after enduring depressing after depressing indie flick with me, i wanted theresa to see one that was happy and cheerful. almost. this is an indie movie after all and that means feeling new, forgotten and sometimes uncomfortable feelings. this got some golden globe love with best actress in a comedy…but no oscar love because its just too quirky. it features poppy, an upbeat optimistic single gal as she faces the dreary people around her including her uptight sister, misbehaving students that she teaches, the homeless and her aggressive car instructor. she’s not blind to reality…she just tries to make a good go of it.

so where’s the indie side? no strange turn of events or terrible out of nowhere tragedies to mar this comedy. but in regular hollywood fare, everything works out the way you expect. here, it is more….open ended. this is the aspect that turns regular film goers off from indie movies. but its more like real life….there is as much certainty as there is in your life.

there are some genuine laugh out loud moments in the movie mostly in dialogue and interaction. not much happens in the movie as the main storyline centers on whether she can learn to drive. this is for fans of witty banter. theresa and i had a fun time at the movies together after setting up our baby registry at babysrus. i would watch this again but will unlikely buy this.

in the book series, not so big house, the key to getting the most out of a small space are niches. even in big homes, what makes a home “homey” are the small little places that feel cozy and safe. where memories are made. so good architects, builders and home makers build little spots into a house or apt to make the space memorable and alive. i’ve been blessed to live in a few places with little nooks and spots that radiate with life.

we bought one of the not so big house books because we were moving from a 2400 sq/ft md house into a 1100 sq/ft nyc apartment. but it turns out the not so big homes in the not so big house books were not so not-so-big. they were huge places! we have different definitions of not so big house!

in these features, i’ll detail mundane little spots around our apartment…..the spots where we live…and life is made.

we refer to our duck bathroom frequently in conversation…and people who have not visited ask…what are you talking about? what is a duck bathroom? you’ll have to come on in and see.

we have 2 full baths we have in our ny apt. one in the hallway and another one in the master bedroom. the duck one is the former and you’ll know you’ve arrived when you see the door marked with a duck.

this is our duck bathroom. its self explanatory. seeing is believing.

we had a duck bathroom in maryland and packed all the goodness in a box hoping to import the whole vibe. not sure if we would have one or two bathrooms…it is the city after all. when we were looking at apartments, we found one that we liked on broadway on the upper west side…and they had a duck bathroom too and we thought it was destiny. it was not. we were outbid.

but when we settled into our magical home, we were pleased that we could break out the ducks.

in maryland, we had 2 and a half baths….so theresa asked me what i thought of having a theme for one of the bathrooms. she picked ducks…a surprise for me since i thought she would pick something like grey. ducks seemed so cheery and contrary to her demeanor. not having an opinion, i acquiesced.

it starts with the basics.  soap dispenser. toothbrush holder. cup. and then some not so basics…that’s a big old candle holder and some duck key toppers converted into q tip toppers.

a duck nightlight….duck towels…duck tissue dispenser….and some rubber duckies!

our duck decor began with a bridal shower…her family and friends bought up a bunch of the stuff off our registry.  wedding gifts brought another wave.  later, we filled in the gaps…..

then it started happening….when people know you like stuff, they buy stuff for you. and being in ministry this long, i’ve reached this strange stage where people are reciprocating ministry with generosity. people want to give us things…things that they hope we love. we try to proudly display their love.

we are much too young for this stage but thoroughly humbled by it.

our first year in ny, for an anniversary gift, i got theresa this piece that proudly hangs on our wall. its a stamp defining piece for the room.

there are lots of little duckie details everywhere from the trash can to the bath mat to the shower curtain to the hooks on the curtain……ken calls our place ducks r us.

even in hidden spots and nooks…..next to the toilet and behind the curtain in the shower……

we don’t use the brush btw. its purely decorative.

finally, for this go around, inside the medicine cabinet are the knick knacks, mixed bag items and delicate dainties that won’t survive out in the open. but are safe here and line the insides. many of these are gifts…the aforementioned love.

thanks for visiting our duck bathroom…..it was the inspiration for steph’s guide to living with the tsangs…proudly displayed just outside in the adjacent towel cabinet.

as for what theme our second bathroom features…can you guess? we’ll answer some other time.

we’re not too into fake holidays and marketing schemes to boost the economy. but i still like to treat my girl right and get her a little something. i try to do this frequently and not just during this gap between christmas and spring break.

theresa is hard to shop for for valentine’s. she doesn’t like flowers. she doesn’t like perfume. she doesn’t like handbags. she doesn’t like chocolate. so why get her something from a gourmet chocolate internet boutique?

because its not chocolate! and she loves spicy! i periodically get these caramels from this site that have different levels of spice….i’ve gotten her the fiery habanero caramels before but this time i got her the smoky chipotle flavored ones. not as much kick but still fun.

if spicy and sweet seem awkward, consider that the first chocolates were spicy. over the years, people learned to prefer the sweeter kinds of chocolate though dark still remains a favorite amongst avid chocoholics!

as for what theresa did….she cooked and we had a quiet night in. a function of being old foogies? maybe more like pregnant foogies.

in this segment, i’ll detail my amore for the art and medium of comics. the title comes from a comic shop i frequented as a kid and a nod to my boy q and his blog.

after a few of the epics in the dc universe wrapped up, i haven’t been reading as much. i’ve also given up buying new graphic novels for lent plus an extended period of time….into early 2010. seemingly in response, dc/wildstorm is releasing the ultimate collector’s edition of promethea…an older comic written by alan moore of watchman fame. this release is probably trying to cash in on his good name.

promethea is one of the few comic runs i did bring with me to nyc. the majority of my collection still reside in maryland under the stairs of one of my groomsman’s home.

it is one of the most experimental, literary and beautiful comics i’ve ever read. what’s it about? like cerebus, its hard to say. its one of these stories that starts off as a superhero action story but then goes into meditation on writing, art, beauty, friendship and life. its about everything.

one of the real cool things about the series is that the artist, jh williams iii takes it upon himself to transform the medium with his layouts and unconventional, innovative covers(and interiors). no two covers were alike in style or branding. since part of the story was about art, the art embodied the story….pushing the boundaries of life imitating art imitating life.

the first few issues introduces the mythos of the character. promethea is a hero who has had many incarnations over time including the outgoing one, an aging overweight heroine and the new one, a young student in training. both are part of the first adventure where evil forces seek to target the entire legacy of the character. the new promethea, sophie bangs also meets previous prometheas as they fill her in on the mantle that she is carrying on.  i’ll chronicle the series as i work through the other issues.

it’ll also give me an excuse to post the various covers…a big part of the series.

its great when the art of a series has equal billing, importance and status…not always a given. more promethea soon!

last year i called my friend leo, leonardo and leopold, for christmas, noel and leotard.

last month, i called him leopatra, leoben(for bsg), leometro and bibliotecha

this month i’ve called him fileo fish, leodis and leodore.

so i asked our friend leo chen one day, if his name is short for anything or is it just leo? he said….just leo. it got me thinking where that name came from. then we just started making up origins of the name. and started calling him permutations of leo.

so for the next year, i’ll present one a week until we’ve exhausted the possibilities. i currently do not have 52 versions but only enough to get started. you can help if you’d like.

this week…..i will call my friend leo, leonazi. nazi movies mean oscar gold.

for most of this month, i will have entries based on suggestions by you! thanks so much for your suggestions! we had some of them on the list already but others we did not and they have been added! let me know if i don’t give you your props!

Posted under leo-graphy

when people come into the city, we are always surprised by where they want to visit or to go eat. they are equally surprised that we do not frequent those places or want to go eat there. no. i do not want to eat at ruby tuesdays , bennigans or tgifridays in times square. then they ask where we go……so here are the places we like…not the best or the cheapest or whatever category….just where we go and go on a regular basis…

this place is really a regular spot for us. we come for breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner frequently for spins on comfort food, old favorites, hearty sandwiches and a soul filling time.

i might be going today with my aunt mamie!

there are two locations….one on the upper west side close to us and one down by ground zero. when theresa and i filled out forms to buy our place in nyc, we went to the one downtown to celebrate…i saved a nytimes article for two years that raved about their famous turkey dishes including their amazing turkey meatloaf sandwich. i used the directions in the article….theresa was dumbfounded that i had that article all these years just for the purposes of making sure i take her there.

i’m sure to get this wrong but i think the uptown location has the bbq turkey meatloaf….here featured with strawberry lemonade.

and downtown, features the chipotle turkey sandwich. or is it the other way around? go to both locations and do your own research. i get the lemonade each time. very yummy. greg jao would concur.

another look at that delicious goodness! top recommendations!

so over at facebook, people are doing these 25 lists…..

my friend jon moy tagged me on this, a different kind…but i was unsure of the rules except what was in the title. he wanted to do a version of the random 25 that was not as pretentious. in my continuing efforts to descend the ivory tower that seems to be my lot in life, i will do this too.

here at agapeshack.com, i will also periodically post videos of the songs as a public service to people who want to hear the soundtrack in my head. but first, the list:

U2 bad
U2 all I want is you
U2 stay
Radiohead let down
Rolling stones under my thumb
Beatles in my life
Arcade fire wake up
Killers all these things that I’ve done
Stone temple pilots plush
Frank Sinatra new york, new york

these are songs that i chose for a mix of reasons….some define me…some played crucial roles at turning points in my life…some continue to shape me….some i can listen to over and over…some i would jump to hear live…and many if not most, encompass all these reasons.

because it is so hard to narrow down to 10…i have included 2 more songs that are more recent and perhaps would have made the list if they had been born first/before. tough luck, come laters.

Coldplay life in Technicolor ii
Radiohead jigsaw falling into place

finding nemo, kung fu panda and wall-e this is not. but this animated feature should make news at the oscars tomm. i went to watch this primarily because the innovative animation techniques…sure, i knew it was a war documentary but other than that, i didn’t know much more about the film. i discovered that its a dreamy mystery as a war veteren’s memories are lost from under him.  distressed at the gap, he reconnects with old friends and others who were in lebanon at the same time and the pieces start filling in. in addition, he is haunted and informed by a metaphoric dream that summarizes his emotions during his tour of duty. in the end, reality comes into focus with condemning and heartbreaking effect.

the animated style is what makes this an intriguing documentary. a home viewing may diminish the experience but you’ll get the point. but i would recommend a big screen visit if possible and with a likely oscar, it may linger in the theatres for a few more weeks. i would watch this again to catch the multiple layers of the human psyche. i don’t think i’ll buy this…i have a hard time embracing war movies. theresa would appreciate the concept but probably thinks the whole thing could move faster!

after a warm spot, we are back to reality in the heart of winter. the dead of. we’re right in the deep. but luckily, its turned and we are just a little over month til breezy spring. the days have even started to get longer. but until then….i’m bundled up:

i love winter because of the gear that i get to wear each year…..and i go to the same familiar pieces each year. they are like old friends that i go to war against the elements with….they’ve been with me for many winters…we’ve gone through a lot together…we have stories we can tell together…..i trust them. theresa looks at me with dismay as i talk about them like they are alive????

first up is my trusty skull cap that theresa gave me almost 10 years ago when we first me when i headed to urbana. i’ve worn it ever since…and have had some close calls losing it…including this year when i was sure i lost it at a starbucks when i tried to juggle too many things….i prayed a sad sack prayer: jesus, i know that you have more important things to do but could you materialize my hat in a place where it could be found? 20 minutes later, someone texted me to inform me they found it in the back seat of their car, which they found strange since they had a full car and no one saw it a day earlier.

up next is my beloved neck warmer which my groomsman, the big p, gave me way back in the early 90’s. it is a secret weapon against the cold and keeps me toasty when the hat is not enough.

to keep my fingers warm especially lugging groceries to and fro in the winter, i have my glittens which i got from bachrach right before i met theresa or thereabouts. actually in the city, it doesn’t get that cold for me to use these that often. however when it is cold enough, they’re great to have.

when winter comes, i exclusively wear 3-4 sweaters the whole time including my roll necks that are some of the warmest sweaters that i’ve found. durable and a little odd….it seems very much like joseph gear.

this year however, on the insistence of my mother in law…and due to her financial funneling…i picked up a new winter jacket. i was actually looking for a new formal jacket because theresa said i looked pedophile shady with my worn out overcoat. yikes! but on the way, we found this that seemed very joseph too…it has tons of hidden pockets and little touches. we found out later that it was designed by a korean dude out in la which made theresa approve.

and it is one of the toastiest jackets! in the cold, i am entirely content. sometimes its too warm! when i enter into a building, if i don’t unzip quickly, i can get sweaty real fast. an incredible winter jacket and one that i hope to have for many years.

and here’s that more formal coat for dressier occasions in the cold! no watchlists for me!

that’s how i roll in the winter….the winter that is coming to pass so soon.

duh!journal scours the earth for dumb behavior….some low brow…some high minded…all duh!

this is not a good idea if you want people to stop eating fish! this is a very duh! idea!

PETA fishing for sympathy for ’sea kittens’

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has launched a marketing campaign to rebrand fish as “sea kittens,” a name the organization hopes will increase awareness and make the vertebrates more endearing to those who would eat them.

“A lot of people don’t realize that fish are capable of feeling fear and pain, that they develop relationships with each other, and even show affection by gently rubbing against one another,” says Ashley Byrne, PETA’s sea kitten campaign co-ordinator. “Knowing that the fish sticks in the school cafeteria are really made out of tortured sea kittens makes most kids want to lose their lunch.”

The advocacy effort, which also addresses environmental concerns about over-fishing, is the latest in a growing list of publicity campaigns by non-profits, conservationists and animal activists that treat “misunderstood” creatures – everything from cats to slugs and spiders – as if they were celebrities in need of better representation.

As a humourous entry on the sea kitten website states, “fish need to fire their PR guy-stat. Whoever was in charge of creating a positive image for fish needs to go right back to working on the Britney Spears account and leave our scaly little friends alone.”

Although the youth-focused campaign has drawn snickers from critics, none of PETA’s long record of animal rights victories has come without some public mockery. It was by using similar tactics that the organization strong-armed such corporate giants as McDonald’s, Safeway, Wendy’s, Burger King and, most recently, Canadian KFC restaurants to implement new standards of animal welfare.

On fishinghurts.com, PETA also addresses worldwide concerns about over-fishing.

According to a 2006 Canadian-led study in the journal Science, nearly one-third of all fishing stocks worldwide have declined to less than 10 per cent of their maximum observed abundance. Should depletion continue at this pace, researchers warn all stocks currently fished would collapse by 2050.

But Dalhousie biology professor Jeff Hutchings believes PETA’s attempt to address the issue is “misguided” at best.

“Worldwide, we can’t even reduce our fishing pressure, so the thought of eliminating fishing altogether is simply absurd,” says Hutchings, chairman of the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. “Furthermore, any positive benefits that might be realized by drawing attention to the plight of fish are, to my mind, weakened by the costs of a campaign that calls fish ’sea kittens’.”

But marketing expert Allen Adamson, who has written several books on branding, believes the strategy is a savvy one in the way it appeals to children.

“Deer are often a nuisance but because of the Bambi image, they get a better ride than a lot of other animals,” says Adamson, managing director of global branding firm Landor Associates. “Whatever you can do to make the cause come to life and allow people to emotionally connect to it will make (the message) more effective.”

It’s not just Nemo who’s getting a makeover these days.

The North American CATalyst initiative, helmed by a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, aims to “rebrand the cat . . . and give it a better identity” than its dubious stereotype as the aloof companion to “crazy cat ladies.”

The U.K.’s Invertebrate Conservation Trust last year launched Love Spiders, an advocacy campaign “to persuade the public to fall in love with an animal that many people would run a mile from.”

And in Canada, Edmonton bug wrangler Terry Thormin has spent the better part of the last two decades promoting respect for insects.

“We’ve been taught from a very early age that insects are ‘creepy crawlies’ – and creepy means disgusting, it means bad, it means we shouldn’t love them the same way we love our cats and dogs,” says Thormin, former acting curator of invertebrate zoology at the Royal Alberta Museum. “There’s a real image problem with anything that doesn’t have two or four legs.”

PETA HITS AND MISSES

HIT: Protest campaigns such as “McCruelty,” “Shameway” and “Murder King” that got major grocery stores and food service providers to implement new standards of animal welfare.

MISS: The 2003 Holocaust on Your Plate exhibition, which likened factory farming to the atrocities suffered by Jewish prisoners of concentration camps.

HIT: “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur” campaign, whose widespread celebrity support and public resonance has helped lead top retailers and designers such as Forever 21, Ann Taylor and Polo Ralph Lauren to go fur-free.

MISS: Aggressive anti-fur attacks, including the throwing of red paint on people’s fur coats, pieing fur-wearing celebrities, pelting fashion runways with rubber maggots, and tossing a dead raccoon onto the dinner table of Vogue editor Anna Wintour.

HIT: After a five-year protest against Canadian KFC restaurants, the chain agreed in 2008 to phase out suppliers known to treat poultry with cruelty and to introduce a soy-based vegetarian sandwich.

MISS: Tasteless ads that last year exploited the brutal murder of Canadian Tim McLean on a Greyhound bus to draw attention to the violence of factory farming.

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why not call them sea-people? but some people might want to kill sea-people but not eat them!

no one is going to call fish sea kittens. and they will only drive people to eat more animals in an effort to distance themselves from these guys. this is the kind of fringe thinking that does not get moderates on board!