Finally...

It genuinely snowed in New York City. And not some "uptown only" snowfall. It was coming down when I left my office in Midtown. Sticking too.

Recommended Viewing from Someone Without a TV...

It's almost as bad as taking literary advice from a bookstore clerk. But seriously, this one should not be missed. One of my favorite shows re-imagined as a musical with songs by the writers of one of my favorite musicals! (It takes a minute...)

Due to lack of said TV (to be technical, I merely suffer from a lack of reception), I will be watching a DVRed version at Imelda's.

Instead of Working Late...


When the opportunity arises, I do leave work at a reasonable hour. Especially when the Firm seems to be imploring me to do so by offering free club level Knicks tickets.

Explanation: Every couple days the Firm's tickets are up for grabs and whoever replies to an email first gets two seats to that evening's game. How busy I am generally dictates whether I even bother trying - I've actually had to pass on the tickets twice.

Recently I've been staying late in order to remain on top of things in light of the parents' upcoming visit. But since no external deadlines are bearing down, I replied to the 5:30 email this past Wednesday and a couple minutes later I had evening plans that did not involve the office.

Wabes and I had a good time. Neither of us had even been to the Garden (unless you count my law school graduation) so we were pretty stoked about the venue. And as with the Firm's Yankee stadium seats, they're close/pricey enough that you can order dinner at your seat, charge it, and have it delivered a few minutes later. But the game was somewhat dull. Both teams are weak - and the Knicks still blew out the 76ers with little excitement. However, there was some amusement in watching the Dead Poet's Society reunion across the court. A prize to the first commenter who can name the celebs sitting courtside!

Since I never posted anything on that other December holiday...

I direct you to this post, which has a great action shot of our tree and a little more on Channukah.

Beckham Comes Stateside

How cool is this? I go through "European" football phases every couple of years. They generally coincide with my visits to England; while I'm overseas I try to catch up on the Tottenham Hotspurs, usually pick up a jersey (the only athletic gear that even remotely fits a guy of my build), and read a lot of football coverage. When I returned to London before law school, I caught the recently released Bend it Like Beckham on the flight over just after the man himself announced that he would be leaving Man U. for Real Madrid. This past summer, I visited in the wake of England's disappointing World Cup showing. Everyone - even people who claimed to not care about football - was disappointed.

I might appreciate the culture of football more than the sport itself. I like that the players represent both club and country and that teams play in different tournaments with different stakes - a top player on the Tottenham Hotspurs might face Man U. in the England's Premiere League, Hamburg's club in a European Tournament, and the German national team when England plays Germany. The cultural and historical ramifications of these matchups are great - when they're not dangerous. Which leads me to admit that I'm also entertained by the ridiculous (though sometimes extreme) fanaticism. And I have to add that somehow I appreciate that the the players are athletically talented but still look like regular human beings.

Franklin Foer, the current editor of the New Republic, makes some of these observations in How Soccer Explains the World: An (Unlikely) Theory of Globalization. It's a good read.

Deja Dubai

Someone else agrees with my Dubai as Vegas theory (though I figured it out without leaving the airport). Read the story - with an admittedly more comprehensive comparison - here.

Another Gap in Posts

Sorry that it's been a while (again). I've had some interesting post ideas lately - how law firm holiday parties invert the office hierarchy (suddenly paralegals are the coolest people in the room!), the wonders of high school reunions, the holidays with the girlfriend's family when you're the only Jew, and unusually warm January days. Yet all of these posts required some time - impolitic words would risk getting me in trouble with the Firm, Wabes' family, old friends, or the weather gods (okay, that last one is a stretch).

As a result, I haven't posted lately. But I promise to follow with a quick post on the Knicks and and an entertaining photo.