Au Moment

If "Twilight" Was About Dragons

2009-07-24T06:44:00.003-04:00

Ok forgive the grammatical error in the post title. I'm just copying it from the title of the story. (It should be "were" because it's the subjunctive....and now you're falling asleep, sorry--back to the point of the post).

This story is probably funnier if you're at all familiar with the Twilight series, but even if not, it's an amusing read. So dive on in to the next great American bestseller: Enter the Dragon.

My one complaint? No guest appearance by Trogdor.

The blogger/author says about himself, "I’ve been writing semi-professionally for the internet semi-soberly for the past few years. Writing for the internet is to literature what aimlessly punching statues in the nuts is to karate, which is to say that it makes me slightly more qualified than your average, mentally disadvantaged homeless man."

The Hunger Games

2009-07-21T19:52:00.003-04:00

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

WOW. Okay. So I admit, I was a little skeptical about reading this book, but WOW. I read pretty much non-stop from a Saturday evening to Sunday afternoon, and I would have probably read it all in one day had I begun in the morning.

This is technically a young adult book, but it will hook ANYONE of any age. A dystopian novel, The Hunger Games is set in the country of Panem, which used to be the US. The country is divided into districts of varying levels of prosperity, from the well-off to the poverty-stricken, but all districts are under the absolute authority of the Capitol. In punishment for past rebellions, each of the districts must send two young people to compete in the annual Hunger Games--a sadistic Survivor-type competition that ends only when one victor remains and the others have killed each other off or died from exposure, starvation, and so on.

The novel has echos of Brave New World, Roman gladiator culture, reality television, and The Road. It's a brilliant reflection on power and privilege, human fascination with violence as entertainment, voyeurism and privacy, rebellion, and of course, teenage romance (written in a smart, non-cheesy, complex manner). The sequel comes out September 1...not sure how I am going to make it till then! Better than most so-called adult literature I've read in the last year, hands down.

View all my reviews >>

Worst Harry Potter Tats

2009-07-18T14:28:00.005-04:00

In honor of HP 6, here are the worst Harry Potter tats. I mean WOW. I think the #5 (pictured above) is actually the worst of them all, particularly given that it covers a woman's entire thigh!! WTF. As gross as it is, though, the tattoo work itself is impressive---look at those teeth! They might leap off her leg and rip apart my soul into a series of horcruxes!

Smark sent me this too and gets mad when I don't give him credit.

Neutral Man's Burden

2009-07-18T14:18:00.005-04:00

This is one of the funniest editions of "The Word" on the Colbert Report in recent memory. Colbert has a brilliant take on the grilling of Sotomayor and the difference between how she is lambasted for making a comment about her background helping her make judgments and how Alito three years ago was applauded for discussing his own family's Italian background. Apparently life experiences make you a better judge...if you are a white male. If you're anyone else, well, you're a clear Band-Aid (watch the clip).

My favorite line is the first one about touching a hot stove. Love it. Thanks to Smark for sending me this.

Eternal Moonwalk

2009-07-10T12:55:00.000-04:00

Yes, everyone's sick of the MJ coverage...but this is too fun not to share. I'd describe the site...but just watch. The best dancers are the kids and random people in costume, but the terrible dancers are probably more entertaining than the good ones. I also saw a cat, a puppet, an office chair, and a car do the moonwalk--impressive! Lesson learned: (unsurprisingly) Germans, Beligians, and assorted Eastern Europeans are not good dancers at all.

You can even add your own fancy pants moves!

Thanks to Steak for the link.

Chickpea Salad

2009-07-06T19:21:00.000-04:00

I'm following the Big City Cooking blog and finding some great ideas. Yesterday I made this very simple and tasty chickpea salad (picture is from their site). It was blend of great summery tastes, especially the cilantro and red onion. Living in Texas now, the thought of cooking anything that's hot is extremely unappealing, so I'm collecting good recipes for cool treats. I'd recommend adding a bit more garlic and parsley--the cilantro sort of drowns out the parsley taste, so you might want to adjust the ratio slightly depending on your own taste preferences. As a commenter suggested, I'd also add a bit of red wine vinegar next time (and slightly reduce the olive oil). Maybe some celery for a little more crunch? Lots of possible tweaks, but it was already quite tasty as is.

YUM!

Pug Pushing a Pink Stroller

2009-07-06T18:18:00.000-04:00

Exactly what it sounds like. I'm not a huge fan of pugs, but this video may just have changed my mind. Sure to make your Monday a bit happier!

50 Movies for 50 States

2009-07-01T18:08:00.005-04:00

Excuse my absence...I have GOT to get a new laptop! Mine is officially dead, so I use Mark's old desktop, which is in our un-air-conditioned den. Add five weeks of 100+ degree heat and you get almost no blogging from Leslie.

Anyway, here's a fun list/interactive map from Rotten Tomatoes, my favorite and most trusted source for movie reviews (along with Netflix user ratings). In celebration of July 4, the site chose movies that they feel best represent each of the states in the US. Before I started clicking around, I though, what are they going to do about obscure states like South Dakota and Wyoming and Delaware? Little did I know (or little did I remember, I should say, having seen all these), Dances with Wolves, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Fight Club are set in those states respectively.

Some of my faves from the list:

Oregon: The Goonies
Kansas: The Wizard of Oz (obviously)
Georgia: Gone with the Wind (obviously)
Alabama: Fried Green Tomatoes
Idaho: Napoleon Dynamite
Illinois: Blues Brothers
Ohio: Bye Bye Birdie
West Virginia: We Are Marshall
North Dakota: Fargo (obviously)
New Jersey: Clerks

And of special note, New Hampshire gets "On Golden Pond," a GREAT movie starring Katharine Hepburn and Peter Fonda in the late years of their careers (1981). It's a tearjerker but a must see. I saw it with my grandparents when I was young and it has stayed with me for years. Bring lots of tissues.

Georgia gets the picture for this post because I miss it. Lots.

Musings on Lady Gaga

2009-06-21T12:49:00.005-04:00

I'm not quite as up on pop music as I used to be in my younger years, but I kept hearing Lady Gaga's music on the radio and reading her name bandied about in celebrity magazines--so I got curious. Her songs at first grated on me, but the more I heard them (especially Poker Face and Love Game) I started to love them. I saw her nutty performace on American Idol and was not sure if I thought she was a train wreck or brilliant. Either way, I was intrigued. I picked up an issue of Rolling Stone at the gym and read the cover feature on her, which was pretty fascinating (not an adjective I'd have expected to use). This link is just a slice of the article--the whole piece is worth a read, though, if you see the issue laying around.

Her entire persona, from her music to her fashion choices to the way she markets herself, is one massive piece of performance art. She compares her work to Andy Warhol's, which seems pretty on target (especially if you've read his book Popism). She's calculating, scarily self-aware, and highly ambitious about her career and the specific legacy she wants to leave on the music world. Watching her videos, they look like parodies of other pop starlets' videos but that's not how she intends them to be. You find yourself thinking, she can't be serious with this...but she is dead serious about perfecting the Pop Music Video. They aren't parodies--they are her own style, which has taken the genre to an absurd extreme that comes off as parody but is actually something new. Postmodernism at its best.

I also like this Slate article on her, especially this exerpt:

Gaga's highbrow bibliography and performance-art theatricality are key to this aura-building, but it's to her credit that she doesn't attempt a regal remove from the debased celebrity culture that trampled all over her favorite Mouseketeer. Instead, Gaga dives into the mud and wrestles with it. We see this in the canny way she plays off of the troubled legacy of her '90s teen-pop heroes. Whereas Britney debuted as a towheaded virgin whose career went on to encompass her public deflowering, Gaga debuted already-defiled: "Just Dance" is about stumbling drunkenly around a nightclub and turning your shirt inside out without knowing it. In this way, Gaga wrote her public meltdown into her very first single while remaining a deft guardian of her actual private life—a teasing pre-emptive strike. In "Poker Face," a celebration of mind games and bedroom power plays, and "Paparazzi," which compares love to stalkerish picture-hunting, Gaga plays a girl completely in control and completely comfortable among the dizzying, superficial signifiers of tabloid-era femininity.

Roker 1, Speidi 0

2009-06-15T19:11:00.005-04:00

Al Roker is my new hero for actually calling out Spencer and Heidi Pratt's utter and complete ridiculousness and delusions of grandeur re:their own fame and claims that they aren't acting to get attention. It's pretty hilarious and pathetic to watch them try to defend their idiocy as shown on clips from that "I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here" show that even I, lover of trashy reality tv, refuse to watch. Speidi of course limply attempted to strike back with Heidi playing the victim, but it's just laughable. Really? You don't know who Al Roker is? REALLY? You cried about the label being peeled off your shampoo?? Seriously? If you're acting...well, well done I suppose. If not, just WOW.

Glorious pop trash at its best and worst, and best.

He's Created a Monster!

2009-06-13T10:56:00.003-04:00

Nothing says threat to society like amusing roadside art...good thing the fine police force of Raleigh got this NC State Dr. Frankenstein off the street! No word on what happened to Frankenstein's monster. I hope he survived the sting.

Arlington: The Rap

2009-06-13T10:48:00.004-04:00

If you've ever spent any time in Arlington (or comparable Northern Virginia suburbs), you'll love this rap ode to the hood. I especially like the homage to the Orange Line of the Metro, a route I grew to know and love-hate during my summers spent in Nova and DC. And the Stabucks, the Starbucks, the Starbucks, the Starbucks...

Thanks to Geeps, my favorite Arlington resident, for the link.

Zack Attack

2009-06-09T19:18:00.004-04:00

Yes, yes, I know...this was all over the internet today, so everyone and their brother has seen it, but I can't resist posting it on the slight chance that one of my dear readers has NOT experienced this joyful nine minutes of nostalgia.

Watch Mark Paul Gosselar appear on Jimmy Fallon's new show in character as Zack Morris. We learn several things from this:

1) Zack Morris is not only cooler than Jimmy Fallon (obviously. Zack is cooler than 99% of people and Jimmy Fallon doesn't exactly set the bar high), but he's much funnier. I know the point of this was for him to steal the segment, but he does so a liiiittle too well.

2) Great stage makeup (with copious amounts of bronzer) really can erase 20 years.

3) While the Zack Attack had a great song in "Friends Forever," what we really need is a performance from "Hot Fudge Sundae."

4) Gosselar's new show "Raising the Bar" probably saw strong ratings for the premiere based on that segment. I kind of feel obligated to watch next week simply to thank Gosselar for making my afternoon. Plus, it also has Gloria Reuben who played Jeanie on "ER" and Jane Kaczmarek from "Malcolm in the Middle." Oh, who am I kidding---I'll wait till it comes out on Netflix.

Worst. Advice. Ever. Srsly.

2009-06-04T21:07:00.004-04:00

On a much lighter note than yesterday's post, here's a funny compilation of the absolute worst, cheesiest, schmaltziest, moronic-er-est, most cringe-worthy advice tidbits from those terrible 6.99 books you find in the bargain bin at the bookstore or in gas station checkout lines. This blogger claims he read 24, 504 of these gems (tidbits that is, not complete books)--whether or not he's exaggerating, he clearly read more than any human could be expected to withstand without vomiting on his or her shoes. I tried to pick out a few of the funniest, but I gave up because the list was too long, so read for yourself.

Note: this picture has nothing to do with the post, but it's my favorite LOLcat, and I think that's as good a reason as any. I also recognize that some people feel as much hatred for LOLcats as this dude blogger does for cheap advice books, but I happen to LURV LOLcats. They are soooo six months ago and stupid and overdone...and they make me laugh every time. So there.

Late-Term Abortions

2009-06-03T20:33:00.003-04:00

So admittedly this is not the cheeriest of posts, which I'm sure you gathered from the heading. This article was linked from CNN, so you may have already seen it, but if not it is REALLY worth a close read. If I had to choose, I would have to call myself pro-choice over pro-life (I hate those terms, don't you??), but I am and have always been deeply conflicted about the question of abortion. Late-term abortions, however, always seemed in my head like a much more straightforward issue: if the mother's health is not in danger, aborting a late-term child who could survive on his or her own is not something society should support. Seems simple (a word entirely inappropriate to the issue of abortion, I realize).

A heartbreaking situation like this woman's however, is not something I'd ever thought of. It's horrifying. What she does, though, is take her personal tragedy and force people like me, who too easily draw the line on late-term abortions despite being minimally informed, to understand that late-term abortions are perhaps infinitely MORE complicated and difficult an issue than abortions in earlier trimesters. This article has stayed with me for several days since I read it, and it will do the same to you, I promise. It's very sad, uncomfortable, and painful, but very very VERY important to read. Bravo to Lynda Waddington for writing this.

Undercover at Liberty University

2009-05-31T10:14:00.005-04:00

NPR sums up the story of a Brown University student, whose own childhood he described as the "ultimate, secular, liberal upbringing," enrolling for a semester at Liberty University (founded, of course, by Jerry Falwell). My first instinct on reading the teaser for this article was to grimace--I would have expected a self-righteous, searing criticism of the school and its students' backwardness and disconnection from reality. I was more inclined to make this assumption because while Brown is a *great* university, the spectrum of ideologies among the majority of its own student body is almost as narrow as at Liberty (it's just on the other side of the fence). I was pleasantly surprised, then, to read that Kevin Roose felt he got a much more accurate and fair picture of Liberty than he ever could have from an outside perspective. He is writing a book on his experiences---when he told his Liberty friends the truth about his presence there, they reacted with excitement and interest instead of anger. Roose himself was changed by the experience:

Even though he's back at Brown, Roose still tries to pray every day. He says the act of prayer changes him, referring to the writings of Christian author Oswald Chambers.

"He said that it's not so much that prayer changes things as that prayer changes me — and then I change things," Roose says. "That's going to be important for me — to sit down every day and think about the problems and the challenges facing other people in my life, and really trying to increase my own compassion that way."

So here I go on my nerd soapbox: THIS is why I love qualitative research. Live it, see it, experience it, hear the words and thoughts of the subjects firsthand, and acknowledge that you cannot be objective. That's not the point. Let the experience change you, if it will. Report your bias, and report with honesty and care. I will definitely check out his book.

Oak Ridge Boys do...The White Stripes??

2009-05-30T11:25:00.004-04:00

Ok, this is bizzare, but I kind of don't hate it! The Oak Ridge Boys have a new album coming out on which they cover The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army." This clip has only the audio, but give it a listen. I'll definitely give them credit for creativity and guts. I don't think this is something I'd actually download, but I'll admit, it's attention-getting. Also, I mean, they are geriatric. GOOD for THEM even to still be making music and singing live. I love how they sing the main guitar riff on the song!

I have a special place in my heart for the ancient ORBs because they are one of my dad's favorite bands, and I was able to see them play in Athens last year with my dad and Mark. It was AWESOME. So on that same note, just for fun, here's my favorite ORBs song (gotta love those outfits, and the 'staches! Oh, the 'staches!) ELLLLLVIRA!

Space Monkeys

2009-05-28T06:38:00.002-04:00

Fun NPR article about the 50-year anniversary of the first successful space monkeys flight: Miss Baker and Able successfully experienced nine minutes of weightlessness before returning safe. Sad to read about the previous animals (monkeys and dogs) who didn't survive the trip. The two successful monkeys would get "100 to 150 letters a day from schoolchildren;" one of the monkeys had 300 mourners at her funeral. I've had the silly, sweet pleasure of seeing both the grave of Miss Baker in Huntsville (where people leave bananas) and Able's stuffed body at the Air and Space Museum. Yes, I've been to space camp---TWICE. Thanks, Girl Scouts and gifted class at school! Mark is soooo jealous.

You go, monkeys!

Austin update

2009-05-18T07:03:00.000-04:00

I'm going to blame Mark for my lack of blogging this month. It's not his fault, but it's more fun to blame him than my own laziness! He hasn't been able to set up the wireless in our house, and so we're sharing one computer. I am going to continue to pester him until he gets it straight so that I can once again use my laptop and get back to blogging.

In the meantime, here's a whirlwind overview of what we've been up to in Austin.

1) Eating great food: I'm a big fan of Mexican, and this town's full of it. From the super cheap hole-in-the-wall taquerias to fancy pants locales with full bars and gleaming tables, every variety of Mexican you could possibly want is here. Friday night we went to Trudy's, one of the more famous places in Austin that has several locations. They have a Mexican Martini (a margarita in a martini glass) that is strong and delicious. My entree was a stuffed avocado---breaded, fried, and stuffed with chicken. Heart attack on a plate--YUM. We also really liked the Moonshine Grill downtown, where we went on my birthday. I had the trout and it was some of the best fish I've ever had.

2) Testing out the entertainment and leisure activities: Though we haven't been to see live music yet, one of the quintessential Austin experiences, we've found some fun things to do. We took Laveau for a long walk around Town Lake (aka Lady Bird Lake, the new name, but most people seem to still call it Town Lake). This is a long, skinny lake made from a damn on the Colorado River, and it's right downtown. It's a shady and pretty escape right in the middle of the city (see picture above).

Last night we went to the Alamo Drafthouse, a movie theater where you can order appetizers, drinks, and dinner while you watch. The staff also puts together a funny series of clips on the topic of whatever movie is playing (Star Trek for us) that runs for about an hour before the movie starts. It's worth getting there early just to watch the clips. One of the locations is five minutes from our house, so we'll be going a lot.

3) Exploring our neighborhood: We really love our neighborhood so far. People are very friendly and always outdoors. We have a nice park at the end of our street (only eight or so houses down from us) that is a great place to walk the dog. It's been a while since I've lived in somewhere that was really a community, but this certainly is. I don't know that it's the place for us to meet young adults who we'll hang out with, though we've met plenty of friendly people of all ages who have warmly welcomed us.

Immigration Reform

2009-04-28T17:09:00.003-04:00

Interesting, important article about the present and future of immigration reform in the US. The author gives an overview of what's happening now, what's on the horizon, what groups are involved and how, and offers her thoughts on what humane reform should look like. An excerpt:

On an everyday level, what do immigrant rights mean? And how do immigrant rights affect Americans who are not recent immigrants?

On an everyday level, immigrant rights means the right to be free of fear. Fear that at any moment you can be picked up and be separated from your family; the sense that everything you have worked for is fragile. Having to live with the fear of traveling within the U.S. and being stopped by police and questioned about your status, fear of not having identification that is so necessary in everyday life, the fear of crossing the border to be reunited with your family because of the danger if you try to come back. Fear of approaching the police if you are the victim of a crime. Fear of jail. Fear of hunger. The anguish of having to make the choice between seeing your family, in many cases your children or your aging parents, or sending them money to help them survive.

Immigrant rights affects all workers because historically, we have only raised the quality of life for working people in the U.S. by organizing across ethnic, racial, and gender lines. Immigrant workers are one segment of low-income workers in this country. If we are going to turn low-income industries into living wage industries immigrant workers have to be organized and the threat of deportation is a powerful weapon that employers use to threaten workers.

Austin!

2009-04-27T16:16:00.003-04:00

So the big move has finally happened...Athens to Austin! We are officially in the house and trying to get our lives in order. Moving crap has meant that we have not really gotten to explore the town at all yet, but that's all to come. Our neighborhood is a great location: 4 miles from the UT campus where I will work, close to stores and places to eat, nice park right down the street, and tons of dogs for Laveau to make friends with (we hope).

The house is going to be a good fit, eventually. Right now, though, there are a whole slew of issues because the house has been sitting empty on the market for two years before the owners finally decided to rent it. One toilet's broken, one runs, about 1/3 of the outlets don't work, the lawn's a mess, and worst, the water heater doesn't work. We're going on day three of no hot water. Needless to say, we do not smell awesome at the moment. The property management people are very nice and helpful so far, so I'm encouraged that we'll get things in better shape soon.

Bought a new couch and loveseat today, which is exciting! My first real furniture purchase, not counting the occasional desk chair or bookshelf from Target or Ikea. I had a slight panicky moment when I handed over the credit card, but I am confident I made a good buy that we'll enjoy for a lot of years.

Once I find my camera cord I'll get some pictures up. No telling what box it's in though, so that might be a while.

"Don't Ask Don't Tell" Don't Work

2009-04-16T20:18:00.007-04:00

Really like this well written, well researched article about the "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military that may soon be repealed (let's hope so!). This article responds to a Washington Post article by four retired military men whose tired arguments about how allowing gays to serve openly would harm and ultimately undo the military are just that: tired. About to become relics, I would venture to say. Their claims are not and have never been empirically verified. The case FOR allowing gays to serve openly, however, has lots of data to support it. Even the military's own research is in support. Some interesting tidbits:

When both Britain and Canada proposed lifting their gay bans in the 1990s, similar opinion surveys found much higher numbers — about two-thirds in both cases — claiming they, too, would leave. In each case, no more than three departures were attributed to the policy change. Three.

Even extensive research by our own military has concluded the gay ban is unnecessary, including a large 1993 study by the RAND Corporation — a think tank created by the military itself — and two official military studies — a 1989 study by the Defense Personnel Security Research Center and the Navy’s 1957 Crittenden report — which all found sexual orientation is irrelevant to military performance.

...under current policy, more than 800 “mission-critical specialists” have been fired just because they’re gay, including more than 60 Arabic linguists.

Britain's Got Talent...WOW

2009-04-15T11:18:00.003-04:00

Again, another post you may have seen: clip of 47-year-old Susan Boyle on the reality music show "Britain's Got Talent." You can see by the judges' reactions that they are already assuming she's a joke from the moment she steps out, and several jerk audience members get caught on camera smirking and rolling their eyes when Boyle says she wants to be a professional singer. Once the initial awkwardness of her intro is over, she busts out with INCREDIBLE vocals and floors everyone. Her song choice of "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miz also couldn't have been more perfect ("I had a dream my life would be so different from this hell I'm living/So different now from what it seemed").

Lindsay on eHarmony

2009-04-14T20:44:00.001-04:00

This has been all over the internet: Lindsay Lohan creating her own spoof (ish...) eHarmony profile. She may be a bonkers but at least she has a sense of humor about herself. It's also a pretty smart ploy to get the general public to at least slightly like her again. Worked on me.

Tweenbots

2009-04-13T07:57:00.001-04:00

Here's an article, video, and set of pictures to make your Monday brighter. Really, this will make you feel better about the world (even if only for a few minutes). A woman built a small robot that looks like a cereal box with training wheels and set it loose in NYC. She conceived it as an experiment in human relationships to space, technology, community, and the interactions/relationships among the three. Here's her description of the robots:

Tweenbots are human-dependent robots that navigate the city with the help of pedestrians they encounter. Rolling at a constant speed, in a straight line, Tweenbots have a destination displayed on a flag, and rely on people they meet to read this flag and to aim them in the right direction to reach their goal.

Watch people react to the robot and help it get on the right path, get unstuck from cracks in the pavement, and move toward its goal. Thanks to Leslie W for this delightful find.

Wolfgang's Vault

2009-04-12T21:38:00.001-04:00

Mark alerted me to a site called Wolfgang's Vault. It's a repository of hundereds of concert recordings that you can listen to free. You can search their always-expanding database and create playlists. The playlists consist of the actual songs you choose, not similar-sounding songs like on Pandora. You can save the playlists and easily share with others (like Pandora). You can also listen to concerts in their entirety. The majority of the music is classic rock, but there is also indie/alternative, country, 80s pop, R&B, and so on. Some of the recordings I recommend checking out: Journey, Randy Newman, The Doobie Brothers, REO Speedwagon, Aerosmith, and Stevie Ray Vaughn.

Be prepared to lose (enjoy) a good hour or two playing around on this site once you sign up!

Rachel Maddow on Tea Parties

2009-04-10T20:16:00.001-04:00

O. M. G.

Why do these Republicans just make it SO EASY for pundits to make fun of them??? Don't strategists have media people who are supposed to filter unintentionally inappropriate catchphrases? I mean really. I would like politicians to please pay me a lot of money so I can tell them what to NOT call their protests (i.e. avoid any phrase that is a blatant, gross sexual euphemism).

Kudos to Rachel Maddow for not completely dissolving into laughter and tears while delivering this segment. That's poise.

Back on Twitter

2009-04-10T07:03:00.001-04:00

So after my Twitter post from a few weeks back, I signed back up and found that a LOT more of my friends have joined in the last four months, so I'm going to give to a go yet again. I'm on there as LeslieCaro right now (though I may change that--apparently choice of Twitter name is a big deal). Follow me and I'll follow you! I also would be grateful for anyone who is a Twitter pro and can offer me a cultural introduction to it...

I'm Finally on the Adam Lambert Bandwagon

2009-04-07T22:56:00.001-04:00

I have been very slack about positing lately---packing, preparing for the move, and wrapping up things at work have been consuming me! I'll try to do better this week and the next.

Okay, so Idol. I hated Adam Lambert in the early weeks of this competition, especially after his creepy and screechy version of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" that made me feel like I needed a shower or six. After he sang "Tracks of My Tears" two weeks back, I begrudingly gave him credit for a stellar performace, but wasn't yet sold. Last night, though, pushed me fully into his camp. "Mad World" is a great song and he absolutely killed it (in a good way...unlike the way Scott and Lil killed their songs) When you get the first and only standing ovation from Simon in the show's history...you're it. Damn. Well done.

"Where The Wild Things Are" Trailer

2009-03-26T12:49:00.003-04:00

I had no idea this wonderful classic kids' book was being made into a movie!! And directed by Spike Jonze...even better. One of my all-time favorite books growing up--both the story and the illustrations are amazing. This trailer looks AWESOME. I'm there in a heartbeat.

Baby Hula Hooping

2009-03-25T12:16:00.003-04:00

He don't need no stinkin' hoop! Thanks to Leslie W. for this priceless clip.

Christopher Walken on Twitter

2009-03-24T21:42:00.003-04:00

I've been having some back and forth discussion with friends about Twitter. The general consensus is that none of us have gotten hooked yet like so many others across the world. It seems burdensome to keep up with all the updates and to remember to update (particularly when we're already trying to maintain our email, Facebook, blogs, etc.). I had an account for a few months but deleted it when I realized I never used it. Maybe I didn't give it enough of a shot, but until more friends of mine get into it, I'll pass on keeping up with Kim Kardashian's activities.

One reason I'm glad for Twitter, however, is Christopher Walken's page. Thanks to Joe for alerting me to it. You don't have to have an account to read his updates---just click the link. He. Is. Hysterical. Some of my favorites tweets (yes, I said that word):

You know that Andy Dick and how he seemed funny until we noticed that he wasn't? You'll tell me when it's time to stop, right?

"Secretary of Ironic Scarves." I don't know if Obama read my letter but I hope so. Ashton Kutcher deserves this. So does California.

There's a kid on a Pogo stick in front of my house. It's nearly midnight so let's assume he's been drinking. This should end well for him.

Someone commended me for being "approachable." Okay. The truth is that I'm easily distracted and don't notice people touching me right away.

If you use Twitter or have thoughts on it, I'd love to hear them.

Portia de Rossi on Prop. 8

2009-03-22T22:04:00.000-04:00

I heard Portia de Rossi on the radio the other day and was reminded of how funny she is. I wish she were still playing Lindsay on Arrested Development (may the show rest in peace, till the movie comes out at least). This is a great faux PSA clip from her as a lesbian woman apologizing for all the pain and suffering she has caused to pro-Proposition 8 demonstrators injured in the line of duty.

Extreme Sheep LED Art

2009-03-19T20:09:00.006-04:00

Apparently this is the week for animal clips...but THIS takes the cake. WOW. Awesomest thing I have seen on YouTube in a loooooooong time. It's exactly what it sounds like: Welsh dudes and gals strap LED lights onto sheep, dogs herd them into various shapes, and volia. SHEEP ART. Glorious. It looks like they also paint the sheep for a different style.

Whales Are Awesome.

2009-03-17T21:23:00.003-04:00

Round two of cool nature posts: humpback whale steals birds' painstakingly corralled fish dinner. Sweet. Thanks to Brig for the link.

Dolphins Are Smart.

2009-03-17T07:35:00.003-04:00

This is a really cool clip of dolphins at Sea World who have learned to blow bubble rings and manipulate them into different shapes and sizes. It renewed my 11-year-old self's dream of being a marine biologist (as was the dream of many preteen girls)....except that I don't like science. Thanks to Joe for the link.

Dogs in Snow

2009-03-14T16:39:00.007-04:00

As promised, here are some funny pictures of the dogs in the snow....and Mark in the snow featuring his "Louisiana snow gloves" fashioned from socks, plastic bags, and tape. The first one is so pitiful yet hilarious. Oh poor Laveau the Texas born, Louisiana reared dog. She HATES the cold. This is the picture of misery. She was much happier on day two of the snow when the sun came out.

In the second one, Franklin is eating the snowman's arm. Poor snowman had several arm amputations and transplants that day.

Viva Vieques!

2009-03-14T16:04:00.004-04:00

I am back from a wonderful spring break trip to Vieques and San Juan, Puerto Rico. I suppose it wasn't technically spring break given that I'm not in school, but I took of the week of UGA's spring break because it tends to be slow (and, most importantly, I had not been on a vacation since summer 2006!). This was my first trip to the Carri bean....WOW. The water's unlike anything I've ever seen in my life.

We (my dear friend Kate and I) spent our first and last nights in San Juan with five nights in between on the island of Vieques. It's a minimally developed island off the east coast of the main island. It was formerly a Naval bombing range and now has large areas of the island designated as a wildlife refuge. There are no large high rise hotels, mostly guesthouses with a dozen or fewer rooms. We stayed in a great little guesthouse called Villa Coral. It was run by two kind and friendly Puerto Rican women who went out of their way to make us feel at home in their lovely place (complete with roof deck that has amazing views and a breezy porch where we spend many hours reading).

Vieques is a gorgeous island with many different beaches, all with their own unique personalities. Some of the more remote beaches have very few people on them, so it feels like a private paradise. During our day trip to Green Beach, we had the spot to ourselves for nearly an hour. Some beaches are protected coves with lazy waves that make for great leisurely swimming and snorkeling, while others have very little sand and a rugged coastline. We were able to visit four or five different beaches, snorkel, kayak, and explore the tiny town of Esperanza where we stayed. The only thing we missed out on was exploring the bioluminescent bay. We were there the week of a full moon, which makes it difficult to see the bioluminescence in the water.

Kate and I took a million pictures between us, so I will post some of them soon. For now, above is a picture I pulled from the internet of Red Beach/Caracas Beach. The beaches have multiple names because the Navy gave them their own names, and of course the locals have names for them.

If you want to hear more about Vieques, let me know! It's a great trip and I would love to share details with anyone considering it at some point in the future.

SNOW DAY!

2009-03-02T09:04:00.006-05:00

WOOOOOO SNOW!!!! Having lived in Georgia for nearly 22 of my nearly 26 years, I was understandably skeptical yesterday morning when I saw the snow predictions. I figured everyone would get their hopes up and all we'd see would be a few flurries with nothing to stick. That's what happens 98% of the time. I took my cocky self to the gym for an hour, walked in when there was nothing on the ground, and came out to see nearly a half inch! I happily ate my words, bundled up, and headed outside with the dogs and the boyfriend, who being from Louisiana has only seen snow a couple times ever. We engaged in a whole series of fun snowtivities for people who rarely experience snow:

1) Throw snowballs to the dogs as if they are tennis balls. Watch the confusion when they get a mouth full of cold and then can't find the ball. Watching Laveau with the frozen tennis ball was also funny...she would only hold it for a few seconds and then drop it and try to shake the cold out of her mouth.

2) In the absence of legitimate gloves, help Mark make "Louisiana gloves" by putting socks over his hands then taping paper grocery bags over them. They worked surprisingly well, allowing him to make a pretty darn good snowman.

3) Sit still and listen to the trees crackle and watch branches snap. It's a creepy but cool sound. We saw a lot of pretty big branches buckle and snap. There are apparently trees down all over Athens, but none right around us. We're going to take a walk later and survey the neighborhood.

4) Take lots of pictures. My camera cord is at work so I can't upload them yet (picture above is from the Athens Banner Herald), but I'll add some to the blog and Facebook as soon as I retrieve it.

And finally, I have to say the best kind of snow day is when you still have power, tv, and the internets :) We only lost power for a few minutes at a time yesterday, and while the internet and tv went out in the afternoon, we got them both back just now.

UPDATE: 2:39 pm, we just now got power back after it went out at 10:00. That'll teach me to brag. Dear power, I love you, please stay.

This is Why You're Fat

2009-02-27T08:20:00.004-05:00

Just like the header says. This site is alternately glorious and vile. Looking through the pictures, some of them made me feel ravenous while others were nauseating. One of the most impressive selections is above: the junk food pizza covered in mini tacos, onion rings, potato skins, jalapeno poppers, and mozzarella sticks.

Silly, brainless fun for a Friday.

Nick/Norman is the Next American Idol

2009-02-26T07:16:00.004-05:00

I am reaaaaaally unimpressed with this season on Idol so far. Bad song choices are killing some talented people--haven't they learned yet? It's season EIGHT. You don't know by now not to sing Whitney, Mariah, Michael Jackson, etc.? Don't you know to pick a song that shows off your range and is age-appropriate? Le sigh.

One dazzling beacon of hope, however, is Nick Mitchell (AKA Norman Gentile). He's a comedian of sorts who surely tried out initially as a joke, but he made the judges laugh so much they put him through once, twice, three times. He will almost surely make it through to the top 12 based on last night's dramatic performance of "And I Am Telling You" from Dreamgirls. Most of the contestants last night were boring, pitchy, and overall awful. He was the most entertaining part of the night, which does not say much about the quality of contestants this season.

On a side note, I HAAAAAATED Adam Lambert's performance. I didn't like him in Hollywood week, and I like him even less after last night. I can't find a clip to it, but it's just as well. Self-indulgent, shrieky, melodramatic...go back to musical theater!!!!

The Musical is Back!

2009-02-23T07:23:00.001-05:00

I used to be REALLY into the Oscars in high school...I would have seen nearly all the movies, ranked my favorites, organized pools with my friends, etc. In recent years, especially since I have had Netflix, I don't see nearly as many movies in the theater, which means I haven't seen most of the Oscar pics until after they come out on DVD. I've still watched the Oscars most years but not been very into it. There have definitely been a series of boring shows that didn't exactly have me on the edge of my chair.

Well....enter Hugh Jackman. What a great job he did last night! The show was funny, sharp, fresh, and frantically paced (in a good way). My top two moments:

2) Ben Stiller spoofing Joaquin Phoenix's weird appearance on Letterman. Dead on.

1) "The Musical is Back!" sequence: FABULOUS. This clip isn't the best quality, but you get the picture. Beyonce can do no wrong. My only complaint was that Amanda Seyfried from Mamma Mia is way more awesome than she sounded---I don't know if it was nerves or a bad mike, but you could hardly hear her and the guy from Mamma Mia. Also, I love Zac Efron and all, but if they were going to use him he should have sung songs from Hairspray instead of HSM.

Caturday returns

2009-02-21T13:39:00.004-05:00

For old times' sake...a Caturday thread! LOLcats: mostly gone but never forgotten.

Go Your Own Way

2009-02-18T21:43:00.001-05:00

The quality of this clip isn't great, but nonetheless...I heart it. Carrie Underwood and David Cook singing "Go Your Own Way," which is quite possibly my favorite song ever (at the very least, it's top three). I think they need to a) date and b) sing more songs together.

Whoooah-OH! Livin' on a Prayer!

2009-02-16T22:59:00.002-05:00

Awesome guy dancing to "Livin' on a Prayer" at a Celtics game. Probably the world record for the longest the Jumbotron has focused on one person. That's kind of what I look like when I sing that song on Guitar Hero World Tour, minus the adoring audience and dramatic stairway descent.

Man on Wire

2009-02-16T07:02:00.002-05:00

When I get movies from Netflix, they tend to languish for a week or two until I've watched all my discs of TV series. I had "Man on Wire" for three weeks before I finally popped it in the DVD player last night...and WOW. This film, though techically a documentary, views like a great suspense thriller. The story traces the events leading up to and following French tightrope walker Phillipe Petit's unbelievable feat of walking a wire between the Two Towers of the World Trade Center. He and a group of accomplices planned the stunt for years, beginning even before the Towers were constructed. Phillipe himself is the primary interviewee for the film, but many of his friends and accomplices are featured as well. It's amazing to watch his friends talk about the event: it happened over thirty years ago now, but the simultaneous joy and terror they felt is completely fresh on their faces. A couple of them are even moved to tears as they tell the story. Phillipe, on the other hand, talks about facing death with an astounding nonchalance that leads you to conclude that he is either brilliantly enlightened and spiritually secure...or 100% bat crazy. The reality is probably somewhere in the middle.

Watching video clips of Petit's FORTY FIVE MINUTES spent walking the wire (eight crossings in all, including rest time during which he lays down on the wire) is a very strange experience. There is no doubting the sheer beauty of what he did, for one. Sitting on my firmly grounded couch, thirty years in the future, my heart was in my throat and I felt extremely moved as I watched. At the same time, I felt it impossible to ignore the feeling that there is something insensitive about the way he discusses the events without a single mention of 9/11. It may have been the filmmakers' choice and not Petit's, but it feels very strange to have no mention at all of what his feat means today in light of the horrors of victims jumping from the buildings. I don't think acknowkledging this unavoidable lens would have taken away from his feat--it might even make it seem more triumphant and transcendent.

Kittens! Inspired by...Kittens!

2009-02-13T09:49:00.006-05:00

There really are no words I can use to explain this, just watch. Happy Friday! ( and thanks to Leslie W for the link)

Brazen Careerist

2009-02-12T19:14:00.002-05:00

"Penelope Trunk's Brazen Careerist" is a great blog I just discovered thanks to a Facebook friend's status post. It's officially a blog about careers, which includes commentary on the economy (how to talk to a friend who has been laid off), why not to use grad school as an escape during the recession, negotiating salaries, etc. She also writes about relationships, therapy, politics, parenting (hold CEO's accountable for bad parenting), and her personal life.

This blog will definitely be a new addiction for me! Many of the topics are of particular interest to those who work in higher education and those in graduate school.

Darwin Was a Quirky Dude

2009-02-12T17:48:00.000-05:00

Some random facts about Mr. Evolution himself. My personal favorite:

Iffy on marriage — As a young man, Darwin made a list of marriage's pros and cons. Cons included loss of time and no reading in the evening. Pros included companionship ("better than a dog anyhow") and children. In the end, he concluded: "Marry — Marry. Marry Q.E.D." Q.E.D. stands for the Latin phrase "quod erat demonstrandum," which is used at the end of mathematical proofs to indicate that the proof is complete.

Her Morning Elegance

2009-02-11T11:41:00.001-05:00

Awesome stop-motion video. I've never seen anything like it. So creative and graceful! Thanks to the Kate for the link.

Jericho

2009-02-09T19:17:00.004-05:00

I'm about halfway through the first season of "Jericho" on DVD, and I know understand why my friends who were fans during its short run were PISSED when it got cancelled. What a great show! The premise is that various cities across America have been nuked, leaving small town Jericho, Kansas cut off from all communication from the country and world and struggling to survive. It takes a pretty freakin' good show for me to compare it to the greatness of "24" in its best seasons (1, 4, 5), but I think it stands up to the test. It's suspenseful, scary, stressful, shocking, and entirely addictive (whoops, messed up my stellar alliteration).

I hate knowing that I only have half of season one left and a meager two discs or so of season two. At the same time, though, I can see how a show like this could become ridiculous and repetitve after going on much longer than two or three seasons (ahem, Prison Break? Heroes? Lost?Are you listening?). Most of its appeal is probably in the initial intrigue of the first season. But who knows...it could have stayed great. We'll never know. Rest in peace, Jericho, with your other comrades felled too young: Arrested Development, Freaks & Geeks, My So Called Life, Pushing Daisies, etc.

Those of you who have Netflix or Blockbuster Online, definitely add this to your queue.

Gossip on (What Else?) Gossip Girl

2009-02-07T18:31:00.004-05:00

For Gossip Girl fans out there, this NY Magazine article is a glorious treat. Chock full of gossip about the stars themselves and how much the show imitates real life (or real life imitates the show, it seems), it also talks about the way the show's success is almost entirely grounded in new technologies: online viewings, texting, blogging, etc. Cleary the show is a hit, just not for The CW during its actual airtimes. The tv station, and other stations as well, have got to figure out a way to make money from their shows in an era when more people than not choose to watch the show any of a million ways EXCEPT sitting patiently through commericals as the show airs on tv in its neatly assigned timeslot. The article was written near the end of the first season, so I'm not sure how ratings may have changed since then, but it's a great read nonetheless.

"Is this real life???"

2009-02-05T13:11:00.003-05:00

This poor, poor kid is going to die of embarrassment when he is a teenager and all his friends see this video of him on YouTube. In a nutshell: kid needs dental work, kid gets the happy gas, dad videotapes wasted kid on the car ride home. Comedic gold.

Dumpster Diving

2009-02-04T17:47:00.000-05:00

When I saw the headline for this article, I predictably cringed. I can hardly get through an episode of "Dirty Jobs" without almost gagging, so the idea of dumpster diving is far from appealing to me. While I don't expect I'll be taking it up soon, I did enjoy reading about some UGA students who are happy and successful dumpster divers (so successful, in fact, that most of them don't even have to buy food anymore). They find fresh and package-intact food that's often quite expensive and frequently organic. Most stores discard the food because it's past the display date but not the expiration date. One student says he eats much better now than he did before taking up this, er, hobby. Apparently there is a larger movement in support of dumpster diving as a way to reduce consumer waste ("freeganism").

There are certainly some health concerns that arise with this practice, and it does seem like ultimately there has to be a better way to procure this food from stores through actual partnerships (not foraging), but in the meantime it's still a quirky and novel idea to cut back on waste and spending. Good for these guys.

Psychological Causes of Gay Bashing

2009-02-02T18:09:00.000-05:00

This article from Scientific American describes research being done by a group of UGA professors on the subject of homophobia--the researchers "report evidence that homophobic young males may secretly have gay urges." This conclusion in itself is not exactly shocking (well, I should speak for myself, but I'd venture to bet others of you would agree). The fact that there is now a scientific basis for this claim, however, is what makes this study cutting edge. The article gets a bit graphic at places, so I won't go into much detail here, but it's a interesting and important read. It delves into not only sexual attraction and arousal but agression of homophobic men toward gay men as compared to straight men.

"I Love Jesus, But I Drink a Little"

2009-02-02T07:34:00.000-05:00

I'm not a big talk show fan (unless you count The Daily Show and Colbert), but I do enjoy Ellen. The star of this clip, however, is not Ellen but her 88-year-old fan Gladys from Austin, Texas. Gladys has a few helpful suggestions for Ellen and some priceless comments about her own life. I love funny old people. I wish I could hang out with Gladys.

Stamping Out Quotation Mark Abuse

2009-01-29T07:07:00.001-05:00

My good friend and former roommate Josh sent me this article on correct and (most importantly) INCORRECT use of quotation marks. Most of my friends, family, and colleagues have heard me go off on my rants about the sloppy, lazy, irritating, and fundamentally wrong ways people (ab)use quotation marks. That includes, of course, the dreaded air quotes. This trend is my biggest grammatical pet peeve, which is saying a lot. The author of this article links to a couple of amusing blogs devoted to exposing the horror.

The burning hatred for this phenomenon was sparked by my 10th grade history teacher yelling at our class for writing about the "American Dream" in our papers. I think he even threatened to dock us points for using quotation marks in that manner. By the time I got to college and declared my English major, I dare say I equaled his passion.

In tribute, this one's for you, Tom Pearce.

NOTE: I tried to be funny by using quotation marks around the header for this post, but my fingers wouldn't let me do it. It's just that wrong.

25 Things

2009-01-28T18:37:00.001-05:00

The latest Facebook craze (or maybe chain letter is the apt description) is posting a note with 25 random things about yourself. It's narcissistic, I admit, but it also makes for some humorous and sometimes shocking reading when the friends you tag in the note complete a list for themselves. Below are some statements I liked/laughed at/was surprised by from assorted friends' notes and my own. Well, I suppose I didn't exactly surprise myself with my own factoid that's on this list...but you get the point.

The Oxford comma is the bane of my existence. Don't use it! Make it go away!

When I was eight years old, I rode my bike down a hill and directly into a lake, by accident. I have no idea why I didn't stop. I walked my bike home, crying, soaking wet and smelling like fish. Good thing the lake was close to home.

The second marathon I ran was 26.5 miles long. There was a fire early in the morning on the day of the race, and the event's organizers had to re-route the course at the last minute. The race ended up being longer than it should have been. I was slightly annoyed when I found that out. 26.2 miles is long enough, thank you very much!

When I was 14 or so, I had 278 pictures- of all sizes- of Rick Springfield covering my bedroom walls.

I speak Swedish. And a lot of good it does me. 9 million Swedes in the world and 8 million of them speak English better than I do.

My sister caught my car on fire. I caught a college roommate’s car on fire. Both were accidents. But they’re both decent stories.

When I was a little over a year old, I drank kerosene and had to go to the ER.

I can twirl a toothpick vertically in my mouth. I don’t advocate you trying this, you can get hurt.

Obama: He Completes Us

2009-01-25T22:02:00.001-05:00

I posted this Daily Show clip on Facebook back when it came out last August, just after Obama had clinched the Democratic nomination. Given the crazy fanfare of last week's inaugural festivities, I thought it deserved another viewing. Remember back in August when we thought perhaps Obamania had calmed down now that he had finally beaten Hillary? What sweet little naiive children we were. This send-up applied to last week just as much as it did to last fall, if not more so.

All jokes aside, it's the most exciting time of all NOW. It's the CIIIIIIIIRCLE OF LIIIIIIIIFE.

Be sure you watch to the end. The last shot's the best.

Liberal Trends

2009-01-22T19:04:00.000-05:00

Below is an excerpt from a Chronicle of Higher Education article on the increasingly liberal views of college freshmen. Here's the link to the article, though you have to have a subscription to view it. The increase in percent of students who support same sex marriage and higher taxes for the wealthy makes me excited about this generation of college students and what they will do for this country as they grow older and take on leadership roles. Not that I'm on a crusade to make all college students liberal (calm down, David Horowitz), but I am excited to see the shift in thinking on what I consider vital social issues! Now if we could get that percent who support decreased military spending back up again...

The data comes from the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA, an entity I very much respect and would like to work for someday.

This year, 31 percent of freshmen identified themselves as liberal, the highest level since 1973, while 23 percent called themselves conservatives. The percentage who described their political views as middle-of-the-road hit an all-time low of 43 percent.

The survey also revealed students’ views of several hot-button issues. For instance, 66 percent of freshmen said they supported marriage rights for same-sex couples, while 60.4 percent said they believed wealthy Americans should pay more taxes than they do now. An increasing proportion (41.3 percent) said they support the legalization of marijuana, while a decreasing proportion (28 percent) favored increases in military spending, down from a high of 45 percent in 2002.

Greatest Condiment Ever

2009-01-20T20:17:00.005-05:00

Wow. There are really no words. Well, just one word: baconnaise.

This showed up on my facebook ads...I'm not really sure what that says about the content of my profile. I'm fairly certain there aren't any references to condiments. Maybe the interwebs somehow knew that I bought Mark these bacon flavored toothpicks when I was in Austin last week.

Idol's Best

2009-01-14T18:30:00.002-05:00

To celebrate the return of American Idol, here's a list of the top 16 best performances of all time according to Entertainment Weekly (including video clips, sweet). As a loyal viewer since the Kelly Clarkson days, I think this is a pretty good list. I'd argue that Carrie Underwood's cover of "Alone" should be higher on the list, and I would have chosen "Eleanor Rigby" for David Cook instead of "Billie Jean." David Archuleta singing "Imagine" still gives me chills. I was hoping to see Tamyra Gray on there, as she is one of my faves, but she was so long ago in Season One that I can't even name one of her great performances (though I do remember clearly that she butchered the already lame "New Attitude" and got the boot for it).

Worse than a Snuggie?

2009-01-13T07:15:00.001-05:00

I didn't think anything could possibly be more ridiculous than a Snuggie, but these Jumpin Jammerz may qualify. The patterns and the drop-seat option push them over the line and into first place. A good laugh for a Tuesday. I'm sure all the adults modeling the outfits on the Web site have officially killed their already dying careers in fashion.

Thanks to Lauren's blog for alerting me to this um, phenomenon. Lauren, did you seriously order one?? HAHAHA.

IDK my BFF Jill?

2009-01-12T09:48:00.003-05:00

Wow. I knew this generation of high schoolers and college students were text-message obsessed, but this girl should probably be in the Guinness book: 14, 528 texts in a month. On a chatty month, I will use 150 of my 450 allotted messages, but I usually don't even break 100. I don't know if I should feel really really lame or really really cool because of that.

Thanks to Suber for this article.

Man Vs Food

2009-01-11T15:17:00.006-05:00

I'm conviced that The Travel Channel does food shows better than Food Network. Be ashamed, Food Network, be very ashamed. Oh, and get rid of that Guy Fieri guy and his 8th grade boy hairdo...I'd watch "Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives" much more often if you got a new host.

On Wednesday nights at 10:00, following the drool including "Food Paradise" that I blogged about a while back, is a new show called "Man Vs. Food." The host, Adam Richman, is an energetic and funny everyman who has an impressive apetite. He comes off as slightly too eager verging on annoying in the commercials for the show, but when you watch the show he's hard not to like. Each show he visits a different city to try three restaurants, the third of which always has a daunting eating challenge. Richman is batting better than .500 on challenge completion by now, or at least from the shows that I've seen. Part of what makes the show so entertaining are the funny restaurant patrons who team with him or compete against him on the challenges to varying degrees of success. The most amusing part is when they inevitably start to get the meat sweats.

"The Word" on Statute of Limitations

2009-01-09T07:20:00.001-05:00

During the height of the election season, I thought "The Daily Show" was much funnier and sharper than "The Colbert Report." I think Colbert's making a comeback now, however, with gems like this edition of his segment "The Word." The link is to the entire show, but that segment runs from about 6:40 to 11:04. Deadpan as usual, Colbert brings to light some ridiculous and unjust uses of the statute of limitations laws surrounding discrimination cases (his character, of course, supports the Supreme Court's idiotic reasoning in the cases). Here's hoping for some changes in those laws once Obama takes office...

Amazing Family Portraits

2009-01-07T08:00:00.001-05:00

Awe-inspiring family and individual portraits from the last few decades, complete with witty captions, courtesy of Olan Mills, Sears, and so on. Note: by "family" I do not mean these pictures are of MY family, thank goodness. My siblings and I definitely have taken many dozen Olan Mills photos between us, but lucky for us my parents opted out of the cheesy fake backgrounds (and the mullets). I do believe we have one of our whole family wearing matching denim shirts, though...egad.

Good find, John.

Toad the Wet Sprocket Revisited

2009-01-07T07:30:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Pandora internet radio, which gets me through the week at work, I have rediscovered how much I like Toad the Wet Sprocket. They keep coming up on a station I created based around R.E.M.'s music, and I like every song I hear. Lots of flashbacks to listening to 99X (and feeling really cool about it) on the way to school when I was younger. "Good Intentions" is probably my fave, though I also like "All I Want" and "Walk On the Ocean." The video for "Good Intentions" that I linked to is kind of fun...I think I like it so much because it reminds me of Peter Gabriel's video for "Sledgehammer" but is considerably less epileptic. Not nearly as good though, because of course you can't beat the dancing plucked chickens in the latter.

Ahhhh, memories.

Puerto Riiiiiiiico!

2009-01-05T15:03:00.003-05:00

Due to paying back school loans and the generally humble salary of an entry level student affairs professional, I have not been on a vacation since my wonderful trip to France back in 2006 (minus a short jaunt to Myrtle Beach). Buuuuuuut...I am finally escaping in March to Puerto Rico with the Kate!!! I have never been to the Caribbean and I cannot WAIT to get there. Pictured is the island of Vieques where we plan to spend most of our week. Start the countdown!!

Doggonnit, 2009...

2009-01-03T10:37:00.004-05:00

From Scott Adams' (creator of Dilbert) blog: a decidedly unpleasant way to wake up on New Year's morning. Yet another reason NOT to let dogs sleep in the bed...gotta preserve that final frontier.

Prudie in Review

2009-01-02T13:05:00.002-05:00

For the "Dear Prudence" fans out there, here's a year end review of her advice columns that were the most applauded and most protested. Gotta love the thoughtful male responses on rationalism versus emotional intelligence (near the top of the page).

Twilight (Finally)

2009-01-02T08:15:00.005-05:00

I have been resisting the urge to begin reading the Twilight series because a) I had heard they are gratingly anti-feminist with all the damsel-in-distress-needing-male-protection themes and b) I suspected I would adore them nonetheless and not want to do anything but devour (ha) all four books in a row. Hypotheses "a" proved fairly correct, but hypothesis "b" ultimately is triumphing. I read the first one in two days then decided to read something else in between to kind of tease (torture) myself, and now I'm halfway through New Moon. Yes, the books are teenager-y in their melodrama, pretty anti-feminist, blah blah...they are also entirely absorbing and entertaining. Stephenie Meyer can write a damn good cliffhanger chapter ending; she also captures the intense moods of a teenage girl with pretty perfect accuracy. I heard an acquaintance gush that this series is better than Harry Potter, but I won't go nearly that far. The Twilight books are equally addictive and suspenseful, but they don't have nearly the same heart or epic scope. Then again, I'm only halfway into book two...

Animal Review

2008-12-22T08:24:00.005-05:00

Last week I was alerted to Animal Review's foul-mouthed twin blog, which I will not post here because I try to keep this PG-rated (though it is pretty funny if you have a high tolerance for offensiveness and potty mouthes--ask me about the penguin). Both blogs share their funny insights on a variety of animals and their ridiculous/impressive/weird traits or behaviors. Animal Review features discussion on the hummingbird, swordfish, zebra, mosquito, and more. Unlike its fouler twin, you actually learn something about the animals in Animal Review and the blogger grades them on their level of awesomeness. Naturally, when he gets to bears, he will have only GREAT things to say; no so luck for the sloth, lamest animal on the planet.

Thanks to Paul for the link.

Adorable Mini-Cousins

2008-12-19T09:54:00.006-05:00

I couldn't resist sharing these pictures of my cousins' children. So stinkin' cute! The top one is Ella, my cousin Lori's daughter with her husband Blake. She has a baby sister, Hattie, who I'm sure will make an appearance on the blog soon when she gets into some awesome ensembles of her own. I wish I could pull off that outfit.

The second picture is of my cousin Benjamin's four kids with his wife Kelley: Hannah, Emily, Jackson, and Hardy. Jackson's face is hilarious.

What Do YOU Want to Know?

2008-12-18T08:15:00.002-05:00

I always enjoy Slate's regular feature called "The Explainer." Readers write in with questions about anything and everything, and the detectives at Slate track down the answers. This edition lists an assortment of questions that Explainer didn't/couldn't/wouldn't answer in 2008. Some I like:

Is it just me, or do all national anthems the world over, no matter how rich and exotic the culture, seem to sound like European marching-band music? Wouldn't one expect China's national anthem be more "plinky"? Shouldn't Iraq's national anthem sound a little more "Arab-y"?
(I wonder this every time I watch the Olympics. Imperialism!)

I live in Washington, D.C., and we have very long escalators coming out of the Metro. If I grabbed the handrail when I first step onto the escalator and did not let go until I was at the top, my body would be almost prostrate across the steps. As I go higher on the escalator, I have to readjust the hand that is grabbing the rubber handrail. Why can't the companies that make escalators sync the steps and the handrails so that they go the same speed?
(I have wondered the same thing)

Hi, I am Anna. I am only 11 years old! My friend told me about this black hole, and I have gotten really scared. I don't want to die! I thought if it didn't happen today, it wasn't going to happen. I did not know nothing about it happening in Spring! I find it unfair that scientists are making a machine that could possibly destroy the entire human race. Me and my friends have cried about the black hole, and I find it really upsetting. There has been barely nothing about it on the news. I am so nervous. I just think I am too young to die—is there any way we could stop it happening?
(Damn scientists! Stop ruining existence for the rest of us!)

Vicious Polar Bear Attack

2008-12-17T09:51:00.000-05:00

Terrifying!

Flashmob at Clemons

2008-12-17T09:33:00.004-05:00

Another UVA post this morning: fun video of a midnight flashmob rave at Clemons Library, the 24-hour hot spot that's packed with undergrads at all hours during midterms and exams. The flashmob idea isn't anything new, and this one gives credit to UNC, but still pretty amusing. The best late night Clemons shenanigans I ever saw was a streaker or two, not quite as funny or lengthy as a rave. Impressive that they pulled together 1,000 people in an hour...then again, anything's possible with the viral powers of Facebook.

UVA Nostalgia-Fest

2008-12-16T10:30:00.002-05:00

Ah, the holidays. Time for warm fires, family and friends, presents under the tree, and the yearly holiday email from UVA President John Casteen III (and our pals who work in Development, a challenging and thankless but essential job in this economy). As usual, they have created a video slideshow of images from Grounds, this time including some great pictures from the past. The music is somewhat melodramatic, but then, it's UVA. We take our own majesty very seriously. Overall, a cool collection of old photos and recent ones. Having been away from Charlottesville for several years now, I forget how gorgeous Grounds is in the snow (well, it's gorgeous all the time, but especially when covered in white). Well done, Development video people. You have successfully made me miss UVA (minus the ostentatiousness), and I will send you $20.

Wahoowa!

Stats: The S is for Sucks

2008-12-15T13:01:00.005-05:00

So because I decided to be a big nerd and take a statistics class as a non-degree-seeking student, I get to take a beast of a final tomorrow at 8:00 am. It was described to me by a classmate who took it early as having destroyed her will to live. Awesome.

I'm glad I took the class because I've learned a lot that has helped me in my work now, and I know I will be in better shape once I start a doctoral program (eek). That said, despite my funny professor and lovely classmates, I still hated every minute of it. I am such a qualitative person at heart.

This cartoon made me laugh. That's about how I feel right now, though my fate would be death by inference for regression.

For a Monday treat, here's the classic Trogdor clip that inspired this posting's header. "I said CONSUMMATE v's!"

Foamhenge

2008-12-12T09:38:00.004-05:00

Thanks to Leslie W.'s facebook status for alerting me to the eighth wonder of the world: Foamhenge. I can't believe I went to college only an hour away from this and never knew of its existence! I'll have to visit on my trip up to Charlottesville in May.

Baby Pandas!

2008-12-11T14:26:00.004-05:00

WARNING: extreme cuteness.

And just for another dose of baby panda awesomeness, remember this great clip? ACHOOOOO!

One Man Against Torture

2008-12-10T08:21:00.003-05:00

Last week John sent this article by Matthew Alexander (a pseudonym), who is a US solider taking a stand against interrogation techniques that use torture. He makes a powerful case against torture, and obviously his team is doing something right: they were responsible for obtaining the information that led to al-Zarqawi's capture. One of his detainees said to him, poignantly, "I thought you would torture me, and when you didn't, I decided that everything I was told about Americans was wrong. That's why I decided to cooperate."

I thought the article was great, so I was excited to see Alexander on The Daily Show two nights ago. As John Stewart mentions, a pseudonym doesn't work quite them same when you go on tv, but I'm glad he did---this is a brave man with an important message. Now if only the military and DOD would pull the cotton out of their ears and hear it...

Here's the link to Alexander's new book. I hope to get my hands on it soon.

There ARE Atheists in Foxholes

2008-12-09T10:58:00.005-05:00

I thought this was a nice story from NPR about an atheist soldier's unexpected but welcome encounter with acceptance and understanding in a foxhole in Afghanistan. It's troubling to read that he was repeatedly told by his own comrades and Afghan allies that he was going to hell when he is a soldier risking his life just like the rest of them. An apt tribute to the cut-short life of the young Afghan translator who made the soldier for once feel something other than rejection and judgment.

Gay Marriage and the Bible

2008-12-07T13:38:00.003-05:00

I enjoyed this article about the various portrayals of marriage and love in the Bible. The author makes a convincing case that our modern ideals of straight marriages bear little resemblance to marriage in the Bible. While acknowledging Biblical condemnations of gay sex, she points to the familiar arguments that the Bible is equally a cultural text reflective of its time (Christians today reject its laws on slavery, capital punishment, and many more issues.). She discusses Jesus' message and how that can help Christians express and advocate a community of inclusion that celebrates committed love in all its forms.

A good read, although I'm not the one who needs convincing as I'm for legalizing gay marriage and don't think the Bible should have ANYTHING to do with the legal institution of marriage. I would hope the sentiments expressed in this article become more commonplace in Christian churches who count LGBT people as their parishioners and want to extend to them the same rights to join their loved one in marriage.

In the Doghouse

2008-12-05T13:06:00.002-05:00

Do not buy your wife, fiance, or girlfriend any kind of cleaning item, kitchen appliance, weight loss tool, hair removal device, or other related items for Christmas. If you do, this will happen to you.

Women, the shopping season is upon us. As most of our man friends are probably procrastinators who have hardly even thought about what to get us, send this warning their way. Thanks to Thrashley for the link.

Food Paradise

2008-12-03T12:26:00.004-05:00

I like eating even more than I like reading or sleeping, which is saying a lot. Lately I've been loving Travel Channel's "Food Paradise" show. It comes on Wednesday nights at 9:00 (so check it out tonight if you're bored) and features the greatest foods across the country. Each episode has a different theme, like pizza, steak, donuts, sandwich, and my personal favorite, DEEP FRIED PARADISE. The Web site lists the different restaurants featured so you can check them out if any are near where you live or where you're traveling. Make sure you've eaten a substantial dinner before you watch or you are likely to order and eat an entire pizza, carton of ice cream, or other such gluttonous fare. At the very least, you'll need a napkin to wipe the drool off your face.

The Saddest Male Models in the World

2008-12-02T08:24:00.003-05:00

Some ridiculous male fashions and the sad, embarrassed models who have to wear them. A nice laugh for your Tuesday morning, brought to you by Best Week Ever. Thanks, John.

Jonestown

2008-12-01T19:42:00.003-05:00

Seductive Poison: A Jonestown Survivor's Story of Life and Death in the People's Temple by Deborah Layton

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Jonestown tragedy happened a few years before I was born, so prior to reading this book I knew very little about the People's Temple and Jim Jones. I saw a news story one day that marked the twentieth anniversary of the mass suicide, and I poked around online until I came across Deborah Layton's book.

Layton was a privileged, rebellious teenager when she was introduced to the People's Temple and the world of its charismatic leader, Jim Jones. She is a talented and passionate storyteller, tracing the evolution of the Temple from a socially conscious advocacy organization that helped the poor, homeless, and drug addicted to a perversion of socialism that brainwashed, abused, and terrorized its members. Layton's brother, sister in law, and mother all joined the cult as well. The latter two traveled with her to Jones'so called Promised Land in the jungles of Guyana, where members were held prisoner and ruled by lies and fear.

Layton's eventual escape led to an American contingent of a congressman, members of the press, and concerned relatives traveling to Guyana only to be ambushed by Jones' security forces. Hours later, Jones ordered the mass suicide, his soldiers killing any who refused to drink the poison.

The story is compelling and heart breaking. Layton debunks myths about cults by portraying the lives of intellectuals, doctors, lawyers, and others from all walks of life who joined the Temple. It's frightening how insidious the transformation of the Temple was from a legitimate commmunity organization to a cult ruled by a sociopath. She shows us how any of us could fall prey to a charismatic leader only to have things go terribly wrong.

This is a fantastic book. Read it.

View all my reviews.

Hate To Say I Told You So

2008-11-29T14:59:00.003-05:00

Watch Peter Schiff, president of a Connecticut brokerage firm, predict exactly what would happen to our economy as he appears on news talk shows a couple years back. I hope all the other commentators who laugh in his face have choked on their own feet by now.

Side note: predictably, Schiff was an economic advisor to Ron Paul's 2008 presidential campaign.

Books That Make You Dumb

2008-11-26T10:10:00.004-05:00

Some guy at Cal Tech decided to compare the Facebook lists of favorite books at various colleges and universities with the average SAT scores. It's not exactly sound statistical methods, but it's still kinda fun to see what the top books are at each SAT range. You can also look school by school to see what's most popular. I'm disappointed but not surprised that those terrible Dan Brown books (Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons) appear pretty frequently. I don't have much hope for the future of our youth if those are seriously so many people's favorite books.

Girl Talk

2008-11-25T08:32:00.004-05:00

Brigitte sent me the MySpace page of this DJ dude who goes by the name "Girl Talk", which has nothing to do with the style of music he mixes. He puts together upbeat, dancy combinations of hip hop, classic rock, pop, even folk stuff (I think there's some Shawn Colvin in there). I've had it on in the background at work happily tapping my foot under my desk and possibly doing a slight head bob till someone sees me and I turn red. If you have it on though, keep it low because it is hip hop after all so there's some non-PG language. My favorite combination is on track 4 on the MySpace page that's a mix of Jackson Five's "ABC" with the drums from Rihanna's "Umbrella" and some melodramatic guitar from "Bohemian Rhapsody." Musically I think he has some better mixes, but I give him a lot of credit for creativity on that blend.

Dogs 101

2008-11-23T11:19:00.006-05:00

I am hooked on the Animal Planet show "Dogs 101." Each episode covers about four different dog breeds, discussing the origins, physical makeup, temperament, health concerns, friendliness, grooming needs, hot or cold tolerance, etc. of each breed. You can always expect precious video of puppies, as well as spotlights on trainers and owners devoted to the featured breeds. Last night's episode featured the English bulldog with a good fifteen minutes about UGA, Athens, and of course, the Uga and Seiler family legacy. The clip isn't online yet, but I'll post it when it comes up.

The Web site also has a cool feature: the Dog Breed Selector. As we consider getting a new friend for Laveau (our high maintenance but wonderful Weimaraner) sometime in the next six months to a year, we'll look to this resource that gives you suggested breeds based on your answers to a series of questions regarding your preferences, family situation, living area, etc. It suggested spaniels, beagles, or Corgis for us. I'm partial to Shelties and golden retrievers, so we'll see what happens!

Dear Prudence

2008-11-20T12:12:00.003-05:00

Yeesh, has it been a week since I've posted? Apparently so. Work's been nuts, so less time for fun things like blogging. Thank goodness for the impending arrival of the greatest holiday ever--TURKEY WOOOOOO!!

I love a good advice column, and my favorite by far has got to be Dear Prudence (published by Slate). Today's tagline reminded me that I need to plug her column for anyone who is not already a reader:

My family thinks an exorcism will cure my mental illness. How can I spend Thanksgiving with them?

People write to her with some crazy and hilarious problems, and Prudence loves to cut to the chase. She's not afraid to tell people they are being whiny, narcissistic, overly sensitive, an idiot, or other colorful names. Her column is the highlight of my Thursdays; I only wish she published daily.

Rachel Maddow on Colbert

2008-11-13T08:14:00.002-05:00

I've only recently become aware of Rachel Maddow and how awesome she is, so I was happy to see her on Colbert a few days ago. She's sharp, witty, and most importantly, really holds her own with Stephen (not an easy feat, as we know). I loved her description of how conservatives in government saying they want to reduce government is like hiring a vegan to be your butcher.

Interesting note: Maddow was the first openly gay American to win a Rhodes Scholarship.

The Ugly Aftermath

2008-11-11T11:27:00.003-05:00

I had no idea that "The Onion" makes videos, but what a great discovery! (Thanks Clark). Here's a faux news segment on the ugly aftermath of the election for obsessive Obama supporters who now realize they have no life, no purpose, and nothing to talk about. I'll have to check out some of their other clips for future posts.

Decemberists' Return

2008-11-10T13:22:00.004-05:00

I'm not a huge music person (meaning I listen in the car and sometimes at home, but I'm not obsessive about it and don't go to shows very often). I do, however, LOVE the Decemberists and am thrilled they have new music out. They are releasing seven new songs in three installments (two of the three are out already, the last to come in December), and they are also working on a new full length album to come out sometime next year. You can listen to some of their new stuff (and great old stuff, especially from "The Crane Wife" cd) in this NPR concert recording.

In other music news, my all-time beloved favorite artist in the universe, Lucinda Williams, also has a new album out...more on that later.

Obama on Higher Ed

2008-11-07T08:10:00.002-05:00

Good Inside Higher Ed overview of Obama's stance on various higher education issues. I hope he follows through on his 2007 statement that eliminating subsidies to lenders and moving to a system of direct loans only would allow more support for Pell Grants. I think this is crucial to reforming the integrity and utility of the financial aid systems at colleges and universities. I also LOVE this quotation and hope it guides his higher ed policy:

[Obama] has pledged to “restore the basic principle that government decisions should be based on the best-available, scientifically valid evidence and not on the ideological predispositions of agency officials or political appointees.”

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

2008-11-05T08:40:00.000-05:00

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a glorious, wonderful day it was when this book mysteriously showed up on my doorstep, a gift from one of my best friends for no special occasion--she just knew I would love it.

"The Invention of Hugo Cabret" is a novel told through both words and over a hundred gorgeous pencil illustrations. The illustrations tell crucial portions of the story themselves rather than simply complementing the narrative, an interesting device that makes the reader feel like he or she is watching an old film. This sensation was almost certainly intentional on the part of Brian Selznick as much of the story revolves around the magic and legends of early cinema. My enjoyment of this novel was greatly enhanced because as a wanna-be film nerd, I've seen and loved many of the classic early films that are referenced and pictured throughout the story.

I will keep this book a long time and read it to my children one day (that is, after savoring it myself several more times!).

View all my reviews.

Sic Em, ACLU!

2008-11-04T15:09:00.003-05:00

It wouldn't be an election day without shenanigans. Apparently in Maryland, some cell phone users have gotten texts saying that voting lines are too long and to come back tomorrow. The ACLU's on the case, in partnership with the state attorney general's office, to investigate who is sending these messages. I'm glad they have snatched this up and will work toward bringing the culprits to justice. How SHADY and DISTURBING.

"Getting people misinformation about their right to vote to keep them from exercising the franchise is fundamentally undemocratic and unfortunately a growing problem that must be countered immediately," says Meredith Curtis, spokeperson for the Maryland ACLU.

Wassup....WAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

2008-11-03T08:12:00.003-05:00

In honor of election day being less than 24 hours away, I've got to post one more funny political clip. Remember the "wassup!!!!!" beer commercial from a couple years back? Here's the 2008 version.

GOBAMA!
(And by Bama I mean Barack, NOT the Crimson Tide. Obviously.)