24 October, 2008

on a lighter note...

I have to briefly pay homage of the only celebrity blog that i follow.... mr. www.thesuperficial.com, you have saved me from many a too-serious moment with great and much-needed laughter at the expense of celebrites that enjoy exploiting themselves. everyone that enjoys sarcasm with a side of crass, please check out this site. i promise you will thank me for it later.

today's post complements the post I just made about the elections... some things are just too good to pass up. please excuse the language, but anyone who makes americans look this ignorant can be spoken of in no other tone. so we'll let it slide this time.

'Heidi & Spencer, Goddammit...


Before everyone births a walrus, I've been avoiding these two like the plague. That said, I've been bombarded with e-mails today alerting me to Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt's latest, and most shitass, photo shoot yet. In an obvious effort to get my attention, the Douche Twins posed in Sarah Palin shirts while holding a shotgun, six-pack and Harry Browne's book "You Can Profit From a Monetary Crisis." This, of course, comes extremely close to meeting condition #2 of my criteria for post-worthiness:

However, to show that I'm not an unreasonable man and for the sake of journalist integrity, I will make the following exceptions in allowing you on this site:
1. Heidi wears a bikini.
2. Heidi covers her topless chest in maple syrup while stumping for Sarah Palin at a Klan rally.

Granted, there's no Aunt Jemima or Klansmen, these two asshats couldn't be more gay for Sarah Palin if they started throwing Bibles at poor people. Anyway, to all my conservative readers, feel free to thank Heidi & Spencer for officially costing you the election. In fact, you can pinpoint the exact moment John McCain loses in these pictures: Right when someone forgot to load the gun. Smooth.

'

Update on VOTING!

this just in...

It is NOT too late to register to vote in some states!

You still have time to register to vote in:
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, , Illinois (military voters only), Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin (military voters only)

The deadline for Guam is today October 24th!

And if you were already registered to vote in a state, it may still be possible to request a ballot. Check OVF's State Specific Voter Information: https://www.overseasvotefoundation.org/state-voter-information-directory
See the same pages for options to send your forms or ballot to your election office too.

For those of you who just received your ballots and want to return them as quickly as possible, go to https://www.overseasvotefoundation.org/overseas/ExpressYourVote.htm
to take advantage of "Express Your Vote" to FedEx your ballot home at a reduced rate from Europe -- and at no cost at all in some regions.

courtesy of marina.... thanks for the info! Sadly, most of the people that I have talked to here in Amsterdam have shirked their responsibilities and chosen not to cast their votes. If you are one of the darlings that DID vote, comment and let your beautiful voice be heard! perhaps it will serve as an encouragement to others for action in the future... at the very least, it will encourage me ;) thanks friends!

22 October, 2008

it's official - harry potter books are crack



so i have been sick for a couple of days (coming off a long couple of weeks :) ) and my friend's house that I am staying at has all of the Harry Potter books. i needed something brainless and entertaining to nurse my sickiness and i didn't feel like rotting all day in front of the tv - so i chose Harry Potter. I love the movies, and this is my first stab at reading the books. I tell ya, they are crack! I seriously can't put them down! i know this has been the plight of many a reader before my time with these terrifically popular and mildly controversial books, but seriously... at this point, i need to get through the rest of them as fast as possible so that i can be done and become more addicted to answering emails (yes, in the wake of the Harry Potter adddiction, quicker responses have waned). they are really great though, and i relish the idea that i will havve read the final two before they come out on the silver screen. in other news, projects are coming, proposals are being written and exhibitions are being created. but this is way more interesting for the moment. now, to find a new series for the next time i fall ill... any suggestions?

this is all her fault, by the way... thanks a lot, ms. rowling!

14 October, 2008

salmon salad

As many of you know, my greatest love in this city resides at a place called 'Puccini' - a sweet little cafe behind the University of Amsterdam and just before you hit the Waterlooplein market. The salad served at this place is one of the best meals I have ever had in my life. Seriously - no exaggeration. This salad has been the 'reset' button for many a moment in my life here in Amsterdam. When you come out to visit, please please please make sure that we go there to expereince this culinary wonder. If you are not able to make it out here for whatever reason, here are the main components:

baby field greens
1 small quartered tomato
1 quartered hard-boiled egg
4 sun-dried tomatoes
2 halved artichoke hearts
handful of seed mix (pinenuts, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds)
2 blanched asparagus spears
filet of smoked or fresh (but cooked) salmon
dallop of creme frâiche/dill/pepper/salt/paprika mix

Toss the lettuce, SDT and seed ingredients with a simple white wine vinagrette (dallop of whole-grain mustard, bit of honey, salt, pepper; mix together and add 2 Tbsp of white wine vinegar. then add 2-3 Tbsp of olive oil while stirring all the other ingredients). Around the edges of the salad, place the artichokes, tomatoes and eggs. Place the salmon atop the salad, with the asparagus spears crossed over it. Finish with the dallop of creme frâiche mixture and a bit of ground pepper. (can you tell I have had this a couple of times?)

ENJOY!!!

13 October, 2008

Presenting...

As promised, here is the cast of the oh-so-talented people that were involved in the 'Geboeid' production that is now going to tour Holland and beyond...

Suzanne Marx - Senior coreographer and Director. More coming from her soon... very lovely woman that had the vision for this piece and surrounded herself with very talented people to pull it all off beautifully!

Francis Sinceretti - Dancer in the role of the Shiek - part of the Nationale Balletacademie and the Nationale Ballet in Holland. Classical background and was hemmed into the 'hip-hop' fold very well

Martin Tint Barnes - Dancer in the role of the 'Love interest' - from Manchester, England, has been here in Holland for 2 years and is with the ISH dance company - amazing perforrmance and the first queation I got from people was 'how does he do that with his body?'... seriously, watch for this guy...

Sarita Keilman - Dancer in the role of the 'Turkish girl' - recently graduated from dance academy here in Holland and is very soon coming out to LA to fulfill a scholarship with the Millenium Dance Studio! I will be contacting some of you soon to hook up with her out in Cali! Extremely talented girl - watch for her as well...

Martin Buter - Assistant Director and Advising - my dear, dear friend that really helped bring polish to the show and can visualize and insert powerful emotion into an already good performance, thereby making it magical. It was great working with him and I sincerely hope there will be more of that to come.

Streamer/DJ Alec Smart (Gary Shepherd) - Very talented DJ that mixed the music for the show, held it together and applied that push to turn it into a great preformance. He does other shows, parties, all kinds of projects - great man to have on your side.

Maximillian Erhardt - Harpist - another darling friend that brought the blending of the classical with the 'hip-hop' feel and made it WORK. From Germany, he is in his final year that the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and will be a world-famous harpist before you know it.

Rosa Ana - Rap and Song - this girl is fabulous - wrote the raps that glued the whole show together. Like other rap divas, she owned the story and made it come alive with edginess and glamour. More coming from her very soon as well...

Kirsten Schötteldreier - Soprano - a sweet woman from Germany, she has performed in operas here in Holland, Germany and Italy. She is pursuing more productions like this and was very kind to work with.

And Beyond... - Yoland and Brigitte - Costumes - These girls have a great place in the middle of the red light district and made innovative costumes that worked really well for the show. Check out their stuff @ www.andbeyond.nl

Overall, it was a lovely production, very privilaged to have worked with these people and I wish them all the best in their upcoming endeavors. They are going to tour around Holland and I am hoping to join them, but we will see if that ends up materializing.... More to come (of course)
pictures of the production will be on picasa soon...

10 October, 2008

'Geboeid' premiering TONIGHT!!!



Of all weeks that I should be blogging...

Here is reason for hiatus - I have been working as production manager ('production bitch' has become the affectionate term - long stroy involving Britney Spears...) for a show that is opening TONIGHT at Podium Mozaïek

for a hip-hop and classical dance and music blend called 'Geboeid'. I am very very proud to be a part of this production - everyone involved is fabulously talented and we have had a really great time working on this. It is the story of a young Turkish girl that finds herself torn between the hip-hop life and boy that she loves and the obligations of family and culture. Beautiful... I will list the first and last names of the lovely people that involved tomorrow for you so that you can follow their careers ;) Martin Butler and Maximillian Ehrhardt are my dear friends that got me involved in this and it has been really wonderful working with them!!! I think I adore them even more, if that was possible!

Show starts at 9pm tonight and Saturday - come out and see it!

03 October, 2008

Overseas Voting - DO IT NOW!!!

For all of the lovely Americans overseas that need to vote before it is too late (like tomorrow), here is some info that can help you get this done... the ladies at the American Women's Cllub Amsterdam pointed me to all of this info - thanks Ruth!

First, the deadline for us to register for the absentee is SUNDAY!!! Take a couple of minutes and do this NOW if you haven't already...

- For the registration and write-in https://fawco.overseasvotefoundation.org/overseas/FwabStart.htm
or https://www.overseasvotefoundation.org/overseas/home.htm
After you fill this in, you still have to MAIL IT IN... you can find the office that you need to send it into on the assitance guidelines site below...

- Voting assistance guidelines (if you need a notary or anything like that...) http://www.fvap.gov/for-voting-assistance-officers/vote-guide/index.html

Also, I heard the US Consolate is doing something on tomorrow or Monday (you would have to call them...) to help people if you feel that you need the extra bit of help.
I am not the most politically-active person on the planet, but i think we can all agree that this is pretty important...
Good luck and happy voting!

ps - for a good laugh, check out Leo DiCaprio's youtube commercial trying to get people to vote...

silly celebs...

01 October, 2008

Amsterdam is awesome

and here is a wonderful little article from the New York Times online magazine to prove it.

http://www.nytimes.com/indexes/2008/09/21/style/t/index.html?WT.mc_id=TM-D-I-NYT-AD-BIG-TRV-HP-0908-RF&WT.mc_ev=click#pageName=21intro

A good friend of mine here in Amsterdam that is a fellow international forwarded this to me - reading articles about the city you are currently residing in is always fun and slightly weird at the same time. There are several places, restaurants, sights and shops mentioned that I have had the pleasure of frequenting or at least visiting. Very fabulous to hear that someone else the same opinion of many of these places, and I find myself wishing there were some other places that are note-worthy as well. The weird part is reading another person's take on it - especially when it is written with language like 'scenesters', 'avant-gardists' and 'beer and babes crowd'. I abide just near the '9 straatjes' and have been in/ridden past those shops a million times. Truly is one of the best neighborhoods in the city. The funniest is the timeline of 'things to do' - I would LOVE to meet the person that can pull all that off on that timeline!

Enjoy getting to know this lovely city in the way I have always wanted to be able to tell it...