Unraveling the Mystery

Instagram Has Changed My Life.

I remember that special August day last year when I first downloaded the new, and may I add “free” app, Instagram. It seemed like an ordinary day. Little did I know, this app would seriously change my like of taking photos into an obsessive love. Photo sharing with your friends and family is awesome…and what better way to do it than with some cool retro filters. My favorites are X- Pro II, Lo-fi, Earlybird, and Nashville! If you’re as obsessed as I am, take a look at the cool siteStatigram, where you can track your Instagram in data form! Here are some of my favorite shots over the last 8 months:

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Untitled: A Poem

Awaken night

Cloudy speckles of conscious thoughts

Laid out like a bed of stars across the navy blue iridescent blanket.

Sleep is so far away

Have I forgotten everything?

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Thanks for reading my blog.

Here’s to a year where I become a ukulele master instead of a ukulele wannabe

Current status: still wannabe.

Cheers 2012!

Oh, and that’s my super talented sister singing

If It Weren’t For Ketchup…

If it weren’t for ketchup, I honestly don’t know where my appetite would be. Actually, I’m Italian, so who am I fooling…my appetite would be probably be there, eating up some homemade sauce and spaghetti courtesy of my nonna Mendolia’s classic recipe. It is quite the coincidence, however, that both items that control my appetite are more or less just tomatoes. That beautiful, plump fruit(scientifically speaking) or vegetable (chef speaking),that hangs from a glorious vine, is the simple answer to my ridiculous preoccupation with America’s staple condiment.

In recent months, I’ve accepted this mass fixation over the condiment and have somewhat taken it to the next level. I have also stunned my roommate countless times over how many bottles of ketchup I consume in one month. So instead of trying to fix this obvious concern, I’ve decided to get creative with it!

Over the next couple of months, I plan on researching and trying as many brands and specialty ketchups as I possibly can. I will then uncover the best ketchup flavor on this planet. Since 2008, Hunt’s has been America’s favorite tasting ketchup according to this epicurious.com article. Is Hunt’s still the winner?

Finally, I will aspire to and actually create my own ketchup blend that will knock the socks off of anyone eating a burger, french fry, or fried egg sandwich.

So…what’s your favorite ketchup?

Let the taste test begin!

Help! I like Bad Beer and I Don’t Know Why.

I know I shouldn’t, but I’ll admit it…I like really bad beer. I mean, it is a frowned upon phenomenon that when I am in local pubs like Sweet Afton or Sunswick, places that are known to specialize in delicious, exotic, and unique beers on tap, I find myself craving nothing more than a Miller High Life. I even feel bad ordering it at times and can sometimes make myself cringe when I see my reflection in a dingy pub mirror sipping that Coors light in a can. But hey, that’s me.

The problem is, I don’t really like anything heavy and am often frequently perplexed why there is a mass appeal for that bitter, deep and dark stout. What am I missing in this equation?

I asked a bunch of people what they thought the worst beer on the market was, and Bud Light with Lime was the clear winner. Thank goodness I’ve never tried it. So, then, I guess there is some hope for me. I mean, I want to like these good beers. However, every time I order a classic Brooklyn Lager at Brooklyn Bowl, I find myself secretly stashing the full beer glass on the other side of the alley. I insist on ordering it, but never in fact actually enjoy consuming it.

So the major question of the day is: how can I enjoy a delicious, unique, hoppy beer and not just pretend to?

It Starts With a Handshake…

I recently saw a terrible movie. Actually, terrible is an understatement. It was probably one of the worst two hours of my life. This movie, which I chose not to even justify by writing its name, was one of those moments that make you cringe when you think about how you just wasted two hours of your life, as well as the hard earned $12.50 that vanished from your pocket. Ok, ok…it was No Strings Attached.

The only productive thing that I can credit this movie to doing was that it sparked the interest for my next topic…a topic that has created quite a stir amongst my social media/facebook peeps…a topic that will probably be endlessly debated…

Can guys and girls be friends and only friends?

I’ve received a wide spectrum of responses, standpoints, and affirmations. However, I stand firmly behind my opinion that NO, guys and girls cannot be friends. Not close ones anyway..and here’s why.

Let’s define friend/friendship.

According to dictionary.com friend is: a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard. Friendship is a friendly relation or intimacy. The problem comes when guys and girls begin to blur the lines and feel affection and intimacy on a level that’s become sexual. Think about it…it makes perfect sense. If you are confiding in a friend of the opposite sex, and feel deep regard for them as a friend, what is stopping you from taking it to the next level other than your own brain on overdrive? I honestly believe it to be a human response that we cannot control.

Deep down, humans are constantly looking for comfort, social circles, and mates. And when two people of the opposite sex attract on a level where they consider eachother friends, if they’re not romantically involved with anyone else, I think that their friendship would naturally become something romantic.

And even when friendships between guys and girls last for 20 years without anything happening (think When Harry Met Sally…), sooner or later either he or she is going to realize that they are in love with the other. I say, blame it on hormones.

New Year’s Advice from a Non-Cynical New Yorker

It wasn’t until this morning during my hot yoga class that I realized for the first time in a long time I felt light, free, and completely happy. 2010 was an interesting year. As I look back from January 1, 2010- December 31, 2010, a lot has changed. It has been a roller coaster year. I rode my bike 42 miles throughout the five boroughs, changed jobs, moved back to Astoria, let my hair grow, and saw the Gorillaz live. I also had a lot of fun with old and new friends, and bowled my heart out each week at Brooklyn Bowl.

Looking for fulfillment everyday in 2010 became less of a challenge and more of a reality. The main reason why I was able to realize personal fulfillment is because I allowed life to change. Change is a hard thing to accept because it’s so uncomfortable, so uncertain, and humans don’t like it. We like things that are predictable, even if we don’t admit it. But the truth is, change got me here.

Therefore, I encourage you to create a change in your life in 2011. The change can be physical, mental, spiritual, metaphysical, or even basic. Just change something! Make it better! Challenge yourself. Here are some tips that may make your daily grind sweeter:

1. Laugh.

2. Listen to the Beatles Anthology Albums

3. Take photos of your friends

4. Kiss someone passionately

5. Make friends with your local bartender

6. Catch up on your Netflix Queue

7. Go to a museum

8. Make brunch for your friends

9. Go to hot yoga

10. Drink water with lemon

11. Look up at the sky more

12. Be silly

13. Run a marathon

14. Walk through Central Park with no direction in mind

15. Drink good coffee

Here’s looking forward with love and happiness, and life…because guess what? It’s awesome.

Why Are My Favorite Songs Under 2:20 Minutes?

They say the good things can’t last forever. If they did, they probably wouldn’t be as good, right? Come to think of it, most truly enjoyable things on this earth may only last for a couple of minutes. I’ll leave it up to you to decipher what they may be for you.

For me, I have recently noticed a common trend for my limited bouts of pure joy…my favorite songs. Most of my favorite songs clock in at under 2:20. What’s up with that? You see, I love music. It is the very core of my existence. If it’s not on, if I don’t have it, my life is dull and somewhat meaningless. Call me dramatic, but it’s true.

So I ask, why couldn’t the brilliant musicians who added meaning to my soul and quotidian life, who composed such brilliant tracks, make my favorite song just a little bit longer? I am a victim of the favorite short song. Here is my list of favorite tunes that should be MUCH longer.  Enjoy.

1. Intro by The Xx.

2. Sun King by The Beatles.

3. The Suburbs (Continued) by Arcade Fire.

4. Bookends by Simon and Garfunkel.

5. Sea of Love by Cat Power.

6. The Wind by Cat Stevens.

7. The Queen’s Approach by The Decemberists.

8. She Came in Through The Bathroom Window by The Beatles.

This isn’t to say that I don’t have favorite songs that are longer than 2:20. I mean, most of Radiohead’s collection clocks in after 4:00 per song, and boy am I grateful for that. With the above collection, perhaps the artist wanted to give us a taste of something awesome knowing full well that it would yield a powerful and quick experience for the music listener. And afterwards, we are hungry for more of the same jam. But it’s going to be okay! At lease we have the repeat button.