Video of the day

Elections are coming up, and I’m sure we’re all tired of the hype and propaganda.

Well… I found this refreshing.  More power to the youth all over the world… this election determines the next 4-8 years… the kids are our future [Whitney Houston "The Greatest Love of All".... *sigh*]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxlwYP0HNdc

Remember: You can vote however you like….

Just Vote.

Diary of a Foodie

So, I may not be an official foodie, but good god, I love taking pix of food.  Something about capturing the texture just right [thanks to digital macro on my Canon PowerShot SD 1000] reminds me of the flavours, aromas, and essentially… the, er…  essense of it.  Or maybe I’m just a piggie.

Many of the pix were taken all over, during my recent bout with the Travel Bug.  A lot are of Jamaican food… and although on this trip, the food wasn’t so great, I still maintain that Jamaican food is some of the best in the world…

Chinese Food Spread

Funnel Cake is Fair Fare

Wrapped up in Culinary Heaven

I <3 Beer & Wine

Fresh Squeezed Fish

Tomatoes in Sonoma

Froyo & Fruit

Dim Sum, SF Style

Peppa Shrimp

Escoveitched Fish... or however it spell

Bad Boston Jerk Pork. Bad.

Scotch Bonnett to da werlll

Questions?  Comments?  Feedback welcome!

Niceville

You ever meet someone so nice, it’s kinda creepy?  I’m sure it’s happened to all of us at some point, for a variety of reasons.  Once, when I was working as a producer for an online video sharing website [Openfilm.com], I was holding auditions for a sketch we were working on, and this older lady, kinda Lucille Ball-esque with over done theatrical makeup, walked in and was just totally overenthusiastic, but just really really *nice* about it.  Another time, while living in Minneapolis, it was snowy, and I had put on my backpack over my hooded jacket and the hood was trapped between the straps when outta nowhere this gentleman pulls the hood to freedom.  I almost smacked him, because where I’m from, nobody is that nice without expecting something.  And maybe that’s the root of it: People fear that others will take their kindness for weakness, so they protect themselves by being mean, or at the very least, indifferent.

Well, not so much coffee, unless nice is a synonym for bouncing off walls!

Well, a few weeks ago I was working a liquor promotion at a club in Palm Beach, and of course, it’s my JOB to be nice to everyone and hope nobody follows me home.  Before leaving, I wanted to change into something I’d wear to my brother’s club/playout later on.  I head over to the bathroom and the lights are out [how CREEPY!  Literary foreshadowing?  I hope not!], there’s a ladder in there, and, to my relief, two female patrons I recognized from the club.  I felt totally comfortable, believing that there’s little these two girls [who are my height] could possibly do to me while I change my clothes in the dark, potentially dangerous-construction-zone of a bathroom.

The three of us struck up conversation.  They’re from the Northwest [which I'm in love with, even tho I've never been]… Washington state and Oregon, I think.  I swoon… I love the music, the beer, the outdoors and organic food.  They’re clearly Latina and appreciate South Florida.  Travelling on buisness, I think they mention… more chitter chatter, and they ask for tips on where to go in Miami… I jot down a few places I like on the back of my Vista Print business card and remind them to be careful and have a blast in my home town.  I figured I’d never hear from them again.  Or maybe I hoped I wouldn’t.

Then, the emailing began.  The next day:

Hello?this is [Name] the gurlie from pama,this is my email addr.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

I think to myself, “Um… okay, cool, whatev,” and give the generic response:

Awesome! Great to be in touch! Enjoy the weekend, and you girls be safe!
Lauren

Fifteen minutes later:

Yes indeed we will keep incontact.okie dokie ur new Latina buddy.

Now, all of this is fine.  No reason to be alarmed.  I clearly gave out my number, and so, someone used it.  Big whoop.  Well, the little emails continued.  Nothing huge, she’s sending them from her BlackBerry, and nothing weird at all.  She sent a pic of her and her friend before they left Miami, I said have a safe flight and keep in touch.  Another “Hey, how you doin?” here and a “Hope you’re okay with the hurricane,” there.  And while I usually respond super quickly to things because I’m so wired all the time, I guess I got a little creeped out at all her niceness… to the point where I’m waiting for the fall.  Like, some latent instinct in me believes that people are only nice on the surface, and their inner psycho will be released if you enable it.

So I’m all amped up on thinking everyone else is crazy [except me of course], and I finally respond to the last “How was your weekend” email that I got yesterday.

My cuzin just passed away lastnight and left 3little beatiful girls behind,its painful.but other than that living a day 2 day….

I needn’t read more.  I offered up my condolences and moral support, but I already felt like *I’M* the creep.  I mean, c’mon, she’s clearly a human being!  Flash back to something my brother once told me: People will show you who they are if you just let them.  After reading that email, I saw who I was.  I was the mean person pointing fingers at everyone else, making the silent proclamation that if you weren’t mean, too, then you must obviously be a psycho creep.  Only… *I’M* the meanie!  I’m the one assuming that people are inherently full of it, when of course, *I’M* the one who’s full of it.  You ever feel that way, or realize that about yourself?

So, I just had a beer in the name of being nicer.  In general.  Granted, the alcohol makes me feel nicer already… but ultimately, I wanna make a conscious decision to assume and hope for the best in people, with the belief that that very same energy is likely to be returned.

*Cheers* to you all, and share your niceness in a reply.