Survivor/ANTM Update

And for the reality TV fans, an update:

Ding, dong....Jamie's gone! In a bit of excellent play by the remaining Survivors, they crossed tribal lines to vote Jamie off. I love when this happens! And Bobby Jon's gone, too, so I'm doubly happy. I'm now rooting for Gary (who would've thought he'd end up being the underdog at the beginning? He seemed to have many advantages back then). And I told you that Lydia was a stealth player! Watch out for her....and for Rafe. My final four now is looking to be Lydia, Rafe, Steph, and Gary. That would be awesome! We'll see how it all plays out...

And for ANTM, ding, dong, Lisa's gone! I mean, that bit with the adult diapers? Hello? I did like her spunky attitude, but she quickly went psycho on us. We're rooting for Kim in our house...go, Kim!

The map of missing things

Saw Laurie Anderson this past week--it was mesmerizing. Got to meet her at a reception the day before her show--she was very personable and interested in everything. I want to be her when I grow up!

Catching up....Chicken Little was enjoyed by all ages. Loved the disco/dance hits (Spice Girls, Gloria Gaynor, etc.). I'm seriously behind on my movie-watching...hope to catch up over the Xmas holidays. Got 3 new CDs in the mail this weekend: a Chet Baker compilation, a jazz chillout compilation (with an awesome cover of the Doors "Light My Fire" by Julie London), and the Erykah Badu Live CD (finally!). Also, got a CD for my daughter for Xmas, but can't tell you what it is yet. Gotta get on top of the Xmas shopping as we are celebrating our holidays early this year.

Off to the land of my birth (MS) this holiday week. Will post any interesting pictures later.

These are the people in my NotRepublican neighborhood

Okay, big disappointment in our household last night...America's Next Top Model went with one of those "let's recap the season so far because we're too lazy to show a real episode, shall we?" shows. I hope we get a new episode next week. But, we have Survivor to look forward to tonight, my little Tribal Council buddies! And it's merge-time--hurrah! Now, I can finally get all of their names straight. I'm amazed that Steph and Bobby Jon are still in the game. I've done a complete 180 on Steph...she was my favorite player last time, but I'm tired of her whole martyr-schtick. And Bobby Jon...puh-leaze! Why do they always have to find the Southerner with the worst accent ever? Really, we don't all talk like that!

For your liberal viewing pleasure today...a little Sesame Street flashback, starring Rov-er, Big Bird Bush, and the other NotRepublicans. Not for the children! (Source: Poplicks.com)

Movie updates: we're going to see Chicken Little this weekend--my son insists that we see it the day it comes out. I'll post a review later.

More Joyce! And a movie review

Here's more about Joyce, our favorite single-monikered singing sensation (scroll down past all of the hoo-ha about Cameron Crowe to get to the good part). Who knew I was tapping into the Joyce Fever that is sweeping the nation with my last post?

Joyce Update #2: And yet still even more about Joyce (click on her picture to the left under the heading "Nice Ladies," and then on her album cover). You can even listen to a snippet of one of her songs at this website, aptly titled "I Get All Excited" (not to be confused with Rick Springfield's "I Get Excited" or the Pointer Sisters' "I'm So Excited). Help, Joyce is taking over my life!

I went to see Prime this past weekend, but I can only give you half a movie review, since I only saw half the movie! It was the strangest thing ever...halfway through the movie in a crucial exchange between Uma Thurman (love interest girl) and the guy (some TV star guy who I've never seen before), they start talking in digitized robot voices. For a second, I thought, "Now this is an interesting transition/effect!" But after another second, it became clear that it was a movie malfunction. I left the theater, told the management about the problem, got my raincheck for another movie, got my daughter and her friend out of the arcade (they had seen The Fog, surprisingly rated PG-13, which they proclaimed to be scary but not too gross). So, I saw most of the movie for free, and I'll get it on Netflix so that I can see the ending. What I did see was okay...the scenes with Uma Thurman and Meryl Streep (plays her therapist) were the best. I didn't really buy the romance between Uma and the TV guy.

Next movie I can't wait to see: Capote. Love, love, love me some Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

Top 10 Worst Album Covers of All-Time

Shout out to DT for this one.

I have one word for you: Joyce.

Karma's a B****, isn't it Karl?

I'm not the only liberal actually delighting in the travails of Karl, Scooter, Dick and the rest of the Bushie gang, am I? Hah, take that, Rovey! What a difference a year makes...

Update: A friend of mine is having a Karl Rove/Scooter Libby cocktail contest. So, submit your recipes and we'll see how creative you can get!

Update #2: Buh-bye, Scooter. Et tu, Karl?

Bad TV confessions

Some people are addicted to crack, or sex, or shoes, but I am addicted to bad TV (esp. bad reality TV). VH1 is my main supplier (The Surreal Life, Breaking Bonaduce, My Fair Brady, countless Bands Reunited and Behind the Musics). And the cream of the crop is, of course, Survivor. Thursday nights from 7-8pm are holy times in my house.

But, there is a new kid on the block, one that I am almost ashamed to admit that I love...America's Next Top Model. There I've said it. But, who wouldn't love Tyra Banks' over-the-top elimination voice? ("8 beautiful girls stand before me....but only 7...can go on...to compete....for the title...of...America's...Next....Top...Model!") And the clothes! And the cat fights! And the fabulously retouched photos! I am ashamed to say that even my 7 year old son is addicted to it. I am saving for his future therapy as we speak.

Top 30

So, my friend William (who likes to catalogue things) has been asking a group of his friends to name their top 20 all-time pop songs. Of course, I couldn't just pick 20, so here's my list of Top 30. I interpreted his instructions to mean "popular songs"--no album cuts, only songs that made a 'chart' of some sort, and songs that are important to me (not picking based on cultural importance or anything like that). It's my personal list (in no particular order) submitted for your perusal:

1. Let’s Get it On—Marvin Gaye

2. Stayin’ Alive—Bee Gees

3. Hello, It’s Me—Todd Rundgren

4. Happy Together—The Turtles

5. Hey, Jude--Beatles

6. Suspicious Minds—Elvis Presley

7. Bohemian Rhapsody--Queen

8. Little Red Corvette or Purple Rain--Prince

9. Express Yourself--Madonna

10. Dancing Queen--ABBA

11. Every Little Thing She Does is Magic—The Police

12. Tempted--Squeeze

13. Rock With You—Michael Jackson

14. Superstition—Stevie Wonder

15. Brick House--Commodores

16. That’s the Way of the World—Earth, Wind, and Fire

17. God Only Knows—Beach Boys

18. You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman—Aretha Franklin

19. Peg—Steely Dan

20. Let’s Dance—David Bowie

21. Alison—Elvis Costello

22. Blue Monday—New Order

23. Hot Fun in the Summertime—Sly and the Family Stone

24. Sara Smile—Hall and Oates

25. The Boys are Back in Town—Thin Lizzy

26. Photograph—Def Leppard

27. This Charming Man—The Smiths

28. Talk of the Town—The Pretenders

29. Fly Like an Eagle—Steve Miller Band

30. Avalon—Roxy Music

For those who want to play along, check out Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Songs and submit your own list!

And a movie that everyone should see

The 40-Year Old Virgin. I'm not joking. I was heaving with laughter after the first 20 seconds of the movie. Seriously, this movie is now the standard by which all comedies will henceforth be judged by me. You will thank me later.

Hurricane Katrina blew my state away

...and southern Mississippi will never be the same again. There's so much to say about this, yet no words can do the hard work that needs to be done. I'm in awe of Mother Nature--we are literally at her mercy. I plan to visit southern MS next month and will post pictures then.

And I promise to blog more often...don't I always say that? :-)

Words and Wind

The poetry reading last night at The Frothy Monkey went well. It was so much fun reading with Nancy Roche (my poetry partner in crime)...we did a "dueling poems" kind of reading that made it so much more interesting (and less nerve-wracking!), I think. I read some poems that I haven't read in public in a while, and a few new ones. All in all, a satisfying experience...

Now, we are concerned about all of our friends and relatives in the path of Hurricane Katrina. This is the one that New Orleans has been worried about for years. I hope that it doesn't turn out to be as bad as it is predicted, but I fear for the worst. Everyone is in my thoughts and prayers tonight as they are on the road or riding out the storm at home...please stay safe.

Flowers in Bloom

Saw Broken Flowers this weekend...it was great. Surprisingly funny, and no neat Hollywood ending. Go see it if you like character-driven movies...I especially loved Sharon Stone in this one (I always like it when an actor I previously didn't like much makes me like them in a movie...Stone's performance did this for me). D. and I disagreed on the success of the ending at first, but he eventually came around. It's one of those movies that you have to let percolate for a while.

We also saw a trailer for Thumbsucker, which looks great (sort of like Igby Goes Down, perhaps?)...I'll definitely go see that when it comes out. You gotta love a movie that has Tilda Swinton and Keanu Reeves and Vince Vaughn in it!

I got a whiff of fall this morning...just faint behind the ears. My favorite season!

What I did on my birthday weekend this summer...

Me in front of the Clinton Library

Replica of the Clinton Oval Office

Gotta love the Clinton swag store!

'Nuff said

Back in Black

It's been over 2 months since I blogged here...what has happened to me? I took one of my two remaining PhD classes at MTSU this summer--only one more left to go now! And then comps and dissertation and one more language (Italian). So close and yet so far away. Gotta finish by 2008, you know.

So, I was busy reading 18th century literature, missing my kids (who spent the summer with their dad), listening to the silence, visiting the Clinton Presidential Library for my birthday (see pictures above), attending my 20th HS reunion (now you know how old I am), and thinking of reasons not to write or blog. I need to write now because I have a poetry reading coming up on August 27 at The Frothy Monkey here in Nashville. Kids are back in school, fall has to be right around the corner (please!), and the new season of Survivor should start soon (they are replaying old Survivor seasons on the Outdoor Living Network--Channel 72 in Nashville--and are on Season 2: Australian Outback right now).

I am thankful for many things in my life right now--good friends, being finished with this summer class, my kids being back, living in a city I love. Sometimes I'm scared that I will touch the bubble and it will burst, but then I go read Ashley's blog and laugh or read K's blog and find a nugget of truth. It's all good, people, it's really all good. And that's because we're all here.

10 Things I Learned on my trip to Washington, DC (with apologies to Ashley!)

(I stole this idea from Ashley's blog...but I maintain that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!)

10. Driving 667 miles in one day with two children in the car looks like a fine idea on paper. The execution of this idea is another matter entirely.

9. The beltway is 50 miles in circumference--total. Don't miss your exit or you'll find this out like I did.

8. More than all of the cool museums, monuments, and other exciting events he attended, my 7 year old son loved the Metro the most (especially the very long escalator rides down to the platforms!)

7. My favorite athletic team is now the Washington Nationals (Go, Nats!).

6. Sticking your head out of your brother's car's sunroof trying to take a picture of the Capitol at night (see below) will get you some strange looks.

5. It's all about where you park.

4. My daughter is the best peacemaker our family has ever produced...I wouldn't be surprised if she grew up to work for the UN.

3. I know where every bathroom is in the National Air and Space Museum.

2. My brother and sister-in-law win the award for People Who Don't Have Children Yet Are Kid-Friendly

1. There's no place like home!

Hot Fun in the Summertime

Kids and I are going to DC tomorrow...my son wants to see "rocket ships" (Air and Space Museum), and my daughter wants to see the Natural History Museum and the Lincoln Memorial. I've often wondered why Lincoln is depicted sitting down in his memorial...he seems so grandfatherly that way, I suppose.

Anyway, for my birthday this year, I decided that I wanted to make a pilgrimage to the Clinton Library in Little Rock...hence, Bill-grimage 2005! I am so excited to spend my birthday with Bill (metaphorically speaking). You know I will be posting pictures...

Politics: Let's all hope that the curtain has been pulled back, and Bill Frist has been exposed for the complete opportunist that he is. Long live the Moderates!

Music: Why do I love Erykah Badu so much? And why hasn't she put out a new CD recently?

Movies: I've got to see the last Star Wars movie...for closure. Also, just read that there will be a movie of one my favorite books, Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs, coming out sometime soon. The only glitch could be that Gwyneth Paltrow is in it. Her blandness can be astounding at times, though. I think Melanie Griffith should play Augusten's mom; she might bring just the right amount of camp with her slightly butchered, plastic surgeried face and wild tatoos. Bring it on!

UPDATE: See more about Running with Scissors, the movie here and here. Annette Bening will play the mom (great choice!), Gwyn will play Hope, and Joseph Fiennes will play creepy Neil Bookman. Should be excellent!

Able to leap tall metaphors...

Reading this week's Chronicle of Higher Ed, I was pleased to see that Poetry (with a capital P) made the front page...someone cares enough about the nepotistic state of poetry contests and book publishing to start a website devoted to ferretting out these connections! He's our Poetry Hero with too much free time, that's for sure. And, his name is Foetry.

I'm simply pleased that someone cares...read his discussion boards and you'll see that a lot of someones' care. And I'm glad that someone finally had the courage to say that Jorie Graham is full of herself and sighs too much during her readings. Amen, brother.

Sleepover

So, I'm blogging from my daughter's sleepover...7 pre-adolescent girls...give me a medal! Yikes!

Summer weather is finally here, and I'm enjoying it. The Glenn Tilbrook show was awesome...shout out to H., P., and J. for going with me. Loved the cover of "These Boots Were Made for Walking" and especially the last song in the encore--a spirited (and spot-on) rendition of "Funkytown!" Alright!

And there's a rumor afoot that Duran Duran is coming to Nashville on July 15...I am so there! All you former Durannies better contact me now so that we can start practicing our best rendition of "Save A Prayer"--break out the dayglo and O-ring bracelets!

Marathon Girl

So, one day I really want to be a marathon girl! But, for now, even the thought of running 5 miles continuously sounds hard. I've been back running about 6-9 miles per week (2.5-3 miles each run) for about 2 mos. now, and it's not easy. I suppose that's the way it goes...I'll keep running, though, until my knees give out or my half-borrowed, half-stolen iPod refuses to hold a charge.

Music update: I'm completely excited to be going to see Glenn Tilbrook next week (see earlier post)...this will be the 3rd time I've seen him, and he never disappoints. My new favorite song on constant play at my house is: "Que Sera Sera" by Sly & the family Stone.

Redemption

So, I redeemed myself with my friend Ashley by actually meeting her for lunch today, so all is well in the world. Now, I just have to plow through this mountain of work at work, and perhaps by the weekend, I'll be done.

Today is Wednesday, which means tomorrow is Thursday--SURVIVOR night! Why am I so obsessed with this show? I really don't watch that much TV (well, not as much as some people, but more than others who don't have a TV). I think I like the random humanity of it...plus the faux-caveman (cavewoman?) aspect...look, we're all hunter/gatherers again! With TV cameras in our faces and product placement! Hurrah!

My friend William and I were talking about his 4 Point Scale of Happiness recently...he is a computer science Ph.D., so everything in life can be reduced to a theorem or matrix or some such for him. Here's the formula:

Use the 0-4 point scale (0=awful, 1=not great, 2=okay, 3=good, 4=wonderful!) in these categories (a word about the categories: I had to change one of them, because for me as a single mom, "family" and "relationships" come under two different categories. You can separate out the categories as you like):

Work/Finances
Relationship/Family
Friends/Social Life
Health

His theory is that if you have 3's and 4's across the board, you're doing about as well as can be expected. If you have two categories that are below 2, then that's pretty rough. It's helpful to take stock every once in a while...sometimes things aren't as bad as you think.

Movie Update: I finally finished I Heart Huckabees...it was interesting and I gave it 3 stars on Netflix. If you are interested at all in existential philosophy, you would probably enjoy it. Also, saw Gia night before last (Angelina Jolie's breakout film). She plays crazy women well. Liked the stylized realism of this movie. And saw In America the night before that...a great film. The little girls steal the show in this one. Kids and I watched Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory last night...I hope the new one that comes out this summer w/Johnny Depp can match the wonderful bizarreness of the original (it needs to be appropriately quirky without going over the top...we'll see if they can pull it off).