Dogs can read!
I received the following picture from a listserv I'm on and I just had to share it. However, I don't know the source for the headline or for the picture. Enjoy:)
Indisputable proof that dogs can read.
Avoiding the real problems...
This is a great commentary on the debate of making English our "national" language:The English Language Debate
WASHINGTON, May. 21, 2006
(CBS) Weekly commentary by CBS Evening News anchor and Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer .
It's official! The Senate voted to make English the national language of the United States.
Do you feel a lot better knowing that? Or were you like me and thought English was our national language?
Sort of like we know the Washington Monument honors George Washington even though it doesn't have a sign on it that says Official Monument to George Washington. Even I figured that one out.
Of course new citizens should speak English but why would the Senate spend hours debating whether to make English our national language?
Let me break it to you gently: because it gives Senators something to do while they avoid addressing the real problems -- the war, health care, the ballooning deficit and immigration, for that matter.
Working on real problems that have to do with national security and the country's fiscal well-being take determination, political courage and the ability to compromise -- all of which have become the missing ingredients of modern politics.
So we'll hear more about silly issues between now and election day and come to think if it...
Maybe we should make the Washington Monument the national monument to our first president, otherwise people might think it honors the Washington Airport.
And if Senators designate Grants Tomb the official tomb of General Grant, maybe that old joke about who is buried there would go away.
And while they're at it, maybe senators could declare the U.S. Capitol to be the national monument to wasting time and avoiding responsibility.
Actually, I doubt any of us needs to be reminded of that.
Store, Book, Teen-Lit, Oh My!!!
Yesterday, I was at a bookstore and as I was browsing through some books, suddenly a young,teenage girl comes running up the aisle. Apparently the teen-lit section just happened to be in the same aisle I was in. Oh no. And I mean, she literally was sprinting, straight from the door entrance to the teen-lit section. I think everyone kinda looked up and wondered what all the hullabaloo was about. Now, normally, I would find such a disturbance annoying, even down right rude. Especially from a teenager. But not so this time. The girl was followed by her father who sauntered up the aisle. A rather cheerful (and in my opinion, annoyingly perky, i know, I'm such a witch!) lady working at the store quickly came up (probably thinking that this was the highlight of her dull evening, finally to be able to help a lost teenager and her father) and asked if he [the father] needed any help. The father, a very tall Asian man, (yes, you read that correctly), kindly declined in a slight accent, but was apparently taken aback by the quick aid from the lady, that he almost stuttered as he said "Thank-You" three times in a row! And he had huge smile on his face. Awww. Um ok, enough of that. Meanwhile, the young girl's eyes searched up and down the section for the particular book she was looking for. Her eyes suddenly became still. She had found it. And then, I kid you not my friends, she literally JUMPED in the air. High. Like long jump high. 5 TIMES!!!! She was glowing. Almost blindingly. And with a big smile on her face, she exclaimed (Really Loudly),"Dad, it's here, it's here!! They have it! It's out already!!!" Her dad, a little more reserved, "Oh, you found it? Good. Good." And then pats her on her back for this seemingly exciting discovery. She hugged that book all the way to the register (literally), with an expression as if she had found heaven. As the rest of us old people suddenly looked around, we realized we had ALL been staring at her as the scene unfolded. Realizing, we had been caught up in the excitement involving a a girly teenager, we all quickly looked away and QUIETLY, went back to searching/browsing/reading our books. All of us with a smile on our faces. ********************************************************************************When was the last time you literally jumped in the air, exclaimed loudly, and had all the world's joy on your face all while you were in a public place? I think those of us who witnessed this young girl's excitement were all brought back to our younger days, when even the most simple things, like the arrival of a new book, made you act like there was nothing better that could happen to you that day. As some of you may know, I too, love books. And on occasions, have done tiny jumps (ahem, you know being short and all). And to this day, it makes my day when I get a new book or when I visit a bookstore and am surrounded by all these new, old, unheard of books waiting to be read. But it's been a while since I squealed in a public place because of it. Here goes... Watching this young girl, reminded me of when I was in high school and I dragged by lovely dad to the bookstore for a similar reason. Of course, it wasn't for teen-lit. Come on people. Being the nerd/geek that I was, I dragged my dad to the section where all the Lord of the Rings books were. This was right before the first movie came out, and I wanted to read it before all my friends and imagine it all in my head before waiting to see how Hollywood portrayed it. But the store only had the second and third parts of the trilogy out. Where was the first one?? I searched all through the aisle. There, at the end of the aisle, there was ONE copy left. I gathered all of my athletic ability and SPRINTED (yes, I can sprint. When required. I have my priorities people!) to the end of the aisle and grabbed the book. And then, I too, proceeded to EXCLAIM and SQUEAL!! And there, with my Dad proudly smiling (just as all proud desi dads do!), I hugged my big book all the way to the register.
Chalk another one up...
Interesting new report, found in today's Chicago Tribune:
(Bolded lines by me)
Minority business numbers surge
Tribune wire reportsPublished May 22, 2006The number of Asian-owned businesses is growing at twice the national average for all businesses, according to a new Census Bureau report.The bureau's latest installment of the 2002 Survey of Business Owners, released last week, reported that the number of Asian-owned firms grew 24 percent between 1997 and 2002. Revenue of the 1.1 million Asian-owned businesses grew at 8 percent, to $326 billion, during the same period. Close to one-third of all Asian-owned firms had paid employees.The report is consistent with previous Census data on minority entrepreneurship. During the same period the number of black-owned businesses grew 45 percent, while Hispanic-owned businesses grew 31 percent. The national average for all businesses was 10 percent."The robust revenues of Asian-owned firms and the growth in the number of businesses provide yet another indicator that minority entrepreneurs are at the forefront as engines for growth in our economy," Census director Louis Kincannon said in a statement.Ronald Langston, national director of the Commerce Department's Minority Business Development Agency, attributes the growth largely to education and technology. "Historically, this is the greatest number of minority grads and postgrads that we have seen."
Copyright © 2006, Chicago Tribune
Asian American Festival 2006 at the Daley Center
I received the following press release and I thought it might be of interest to you all. If you are in the Chicago area, please check it out, it looks to be a good time. In addition, there is a food court, cultural performances, and daily dance performances including many Indian ones such as bhangra and dandiya-raas. Please click on the link at the bottom of the page for more information. Unfortunately, being the working stiff I am, I can't make it out there, but if you can, please let us know how it went!
The 8th Annual Asian American Festival 2006, is proudly presented by the Asian American Coalition of Chicago and hosted this year by Chicago's Chinese American Community in the heart of Chicago's Loop, May 22nd-26th at Daley Center Plaza. This year's weeklong celebration features Cultural Immersion Performances, a Food Court and Chef Demos, a Dynasty Marketplace, and fun activities for various ages.
The Asian American Festival celebrates approximately 16 different cultures. Over the years, our Coalition has included representatives of the Bangladeshi, Burmese, Cambodian, Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Indonesia, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Malaysian, Nepalese, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Thai and the Vietnamese communities. Each year, the Festival is hosted by a different Asian community. This year, the Chinese American community proudly takes this special leadership role.
Our theme, "Celebrating Asians in America" ushers attendees into Chicago's Loop with a positive and vibrant beat, showing us the beauty of many ethnicities of Asia, but of one culture. This year, we have set aside Tuesday, May 23rd as Seniors' Day to honor our elders. Wednesday, May 24th is the annual CPS Day, when Festival-goers will enjoy performances from Chicago Public Schools.
Dignitaries scheduled (as of presstime) to appear at Monday's 12 Noon ribbon-cutting ceremonies include: Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan; Cook County State's Attorney Richard A. Devine; Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas; and Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois Dorothy Brown
The following popular celebrity broadcast personalities are scheduled to appear as emcees at the 8th Annual Asian American Festival:
* Judy Hsu, Morning Anchor/Reporter, ABC 7 Chicago News;
* Ellee Pai Hong, Morning Anchor/Reporter, NBC 5 Chicago News;
* Nesita Kwan, Weekday 4:30 p.m. Anchor/Health Watch Reporter/Editor, NBC 5 Chicago News;
* Nancy Loo, Morning and Noon Anchor/Reporter, FOX Chicago TV News;
* Joanie Lum, Reporter, CBS 2 Chicago News;
* Alpana Singh, Host of "Check, Please!" seen on PBS WTTW 11; and Master Sommelier;
* Judy Wang, Weekend Morning Anchor/Reporter, CLTV News; and
* Linda Yu, 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Anchor/Reporter, ABC 7 News.
Also appearing as celebrity emcees will be:
* Cheryl Hamada, Equity Actress and Pledge Host, PBS WTTW 11; and
* Lisa Tejero, Equity Actress, Currently Appearing in Lookingglass Theater Company's Adaptation of
Charles Dickens' "The Old Curiosity Shop"
For more information and the latest schedule information, please visit the website
www.aacchicago.org.
Sigh, Graduation
It's that time of the year, when either you're ready for summer and all of the fun it entails, chillin' before getting ready for summer school or an internship, or saying goodbye to the last 3-4 years of your college life and getting ready to step into the real world. Yes, it's graduation time. And as I was talking to some of my graduating friends these past couple of weeks, I realized that while all of us are a little relieved to finally take a break from studying and taking our final exams and get paid for doing work, we're also quite nostalgic about our college memories and apprehensive about what awaits us in the "real" world. I talked to a few friends who have defined majors and exact professions such as pharmacy, nursing, accounting, etc and already have jobs and a typical template future set out for them. And yet, they're still a little lost, still a little wary of all the responsibilities and independent path that's ahead of them. But then, I've also talked to a few friends who are searching for jobs and hoping to find one that they're passionate and enthusiastic about. Something that challenges them and something that they're not apathetic about. They're a little lost because now they are really starting their lives, have to pay the bills, need to pay taxes, and really have to think about what they want to do to when they "grow up." Is this the right career path? Did any of my classes really help me? Yeah, maybe I'm going to make thousands of dollars, but is this really what I want to do, and am I really happy doing it? Most of all, it's about leaving this sort of secluded paradise, walking out, and realizing that well, life ain't what it used to be. It's a tough world out there. Of course I'm completely romanticizing college. There was a lot of bullsh*t that went on. From drama with friends, to dealing with suicides, to troubling classes, disappointing grades, trying to stay atop all of the competition, trying to get a job/internship, coping with the idea of "time-management", realizing, that, yes, I actually have to cook, clean, go to class, and attempt to have a social life all at the same time. Of course, I also know a few others that just want to live on campus and still keep livin' the college life. And to all them brothers and sisters, I'm with you! I recently graduated myself, and I must say, I have mixed feelings. I was happy to be done with all the studying and exams and in a way, ready to move on and explore new opportunities. And, I realized I was probably (although you always SAY you're going to stay in touch) never going to see many people again as they move to various places and started new jobs or moved on to new colleges. Some I didn't even know that well, they were more like acquaintences, but they were such lively personalities that I didn't want to say goodbye to them. But you wish them well and you wonder if someday they will be future senators, CEOs, artists, or gain fame or satisfaction or happiness in their own way. And that sadness, sense of loss, the idea of time passed, along with some regrets, enlightening experiences, and hopefully, much more wisdom, suddenly came to me a few weeks after my graduation. No more afternoon naps, no more eating whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted (i moved back home), no more staying out till the wee hours without having my mom worry about my wherabouts, no more casual, random meetings with professors and t.a.s to discuss absolutely nothing, no more $3 movies, no more cool lectures, events, and concerts right at your doorstep, no more learning about random things (such as the "how to identify a limestone" and "greek mythology and history") you probably would have never learned if on your own, no more using "studying" as an excuse to get out of practically anything (because as our parents ingrained in our minds, "education comes first"), no more having gayatri cook for me (thanks g), no more getting addicted to peach iced-tea, no more random visits to people's apartments, dorms, makeshift shelters, no more being called "Treasurer" of an organization, no more standing around enjoying the daily protests on the quad about something that you did even realize was an issue, no more dedicating entire days to movie/tv show marathons, no more "sex in the city" party nights, no more making fun of the frat/sorority people, no more blaming all of our woes on frat/sorority people, no more complaning about our social life because we were stuck in the middle of cornfields, no more having coffee with my favorite professor evah!, no more random trips to Meijjers at midnight, no more cleaning the apartment at 4am (shout out to Liz and Tasha), group all-nighters at the library (what up Grainger!!), no more waking up at 12pm for a 2pm class, and no more, bothering my roommates with my music, weird sleeping habits, conversations at 2am, and other annoying habits. Damn. Now I'm just a working stiff. But hey, now I get free coffee, surf the internet, write on a blog, actually see my parents everyday, and get PAID!! But sometimes I wonder, wouldn't it just be great if I could just go back to the good ol' days!If you're graduating, congrats, good luck, and I hope you acheive all that you dream of...
Math and the N.S.A.
Ok, so I really don't like math. But...Tanvi(our resident math goddess), Gayatri, and many of you other loyal readers do. So, just for you, out of my kind, giving spirit, I give you math geeks a chance to take joy in the various ways that math and mathematical concepts affect our lives. With all the new information and criticism over the telephone customer data that is being viewed by the National Security Agency (N.S.A), I thought this op-ed in the NY Times today might interest you:-)
"
The N.S.A.'s Math Problem"
So they really did break out....
As followers of great t.v. shows and as promoters of all things Chicago (and, well of pretty boys), we here at hyphenatedtwentysomething, took great pride that one of the few gems currently on television took place in Chicago and its surrounding area. However, today, comes the sad news, that one of our beloved shows, one of the cool factoids that we, Chicagoans, could thrown in the face of those New Yorkers and Californians, has now run away from us:
The hit Fox series, [Prison Break] which has its first season finale Monday, is not returning to shoot its second season in the Chicago area...
"Although producers had a great experience here, the script needs and production requirements required the move," said Brady Breen, the show's Chicago location manager, who said he was informed of Fox's decision a week ago. [ link]
SHAZ-IA!
When I say SHAZ, you say IA!
SHAZ.....
SHAZ..........
SHAZ................
Dammit people! You suck at this. You're totally bringing down my inner cheerleader! Anyways, I am simply writing to welcome our newest blogger and longtime good friend, Shazia aka shaz! Trust me people, she is AWESOME!......Well, except for the brief time when she was a republican. But, don't worry she has gotten over that small bout of insanity and is now back to being totally cool! Also, I would just like to mention that in the last two days we have doubled the amount of contributors on our blog. Aren't we just fantastic?
Chicago Rules!
I found the funniest article in the
Chicago Tribune today. One of the columnists decided to lay down the rules for Conan. Here's what he said...
Dear Conan:
Yep, everyone here sure is excited that you're bringing your big show to our little cow town starting tonight. We haven't had such a major talk show hosted here since, um, "Oprah."
But don't take our giddy outbreak of Conan Fever as a sign that we'll laugh ourselves silly if you serve up the same old tired Chicago references that outsiders routinely make when they try to ingratiate themselves with the locals. The rest of the country may look affectionately upon such terms as "Windy City," "Chi-Town" and "Cubbies," but we'll respond to such cliches by sitting on our hands, even if the "LAUGHTER" light is flashing brightly at the Chicago Theatre.
So here's a primer on how to avoid our wrath and make us laugh:
Avoid: Deep-dish pizza, Wieners Circle hot dogs, Mr. Beef. We love 'em. We're sick of hearing about 'em.
Try instead: Chicago becoming the first U.S. city to ban foie gras. "Hog butcher for the world" is now "Protector of duckies" -- that's funny.
Avoid: Mike Ditka. He's an arena football owner now. We just don't care.
Try instead: Ozzie Guillen. We're smitten with the Oz and his quick-witted, profanity-laced, barely intelligible candor.Avoid: Anything about Al Capone and gangsters. Soooo old. Try instead: Our freshly convicted ex-governor and the corruption investigations into the current governor's and mayor's administrations. Maybe you could apply for a Streets and Sanitation job!
Avoid: The Cubs' eternal futility and how, after the Red Sox's and White Sox's World Series victories, it's their turn. We don't think it's funny anymore. And, please, no "Cubbies"!
Try instead: Wrigley Field's $60 bleacher seats. You also could score points with Soldier Field's losing its landmark status after being rebuilt to resemble a space-age toilet. Extra credit for dissing the McCaskeys.
Avoid: Chicago's crazy weather. It's unpredictable. We get it.
Try instead: The construction/destruction of the Dan Ryan and nearby highways. That makes us crazy.
Avoid: The iconic status of the Sears Tower.
Try instead: The erection of Trump Tower Chicago. You'll think of something.
Avoid: Explaining how "Windy City" refers to local politicians.
Try instead: Ripping on Barack Obama (maybe the night he's your guest). We still like him -- he's just due.
Avoid: The Chicago River becoming green on St. Patrick's Day.
Try instead: Marshall Field's becoming Macy's and the World Music Theatre/New World Music Theatre/Tweeter Center becoming the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre. Rockin' at the Bank!
Avoid: Wacker Drive puns. David Letterman got there first.
Try instead: Blagojevich puns. We're looking for a good one.
Sincerely,
Mark Caro
Well, its T-30 mins to the Cone-Zone. Some final words of advice, Conan, follow the rules or suffer the consequences!!!
WELCOME!
Gimme a G!
Gimme an A!
Gimme a Y!
Gimme an A!
Gimme a T!
Gimme a R!
Gimme an I!
What's that spell? GAYATRI!
Welcome friend of my friend! Loyal readers, the revolution is growing. We now have a new hyphenated twentysomething blogger in our midst. Gayatri, we eagerly await for you to impart your great words of wisdom upon us......no pressure!
Are you ready for the ConeZone!!!!
Yes, that's right. The wait is over my friends. The time has finally arrived. It's time to get ready for the "ConeZone"!!!! Conan O' Brien is coming to Chicago all this week! Set your VCRs, Tivo it, pry your eyes wide open with toothpicks, whatever. Just be there.
When: Tuesday, May 9th,-Friday, May 12th at 11:35pm Central
Where: In front if your tv (of course, if you have tickets, you'll be there. But..um..for the rest of us who got left out, we'll be happily camped in front of the idiot box. But, then again, if you did have tickets, you would have already SHARED them with me and we would not be discussing this!
*
written with my most humble thoughts :)*Who: Um..Do I really need to mention this?
What: What do you mean "
What?" I mean, this is the only time Chicago is going to get some decent talk show in town! Forget work, school, your parents, and all of your other problems and let the "Conan" bring you temporary bliss and ahem..sweet dreams!
(
P.S. No really. Be a friend. Do any of you have tickets??? Remember Sharing is CARING! And we all you know care about me:) Psss..It's ok, I promise, I won't tell Tanvi! )
Water
After missing some of the film festivals that came through town, I finally saw Deepa Mehta's Water in the theater this weekend. And I have to say, overall, I really liked it. There were some moments where I was expecting something more from the plot such as Gandhi's one-line speech towards the end of the film or a further developed story-line for Shakuntala (played by the great Seema Biswas) and more of Chuiya's experiences at the Ashram, or what exactly the romantic Narayan (a very handsome John Abraham) was going to do as he joined the Nationalist movement.
The young Chuiya (a very young talented Sarala) was just amazing and you could just feel her make a connection with the audience. She really made each screen come alive and her expressions, attitude, innocence, and bravery was just magnificent. John Abraham was pretty good in his limited role, but I wouldn't say his acting was extremely captivating. Although, he was nice to look at! Seema Biswas was very moving and you could see her internal struggle between her faith and conscience and her empathy with the other widows through each of her expressions. However, I was a little disappointed with Lisa Ray's acting. I felt her expressions and emotions were very reserved, you could hear her struggle with the Hindi pronounciations, and as being one of the main characters, her overall performance was just dull. It just didn't evoke any sort of connection for me.
I saw the movie with a largely non South-Asian audience, and generally everyone seemed to like it and found the Chuiya character as really moving. Although, I could sense that there were a few who couldn't fathom that widows were treated in such a manner or that such treatment of women still existed, as stated at the end of the movie. I, myself, being quite naive, had never heard of the Laws of Manu or wanted to believe that such beliefs were still held in modern India. However, I do think it's important that such films are made and that some dialogue, action, and knowledge results from it, even if it comes through a commercial, mainstream venue. Some notable quotes from the movie:
"We do not always follow the law when it is inconvenient." (said by the Hindu priest)
"Where is the widowed mens' colony?" (I paraphrased-said by Chuiya)
Overall, the movie was visually appealing with beautiful scenery and long, silent scenes displaying the Ganges River (but what is really a river in Sri Lanka) ,the many temples around Benaras (but what is actually some place in Sri Lanka), and the overall environment. The music by A.R. Rahman (which, when you take a listen, you can immediately tell it's from him) was also captivating and aptly played at the right, crescendo moments in the film. You can take a listen to the soundtrack here. Also, here's some more intelligent reviews of the film [1, 2(audio)].
Deepa Mehta's films aren't for everyone, but if you liked Earth 1947 and Fire, I think you will like, if not be completely satisfied, with the last film of her elements trilogy.
A New Take...
So everything that could possibly be said has been said about Kaavya Viswanathan, and the whole Opal Mehta Scandal. And I'm sure you're probably tired of hearing it as am I. However, I just wanted to direct you to a new perspective on the whole issue by Sandip Roy on Salon. It's titled how "How Opal Mehta saved our lives." It's a great little piece on how failure and underachievement is quite ok (something that needs to be reierated in our extremely competitive/#1 mentality society) and just a part of life. Perhaps, a few years from now, when she's older and wiser, this whole debacle will remind not only her, but also the rest of us, that sometimes in our quest for success, failure is just a part of that journey.
I didn't even know this existed!!!
This is just hilarious and well, painful! I mean, I didn't even know there was such a thing:
Patel Rap.PS: Tanvi, my friend, my fellow blogger, I believe you may have found your
playa! (Said in Tanvi's infamous
gangsta voice:)
My name is tanvi and I have a problem.
Who loves procrastinating and not doing their homework?...I do! I do! And what better way to procrastinate then to mindlessly surf the web, acquiring unique but completely useless information. Well, my latest obsession is trying out personality quizzes and tests. I blame payal. She’s the one who got me addicted by trying the Blogthings quiz. Instead of Blogthings, I found another site that has more quizzes then you would know what to do with. The site is called Tickle. And they have a plethora of completely useless and idiotic quizzes that never cease to entertain me. Here are a few I came across……
How bright is your aura? What the heck IS an aura?
Are you a player or a poser? Do you even have to ask me that? I am a player, baby! (Said in my gangsta voice…..That’s right, I have a gangsta voice……..Stop laughing! I said STOP!)
What’s your theme song? “I feel good” by Rick James. Hell yeah!
What’s your eating style? What on earth does that even mean?
What’s your perfect car? A station wagon. What the hell!?! My perfect car will NEVER EVER be a freaking station wagon! You LIE!
The high school reunion test Apparently, I want to go to the reunion to stir things up, make fun of everyone, and hang out with my rebellious, trouble-making friends. ?!?!?!? Are you even listening to me, Tickle Tests? Do you know me at all? This makes no sense! Have you even seen payal? How the heck does she count as an authority-hating teenager?
How hip are you? Refer to the player question.
Is your pad bad or rad? Rad?!? Who the hell says ‘rad’?
What potato chip are you? Why does it even matter? Who cares? I seriously think they are out of ideas at this point. I mean, potato chips? Really? Really?
Are you secretly Texan? NO!!!!! How dare you even ask me such a blasphemous question?
What’s your superpower? I didn’t do this one but I think the answer is pretty obvious…..I am super COOL!
Are you evil? Do I really want to know the answer?
The wedding date predictor payal, I found the perfect one for you! Its time you got married before you become an old maid!
Discover your past life Come all Jains! This one’s for us!
The chakra test I don’t know what to say to this one. At least they are being culturally diverse, I guess?!?!
Do you have a sixth sense? Wouldn’t you know if you did?
What’s your pet’s true identity? What….I…..Why……No comment.
Who’s your TV family? Ha! Ha! Ha! Mine’s the Cosby’s!
How fresh are your moves? Once again, I don’t even have to try this one because I know my moves are ziplock fresh, baby!
CLEARLY, I need to stop! With finals in a week, I really should be spending my time more wisely. I should probably find a more intelligent form of relaxation, like reading the newspaper. But let’s be honest here…it isn’t going to happen. I shall continue to waste my time and then panic when my final is upon me. It’s just the way I work. I can’t help it………Well, I probably could, but I don’t want to. Okay faithful readers, it’s time for me to return to my burrow, with my laptop, coffee, and textbooks in hand, I’ll see you in a week!
