Scenes from New York

If you have the good fortune of being a New Yorker, then you probably know just how special your city is and are too cool to care! For tourists, there's just nothing like it. Since my first visit at age 9 (which was complete with a Donald Trump sighting and a visit to the erstwhile World Trade Center), I've had an ongoing love affair with the city despite having only been three times.

I was last there in September, 2005, and only for one day (I left Columbia around 4 in the morning and returned around midnight), but I saw just about everything a tourist could hope to see, and then some. The photos I took have been gathering dust on my hard drive, so it's time to air them out. They all make for excellent desktop wallpaper (click photos for larger sizes)!

Statue of Liberty
Perhaps my favorite icon of the city and a worldwide symbol of hope for over 120 years.

Front:


Side:


With Lower Manhattan skyline:


From the Water

Ellis Island:


World Financial Center:


Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge:


World Trade Center
In a few years, the new complex will consist of five office towers, a museum, and a memorial. For now, though...

Iconic cross at site:


7 World Trade Center, the last building to fall and the first to rise again:


"Thank You, America":


Other Landmarks

Looking up at the Empire State Building (notice the bird on the left):


Ed Sullivan Theater, current home of David Letterman's Late Show:


Hearst Tower, NYC's first "green" building:


Main Concourse at Grand Central Terminal:


New York Stock Exchange:


Rockefeller Center:


Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle:


Trump Tower

Looking up:


7-story waterfall in lobby:


"You're Fired.":


Cityscapes

Times Square:


Lower Manhattan:


Midtown from Empire State Building:


Another view of Midtown:


Lower Manhattan from Empire State Building:


Night falls on Manhattan:


Not bad for one day! Despite the many landmarks I had to forgo that day, I was completely satisfied when I left. One moment (among many) that stands out from this trip was the sunset as seen from atop the Empire State Building: immediately after the sun disappeared below the horizon, a number of people spontaneously applauded. It was a sublime and celebratory moment I will never forget.

Oscar Time

Out of this year's Best Picture nominees, I've only seen one: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. It seems that this year in particular, there is a discrepancy between the major nominees and the box office blockbusters (though this is often the case at the Oscars). Most people haven't yet seen the other four contenders: Slumdog Millionaire, The Reader, Milk, and Frost/Nixon. That's not to say they aren't good, but it's interesting how the tastes of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the movie-going public are often at odds with each other.

Most people predict that Slumdog Millionaire will win Best Picture, and I happen to agree (though I do have a backup; if it's not Slumdog, it's Benjamin Button!). Also, I'm looking forward to the performance of "Down To Earth", Peter Gabriel's contribution to the Wall-E soundtrack. I've heard that, for the sake of time, that song and the other Best Original Song contenders will be performed together in a brief melody, which is a bit disappointing. Since the show is so long anyway, the producers might as well allow each song to be performed in their entirety!

I plan to watch the Oscars even if the show does last until well into the early morning hours, which would surprise no one. I don't expecting the ratings to be great this year, but it's always fun to tune in for all of the memorable (if melodramatic) speeches and impromptu moments. Plus, the red carpet appearances are always a fun precursor to the actual ceremony, especially for the fashionistas. One drawback to this year's Academy Awards: Jack Nicholson is not expected to attend the ceremony. You can't have the Oscars without Jack; it's just not right!

Babies Making Babies

The age of 13 was a very exciting and tumultuous period in my life. As a young teenager in eighth grade, I would say I was like other kids my age for the most part: care-free, headstrong, awkward at times, and (mostly) innocent. Being a father at that age would have been unfathomable to me; after all, I was still in the middle of my first crush back then! Yet, teen pregnancy has increasingly become a serious issue, both here in America and around the world. Some recent examples:

- Last June, Britney Spears' 17-year-old sister, Jamie Lynn, gave birth to a girl. Nickelodeon, the network which airs her popular show Zoey 101, stood by her despite protests from many parents whose children looked to her as a role model.

- In September, it came to light that Bristol Palin, the 17-year old daughter of former Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, was pregnant. In a recent interview, Bristol Palin opined that abstinence among teens is "not realistic".

- Perhaps the most disturbing example: Britain's Alfie Patten is now a 13-year-old father of a baby born to Chantelle Steadman, who is 15. When asked about how he plans to support the baby financially, Alfie asked, "what's 'financially'?"

These are just a few high-profile examples from the past year. There are even stories of high school girls planning to get pregnant all at the same time! Often, children who engage in sexual activity are either unsupervised (perhaps their parents are working or they just don't care) or are surrounded by people who instill negative values. While these teenage parents should not be condemned, their actions should set an example to other teens on what to avoid and why.

This epidemic seems to stem from the disturbing mentality among many teens that having a baby is cool; a status symbol of sorts. Granted, sex will always have appeal to hormonal adolescents in the throes of puberty, but these examples are stark reminders that society no longer sets moral boundaries for bad behavior. As a result, the choices these children make can rob them of their childhood and affect the life of an innocent human being, which ultimately affects all of us.

Laughs and Gaffes

When Joaquin Phoenix announced several months ago that he was retiring from acting to focus on music, it took everyone by surprise since he is a very talented and successful actor who is quitting while at the top of his game. By now, you may have heard about or even seen his appearance last Wednesday night on the Late Show with David Letterman. He sported sunglasses and a full beard, and gave mostly one-word answers to all of Dave's questions. While many fans of Phoenix believe that it was all an act and cite his behavior as an example of his mastery of acting, the interview certainly raised some eyebrows.

TIME Magazine has put together a YouTube list (with commentary) of Top 10 Disastrous Letterman Interviews dating back to 1982, when Letterman began hosting Late Night at NBC (he moved to CBS in 1993 to host the Late Show and has been there since). It makes one wonder why Letterman is a magnet for awkward interviews periodically. Dave and the audience's reactions to the guests are almost funnier than the guests themselves (see Farrah Fawcett clip below). Plus, you have to love how, after a guest's awkward comment or behavior, Dave will sometimes give the audience a perplexed look as if to ask: "Can you believe this?"


(The interview continues with Part 2 and Part 3)

Pride (In the Name of Health)

There is always room for improvement when it comes to our eating and exercise habits. Even though we are well into the new year, I'm finally going to make good on one of my New Year's resolutions. You can probably guess which one it is since it's the same one almost everyone makes almost every year! While my health and physique are both in decent shape and could be much worse, I've decided to start making it a point to exercise and watch what I eat like I never have before. I mean it this year. No, really!

Why should this year be any different, you might ask? Self-respect. I believe that it, along with willpower and discipline, will assist me in this endeavor. Granted, you may want to check with me in a year to see if it worked for me, but this time, I truly believe it will. I've decided to start treating unhealthy lifestyle habits as though they are personally offensive to me, and I will keep reminding myself that I deserve better. When it comes to food and exercise, here are some of the steps I have taken already that may help you as well.

Food
Challenging though it can be, I'm trying to use a "mind over matter" approach with food. Take sugar, for example: I plan to erase it completely from my diet (aside from occasional fruit, I suppose). As tasty as it is, I try not to forget that it can cause cancer, diabetes, and food allergies. Besides, who really wants to go to the dentist to get a cavity filled? Also, though I tend to drink a lot of Diet Coke thinking I'm doing well by avoiding sugar content, I should drink less carbonated beverages because of their acidity.

Exercise
As for exercise, I've started back with walking during the day (I don't recommend jogging only because of the strain it puts on the knees over time). When I have a few minutes to spare, a co-worker and I will go out and take a brisk walk. It's a great form of exercise, especially with a partner. That way, we can each hold the other accountable. As for stationary exercises, all I really need is a good hard floor. When I get home, I spend about 20 minutes doing sit-ups, crunches, leg raises, and other repetition exercises.

Cars, Computers, and Chaos

Most of us use a car to get to our jobs, and most of our jobs involve the use of a computer to some extent. They both tend to operate without any major problems 95 percent of the time. However, since we have become so reliant on cars and computers to support our modern lifestyle, any problems that may arise with either can be very unnerving indeed (see video above).

I took my car to the dealership last week for its 40,000-mile service. I wasn't surprised to find out that I also needed to get the tires rotated, new spark plugs, and a host of other services that would add hundreds of dollars to the cost. Of course, I told them I would need to come back for those services at a later date! As long as I can keep my car running in the meantime, I was happy.

As for computers, I know all too well as an IT consultant how reliant we are on them, both at home and at our jobs. We are fortunate to live in such an information and technological age, but like cars, computers will drain your wallet over time, if not with repairs then certainly by keeping them up to date. To many techies like myself, these costs are frustrating but are a necessity.

If there's one thing that cars and computers have in common, it's that both are integral to our daily routines. I find it fascinating (and a bit scary) to consider just how crippled we as a society would be without them. We benefit so much from these machines yet find ourselves so incredibly beholden to them at the same time. Perhaps The Matrix is more realistic than we care to think!

It's Your Fault

That's one attitude we are far too quick to take. Whenever we make a mistake, the blame always lay with someone other than ourselves; at least, that's what we want people to think. Even if we have enough sense to know when we've done wrong, we will often blame someone else in the hopes of hiding our guilt. It's as though we go out of our way to avoid humility at all costs.

With our politicians and celebrities assuming so little personal responsibility for their words and actions, it should come as no surprise that this attitude has become as prevalent as it is now. Scarily enough, there are even people who truly don't believe anything could possibly be their fault. They will never apologize regardless of what kind of suffering they've caused others.

While surfing the Net recently, I came across this Judge Judy clip that shows this harmful mindset in action and speaks volumes about our society in which this behavior is epidemic these days. To actually see it play out is nothing short of disgusting, but it can certainly be informative. The irritation of Judge Judy and her audience is palpable, but fortunately in this case, justice prevails!

Phelpsgate

For all its merits, it seems as though my hometown of Columbia hasn't received much positive press in the national media lately. Over the last couple of years, the University of South Carolina (my alma mater) seems to get the worst of it. Not too long ago, a minor scandal erupted when footage of some USC students was used without permission (so the students claim) in the popular Borat film. This past weekend, the school was in the spotlight once again, and for another bad reason.

Last August, the world watched as Michael Phelps dominated the Water Cube at the Beijing Olympics, winning a record total of 8 gold medals (he had won 6 already from the 2004 Olympics in Athens). Phelps rocketed into sports superstardom and secured sponsorships with Speedo, Visa, Omega, and PowerBar. However, his crown has been somewhat tarnished with the release last weekend of a picture taken at a November party that took place on or around the USC campus. In it, Phelps is smoking a pot pipe.

Needless to say, it was a surprising and disappointing moment for those who supported him, and also for the many who looked to him as a role model (he also received a DUI in 2004). Repercussions will surely follow, and the threat of lost sponsorships looms. While his impressive achievements are undiminished, he will take some hard lessons from this ordeal. I give him credit for being upfront and honest, and I will continue to cheer him on. We all make mistakes and deserve a shot at redemption.

Everything but the Game

Today is probably not the best day to admit it, but I've never been a big sports fan (though I do keep up with whether or not my college football team wins, which hopefully counts for something). I used to play soccer, baseball, and tennis, but I never really kept up with professional sports. In fact, it wasn't until last week that I knew which teams were in this year's Super Bowl (the Steelers and the Cardinals, thank you very much)!

By and large, I tend to prefer the arts over sports. For this reason, when the Super Bowl comes around each year, there are two things I look forward to much more than the game itself: the commercials and the halftime show. I'm always curious to see what kinds of creative ads and trailers for upcoming blockbusters will be shown for the first time (and I'd love to know how much the network got paid to air each of the ads).

More than the commercials, I'm especially excited about the halftime show. This year, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will perform. For many years, the halftime show was a rather lackluster affair that drew marginal interest. When Michael Jackson performed at Super Bowl XXVII in 1993, everything changed (see videos below). Since then, the halftime show has become almost as anticipated as the game that bookends it.

1993 Halftime Show, Part 1:


1993 Halftime Show, Part 2: