The Oscars just ended. All in all, I enjoyed it. I thought Jon Stewart did a great job; he does a good job of going with the moment, like having Marketa Irglova from Once come back and give her speech. Which was one of the best of the night, and she and Glen Hansard both looked fab. How fantastic is it that he still uses the same beat up guitar he’s always used, even at the Oscars. Anyways, the unscripted things, along with most of the scripted jokes from Stewart were entertaining. As usual there were too many montages, but at least Stewart made fun of that.
Speaking of looking good and scripted jokes: James MvAvoy was so yummy and fun. Him and Josh Brolin were a highlight for sure.
Also yummy was Javier Bardem, plus you gotta love a guy who thanks his mom so ernestly.
Of all the ladies I thought Helen Miren’s dress was fab, and it seemed red was the color of the evening (a al Anne Hathaway, Katherine Heigl). Wonder if it had anything to do with Diet Cokes Red Dress/Heart Disease Campaign commercials, which played endlessly (and you can’t tell me Diet Coke is good for the heart disease). And for those of us who watch the whole thing, those commercials that are all the same every break gets real old real fast
Oh, and Kate Blancett looked fabu as well.
A joke I was looking for but didn’t come was Jessica Alba hosting the techi awards. Something about how that’s as close as geeks are ever gonna get to Jessica Alba, but it didn’t happen. Here’s my other riff on that though- why is Jessica Alba giving out an award? Is she the only one they could find that far down on the A-list that would do it? Has she ever been in a movie that would even screen for the Oscars? Or for that matter The Rock? Oh, I’m sorry, I mean Wayne Johnson. Or Miley Cyrus (Look, it’s another red dress!)? I suppose I could argue the same thing about Steve Carrell or Seth Rogen & Jonah Hill , but I think they are all pretty funny, and yummy in their funny ways (Seth was my FAVORITE on Freaks and Geeks), so I’ll forgive them. Biased and sexist probably, but oh well, is it really worth arguing with me about it? I didn’t think so.
It figures the one movie that I didn’t see yet in the Best Picture category wins. I’d like to see it, but finding someone to go with or just going myself hasn’t happened yet. Plus, all I really knew about it before Oscar season was that it was about some pretty bad bad men. Pumping myself up to see a film about evil that you know can’t end well is always hard.
Still, I don’t doubt that it is excellent, and the one person I knew who saw it agreed with that sentiment, so I’m not upset about it’s winning. I was rooting for There Will Be Blood, and if Juno had won I would have been fine. Michael Clayton was a fine film, but I was underwhelmed with it. And I down right just didn’t like Atonement, so I’m down right glad it didn’t win.
Over all though I was happy with the variety and realism of the nominees this year, and the entertainment of the award ceremony itself. Oh, and I’m SO happy “Falling Slowly” won best song, I was cheering for it all along.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Boiler Rooms and Backseats
I just finished watching “The Boiler Room” episode of My So-Called Life. Officially I believe the episode is called “Self Esteem”, but anyone whoever watched the show ever knows that it’s really called “The Boiler Room” episode.
It’s the Jordan-Catalano-holds-Angela’s-hand episode. And it is perfect. It’s perfect television. It gives me butterflies in my stomach. It even has my favorite Shakespeare Sonnet in it, sonnet 130.
I could go on and on about why it’s good television, but it just is. They kiss and kiss and kiss in the Boiler Room, and you would think that is the big deal, because it’s Jordan Catalano and they are kissing. But no, the moment is when Jordan walks down the hall and takes Angela’s hand in front of everyone (including poor Brain Krakow). That is the moment, it's about actual intimacy, and in the most public way. Anyways, I’ll stop gushing. It’s just the best.
The next episode, which I’m watching now, begins with them in Jordan’s car; talking about having sex, having a car, and I just have to say this story:
When I was in high school there was a boy in the grade above me that I had a big crush on, despite his having a very steady girlfriend, that somehow I managed to become semi-friends with, that would even drive me home after school. While riding in the backseat once I noticed there were pillows and I asked “Scott, why do you have pillows in your backseat?” There was a pointed silence in which he exchanged looks with the person in the front seat, and then it dawned on me and a realized “Ohhhhhh” escaped my mouth. Everyone laughed and I yet again realized how naive I was.
On the show the voice over just said “There’s this dividing line between girls who have had sex and girls who have not.” One guess as to which side I was on; the side that didn’t even know pillows could go in the backseat of your car.
It’s the Jordan-Catalano-holds-Angela’s-hand episode. And it is perfect. It’s perfect television. It gives me butterflies in my stomach. It even has my favorite Shakespeare Sonnet in it, sonnet 130.
I could go on and on about why it’s good television, but it just is. They kiss and kiss and kiss in the Boiler Room, and you would think that is the big deal, because it’s Jordan Catalano and they are kissing. But no, the moment is when Jordan walks down the hall and takes Angela’s hand in front of everyone (including poor Brain Krakow). That is the moment, it's about actual intimacy, and in the most public way. Anyways, I’ll stop gushing. It’s just the best.
The next episode, which I’m watching now, begins with them in Jordan’s car; talking about having sex, having a car, and I just have to say this story:
When I was in high school there was a boy in the grade above me that I had a big crush on, despite his having a very steady girlfriend, that somehow I managed to become semi-friends with, that would even drive me home after school. While riding in the backseat once I noticed there were pillows and I asked “Scott, why do you have pillows in your backseat?” There was a pointed silence in which he exchanged looks with the person in the front seat, and then it dawned on me and a realized “Ohhhhhh” escaped my mouth. Everyone laughed and I yet again realized how naive I was.
On the show the voice over just said “There’s this dividing line between girls who have had sex and girls who have not.” One guess as to which side I was on; the side that didn’t even know pillows could go in the backseat of your car.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
My So-Called Life to Quarterlife
Since I went on about entertainment yesterday, and I was entertained again last night, and yet again did not run, I thought I’d go on about entertainment again.
Firstly, I’ve been re-watching the amazing series My So-Called Life. It’s so shockingly accurate. It’s Freaks & Geeks and UnDeclared (a la Judd Apatow) before their (his) time. Among other things, I keep noticing the clothes. Unfortunately it’s true that we did dress like that. There’s one large flannel shirt that Angela wears all the time, it’s red, and I have documentation of myself wearing the exact same flannel shirt only in orange dancing with a boy at my first co-ed basement party. I find it hilarious. I don’t remember so many of the floral prints, but still, I remember the overly large grunge flannels over tight tank-tops and white-washed jeans. My mom also noted that they wear the same clothes all the time, which of course just makes it seem that much more true to life.
Anyways, beyond the fashion, it’s still so great. So well written, so well acted. It takes the nerd, the cheerleader, the bad-girl, the gay kid, the kid-sister, the out of reach crush, the bad-boy, the parents, everyone, it takes everyone and makes them relatable, all of them. It’s so genius. It’s so real. And of course, just like Freaks & Geeks and UnDeclared that would come later and seem familar, it was too good for television and only lasted one season.
From the writers, directors, producers, who-ever that created MSCL is now Quarterlife, which is going to air on television on the 26th. But before it does, it’s also airing on NBCs website. I’m not the best for getting my e-news online, like I said before –I go read the magazines at Borders and then try to remember to look it up later – so I don’t know the whole story about this show. But apparently it started on myspace, then became its own thing on its own website, quarterlife.com.
I don’t know about all that, but I watched the network pilot on NBC. For the most part, I liked it. Although it drives me nuts when shows try to cast themselves about every day people that all look like models, just without so much make-up (but that should just be assumed, I mean really, show me any television program with normal looking people. Even MSCL, besides Brian’s afro, were all pretty). Plus, why is it that they put glasses on a girl, and she’s supposed to be not as pretty or something. It’s like glasses are the “we’re trying to make this girl not look like a super model” go-to prop. Or the go-to prop for making anyone seem more alternative. One more thing about the physical look of the show – there are two characters, Lisa and Jed, who are the type of people that when I see them I think “They look like someone I know” but can’t quite actually figure out who that is.
Anyways, it was ok, good-looking twenty-somethings having un-requited love and not knowing how to handle life, basically MSCL only older. A line that may sum it up from the show was from that character Lisa I mentioned said: “You know what I hate about you? You act like such a victim and you’ve never had anything done to you.”
It’s in the middle of a monologue of the main character, Dylan, which Lisa is talking to that caught my attention:
Dylan: You’re lucky.
Lisa: I am? Why?
D: You just are. You’re lucky you don’t have a job, and smoking is bad for you.
L: I do have a job and shut up.
D. No, you have a place where they pay you for honest work, that’s not a job. A job is where you check your soul at the door and spend the day doing the bidding of others trying to exploit humanity.
L: Say that again?
D: Where you give up your dignity in order to help strip others of theirs. And where your biggest assist is being expendable. That’s a job.
I find this to be somewhat accurate, except that I think by 25 you know that going in. I don’t think the character would be so shocked to find that out. It’s television; good looking people speaking much deeper, truer, and wittier than anyone actually sounds. But it’s by the same group that brought us MSCL, I think Jed is cute, and I can watch it whenever I want on the computer, so I’m in and I'm telling you about it.
Firstly, I’ve been re-watching the amazing series My So-Called Life. It’s so shockingly accurate. It’s Freaks & Geeks and UnDeclared (a la Judd Apatow) before their (his) time. Among other things, I keep noticing the clothes. Unfortunately it’s true that we did dress like that. There’s one large flannel shirt that Angela wears all the time, it’s red, and I have documentation of myself wearing the exact same flannel shirt only in orange dancing with a boy at my first co-ed basement party. I find it hilarious. I don’t remember so many of the floral prints, but still, I remember the overly large grunge flannels over tight tank-tops and white-washed jeans. My mom also noted that they wear the same clothes all the time, which of course just makes it seem that much more true to life.
Anyways, beyond the fashion, it’s still so great. So well written, so well acted. It takes the nerd, the cheerleader, the bad-girl, the gay kid, the kid-sister, the out of reach crush, the bad-boy, the parents, everyone, it takes everyone and makes them relatable, all of them. It’s so genius. It’s so real. And of course, just like Freaks & Geeks and UnDeclared that would come later and seem familar, it was too good for television and only lasted one season.
From the writers, directors, producers, who-ever that created MSCL is now Quarterlife, which is going to air on television on the 26th. But before it does, it’s also airing on NBCs website. I’m not the best for getting my e-news online, like I said before –I go read the magazines at Borders and then try to remember to look it up later – so I don’t know the whole story about this show. But apparently it started on myspace, then became its own thing on its own website, quarterlife.com.
I don’t know about all that, but I watched the network pilot on NBC. For the most part, I liked it. Although it drives me nuts when shows try to cast themselves about every day people that all look like models, just without so much make-up (but that should just be assumed, I mean really, show me any television program with normal looking people. Even MSCL, besides Brian’s afro, were all pretty). Plus, why is it that they put glasses on a girl, and she’s supposed to be not as pretty or something. It’s like glasses are the “we’re trying to make this girl not look like a super model” go-to prop. Or the go-to prop for making anyone seem more alternative. One more thing about the physical look of the show – there are two characters, Lisa and Jed, who are the type of people that when I see them I think “They look like someone I know” but can’t quite actually figure out who that is.
Anyways, it was ok, good-looking twenty-somethings having un-requited love and not knowing how to handle life, basically MSCL only older. A line that may sum it up from the show was from that character Lisa I mentioned said: “You know what I hate about you? You act like such a victim and you’ve never had anything done to you.”
It’s in the middle of a monologue of the main character, Dylan, which Lisa is talking to that caught my attention:
Dylan: You’re lucky.
Lisa: I am? Why?
D: You just are. You’re lucky you don’t have a job, and smoking is bad for you.
L: I do have a job and shut up.
D. No, you have a place where they pay you for honest work, that’s not a job. A job is where you check your soul at the door and spend the day doing the bidding of others trying to exploit humanity.
L: Say that again?
D: Where you give up your dignity in order to help strip others of theirs. And where your biggest assist is being expendable. That’s a job.
I find this to be somewhat accurate, except that I think by 25 you know that going in. I don’t think the character would be so shocked to find that out. It’s television; good looking people speaking much deeper, truer, and wittier than anyone actually sounds. But it’s by the same group that brought us MSCL, I think Jed is cute, and I can watch it whenever I want on the computer, so I’m in and I'm telling you about it.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
No running, but There Will Be Blood
I haven't been running at all these days, as you can see by my lack of postings. It's been far below zero recently, and I've grown lazy. I hope the season begins to turn soon because too long without running and it'll be that much more of a struggle to get back on the band wagon.
Some other things I've been musing on:
I saw "There Will Be Blood" last night. I really liked it, and I am shocked that Jonny Greenwood (of Radiohead) isn't nominated for an Oscar for the score he created for the film. It was chilling and wonderful. My friend who is also a big movie-geek went and saw it with me, and I remembered how much I like seeing movies with people who also really like movies. I mean, I know, everyone likes a good movie. But I'm the kind of movie dork that can waste more time than I'm willing to admit watching trailers online, or spends afternoons reading Entertainment Weekly and drinking chai at Boarders. Anyways, seeing movies with people who appreciate them just makes them that much more entertaining - both the movies and the people - I think.
Being such a movie dork, The Oscars are like my Superbowl, and this year the game is actually interesting. So many deserving people and films. Although, for being a movie geek, I haven't actually seen as many as I would like. Unfortunately not a lot of the nominees are in theaters; which is a shame, because really, there is nothing much worth seeing out right now. Movie season is October - February, where in that time frame it's believed people will actually remember your film for Oscars. And the summer season, May - August/Sept, is good for popcorn fun films that will make money, but this stretch of Post Oscar Season to Summer Season is going to be desolate. I mean, Jumper is the number one movie at the box office right now. case in point.
Anyways, that's my rant for entertainment. At least the writer's strike is over, and hopefully soon this cold spell with be as well.
Some other things I've been musing on:
I saw "There Will Be Blood" last night. I really liked it, and I am shocked that Jonny Greenwood (of Radiohead) isn't nominated for an Oscar for the score he created for the film. It was chilling and wonderful. My friend who is also a big movie-geek went and saw it with me, and I remembered how much I like seeing movies with people who also really like movies. I mean, I know, everyone likes a good movie. But I'm the kind of movie dork that can waste more time than I'm willing to admit watching trailers online, or spends afternoons reading Entertainment Weekly and drinking chai at Boarders. Anyways, seeing movies with people who appreciate them just makes them that much more entertaining - both the movies and the people - I think.
Being such a movie dork, The Oscars are like my Superbowl, and this year the game is actually interesting. So many deserving people and films. Although, for being a movie geek, I haven't actually seen as many as I would like. Unfortunately not a lot of the nominees are in theaters; which is a shame, because really, there is nothing much worth seeing out right now. Movie season is October - February, where in that time frame it's believed people will actually remember your film for Oscars. And the summer season, May - August/Sept, is good for popcorn fun films that will make money, but this stretch of Post Oscar Season to Summer Season is going to be desolate. I mean, Jumper is the number one movie at the box office right now. case in point.
Anyways, that's my rant for entertainment. At least the writer's strike is over, and hopefully soon this cold spell with be as well.
Friday, February 8, 2008
In response
This is mostly in response to my friend Katie's blog, instead of writing a comment, I figured I would write something myself.
I too almost gave up on the "Cookie" experiment last night. Just was not in the mood for cookies. It's weird, cuz you would think "But cookie's are wonderful, why would you not want a cookie?" But I'm begining to worry about the side effects of eating a cookie every day.
I wish I could say that, like Katie, last night was the best cookie experiment ever. But it was not. It was by shear will that I ate the damn cookie. For the same reasons that Katie eats cookies: I don't want to quit, and I want to out-last Katie.
I'm thinking I may need to stop eating cookies at night too, because all that sugar just leaves me wired and wide awake.
I too almost gave up on the "Cookie" experiment last night. Just was not in the mood for cookies. It's weird, cuz you would think "But cookie's are wonderful, why would you not want a cookie?" But I'm begining to worry about the side effects of eating a cookie every day.
I wish I could say that, like Katie, last night was the best cookie experiment ever. But it was not. It was by shear will that I ate the damn cookie. For the same reasons that Katie eats cookies: I don't want to quit, and I want to out-last Katie.
I'm thinking I may need to stop eating cookies at night too, because all that sugar just leaves me wired and wide awake.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Precipitation
We're under this "Severe Storm Alert" right now, and it does nothing to curb my stir-crazy-ness. So despite the warning, and because of the fact that even though we're supposed to get 6-10 inches of snow we've gotten nothing but rain, I went for a run. It's cold, and it's wet, but it was only drizzling when I started and there is no precipitation by the time I got back. Although the sky is an ominous burnt peach tone. Anyways:
Tuesday, February 5, 2007
2.8519 mi
Tuesday, February 5, 2007
2.8519 mi
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Sucker Punch Faith
Around 3 o'clock today I got this sucker-punched sad feeling in the pit of my stomach. It was a accumulation of just depressing annoyances all adding up into this snowball. And then one more thing just sent the ball rolling and I felt like losing it.
So, instead of losing it, I went for a run. I forced myself down to my room, past my bed where I could just watch something sad on my laptop and cry, and instead squeezed myself into two pairs of leggings, sports bars, long-sleeve thermo shirts and my running shoes. Then out the door I went.
I've added some louder songs to my play list - some Foo Fighters and Silverchair - and it was fantastic. It's all still pop I know, but the screaming of Dave Grohl or that guy from Fallout Boy or Dashboard Confessional just gets me going. That, and Jay-Z's "99 Problems" - I smile every time I listen to it.
Anyways, the run didn't really help me escape feeling upset, but it did help with that sucker-punch feeling. It made the feeling plateau instead of escalate. Crying may have done that too, but crying doesn't burn as many calories or produce endorphins.
SO:
Saturday February 1, 2008
3.1341 mi
When I got back from my run I went to church. It's just the Unitarian Church two blocks from my house. I haven't gone much, but last week I started going the Saturday night service and I really like going at night. My friend last week said of my going to church "Oh, so your looking for something." I answered that that is probably accurate, but I started attending church semi-regularly over a year ago, and I couldn't tell you any more now than I could then why it is that I go. I just like going. It's like running - it gives me space to think and focus on myself while at the same time totally taking me out of myself. I don't know if that makes sense at all, but since when did church make sense in the first place.
So, instead of losing it, I went for a run. I forced myself down to my room, past my bed where I could just watch something sad on my laptop and cry, and instead squeezed myself into two pairs of leggings, sports bars, long-sleeve thermo shirts and my running shoes. Then out the door I went.
I've added some louder songs to my play list - some Foo Fighters and Silverchair - and it was fantastic. It's all still pop I know, but the screaming of Dave Grohl or that guy from Fallout Boy or Dashboard Confessional just gets me going. That, and Jay-Z's "99 Problems" - I smile every time I listen to it.
Anyways, the run didn't really help me escape feeling upset, but it did help with that sucker-punch feeling. It made the feeling plateau instead of escalate. Crying may have done that too, but crying doesn't burn as many calories or produce endorphins.
SO:
Saturday February 1, 2008
3.1341 mi
When I got back from my run I went to church. It's just the Unitarian Church two blocks from my house. I haven't gone much, but last week I started going the Saturday night service and I really like going at night. My friend last week said of my going to church "Oh, so your looking for something." I answered that that is probably accurate, but I started attending church semi-regularly over a year ago, and I couldn't tell you any more now than I could then why it is that I go. I just like going. It's like running - it gives me space to think and focus on myself while at the same time totally taking me out of myself. I don't know if that makes sense at all, but since when did church make sense in the first place.
Friday, February 1, 2008
One More Thing: The Cookie Month
I forgot in my last post: My friend and I are doing this, well, this little experiment. But it's not really one that I feel comfortable blogging about, and neither does she, so we're using a euphemism, thus the "". The experiment is thus: every day, for a month, I will "eat a cookie" and see how it affects my mood. The hypothesis is that, since cookies are wonderful and delicious and fantastic, that having one everyday will put me in a better mood. Here's the thing though - eating cookie can sometimes be tiring, I mean, you've gotta make time for it in your day, every day. Although I don't really preceive this to be that big of a problem for me, as I am still unemployed. Also, there are unforseen side affects of this experiment. My friend has already noticed that she now may have cookies on the brain, and it's only the first day! We've picked February though because it's the shortest month (although this year is a leap year!), so if it's a total disaster at least it's a short one.
Oh, and my apologies for the terrible spelling, the spell-check button isn't working on my blogger right now, despite my using firefox! Ugh, and either is the link button, otherwise I'd post the link to my friends blog! I'll try to get this figured out later....
Oh, and my apologies for the terrible spelling, the spell-check button isn't working on my blogger right now, despite my using firefox! Ugh, and either is the link button, otherwise I'd post the link to my friends blog! I'll try to get this figured out later....
I'm listening to JT, and not to you, sorry....
Here's the thing about headphones - I feel like they are the universal sign of "Leave Me Alone Please." I mean, if I have headphones in, that means that I'm listening to something, and not to you. But aparently people at the local coffee shop I'm at don't know this simple form of urban ettiquette, because in the last hour two people have struck up long conversations.
Sometimes I think I just must have some kinda of really welcoming aura, because people will talk to me all the time. Not that I totally mind, but it's the socially awkward ones that are expecially hard. The coffee barista whose started talking to me by asking me if I was doing homework, then about trying to find jobs and how I should apply here, etc. That's fine. Seems harmless enough and I appreciate the encouragement to apply (and I would, but you have to apply online and this national coffee chain must hate Macs because you have to have Explorer or Netscape to apply. Drat!). But, the guy who came in here and just hung out talking to the barista's - well there's my first sign of social oddity. Then on his way out (I'm sitting by the door) he starts talking to me by saying "So, you like Macs?" and then the conversations going no where so he says "I see you like rings" because, well, because I wear three rings on my hands. I mean, I don't know what to say to this. Adding to this train-wreck is that I have my headphones in, so I have to keep asking "What?" It's awkward city over here, population 2.
Only about 4 more minutes till I'm done downloading the last of the only season of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Then, I'm outta here.
No running today either, but I did my fair share of walking around downtown and around the Art Institute. By the by - general admissions is free for the month of February, so get your ass down there and enjoy!
Sometimes I think I just must have some kinda of really welcoming aura, because people will talk to me all the time. Not that I totally mind, but it's the socially awkward ones that are expecially hard. The coffee barista whose started talking to me by asking me if I was doing homework, then about trying to find jobs and how I should apply here, etc. That's fine. Seems harmless enough and I appreciate the encouragement to apply (and I would, but you have to apply online and this national coffee chain must hate Macs because you have to have Explorer or Netscape to apply. Drat!). But, the guy who came in here and just hung out talking to the barista's - well there's my first sign of social oddity. Then on his way out (I'm sitting by the door) he starts talking to me by saying "So, you like Macs?" and then the conversations going no where so he says "I see you like rings" because, well, because I wear three rings on my hands. I mean, I don't know what to say to this. Adding to this train-wreck is that I have my headphones in, so I have to keep asking "What?" It's awkward city over here, population 2.
Only about 4 more minutes till I'm done downloading the last of the only season of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Then, I'm outta here.
No running today either, but I did my fair share of walking around downtown and around the Art Institute. By the by - general admissions is free for the month of February, so get your ass down there and enjoy!
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