Blogygamy

I am sad to say that for the next two months I will be neglecting this blog. Instead, I will be writing in the aforementioned travel blog I have begun in order to keep track of the trip I am taking to Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. So, please join me there to read of my adventures. And don't worry, I have enough love for both blogs.

Six Months

I realized today that as of Sunday it has been six months since my father passed away.

I don't understand how time can just go away like that and leave people behind; how I can keep moving along with it even while a piece of me will forever cling to the memory of a final smile and blissfully ignorant exchange of "I love you" in a hospital doorway in late May. The only comfort it affords me now is that if I had known at that moment it would be the last time we'd exchange words, I wouldn't have said anything different.

I guess not everyone is even that fortunate and I am thankful for the small things.

Two days after he died, I had a panic about these small things. That because he was gone I would start to forget the things about him that made him the dad I loved and most importantly my dad. Most people would probably find this amusing (if not for the subject matter), as I tend to have a ridiculously good memory. And in hindsight, I think "how could I believe I would forget these things." However, at the time I sat down and began to list all the quirky, funny, wonderful and less than wonderful things that defined who my dad was to me. I look at it now and although it was written at a time of immense pain, it still has the ability to make me smile.

In an effort to share with the world that indefinable thing that makes a person who they are, who they were, I would like to list for you some of what I wrote. My dad wasn't the perfect person, actually far from it, but problems and all, he was the only dad I'd ever want. You should all know how lucky I am.


My Dad:

Loved Coca-Cola, Nascar, 24, steak, WWII, history, online shopping, key lime pie, The Rolling Stones, "In-a-gadda-da-vida", me, my sister, my mom, seeing us happy.
Always told me to drive safely. To a fault.
Took pictures of everything. Twice.
Made great Sheppard's Pie.
Loved my friends.
Went to every. single. one. of my dance shows, piano recitals, band concerts, school functions.
Supported everything I did. The choices I made.
Was the King.
Loved to drive.
Loved Elmira College.
Hated George W. Bush.
Got more liberal-minded with age.
Read the paper and did the crosswords every day.
Owned a million shirts. Most of them plaid.
Always hugged and kissed me and said "I love you".
Told me he was proud of me all. the. time.
Called every week.
Would email me after every episode of 24.
Would do anything, go any distance, jump any hoop, get to the highest person in order to right a wrong for someone he loved. (Just ask the CEO of GM and that ass-hole at Las Vegas Chevrolet.)
Was relentless.
Loved cats and one particular stupid dog.
Hated traffic, long lines and crowds.
Was not patient.
Had a temper that kept diminishing with age.
Drove too fast. Never wore a seatbelt.
Was my biggest ally.
Once drove four hours to EC just to see me get an award and drove four hours back in the same day.
Was at home in or near water.
Mowed the lawn in his bare feet. Even when said stupid dog's crap was all over the place. ("It's easier to hose off your feet than the bottom of your shoe.")
He sometimes had a point.
Would claim to be a "pretty smart guy", when actually, he was really smart.
When his hair went gray and then white he joked that he couldn't grow his beard anymore because he'd get confused with Santa.
Called me punkin and hun.
Spoiled me rotten.
Could do pretty good impressions of the Chef on the Muppets, Fog Horn Leg Horn and the Buzzards from Looney Toons ("Where didde he go George? Where didde go?")
Kicked Super Mario's ass. Then never played again.
Called farts "ducks."
Called all birds "ducks" too.
Had a great sense of humor. Even when he was sick.
Was one of the strongest and one of the weakest people I knew.
Was human.
Was my hero.
Still is.



I miss you.

Love,
Your Punkin


here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)
-e.e. cummings

X-Files 2 Officially Greenlit by FOX

Holyfuckingmulder!! I never thought I'd ever see this article come out, unless it had a dateline of April 1. It makes me tingly to think about seeing my favorite show on the big screen again; to watch Mulder and Scully do something different than what's on my overplayed DVDs; and of course to maybe see them make out more (once a Shipper, always a Shipper).

However, the nagging, logical Scully side of me is worried for this project. There are already people predicting and even hoping for its failure, and even die-hard fans like myself have valid concerns about how this movie will fit into the shows' already convoluted storyline. I personally feel that continuation was never paid close enough attention throughout the series and by the end these problems came around to bite the mythology in the ass. What I want to believe about this movies is that the story they've written stays true to and even builds upon the groundwork they already laid within the series (even its imperfections). It's the only way it can work.

That beings said, I am optimistic that CC & Co. can pull it off. They played a major part in changing dramatic, episodic TV as we know it (you really think LOST would be on the air without it?), so they just need to bring that same A-game to this movie. I have kept the faith for this show ever since its early years, and when the show finally went off the air in 2002, I had spent almost half my life looking forward to Friday (and then Sunday) night at 9. If I didn't revoke my Philedom when Duchovny left the show or when they killed off the Lone Gunmen or gave Scully's baby away, I am not about to abandon ship now.

July 25, 2008, bring it on.




Edited to say: David Duchovny back in beautiful Armani suits and haunted Mulder eyes - squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Ok, just had to get that out of my system.

TravelBlog!

I have officially started a blog for my upcoming Quarter Life Crisis Tour 08. I'm not leaving until late December, but I thought I'd start off my travelblog by doing a few posts on the preparations necessary for such a journey. And maybe also to vent my mounting excitement just a little. =)

For those that don't know, I will be leaving in December to visit my best friend Nicole in Japan for a month, another friend Kevin in S. Korea for a week and then after a quick stop over in Sydney I'll head to New Zealand for a two week guided tour. It's the trip of a lifetime and I feel so fortunate to have this opportunity. I hope you will also journey with me through my posts and pictures.

Where are you going? Create your own travel map!

View Chariot13's TravBuddy Profile

HAPPY HALLO....wait.

The new Halloween movie comes out on August 31st.

Do the studios even know what movies they're releasing anymore or do they just spin the "Wheel of Craptasticness!" and whatever movie script it happens to land on they make and release next!?

To answer my own question, I researched and found this rare snippet captured from a 2006 Dimension Films Marketing Meeting:

Movie Marketing Genius Guy (MMGG): "So what's the next film on the table for us."

Movie Marketing Genius Guy's Assistant (MMGGA): "Hmm, this one's called 'Halloween'."

MMGG: "Well, let's take a look at our 2007 release schedule.......We've got 'Lepreucaun 8' coming out Easter weekend already, so that won't work."

MMGGA: "Dammit! That would have been perfect."

MMGG: "I know, I know. But it's ok. There's always another way."

MMGGA: "Why does this have to be so hard!?!
What about the 4th of July!?"

MMGG: "No. We've already got 'Santa's Slay' coming out then."

MMGGA: "Oh, duh. I should have remembered that."

MMGG: "It's ok. We all make mistakes. Hmm, think think. When oh when should we release this movie called 'Halloween'?"



(deep, thoughtful silence)



MMGGA: "I've got it!! The perfect date to release the film Halloween!"

MMGG: Well don't keep it to yourself!"

MMGGA: "August 31st."

(stunned silence)

MMGG: "You..........are a genius. It's ideas like this that will take you right to the top in this town."

MMGGA: "Thank you sir. That means a lot coming from you."

MMGG: "Well, don't get too excited we've still got the task of figuring out when to release that 'April Fools Day Movie'."
Siiiiiigh. "It just never ends."

I Hate People

Especially those that try to ruin their kid's life by attempting to name them something totally ridiculous just to challenge the status quo and see how far they can stretch their rights.

Stop using your kid to prove to the world how much of a douchebag you are. I'm sure you were doing well enough on your own.

America Runs on Corn

This morning on the T I saw a woman eating corn on the cob.

It doesn't quite compare to the day I saw the unscathed foot-long hot dog (sans bun) and Big Gulp soda sitting together perfectly on one seat of the train. But it's still pretty good.

And it spawned the idea that I should buy stock in corn and then convince McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks that corn is the new convenience superfood. I can see the ads now: "Corn on the Cob: The perfect breakfast for the certifiably insane gal on the go!"

Then we could launch a dual campaign for corn using Hybrid cards and Dunkin Donuts:

Picture Pages

Trying something new. Making the time to take more pictures and post them here for you. Would love some feedback, especially from those with photography experience. Enjoy!

Down by the banks of the river Charles.

Pimping Myself

Just thought I'd share my excitement that Showtime has quoted my blog review of Californication!

Check it out here, and if you don't trust my judgment, read other people's reviews of the pilot for yourself. Some of them don't even have my DuchovnyBias and they loved the show too.

Warning: Bad Language, Boobies and Spoilers Ensue

I just watched the youngest girl from The Nanny have full-frontal fake sex with David Duchovny while punching him in the face. Also, her character is supposed to be 16-years old. (Ooopsie statutory!) And guess what?! I freakin loved it! Well, not so much the part(s) with the boobies, but I understand their place in an adult show because, let's be honest, people have sex naked. And if you can't take a boob or two in a show for adults then you just might be one (A boob, I mean. Certainly not an adult).

Based on the pilot, I think Californication is going to be a slam dunk for Showtime. Not only does it have a strong lead-in (Weeds), but the pilot crammed more humor, drama, family conflict, sex and real emotion in one half hour than I've seen a network show fit into a whole season. Duchovny's character is tragically interesting and strangely irresistible; you hate who he is and what he's doing, but you can't help but root for him to pull it together. The new anti-hero. I can't wait to see what he'll fuck up next.


That's right. I just remembered! I don't get Showtime, I get HBO. Grrrr.

And what of HBO? I think they better step it up. No more Sopranos, no SATC and as far as I'm concerned Entourage is an overly popular second-rate show slowly taking an L.A. style digger (Exhibit A: Medellin). I'm sorry to all of those who watch the show to live vicariously through Vince and Drama, but it has to be said: Entourage. is. not. that. great. (ALSO, You. will. never. get. hot. LA. movie star. chicks.)

I will give HBO points for Flight of the Conchords though. That is some funny shiznittle. Especially dream David Bowie. HI-larious!

Anyway, whoever gets Showtime is my new BFF. So, call me because we should totally get together, hmm let's say every Monday from 10:30 to 11:00 starting on August 13th.

More than Skin Deep

Here's the latest example of why my (fan)love for David Duchovny extends beyond the superficial:

David Duchovny: My Defining Moment

"The realization I had was that we go through our whole lives thinking we want answers. Really all we want is company, the presence of people we love in our lives."


Smart, articulate, moving and timely for my own life. Makes me appreciate even more all the wonderful time I had with my own father playing proverbial catch. I could always rely on him to throw the ball back.

Summer Movie Blockbuster Season is Thankfully Almost Over

Movies that aren't sequels!?!?! Wow!!! Who knew they still existed? I always held out hope I'd see them again (But of course not again and again and again and again.). Check out my picks for the best upcoming movies that thankfully won't ever become sequels. (click on the poster to watch the trailer):

The Darjeeling Limited (Fall 2007)

This latest film from Wes Anderson looks interesting and I love the actors in it. Plus, it takes place in India, a place I would love to visit.

End point: I really liked The Royal Tenenbaums, I really didn't know what to think about The Life Aquatic, but I'm super psyched for a new vision from this unique director.
("Darjeeling Limited" at Technorati)


December Boys (Fall 2007)

Daniel Radcliffe not portraying Harry Potter AND keeping his clothes on (as far as I know). I also really enjoy coming-of-age movies. The trailer for this conjures memories of Stand by Me and Now and Then.

End point: New Zealand + Harry Potter + the beach = Love.
("December Boys" at Technorati)


Gone Baby Gone (Fall 2007)

Ben Affleck's first crack at directing looks intense. It stars his brother Casey and a lot of other great actors, plus it takes place in Boston. See that skyline? It's the only good thing about riding the Red Line home from work.

End point: Casey Affleck is adorable, Boston is beautiful, this author also wrote "Mystic River". I'm sold.
("Gone Baby Gone" at Technorati)


30 Days of Night (October 2007)

"Which of these things is not like the other? Which of these things just doesn't belong?" Okay, so this movie could possibly spawn a sequel (30 Days of Light. Wait, already been done.) and yes, it stars Josh Hartnett. But what can I say? I am a sucker for horror movies and the undead. The premise for this seems like a fresh take on the genre, although I can't believe it's taken this long for someone to make a vampire movie set in one of those crazy places that has days and days of darkness during the winter. Hello people! No sunlight = no killing vampires! Duh!

End point: It's produced by Sam Raimi, I'm ready to get shit scared out of me, bring it on.("30 days of night" at Technorati)


1-18-08 (Guess when it comes out?)

Oh, J.J. Abrams, you have hooked me in again. No one knows what this movie is called or what it's about or who's in it, and if LOST is any indication, once we see the movie we still probably won't know what the hell's going on. But you know what? I'm still gonna see it. And then I'm going to spend hours on a message board trying to unlock it's secrets. Ok, not really, but a lot of other people already are. After watching a 2 minute preview. Of a movie without a name. Mr. Abrams, that is power.

End point: You know what would be funny? If this movie didn't even exist. J.J. Abrams is just fucking with everyone because he can. You get to the theatre, sit down and then the smoke monster comes on and does a 2 minute tap dance. Cut to J.J. Abrams saying "Watch LOST! I'm J.J. Abrams bitch!" Would that blow your mind or what?
(1-18-08 at Technorati)

Invincible "Access Entertainment Extra! Hollywood Tonight" Summer

So I know I haven't written in a while. If you know me, you know there has been good reason why I haven't felt like being particularly witty or flippant. Maybe I'll write about it someday, but not right now.

Instead I'd like to share with you what has absolutely made my day today:

The Emmy nominees for "Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics are:

"My Drunken Irish Dad" from Family Guy

"Merry Ex-mas" from MadTV (Clearly the most boring title here.)

"Dick in a Box" from SNL (Read: Emmy. Nominee. Dick. in. a. Box. Could a single phrase get any better?)

"Everything Comes Down to Poo" from Scrubs

"Guy Love" from Scrubs

I really hope it's like the Oscars where each nominee gets to perform their song during the awards show. That would be the only good reason to watch this 5-hour-long bore-fest.

Oh, who am I kidding? I'm an entertainment whore. I'll be watching anyway.


In other Emmy news, two choreographers from "So You Think You Can Dance" (Wade Robson and Mia Michaels) were nominated for dances they choreographed during last season! I think that is so big for the dance world. It is pretty rare when choreographers get celebrated for this type of work. These aren't music video, broadway or Justin Timberlake concert backup dances. They are artistic pieces of contemporary and jazz dance; genres that the general public would never get to see if it weren't for the show and these amazing choreographers. Plus Mia and Wade are my favorites! Congrats to them.

More Deep Thoughts

This time from Michael "I know the crap out of women!" Scott:

Any man who says he totally understands women is a fool. ‘Cause they are un-understandable. There’s a wishing fountain at the mall. And I threw a coin in for every woman in the world and made a wish. I wished for Jan to get over me, I wished for Phyllis a plasma TV, I wished for Pam to gain courage, I wished for Angela a heart, and for Kelly a brain. “Michael, how can you appreciate women so much, but also dump one of them?” You mean, how can I be so illogical and flighty and unpredictable and emotional? Well maybe I learned something from women after all.

My "Deep Thought" for Today

I was at The Onion website today poking around in their fake news articles (seriously, who needs real news?) when I happened upon their gift shop. There I found myself the (almost) perfect coffee mug:


However, if I could change one thing about the mug (which would make it actually perfect) it would be that instead of saying "The Onion" on the other side, it would say:

For more "Deep Thoughts" by Jack Handey go to The Only Official Deep Thoughts Site.

GOULET!!

Those brilliant bloggers at BWE.tv point us to the most awesomest viral site yet - www.gouletbars.com.

The best compilation of Robert Goulet songs since the Coconut Banger's Ball: It's a Rap! (Kind of inside, I know.)

Proof that Sexy First Came Back in 2001 and Justin Had Nothing to Do With It

Justin in 2001:

Not sexy.

Christopher Walken in 2001:

Case closed.

Is it hot in the office or is it just Jim?

Here's another Office fan video. It doesn't quite hold the same place in my heart as when Michael and Dwight brough SexyBack but its still really funny with incredible editing. My favorite parts - "I think my butt gettin big!" and Pam's "what?...oh".




Good thing there's something to keep me offipied while The Office is on hiatus forEVER.
Also, if you're a fan, you should know NBC is showing "newpeats" this Thursday. They are special extended episodes of "The Merger" and "Traveling Salesmen" that have been re-edited to include material originally cut from the eps' first run.

Other fun Office stuff to get you through the dry spell:

Play NBC's Office Quote Game (harder than you'd think)
Watch Rainn Wilson's Office Themed Monologue on SNL
Read Jenna Fischer (aka Pam)'s MySpace Blog
Write in The Life in the Office Forum

Celebracion "El Labirinto del Fauno"

Tengo aconseje para usted: Mire Pan's Labyrinth.

It may not be a happy movie; it may be dark, startling brutal at times and intense, but it is worth living through. Just make sure you have the time to process it once it's over. This isn't a movie you leave behind right away. At least I didn't. For me, this movie was like director Guillermo del Toro was giving me a small dose of what it must have felt like for the people of Spain during Franco's rule and the Spanish Civil War. There is never a moment of security for the characters or the audience. Even in the fantasy world of 11-year-old Ofelia, there is a darkness and intensity that never settles or comforts. It is a movie that is both frightening and beautiful in only the way a fairy-tale is able.

For a more thorough review that I couldn't have said better myself see Roger Ebert's page.

I also have to say that young Ivana Baquero who plays Ofelia should have been nominated for an Oscar. I think if this movie were from the U.S. she would have been. I loved Abigail Breslin in Little Miss Sunshine and believe she deserved the nom she recieved, but because of the type of movie Pan's was, Baquero's performance needed to be, and was, on a whole other level. For instance, take note of the scene of Ofelia, ear pressed against her mother's pregnant belly, making a heart-wrenching promise to her unborn baby brother. Half the adult actresses who make their living in Hollywood could not find and portray the emotional truth in this scene as well as her.

¡Excelente!



The image of the Pan's Labyrinth poster was taken from Wikipedia where you can find its copywrite information. No infringement intended.

PostSecret - Stamps + Chocolate

The marketing geniuses behind Altoids (just try to tell me their Curiously Strong campaign isn't effective, I dare you) have come up with a slightly viral, very interactive online campaign to promote their new Chocolate Altoids. Really, the word chocolate sold me right off, but apparently others aren't so easily swayed.

The concept is a la PostSecret. Annonymous people write short notes (up to 50 characters) that, once approved by the moderator, are added to the (chocolate) pool of other people's thoughts, shout-outs, secrets, put-downs, confessions, etc. The gimmick is that each thought becomes a white mint Altoid floating in a chocolate pool and anyone accessing the site can click on your thought and see what you wrote. You also have the option of approving your thought to be used by Altoids in the banner ads they are placing on other sites:


Therefore, anyone can be a copywriter! I bet that feels good to all you other ad students out there who paid $45,000 a year on a degree and countless hours on a portfolio only to be shot down time and again by the big ad agencies. Look! They don't even need you! They can pay joe-schmo $0 to write their ads AND get them to want to eat chocolate Altoids at the same time! Brilliant.

Good thing I want to be an art director.

Here's my special message to all of you:


If that doesn't put you in the mood for something chocolate dipped, I don't know what will.

Addendum to Previous Post

Last night Janet and I went to see a pre-screening of the new Jim Carrey movie The Number 23, thanks to passes I received for being a Bzz Agent. Mostly the movie was entertaining, suspenseful and creepy, but I don't really buy into the number 23 being very significant. I think you can probably reduce significant dates and names to most any number so that it will meet your expectations (i.e. Magical Thinking).

However, I will confess that on the bus ride home (it's that damn bus again, lulling my dominant reality-based brain hemisphere and freeing up my fantasy-oriented side) I started thinking about the strange date I encountered earlier that day - February 21, 2026. I realized you can reduce February 21 to 2/21 or 2 + 21, which of course equals 23. Ok, so not really that exciting. But, 20 + 26 = 46, which cut in half is...........yup, 23. Kinda spooky. Then take all the numbers in the date - 2, 21, 20, 26 and add them up. It equals 69, which divided by 3 is 23. Then I was weirded out and stopped because I had to get off the bus and walk home in the dark.

Maybe it's a stretch, and like I said it's probable you could do this with any number, but it's still something interesting to think about. Just don't get obsessed. It's not pretty.

Time Travel is Way Cooler in a DeLorean

This morning on the bus, the electric banner that scrolls the time and date for the passengers read February 21, 2026. For a minute I thought I might have woken up on the wrong side of the Twilight Zone. Then I realized my bus wasn't flying and my iPod was still a separate entity from my body, so I figured some drunken MBTA worker must have programed the bus this morning. That made me feel a whole lot better.

To get my mind off of drunken bus operators, I was pondering what the year 2026 might be like. I will be 44, which is the worst thing I've ever heard. And that's about all I can really say about the 2-6er (what I think we should call the years by then). So, I decided that if there's anything out there that I think could look into the future 19 years and bring me back a glimpse of the world it would have to be Google. Surely the omnipotent master of the cyber-universe would find me the answers.

Turns out Google is just the pimp and Wikipedia is its bitch. The first page on my Google search was for the Wiki, which already has a page solely for the year 2026. Talk about being on top of your shit. Here's what it tells us about the future (insert Wayne's World sound effects and motions here).

In the year 2026:

• New Year's Day will be on a Thursday. Yesssss! Thursdays rock!
• The Aurora Programme will send a mission to Mars. Really? Mars? That's original. Won't we be living on Mars by then? That's not going to be a very exciting mission.
• The U.S. will celebrate its 250th anniversary as an independent country. Par-tay!! Maybe by then we can clone the fore-fathers and get our groove on. I call dibbsies on John Adams!
• The southern section of the BART will connect the East Bay of California to Silicon Valley. It will make it a much easier commute for the AIs to come kill off the humans every morning. They will be very appreciative and might spare people who look like Will Smith or Tom Cruise.
• According to the TV section of 2026, if we were in an episode of SeaQuest DSV this would happen - "An economic summit takes place that places hundreds of thousands of undeveloped basins back on the market." I have no idea what the means, but if I can have a talking dolphin, I don't really care either.
• And according to Star Trek: Enterprise, World War III will begin in 2026. A date they must have gotten from Ms. Cleo, since all signs point to that shit storm starting much earlier.

Lastly, my favorite event of 2026 will be the actualization of Heinz von Foerster's "Doomsday Equation". In 1960, Foerster published an article in which he divulged a formula for future population growth. "The formula gave 2.7 billion as the 1960 world population and predicted that population growth would become infinite by Friday, November 13, 2026. " Happy Birthday to me! Awww, the end of the world! You shouldn't have!

So in pre-celebration of the apocalypse and my 45th birthday, which I will be spending on Mars with my talking pet dolphin Darwin, an AI ass-kicking Will Smith and my John Adams clone, here is a video of how I think the world will actually end. Enjoy.

The Most Hate-Filled, Disrespectful, Ignorant Thing I Have Heard in a Long Time

Below is the rotten shit that poured forth from former Miami Heat point guard Tim Hardaway's mouth during a recent radio show interview. The hosts were discussing the coming-out of former NBA player John Amaechi and the release of his autobiography.

"You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known. I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people," Hardaway said while a guest on Sports Talk 790 The Ticket in Miami. "I'm homophobic. I don't like it. It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States."

The host asked Hardaway how he would interact with a gay teammate.

"First of all, I wouldn't want him on my team. And second of all, if he was on my team, I would, you know, really distance myself from him because, uh, I don't think that is right. I don't think he should be in the locker room while we are in the locker room."

If he did find out that a teammate was gay, Hardaway said he would ask for the player to be removed from the team.

"Something has to give," Hardaway said. "If you have 12 other ballplayers in your locker room that's upset and can't concentrate and always worried about him in the locker room or on the court or whatever, it's going to be hard for your teammates to win and accept him as a teammate." SI.com

And here is his "apology" regarding the incident:

"Yes, I regret it. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said I hate gay people or anything like that," he said. "That was my mistake."

The NBA also issued a statement where they duly noted the "disparity between his views and ours."

Way to really put your foot down and take a strong stance on the issue NBA. You don't necessarily condone homophobia, but hell, you're not about to condemn it either! You wouldn't want to alienate your target audience now would you?

Well NBA, here's an exercise for you: read the same quote and every time you see the words "gay" or "homophobic" replace them with "black" and "racist". I'll give you a minute......

Sounds like we're back in the 40s or 50s doesn't it? Can you imagine the public outrage and strong dissenting statement the NBA would have issued if THAT were to come out of someones mouth on a radio show interview today? And rightly so. It is offensive and racist. Well, so is the real version.

It is a disconcerting and horrifying reminder of the lengths this country still needs to go in the "all men created equal" department. You would think that 231 years would be enough to get it right, but we are obviously so far off from that it is ridiculous.

So, in this month to celebrate black history and the strides society has taken in the fight for equal rights, let's not forget how far we still need to go, for the sake of all people.

Like Endless Rain Into a Paper Cup

I haven't been inspired to post anything in a while, and I've also been busy, but I thought I'd share the trailer to a movie that I'm pretty excited about. It's called Across the Universe and is a fictional romp through the turmoil of the 60s. The plot follows a young couple (Jude and Lucy) and uses visual art and dance numbers cued to new arrangements of Beatles songs in order to capture the frenzy and passion of that era. The only way I can describe what this movie looks like to me is alive. I hope the storyline will live up to the stunning visual glances this preview is giving us:




Credit to bestweekever.tv for posting this.

I couldn't make this up if I tried

This morning I opened up my email inbox to find an email titled: "Invitation to Join MLB Bloggers." My first thought was, "Hey cool, a blogging group might be fun!" Then I read the email and laughed more than I thought humanly possible at 9am on a cold, snowy work day.

Dear blog author:

We recently came across your site, invinciblesummer13.blogspot.com, while searching for bloggers who blog about Major League Baseball.

That's really all you need to read. If you know me, you are already laughing. If you don't know me, please refer to the ONLY post I've ever written that has to do with baseball: a man in uniform.

Now, if you're not into sports as much as I clearly am, you may not realize that the picture I linked to in that post is not even a real baseball player! True story. It's actually David Duchovny in an episode of The X-Files (*sigh, baseball spooning*). And if you didn't know that, we can't be friends.

So, in conclusion, a note to Craig Cantin at MLB Bloggers:

I wish you all the luck with your blogging group and I am quite flattered by the (obviously) personally tailored invitation I received. However, it is with deep regret that I must decline your offer. I just don't see us as a very good match at this time, unless you want me to blog about hot guys who have worn baseball uniforms but aren't in fact baseball players. If that's the case, sign me up!

Otherwise, thank you in the very least for the good laugh.

Your friend in baseball (sort of),

Allison

Michael Scott and the Paper Factory

Oompa loompa doopidy dawsome
Tonight's episode of The Office was awesome
If you do not like this show
I cannot be your friend no mo.

(Also, you are not in on this joke. Sad for you.)

Stop, Hey What's That Sound?

I hope you enjoy the newest feature on my blog. It's no iPhone, but this ain't Apple.com either.

This 'Ship Should Sail.....Far Away.....Don't Ever Come Back.....Seriously.

Somehow (not really sure how) I just came across a shipper video on YouTube that focuses on the characters of Hermione Granger and Professor Snape from the Harry Potter books/films.

I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.

Ew! That is just gross and disturbing to think about. Also, it is illegal. Ick ick ick.

The worst part (yes, it gets worse) is that there are actually more of the same out there! Come on! How many people can there be that think a fictitious (let's also keep that in mind) 13 year old should have a relationship with a (also fictitious) disturbingly dark, spiteful old guy?! Apparently too many.

If you happen to be masochistic, here's a link to the video. And don't forget to check out the similar ones in the side bar. Yippee! I couldn't even watch the whole thing it creeped me out so much.

Let this be a lesson: Just because you know how to use iMovie, doesn't mean you should.

The smartest thing a man has said about women since.......ever.

"Females are generally not encouraged by society to be super-smart, at least, not overtly. And ESPECIALLY not in the techie/geeky super-smart way.

So as a result, by the time these super-smart young girl geeks have grown up to be women, society will have managed to inject them with all sorts of serious self-esteem issues. Which rarely comes in handy in the mate-choosing department."

Ingenious theory written by hugh macleod on his blog.

The low self-esteem part of me wants to put some sort of disclaimer here that by posting this on my blog I am not implying that I'm one of those super-smart girls. But fuck it, you're damn right I am! And I will now constantly fall back on that explanation for why I can't get a date. You other super-smart women out there, feel free to do so as well.

No no, don't thank me. Thank hugh.