THE RUNNING OF THE BRIDES
starring MANDIE FOX
with a cameo by WENDY CHAO
will premiere on The Learning Channel!
Read an account of the event here, and click on the image below to watch a deleted scene.
Check your local listings!
I didn’t realize it was April 1 until Victor sent me this photo of his bicycle. It appears that his staff decorated his bike so it would go with his outfits. How cute!
My “kitty litter box” birthday cake last year was such a hit, I think I’ll make it again this year. In case you can’t wait until January 31 to be utterly grossed out, here is a picture and the recipe:
KITTY LITTER BOX CAKE
Ingredients:
Equipment:
Procedure:
Enjoy!
An observant telemarktips reader sent me this tip yesterday:
I stumbled across this on ebay and recognized the pic from a teletips thread, suspected that this wasn’t a legit use of your photo, and thought you might want to put a stop to it:
(That’s a screenshot of the original listing that used the infamous and ubiquitous Ski Bunny / snow bunny photo)
Since I didn’t do anything the last time someone used the photo in an advertisement without paying up, I decided to take action this time. I sent photographer/bounty hunter Alexander Scott on the trail:
Dear Scottyharmon1: Quick note to let you know that you are using a photograph I took of my friend Wendy Chao for your eye wear image. As a power seller I am sure that you are aware that eBay does not approve of unauthorized image use. I would be happy to sell you limited usage rights to this lovely image for $375. Look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Alexander Scott (upadesha) www.alexanderscott.com“
The reply:
Alexander, just a note to commend you on your fine work. We viewed your website and love your photography. We are also professional photographers and appreciate great work. We have suspended the use of the gallery photo until our decision is made as to how we will decide to use it. Best regards, Scotty Harmon”
And another reply:
Hello Alexander and thank you for your email. I was not aware that there was a problem using this photo and will be happy to pay for the use of this photograph going forward. I would like to discuss this with my graphics department and we will get back to you with an answer as to our decision. Thank you again, Scotty Harmon”
Sounds like a reasonable guy. I hope he sells a lot of sunglasses and pays Alex for the photo. I also hope he’s not selling those sunglasses I’m wearing in that photo - they put a big gash on my face when I crashed at Alta a few years ago.
It appears that I am CNN’s top Coney Island Correspondent! More footage that I shot on-location appeared on CNN.com today:
[click image for video]
This video contains 10 seconds of another ride on the Cyclone. I was sitting in the middle car, which, believe it or not, makes for a better video than the front car. The middle car gives the steadiest shot (the front and rear cars jump the track a lot), and you can see the other cars and riders - making it feel like you’re actually riding the oldest and scariest rollercoaster in the world. See the complete Cyclone ride here.
The rest of the video was taken on the seemingly innocuous Wonder Wheel, which proves to be quite a terrifying ride due to the swinging cars and dizzying heights. The director’s cut of this nauseating ride can be viewed here.
Too bad Coney Island is closed for the season (and Astroland is closed forever) - otherwise, I could be saying this every weekend:
For
, reporting to you live from Coney Island, I’m Wendy Chao. Back to you, Anderson Cooper.”
photo by Alexander Scott (doctored slightly by Dr. Wendy Chao)
One of the videos I shot on the Coney Island Cyclone landed a spot on CNN.com:
[click image for video]
It’s interesting how they edited the video so the beginning of the ride was actually at the end of the video. It doesn’t make much sense when you watch it - but who am I to question . In any case, you can see the original version here.
I’m not one to post things in a timely manner, so the rest of my Coney Island photos and videos will come at a later date. In the meantime, please enjoy Mandie’s photos, Mary’s photos, and the website of Brendan The Pretty Good - an old friend who I was delighted to see performing in the Coney Island Circus Sideshow.
I’ve been making pilgrimages all summer to Coney Island, the last great American icon. Tomorrow I make my final journey to Coney Island’s Astroland amusement park, as the land underneath it has been sold to the evil Thor Equities. After September 9, Astroland will cease to exist. The Cyclone rollercoaster and the Wonderwheel are historical landmarks and will continue to operate, but they just won’t be the same without the boardwalk, the fortune tellers, the junky booths, and the $0.25 toilets.
Join in the rally tomorrow to save Astroland
Sign the petition to save Astroland
Buried deep within my film archives was some footage I shot at the “Running of the Brides” wedding dress sale at Filene’s basement, some of which was used for a documentary that will air next year on The Learning Channel. This scene features my friend Tomoki buried deep within a wedding dress, and was probably deemed too controversial for TLC. Here is an exclusive look:
click image to play
Famous French movie star Juliette Binoche has been conspicuously absent from recent tabloids, and it is rumored that she has gone undercover for a role as a world-class scientist. Unconfirmed reports have placed her at an eye research institute in Boston, studying the pathologies of the choroidal vasculature and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). A recent photo suggests that this may be true:
Like Ms. Binoche, this woman speaks with a French accent and does not appreciate being chased by paparazzi. Note the other striking similarities to the talented star:
A. Impeccably groomed eyebrows
B. Miniature disco ball (Ms. Binoche is a purported collector of small- to mid-sized disco balls)
C. Lustrous hair
Juliette Binoche lookalike (source: The National Enquirer)
Juliette Binoche on a red carpet somewhere (source: The Internet)
This woman has taken great lengths to conceal her real identity, and even created a phony Facebook profile. If you get the chance, please tell her what an amazing scientist she is, despite having played only non-scientific roles in the past.
The legendary Peter Fonda at the premiere of his latest movie, 3:10 to Yuma:
Mandie and I went to see The Police at Fenway Park:
No, not the Boston Police - though they were there too - we saw The Police in concert! It was totally awesome because Mandie scored free tickets. Face value: $250 each. Way to go Mandie!! Click here to see the photos!
Two weeks after completing my career as professional student (and two weeks into my new career as an academic bum), I was flipping through the Boston Metro and what did I see? No, not another Gibbs College ad - it was an ad for the 2007 Health & Fitness Expo, where none other than Caridee English (the model formerly known as America’s Next Top Model) would make an appearance! Naturally, Mandie and I hurried over to the Hynes Convention center - with cameramen Alex and Travis in tow.
Caridee was absolutely lovely, and autographed my arm, my pill box, and my Schepens Eye Research Institute I.D. She also gave us autographed photos and declared us to be her “favorites…for now.” Aww! I think she liked us, and wanted to be our friend. Which would be awesome, because then I’d only be two degrees of separation from Tyra Banks!
…the much-anticipated documentary, “Running of the Brides” starring Mandie and Jason, will (allegedly) air on The Learning Channel!
Initially, the show was supposed to air today, but TLC has delayed the premiere. A wise decision, because the sizzling costars probably have to go on a big promotional tour (talk show circuit, host Saturday Night Live, throw a few pitches at Major League games, et cetera). But the show is in post-production (as seen in the publicity stills below) and will air exactly one year from today (hopefully). Stay tuned. Meanwhile, you can see their lovely wedding photos here or watch their pre-wedding video here.
This post was brought to you by:
Renting the stupid PhD cap and gown (see below - HOT!): $150
Dissertation binding, rush order (which Harvard will NOT reimburse): $135
Additional dissertation processive fee charged by Harvard: $115 (why??)
Sticking it to Harvard by selling my tickets to the afternoon exercises: PRICELESS.
Please help me recoup my losses by purchasing my tickets - I have 5 to the afternoon exercises, where Bill Gates (famed Harvard dropout and richest man in the world) will address all of us Harvard suckers who stayed in school.
http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/tix/345864153.html
6.7.2007 UPDATE: This Craigslist ad led to another interview for The Boston Globe! This comes almost exactly a year after the famous Size Zero article. I’m practically a regular in the Boston Globe.
SEE YOUR COMPANY LOGO ON WENDY CHAO!!!!
I am selling advertising space on my amply-sized gown. Interested parties or their agents should contact me before the big day.
I valiantly defended my dissertation against my vicious examination committee yesterday. Actually, they were extremely pleasant. I was really nervous about my dissertation seminar, but it actually went very well (thanks to Microsoft Office 2007 Powerpoint speaker tools).
To celebrate, my wonderful advisor took the lab out for dinner. We went to Chinatown and ordered a giant fish:
Now that I have my PhD, I will finally get invited to all those exclusive parties that only PhDs get invited to. I also made the deadline to attend Harvard’s commencement this year. Bill Gates will be the speaker - which is an ironic choice, since he dropped out of Harvard and all, only to become (even more ironically) the world’s richest man. At least it’s not as ironic (I’m not sure if that’s the right word) as Brigham Young University’s commencement speaker today.
Ironically (irony is today’s theme), I was extremely distressed last night, even though I had just successfully defended my three-week-old, sub-100-page dissertation and eaten the first non-tofu meal I had in weeks. Piper is staying with me while her owner finds a place to live, and minutes after I got home and collapsed on the couch, Chairman Meow pried open the screen door and Piper escaped.
It was cold and rainy last night, and I was worried sick that she was cold and wet and hungry and/or got hit by a car. Plus, she is deaf - so it’s not like I could call her or anything (not that cats ever come when you call anyway). I put up flyers all over the neighborhood. Then someone called this afternoon and asked if I found my cat, because it was spotted at a party last night. I hurried over to the apartment where the party was. Apparently, she followed a bunch of guys home and was the life of the party they threw last night. So instead of being cold and wet and hungry, she was hanging out with Northeastern students (and probably doing Jell-O shots) all night.
Oh well - cats will be cats.
Piper sitting on my dissertation
It may have taken eight years to complete the PhD, but it only took three weeks to write the dissertation.
To prevent repetive stress injuries, I had Chairman Meow take over the typing from time to time:
Here Chairman Meow checks the final draft for typographical errors and spurious conclusions:
It was not easy, but we did it. Now if you’ll excuse me, I intend to sleep for the next 72 hours. Then I have to worry about defending the dissertation…
I have exactly three weeks to write my entire Ph.D. dissertation. Lord help me.
Fortunately, Chairman Meow is doing most of the writing:
Wish me luck!
The Learning Channel is making a documentary on the legendary “Running of the Brides” event at Filene’s Basement, and blushing bride-to-be Mandie was chosen as one of three brides featured in the show. See her audition tape here (produced by yours truly).
So on February 16, 2007, Mandie and her loyal comrades lined up outside Filene’s Basement around 5 a.m. to be on the front line of the Battle of the Brides. Doors opened after three long, cold hours of waiting. Within minutes, thousands of wedding dresses were stripped from the racks by rabid brides and their equally rabid bridesmaids.
Bobby Baccala from The Sopranos was there as a Tonight Show correspondent:
…and I made it into Boston Herald (spuriously as a “bride”):
Mandie scored a beautiful dress for $250 (with free alterations courtesy of TLC and Dependable Cleaners), and a free wedding photographer to boot. All that free schwag made waiting outside in sub-freezing temperatures for three hours worthwhile.
