Oh Joey....

This is my guilty-pleasure show.

Joey Greco is a sad excuse for a man, and a reality-show host.

But he's so damn fun to watch as he "empathizes" with the cheatee, and gets self-righteous with the cheater.

I love the quiet time in the van as they are en-route to bust up a cheating session.

Cheating is bad.

But Cheaters is good.

Let Go, Let Flow

I do this at the end of every year.

Never fails.

I mull, whine, over-think, stew and generally complain about situations in my life that need shedding, shredding and vetting.

Then I "Make a plan".

Then I "Put it in motion".

The, I hope against hope for the best.

The thing is, most of these situations I have moderate, if not complete, control over.

So, it's really about coming to terms with doing the "right" thing for me, knowing my ego will suffer, but in the end I will be the better for it.

I'm mulling over a couple situations right now, and am, of course, struggling.

I googled for a time machine, but apparently they haven't been invented yet.

As I am no Dr. Who, the only thing I can do is...move forward.

It's time to fish or cut bait.

I'm going fishing.

Best Of 2009 - Music

In looking at the various "Best Of 2009" lists, I've come to accept I am not the hipster I thought I was - well, according to Pitchfork, Spin, Magnet, NME and Rolling Stone.

However, I am pleased to say I have at least 40% of the albums listed on the various Top 50's. Here are a few of my top picks:

The xx: The xx
- this is a phenomenal album I was very recently turned on to. I was told to "turn down the lights and turn that one up" to experience maximum aural pleasure. Try not to listen alone - this is a sexy, velvety album that demands your partial attention (the rest of your attention should be focused on the person who's with you under the covers...)

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
- this is a fun album, light and progressive with an alternative feel. It does fall into the campy Vampire Weekend sound - it could be a soundtrack to a former youth you remember fondly, would like to repeat, and are constantly trying to recapture in your near-middle-age.

Dinosaur Jr.: Farm
- how could I resist this blast-group from my university past? The fact that they're still pushing out hits when they're pushing 45 makes me happy, and gives me less pause when I daydream about being a rock star at my age.

Royksopp: Junior
- it moves me. Nuff said.

Yo La Tengo: Popular Songs
- I respect a band that's easy, and Yo La puts out in a major way. They are on tour, and I am there...soon.

Crystal Stilts: Alight of Night
- I featured a video of this dirty genius machine earlier this year - grainy and highly melodic, and am pleased to say they made a few lists. Moody garage rock - their clips remind me of a Spits show I attended in a former life - loud, messy, hopelessly perfect. Hope to catch their show soon.

The Horrors: Primary Colors
- rock, through and through, with a hint of grime and goth. Again, a must see live band.

More lists later. I'm contemplating a "Top 10 Overrated Albums Picked By Snobbish Hipster Music Mags". Stay tuned.

Movie reviews

So, I watched two films this holiday weekend that couldn't have been more different, yet both were extremely entertaining works of art (in my opinion):



The Cove
***** (five star fantastic)

I'd read up on this documentary, and expected a decent movie. It delivered, and then some.

To sum it up, the original dolphin trainer from the television show Flipper, Ric O'Barry, decided later on in life that capturing dolphins to supply theme parks was wrong, and with a small group of fellow activists waged war against fishermen in Taiji who hunt, capture, ship and slaughter dolphins for profit.

What impressed me the most was how well it told an actual story - background on Ric, the intelligence of dolphins, the oceanic community, etc. The hunt takes place in a cove on the coast of the city of Taiji, and when it's finally shown (at the end), you've spent over an hour bracing yourself for it and you feel ready because of the tremendous and thoughtful buildup throughout the movie. Not so much. It's disturbing, sad and graphic.

Overall, a well-done film and I could go on and on about but won't. I'll end with - rent it.




Coffy
**** 1/2 (four and a half star dynomite)

I got this for Christmas and watched it last night. A perfect film for unwinding.

I love Pam Grier - she wasn't half-bad as Coffy, considering the plot, dialogue and snazzy wardrobe. Oh, the wardrobe. Can a man have camel toe? The answer is, yes. This movie has it all - shotguns, dirty cops, heroin, hookers, polyester pantsuits, fro's, blue eyeshadow, weaves with strategically-placed razor blades, a pistol-packin teddy bear, and Sid Haig. Yup - that lovable fellow from Devil's Rejects.

Rent it. You're in for a treat.

No post-holiday blues here

The holiday was near perfect - the weather didn't cooperate 100%, other than that a good time was had by all.

I heard from many friends, old and new, over the break and it was great fun catching up. Spent a lot of time with my family, played games and watched movies, ate and ate, and generally experienced bliss 24/7. My marathon brunch session yesterday was decadent - over 4 hours of great dish, the verbal and consuming kind.

Getting tickets today for Yo La Tengo and the BRMC (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club). Cha cha cha!

Some new music was gifted to me over the weekend. Have yet to get to the others as I can't break away from my love of The xx. Thanks again Kenny!

Life is good.

May the Dow be with you...

Not sure how I missed this yesterday....crack me UP!

Holidaze

Spinning was a wasteland today. Only two psycholists. Guess the holiday rush is getting to some people.

Is the rush getting to me? Nope - there are a couple things I still need to purchase, and I'll get 'er done. No worries.

I love this time of year. Speed up, slow down, crazy times and people. Lots to enjoy and look forward to.

These are a few selective things I look forward to during the holiday season:

- watching "It's A Wonderful Life" a katrillion times. This year, it's a Blu Ray experience. Yeah!

- Christmas Eve noshing: my aunt puts on a warm, inviting, highly-caloric spread that begs the plates to be licked clean.

- playing multitudes of board/card games. Newest one is Scrabble Slap, which had us all in tears on Sunday night. "Wait! Wait!" (had to, Mom)

- playing the annual piano duets with my cousins on the Baby Grand.

- giftcards. Plain and simple.

- getting together with friends, new/old/constant.

- sleeping in. I now do this whenever I can. Because it's a delight I didn't rediscover until just recently (thank you, P).

- ice skating

- cookies, cookies everywhere. Whee!!!!!!

- frufru coffee. I usually don't drink coffee, but this time of year I will hit up Starbucks or Companion once a week for some holiday cheer in a cup. Chai Tea or dark roast with cream and sugar, depending on my mood.

Deathwish? Perhaps....

I'm on my way to take my mom Christmas shopping. On the Saturday before Christmas. At the mall.

When I told my friend of this daredevil feat, she quoted my favorite Last of the Mohicans line, which takes place behind the waterfall between Daniel Day-Lewis and Madeline Stowe as they hide from the Mohawks:

"No, you submit, do you hear? You be strong, you survive... You stay alive, no matter what occurs! I will find you. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far, I will find you. I will find you!"

I feel much better knowing that I have my own personal Hawkeye ready at the rescue.

It works

I have high expectations in certain areas of my life, and through experience, have lowered expectations in other areas to accommodate the inevitable.

This way, I am less often disappointed.

So far, so good.

Wait, no...what?

I got picked.

Case should be short - they anticipate that all witness will be heard tomorrow, and then it's up to us, the jury, as to how long we'll have to be there.

In an effort to be truthful (I took the damn oath) and get out of having to be on the jury, I did some self-disclosure that I thought would keep me from being chosen.

Alas, I am one of the 12.

This is not the kind of time away from work I like.

Civic Duty - bah humbug

I am sitting in jury selection, on the Monday of one of the busiest and fun-filled weeks of work. I am hoping my time here is quick and painless.

Sitting here for hours, having recently finished my new Joyce Carol Oates novel, has lead me to think about intersting ways to pass the time:

1. Download the Law & Order "dun dun" melody and play it from time to to so as to rouse the crowd.

2. Create finger puppets and put on an impromptu reinactment of "12 Angry Men" or "Kramer vs Kramer".

3. Write my memoirs - Plains, Trains and Crusing Main: Dakota Girl

4. Learn Gaelic so that I can order Guinness in it's native language.

5. Finish glueing the text of the ransom letter to Tiger Woods, requesting an undisclosed sum for the safe return of his dignity.

sigh.

Tiger's a Cheetah - do I care?

The rumors are flying, skirts are coming out of the clubhouse woodwork to claim he's putted on their greens, and will or won't the missus walk away with a windfall after all is said and done.

Tiger may be smart about his golf game, but not about his "game" - rather, keeping it on the down-low.

I can only imagine the ego-inflating effects of being the top player in your sport. It can make you feel invincible, untouchable, and immeasurably important. And it seems to have made Tiger this way, in lieu of his indescretions.

Indescretions - such a soft, unimposing word that really doesn't do his actions justice.

We may never know what the real story is here - how many women, where and when, for how long, and why.

What interests me about his situation is, having had the upbringing he did, and the close relationship he had with his father - what happened to his value system? Is the drive for satisfaction, whether it's physical or mental or whatever, that powerful? Did losing his father at such a young age affect his value system? Or was this type of reckless behavior ingrained from the start, and just now had cause to be explored?

My stand on cheating is this - people, in their right mind, have the ability to choose right from wrong. Sometimes they choose wrong, for whatever reason. We're only human - fallible, flawed and fucked up. However, if you recognize the wrong, and make a concerted effort to never do it again, and atone, it's doesn't excuse the behavior but makes you worthy of a second chance. That's what is so great about second chances - the opportunity to learn from mistakes and make life better, for you and the ones you love, and the outstanding feeling that comes with forgiveness.

Each situation is different - it's up to the people directly involved to work through the issue and judge whether or not the relationship is worth fighting for.

And just to be clear - I don't believe that Tiger is the moral compass for children, just because he is a sports hero. And if he is, then the parents are doing a shitty job of raising their child because they should be the purveyors of the moral compass. And if an adolescent decides that they are going to cheat on their partner because Tiger did it, they need some serious help.

So the question remains - should he be allowed to keep his endorsements? Should he remain a hero in the sport of golf? Should he be given the opportunity to save his marriage?

For me, I can separate the pro from the average joe and say that he helped me to understand the sport of golf and made it much more tolerable to watch on television. He's not my hero, but if I have to watch golf again (this obviously isn't anything I enjoy watching) I will be glad if he's on the green.

Feeling ninja-tastic

I'm excited for this coming weekend. Now that my finals are behind me, I can devote some time to catching up with friends I haven't seen for awhile, have some downtime at home, and spend time with family.

On the agenda so far is hanging with my fam, movie/dinner/party Saturday night, Sunday brunch, bike ride??, cards and conversation.

In between all of that I will be cleaning out the spare bedroom, posting items on Ebay (check), and replacing the filter in my Brita (check check).

I will also be getting a nap in there...at some point.

So as I navigate through the next day and a half, my motivation will be the freedom I'm already feeling from being done with school and having some time to devote to those people and things I love.

WOOT!!

Just finished my last final.

Let the fun begin.

Being single just got worse - for your health

So I came across this recent study in my daily news search. To break it down, loneliness makes cancer more likely and deadly.

Great. I thought I had my bases covered, for the most part.

Eating healthy? Yup

Exercising? Yessiree bob

Smoke? Nope

Imbibe? Lightly

Coupled up? Fail

I guess I should get on the ball and make some decisions. I have nothing against dating - the challenge is finding the time, giving it, and hopefully it's enough for the other person.

Balance is key - and I'm working on it.

To reiterate my former Yoda post, no try, just do.

I WILL find the time and make a decision...in the next few months (just let me get through the holidays first!).

Tis the season for strife

Got my blood pressure and blood sugar checked. Both were outstanding.

Whew. And I say whew because it's the time of year that could really affect both of those things.

Extra stress due to holidays, school, job, family, friends, etc. High blood sugar due to holiday parties, baked treats, happy hours and such.

That said, I am going to remove what stress I can from my life, which are the areas I have control over. This includes crap intake relating to food and life in general. I can only control what I do, and not the reactions from others. Moving forward in a positive and productive way is the best that I can do. All I can hope is that my actions are received as such, and no ulterior motives are suspected.

Cheer and joy to all - and best of luck navigating the season pitfalls for the next few weeks. I feel your pain.

Channeling my inner Yoda

"Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try." - Jedi master Yoda

I saw this quote recently and it really stayed with me. And yes, it's from a fictional Star Wars character, but it's deep and I like it.

When we say, "I'll try to make the party this weekend", what we really mean is, "I am still thinking about it, maybe I'll be there, maybe I won't depending on x,y and z." We don't try in the sense that we get in our car and drive, and the car breaks down.

Trying is really another word for "undecided" in most situations. Maybe what we should do is state the truth, such as "I will be at the party if I am feeling up to it that night." or "I won't be at the party because I have had a long week and need a night to myself."

Sometimes the truth, whether it's stated to someone else or to yourself, is tough to swallow. But isn't failing someone, or yourself, worse? Truth hurts, but indecisiveness floating in the ether can leave a lasting sting. Hmm - that last sentence sounded good in my head, but comes across weird in print. Whatever, it's staying.

Okay - this week, I will practice the truth of Yoda and eliminate the word "try" from my vocabulary in every form - talk, email, text, etc.

I will either commit or not commit.

The truth will be stated.

And it doesn't have to be a harsh truth - the truth can be delivered sweet, sour or bland. Sugar truth, Whiskey truth or Cafeteria truth - take your pick.

So these are my truths for the week:

- I will attend all noon Ab Labs

- I will finish my last final by Wednesday evening

- I will replace the filter in my Brita

- I will get tickets to Yo La Tengo and The Magnetic Fields

- I will clean out the spare bedroom by Sunday & start planning my Ebay sales

- I will untie and retie my kicks rather than slipping them on for better athletic performance

I think that's enough truth for this week. What's your truth?

Festivus for the rest of us

Festivus - May all your grievances be aired and your feats of strength tested this holiday season. One of my favorite Seinfeld episodes. Ever.

Shortastic weekend. Consisted mainly of working on my two finals. It is a little known fact that take-home finals are decidedly difficult. So now you know, so be warned. I'm four essays into one final with two more essays to go, then it's on to the second final. Uffta.

I did take a break from studies and went out for lunch with a friend to Cooperella, which is my new favorite cafe. Perfect smoothies and the hummus trio plate is delish. We then checked out "An Education" at the Hi-Pointe. Award-worthy? Nope. Good film? Sort of. Rental at the RedBox or Netflix? Most definitely.

I've been slowly adding more music to my iPod, and have dug out some oldies but goodies:

Lemondheads - Lick
Sugarcubes- Life's Too Good
Throwing Muses - Hunkpapa
Richard Thompson - Rumor and Sigh
Ani - Imperfectly

Takes me back to careless college times...

So I've been trying to take a certain trip for years.

It all stems from my adoration/obsession of all things Jimmy Stewart.

Yes, obsession. Clinically, most people cannot recall when their obsessions began, but can list all of the reasons why they are obsessed. This I can do, but won't bore you with the details. In short, Jimmy Stewart is the perfect man.

His hometown of Indiana, Pennsylvania has a museum with all sorts of really cool tchotchkies related to the man and his life. Jimmy would probably be slightly amused with folks purchasing the random keychains and collectors plates adorned with his lovable mug, but hey, it's a way to make a living and keep the dream alive.

The coolest thing about this museum is that it even has a movie theater that plays his films. Seriously. How cool is that, right??

It is a goal of mine to someday visit this sacred town and view "It's A Wonderful Life" during the holiday season. And walk by his childhood home, and into the hardware store his father used to own. Humble beginnings...

I probably won't make it there this year, so I'm aiming for 2010.

In any case, I've got most of his movies lined up for viewing once my semester ends which is next week. I've already seen IAWL over Thanksgiving, courtesy of my aunt Debby. Next on the list is "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington", another heartwarming tale.

That said, I'm ready for a good snowy day so that I can cuddle up and get cozy with Jimmy.

Let the obsession begin.