Great news for Whedon (and Dushku) fans!

Fortunately for me, I'm both. :)

Welcome to the Dollhouse.

Sorry I've been so lax about this blog; Facebook and my "life in Texas" blog are taking up most of my internet time these days! This is one of the reasons I resisted Facebook all these years!

But, I have actually been doing some recreational reading, including a Romance novel I really liked and I'm not too proud to say it, Flowers from the Storm. I'm reading another one right now, too. Okay, I am a little embarrassed. I started The Golden Compass and gave up after page 67, making me the only person ever to not like this book, I think. I also read I Love You, Beth Cooper. It was a quick read and quite entertaining. It's the story of a high school nerd who confesses his love to the captain of the cheerleading squad in his valedictorian's speech and how he spends the rest of his graduation day. Hijinx ensue. The "soundtrack" and move quotes are a cool feature of the book, too. At one point, you could download the soundtrack from iTunes (or so I read on another blog), not sure if that's the case now.

I don't think I've seen any movies, but I have been trying to keep up with TV. I really liked the one episode of Samantha Who? I saw, but we didn't get the first one for some reason and the third was booted for Monday Night Football. Pushing Daisies is still my favorite thing on television; Sabrina and Mark (totaly cutie!) were robbed; and Heroes hasn't been as good this season. They need fewer characters and faster moving plots. This season doesn't have enough action for me (although, full disclosure: I haven't watched the last two episodes, yet, maybe it gets more exciting). Oh, and I can't wait to watch Scrubs! I haven't gotten to it, yet, but I am really hoping J.D. and Eliot did something they shouldn't have.

Transformers

Transformers came out on DVD today, and despite Pat's mocking, I did go out and buy it. Not only that, but I went to get it at Target, which is the only retailer offering it in the DVD case that transforms into Optimus Prime.

At 11:45 this morning, on the day it came out, there were at least five other people buying it in the five minutes I was at Target. One was a mother of a young child buying it in the regular case. The other four were all dudes my age and three of them were getting the transforming case.

Too funny. I may be a tool, but obviously I'm not alone. :)

DWTS, Pushing Daisies, and more!

I can't post nearly as often as I'd like to on this (and, yet, I still joined Facebook, like I have time for that), but I just wanted to comment quickly on Dancing with the Stars and Pushing Daisies.

First of all, they keep saying this is the best season of DWTS yet and I can't really make that judgement since this is only the second season I've watched, but I do have to say the competition is pretty impressive. I was planning a post for later tonight in which I was going to say, "Floyd's going home this week. There was a lot of buzz about him pre-season, but he's actually pretty bad. After that, Jennie Garth. But, then it could be anyone." Well, that was before Jennie's paso doble tonight. Now, I'm eating my words. My only other thoughts: love the ongoing Superman thing with Cameron Mathis. And yes, Mark Cuban is still my binky.

Unlike Floyd, Pushing Daisies has totally lived up to its pre-season hype. When I first heard about this show, I thought "this idea is stupid. No way am I watching this show." But the hype kept building and building so I decided to just watch the first episode and figured I'd give it up after that. No. This show is my new obsession. If you haven't seen it, get on that.

It's actually the only new show that's made the cut with me (although I haven't watched Samantha Who? yet; it's on the DVR). I liked Reaper, but I don't have time for too many shows. Dirty Sexy Money was m'eh. So, this season's line-up is looking like:

Monday: DWTS, Heroes, How I Met Your Mother, and possibly Samantha Who?
Tuesday: DWTS
Wednesday: Pushing Daisies
Thursday: My Name is Earl, Scrubs

Speaking of My Name is Earl, if you saw last week's episode, you may have heard a bluegrass-y sounding cover of Gin & Juice by Snoop Dogg. That was The Gourds. When I first heard that song when Megan and I were living together I assumed it was by a bunch of young guys, whatever. Oh no. I actually saw The Gourds live on Saturday (at a great outdoor venue in Austin: Threadgill's) and it's a bunch of middle-aged men. They put on an absolutely excellent show, by the way. I highly recommend checking them out if they're in your area. Or, you could come to Austin. They're from around here so they play pretty often in the area.

Just a quick note on books while I'm posting anyway: I finished the Harry Potter series. Book 7 just might be my favorite, but I do also kind of feel like she cheated on the last few chapters. Like she suddenly realized there were a lot of loose ends and she needed to take care of them asap. There were some explanations that left me feeling dissatisfied. But, I also think I'm maybe being a bit picky and I think the rest of the book makes up for it. Right now I'm reading The Golden Compass and The Other Boleyn Girl. I'll keep you posted.

Sydney White, Monday TV, and Rustic Overtones

It's gonna be an eclectic post, friends.

Friday, I had a really terrible day. The worst since getting to Austin. There was a scene with the FedEx man. There were tears. It was bad. So, Friday night, I skipped out on kickball practice (more on kickball on my Boston to Austin blog once we've had some games) and Pat took me to see Sydney White. It's the Amanda Bynes teen comedy based on the Snow White fairy tale. It was Pat and I and a horde of teenage girls in the theater, which was super fun for him. Let me tell you, the movie really hit the spot. I just totally emptied my mind for a couple of hours and was absorbed in the total silliness of it. I laughed aloud several times and actually thought it was really cute. Pat thought it was possibly the cheesiest movie I've ever liked. He's probably not too far off, but I highly recommend it if you are in the mood for a little cheese. I'd say it's tied with Bring it On: All or Nothing for my favorite "mindless movie," but it could be that my opinion is colored by how emotional I was on Friday and how much better I felt leaving the theater.

Last week, I said I'd only watched DWTS and HIMYM, but I did watch last week's Heroes, too. I don't have much to say, yet. I'm going to watch a few more episodes and see how it goes. I'm wary of adding new characters (I'm looking at you, Grey's Anatomy), but I do like the Parkman/Mohinder/HRG partnership and I'm intrigued by what Peter's been up to for the last four months leaving him with amnesia. I'm also digging the storyline with Nathan and Peter's mother and Hiro's father. I'm much more interested in the storyline involving the older generation of heroes than I am in the boogey-man storyline. I hope they bring back Claude Raines.

I didn't get to watch much of DWTS last night because of the three-way time conflict of DWTS, Heroes, and Monday Night Football. I did see Mel B, my boy Mark Cuban, and Wayne Newton. Oh, Mark Cuban, how I love you so. Why are the judges such haters?? How was everyone else last night? The Cheetah girl?

Here's what's backed up on the DVR right now: two episodes of Reaper, one of Heroes, and one of My Name is Earl. This week I'm gonna check out Pushing Daisies, too. Unless it conflicts with the Sox game...

One last thing: the Rustic Overtones. Why do they spite me so? Seriously, if I had known the reunion was going to last more than the summer...And if I had known a little earlier...I may not have left the East Coast. They are playing shows left and right! And I'm missing them. But, the good news is that they are playing the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving. I've already got plans on Saturday, but I'll be seeing them Friday. I can't wait! I hear that they played for some record execs, too, so maybe they're going to become big rock stars (living in hilltop houses, driving fifteen cars). I hope so.

I'll have the quesadilla...

I rarely cover one of the pillars of pop culture on this blog: music. But my latest obsession is worth sharing, if for no other reason than some of you may enjoy mocking me.

I have never liked Nickelback. In fact, I'd put them in a category with DMB, Hootie and the Blowfish, Counting Crows and a number of other bands that I give the "big B" to ("B" for "blow(s)"). Really really dislike Nickelback. Always change the station when one of their songs comes on. And then one day, they re-release what is probably their most ridiculous and annoying song.

And I love it.

I listen to it every day and I walk around the house singing it and laughing. Oh yes, boys and girls, I'm talking about Rockstar. I can't even begin to explain what I love about this song, although I'll cite the video and the commentary by Billy Gibbons (of ZZ Top) as two reasons, but it's more than that. I can't put my finger on it, but for some reason I just find this song really amusing and really catchy and it makes me happy when it comes on the radio.

True story.

And so it begins...

So far, we've had How I Met Your Mother and Dancing with the Stars.

The HIMYM premier was freaking awesome. I don't even know what the funniest part was...either the ending (http://www.slapcountown.com/) or the "tramp stamp" (specifically Barney's reaction to it; who knew Doogie Howser would go on to be a great comedic actor? His timing is awesome.)

As for DWTS, I don't have much to say, yet, except that the star I was most looking forward to was Mark Cuban and he did not disappoint! He was awesome! I'm not sure who I'd send home from the guys, but I agree with the judges on the lady who should head home: Josie Maran. She just was...blah. The guys, though...they held their own tonight. A lot of people were surprisingly good for the first week. At this point, I'd say it's wide open. My favorite new professional dancer: whoever's dancing with the Cheetah Girl. Their dance was awesome and he seems to have a lot of personality. Maybe I should learn his name...

I apologize for the excessive use of the word "awesome" and for the brevity. DWTS is about to end, though, so I have to get back to work. Woo, marketing textbook, here I come!

I'm back!

So, I probably shouldn't be devoting too much time to pop culture, much less blogging about it, but...it's TV season. And I love TV season. So, I'm going to do a quick catch up on the books I've read/movies I've seen, but I'll probably be keeping any actual commentary to TV for the foreseeable future.

And yes, I will eventually post to my Boston to Austin blog. In fact, I can't wait to share all my Austin adventures with you guys, but I just haven't had the time. That, and I want to start with a post about our road trip, but right now I can't seem to get the pictures from my camera to the computer. Gotta work on that.

So, real quick, books I've read: The Killer Angels (for my fellow Whedon fans, he's said in a few interviews that this book partially inspired Firefly) and the Harry Potter series. I needed some light reading leading up to the move and since starting school. Speaking of, I'm about to finish book 7 and I'd really love some recommendations for another series I could pick up. Preferably something light, easy-to-read and easy to get in to.

Movies I've seen: Arsenic and Old Lace (really weird), Superbad and Shoot 'em Up. Um, Superbad lived up to the title. And Shoot 'em Up was weird in an entirely different way than Arsenic and Old Lace. I wanted to see it because it had Paul Giamatti and Clive Owen and I like action films, etc. But wow...the plot was even thinner than it usually is in action movies. It was pretty much just an excuse to showcase a lot of violent action sequences.

Overdue...

So, I've been saving this post for six weeks or more now thinking that I'd eventually come back to this and write something a little longer and a bit more thoughtful, but it's clear that's not going to happen, so instead I'm just going to bite the bullet and post my immediate reactions to Schindler's List.

In other news, my new project is to develop the ability to read more than one book at a time. The list of books I want to read is so long and this would allow me to read a lot more books because I could read other books while stalled on a book that I like, but isn't a page turner for me, like Schindler's List or The Killer Angels, which is what I've been reading since I finished Schindler's List. Another new project is to read all the Harry Potter books before I move. We'll see how either one goes.

Anyway, on to the overdue post...

Schindler's List

Well, it only took me two months or so (maybe more, I'm not even sure), but I did finally finish reading Schindler's List. I'm sure everyone knows the story (and it's a bit complicated to review the plot of non-fiction, eh?), so I'll keep my review to the actual writing, which I didn't love. I really hate when authors "break the fourth wall," so to speak. Don't address me directly. Don't tell me your purpose in writing the book. If it's not clear to me without you explicitly stating it, perhaps you should rethink your career as an author. What I did like was that Thomas Keneally did not canonize Schindler (although, he unfortunately stated explicitly several times that he wasn't.). It makes him all that much more admirable to me; he wasn't a hero, he was just a man who did the right thing at a time when that was hard to do.

Anyway, I'm a little embarassed to say it, but I think for the second time in the short history of this blog, I'm going to say "skip the book, watch the movie." Man, it goes against every fiber of my future-librarian body to say that. And twice in the span of a few months. Ugh. Of course, in the name of full disclosure I must admit that I haven't seen the movie in ten years while the book is still fresh in my mind. Still, I don't think you can ever go wrong with Liam Neeson and Ben Kingsley.

Passing time on a Friday...

Truth is Stranger than Fiction

"Dick in a Box" was nominated for an Emmy.

Princess Bride

You may recall that in an early post in this blog I reviewed the book version of The Princess Bride and wondered what Cary Elwes was up to these days. ABC News has the answer and the accompanying photo is not pretty.

Children of Men

I actually really liked this movie, but Pat thought the ending was unsatisfying (we didn't actually watch it together). Usually I am the one that finds an entire movie ruined by the ending, but while I agree it would be interesting to see what happens next, I think it ends in a good place. Well, good being relative of course. I really wouldn't recommend this movie if you're looking for something light.



In fact, what I want to know more about isn't what happens after the ending, but what happens before the beginning of the movie. There are hints here and there that a lot of the characters, particularly Jasper and his wife, have interesting back stories. I would like to know more about how the world ended up in the state it is in fictional 2027. I would like to know more about what separated Theo and Julian (though I think that may have been revealed in a part that kept skipping). I would like to understand more clearly the missions of the Fishes and of the Human Project.

It's a very thought-provoking movie about what would happen if suddenly the human race was faced with extinction. I guess humans are unique in the respect that we can be aware of our own impending extinction; an endangered species, on the other hand, is probably not conscious of the fact that it's one of very few remaining. But, maybe it is. They find out new things about the minds of other animals (and humans) every day. In P.D. James' vision of the future, awareness of our own impending doom causes utter chaos and mayhem. Why is that, I wonder?

Not only is the world fraught with crime and destruction, but for some reason Great Britain is the only remaining country/government in tact (I'm a little fuzzy on the exact details). I would like some explanation of how they kept it together while every other country's government imploded. So again, while I agree with Pat that I think there's a lot more to this story that could be told (and probably is in the book), I don't think it's at the end.

I really recommend Children of Men. It's good, although definitely dark (I was going to add that it's sad, but it's also hopeful.), and I am okay with how the story is resolved.
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Sacrilege!

Is using the term sacrilege for anything that's not actually sacred, strictly speaking, sacrilegious in itself? Did that even make sense?

I digress.

I failed to mention that the closing number on the DWTS Tour was to Footloose (big yay!), but that helps me segue nicely into this bit of news that I find unnecessary:

Zac Efron Brings Home the Bacon in Footloose Remake

And how awful is that title? Oh, TV Guide...

Dancing with the Stars Tour

On Sunday night, Pat and I went to see the Dancing with the Stars tour at Mohegan Sun. Sadly, it was not one of the five shows on the tour that Apolo appeared in. As it turns out, I was pretty pleased with the star who was dancing with Julianne in his place: Joey McIntyre. I knew he was going to be on the tour and I wasn't overly excited because he was never my favorite New Kid and I didn't watch the season of DWTS that he was on. That changed pretty much the second he came on stage and I realized I was fulfilling my lifelong dream of seeing a New Kid live (okay, the dream is to see all of the New Kids, but that's clearly not gonna happen). It was all I could do to not scream like a teenage girl. I was pretty much a pile of mush. As it turns out, he's actually a pretty good dancer, too, so I really wasn't missing Apolo at all. And then...he sang. Twice!!

I couldn't get Pat to understand just how much it meant to me to see a New Kid. Jonathan Knight was my first celebrity boyfriend (although my second celebrity crush after Patrick Swayze) and the New Kids were my only true celebrity obsession ever. I had a sleeping bag, sheets, the buttons the size of my face...the list goes on and on. And, in fact, it was because of the New Kids that I first learned that the people we idolize aren't perfect (of course, on reflection, idolizing a boy band was probably not a great choice in the first place, but I was 6 when Hangin' Tough was released). I remember reading in the paper that Donnie Wahlberg had busted up a hotel room and did drugs. I was crushed. In my world, doing drugs was the worst possible offense.

But, back to the show...The highlight of the night: Forgot the dancing! Joey Mac, Joey Fatone (of N*Sync, my other favorite boy band), Joey Lawrence (whoa!), and Drew Lachey all sang a Rat Pack medley together. I told Pat it was the best thing that ever happened to me. On reflection, I may have been a little too caught up in the moment, but it was still pretty damn good. I think I was one of the few people in the audience that was just the right age to have been a fan of both New Kids on the Block and N*Sync. There were a lot of old ladies and teenage girls in the house.

Okay, I should probably talk about the dancing at least a little. They did some of my favorite numbers from the only season I watched, including Joey and Kim's jive and their freestyle, as well as Apolo (played by Joey Mac) and Julianne's dance to I Like to Move It. They also did Drew and Cheryl's freestyle (Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy) and their paso doble (Thriller). The group numbers were fantastic, as well. I especially enjoyed the one they did with Joey Lawrence and four of the female professionals and the group one to Luck be a Lady. Julianne and Louis did a pretty steamy...rumba, I think it was. I mix them up. But it was really amazing.

Another highlight: They had local ballroom dancers do a mini dance-off and had the audience vote on a favorite. When one of the dancers introduce himself, he mentioned he was single. Not surprisingly, he and his partner were the winning dancers.

I wish I could dance.

Very Brief Reviews

So, I started this post right after I got back from a trip to Maine for my mother's 50th birthday, which was June 16. Actually, I even finished everything you'll read below that week, but also included in the post was my assessment of Schindler's List, which I finally finished reading, and that was really what was causing the hold up. So, I'll do that another time, and in the meantime, here are some brief movie reviews:


My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Okay, so I've actually seen this one before, but I was totally stoked (wow, 1993 called. They want their vocab back.) that it was playing on my bus ride to Maine last weekend. Otherwise, the ride wasn't that great - the bus wasn't air conditioned, there were no pockets on the backs of the seats for my stuff, and the bus was jam-packed - so a good movie was really a treat. Seriously, I love this movie in a way that I rarely love cheesy romantic comedies. I laugh when Ian gets beat up by the old lady, I choke up a little when Toula's parents give them a house at their wedding, the whole nine yards. This movie knows how to push all my sappy buttons. I have one complaint though: My Big Fat Greek Wedding is guilty of perpetuating the pop culture stereotype that to transform from "frump girl" to Greek goddess, a woman has to ditch the glasses. Because beautiful girls are also blessed with perfect eyesight, or should at least appear to be.

Children of Men

Finally, I watched a movie I hadn't already seen! That's the first time in months.

Okay, I started to write my thoughts on this one and they were not "very brief" as promised in the title, so I'll save it for another post.

You Got Served

Another movie I had never seen... and I probably would have been better off if I had left it that way. I really wanted to see the dancing because a lot of it was choreographed by judges/dancers/choreographers featured on So You Think You Can Dance, which is my current guilty pleasure (though I don't like it as much as Dancing with the Stars). The dancing was pretty awesome, but I'm just not sure it was worth it. The movie was even worse than I expected and I had set the bar pretty low. There were a couple of times I actually told Pat to pause because I just needed a break and some time to consider whether or not I really wanted to lose an hour and a half of my life to watching the acting skills of former B2K members. My recommendation: DVR it on TV. That way, you don't have to pay to rent it, but you can still fast forward to the dance routines.

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More than Meets the Eye

This weekend, I had pretty much the best 24 hours ever, which began with me seeing Transformers with Jenn and Greg on Saturday night. Although, before I go off on a total squee-fest, let me just lodge the complaint that our previews totally blew right now. Except for the preview of Shark Week, which was of course, awesome. PS I'm going to use the word "awesome" somewhere between two and three hundred times in this post, so get used to it now. Summary of the Shark Week preview: "Sharks aren't angry; they're hungry."



So, Transformers...Transformers was exactly what I want in a movie: entertainment. No, I didn't have any particularly deep thoughts or feelings while watching (In fact, I'm pretty sure I had no thoughts, deep or otherwise, except for "this is so awesome this is so awesome this is so awesome."). No, the plot was not particularly original. And you know what? I couldn't care less. This may very well be my favorite movie of the last five years. I laughed, I teared up (surprise, surprise), I clapped (sorry, Melissa), I fanned myself, I covered my eyes, I squee'd, and I repeatedly whispered to Jenn, "this is so cool." Seriously, there was not a single moment where I was not entertained.

For someone who enjoys action movies and special effects, it's pretty much two and a half hours of pure joy. And yet, it was surprisingly low on really graphic violence, which I also appreciated, mostly just robot-on-robot action. It's all the thrills without having to actually see someone lose a limb or lie in a twisted heap on the ground or gasp for their last breath. Pretty much it's just really freaking cool GM cars turning into robots and then kicking the crap out of each other. Did I mention it was awesome?

Also, I have no idea where Josh Duhamel's been all my life, but hell-o.

To put into perspective just how much I liked this movie, I said to Pat, "you know how I get really pissed off when movies end in such a way as to leave an opening for a sequel? When Transformers did that I was like, 'holy awesomeness, I can't wait. I hope they make like six sequels. And, I hope the next one comes out tomorrow.'" I am planning to see this movie at least two more times in the theater. I seriously considered walking out of the theater, buying another ticket, and seeing the next showing of it that very night. The only thing that stopped me, I think, was that I had to work at 7:30am yesterday.

Here, check out the imdb.com page for the man who voices Optimus Prime: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0191520/. He did voices in some of my favorite childhood cartoons. Most notably, he was Eeyore! This man is a major icon of my childhood and I didn't even know it.

The 24 hours of awesomeness (and reliving my childhood) ended with seeing the Dancing with the Stars tour last night, but I'm going to post separately on that, so let me just comment quickly on two other movies I saw this weekend with Pat while he was recovering from having his wisdom teeth removed: Music & Lyrics and The Three Musketeers. I'm sure everyone knows how awesome The Three Musketeers is already (and if not, run, do not walk, to your local Blockbuster; it's also free On Demand on Comcast right now). Music & Lyrics was a pretty cute rom-com. Pretty formulaic, but it has Drew Barrymore (who I love love love) and Hugh Grant (who I have developed a fondness for since Love Actually). It's also pretty funny. Definitely a no-brainer, but a nice mindless way to spend an afternoon with someone doped up on Percoset.
There's more to this post than meets the eye...

San Francisco, Days 5, 6, and 7

Day 5: Haight and Ashbury, Crepes, Nature (Golden Gate Park)

Day 6: AT&T Park, I Love the 80's

Day 7: Cable Cars, Boudin Sourdough (w/ Factory Tour), Octagon House, Scorpion Bowl Safari

While I did the first three, Melissa, Megan and Guy walked across the Golden Gate Bridge. I'm a scaredy-cat.

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more Rustic

I just found out about yet another Rustic show. It's on a Thursday. I can definitely not go. Sad face. I will now be spamming my own blog with links about Rustic.

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=111579&ac=PHfea&pg=1
The pictures alone on this one should explain why I love them. Also, this article may or may not have been written by someone I went to middle school with.

http://www.myspace.com/rusticovertones
You can listen to some of their music...do it!

Ewww...

According to Old Spice, Austin is the seventh sweatiest city in the country:
http://www.livescience.com/health/060621_sweaty_cities.html

Not sure how the tree hugger is going to feel when I have to shower three times a day. Thankfully, libraries are notoriously chilly places...

Rustic and Paradise Hotel

So, I'm now seeing Rustic Overtones four times in nine days. I'm considering making it five times in ten days because they are playing a free WCYY patio show on Friday, July 27. It's tempting because their first patio show was the first time I ever saw them live (11 years ago!) and because I want to see them as many times as possible before they break up again and go back to their current bands. They were in the WCYY studio on Friday so I got to hear two of their new songs on the radio. They also played a song from the patio show and I was a little verklempt. My first Rustic show! I was 14. Good memories.

Also, as fate would have it, not only is my favorite band of all time returning this summer, so is my favorite reality tv show (not that the two are even remotely in the same league, but watching Paradise Hotel again will be amusing): http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20007101_0_20042276,00.html (scroll to the bottom)

San Francisco, Days 3 and 4

Day 3: Doe Library, Mary Poppins, Football Stadium, PORCHMOBILE, Sox v. A's, Lenny DiNardo's Pants, Boogie's Victory Dance


Day 4: Boudin Sourdough again, Alcatraz, Lombard Street, Coit Tower, The Stinking Rose, Cable Car




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Proud to be a Massachusetts Resident

(at least for the next two months and three days)

Legislators vote to defeat same-sex marriage ban

San Francisco, Days 1 and 2

Day 1: Jack London Square in Oakland, Downtown Berkeley and the UC Berkeley campus

Downtown Berkeley is pretty idyllic. Can't argue with that. I don't really understand how that breeds liberalism, though. Frankly, if I could eat chili dogs, white-flavored gelato, and pizza named after Greek gods everyday and wash it down with Jupiter Honey Wheat beer, I'd probably just be complacent. I think I'd be too fat and happy to really care about politics one way or the other.


Day 2: Fisherman's Wharf, Mary!, Chicken Adob...something...Adobo? Chicken Deliciousness.




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MTV Movie Awards

Just finished watching the MTV Movie Awards. I have only these few things to say:

1. Transformers looks so freaking awesome I can't stand it, but I also can't stand that this was essentially a two-hour preview for the movie.
2. Sarah Silverman sucked.
   
3. Johnny Depp accepted his award looking exactly like he did in 1990: plaid shirt tied around his waist, torn jeans, longish hair, and ridiculously gorgeous.
   

100 Words

100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know

Jejune? Really? Some of these I've never heard of and others I think you should probably know before they let you graduate from high school...

Dork. D-O-R-K. Dork.

There will be five hours of the national spelling bee on my DVR waiting for me when I get home tonight. :)

Green Monster

I had standing room tickets on the Green Monster for last nights Sox game agains the Indians with Melissa Brassil and her dad. It was totally awesome. The view was great and not at all scary (unlike the Fleet Center, which I find horrifying). The game was a good one and the Sox won 5-2. Some highlights:

• The return of Trot Nixon. He got a warm welcome from the Fenway Faithful and rightfully so. There was also a ceremony acknowledging his and his wife's contributions to the Jimmy Fund and his wife, Kathryn, threw out the second first pitch (the first being thrown by a WWII veteran in honor of the holiday). He got a standing ovation during his first at bat and he tipped his pine tar-covered hat. I miss him.
• Youkilis' inside-the-park home run. Seeing that in person was so cool. Even cooler than the time I saw Lou Pinella get ejected. Slightly less cool than the time I saw D.Lowe get the win against the Yankees. I think. I don't know. An inside-the-park home run is really damn cool.
• Jonathan Papelbon's trek to the mound. The place went crazy. I didn't realize he'd gotten to be such a big deal. I live in a bubble, apparently, because seriously the roar of the crowd was deafening and I've never seen so many camera flashes. Melissa and I speculated that the reason he didn't pitch so well against the first two batters was because he was blinded.
• The soundtrack to the dispute between the managers and the umps in the ninth inning. From where we were, we couldn't even tell what the dispute was about, but when Terry Francona was up there arguing, they played "We Just Disagree" by Dave Mason. When Eric Wedge stormed back to the dugout, they played "I Fought the Law." It was amusing.

Rustic Overtones

There is nothing like the feeling of finding out that your favorite band in the whole world is reuniting and doing two shows and the timing actually works out so that those shows will be before you move to Texas. Honestly, I'm a little emotional right now. And yes, yes I am that obsessed.

Reality Finales

Needless to say, I'm pleased with the outcome of Season 4 of Dancing with the Stars. Apolo was awesome and he and Julianne totally deserved to win. I would've liked to have seen Laila as the runner up, but hoping for first and second place to work out the way I wanted was probably a little greedy.

Now, on to American Idol. I want Blake to win, but I concede that Jordin was the better contestant last night (and I knew she was going to win before they'd even took the stage). However, giving them both the same song to end with was totally bush league. Alan Sepinwall says it better than I could: "Now, is that fair, America? Asking Blake to sing [the puppy dog and rainbows anthem] is like asking Dennis Kucinich to dunk a basketball. Asking Jordin to do it is like asking Paris Hilton to be nasty and conceited. It just comes naturally to her, and she hits a sustained glory note near the end that Blake would never in a million years even think of attempting."

awww...

Two sites I will never grow tired of:

www.cuteoverload.com

www.icanhascheezburger.com

So amused.

Present Laughter

Pat and I went to see Present Laughter with Victor Garber at the Huntington on Friday. I'm not familiar with Garber from Alias, but I know people really love him from the show and I can definitely say his stage acting lived up to his reputation. He was fantastic (and he can apparently sing...who knew?). A lot of the humor relied on expression, which is especially challenging on stage when a camera can't zoom in on your face and he totally sold it (even to me, and I was in the balcony).

Present Laughter is a 1930's Noel Coward comedy that takes place in London. The story itself is amusing, but the real pleasure is in the characters. Victor Garber played the lead, Garry Essendine, a famous London stage actor (for that alone, I enjoyed the play because I know have the opportunity to use the phrase "meta." As in, "it's a play about actors...how meta.")

If you are into theatre and have the time in the next couple of weeks, definitely check it out. The writing and acting are superb (The only actor I didn't enjoy was the one playing Roland Maule. The characters all are caricatures to a point, but he was a little over the top for me.). I literally laughed out loud multiple times. Also, if you are a total nerd like me, you'll enjoy that the costumes are pretty damn good, too. And the set...the set is totally awesome.

FOX and CW upfronts

Right now I watch zero shows on the CW. This morning I saw what they picked up for next year and it looks like the trend will continue. Although, I will say that if I was 16, I'd totally watch Gossip Girl.

I watch only one show on FOX, and that may change. Parkey Posey and Frasier Crane each have a show picked up by FOX and I really enjoy them. However, the shows' premises are not that appealing. Parker Posey's in The Return of Jezebel James, about a woman who asks her sister to be her surrogate mother. Frasier's in Back to You with Patricia Heaton, whom I find extremely annoying. It's about news anchors. M'eh.

CBS Upfronts

The Class has been cancelled. But, How I Met Your Mother has been renewed. I guess you can't have it all.

Like NBC, CBS has picked up zero new shows that I'm interested in. Looks like it's gonna be an ABC year next year.

Speaking of ABC, let's all take a moment to mourn Ian's ousting on DWTS. We'll miss you, Steve Sanders. See you at the Peach Pit.

DWTS Semifinal

Best week of the season. By far. Holy crap. Everyone was awesome and I really wish they'd just let them all dance for the rest of the season and give everyone a disco ball.

Apolo and Ian both smiled while dancing this week. I don't think I've seen that ever before.

Also, the dance to Push It...wow. Apolo and Julianne all the way!! (Um, and Laila and Ian and even Joey 'cause they are all so damn fun to watch.)

I can't wait to see the tour and I am irritated at myself for being too much of a snob to watch this in past seasons.

Nostalgia

I don't know that this can really be considered nostalgia since I haven't actually left Boston, yet, but I've been thinking a bit about the things I will really miss about this city. Keep in mind I am specifically talking about the city, not about my life here. As in, of course I'll miss intramural sports and my season tickets to hockey and Grey's nights, but my sentimentality about that stuff is much more connected to the people I'm with than the events themselves.

In the last couple of weeks the only times I've been really sentimental about the city itself have been when I've been walking. So, I guess that's what I'll miss most about Boston: the walking. I've taken all of my favorite walks in the last week and every time I think, "wow, this is so great, what a beautiful day, I'm really going to miss this city." Then, I think about what those walks are like in the middle of February and I feel a lot better. ;)

I suppose since I mentioned that I specifically have favorite walks, I should share them.

• The Esplanade. Actually, I really like the drive along Storrow and Memorial Drives, too, so I suppose this one isn't specifically a walk. The view is just so beautiful, especially headed toward the city. On a sunny spring day, with the trees in bloom and the sailboats on the river, you almost forget you're in a city, but then there it is: the skyline. And it's totally breathtaking. The drive is pretty great at night, too. I love the view of the towers at Marsh Plaza all lit up.
• The lower end of Comm. Ave. I like to walk down Comm. Ave. toward downtown on my lunch breaks. Often times I'll go up Mass. Ave. to either Newbury or Boylston. Whenever I go to the Hunt for a show, I walk that way, too. Unlike the Esplanade, where you can forget you're in a city, I love this walk specifically because I feel right in the thick of things (especially on Boylston).
• From my apartment to Coolidge Corner. This is my absolute favorite and I usually do it at least once a week during the summer. I like to go down Allston to Kelton, which turns into Winchester, so I get a nice walk through a residential part of Brookline, and then back down Harvard with stops at all my favorites: Paper Source, Bowl & Board, Booksmith, Kupel's, Anna's. Oh man, Anna's. Now I want a quesadilla.

Read More...

ABC upfronts

Unlike NBC which announced zero new shows I'm interested in, ABC looks like it might have some good ones, although admittedly nothing that totally knocks my socks off (and, surprise surprise, they picked up the Grey's spinoff).

Here are the ones I'll at least check out and why:

• Private Practice I did give up Grey's, but I'll probably give this a try.
• Dirty Sexy Money It's about a lawyer for a rich and famous family and has Peter Krause from Six Feet Under. I didn't personally like Six Feet Under that much, but he's a pretty good actor and I'm looking for a good drama to fill the Grey's void. Still, I'll admit it sounds like it could go either way from the limited descriptions I've read.
• Cashmere Mafia Starring Lucy Liu and produced by Darren Star, the man who gave the world Beverly Hills, 90210 (along with Aaron Spelling, of course). Need I say more?
• Sam I Am Christina Applegate. Love her. If you've seen The Sweetest Thing and you don't also absolutely love her, well, that's just crazy talk.
• Miss/Guided About a woman who returns to her high school to be the guidance counselor. Could be funny.

My Name is Earl

I just got to watch the finale last night. I love Marlee Matlin so much. I also enjoyed the cliffhanger. Normally I do prefer a nice, neat ending with all the loose ends tied up, but I suppose I feel okay with this since I'm pretty confident they won't leave Earl in jail with Ralph for two years. I'd like to see him in there for a few weeks while Joy works on the list to make up for him taking the fall for her. My only complaint about Earl is this: what ever happened to the Catalina/Randy storyline? Are they still married? Is she still wishing she hadn't pushed him away forever? This storyline and John Leguizamo both need to come back next season.

Pat and I are both working tonight so now we'll have four episodes of Heroes to catch up on. I've got to get on that.

PS I love up-fronts week! Today is NBC, which has been pretty boring. None of their new shows look too interesting to me. But, they did renew Scrubs and that's all I really wanted from them. Now, I'm pretty much just interested in CBS so I can see if The Class and/or How I Met Your Mother got renewed.

Surprise!

Off to Maine for the weekend. I leave you with this picture of the graduates.

As promised...

...a quick rundown of my recent TV viewing.

How I Met Your Mother: This show consistently makes me laugh out loud and I'm going to be pissed if it doesn't come back. Though, they are promising that the last episode of this season will also work as a series finale.

Heroes: I'm so far behind!

Criminal Minds: I haven't been watching this religiously, but I need to watch last week's episode because Heidi, who used to live on 15C with Trish (and taught her how to do the now infamous Banana) is in the episode.

My Name is Earl: Joy's preparations for crossing the border: hilarious. Spoofing Rudy: even better. I love this show.

Scrubs: Go Team JD! Keith's got to go.

Grey's Anatomy: Believe it or not, I don't have much to say on this topic right now. I'm going to ride it out 'til the end of the season and see what I think. Recently, I've found the writing to be on par with the first season in terms of the quality of the dialogue, etc., but I'm just not pleased with the direction the storylines are going in. Also, I'm still trying to decide how I felt about the spin-off.

Odds 'n' Ends

Andi feels I have not been prolific enough in my blogging of late, so here are some odds 'n' ends to tide folks over (tie them over? I'm not really clear on what the saying is exactly...) until I stop feeling like I got hit by a train.

So, first, life updates, so you know why I feel like I got hit by a train: I'm working two jobs now. A lot of people do it. I've even done it many times in the past. And, I assume I will adjust soon enough. But, right now, I'm exhausted. Every minute of every day I'm thinking about how much I want to sleep and even blogging feels like it will take too much energy. Still, at the end of the summer, when I find myself unemployed and moving to a strange far away place, I will be glad I've saved up some cash. That's about it. I mean, I'm super busy aside from the two jobs and I have about one million things to do before the big move, but none of that is interesting enough to blog about, though some of it is a lot of it is fun (I really am having a lot of fun recently. I'm trying to spend as much free time as possible with people before I'm a thousand miles away and homesick.).



As for news about the big move: there is none. No, we don't have an apartment. No, Pat doesn't have a job, yet. No, we don't know when we're moving. Although, August 10 is tentatively my last day of work.

I have started a new blog that I won't be posting in until we leave for Texas. It's called Boston to Austin and there's a link to it over on the right-hand side of this page. While this blog is pretty much focused on what I'm reading/watching (with occasional anecdotes about dying my cat blue), that one will be a little more in-depth as to what I'm actually doing. It's just another tool for keeping in touch when I'm in the Lone Star State.

Now, on to what I'm reading/watching: I am pretty sure I haven't actually watched a movie since I was in LA at the beginning of the month. I started to watch some terrible movie with the Wilson brothers, but I didn't finish it so that doesn't count. I've been reading Schindler's List for a while. Again, because of the whole tired/busy thing, I haven't made much progress. Enough to feel sad, though. And nauseous. But, blogging about that really would take too much energy, so I'll wait 'til I'm done with it. I'll do another post about the TV I've been watching, although (and by now you should be used to this song and dance), I'm way behind on the DVR because I've been so busy (yeah, that excuse got old quick, I know, the next entry will be peppier, I promise).
The rest is less whiny...

You Give Bon Jovi a Bad Name

Wow, not a good night on American Idol. C'mon people, I'm a huge Bon Jovi fan, but it's not Puccini. Seriously, they almost all sucked at rock. It's rock. Not rocket science. I'm baffled. But, not everyone sucked, so let me break it down:

Phil: Woo, Phil sounded bad when he was being mentored, so I was a little worried. But, then he totally rocked it (rocked it, get it?). He has really hit his stride since country week and he was awesome again last night. I love you, Phil.



Jordin: Wow. I was going to say she was Sanjaya-esque, but maybe not that bad. Definitely at least Haley-esque. She sang Living on a Prayer...the student section at hockey sounds better when they do it. I'm not even kidding. I love Jordin and I think she's lucky they are taking last week's votes into account, too. And, I do think she deserves to stay. But, this was just awful. I was pained.

LaKisha: LaKisha a) showed personality last night and b) totally hit it out of the ballpark. I know people have been raving about her all along, but I thought she was boring. Last night, I became a fan. A huge fan. She was awesome. Although she did do a weird squatting thing at the end that I will refrain from describing since I'd have to use imagery I'm not comfortable with.

Blake: I've warmed up to the performance in the last 10 hours. Possibly just because Blake dyed his hair and now he's so hot I can't stand it.

Chris: Chris Richardson who? Blake is now definitely definitely my favorite JT. Also, probably a bad idea to pick a song that Chris Daughtry did last season. Just sayin', is all.

Melinda: Wow, Melinda achieved what I thought was surely impossible: she sucked. Not as bad as Jordin. But, it was ugly. Really really ugly.
It went downhill from there...

DWTS/AI

The results show for Dancing with the Stars is so much better than the results show for American Idol. Actually, I think I prefer it on many levels. I definitely prefer the contestants and judges on DWTS. Of course, Seacrest is is WAY better than Samantha whatsherface.

Quick note on Idol Gives Back: Seacrest's botched intro is one of the many reason I love live TV. Love it.

Best Meme I've Done in a While

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

American Idol

So the judges pointed out twice tonight that the contestants picked songs that were difficult because the original version by the original artist was so iconic (I'm paraphrasing, particularly in the case of Fantasia, who isn't exactly iconic, but you see what I'm getting at.): Once with Blake doing Imagine by John Lennon and again with LaKisha doing some Fantasia song I have never heard.

And yet, they thought Phil had one of his best nights ever.

Clearly, they are not country music fans because he didn't do the song nearly as well as Garth Brooks. Phil sounded good, but Brooks did that song so well and so movingly and in a side by side comparison it just wouldn't have stacked up at all.

And again, he did sing it well, but just not as good as the original, which was apparently an issue with Blake and Lakisha, who I also thought were good (especially LaKisha, who I'm finally warming up to).

I don't even like country music that much, but I'm disappointed in the judges ignorance of the genre.

DWTS

I'm catching up on Dancing with the Stars right now because I was working earlier so I don't have much to say about the dancers, yet (except that I love Joey). But, I did want to comment on how one of the best things about this show is how they manage to stack the audience with B-list celebs every week. This week I've seen Norm (from Cheers) and J.C. from N&Sync. Not as good as the week of Brian Austin Green and Boyz II Men, but still pretty good.

Okay, and they just pointed out George Lopez before I could hit "Publish," but that doesn't count because he's on ABC.

ETA: Laila and Maks were freaking awesome. Plus, they danced to a pep band song.

ETA2: Oh, Billy Ray. That was awkward and a little tooly and still your best week, yet. Go you!

ETA3: Apolo and Julianne just made me feel dirty. I'm not sure I'm buying the whole "we're like siblings" thing. Totally hot, though. Definitely still my faves. Well, maybe. Still have to see Ian. PS I liked their music last week better. Hard to top "I like to move it, move it." Especially since it makes me think of lemurs.

ETA4: Actually, even better than the B-list celebs are the unscripted comments from Tom, Bruno and Len. These three should perhaps not be allowed on live TV.

ETA5: Joey and Apolo were both definitely better than Ian this week. Laila, too, I think. But, fun song choice.

Fruity Cocktails Count as Health Food?

Fruity Cocktails Count as Health Food, Study Finds

I'll drink to that.

Boston to Austin Part Deux

In preparation for my upcoming drive to Texas, I'm trying to figure out mobile posting, so I can blog from the road! I'll be doing a couple of test posts over the next few minutes.

ETA: Can't get it to work, yet. Thankfully, I've got months to figure it out!

The Time Traveler's Wife, the movie

This news really excites me: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117963263.html?categoryid=1959&cs=1

The tidbit at the end there also reminds me that I want to add The Other Boleyn Girl to my reading list.

Peace out, Clyde

I caught up on Dancing with the Stars last night, and I feel a little guilty for doing this to Ian and Joey, but I think Apolo and Julianne officially became my favorite pair this week.

I also watched four out of seven singers on American Idol last night and this morning. Phil, I thought, had his best performance yet and I hope he at least outlasts Sanjaya. But, I have a bad feeling that's not gonna happen. Jordan was amazing, as always, and even though I usually hate when the judges discuss the singers' looks, Paula was right: she looked totally gorgeous. Sanjaya, having peaked at "bad" last week, was back down to "awful" last night. Last night was my favorite performance by LaKisha (though, I did miss the week she did Jennifer Holliday). The judges thought she wasn't that great, though, so what do I know?

Dancing with the Stars

Because I was playing softball last night (yes, you read that correctly: playing), I didn't get to watch Dancing with the Stars. I caught up a little this morning, though, and even though I only got through three dancers (Ian, Clyde, and Heather), I have to say that Clyde's gotta go. Even if he doesn't get kicked off this week, I think I'll be fast forwarding his performances from here on out. It's just getting to be painful to watch. Ian was good, although his and Cheryl's samba was a little too...I don't know. It was just too much.

Also, now that there aren't many out-and-out awful dancers left, it's starting to become more obvious that Heather's not that great. Okay, I'll give it to her: her footwork is good, even for someone with two real legs. But, the rest of her body is a big fat mess while she's dancing. She and Jonathan just looked terribly awkward on last night's show. The segment where Jonathan got his chest waxed was pretty hilarious, though, and I still hope she at least outlasts Clyde and possibly Cliff the Mailman.

Aloft

I bought Aloft for two reasons: first of all, it was on the bargain book table at Booksmith. But, more importantly, it is by Chang-Rae Lee. A few years ago, I read another book of his for my contemporary novel class, Native Speaker. For me, Native Speaker was one of those books that seemed like it was written just for me. It's easily one of my favorite books of all time. I didn't enjoy Aloft as much, but like Native Speaker, it tackles the themes of race and family and how those both factor in to identity. Also like Native Speaker, it is very well-written.

I think the reason that I like Lee's books so much is that they are about life situations that are entirely different from my own and yet are completely relatable. Native Speaker, in particular, focuses on race and assimilation, but it is framed in such a way that it's not just about how being Korean American affects the main character, but how we are all shaped by our families and our language and our geographic roots. I also appreciate that the characters, despite some extraordinary traits (the protagonist of Native Speaker, for example, is a spy), are pretty normal. They are no better or worse than the rest of us. They have strengths, sure, but they aren't saints. Similarly, they have weaknesses, but they aren't rapists or murderers. The characters are just like people that any one of us might know.

In particular, both Native Speaker and Aloft strike a personal chord with me because I know that so much of who I am is because of my family, for better or for worse. In fact, I'm probably a lot like Theresa in Aloft. As a teenager, she deliberately distances herself from her family and tries to be the opposite of what her father is (hey, don't we all to some extent?). And yet, because of that she is probably even more defined by her family than her brother, Jack, even if the definition is the opposite, if that makes sense. She comes around in the end, though, and is ultimately the "glue" that brings her family closer together than ever. Okay, so I'm not so conceited as to think I'll be the glue that brings my family together, but I have come to appreciate my family a lot in my twenties.

So, I really enjoyed Aloft, but nothing like the way I did Native Speaker. I also think the latter might appeal to a broader audience, so I highly recommend it and only recommend Aloft for people who have agreed with some of my other book reviews on this blog.

What I've been Reading/Watching

My TV/movie viewing and especially my reading have slowed down in the last few weeks due to Megan's visit, going to LA, picking a grad. school, and procuring a second job. However, I did catch up on some things when I had down time in LA.

Katy has Showtime and On Demand, so we watched the first three episodes of The Tudors. I'm totally sucked in and hope the rest of the episodes will be online. First of all, Jonathan Rhys Meyers is so hot. Secondly, I am not so good with history, so for me it's all new and intriguing (except that I do know what happens to the wives and with the separation from the church). I'm looking forward to learning the fate of England under the reign of Henry VIII because I really don't know much about it. If you enjoy historical drama or Jonathan Rhys Meyers, check it out.

I also saw Beverly Hills Cop for the first time ever. I don't have much to say about the movie, but according to Katy, it's noteworthy that I had never seen it before. I was kind of excited to see LA/Beverly Hills sights (or should I use "sites" in this context?) that I had just seen in person for the first time. Speaking of, anytime we went anywhere in LA that was mentioned in Clueless, I was ridiculously excited.

I finished reading Aloft by Chang-Rae Lee, but I'm going to post a separate entry for that.

Reality TV

So, I've now not only been sucked into American Idol, but also Dancing with the Stars.

I'm going to start with Idol so I can say how happy I am that Haley finally got the boot.

As for DWTS, I think there is currently a three-way tie for my favorite: Ian, Apolo, and Joey. I agree with the Frayne Train, though, that having former boy-banders on the show is cheating. They already know how to dance! Sure, it's not ballroom dancing, but I think it still gives them an edge over a lot of the others. I also agree that Ian is about ten million times hotter now than he was as Steve Sanders.

I am also really pulling for Billy Ray. I know he can't dance, but he is so freakin' adorable and he's trying so hard! When the judges said the bear was turning into a lion, it looked like he was going to cry. I wouldn't want him to win, but I do hope he makes it through a few more weeks. He should definitely outlast Clyde the Glide and Cliff the Mailman.

PS The dancing to Big & Rich's Save a Horse on the results show was totally hot.

Vonnegut

Wow. Kurt Vonnegut is dead.

I haven't read anything by him in years...but, wow. He was so important to a younger me.

This makes me really sad.

La La Land

Went to LA this past weekend to visit UCLA. Since I'd already decided to go to Texas, that didn't happen so much. Fortunately, though, as much fun as I had, I feel more certain than ever that I made the right decision.

The first night I was there I came down with the stomach ache from hell (for a moment, I thought I might have appendicitis, the pain was so bad), so instead of doing anything fun, Katy and I went to 7-11, where we saw Steve Carrell. Clearly, it was the highlight of my trip, even though I was dying.

Above: Me bringing a little Boston flavor to the Hollywood sign.

Boston to Austin

Okay, folks, I need your help.

At some point this summer, I'll be taking a cross-country drive from Boston to Austin and I need to make some mixed CDs to get me through. So, I am looking for suggestions of good road trip songs. I'm open to anything and I have eclectic tastes, so don't be afraid to suggest something. All I ask is that songs not be too slow and potentially sleep-inducing. Songs that fit the theme of road tripping or Texas (or any of the states between here and there that I may pass through) are especially welcome!

Comment away! Thanks!

Hook 'em Horns!

I got in to my top choice school and they gave me a financial aid offer I couldn't refuse, so it looks like I'm a Longhorn! In the fall I'll be enrolled in the School of Information at the University of Texas Austin working toward my Master of Science in Information Studies with a specialization in Librarianship.

Above: A picture of the UT campus that Pat took when we were there in September.

American Idol

I haven't watched Haley or LaKisha, yet, because of softball, so I'm not going to give a bottom three this week, but I have a bad feeling that Phil Stacey is going home. :( Gina wasn't great this week, either.

I am getting closer to having a clear favorite now, though. I think it's down to Chris R. and Jordin for me.

Blue Nikki

So, yesterday, I dyed one of my cats blue. I spilled blue food coloring on the floor and before I could even reach for the paper towels Nikki was playing in it (normally she doesn't move too quickly due to her disability, but whenever there's trouble to be made she's like the wind). She got one paw all blue (and tracked pawprints all through the house) and her nose (shown here).

Broomball

Why Broomball Rules (The answer to why broomball rules reminds me of the days of watching Red or Purple Reign with Frank J. Busso, Jr.)

Alanis and the Black Eyed Peas

Alanis Morissette Ironically Covers My Humps

Hilarious.

Thursday Morning Miscellany

First, American Idol. So far I have not called a perfect "bottom three," though I did get two out of three this week. However, I'm three-for-three in that each week one of my bottom three actually goes home. Next week's theme: Tony Bennett songs. I actually even like Tony Bennett, but seriously, I have yet to see LaKisha or Melinda do a song that was recorded in the last twenty years. I'd like them to get on that.

Also, what I think may be a fun link: http://tmastc.blogspot.com/2007/03/one-shining-moment.html.

It's all of the "One Shining Moment" montages (which they play each year following the men's NCAA basketball championship game) from the last ten years. I haven't had a chance to actually watch them, yet, but I'm looking forward to it.

Pat and I watched The Illusionist last night. Once again, I was sucked in to a movie by the cast: Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti (okay, Jessica Biel is also in it, so I guess that should've been a giant red flag). And, once again, the movie fell flat. It wasn't bad (unlike Man of the Year and American Dreamz). I'd even give it three out of five stars on Netflix. But, it also wasn't great. And, I honestly don't even have much to say about it. The accents were horrendous and I figured out the plot twist all on my own. Also, I really liked the story idea, but thought it wasn't executed as well as it could've been. This movie falls short of its potential. But don't we all?

Finally, an article from The Boston Globe about superstitious baseball players: http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2007/03/29/quirk_of_fortune/.

Being mildly superstitious myself, I enjoyed it.

Happy Thursday!

American Idol

Three contestants were ballsy enough to actually choose No Doubt songs, two more chose songs from the Police, and two more from Donna Summer. Apparently there was a shortage of pop music to choose from.

My picks for this week's bottom three: Sanjaya, Chris Sligh, and Haley. Sanjaya, in particular, took things to a whole new level of awful.

Also, I now officially have an enormous girl-crush on Gwen Stefani. HUGE girl crush.

Join hands and hearts and voices...

Went to Matty D's concert last night (and by Matty D's, I mean the Charles River Wind Ensemble's). I've never seen a wind ensemble do an encore before, but it was pretty much the highlight of my weekend because they played the Kellerman's anthem from Dirty Dancing. Less than twenty-four hours later, I've already forgotten the real title of the song. C'est la vie.

Saw two movies this weekend: Man of the Year and The Crying Game.

Man of the Year was not good. Much like American Dreamz, it was a case of good cast, bad plot (both starring actresses from Mystic River, incidentally). The cast included Robin Williams, who is admittedly hit or miss, but it also had Christoper Walken, Laura Linney, Jeff Goldblum, and Lewis Black. For what it's worth, the political humor was pretty funny. Unfortunately, it wasn't funny enough to compensate for the painfully weak plot.

I don't really have much to say about The Crying Game. It was apparently nominated for six Oscars and even won one (best original screenplay) and perhaps if I'd seen it when it came out in 1992, I would've been a bit more impressed (Well, if I were 25 in 1992. Probably if I'd seen it as a ten-year-old, I'd mostly have been traumatized.). Sadly, 15 years later, I'd already learned what is referred to on imdb.com as "the big twist." It's hard to say much without giving it away, but I think the subject matter has a lower shock-value today than it did fifteen years ago.

last night's Grey's

Honestly, this article from Entertainment Weekly's website pretty much sums up my feelings.

Only, I've been saying that there are too many characters since the end of last season.



I especially agree with this, even though I really don't want to:

Now, what's great about Izzie...is that she seems to have fallen in love with George somewhere along the road to morning. I would argue that this is highly, highly unlikely, and borderline ridiculous...It doesn't make much sense, and yet Izzie redeemed the subplot, because her speeches were so well written, and (this is key) Katherine Heigl is a fantastic actress...No, this hookup doesn't make much sense, but damned if Izzie and Heigl aren't out to make you buy it.

I actually did find the scenes with Izzie surprisingly bearable, considering I think that the whole George-Izzie storyline is the most absurd yet. From the writers' blog I gather that the writers (and show creator Shonda Rhimes especially) think that the whole George and Izzie thing was inevitable, that it was there under our noses the whole time (apparently, there can be no great male-female friendships without sex and romantic feelings, a notion I find ridiculous). However, from what I've heard from friends and read online, I can tell I'm not alone in thinking that this came totally out of left field and feels awkward and forced.

A few more musings:

• I am psyched that Cristina and Burke made up. I love them and have from the beginning.
• I thought it was weird that they tried to bring up the whole Addison-Alex thing after not acknowledging it for several episodes. I thought that storyline was totally over now that Addison is jumping ship (and has made a pact with Mark to renew their relationship if he keeps his pants on).
• I thought Derek's overprotective thing was hot when it was kept between him and Mark and just overbearing once he shared it with Meredith. If I were her, I'd be annoyed, too. Also, I think they are in for trouble. She's essentially the reason he bombed his interview to become chief. Escaping Addison and Mark and becoming chief of surgery at Seattle Grace were the two reasons he came to Seattle and now neither of those things is happening.
• George, of all characters, has now slept with three women on this show. He's surpassed even Mark the "Man-Whore." Didn't see that coming.
• I thought that this week the writer's again brought the humor of the first season and I love it (some gems: "be kind, please rewind" and "we're talking about Burke now").

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NBA

Among my friends, I'm a minority in that I still actually enjoy the NBA. But, I really do. And today, I've found two pretty cool NBA-related links:

Agent Zero: The Blog

How have I gone all season without knowing that Gilbert Arenas has a blog? Man, I love him. And I'm definitely going to spend today catchingup on all of his entries.

Top Ten Basketball Commercials

Sadly, this guy limits himself to commercials for basketball shoes, which eliminates two of my personal favorite basketball commercials: Jordan vs. Jordan and Nothing But Net. Still, considering he keeps it to the shoes, he did a pretty good job.

American Idol

For the first time in six seasons, I'm apparently following American Idol. There are still too many singers for me to be bothered with sharing my thoughts about all of them, so I'll just say that my bottom three for next week are Stephanie, Sanjaya and Haley. Hopefully, America (and not I, because even though they've finally got me watching, they definitely don't have me voting) will send Sanjaya home.

15 Channels

Average Joe sees just 15 channels

In short, the average U.S. household gets 104.2 channels, but watches only 15 of them. I think Pat and I only regularly watch a dozen or so: CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC, Comedy Central, ESPN, USA (when Psych is on), SciFi (when Eureka is on), NESN (during baseball season), and Food Network. Sometimes we watch the weekend morning crap on E! and VH1 and Pat really likes the Discovery channel.

Not that anyone is that interested in what channels I specifically watch, but I just thought it was an interesting exercise to think about how many channels we get and how many we actually watch.

snowed in

I was supposed to be having tapas for dinner and Chelle was supposed to be coming from Maine, but the weather had other plans. But, there will still be hockey tonight, so there's something to look forward to. Hopefully, Chelle will be able to come down tomorrow.

I watched The Black Donnellys and Imagine Me and You this week, but didn't really have anything to say about them (I was pretty neutral about both.), but Grey's was new last night so I finally have some thoughts to share. Incidentally, I think I'm breaking up with The Black Donnellys. The first episode roped me in, but the last two were distinctly meh.



Last night's Grey's was old school, first season Grey's and I loved it, even if I did NOT love the ending. It was mostly light, pretty funny (loved the cafeteria scene), and it showed off some of my favorite relationships: Cristina and Meredith, Meredith and her Dad, and Alex and Izzie. Along this same vein, it revisited the storylines of the first season: the race for the chief position (in the first season Burke and Derek realize Richard has promised chief to both of them) and the relationship between Meredith and her family.

The hospital drama was fairly light, not overly dramatic like bombs in chest cavities or ferry boat accidents. Not to say it wasn't serious, but it just wasn't overdone. Let's face it: people are not watching Grey's for the medical aspect (I think that's much more ER's realm, but I haven't watched it in years and years, so I'm not sure.). I really liked the casting of Shohreh Aghdashloo, even if I was mildly bored by her case. She has a good screen presence.

I'm glad Meredith is trying to form a relationship with her father. Who would've guessed she'd hit it off so well with the stepmom? I feel like I'd really resent her for having "my" family and "my" life that I never got to have. But, good for Mere for being a better person than I am.

It seems to me that Burke and Cristina could really use a break from relationship drama, but I have to admit, I liked the particular wrench they threw into the works this week. Cristina was that girl...hard to believe after the snippy remarks she made to Meredith in the first season about sleeping with Shepherd. Of course, then she just went and hooked up with an attending herself anyway, so that was always sort of hypocritical.

Callie was so right to kick George out, though I can understand the point of the many opinions I've read today that say the whole "insecure, snapping at George all the time, keeping secrets like living in the basement and having rich parents" thing gets old. George was so wrong to end up in bed with a naked Izzie, even if it turns out nothing happened. This just can't end well.

Another way this episode went back to basics: it was about the interns. The original premise of this show was that it would focus on the interns and only on the residents and attendings as they related to the interns. There was Derek's storyline with his friend from New York, but otherwise the focus really was on Meredith, Cristina, Izzie, Alex, and George. Good call. Also, they didn't feel the need to give every character a major storyline this week: we only briefly saw Bailey, Mark, Addison, and the chief. That's the best approach to a large cast, in my opinion, focus on some of the characters one week, some the next (although, again, I don't mind if they just keep focusing on those five, but that's just me...).

Anyway, good Grey's last night. I'm pissy about having to wait two more weeks for another episode. And when the heck is Heroes going to be back?

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HOBEY BAKER

For the first time in eight years, a Boston University hockey player has been named a finalist for the Hobey Baker award (college hockey's top individual honor) and he needs our help to win! Please go to www.hobeybaker.com/voting to vote for John Curry.

To read more, you can visit Curry Up for College Hockey's Top Honor and www.CurryforHobey.com.

Vote early and vote often (literally, you can vote as many times as you like)!!

I've got a case of the Mondays.

But, not too badly. I'm just really tired today and my "to do" list is really long.

It was a good weekend. Saw some good hockey. And some bad hockey, but we're advancing to the next round, so I choose to focus on the good. I also had my last ice skating class. It was my best one yet, so I'm disappointed it's over. I learned how to do a really neat trick called a "mohawk" and a very basic spin. That made me dizzy, though, so I wasn't a fan.

I also discovered a new favorite movie: Bring it On: All or Nothing.
Yes, you read that correctly. I got it from Netflix Saturday afternoon and mailed it back on my way in this morning and still found time to watch it twice. Pat is in Texas this week chaperoning an Alternative Spring Break trip, so I'm trying to squeeze in as many stupid girly movies as possible and this was the perfect way to start off.



I don't even know where to begin. It was just freakin' hilarious. (And, as many of you know, I have a not-so-secret love of watching good cheerleading. One of the many great things about ESPN2.) Plus, it has Claire from Heroes and the actress who played Claire's fellow cheerleader Jackie. I haven't seen Bring it On Again all the way through because it's just that bad, but I think one place where it failed that BIO: AON succeeded was the formula. BIOA takes place in college. The main conflict is between the cheerleading squad and a group of kids that didn't make the cut. BIO: AON goes back to high school and the conflict is between two cheerleading squads from different economic and social backgrounds. It's kind of a caricature of the original. For example, in the original we had "cheertator" and "cheerocracy." In BIO: AON, everything that can have the word "cheer" inserted, does. The only one I can bring to mind right now is "cheersanity," but there are so many more.

Some other miscellaneous musings about Bring it On: All or Nothing:

• High school sexuality...Now, I don't mean to suggest that anything that happened in this movie didn't happen in real life at my own high school. But, it seems like movies are more willing to acknowledge teenage sexuality than they used to be. Or, maybe I'm just old enough now that I'm totally grossed out by teenage sexuality, so I'd be more comfortable if it were glossed over a little. :-P
• Pepperoni Pineapple pizza...I've never known anyone but me to order this particular combo, but Britney (aka Claire) and her boyfriend order it one night. I haven't had this in a long time because as much as I love pepperoni, it's just too greasy on pizza most of the time. I've got a craving now, though.
• High school English class...Britney's first class (really want to refer to her as Claire...it's hard since they are both cheerleaders) is supposedly English. And yet, there are a lot of dates written on the board and some stuff I didn't feel like pausing on about the Civil Rights movement. There was also a poster of Abe Lincoln. While all these things are certainly relevant in the realm of literature, it just seemed more like a history or social science class. Perhaps I should've taken the time to pause and investigate more closely what was on the board to verify this. Also, I think that it would've been a better tactic to have them reading King Lear or Hamlet, both of which I had to suffer through as a senior, to show that even though these kids are separated by class and race, there are some things we all have in common. Okay, that's enough deep reflection on a clearly mindless movie...

Anyway, definitely rent this if you liked the original. It's a nice Sunday morning movie--no thinking, no mental effort, just laughing. Good stuff.

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The Dive From Clausen's Pier

The Dive From Clausen's Pier by Ann Packer Why is it so much easier for me to write about what I dislike about a book/movie/tv show than what I like? Actually, it's not even that it's more difficult to write about it, it's just more difficult to identify exactly what I like or why I like it. I really liked The Dive From Clausen's Pier (for a description, check out Amazon's listing), but it's hard to put my finger on why. Watch me try, though.


This story just seems so authentic to me. Strange that I found a book about unhappy marriages to be so false, but one about a woman’s fiancé being paralyzed in a diving accident to ring so true. I’m sure the odds are actually in favor of the unhappy marriage occurring in real life. Perhaps because, aside from her fiancé becoming a paraplegic and her subsequent running away to New York, Carrie Bell’s life, and the way it is related through this novel, is so ordinary. Carrie goes shopping, she hangs out with her roommates in the kitchen, she cooks dinner, she sews…it’s all so…normal. And yet, that sounds boring. Somehow, Ann Packer kept me interested in reading about Carrie’s day-to-day life. Something about living that “normal” life in the wake of something so clearly tragic and out-of-the-ordinary…

I also like that this book challenged me a little. Here’s the thing: I really like happy endings. Or at least mostly happy endings. Take, for example, The Time Traveler’s Wife. Yes, I cried and cried and cried at the end. But, Clare and Henry are happy for as long as they can be, and there is some closure at the end. It isn’t like Henry leaves Clare for another woman or something. They never stop being in love. I like that. With The Dive From Clausen’s Pier, there is no “perfect” ending. Carrie has to make a choice (digression: I just caught myself writing about this book in the past tense, something I assume I’ve probably done on this blog before, now that I think about it, and the English major in me cried a little) and neither option is totally ideal nor totally depressing. So, my comfort zone was stretched a little. It’s good for me to expand that zone now and again.

The characters in The Dive From Clausen’s Pier are also very sympathetic. I felt like I could be one of them, almost. I can easily understand why Carrie, after living her whole life in Madison, WI, and dating the same guy throughout high school and their four years at “the U,” feels like she needs to get out of there. Sometimes, I can’t even spend a weekend in Auburn, ME, without wanting to high-tail it out of there, and I haven’t lived there full-time in seven and a half years. And yet, how can you not also be mad at her like Rooster and Jamie? How does someone leave their fiancé after he’s paralyzed in a diving accident (even if the relationship was already on the rocks)? How can Carrie be so caught up in her own drama that she doesn’t do anything about Lynn’s dangerous behavior? The whole story is told from Carrie’s point of view, so I understand how suffocated she feels in Madison, but I also can understand that to everyone else she looks selfish and self-absorbed. And she kind of is. But, I can relate. Personally, I probably would’ve felt too obligated to stay and would never have actually run. But, I would’ve wanted to. And, I would’ve felt guilty for wanting to.

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