun.
Fast forward to now, I still don't "get" it, not to mention I am getting a bit old to be excited by silly costumes. I don't think I ever dress up in costumes for Halloween and I don't think I ever will~ Some of my newer friends get really really excited by this day and to me it's a bit strange. People thinking about their costumes months ahead of time, getting all kind of ideas and even make their own. I dunno, all i know is that Halloween usually falls on a weeknight and there's no way in hell I will be staying out late, either in a bar or go to see the parade in the village. Everyone knows that I love Harry Potter and Buffy and stuff, so it's all goth and magic and having fun on Halloween should be like a requirement, but I am just not into it. So don't force me into doing something I don't wanna do~ I have a dull and boring attitude on certain things and this is definitely one of them, so get use to it~

Tokyo Fiesta

Passed by Grand Central today and went to Tokyo Fiesta in the exhibit hall. You know I wouldn't miss an event like this! There are two theme dividing the exhibits, traditional and modern.




Traditional, well u know the deal, geisha walking around, traditional japanese musical instruments, craftsmen making sudare, lantern and wood block right on the spot.



As for the modern ones: you have a scary "life-size" (well human size) picture of insect! so clean! so horrible! then there's interactive TV screen that acts like waves and plant instrument, then there's my favorite of them all, panorama ball! it's 3-D 360 degree picture on sphere, which is totally awesome, u can move the sphere around and look at the picture in all angle~



Definitely a cool tiny exhibit to kill time during my lunch break~

I am ready to shop!

I got my new Express card today! To my surprise the surface of the card is now mat instead of smooth like it used to be, which actually is an improvment because my old cards I used them so much that the logo always come off and it's just a card with no name on it, but this one is so much cooler, and that's just the exterior~ :p "inside" you can earn points, more exclusive offers (there's 20% off already), more events and stuff. With all of these and the Express giftcard i got from my birthday, oh man, I am so ready to shopping!!!!!! (don't look at me like that! For your information I haven't shop for clothes for quite some time now! I was very good for the past few months!)

Scrubs will be back next month!!

Scrubs will be back to TV earlier than we first thought! It'll be back next month instead of January like last season!!! yeah!! and what's more is that it's back on it's rightful place on Thursday! and even better is that it's in the company of other awesome single-camera comedies - Earl, Office and 30 Rock!! Finally NBC has a Thursday Must See TV line-up that I would want to sit through 2 hours straight without skipping over the lame comedy that always got sandwich between funny shows. (well i lie! I probably won't sit through 2 hours straight because I will watch all of them online on my computer separately instead~ :p )

MacBook Pro speedbump

Apple updated their MacBook Pro with Core2Duo and at first I was like, it's just a speed bump, so the processor is upgraded, big deal~ but looking at the spec, I realize Apple go all out and make the machine worth every buck that you pay! the $2499 15" model which is equivalent to my Powerbook 20 months ago not only has a 2.33ghz top speed Core2Duo, but 2GB RAM out of the box! I haven't seen a configuration like this before! usually you need to add all those RAM as options! Even the HD - 120GB is the standard!! and u can option it up to 200GB?!?! and with all the other goodies, oh it's such an awesome machine!! too bad I don't need to replace my Powerbook until after 2008, otherwise knowing about this would kill me... I'll be checking the site all the time staring at it hoping to have it~ hehehe~

but for now i'll stare at the iMac instead~ :p

Bitching about work because I need a gift

I need to buy a gift and my mind is blank. I don't have good gifts idea anymore. I used to be good at it, I know what my friends want, but now that is not happening anymore. I asked myself why? I know the answer right away, everyone rarely hang out anymore. We are all consumed by work, we don't make time to hang out like we used to. And without that, we slowly forgot what the other person like and dislike, we don't know what's going with each other's life anymore. It's upsetting, and yet there doesn't seem to have a solution. On weeknights I am all tired out after work, I am sure everyone is like that too. Who really has the time to go out at night? and for the weekend, there's only so much you can do in those two days, and I usually scheduled sleeping in a large chuck of time on those days. I always wonder why do we spend so much time at work? why do we bring home work to do? (yeah, I am guilty of that too) I would hate to be my parents' age and realize I don't have the friends I used to have because I didn't take the time needed to maintain the friendship.

Time to get back to thinking about gifts idea...

Brothers & Sisters

The foremost reason I watch the show Brothers & Sisters is because of Calista Flockhart, but after catching up all the existing episodes I gotta said it's a pretty good show! I started to get into the other characters as well. The passive-agressive mother played by Sallly Field is so real, I can see the shadows of many parents that I know or heard of. Then there's the secretive uncle (he's the evil boss from Alias, so i just can't trust him) who gotta be hiding something from the family business. There's also the very good looking screw up younger brother, but the main attraction so far is the gay brother Kevin. Last night's episode shows his first date with Scotty, having argument and then make up in the end. It's so adorable. A good gay romance like Willow and Tara in Buffy is hard to come by on network TV, so I hope this will become another good one that people would enjoy.

Another big draw of the show is the music, they are awesome! from first episode's Rachael Yamagata to KT Tunstall, from Jonny Lang to Aqualung, from Joss Stone to Joshua Radin, a whole lot of my favorite artists are featured on the show. And the best thing is that I don't even need to get these music, they are already in my collection, all i need to do is to make a new playlist and boom i got myself a soundtrack of the show~

Great show, highly recommended.

Happy B-day for ipod!

Today ipod turns 5 years old! It's on this day back in 2001 the first generation ipod debuted with 5GB with a pricetag of $399 and can only be used on Mac. How things changed in 5 years! But surprisingly if you ever seen the original ipod, you would realize how little has change on the device itself, sure the current model is a lot skinnier and lighter, it stores a hell lot more (80GB) and cheaper, it plays photo, videos and even games, but the look of it is almost the same. I still remember the first time I played with one first generation ipod a few years ago, I was all puzzled because I dunno how to turn it off! haha~

Well, happy birthday to ipod, to the little device that I love, may you continue to evolve and getting better every year!

shaky, blurry, dark and red

Finally have a chance to process the pictures from my birthday. To my horror, they are the worst pictures I ever took in the past few years, and I am not talking about my not so cleared skin at my birthday! It's about the general quality of the pictures! All of them are shaky, blurry, and dark, some got cut off, some has the most horrifying red eyes I ever seen, it's a nightmare to fix! I can't even call it a touch-up, but an all out salvage mission!!! It's gonna be a while before I can fix all that, some of them probably can't even be saved, I am quite disappointed! Should I get professional photographers next year??

Catching up on my TVs

With my Powerbook gone for two weeks, me sick for a week, I feel like there was a huge time gap there. I go from just coming off my birthday high, still meeting with everyone to stay in my sick bed and not meeting anyone at all. There's so much that i missed, and I am just starting to catch up. The first thing that I am gonna talk about are the new TV shows.

Heroes - I finally have a chance to watch this most buzzed show of the season and I like it! What's not to like? it's a show about super power! although i have my reservation about some of the powers - like that single mother, what is her power? split personality? when did schizophrenia become a kind of super power? in that case I really have a hard time viewing Gollum as superhero! This next comment might be a little unjusted because it's early in the show- u call these people heroes? before they seriously help anyone they are already being hunt down and killed like animals!

Ugly Betty - What a charming show!! It's so Devil Wears Prada, but I like this concept! colorful characters! Whilhelmina and Marc make me think of Karen and Jack, except that they are not here for laugh. and Betty's nephew Justin, omg, he like what 10? I think this is the first time network tv has a pre-teen gay character!! BTW, those close up pictures of Betty in the title shot, is not just ugly but scary!

Studio 60 - Matthew Perry should do stand up, Matthew Perry shouldn't be playing a writer in the show, he should play a comic genius in the show within the show!! cos as of now, none of the sketches within the show is funny at all, all funny stuff happens outside of the show within the show! (but i still like the show very much!)

30 rock - I got a kick out of it to see Jane Krakowski's character love to sing......just like her character back in Ally McBeal!! Tracy Morgan is stupidly funny as hell! I wish his safari zoologist Brian character from SNL will make it into the show, cos that's the funniest!!!

Brothers & Sisters - Ally's in it, that's 'nough said!! (love her love her love her!!!)

I wish I can recover as fast as my powerbook

Hi I am back! I am recovering slowly but luckily I am also reuniting with my Powerbook, so that helps a lot. Especially the recovery of my Powerbook is so much easier!! It's back to normal within 2 hours after I migrated everything back and boom! it just worked! Everything down to the changing wallpaper and icon size and all other small tiny options are all preserved the way it was. I wish I can recover this easy!!
Work goes immediately hectic and beyond the first day back. I seriously thinking this is gonna send me back to the doctor right away. well, that's it for now.

P.S. Apple is turning all red for Bono and charity. Not only they are selling the red nano, the staffs are obviously wearing red, but the huge logo at midtown Apple floating in the middle of the cube? it's now red as well!! what's next? red macbook? hmm.....

In Repair

Just want to let people know what happened.

Aside from my Powerbook is still in repair, I am also in repair. I have been very very sick since Thursday, Its getting worst every hours passed. In fact I can't even sit up for half an hour without screaming in pain. This is the worst sickness in years. It's so bad that I had to get back to my parents and let them take care of me. You know when this skinny weakling get sick it is a full on battle fighting for survival. Please excuse me if I don't answer your phone or text or email or anything. Now I am gonna head back to bed, knock myself unconscious before the pain kick in again. Hope to see you people soon....

Streetsblog

Streetsblog, my new favorite NYC/urban planning blog, is covering the Manhattan Transportation Conference today. Many info of what Department Of Transportation might do in the future have been mentioned. The post itself doesn't have too much about that aside from the changes in Times Square that I already know about, however, head to the comments, especially this one and this one. There's a lot more info about things that will impact every Newyorker. From the update on the progress of BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) to many many ideas that Project for Public Spaces have been campaigning about which I mentioned a few posts ago. There's 3 points from the comment that I am excited about aside from the BRT, I haven't have time to find the original info (hopefully a transcript of the conference will be up soon), so I am gonna quote directly from the comments here:

* Implement policies from its truck route study including nighttime restrictions in neighborhoods and work with local NYPD precincts on wayward truck problems - no time frame.

(I hope they are studying Franklin St in Greenpoint! cos that directly affect my apartment!!)

* A program to “boldly reimagine” city streetscapes and pursue “aggressive pedestrianization” building from the Willoughby Street reclamation in Brooklyn and similar projects planned for Astor Place, 1st Avenue along Stuyvesant Town and at a site downtown whose name I failed to catch, to proliferate “neighborhood plazas” around the five boroughs.

(Astor Place!!! I hope it will be good!!)

* In major pedestrian areas like Herald and Times Square, build out permanent sidewalk infrastructure to the lines marked by paint and temporary bollards, and change Times Sq. traffic pattern to reclaim even more walking space as Aaron indicates above.

(They should have done that a long time ago! I have been to Herald Square near Macy's many times, not a lot of people are walking on the road that is painted by lines and with temporary bollards, most ppl continue to squeeze themselves on the crowded sidewalk, a permanent build out would be so much better!!)

I hope it's not just all talk and nothing happens for real, we'll know soon~

Miss you, my dear P

After been to so many places that uses Mac this weekend, I am seriously missing my powerbook. It's like sick to the stomach sick. It has nothing to do with addicted to online because I can still online using my roommate's computer, my work computer, and even my cell phone. I missed the interface of OSX, I can't stand windows, if it's for work, fine, but for surfing the web and doing relaxing, I just hated it. I am also missed my iWork apps - actually I need to use it to make pretty handout for my class and I do have a class to teach next week. Another thing I missed is iTunes, I want to make changes to my playlist for my ipod, I want to add more songs, I want to see how many times I listen to Evanescence, I want to add more TV shows to my ipod! I want to download more stuff!

In conclusion, I just find another justification to get another Mac, cos one is just not enough~

Open House New York, Part II

Second day of OHNY, I was able to drag my friend to come with me. It was more well planned than the day b4 so we were able to cover more grounds and we visited 8 sites all together. It is just such an enjoyable experience.

Tenri Cultural Institute - a cool space, a Japanese place that I never heard of before. I love the huge glass wall there!
Rubin Museum of Art - Himalayas art isn't something that I am really interested in but the museum space itself is really nice though. My friend told picture of the place's multi-level gallery, it should come out nicely.
P. S. 260 - A film editing studio that has an awesome view of the Empire State Building. Loved the multi-generation Macs there! from original iMac, to lamp-like G4, to PowerMac and Powerbook, it's all there! yay!
Prince George Ballroom - A magnificent space!! I felt like I was in that ballroom where Beauty and the Beast danced!!!! (Seriously, anyone having a wedding or a birthday party or anything soon? consider getting this space if you are filthy rich!! I would love to be invited!!) (found another mac in the attached gallery space, hehe, yes, I am keeping track!)
Anderson Architects and Jim Kempner Fine Art/Smith & Thompson Architects - I love architects offices!!! they are just so cool!! First one is very lofty and the rooftop is just fun, you can plan a camping trip up there! they have it all set up! the second one is very minimalist and everything is hidden and it's just mighty cool! (of course all white up in the office space helps too~ hehe)
Solar I - a tiny structure hidden between FDR drive and the East River, who knew it existed! I love the concept of self-powered house and the really cute outreach coordinator is very helpful to explain everything even if it's way passed tour hour. They are hoping to rebuild into Solar II and greatly expand the site, I hope they will be successful! (The outreach corrdinator has the solar panel backpack that MOMA store is selling! I am so jealous man!)
Scandinavia House - I love northern Europe stuff, you bet I'll be back to see more programs and exhibit! (check out the lego Viking in the Children Room!! Awesome!!)

I can't wait for next year's OHNY!!!! Next time I'll be prepared and plan ahead!!!

Project for Public Spaces

One of the places I visited yesterday was the office for Project for Public Spaces, they had an exhibit on Livable Streets. Upon learning about the mission of Project for Public Spaces, I immediately believe that this is a mission that worth supporting. What exact is it? Well, it's a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating and sustaining public spaces. They provide technical assistance, training and research to improve public spaces around the world. It boil down to public spaces is for people, not for cars, traffic, or offices. Make it welcoming instead of make people want to run past it and never look back. Accommodate people's need. There's tons of information on the website that explains everything, i am not gonna repeat them here.

What grabbed my attention was their release of this document "Nine Ways to Transform New York into a City of Great Places," which is actually part of their City Commentaries series: New York but also released as a separated PDF. I agreed most of their points and think they should be implemented. (I can't wholeheartedly embrace all of their suggestions because for all of it to truly worked, a RELIABLE MASS TRANSIT need to be ensured, but as of now, the MTA can't even promise they will keep up with their current services - service cut is still being mentioned as a very real possibility next year despite the huge increased in ridership) One particular suggestion I agreed entirely - the one about Astor Place. They said this intersection has so little vehicle traffic that it is begging to be transform into a pedestrian plaza. Just look at this illustration!! I often walk by Astor Place, and when I said often, i mean ALL THE TIME! I always wonder why on earth do we need so many lanes when there's hardly any cars passing by at all!! People do wanna gather around the area, they want to sit, there's music performers want to perform and street vendors want to sell art and used books. But look at the current set up - there's just no place to do it. I see people were forced to sit underneath the centerpiece art work - the Cube, which kinda destroy the purpose of the Cube because you can't spin it with people sitting there (yes, it's an artwork that encourge people to touch and spin this fun scuplture!) There are lots of pedestrian traffic on the northern sidewalk by Cooper Union and Starbuck, and the street vendors somehow clogged it. If the sidewalk are widen, public benches, more artwork, space for street vendor and music performers would be possible to improve this area.

Another place they mentioned do not begged to be transform because of it's potential but out of necessity - Times Square. If you are not a tourist, you would probably hate Time Square because it's impossible to walk through at all, there's too much people, the sidewalks are just not enough. Yet much of the physical space of the entire district is for vehicles as if people are secondary to cars! They have a great sentence in the article "Cars don't shop, people do!" How many people avoid Times Square all together because of the crowded condition is anybody's guess, and these are all potential customers. Luckly, from this news report it looks like DOT finally will at least "test" something new to improve the situation and this test does looks like something the PPS has suggested all along. So there is hope that Times Square will transform into something better.

PPS is not just about complaining what's horrible, there are bright spots in the city that they mentioned. Places such as Grand Central with its network of tunnels that connect the entire area to the welcoming Bryant Park and Public Library. (In fact Bryant Park hired PPS to recommend improvements and the result is the Bryant Park that I loved during all my lunch break.) I have been to some cities that PPS mentioned NY should learn from - London, Amersterdam, and Hong Kong. I have seen certain things these cities did right and I truly hope that NY can learn from them because I love this city and want it to become the best.

Open House New York

This weekend is the 4th annual Open House New York, I woke up late, but I was still able to visit a few sites for the day. There are hundreds of sites in NY through all 5 boroughs that open up to the public for this event. Private apartments, lofts, office, parks, buildings, landmarks, etc. There are so much to see and I should have planned better to figure out the most effective way to see the most site. Well I didn't and I woke up late, so all I was doing was head to Soho b/c there's a cluster of sites in that neighborhood. Anyway, the first site is the office for Project for Public Spaces, they have a great exhibit on livable streets. I'll talk more about them in the next post since I think they have a great mission that worth spreading the words for. Then I head to a design firm called Clodagh Design, the studio is awesome looking with original brick design. It's an interior design firm, so the studio is basically a showroom. The furniture, decoration and everything there are very natural, very zen like. I am more of a Apple White minimalist person, but all the nature wood, stone designs there, all that nature brown actually is kinda appealing to me too.

The next site is the Studios Architecture firm. This place just like the last one retain the original building's loft-y space, it's really nice, they designed the interior of Bloomburg's headquarter in Upper East Side, and also the new Adidus Store in Noho. and to my surprise all the computers there including the server room are Macs!! PowerMac, Powerbook, Xserve!!! From what I know about architecture, this isn't common cos I believe one common building design program is windows only, so I was all puzzled and immediately ask the cute guy in the firm why is that? He explained they are one of the few architecture firm that uses Macs, and they uses a mac only design program called ArchiCAD. I was all high because I haven't seen an office with this many Apple before!! The last site for the day is Anthem, a marketing, brand design firm. I really like all the different slide doors in the office. Especially the ones for the conference room. It's interesting to see how each office transform the original soho/noho loft buildings into modern office in their own unique way. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to see some other type of buildings instead of offices.

P.S. Walk passed KidRobot, it is now re-open and turned green! seriously, the logo background is green, so is inside. I think I need sometime to get use to the new design, i like the old store design better.

Gifts Hightlight III - More Awesome gifts

Hermione's Time Turner from Harry Potter & and Prisoner of Azkaban, from H.
(LOVE it! love it so much that I am not gonna wear it but to stay safely in the display case! Thank you!!)



Futuristic Cologne from Diesel, from co-worker V.
(Look how cool it is!!! I almost don't want to use it!! I never have any Diesel stuff and I always wanted someone from Diesel!! yay!!!)


Sweet white chocolate from Australian Homemade, from A3.
(i didn't want it, but he insisted to pay for it, so I choose the white chocolate one, it's so awesome! one of the best chocolate I tasted! The chocolate and him are both sweet to me~)

Gifts Highlight II - Giftcard edition

Express giftcard from J & P. Over the years they are directly responsible for me being cool and hip with new clothes~ hehe~ Thanks!

Barnes & Nobles and Borders giftcards from W & R, V, and co-worker S. I have a few candidates of what these giftcards will be turning into, definitely within the range of books and dvds~ hehe

Gifts Highlight I - Book edition

Autobiography of Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple and Ashton Kutcher wrapping paper that said "Harry is hott!" from S.
(Cute guy as a wrapping paper! that's definitely winning the best wrapping paper contest! Last year I read the biography of the other Steve - Steve Jobs, it is only fitting to read about this Steve! I love the fact that S really gets me already even if we only get to know each other for a few months only! and he even tried to memorize what I have on my book shelf! awww...Thanks!!)

Graphic Novel "Fray", vampire slayer hundred of years after Buffy, from my roommate.
(I love Buffy!!! and anything from Joss Whedon! Thank you my dear!)


Sci Fi "The Left Hand of Darkness", a book about a planet called Winter.... from V.
(I dunno what this book is about, but Sci-fi is my cup of tea, and I love winter and snow! thanks!!)

Birthday Review II

Continue with the celebration, the day after Japonais started with brunch with my roommate in Hell's Kitchen. We went to Blue Point, this French cafe with awesome crepes! then I spent the afternoon in Apple Store, dropping my Powerbook off for the genius to fix. If there's anywhere in the world that is a good place for waiting, it would be the Apple Store! Not only you got gadgets to play with, you got cuties all around you! It's heaven!
After that I went home to change, then head to my second big party. I was a bit disappointed through out the day because ppl keep calling to drop out, so by the time of the dinner, it's already down from 15 to 9! In addition, Typhoon Lounge's service just getting suckier every year! This year, we wait for our food for at least 45 mins! If not because of their big private room, I wouldn't choose this place, but this time they are really pushing it, and next year I am not coming back for my birthday!
Despite all that, it was still a great time for me. It just makes me happy to see all my friends together. I got great friendships sustain from the past, new ones that blossomed this year, friends I got to know from very different occasions, and they all come together for me. It comforts me, it makes me feels completely okay even if my wish of a bf still not come true. Thanks for everyone that show up, it means so much to me.

Birthday Review I

My hard drive finally call it a day and went to heaven, so now my powerbook is in Apple's hand waiting for a new born hard drive. Posting has obviously been affected, but i'll do my best to continue since I have a lot to say about all my birthday parties.

The dinner at Japonais was great. The place and the food looks amazing! Whenever a plate was brought onto the table, cameras started snapping pictures, it was rather funny. However, upon tasting them, we all agree that they are just average, not live up to their looks or the price. Since I was in Lure Fish Bar the other night, it offer me a great comparison, and Lure hands down win my heart, o well at least we tried a new place~ The highlight of the night was that firework as candle chocolate plate! I was like, I can't blow on it and I can't make a wish, someone better protect my new ipod from that firework, okay but whatever it looks damn nice!

Gift highlight for the night is definitely the one from H, he got me the Time Turner from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, u know the one that Hermione used to save the day at the end? it's awesome! I hope to post pictures of the notable gifts I got this year soon, maybe even b4 I get my powerbook back, so stay tune!