Decisions, Decisions

The other day mentioned how much I like New York for it’s generally sunny weather, even when it’s cold – and today is no exception. Bright, clear and chilly. Today’s New York experience is all about the trouble with choices. New York is full of them. Everywhere you turn there’s another choice:

“Do I take go east one block and downtown one or will it the lights be in my favour if I go downtown one block then east one?”

“Should I start a Web 2.0 company for no pay in the hope of millions down the road and a sense of self-accomplishment, or get paid enough money to live in this city?”

“Should I get this cab that just swerved dangerously in front of the other one to get my fare, or the other guy who looks like he’s wearing coke bottles for glasses hunched over his wheel?”

And the worst of them all: “So what do you feel like eating? I feel like sushi.” which then inevitably leads to a full description of what every person in the group has eaten for the last three days, so they couldn’t have that – well, maybe they could, until eventually you end up in the restaurant next to you.

Today was a food choice day – luckily the group only consisted of me. I was sitting in the office for a good 15 minutes as I mulled over which of the 200+ lunch places to eat from on my block alone. Then i plumped for soap from Hale & Hearty. So I wandered over there and spent another ten or so minutes in contemplation of their near thirty soups before I made my choice. Chicken and corn chowder if you want to know. Then, of course, I got to the checkout and realised I’d forgotten my Hale & Hearty regular soup swiller card, so I now have another of those to add to the collection all with just one of the ten necessary stamps.

Note to self: New web 2.0 idea. Let people pool their ‘regular soup’ cards to get one soup to share between them.

Two hours later and I’m hungry again. Still, there’s plenty to choose from for snacks round here…

Today’s “New York Experience” comes to you courtesy of the great people at Halal Chicken on 54th & Madison. Spicy chicken – your way. As long as you want it fried and with rice. Mmm mmm – them’s good eatin’! (TM)

Fly The Safer Skies

As many of you know, I’m not the happiest bunny when in a plane – which is of course mildly bizarre since I seem to spend so much time in them. Guess it’s either my ‘latent ‘masochistic tendencies or the realization that however painful the journey, the destination is generally always worth it.

So I guess it’s encouraging to see this video of a plane wing being stressed well beyond its operational limits… [Thanks to metafilter]

Brrr.

The cold snap seems to have hit New York – it’s -7c today, nothing compared to the -27c in Montreal the other day but still cold enough to make my eyeballs feel stiff. I hate that feeling! The other night popped into Royal Oak for a brief bit of dancing. On the way in it was cold and clear, an hour later when we left there was 1/2 inch of snow on the ground and the snow was so thick you could hardly see. Then it stopped. Fun.

It’s at this time of year I’m reminded of another aspect of New York that I love so much. How bright and sunny it is most of the time. Even though it’s freezing cold outside the sun is in the sky and there’s hardly any cloud. Very different from the average English grey day, which was all there seemed to be during my trip back home over Christmas.

Time to deploy the Christmas scarves and brave the day…

Rainy London Day Films

Well it’s a grey, wet day in London so thought I’d bring you a few movie reviews from the last few days of lounging around chez t’other Matt (thanks Matt!)

First up, Serenity, the movie spinoff from the cancelled Firefly series from genius Buffy creator Joss Whedon. This highly entertaining, action packed science fiction movie is actually a western in disguise – filled with wise cracking dialogue, a shady governing empire and a martial arts expert psychic with a hidden secret. All good stuff, and it’s definately made me want to go check out the original series as well.

Next, Transporter 2. Jason Stratham reprises his role as the calm, quiet, expressionless martial arts expert driver – this time in his new job picking up a kid from school in Miami. Of course, it turns out this kid is a target for the ‘bad guys’ (including a semi naked supermodel with a penchant for shooting things and the requisite European accents) and the usual chase/fight mayhem ensues. Definately not a brain strain, and not as good as the original, but it has a few good moments.

Finally, Peep Show, a UK comedy show in three short series about two housemates with confused social skills. What makes this series so amazing is that it’s shot from ‘behind the eyes’ of the protaganists, and you also get to hear their, often bizarre, mental ramblings. Failed dates, housemates tiffs and just day to day work are all amplified into wonderful comedy fuel under this model and the talents of the two actor/writers Mitchell and Webb. Go check it out – it’s also currently on BBC America.

Merry Januaryween!

New Year’s Season Greetings to one and all*, welcome to 2007. May you all have hte best bestest bestesterest year ever. And then some.

My hangover has now subsided after another classic Chris party, so I can finally face the loud tapping noise of my keyboard to make a post. Thanks to everyone for a fun evening, and big thanks to my family as usual for stuffing me full of Christmas fare. This of segues nicely into my sole New Year’s Resolution of ‘lose the weight put on over Christmas’.

* Apologies to all religious groups I’ve offended because you either don’t celebrate the ‘increasingly commericalised’ New Years or have a much better date for resetting your calendar. Oh, and a big up to the Mayans as we now enter the last five years before the end of their calendar and either a time of re-birth or the end of the world. Personally I’m rooting for that to be the date the Internet becomes sentient.

Can Anyone See England?

So yesterday I flew back to England, which turned out to be quite lucky since Heathrow domestic flights were cancelled yesterday and again today due to fog. Yep. Traditional English fog, something that ‘rarely happens’ according to Heathrow spokes-folks, is blanketing the whole country. So all things considered our flight got off quite lightly with only a half hour delay, something that we were all glad of. Oh, and Charlie Rose was on our plane.

It’s nice to be back catching up with the folks, eating Pizza Express pizza and also watching Brit-TV again in between fighting the jet lag. So many wonderful new shows to catch up on… and of course the Doctor Who Christmas special in a few days. Yay!

easyCat Love – no easyCar Love…

For some reason when I’m feeling down these cat photos always cheerz me up.

Why am I down? Fighting with easyCar again as they do their usual trick of telling me a car is available for the period I want to book it, only for me to find when I actually go and book it that it’s not available. Grr. Luckily Hertz came to my rescue, combined with a lovely little Virgin Atlantic flying club special deal. Yayz!

If the Internet was trying to take off from a treadmill…

Every day I’m amazed by the power of the Internet – to connect, inform and empower people creatively. Then there’s the ability it gives you to see quite how dumb people can get… Witness this post from yesterday’s NYT online. The question is simple: if you put a plane on a treadmill, as big and wide as a runway, and the treadmill runs in the opposite direction to the wheels as fast as the wheels are running – then will the plane take off? The answers being put forward are quite amazing. Apparently the question is not so simple as it might first appear. I mean. What if the treadmill breaks? Or surely the wheels don’t make the plane take off – it’s the engines, so it doesn’t matter how fast or not the wheels are going.

Oh. You want to hear my answer? Hmm. Well it’s quite obvious: the treadmill would be arrested and shot under the PATRIOT act (most likely for carrying a water bottle or farting), and everyone on board the plane would be taken off and searched. Then the plane would take off later, with the evil treadmill’s masterplan foiled. Yay!

No really. That is what would actually happen. I have a Physics Degree, so I know. For those of you who want to work it out for yourselves – here are some useful links:

Ps, 3 points to the first person who makes a video mashup of the Ok, Go! video and a plane trying to take off…