You Don't Know What You've Got 'Til It's (Almost) Gone

Yesterday DCers were atwitter with the news that Tai Shan (Butterstick) will be leaving our fair city for China by February at the latest. Our mood is dark. We are inconsolable. We love that little panda. Even me, allergic to most animals and hater of zoos (they make me so sad). He's just so adorable!

The National Zoo leases parent pandas Mei Xiang and Tian Tian from China and when Tai Shan was born, the agreement was that he'd go to China to enter a breeding program and make more adorable pandas. Clearly The National Zoo does not read Suze Orman, or they would have known to Never. Lease. Anything.

So Tai Shan will leave and beget more pandas. The lease of Mei Xiang and Tian Tian is up for renewal next year. As a friend so eloquently put it, "Those communists better not take away our panda agreement." Actually, I can't believe that situation wasn't an episode of The West Wing (Aaron Sorkin, you left too soon!). Indeed, I'd wager that the best thing the Chinese can do to improve and maintain foreign relations with the United States is give us PANDAS! We will overlook suspicion of egregious human rights violations and lead in our childrens' toys as long as you keep the pandas coming.

I will be facing my zoo sadness to see Tai Shan in person before he leaves. Just like everyone else. Those of you who can't please enjoy photos linked here, here, and here.

World Cup 2010: Group Stage Set

Today was World Cup draw day, head of football associations, coaches, celebrities (paid to be there), and VIPS make an event of what is nothing more than a bunch of balls swirling around in 4 pots.  What is enclosed in these balls and pots are the hopes and dreams of the 32 countries who qualified for the World Cup final.  For soccer fans, this is the critical point where, after a 3 year qualification process, we get to find out who will face who, if there will be a "Group of Death," and which favorites might have a difficult (or easy, I'm looking at you Germany and Brazil) road to the knockout stage.  For the more ancillary, American fan, this process is very similar to selection day for the NCAA Men's basketball tournament, except there is no complicated seeding process (pot 1 are seeded teams but there is hardly an argument for who deserves to be there) and it is done live and by lottery to show complete transparency.

If you need a recap on how qualification occurred and/or how the pots were assigned. Follow these links: Qualification Process and Pot Assignment.


I'll quickly recap and give early predictions for each group, in the order of my interest:


Group C: England, USA, Algeria, and Slovenia.  The USA, probably the best team in pot 2 (also known as the riff-raff pot with the Asian and North America countries) was hoping for a better draw than the previous two World Cups (remember Italy, Ghana, and Czech Republic?).  They definitely got it. England is the favorite but the other three are pretty even. US will most likely lose the opener to England, the following game with Slovenia will be critical, and, depending on how the other games in the group go, will affect what is needed from the Algeria match, but they should go in to each game with a do-or-die mentality.  


I still give us a 50/50 chance to get out of the group. You want to get b/w 5-9 points from the group stage (3= win, 1= tie, 0= loss).  The US friendly with the Netherlands on March 3 will be a good test.  Expect two more US friendlies before the World Cup with teams that have similar styles to Algeria and Slovenia (I'd like to see us play Egypt and Czech Republic).


Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Republic, Greece.  For Argentina, not as easy as it looks especially since they're playing poorly and have a psycho for a coach.  Expect them to qualify but to struggle mightily. Second out of the group is a toss up between Nigeria and Greece, the June 17 match b/w those two will decide who gets through.  Don't expect much from Korea Republic except for their incredible conditioning.


Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, and Cameroon.  Pretty straightforward for the Dutch, the game against Denmark will be fun to watch (I think a rivalry exist) but they should clean up and win all three games.  Expect Denmark to be the second team with Cameroon putting up a good fight.


Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, and France.  I hate this group already, CONCACAF arch-rival Mexico and cheating France had lady luck on their side.  Any game with the host country will be super fun to watch but they are so poor at soccer that the home field advantage won't be enough.  France gets through easily with the Mexico v Uruguay game on June 22 deciding second place.


Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana.  Again, Germany gets an easy group, they'll win every game. Second place will be a toss up between Serbia and Ghana, I don't know enough about these teams to make a prediction.


Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, and Slovakia.  Italy shouldn't take this group lightly, they'll most likely win every game but Paraguay is very good this year and Slovakia is no slouch.  Still, expect Italy to come in first with the June 20 game between Slovakia and Paraguay deciding second.


Group G: Brazil, Korea DPR, Ivory Coast, and Portugal. This year's Group of Death, Brazil should be ok but Ivory Coast will be super dangerous and, if they get there act together, Portugal should be competitive with pretty boy Ronaldo and twinkle toes Deco. The June 15 match between Portugal and Ivory Coast will be critical to both teams chances.


Group H:  Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, and Chile. Another good group, Spain will win out but the other three teams are pretty even.  Honduras has a great team and I'd like to see them do well. Expect the last round to decide the top 2 (June 25).


Favorite: It pains me to say this but if England qualifies first they'll have an easy 2nd round and quaterfinal match.  


Surprise team: If they continue their form Honduras might surprise people, especially since the other teams in the group have probably never seen them play.


First top seed out: Argentina. A surefire way to underperform is to hire someone with no success in managing any team and who tells the media to "suck it."

Review Friday: Cognitive Dissonance

In my introductory list of topics I'm interested in, I (or, rather, Serge) didn't mention overwrought teen fiction about vampires and werewolves. That would be because I read the first three Twilight books in spite of themselves. I can't explain it. They aren't well thought out, well paced, or well written. There are actual typos. Bella bothers me. Yet, I read the first three in three days and I know I'll read the fourth one on the plane to Japan. Why? I don't know why. But I will read it and I will see these movies, including the latest, New Moon. Maybe this means I believe that passionate love exists out there, but I hope if I find it that it isn't as weirdly obsessive and one-dimensional as Bella and Edward's.

So as not to make this review as long, rambling, and self-conscious as one of Bella's interminable internal monologues doubting that Edward loves her, I'll organize it into the five points I'd like to make about the movie:

1. If you have a passing thought of seeing this movie but think you should read the books first, don't bother. It's really fine. Just see the movie. You aren't missing much. See Twilight then see New Moon and you'll be set when Eclipse hits soon enough.

2. Taylor Lautner is painfully bad. Whitney and I couldn't stop laughing when he was on the screen. Jacob manages to pull Bella out of her depression, but director Chris Weitz and Kristen Stewart combined can't pull a decent performance out of this poor kid. He should have spent the time he wasn't using to add 30 pounds of muscle to take an acting class. As long as it didn't interfere with the workouts. He is 17. I am officially a creeper. In my defense, I had a lot of time to gather data about this since he doesn't wear a shirt for the second half of the movie.

3. Kristen Stewart somehow looks a lot more attractive this time around, even with all the scowling and self-flagellation. See this movie and tell me if you can you imagine Kristen Stewart doing comedy. I fear she might be a one-trick pony. One that frowns.

4. Question: Why does Bella believe Edward when he tells her that he doesn't want her? Either Edward or Robert Pattinson isn't a good actor (well, possibly both) and doesn't sell that line of reasoning for the Cullens' departure a bit. Answer: Because Bella has no sense of who she is or self-confidence or ANYTHING outside of Edward and her obsessive love for him. I know this. Yet, I am transfixed. Help me. He smolders.

5. The soundtrack is awesome. I don't think it works as well as the Where the Wild Things Are soundtrack, but it's excellent. Muse, Death Cab, Thom Yorke, Grizzly Bear, and Lykke Li (who my friends with much more pretentious taste in music than mine adore) all make an appearance. I am puzzled because the movie is aimed mainstream teenage girls and I can't imagine mainstream teenage girls listening to Bon Iver and St. Vincent. I hope I'm wrong.

I am kind of embarrassed to recommend that you go see this movie, but I really enjoyed it. Despite itself. The smaller roles, like Alice, Charlie, Jasper (although what is up with Jasper's hair?), Carlisle, Jessica, and Emmet are often quite funny, if underutilized. Learning about the vampire world and werewolf world interests me (although, the books are much better for that, truth be told). I will continue to want to see these movies, even though I am totally aware that they are inherently problematic. Cognitive dissonance.

Thanksgiving Strike

Thoughts on Thanksgiving from us:

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Sergio:

Of all the holidays, Thanksgiving is by far away the best one. Similar to how most people argue its superiority, Thanksgiving has the simplest, most universally acceptable objective: No religious declaration, no independence from tyranny, and no stress of making sure a ball drops at the right time (and, lets be honest, a squeeze for that moment). It is simply a moment to reflect, be with family and friends, and give thanks for that which we have. Both during "trying times" and when the nation was "in the money," we've consistently failed to understand the important things in life but, then again, I do feel this is slowly changing. So, for what its worth, a few things I'm thankful for:

1. The Argentine "I can fix anything" attitude. Say what Serge?!?! Sounds ridiculous, I know, but it exists. In a moment of enlightenment, my father once declared that Argentines have a knack for making do with what's around and fixing something (arguably) back to its original function. This is versus an American approach, he argues, that quickly replaces the broken item to benefit from improved efficiencies and longer life span. This might sound ridiculous but I feel like there is some truth to it; any male relative of mine has at least one item in the house, car, or work where things are jerry-rigged to "work normally." Anyone who knows me well knows I do this too; instead of just replacing the mechanism I've now tried at least five different ways to stop my toilet from running (all five have failed in some way), the A/C in my car should but just doesn't work and, because it doesn't affect to main objective of my car (you know, to move me far distances), I just live w/o it, and finally, multiple arguments with tire shops when they won't patch a hole in your tire and instead instruct you to get a new tire when you know damn well that patching the thing would be cheaper and work just fine.*
2. Freedom. I can write whatever I want, say about anything, read anything, vote (elections and with my wallet), and pretty much do anything. So many people in the world don't have this ability that it bears repeating, I can do anything I want. This is the main reason I get so irked when opponents to health reform pull the freedom card, I have a hard time swallowing that an increase in taxes to provide health insurance for everyone is a violation of your freedom. Shutting down the media, curfews, and fudging elections are what we call violations of freedom.
3. Mass transit. In one hour I can go from my apt to downtown DC then all the way to Bethesda and barely lift my head from my book. I find that utterly amazing and very thankful to have, otherwise I wouldn't be able to get to this job of mine.
4. The egg. I'm so thankful that the cavemen didn't freak out when the decision to eat an egg was in front of them. It's such a cheap item and so versatile that I'm not sure I'd be into cooking if it didn't exist. Fried, scrambled, poached, hard boiled, omelets, in quiches, tarts, cakes, and breads. All so delicious and I could go on and on.

*As an fyi, this comes from growing up in a blue-collar environment were it was typically too expensive to replace big things or parts were usually unavailable, and a prevalent machista attitude existed.

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Kate:

Things I'm thankful for:

1. The food processor my beloved parents got me for my birthday in August. Owning this + being a student and having extra time = a shocking love of cooking that I would never have thought possible. My hummus is really good, y'all.
2. The awesome potential for a "Dave"-type switcheroo revealed by this photo.
3. The recent covers of "Poker Face" and particularly this mash up, which never fails to make me laugh out loud.
4. The free-range turkey I'm eating from Great Country Farms, and that the Coopers didn't introduce me to him during the Pumpkin Festival last month.
5. My best friend Jana, who is selflessly, lovingly, and graciously watching our family cats for three weeks until my holiday trip to Japan. I say many great things about her, all deserved but never quite enough.

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Amin:

I don't necessarily agree with Serge that Thanksgiving is the best holiday, but I do love me some gluttony and lethargy. As for the things I'm thankful for.... well I'm thankful for a lot of things (like Google, democratic political reform in developing countries, my friends and family, etc etc), so I'm going to pick 5 themed things. In honor of Thanksgiving, here are all the food-related things (yay gluttony!) I've become thankful for this year, in no particular order:

1. Panang Chicken. My new regular favorite from Thai restaurants. It's spicy. It's sweet. It's tangy. It's basil-y. Freakin' delicious. If you want a curry dish from a Thai place, I recommend this above all else.
   
2. Chop't. Fast food salad. It's a little pricy, but for less than 10 bucks you get a salad that's bigger than your head. And if you choose wisely, it's a super healthy dinner that will fill you up and won't make you feel like garbage for the rest of the evening. A new takeout staple.
   
3. Momiji Sushi. I plan on writing a review of this place later on the site, but for now just know that this is by far the highest-quality, best-priced, best-service sushi restaurant in DC. It's a block from my apartment, and every single thing I've eaten has been amazing. How they can get sushi-grade fish this far away from a real body of water (sorry Chesapeake Bay) is beyond me. And they also have the best hibachi I've ever had, because you don't smell afterward, and it's not super-greasy. Oh man, such a good restaurant.
   
4. Barbecue meat (all kinds, all styles). I've eaten BBQ before. But last August, my friend Anais (whose birthday it is today HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANAIS WOOOOO) introduced me to Texas BBQ at Salt Lick in Austin, Texas. That amazing introduction opened the door to all kinds of BBQ and sides: pulled pork, brisket, sausage, cornbread, baked beans, cobbler, ohmygodsogooddrool. Carolina, Texas, Upstate NY, whatever. It's delicious. I love it. And always good to alternate days you eat BBQ with days you eat Chop't.
5. Newman's Own Low Fat Asian Salad Dressing. It's awesome. It makes every salad taste better. And not only that, it makes everything taste better. I use it in my cooking constantly. Asian chicken breast, with peppers and onions and rice? Yes please!
   

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Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Thanks for reading!

Of Parents and Pictures

A while back a very good friend of mine, Kate S., turned me to this simple blog called My Parents Were Awesome (I realize I'm a bit late to the game on recommending this, but nonetheless, I was inspired to share).  Nothing really to it, people simply submit pictures of their parents and the good ones get posted.  Its simplicity is its genius though, every time I browse it I get this nostalgic glee and my mind starts pondering all kinds of things.  I wonder if others think this way too so that's my main reason for sharing.

1)  Reality check: our parents at one point were young and, clearly, awesome (look at this guy!).  We as children mostly see our parents as authoritative figures, so its only when we grow up a bit do we realize they too were in their twenties and, most likely (like I'd bet the house on it) they did some dumb things (my favorites are the pictures of Mom/Dad and "Unknown," yea right Mom, I'm sure you don't know with that smile on your face...awkward silence).

2)  Style, style, and style.  They looked good (for the ladies), dressed well, and had fun.  No matter the decade (sigh, even the 80s) looking good for the time period was important.  Which makes me then think: "damn, its all my fault, rearing me sort of took priority over the leather jacket, which I understand and am grateful for but, damn, that sucks."  Then again, the majority of parents manage to maintain their style.

3) Photography as an art and finite luxury.  Did we all seem to forget that cameras used to be bulky contraptions, with rolls of film, and actual settings you needed to be aware of if you wanted a decent picture to come out! Remember focus, aperture, lighting?!?  I mean pictures took skill, they were kind of expensive (buying the rolls, developing the film), and you only had so many chances (do overs were kind of a big deal).  A certain level of stress of making sure it came out right, that you loaded the film right, that the film itself wasn't in the sun too much are all memories of mine. Now, it seems, we have either a multitude of as-realistic-as-you-can-get pictures showing every minute of every occasion or highly scrutinized, edited, and self-selected pics that threaten the genuine feel and style that I think older pictures have.

4) I can't not think of people who didn't have stellar relationships with their parents or didn't have them at all (be it cause they died or are suffering/ed from a mental/physical disease).  You realize that not all stories have happy endings but you hope that most can either find one or, at least, one that is palatable.

Cross-Referenced Shameless Plug

So I write for another blog, The Ol' Leather Pumpkin. It's a blog devoted pretty much entirely to the NBA. I don't write there too often anymore, but occaisionally I'll hammer something out. Today, I wrote something DC-relevant, in that my post is entirely about Gilbert Arenas and the Washington Wizards. So if you fancy Gilbert, the Wizards, the NBA, or sports, head over there and check it out.

Happy Reading!

{The Ol' Leather Pumpkin: On Gilbert Arenas}

Review Friday: No Jews Were Harmed in the Making of this Film

Last week I saw A Serious Man at E Street with my best friend Robin. We had intended to see An Education (Nick Hornby screenplay + Peter Sarsgaard in period clothing = can’t miss for this girl), but finding it sold out we instead saw the latest and most biographical film from the Minnesotan masters of the absurd and ironic.

The Coens have constructed a (very) loose retelling of the biblical story of Job, but set in a Jewish community in 1960s Minnesota (where the Coens themselves grew up as Jews and sons of two academics). In the Book of Job, God and Satan make a bet that the ever-faithful Job will deny God when put to extreme tests. Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg) is a physics professor who is up for tenure and whose main goal in life is to be a good man. This good man is tested and driven to a breaking point by, among other things, his wife, Judith (Sari Lennick), leaving him for family friend Sy Ableman (Fred Melamed), an unpleasant and strung out son with an impending bar mitzvah, a self-involved teenage daughter who is stealing money from him for a nose job, an unemployed and mentally unstable brother living in his house, unfriendly and too-friendly neighbors, and a student who is blackmailing him because of a bad grade. We watch Larry’s downward spiral and grapple with a crisis of faith. I swear it’s funnier than I’m making it sound.

Actually, A Serious Man is seriously funny, but in that really awkward way that Michael Scott is funny (but not this season). The kind of funny where you’re laughing and cringing at the same time. At a few points I was physically tense from frustration, especially when Sy and Judith were on the screen. They essentially create an alternate reality in which they haven’t done anything wrong, Larry is at fault, and the Gopnik marriage will end with no collateral damage. The completeness of this parallel unreality and the fervor with which they defend is incredible; it made my jaw clench and my hands turn into fists. This reaction was immediately familiar, as it’s the same reaction I have daily when I hear or read insights into the alternate reality that Sarah Palin has created for herself.

This film had wonderful performances, particularly by Stuhlbarg and Lennick, memorable smaller characters, and a heavy helping of Jewish-related jokes and references that went over my head but were hysterical to others in the theater. I liked that the cast was filled with actors you thought might have seen somewhere, but weren't quite sure where. The story was tightly constructed without superfluous or gratuitous scenes. It raised important and interesting questions about omnipotence and our relationship to a higher power. It was a great concept and perfectly executed, but I found myself missing the joy and ridiculousness of other Coen movies. This particular version of their irony and absurdity taxed my patience and frustrated me, though it was technically flawless.

In my research for this review, I was amped to discover that the Coens’ next project is a film adaptation of Michael Chabon’s The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, which is a fantastic genre-bending novel that combines a detective story and a history of an alternate reality, all with a distinct comic book feeling. Pairing the Coens with Chabon never occurred to me, but it’s just so right, especially this novel. While I admire A Serious Man, I guess my heart belongs to a Man a little more out on the fringe.