It's us. We're the variables.

Magnet #433 - Oceanic Radio-Television

Today, in 1939, NBC transmitted the first commercial broadcast from the top of the Empire State Building. It was the opening of the 1939 World's Fair in Queens, a presidential address from Roosevelt.

And if you were Daniel Faraday, or any of the Oceanic 6, you could go back in time to watch it happen. Good gravy, how trippy was LOST's 100th episode last night?

No, I'm not mentioning any spoilers, nor giving any insight to this twisted world. I told ya'll before, I'm done with the mythology - they won't suck me in again. I am just along for the ride.

But yay for a fun ride.

Also? Yay for a multipurpose magnet. Awesome.

Okay, but stop after one.*

Magnet #432 - Uptown Martini Bar

Nope. Never been. In fact, I'd like to even tell you the Uptown Martini Bar once existed. But I haven't a clue. I found this at a vendor I discovered over at Union Square.

Seriously, I emerged from the subway and there, in the bright sun, like manna from heaven and a chorus of angels ringing in my ears, was a guy, setting up a table of magnets. This table of magnets.

Well, ok, so maybe there was no chorus of angels, nor any manna. Also, I could have sworn the bright sun was there, but looking at that picture, apparently, memory hath made my heart grow fond.

Anyway. I picked this for today, because it's just been one of those weeks, and I'm sorely hoping to get someone to run across the street with me to try this Stoli Darkening Theater cocktail. The mixologist over at B.R. Guest restaurants wanted to create something in honor of the Tribeca Film Festival - so it's a cocktail concocted out of Stoli, infused with popcorn, with salted coke syrup and lemon, and garnished with caramel popcorn. It sounds like something I don't want to be near, but ya'll know I love my TFF, so I feel like I need to give it a try.

*three Darkening Theaters later*

Not bad. Not bad. It tastes like your Coke does during that last 30 minutes of the movie. Didn't look like the picture, but the caramel popcorn was darn good.

*Said someone who knows me better than he ever should...

The measure of a chair

Magnet #431 - Van Gogh's Chair and Pipe

Ok, so for as long as I've had this magnet from the London's National Gallery, I thought it was really just an inset/cutaway of the chair in Van Gogh's Bedroom in Arles.

I loved that painting, because it was on the cover of a desk calendar from the Van Gogh Museum that my first boss at this company gave me. I remember, because it was the best desk calendar I've ever had design-wise, and I've spent the last 11 years trying to find that exact calendar layout. No, I'm not even joking.

Turns out, this chair, is actually Van Gogh's Chair and Pipe. (Seriously, there was some major magnifying of both paintings on my part to verify. Heh.) It's kinda cool on its own, I guess - especially now that I know that Van Gogh painted it as a companion piece to a chair that he painted for Gauguin, as a representation of the vast difference between the two men - as artists, and I'd bet, as men.

It's odd thinking about a chair being the measure of a man. I mean, these days people sit in myriad chairs all over the place - at home, at work, commuting, etc.

But, if I were to think about what my favorite chair would be, it'd be a big, soft ploppable number, where you can burrow down into it and stay for hours and hours. And it'd be blue. With blankets. And have a tv with cable, an overflowing DVR, and DVD player in front of it and maybe the remotes, some chips and chocolate beside me.

None of this straight-backed, woven seat crap. Heh, sorry Van Gogh. Nice painting, though.

Here's something else superodd. I just randomly picked this magnet for today. It wasn't until I started to write that line about my first boss here that I realized - today's my 11th anniversary at the same company. Huh. Odd that I should be thinking about that, on today of all days.

The few. The proud.

Magnet #430 - Semper Fi

The U.S. Marine Corps adopted semper fidelis, Latin phrase for always faithful back in the 1880s, meaning that they're always dedicated to the mission, the country, their brotherhood. It's a way of life and a mantra they always live by, even after they've left service - once a marine, always a marine. There are no ex-marines.

I picked this magnet for today, because on this day in 1805, the Marines took Derna, on the coast of Tripoli (now Libya), part of the Barbary conflict, or the Barbary wars, or the Tripolitan War. I know!

Barbary what? Tripolwho? Guys, I'm a fairly intelligent soul with a pretty good grasp of history, but I'm still trying to remember where this section was during our AP U.S. History class! Or, any of my other history classes, for that matter.

This time period, though, has been getting a little more play with all the piracy issues we've been having of late, with folks comparing Obama to Jefferson.

The gist of the story is that at the time, we were still paying monetary tributes to Barbary pirates for safe passage along the Barbary Coast (made up of what's now Libya [once called Tripolitania], Tunis, Morocco, and Algeria). Some bad pasha reneged on the arrangement, and tried to get the ships to pay double.

Jefferson, as minister to France had been opposed to these tributes for several years, was now president, and took this opportunity to say hell no, we won't pay, and the Barbary conflict began. From what I gather, it was one of the first times America tried to execute foreign policy.

But, it was actually the first time the marines were sent to fight on foreign soil, and it included an overland desert march of something like 500-600 miles, while the navy fought along the coast. Once they took Derna, they were able to restore the pasha-ship back to the rightful ruler, and the guy was so grateful, he presented one of our guys with the Mameluke sword - the only ceremonial piece that we still use today.

You know the sword I mean - the one that the really hot marines use in the ads? Here's one. Or here. Or this knight one. I know, I can't help it. They can be a bit over the top with the majestic views and heroic music and sometimes silly storylines, but I do so love them. (And the hot marines. What? Like you didn't know that was coming.)

And no, I didn't know any of this before I looked it up, everything sort of just snowballed from there. But, hey. Now you know.

eta:
Hey! I totally forgot the obvious connection for the USMC to today...Chuck's Col Casey is a marine. Ya'll don't forget to buy a $5 footlong from Subway - although instead of a bonafide save the show campaign, there's a part of me that thinks that NBC's just in cahoots with Subway to drive traffic there to save a show that's a sure thing on the NBC schedule.

A color for your thoughts

Magnet #429 - Feng Shui

Heh, I was saving this magnet for when I ever felt like talking about feng shui. But, since one of the fifteen magnets I found at the Met yesterday was a dragon magnet on sale yesterday (a $20 magnet for like $4!!!), I think I'm good there.

Since I'm feeling a little lazy after yesterday's superbusy day, I'm just posting this for my sister, who is in the midst of picking paint chips. She's in love with the Disney paint color names - Rumbly Tumbly, Clock Strikes 12, Oh Bother Blue, Dreams Come True, Sorcerer's Hat, Tink Pink, etc.

So, here's a good color guide, dude.

Oh. Speaking of color...one of the best things about volunteering at Tribeca is getting to see the really, really pretty clothes all the people wear. It's one of those times where folks in New York actually wear color. It's nice when you don't feel like you're going to a funeral, with everyone around you in a million shades of blacks, grays or blues.

Buzzzz, Buzzzz, Buzzzz

Magnet #428 - Pooh and Piglet

Lucky Pooh and Piglet. Ya know, replace that lazy stream with a television, and you basically have, well...me. I love sleeping Saturdays and Sundays away, in and out of sleep watching really crappy television. Those are my favorite weekends. Ever.

This is not one of those weekends. It is, however, one of those days where I love this darn town. Love. I'll be busy as one of Pooh Bear's hunny bees, but where else can you visit a world-class museum and celeb-laden film festival, get a book autographed by an architect giving you a tour of a hotel, and try and save the world, all in one day?

If I get up early enough, I'm dropping by the Met really quick to see their Walker Evans Postcard exhibit. He left the Met his entire collection of 9,000 historical postcards, and they're exhibiting them through May 25th. Hmm. I wonder which museum will get my magnet collection. Heh. I better draw up that paperwork. Hahahaah.

Then (and here's the plug), the Clear2Go folks are doing their HUGE event over at Grand Central all day. That ought to be huge amounts of fun - product demos, and giveaways, plus showing people what 1,514 disposable water bottles look like. Whoa.

Then! I'm on the list for the architectural tour of the new Plaza! I'm totally jazzed about it, because first - it's the Plaza, and I definitely want to see what they've done with it. Second, holy crap, I just realized that the guy giving the tour is Francis Morrone. He's the guy who wrote The Architectural Guidebook to New York City, one of my absolute favorite NYC architecture books ever. Seriously. I've spent several days wandering around town...with his book in hand. OMG, eeeeeeep! (They better have freakin' magnets at the Plaza boutique, that is all I'm sayin'.)

Annnyway, finally, as if it's not already a long day - I'm headed back down for the third volunteer night down at the Tribeca Film Festival. My confidentiality agreement forbids me to mention anything else...but I feel fairly certain that no one will be surprised that Josh Lucas is hot in person. And that's all I have to say about that.

Ok. Wait. Last night, I stood right next to Josh Lucas (and Thomas Haden Church), and it was perfectly fine. Now, I'm freaking out because the guy who wrote my favorite architecture book is giving me a tour of the Plaza tomorrow.

Seriously. What is wrong with this picture?

Cuckoo for Budapest

Magnet #427 - Cuckoo clock from Budapest

Ok. I give up. I have been trying to find a connection between hedgehogs and Budapest. To no avail. C'mon! Doesn't that little guy on the right look like a hedgehog? He has funny little hair, and a snout! Adorable!

I thought maybe it was a national animal or something, so I looked up Hungary and hedgehogs. To no avail. But, if you wanted to know...the national animal of Hungary is the Turul. Oh, and I found one instance of a family in Budapest that was infected by a rabid hedgehog.

Then, I tried to look up the connection of cuckoo clocks to Budapest. To no avail. But, if you wanted to know, cuckoo clocks were invented in the 17th century deep in the heart of the Black Forest, and in fact, one of the largest, if not the largest cuckoo clocks in the world is still nestled there. (Even though, apparently, people dispute it, saying the largest functioning clock is actually in Wilmot, OH. These are not to be confused with the world's largest free-standing cuckoo clock in St. Goar.)

So then, I figured, ok, maybe it's like a special clock somewhere in town. Nope. But, if you wanted to know, there's a little red hedgehog in a relief just above a doorway of Hess Andras Ter No. 3, a souvenir shop housed in what was the historic Red Hedgehog Inn, dating back to the 14th century. (Further, this square was named for Andras Hess, the first printer of books in Budapest.)

In the end, I can tell you that this cuckoo clock reminds me of the one that we have in our house. Tiny, but loud, it sits on the far wall of our living room, and has always been with us, in whatever house we're in. I don't remember a time before my mom not having this clock. Of course, I also don't remember it being the right time ever in my life, but that's another story.

Good gravy, this hedgehog thing has stymied me every which way from Sunday. I hope I haven't insulted some poor soul...especially if it's like not supposed to be any animal whatsoever. Oh well...but now, I've learned a ton about cuckoo clocks and hedgehogs. But, that's the beauty of a magnet from faraway places.

But. Seriously. How darn cute is this magnet? I heart it. I heart it soooo much. My friend's friend went abroad, and brought back some goodies for me.

Thank you sooo much! Or, köszönöm szépen!!!!