May 08, 2012 | 01:18 PM |
May 06, 2012 | 01:51 PM |
10 notes
Nothing bad ever happened while the Beastie Boys played.
I had been a fan, they were on my radar, but my life came into sharp focus after I was handed a small cassette tape of Ill Communication two weeks prior to it’s releaseto review for the teen section of The Philadelphia Daily News.
That cassette became my life. I played it until the the sound warbled and the tape almost broke from constant rewinding. My friends and I drove around late at night screaming the lyrics as my late great friend Al Ferkle rolled down the window, letting in the crisp air, only to climb outside the moving vehicle and tumble into the back seat while we all screamed “Ma Bell.”
I saw them more times than I can count, but was privillaged enough to see them perform in DC in a tiny club with about one hundred people, a week after (or maybe before) they released Ill Communication. It remains one of the best shows I’ve ever seen in my life. Fun, loose, crazy and not a beat missed, the Boys checked the basketball scores throughout the set and shouted it out on stage. It was the summer before I moved to New York, and though I loved them all, Ill Communication was my soundtrack.
When I moved to New York one of my goals was to find them. An eighteen year-old’s dream. We had heard they hung out at The French Roast on Sixth Ave. and decided to see if they were there. My roomates and I hung out for hours one Tuesday, but of course, they never showed. Instead I got the chance to lock eyes with Johnny Cash. I thank the Beasties for that.
In school, Paul’s Boutique shifted into focus, but I would not have my dreamed run in with a Beastie in until my fifth year in NYC, where when ironically crossing the street to get to The French Roast, I was almost run over by a man on a bicycle. He turned his head over his shoulder to see if I was ok, and as he rode through the green light, he held his hand up as a small consession. I waved back, and Adam Yauch smiled.
I’d see him a bunch more, shuffling in and out of his building with his bike as I rehearsed a play next to where he lived. A small nod, a little smile nothing more, but his kindness stuck with me.
I grew up with The Beastie Boys and the The Beastie Boys matured as I did, branching out into complicated subjects, interests and beats. They are true artists and always will be.
RIP MCA. RIP ADAM YAUCH.
You WILL be missed.
February 22, 2012 | 04:53 PM |
1 note
It May Be The Coffee Talking But It’s A Beautiful Day.
You know I’ve been posting a lot of thanks on Facebook without any real explaination.
It’s just my way of reminding myself to be happy for the things I have in my life and the wonderful things people do for each other that rarely go acknowledged, but can have a profound effect on our lives.
Discovering a piece of music on the radio, a passed along email, a kind word from someone I don’t know all mean something. Some of the best experiences I’ve had have come from a last minute invitation, suggestion or someone just thinking I would be right for something that I never even thought of trying.
So thanks to my friends, family and co-workers looking out for me.
I hope I can do the same for you.
xo
February 02, 2012 | 08:25 PM |
2 notes
Why Planned Parenthood Mattered to Me
I started working at Planned Parenthood in my sophomore year of High School after Christie Lauder, arguably the coolest girl in the school, asked me to.
We were both volunteering for our school AIDS Education week, when she said, “If you’re serious, you should come to Planned Parenthood and be a teen-peer educator. It’s fun.”
I didn’t even really know what Planned Parenthood was, but I idolized Christie. She was (still is) a six foot tall amazonian wonder, who at the time was usually decked out in a GWAR t-shirt, hand sewn mismatched stockings, cut off jean shorts, combat boots and pink (or blue, or green) hair. If she had asked me to sell bathroom tile I probably would have.
I was instantly welcomed in the small non-descript building next to a popular ice cream shop that housed Planned Parenthood. I was also instantly put to work. I answered phones, filed, copied and organized a few hours a week, but also ran seminars with Christie.
If you were under 18 years old and wanted birth control, Planned Parenthood would not give it to you unless you went to a teen-peer education seminar. Christie and I would explain all the options regarding all kinds of birth control and STD prevention. Together, presented both sides of the coin. You see, at that time I had not had sex yet. She would talk about her experiences, and I would talk about the fact that I was okay with not having sex. We had a lot of fun with dental dams.
We did have a lot of training to do these seminars, but what Planned Parenthood really wanted was for us to present the information in a way that was not only accurate, but engaging. We would also go to events where we would meet other peer-educators, as well as conventions, and halfway houses.
Planned Parenthood let us be ourselves. Smart, amazing young women who wanted to make a difference and show other young women that they could make a difference too. They didn’t care what color Christie’s hair was. It didn’t make her unemployable. It made her valuable.
I saw many many women, children, teens and mothers come through that tiny little office. They were getting check ups, and screenings and breast exams. They were getting help they were too scared to ask for or too poor to afford. Yes, they were getting birth control, but they were also getting lessons about being responsible and about how to take care of themselves. Rarely did anyone talk about abortions there. Although yes, it is a part of what they do, believe me when I tell you it is not the primary goal of that institution.
Working at Planned Parenthood was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I can’t even remember if I got paid. It didn’t matter. I made friends. I met the Mayor, A REPUBLICAN, who shook my the hand, looked into my eyes and told me what I was doing was an inspiration. It helped me become a better leader and a better person. I taught me that what I do with my life can make a difference if I choose to.
It also gave me a life long friend.
So please. Support Planned Parenthood. They change people’s lives. They changed mine.
January 26, 2012 | 03:05 PM |
103 notes
January 21, 2012 | 03:07 AM |
5 notes
"It seems to me that the majority of tumblr postings consist of pictures of naked women, Robert Smith and cats."
January 08, 2012 | 02:17 PM |
What is Miami Like On New Year’s Eve….
January 08, 2012 | 02:09 PM |
What did we do for the New Year? Here’s a taste!
December 21, 2011 | 09:53 PM |
HOLIDAY PLANS!
1. EAT RAMEN
2. THURSDAY: It’s a Wonderful Life at The Egyptian
3. FRIDAY: Girl with The Dragon Tattoo
4. SATURDAY:Cook Yummy Dinner
5. SUNDAY: BREAKFAST + MI4 + Chinese Food
PERFECT JEWISH XMAS!
November 26, 2011 | 05:56 PM |
3 notes
Here’s the thing about life:
It happens super fast. As much as I love throwing up pictures and making little videos, at some point this Thanksgiving I had to decide what I wanted to do…. Capture it through a lens or experience it without a viewfinder.
I picked the latter.
So here is a smattering of pictures from Thanksgiving. Not the most artfully done, but taken all the same. I am nowhere to be found, but that’s ok.
The evening was a great success thanks to some amazing cocktails and great friends. We have food for days and days. I just made Guinea Fowl Sandwiches and am now making Guinea Fowl Soup. Here was final menu. Yes. It was a lot of food…
COCKTAILS COMPLIMENTS OF CRAVE COCKTAILS
Strawberry Basil Rum Collins
House made Brandied Soy Nog
ROUND 1
Red Lentil Soup with Cilantro Ginger Chutney
Stuffed Pumpkin Gratin
Herb Salad
ROUND 2
Bacon Wrapped Guinea Fowl
Chestnut Stuffing
Mashed Maple Sweet Potatoes with Fancy Marshmallows
Braised Spinach and Cabbage
Celery Root and Apple Puree
Port Wine and Star Anise Cranberry Sauce
Ginger and Pumpkin Bread (Thanks Woody)
Tuttle Turkey & Stuffin’
Vegan Mashed Potatoes, Tofurkey and Spicy Brussel Sprouts (Laurel!)
ROUND THREE
Anna’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
Laurel’s Maple Cake
Pumpkin Pie
Salted Caramel Pie
