playing catch-up.

As you may have noticed [or maybe you haven’t], there has been somewhat of a hiatus in my writing. But, no need to fear, I am back! Things have just been a bit crazy as I have recently moved into an apartment downtown and it’s the time of the semester right before break which means: midterms. It doesn’t mean that there has been a lack of events to write on; I just have not had much time to sit down and write—and when I do, either my brain is fried or I can’t keep my eyes open. So, here’s a rundown of points I found write-worthy during my sabbatical:

• Mother Nature: I don’t think that she is a fan of her children recently. First Haiti, then Chile; and she hasn’t stopped there! There’s also been a mudslide in Portugal and a landslide in Uruguay amongst the piece of iceberg that has crashed into Antarctica, which was the size of the country Luxembourg. In honor of these natural disasters that have caused so much tragedy in many lives, I have tried to ‘go green!’ in order to save my green recently [even braving Buffalo’s public transportation system known as the bus]. And even though saving some dollars is an upside, I know that every little bit helps for saving this planet and may prevent these catastrophic happenings from occurring. Now that I sound like a tree-hugging hippie, I’d like to take this opportunity to say, ‘thank you’ to Momma Nature for the sunshine this past week; it’s pushed my spirits into happiness at least!
• Vancouver 2010: With the Olympics at an end, all other sporting events now seem dull. It was so fast-paced [so much so, it caused spills and disqualifications all over the board] and I was sad to see it go. Passing through the hype of Apollo Ohno and Lindsey Vonn, nothing will top USA Hockey’s run throughout their play. And the best moment of that? Zach Parise’s under-thirty-seconds-to-go goal against Team Canada in the championship game. Though it was recorded as a loss, I chalk it up as a great victory—not only because I get to claim both Lindy Ruff and Ryan Miller as fellow Buffalonians, but also because we proved ourselves [everyone knows we should own gold, though]. Also, I attended the Buffalo Sabres home re-opener against the Washington Capitals and the support for both Ruff and Miller was over-whelming, to say the least; it definitely made me even more proud to be from Buffalo.
• Malliaris Photography: Yet another photographer in the family! My cousin’s girlfriend, Gabriella Malliaris [she might as well be my cousin; Ry—get on that!], had her own opening for her photography at iPrintfromHome. Malliaris does portraiture exquisitely; she has a fresh eye to style and a clean shot behind the lens. I wouldn’t be surprised to see her work in a magazine someday [http://www.malliarisphotography.com/].
• The Vagina Monologues: I just recently finished reading this inspirational book/play in mere hours and I immediately wanted to support it in every and any way possible. It has such a powerful message and for all women at any age—from birth to death. Honest. I instantly wanted to bring this play to Buffalo; so, I looked up on V-Day [www.vday.org] and there is a place for you to bring it to your locale. I know that Buffalo Sate put it on a few years ago, but I never attended. I also have no idea how to put on a show—no directing, no acting, and most definitely no stage or theater experience. But, I am willing to collaborate or go it on my own, that’s just how strongly I feel about this piece. I will keep you updated on that idea.
• Equality: Both Washington, D.C. and Mexico City, Mexico have legalized same-sex marriages/unions. I see the Washington, D.C. legalization as a slap in the face to other states that have banned it; if our capital can move forward, shouldn’t the rest of the United States be able to? [And good on you, too, Mexico City!]

That’s all I got for now. More to come on the regular—promise.

iTunes in the sun:

1. The Hives – Tick Tick Boom [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqkJ30Kh7ZM]
2. We Are Scientists – The Great Escape [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAxp4I6Nre4]
3. Hard-FI – Living for the Weekend [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRYPhxhaSL8]
4. JET – Are You Gonna Be My Girl [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAxUIjJrFKQ]
5. Klaxons – Golden Skans [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYKfX60bPrI&feature=channel]

.[ask].