Dean D'Agati (dotcom)

Last week in my writing class, my teacher was telling us about some candy store downtown. When we asked if we could go, she said that yeah we’d take a field trip there next week.

I feel like most of us (myself included) didn’t think she was serious. Before class today, we started scheming of ways to remind her that she promised us a trip to a candy store, but when she walked in, she had printed maps directing us from NYU to Economy Candy on Rivington Street.

best. class. ever.

dean Pictures, Text candy, class, downtown, field trip, nyc, nyu, tisch, writing

(Yeah, I’ve basically replaced my regular camera with Hipstamatic.)

I’m so happy that it’s baseball season again.

Last night, I went to a Yankees game against the Angels as part of their Home Opening Series. When we got there, it was t-shirt weather, but by the time we left it was 12-layer winter weather & pouring rain. I guess we were lucky that we got the tickets through NYU and were given the worst seats in the house because we were so far back that we were covered and didn’t get rained on.

None the less, saw my second in-person Jeter home run and the Yankees won 6-2.

Here’s a video of the fans in the Grandstands trying to get a wave to go around the entire stadium:

dean Pictures, Text, Videos baseball, cold, nyc, nyu, rain, wave, yankee stadium, yankees

You know what I hate more than NYU cable? Internet rants like this one. But I have to do it… just this once. I’m sorry.

Dear NYU Campus Cable,

You are the worst TV provider in the history of television.

Last year, you gave me 66 analog channels. Analog? It’s not 1985 anymore dude, get with it. All of the channels come in fuzzy and stretched because I, unlike you, live in the now and have a widescreen HDTV.

This year, you thought you were making yourself awesome by adding 6 digital, HD channels. First of all, 6? That’s not very impressive, but hey, I’ll take what I can get. But oh wait — I can’t get them. My TV says “NO SIGNAL” on those channels more often than they actually come in. I get my HD channels via antenna. ANTENNA. This is what you’re making me resort to… and my antenna is somehow more reliable than your cable services.

Oh and hey, thanks for NOT giving us YES, the Yankees station. I only live in the heart of New York City, why would I want to watch the reigning World Series champions? You give us the Mets station, of course. Because everybody watches the Mets and all. Oh, and you know what’s even better? How when the Yankees games are on national stations like ESPN or TBS, but are then BLACKED OUT IN NYC to force New York viewers to watch on the Yankees channel — but oh wait, we don’t get that channel…. just like the other hundred basic cable channels we don’t get…

Hey remember when Jay-Z performed a benefit concert that was broadcast live from Madison Square Garden? Of course you don’t, because we don’t get Fuse. Hey remember when you wanted to know if you should bring an umbrella to work but the regular news wasn’t on? You got wet didn’t you? Because we don’t get NY1. Hey remember that time Vince hooked up with some hot girl on every single episode of Entourage? Of course you don’t, because we don’t get HBO.

So when you, Mr. NYU Cable Executive, go to your lovely home in Westchester tonight and turn on your 873 channels of HD on DirecTV, think about us, the probably-going-to-work-in-the-TV-industry-but-can’t-even-watch-decent-TV-in-my-dorm-because-of-you students.

I’m getting an apartment next year so that I can get a decent cable provider like Time Warner.

I hate you.

Sincerely,
Dean D’Agati

dean Pictures, Text cable, channels, nyc, nyu, nyu campus cable, tv, yankees, yes

My license still says Florida, but as far as the United States government is concerned, I’m officially a New Yorker. Last night I filled out my Census form thing for NEW YORK. But that still wasn’t enough New Yorker for me… so today, I got a library card. That’s what the locals call BIG PIMPIN.

So for my New York City Social History class, we have to write a 10-page research paper that’s due pretty soon. We got to pick from a topic list, but almost everybody chose the same topic (aka the only one that is even remotely interesting) which is something along the lines of how do 1950’s sitcoms like I Love Lucy reflect race & class relations in New York City during that period.

I’ve got one of those professors who is really against websites as sources so I had to do it old school and search for some I Love Lucy books at Bobst (the NYU 12-floor monster of a library). They had a whole bunch but since everyone is doing the same topic, they were all checked out… so I turned to the New York Public Library for help.

(uh oh, I can feel this post getting long…)

I don’t know about you, but when I think of public libraries, I think of disgusting, old, rundown places full of employees that hate their job, coworkers, and life. Turns out, it’s not like that at all — at least not in New York. They have branches all over the city including specialized branches like the one I found myself at today: The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

Let me just say: this place was NICE. I don’t usually get too excited about… books… but they literally had multiple books for every TV show you could think of. They had a Who Wants to be a Millionaire book. Come on. So I signed up for my library card, and got me some I Love Lucy books.

That was all the work I accomplished on my paper today. I got some books.

Turns out, the library was in the Lincoln Center Plaza, which is an area west of Central Park, and I seriously think that even though today was my first and only day there, it’s one of my favorite areas of NYC. It’s right next to Julliard, and they even had a group of Julliard kids, dressed in suits, playing music in the plaza.

Also in the area is Apple’s newest store (which I had to stop in and play with another iPad, of course), and the Shops at Columbus Circle in the Time Warner Center which was basically like an extremely upper class mall (check out their site). So nice, right off of Central Park.

Pictures from everywhere are below, click for full size, and have a fantastic Friday. YES.

dean Pictures, Text bobst, central park, columbus circle, julliard, library, lincoln center, new yorker, nyc, nyu, paper

No, I’m not talking about Sloan from Entourage like you were obviously assuming.

I’m talking about the WEATHER.

Today, the high in Miami, FL was 81 degrees. In New York City? 92!! — the highest temperature that it’s ever been in NYC on April 7th.

Average temps for this time of year are in the 40’s and 50’s. Most people around here would rather it be really hot than cold, but I’ve got all summer to melt under the Florida sun, so let’s see those 50’s!

dean Pictures, Text entourage, hot, miami, nyc, weather

I’ve previously discussed my disapproval of Leno stealing The Tonight Show back from Conan, so I havent been watching it anymore, but recently The Tonight Show partnered with NYU for Jay Leno’s Short Film contest. It basically involved making a 90 second or less short film in an extremely short period of time with some crappy little Flip camera. No professional equipment.

I didn’t actually know about this contest and therefore didn’t enter, but other kids did (apparently) and the top 3 films were not only shown on The Tonight Show last Wednesday (been meaning to post this for like a week…), but their creators were flown to LA so that they could be on the show.

Sick? Yes. Watch:

dean Text, Videos california, film, la, leno, nbc, nyc, nyu, tonight show, tv

Made completely out of sand. Ridiculous.

dean Text, Videos art, nyc, sand, street, union square

Temperature outside right now in Manhattan: 71.

SEVENTY ONE!

In fact, the weather over the past like week or so has just been awesome. High’s in the 60’s and 70’s every day with nooooo rain.

The best part is that it’s supposed to stay like this. Winter is officially ouuutt of here.

Speaking of “out of here,” the Yankees first game of the season against the Red Sox is going down tonight. So… check that out on ESPN2 at 8. But that’s another story.

The picture above is from Central Park the other day when the fam was here. Here are a couple more pics from when they were in NYC. (Click for full size)

Happy Easter!

dean Pictures, Text beautiful, central park, family, florida, hot, nyc, papaya dog, sun, warm

The iPad came out today, and hey, I’m an Apple fan, so I went over to the Apple store on 14th Street in NYC to check it out.

l went at 7PM, and they weren’t sold out, and there weren’t even that many people in the store. Not sold out. In the biggest city in the country. Maybe it’s because the iPad is nothing but an oversized iPhone for the elderly.

I already have an iPhone, I already have a MacBook. What do I need an iPad for?

The screen was really nice, I’ll give them that, but so is the screen on my computer.

Oh and you know who I really don’t like? As much as I love Apple, I really hate Steve Jobs. Can he STFU and stop telling us what we are supposed to like and dislike?

Lol… I don’t like to rant on here, I’m sorry. Just give me a Verizon iPhone, Apple, and I’ll be happy :)

PS. I’m updating this post from an ipad and i have to admit… Its pretty freakin cool… But i still will not be buying one ;)

dean Pictures, Text 14th st, apple, hype, ipad, launch day, nyc, steve jobs

APRIL FOOLS was on Thursday and while I don’t generally get too into it (or into it at all), I feel like there were a lot of good jokes this year. Here are my favorite three from the internet…

1. NYU Newspaper

2. Google changes name to Topeka.

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/different-kind-of-company-name.html

and finally…

3. Bieber or Die

dean Pictures, Text, Videos april fools, bieber or die, google, jokes, justin bieber, newspaper, nyc, nyu, topeka