Media Report

It’s been a while since I’ve done this so here’s a look at what I’ve been watching, listening to and reading:

Movies

-Definitely Maybe—This was definitely cute and different enough from the usual romantic comedy that I enjoyed it. I didn’t love it, but I was entertained. It’s bittersweet, but the story will resonate with many young single parents. (Sometimes the happy endings are different from our expectations.) Good music.

-Stop Loss—Another “good-not-great” movie. I liked the premise, music and style, but the movie suffered from a little too much melodrama and some overacting.

TV

-I’ve been getting home so late that I pretty much miss prime time. With the writers’ strike and the general quality of the broadcast offerings, I don’t think it’s much of a loss. I do like House, though I haven’t caught much of it this year. (I’ll rent the DVDs.) I’m a little ashamed to say it, but I like what I’ve seen of Dexter (the “good” serial killer). I’ve thought about getting the DVDs from Netflix, but I need to find out if the broadcast version is significantly edited from the Showtime/DVD version (because I don’t want any more gore). The main character (Michael C. Hall) was also a main character on Six Feet Under, and he’s a good actor (especially for playing really weird characters).

Does anyone else think there has been an extreme proliferation of game shows?? I hate game shows.

DVDs

-I actually put my Netflix subscription on hold because I just wasn’t watching enough DVDs. Right now, I’m watching Season 2 of Arrested Development (a gift from a friend). I think he’s going to loan me Torchwood next.

Books

-Coraline (Neil Gaiman)—This book is odd and creepy. I’ve heard it compared to Alice in Wonderland, and I suppose there are some similarities. It’s more like an alternate/parallel universe though. There were places where I thought the author could have gone in a different (and better, IMO) direction, and sometimes it seemed like he was being weird for the sake of weirdness. Overall, though, it’s effective as a creative, almost-horror story…without ever becoming bloody or gory. I’m ordering some copies for the middle schoolers because I think it will especially appeal to that age. (I believe the book is being made into a movie.)

-Secrets in the Dark (Frederick Buechner)—This is a collection of sermons, but it’s so awesome. I’ll write more about it when I finish the book.

Music

-Little Voice (Sara Bareilles)—Yes, I got the CD because of “Love Song.” The whole CD is pretty good though.

-Nevermind (Nirvana)—Okay, so I never said anything about this being new music. I’ve recently re-discovered Nirvana. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” reminds me of the middle schoolers: "Here we are now/ Entertain us."


Exercise DVDs

-Yoga Quick Fixes—I really like this DVD. It’s a collection of short, Kundalini yoga sets targeting specific health concerns (like headaches, anxiety, PMS, back pain, etc.). The creators are so “cheesy hippy” that I actually find them funny. (For instance, they have these little rhyming sayings like, “Be kind and grind.” Okay, can anyone listen to that and not laugh at the innuendo?) I could see how people might find them annoying though. A lot of other yoga dvds are not good for me in the morning, as they make me sleepier. I find these dvds more energizing. The music is kind of yoga trance/dance. Another thing I like is that Anna is not excessively muscular with a fake tan. No, she’s white and pink, just like me! That makes me feel better. Also, she does most of the exercises on a pink shag carpet.

-Hot Body Cool Mind- Embark on the Journey (Jennifer Kries)—I like this DVD too. As with the one above, the segments can be combined or done separately, meaning lots of flexibility in workout length and intensity. This one has exercises from Chi Gung, hatha yoga, Taoist yoga, jazz, ballet and pilates. Jennifer seems saner (or more sober) than Anna and Brett. However, she is also tan and muscular.

Easter and emptiness

"Each of us, for instance, carries around inside himself, I believe, a certain emptiness -- a sense that something is missing, a restlessness, the deep feeling that somehow all is not right inside his skin. Psychologists sometimes call it anxiety, theologians sometimes call it estrangement, but whatever you call it, I doubt that there are many who do not recognize the experience itself, especially no one of our age, which has been variously termed the age of anxiety, the lost generation, the beat generation, the lonely crowd, Part of the inner world of everyone is this sense of emptiness, unease, incompleteness, and I believe that this in itself is a word from God, that this is the sound that God's voice makes in a world that has explained him away. In such a world, I suspect that maybe God speaks to us most clearly through his silence, his absence, so that we know him best through our missing him." -Frederick Buechner

I read something else by Buechner, and he was talking about the empty tomb and emptiness. It's stuck with me. The first feeling on Easter morning was one of profound loss and emptiness.

And so what are we supposed to hear in that silence??

The blackhole that is Facebook

Okay, so I was just going to check my e-mail, check Facebook and go to bed. That was two hours ago. Instead, I got sucked into rating hundreds and hundreds of books for my new & exciting Facebook application-- iRead! Why? I really couldn't tell you. And even now, I'm tempted to go add more.

I went on a longish (for me) hike today-- a real hike, where I had to forge streams and climb up rocks. It was only 5 miles, but it felt like more. Anyway, I'm quite proud of myself (and sunburned). I'm tired though.......

Quote

"Do what you feel in your heart to be right - for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't." -Eleanor Roosevelt

And maybe I'm not right. Maybe I'm wrong. But I'm trying. I'm really making an effort to do what I feel is right, and I'm just tired. I'm going to go to bed now, I think.

Random meme

1. What curse word do you use the most?
I mostly swear when I'm alone, and since I know some of my friends are offended by swearing, I won't type what I say. ;)

2. Do you own an iPod?
No, I would like one, but then I'd really need high-speed internet.

3. What person on your Flist do you talk to the most?
I don't use my LJ anymore, really.

4. What time is your alarm clock set to?
It depends on the day. I go to work at different times on different days.

5. [not answering]

6. Do you remember where you were on 9/11/01?
Yes, I was living in California so it was much earlier PST when the planes hit. I got up at 6-something and showered and was getting ready for work, and I wouldn't have heard about it at all if my roommates hadn't turned on the tv.

7. Would you rather take the picture or be in the picture?
I like taking pictures.

8. What was the last movie you watched?
Definitely Maybe

9. Do any of your friends have children?
Yep, quite a few.

10. Has anyone anyone ever called you lazy?
Probably. I call myself lazy sometimes.

11. Do you ever take medication to help you fall asleep?
Yep!

12. What CD is currently in your CD player?
The last disc from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire auidobook.

13. Do you prefer regular or chocolate?
Milk? I don't drink milk very much, but I put regular milk on my cereal.

14. Has anyone told you a secret this week?
Yes, I seem to be the designated secret-keeper.

15. When was the last time you had Starbucks?
Um...maybe September?? I don't go to Starbucks very much. I try to patronize local coffee shops. (Also, I don't drink coffee so I just go for tea and company.)

16. Can you whistle?
Yes....but I can only snap with my left hand.

17. What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex?
Smile, eyes, openness in his face

18. What are you looking forward to?
Sleeping in tomorrow

19. Did you watch cartoons as a child?
Yes, but I wasn't as big of a cartoon fan as many of my friends.

23. Do you own any band t-shirts?
Yep

24. What will you be doing in one hour?
Coloring

25. Is anyone in love with you?
I don't know.

26. What was the last song heard?
"America the Beautiful" at an outdoor concert tonight.

27. Last time you cried?
Probably a few weeks ago

28. Are you on a desktop computer or a lap top?
Laptop

29. Are you currently wanting any piercing or tattoos?
I've been tossing around the idea of getting a little tattoo, but I doubt I'll do it anytime soon.

30. What's the weather like?
70s, cloudy and windy

31. Would you ever date a girl/guy covered in tattoos?
That wouldn't be a deal-breaker....especially if the guy were, say, Michael Scofield and needed all of the tattoos to help his wrongly-condemned (and also hot) brother escape from prison, avoid the death penalty and expose a vast conspiracy.

32. What did you do before this?
Watched Saturday Night Live

33. When is the last time you slept on the floor?
Well, I fall asleep on the floor occasionally, but then I wake up and move to my bed. I fell asleep on the floor of a classroom a couple of months ago. After school, I had a migraine and was trying to escape noise and light (and the custodians were vacuuming near my office) so I went to a friend's classroom and lay down on the floor in the dark and slept for a bit until I felt well enough to finish up the essentials and drive home. (The classroom's carpet really needs washing.)

34. How many hours of sleep do you need to function?
I can function on 2-3 hours of sleep, but I don't function especially well.

35. Do you eat breakfast daily?
Yes, I always eat breakfast, but I frequently skip lunch.

36. Are your days fast-paced?
At work? Yes. At home, rarely.

37. What did you do last night?
Watched tv, read, played with my bird

38. Do you use sarcasm?
Well, my welcome mat says, "Go Away."

39. How old will you be turning on your next birthday?
31

40. Are you picky about spelling and grammar?
Yes

41. Have you ever been to Six Flags?
No

43. Do you get along better with the same sex or the opposite sex?
I think it depends on the individual. I'm probably more comfortable with women I don't know as opposed to men I don't know.

44. Do you like mustard?
I like regular mustard, but I don't like dijon or fancy mustard.

45. Do you sleep on your side?
Yes. I also sleep on my stomach and on my back. I don't think I have a preferred sleeping position.

46. Do you watch the news?
Yes, but not everyday

47. How did you get one of your scars?
I have a scar on the middle finger of my right hand. I had to get three stitches when I was 11 because I pulled on the lid of a can when the can opener didn't fully remove it.

48. Who was the last person to make you mad?
A friend who lied to me. (I'm not mad anymore.)

49. Do you like anybody?
I hate everyone. :P

50. What is the last thing you purchased?
Food at Trader Joe's

What about when there are no good answers?

It's one thing when I know what I should do, but I don't want to do it. Right now though, I'm just not sure. It seems like any move would be the wrong one, and I'm not even sure what I want. It's kind of scary because it seems like what I do will affect so many other people. I think I over-analyze things (okay, I know I do), but I can't just impulsively act. It's not who I am, and it doesn't usually play out too well.

I smell like baby

For over an hour, I held the 9 month old sibling of one of the middle school students (so the parents could speak with Spanish-speaking parenting specialists), and I still smell like him...in a good way!

Circle of friends

There are advantages to having a group of friends who are also friends with one another. For instance, it can simplify planning. However, there are definite disadvantages. One such disadvantage could be knowing too many secrets about too many people who are lying to each other. Another disadvantage could be knowing that at least some of those people are lying to me as well because their stories don't match at all. A third disadvantage? Where am I supposed to go with all of this? I can't think of any solution that won't make things more of a mess (and involve breaking confidences)...but I'm really....almost offended.

Anyhow.....

One of the radio stations I frequent has been playing Edie Brickell's song, "Circle of Friends," and I like it a whole lot:

...But, I quit. I give up.
Nothing's good enough for anybody else
it seems.
And I quit. I give up.
Nothing's good enough for anybody else
it seems.

And being alone
is the best way to be.
When I'm by myself it's
the best way to be.
When I'm all alone it's
the best way to be.
When I'm by myself
nobody else can say goodbye.

Everything is temporary anyway.
When the streets are wet --
the color slip into the sky.
But I don't know why that means you and I are
- that means you and....
I quit -- I give up.
Nothin's good enough for anybody else it seems....