tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41965599438627221332024-03-13T06:16:30.288-04:00Mentha ShineMelissa Pocekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06147260742786782770noreply@blogger.comBlogger392125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196559943862722133.post-69646341851364659192012-04-01T10:59:00.001-04:002012-05-10T15:39:44.415-04:00<H1>Get Close with Viggo Mortensen</H1>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMxkJRnZth_oQHdfdrhR5KBYlpmt-C3wYrgQsJljw3j0_XOUuM0oAWpz5EBm4yJBZjTVNlCW-zukduKPrGH9mUW1gUVjfFc2Y7r8F9vZ_jVPcFDROyJbWdV3ans1Pk0f5_Vm14oQ74ds/s1600/getclose_Viggo_1_Award.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMxkJRnZth_oQHdfdrhR5KBYlpmt-C3wYrgQsJljw3j0_XOUuM0oAWpz5EBm4yJBZjTVNlCW-zukduKPrGH9mUW1gUVjfFc2Y7r8F9vZ_jVPcFDROyJbWdV3ans1Pk0f5_Vm14oQ74ds/s400/getclose_Viggo_1_Award.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<p>Viggo Mortensen has played a shaggy-haired king, a paraplegic gangster, a father living in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, and a tattooed <a href="http://stuffboston.com/get/archive/2012/03/23/Get-Close-with-Viggo-Mortensen.aspx"></a>Russian who stars in one of the most badass nude fight scenes in the history of cinema. His willingness to take risks has earned him critical kudos and, in March, the 2012 Coolidge Award from Brookline's Coolidge Corner Theatre. Past recipients include esteemed actors like Meryl Streep and Jonathan Demme — but Mortensen can say he's the only winner who moonlights as an artist, poet, and musician (one who has frequently collaborated with a guy named Buckethead).</p>
<p>In conjunction with the ninth-annual award ceremony, the Coolidge screened many of Mortensen's films, including Eastern Promises, The Road (an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel), and, of course, the extended version of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Before an audience of fans dressed as wizards and elves, a jokey Mortensen introduced the series with some geek-friendly trivia. (He even sang Aragorn's coronation song.)</p>
<p>The actor is currently in pre-production for a new movie called Everyone Has a Plan, about a man who assumes the identity of his deceased twin in Argentina. But we caught up with Mortensen at the Coolidge while he was in town to accept his award.</p>
<p>How does this award reflect your entire body of work, especially the days when you were playing character roles? Getting an honor like this forces you to think about this kind of thing. I like to play characters where it's like, “Whoah, how am I going to do that?” When I look back at those roles, they were full of obstacles. I also know from experience the more I believe that I'm that character, the more chance there is that you're going to believe it. That's the game.</p>
<p>You've worked repeatedly with a couple of directors, like Peter Jackson [ The Lord of the Rings ] and most recently David Cronenberg [ Eastern Promises , A Dangerous Method ]. Do you prefer to work with the same director on multiple projects? Not with all directors, but certainly with Cronenberg because I know he's going to be ready and he loves what he does, and that's contagious. Sometimes on the set, people are yelling because someone is unprepared. With Cronenberg, there is a guaranteed quality, and each movie is going to be worth watching. I can't say that about many directors.</p>
<p>Are you more passionate about your music or your acting? They are branches of the same tree, so to speak. These artistic activities have to do with paying attention and filtering what you do and then trying to express what you think you saw. That's my way of paying attention and communicating with the world I'm in.</p>
<p>How did the blockbuster success of The Lord of the Rings affect you? For me it was great. I wouldn't have worked with Cronenberg, and I wouldn't be in this theater right now. I thought about this last night when I was on the stage. There was more to it than just “I love Legolas!” There is something very thought-provoking about those stories. They could use some editing, but so does the Bible.</p>
<p>Is there anything you enjoy doing while in Boston? I enjoy going to museums and walking around. I like Boston; I know it's a big sports town, and I like sports. I've never been to Fenway, and I'd like to go sometime. I like teams that people in Boston don't like.</p>
<p>I know you're a soccer fan. Would you consider making a sports-related movie? I'd be game. Unless it's some story about a guy coming out of retirement and shocking everyone, I'd probably have to direct it or something. I like good stories — it doesn't matter the setting.</p>
<p>Do you plan on directing? I might want to try it at some point. I like everything that goes into movie making. I like actors, which is a plus. I don't know of many directors who like actors and see them as more than just tools.</p>
<p>How would you like to see your career go from this award forward? I'll see what happens tomorrow. I never really had a set plan. I've never thought if I do this, that, and the other, maybe I'll get a Coolidge Award. Whether it's photography, editing books, writing poems, acting in plays — I just like stories.</p>Melissa Pocekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06147260742786782770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196559943862722133.post-72338308655057804042011-11-22T17:21:00.000-05:002012-05-10T15:42:57.095-04:00Dr. William Ury and Dr. Gary Slutkin speak at the PON screening of The Interrupters<a href="http://www.pon.harvard.edu/daily/crisis-negotiations/dr-william-ury-and-dr-gary-slutkin-speak-at-the-pon-screening-of-the-interrupters/">Dr. William Ury and Dr. Gary Slutkin speak at the PON screening of "The Interrupters"</a>Melissa Pocekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06147260742786782770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196559943862722133.post-8113621022491636352011-10-02T21:07:00.008-04:002011-10-02T21:16:16.277-04:00Boston Local Food FestivalHere's a<a href="http://http://bostonlocalfoodfestival.com/2011/09/oxfam-at-blff/"> blog </a>I wrote for the Boston Local Food Festival. They got my name wrong. <br /><br />When I heard Oxfam was going to have a booth at the festival, I was a bit surprised. With the majority of our vendors serving up freshly harvested local food or showcasing New England crafted beers, it seemed that our celebration would not be of interest to an international organization that focuses on aiding developing countries.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH8Bel5ZwvXDiprO3Nc5Kgf_7lHFp0X_VGsquf_Qkc6BQfg5RI6buI6NWdvvvNO9UBCK2DiFjHDHgHkx19dA8GpwdPpnXkhcKTVf8ftnwX0IcsKXrLgeVHd0RuTsp4UcvZR-wG3l530AI/s1600/Bonnaroo+2011+070.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH8Bel5ZwvXDiprO3Nc5Kgf_7lHFp0X_VGsquf_Qkc6BQfg5RI6buI6NWdvvvNO9UBCK2DiFjHDHgHkx19dA8GpwdPpnXkhcKTVf8ftnwX0IcsKXrLgeVHd0RuTsp4UcvZR-wG3l530AI/s400/Bonnaroo+2011+070.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659067414440594242" /></a> But it turns out, they’re a perfect fit. After reading about Oxfam’s GROW Campaign, it became clear to me why such a noble organization would want to have a table at our event. Throughout the years, Oxfam (which has their U.S. headquarters right here in Boston) has recognized the fact that millions of people in poor and rich countries face going hungry. They created the GROW Campaign to shrink this number by developing lasting solutions for fairer and more sustainable ways to grow food.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNkXYvhbJ5lNWvqhrnhkyfFYwWslXzTaCfSfNczIDRMUdywwTz9k8IFKj2FUnj7ieki_Y0vWEtu1wMmG807Og0BIHwoHYc45pgEamOW9x_oTKPpwySRkKxTIUc5yNy0QPjI-15jaZ-uDE/s1600/0919Oxfam_nyc31.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNkXYvhbJ5lNWvqhrnhkyfFYwWslXzTaCfSfNczIDRMUdywwTz9k8IFKj2FUnj7ieki_Y0vWEtu1wMmG807Og0BIHwoHYc45pgEamOW9x_oTKPpwySRkKxTIUc5yNy0QPjI-15jaZ-uDE/s400/0919Oxfam_nyc31.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659067253515634002" /></a> They have also recently partnered up with celebrity chefs like Food Network’s chef, Giada de Laurnetiis to help spread awareness by getting people to start the conversation of knowing where their food comes from and learning ways to make more sustainable decisions.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiai6RtzWpmkbSHCtQppLpKjcQ2cn3sh2ulaDyCNSExrZ0w9xypiXwBrkl-OJ-OlrNk1cXC_XwxKspyxUP8IOw6QwV-eYHNtN-7XXhSw7Iz7gkzIEzowbvU9nUj2HAvrgvtRO0wiv0j0-U/s1600/0919Oxfam_nyc47.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiai6RtzWpmkbSHCtQppLpKjcQ2cn3sh2ulaDyCNSExrZ0w9xypiXwBrkl-OJ-OlrNk1cXC_XwxKspyxUP8IOw6QwV-eYHNtN-7XXhSw7Iz7gkzIEzowbvU9nUj2HAvrgvtRO0wiv0j0-U/s400/0919Oxfam_nyc47.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659067063640524530" /></a> The current struggling food system is a complicated problem, but making a difference by being part of the Grow Campaign is easy. One way you can get involved is by hosting a dinner for World Food Day on October 16th. Or donate to the Global Food Crisis Fund. And don’t forget to check out Oxfam’s booth at the festivities and support a great organization!<br /><br />The post was written by featured festival blogger Michelle Pocek. Check out her blog Melissa Writes.Melissa Pocekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06147260742786782770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196559943862722133.post-44204255491663618022011-06-14T11:44:00.002-04:002011-06-14T11:48:14.906-04:00Miss A Article Best Wine Bars in ChicagoBest Wine Bars in Chicago<br />BY MELISSA POCEK<br />JUNE 8, 2011 0 COMMENTS<br /><br /><br />We all know wine making is not conducive in Chicago. Yet, we Chicagoans love drinking it. In recent years, wine bars have popped up throughout our city, often serving top-quality wines that are lovingly produced in the U.S. as well as a far. And fortunately for us, a handful of wine bars have opened offering a chance to sample a wide range of new hipper blends.<br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEz0KQ7wr80dnkmID9J81lI9lAZYGu9rWzqsg56GKl2ZX41R5Gq6JKDlR4mUynPWgl5DqVoj4IYmDZvu1TBnoufBpGg40n4icdZdKVGnGGhW5xlxj9iPYSKP1e11O5UyA37XfO0kNtmEA/s1600/bin_chicago_wine_cafe.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 295px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEz0KQ7wr80dnkmID9J81lI9lAZYGu9rWzqsg56GKl2ZX41R5Gq6JKDlR4mUynPWgl5DqVoj4IYmDZvu1TBnoufBpGg40n4icdZdKVGnGGhW5xlxj9iPYSKP1e11O5UyA37XfO0kNtmEA/s400/bin_chicago_wine_cafe.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618102154264705938" /></a><br />Photo by Laura M. on Yelp<br /><br />For all our local oenophile readers, we found three of the best wine bars in Chicago.<br /><br />Swirl Wine Bar This cozy bar near North side offers a slick bistro and sells wine by the glass, bottle, or half bottle. This hip bar has an extensive wine list that includes several up-and-coming wines. Visit to relax, listen to great local DJ’s, and drink quality wine. <br /><br />To read more, click <a href="http://askmissa.com/2011/06/08/best-wine-bars-in-chicago/">here</a>.Melissa Pocekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06147260742786782770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196559943862722133.post-21069972356161159612011-06-09T09:56:00.001-04:002011-06-09T09:57:41.901-04:00Dragon Boat PracticeMy friends convinced me to join Harvard's dragon boating team. Last night, marked our 12th practice and this weekend we have our first race in Boston. Here's some footage from Monday's practice. I am in the very back on the left.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/24755839?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/24755839">Harvard Dragon Boat Practice 6/6/2011 - Practice Race 2</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/alexchan">Alex Chan</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Melissa Pocekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06147260742786782770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196559943862722133.post-50609459035289487932011-05-31T10:38:00.009-04:002011-05-31T12:58:49.160-04:00Best Macarons in Chicago<a href="http://askmissa.com/2011/05/31/best-macarons-in-chicago/"></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHzZS55m7jhyphenhyphenlyuj8x8nlVDVoWnz6BxIhAaqvzjJrEJ-2DFISbvBRIWxSPjR3lJocuF9Xld-hq7DJNCmbyFS5gny0vpUFeyhoMdbb_CORX358CPKrTA4AcxVDDMte9ABr-plIp0XaXzYA/s1600/IMAG1267.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHzZS55m7jhyphenhyphenlyuj8x8nlVDVoWnz6BxIhAaqvzjJrEJ-2DFISbvBRIWxSPjR3lJocuF9Xld-hq7DJNCmbyFS5gny0vpUFeyhoMdbb_CORX358CPKrTA4AcxVDDMte9ABr-plIp0XaXzYA/s400/IMAG1267.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612925103799195794" /></a><a href="http://askmissa.com/2011/05/31/best-macarons-in-chicago/"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Macarons are getting off their Parisian plane and setting up shop all over Chicago. As the trend sets in, it is no longer the cupcake who in its heyday ruled over all desserts. The newbies have been schooled, and now, the macaron trend is here to stay. So why have these sweet petite sandwiches nudged their way to the spotlight? If done right, the macaron can be the perfect dessert. It’s petite size packs in a lot of flavor and has a crisp outer surface and a soft gooey interior. Not to mention, the butter cream frosting is sweet enough to satisfy those of us with even the most killer sugar craving.<br /><br />What’s more, the flavor possibilities are endless. We’ve scoped out shops that included unique flavors from pistachio to lavender to even red velvet. There’s just about a flavor for everyone’s fancy! We sought out to find the best macarons in town only to be revealed here to our cultivated readers.<br /><br />So let me fill your head with wonderful places to get these divine little delectables all around town:<br /><br />Vanille Patisserie 131 N Clinton, Chicago (312) 575-9963: This swanky little spot near the West Side has a love for infusing flavors together in their macarons. Flavors like strawberry lemongrass and Orange Gingerin get major points on originality and creativity. The macarons are made with natural ingredients and come in an array of colors from chai (green), red velvet (red), and espresso (tan). Eat them on the spot or take them home with their cute packaging and share them with friends.<br /><br />Bittersweet Pastry Shop and Cafe 1114 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL (773) 929-1100: This quaint little neighborhood cafe offers delicious macarons with flavors from almond, chocolate, raspberry, and lemon. Have them with a cup of coffee.<br /><br />Bennison’s Bakery 1000 Davis St (between Maple Ave & Oak Ave) Evanston, IL (847) 328-3854: This place is worth the short drive out of city for sampling of their sweet treats. They make their macarons with egg whites and not with coconut giving them a lighter feel than most. However, flavor is not compromised in these meringuey almond treats. For a little piece of heaven, try their lemon or red velevet flavored macaron.<br /><br />Fritz Pastry 1408 W Diversey Pkwy (between Southport Ave & Janssen Ave) Chicago, IL (773) 857-2989: This cozy bakery and tea room in Lake View offers light and fluffy European-style macarons with classic flavors including pistachio, vanilla, and chocolate. An assortment of colors and freshness, and best of all, each macaron is a mere .75 cents. It is easy to go macaron crazy here without breaking the bank!Melissa Pocekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06147260742786782770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196559943862722133.post-38522435604541540742011-05-28T20:34:00.002-04:002011-05-29T00:57:39.289-04:00Hosting Media Bistro Boston PartyHere's some <a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/63370301@N07/">photos</a> from the Media Bistro Boston party I hosted.Melissa Pocekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06147260742786782770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196559943862722133.post-13096072529324341602011-05-17T18:43:00.044-04:002011-05-22T09:31:01.268-04:00Elvis Costello: The Kindness of Strangers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDORU-lU3lhyphenhyphenyH7Q59B5fIGGXvSORpxDXHyqUcmFFmMO5Qz_OgNT2v0X35El4THDvit6sNy0W4GLMhLeAap1P3-dbJPrGfh7n2sPgJ9qE6eVzztP5k6MeolTcx8IxSPe5WlZNS4LFONRg/s1600/photo.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 191px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDORU-lU3lhyphenhyphenyH7Q59B5fIGGXvSORpxDXHyqUcmFFmMO5Qz_OgNT2v0X35El4THDvit6sNy0W4GLMhLeAap1P3-dbJPrGfh7n2sPgJ9qE6eVzztP5k6MeolTcx8IxSPe5WlZNS4LFONRg/s320/photo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607833231539306962" /></a> If you are ever wandering around a new city-I'd suggest you do it alone. Some may say, that it's dangerous. You won't know where you're going and could find yourself in a bad neighborhood. Not So! If you have a stitch of common sense, you'll know right away when trouble is around. Listen up to what my years of traveling alone have taught me: You meet more people going solo.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwUsjpdab4rf_iClyfXkH6EAddClIp2TBNJYnE5ZC2L758T4hjRVu2iaJLecskV3sw_v_avjKrf2XZAVbynsJOg9syZVRKJpsE4XLLBEG7dfhCOaYGWTfIxyiVr5QVJM9OxbJzqkLl18w/s1600/IMAG0311.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 191px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwUsjpdab4rf_iClyfXkH6EAddClIp2TBNJYnE5ZC2L758T4hjRVu2iaJLecskV3sw_v_avjKrf2XZAVbynsJOg9syZVRKJpsE4XLLBEG7dfhCOaYGWTfIxyiVr5QVJM9OxbJzqkLl18w/s320/IMAG0311.jpg" border="0"alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607830158083084866" /></a> I came to Chicago for a couple interviews and after many nights of venturing around by myself-seeing all the live music this city has to offer-I decided to try my luck in buying a ticket at the legendary Chicago Theater to see Elvis Costello. The guys working the front door said the box office closed 15 minutes earlier. My heart sank at the thought that I wouldn't see one of my favorite artist. Disappointment must have been written all over my face for what happened next was a kind of miracle. A young guy wearing a hoodie with a sad look turned and asked, "I have an extra ticket. Do you want it?" Like a vulture looking for its next meal, I turned and said, "I'll buy it from you. How much do you want?" The man with the sad eyes said he would give it to me for free. That he was in Chicago on vacation with his wife. The ticket had been for her, but she was sick and needed to stay in. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQaaPK6P8H9rxK6ILKa9qTeH2dWVPNEqQh07cl2H2glWH8WaUv2g9nSibDoU2vJdOm9r2gmacYPADdw5ISCeNUsClRPYF_d4KO-jgU-1Ehuqv6qd72h-SOmvV6vDl2RDNCZOXZ-pA42s/s1600/IMAG0310.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 191px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQaaPK6P8H9rxK6ILKa9qTeH2dWVPNEqQh07cl2H2glWH8WaUv2g9nSibDoU2vJdOm9r2gmacYPADdw5ISCeNUsClRPYF_d4KO-jgU-1Ehuqv6qd72h-SOmvV6vDl2RDNCZOXZ-pA42s/s320/IMAG0310.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607830246439835138" /></a>I looked at the ticket in his hand. The price read $150. In my state of utter shock, I asked if I could give him something for it. He said no and that he got the ticket for free and wouldn't feel comfortable charging for it. I took the ticket and we walked into the extraordinary atrium of the venue that resembled more of a New England war memorial than a concert hall. <br /><br />I told him the very least I could do was buy him a beer. He said that would be fine. I ordered up two Stella's and we entered in to the concert with our beers in hand. Both of our mouths dropped when we saw how close we were to the stage. We were in the sixth row!<br /><br />The stage was set up in a Las Vegas theme. A big colorful wheel with names of the songs on it, was right of center stage. To the left was a Go-Go cage and a bar with a couple martinis on top. I've been to many shows before, but this was by far the most creative. Audience members were randomly selected to spin the wheel and when it stopped, Elvis Costello would play the song. He cheated a bit. When the audience wanted to hear Living in Paradise and Chelsea, he complied. <br /><br />What's more impressive was that Elvis Costello who's been performing for over thirty years (since 1977) could still play a solid set. During his encore, he performed back-to-back hits including my personal favorite Beyond Belief, which was actually fitting to how I felt about the whole night.<br /><br />The acoustics were wonderful. Though, I doubt that Elvis Costello could sound awful even if he was performing in a tin can. <br /><br />After the show, I tried to give my kind stranger a 20 to get his wife some flowers. He said no thanks and smiled. We exchanged our stories and it turns out he works in the music industry! And to boot, he said he would happily read my writing. <br /><br />Case in point: I find that in our most vulnerable state of being alone, we open up to the world and attract more acts of kindness from locals or dare I say strangers. This has happened to me many times before. I've met some of my closest friends while on my own...looking a bit lost. <br /><br />Whether you're traveling to Milwaukee or to far off places-go out alone. <br /><br />You'll be fine.Melissa Pocekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06147260742786782770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196559943862722133.post-28423905190341905312010-11-10T11:18:00.003-05:002010-11-10T12:48:15.420-05:00Lunch tomorrow with Mr. Dave SedarisThe joy of working at a publishing house is coming in full-form tomorrow when Dave Sedaris gives us an in-house (free of salivating-adoring fans) talk. Here's the most recent clip promoting his new book Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk. <br /><br /><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:item:comedycentral.com:364395" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent"Melissa Pocekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06147260742786782770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196559943862722133.post-12291232815520201132010-10-26T12:46:00.003-04:002010-10-26T13:04:30.628-04:00Wine RiotMy favorite new wines that I tried at Wine Riot:<br /><br />Triumvir (California)<br />2006, Triumvir Wines Syrah<br /><em>USA>California>Mednocino County $38</em><br /><br />Farnum Hill, New England<br />2009 Farnum Hill Ciders Semi-Dry<br /><em>USA>New Hampshire</em><br /><br />Terra Andina, Chile<br />2009 Terra Andina Reserva Pinot Noir<br /><em>Chile>Valle Central $14.99</em><br />2008 Terra Andina Reserva Sauvignon Blanc<br />Chile>Leyda Valley $14.99<br /><br />Si Soave Italia, Italy<br />2009 Toad Hollow<br />Francine's Selection CLhardonnay<br /><em>USA>California>Mendocino County $12.99</em><br />WJ Deutch, South America/Europe<br />2009 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Village<br />France>Beaujolais>Beaujolais-Villages $8.99<br /><br />Esporao, Portugal<br />2007 Esporao Reserva Red<br /><em>Portugal>Alentejo>Reguengos $24.99</em><br /><br />Story of carmenie can be described as a comedy or tragedy. Taradino carmenie is a grape that originated in Bordeaux, France. It is very difficult to grow, in 1875 winemakers decided to stop growing it. 1875-1980's, the world had no carmenie wine...or so they thought. In 1994, in Chile they did a DNA test on a grape that they were calling for nearly 150 years Merlot. It turned out it was really carmenie. It took four years for the scientists to convince the Chilean government that what they were drinking was really carmenie. And now it a well-known and beloved unique wine.Melissa Pocekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06147260742786782770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196559943862722133.post-18140472206114744512010-10-17T12:48:00.037-04:002010-10-18T12:44:34.715-04:00The Cocktail PartyThe HR lady at my publishing house sent an invite for all employees to attend a kick-off party to the Boston Book Festival. So by virtue of that, I assumed it was going to be grungy "denim day" after work, to do. Not one to resist the urge to get free appetizers, I hurried over. I got there early, and sat in front with my jeans and rain boots watching the herd of cocktail dresses and suits storm in. Obviously, I didn't get the memo that this was a formal event. <br /><br />A departure from the grad-student grime I associate with at bars on a typical night out, this cocktail party had a promising space with a solid guest list of authors and journalist. And pretty glamster chicks in the arms of their elderly counterparts. Back and forth, back and forth, like a puppy watching a ball, I watched the crowd fill the room. The words, <span style="font-style:italic;">What do I have to lose</span>, popped in my head. It was time to start mingling.<br /><br />A couple looking as lost as I must have looked, struck up the first conversation,"Are you an author?" I sheepishly replied no, and asked if they were. <a href="http://www.robscotton.com/">Rob Scotton</a> and his wife Liz politely chatted with me (they were British you know) excited about the success of their newest children's book and New York Times Bestseller, "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Love-Splat-Cat-Rob-Scotton/dp/006083157X">Love, Splat.</a>." Boston Book Festival was the first event in their two week U.S. book tour.<br /><br />I went up to grab a glass of pinot grigio that I overheard tremendous buzz around and spotted the editor from the Boston Phoenix. This was my chance to carry on a conversation with the man behind the great alternative weekly. Carly and I talked about tomorrow's event and nibbled on mini-versions of gourmet foods. (Did you know they can stuff mini tomatoes? Well, they can!). After feeling more comfortable in his presence, I spilled out my hardship with covering Lollapalooza for his publication. He was kind and sympathizing and lended his own personal insight about the business.<br /><br />The Editor (as was the title printed on his business card) told me that there was an author's dinner and counseled me to try and get in. <span style="font-style:italic;">What do you mean try? I am not an author? </span>He had triggered the already alerted-journalist instinct in me. He was the editor and I was not going to say no especially not to him. So, I did what I could and asked around, it was a lot easier than I had anticipated; one of the other editors from the Phoenix had an extra ticket. And since his wife decided to stay home to help their son study for the SAT's, I was in. <br /><br />I crammed into a cab along with author, <a href="http://http://beingwrongbook.com/author">Kathryn Scholtz</a>, who wrote a book about the bright side of "Being Wrong", the curator of the festival, senior editor of the Phoenix, and a Boston Globe journalist. It was time to dine at one of Boston's most elegant hotels with the most prolific authors and writers from around the world. <span style="font-style:italic;">How the hell did this happen?</span>Melissa Pocekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06147260742786782770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196559943862722133.post-50611355756548917482010-10-01T12:03:00.001-04:002010-10-01T12:15:21.255-04:00My article and photos are finally up from Lollapalooza. Two months later! Here's a <a href="http://thephoenix.com/BLOGS/onthedownload/archive/2010/08/09/photos-lollapalooza-2010.aspx">link</a>.Melissa Pocekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06147260742786782770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196559943862722133.post-88289782771990797592010-08-26T12:58:00.000-04:002010-08-26T12:59:40.993-04:00My friend Doug wrote <a href="http://http://www.examiner.com/underground-in-boston/when-celebrities-stop-by">this</a> about my encounter with Lady Gaga:<br /><br />When Celebrities Stop By<br />August 26th, 2010 11:41 am ET<br /><br />The Fist: an arbitrary, unrelated photo<br />Photo: The author<br />Several weeks ago, a close friend of mine was unfortunate enough to be inside of a local bar when current pop superstar Lady Gaga made an ostentatious surprise appearance, dressed in stage persona attire and flanked by a security team. Predictably, this proved altogether too much for the mere mortal socialites and drunkards of this outer-Cambridge upper-level college region dive. They went all to pieces in disbelief that their lackluster lives should experience this brush with the divine. Frenzied pictures were taken, immediate Twitter updates and text messages updated the surrounding area, and soon a mind-less mob was formed, jockeying for front-row positioning, threatening to break into a savage melee.<br />At this point, the great Lady Gaga had no choice but to escape, leaving the lives (such as they are) of those arriving a moment too late forever ruined… <br />A freelance writer, this friend of mine who found herself in the middle of this momentary panic, emailed several local outlets offering to write a synopsis of the event. Though she had not spoken to Lady Gaga - hadn’t heard a word she had said, hadn’t had any real contact with her, only having witnessed her passing - each outlet immediately expressed a strong desire to publish her piece. My friend, of course, felt herself lucky to have encountered such a freak opportunity, but we were both rather disheartened by the event overall. Both of us have published works that have required a good deal of original research, contain what we believe to be unique insights, and works that are far more relevant to the daily lives of the average reader than any play-by-play of celebrity bar-hopping. But then, the metrics on such articles are unimpressive, and such articles are often hard to sell to any mainstream media outlet. I had experienced something similar when I wrote a piece about a Sarah Palin rally that I did not even attend. I had accidentally passed through a congregation of slack-jawed, beer-gutted “tea-baggers” and wrote a brief piece that states the obvious: Palin supporters are a grotesque lot. I was amazed by the number of hits (website views) this piece received. I supposed it was the key words “Sarah Palin” that had so inflated the numbers.<br />My friend and I speculated as to how well an article might do if it were to arbitrarily include celebrity names, like those of such superstars as Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, or Tom Cruise? Perhaps we could write purely speculative pieces regarding what might happen were Brad Pitt secretly sexually involved with Julia Roberts, while Tom Cruise tried to steal Brad Pitt away from her. <br />Helpfully, Forbes.com lists the most “powerful” celebrities in their Celebrity 100, for people as deficient in Pop Culture as myself. They are as follows:<br />Oprah Winfrey, Beyonce Knowles, James Cameron, Lady Gaga, Tiger Woods, Britney Spears, U2, Sandra Bullock, Johnny Depp, Madonna, Simon Cowell, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Kobe Bryant, Jay-Z, Black Eyed Peas, Bruce Springsteen, Angelina Jolie, Rush Limbaugh, Michael Jordan, Dr. Phil McGraw, Steven Spielberg, Ellen Degeneres, David Letterman, Tyler Perry, Jennifer Aniston, Pink, Lebron James, Roger Federer, Brad Pitt, Floyd Mayweather, Michael Bay, Donald Trump, Jay Leno, Coldplay, David Beckham, Jerry Seinfeld, AC/DC, Howard Stern, Jonas Brothers, Tom Hanks, George Lucas, Glenn Beck, Ryan Seacrest, Phil Mickelson, Ben Stiller, Jerry Bruckheimer, Cristiano Ronaldo, Alex Rodriguez, Robert Pattinson, Conan O’Brien, Shaquille O’Neal, James Patterson, Kenny Chesney, Manny Pacquiao, Tom Cruise, Adam Sandler, George Clooney, Stephenie Meyer, Cameron Diaz, Serena Williams, Rascal Flatts, Charlie Sheen, Derek Jeter, Lance Armstrong, Kristen Stewart, Toby Keith, Sean (Diddy) Combs, Stephen King, Sarah Jessica Parker, Leonardo DiCaprio, Judge Judy Sheindlin, Robert Downey Jr, Lil Wayne, Reese Witherspoon, Keith Urban, Julia Roberts, Steve Carell, Meryl Streep, Akon, Maria Sharapova, Daniel Radcliffe, Venus Williams, Ray Romano, Gisele Bundchen, Heidi Klum, Drew Barrymore, Alec Baldwin, Kiefer Sutherland, Tina Fey, Kate Moss, Eva Longoria Parker, Jeff Dunham, George Lopez, Katherine Heigl, Danica Patrick, Kate Hudson, Chelsea Handler, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Mariska Hargitay.<br />I’m not ashamed to admit that I don’t recognize most of these names, thus the chance that I would recognize them in a bar any time soon lingers around nil.Melissa Pocekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06147260742786782770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196559943862722133.post-69008868739393434132010-08-20T11:06:00.001-04:002010-08-20T11:08:22.111-04:00Photos from NYCClick <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/MelissaPocek/NewYorkCity0814To0817?feat=directlink">here </a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwlyV8YoRR0z_CoAZ8fZivFKgxzOvPAnVVuy9-wAezm0daitEqrd_6zHuMKWxp1dSEQmEWNUwXC9iSMKlDsg_3J-sTNzwLNXwVxFvLgfGpxrdQReJXdrdkrFEzLuaeiNdAYhq3YH-S1w/s1600/IMG_4360.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwlyV8YoRR0z_CoAZ8fZivFKgxzOvPAnVVuy9-wAezm0daitEqrd_6zHuMKWxp1dSEQmEWNUwXC9iSMKlDsg_3J-sTNzwLNXwVxFvLgfGpxrdQReJXdrdkrFEzLuaeiNdAYhq3YH-S1w/s320/IMG_4360.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507508897572585330" /></a>Melissa Pocekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06147260742786782770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196559943862722133.post-13807561124679058582010-08-19T12:30:00.003-04:002010-08-19T12:35:34.105-04:00James Baldwin<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlNzoutWyOHira2svYiWcY80mrXnzGREyjQ07HSdneVLdAuap1pDEVz38FyH7cToOarhKY2bgZiTGcWTTv_JRQmNoIN2_hyFFXP0Q_v_gmTR3fP3PC8_nBrMjBvrbvVPkk9I4pp5-23hY/s1600/The+Cross+Of+Redemption.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlNzoutWyOHira2svYiWcY80mrXnzGREyjQ07HSdneVLdAuap1pDEVz38FyH7cToOarhKY2bgZiTGcWTTv_JRQmNoIN2_hyFFXP0Q_v_gmTR3fP3PC8_nBrMjBvrbvVPkk9I4pp5-23hY/s320/The+Cross+Of+Redemption.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507160339141748754" /></a><br />is one of my favorite writers. NPR interviewed the editor that published a collection of James Baldwin's stories entitled <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=">The Cross of Redemption</a>. NPR's website had one story in particular that I really enjoyed reading. I've posted it below: <br /><br />Why I Stopped Hating Shakespeare by James Baldwin<br /><br />Every writer in the English language, I should imagine, has at some point hated Shakespeare, has turned away from that monstrous achievement with a kind of sick envy. In my most anti-English days I condemned him as a chauvinist ("this England" indeed!) and because I felt it so bitterly anomalous that a black man should be forced to deal with the English language at all — should be forced to assault the English language in order to be able to speak — I condemned him as one of the authors and architects of my oppression.<br /><br />Again, in the way that some Jews bitterly and mistakenly resent Shylock, I was dubious about Othello (what did he see in Desdemona?) and bitter about Caliban. His great vast gallery of people, whose reality was as contradictory as it was unanswerable, unspeakably oppressed me. I was resenting, of course, the assault on my simplicity; and, in another way, I was a victim of that loveless education which causes so many schoolboys to detest Shakespeare. But I feared him, too, feared him because, in his hands, the English language became the mightiest of instruments. No one would ever write that way again. No one would ever be able to match, much less surpass, him.<br /><br />Well, I was young and missed the point entirely, was unable to go behind the words and, as it were, the diction, to what the poet was saying. I still remember my shock when I finally heard these lines from the murder scene in Julius Caesar. The assassins are washing their hands in Caesar's blood. Cassius says:<br /><br />Stoop then, and wash. — How many ages hence<br />Shall this our lofty scene be acted over, <br />In states unborn and accents yet unknown!<br /><br />What I suddenly heard, for the first time, was manifold. It was the voice of lonely, dedicated, deluded Cassius, whose life had never been real for me before — I suddenly seemed to know what this moment meant to him. But beneath and beyond that voice I also heard a note yet more rigorous and impersonal — and contemporary: that "lofty scene," in all its blood and necessary folly, its blind and necessary pain, was thrown into a perspective which has never left my mind. Just so, indeed, is the heedless State over¬thrown by men, who, in order to overthrow it, have had to achieve a desperate single- mindedness. And this single- mindedness, which we think of (why?) as ennobling, also operates, and much more surely, to distort and diminish a man — to distort and diminish us all, even, or perhaps especially, those whose needs and whose energy made the overthrow of the State inevitable, necessary, and just.<br /><br />And the terrible thing about this play, for me — it is not necessarily my favorite play, whatever that means, but it is the play which I first, so to speak, discovered — is the tension it relentlessly sustains between individual ambition, self- conscious, deluded, idealistic, or corrupt, and the blind, mindless passion which drives the individual no less than it drives the mob. "I am Cinna the poet, I am Cinna the poet...I am not Cinna the conspirator" — that cry rings in my ears. And the mob's response: "Tear him for his bad verses!" And yet — though one howled with Cinna and felt his terrible rise, at the hands of his countrymen, to death, it was impossible to hate the mob. Or, worse than impossible, useless; for here we were, at once howl¬ing and being torn to pieces, the only receptacles of evil and the only receptacles of nobility to be found in all the universe. But the play does not even suggest that we have the perception to know evil from good or that such a distinction can ever be clear: "The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones . . ."<br /><br />Once one has begun to suspect this much about the world — once one has begun to suspect, that is, that one is not, and never will be, innocent, for the reason that no one is — some of the self- protective veils between oneself and reality begin to fall away. It is probably of some significance, though we cannot pursue it here, that my first real apprehension of Shakespeare came when I was living in France, and thinking and speaking in French. The necessity of mastering a foreign language forced me into a new relationship to my own. (It was also in France, therefore, that I began to read the Bible again.)<br /><br />My quarrel with the English language has been that the language reflected none of my experience. But now I began to see the matter in quite another way. If the language was not my own, it might be the fault of the language; but it might also be my fault. Perhaps the language was not my own because I had never attempted to use it, had only learned to imitate it. If this were so, then it might be made to bear the burden of my experience if I could find the stamina to challenge it, and me, to such a test.<br /><br />In support of this possibility, I had two mighty witnesses: my black ancestors, who evolved the sorrow songs, the blues, and jazz, and created an entirely new idiom in an overwhelmingly hostile place; and Shakespeare, who was the last bawdy writer in the English language. What I began to see — especially since, as I say, I was living and speaking in French — is that it is experience which shapes a language; and it is language which controls an experience. The structure of the French language told me something of the French experience, and also something of the French expectations — which were certainly not the American expectations, since the French daily and hourly said things which the Americans could not say at all. (Not even in French.) Similarly, the language with which I had grown up had certainly not been the King's English. An immense experience had forged this language; it had been (and remains) one of the tools of a people's survival, and it revealed expectations which no white American could easily entertain. The authority of this language was in its candor, its irony, its density, and its beat: this was the authority of the language which produced me, and it was also the authority of Shakespeare.<br /><br />Again, I was listening very hard to jazz and hoping, one day, to translate it into language, and Shakespeare's bawdiness became very important to me, since bawdiness was one of the elements of jazz and revealed a tremendous, loving, and realistic respect for the body, and that ineffable force which the body contains, which Americans have mostly lost, which I had experienced only among Negroes, and of which I had then been taught to be ashamed.<br /><br />My relationship, then, to the language of Shakespeare revealed itself as nothing less than my relationship to myself and my past. Under this light, this revelation, both myself and my past began slowly to open, perhaps the way a flower opens at morning, but more probably the way an atrophied muscle begins to function, or frozen fingers to thaw.<br /><br />The greatest poet in the English language found his poetry where poetry is found: in the lives of the people. He could have done this only through love — by knowing, which is not the same thing as understanding, that whatever was happening to anyone was happening to him. It is said that his time was easier than ours, but I doubt it — no time can be easy if one is living through it. I think it is simply that he walked his streets and saw them, and tried not to lie about what he saw: his public streets and his private streets, which are always so mysteriously and inexorably connected; but he trusted that connection. And, though I, and many of us, have bitterly bewailed (and will again) the lot of an American writer — to be part of a people who have ears to hear and hear not, who have eyes to see and see not — I am sure that Shakespeare did the same. Only, he saw, as I think we must, that the people who produce the poet are not responsible to him: he is responsible to them.<br /><br />That is why he is called a poet. And his responsibility, which is also his joy and his strength and his life, is to defeat all labels and complicate all battles by insisting on the human riddle, to bear witness, as long as breath is in him, to that mighty, unnameable, transfiguring force which lives in the soul of man, and to aspire to do his work so well that when the breath has left him, the people — all people! — who search in the rubble for a sign or a witness will be able to find him there.<br /><br />Excerpted from The Cross of Redemption by James Baldwin Copyright 2010 by The Estate of James Baldwin. Excerpted by permission of Pantheon, a division of Random House Inc. All rights reserved.Melissa Pocekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06147260742786782770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196559943862722133.post-46236906654546113722010-08-19T11:34:00.002-04:002010-08-19T11:35:26.300-04:00New Website!More of a portfolio of my writing: <a href="http://melissapocek.com/">www.melissapocek.com</a>Melissa Pocekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06147260742786782770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196559943862722133.post-41074459968012355182010-08-16T11:23:00.004-04:002010-08-20T11:30:37.340-04:00Only in New York...Snow Cone?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdOxoGlq01OltALzwYWgiIj5fgM_K62F8iWgYVrGWVTwBEl9EKviRECeyFShhsLfn8-8Ns5NHC6rFtYX8dNfVIJxiFJIbU-FmgdibVFXdut4mCZNzBhB5kQ7fUxz84JGe7Xhofg5cVbjE/s1600/IMG_4241.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdOxoGlq01OltALzwYWgiIj5fgM_K62F8iWgYVrGWVTwBEl9EKviRECeyFShhsLfn8-8Ns5NHC6rFtYX8dNfVIJxiFJIbU-FmgdibVFXdut4mCZNzBhB5kQ7fUxz84JGe7Xhofg5cVbjE/s320/IMG_4241.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506029696107154690" /></a>Melissa Pocekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06147260742786782770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196559943862722133.post-82786021110955918752010-08-11T20:36:00.009-04:002010-08-16T00:52:55.090-04:00Lollapalooza 2010The oppressive heat of the direct daylight, the submission – while wedged between sweaty fans – to becoming but part of a mass; both paradoxically manage to contribute to a liberating spirit of festival. <br /><br />For the past six years, Grant Park in Chicago has served as the sacred Lollapalooza upon which pop idols are worshipped and lesser known are given opportunity to prove their mettle. For three solid days, bands such as Devo, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, The National, and The Dirty Projector, earned their places on the honor roll. But the highlights were the headliners, and Arcade Fire elicited surges of awe and were just spectacular.<br /><br /><table style="width:194px;"><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/MelissaPocek/Lollapalooza87101233AM?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_YYwclefLjIg/TFzoKf4_zaE/AAAAAAABlz0/X7vgWhB2LBM/s160-c/Lollapalooza87101233AM.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/MelissaPocek/Lollapalooza87101233AM?feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">Lollapalooza 8/7/10 12:33 AM</a></td></tr></table>Melissa Pocekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06147260742786782770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196559943862722133.post-91707471875409476762010-08-05T23:53:00.020-04:002010-08-12T17:16:22.988-04:00Chicago<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic5C_vQRJDwq1wS_ObQQzTTxmpdB00kiCtz8E73Nj1yK9A5hzp58olM95RykyGcE_FtOnPFrefwpumnJjQhMG8LWBk7kniCe4gGlRa6GJdiuU-STLUyq3lrMMh4p4RhIF8qlwZCx2qUP8/s1600/IMG_2603.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic5C_vQRJDwq1wS_ObQQzTTxmpdB00kiCtz8E73Nj1yK9A5hzp58olM95RykyGcE_FtOnPFrefwpumnJjQhMG8LWBk7kniCe4gGlRa6GJdiuU-STLUyq3lrMMh4p4RhIF8qlwZCx2qUP8/s320/IMG_2603.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502149871110457378" /></a><br /><br />I am in Chicago to check out the writing market and to cover Lollapalooza. Even though the publication I will be writing for has a rather large readership in New England, they are still working with no budget and in turn no money to get me into this event. I had to figure out a way to get the $271 three-day pass on my own. After many hours of head scratching, I came up with a plan, that I would get a free pass by volunteering. So I looked up the requirements online, filled out an application, and waited to hear back. The volunteer spots are highly sought after at this event, but luckily my eight page application was convincing enough and I got in.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0e7RsQo0PzD_k84KibEU2eOycpT6h4LUZUTtQkmokK5oCRJ4OyHB3UMG7rCmy6NJo8f6gif1z-dVS2jGNrem9-6acWEvEhyHvgqdmtrYuhR6_a_K_wWJXbSVTwGND1Vts95J1jkUftGM/s1600/IMG_2567.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0e7RsQo0PzD_k84KibEU2eOycpT6h4LUZUTtQkmokK5oCRJ4OyHB3UMG7rCmy6NJo8f6gif1z-dVS2jGNrem9-6acWEvEhyHvgqdmtrYuhR6_a_K_wWJXbSVTwGND1Vts95J1jkUftGM/s320/IMG_2567.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502149155495578226" /></a> <br /><br />The festival starts tomorrow so today I had some time to explore, I walked around Chicago's bohemian neighborhood Wicker Park. I window shopped at their boutiques that had everything from glittery framed pictures of Blagojevich to a clothing shop with clothes made from all-recycled material. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvOOiySoyDeR6KG0-ARQ2q_R8_1GOKkWhJPyrH67Q7p6kG4kUvZHjC7xaSo1UoomJ54HfnqnlDRuFmfsG7xW8gJg2SmwNbid7b3L_e4q3ND6W5K-KqRsvvRlyMoGWZ-_aEnSmVkrBePNg/s1600/IMG_2578.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvOOiySoyDeR6KG0-ARQ2q_R8_1GOKkWhJPyrH67Q7p6kG4kUvZHjC7xaSo1UoomJ54HfnqnlDRuFmfsG7xW8gJg2SmwNbid7b3L_e4q3ND6W5K-KqRsvvRlyMoGWZ-_aEnSmVkrBePNg/s320/IMG_2578.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502149465822107746" /></a> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCM8MmxZzZqOrrht4BYH2rThHqi_tVA_BOa7mjU_aeKk6biuHZ8WMnA2ttVcFtmw9NQJAC8hRJ5uDMGcx_V_vWq6uJlpC4ADDd7dr0jrGn2m9A8rbXB4162_Rt1pfioD4sURPsvdzEOyw/s1600/IMG_2570.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCM8MmxZzZqOrrht4BYH2rThHqi_tVA_BOa7mjU_aeKk6biuHZ8WMnA2ttVcFtmw9NQJAC8hRJ5uDMGcx_V_vWq6uJlpC4ADDd7dr0jrGn2m9A8rbXB4162_Rt1pfioD4sURPsvdzEOyw/s400/IMG_2570.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502148773756019426" /></a>Melissa Pocekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06147260742786782770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196559943862722133.post-84578225205581441662010-08-02T23:13:00.001-04:002010-08-03T07:41:03.502-04:00Ghost Monkeys...give me nightmares. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvBuYU624mWUtK7CcM7P8rlc-jl7-VnDN228lBjhpC942L_ZwQdW8LgZ9hJiCQMo5YPVaIRip-hTiTbhUcY53IKku4dW4xvAa8uUJ3EImkyQ_b6vu_Si_E6KUJOVnRYNExsVvvqQF0RE/s1600/6a010535647bf3970b0133ee4601f9970b-800wi.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 378px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvBuYU624mWUtK7CcM7P8rlc-jl7-VnDN228lBjhpC942L_ZwQdW8LgZ9hJiCQMo5YPVaIRip-hTiTbhUcY53IKku4dW4xvAa8uUJ3EImkyQ_b6vu_Si_E6KUJOVnRYNExsVvvqQF0RE/s400/6a010535647bf3970b0133ee4601f9970b-800wi.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501016601194281186" /></a><br />They're actually golden snub nosed <a href="http://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/2010/05/golden-snub-nosed-monkey-baby.html">monkeys</a> and they are endangered.Melissa Pocekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06147260742786782770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196559943862722133.post-57884477550614536332010-08-02T09:48:00.008-04:002010-08-02T13:46:44.345-04:00I am still exhausted from a 5.5 hour bike ride yesterday. I went from Somerville to Newton, Brookline, and JP to the North End. Total 45 miles. I think bike racing is something I want to do in the near future. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZyHCMVSwjRgG-ksTWon4t28OV5CtMvWvOvYymJ85HQresg4-LOZEPteF4-_noxAUNfTlr4ssjUldmRvZ0wPWasEL1BLB-vFmmUkAb03AWPEMzxp_xkUUZWmKZ_ddCzt6x66b6mm50hFI/s1600/IMG_2541.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZyHCMVSwjRgG-ksTWon4t28OV5CtMvWvOvYymJ85HQresg4-LOZEPteF4-_noxAUNfTlr4ssjUldmRvZ0wPWasEL1BLB-vFmmUkAb03AWPEMzxp_xkUUZWmKZ_ddCzt6x66b6mm50hFI/s400/IMG_2541.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500809537663242914" /></a><br />I added more pictures to my "summer" gallery on the right. Click on the picture of the flower to see more.Melissa Pocekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06147260742786782770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196559943862722133.post-62901951070635031892010-07-26T08:39:00.002-04:002010-07-26T08:43:10.255-04:00I've got no distance left to runOn the road today for a ten hour ride home.Melissa Pocekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06147260742786782770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196559943862722133.post-72683717608208489382010-07-23T09:00:00.013-04:002010-07-23T09:57:58.499-04:00The Road is My Oyster...Picture it now, you're cruising down the highway, nothing but pillowy clouds and a broad expanse of blue overhead. Swaths of swaying corn all around...with every acceleration, the feeling of freedom and escapism grows deeper within you.<br /><br />I am on a road trip to Cleveland and Pennsylvania with pit stops in Syracuse and Niagara Falls. Since I am not going to have a chance to blog, I'll be documenting my trip using my cell phone camera. Kind of like a digital journal. <br /><br />Click <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/MelissaPocek/DropBox?feat=directlink">here</a> to see what I've got so far...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguLXso0FkY-AZo-KRkTdhgx9n7k-g2aytijSeqEc4SS8Qqbf7ZmwsCbslZYZ8Lga-gbzJmglw3jGbQs1vw0IRdoWX88X0BEagp2y4RL3VA59Idry3IOWiOzcvDSXTKCI8QeSI8oRNgAIo/s1600/IMAG0183.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguLXso0FkY-AZo-KRkTdhgx9n7k-g2aytijSeqEc4SS8Qqbf7ZmwsCbslZYZ8Lga-gbzJmglw3jGbQs1vw0IRdoWX88X0BEagp2y4RL3VA59Idry3IOWiOzcvDSXTKCI8QeSI8oRNgAIo/s400/IMAG0183.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497089397277220130" /></a>Melissa Pocekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06147260742786782770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196559943862722133.post-58140193264928139942010-07-21T09:48:00.007-04:002010-07-21T10:42:52.477-04:00Talk about dream jobs, going to <a href="http://2010.lollapalooza.com/events/2010/08/06/">Lollapalooza</a> to cover music! <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLOr6S6K-ttEN6OR2oIE0GH2xMS_6kB1GJwZGOMSLYFj6DwFQdO_Iyh8Hgswxzkm3kqEg5fVizcZexPgavQO8RMXS0C1rQ4g4nAmwGqLxgh6u2cXgoq4pwZM5-B5f6AdSM5xSvtX4da_4/s1600/IMG_0401.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLOr6S6K-ttEN6OR2oIE0GH2xMS_6kB1GJwZGOMSLYFj6DwFQdO_Iyh8Hgswxzkm3kqEg5fVizcZexPgavQO8RMXS0C1rQ4g4nAmwGqLxgh6u2cXgoq4pwZM5-B5f6AdSM5xSvtX4da_4/s400/IMG_0401.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496358894353427426" /></a><br />Here's a <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/MelissaPocek/Chicago#">link</a> to my pictures for the Boston Phoenix in 2008.Melissa Pocekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06147260742786782770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4196559943862722133.post-9180529220214104162010-07-14T11:31:00.010-04:002010-07-20T11:09:29.030-04:00Super Computer SmackdownMy friend Mehrun was Jeopardy's biggest winner in 2006-2007. He recently was contacted by IBM to see if he could beat Watson their super computer in a Jeopardy smackdown. "It was a straight up battle and I kicked its computer $%#!" Mehrun said the blank podium in the middle of the room creeped him out along with the hydraulic buzzer and computer voice. The end result, the human won.
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<br />This <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/20/magazine/20Computer-t.html">article</a> appeared in the NYTimes a couple of weeks ago.Melissa Pocekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06147260742786782770noreply@blogger.com0