Fem Blog

Check out my first contribution to the Fems For Better Men blog!

My favorite _______ of 2009

A few of my favorite things from this past year:

-New TV Series: a tie between Modern Family and Hung

-Returning Series: True Blood

-Guilty Pleasure: The View

-Read: Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld, not published this year but this is when I read it so it counts

-Pregnancy Food Craving: Trader Joes Dark Chocolate Covered Pretzels

-Movie: just like last year I haven't seen many current movies, but from what I saw Up was far and away my favorite, it is truly a beautiful film

-New Restaurant: Tacos Por Favor, it's been around for years but I finally got around to trying it and all I can say is YUM

-New Gadget: Its tie between the Kindle for iPhone app and the Blogpress app

-Parenting Product: rocking chair, because it makes my job easier and more comfy

-Personal Moment: Seeing Sofie for the very first time

A Year In Facebook

Fun Facebook activity, a year in the life of Status Updates.

Prep: or how I learned I've officially become a grown-up

Just finished reading Curtis Sittenfeld's debut book, Prep, a book I've been wanting to read for quite some time but have never gotten around to. In fact I'm pretty sure I have a hardcover copy somewhere that I bought and never read and so I have now paid twice to read this book since I had to download it for the Kindle app. Luckily it was a good book so I don't feel too bad about it (although I'm sure my husband is reading this thinking "you paid twice?!", sorry babe). I really did enjoy the book though, Sittenfeld is a great writer, in fact so good I may be tempted to read her other book which was apparently loosely based on Laura Bush. I actually thought her main character was like a modern, female Holden Caufield. At any rate I loved the book but more importantly it taught me something about myself in a very unexpected way.

I've always been a fan of coming-of-age stories which certainly adds to the reason why I liked Prep. I like them because they make me feel nostalgic and because they are always in some way relatable to my own childhood, this book more than most. This time something was different though because now I am a parent, and although as I read I still found myself harkening back to my own high school days, I found an entirely new batch of thoughts crossing my mind as well: someday this will be Sofie.

It's mind boggling to think about her being that age, but when the thought crossed my mind it was like a flash of clarity as I was again reminded of how it's not really about me anymore and I realized that having a child is almost like a second coming of age. I've never really seen myself as a real adult because I've never really felt a marked difference between my youth and adulthood other than a gradual maturity and wisdom that naturally comes with age, but I never really felt a definitive change. In reading this book, however, and finding myself relating the experience to the future of my child rather than my own past I learned that I am a grown-up now and the nice part is I don't really mind it.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Addicted to Austen

Just finished my third Jane Austen novel in as many weeks and, to use the parlance of Miss Austen, found them quite agreeable. I'm sure you're wondering how a new mom can have so much time for reading but as I sometimes spend hours on end rocking Sofie it actually affords a good deal of time for it, made possible only by the Kindle for iPhone app (love it!). After finishing the Dan Brown I struggled to find a new book, the only downside to the kindle being that a lot of books are not availble for it. Everything I wanted to read was unavailable and nothing else seemed worthy of the nine dollar price tag and then I stumbled upon the fact that the Kindle store has several classic books available for free. Now I've never really been into the classics, although to be fair the only ones I've really read are a handful of Dickens I was forced to read in AP English and hated, so I've always tended towards modern fiction, but I figured they were free so there was no harm in checking them out at least.

I started with Pride and Prejudice, which I found slow to get going but once the plot really began to unfold I was hooked. My only major complaint was that the ending felt slightly rushed and anti-climactic, I would have liked the final coming together of Eliza and Darcy to be a little more dramatic. Next I dove into Sense and Sensibility which I also enjoyed though not as much as Pride and finally I read Mansfield Park which was by far my favorite of the three and which I think can partially be accounted to the fact that Austen's writing matured and became exponentially better as her writing career progressed.

I am definitely in awe of her as a writer. She has clearly influenced a great deal of modern material from Gilmore Girls to Twilight and so much more. It's no wonder her books have been adapted into films so many times over because although the books are old the themes are still so relevant today. I guess that's why they call them classics.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Giving Thanks

Every year at this time I generally have one thing on my mind: turkey, turkey, turkey. I didn't grow up in a very traditional American family and somehow giving thought to the meaning of thanksgiving usually escapes me. This year however, maybe because I have a lot to be thankful for, I am more aware and so I thought I would share some things for which I give thanks.

I am thankful for:

-my sweet baby girl and everything she has already taught me

-my loving supportive husband without whom I would probably starve

-my mom, because I never understood the full magnitude of what she did for me until now

-my loyal pup who keeps me warm at night even though it means giving up half my bed space

-coffee, warm, cold I don't care as long as it's caffienated

-sweatpants

-the few hours of sleep I get

-my iPhone because it keeps me plugged into the "outside"

-mouthwash for being more efficient than a toothbrush

-cameras because these last two months have been a blur

-the miracle of life



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

What a bunch of boobs

While the government and news media continues to go to battle over the Obama healthcare plan, the health of the women in the US has suddenly been flung back into the dark ages. First the US Preventative Services Task Force (whatever the hell that is) changed the suggested age for mammograms from age 40 to 50, then the American College for Obstetrics and Gynecology has suggested that pap smears need not be given more often than every two years. While I don't have personal experience with mammograms and breast cancer I certainly know of women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer at a much younger age than 50, not to mention that fact that it is repeated time and time again that the main reason that breast cancer death rates have declined is due to early diagnosis. To the pap smears I can speak from a more personal place as I personally was a hair away from cervical cancer, and had I not had my annual pap smear it may not have been caught in time. I guess what I don't understand is why? Why discourage women from getting preventative care? To what, shave a minute or two off of the nanoseconds spent with each patient? To spare a minimal amount of discomfort? To somehow save money? I don't care what the reason is, it's not important enough to risk my life and so to the task force and to the college all I can say is you can take your suggestions and shove em.

"Communism is just a red herring!"

I just finished reading my first book read entirely on my iphone using the Kindle app, read while rocking baby (I love this phone! It seems there's almost nothing it can't do). I decided on the new Dan Brown because I figured it would be a light, easy read and like everyone else I read the Da Vinci Code and enjoyed it. The DaVinci Code was so succesful that it led to a zillion copycats and it seems even Dan Brown stole it's formula and simply plugged new characters and mysteries for his latest endeavor The Lost Symbol.

If you don't recognize it, the quote in my post title is from the movie Clue. Like Clue, Lost Symbol is a wild goose chase in search of an answer, the red herring in this being the lost secrets of the Freemasons. I don't want to give anything away but I'll just say the reveal is not nearly as interesting or controversial as that of the DaVinci Code.

Although I found his latest work somewhat disappointing, it does irk me that Brown gets so heavily criticized by so called literary authors and critics. Of course his writing isn't going to win any national book awards but it's not trying to in the first place. It's purpose like many other succesful books is simply to entertain and what exactly is so wrong with that? Not every book has to be the great American novel to serve a purpose. In fact I would argue that an author like Brown is more aware of his audience than most because he is writing more for them than for himself. His critics should be happy for the fact that he is getting people to buy and read books and basically single-handedly keeping the publishing business afloat. For every Dan Brown a publisher has there are twenty critically acclaimed authors who get to be published even though they aren't bestsellers. It's no different than the film industry, the only way a studio can pay for those Oscar pics is by rolling out a handful of Transformers sequels.


-- Posted from my iPhone

09.09.09

Been lacking blog posts in quite some time but for good reason, I've been pretty tied up since the date titling this post as that was the day my daughter was born and my life pretty much changed forever. I hate to sound so dramatic and to be honest before becoming a parent myself I couldn't stand people with kids who would harp on how different life was with children and that you couldn't possibly understand until you have one, but damn it they were right. Life has changed in numerous ways. Its almost difficult to even explain it. At times it is trying but mostly it's amazing. I have never felt so much joy and love and the feeling only grows each day.

I mean don't get me wrong, certainly I didn't expect life to go on as it had before, but what I didn't expect was how much it would change me as a person. I've always admired moms because they all seem to have a similar air of confidence and now that I am one I finally understand where that confidence comes from, it's simply not caring. The minute you become responsible for such a helpless and ridiculously adorable human being everything else just suddenly seems to matter less. Would I rather not walk around unshowered and covered in spit up? Sure, but at the end of the day none of that stuff really matters when compared to her happiness and well-being. For the last 29 years it's been a me-world and suddenly I've been thrust into new world view, one in which the planets no longer revolve around myself, and quite frankly- for someone who generally is quite self-concious- it's a very liberating feeling.

All that said I haven't forgotten there's a whole world of life still going on everyday, in fact the only thing that keeps me sane some days is having five minutes to plop down on the couch and watch the Today show or the View (yes I watch the View and I'm not ashamed to admit it!) just to be reminded of what I now refer to as the "real world". I have missed blogging and there's been so much I've wanted to discuss but I simply haven't had the time. Everything from turning 29- fairly uneventful- to Starbucks new instant coffee Via- suprisingly good. And then of course there was the new fall tv line-up: Modern Family- hilarious, Cougar Town- awfully unhilarious, Community- meh. And for those of you still tuning into Survivor like I am, there's Russell- possibly my most favorite player ever, not saying the guy's likable but man does he know how to play the game.

I spend a lot of my day sitting in a rocking chair, iPhone in hand to entertain me (what did moms do before this amazing invention I will never know, nor do I want to), while Sofie sleeps blissfully in my arms. Thanks to the discovery of this blogger iPhone app I should be able to blog occassionally, although it took me a week of typing one handed while holding and rocking baby just to write this post so don't hold your breath.

Is this thing on?

Testing out the blogger iPhone app, more to come!


-- Posted from my iPhone

OMG, Future of Writing = More Than Just LMAO ;-)

An interesting piece in the new Wired magazine offers a positive spin on the future of literacy and writing.

"Before the Internet came along, most Americans never wrote anything, ever, that wasn't a school assignment. Unless they got a job that required producing text (like in law, advertising, or media), they'd leave school and virtually never construct a paragraph again."

Although the study suggests that this "explosion of prose" is in fact good writing, I still can't help but question the fact that as it gets easier to share your thoughts with the world via blogs, Twitter, self-publishing, etc. we will eventually start drowning in a sea of mediocre to terrible writing.

"The fact that students today almost always write for an audience (something virtually no one in my generation did) gives them a different sense of what constitutes good writing. In interviews, they defined good prose as something that had an effect on the world. For them, writing is about persuading and organizing and debating, even if it's over something as quotidian as what movie to go see."

Knowing your audience is certainly important to better writing, so long as your thoughts don't become tailored simply to impress your readers. Generally speaking, though, it's nice to know that writing isn't going the way of the dodo anytime soon, and of course it's a plus that smiley faces and texting-speak haven't entirely replaced real writing.

Burning Skies and $3 Gas

Signs of the apocalypse? Nope, just another day in Los Angeles. It's a little early for fire season and Santa Anas, but nonetheless here they are (thank you global warming) and I can't help but be reminded of one of my favorite quotes:

“October is the bad month for the wind, the month when breathing is difficult and the hills blaze up spontaneously. There has been no rain since April. Every voice seems a scream. It is the season of suicide and divorce and prickly dread, wherever the wind blows.”

--Joan Didion “Slouching Towards Bethlehem”

What's Your Damage?

Sony TV to remake 'Heathers'.

Dear Studio Executives:

Please stop ruining my childhood with your remakes and come up with an original idea for once.

Sincerely,

Me

BPA Free since... never?!

Unbelievable, just caught this story about SIGG bottles which, as it turns out, do contain BPA in the liners. I have been proudly toting around my stylish, red SIGG bottle for almost two years now completely oblivious, after having abandoned my less stylish but cheaper and more practical Nalgene bottle when the BPA freak-out first set in. Although the liner does in fact contain BPA, according to the article government testing has proven that it does not in fact "leach" BPA, still the fact remains they lied about it. I guess the only guaranteed safe method of drinking water is to just shove your head under the tap and swallow, unless of course you live in Los Angeles where your tap water is most likely recycled toilet water, then you're just plain screwed.

Save Count Chocula!!

Major food corporations are reporting a possible sugar shortage.

"The firms – including Kraft Foods Inc., General Mills Inc., Hershey Co. and Mars Inc. – indicated that if they couldn't tap supply markets like Brazil, they'd run out of sugar to make candy bars, cookies, cereal and a host of other products."

For the love of pregnant women and candy bar connoisseurs everywhere, save the sugar!!

Family Guy- Abortion Episode

Here's a table read of the controversial Family Guy abortion episode Fox refuses to air. Good stuff if you ask me.

Mecca lecca hi, mecca hiney ho!

Did somebody say wish? I must see this!

Mad About Mad Men

Mad as in pissed, although to be clear, it's not Mad Men I am angry with, it's DirecTV. Last year I was pumped to watch Season 2 of Mad Men when it premiered on AMC, I had just finished watching the first season on DVD and was hooked. Set up the Tivo for a season pass, got comfy on the couch and whisky glass in hand, pressed play. About five minutes into the first episode I realized I would not be watching the rest, at least not for a while. Anyone who has an HDTV will understand what I mean when I say that watching non-HD programming on an HDTV is like watching crap flung on a wall. The picture is fuzzy and the colors are not true and with a beautifully shot show like Mad Men it makes you feel like you might as well be watching a blind mime doing an interpretive re-enactment of the episode because it would probably look better.

Realizing that AMC did not yet broadcast in HD was a bummer, but the hubby and I decided we would simply wait for the DVD release and get caught up in time to watch season 3 live and in HD, because certainly by a years time that would indeed be a possibility. As it turns out, it is, only not for customers of DirecTV who as of now have not yet picked up the AMC HD channel. Knowing I would again be relegated to waiting to watch the new season on DVD, I wasn't in a mad rush (pun intended) to get caught up on season two, so we finally picked up the Blu-Ray this weekend and watched the first episode yesterday and, yes, it was worth the wait.

Facebook: more than just superpoking?

Cleaning out some old magazines this weekend and found this interesting article about Facebook in the July 09 issue of Wired magazine. In a nutshell it describes how Facebook is essentially poised to take over the internet and revolutionize how we use it, in particular how we use search engines and the apparently soon-to-be-left-in-the-dust Google.

"Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg envisions a more personalized, humanized Web, where our network of friends, colleagues, peers, and family is our primary source of information, just as it is offline. In Zuckerberg's vision, users will query this "social graph" to find a doctor, the best camera, or someone to hire—rather than tapping the cold mathematics of a Google search. It is a complete rethinking of how we navigate the online world, one that places Facebook right at the center. In other words, right where Google is now."

And here I thought Facebook was just another fun time-suck merely good for reading hilarious status updates, checking out vacation pictures and playing the occasional round of killing and robbing on Mafia Wars.

Ending of LOST revealed?!

Funny stuff ... if you're a geek like me.

Summertime and the TV Watchin's Easy

Historically summertime television has generally been made up of the bottom of the barrel dredges of reality programming, leftovers of cancelled shows and reruns, which is why I am pleasantly surprised and pleased that my DVR has been spoon-feeding me some of the best television of the year this summer all thanks to a couple little cable networks called HBO and Showtime.

Between the sizzling hot returning series' True Blood and Weeds and the quirky newcomers Hung and Nurse Jackie, I am up to my eyeballs in great characters, excellent writing and just plain old fashioned escapist entertainment. While the networks are busy pumping out gems like Who Wants To Marry A Complete Stranger On National Television and Make A Jackass Out Of Yourself On An International Gameshow, HBO and Showtime are busy proving once again that they are the homes of the best television on television. I loved Nurse Jackie from the first episode and was immediately hooked, Hung is a slow starter as some HBO series tend to be but I'm enjoying the premise and particularly love the two female characters Tanya and Lenore. True Blood picked up right where it left off and shot full steam into new but equally intriguing plots and some great new characters. Weeds is off to somewhat of a shaky start after last season's fantastic run which highlighted the amazingly talented and hysterical Justin Kirk as Andy (he was clearly robbed of an Emmy nod), but at it's heart it's still the show I know and love and I'm hoping for a three-peat in the widow department for Nancy Botwin to send them running back to safety and absurdity of suburbia.

Booze-bucks

Interesting experiment, coffee-by-day, bar-by-night. I think it would have been a better served if it was kept a secret that these coffeehouse/bars are actually run by Starbucks, but I'm actually kind of curious to see how this works out. The question is, if it actually turns out to be successful will Starbucks expand their plan to the mass market and in doing so, won't it be to the detriment of the very idea of indie-style eclectic coffeebars in the first place?

What's next? Scorsese directs "Pet Rock: The Film"?

Another movie based on an inanimate object. I really have nothing I can say about this, this idea is so illogical I am just speechless.

An Offer She Can't Refuse?

I know, I know I can't stop posting about Sarah Palin, but in my defense I think it's a little like watching a train wreck, you don't really want the image burned into your retinas, but somehow you can't tear your eyes away. Clearly I hate the woman and yeah I am one of those liberals who thinks she's a moron, but I don't think she would just up and quit without a real reason, I mean who quits their job in the middle of a recession, unless you've already got something lined up, the question is what and how much more annoying will it make her... perhaps as Variety reports, someone made her an offer she couldn't refuse.

Just A Little Nutty

Thanks Brooke!

The Case Against Scandinavian Naivete

I have been reading bits and piece about the Salinger copyright lawsuit in the last few weeks, but it wasn't until I sat down to read this piece in Publisher's Weekly just now that I got the full gist of it. As the article explains Salinger is suing Swedish author Fredrik Colting for trying to publish an "unauthorized sequel" to The Catcher In The Rye. Colting claims it is not a sequel but instead a "stand-alone story that serves as a critique of Salinger and his work." Of course it is impossible to determine who is right in this argument without having read the actual work in question, and even if having read it, it seems deciding a case like this could be based on some rather subjective opinions of literature. As the article's author points out, more importantly than the legal matters at the heart of this trial, the really question everyone is waiting to hear answered is whether the notoriously reclusive Salinger will actually make a public appearance in order to defend the honor of his most prized creation:

"If Salinger refuses to answer the defense's questions, LiCalsi notes, the court can impose sanctions and even dismiss the case. Thus, filing suit against Colting may have put Salinger's desire for privacy on a collision course with his desire to protect Holden Caulfield."

Regardless of the outcome, my interest is certainly piqued in Colting's story and based on the short description, were it to be published I would certainly be interested in giving it a read. Not to mention, he seems genuinely wary of the media attention this has caused.

"Given Salinger's history, it seems almost unfathomable that any author would take on his work without at least spoiling for some kind of fight. Colting, however, is rather apologetic for possibly upsetting Salinger, and wary of the media attention his book has generated. “I guess I knew there would be interest,” he conceded. “But I can't say I knew or suspected any of this was going to happen. I'm from Sweden. People don't go around suing each other here. Maybe I was a little naïve.” "

Anyone who uses "I'm from Sweden" as their main defense tactic has certainly got my support.

I don't get it.

Am I missing something here? David Fincher in consideration to direct the Facebook movie. How is this a movie? Last week they announced a "Where's Waldo?" film and then five minutes later a flick based on  "Stretch Armstrong", followed by a pitch based on a Facebook status update. Has Hollywood collectively gone mad? Since when is making movies as simple as greenlighting the latest brand name or toy from the 80's? I mean sure I get it from a business standpoint, you don't have to be an idiot to see that brands equate to dollars, just look at yesterdays Transformers 2 opening. What I don't get is when quality filmmakers start jumping on the bandwagon. How is a movie about a website cinematic in any way, shape or form?

Are you freakin kidding me?!

If this sells I will eat my arm. 

I've got some gems in my Facebook status updates, maybe I should pitch them around town, in fact I'll make it a bargain, I'll sell the whole lot of em for the price of one.

I mean, honestly, what the hell?!

Really Sarah Palin?! Really?!

Letterman sincerely apologized and Palin "accepts" his apology.

"Letterman certainly has the right to 'joke'about whatever he wants to, and thankfully we have the right to express our reaction. And this is all thanks to our U.S. military women and men putting their lives on the line for us to secure America's right to free speech - in this case, may that right be used to promote equality and respect."

Was it really necessary to bring the military into this? I highly doubt military men and women are putting their lives on the line in the name of crappy latenight jokes and douchebag grandstanding by airhead governors. Sheesh. Come on lady, enough already.

Lady Friends

Just in case you thought I was suddenly gettin all serious with my last post:

Reproductive Matters

Really interesting piece in Broadsheet today about a woman's right to control her own fertility decisions.

"The controversy is over women controlling their own fertility. It's about whether we have the right to decide for ourselves if and when to have children, whether we're autonomous human beings with full rights or if our primary purpose on earth is to birth and nurture the next generation."

We all know the great abortion debate has long been a subject of public scrutiny, but as this article points out it seems that it's in fact all issues of the womb that seem to be up for public debate. Whether we chose to procreate or not, how many children we chose to have, whether we seek assistance in the form of medical treatment in order to make childbearing possible and as with the example of Tarrah Seymour our ability to choose our own methods of birth control. The list seems endless and I don't really want to weigh in my own personal opinion on each and every item, but I do think the overall question of how much control a woman has over her own reproductive functions is an important one. Why do we so closely monitor and debate these issues and yet pay little or no attention to the subject as it adheres to men? I certainly don't hear any public outcry over men who donate their sperm to sperm banks or those who chose to get vasectomies, why then is it that women should be held under such a strong microscope when it comes to such personal and private matters? 

Regardless of where you stand on the topics of abortion, infertility, birth control, etc., I think it's about time we stop hiding behind the notion that this is a debate about morals and ethics and admit that it's really about a woman's basic rights to control the reproductive functions of her own body. As Kate Harding so poignantly puts it: 

"As long as we keep pretending that the debate is only about "killing babies" and not about whether women should have the basic right to control our own fertility, that common ground will remain elusive." 

Why won't she just go away?

Is Letterman a sexist pig? Or is Palin making too much of all this? Salon can't seem to decide. 

I think the real question we should be asking is why the hell is this woman still whoring herself out to the media every other day and why are we letting her?!

Twilight

Finally got around to watching Twilight this weekend and boy what a stinker. About ten minutes in, the hubby looked at me and said "This is kind of like The Lost Boys, but bad." And I had to agree, yet we carried on watching as one cringe worthy line was spoken after another. I kept hoping that Pattinson's deer-in-headlights look was just a fluke moment the first time and yet every other scene there it was again. All that coupled with ridiculously unnecessary voiceover, really, really poor casting and a director who clearly thought she was shooting a bad 80s music video and not a movie, made for a huge disappointment in my book.

The problem is I don't think the bad filmmaking was entirely at fault, and I hate to admit this, but I think some of the blame resets on the book itself. For example, much of the voiceover and cheesy dialogue was straight out of the book and while it may have worked on paper, it simply didn't translate well on screen. Rather than feeling nostalgic about the book as I watched, I was merely left wondering, wow was the book really this bad? I think this is a prime example of why sometimes a literal adaptation just doesn't work. With Harry Potter the books are action oriented and incredibly visual and so you can "see" the film as you are reading. A book like Twilight is so much more internal and thought driven that it really requires some effort to make it work, effort that sadly was not put forth in this attempt. My final verdict: if you haven't yet read or seen, skip the flick, stick with the book.

A baby by any other name...

As a writer names have always been something I have had difficulty with. I can never start writing until I name my characters, but it inevitably takes me forever to decide on the perfect name, so it comes as no real surprise that I am having such a hard time with this whole baby-naming business. Having grown up with a difficult name myself, the importance of naming my baby with the perfect name is naturally something of an obsession. For those of you who don't know me, my full name is Shahrzad. As an adult I have come to enjoy the uniqueness of my name and of course as a writer I appreciate the meaning behind it (i.e. the storyteller from the Arabian Nights), but as a kid growing up it was a whole different ball of wax. I couldn't understand for the life of me why my parents would want to stick me with such an obviously awkward, difficult-to-pronounce name. I even went through a phase where I thought I might try going by my middle name, Maria, but that never really became a reality outside of my own hopeful imaginings. 

Now that it comes down to naming my own child and I have the wisdom of my own experience, I want to find a name that is both unique and simple, something easy to spell and pronounce, but different enough that it doesn't automatically have to be coupled with the first initial of her last name so as to recognize the difference between her and the four other girls in her class with the same name. On top of all this it just has to sound right, roll off the tongue well, fit with our last name and feel natural. In other words it has to be perfect. And so far nothing fits the bill. We have a short list --not all agreed upon between my husband and myself-- but a list nonetheless of names we really like, and yet I still don't feel like I've found that perfect one. Maybe I'm making too much of this, maybe a name is just a name. All I know is the baby isn't even born yet and parenting is already difficult.

UP

This weekend was the first time I'd been to a movie in over 6 months, probably longer, I can't even remember what the last film was to be honest. While I do still enjoy the movie-going experience on some levels, for the most part I much prefer to see a flick from the comfort of my own couch. There have been films I've wanted to see, and there is a long list of summer flicks I tell myself I will attempt to go see in the theater but the truth of the matter is I will probably be lucky if I see even one or two more before the baby comes. 

All that said, I was definitely not disappointed by my movie selection for the first theater excursion in so many months. UP was yet another beautifully written and amazingly executed film from Pixar, I mean seriously, can they do no wrong? I laughed, I cried, I was thoroughly entertained and inspired, but I was also quite surprised by the incredibly risky choice of a main protagonist in a family film. From a purely business-of-filmmaking standpoint having a 70 something year-old man as the main character of a film targeted towards children and families is quite unusual. To date I think this is Pixar's most adult film both character-wise and thematically, although I don't necessarily consider that a criticism, obviously it works --the theater was packed and adults and children alike seemed to enjoy the film on many levels-- in fact I think if anything its a testament to what great filmmakers and innovators Pixar has, that they could make a film about a lonely old man seem interesting to an 8 year-old.

Can I Get A Napkin Please?

I was just browsing the Publisher's Weekly daily newsletter when I came across a bit about a new book out called "Causing A Scene: Extraordinary Pranks in Ordinary Places", which prompted me to check out the Improv Everywhere blog. Basically this group organizes large scale improvised pranks in public places with some pretty hilarious results. Haven't had a chance to check out all the pranks which they detail on the blog, but my favorite so far is Food Court Musical.

My new girl crush.

Just watched Yes Man over the weekend. Thought it was cute and funny, mostly I was just reminded how much I love Zooey Deschanel. Although this was actually a toned down role for her, I can't help but think she really brings something to every project she's in, I mean she even managed to give Failure to Launch a few funny moments. My favorite role is still her stint on Weeds Season 2, if you haven't seen her on this or watched this fantastic show for that matter, I highly recommend checking it out.

Only one way to explain this.

Kids, Mommy's a slut.

What the ?!

Chocolate for the sexually repressed.

"Naughty, but not that naughty." Riiight.

LOST Finale

Man oh man. So much happened I don't even know where to begin all I know is the last time a LOST episode ended in a blinding white flash, effectively destroying the Swan station, no one was really affected with the exception of Desmond who could suddenly see the future, somehow I think this outcome might be a little different. My favorite moment of the of the Swan destruction scene was when Miles so wittingly pointed out, that by detonating the bomb they may actually be causing the very reaction they were trying to stop, which leads me to the suspicion and hope that no one, except maybe Juliet actually died. 

As for the Jacob storyline,when I first saw Jacob and the Man in Black sitting on the beach I was reminded instantly of the first season when Locke was teaching Walt to play backgammon and also of the two skeletons and the pouch containing a black rock and a white rock, which the castaways discovered near their first camp. Is this really so simple as black and white? Good versus evil? It is an age old story, but somehow I imagined the mechanics of LOST to be less simple than that. And I think the more important question is, if we are dealing with good and evil, which one is which? Jacob of course seems the obvious good guy, but is he in fact really the charismatic devil? I also couldn't help but think of the Smoke Monster when it was revealed that Locke resurrected was actually the Man in Black, is the MIB actually the physical manifestation of the Smoke Monster? I think it's possible that at the very least the two are connected.

Overall, we are still left with more questions than answers, is everyone really dead? What's the real story behind Jacob and the Man in Black? Is Ben as humbled and broken as he seems or is this all still part of his master plan? Who is Ilana and what exactly is a candidate? As usual Doc Jensen sums it all up quite nicely, but we shall have to wait until 2010 to get our final answers.

Top Five Things I Can't Wait To Eat the Minute I Give Birth

In no particular order:

-sushi

-pepperoni pizza

-espresso

-bacon

-red wine

Are pregnant women smug?

Funny clip I just caught on Salon making fun of preggos for being smug. I gotta say I can't really relate, while I always imagined that being pregnant would mean walking on air and wearing a happy, knowing glow for nine months, I can honestly say that I have never been more miserable and uncomfortable in my entire life, not to mention my self-image is hanging about as low as a pair of bra-less, granny boobs right about now, and I can't wait to pop this baby out so I can drink a bottle Zin and throw down some sushi again. Smug I am not.

The real reason I watch TV?

New study suggests TV makes you feel less lonely. While I can't say the reason I watch television is for the company, I will admit that when at home I almost always have the TV on and like a pair of fuzzy slippers or a nice bowl of mac and cheese, it does bring me a great level of comfort. That said, I don't watch Survivor because I think Jeff Probst is my new best friend, I tune in because it's entertaining to watch disheveled grown-ups squabble like a bunch of second graders at recess.

Ready For Seconds?

So excited for TrueBlood season 2! Can you spot the double image in the just released poster?

The reason I did not want to move East of the 405.

Last Friday at work we made a big office move from our cozy eclectic digs above Renee's Bar in Santa Monica, to a new, but somewhat similar space in Westwood. Initially I was against the move simply for the fact that everyone in my office, myself included, resides in Santa Monica and so logically it just makes sense to stay put where we can all reach the office in a five minute drive. After being in our new space a week, I have to admit that I do like the new location, our office is nicer overall, I have more room and most importantly the food options in this neighborhood are astronomically better than around our old office. The only downside to the move is why I feared it to begin with: the commute. 

Now I realize I may have gotten a little spoiled in the last few years, but trust me I have had my fair share of lengthy commutes all my life and I counted myself lucky when my husband and I moved to Santa Monica a few years ago where we both worked and were so close to our jobs that we only needed one car. So not only did this office move require at least a 20 minute commute each way, but we also had to buy a second car. 

All this week I had been trying out different routes to get to work in the morning, suddenly obsessed with my drive time and hoping to shave off a minute here or a minute there. After one attempt on the freeway I decided I don't need that kind of stress in my life and the streets, which ended up being about the same amount of time, would be better for my mental health. However, on Wednesday I had a dentist appointment at 4pm in Westchester, so I figured if I left the office at 3pm and hopped on the 405 I would be there in 20 or 3o minutes tops. After all, how much traffic could there be at 3 in the afternoon on Wednesday? Oh, how wrong I was. I sat in bumper to bumper traffic for an hour. It was crawling so slowly I was even able to pull out my iPhone and snap the above picture without getting in a wreck, simply because I had nothing better to do. Sigh.

A long hiatus and a new adventure

It's been over two months since my last post and a lot has happened since. My lack of blogging was not for loss of interest but rather because I simply have not had the energy for it the past few weeks. The good news is that I realized one of my three goals for 2009 and am happy to announce that I am pregnant and my husband and I will be having a baby in September. For a good six or seven weeks I was extremely tired and had severe morning sickness (whoever coined the phrase morning sickness must have been a man because anybody who has had it knows it goes on all day and night) and so I pretty much wanted to do nothing all day besides sleep. I am finally feeling better, however, having reached the "fun" part of pregnancy otherwise known as the 2nd trimester, my energy is up, I dream of all things chocolate and I am ready to blog once more. 

I don't want this to turn into a "pregnancy" blog, god knows the blogosphere is already filled with those, but I imagine it will be a major subject in the coming months as my belly gets bigger and my life becomes a baby, baby, baby world. I can't be sure of the frequency of my posting, because although I feel better I imagine life will get more and more hectic as the big day approaches, but I have missed blogging and am happy to be back to it.

In Mourning

It was with a big sigh that I read the final words of "Breaking Dawn", the fourth and last book of the Twilight series. It's hard to believe it was just a couple short months ago that I first started down the path of the Bella and Edward saga and now it's over. I always feel sad after finishing a good book, especially a series, which I have invested so much time in that I actually feel I am losing a friend when it ends. I also for some reason find it difficult to go back to "serious reading", so to speak, after being so entrenched in what I consider a guilty pleasure... perhaps I will have to feed my vampire thirst with the Sookie Stackhouse series next.

As to the controversy surrounding the fourth book itself, I can't say I agree, I thought it was a fitting end, not at all what I expected (I figured it would be a disappointment with all the hubbub), but I enjoyed it. To those who claim it wraps up too neatly I can only guess you are either not a true fan or you are lying, because I can't imagine anyone making it through this entire series and not wishing Bella a truly happy ending.

Say Cheese!

I'm happy to see that not everything old and seemingly without purpose has to fall by the wayside. Polaroid will no longer be going the way of the dodo thanks to one Australian artist/patron saint of instant exposure.

Dear 80s, I miss you

Was discussing the 80s with my co-worker this morning and I realized how nostalgic I have become for that era. It used to be that I believed the 80s were just down right awful, awful music, awful movies, awful hair, awful clothes, but now every time I come across an 80s movie on cable or a song on the radio I can't help but eat it up.

This morning my dear pal Brooke reminded me of one of my absolute favorite products of the 80s and so I thought I would share it here for your viewing pleasure:

Lost is back, let the crazy begin!

I'm not even sure where to begin in deciphering all that went down in this week's two hour season premiere, but as usual Doc Jensen finds a way to make sense of the lunacy. Of course as usual the episode left me with more questions than answers: Is John Locke really dead? Why did Alpert disappear in the time flashes? What's the deal with the Dharma dude? Why is Hurley seeing dead people? Will Sawyer ever find himself a shirt? Man I love this show.

Enough Already!

I'm not really surprised GW is demanding 15 more minutes of infamy, he has held more televised press conferences than any President in history, but enough is enough.

"Americans cannot do without sex."

Porn industry seeks federal bailout. Now we know we're in real trouble.

Is there a more annoying person on the planet?

I almost vomited when I came in the house this morning from my early morning walk and found Anne Coulter's face on my television. The woman (I shudder to call her that because it reminds me that we are the same species) is insane, I mean I really think someone ought to lock her up and throw away the key for her own safety and for the safety of others. The woman is a verifiable nutjob... oh, and also an enormous douchebag. Bless you Matt Lauer for keeping yourself so composed when you really just wanted to smack the crap out of her. 

Does anybody actually take this woman (shudder) seriously?! I'd like to meet just one person who has bought and read one of her books and ask them for the love of god, why? Can't you see right through her ridiculously transparent Oh-look-at-me-I'm-so-controversial schtick to see what she really is, a narcissistic psychopath who just wants to shill books with her way-too-old-for-a-miniskirt wearing, too-much eyeliner face on the cover.

I may be small and have no muscles to speak of but if I ever see you on the street Anne Coulter I would seriously think about running the other way if I were you.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

We've been watching a lot of movies over the holiday break thanks to Blockbuster-by-mail, some good, some great, some downright terrible. Here's my thoughts on a few:

Wallstreet-  Great film, and also very timely considering everything that's going on right now with the economy. I am becoming more and more impressed with Oliver Stone lately.

Stepbrothers-  Surprisingly funny, granted I was hungover on New Years Day watching this, but I really enjoyed it, especially compared to the piece of crap Talladega Nights. Definitely worth a watch, I guarantee at least a few laughs.

Hancock-  Crap. Pure crap. I really can't believe how bad this was. I really didn't think Will Smith could do a bad movie till now.

X-Files: I Want To Believe-  Made Hancock look like Citizen Cane. I just don't know why they bothered. It was terrible, it was like one of those weird X-Files episodes that had nothing to do with the greater mystery, an irrelevant one-off and a bad one at that.

Wall-E-  I saved the best for last. This is a truly beautiful film that everyone should see. I think I will have to bump Dark Knight down a notch on my favorites of 08 list, for Wall-E. 

We've also been rewatching Band of Brothers since the Bluray just came out. I am not typically a fan of war stuff, but this is a must-see and well-worth buying.