vertigo from a great height

Watched Hitchcock's masterpiece "Vertigo" on the roof of an apartment around Central Square. This shot doesn't quite capture it, but there were beautiful views of the Boston skyline and bats swooping overhead later in the night.

(5) things i loved about (500) days of summer

In no particular order:

(1) The Music

The soundtrack is reason enough to love the movie. It's sweet, hipster, and downright wonderful. The story plays out to the tunes of Regina Spektor, Feist, The Smiths, The Temper Trap, and that unbelievably catchy Hall and Oates song that I've suddenly been hearing everywhere and CANNOT help dancing to.

(2) Summer's Wardrobe

Yes, Zooey Deschanel might be the cutest person on earth. A lot of the movie is dedicated to zooming in on her baby blues and showing off her amazing collection of vintage clothing. Still, I'm jealous.

(3) The Blackboard Wall

Joseph Gordon Levitt's character has an apartment with a gigantic blackboard, and being an aspiring architect, he at one point covers the entire thing in a cityscape. In my opinion, it's one of the best scenes-visually at least.

(4) The Expected Vs. Reality

There's one particularly clever scene where the audience gets a split screen of Tom meeting up with Summer (in the latter and more troubled part of the relationship) that shows Tom's "Expected" view and "Reality." So true to life and so well done.

(5) The Narrator's Role

At first that pesky voice behind the love story (oh, wait, sorry! "story about love") is a tad irritating, but overall I think it really works well to keep the movie from taking itself too seriously. Some of the more sarcastic comments really make the movie. I won't give it away, but the writing on the screen at the very beginning of the film is hysterical.

That's the beauty of (500) Days of Summer: it's cutesy, sure, but still able to laugh at itself.

just one of the guys

So the big story in Cambridge for the past week or so has, of course, been the Henry Louis Gates arrest. It spread like wildfire within what seemed like an hour, starting as just one article and becoming hundreds all over major news sites. I don't think anyone has ever read the Cambridge paper more!

It's really hard to pick sides on the issue, at least from what I've read and heard. From the police report to the recently released 911 tape, a lot of details regarding the incident seem unclear. The other day, I went out to get some "man on the street" reactions from Cambridge residents. The opinions ranged from calling the incident a "black mark" on the Cambridge police, to accusing Gates of "playing the race card," to describing the hype as an overreaction and backing up both Gates and Crowley as stand-up guys. I do agree that in light of the situation, the Cambridge police training and protocol regarding racial profiling should be reexamined, and there's no doubt that racial profiling is still a problem across the US today, whether or not it is specifically for this case.

One thing I do want to comment on is Obama's role in all of this-undoubtedly part of what made it into the overwhelmingly publicized story that it is. The president unfortunately chose his words unwisely when he said the Cambridge police acted "stupidly," leading to a media frenzy that didn't make Obama look so hot. But even more interesting was the way he handled the aftermath of his comment-in a way that is, I think, both absurdly entertaining and incredibly humble. The president personally called up Sergeant Crowley (who was just chillin' and having a Blue Moon in a Cambridge pub) to make amends, and arranged a reconciliation beer with Gates and Crowley at the White House. Talk about just being one of the guys.

Kudos to you, Obama, for a) making me laugh throughout this media madness, and b) being so damn cool about your mistake.

All I have left to say is: how can I get in on that White House beerfest?

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technologically-challenged

After my visit home, I thought I had brought everything back with me to Somerville. A few days later, my phone battery started dying and I realized I had left my phone charger in Central Massachusetts. FML.

I'm currently (and temporarily) using a Verizon LG model so old that the woman on the phone who helped me program it with my current number jokingly bragged that "one of the newest features on that phone is gray-scale graphics!" Great. It takes me about 10 minutes to type out a text on this thing, the screen is green-tinted, and there is no small screen on the flip cover to check the time. I'm going to try to pretend that it's vintage. Or hipster. Or something. That's right, decade-old phones are so in right now.

Hey, at least I'm not carrying around one of these babies:

overheardinmyoffice

Inspired by the ever-entertaining original, here are some snippets overheard in the newspaper office. Most of them from one crazy (hilarious) day and straight from the intern's ears.

Staff Writer: "Ok, I have to leave. I'm not talking to anymore people about anymore things. Talk to my hand!"

Editor: "Why do you want to leave here? It's the most awesome place in the land!"

Editor: "That's my facebook status update. Job drives me to drink. So does breathing though. And talking to stupid people."

Editor, almost to himself: "What does FML mean?"

Everyone in the office: "FUCK MY LIFE!"

Editor: "We like words! I can haz journalism? I can haz copywriter?"

Staff Writer, singing: "And I am living in a material world..."

Editor 1: "Why is the blog being GAY?!"

Editor 2: "Don't be homophobic! Don't be bloghomophobic, now!"

Editor 1: "Please. I'm the biggest fruit fly there is."

Editor: "Imma call up Michelle [Obama] and be like 'hey gurl hey'."

Me: "If the crazy lady tries to call you again on my phone, what do you want me to do?"

Editor: "Say that I'm dead."

informed scribbling

Ok. So DoodleBuzz might just change the way I search for news. Who knew you could get important information about anything from Obama's healthcare plan to the newest Apple products by creating amorphous shapes? With this new interface, you choose a topic and scribble on the screen to get results. Doodle a bit more and you get excerpts from headlines that interest you. The result? Cool maps of stories that, well, just look neat.

It may not be the most practical way to catch up on events, but who ever said practical was fun?

the most boring place

Visited home early this week-yup, in good old Upton, Massachusetts. Once upon a time we were voted the Most Boring Town in Massachusetts by KISS 108 Radio. It's true, we're pretty out in the boonies with a population of just over 6,500. My high school resembles a very large barn, and so did the Italian restaurant I worked at for a few years. As much as I complain about there being nothing to do out in Upton (aside from the surviving drive-in movie theater...which is technically the next town over) I thought I'd throw in some photos that show the beauty in this "most boring place."

I've also realized that when I take the train home from Boston, I make the conscious decision to sit so that I'm facing the opposite way of the train's movement. It feels like I'm literally going backwards in time. It puts me in a nostalgic mindset, and I kind of like that.

short stuff

My editor mentioned the One in 8 Million series to me the other day, and wow, am I impressed. I can't believe I missed this on NYTimes-they've got quite the collection of profiles already. Another example of the type of reporting I love the most-quirky, human stories. I've made it through some of the slideshows already (did I mention the layout is just as impressive as the concept?!) but still have a bunch to catch up on. I love hearing the voices of the individuals too. It really makes the story feel more intimate.

At the Chronicle, we've started up our own little series based off of this model and others that we're calling "In Short."I started off the first one with the hippie puppeteer in Harvard Square (pictured above), and it turned out to be one of the most read articles on the site for a good week or so. Brainstorming some more "In Short" targets, but I want my next one to require a little more digging!

soap photography: a hidden world

Featured on PDN's Photo of the Day, the photographer Bogdan Chesaru captures soap bubbles up close. He shines a studio light on a film of soap to get the cool shapes you see in the example below. The result resembles something out of Willy Wonka. Take a look at these psychedelic beauties for yourself on his website.

better than a liger, a bicycart

Spotted a perfect combination. Yup, this vehicle manages to be both a bike and a shopping cart. I saw someone riding this fantastic thing in Davis Square. At first it looked like he was pushing a shopping cart down the road VERY fast, and then I caught the bike portion as he passed.

The next day, I saw it parked outside a house on my way downtown. What luck! Excitedly texted my friend to let her know I had pegged down the origin of the shoppingcartbike and snapped a photo. I want to know a) how this was made, and b) where the cart came from. I am now convinced it's possible to go grocery shopping without a car. What a wonderful invention.

sun, surf, and sculptures

Got to check out the Revere Beach Sand Sculpting Competition on Saturday with a friend. The artists got lucky with the weather-it was a beautiful (but sticky) day, and the place was packed with people. My favorite was definitely the "Mirror" one, with two people and what I suppose was a cracked mirror. It's pictured here, along with some other shots I took. Still have to make it one more stop to Wonderland, the T-stop at the end of the Blue Line. But I'll save that pilgrimage for another day.

don't bleep it out

A recent article in TIME says that cursing actually does help ease pain. A study done at a British university shows that those who swear can withstand discomfort for longer, and have a duller perception of pain intensity. Hell yes! Let those f-bombs fly, then.

joy! happiness! glee!

A friend introduced me to this upcoming show, and after watching the pilot, I think I'm already hooked.

"Glee" premieres September 16th and might just be the next big hit for TV. The characters are refreshingly quirky, for one. The club itself is a mixture of misfits-plus the football team star, who has a secret singing talent. His cheerleader girlfriend is head of the Abstinence Club, a great little twist. Jayma Mays plays a germaphobe teacher who seems far better fit for glee club leader Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) than his own, Pottery Barn-obsessed wife.

And if the fantastic characters and actors aren't enough, there's the music. Oh, the music. The numbers featured in the preview episode were used sparingly enough that they really packed a punch. Watch the a-capella version of "Don't Stop Believing" at the end of the pilot and I guarantee you'll feel giddy. If you're not grinning by the time the stage lights go off, I can't imagine you've got a soul.

"Glee" reminds me of the short-lived "Pushing Daises" (R.I.P.). (In fact, Kristin Chenoweth is joining the cast). This show is just the right dose of sugar. I'll be watching in the fall!

like to run (errands)?

We're running a story on RunMyErrand.com at the Cambridge Chronicle, and after overhearing a runner being interviewed, I did a little research on my own. The service sets up "runners" with people who need help with their everyday tasks-anything from laundry to shopping to wedding preparations. The errands are between $7-$15 and can be completed by anyone who has passed the application process and is in the area, willing to help.

Although at first I thought it was a little weird (and sad...really, we can't even do our own dry cleaning these days?), I've started to warm up to the idea. In today's struggling economy, RunMyErrand provides people with a connection that could give them a little extra cash. And honestly, for the unemployed, even a little helps. Being one of many in need of some extra cash, I applied to be a runner. Fingers crossed!

riding the rails

Found this beautiful photoessay on Getty's fantastic Reportage site and am head over heels in love with it. It's by photographer Ben Speck and exemplifies what, to me, great documentation and photojournalism is all about: seeking out unique people and surprising stories that capture readers and make them think about things outside of their familiar lifestyle. I like the way that he explores the subculture and even takes part in it himself (dangerous but exciting!). That's what I'd like to strive for-having the guts to really immerse myself in a story and report on the offbeat individuals and lives around us, ultimately trying to make them just that much more accessible and relatable for everyone else. I think we can really learn from that type of journalism. It's something that goes deeper than simply reporting the quick facts.

wild things

While seeing the newest Harry Potter in theaters, I also caught the trailer for Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are. And let me just say, this movie looks stunning. Based on the popular-and beautifully illustrated-children's book by Maurice Sendak, the film takes the story to the big screen in a really big way. The creatures are gigantic, detailed, gorgeous and as a bonus, the trailer features "Wake Up" by The Arcade Fire. Watch it and it'll make your heart melt, I promise.

why, hello there!

So you've found me on the great vast Internet. Welcome to this blog space, a forum for sharing things like: Movies I'm Watching, Recipes I'm Trying, Songs I'm Listening To, Articles I'm Reading, and Random Things I'm Thinking.

Here's to hoping that some of them are inspiring, relatable, or just plain fun. Read on!