rooparoopa

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 18:12:07 GMT

I've become pretty excited about google calendar lately, using it to manage my daily tasks, along with seeing my bf's and sister's schedules, and a variety of little public calendars that serve as good reminders. I'm even using the ability to sync with gcal as a criteria in picking my next phone.

So a couple nights ago I was looking for a public google calendar of yoga in the neighborhood (at a couple specific places) so I wouldn't have to look up individual websites whenever I was trying to pick a class, when I realized I couldn't figure out where to search for one.

Surely this was my error! I looked through the help site and found that I was looking in the right place.. the functionality was just.. GONE.

Today I found this explanation from Google:
http://www.google.com/support/calendar/bin/answer.py?answer=139970
Apparently, you can still subscribe to public calendars, but you can't search for them!

What?? SEARCH has become "proved difficult to maintain" for GOOGLE?
My world is shaken. Maybe this is how kids who believed in Santa feel when they find out.

Friends at Google, do you have any sway over such things?

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:38:40 GMT

Today is Blog Action Day, and the topic is poverty.

I have no poetic waxings on the subject.
Poverty sucks. Being hungry sucks. No one wants to live that way.

Miraculously, many people survive and find ways to be happy in ridiculous circumstances. More fortunate people often aren't sure what to do, feel guilty, and do little about it (like yours truly). Maybe, instead, we could do a little something and stop clouding our own bodies with guilt.

Donate a cup of food by clicking on the Hunger Site.

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 01:42:14 GMT

Anyone want to see The Night James Brown Saved Boston?
At the MFA August 17 or 24.

SWIM

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:08:23 GMT

ideas for a sunny steamy day, like the ones we'll be having for the next week :)

rooftop hotel pool $30 a day :/

more good beetzes

say this aloud
"excuse me sar, ware can aye pind sum gud beetzes?"

room for rent in inman: $625 + utils

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 19:00:31 GMT

My roommate is moving out July 1, so we're looking for someone for July + August. The house is for sale, so there's potential to stay longer if someone buys it and moves upstairs, but it's still unclear how that will go. At a minimum, we have it until August 31.

The place is recently renovated, with central heat/air (wonderful this week!), granite countertops, nice lighting, 5 bedrooms and 4 baths. We have the basement and 1st floor, and common areas on both floors. Coin-op laundry is in the basement and off-street parking is available in the back on a first-come basis.

We're a friendly, international house, often sharing wine or hanging out in the kitchen, but also very chill when personal time is wanted. Current roommates are: 3 women and 1 man, ages 26-31, professionals and in grad school.

Utils are around $100/month and include heat, air, wireless internet, cable, and cleaning common areas and bathrooms every 2 weeks.

Let me know if you, or someone you know is interested!

Sun, 20 Jan 2008 18:32:20 GMT

There's now a website, http://savetosci.com/, where you can donate to tosci's. The stated goal is to raise enough for a down payment on the taxes, so they can reopen and get to work on the bulk of it. Currently, they're at $2000.

The way I look at it, I've had an awful lot of free Tosci's over the years, especially in college. Paying for even some of it would probably make a difference. That seems fair, regardless of questions about how exactly they got into this situation. And besides, who's a nicer guy than Gus?

Tosci's has been closed :(

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 19:15:26 GMT

So as I walked by Tosci's this morning, on the way to yoga, I noted the people inside, enjoying their coffee, thinking that I'd like to get some earl gray ice cream post-cleanse. Walking back from class, about noon, there were giant orange signs saying that it had been seized by the city of Cambridge for not paying taxes. I hope this isn't the end.. but it looks like it. It's such a Cambridge institution, it's hard to imagine it not being there. I worked there in college and while I've never cared too much about ice cream, Tosci's was always delicious. When I lived out of town, it was the only place in the area I made a point of eating. I hope Gus is ok :(

I found an article that says pretty much this, without more info.

Another reminder from the universe that Change happens when you least expect it...

Sat, 03 Nov 2007 06:26:54 GMT

Flooding in Mexico, like Katrina :(
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071103/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/mexico_flooding

I hope we help.

Sat, 27 Oct 2007 20:34:10 GMT

anyone want to go to the PostSecret event on Tuesday?

Boston/Cambridge, MA
Harvard Book Store (at the Brattle Theater)
October 30 at 6:00 p.m.

I went to one in Tally and enjoyed it.. Very cool to feel how you have things in common with a huge random group, and humanity in general.

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 00:52:12 GMT

Dear Bay area folks,

Colm, a dear friend of mine is an extremely talented and versatile violinist (and sometime videogame programmer). He's focusing more on his music at the moment, and has a number of shows planned. The ones I've seen in the past are inspiring, down-to-earth, and a lot of fun. So check it :)

love,
Roopa

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 20:35:40 GMT

http://www.baconsalt.com/

older, maybe wiser?

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 20:18:38 GMT

Thanks for all the birtday wishes :) It was a nice, peaceful day in Tally.
Highlights include my mom's pancakes and rice pudding, 2 amazing cakes from my all time favorite bakery, a trip to the fsu mofa with my sister, hearing from a lot of dear ones including a close friend from high school living in Chicago that happened to be in Tally this week, and eating burritos at 10pm because we were too full from the day of noshing to go to the fancy dinner we had planned.

ode to slow

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 18:01:20 GMT

A friend just turned me onto Ode, a magazine with GOOD news. And I dig. There are articles about being socially responsible but still enjoying life.

Along these lines was an article on Slow Food, a movement founded by Carlo Petrini, which I had thought was just about a kind of elitism that claimed to be about good food but was a thinly veiled new way to be economically snobbish instead. I liked Mr. Petrini's outlook better than I had thought I would:

"Petrini sounds more like the spokesperson for the culinary wing of the global justice movement than like a gastronome. And that’s right, he says. Petrini wants his organization to become much more than a collection of upscale connoisseurs that shuns deep fryers and microwaves. “Slow Food has become an elitist club in too many countries,” he says sombrely. “The members go out to chic restaurants. They talk about exquisite dishes. But I tell them: You’re not a fully fledged member of Slow Food if you’re not concerned about the fate of the planet and its farmers; otherwise you haven’t understood our philosophy.” His eyes widen: “It’s not just about pleasure; it’s also about taking responsibility.”

While critical of foodies, Petrini is just as critical of activists who ignore the importance of food itself. “Many see food as a superficial, daily activity—something you simply have to do.” Petrini frowns. “They consider gastronomy an exorbitant luxury. But they’re completely wrong. Food is the centre of everything. Food is the breath of life and should be cherished.”

The bread at Zuni is fantastic, Petrini announces, a smile overtaking his face. He contends that Calvinists, the severe wing of the early Protestant movement, took all the fun out of eating—just as they took the fun out of making love, which he notes is the other essential activity for the survival of the species. “Our Western culture is rooted in Puritanism. Environmental activists set out to win souls for their ideology with the same religious conviction as Calvinists. The path to a healthier planet would be forged through moderation and abstinence. That’s a mistake. Who could be motivated that way?”"

a smidge of hope

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 04:10:39 GMT

Judge Invalidates Patriot Act Provision

reading about faith and doubt

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 15:34:19 GMT

I typed up this quote to comment on a friend's blog, and thought I'd share it here too.

I went to a meditation workshop because it was called "Fierce Compassion" and found that I really liked the teacher, Sharon Salzberg. I've been reading her book "Faith: Trusting your own deepest experience", and last night read this:

"Buddhism uses an analogy to describe what happens when we allow fixed beliefs to contour reality for us. Buddhists say that holding such views is like gazing at the sky through a straw. The sky is the unobstructed truth of who we are and what our lives are about. When a received belief system circumscribes that for us, it is as if we are looking at the truth through a narrow tube, seeing only a very small part of it while convinced we are seeing the whole. When we're attached to our beliefs, we can spend a lot of time comparing straws: "I've got a better straw than you. It's a little wider and it's got a design on it." Especially in the face of fear, we tend to hold on to our straws with a death grip."

So far, I like the book a lot. Sharon talks about her own path, and the attraction to and danger of blind or bright faith. It's all about investigating what is true for yourself, and not because someone said so, no matter who that someone is. Investigation includes doubt, but she also talks about the difference between skillful and unskillful doubt (namely cynicism), which I found especially applicable to myself and my demographic.

"In order to deepen our faith, we have to be able to try things out, to wonder, to doubt. In fact, faith is strengthened by doubt when doubt is a sincere, critical questioning combined with deep trust in our own right and ability to discern the truth. In Buddhism this kind of questioning is known as skillful doubt. For doubt to be skillful we have to be close enough to an issue to care about it, yet open enough to let questioning come alive.

Unlike skillful doubt, which brings us closer to exploring the truth, unskillful doubt pulls us farther away. A story from the Buddha's life illustrates the consequences of unskillful doubt. After his enlightenment, the Buddha arose from his place under the bodhi tree and set out walking along the road. The first person he encountered was struck by the radiance of his face and the power of his presence. Dazzled, the man asked, "Who are you?" The Buddha replied, "I am an awakened one." The man just said, "Well, maybe," and walked away. Had he shown curiosity, then taken the time to follow up on his doubt by asking questions, he might have discovered something profoundly transforming.

This kind of "walk away" doubt manifests as cynicism. Cynicism is actually a self-protective mechanism. A cynical stance allows us to feel smart and unthreatened without really being involved. We can look sophisticated, and can remain safe, aloof, and at a distance. Maybe we are frightened and hold ourselves apart from life in order to comment on it, rather than grapple with difficult questions. Perhaps habitual suspicion belittles all dreams of change until they simply fade and we no longer believe any change to be possible. We feel impervious and confident, knowing that we're not gullible, we're not going to be swayed."

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 02:05:37 GMT

This piece on The Fruit Detective is worth a read.. A peek into the life of a smart eccentric Wall-Street-junkie turned Fruit detective. And man, does it make me miss the crazy ripe fruits of Asia.. mmm..

It was written 5 years ago and I saw the secret Dragon Fruit they mention in Russo's the other day.

Sun, 19 Aug 2007 22:11:15 GMT

My grandmother is amazing. At 86, she has more energy, kindness, and steel in her than anyone I can think of. I know she's done a lot with her life, as a professor, Minister of Finance and Education in Assam, and still the head of countless social welfare organizations. It's hard to keep track of all the stuff she's done and doing.. so it was especially cool to learn more about her in an article (cover story!) on her in the weekly magazine of an Assamese newspaper. I'm very proud of her. She's got some gigantic footprints to try and fill.

burning man

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 02:37:51 GMT

so I'm thinking of going this year! (never been)
and it sounds so FUN.

who else is going?
and have you any openings in your camp?
or space in your car from the bay area?
any advice?

motivation

Sun, 27 May 2007 18:50:33 GMT

After conducting studies involving more than 6,000 people, Reiss has found that 16 basic desires guide nearly all meaningful behavior. The desires are:
power, independence, curiosity, acceptance, order, saving, honor, idealism, social contact, family, status, vengeance, romance, eating, physical exercise, and tranquility.

Which motivate you?

happy birthday hol!

Mon, 07 May 2007 07:18:27 GMT

wishing you an amazing year!

Sat, 28 Apr 2007 16:58:11 GMT

new york citeee??
git a rope

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 22:42:15 GMT

so I'm back in Boston.. and enjoying it!
and now I'm totally confused.. I have the option to stay, since my roommates haven't found a replacement yet.. but I don't know if this me being lame or enjoying a slow-paced life.
if I leave.. where will I go?
not sure about Tallahassee or SF as permanent options and I'm sooo tired of moving.
I've moved 10 times in the last 8 years. it's too much..

must decide.. like today :/

i'm looking for a housemate

Fri, 02 Mar 2007 17:45:37 GMT

pass this onto friends?

One room in a 5 bedroom, 4 bath house in sunny, spacious apartment in
Inman Square... $625

The ad my roommate posted to craigslist:
http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/roo/284084710.html

bangalore!

Wed, 06 Dec 2006 18:47:32 GMT

today begins our tour of the south. we arrived in bangalore an hour ago. already, i am pleased by our sweet service apartment, complete with wireless internet and marble staircase. my mom's awesome cousin totally took us under his wing and is helping us make arrangements and stuff. he even met us at the airport. tomorrow, wander around bangalore, have dinner with some cousins in town. day after, mysore!

shameless plug: cancer support center benefit with fun and art

Thu, 16 Nov 2006 03:45:19 GMT

A friend of mine is organizing this amazing event to support a non-profit that focuses on bringing support to cancer survivors and their people. This is an issue close to my heart, so I hope you'll consider coming out and offering support.

A $20 donation brings you schmancy food and wine, and access to a silent art auction. And I contributed art(!), but don't let that scare you, real artists are definitely involved :)

Bring friends, buy gifts.
For those of you at pikan alum thanksgiving, I was planning to head to the art event around 8 or 9 if you want to come with.

** * Create Value in the Lives of People Touched by Cancer * **
Center for Cancer Support & Education presents:
Winter Concert & Silent Auction: "Music and Art as Pathways to Wellness"
Saturday, November 18, 2006 7-10 PM
at
The Church of Our Savior
21 Marathon St, Arlington MA 02474
Join the Center for Cancer Support & Education in its mission to empower and support people touched by cancer, their caregivers and loved ones, by offering resources to enhance life as they move forward.

Enjoy Flamenco guitar by musician Seiki Tamura, violin, cello and drums by Copal ( http://copalmusic.com). Sample fancy hors oeuvre's, beer and wine while bidding on various works of art and treasures at a silent auction! Find the perfect unique gift for Christmas while supporting local artists and the Center! Door Prizes, Free Food and Drink, on street parking and fun for everyone!

More details