oldie

Nothing like some no-frills rock. Remember Van Halen before they were all over VH1?

Van Halen, “Why Can’t This Be Love?”

gross

Apparently babies are the new Louis Vuitton bags. How classist is that? Apparently, according to this logic, “welfare mothers” should also be trendy and hip. But raising the child correctly is sewwwwww last century. I miss the days when scrunchies were the trend, not living human beings.

Motherhood Is Hip

some movie news

Well, musicals are kind of hot right now. Tim Burton will direct Johnny Depp in a musical version of Sweeney Todd, which makes me dribble a little bit. But can he sing? I don’t think so. Now, only if Kate Winslet is cast as Mrs. Lovett, my prayers will be answered. Zac Efron, the cute Jewish boy from High School Musical, will star as Link in the movie version of the Hairspray musical. But can he sing? Apparently not- his voiced was digitially altered in High School Musical. Jeff Buckley biopic is also in the works. Who will star in that? The possibilities are endless. I say Ewan MacGregor. But they will probably cast Jared Leto or some shit like that.

I also recently rewatched Shakespeare in Love and coincidentally watched the recent version of the Merchant of Venice and I thought, what has my boyfriend Josepeh Fiennes been up to lately? Well, supposedly he shies away from films instead favoring stage plays. Well! Excuse us! Apparently, he feels that playing a child molestor in the upcoming Running With Scissors and starring in The Darwin Awards with Winona Ryder, about how people die in really dumb ways are good choices for practicing his craft. Good choices, idiot.

gayer than a Clay Aiken Christmas special

Heh. I am still kind of upset about Superman Returns. However, this made it not so bad:

KEVIN SPACEY: The campest Lex Luthor ever, full of queeny lip curls and bitchy sarcasm.
Rating: GAY GAY GAY

PARKER POSEY: Steals every scene she’s in in a whirlwind of fur and pearls, with a fluffy Pomeranian clutched permanently to her breast.
Rating: PRETTY DAMN GAY

BRANDON ROUTH: Never mind speculation over the actor’s sexuality; visually the new Superman is the queerest thing this side of Krypton. With thick foundation caked on his chiseled face and cheap blue Claire’s Accessories contact lenses (this movie has the NASTIEST makeup), you half expect Superman to get frosted highlights in his trademark black lacquered hair at any moment.
Rating: GAYER THAN A CLAY AIKEN CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

THE BULGE: All post-movie talk was of the digitally de-bulged red Y-fronts, so expect “I’ve been digitally de-bulged” to become the new “it’s cold in here” for short-cocked men of the world.
Rating: DOES THIS YELLOW BELT LOOK TOO GAY?

VERDICT: Superman is gayer than your gay uncle in Gaysville. Go see!

Also, for you meganerds, here is someone who scientifically analyzed all of Superman’s powers.

bright lights big city

So a poll question: Is it ever ok to accept a job offer, then get another job offer that is better and take back the first job offer? We are talking about how the second job offer pays buckets more, and is obviously a hige step up from the first job offer. Is there ever a time when this is acceptable? Has this happened to you or someone you know?

No, I am not currently in this predicament (I wish I was) but this issue comes up a lot in my professional field and I know several people who have had this dilemna.

some irrelevant things

You know your week is going slow when you get excited about a new humidifier. Well you guys I really needed it and I think I filled it with liquid cocaine. I could just lay under it for hours. Plus it has a neon blue light in it so it looks like it spouts blue steam. It doesnt take much to get me entertained.

Ok and so this morning I realized I dress like an infant. In the summer 99% of the time I wear skirts, dresses or skirts with leggings and my flats or my fucking awesome Chucks. That means I haven’t operated a zipper, button, or shoelace on myself in weeks. I find this kind of creepy and sad. Pretty soon I’ll be wearing:

(Those pics were dedicated to Mr. Rekab.) Oh what else? I started watching I, Claudius and Carnivale. And I just got the new Jay McInernery book.

That and I am basically having my quarter life crisis. But you’ll have to wait a bit for more of my prvileged whining soon.

offensive material is not offensive when it is witty.

This gave me probably the only laugh I will have of the day. Some people are offended by this type of humor. And that annoys me. Sometimes dealing with the horrible and unimagineable is easier to deal with when satire is involved. That’s why I joke about suicide all the time. Ha ha ha people. Anyway,
Somilia Beats Rwanda to Win Third World Cup. (from The Onion)

Lois Lane needs some hot oil treatment.

Ok, my thoughts on Superman Returns are below the cut in case you haven’t seen it yet and are planning to and don’t want the experience to be tainted with my opinions.

oldie

The Ramones, “Bonzo Goes to Bitburg (My Brain is Hanging Upside Down)“

That is one helluva title. I don’t know what it means. If you have not heard of the Ramones, you must be some kind of moron. I don’t expect everyone to fully understand their social impact on modern rock music, but hey, you can’t all be geniuses like me. The Ramones, as you all know, are famous for their simple, three-chords-or-less punk songs. This one is actually one of their more layered and musically perfected tracks. It was used most recently (and most awesomely) in School of Rock.

the pulitzer

I know this is old news, but Vice does a good job of summing up the absurdities of Rent.

This is a mega-oldies post. I came across the Four Tops Greatest Hits and have been listening to it to try and pretend that it fits my upbeat, dancy mood. You’ll notice that my blog currently is titled after one of their hits. Unfortunately, I named it after listening to the Pietasters covering the Four Tops. Anyway, enjoy.

The Four Tops, Greatest Hits

best of youtube

1. In keeping with the stuff I have subjected myself to lately, a video simulation of what would happen if the earth was hit by a large asteroid. Pretty killer.

2. Kittens starting to walk. Squish!

3. “Wise Up” from Magnolia. One of the best cinematic sequences ever filmed.

4. Star Wars nerds fight back.

5. Gay marriage leads to animal marriage.

5. Anderson Cooper on The Daily Show. Is that giggling?

Oh, that Onion.

McCain, Feingold Co-Sponsor Chain Of Integrity-Themed Eateries

cuteness

They’re back!

is this getting out of hand?

Ok, so remember the band, Harry and the Potters? Their music was bad, their kitsch and enthusiasm was high. I just got an album from Draco and the Malfoys. I just listened to “My Dad is Rich, You’re Dad is Dead”. They are a bit more musically advanced than the Potters, but the fact that they are actually trying to be musically savvy is questionable. Here is the tracklisting:

1. Potions Yesterday
2. My Dad Is Rich
3. Pansy (You Are The Girl Of My Dreams)
4. I Couldn’t Kill Albus Dumbledore
5. Your Family Is Poor
6. Broomstick
7. Why Won’t You Shake My Hand?
8. Voldemort Is Awesome
9. Tom Felton’s Kinda Hot
10. 99 Death Eaters
11. In Which I Kick Harry Potter In The Face
12. Hippogriffs Deserve To Die

Hmmm, not as creative. Maybe a song about Pany Parkinson? Or the broken wooden cabinet? Or maybe even about Quidditch or Crabbe and Goyle? Lwt’s get a little more creative, fellas. I hear there is even a band now called Hermione and the Grangers, with a song called “I Read It in Hogwarts, A History“. I think I am going to start a band called Neville and the Longbottoms. Our hit singles will include “My Parents Are In the Looney Bin”, “I’m Awkward”, and “I Like Gillyweed”.

Also, two kids will die in the next book.

the fun drug

SOme of you you may know, some of you may not. This account of starting the antidepressant Paxil struck me because it is one of the most accurate descriptions of being on an antidepressant that I have encountered. I mean, some of the affects are good- but at what cost?

another one

Moby featuring Gwen Stefani, “Southside“

Remember when Moby was good. Wait, that was never. I’ve always hated his “look at me, I an awkward nerd, but that makes me cool” look. The only thing he ever did that was good was when he collaborated with the goddess Gwen.

greenhouse affect

I caugh An Inconvenient Truth. I’m surprised it was playing around here. Of course, it affected me, and of course I believe that global warming is a huge problem, whenever I see a set of statistics presented to me in a pretty powerpoint formation, I am always doubtful. Because statistics can be manipulated every which way to fit a thesis. However, there of course was a lot of truth to everything in it, regardless if the stats were right on. I could have done without with “staged” interludes with Al Gore getting important phone calls and staring pensively out a car window. But, in my cynical view, I do believe he is one politician who is in politics for the right reasons. Whatever those reasons are. Basically what I got out of it was that we are totally fucked and now I am definitely not having children because they would be even more fucked. That and I definitely want to get a hyprid car.

I must be trying to push myself to be as depressed as possible. I’m still not under my Six Feet Under cryfest, and I watched Magnolia tonight. I can’t decide if it is the most pretentious vanity project ever or a work of extreme genius. Next up: Schindler’s List. No joke.

instruments of god

The sexy lady cylons in Entertainment Weekly. Although they are the ones  that kick ass, why do they have to put on a T&A show while doing it? And who do we get for male cylons? Dean Stockwell and some short guy. Great.

another oldie

Fiona Apple is the anthem for all the sulking I did in the 90s.

Fiona Apple, "Criminal"

everybody’s waiting

I finally finally watched the series finale of Six Feet Under. I'll comment under the cut for those of you that haven't seen it yet.

today’s oldie

Ash, "Girl From Mars"

Nothing like some good fuzzy pop rock. 

I’m singing the harmony – the white harmony

Coming on July 11

This is going to get me through the summer. 

oldie of the day

Garbage, "Only Happy When It Rains"

I used to think this was my anthem. In fact, I think I still do.

oldie of the day

Erasure, "A Little Respect"

I think it is biologically impossible for me not to belt this one out at the top of my lungs whenever I hear it. Good thing I only put it on in my car.

reading today

Apple’s new nasty ad campaign with Justin Long and a geeky older guy. Too mean?Dave Eggers on the World Cup.

Fiona Apple reminds girl to be depressed.

Japan is a bit too obsessed with infantilism.

THe Meomix house….this will change my life. The cats have blogs…and webcams…can’t take the awesomeness….

suckas

So I am making quite a living selling some movies and books on half.com. So far I have made about four hundred dollars. However, today was the pinnacle of my budding career. Someone bought the Supergirl dvd for $60. Is it really a rare find or is that person just a sucker?

GOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!!!!

Success! I can watch the World Cup games on ESPN (and other cable channels) through this program. You need to download the player and then you are good to go.

sweatin’ to the oldies

While I was organizing my music and making a specifically eclectic playlist for someone, I realized that I own a large amount of "oldies" that really take me back to a specific time and really mark certain milestones in music. I'll try to throw them up here often, one at a time. And when I say "oldie" let's say I mean before 1998. That was I was either a child, in high school or starting college when it came out, where music is often the most important.

Today's pick: 

Neneh Cherry, "Buffalo Stance"

"Who's that gigolo on the street with his hands in his pockets and his crocodile feet?"

how’s the peeping tommy?

After several years, I just rewatched The Talented Mr. Ripley. I don't know if it's the mood I've been in lately, but I felt very upset by watching it. I mean in a good way. I adore this movie. Maybe because we've all known a Dickie in our lives. 

a day in the life

Ok, so I am making my coworkers do this too. Just to see how exciting my day can be. This is the day in the life of me doing nothing at work when I am also tired and cranky.

9:17- roll into the office. Complain loudly how hot and stuffy it is. Finally a colleague is sick of me and gives me their fan to use. Score!

9:19- finishing checking all my email accounts. Nothing exciting.

9:40- try to find some sort of live internet feed of the World Cup games. No luck. Have a mini-temper tantrum.

9:50- get really sick of my coworker constantly listening to Destiny's Child Greatest Hits. Start making a playlist for a cd I will burn for her.

9:55- there is a rumor that there is some leftover ginger ale in the fridge. There is. Score!!!

10:05- my boss' seven year old daughter is with her at work today. I try to make her talk to me and entertain me. She makes some excuse to get away from me because all she wants to do is color. FINE!

10:10- I should probably check my phone messages. Nothing urgent.

10:20- The mail arrives. My coworker got a set of Elmo books for her one year old. Yay! She let me look at them. We discuss the evils of bad parenting and talk about parenting philosophies. Because I am an expert.

10:45- my other coworker gets back from a meeting and we talk about how gaucho pants are the most hiseous trend ever.

11:00- I print out some articles in the attempts to start writing a proposal that I am supposed to be doing. I get wrapped up in deciding what color paper I should use.

11:15- I start polling everyone on what they brought for lunch.

11:48- I eavesdrop on a coworker having a fight with her boyfriend on the phone. WHy do I derive a sick fascination with listening to people fight?

12:02- lunchtime. People freak out about my lunch. It's leftover potatoes "au gratin" that I made. Red potatoes, asparagus, rosemary, walnuts and nutritional yeast. I have to explain what everything is and once again explain my wheat allergy.

1:30- I teach my boss's daughter the "I'm pulling my thumb off" trick. She then thinks I am the coolest person alive.

1:45- I watch some World Cup recaps and ogle the players.

1:50 I make an outline of what I need to accomplish today.

2:00 a meeting! Nice break for the day. I space out and mentally decide how to rearrange the furniture in my apt.

4:00 I write a sentence of the proposal I was working on.

4:15 I get into an extensive discussion about race and violence in America and the media's affect.

5:00 Quittin' time!

 Wow. that was thrilling. Remind me never to post like this again.

ok I’m whining

What a weird last few days. I feel like I've been in a weird haze. Maybe it is because on Monday I walked at full speed into the corner of a shelf at work. Now I have a huge bump on my head and I have been dizzy ever since. Maybe I should get that checked out? I also feel like the summer is already over. Well, June is pretty much gone, and then I am off for 2 weeks again in July, then once you know it it will be August 1 and I am bomarded at work again. I am feeling especially whiny at work today and keep hatching plans to sneak out and watch the US v. Ghana game somewhere.

some insignificant pop culture news

These two tidbits especially annoyed me.

ERIC BANA and NATALIE PORTMAN are teaming up to play HENRY VIII and ANNE BOLEYN in the big screen adaptation of THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL. The film is based on the historical novel by PHILIPPA GREGORY about the two ferociously ambitious sisters, MARY and ANNE BOLEYN, who are rivals for the heart of 16th Century English King Henry VIII. Executives from BBC Films, which originally acquired the book rights and made a 2003 TV film starring NATASCHA MCELHONE and JARED HARRIS, are also producing the project. Filming is scheduled to begin this autumn (06) in London.

I am sure she will use her usual method of acting, which is gritting her teeth and talking without moving her mouth.

MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING star NIA VARDALOS is relieved she has finally started working on a sequel to her hit film, as she had been suffering from a terrifying period of writer's block. The 2002 movie was so popular, Vardolos felt the pressure to follow-up with a blockbuster sequel. She explains, "I ran out of ideas! So I took some time off. I waited and finally some ideas came to me and I've started writing again. "I'm not saying there will for sure be a sequel, but I'm not saying there will for sure not be a sequel." Vardolos insists the next installment won't feature a "big fat Greek divorce." She adds, "I would do something like MY BIG FAT GREEK BAPTISM or MY BIG FAT GREEK LUNCH or MY BIG FAT GREEK THIGHS – there are lots (of options)!"

I fucking hated that movie more than life itself.  

oh frak

Coming on September 9!

The second half of the season. Rumor has it that there will be an extended version of the "Pegasus" episode as well as 10 hours of extra footage. Of what, I hae no idea. I will probably never watch the crappy episodes involving Adama and the mob and his hooker and that drama.

Oh, and also:

 

Which Battlestar Galactica character are you?

 

You are Col. Saul Tigh. You like the sauce… a lot. Despite your flaws you are leader and a decision maker. You have much potential.
Take this quiz!

Quizilla | Join | Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

suicide prevention

Oh, this made me happy. Pitchfork has named and posted 100 of the best music videos. I miss the days when music videos were important and were an event, i.e. “November Rain”. Taking the time to watch several of these totally made my day. Hell, it made my week.

It has inspired me to make my own list, which I will continually update as I think of things to add. For me, it is a nice trip down pop culture memory lane. p.s. I used to tape Headbanger’s Ball and watch the same videos over and over. I have VHS tape after VHS tape of just music videos that I would watch to death.

Speaking of videos, viewing this one has confirmed the notion that the Strokes are still the coolest fucking rock band on the planet. It’s the new video for “You Only Live Once” one of the best singles from First Impressions of Earth.

again, not making women look good

I am never one to blame the victim, but COME ON PEOPLE.

best of youtube

Glad some people are as pervy as me and uploading the best clips from the World Cup.

1.Cristiano Ronaldo scores during the penalty shot and Portugal beats Iran. An orgy of the Portagese team follows.

2. Brian McBride gets injured. The cameraman is also a perv and focuses on him changing his shirt. Also, whoever uploaded this put it in slo-mo. Thanks!

3. More funny cats. Ignore the stupid song.

how to shoot myself

Is anyone wasting a half hour of their lives and watching "How to Get the Guy" on ABC? As a feminist, I expected to be totally offended. However, I just feel more sad than offended. Yea, I know it's ironic that I am putting down this show when I myself am single, but believe me, I would much rather die alone with my thirty cats than act like the women on this show.

From the "dating manual":

Drop the Hanky
It's tough being a single woman. For instance, how do you get a guy to approach you? Drop the Hanky! Metaphorically speaking, anyway. There are three simple ways to get a guy to come over and start talking to you:

1. Eye contact. Not just look him in the eye. Make eye contact for at least four seconds! And we mean "1 Mississippi…2 Mississippi…"
2. Smile. Show teeth! Nothing draws a guy in like confidence and approachability.
3. Proximity. Get in his space! The closer you are to each other the easier it is for him to talk to you.

The First Kiss
If the first date is a success, it should end with a kiss! If it doesn't, then it might as well be an appointment. There are certain things that you can do to get a guy to kiss you.

1. Break the touch barrier. It's one thing to flirt in conversation, but you are going to raise the bar if you can do a few inadvertent touches along the way it will let him know you want to be kissed.
2. Fiddle with his jacket. Of course when you say goodbye it helps to get close, futz with his collar or sleeve and tell him what a good time you had

Holy shit people. I hate being a woman in this society. 

oh the hilarity

good god

Match Point = Snoozefest 2006. Thanks for trying to make it a moral fable, but I was just bored to tears watching actors that I find very grating. How ironic that Scarlet plays an actress that can't get any parts? Oh, and I liked this movie better when it was called Crimes and Misdemeanors.

yum

Some vegan related things that got my tofu in a bunch:

Whole foods Market bans the sale of live lobsters. Can I love this place more? They also started making vegan spelt cupcakes.

The Flying V is a vegan diner that will open in DC very soon. I would give my kidneys to move back there again.

Jack Black: another hot vegan. And he eats wheat-free bread!

The realtionship between veganism and global warming.

kee-choo-kee-choo-chee

That was my attempt at making the sound that the transformers make while transforming. Here are two clips from the upcoming Transformers movie. The movie can be incredible, it can be a pile of steaming poo. The pendulum can swing either way.

sweet jesus i love this book.

Got this book at the library today, and I am loving it.

And the accomplaning website: http://www.sweetjesusihatebilloreilly.com/

heh

the honorable reverend laila

A week ago I was at the big wedding! It was fantastic. Not just because it was Ruth and Matt of course, but because they did an amazing job with the event. It was perfectly elegant and fantastic, and not to the point of excess. I am just sorry that my camera sucks and my batteries ran out in the first half hour. Good music (80s new wave). The reverend Laila was of course amazing.

The cake, the one that will be featured on the Food Network, was adorable.

It was fun/fantastic/weird having a big 'ol reunion of the 'faw, with people past and present.

I can't help but get mushy, but I couldn't think of a more amazing couple to be there to celebrate. The whole wedding I couldn't help but watch the couple and just beam. Better pictures are both here and here.

Other highlights: the metro of course, playing truth or dare for about four hours on a rainy Friday, seeing my lovely fellow bloggers, watching Erin run a marathon, and just generally BEING in DC. I walk around there and feel at home. I would move back there in a second, I suppose.

New York Shitty

I wanted to give a brief description of my adventures these past two weeks, to give shout outs where shout outs were due. Two Mondays ago I headed back to NYU for this conference. It was odd being back to the site of my grad school days, but I didn’t pay much mind because I had some other things on my schedule. Got to see my conference pal JT, who is fucking crazy. We ran around making fun of everyone and going to bougie stores like Fish’s Eddy. The conference was so-so, I don’t know if I learned anything. I go to these conferences looking for some new info to make my job better, but I guess I had high expectations. The highlight? Anthony Rapp was the keynote speaker.I don’t know what he had to do with my field of profiession, and neither did he I think. BUt he is so adorable I can’t take it. I think he is actually Mark in real life too. And he is maybe my height, if he’s lucky.

Also FINALLY got to see Paul again, after falling out of touch for two years. He is alive and well and working at BU, the lucky bastard. We had a 26th street reunion with Courtney, and it felt like the last two years never happened. Well, almost. I am grateful that they have the same view about keeping in touch that I do: sometimes there is not much to say to each other on a day to day basis, but there are never hard feelings when we see each other. I am in my own little world here, sometimes it is hard to keep someone up to date with the tiny details of everything I do.

I did have two celeb sightings. I was down in the theater district on the Sunday when the matinees end, and I saw Mark Ruffalo leaving the theater after his performance. Schwing! He looked kind of scruffy and incnspicuous, and in reality I would not have noticed him if he was a regular guy. Later on I am 99% sure I saw Johnny Knoxville in Greenwhich Village. Double schwing.

Being back in ny when I don’t live there is a blessing and a curse. I love the city and always will, but when one is there on a vacation or a short visit, it is overwhelming and I feel like I have to schedule something every minute I am there. WHen I lived there, I knew that I would get to things eventually. And I had the luxury of checking something out before class or running to the Bowery Ballroom after class to see a show. Ah, those were the days.

Other things I noticed about NY: now when beggars ask you for money, they are more savvy about it. Instead of just asking for the money, they will offer you a reason that they need the money. Reasons I heard: “I have to get to the free mental health clinic”, “I have to get to Hoboken to see my stefather on his birthday”, “I have to check my email at Starbucks” (no lie). It’s like some PR firm went around and coached people on how to better get money. I can appreciate people being more honest. I am generally consistent about this and usually do not give money, but I usually give away cigarettes if people ask. If one cigarette is going to give someone a few moments relaxation, then so be it. Of course, I become a chain smoker everytime I enter one of the five boroughs.

Also, an obvs thing about ny is that you can see a lot of people in a short period of time. This made some fashion trends way more noticeable. First off? Gaucho pants are out of control. They were gross enough the first time around, but now they have gone too far. Maybe worn with some cute espradrilles and a summery top, but ladies, they are not everday wear. Not with a t-shirt, not with tennis shoes, and certainly not with tube tops. Plus, they could not be more unflattering. I saw more camel toe than I needed to.

I also caught a performance of The Threepenny Opera at Studio 54. Classic example of a good cast, good production, and great performances. It followed the trend of taking something from the past, making it “modern” in Baz Luhrman style: making crazy costumes (they were designed by Issac Mizrahi), giving characters Mohawks, making characters bisexual, and setting it in a post-apocolyptic crime-ridden, S&M world. Alan Cumming basically played his role from Cabaret. Ana Gasteyer was ok. The best was Nellie McKay, who I previously thought was obnoxious (and very much like Joanna Newson). I’ll give her album another spin.

On another night I headed over to The Strand to see Chuck Palahniuk’s only New York appearance. Man, he sure does have a following, because it was so packed and crowded I had about 10 panic attacks while waiting for him to come on. But uh.my.gawd. I worship this man. He read a new short story and answered fan questions, many of them which were stupid. He did give updates of his novels in film production: Survivor’s screenplay is finished, but it is being made by the same people who made Constantine (boo). Choke is ready to start filming, with Susan Sarandon as the mother. Ryan Gosling pulled out as the lead, so they are still in casting. I have an idea of who would be great….I also gave my father a copy of Haunted for father’s day. I told him it was my favorite novel ever. I wonder if he thinks I am some kind of sick sociopath.

who knew

Well, I never thought I'd be so "mainstream", but I am kind of looking forward to Superman Returns. I'll probably go to the midnight showing when it comes out. Well, since I am a huge Bryan Singer fan now, I have to support. I watched some of these clips and it doesn't look half bad. And since I can only express my feelings through pop culture, why not throw in a great SNL skit.

best of youtube

Some gems from the past few days:

-a clip of Terry talking about a guy trying to burn a baby at the grocery store. I cannot wait for the new season!

-a clip from the movie The Science of Sleep, directed by Michel Gondry with Gael Garcia Bernal. How weird and amazing.

-Madonna's new video for "Get Together". Unfortunately, no roller rink this time.

-Andy Cooper trying out the whole mentos/Diet Coke thing. Shit, he's adorable.

not again

This is the oldest cliche in the book. I dreamt I was getting ready for my first day of high school. As usual, I couldn't decide on what to wear, so I just went topless. Maybe I figured, hey, the slutty look is in with kids these days. Of course, as soon as I got to homeroom, I realized it was a bad idea and so did the school counselor. I had to call my mom to bring me a shirt and she was PISSED. This is the oldest dream cliche in the book. What does it mean again? Vulnerability? Bad choices?

Oh, that just made me think of the outfit I did wear to my first day of high school in ninth grade. I only remember because I usually spent the summer before perfecting it. Let's see. I recall a red silk button down shirt tucked into demin shorts (the kind that you rolled up at the bottom) with some white keds. I believe a scrunchy was also involved. Hot!

ch-ch-ch-changes

Just a few changes I made…I made less posts appear on the front page, so if you want older stuff, check the archives to your left. Also, all my links are now here, which you can access from the top horizontal menu. I've also listed an rss feed of the new albums I get so let me know if you want me to post any of them (the full list is here). Finally, I am showing the feed for the links I visit, which you can see in its full form here, but it's also to the right. I took off my full list of albums, but that can always be seen here. Phew. Alright?

I love these! It is similar to this picture. There are 100 films represented in this picture. Some of them are obvs.

the hardcore scene

So I finally finished reading Pretty Little Dirty. I had anticipated this one for a long time. It seemed like one of those unfinished novels. The first half was good and then the lazy writing kicked in and then things wrapped up too quickly. First, it was a coming of age story about two teenagers and their families, and then the last 80 pages they get wrapped up in the LA hardcore scene and become drug dealers before they turn 20. How about a little build-up? I do appreciate novels that write in the perspective of a child or adolescent, in an adult's voice without sumbing down the context. So far, the only novels that I feel have successfully achieved this are The Virgin Suicides, Prep, Stone Junction, Middlesex, and Hey Nostrodamus.

In order for Justin to be a regular reader of my blog, I will need to periodically post pictures of him and his kitten. If you know what I mean.

i’m back with a vengeance

So good to be home. So good to be in my own bed, finally. What a whirlwind two weeks! I managed to see many of the people I love in a short amount of time, and I need to store up that energy and positive feelings to last me all year. I will write about it soon, I just want to finish umpacking and putting together my new IKEA bookcase.

Meanwhile, anyone else enjoying the world cup…..if you know what I mean. US v. Italy on Saturday. Gee, I wonder who will win.

an open letter to the writers and directors of x-Men 3

Dear friends,

Well, congratulations, you made your dumbed-down, predictable summer blockbuster. Thank you for ignoring any character development built up in the first two movies (not to mention the YEARS of comic books) and completely making it a kill-all gorefest. Also, thank you for making it a predictable good v. bad snorefest, and ignoring the multiple layers of issues and alliances that really was the center of the first two. And seriously, I just want to see pure crap when I watch a movie, and of course NEVER want to see anything that is an allegory of a real social issue. God forbid I want to think about the other meanings of movies than what is right in front of me. Thank you for saving me from that.

Oh, and:
The kick in the groin as comedy never gets old! HI-larious! There should have been one of those in every scene.

It's awesome when the word "bitch" is thrown around for comedy as well. Especially when used for a fifteen year old girl.

Also, it's great that you used some characters in the central plot, but then never resolve the issues or show any continuity. Keeps me on my toes!

Love, me

——–

Dear Mystique,

You fucking kick ass.

Love, me

———–

Dear Rogue,

Grow a spine.

Love me

———-

Dear Femke Jansen,

I don't know if it part of Jean Gray's character, but the blank, dead face method of acting won't get you an academy award.

Love, me

——

Dear Halle Berry,

This won't get you an Oscar. So shut up.

Love, me

———

Dear James Marsden,

I'm sorry that you had some sort of fight with the director and therefore only got to be in the movie for 5 seconds. I hope I see you on Seventh Heaven soon.

Love me,

———-

Dear Pyro/John,

DM!

Love, me

you know you’re right

Well, I’ve been cleaning out my favorites list on youtube and will share my faorites here since I may not be blogging for a bit while I am away. If you have hours to spend, look no further.

The Peter Sarsgaard Sars Gard- “Remember Sars? I do.”

The Rules of Attraction trailer. Gawd, this movie rules.

Newsies: “And the World Will Know”. Tell us what to do Jack!

off with her corn kernel teeth

I want to see the Marie Antionette movie so bad because I am a sucker for period pieces. I'm conflicted because I hate Kiersten Dunst but love Sofia Coppola. These pics of the costumes absolutely mesmerize me. I think I would do well during this time. I like wigs.

Keane

Keane has a new single out with some songs from their upcoming album. I haven't yet formed an opinion.

Keane, Is It Any Wonder? [get]

cookin

One of the things I have most enjoyed about being vegan is that it has encouraged me to cook more. I think it is the combination of having to be more creative in what I eat combined with the fact that I always hated handling raw meat when I cooked. I used to always be so paranoid about not cooking meat long enough and poisoning myself. Also, with vegan cookin, there is more incentive to experiment with mixing different flavors. Since I am impressed with myself, here are some recent successes that I have had:

Potatoes "au gratin" with baked tofu and asparagus

"Cheese" quesadillas with mango pico de gallo

Three-bean cinnamon chilli

Italian eggplant and portabella

Garlic polenta with (homemade) marina

Sweet potatoe enchiladas

White bean stew with fennel, organge and rosemary (this was the shit, and also took about three hours to make)

I also love how you can take something that is not vegan, but quotes around the non-vegan part, and poof! It's vegan.

we didn’t start the fire

Ok, I think I may need to eat my words. I watched The Office marathon tonight and OKAY OKAY maybe I did enjoy it. I lost it when Dwight kept singing "Brian started the fire" or whatever. They may have just shown four of the best episodes, because they were so much better than the ones I had seen previously. But, we all know where my loyalties lie. Although the plots are new, the heart of the characters still lie within the originals. I am not thrilled with Jenna Fischer, whose voice annoys me. What's missing in this series is the silent acting and facial expressions that really made the original worth it. I am not all that thrilled with Rainn Wilson, I think he overreacts. The original character, Gareth, was not so much as a balthering idiot as he was more of a pompous prick.

Maybe, just maybe I put it on my Netflix queue.

p.s. I didn't realize that John Stamos was now on ER. Schwing!

p.p.s. I didn't realize that ER was actually still on the air.

eat that salad oh yea

I came across this in my daily celeb crap rss feed. Peter, Jake and Maggie hanging out eating lunch at a place I actually recognize as that lunch place on Astor Place, I think. If you squint you can kind of get Maggie out of the picture. Or see me instead of her. More goodness here.

oh my

So this conference I am going to next week has sessions during the da, but options for a "night on the town". Here is one of the options:

Make a Connection in Chelsea
Make THE connection at the conference and make A connection in Chelsea! Join some native New Yorkers on a journey though New York City's gay district. We'll make a few pit stops at Chelsea landmarks including XL Lounge, Gym Bar, Barracuda and View Bar. If you're lucky maybe we'll spot some Queer Eye guys or other notable celebs who cruise the Avenue!

Mind you, this is a conference for Residence Life professionals. Now get that picture in your head.
I really don't have any words for this. I almost might consider going just to watch for the train-wreck affect. Or to get some good material for this blog.

update

Well, things here have been even-keeled this week. I finally felt better on Monday. It isn't until you've been sick and then feel better that you realize how amazing it is not to be sick anymore and somehow your life seems just that much more bearable. I have been absolutely unproductive at work, having realized how burnt out I am from the year. But it was fun. We all gathered at Dawn's house to watch Katie Couric's last day, and then I proceded to take a nap before returning to work. Then I shopped online for a whole day to buy things with the leftover cash in my budget. Lunchbreaks also streteched to two hours. Today I engaged the whole office in a dialogue about the anthropology of body acceptance, followed by a dance-off to Destiny's Child. Ah, I love the summer! Too bad I have a 10 page report due tomorrow at 5. What is this, school? 

Looking forward to being in NY, but not sure how I feel about reuniting with some folks from grad school. Sometimes catching up on what you are doing with your life can be stressful. I'd rather just talk about day to day stuff and live in the moment. Looking forward to DoJo and Thompkins Square Park.

you’re beautiful

'Member when I was talking about how there were some many good covers of "Where is My Mind?" by the Pixies? Well, this isn't one of them. James Blunt decided he needed to up his indie cred.