Old Lady Music Reviews

As I think I've mentioned before, I'm frightfully out of touch when it comes to current music. My friends may assume I'm a pop culture queen, cuz of my tv / movies / books knowledge, but I would fail any test on contemporary music, I swear. (And that's not just me keeping expectations low for future pop culture trivia pursuit challenges!) Seriously, I had to ask my brother to "define emo" for me. And what did he say? "Guys who have Flock of Seagulls hair and sing about their feelings." Hmmm. Not so helpful.

Since iPod entered my life last Christmas, I've been working to improve my musical literacy. And now that I have high-speed, downloads happen lickety-split. So there's no reason not to spend 99 cents to check out a new tune!

I've sampled a bunch of new (or new to me) songs lately.... and here are my hits and misses:

John Legend, "Ordinary People" - ****
This is smooth and lyrically interesting. I like his voice, and I love any good use of a piano, since I took more than a decade of lessons myself. I'm not in much of a love song mood, though, so it's not striking me bone-deep just yet.

Kanye West, "Jesus Walks" - **
I remember hearing this in tv ads, I think for "Prison Break." I really like the chanting-style male background vocals and the overall beat. But the girl singers chirping out "Jee! Zus! Walks!" are kind of annoying, and while I appreciate the subject of Kanye's lyrics, I'm not so much into straight-on rap. If I could turn down the lead vocal and just listen to the background, it would be awesome.

Panic! At the Disco, "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" - *****
I love this song! My very first emo download, and I think I'm going to have to sample more. I have no idea what the title has to do with the lyrics of the song, but it doesn't matter. I found myself humming this little ditty to myself all weekend, cuz the damn thing is catchy. It's lush, with all kinds of instrumental layers and harmonies, and lyrics that tell a story but are still darn quirky. "I chime in with, Haven't you people ever heard of closing the goddamn door? No, it's much better to face these kinds of things with a sense of poison rationality!" Huh? Not sure. But it's great!

Five for Fighting, "The Riddle" - ***
I've loved "Superman" and "100 Years" since they each came out, so I was excited about a new FfF ballad. And this one is right up the same alley. In fact, I would totally love it, EXCEPT for the fact that it makes a huge grammatical error in the chorus of the song! "Here's a riddle for you. Find the answer. There's a reason for the world, you and I." You and I?!?! He repeats it over and over. But it should clearly be "you and me" !!! Right? Because "me" would be the object, not the subject. As in, "There's a reason. It is me." Not "It is I." Aaaargh! It drives me crazy! I'm just going to sing along with it as "me", so there.

Justin Timberlake, "SexyBack" - *****
Okay, so I admit, I hated this song the first time I heard it. I just didn't get it. What's with all the electronic nothingness? It doesn't even sound like JT. BUT.... then I listened a few more times. And started moving to the beat. And suddenly, I am under JT's spell. (Here, lyrics don't have to mean anything. "Go 'head, be gone with it..." Whatever, just wiggle your hips.) This is the kind of song that puts a secret smile on my face on the bus. I'm ready to declare "SexyBack" this year's "Dirrty." I have no shame in loving that song, too!

Stay tuned, I'm sure I'll be exploring new tunes soon.... if you have any suggestions, let me know. I'm always ready to point, click, download!

Not Particularly

Maybe it's the weather. Maybe it's my sinus pain. Maybe it's the fact that we really need that "fall back" hour this weekend. But for whatever the reason, I had the realization today that I'm not particularly happy right now.

Somehow the forces of the universe aligned this week and decided to do their darnedest to bring me down. I am feeling a little beat up in all areas of my life.... both work and my personal stuff are really stressful right now, and it's doubly hard when the stress hits in both areas at the same time. And I've experienced much more than the usual share of self-criticism over the last few days, so most of my bruises are self-inflicted. Bah.

And my to-do list for the weekend is completely overwhelming. I have no social plans - frankly, because I couldn't fit them in and had to cancel. I have to do some major cleaning in the apartment, and I brought home about a day's worth of work I have to accomplish before a few big meetings early on next week. That's in addition to the usual groceries, laundry, bills, etc. Thinking about it all just makes me want to go to sleep.

I don't really want to do any soul-searching - in fact, what I'd love to do most is just laugh. So, before I tackle all the things I need to do this weekend, I'll revel in my latest purchase. After a rousing game night a few weeks ago where we broke out a sleuthing classic, I checked out Amazon and upgraded to the DVD version of one of my favorite movies from childhood. So I'll be spending tonight with Mr. Green, in the Library, with the Lead Pipe. Or in the Conservatory, with Professor Plum, and the Candlestick. Or with Mrs. Peacock, eating monkeys brains right here in Washington, DC. One plus two plus two plus one!

On the Island, It's Every Man for Himself

Wow, I do love a Sawyer-centric episode. In my ultimate tv universe, it would be all Sawyer, all the time! Maybe with a Desmond commercial break every once in a while. :-)

Weekly LOST Recap, Spoilers Ahead!

I have to say, in hindsight, the difference between the American and Canadian promos for each episode is astounding. In this episode, it meant watching for torture and/or death versus watching for an elaborate long con. From now on, I'm going to always watch the Canadian trailer since it seems to be so much more accurate. Thank you, YouTube!

For those keeping track, we now learn that it has been 2 days since the purple light flashed in the sky. So that means the 4 episodes of Season 3 thus far have all taken place in those 2 days.

The Sawyer Island story:
"The only thing we put inside you was doubt." Benry Gale continues to rock! He's figured Sawyer out to a tee. And that gives him power, which makes him scarier. I do adore my Sawyer, but in a game of mental chicken, Benry's got him beat by far.

The on-island storyline again focused on the growing relationship between Sawyer and Kate, and their struggles to determine how they feel about each other, and whether they trust each other, while at the same time the Others are watching and trying to determine the same. It still seems like the Others are pushing them together -- are they trying to inspire the creation of the next generation of Others?

Well, that will only happen if Sawyer stops being that guy Danny / Pickett's whipping boy. He seems to have messed with the wrong brute, who's now mourning his dead wife and just wants to take Sawyer out. Was Benry serious when he said "Danny can wait" to kill him?

The Sawyer flashbacks:
So, that chick whose name I can't remember pressed charges, eh? Our James Ford ended up doing a stint in prison, making his way and conning the cons as needed. LOST continues its series of quirky guest stars, this time bringing in none other than Mr. Big Fat Greek Wedding himself, Ian Gomez. Poor Ian. But it's every man for himself, right? I wonder if we'll ever learn more about the fate of little Clementine Phillips...? (PS, it was funny to learn about Sawyer's baby daughter in an episode where the rabbit died. Or did it?)

And I do love that we see Sawyer's appreciation for fine literature even when he was back in the joint.

Elsewhere in the Others' Camp:
It is cool to see Jack playing head games with Juliet, trying to figure out her relationship with Ben and how it affects the power structure in the Others' group. Much like Ben himself, manipulating Jack and Locke in the hatch to pit those two strong leaders against each other. And now Jack's own position in the Others' camp seems to be in flux - will he end up being their savior/leader too? Good stuff.

So, there are X-rays of a 40-year-old man with a spinal tumor? What does this mean as for the reasons Jack was kidnapped? Heck, for the reason Jack is on the island itself?

And, news flash! Juliet is a fertility doctor! What oh what have the Others been doing?

Meanwhile, on Lostie Beach:
Desmond, looking all cute and scruffy, is still acting a little strange. Methinks he may now have a bit of "the sight." Is he really seeing the future? And what the heck is he building on the beach?

This introduction-by-default of Paolo and Nicki still isn't working for me. I understand what they're trying to do, but just bringing 2 new characters in without ANY exposition is kinda jarring.

Then, the big, last-5-minutes jaw-dropper........
Holy crap! There are two islands! Someone on the blogs was predicting this, and there it is... Our three heroes have the odds really stacked against them. Will they escape? Or be allowed to leave? No wonder Ben was so upset that the LOSTies had a boat - he can't have them finding Other island. I can't believe there are only two episodes left to this mini-season... so much can happen!

Scenes from Next Week:
Like I said, I'm going to check out the Canadian promo too. This was a big jumble of images, and a narration saying something about the island getting restless. Is it time for another sacrifice? Will we lose a LOSTie? And what of Benry Gale's spinal tumor? (It appeared that Jack was talking to Benry about those X-Rays.) And what the heck was that weird masked figure in the hatch video????

Stay tuned..... you know I will!

Never In a Million Years

There's been a lot of talk lately about whether this current political cycle (say the last 4 years or so) is decidedly uglier, nastier, and more mean-spirited than ever before. I've attended lectures debating that very topic, where some experts have said that politics and propaganda are just cyclical and this happens to be a darker time, and others have said that yes, indeedy this is the worst that it has ever been. Well, I'm starting to believe the latter.

Why? Because NEVER in my life could I have imagined that a glass-house-dwelling right-wing opinion leader (cough, nutjob!) would attack a beloved American television star, stricken with a debilitating and life-threatening disease, and accuse him of FAKING HIS ILLNESS to try and win votes in some alleged left-wing propaganda conspiracy. WHAT?????

How can anyone attack Michael J. Fox???? These kinds of dirty, ugly tactics get me closer and closer to believing that this actually does happen. (Click the link, it's an oldie-but-goodie.)

I have to admit, I take a certain ironic joy in the fact that the man we all grew to love by playing the most zealous of Reagan's Young Republicans is now such a vocal, passionate voice supporting Democrats. You go, APK!

Let the Season Begin!

I just got home from seeing my first heavyweight Oscar-bait movie of the fall, Martin Scorsese's The Departed. Guess what? I LOVED it. I walked into the theater really *wanting* to like it, because the cast is incredible and the trailers gave me hopes for a good story. But I was keeping my expectations mid-to-low because I freakin' HATED The Aviator, the last Scorsese-DiCaprio joint venture. But all my fears were for naught, cuz this is a damn good movie. The kind that you stay in the dark theater through all the credits to keep talking about. Wow.

So, here goes...my first Oscar picks for 2007... I think this little old Boston cops-and-corruption flick stands a pretty good chance at the following:

--- Best Actor: I predict nominations for one or the other (but probably not both) of the main duo, Damon and DiCaprio. Both have proven their acting chops before so they're not quite ingenues - I think the Academy could be ready to acknowledge both their smart performances here and their good career choices overall.

--- Best Supporting Actor: Wow, there are 4 good performances to choose from here. Jack Nicholson, of course, plays what Jack plays best: a riveting, charismatic, semi-psychopath. Martin Sheen does well in his first post-Bartlet role. But the real surprises, the real treasures, here came from two somewhat unexpected sources: Alec Baldwin, who is hilarious, and Mark(y Mark) Wahlberg, who is riveting. They both steal whatever scenes they're in, and when they're actually in a few scenes together - watch out! :-)

--- Best Screenplay: This is based on a previous movie, Infernal Affairs, so it would be going for the Adapted Screenplay slot. The story is layered and complicated and filled with twists and turns -- at one climactic scene near the end, I actually said out loud "I DID NOT see that coming!" -- but still it all held together. Even with our post-credits analysis, we were all impressed at how well the story unveiled itself and yet kept us guessing 'til the very end. It's not hyperbole to say the story is Shakespearean, filled with hubris, retribution, and grand tragedy.

--- Best Picture: Depending on what else comes out of the chute the next few months, this one definitely stands a chance at the big nod. The pedigree is incredible and if our experience was any indication, it feels like there's pretty strong audience response to a smart, well-written, well-acted film.

and, finally.... I am gonna go out on a limb and say that this may FINALLY be the movie that gets Marty his own statue. How many nominations has he had? This time, he may actually go home with Oscar.

An Observation

Query:
Why is it that nearly every female out there has an almost biological impulse to love, nay ADORE, the song "Sweet Caroline" ???

Seriously, I've been bitten by the bug myself. There's something about that song, like a biological imperative. You simply must sing along, at the top of your lungs, both to the verses and the "bah-bah-bahhhhhh" and "so good! so good!" backup parts. You must do the required hand motions. And somehow, no matter what was happening before, it just puts you in a damn good mood.

But, my observations and informal surveys lead me to believe that this phenomenon is restricted to the females of our species. Why are males unaffected? How can men deny the seemingly undeniable power of Mr. Neil Diamond???

Hands, touching hands...

LOST Unlocks the Heart of a Hunter

Fantastic episode tonight. But I confess I'm still a bit shaken and stirred by Keith Olbermann's closing "Special Comment" about habeus corpus. Scary stuff. So in lieu of an actual recap / ramblings, I give you my speculation on what all the LOST speculating will be about this week.

**Semi-spoiler-ific here***

Here's what people will be talking about on the LOST blogs:
- John's temporary muteness
- Sweat lodges
- Vision quests
- Hallucinations and symbolism
- The mysterious presence of Boone, and why he looks so much hotter with long hair.
- Polar bears!
- The Hatch crater
- Naked Desmond, who's acting a little funny....
- John's pre-island "family" and guns and pot and a mole, plus John's glaring ineptitude. Is this a pattern?
- Plato's allegory of the cave. (Why not? We need a literary reference, right?)
- The writers' ability to just insert 2 new characters from those "Survivor extras" we've been seeing for 2 years.

And, best of all, a return to the action, suspense, and mysterious thrills of season 1... complete with the badassness of tracker Locke (versus cubicle-dwelling, button-pushing, loserly Locke) and his total faith in the island. Welcome back, cool John, I've missed you. I hope you stick around for a while.

And next week - they are doing something to my Sawyer. He better survive whatever it is, or JJ, Damon and Carlton are gonna have me to answer to. Sawyer lives.

My LOST Theory

This is being posted BEFORE I see tonight's show, "Further Instructions" - but what do you think?

I have a theory, based somewhat on the commentary I've seen in the last 24 hours since Bush signed that new law about military commissions. It's about how we as Americans are just rolling over and letting the administration do things that we never even would have thought possible 7 years ago. Torture? Suspending civil rights? Preemptive war? Tell me that in 1999 *anyone* could have imagined this. Or imagined that we would put up with this.

Anyway - my LOST theory. This in keeping with Sean's overall allegory approach over on Lost But Found, with the whole show being an allegory for the US post-9/11. Kate, Sawyer and Jack are indeed being "retrained." After the plane crash, the Others have seen an opportunity to bring new people into their fold - maybe as workers? maybe as soldiers? - but know that these fresh-to-the-island survivors won't support them yet because they would find their tactics too controversial, or "evil." So they are now in a process of "retraining" the Survivors' leaders - all the talk of being the "good guys" and psychological conditioning to be dependent upon the Others - to ensure that the Survivors will start coming to the Others' way of thinking.

I am guessing that sometime soon we will start seeing the Others doing some pretty horrible things, but that Jack, Sawyer and Kate will just go along with it because they've been so conditioned to depend on Ben, Tom, etc. for their leadership and moral clarity. (cough.)

Much like now the American people just bend and sway in the wind of 'orange alerts' and NFL stadium threats and so much talk of "good and evil" that they might as well be feeding us fish biscuits.

A Little Breathing Room...

I have decided I need to take a little step back from my blogging habit, at least for a while.

Lately I have found that I haven't had as much to say... I will find myself thinking up great ideas to write while I'm on the bus or at work, but when I finally sit down in front of the computer I'm just not finding the inspiration or the energy to write them down. The last thing I ever wanted was for blogging to feel like an obligation or a chore, but sadly it's starting to feel that way. I've also been thinking about the future, and wondering "will I still be blogging a year from now? what more could I possibly say?"

So I'm feeling the need to reduce the pressure I put on myself to come up with good ideas and churn out posts on a regular basis. I'll still post sometimes, but not nearly as frequently as I have been at my peak. And hopefully that makes it better for you, too, if I care more and spend more time focusing on what I actually am writing. (Although you can probably count on weekly LOST recaps...)

At the same time, I am going to scale way back on the number of blogs I read regularly. I have 10 "real-life" friends with blogs of their own, and those will be the ones that I still check on an almost-daily basis (thanks to Bloglines). I will keep up with my "bloggy friends" fairly often, too, but I just can't commit the time to be reading as many blogs as I've got on the blog roll. I'll keep the links up for people who use them.

Before blogging, I used to use my Internet time to read several newspapers on a regular basis - I kept up with what was going on in the world, and I was better about sending actual emails to the people I want to keep up with. So I need some of that time back, cuz I'm feeling like I've been a little disconnected from "real reality" and more involved than I should have been in "blog reality."

So, there you have it.... expect to see occasional tv, movie, or book reviews, and maybe posts about a restaurant or new photographs here or there, but I'm going to get back to focusing on living life rather than struggling to write about it. Thanks everyone!

Armchair Time Again

With the midterms looming and Mark Warner's recent announcement that he's not going to throw his hat in the ring, it seems like a good time for a little more talk about the 2008 election. The field is still pretty darn wide, as we're all waiting for the flurry of announcements over the next few months as to who is or isn't running.

But until we know for sure, you can use a quiz that's already become tradition for me over the last 3 cycles - the Presidential Predictor allows you to answer a series of questions on *your* views on the issues then will give you the results on how the current crop of aspiring candidates matches your answers. Side note, having taken this quiz a few times, it's very easy to notice how the questions - and thus the "hot button issues" - have changed over the years.

I took the quiz today, and there are some interesting results. It looks like my new homework assignment is to learn more about Russ Feingold!!!

Percent Rank Item
(100%) 1: Sen. Russ Feingold (D)
(98%) 2: Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D)
(97%) 3: Sen. John Kerry (D)
(96%) 4: Ex-VP Al Gore (D)
(94%) 5: Ex-Gen. Wesley Clark (D)
(94%) 6: Sen. Joseph Biden (D)
(87%) 7: Sen. Christopher Dodd (D)
(84%) 8: Sen. Hillary Clinton (D)
(83%) 9: Ex-Sen. John Edwards (D)
(83%) 10: Gov. Tom Vilsack (D)
(71%) 11: Sen. Evan Bayh (D)
(69%) 12: Ex-Gov. Mark Warner (D)
(65%) 13: Gov. Bill Richardson (D)
(56%) 14: Ex-Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R)
(56%) 15: Gov. Mitt Romney (R)
(50%) 16: Gov. Mike Huckabee (R)
(48%) 17: Gov. George Pataki (R)
(43%) 18: Sec. Condoleezza Rice (R)
(31%) 19: Sen. John McCain (R)
(25%) 20: Ex-Rep. Newt Gingrich (R)
(24%) 21: Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist (R)
(22%) 22: Sen. Chuck Hagel (R)
(18%) 23: Sen. George Allen (R)
(15%) 24: Rep. Tom Tancredo (R)
(9%) 25: Sen. Sam Brownback (R)

Cold Snap!

So, the temperatures's gone way down and it's supposed to be cold here in DC today. Like, high in the 50's. Oh no! We might have to wear a jacket! You mean it's actually going to be cool in the fall...???

While a lot of DC natives will be shivering today, I'm just giggling on the inside. Why? Cuz this is the time of year when I'm SO GLAD that I left my hometown for the much warmer Mid-Atlantic.

Did y'all see how Buffalo got SMACKED! last night with a massive dump of lake effect snow? Ah, how those 3 words used to loom over my childhood.... we were always so used to snow that the threat of just a little flurry never got us excited about possible school closings. With only 5 allowed snow days a year, it had to be a freakin' blizzard to cancel classes for the day. So that meant that big snowstorms just meant tense rides into school, school buses fishtailing on country roads, snow boots and scarves and gloves and frost bite, giant snow drifts and white-outs blocking your vision and blinding you with glare, wet clothes and carpets everywhere, and never really being able to warm up.

With that storm last night, Western New York has ALREADY set a new record as the snowiest October ever. And yeah, I remember getting snow on Mother's Day. More than once. That's 8 months of winter.

So, I'll gladly walk around in the "cold weather" here in DC today and be happy that I've left all that so-called winter wonderland behind.

Ballerinas & Work Camps & Sailboats... it must be LOST!

*Spoiler Alert - here's tonight's recap!*

I'm a little tired tonight and have a lot of catching up to do still on reading the LOST blogs from last week, so this is going to be mostly just instant reaction and not any theorizing....but I bet there's going to be some great stuff out there on the blogs about psychological conditioning. Gotta read up!

Tonight's ep broadened our horizons beyond last week, when we only focused on the Others' "two cities." Our courageous attempted-rescuers were brought back into the story tonight, as we saw Sayid, Jin, and Sun trying to figure out why Jack, Sawyer and Kate haven't responded to their signal fire yet and strategizing to end their capture.

It's nice to see some more of the familiar characters again... and though the flashbacks have started to become my least favorite part of the show overall, I do like Jin and Sun and their backstory is both complicated and compelling. Remember, just 2 seasons ago we thought he was a horrible abusive husband. Then last season we saw him as being sweet and loving. Now? I think he's somewhere in between. And Sun? Well, she's no angel. Or glass ballerina. Even as a kid she was a big fat liar -- so what does this all mean as to the identity of her baby's daddy?

Right after a strange moment of lookie-loos where it seems that Sawyer just might know Juliet from somewhere, more than just when she tasered him in the woods, there's finally a big romantic moment where he becomes the big swaggerin' purpose-driven man and plants a kiss right on sweaty, hot, tired Kate. But was this real romance, or his way to try to stage that little action where he got the gun and almost was able to buy a moment or two before being outsmarted? I like to think it is real romance. He's definitely been giving Kate more of the eye lately, and finally saying some sweet stuff, but I'm not gonna forget that weird look with Juliet.

Speaking of Juliet and romance, there is some great twisted story we have yet to hear about her relationship with Benry Gale. I can't wait - but I do love watching them snipe at each other! That's the kind of venom that can only come from thwarted affection.

I was glad to see Alex again, who raised again the question of who that Carl is and why he was locked up. I hope we find that out fairly soon.

That was a *great* encounter on the sailboat between Sun and the Other Lady, can't remember her name. The more I keep hearing "we're the good guys" and "we're not the enemy," I just might start to believe it. But our own glass ballerina may turn out to be Pandora in the end.... and damn, that sailboat was great while it lasted. But, apparently, they could've only used it to sail in circles around the island, so maybe it didn't help them that much after all.

When's Sayid gonna learn that signal fires don't work on this island? They either lead the Losties to the wrong place, or they clue the Others in to the possible ambush. And when are the Losties going to learn that everything they do on this island - EVERYTHING - is being watched???

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Benry Gale rocks my world. And he's lived on the island all his life? And yet chooses to stay. Will Jack? Curiouser and curiouser....

And PS - 2 years later, the Red Sox joke is still hilarious!

My DC Hub

Over the last 4 years of my singledom here in DC, there's one place that has become the hub of all of my various social activities: 1633 P Street NW, home of both Cafe Luna and Skewers.

I can't even remember all of the great times, great meals, and great conversations I've had in this building...

Two book clubs have met here, discussing English Victorian prostitutes and epic sea voyages with Bengal tigers over pasta and the immigrant experience and creepy doll museums over kabobs.

I've wowed my mom with eclectic, authentic city living over a bowl of mussels and a huge salad.

A coworker and I shared martinis while going through a giant stack of resumes to hire a new position.

I've welcomed alums new to DC here through comfort-food meals, and I've ended up with one really close friend out of those long-ago Evites.

I've taken two men whom I've loved there, and I had a boozy late-night meal with a friend to debrief on a new crush I was enjoying...the memories of the meals lasted longer than the dream of those relationships, but what can you say?

Last winter, I regularly indulged in decadent solo meals and toasty warm drinks before going to National Geographic lectures nearby.

This building was a beacon of hope for me in 2004, when I led a meetup group that worked really hard to try to effect change. That didn't work so well either, but I made some great friends out of it.

Plus I had a really horrible first date in that building, with a guy who started talking about his ideal pet while pushing his nose up into his face and making oinking sounds. Nice!

If you've never sampled the cheap, hearty, delicious food and friendly ambience at these two great restaurants, I recommend you try it soon. You just might run into me there! :-)

Are You Beta?

I switched over to Blogger Beta over the weekend. I was most excited to switch cuz I wanted to start using the labels/tags that you now see at the bottom of each post to keep things more organized and searchable. Of course, my first task was to go back through my Archives and tag all of the LOST entries!!! (Would you expect anything less?)

I'm liking that function the most so far, but I have detected a few bugs... it's a beta, so of course there are bound to be some. But my biggest concern is that I've lost my "Compose Mode" wysiwyg editor. Now all posting is done in the html mode. I still have the "Yes" selected in my Settings to have the Compose editor turned on, but it's not there. Have any other new beta bloggers figured a way around this little bug? I'm hoping it gets fixed/upgraded soon... I can handle the html for simple stuff, but uploading and linking to photos will be a whole new challenge. And you know me, I love to post a good picture.

It also appears that my RSS feeds have gone away, hopefully just temporarily. So I hope my bloglines subscribers will be patient and check the actual blog for a while... :-)

Until the bugs are worked out, though, bear with me and have fun exploring all my new tags!

Upgrade!

Today I had the fun of checking out the new "SmarTrip express lanes" on Metro. What a great idea! At Pentagon City, one of the "test" stations for this new idea, I was able to use one of the blue-wrapped express faregates, marked by lots of fun "SmarTrip only!" signs. It felt very cool to be a local, with that SmarTrip card of mine being like a badge of honor. "Hey, I live here, I'm a commuter, I know what to do... so I get a special lane." Love it!

And the benefit of the express lane was made even clearer on way back from this trip, as I exited at Archives-Navy Memorial. This station does not yet have an express lane, and several of us were held up on leaving by a little boy who had unknowingly tried to put his farecard in to an exit slot, thus jamming the machine. The kid didn't know any better, but SmarTrip users do.

So I say, bring on those express lanes for every station! Thanks, Metro, for this smart improvement!

Ice Cream & iTunes

Tonight, after a great dinner at Zaytinya, Brunette and I had a great time just hanging out at the local ice cream place. Gifford's, of course! In addition to sampling TWO of their new seasonal flavors - peanut butter cookies & cream and pumpkin pie, yum! - and reveling in our shared hatred of the movie "Cold Mountain," we did the time warp back to the 1980's courtesy of Gifford's XM Radio choice.

In the time that it took to eat our delicious dessert, we got to chair-dance and sing along to such oldies-but-goodies as:

- "Should've Known Better" by Richard Marx - the man with the 2nd biggest hair of the 80's, just behind Adam Curry.
- "Open Your Heart" by Madonna - they could so not make an underage peepshow video these days.
- Amy Grant's "Baby Baby" - remember her terrible shorts-with-suspenders fashion?
- a Peter Cetera solo "hit" that I can't remember at the moment.. but it was NOT the duet with the aforementioned Amy Grant
- "You Make My Dreams" by Hall & Oates - "I'm Oates!"
and the best...
- "Can't We Try" by Dan Hill & Vonda Shepard. Yep, who knew it was the Ally McBeal chick on that song???

Would you believe that we remembered almost ALL the words? Ah, those memory cells could be put to such better use. The Gifford's scoop-ista was singing along with us, too, as she explained that they listen to this XM station all the time. And I had so much fun that now I'm downloading these blasts from the past from iTunes!

PS - "I Marry You! I Marry You! I Marry You!" I'd rather see "Sack Lunch."

Not Again?!?

My reverse polarity at home continues. First the phone line went dead. Then the digital camera broke and needed to be replaced. Then the phone again, then the cable went out. This is all in the last few weeks.

Well, tonight, the VCR died. I thought it would be fun to kill some time before tonight's episode of "I Heart Halpert" by rewatching last night's killer episode of LOST. I had taped it while watching, and the tape was still in the VCR. I hit REWIND and the little "display" stats came up on the screen, but then the VCR shut itself off and the screen went to snow.

Huh? I turned the VCR back on, try again. Same thing. Now I try just hitting PLAY. Same thing. Now FFWD? More snow. But now, just turning the VCR back on makes it shut itself off again. More snow. Eject? No such luck. That tape's not moving.

Uh oh. So now, not only is a tape stuck and not working, but the VCR won't even stay on. And my cable comes in threaded through the VCR. Oh, I will not be missing The Office and Grey's Anatomy. Hell, no!

I get a bread knife and try jimmying the tape out. I tell myself "Ah, yes, all that's needed is a simple lever." Hmmm. Not so much. Tape's not budging, although the hard black plastic starts to chip off on the end of the knife.

I decide to just give up on the damn VCR and try to salvage tonight's tv-watching. So, I pull everything out of the entertainment center and start moving cords around. I used to have mad cord skillz back in the day of moving computers and TVs and VCRs every year.

Aha! I did it! I now have the little alternator box thingy hooked right into the TV, and thank goodness the cable still works! The TV remote has a battery in it so ancient that it could've powered the mobile in God's crib, so that didn't work, but luckily the VCR remote has a tv function.

So, now the VCR has been put out of commission. Alas, I've lost last night's LOST. But.... now I have a decision to make. Leave things this way? Or think about replacing and/or repairing the VCR? Heck, this one is about 10 years old, and that tape that's in there has a label that says "Friends Finale" from probably 1998 or so. This is what happens when cheap electronics get old.

And here's my question to you all -- does one even need a VCR these days? What's the alternative -these fancy DVR things I've heard tell of? Watching TV shows online? Tell me, what do y'all do in the 21st century?

So Happy to be LOST... AGAIN!

Ah, Season 3 has begun. Though I am LOST, my life finally is once again complete. :-)

****Season Premiere Spoilers and Somewhat Plot-Related Rambling Ahead!****

This show is nothing short of brilliant in my mind, and I love it more every minute. That beginning??? Blew me away! And I love the nod to super-fan (and rumored Bad Twin author?) Stephen King. :-)

Our story picks up with Sawyer, Kate, and Jack now facing their bizarre captivity in the Others' camp. (Why did I put Saywer first? Cuz he's the hottest, of course.)

The three are separated, and seem to still be subjects in bizarre experiments. Poor Sawyer is like a hamster in a cage, spending most of the episode trying to figure out which button to push or lever to pull to get himself a fish biscuit. What an insult, learning that it only took the bears 2 hours. Jack is stuck in an aquarium, monitored by an Other lady who may be a doctor and may just be his new love interest. And Kate? Well, she probably had the weirdest experience of all - being wooed on the beach, only to be warned that the next 2 weeks are going to be rough. I'm guessing this little fall mini-season will cover that 2 week time-frame nicely?

The Others' camp now appears to be rundown, shabby, outdated like a Victorian zoo, with the mark of a Scorpion Hatch. Are we still removed from the cute little yellow houses and friendly neighbors? Perhaps. It is a "Tale of Two Cities" after all. But we're definitely at least part underwater. And somehow the Others have been building files on our little castaways. Do they have access to Google somehow? I'm perplexed for the moment.

Flashbacks. Jack stalking cheating wife Sarah. Sarah and Jack fighting at the lawyer's office. Jack stealing Sarah's cell phone to discover who she's cheating with. Jack fighting with dad Christian. Jack neglecting a patient on the table who looks surprisingly like Tom/Zeke (just me?) to stalk Christian and follow him to an AA meeting. Jack attacking Christian - wait, is my season 2 theory coming true? - for having an affair with his son's wife. Well, it doesn't appear to be true, but I did really like that theory.

And, oh yeah. I still have no idea who he is or where he came from, but believe you me... I would not f**k with Henry Gale. He is the most awesome character ever. Creepy, reptilian, terrifying. And impossible to figure out. I would certainly never kick him out of a book club. He's either a brilliant leader or a psychopath or a little bit of both. And now we know his name - it's Ben.

Lest you think my LOST obsession is an anomaly, you should know little bro is now totally hooked, too. He watched all of Season 2 via Netflix over the last week, until he hit a crisis mode tonight and started texting me... poor guy had it timed to the minute to finish Season 2 and watch the premiere of Season 3, but he didn't realize the Season 2 finale was 2 hours - so he had to stop the DVD in order to watch the new episode, and now has to go back and watch those intense final scenes that brought us to today. Obsession runs in the family, for sure.

Be sure to check out my two favorite LOST blogs in the next day or so for their complete comments: Lost but Found and Lost and Gone Forever.

What Causes School Shootings?

The news this week has been terrible, which if you sift through all the political posturing and war positioning, also featured 3 horrific school shootings making the headlines. Whether it's adults going into schools and killing children or children themselves turning on each other and their teachers, these events are symptoms of a real sickness in our society.

I can't imagine the perspective of current school kids. Columbine happened when I was already in college. I grew up before the era of bag checks and metal detectors in the local high school. And I only graduated 13 years ago.

What has changed in those 13 years? What made school shootings go from being something totally unimaginable to a terrifyingly frequent occurrence? Has there really been any shift in American culture that has made school shootings become more common? That has made them seem like a viable option for the handful of crazies out there that want to do something drastic? I don't have an answer, but in my conversations today a few potential answers kept coming up:

1. Guns. I don't actually know if or how the gun laws have changed over the last decade or two - my Mom was talking about repeals of the assault weapons ban and changes in required waiting periods, but I don't actually know the facts to cite them. I just do have a general perception that guns are really easy to get in our society, whether you're a psychopath who can go buy one yourself at Walmart or whether you're a teenage kid left alone at Grandpa's house where he happens to have an arsenal in the shed.

2. Desensitization to Violence. I don't know if I buy this argument that we've been hearing for years - that movies and music and video games are getting so violent that people are no longer shocked by violence, or now see violence as an avenue for problem solving. Not exactly the conflict resolution models I learned in college. My problem with this argument as a whole is that not everyone who plays Mortal Kombat grows up to kill people... just like not everyone who's molested by a clergyman becomes a Congressional pedophile. There's a difference between an explanation and an excuse. And I think there are going to be a few bad apples who will do bad things regardless of the influences they have.

3. Glorification in the Media. If a few of those crazies are looking for attention, well, what have previous school shootings taught them? In our 24-hour news cycle, they become icons. Didn't those two Columbine kids end up having almost a "fan club" that started dressing and talking like them? Death and/or incarceration may be deterrants to most of us, far outweighing any fame or notoriety that cable news gives to people who do bad things. But for a few whacked-out people that are looking to make a statement or just want to be noticed, for these killers, this era of all-media, all-the-time, could look pretty attractive.

What do you think? Any social workers or teachers or psychologists out there with any theories? Have you read any studies as to what causes school shootings? Because I just can not figure them out, and still can't even imagine how it's possible that they happen.

What I'm Listening To

I just picked up a fun new CD - Brake for Wilson's On We Burn. This is a Philadelphia-based band with two members, a guy and a girl. I went to college with the guy and have had fun following his career as an actor and musician, so it's great to now listen to a real CD that he's made! :-)

This combo offers the kind of jaunty, singer-songwriter-y pop that's similar to John Mayer or Ben Folds, and they list everyone from Sting to Tori Amos to the Beatles as their musical influences. The lyrics are good, the sound is full and rich, and their voices - while very different - blend well together. Even though the songs cover relationships and their ups and downs, the music overall gives you a sunny feeling and I just find myself smiling when I'm listening to it on the iPod. (That would explain any weird dreamy smiles I may have been sporting on the bus lately!

The CD is available for purchase at CDBaby, or you can download tracks on iTunes - I'd recommend "Big World", "Western Hills" and "Can't You Hear" as downloads to get a taste of their sound. Check it out!

Ready to Swim

Today marks one year since I made a pretty big emotional decision in my life. It was a good decision, ultimately, though I did experience a few bumps of regret and second-guessing of myself. But I am definitely now in a much better place. I can't believe it's already been a year. Where in the world does the time go?

At the same time, it also marks one year since there's been any real change in things. My life today looks pretty much exactly as it did a year ago, and the year before that, and the year before that. Things are good for the most part, so I don't really have much to complain about. I'm glad that there haven't been any changes for the worse - in that case, status quo looks pretty good.

But I can't shake the feeling, as I'm starting down the approach to another fall, another holiday season, another new year, another *birthday*, that I'm treading water. And that I've been treading water for years. And that maybe it feels like it's time to swim.

So, this is me, saying to the universe - whatever you have in store for me next, I'm ready. I hope you have good things planned for me, but either way, I am looking forward to the adventure.

Hooray for Culture Sunday!

Today, a bunch of ladies and I explored a variety of cultural opportunities here in our fair city:

First up, Onyah and I joined 3 of my coworkers to hit the Crafty Bastards festival at the Marie Reed Learning Center in Adams Morgan. This festival showcasing really diverse arts and crafts attracted a huge crowd, and I was really glad that the weather decided to shine down on such a great community event. The wares on display ranged from hand-screened children's tees to furry hand bags to funky buttons and coasters to some pretty impressive (and pricey) jewelry, photography, and sculpture. One thing I learned from our exploring is that apparently the octopus is a much popular animal than I thought, cuz I swear every third booth had some cutesy octopus items! This event was a great example of how DC really is a small town, cuz I ran into several people I know and my friends did, too. Six degrees of separation, indeed. Shoofly was there with her great stuff, so I hope people said hello!

Next, a new iteration of the gal-gang sampled the brunch tapas at Jaleo downtown. This was a recommendation from GPLiving (gracias), and we really enjoyed it. We'd all been to Jaleo many times before, but this was our first opportunity to sample their brunch items. It's a small list, but that actually helps you narrow down the choices. I had a poached egg with potatoes and chorizo, a plate of pork sausage with mushrooms, and a DEELISH piece of fried brioche with strawberries and apple compote. Plus a surprisingly strong mimosa made with orange liquer. Yummy all around.

Finally, one of the gal-pals and I made our way to the National Gallery to see two of their current exhibits. In the East building, we headed for "Henri Rousseau: Jungles in Paris." I've heard mixed reviews of this one, but I actually really liked it. I'd seen a few of Rousseau's jungle pieces in other museums over the years, but I didn't know much about him or his work at all. This exhibit is somewhat unusual in that it offers both original works by the artist and a signficant amount of information and artifacts that help put that artist in context. Rousseau never left France in his life, and his work was inspired by and/or copied from things that he saw in the Jardins de Paris botanical gardens and zoo, as well as in the tabloid news of his time. This is why his jungle paintings often seem so surreal, with animals and plants that would never actually be together in the wild. I found it really interesting to learn the context of the Victorian art world as it fell in love with the "exotic."

Our last stop was a small gallery in the West Building for "Streets of New York", a photography exhibit I read about in last week's Express. This was a collection of gritty urban photos from the likes of Weegee and Lisette Modell, among others. I enjoyed studying the rich black & white portraits of Coney Island gang members, subway riders, children at play, and socialites on their way to the opera, as well as some great portraits of the Big Apple itself. If you go see the exhibit, look for the kinda surreal photo of the Empire State Building at night. I think that was my favorite.

This was a great day, as I finally feel like I'm starting to take advantage of so many of the great things our city has to offer. The museums in our nation's capital aren't just for tourists! :-) And, of course, now I'm exhausted!