Appetizing

So I was referred to this recipe and I thought it looked good. These so-called "Mystery Biscuits" seemed to be right up my alley. How can you go wrong with flaky biscuits, butter, and crumbly cheese? The only problem is that I'm not a huge Blue Cheese fan. Its okay, I guess, but not my favorite. I decided to substitute feta and chopped spinach. My thought was that it could be like the Greek pastry, spanikopita. This is my "Pseudospanikopita" and it is AMAZING. I think I'll make it over the Christmas Holidays as an appetizer.

The recipe itself was easy enough and the results were delicious. I think that if I make it again, I will go a little easier on the butter since some of the biscuits were slightly soggy on the bottom. Don't get me wrong, they were still great, but I preferred the crunchy parts more.

Grit

Last weekend I finally finished watching the HBO series Deadwood. It only lasted 3 seasons (and I think it should have gone on for at least another one or two). I absolutely adored it. I started watching about a month or so ago and when I first started, I thought that I should recommend it to my parents (despite its often offensive language). I also encouraged a friend to purchase it for her father as a Christmas gift. I hope that was the right thing to do.

The thing is, both my parents have a history of liking westerns. This is particularly true of my father who inherited his love of the wild west from his grandfather. Bud-o was always reading some western novel or another and I think this influenced my dad. The only problem is that my father's preferred western genre shows include Bonanza and Little House on the Prairie. Yes, my dad is a proud Michael Landon fan. The harshest words spoken on either of those programs was probably "dang-it".

Now, there are some authentic-looking cowboys and mountains

This just about made me cry, and if you watch to the end you'll see what I'm going to talk about next!

My mother is right there with him. Although she just generally likes her shows to have "clean" people on them. She is, for some reason, completely averse to watching historical fiction in which the characters are perpetually dirty. Her desire for verisimilitude does not extend to rules of hygiene. Oddly enough, I think she could get past the dirty language if these people weren't so dirty themselves.

So, to my friend who I encouraged to buy the DVDs, I hope your dad likes them. I apologize if I misled you in any way. My enthusiasm came from my genuine enjoyment of the series.

Rant

Could T-Mobile BE any less original? (Said in my best Chandler Bing) Their new series of commercials are a direct rip-off of the highly popular and memorable "I'm a Mac" ads.

I respond negatively to this on a visceral level. It is difficult for me to articulate.

I'll try anyway.

I get what T-Mobile is attempting, the iPhone is an Apple product so I see the connection. My problem is that it is just so done. The first "I'm a Mac" commercials aired in 2006 and the last one was in early 2010. We're talking a good 6 month lag which, in this day and age of instant communication, is absolutely AGES!

T-Mobil seems to always be one step behind. One of the greatest cell phone network ads ever was the "Can you hear me now" guy. Sure, the slogan is annoying now, but it was total genius at the time. While the guy in glasses was checking his reception, T-Mobile had Catherine Zeta-Jones. Sure she's beautiful and a decent actress, but WHY is she selling cell phones? Is it because they call them "Mobiles" in Great Britain? My parents had T-Mobile at this time and the marketing was so ineffective that my mother only ever called it "Mobile T"!

Granted, this may not be the best example (my mother spent so many years calling a boy in my class "Bill Greenjeans" just to annoy me, that she often has no idea what his real name is).

Still, T-Mobile is not in the top two or three cell phone companies, although they may have a wonderful service. My thought is they need to quit identifying themselves as "not Macs" and try to do something new and relevant. Especially considering the current popularity of iPhones. For many people, the only reason they don't have an iPhone is they don't want to switch to AT&T and are just biding their time until the iPhone is more available with other carriers.

On the other hand, maybe I think about this too much and T-Mobile's only problem is that its signature color is Pepto-Pink!

In Response

You may remember a slightly disturbing incident that occurred a few months ago, wherein I received a picture message from an unnamed source showing me and my friend posing in our "Baby Bumblebee" costumes. That unnamed source turned out to be none other than my former neighbor and the sister of the friend in the photo. To protect the guilty, we'll call her "Smelly".

Over Thanksgiving I received another such picture, this time the somewhat less obscure photo from my senior year. Naturally, I suspected Smelly once again. However, in speaking with Smelly's sister, I discovered that Smelly did not act alone. In the hopes of spurring a new Stadababa post, Smelly (and her brother "Lon") conspired to creep me out.

Initially, I had no intention of deigning to mention this apparent plea for web notoriety but my fondness for the family convinced me otherwise. So, Smelly and Lon, here is your response:

What a couple of good-looking kids! Let it be known that I have no lack of access to embarrassing images. This is merely the tip of the iceberg. Remember Crazy Hat Day and Dress Like a Clown Day? Pictures galore and a forum in which to post them. Your move, Neighbors.

He Ain't Heavy

He's my brother...and he's in Chicago!

Ryan flew in Friday evening and we headed out almost immediately to dinner and an improv comedy show. The show was at a place called Comedy Sportz and it was pretty darn funny. I cried at least 3 separate times. It was a lot like Whose Line is it Anyway? and the funniest part was this thing they did where they read out the text messages from two people's phones in a scene.

On Saturday while I was in class, Ryan went to Game Day at Wrigley Field. He saw Mike Ditka and some other people. We went to the game and watched the Wildcats lose to the Illini. When Illinois scored twice in, like, the first 5 minutes, Ryan wanted to know why I didn't tell him NU was awful and why I bought him an NU hat. My only response is, knowing how little I know about football, why would he think I knew anything about it?

Either way, it was fun. He got to see Wrigley Field and I got in some good people watching.

Yesterday we went out for some more heartache and watched the Browns lose. We went to a place called the Old Town Social. Ryan was a bit dismayed to find out that they didn't have wings or nachos or $2 drinks, but it was nice to meet up with some friends.

Today was the Shedd and a trip Longman & Eagle. The Shedd was packed (it took us a good hour to get in) but the restaurant was great. They made awesome drinks and the food was great. I will definitely be going back.

Anyway, tomorrow we are off to Minnesota for Turkey Day. Happy Thanksgiving!

Something I'm Loving This Week...

I feel like I do quite a bit of complaining on this blog, so I thought I'd change it up and give you something that makes me smile.

A Very Potter Musical has been around for over a year, but I just got around to watching it this past week. I had heard of it, but I didn't have a clue about what it actually was until Tuesday. It was a ground-breaking day for television with Glee's "Never Been Kissed" episode. It may not have been the best Glee ever, but it had some pretty great moments, the best of which you can read about here (Tom and Lorenzo say it better than I ever could).

The new character on the show, "Blane", is played by Darren Criss. I kept reading about how great this Criss guy is, but I figured he was some sort of pop singer or something. Well he is, but not really. He wrote the lyrics and music for A Very Potter Musical and played Harry as well. It is a hilarious homage to the Harry Potter books from people who are clearly fans, but are not blinded to its "flaws".

If you are a Harry Potter fan (and since I know you all personally, I'd say that applies to about 75% of you) you need to watch this. It is all available on Youtube, but I'll get you started here. Just be warned, the sound is a bit wonky at times but it is well worth that frustration.

Also, if you don't leave this thinking "damn, Voldemort is pretty hot!" then I question your taste level!

21 Jump Street

I'm not sure if this is the worst thing or the best thing I've heard in a long time.

Remember the show 21 Jump Street? The show that launched Johnny Depp's career (for which I am eternally grateful). Well, Hollywood has seen fit to make it a movie due out in 2012. Same name as the TV show, same premise...cops who look like teenagers go undercover in schools to snuff out crime. When I say "look like teenagers" I mean that in the loosest sense of the phrase. At least where the original show was concerned. Peter Deluise looked 30 on his best day!

Don't get me wrong. I LOVED the show. My brother and I watched it anytime it was on. I took it pretty seriously, as well. A few years back, I got the DVDs from Netflix and had a marathon. Nothing could have prepared me for the heaping piles of cheese that show was serving in earnest. At the height of "Just Say No to Drugs", Jump Street was showing that not doing drugs was cool. It tackled other issues including a very special episode where Holly Robinson Peete goes undercover to expose a modeling agency for taking advantage of High School girls. She can't get the photographer to make a pass at her and, if I remember correctly, she suffers a crisis in self-confidence as a result. Powerful stuff.

The question is, will the new movie go the cheesy rout? Will it be more of an action movie? Or will it recognize that its premise is ridiculous and go full-on comedy? With a rumored cast including Jonah Hill and Emma Stone, I think (and hope) it will go the intentional comedy route.

I guess we can only wait and see.

Purely (almost) a Work of Fiction

Yesterday I went to a meeting in which we discussed the hazards of teacher expectations upon their students. Expectations based on race, religion, socio-economic background, etc. Lower expectations for some students, higher for others, with little regard for actual abilities. It was an interesting conversation. We were asked if we had ever seen this happen either as students ourselves or as teachers. Everyone had.

The story I told concerned my move from a Montessori school to a public school. I don't remember the details (I have a horrible memory) but the gist was that I was quiet and shy in class so my teacher thought I didn't know the answers and didn't read well. To my horror, I was placed in the "Foundations" reading group. I may not have been a genius (or maybe I was) but it wasn't difficult to figure out the difference between the "Foundations" readers and the "Skyscrapers". Apparently I went home every night and cried about this until my mother (who wasn't thrilled about my choice to switch schools) finally had a talk with the teacher. She had ot inform the woman that I could read. I was switched to the higher level reading group, but the fact remains that the children in the class were divided along such sharp and thinly-veiled lines. I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one to see through the ruse.

Anyway, the meeting (particularly some of the horror stories told by others) got me thinking about my first year in that new school and what a scary place it sometimes was. I wrote a short story as a result. I know you are supposed to say that any resemblance to people, places, or events is entirely coincidental, but that can never be true. At least, I cannot imagine coming up with a story that had no frame of reference from my own life. I debated about whether or not to post it. It seems extremely self-indulgent to do so. I had to remind myself that if this silly blog isn't self-indulgent enough, I don't know what could possibly make it more so.

With no further ado, here is the story. Mark Twain it is not, but maybe someone will enjoy it.

New Toy

A quick trip to the pet store today had me pick out a new toy for my cats. They really love their "Cat Dancer" (a wire with some cardboard on it that costs about $2), the laser pointer, and a couple of cubes that were donated by my friend, Alice, when she moved.

The new toy is a crinkle sack so it make noise and actually has catnip inside the lining. I thought they would freak for it.

It wasn't until Turtle was all hopped up on the catnip I added that she started to get frisky. I swear, my cats are hilarious until I turn a camera on them. I really think they are in some sort of cat witness protection program...why else would there be such reluctance to be caught on film. Most of what I record of them is un-useable.

Happy Halloween!

No, I'm not going out Trick-or-Treating, I'm not handing out candy, I'm not doing any of the festive things Halloween calls for. Unfortunately, I'm a bit of a Humbug. I thought about watching a scary movie, but I've already discussed how I feel about that.

What I did do is make what is probably the lamest costume for my cat. I say cat because I only made one costume and I knew there was no way I would manage to get both into costume. As it turns out I had trouble getting even one of them situated. I will give you a preview of the costume elements and you can guess what it is. It should be pretty easy for anyone who reads this blog.

That's right...CAT-niss! It would have been awesome with a bit more preparation and less animated cats. Did you guess? That lump of black yarn at the top of the photo is the braid I made. The mouse toy is her prey, there is the mockingjay pin and bow and arrow.

I managed to get Owl into the costume, but she wouldn't sit still for a photo. This is the best I could do...at least you can see the braid!

Good Cat

This week I came across a bunch of youtube videos by a guy who shows you how to nicely annoy your mean kitty. I don't have mean cats, but I thought I would like to see their reactions. Here is the very easy how-to.

My cat had a bit of a different reaction. Turtle was having none of it, but owl enjoyed the initial back scratch. After that well...

I feel like this is the very definition of unfazed. This cat could not care less! I felt a little bit put out by her non-reaction, but decided that it was kind of funny in its own way. She's a little like the unfortunate person who walks out of a public bathroom with TP trailing behind her. The receipt piques her interest when it falls off, but only for a moment. She frequently exhibits more interest in the wall, when there is absolutely nothing on it!

Project Run-WHAT?!

SPOILER ALERT (although, if you don't yet know the outcome, I imagine you live under a rock or just don't care)

Last night was the finale of Season 8 of Project Runway, a show I have watched since the middle of Season 4. This season has had the most drama (much of it was oddly boring) and the finale was no exception. The final two were Mondo and Gretchen. Mondo was the odds-on favorite based on his previous designs and the fact that he was a fan favorite to boot. Gretchen was the recipient of much venom from the public due, largely, to the fact that she came off as a self-important know-it-all and bully. I would argue that she wasn't so much of a bully as her partner in crime (turned enemy), Ivy.

All that having been said, Gretchen was also edited in such a way as to magnify her already glaring shortcomings. I don't think anyone put words into her mouth, but the additional half-hour provided the producers with some extra time to fill and her runway melt-down during the team challenge was just too juicy to pass up. So, basically, she was shown, through an entire season, as being someone to despise. Whereas Mondo not only produced amazing clothing, he had personal revelations out the wah-zoo.

The winner was decided long before last night, and I believe there was an attempt by the editors to soften Gretchen's image in the later episodes, but viewer vitriol was not to be so easily squashed. What resulted was the most upsetting win since Jeffrey in Season 2.

It certainly didn't help that Gretchen's final collection was an olive-drab and poo-brown parade of dingy granny panties, bare mid-drifts, and harem pants. Out of 10 looks, she sent a full 3 of them down the runway with bottoms even Lady Gaga wouldn't wear. Gretchen: granny panties are not pants.

The judging was the absolute worst. Michael Kors and Nina Garcia were firmly on "team Gretchen" while Heidi Klum and Jessica Simpson were the voices of reason. Kors and Garcia praised Gretchen's accessorizing and said they could "see" the woman who would wear her clothes. There was nary a mention of her monotone (which is what was supposedly Michael C's downfall one week ago) color palate. One week ago they were very concerned that her looks were too down-scale, Nina said she needed to find some heels STAT. I'll let you in on a little secret... the clothes are exactly the same, she just put some of the girls in heels and slapped on some bronzer. Somehow that garnered her the win.

On the other side of things, the only negative Nina an Michael could say about Mondo is that he didn't listen to them and tone down his collection and remove one dress they didn't (but Heidi did) like. Simpson pointed out that she could pair any number of his pieces with items from her closet for a subtler look. Nina had the audacity to say that it wasn't her job to style the looks (although she did want him to style them the way she dictated). And I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure that as the Fashion Director for Marie Claire, that IS her job (or the job of someone who works for her). Any fashion editorial worth its salt will mix-and-match pieces from various designers to achieve the desired result. Pardon my french, but the whole thing was bullshit.

As usual, many fans of the show are threatening to quit watching, but with all the changes since moving from Bravo, they may be telling the truth this time. As for me, I'll wait and see. When the winner was announced my heart dropped, but I was pretty quickly filled with a feeling of apathy. Mondo and Gretchen will both either succeed or fail based not on the outcome of this show, but on their output in the future.

In Honor of the Project Runway Finale

Short post today since I got my hair cut then hustled home to watch the finale of Project Runway

GO MONDO!!! (his hair is A-MAZING for the runway show)

I figured I would feature another knitting project of mine. It was my first foray into color work. I dread the thought of doing intarsia, but fair isle seemed interesting.

Here are the results:

The idea was to have a pair of these fingerless gloves for those days at work when it gets a little chilly. I can wear them and still type, shuffle paper, etc. I knit it in the round using leftover gray yarn from Arne's scarf and some red yarn I picked up on sale. I love it...now to make the second one!

Next on my list are some cute bath-mitts that will hopefully be fun christmas gifts (my first truly cabled endeavor) and the daunting task of a fisherman's sweater for my father (my first try at anything requiring shaping).

A Head-Butt By Any Other Name

Over the weekend I had a conversation with my mother that lead us to wonder about a Morrow family "tradition": the bunner. Those of you who knew my family well during the late 80's may be familiar with this phenomenon. For any readers who may not have the luxury of this previous knowledge, I'll break it down for you.

My brother, Ryan, is just under 2 years younger than I am. When he was born, he was very chubby and had a massive (to my mind) head. I believe he was a late crawler due to his inability to support his own noggin. When he did finally learn to crawl and then walk, there was no stopping him. As a child he got himself a pair of "Kangaroo" shoes and was always happy to demonstrate just how quickly those sneakers allowed him to run.

The boy loved to run. Not only did he love to run, but he loved to run, head lowered, straight into an innocent bystander's gut. This was called a bunner. I was the victim of many a bunner. It still amazes me that it happened with such frequency. I mean, it wasn't like he was unexpectedly slapping me. He was running at full-tilt from a distance that presumably was far enough away to build up some steam. Didn't I see him coming? My reflexes are notoriously bad, but the boy couldn't even have been able to see where he was going. The advantage should have been mine.

The question my mother and I grappled with was on the origin of the term "bunner". We have no idea where it came from. As I have mentioned previously, much of my mother's family was from Serbia and some Serbian words have found their way into my vocabulary. The name of this blog is one example. It is a strange thing to take up the Etymology of a word that is, in all likelihood, complete gibberish. I decided to attempt it anyway.

My thought was that bunner may have its origins in the Slavic languages. I have no idea if this is the case. When I google bunner, nothing comes up that may apply. However, I have found a dictionary that gives the Slovak word "baran" as meaning ram. A possible connection? Who knows.

The Grand Wizard

It has come to my attention that I have been publishing fewer and fewer posts each month since June. This can be partially explained by an increase in stress at work from the end of June until early August, but there is no good reason for the decline in August, September and October. I have set myself a goad to post once a day for the rest of this month in an effort to reverse the trend.

In honor of my renewed commitment to Stadababa and the Halloween tradition, I would like to present for your approval the sexiest wizard that ever was. Move over Harry Potter...here comes The Grand Wizard!

I know you could not help noticing the stunning special effects and staggeringly beautiful lyrics. My question (and I already have an opinion) is: who was in on the joke?

Based on my love of all things Tim Curry, I have decided that he definitely knew how ridiculous the movie, the song, and his performance were. Did people watching this movie know? I can't believe that it is just a matter of this film not aging well. The Worst Witch was originally a book and JK Rawling is said to have taken inspiration from it.

I don't remember watching this as a child, but it is possible that I saw it. I feel like I would have LOVED it in '86.

Darwin

I recently watched the film Creation, starring Paul Bettany and his wife, Jennifer Connelly. It is the story of the internal struggle Charles Darwin had over writing On the Origin of the Species. I cried for about 50% of this movie. Despite this, I really enjoyed it and I fee like I learned quite a bit.

One of the things I liked the best was the conversations they had about Darwin "being at war with God". At one point, one of his children is punished in school for claiming that dinosaurs were real. In reality, we know that the existence of dinosaurs is TOTALLY compatible with the book of Genesis. History has proven that, not only did people continue to believe in God, they chose to flaunt Darwin's science to suit their needs.

Quite Honestly, One of the Stupidest Things I've Ever Seen

American Apparel, while a popular place for many to shop, is a tacky, over-priced, bastion of poor taste. I never gave it much thought until I followed an advertisement link from one of my favorite blogs, to the American Apparel website. The ad was for "Halloween Costumes" made with American Apparel clothing.

My favorite is "The Cupcake". You just need to purchase $210 worth of layered petticoats, and and additional $81 worth of shoes, shoe laces, and sash, and you'll look like Edna Turnblad at the Beauty Salon! Cute. All for less than $300!

If you have the time and inclination, I dare you to take a look at some of these atrocities. Anyone with half a brain could see that all this really means is that you can make a costume out of any old crap. Luckily for American Apparel, I suspect many of their customers have less than the requisite half brain.

Breaking News

It's been a long, strange, trip, but longtime rivals Winifred P.H. Barksworth and Snowball The Voracious came to a tenuous cease fire agreement two nights ago in Chicago, IL. This unexpected turn of events, was met with awe and jubilation in the streets.

The two parties, at war for nearly two years now, met briefly for a closed-door session in Winnifred's stronghold. In exchange for this concession, Snowball ate an entire bowl of food and one of Winnifred's prized Greenies. There was much sniffing, a couple of uneasy growls, but teeth were not bared. Witnesses whispered in the background, doing their best no to trigger more hostilities. The meeting ended in belly rubs and treats.

One Winifred aide commented "she must not have felt so protective with her people out of the state".

The next morning, peace talks took a turn for the worse, when a dispute arose over boundaries when the two met again during their morning constitutionals. When asked to comment on the latest turn of events, Winnifred's only reply was "BAP...BAP..BAPBAPBAP!" Snowball was unavailable for comment, having holed herself up with food in an undisclosed location. This new setback may mean the end of peace for the war torn area.

Winnie & Me

This weekend I am dog sitting for my friend, Kathryn. Things began as they usually do with me: utter incompetence. Kathryn had arranged for a neighbor to walk Winnie at about 5:30 ish. I got to the condo a little after 6. When I walked in, I checked for Winnie in her crate, no Winnie. The place was completely silent. I figured the walk was still going strong and I decided to take the opportunity to avail myself of the washer and dryer (for which I had packed my giant suitcase, Ricardo).

I was super-excited to do laundry without having to go outside, and proceeded to search the linen closet for the detergent Kathryn promised would be there. This went on for a minute or so, but I couldn't find it. My first thought was that Jeremy, Kathryn's husband, had hidden it as a little joke. Good one, Jer!

My quest for detergent was interrupted when I found a note addressed to someone named Jen saying that the author of the note was keeping Winnie, and telling Jen to call when she got in. The letter was a little difficult to read, but I figured that I was "Jen" and that I needed to call the number to collect the dog.

I called the number. No answer. I heard the click-clack of puppy paws coming from (what I thought was) out back. Not the case. I looked, no Winnie, but still some clicking now accompanied by the tiniest of whimpers. I followed the sound more closely and opened the door to the bathroom. Guess what I found?! The laundry detergent! Oh yeah, Winnie was there too.

Love Child

You may recall my various posts about a baby blanket I was making for a friend from work who was expecting. Well, just under 3 weeks ago on September 14, Aiko Smith was born. This afternoon was my first opportunity to see her and her mom, Jody. I went with my friend, Nicole to visit.

I'll start by saying that Aiko (which translates directly to "Love Child") is absolutely beautiful. She has a full head of hair and chubby cheeks. After getting a tour of Jody's new home, Nicole got to hold the baby. We all chatted and Aiko made cute, funny faces. Jody took Aiko back, changed her diaper and after I washed my hands, I got to hold her. This was the result:

I don't have much experience with babies. I tend to do better when they no longer have to be held and can clearly articulate needs/anxieties. Mostly, I like children who can speak in complete sentences.

In my defense, I will say that I held the baby for a good 30 seconds without incident and Jody insisted that she was probably hungry (whether this was out of compassion for me, I may never know).

Birthday Haul

As I come to the end of my last day of being 30, I look forward to being thirty-something. It makes me think about what is really important in life. Family, friends, health and (most importantly) material possessions.

Most of these gifts are from my loving parents. Unfortunately, I promised my mother that I wouldn't open these presents until my birthday. Luckily, there is at least one card I can open without the givers caring or even knowing that I jumped the gun...

Aww, kitty in a basket...who could have sent it?

That's right! Aunt Ruth and Uncle Dan! Wait...what? I don't have an Aunt Ruth or an Uncle Dan!

Oh yeah, from Camp Li Lo Li.

Meow!?

What's that you say? I've never met Aunt Ruth and Uncle Dan? I never even attended Camp Li Lo Li? Well kitties, you are right. I chose to further my illustrious softball career by playing in the All-Star game, rather than going to camp. That career was tragically cut short by my strong anti-sliding stance.

My non-attendace clearly hasn't dissuaded Aunt Ruth and Uncle Dan from wishing me a very blessed birthday every year for the past 20 years or so. Not only do I get a card, but it is literally stuffed with inspirational goodies.

As far as I can tell, this one is just a prayer card. I think it meets the definition of a prayer card.

This one, however, has a handy 2011 calendar on the back. Maybe I'll put it in my purse. Maybe.

Thanks to good old Camp Li Lo Li, I have been able to quench my thirst to open something.

Just kidding! I'll probably get a bit of a head start tonight so I can enjoy some of my gifts tomorrow.

Dark Letters

I started my latest NU class last Saturday. It is an examination of Courtly Love (not the singer from Hole) in the Middle Ages. I wasn't really sure what I was getting into since my exposure to Medieval Literature is fairly limited.

The instructor started talking about classical philosophers and theologists and I think he was even speaking latin at times. I checked out the course description and while there is "no language requirement" for the students, it warned that the instructor may "speak in tongues".

The first thing we are reading is the collected letters of Abelard and Heloise. Abelard starts the whole thing off talking about how he was the most awesome student, so great that he regularly out-shone all his fellow students and often publicly disagreed with his masters. He seems surprised that this caused rancor aimed at him. He then goes on to infiltrate the home of a gentleman in order to get to know the gentleman's niece, Heloise. They fall in love, she has a baby, and they run off together.

Heloise's uncle is a little ticked. He makes the couple marry, but Abelard drops her off at a convent and goes back to teaching. This puts the uncle over the edge. Abelard suffers the consequences by being castrated in the middle of the night by the uncle and others. This is all pretty awful, but Abelard isn't even close to being finished. After reading about his exiles, charges of heresy, his awesomeness as a teacher, another exile, monks who try to poison and stab him, I really started to lose sympathy. By the end, I just wanted him to shut up.

Somehow (I imagine as a result of their forced separation) Eloise manages to stay very much in love with this wet blanket. She is one of the most highly educated in intelligent women of the millennium, but we all make poor choices. Her letters are amazing. I kind of can't believe that she was as candid and provocative as she was. She tells Abelard that she would rather be his concubine than the greatest king's queen. When she quits professing her undying love, she actually gets down to the business of re-defining the rules that govern Benedictine nuns. She quotes the bible, Ovid, and countless philosophers. She basically kicks ass.

Anyway, we shall see how this course goes, but so far, so good.

Misogynist or Bigot? Both.

I can't really explain it, but I truly love Survivor. I guess it comes down to the endless enjoyment I get out of watching idiots do idiotic things. This season, the producers decided to pit old vs. young. I understand this isn't the first time they've done it, but I didn't see the other season. I'm actually rooting for the oldies as a group, but I don't mind some of the young people.

This week actually increased my respect for the younger tribe since they made a smart move and voted off a blatant jackass. This guy, whose name is Shannon of all things, decided he needed to make a strong "alpha male" alliance since men are subjugated by women all the time (when they get married). He proves his point by explaining that if men aren't careful, there could be a woman president one day. Women are so powerful that the may one day be in power.

When his tribe loses in week two, he goes gunning for Brenda (who seems like she might be smart and cool). Unfortunately for him, Brenda has already exercised her feminine wiles on his strongest ally. She did this without even trying (more evidence of the power of women). When Shannon gets wind that Brenda is now after him, he decides to self-destruct when it comes time for the vote. He blatantly asks one guy (not in his alpha alliance) if he is gay, then goes on to scientifically prove the other man's gayness by asserting that there are lots of gays in New York City.

At this point, Shannon has clearly lost most of his alliance by exposing just how much of a jackass he really is. In the end, he awesomely gets voted out by a significant majority. Only two idiots stuck with him and from the looks on their faces when casting their votes, I don't think they were happy about it.

In order for the young team to continue in their quest for awesomeness, they next need to get rid of the gym teacher who wants to challenge a one-legged contestant to a foot race (the woman with the prosthesis would probably win since she is a triathlete, but whatever).

This guy never had rice before Survivor? The biggest change in him will be that he may eat a carrot or vegetables now? Being married for eleven years (pity that woman) makes him 42? His actual age is 31, he thinks that marriage adds 25 years, but he'll settle for 11. I recommend watching the clip if you want to listen to someone who makes The Situation seem downright progressive.

Rainy Day Woman

That's what I am. I was so happy when I woke up this morning (11am is still technically morning) and it was pouring outside. It made me feel like my scheduled day of lounging around and doing nothing was not as sloth like as usual. Being painfully lazy on a Saturday is my M.O., but I'm often left with a not-so-fresh feeling after such a day. That feeling generally carries into Sunday causing me to do nothing for another full day. A morning storm washes away those feelings leaving me with an excellent justification for sloth.

Imagine my surprise when I got a call at 3 to go to the Guinness and Oyster Festival. I, somewhat reluctantly at first, agreed. I mean, I had the perfect excuse to waste an entire day and now I wasn't going to use it! I did have a good time and a Guinness, so I don't regret going along. I actually have the opposite of sloth feeling, whatever that is called. Maybe I feel energized? I don't know.

Even my morning wasn't a total waste. I actually completed the baby blanket for my friend Jody's baby. Aiko was born on the 14th of September and, from the pictures, she looks like a doll. Another co-worker and I are hoping to visit Jody and her baby sometime in the next week or two, so I knew I needed to wrap it up.

As you can see, at the bottom of the picture, the blanket is not exactly ready for use. I finished all the knitting, but now I have to begin the tedious task of weaving in all those ends. I am not looking forward to this. It gives me hope, however, that Sunday will not be totally wasted.

I Watched a Scary Movie!

Admittedly, saying "I watched a scary movie" is equivalent to me bragging about eating spicy food. When I define something as "spicy", that usually means it had an extra dash of pepper and when I watch a "scary" movie, it is generally more of a thriller. Much like you won't catch me eating Sichuan anything, you will also never see me watching Saw (or any of its spawn). My favorite scary movies (I can't even legitimately call them "horror") are Sleepy Hollow and...well, that's about it.

I have always been this way. As a child I had to be taken out of the movie theater during Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (the Disney version). I was an adult before I had the guts to watch The Princess Bride the whole way through. That may sound strange, but when I went to see it on the big screen in 1987, the pain machine scared the hell out of me and I had not yet perfected my eyelash trick (to be described in the next paragraph). I pictured it as a kind of Iron Maiden that pierced Wesley and flattened him like a pancake. It was horrific.

Even with Sleepy Hollow I watched most of it through my eyelashes. You see, I squint to the point where my vision blurs and my eyelashes cover about 50% of the screen. I want to know what is going on, but I don't actually want to SEE it. Also, peeking through your fingers is totally lame. So that's how I've watched The Blaire Witch Project, The Sixth Sense, and the majority of Sin City (I realize the last one isn't technically a scary movie, but it is pretty gross).

The scary movie I watched recently was Let the Right One In, a Swedish film about a bullied boy who befriends a strange girl who moves into his apartment complex. Turns out, she's a vampire. It was mostly just mildly creepy with a soupcon of graphic violence. I had heard it was good and an American version will be coming out in October called Let Me In. I figured that if I can handle the Swedes, I will probably be able to watch the Americanized movie (at least through my lashes). But I knew that if I couldn't make it through the original, I would never be able to sit through the inevitably more intense remake.

Let the Right One In is available to watch instantly on Netflix and I definitely recommend it if you are into the latest vampire craze. In this story, the author (and screenwriter) harkened back to older vampire mythology eschewing the glamorization and sexing up of vampires found in True Blood and ensuring that the undead do not glitter in the sun (they spontaneously and spectacularly combust). This is definitely more Brahm Stoker than Charlaine Harris.

At its core, it is a story of friendship and trust in an unfriendly and uncaring world. My favorite part is when the boy asks the girl to "go steady" their dialogue is very sweet and honest. Also not to be missed is the pool scene at the very end. I hope you like it as much as I did.

The wedding of the year

Last weekend was my big trip to Erie and Hershey for the Labor Day Weekend Wedding Extravaganza! It was a great time and a beautiful wedding. The wedding was so lovely that when one of my friends started the rumor that I had been crying, everyone actually believed it!

In Jenn's defense, I was sniffeling a bit from hair being blown into my nose, and my attempts to remove the flyways could easily be construed as the wiping of tears. Alas, even a gorgeous ceremony in a rose garden can't break the Nancy Dusckas in me.

Of course, being the complete dorks that we are, we couldn't actually attend a wedding without a little hilarity. Every one of us was well aware that the wedding would take place in Hershey Gardens (emphasis on the "Gardens"). Despite this, at least 4 out of the 6 of us girls wore heels. When we arrived, we were instructed to follow a path down a hill, around the Rose Garden, through the Oriental Gardens (where Nikki was nearly left behind when her heel got stuck in the planks on a bridge) then back up a into a tree-shaded grassy knoll. All I can say is that Hershey Gardens owes us big time for aerating the lawn. If we had a lick of sense between us, we would have considered wearing flats and enjoyed a leisurely stroll... but we don't.

After the ceremony I (along with one or two others) changed into flats for the reception. We were among the first to arrive at the Hotel Hershey and got our drinks accordingly. The bartender was adorable and quite generous with the Tanqueray.

Once we moved into the Reception Hall, things really got going. The groom (I assume) produced an introduction for the couple's entrance and the DJ cranked up the tunes. By this time I had had a couple of pops so, after dinner and awesome desserts (best bread pudding EVER) I was ready to do a little dancing. It was a generally successful venture. I totally rocked out to Miley Cyrus and Bon Jovi.

I was not quite as proficient with some of the other songs. There was one in particular that caused me some problems. It was one of those line dancing things, I think the ChaCha Slide. I was only familiar with it from my brief stint working in Phys Ed at my old High School. We would play the song for the Life Skills class during gym. I should have brushed up on it at that time. I literally cannot tell my right from my left when put on the spot. I inevitably go the wrong way. It was a little embarrassing and the song drags on forever. I stuck with it (which is evidence of amount of alcohol consumed) and saw it through to the end. This video is a close approximation of my difficulties.

Luckily I was not the only fool on the dance floor. Maggie managed to generally look like she knew what she was doing, but busted out some of her older moves. Kathryn harkened back to her bewigged roots and pulled out her Nina Loca Bailar. Joanna (impressively) stayed in her heels all night long and treated us to a Miss Linda's Special when the DJ had the audacity to put on a slow song. It was Fan-tastic!

All kidding aside, it was a perfect day and a beautiful wedding. It was also wonderful to see my PSU girls all together, it happens so infrequently. Congratulations Team Mali!

You may notice a lack of visual evidence for any of this. I had my camera with me and even replaced the batteries. I was just having too much fun to use it! If anyone has any backup for me, email the pictures. I'd love to include them. Particularly if anyone caught the little girl creeping in on the ceremony.

Truth is Stranger than Fiction

Believe it or not, I am now in an NFL fantasy league. Even if you don't know me, you should have probably noticed that my taste in TV runs more to shows about glee clubs, vampires, sewing competitions and modeling, not so much sports.

This whole thing came about because my mom just got the NFL Red Zone. (I think that's what its called, but I can't be bothered to look it up.) She then decided to create her own fantasy team. Since she didn't belong to a league, the prospect of competing only against people she didn't know did not appeal.

My brother was convinced to create a league for us and, from now on, he will be referred to as "Commissioner". My understanding is that leagues require 8 teams. Our league is made up of Mom, Dad, Commissioner, 3 of Commissioner's friends, and me. If you are good at math, you may have noticed that one plus one plus one plus three plus one leaves us with one bullet.

That was just nonsense. The Commissioner has ended up with two teams to give us the necessary total.

You probably already know that, in order to have a fantasy team, you must choose your team in a draft. Luckily, it is possible to set up an auto draft. That is what I did (with some help from Commissioner). I'm told that my team is good and I do recognize about 3 names. I don't have the foggiest clue what to do at this point. Wish me luck.

Bon Voyage...To Me!

I'm leaving for Exotic Erie, PA tomorrow. On Facebook, my brother has announced my travels to one and all claiming CB (that's me) will "rock E-town". I certainly intend to do my best.

My BFF* thinks "rock" isn't the right word for what I will do to Erie. I wonder what she would prefer? Maybe I will "make E-town off the HOOK" or "jazz it up!" (I do have some pretty impressive jazz hands). She is probably thinking more along the lines of "have a nice time and see some family and friends in Erie". While that may be true (okay, it IS true) it doesn't make for a very punchy Facebook wall post.

After a couple of days in Erie, aforementioned BFF and I will be road trippin' to Hersey for a much anticipated wedding (photos to come). It is a six hour drive and I have created a mix on my ipod of belt-em-out and dance-in-your-seat songs for us to enjoy. I can't wait!

To cap it all off, I will actually be seeing my dad and the puppy, Rosie. They will be getting into town Monday night. Unfortunately, Mom has to work and Daisy just had some fairly embarrassing and uncomfortable surgery, so they won't be joining us.

I am so excited to "have a nice time and see family and friends"!

*Just messing with you, Jo, that Facebook post made me laugh, too. So did your texts!

Talk with the Animals

When I was a little girl, my family got a Cocker Spaniel that we called "Lady". I'm pretty sure that I insisted on that highly unoriginal, but nevertheless suitable, name. Lady was a pretty great dog, inspiring my brother an I to sing songs about her, to her. We didn't go so far as to write new songs, we basically just Weird Al'd some classics, inserting her name and other details about her. The most primitive, and likely the first of the songs, was "Bicycle Bicycle Built for Two" and just exchanged "Daisy" for "Lady".

Later, we got more creative with the theme song from one of our favorite Disney Films, "Davey Crockett".

My favorite substitution is "kilt her a bee when she was only three" Clever, cause it was true!

Not only did I sing to our dog, but I also claimed to be able to speak with her. I believe I called it "dog talk" or some such nonsense. I never really thought I could talk to her, but I put on a show of it, and certainly thought I had the neighborhood kids fooled. They would humor me probably thinking: "poor girl, she really thinks she is talking to that dog. I hope her parents get her some help" or, more likely, "lets just go along with this, at least she isn't making us sing again".

I'm pretty sure I was a bit of a tyrant with an inflated sense of my own talent, intelligence, and maturity. Hmm...I guess not much has changed.

Anyway, the whole idea of talking with my pets eventually petered out, until I became more of a normal person and just talked to my pets. That is, until recently. My cats have brought back my uncanny abilities. We have whole conversations in which their various meows actually mean something to me depending on where we are.

Sometimes they make statements and sometimes they ask questions.

In the kitchen "mep-yeow?" means "can we get some _____?" usually food, water or litter. They will follow me into the kitchen and "mep-yeow?" me until I have found whichever of those things needs replenished. They will only follow me into the kitchen if they need something.

In the living room or my bedroom "aiyow." is "pet me" or "yow?" is "what are you doing?"

I'm afraid that I am pretty obviously turning into a true Cat Lady. Please don't judge.

Guess who has Mockingjay?!

I Do!!!!

On my lunch break I popped over to Borders to pick up my copy of the 3rd and final book of the Hunger Games trilogy. I was surprised this morning to receive a 33% off coupon from Borders via email, so I thought it was destiny.

When I got there and went to check out, the girl at the register was so excited to sell me the book (she already had hers) that she found a 50% off coupon for me to use. The book ended up being about $8! I'd have paid much more.

I cannot wait to start reading. I probably won't come up for air until the middle of the night.

After getting the book, I happily strolled over to Noodles & Co to get some lunch. I was in the mood for something from their "Asian" menu. They have "Japanese Pan Noodles" that sounded good but I noticed the little chili pepper next to it indicating that is was spicy.

I really hoped I could get it without it being spicy. Here is our dialogue, paraphrased:

Noodle Girl: Can I help whose next?

Me: Hi, yes. Can I get the Japanese Pan Noodles, just not spicy?

NG: They aren't spicy.

Me: Well, your sign has a little pepper next to it saying that it is spicy.

(I point and she looks at the menu, for a really long time)

NG: Hmm, well I've had it before and its not spicy, and I like spicy food.

(At this point I probably made a bit of a face since I was thinking that is the exact opposite of convincing)

Me: Okay, I guess I'll try it. (Clearly I was convinced. Or, if not convinced, at least not dissuaded by her poor logic)

In the end, the noodles were fine (but spicy!) By the time I was finished, I definitely needed something to cool my mouth off. Luckily, we have some ice cream bars at work that did the trick.

Sara(h) Sylvia Cynthia Stout

In preparation for my mother's visit I have been cleaning a bit in my apartment. Last night I really got down to business. I had to make 4 separate trips to the dumpster to get rid of the stuff I had sitting around. One full trip was entirely empty boxes of kitty litter. I was horrified by my own neglect!

On a brighter note, my dress came in today for Allison's wedding. I took some pictures with my computer camera. It has this crazy feature where it will take 4 pictures in quick succession. This is what I tried.

The Monster Upstairs

For the last month or two I have been in Heaven. I didn't realize it because you sometimes don't notice how good things are until they go away. In the space of a couple of days, my unknown bliss has evaporated. This is due to the fact that I have a new upstairs neighbor (or it is still my old neighbor, he was just out of town for a reeeally long time). I went to bed at about 9:45 last night, but the racket didn't completely stop until about midnight. I am telling myself that it is a new neighbor, and that this neighbor suffers from some pretty bizarre maladies that render him/her/it incapable of silence.

1. Chronic Lumbering Pedestritis: A condition which renders the sufferer incapable of walking softly upon any surface, resulting in dull thuds accompanying any movement on foot.

2. Jeff Lewis Syndrome: Results in the inability of JLS + persons to settle on the proper placement of heavy furniture. Those who are JLS + can drag cumbersome objects from one place to another well into the middle of the night.

3. Whatdoicareaboutmyneighborswhomayhavejobssotheyhavetogetupinthemorningphilia: Pretty much what it sounds like. Primarily involves implementing conditions 1 & 2 after 10pm.

This is about what I picture my upstairs monster to look like:

Note the watch is 10:10, time to get to work!

The Audacity of Silence

The concert was terrific. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and am so happy I went ahead and bought my ticket. I am very curious about how many of the audience members were Rufus fans and how many were brought along or otherwise had very little previous knowledge of his music. My thought is that the majority knew what they were getting into.

Martha Wainwright openend for her brother promptly at 8pm. Her set was just wonderful, her vocals were stunning and she was genuinely funny between songs. At one point, while tuning her guitar, she quipped "folk singers are supposed to talk when they tune their guitars so the audience thinks they've got it together". Her husband cam out an accompanied her on the piano for a song from her new album of "lesser known" Edith Piaf songs. The album cannot be bought in stores in the U.S. because she isn't signed with an American label. She had copies for sale in the lobby and they sold out before intermission. Her last song she did on a dare from Rufus. It was "La Vie en Rose" a cappella and without amplification. Gorgeous.

You may remember that I previously wrote about a strange request from Rufus about the first part of his act. It was true. When I bought my ticket there was a note that he asked his audience to refrain from clapping between songs until he had left the stage. Before he began, a man came out on the stage and asked everyone to remain quiet for the entire "song cycle". This caused quite a bit of murmuring in the crowd (I guess they didn't read the notice when they bought their tickets).

Rufus walked slowly onto the darkened stage. He was lit only from behind and was wearing a robe of some sort with a plumed collar Johnny Weir would envy. The train of his cape trailed 17 feet behind him (I know this because he told us during the second half of the show). He then proceeded to play through his latest album All Days are Nights in its entirety. After the first song some poor schmuck forgot the rules and began to whistle and clap. He was promptly shushed by a couple of other audience members (one of whom was sitting not far from me in the first balcony and thought that flailing his arms over the railing would somehow help to quiet they clapper sitting in the orchestra seats. This shusher was vigilant, frequently glaring in the direction of anyone who made the least noise. I came to know him as "Rufus' bouncer".) Two more songs were sung without incident before the capper forgot himself again.

I will admit that I was a bit leery of the no applause thing. I couldn't really see the point of it. I'm still not sure I really get it, but it did impact my concert experience. On the one hand it raised the tension in the audience. It takes some self control to not applaud when all your life you have done so. On the other hand, I felt it harkened back to a time before MP3 players when people would actually sit and listen to an album from beginning to end without interruption. Does anyone do that any more? I came out of the experience feeling like I had just held my breath the entire time but with a new appreciation for the songs themselves.

The second half of Rufus' show was much more typical for him. It was still just him and a piano (when I saw him in Pittsburgh he was accompanied by a band and backup singers) with Martha coming out for a couple of songs. But gone was the black robe which was replaced by an exuberant shirt/jacket/pants outfit all in a wild orange print. After thanking the audience for doing a good job of keeping quiet for the first half, he sang some of my favorite songs including my ABSOLUTE favorite "Dinner at Eight" and ended the show by singing one of his late mother's, Kate McGarrigle, songs.

I struggle to think of one other American artist (he was born in NYC but did grow up in Canada) who has the ability to entertain with such profound simplicity. He not only writes, composes and sings virtually all his songs, but he does it in two languages! Between Martha and Rufus, a good 5 songs were sung in French. I'm willing to bet 90% of the audience didn't understand more than a word or two, but the music and vocals were so amazing that it didn't matter.

I wasn't the only one to fee this way. On the way out I hear someone say the concert was the best birthday present he had ever bought for himself.

Rufus and Martha

Tomorrow night I am going to see Rufus Wainwright! I am going alone but I hope to make friends with my fellow Rufus fans. Kathryn has agreed to meet me for dinner before the show so I'll make a whole night of it.

Rufus' sister, Martha, will be opening for him and I am really excited about that, as well. She performed with him when I saw him in Pittsburgh a few years ago but didn't perform solo. Her music has grown on me over the last year or so and I think she has a gorgeous voice.

Seating Plan

I have discovered that a great way to keep someone from sitting next to you on the train is to knit. There is just something about a person wielding pointed sticks and yarn that discourages anyone from sitting next to her.

As a rule I try to be a courteous train rider. I put all my belongings on my lap and try my best to keep my feet where they belong. I don't blast music from my headphones, I don't litter or leave a Red Eye in my seat, etc. What I hadn't noticed, until today, was the effectiveness of knitting. I was feeling quite cocky about my new discovery and decided to employ it on the way home (generally considerably less crowded) and see what would happen.

I made it to Lawrence (3 stops left to go) before anyone sat next to me. This person had apparently caught on to my ploy and was having none of it. He countered my knitting needles with his newspaper. Things got uncomfortable. He was a bit too close and I found myself smushed up to the window with his elbow invading my personal space.

Needless to say, I finished the row I was working on as quickly as possible in order to re-adjust myself in my seat. This had no effect on the "gentleman" who now seemed to be dozing off and was distinctly leaning on me. To my relief, a minute later we got to my stop and I extricated myself from the situation little worse for the wear but, perhaps, a bit wiser.

The moral of the story: If you knit on the train you may get lucky and ride solo, but be prepared to share a seat with the least picky passenger.

Market Days

I went with Kathryn and Cis today to Northalsted Market Days. I'm not really sure what I was expecting, but it turned out to be We Love Erie Days with a splash of Pride. (Okay, more than a splash, it was about 50/50) It was something like 4 or 5 blocks of vendors selling mostly food and drinks with a few scattered random booths. Some of my favorites.

1. Hepatitis Vaccination Booth

2. Mexican Wrestling Masks

3. Lifeguard Chair (apparently selling nothing but a free glimpse at a guy in a speedo, which, to be honest, nobody else at the market required a lifeguard chair to wear a speedo)

There were also a number of stages with bands performing. We unfortunately missed the Chicago Spirit Brigade, but did get a chance to meet Jujube.

She was one of my favorites this season (I'm a Pandora girl at heart, though) and I thought she should have won. She was wearing platform heels and towered over us and looked super-cute in a very non-drag dress. RCN Cable put her under these low, dark blue tents and it was really hot. I think she told someone that she was looking forward to dressing as a boy in an hour or so! I couldn't imagine having to stand around in those heels, a dress, a huge wig and all that makeup to meet people. She was pretty natural looking for a drag queen and much prettier than she looked on the show (I blame lack of sleep and stress).

All in all, it was a fun afternoon of people watching and girl talk.

The Colbert Diaries

This segment appeared on last night's Colbert Report. It is cringe-inducingly wonderful. I can't believe Laura Ingraham agreed to go on the show, she was visibly uncomfortable and had to be offended.

You can view it here

I had some trouble embedding the video, so I apologize that I couldn't have it right on this page.

I loved how she thought they were playing together but he wasn't going to let her get away with that tripe. Talk about disrespectful, she has Obama writing at about a 3rd grade level. And what was that about "banshee" being racially charged because of Native Americans? I think she has her mythologies a little mixed up. As my mother knows, that is an unforgivable sin with me. At worst, she can accuse him of being anti-Irish (which is unlikely, he's actually anti-shrieking Conservative). It is almost as though she was unaware that he is just playing the part of a Conservative Pundit on the show. It is really his job to make people laugh and to send up the absurdities of politics in general and right-wing politics in particular.

The Music Within

July 26 commemorated the 20th anniversary of the American's With Disabilities Act. It is amazing to me that until 1990, disabled people were not guaranteed any sort of accommodation or even fair treatment.

A while back I saw a really good movie about the man behind the A.D.A. It was shocking and funny and unfathomable to me that I was 10 years old before the events depicted in the film had taken place.

I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested.

Quintessential

This weekend I watched Reality Bites, the film that (in my mind) defined Generation X. It was released in 1994 at the height of Grunge and I was 14. I loved the movie and owned the soundtrack. Stay by Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories was our anthem. You couldn't listen to that song and not sing along.

Imagine my shock when I mentioned my walk down memory lane and neither of the girls I work with had any idea what "Reality Bites" is. One actually asked: "Is it a band?". I was aghast. I said that it is the St. Elmo's Fire of the 90's. That response got me nowhere.

Granted, these girls were 4 and 9 years old when "Reality Bites" came out, and not even born in time for "St. Elmo's Fire". I have made them swear to watch both movies.

This all made me wonder about the defining "coming of age" movie of the first 10 years of the new Millennium. What was it? American Pie? Superbad? Certainly not Knocked Up!

"America Pie" has to be eliminated because it was released in 1999. "Superbad" may be a contender, but it is about High School kids, not twentysomethings. I need your help. What was the defining movie of 2000-2010? It can be a comedy, drama, whatever. My only criteria is that it is set in the present and deals with the concerns of young people of the 21st century. Oh yeah, it has to be a good movie, too.

Zig-Zag

I certainly haven't had much to write about recently. This is due largely to my relative inactivity. For example, this weekend I spent most of my time watching the BBC miniseries Bleak House and knitting away. I have a couple of largish projects going right now (one which will never be completed on time) and used this weekend to get some work done.

Most of the work has been to the blanket I am making for my friend Jody's baby. She is expecting in September, so I don't have much time left to get it done. If it were a normal project, I would be knitting on the train, but it requires so many different balls of yarn that it would be impractical to try to do so. In fact, I have probably spent a good two hours just in weaving in the ends for each stripe and it is barely 1/4 finished!

Here is my progress so far:

I am quite proud of the way it looks, but I've got plenty more to do. Back to work!

Not So Wonderful

There is an abomination that has been plaguing the airwaves over the last couple of years thanks to one obnoxious ad a few years back. It is the What a Wonderful World/Somewhere Over the Rainbow Medley. It was originally sung by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, an Hawaiian songwriter and ukulele player. I can only assume he is responsible for the almost unintelligible mash up of these two classics. For some reason, people seem to love his song.

I have highlighted in red the places where the lyrics make no sense.

Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
And the dreams that you dreamed of
Once in a lullaby ii ii iii
Somewhere over the rainbow
Blue birds fly
And the dreams that you dreamed of
Dreams really do come true ooh ooooh
Someday I'll wish upon a star
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me ee ee eeh
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
High above the chimney tops thats where you'll find me oh
Somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly
And the dream that you dare to,why, oh why can't I? i iiii

Well I see trees of green and
Red roses too,
I'll watch them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

Well I see skies of blue and I see clouds of white
And the brightness of day
I like the dark and I think to myself
What a wonderful world

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people passing by
I see friends shaking hands
Saying, "How do you do?"
They're really saying, I...I love you
I hear babies cry and I watch them grow,
They'll learn much more
Than we'll know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world (w)oohoorld

Someday I'll wish upon a star,
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
High above the chimney top that's where you'll find me
Oh, Somewhere over the rainbow way up high
And the dream that you dare to, why, oh why can't I? I iii ?

It is a mess. I can acknowledge the appeal of the folky music and his sweet voice but I cannot abide the butchering of two classic songs. Am I alone here?

To help you make your decision I submit: