Alacrity

I'm your secretary

2009-05-12T19:26:00.003-05:00

Hey Parker, James Spader is coming to Brodaway this fall!

We love him in Secretary, so I might have to go check this Mamet play (I have yet to take in any Mamet offering on the boards). The TV in my dwelling had Boston Legal on the other day, which I happen to not watch. A James Spader week it is.

Not the way to start a Friday

2009-05-08T15:09:00.003-05:00

Seen in the subway station:
A man with his pants down, about to wipe his butt.

I averted my gaze as soon as my brain registered vaguely what was going on.

I didn't want to process it anymore.

Yucky!

Like mixing oil and water: a review of Chemistry.com

2009-05-02T19:51:00.005-05:00

Dating is tough. Especially where I live, so I turn to my friend the internet to make torture a tad less torturous.

I shelled out close to $100 for three months of Chemistry.com. The way it works, you take a bunch of tests and then get assessed a personality type, like builder or whatever. Since I hate contacting strangers randomly, I was hooked in by the site sending you matches and the "guided communication process." You can join for free, but you can't communicate with people unless you fork over the megabucks.

Each day, you get 5-10 matches. Even though you set your preferences, you receive a lot of people who don't fall into that. And Chemistry also sneaks in peole from Match.com too. For each person, you either say yes or no. The no button was certainly getting a lot of use from me.

For three months on the site, I communicated with less than ten guys and met only two. Those kinds of figures are disheartening. Also disheartening are men who seem to vanish randomly. Gee thanks. If interest is mutual, you can send your "relationship essentials" (how you rate aspects such as being neat, open, liking pets, and so forth) to review. If that's acceptable, you send the other person questions, and he answers, and you answer his questions. If those are a go, then you can exchange messages.

The people I met
Boy 1 was nice, but we didn't really click. It was okay talking to him, and I could see him as maybe a friend, but when I never heard back, I can't say I was too crushed.
Boy 2 was much better, and I thought he had much potential. He expressed interest in hanging out again and said he would message or call me, and natch, I never heard from him again, and his profile disappeared into thin air. That's lovely.

All in all, it started off promising, but then it fizzled out.

I'm going to try a new avenue and will report on that in the future.

Dork Yearbook

2009-04-13T22:03:00.003-05:00

Awww snap, I had this outfit!!! My sword was pink, though.

Ahhh, memories.
(via Web Goddess)

Superoverrated

2009-04-12T14:35:00.004-05:00

Agent99 and I dislike Seth Rogen. I hesitate to say "hate" because he was in Freaks & Geeks, and I adore that show. And he did co-pen Superbad. He just isn't appealing to me. And it isn't because Seth is not handsome or anything. Cease and Desist or Case and Report or whatever his new movie is called looks dreadful. Agent99 suffered though Knocked Up and warned me to stay away, which I have been adhering to.

On that vein, I don't get Kristen Stewart either. She's in Adventureland, which I keep seeing ads for. I don't think anyone I know likes her. At least Seth Rogen writes in addition to acting. KS just seems useless and isn't that hot.

And why is there yet another Fast and the Furious? Vin Diesel needed the money, it seems. The whole original cast did apprently.

I could go on for days about actors I don't like who are liked by the general public, but I'll stop there.

berries and apples

2009-04-10T11:13:00.002-05:00

After nearly two years, it's nearing time for a new phone. But I'm having all this inner turmoil about what device to procure, currently leaning towards a BlackBerry since I'm not too gung ho enthused about the iPhone.

To me, BlackBerries seem like such a businessman device, and I certainly am no businessman. I went to AT&T's devices page and read reviews for the BlackBerry and read all these reviews by freakin' teenagers. The hell? Ugh.

I'm just lured because of the keyboard. I don't even text all that much (not popular enough). Do I even want to check my e-mail all the time? Not really. I don't like surfing the web on a phone, especially paying a lot of money for a fancier data plan. I'm torn because I don't really want to be in the Dark Ages but I'm not super techno-savvy either. Just give me a music player and I'm pleased.

Well, that's all my phone musings. I'll figure out this silly issue soon enough. I feel so primitive with my old flip phone. High-tech is not me.

Time to show this blog some love

2009-04-05T18:56:00.008-05:00

Parker and I are both sick of winter, though it sounds like she has it worse than I do. Spring, where are you? And go away rain. I don't like you all that much.

Earlier today at the gym, I caught the latter part of "Womanizer" by Britney Spears, reminding me of how much I love this song. Britney's definitely one of my guilty pleasures, though I don't quite feel as ashamed as I should about this since she barely writes the music. So very catchy. I debated about buying a scratch-off instant lotto game but decided not to, not only because the machine was busted, but because I weighted the cost-to-benefit ratio and decided that caving and purchasing the Britney track would bring me more happiness that one minute of scratching off grey squares only to be let down but winning $0.

I'm tempted to blog about my experiences with dating in the city, but I dunno. In the meantime, here's a link to check out that is vaguely academical.
http://blogs.psychologytoday.com/blog/beautiful-minds/200808/being-in-the-friend-zone
Can you ever bounce out of the friend zone? Is there a time limit? Stupid friend zone!
This makes me cheer up:

In fact, the reality is that being in the friend zone is an honor: it means you are well-respected, have formed an emotional connection with that person, and are thought of as nice, considerate, and dependable. These are really valuable traits. And I really mean that.

Worth skimming and for the graphic at the top.

Okay, this post was all over the place.

Does this mean he's going to pen happy ditties now?

2009-03-12T14:16:00.004-05:00

Recently I posted about Mandy Moore and Ryan Adams getting engaged. Well, they dun gone and wedded each other already down in Savannah, GA. Aw, Savannah is a lovely place. Maybe they got Paula Deen to attend. Probably preggo. Mandy, that is, not Paula.

I still stand by my opinion that Mandy Moore is dullsville.

Damn! Jake Gyllenhaal!

2009-03-11T13:34:00.004-05:00

It was recently announced that Jake Gyllenhaal will star in a film adaptation of the musical Damn Yankees. It is recommended you click on the link, as the photograph Playbill used is pleasant. I have not seen this musical so I cannot comment on the story and/or music. Something about a baseball fan selling his soul to the devil, who will be played by Jim Carrey.

I guess if Jake Gyllenhaal can't get Parker to see a musical, nothing can. I'm sure I'll be seeing this in the theaters since I've got that musical addiction. Damn Yankees is from the same producing team that funded Hairspray and Chicago which is very promising. I'll write a review in 2012.

Round Here - Because that's what the question asked

2009-03-05T19:53:00.003-06:00

So Inessa must be bored at home sick....I'm just avoiding writing lesson plans. Here are my responses because I'll never do this on Facebook!

1. IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Come Pick me Up – Ryan Adams

2. WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
If You Leave – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

3. WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
The Damage in Your Heart - Weezer

4.WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Magnolia Mountain – Ryan Adams

5. WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Burn One Down – Ben Harper

6. WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Stay with Me – Rod Stewart

7. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT OFTEN?
ABC – Jackson 5 (I do teach Kindergarten!)

8. WHAT IS 2+2?
Follow the Lights – Ryan Adams

9. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Dead Disco - Metric

10. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Jimi Thing - DMB

11. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP??
War on War - Wilco

12. WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE??
Have I Told You Lately – Van Morrison

13. WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Holiday - Madonna

14. WHAT DID YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Bennie and the Jets – Elton John

15. WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Your Time is Gonna Come – Led Zeppelin

16. WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Moving Mountains – David Lamotte

17. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
The Real Slim Shady - Eminem

18. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Sun Also Sets – Ryan Adams

19. WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Have Mercy on Me – The Black Keys

20. HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Blossom – Ryan Adams

21. WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Beverly Hills - Weezer

22. WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
A Bell Will Ring - Oasis

23. WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Everything I Do (I Miss You) - Whiskeytown

24. WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
Angel From Montgomery – John Prine

25. WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
Goodnight Rose – Ryan Adams

26. DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Dancing in Heaven – Q-Feel

27. IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
My Boyfriend’s Back – The Angels

28. WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Houses on the Hill - Whiskeytown

29. WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Round Here – Counting Crows

30. HOW WILL YOUR DAY GO TOMORROW?
Happy Valentine’s Day - Outkast (A girl can dream, right?)

Do the shuffle

2009-03-01T20:08:00.003-06:00

I try to avoid these notes on Facebook, but this one seemed like fun.

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Put your MP3 player on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the "next" button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER WHAT IT IS :-)
4. Tag friends who might enjoy doing this... (Co-bloggers?)
This took forever since I suddenly wanted to listen fully to each song which popped up.

1. IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
House of Cards--Radiohead

2. WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Comfortably Numb--Pink Floyd

3. WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Please Stop Dancing--The Magnetic Fields

4.WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
My Sentimental Melody--The Magnetic Fields
"Just beautiful lies."
Um, is this shuffle actually working?

5. WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
I Looked All Over Town--The Magnetic Fields
"Nobody wants you when you're a circus clown."

6. WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Sorry-Grateful--Company

7. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT OFTEN?
Izzo (H.O.V.A.)--Jay-Z

8. WHAT IS 2+2?
La Cienega Just Smiled--Ryan Adams
It's your song, Agent99!

9. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
At the Ballet--A Chorus Line

10. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
I Remember When I Loved Her--The Zombies

11. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP??
One (Reprise)/Finale--A Chorus Line

12. WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE??
A-Punk--Vampire Weekend
Yeah, he's a punk.

13. WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Sabotage--Beastie Boys

14. WHAT DID YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
The Karminsky Experience--Thievery Corporation
Oooooh, good suggestion!

15. WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Another Day--Evangelicals

16. WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Popular--Wicked
"Who isn't less fortunate than I?"
Yes, I'm interested in being popular!

17. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Walt Whitman's Niece--Billy Bragg & Wilco

18. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
King of Carrot Flowers--Neutral Milk Hotel

19. WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Postcards from Italy--Beirut

20. HOW WILL YOU DIE?
The Heinrich Maneuver--Interpol

21. WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
All Tomorrow's Parties--The Velvet Underground

22. WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
A Rush of Blood to the Head--Coldplay

23. WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Oxford Comma--Vampire Weekend

24. WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
The Good Life--Weezer
"Screw this crap, I've had it!"
"Hear me, I want sugar in my tea!"

25. WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
Distance--Editors

26. DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Just Like Honey--The Jesus and Mary Chain

27. IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Wrestlers--Hot Chip

28. WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Monkey Gone to Heaven--Pixies

29. WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Take a Good Look at My Face--Smokey Robinson

30. HOW WILL YOUR DAY GO TOMORROW?
Tired of Sex--Weezer
Bwah!

To my relief, the embarrassing stuff stayed hidden. What a relief. :)

Tokyo Police Club at Webster Hall, 2/25/09

2009-02-28T09:18:00.005-06:00

Concert Review!

I went to see Tokyo Police Club, a hot youthful band from the Great White North, kick out the jams at Webster Hall a couple of days ago. Myself and my companions R & M were not too pleased that it was a 16+ show. Boys who can't grow facial hair with their moms? Kinda ruins the setting if you ask me.

I'd never been to Webster Hall before. Situated in the East Village, it's primarily a dance club but has concerts here and there. The concerts take place in the Grand Ballroom. Unisex bathrooms are a bit odd, but whatever. M and I noted the chandeliers with red light bulbs hovering over the balconies. And there's a massive disco ball in the middle. What's borderline scary is the floor. When you've got hundreds of fans bouncing up and down to the rhythms, the floor suddenly turns into a trampoline. Yikes.

Even before the first band hit the stage, some girl barfed on the ground and it took ages to be cleaned up. It wasn't even 8pm! Lame. And yucky. Later, some kids were chucked out by security for smoking pot. Weed at shows is nothing new, but I've never seen concertgoers kicked out. That's what you get for flaunting it.

Anyway, the bands stuck to the schedule. First up was Harlem Shakes at 8pm. They weren't all that great, and the lead singer was painful to listen to. R described it best: "It's like he's trying to be a cartoon character but failing." This was a rather large band, complete with sax section. Then came three piece Born Ruffians at 9pm. They were better but I'm not going to rush out and buy their albums ASAP or anything.

Tokyo Police Club came out at around 10pm. The lead singer/bassist looked like Paul Dano from where I was in the crowd. He, Dave Monks, was one of the most talkative frontmen I have observed, talking about falling down at a prior show, inviting people to the aftershow at Piano's. I had the tremendous misfortune of being being a crazed dancing stocky Indian dude who needed to be dosed with a tranquilizer. Surrounded by short girls, of course I have to be behind taller males. Gah. About the music, it was energy-filled and kickass. Tunes short enough for my attention span. No complaints! This is a picture of the keyboardist Graham Wright. He took was bouncing all over the place. My pictures overall were on the crummy side. Note: concert pictures don't work unless you are right up at the stage, which I certainly was not.

For the encore, TPC brought out Born Ruffians to debut a new song, and then Harlem Shakes joined up to make a supergroup for the following ditty. Also quite nifty.

My feet were tired from standing for hours, but hell yeah! It's worth it to rock, eh?

Wacky new drug of the week

2009-02-16T10:59:00.002-06:00

I think it's dangerous how freely we treat ourselves with medications that aren't fully understood (the list of horrible side effects on ads amuse and scare me). But this really takes the cake, increasing eyelash growth with glaucoma medication.

This is the best part, the wacky side-effects:
"While he said his patients were happy with the results, Sinha noted another unpleasant side effect if the user is not careful while wielding the applicator. "One patient was messy and grew small, fuzzy hair on her eyelid," Sinha said. He instructed the woman to stop using the product, and the unwanted hair eventually fell out."

At least it's directly applied. I hate when people ingest pills for very narrow, sometimes silly conditions.

Mrs. Mandy Adams

2009-02-12T20:14:00.003-06:00

Agent99, this morning over my milk and cereal and PG Tips, I read that Mandy Moore got engaged to Ryan Adams. What a weird couple, wouldn't you say?

Ryan Adams and Parker Posey were a cool couple.

Mandy Moore doesn't do anything! But she's dated a wide swath of fellas: John JD Dorian, Fez, Andy Roddick. She was only worthwhile in Saved!

I'm just not that into you

2009-02-04T08:40:00.004-06:00

A man in my neighborhood, who I bump into more often that I would like, keeps saying hi to me and telling me I should call him/Myspace him. Look dude, it's been weeks since you gave me your business card. If I'm not reaching out, I'm not all that interested. And now I am almost embarrassed for you. Can't wait for spring when I can ditch my brightly colored heavy coat which unfortunately can be a magnet for attention.

This situation reminds me of the upcoming chick flick He's Just Not That Into You. That movie seems annoying. It's probably about people struggling to comedic effect and then having happy endings at the end. Plus anything with Drew Barrymore is bound to be bothersome. Especially when she talks about Myspace. Myspace is so dead! When was this movie made? It would have made more sense it were released closer to when the book came out.

My friends saw Drew Barrymore's mother. That's all I got.

I hate it when....

2009-01-28T22:53:00.002-06:00

People sign you up for stuff you didn't really want to do in the first place. This has happened to me twice in the past month! First, I was signed up for a committee that I really didn't want to do. This committee basically does a bunch of party planning, and the committee members decided I would be good so they just put me on the list. I would love to attend the parties....I could care less about the planning. Then this week my co-worker is on a literacy committee, and she signed me up to work the book fair tomorrow night. Did she ask if I could even do it, or if I already had plans? NO! And to top it off...she didn't even tell me about it until this afternooon!!!!! GRRRRRRRRRR! Mind your own business folks!

I survived the great peanut butter panic of '09

2009-01-24T18:19:00.003-06:00

On Thursday, I ate a Clif Bar and after consuming it, realized that it was one of the flavors voluntarily recalled after the peanut butter salmonella scare. Naturally I began to freak and worry myself to no end. I had known about the peanut butter panic before nibbling on the bar, but I thought, "Clif bars are all organic and natural and stuff, they should be using high grade peanut butter made by hand in the mountain mists" and then I was in for a rude awakening when I went to the Clif bar website. Argh.

After a few distracted hours, I concluded that I did not get food poisoning. Hallelujah!

crazyblindsmellydate.com

2009-01-21T20:39:00.002-06:00

I'm attempting to do different things this year (so cliched, no?), and I started off by going on a crazyblinddate.

For those of you not familiar with this concept, Crazy Blind Date is a website developed by the creators of OKCupid. You sign up, put in a few sparse details about yourself and what you like in your date, pop in your available days, times, and locations, and sit back. The system matches you up with someone, and then the haggling is done by means of texts, e-mails, and logging into the website. You also can't talk to your "date" beforehand, and you aren't able to see his/her photo either.

My friend Jersey and I went on a double date with Challah & Frites. Challah sucked since he didn't even show up to the bar. Frites did, and while he was pleasant enough to chat with, he smelled as though the concept of soap were foreign and puzzling to him. It was rough. Drinking a potent beverage helped. Jersey sent Frites a message about his Pig Pen-ness. He had sent me a friendly message, but I never responded. And that was that.

Crazy Blind Date is very random, and it seems to have a lot of flakes. At least later you can go and review your people. And there's no commitment, and you don't build up folks in your mind. Plus, it's free, but you get what you pay for.

We liked reading this date gone wrong and having a laugh.

The Principal's Office -

2009-01-18T08:28:00.002-06:00

Principal's Office is a reality show that follows different high school principals and the different aspects of their crazy jobs. I've seen a couple of episodes, but this clip just makes me laugh! I have two boys in my class right now that I can tell will act just like this when they get to high school!

Nalgene+me=4eva!

2009-01-14T20:08:00.002-06:00

Do you see those aluminium drinking bottles all over the place too? I'll fess up to being mildly curious though I've been using my trusty Nalgene for well over five years.

I bogarted my roommate's (he hasn't used it), filled with agua, chilled, and have the results.

--Your hand gets cold. Metal is conducting, not insulating. Point for Nalgene.
--You can't see how much liquid you have. Point for Nalgene.
--You can't easily scrub the complete inside. I don't know about you, but I just feel better if I can coat entire surfaces with bubbles. Point for Nalgene.

That settles it. Maybe I'll die sooner from toxins, but I've accepted that fact.

Book versus movie: Twilight

2009-01-10T08:37:00.004-06:00

A kind soul gave me Twilight as a present (at my request), and I finished the thing a couple of days ago. Which is better, better being a relative term?

My movie review can be found here.
Excerpt:

I don't know if it's the actress or how Bella is written in the screenplay, but I didn't care much for her. She wasn't particularly likeable or engaging. Makes you wonder what others see in her.

The Pacific Northwest locales are lush and splendid despite the damp. Expected in a romance, there's a lot of cheese. I would have liked more action sequences and less "What is his problem?" scenes. The vampire baseball game was my favorite.

I guess I didn't get the relationship. It seemed rushed and random, but I suppose that's just a cue for me to read the book, which is what Agent99 is urging me to do.

In the book, Bella isn't helped. She's someone you want to grab by the shoulders and shake violently, like the scene in Airplane! where the stewardess is freaking out. Girls who orbit round their boyfriends are low on my list of liked people. She just has no personality. Oh Bella, every boy at your school asks you out, and you're bummed since Edward won't make you a bloodsucker, boo hoo hoo.

Edward's okay. He's hampered by Bella making salivating descriptions constantly. Yeah, I get it. He's hot and perfect. Girl, you a loser. Here's how it works: Bella and Edward meet up. She admires his chest. Then her heart goes pitter patter. It's the same thing again and again.

The other vampires are badass. Alice is my favorite as well as Rosalie the beeyotch. The baseball scene and out-of-control van scene work much better in the movie because Stephenie Meyer's descriptions could use more clarity sometimes. Action-scene-writer she ain't.

I don't think I could date someone who is basically a walking block of ice. Ugh. But if he's that hypnotic, I suppose I could suffer frostbite.

I feel bad. I kept blabbing about Twilight before I read it, getting others to read it, and I don't even love it. Mrs. Meyer, you owe me some millions as commission.

Advantage: Twilight the movie

If you're honest with yourself, you'll find this funny.

2009-01-02T13:30:00.001-06:00

Defective Yeti reviews Twilight.

Bruce Willis was dead at the end of Sixth Sense

2008-12-28T12:35:00.003-06:00

I wonder if it was ironic, discussing my first celebrity sighting while in the same venue as my second celebrity sighting. But Adrian Grenier does not make funny videos like The Lonely Island does. Catchy as it may be, the video for Britney Spears's "(You Drive Me) Crazy" doesn't quite count. My guy friend's girlfriend told me about this video. It makes me and Agent99 giggle.

No wonder those stairs reek

2008-12-15T21:40:00.004-06:00

Last night I saw a vampire movie. But what truly frightened me was seeing a man peeing at the base of the subway entrance/exit stairs. Hey dude, stairs do not equal urinal! Nastiness.

In context

2008-12-13T09:41:00.003-06:00

Recently I caved and purchased a text messaging plan. It's the cheapest one, basically $5 and 200 messages in/out. This has changed my life. I'm a text maniac, no longer fretting about friends sending me too many messages and instructing them to avoid texting me at all costs. A weight off my shoulders indeed. Pretty soon I'm going to be someone who goes over 200 texts a month, and that notion frightens me. For a folk who isn't the best telephone talker, texts are a godsend. Composing, writing, and editing are more my thing than babble coming out of my mouth. Still, I believe that texts should count as a minute of talk time as I have rollover minutes up the wazoo. I do wish I had a QWERTY keyboard, but with technology, I take baby steps.

In other news, my knee hurts for no memorable reason. It's the aging, alas!

Twilight my fire

2008-11-30T13:10:00.007-06:00

Agent99 and I saw Twilight on Friday. For two different perspectives, she read the book beforehand while I refrained and went into the flick with no preconceived notions. All I knew was that it was about a human girl and a vampire who fall in lurve, high school style which means brooding and intense looks aplenty.

High school junior Bella is played by Kristen Stewart who I saw in Panic Room. I don't know if it's the actress or how Bella is written in the screenplay, but I didn't care much for her. She wasn't particularly likeable or engaging. Makes you wonder what others see in her.

The Pacific Northwest locales are lush and splendid despite the damp. Expected in a romance, there's a lot of cheese. I would have liked more action sequences and less "What is his problem?" scenes. The vampire baseball game was my favorite.

I guess I didn't get the relationship. It seemed rushed and random, but I suppose that's just a cue for me to read the book, which is what Agent99 is urging me to do. It'll be a while, as I'm currently number 563 out of 1555 on the library waiting list.

As you might have known, this review is mostly an excuse to post a picture of the smokin' hotness known as Robert Pattinson aka Cedric Diggory who plays the vampire Edward. Whatever problems Twilight has, he makes it all better. I'm not sure I understand this recent craze for vampires (first pirates, then zombies, now vamps), but if they all resemble Robert Pattinson, then I'm down.

World's greatest xmas gift?

2008-11-24T08:53:00.005-06:00

In the spirit of the season, I think we ought to share our best xmas gift ideas. I'll start it off with an awesome book filled with even more gift ideas: 101 Unuseless Japanese Inventions. It's filled with ultra-fabulous inventions for improving every day life. Pictured here is an invention that would be practical, if attention-grabbing, for my allergies.

Like McAdams loves Gosling

2008-11-12T14:01:00.002-06:00

I forgot to mention that today is my Canadian boyfriend (sorry Michael Cera) Ryan Gosling's birthday, happy birthday to him!

disco biscuits

2008-11-12T11:23:00.003-06:00

I've had a bizarre, okay it's not so insane, craving for KFC biscuits. It all started at the tail end of last week and it's been going on since. That must mean that my body needs biscuits to continue plowing throw this cruel world. The conundrum is that there is no KFC within a reasonable distance of me. Oh, the humanity! There is a Popeye's relatively close by so I'll have to stop over there and satisfy these demands. Fried chicken fast food places have basically the same biscuits, right? Need some buttery crumbly goodness soon.

Rocking the vote

2008-11-04T09:46:00.003-06:00

I'm excited about voting today! But I hope the line isn't Disney World ride-long.

I'll post this for my co-bloggers: Lorelai Gilmore herself, Lauren Graham, has been cast in the upcoming Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls. Never got into Gilmore Girls, but I'm sure Lauren Graham will do well in the role. Years ago I saw the movie version of Guys and Dolls with Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando and remembered liking it. Maybe I'll see this revival.

Halloween wrap-up

2008-11-03T11:28:00.003-06:00

The big costume this year was The Joker from The Dark Knight. Too many of those. Though I will give props to the Jokers who wore nurse uniforms. There were a lot of the V for Vendetta masks, a bit unexpected for a movie which came out years ago. I spotted a few Obamas but not as many Sarah Palins as I had expected. Star Wars remains as popular as ever. And Mario Bros too. Hope everyone had a fun October 31!

HSM3

2008-10-31T23:48:00.001-05:00

i went trick-or-treating tonight at the RAVE motion pictures. i saw HSM3 which was definitely a treat!! in one word...SWOON! zac efron can sing and dance for me ANYTIME!!!!!

No Stairway!?!? Denied!

2008-10-30T09:15:00.004-05:00

I know it seems as though all I do is post YouTube videos and comment on them, but oh well. Agent007 mentioned a musical act to me by the name of Rodrigo y Gabriela and being out of the loop that I am, I had to Wikipedia them. That 007, she's so Euro.

I find it amusing that they're influenced by metal bands like Metallica and used to be in thrash metal groups and now are doing acoustic guitar music. From Mexico to Ireland!

Here's a neato cover of the Zep classic, "Stairway to Heaven" which I picked out especially for Agent99.

You can't screw up Alabama

2008-10-27T22:31:00.002-05:00

Charles Barkley has confirmed he wants to be governor for our great home-state.

"Brown: Talk to me a little bit about your own political aspirations. You said in the past that you want to go back to Alabama. That is home for you.

Barkley: Alabama needs a lot of help...

Brown: So are you going to run for governor?

Barkley: I plan on it in 2014.

Brown: You are serious.

Barkley: I am, I can't screw up Alabama.

Brown: There is no place to go but up in your view?

Barkley: We are number 48 in everything and Arkansas and Mississippi aren't going anywhere."

I'd vote for him!

Pimples don't give you sprinkles.

2008-10-24T10:09:00.003-05:00

Sunday morning of last weekend, I got temporarily sucked into the vortex that is Degrassi: The Next Generation. It was some marathon or something, and I am susceptible to Dawson's Creek-like shows though though I can get sucked out just as fast. With a huge cast and craziness aplenty, it's compelling enough. My high school experience seemed dull in comparison. Shootings, drug dealing, pregnancies, and more. Those Canucks!

The point is that a commercial came on for Clearasil and we loved it. Funny stuff. I haven't scored free ice cream by using Clearasil! Forget sprinkles though, ew gross.

Daylight comes and exposes Saturday's bruises and cold roses

2008-10-19T14:45:00.005-05:00

I was looking forward to a quiet evening at home full of couch/TV time and lots of sleep until the phone rang. I was at school Thursday waiting for my 4:00 parent conference, and my friend called to let me know he'd scored free tickets to see Ryan Adams in Tuscalooser. Hell yes! I forgot all about my exhaustion, hurried as fast as I could through 4 parent conferences, rushed home, showered, and set out for an unforgettable evening with The Cardinals.

We left my house around 6:45 and arrived about 7:30 in dowtown Tuscaloosa. The venue was the BAMA Theatre this year. It is similar to the Alabama Theatre where he played last year. My friend and I stopped at a local bar for a brew before heading to the theatre. While at the bar we ran into an acquaintance of mine that was also attending the concert. We reminisced about last year's show and how Ryan got upset and left the stage early. We all hoped he wouldn't do that this year!

We left the bar to go to the theatre, and found our seats....9th row aisle!! They played for two and a half hours not including the 20 minute intermission. Both sets were FANTASTIC. He played new stuff from the new album, and plenty of hits from Easy Tiger and other former albums. He was downright jovial all night long, joking with the band and the audience. He even joked about how he used to be the guy onstage flicking everyone off, and instead sang a ditty to the douche in the front row that flicked him off. I really liked the smaller venue this year, and I LOVED the show. I hope he is in such a good mood next time I go see him play!! I heard the next evening in the ATL wasn't as fortunate as we were. He played for only an hour and the band took bows without RA. The setlist for the night can be found here! Enjoy!

I hope he sings "Music of the Night."

2008-10-17T10:03:00.003-05:00

Playbill announced yesterday that Will Ferrell will be doing a solo show on Broadway in early 2009, from mid-January to mid-March. It'll be called You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W Bush. But don't fret, it won't be all Bush, all the time; the show will be autobiographical and should have some impersonations. Agent99 will be pleased to know Robert Goulet will probably be included!

This post's title is a reference to Will Ferrell doing The Phantom of the Opera, a post I wrote almost exactly a year ago (10/18/07)! Ooh, spooky coincidence.

You eat apples, right? I produce Entourage.

2008-10-15T11:09:00.006-05:00

In honor of my recent rare, exciting celebrity sighting (Andy Samberg and Bill Hader from Saturday Night Live), Agent99 sent us this sketch starring Mr. Samberg as Mark Wahlberg, chatting with barnyard folk.

It brings the funny. But apparently Mark Wahlberg doesn't feel the same way. Does this man have a sense of humor?

What's on your infinite playlist?

2008-10-14T08:37:00.004-05:00

This is a follow-up post to this one.

I did end up seeing Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist this past weekend, mostly because there was nothing more appealing to go see. October is kind of a wasteland for films. Anyway, this flick scored a 72% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes which was promising as well.

While N&NIP was cute enough, I didn't think it was worth my $12. Quick plot outline: sensitive New Jersey boy Nick (Michael Cera) is tossed out like yesterday's garbage by air for brains Tris (Alexis Dziena). Nick's bandmates (Aaron Yoo and Rafi Gavron) drag him out to their show in Manhattan where Tris's "friends" Norah (Kat Dennings) and lush Caroline (Ari Graynor) are. Norah digs Nick but he's hung up on Tris. Hijinks ensue, the gang traipses all over Manhattan trying to find the Caroline on the loose and underground band Where's Fluffy's next show, love blooms.

One gross running gag gets moldy old as it's threaded through the whole movie. Michael Cera does his usual work here but he's overshadowed by Kat Dennings's Norah who looks like Anne Hathaway's kid sister. There's some big deal about how Norah isn't a babe compared to the evil ex but who's smoking crack? Norah's Babraham Lincoln compared to the Barbie-esque Mean Girl Tris.

The only two Asian-American male actors in Hollywood show up in Nick & Norah's, with Aaron Yoo from Disturbia playing Nick's bandmate. I thought that guy was in his early twenties, but he's older than me, pushing 30. Harold (John Cho) has a cameo.

Jonathan B. Wright is wasted here as "Beefy Guy." Soon he will have a role worthy of his talents.

Why are these kids scoring all these amazing parking spots in Manhattan? Um, no. There's a scene where Norah has to use the bathroom, and she chooses to use the Bowery Ballroom's facilities. It's funny because I was telling my friend a story about the Bowery Ballroom earlier...I think I used the same stall as Norah! Heh.

Pray for Mojo

2008-10-10T11:03:00.004-05:00

Naturally when I first heard about this story, I immediately thought about two Simpsons episodes. One was when the kids were stranded on a deserted island, and Bart said they would soon have monkey butlers. The other was when Homer got a helper monkey named Mojo.

Macaques Yat-chan and Fuku-chan can be found at the Kayabukiya tavern north of Tokyo, bringing the clientèle hot towels and sake. In return, the customers hand out soybeans to the non-human servers.

I think macaques are a bit creepy, but I find the idea of monkey servers hilarious. I also love how Yat-chan and Fuku-chan wear clothes and are authorized to work by the government.

Bank rats

2008-10-09T13:22:00.003-05:00

I wanted to blog, but I couldn't think of much to blog about.

Yesterday I saw rats in two different subway stations. And I hardly ever see rats, but now I've seen several this week. Uh, that's not cool. Unless seeing sewer rats is good luck.

So, what about that bank craziness? It's almost amusing how Citi and Wells Fargo are fighting over Wachovia and how Citi suing Wells Fargo. This is of personal interest to me, so I'm keeping a watchful eye on what happens. I support Wells Fargo for personal reasons. It's like watching a bitter custody battle!

I think I've come up with a costume idea for Halloween. I wish I could have come up with something more elaborate, but it's been too hectic. Still want a colored wig, but that might have to wait for Halloween 2009.

Hil-larious shirt from Threadless

2008-09-16T22:02:00.003-05:00

Do I need this? I don't think I can spin fast enough to be a human thaumatrope. Seems like something Inessa would like... Do you want it for a Christmas gift??

Runway shows from Project Runway posted!

2008-09-15T12:58:00.002-05:00

As usual, I'm ruining the Project Runway finale for myself by peeking at the photos from the NY Fashion Week show. Take a peek, too!

Leanne is a strong contender-- her long dresses are beautiful. However, I never pick correctly, so I won't predict a winner.

Have your cake and laugh too

2008-09-10T10:04:00.003-05:00

I think I've come across my new favorite blog.
Cake Wrecks! The exclamation mark is my own. I'm just that enthusiastic.

Found it via The Consumerist which is also a worthwhile read.

Too many brilliant disasters to look at, and the author's writing is the perfect complement: oh so snappy.

The numerous gems to pick from! The naked woman having a baby, wince-worth spelling errors, Tom Selleck and Chuck Norris, the bride who wanted to eat her cake self.

Chuckling at work, yes!

Looking Back Through the Years....

2008-08-31T18:44:00.002-05:00

I saw on the CBS Early Show one morning about a website where you can make yearbook pictures of yourself. I decided to try it, and here I am circa 1960.... I found it rather hilarious! Go yearbook yourself for a good laugh too!

Gifted Research is Usually Stupid.

2008-08-27T13:52:00.003-05:00

I just came across a refreshingly non-stupid popular press article about parenting and giftedness. The writer even cites one of my favorite researchers-- Nancy Robinson. Baby Genius videos are stupid, people.

Harrys and Nicks

2008-08-23T08:36:00.005-05:00

In sad news, we'll have to wait until July 21, 2009 to catch the latest Harry Potter movie. To be British, we're gutted about that. I read a rumor that it was partly because Daniel Radcliffe is going to be starring in Equus on Broadway from September 5 to February 8, so he would be too busy to do promotion, though the official reason was something to do with the writers' strike and the fact that flicks can do boffo box office in the summer more so than the winter holidays.

When I was at the movie theater weeks ago, I saw a cardboard standup to promote Michael Cera's new motion picture, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. It's a meet cute story, and I don't fancy meet cute stories. Though that might be a sneaky way to pick up boys, say, "Hey, would you be my boyfriend for five minutes? Just go with it!" The trailer doesn't make me want to run out and see it in October. The blond boy is an actor I saw in the musical Spring Awakening, and he was killer. His name is Jonathan B. Wright, and his IMDb says he's going to be in another Michael Cera movie called Youth in Revolt which sounds eh.

gold silver bronze

2008-08-17T08:31:00.004-05:00

Agent99, what's the deal with the Jonas Brothers? I accidentally walked by their tour van (aren't I special?) and some little girl was having her picture taken alongside it. It's covered in messages, if you must know. Are you a fan of these mop tops?

Is anyone watching the Olympics? I thought about it, and I might, but I don't have a TV. When I was a kid, I was Olympics crazed, but now I'm just not as interested. Though you can't go anywhere on the web without reading some blurb on Michael Phelps or how the Chinese government is covering up everything.

Shame on you, Mr. Edwards

2008-08-10T21:21:00.002-05:00

Seeing as though my co-bloggers were supporters of John Edwards, I'd like to get their take on the scandal that recently made headlines. Having a little something something on the side while your wife battles cancer is low. And saying that you didn't love your mistress doesn't help. Shame shame. But I don't see why the other woman won't allow a paternity test. Today I saw Mamma Mia! the movie and was thinking that a paternity test would solve everything. I guess then there would be no plot. I've been watching too much Law & Order: SVU.

Have a nice trip, see you next fall

2008-08-05T21:39:00.005-05:00

Why are people so mean? Ill-bred dregs of society, guffawing loudly as I stumbled on the pointy sidewalk. Useless fake apology.

I don't watch Gossip Girl (should I?), but I know who Chace Crawford is due to all my gossip blog reading. Agent99, I think he might be a tad cuter than Zac Efron, but yeah, they could pass for brothers! Chace is a bit rumpled looking while Zac is almost too precise.

What do you think this place serves?

2008-08-03T09:44:00.004-05:00

Have you seen the greatest translation error of all time? My lab recently translated test directions to Spanish and I made some hilarious errors thanks to a Google translator, but this takes the cake.

A Harry Wednesday

2008-07-30T16:13:00.003-05:00

The trailer for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is out now, and you can watch it here (the one on Yahoo is of better quality than ones on YouTube). It looks creepy, with Tom Riddle being the not so normal lad. Man, I don't remember much from the book since it was years ago when I read it.

The three of us are looking forward to November 21, 2008!

In other news, this fruit vendor on the street was really rude to me when I was scrutinizing strawberry packages. I saw some mold in one and he abruptly whisked that box away from me, tossed out the offending berry, and put the box back. Now that's just shady because strawberries are sold by weight. I walked away from the man after he was rude, telling me to hurry up and buy because I've touched every box there was. Please. I'll keep my $3 then. There's no excuse for rudeness in any customer service position, especially when I was not rude. It's not like I was damaging the fruit or anything. What a butt.

"Fish, the deluxe pedi please."

2008-07-29T13:47:00.003-05:00

A couple of days ago, I read about this fish pedicure on Yahoo and as a pedicure enthusiast, I thought about if I would do that or not. I'm not sure how sanitary the fish foot bath is. But then again, it's a neat idea. It's $35 for 15 minutes. Maybe I would do it if someone paid for me. But poor fish, dining on grungy dead skin.

Why yes, you can have a cheeseburger.

2008-07-16T16:53:00.003-05:00

Despite the fact that to the right, the link has been up practically since the inception of this blog, I only made my first visit to icanhascheezburger.com today. I know pretty much what lolcats is about. And I do love cats. It was time.

I went to the site and found it pretty cluttered. Then there are pictures on non-cats which I wasn't too thrilled about either. I tried to search for my favorite one, the one that goes, "im in ur____, ___-ing ur ____" but I couldn't find any. Maybe I'm just blind and my techno-non-abilities are making themselves known. It was easier to just use Google Image to find those pictures. That was enough for now.

If Parker were into Facebook applications (we as a trio really aren't; I prefer clean elegant lines in my profile), she should add the LOLcats app.

That might be a good blog project: make our own lolcats pictures.

Checking up on Mr. Grace

2008-07-12T09:57:00.007-05:00

This morning, doing my usual breakfast-and-gossip-blogs routine, I learned that it's Topher Grace's birthday. Then I wondered what he was up to, since I last saw him in that DVD of dreadfulness, Spider-Man 3.

We should do a series on Alacrity, Whatever happened to that young male actor that I used to fancy? Cough cough, Joshua Jackson, right Agent99? But back to Topher. So I went to the source of all things movies, IMDb, to see what was up with Mr. Grace.

He completed something called Kids in America. The synopsis doesn't sound very appealing.

Follow an aimless college grad who pursues his dream girl at a wild Labor Day weekend party. He, his twin sister and their best friend struggle with their burgeoning adulthood over the course of the night.

It has irritating Michelle Trachtenburg in it. That's all I need to know. Run away!

A project in production is Coxblocker. The title alone makes it sound winning.

William Cox (Grace) meets his ideal woman, only to find his advances continually blocked by her ex-boyfriend/current best friend (Scott), who is trying to find a way to win her back.

Seann William Scott? Ugh. Maybe Topher's doing these to pay the bills.

Last but not least is The Crusaders which is also in production.

A young lawyer becomes the only white member of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and works side by side with future Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall to outlaw segregation.

This sounds like a respectable project, and Terrence Howard is starring as Thurgood Marshall.

Oh Topher. I still like you, but you need to do some edgy things, like some indie movies or something. Marry me, and all will be forgiven. You're getting usurped by Michael Cera, not that it's a bad thing.

It's a big birthday day today, with Bill Cosby, Richard Simmons ("Smithers, release the robotic Richard Simmons!"), and my Broadway boyfriend Cheyenne Jackson all celebrating. Happy birthday!

Trendspotting

2008-07-10T15:00:00.003-05:00

Lately I've noticed girls in my fair city wearing these weird gladiator sandals. Where did this trend come from? I'm baffled, but this is coming from a girl who eschews popular items. 300 came out a while ago. Unless it's inspired by my beloved Xanadu musical, then it would be okay, but I have a feeling it's not.

And also it seems as though there are a lot of bands popping up that involve the word "black" in their names. Like Agent99 recommended Black Keys, Black Angels, Black Mountain, Black Kids. And other acts The Black Heart Procession, Black Sabbath, Black Eyed Peas, The Black Crowes, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. It's cool to be black I guess.

Happy 4th

2008-07-04T10:58:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone has a happy 4th of July day today. I plan to spend it the American way of drinking American beer, swimming, and grilling out! Happy Day!

Ocean's Olive

2008-07-02T15:45:00.006-05:00

Agent99 loves herself the mouse books by Kevin Henkes (who can resist Lilly or my fellow worrier Wemberly?) so I was a bit surprised that Mr. Henkes had penned novels for older kids. One of his efforts, Olive's Ocean, was deemed a 2004 Newbery Honor Book, beaten out by The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread by Kate DiCamillo which I haven't read at this point but will eventually. Reading the summaries for Mr. Henkes's other novels on his website, it appears as though they all deal with tragic loss.

That's a thread woven through Olive's Ocean. The protagonist, Martha, has her world jolted a bit when the mother of the recently deceased classmate Olive hands her a journal entry in which Olive writes about a desire to become friends with Martha. First off, I do not like the name Martha. It reminds me of Martha Washington, Martha Stewart, and a friend's mom. Just sounds archaic. I'll let Olive slide since I love to eat olives, and it was the name of the girl in Little Miss Sunshine. Ruminating on what could have been slightly mars Martha's family vacation with her grandmother on idyllic Cape Cod and gets the gal all mopey. Hormones, no doubt.

We're definitely not in children's picture book land anymore, with the inclusion of parental MSB (morning sex behavior) and a Martha's brother referring to another teenage boy as a "prick." The foulmouthed sibling also uses the adjective "shitty." Scandal!

The writing is a bit choppy, and the sentences don't flow well. A couple of chapters are even less than a page long. Mr. Henkes, don't follow the Dan Brown method of book composition! Martha simply is not compelling and lacks character. She's about as exciting as cucumbers. Do we really care that Martha wants to properly pay tribute to a girl who she knows nothing about? Though I have fallen for a particular description used by wannabe writer Martha: "[The sparklers] were like white hot chrysanthemums dripping onto the sand." It's beautiful because it's true.

Black & White and Read all over

2008-06-28T10:03:00.002-05:00

Birmingham has this awesome free paper called the Black & White. I like to pick up an issue when I'm out and about to read up on local venues, upcoming conerts, events, etc... The issue I picked up last night had an article about Marty's bar and the owner, Marty. My cohorts here at Alacrity and I went Marty's one night to support a local band whose lead singer is a fellow alum of our high school. Our verdict of Marty's? Total dive!!! The article is interesting, and tells us about Marty and how he got started with the bar business. He caters to a later crowd staying open from 4 pm-6 am. Probably part of why I thought it was totally skanky. The place is way too small and has too many smokers. Plus it is on some dark street off the beaten path, where you have to park in some sketch lot and have at least 2 other people with you to feel safe walking to the joint. Birmingham has way cooler places and way better venues!

Viral is like a virus

2008-06-23T18:28:00.003-05:00

What's up with the word "viral" popping up all over the place to describe hot internet things? I don't like it and refuse to use it. It seems wrong. Maybe someone can enlighten old fogey me. When I see "viral video," I think about a video you can watch that will give you a computer virus. Am I the only one? Yeah, probably.

Getting Smart

2008-06-19T11:38:00.004-05:00

Looks like the new Get Smart movie opens tomorrow. Agent99, are you going to be there opening night? I've seen the trailer a few times. Might be a case of all the funny bits being in the trailer and nothing new in the movie? Then I read that Steve Carell and bird-like Annie Hathaway have a romance? Ew. Apparently Annie Hathaway dumped her loser boyfriend recently. Good for her. So yeah, Get Smart only has a 52% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Our agent should take one for the team by seeing it, and report back.

More barely 20 boys

2008-06-16T19:52:00.005-05:00

A pal invited me to a free screening of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. The best part of this lackluster violent children's movie is the eye candy. The titular Prince Caspian is trying to work that Viggo/Aragorn thing despite utilizing a terrible Spanish accent. My personal favorite was the oldest boy Peter, played by William Moseley.

Exhibit A:

This lad is a reasonable 21 years old. And the English accent! Can't beat that.

The oldest girl is played by a young lady named Susan Popplewell. At first she looks a little homely in school clothes, but in Narnia, she looks prettier and begins to resemble the offspring of Angelina Jolie and Miley Cyrus, if two females could reproduce together. It's the full pouty lips and pretty blue eyes.

Agent99, I think Miley Cyrus is going to go the way of Lindsay Lohan. You defend her now, but just you wait! And I still find it wrong that I know so much about this teen despite never watching her show or listening to her music.

I read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as a child and felt no connection. Similarly now, Prince Caspian was just a way to spend a hot summer afternoon in the cool comfort of air conditioning.

Some amusing pictures from the Iowa City flood

2008-06-14T07:35:00.010-05:00

We're having an interesting time here in Iowa City. The worst of the flooding already hit Cedar Falls, Waterloo, and Cedar Rapids, but we are on a different tributary (the Iowa River while the others are on the Cedar River). This means that we'll have really horrendous flooding, too, but we're still waiting for the worst of it sometime between Tuesday and Thursday of next week. The pictures of Cedar Rapids under water have added a layer of panic to our preparations here.
So now some fun! I've collected a few amusing pictures from the coverage here (see the Press-Citizen site for a ton of pictures).

The local paper is getting a little overexcited:

Coralville (IC's sister-city) is a lake:

A creepy statue wades in the flood waters.

Our friendly Amish-like neighbors from Kalona chip in to protect UI's library:

The suggested detour to get to Cedar Rapids now that 380 is closed increases the commute from 28 miles to 280 miles!

And don't it make my brown eyes blue...

2008-06-10T16:42:00.003-05:00

What do you think Inessa, are his eyes brown or blue? Zac E...total hottie hot pants, and he is half my age plus 7!

Happy birthday, dear Michael!

2008-06-07T11:15:00.002-05:00

Alacrity's favorite young actor, Michael Cera, is turning the big 2-0 today! Let's come together and wish George-Michael Bluth a superbad birthday!

The shades? The headphones? Let me pass!

2008-06-03T17:58:00.004-05:00

I love my neighborhood, but I've had the experience frequently of being harassed on the street. OK, harassment is a strong word, but I don't like when people stop me to ask me to donate money/join an organization/sign a postcard/give directions. This seems to be happening more lately. Even if I have sunglasses on and my headphones in, I've been getting stopped. The kind lass I am at heart, I've stopped anyway and have ended up frustrated. No, I don't want to give you money for your basketball team to get uniforms! I dislike basketball anyway. And bothering me when I'm late to meet someone doesn't score points with me. Bah.

Please change diapers in private

2008-06-02T10:41:00.004-05:00

A woman was changing her baby on the bench right in front of my building. I thought that was inappropriate, but my roommate didn't think so. I still think that was wrong, but maybe I'm wrong, but I'm still going to think it's wrong.

There used to be a lot of (and probably still a lot of) controversy about mothers breastfeeding their babies in public. I'm not particularly hip on that either, but the millions of mothers in my neighborhood would tend to beat down on like-minded folk. Somehow breastfeeing doesn't seem quite as bad, probably because dirty diapers and poop and pee are not involved. Yes, I have a pottymouth.

Lukewarm on Coldplay

2008-05-31T20:10:00.004-05:00

I had no clue that Coldplay had a new single and album out (mid-June) until I read that on Yahoo! That just goes to show how out of the loop I am. Then again, the last Coldplay album left me cold, so to speak. Easily the weakest out of their releases.

"Violet Hill" is lacking. And every time I see Chris Martin, I think of him as the guy who is willing to procreate with Gwyneth Paltrow, and that's just plain ick to the nth degree.

Bands tend to tire me when they get too big, playing arenas, known by every man woman child in the US. I have a case of ADD (self-diagnosed) and want to keep looking to new things. But I still have wonderful memories of seeing Coldplay with Agent99 back in 2003. I chatted with the opening act, and he said Coldplay were such nice lads. Aw.

Here's the "Violet Hill" vid for you to check out. It's nothing mindblowing either. If that's what you want, check out the video for "Talk." Just focus on the eye candy of bassist Guy Berryman though. Forget Chris Martin, he's the hottest in the band.

It's a small world after all

2008-05-22T20:16:00.003-05:00

Eons ago when I was in college, I took a Japanese class with a boy who I took notice of because he was in the realm of attractiveness (glasses!) and had an unusual last name. That was it really.

Fast forward to present day. I live in a place seven states away from where I went to college. My coworker's friend is getting married. Through the magic stalking power of Facebook, I deduce that the bride is marrying the boy I took a class with.

Sometimes big cities just aren't big enough.

The Right Stuff Commentary

2008-05-18T09:02:00.003-05:00

I must say that I'm rather amused by the return of the New Kids on the Block. I wasn't huge into the New Kids back in the day. I did have one cassette tape though. My favorite song was "The Right Stuff." I didn't have the sheets or the sleeping bag. I remember feeling like I was missing out on something when everyone else had all the gear at a girl scout sleepover one time. It didn't motivate me to go out and get the gear though. So now that I'm older, and they are too (they have new kids themselves), I find myself intrigued and DVRing the concert on the Today Show and watching videos on You Tube. I think I'll stay away from the sheets and sleeping bags on Ebay, and just leave it at You Tube. Thoughts on the NKOTB return??

Our breakup

2008-05-15T20:58:00.004-05:00

Gmail told me I could listen to the new Weezer single here: http://weezer.com/discography/default.aspx/pid/2615

and I did, and I wasn't blown away right off the bat. The ditty would probably grow on me, but I am too uninspired to keep at it. It pains me slightly to admit it, but I think Weezer and I are over. We'll always have the blue album and Pinkerton, but we've just grown apart. It's not you, it's me. Uh, I guess it's you too.

Old as the Hills

2008-05-14T23:11:00.002-05:00

Check this out...things younger than John McCain....hahahahahaha!

Julie & Julia

2008-05-13T16:44:00.004-05:00

Excitement for today consists of me stumbling into craft services on the set of Julie & Julia, a movie starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. Unfortunately I was not able to catch a glimpse of these ladies, but I did watch some extras being filmed outside of a restaurant. "Why are there large trailers in this residential neighborhood? Why is there a table with teabags on it? Oh, it's a movie!" A worker guy mentioned it was set the 50s and there was filming going on inside the restaurant. Someday I'll achieve my dream of being an extra in a film.

Unreal estate

2008-05-08T20:42:00.001-05:00

I saw an ad for an apartment for $100,000. Wow, I thought to myself, maybe even I can afford that!

Then I looked closer and realized it was for a PARKING SPACE.

The hell?

Why am I not wealthy?

She made me a muxtape!

2008-05-07T21:47:00.003-05:00

Someone encouraged me to make a Muxtape, so here it is!

http://inessa.muxtape.com

Nifty website. You upload your own mp3s of your choice, and your friends can stream them all online. Cool beans.

Poached eggs, poached friends

2008-05-06T21:08:00.004-05:00

Having too much time on my hands is not good for me, but it is beneficial for you, dear reader[s].

I'm going to make a confession: I am a friend poacher. Okay, it's not like I'm a serial killer, and it's not even a secret, but I had to let it out. New York Magazine has a nice piece about the issues, but I prefer The Seattle Times's write-up better:

Couples poach other couples at dinner parties. A friend can poach a book club. Adults make friends with people they meet through close friends, neighbors and co-workers. Now, online social networks like MySpace and Facebook make it even easier to circumvent the friend who connected you in the first place and contact someone new on your own.

Poaching can be driven by competitiveness, a need to expand a social network, busy lives that make it hard to meet people and, of course, a real connection with a new person, Smith said.

Good friends already have vetted their network, and it is easy to go through someone you trust. And some people take it too far, relying completely on friends to establish networks. Smith calls them "serial" poachers.

Though it does make sense. You're friends with your friends, and they obviously have quality taste in companions, and you use it to your advantage. What better way to broaden your social circle? Most of the work has been done for you! It's just like that practically-defunct website Friendster; the principle is the same and is way sensible.

The friends aren't really poached honestly. Sharing is caring!

Fruit or flowers. One or the other.

2008-05-05T18:10:00.003-05:00

Have you heard of Edible Arrangements? I first found out about them a few years ago when I was living in another state. Since then, I've noticed that they're everywhere. To me, it just seems like such a silly venture. If someone gave me a fruit bouquet, I would distance myself from him/her. The fruity flowers don't even look fancy; they look like something a seven-year-old could put together. And they're not even that inexpensive. So yeah, I don't understand this company.

Jellies rock my socks.

2008-04-22T21:02:00.003-05:00

I was trying on garments at Target, and this girl was chatting on her cell phone, in the dressing room stall, on speakerphone. Freak. That's almost as worse as using the bathroom and talking on the phone (a pet peeve of mine).

Bought a pair of jellies today! They are not purple or blue alas (smoke), but I'll cope.

Why is Jenna Bush all over the news? No one gives a damn about her wedding. Anyone with Bush blood needs to move to Antarctica. Doesn't anyone else get the irony of her promoting some literacy book when her dad can barely read?

Do you know any of these people?

2008-04-20T20:04:00.002-05:00

No, I don't.

The new Facebook feature doesn't do anything for me. Mostly because I don't know any of those people, or at least not on a level where I would be comfortable shooting a friend request over. But it has boosted my popularity slightly, where I think I got around three friend requests. Well, okay, something that helps boost my ego will have to get a thumbs up. The good outweighs the bad!

Rollin' the Muppets

2008-04-07T21:05:00.002-05:00

So I'm sure that we're all familiar with this right? But then I saw this today, and it made me giggle!!! I'm not gonna lie (or give you up) I got up and danced with the muppets!!!

The dangerous world of room finding

2008-04-06T18:19:00.007-05:00

I'm not a super expert of roommate finding/apartment finding, but here are some things I've picked up while immersing myself in this crazy business. My co-bloggers might be amused to read these thoughts. I've been using Craigslist which I love and have been told that is the best way to find a housing in my metropolis.

Interpreting lingo
"Up and coming neighborhood" equals ghetto
"Cozy" equals shoebox
"Garden" is first floor

I get irked when people misrepresent the neighborhood the place is in. It's not like we won't notice when we actually visit. Pretending the apartment is in the nicer adjacent neighborhood is trickery. And when commuting times are mentioned, keep in mind that they're probably exaggerated and on a good day.

All folks want a clean person. That would be funny to find an ad that wants a dirty slob roommate who is irresponsible and makes lots of noise and does illegal drugs and has different strangers over every night of the week.

Then there are weirdos who want girlfriends and other icky situations of that nature. One guy wanted a girl to walk around in her underwear. Losers. And I hate ads where the man claims he's "good looking." Can we say, "full of himself?" And ads which request a photo. There's no need and you just prove yourself vapid.

A good chunk of ads are posted by couples looking for a roommate for a spare room. Who wants to live with a couple? They'd just gang up on you with discrepancies, and there are other negatives that come to mind.

The bottom line is that you're going to pay more for good stuff. Make sure you vibe with the other roommate. Ask questions. Take a friend along to provide an honest opinion; he/she is looking out for your best interests. Go at night too to asses the safety situation. Respond to as many ads that catch your eye; a lot of posters won't even respond.

And that's that. Wish me luck.

Hugh and Keanu: together at last!

2008-04-03T13:55:00.004-05:00

I can only keep up with the movie scene via Newsweek, public transportation ads, and Yahoo! ads. So when I saw posters for the new Keanu Reeves movie, I was almost actually excited (I don't get stoked about movies much) because it has guns, action, and House himself, Hugh Laurie though it looks like he's playing a Yank again. And the ageless Keanu of course. I'm grappling with myself on whether I should see Street Kings or not. Here's a link to the trailer if you're so inclined. The sound was off since I'm at work, but I do believe I got the gist.

Stuff White People Like

2008-04-01T06:56:00.001-05:00

Someone told me about this blog, and it doesn't matter that I'm not white because it transcends race.

Happy April Fool's Day, yo.

I'm standing up

2008-03-25T18:10:00.002-05:00

Unlike my co-bloggers, I'm not that into stand-up comedy, or at least less than they like it. But a friend at work told me to check out Russell Peters on YouTube, and I actually did and found myself laughing. Mr. Peters is an Anglo-Indian-Canadian comic and his routines tend to emphasize cultural differences. This bit was particularly gut-busting.

No need for a pole

2008-03-24T21:22:00.002-05:00

Tonight while avoiding lesson plans I found stripped. Stripped is simply raw and real music, but in commercial form. You can click on certain artists and hear them sing without backup singers. Just the musician and their instrument of choice. So far I'm a fan...but I feel they will need to add some Ryan Adams before I add it to my favorites. Stripped is not as good as Pandora as far as variety, but then again Stripped is not radio either. Check it out... you might like it!

Mini-complaints, served hot

2008-03-14T10:28:00.003-05:00

You know it's a bad day when you forget to reset your alarm and are almost late but aren't and then what you were almost late for began well after the appointed time anyway. Then it goes over and you are tired.

There's a guy who sits in front of me, and he needs to invest in a magical device called a belt. I don't want to see his hirsute lower backside (with crack!) all the time. Ew.

And my roommate, who has been not doing terribly much as of late, needs to take out the garbage. The stuff is 95% hers. I would, but it's the principle, ya know?

Client 9

2008-03-11T21:15:00.002-05:00

Coworker 1: Did you hear about Spitzer and the prostitution ring?
Coworker 2: Yeah, is he a Republican?
1: No, he's a Democrat.
2: Darn!

Stop with the shootings

2008-03-10T21:49:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure how national this story is, but it's freaky when violent crime hits close to home, literally. I only read about it on Yahoo when I skimmed a story about a similar shooting of a UNC student.

Through the magic of Facebook, I saw that the freaks known as Westboro Baptist Church were planning to protest at the memorial service. Looks like they didn't, but honestly, Jesus would probably not approve. Losers.

Crash landing for Airborne

2008-03-06T18:01:00.001-06:00

Recently I saw on the Yahoo news ticker about Airborne being sued and having to pony up a wad of dough. Here's a link to a CNN story about it. I'm finding this intensely amusing because over the holidays, Parker and I were in a drugstore and I asked her about her thoughts on Airborne, and she declared it a piece of crap. She is so wise.

I'll stick to orange juice, thankyouverymuch.

Goodreads.com

2008-03-03T14:49:00.005-06:00

A friend told me about this website and suggested I join. Are any of you on it? I'm not much of a prolific reader anymore, but I might give it a whirl. And I still do have a book review that I want to post if I'm ever motivated to. It seems like there is a website to keep track of everything, from books read to music heard to movies seen, and so forth.

Alacrity salutes Michael Cera

2008-03-02T14:05:00.004-06:00

Agent99 and I adore Michael Cera. To me, he's like a sweet younger brother type. Luckily we aren't old enough to be his moms, whew. In under a year, I've seen him in Arrested Development, Superbad, and Juno, and I've enjoyed all of his performances, and yes, he does sorta play the same dopey dork in each project, but he does it with pizazz. And he gets to make out with chicks in all three, so go him! We are looking forward to Mr. Cera's upcoming projects with glee.

My gaydar needs a tune-up

2008-02-28T22:34:00.003-06:00

I often tell people that my gaydar is terrible, and it really is. I thought this girl was a lesbian, and she has a boyfriend. At a party, a girl came in with a gay guy who turned out to be her boyfriend. Those are just two recent examples of my folly.

So how did I get 85% correct on OKCupid.com's Gaydar Test?
You personally got 17 of the 20 people correct and were better at recognizing girls than guys. Overall, you guessed better than 94% of all test takers.

Gay or Eurotrash? (I think this is a line from the Legally Blonde musical)

The point is, not all gay people can be stereotyped or easily discerned as gay. And that's it. Good night!

Luke good on the green

2008-02-27T22:31:00.004-06:00

Parker, did you see this? Your favorite actor is joining forces with one of my beloved sneaker companies for the benefit of tee timers everywhere. Luke can always fall back on Puma in case his movie career stumbles. Making a movie with Jessica Simpson? Career suicide!

Two wrongs don't make a right, three lefts do

2008-02-27T22:26:00.003-06:00

I spend too much time thinking about internet invitation protocol. I was invited to two parties by girls who I invited to my party, and neither had RSVPed. I've decided not to RSVP to one girl's party (she lives in the boonies anyway), but I put down a maybe for the other girl. Maybes are always safe. And I still prefer Evite over Facebook for invites. I'm just too thoughtful and polite!

And the Academy Award goes to...

2008-02-19T07:24:00.002-06:00

I put my movie in the mail yesterday, a postal holiday, and Netflix got it today. Go postal workers in my city!

Anyway, Netflix has a section where you can vote for the Oscars. I haven't done it yet but will soon. Why I'm so secretly invested in the Oscars, I have no idea.

A little bit o' random

2008-02-17T14:41:00.002-06:00

1. If you are hanging out with two couples and a single person of the opposite sex, are you both fifth wheels? Or a fifth wheel and a six wheel? It's just still slighly weird.

2. My roommate's sister needs to stop living here.

3. Dear man in a Ferrari with the top down in winter, you are a tool. Sincerely, Me

4. People who wear thin clothes when it's below freezing outside aren't fooling anyone.

5. The laundry room is a circle of hell.

Project Runway Preview and Predictions

2008-02-14T21:27:00.002-06:00

The Project Runway photos from Fashion Week are up (scroll down for all three contestants' and two decoys' shows) and there's some tough competition. About half-way through the season I made a prediction (in a file I saved on my computer) that Romy, Jillian, and Christian would be our final three. Can I see what the producers want me to see or what?

But now I'm really conflicted. I love Chris and I want him to be in the top three, but Romy's show is really nice. I'm predicting Chris will make it as the real third place contestant, but I think Romy had the second best show. Jillian was third best, and Christian was a shocking mess as far as I can see. That feather thing is horrid. It's really too bad as I loved him second best (after Chris) this season. I'll be happy for any of them to win, though. It's not like I will ever wear any of their clothes anyway or care about them once the show is over...

The Other Boleyn Girl

2008-02-10T14:55:00.000-06:00

I saw a trailer for The Other Boleyn Girl at the movies yesterday, and I thought it might be something up Parker's alley. I probably won't see it since I'm over Scarlett, and I never really liked Natalie Portman much. There was also a preview for some sappy movie starring the Little Miss Sunshine girl (she's the go to girl for precocious kiddie, nullifying Dakota Fanning's existence) and Ryan Reynolds who has a face for punching, at least to me. Some ripoff of How I Met Your Mother. He just grinds on my nerves. Yeah, either trailers stink or movies stink.

Miley makes me frowny.

2008-02-09T09:06:00.000-06:00

Hey Agent99, what's the deal with this Miley Cyrus chick? I see her everywhere, and I don't know what the hell she does, pretend to be two people on a Disney show? And by everywhere, I mean my gossip blogs, Fandango, and Newsweek. Can she even sing? My contribution is that she looks better as a brunette than as a blonde.

Remember when Billy Ray Cyrus had a hit song? Yeah, I try to block that out too.

Booker It

2008-02-06T15:29:00.000-06:00

I've actually started reading for fun again, magazines not counting. Inspired about a recent discussion at work about the Booker Prize (the UK's top fiction award for writers from The Commonwealth meaning no Americans), I've decided to try and read one book from each year of my life that has either won or made the shortlist. Already I'm on my way. It's funny because the book I was reading and put on hiatus and the one I'm knee deep in now are both Booker books. I need to catch up on my Newbery Medals too. Too many books!