Jurassic World: Are you not entertained?

You can’t experience first love twice. That was my problem walking into Jurassic World. I wanted so badly to fall in love again just as I had 22 years ago when I sat in a movie theater watching Stephen Spielberg’s Jurassic Park. My ten-year-old self sat wide-eyed, with my feet pulled up onto my seat …

Meeting Neil Gaiman

I discovered the otherworldly author Neil Gaiman in 2009 while watching this short introduction to the stop-motion animated film Coraline, which is based on his book by the same name. Gaiman’s elucidation of Koumpounophobia (fear of buttons) is intentionally reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock’s beloved opening monologues for his brilliant series Alfred Hitchcock Presents. The playfully foreboding tone Gaiman exudes …

JAWS The Ballet

Last weekend I saw a Smuin Ballet performance of "Spring Bouquet." While I can appreciate the artistry and painstaking skill that goes into every ballet performance, I couldn't help but feel like something was missing: a compelling story. To me, ballet can feel a bit stuffy and tedious after thirty minutes of watching men and women swirl …

A Tribute to Grandma

It has been exactly one month since one of my favorite people in this world passed away. Though it is still very difficult for me to talk or write about, I wanted to share a little bit about my kindred spirit, my role model, my friend, my grandmother: Corinne Georgianna Treml. Grandma was a magical …

War on Eggs: The Egg Conspiracy

The controversy on whether eggs are good or bad for human consumption has been going on for as long as I can remember. For every study that says eggs are bad, there is inevitably another stating the contrary. This teeter-tottering between egg enthusiasts and egg detractors has now lead us to a new study promoting …

Walk Like A T-Rex

I recently bought beautiful bright pink platform heels for a wedding I was attending. I had never worn a pair of platform heels before and usually don’t venture beyond the basic black, brown, tan, pewter, or copper-colored heels, so I decided to try out a bright color for fun. The saleswoman at Macy’s assured me …

Beyond the Fluff: Getting Over Poodle Prejudice

I wonder if other dogs think French poodles are members of a weird religious cult. - Rita Rudner I will admit something that is highly taboo for dog rescue activists to confess: up until a month ago, I had poodle prejudice. It’s not that I found poodles particularly unattractive or thought that they were terrible …