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01-28-2003 11:04 PM - comments (0)
01-28-2003 11:04 PM - comments (0)
01-28-2003 11:04 PM - comments (0)
Remember how I (very gingerly) accused President Bush of benefitting from a unique form of affirmative action? This article in Time, which Zach sent along to me, says what I said, only more of it and better.
I was worried about offending Bush supporters, but honestly, I feel silly now that I tried to be so diplomatic. Unfortunately, I think Democrats are in a similar position, especially with an impending war--one they don't want--on their hands.
01-28-2003 6:06 AM - comments (0)
My Compaq Presario is about to fall apart, so I'm asking for an early graduation present from my parents. I'd like to do some research before I spend loads of their money, so I was hoping some of you could help me with my choice. E-mail me what you believe to be the best brands (and perhaps things I should be looking for in a new computer), and I'll be eternally grateful. I don't want my next computer to have a lifetime expectancy of just three years.
01-27-2003 8:38 AM - comments (0)
Really, a visit from your favorite person in the world can make a bad week seem like it never happened. It's only when he leaves that you remember the next week might not be any better than the last.
But as for the time in between, it was wonderful. We ate chicken korma and naan bread from Rasoi like we had never eaten before. We went grocery shopping, carefully strolling each aisle and therefore picking up more things than we should have. We got ready for Ted (an ex-boyfriend and freelance writer whose stuff has appeared in Rolling Stone) and his sister, Elisa, to stop by for the night; during that time, the vacuum belt apparently broke and I burnt some brownies. But we successfully made up the futon and hung up towels (Hilton style, yo). Unfortunately, Ted and Elisa miscalculated how long it would take to get from Cincinatti to Columbia and ended up at our duplex at 6:30 a.m. Needless to say, I was up half the night worrying that they were lying in a snowy ditch somewhere in Illinois. I blearily answered the door, showed them to the futon and stumbled up the stairs where Michael blissfully slept.
The next day we gave our guests a tour of Columbia, which lasted one hour and fifteen minutes, one hour of which was spent in Shakespeare's eating pizza. Ted, a magazine journalism grad from Syracuse, actually seemed moderately impressed, which probably has a lot to do with the fact that he spent four years in Syracuse. They soon left for the last-ever Shiner show in Kansas City. Michael and I took a much-needed nap, then went to Steak 'n Shake and then saw Adaptation, which, quite frankly, is too wonderful and mind-blowing for words.
Today involved errand-running at the mall, where I made Michael buy his first non-grey or -black shirt ever. We came back, heated up tons of greasy Superbowl snacks for a pre-party (which was just us watching About a Boy). Then he had to go back to St. Louis, and I pined away while watching one pirate football team whip up on another.
Also, I should mention that Friday was our 23-month anniversary, which can only mean one thing: February had better come soon.
01-26-2003 9:05 PM - comments (0)
the cat's out of the bag (sorry)
Re: Christie's request that I stop meowing along with popular songs:
Michael and I are starting a Sonny and Cher cover band wherein we meow the melodies of "The Beat Goes On" and "I Got You Babe." We will be loved in karaoke bars around the world. Our style will be oft-imitated, but never duplicated. After the success of that endeavor, Michael will go on to sing in the Pearl Jam cover band Pearl Jammin'. I will then take a more behind-the-scenes role, serving as merchandise girl and tour bus driver.
01-24-2003 5:21 AM - comments (0)
i've forgotten how to dream my own dream
I think I like classes that ask nothing from me but objective thinking. Being asked to describe powerful moments of my life has the unfortunate effect of making me relive those powerful moments.
listening to: "Mother" - Tori Amos
01-23-2003 10:52 AM - comments (0)
Top Box Office (01/19/03)
1. Kangaroo Jack
2. National Security
3. Just Married
01-21-2003 9:56 PM - comments (0)
Yet more evidence that Hugh Grant is ridiculously cute (as proven in Two Weeks Notice, which I did see, and yes, did find enjoyable):
Sexy female lawyer: I love chess. You know what else I love?
Hugh Grant's character: Pokemon?
In other news, Chris IMed me to let me know that "people often refer to New York as 'Gotham', since supposedly Gotham City was a fantasy version of New York (including hilariously goofy villains, at least in the 60's TV series)". Thanks for clearing that up, Chris, though I still think the reference is a little too obscure, especially when using "New York City" would have been just as easy.
*All right, all right. This title has nothing to do with the post. I just always picture that being the way Hugh Jackman spells his name. It sounds like a skin disorder, don't you think?
01-21-2003 9:37 PM - comments (0)
I pride myself on being quite a pop culture junkie. Imagine my surprise when I read this paragraph in a CNN article about actor Matt LeBlanc possibly starring in a Friends spinoff:
"Of course, that talks may now take place doesn't mean a spinoff is a sure thing. The producers and LeBlanc still need to come up with the right concept for a show -- figuring out whether Joey would stay in Gotham or move elsewhere, for example."
As Kaity points out, "Joey Tribbiani as Batman!" No, seriously, doesn't the show take place in New York?
01-21-2003 4:35 PM - comments (0)
i knew there was a reason i stayed up late
Merv Griffin was on The Daily Show tonight. MERV! The subject of my book report for my GT English class junior year! The author of the bestselling autobiography Merv! The creator of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune!
If I could have a third grandfather, I'd want it to be Merv. Because I can't, he'll have to settle being my surrogate mother.
01-20-2003 10:33 PM - comments (0)
Experiencing feelings of general malaise, boredom and ickiness. Therefore, I'm turning the volume on my stereo all the way up.
Oh yeah, feel free to IM me if you never have. My screen name is red cherry bomb (hint hint).
I'm not so good at giving guilt trips, am I?
listening to: Guster - "Rainy Day"
01-20-2003 6:21 PM - comments (0)
talking secretly to each other in a bar
Please accept my apologies for those last two posts. Let's just call it Post-Traumatic Shattered Syndrome. Shattered being, of course, the only place where I can truly feel lonely, even amidst hordes of people dancing to '80s music with sex and alcohol dripping from their pores.
Scratch that. Especially amidst such people.
listening to: Nada Surf - "80 Windows"
01-19-2003 11:01 PM - comments (0)
As per my suggestion, I have remedied the Stone Roses situation.
"At the center of the world
There's a statue of a girl
She is standing near a well
With a bucket bare and dry
I went and looked her in the eyes
And she turned me into sand
This clumsy form that I despise
It scattered easy in her hand
And came to rest upon a beach
With a million others there
We sat and waited for the sea
To stretch out so that we could disappear
Into the endlessness of blue
Into the horror of the truth
See, we are far less than we knew
Yeah, we are far less than we knew
But we knew what we could taste
Girls found honey to drench our hands
The men cut marble to mark our graves
Saying, we'll need something to remind us
Of all the sweetness that has passed through us
(fresh sangria and lemon tea)
The priests dressed children for choir
(white-robed small voices praise Him)
But found no joy in what was sung
The funeral had begun
In the middle of the day
When you drive home to your place
From that job that makes you sleep
Back to the thoughts that keep you awake
Long after night has come to claim
Any light that still remains
In the corner of the frame
That you put around her face
Two pills just weren’t enough
The alarm clock's going off
But you're not waking up
This isn’t happening, happening, happening, happening, happening
It is."
01-19-2003 12:52 AM - comments (0)
Listening to the Stone Roses at 2:27 a.m. is not a good idea.
01-19-2003 12:41 AM - comments (0)
As per Justin's suggestion, I checked out the Rolling Stone review of Zwan's Mary Star of the Sea. I'm truly excited about this new album; Zwan was amazing when I saw them last April, and I happen to think Billy Corgan is the most talented songwriter of my generation.
Even though I don't always like Rolling Stone's assessments, I thought the review was well-written, but more importantly, it was glowing. The problem? The reviewer, Kelefa Sanneh, gave it only three stars. Many Rolling Stone readers wrote their own glowing mini-reviews in response, some shocked at the nerve of Sanneh to have withheld those last crucial stars.
Which brings us to what I feel is a remarkable issue dealing with journalistic ethics. Today the review mysteriously boasts a rating of four stars. What happened here? Is this the result of a simple copy editing error? Or did someone suddenly decide popular opinion superceded that of the "expert"? Either way, there ought to be an explanation displayed prominently by the review.
01-17-2003 2:27 PM - comments (0)
there's a special place in hell (and a Sylvan Learning Center)
While browsing for books in Barnes and Noble yesterday, I happened to notice a display of SparkNotes, the poor man's Cliff Notes from what people tell me (I make it a point to avoid three things in life: cigarettes, boys with gigantic egos and reading guides). Upon closer inspection, I noticed, after Hamlet but before The Iliad, the SparkNotes for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
I feel as if I could have ended the post just then, but I think this requires one of those What the hell is wrong with people? kind of endings.
01-17-2003 8:11 AM - comments (0)
Exactly how much is Good Charlotte paying MTV to be on air so often?
01-16-2003 10:07 AM - comments (0)
wanted: second opinion from the spin doctor
I read the other day that President Bush's approval rating is the lowest it's been since Sept. 11. Somehow, this doesn't surprise me. What does surprise me is that he is considering getting involved with the University of Michigan's affirmative action Supreme Court case.
Three things bother me greatly about this:
1. He has no right to get involved. He is the president, you know, the head of the executive branch. The Supreme Court is part of the judicial branch. Regardless of checks and balances, the latter will always (rightly) have a slight advantage over the former. And I didn't just make that up, I swear.
2. Perhaps Bush has forgotten a little incident involving Trent Lott. Is it just me, or shouldn't Bush be courting African-Americans right now after that major faux pas? I'm certainly aware that Lott probably didn't mean his comments in the way everyone interpreted them, but I maintain he is and always has been a moron. He should have had lots of people read his speech before presenting it. For God's sake, he's a politician, and politicians should always be thinking of the possible implications of their actions. The point is, as the most obvious representative for the right, Bush ought to be repairing Republicans' image in terms of race relations, and butting in on an affirmative action case so soon after the Lott debacle is really not the way to do it.
3. So let's get this straight. Bush and Co. "fiercely oppose race-based preferences." That's somewhat noble; I can respect the argument that admission to universities should be based solely on merit. But wait...wouldn't that mean George himself would have been denied admission to Yale, as his test scores were mediocre at best and he gained admission primarily because his father had attended? (According to the New Yorker, Bush "had a C average in college and, more interestingly, scored 1206 on his Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)--566 on the verbal and 640 on the math.") The point is, Bush isn't a total moron. A score of 1206 on the SAT is certainly above average. But it would be pointless to debate that a score like that wouldn't get any of us, black or white, into Yale.
Obviously, affirmative action is an incredibly divisive issue, one which I still don't know exactly where I stand. This Yale Review of Books article makes me want to do more research on the concept of merit.
01-15-2003 11:09 AM - comments (0)
In the spirit of Brak,
I like Democrats. I like Billy Joel. I like menus. I like looking at menus even after I've ordered, much to the chagrin of underpaid waiters. I like Steak 'n Shake menus, because they are succinct, interesting and always at your table. I like when Michael steals Steak 'n Shake menus for me. I like '80s music. I like being called beautiful by total strangers. I especially like being called beautiful by boyfriends. I like the Requiem for a Dream theme used in the Lord of the Rings trailer.
I like that Clinic was nominated for a Grammy. I like thinking about traveling or living in London, Spain and Italy. I like Shakira, sometimes. I like rainy days. I like the word "galoshes." I like my cat. I like fashion. I like calling it haute couture, even though I took Spanish in high school, not French. I like Cherry Coke. I like Sports Night. I like Zwan. I like being on good terms with ex-boyfriends. I like Jake Gyllenhaal.
I like beating people at chess who are good at chess. I like renaming really godawful songs by bands like Rockapella to songs by bands like Badly Drawn Boy so Christie will accept the file transfer. I like--I need--movie theater popcorn during movies. I like some songs by Chicago, but I will never admit to it again. I like feeling clean. I like "Radiation Vibe" by Fountains of Wayne and "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" by Radiohead. I like watching the Time-Life '70s Singers and Songwriters infomercial over and over, and I like it far better than the similar '60s collection hosted by Davy Jones.
Likewise, I like watching the Ronco Rotisserie Grill informercial over and over, and I like it far better than that guy who screams about Ding King and orange oil. I like my family. I like being quoted out of context, but only if it makes me seem cute or witty, which I am probably not in context. I like anticipation. I like straws. I like my new Salvador Dali dayplanner.
I like IKEA and IKEA catalogs. I like Nelly a whole lot. I like my roommates quite a bit, especially when we're all doing well. I like the feeling of a brand-new semester ahead of me, even if I have one 9:00 class on Fridays. For that matter, I really like Fridays. When I was in the fifth grade, I used to like wearing a windsuit every Friday. When I was in fifth grade, it is highly unlikely many people liked me. I like algebra. I like wordplay, witty or otherwise. I like color. I like my boyfriend in all grey and black, though. I like getting compliments when they're least expected. I like people opening their presents from me in front of me.
I like listening to Crowded House's "Don't Dream it's Over" and thinking of Chase, one of my very favorite people. I like hearing songs from the heyday of the mid-'90s and being able to remember who sang them. I like mustard, surprisingly. I like cereal an unnatural amount. I like crying during poignant moments in movies or television shows. I like prank-calling home shopping networks with Michael and demanding that they put Esteban, the mysterious guitar-player, on the line.
And if I ever start giving myself a hard time for being too much of a cynic, I will refer to this list and laugh.
01-14-2003 9:38 PM - comments (0)
Films I've seen recently
-About Schmidt (4.5 stars)
-Catch Me if You Can (3.5 stars)
-Chicago (5 stars)
-Gangs of New York (2.5 stars)*
-Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (5 stars)
-Star Trek Nemesis (3 stars)
Films I'm itching to see
-Adaptation
-The Hours
-Nicholas Nickelby
-Two Weeks Notice
Films I have no desire to see
-Antwone Fisher
-Drumline
-Just Married
DVDs I'm buying this month
-About a Boy
-Donnie Darko
-Signs
-Unfaithful
*Every performance in this film was amazing. I think it's okay to appreciate the hard work and talent that went into making a work of art but still dislike that work. If it's any consolation to fans of Gangs of New York, Daniel Day-Lewis' performance scared the hell out of me.
01-13-2003 3:14 PM - comments (0)
I can admit it. I like getting frustrated sometimes. I enjoy having my feathers ruffled. I'm comfortable muttering obscenities under my breath at the computer screen, television set or occasional insipid journalism professor. All of which explains why I continue to read the weblogs of people I simply cannot stand (and why I watch Fox News and why I'm still in the J-school, I suppose).
Why I can't just read the sites of people whom I like and admire, I don't know. Maybe that ought to be one of my resolutions: Don't engage in behavior that detracts from my general happiness and well-being, or that otherwise prompts me to become irrationally violent, screamy and, well, ruffled.
01-13-2003 1:02 PM - comments (0)
This article in the New York Times attempts to figure out why girls treat the field of computer science like the plague. The writer aptly compares CS to math, calling it the new "boys club." The article truly resonates with me; I was an exceptional math student all through grade school, until I reached pre-calculus my junior year. We're talking straight As, turning tests in before anyone else, tutoring after school, really liking the work. I'm not sure what went wrong my junior year, but I think I subconsciously made the choice to discard any classes that I felt wouldn't be useful to my pursuits in journalism. It was if I had come to a divergence in the road and had to choose; one way I saw my interests and ability put to good use with total ease (which is, of course, laughable now), and the other I saw, as the article points out, a room full of boys who knew the stuff much better than I did and would remind me of it every day.
I still got As in pre-cal and statistics, but it was obvious that at some point during my junior year I gave up any hope of carrying an interest in mathematics with me to college and beyond. Even if I wanted to get back into the swing of things--take a few math classes for fun--I'd be so far behind everyone else that my necessary feeling of inferiority alone would be enough to keep me in my rightful English-and-history place.
I just wish I had found a way to take both roads.
01-12-2003 10:54 AM - comments (0)
but it's lengthy for a reason!
I think this lapse in posting is over, so quit it with the death threats, okay?
Since last Friday, my daily schedule looks something like this:
1. Wake up around 11
2. Watch some soaps
3. Shower
4. Neglect to get dressed, unless blankets count
5. Watch more soaps
6. Cereal for lunch? Why, of course
7. Wake Michael up around 3
8. Watch tons and tons and tons of Sports Night on DVD
9. Go to dinner
10. Go to movie
11. Watch more Sports Night and/or Sex and the City
12. Stay up late talking
So the last two days completely defied the schedule, as Michael and I drove from St. Louis to Columbia and then from Columbia to Kansas City (my first time) to meet Christie to pick up Elliott. The precise reason why involves a long-ass story you'd be better served not having to hear about. Anyway, we tried the tourist thing, at which we failed miserably. For one, I pretend like I'm good with directions and going to new places, but I think actions speak louder than words. Well, actually, my words were pretty loud yesterday: "Why is there so much goddamn sun in my eyes?" I yelled as I swerved in between lanes while making highway changes. "Why are there two goddamn Ward Parkways in this god-forsaken city?" was another.
Actually, that's a perfectly logical question. Why would there be two streets, one after the other, with the same name? And for anyone else who has ties to K.C., why is the Plaza area completely missing stop signs and street lights? It's like playing Russian Roulette with Prada-clad women driving BMWs.
We planned on hitting the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, which Melissa raved about. I mainly wanted to see the sculpture garden. As we pulled into the parking garage at 4:59, we were told it closed at 4. "Four?" I sputtered. "What the Jesus kind of museum closes at four?!?" "Well, tomorrow it's open until 9," the attendant informed me. Once again, information that could have been brought to my attention YESTERDAY (you know, when I should have called to find out the museum's hours).
From there, we went to the famed Plaza area, which is basically like Houston's Galleria but outside. If it hadn't been 35 degrees and if I had had anything other than a jacket without pockets that I can't button over my apparently gigantic chest I might have liked it more.* Michael nicely but grudgingly accompanied me to Anthropologie (nice but far too girly for me), Victoria's Secret (they had every robe but the one I wanted), Express (I think I can safely say I own everything that's currently in the store), Bath and Body Works (5 for $25. Of course I left with something), Armani (where I actually found something in my price range) and a trip to the homeless guy to give him some money. Partly because I feel bad that he's stuck outside in the cold and partly because I admire his intelligent approach to panhandling (situating himself in the nicest area of the city).
We finally ended up at Buca di Beppo for dinner, which was a total trip. The menus are on the wall, which was wonderful (I'll explain in a future post), and it had a very Italian kitchen feel, which I can only surmise involves red and white checkered tableclothes, huge family-style portions of food and lots of loud people with thick mustaches. How's that for cultural stereotyping?
We finally found Christie somewhere in Kansas and retrieved Elliott. Then we came home and taste-tested Jelly Bellies, one of my favorite extracurricular activities.
*Well, not exactly. My mom figured out I wanted one of those furry-lined denim jackets from Gap, but the only one they had anywhere (even online) was a small. I'm more of a medium girl myself, and I can't move my arms a lot while wearing the jacket and no, it doesn't successfully button over my chest. But, oh, it's very cute. The price we pay for vanity.
01-10-2003 9:29 AM - comments (0)
I find myself intrigued by the ads for the new Star Search show that's premiering this month. Enough so that I want to be one of the dancers in shadow, doing ridiculous moves from the '80s and wearing sequined toreador pants. Seriously, I love the ads.
01-04-2003 3:29 PM - comments (0)
just look at the frog and smile, dammit
The best way to lose those unwanted holiday pounds is to contract some sort of horrible stomach virus that works so well you get sick at the mere thought of food. Since Monday morning, this has been my situation. I'm pretty sure I have something seriously wrong with my digestive system, but I'll keep it between me and my doctor.
My brothers and I took portraits today for my dad's birthday. At one point, the photographer said exasperatingly, "Why don't you just pretend to like one another?", which incidentally was the only time we smiled genuinely. My dad picked the shot of me making a stupid face. So add one more dumb-looking picture of me to the long list of dumb-looking pictures of me. I hate permanency.