I'm so sorry for my long hiatus...i got distracted for a few months. i'll try not to let it happen again.
Just thought I'd share this brief story about my adventures in the pretend (bahaha) today. Feeling like the independent unemployed person that I am, I decided to go to see Alice and Wonderland by myself. Now, many people think this is sad. and yes, I always feel sad for those people that attend movies alone. But no people, this was not me being sad or lonely, this was me being INDEPENDENT.
So I got my 3D glasses and found a nice aisle seat on the right side of the theater. Well...it ended up being not so nice because there were three small children screaming and kicking my seat. The movie hadn't even started yet...so I had one of two options, to politely ask the children behind me not to kick (which would likely last for five minutes), or to move to some open seats on the opposite side of the theater. So I put the can of diet coke i brought from home back in my purse and moved to the other side, proceeding to seat myself in front of some calm adults. Getting comfy, I accidently tapped the seat in front of me, where a grumpy old fat man was sitting. Well that man turned around and yelled at me to not kick his seat. Is that ironic or what? Ironic is definitely not the right word. I'd have to say it's somewhere in between ironic and karma.
Anyways, I was so angry for this man's rude and uncalled for comment that I was almost too angry to focus on the magical journey playing out in the screen in front of me. Yet, I managed to get past it, and wound up liking the movie...sort of. I'd have to say, it made me really appreciate Avatar's 3D experience. With Alice and Wonderland, they tried to scare you with things flying at your face. With Avatar, the 3Dness of it was much more subtle--it's more like the film wasn't constrained by the boundaries of the screen and almost immersed you in the world--where Alice and Wonderland, in my personal opinion, was a big fat show off. I think by comparing the two, you really do understand just how groundbreaking Avatar really was. Before, I wasn't sure if part of the reason why I loved Avatar so much was because I had seen nothing like it before in my life. Having seen Alice in Wonderland, I know it wasn't just the technology used in Avatar that made me feel that way.
3D aside, the film was pretty good! It's way too scary for children. You also have to go into it knowing it's a sequel to the original Disney version. Johnny Depp was by far the best part--I actually don't think he was acting. However, I don't know if I'm ever going to love Tim Burton's films. I appreciate him as an artist, but the Nightmare Before Christmas gave me actual nightmares as a child... every one of his movies since makes me think of stick figure skeletons and death. But the ultimate moral of this story is, don't see movies alone...especially PG rated ones.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Holy Moses--it's 2010!
It's kind of amazing that the 2000s are coming to a close already. It feels like just yesterday I was a little sixth grader, jumping on my couch and screaming "it's the millennium it's the millennium!!!" thereby waking up my sleeping parents. They clearly weren't too excited about that.
1) Top Baby Names of the Decade: Jamie did not make the list, but I still think it's interesting anyways. Emma and Aiden were the most popular for girls and boys respectively, which is fascinating because I don't know any people or babies alike with those names. Unless you count Emma (Rachel's daughter from friends, born in this decade) and Aiden (from all my children--not born in this country nor this decade).
2) 50 Best Catch phrases of the Decade: This is by far my favorite list. I agree with a lot of the ones they picked, but many of them are just funny quotes and not necessarily catch phrases--like the term "never nude" from Arrested Development. Actually, I'd have to say they should probably rename the whole article "50 most memorable (and quotable) popular culture moments of the decade." I won't reveal more, but let me tell you I wholeheartedly agree with their number one choice (which is definitely a catch phrase!)
3) 12 Things that became obsolete this Decade: As a technologically savvy person, I enjoyed this list a lot. From fax machines to CDs, I don't think we'll miss anything too much on this list. And just look how far we've come! I would have added VCRS and VHS to that list...(was that this decade? I think so...)
For me and many of my peers, for only being in our 20s our lives will now have spanned across four decades, once 2010 arrives. And for me, the 2000s were an important decade because it's the first full decade that I actually have a complete memory of...the 90s were still a little hazy having been a toddler when they began. I give it three months before the VH1 special "I love the 2000s" comes out, celebrating 2000 popular culture that is still too close for me to find distinct.
However, that doesn't stop bloggers, celebrities, and magazines alike from making their top 10 or 20 or 100 lists of things from the decade. I've come across a bunch of these lists, and I thought I'd share with you my favorites:
1) Top Baby Names of the Decade: Jamie did not make the list, but I still think it's interesting anyways. Emma and Aiden were the most popular for girls and boys respectively, which is fascinating because I don't know any people or babies alike with those names. Unless you count Emma (Rachel's daughter from friends, born in this decade) and Aiden (from all my children--not born in this country nor this decade).
2) 50 Best Catch phrases of the Decade: This is by far my favorite list. I agree with a lot of the ones they picked, but many of them are just funny quotes and not necessarily catch phrases--like the term "never nude" from Arrested Development. Actually, I'd have to say they should probably rename the whole article "50 most memorable (and quotable) popular culture moments of the decade." I won't reveal more, but let me tell you I wholeheartedly agree with their number one choice (which is definitely a catch phrase!)
3) 12 Things that became obsolete this Decade: As a technologically savvy person, I enjoyed this list a lot. From fax machines to CDs, I don't think we'll miss anything too much on this list. And just look how far we've come! I would have added VCRS and VHS to that list...(was that this decade? I think so...)
Friday, December 25, 2009
Dreams
My subconscious has been quite active lately. Much more so than my real life. I think part of the reason has to do with me watching SNL clips on continuous play (on hulu) as I fall asleep. Usually I reserve the dreaming to my good spanish friend (hiii lola!), but for the past weeks not only have I been having very vivid dreams, but I've been remembering them too.
For much of my life, I've fallen asleep to the TV, and before I had a TV in my room, I fell asleep to music. I can fall asleep without it, but definitely not as well. I think it's so interesting how a person can absorb what's on the TV as their sleeping. For example, during college--I would always watch Family Guy on Adult Swim at 1:30am as I was falling asleep. And for anyone that's watched Adult Swim late into the night, there is some very scary and disturbing programming. You can imagine the dreams I woke up with when I forgot to put my sleep timer on.
This past week, I had a dream that I was at a Dave Matthew's Band Concert, but either the concert was in the dark or something because none of my friends could see it. And I was like "guys, it's Dave Matthew's Band, I know their sound," and I was so proud of myself for recognizing the song without knowing the song or seeing them. And guess what...I woke up and there was a DMB clip playing on my computer! (they were on SNL recently)
But more interestingly, my dreams for the past week have involved Twitter. For those of you who are on twitter, (and hopefully you can follow for those of you who aren't), sometimes you have a thought during the day and are like....i think my readers (aka all 15 people who follow me) would be interested to know this little tidbit. In my dreams, I've been having these little aha moments, where I think to myself, "I must remember to post this on twitter when I wake up, it's sooo funny." And I've actually been remembering when I wake up, but everything I've thought of is complete nonsense. For example, I thought to post, "when I wake up my cat while he's sleeping he makes the same squeaky clicking sound as my computer does when I wake it up," or "I'm making a musical montage for the opening credits of a show by ripping up ziploc bags and taping them back together." Like subconscious Jamie, those thoughts aren't coherent and nobody would like to read about them on twitter. Give me some good material I can work with!
For much of my life, I've fallen asleep to the TV, and before I had a TV in my room, I fell asleep to music. I can fall asleep without it, but definitely not as well. I think it's so interesting how a person can absorb what's on the TV as their sleeping. For example, during college--I would always watch Family Guy on Adult Swim at 1:30am as I was falling asleep. And for anyone that's watched Adult Swim late into the night, there is some very scary and disturbing programming. You can imagine the dreams I woke up with when I forgot to put my sleep timer on.
This past week, I had a dream that I was at a Dave Matthew's Band Concert, but either the concert was in the dark or something because none of my friends could see it. And I was like "guys, it's Dave Matthew's Band, I know their sound," and I was so proud of myself for recognizing the song without knowing the song or seeing them. And guess what...I woke up and there was a DMB clip playing on my computer! (they were on SNL recently)
But more interestingly, my dreams for the past week have involved Twitter. For those of you who are on twitter, (and hopefully you can follow for those of you who aren't), sometimes you have a thought during the day and are like....i think my readers (aka all 15 people who follow me) would be interested to know this little tidbit. In my dreams, I've been having these little aha moments, where I think to myself, "I must remember to post this on twitter when I wake up, it's sooo funny." And I've actually been remembering when I wake up, but everything I've thought of is complete nonsense. For example, I thought to post, "when I wake up my cat while he's sleeping he makes the same squeaky clicking sound as my computer does when I wake it up," or "I'm making a musical montage for the opening credits of a show by ripping up ziploc bags and taping them back together." Like subconscious Jamie, those thoughts aren't coherent and nobody would like to read about them on twitter. Give me some good material I can work with!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Party in the City where the Heat is on..
As I was driving home from the gym, guess what song came on the radio?? Summertime by Will Smith. This is cruel to me for several reasons. First, it is unbelievably freezing. And there are several feet of snow on the ground. Second, it reminded me of the fact that Will Smith has not come out with a new album in a very long time. How much did you love Big Willie Style as a child? I would like to hear some more of that. Soo Will Smith, if you're reading this--get your butt back in the recording studio, your fans miss you! The movie thing isn't going to really work out for you anyway...
Friday, December 18, 2009
A Very Gilly Christmas
On Thursday night, Saturday Night Live presented a christmas special instead of reruns of their Thursday primetime lineup. Good decision NBC. The special had some of my very favorite skits/characters of all time, so here is the link to watch: http://www.hulu.com/watch/116126/saturday-night-live-snl-presents-a-very-gilly-christmas. And here are some time frames of the skits you might want to take the time to watch:
0:00: The show is introduced with a typical Gilly sketch, with Kristen Wiig starring in the role of Gilly. Sorry. Yah. Uh huh. What. I love this recurring character.
17:35: Adam Sandler performing his Hanukkah song for the very first time (I'm pretty sure). So much funnukah.
25:40: Hey babe. babe. she looks like a rabbit. yayyyy. Have you guessed the skit yet? It's one of my favorites. That's right. Two A-Holes at a Nativity Scene. I love these recurring characters...and i don't understand with Kristen and Jason Sudeikis still on the show they don't do this skit more.
30:08: Probably one of my most favorite original christmas songs ever aired on the show. "I wish it was christmas today" with Horatio Sanz, Jimmy Fallon, Chris Kattan, and Tracy Morgan. I'm pretty sure they used to perform this every winter when they were all on together on the show. It takes me back to my middle school/early high school days. Highlights: Jimmy Fallon trying not to break into laughter combined with Tracy Morgan dancing with no chance of ever breaking into laughter. I have know idea how he does it. Clearly would be a different story if he was looking in a mirror.
46:37: Probably the most well-known original christmas song ever aired on the show at this point. It's my Dick in a Box!
58:43: Schweddy Balls. Probably Alec Baldwin's best sketch. always a good laugh.
While these are just some of the highlights, there are many other good ones that I didn't mention. So if you have the time, watch the whole special. You'll get a good laugh (and if anything, a good stroll down pop culture's lane). Happy Holidays!
0:00: The show is introduced with a typical Gilly sketch, with Kristen Wiig starring in the role of Gilly. Sorry. Yah. Uh huh. What. I love this recurring character.
17:35: Adam Sandler performing his Hanukkah song for the very first time (I'm pretty sure). So much funnukah.
25:40: Hey babe. babe. she looks like a rabbit. yayyyy. Have you guessed the skit yet? It's one of my favorites. That's right. Two A-Holes at a Nativity Scene. I love these recurring characters...and i don't understand with Kristen and Jason Sudeikis still on the show they don't do this skit more.
30:08: Probably one of my most favorite original christmas songs ever aired on the show. "I wish it was christmas today" with Horatio Sanz, Jimmy Fallon, Chris Kattan, and Tracy Morgan. I'm pretty sure they used to perform this every winter when they were all on together on the show. It takes me back to my middle school/early high school days. Highlights: Jimmy Fallon trying not to break into laughter combined with Tracy Morgan dancing with no chance of ever breaking into laughter. I have know idea how he does it. Clearly would be a different story if he was looking in a mirror.
46:37: Probably the most well-known original christmas song ever aired on the show at this point. It's my Dick in a Box!
58:43: Schweddy Balls. Probably Alec Baldwin's best sketch. always a good laugh.
While these are just some of the highlights, there are many other good ones that I didn't mention. So if you have the time, watch the whole special. You'll get a good laugh (and if anything, a good stroll down pop culture's lane). Happy Holidays!
John Sears=Dan Scott
Don't you think it's so weird the moment I finished watching every episode of One Tree Hill the 4th Season of 90210 happens to be on SoapNet? The ones where John Sears (aka the actor who plays Dan Scott in OTH--also known in real life as Paul Johannson) is a recurring guest star?? In both series, Johannson plays the villain, and comes across as particularly evil playing both characters. He's super evil in OTH, like on a scale from 1 to evil, he is an evil++10583295283. Plus, he has a fairly distinctive voice, which makes me double take the TV screen so I don't forget what show I'm watching.
In other news, the 8th season of Beverly Hills, 90210 came out on DVD and recently arrived on my doorstep via walmart.com. Also, I decided to re-watch Dawson's Creek from start to finish. Now I was an avid follower of the last seasons, but unfortunately, when the show started in the second half of fifth grade, I distinctly remember not being allowed to stay up late to watch. I also wanted to stay up late to watch South Park (which also started when I was in fifth grade), and still getting the no from mom. Thanks a lot.
After I finish Dawson's Creek, what would you like to see me watch next? I will let the readers decide!
In other news, the 8th season of Beverly Hills, 90210 came out on DVD and recently arrived on my doorstep via walmart.com. Also, I decided to re-watch Dawson's Creek from start to finish. Now I was an avid follower of the last seasons, but unfortunately, when the show started in the second half of fifth grade, I distinctly remember not being allowed to stay up late to watch. I also wanted to stay up late to watch South Park (which also started when I was in fifth grade), and still getting the no from mom. Thanks a lot.
After I finish Dawson's Creek, what would you like to see me watch next? I will let the readers decide!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
One Tree Hill
Many post entries ago, I proclaimed that I would attempt to watch the entire series of One Tree Hill after a couple of episodes on SoapNet sparked my interest in the series. Well as of approximately 2am on Thursday, December 17, 2009, I am officially caught up. And very much look forward to the return of the show in January 2010.
One Tree Hill debuted in the fall of 2003, when I was in my junior year of high school--and interestingly enough, the same age as the characters that I have since fallen in love with. I never watched a single episode during this time. Maybe it was because 7th Heaven fulfilled all my teenage drama cravings. It's also probable that my anger over having missed the start of the OC during the summer (I was at my overnight camp for goodness sake!) which everyone was talking about carried over to the seemingly similar premise of One Tree Hill (both shows started in the same year). I've since watched the first season of the OC (very good!) and it could not be more different than One Tree Hill.
For some reason, I'm always surprised when I find out these legendary shows have actual premises. Like who knew Beverly Hills, 90210 had an actual premise? (it's about a pair of twins adjusting to life in LA after moving from Minnesota). Well One Tree Hill also has a premise, and that is about two half brothers who share the same father, and the conflict that ensues over their relationship--did I mention the dad only recognizes one of the brothers as his son? Yep, completely ignores the other one. sad day.
There is definitely something to be said about watching a series in its entirety in virtually one sitting. It's an emotional roller coaster. I'm not going to admit how many times I sat crying on my couch at 1:30 in the morning because I felt bad for Dan and his need for forgiveness...or when Peyton and Lucas finally get together or break up or get together or just share a beautiful moment. I know the writers intended for the audience to feel this way, but I wonder if it actually happens unless your investment in the characters is developed in such an intense viewing experience as the one I set up for myself.
With that said, I challenge everyone to make OTH your next project. Go out and rent the series. Start watching it on SoapNet (they're going to start from season 1 again very soon! FYI). There is something about this show that is just refreshing and different from all the other ones...it makes me wish i started watching it in high school. It's the complexity of the character types, the even greater complexity of the relationships between the characters. There's something very real about it--Brooke and Peyton's friendship (it reminds me of many of my own friendships), the volatile relationship Lucas and Nathan have with their parents, and how we deal with loss and death in our everyday lives. There's also something very unreal and soapy about it--(we love you Nathan and Haley--but nobody's parents let them get married in their junior year of high school)--that makes it so addictingly good. Above all, as I've mentioned in previous posts, the show's great because of it's comparatively seamless incorporation of music--from the long musical montages at the end, to Peyton and Haley's connection with the music world, to the use of TRIC (think peach pit after dark) as a way to showcase new (and not so new) artists. The show reflects the culture of the 2000s, while making it at the same time. It's wonderful in so many ways, and now I finally understand why it's been on the air for 7 years.
One Tree Hill debuted in the fall of 2003, when I was in my junior year of high school--and interestingly enough, the same age as the characters that I have since fallen in love with. I never watched a single episode during this time. Maybe it was because 7th Heaven fulfilled all my teenage drama cravings. It's also probable that my anger over having missed the start of the OC during the summer (I was at my overnight camp for goodness sake!) which everyone was talking about carried over to the seemingly similar premise of One Tree Hill (both shows started in the same year). I've since watched the first season of the OC (very good!) and it could not be more different than One Tree Hill.
For some reason, I'm always surprised when I find out these legendary shows have actual premises. Like who knew Beverly Hills, 90210 had an actual premise? (it's about a pair of twins adjusting to life in LA after moving from Minnesota). Well One Tree Hill also has a premise, and that is about two half brothers who share the same father, and the conflict that ensues over their relationship--did I mention the dad only recognizes one of the brothers as his son? Yep, completely ignores the other one. sad day.
There is definitely something to be said about watching a series in its entirety in virtually one sitting. It's an emotional roller coaster. I'm not going to admit how many times I sat crying on my couch at 1:30 in the morning because I felt bad for Dan and his need for forgiveness...or when Peyton and Lucas finally get together or break up or get together or just share a beautiful moment. I know the writers intended for the audience to feel this way, but I wonder if it actually happens unless your investment in the characters is developed in such an intense viewing experience as the one I set up for myself.
With that said, I challenge everyone to make OTH your next project. Go out and rent the series. Start watching it on SoapNet (they're going to start from season 1 again very soon! FYI). There is something about this show that is just refreshing and different from all the other ones...it makes me wish i started watching it in high school. It's the complexity of the character types, the even greater complexity of the relationships between the characters. There's something very real about it--Brooke and Peyton's friendship (it reminds me of many of my own friendships), the volatile relationship Lucas and Nathan have with their parents, and how we deal with loss and death in our everyday lives. There's also something very unreal and soapy about it--(we love you Nathan and Haley--but nobody's parents let them get married in their junior year of high school)--that makes it so addictingly good. Above all, as I've mentioned in previous posts, the show's great because of it's comparatively seamless incorporation of music--from the long musical montages at the end, to Peyton and Haley's connection with the music world, to the use of TRIC (think peach pit after dark) as a way to showcase new (and not so new) artists. The show reflects the culture of the 2000s, while making it at the same time. It's wonderful in so many ways, and now I finally understand why it's been on the air for 7 years.
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