Finally!

Friday couldn’t get here fast enough this week. Why is it that the short work weeks always seem to drag on forever? My motivation to do much of anything barely got off the ground and I had to exert a considerable amount of effort to stay focused at work. As a result, I was exhausted by the time I headed home most days. Since I didn’t have the distraction of new episodes of my favorite shows, minimal energy levels, and since my favorite reading position is lying prone in bed, I basically fell asleep before 10 or 11 most nights. Now that Friday is here and I can look ahead to the weekend and a fresh start next week, things are finally starting to look up. These things helped me to get through this week:

1. Butterkist Ginger Cookies
2. YouTube/Online radio
3. Fanta Orange Soda
4. Daily calls from my brother re: his problems before I’m fully awake
5. A particularly graphic text from my crazy friend
6. Thoughts of all the fun I’ll have on my vacation

Long Weekend Blues

Why is it always so difficult to recover from a long weekend away from work? I did everything that I was supposed to this weekend: caught up with friends and family, went to a barbeque and ate grilled food, read, watched movies, shopped, booked my next vacation and relaxed. But now that's over and I haven't completely recovered from my lazy days. If it’s taking all of your effort to stay awake and be productive, you might want to take a look at this list. It’s a little too late for me to get to started on some of these but I feel like I’ve made marginal progress just by processing the ideas in the article.

Nothing to Read

I’ve run out of books to read and need a good book recommendation. In the meantime, I’m rereading a light summer book that I reviewed a year ago. Of all the books that I have reviewed over the last year, this is the only one that I can unequivocally say that I liked. It’s called Lovehampton (see my review) and yes, it is chick lit. I am not at all ashamed that I often indulge in books kindly referred to as “women’s fiction.” Works by Emily Giffin are smartly written and are a particular favorite. I am sure that I offend many of my colleagues in the library world by admitting to this fondness for “women’s fiction” (I'm not even going to touch on my list of favorite romance authors) but I know that I am among good company. They are popular for a reason and often relatable and very entertaining. Of course, I wouldn't dare limit myself to a single genre. I also read memoirs, historical novels, biographies, self-help and more—usually based on recommendations though. Ann Patchett’s Bel Canto is possibly one of the best books I’ve ever read (thanks C) and I am open to trying more books written in the same vein. I have this lofty idea that I will one day read all of the great books but I’m in no real hurry to get started.

Preparation H: More Than Itch Relief

While listening to the radio this morning I heard some news about an additional use of Preparation H, beyond manufacturer expectations. Apparently, the hemorrhoids cream can also be used to temporarily shrink fat cells and is commonly used by male body builders to decrease the appearance of fat around their stomachs. This has been a known secret for many years so it seems I’m late, once again. I wonder how the first person stumbled onto this secret. Did he (it had to be a guy) just one day decide to lather it all over himself instead of just on his butt? Did his friend dare him to do it? But I guess it makes logical sense, if it decreases swelling on your butt, it’ll probably do the same in other areas.

I Really Wanted to LOVE Glee

I’ve been humming the melody to “Don’t Stop Believing” ever since I saw the teaser for the new Fox Series, Glee, a few weeks ago. It looked like it would have several of the things I like: comedy, quirky characters, and lots of singing. Not since the premier of Ugly Betty had I been this excited about a new show. But alas, Glee doesn’t deliver on what it promised in the teaser and I think the root of the problem lies in it being too much.

There were definitely some things I liked about Glee:
1. There is that one girl who adds a gold start every time she signs her name (center) who reminds me a bit of Idina Menzel from Wicked and Rent (Taye Diggs' wife). I definitely see some diva quality in this character.
2. Some of the minor characters—cheerleading coach, football coach, principal—were interesting, if one-note, and I see entertainment potentional in them.
3. The musical selections were agreeable (who doesn’t love vintage Journey?) and the closing performance was nice and heart-warming (the kids can actually sing and have great harmony.)

I just don’t know if these few things are enough to entice me to invest an entire season of TV-watching time. Plus, there were things that I didn’t like:
1. The incessant humming throughout multiple scenes was beyond annoying. As much as the show would like to have the feel of theater, it’s just not there.
2. Aside from the Idina clone, the main characters as a whole are unexciting. Factor in the other dry, overly-neurotic, one dimensional characters and the lights dim a little more.
3. I’m not opposed to having multiple viewpoints featuring first-person narratives. I’ve experimented with the method myself and see the benefits of it providing insight into the psyche of several characters in an ensemble cast such as this but it doesn’t seem to be effective here. Or rather, I’m not feeling it! Character development might be better accomplished through dialogue between characters rather than through monologues.
4. Finally, Glee tries too hard to be entertaining and in my opinion, it fails.

Now, I’m not going so far as to write the show off completely. There are several shows that didn’t impress me out the gate but later grew on me. In fact, even if I don’t watch an entire episode, I’m amenable to tuning in for at least the last few minutes. If my predictions are correct, they’ll have a performance every week and that at least is worth seeing.

President Obama is ND

Ever since the announcement about President Obama giving the commencement address at this year’s graduation was made, I’ve been a little ashamed of my alma mater. The University of Notre Dame’s name has always been associated with tradition, prestige and service but the controversy that protesters stirred up over Obama’s impending visit is enough to tarnish the golden dome, just a little. School officials handled the entire incident fairly well and implored the Notre Dame community to welcome the President with an open-mind. But as usual, it is the negative voices that rang loudest. For months leading up to the event, many Domers followed the events that precipitated the President’s visit through the news and through school newsletters. Each time ardent protestors played a prominent role but on May 17, 2009, good, common sense won out. What protestors failed to understand is this fundamental idea that you can better refute an opponent’s position if you know his or her argument. But even more basically, if we close ourselves off to ideas and politics that are not in keeping with our own, we cut ourselves off from opportunities to grow and learn.

Even with his choice of topic (abortion) and even though he would be addressing a crowd mainly comprised of Catholics, I’m really not sure why this grew into such a controversy when we’ve had many speakers pass through campus whose ideas we did not agree with. But we welcomed them and were respectful. The class of 2002 got George W. Bush and made the most of it. I vaguely remember Vincente Fox, President of Mexico, being on the podium at my graduation but can’t remember much beyond that. I’m sure that the class of 2009 won’t soon forget President Obama's address. He stayed calm when dissenting voices spewed hateful words and it was a proud moment when Domers tried their best to drown out negativity with shouts of “We are ND” and “Yes we can.” The speech itself is entertaining and informative and a great thing to witness.

Homeless in India

I’m annoyed that I felt the need to comment on those crappy articles at all. But tripe like this is easier to swallow than living conditions in India. There were many who criticized the film Slumdog Millionaire for its depiction of the country at large but there are many for whom slum-life is a daily reality. In particular, one of the child actors from said movie was living in a shanty until his home was recently destroyed, leaving him homeless. The Indian government promised his family a new home a few months ago but they have yet to follow through. It’s disheartening to see people living way below poverty level, even more so when it’s a child.

Really Stupid Articles

There are times when I have to ask myself why I click on a particular link when I know going in that it will be something stupid. Sometimes the teasers are good enough that I just want to know. But there is no excuse for this one. I knew going in that it was stupid and still I clicked. So what if a football player wants to change his name, and not just to any other name but to one that literally translates into eight five. (I guess he didn’t realize that his jersey number is 85 which would be ochento y cinco en Espanol.) I remember reading about this several months ago and even then it was stupid. Now they’re back to quibble over how his new name (yes, he legally changed it) will appear on his jersey: “Ochocinco” vs. “Ocho Cinco”. Really, is this what they think people want to read about?

And this one. Why does this woman get so much coverage? What’s with public fascination about women whose main goal life is to personally populate a small city? (Hello, Jon & Kate!) I can’t say that I was disappointed when I heard that she was going to have to get a hysterectomy (14 is more than enough) but I’m over anything else that has to do with this woman. How long does 15 minutes last? Enough already!

Spotlight on Carl Thomas

I love Carl Thomas. There is so much emotion in his voice that when he sings it does something to me. I think he is one of those underrated artists with amazing talent that is not properly harnessed. A big part of that is due to the fact that he was signed with Bad Boys Records label and that subsequent representation is not properly promoting him as a brand. There is a general consensus in the music industry that Diddy is only after making a quick buck with his artists. He pimps them out through a couple albums then immediately puts them back on the shelf where they fade into obscurity. There is little time for artist development when the next big thing is right around the next corner. What’s even more atrocious is that his artists can’t even live high off the proceeds of past hits because their contracts are such that they get paid as little as possible.

I recently learned that Carl Thomas left Bad Boys soon after the release of his second album, Let’s Talk About, and silently cheered on this decision but it doesn’t seem to have served him well. I was chagrined to learn that he had released an album, So Much Better, in 2007 that I knew nothing about. That just goes to show that it wasn’t promoted well and whatever we may think about Diddy, whenever his artists have an album out he makes sure that we know about it, especially since it contributes to his bottom line.

It’s really a shame that more people don’t know who Carl Thomas is. I still listen to cuts like "Emotional" (from his debut album of the same name) and "Summer Rain" on a regular basis. And "Rebound" (second album- click on title to listen) is one of my all-time favorite songs. If I have one regret it's that I wasn’t able to see him when he was performing at a park concert near my home a few years ago. It would have been great to hear him without studio affect. But I can’t say that I would trade the experience (trip to Hawaii) that I had instead. I only wish that I could have arranged it so that I could've gone on the trip days after the concert.

To Beg or Not to Beg

I don’t like begging. It’s a matter of pride. I’ve been known to say that I would rather starve than beg (extreme, I know). Even asking for the smallest thing makes me a tad uncomfortable. And I’m not particularly good at it either. That’s the main reason that I overlook sales-type jobs that include selling a product, an image, or an idea. I can do it if I have to but I’d prefer not to. Today I did it (for a good cause) and found that it was not as distasteful as I remembered it being.

Years ago when I was still in college I saw an ad for a sales job in the paper and against my better judgment I showed up for the orientation. It was then that we were told, or rather shown, what we would be doing. Basically, we would set up on a street corner and use cheap gifts to try to entice people to sign up for credit cards. No doubt that this trick works- it’s how I’ve come to have multiple credit cards that I don’t remember signing up for and until a few years ago, couldn’t keep track of. Colleges really should ban credit card companies from setting up on campus. Most teenagers just aren’t ready to be fiscally responsible. We need only to look at the current state of our economy to see proof of this. But I digress. Since that first meeting was merely an orientation, I didn’t get paid for that day (probably a scam) but the experience did help me to develop awareness when I found myself in a similar situation. That next time, I skipped the orientation altogether and felt better for spotting the scam before I had wasted any of my time. However I am finding begging to be an easier task when it’s done, not for myself or in the name of greedy corporations, but to further a worthy goal. By the same token, people generally feel better about giving when they know that it's for a good cause.

Celebrity(?) Sighting

I am no longer sure what classifies one as a celebrity but for the purpose of this post, I am expanding it to include reality TV personalities such as Hung Hyun. Hung is the Season 3 winner of Top Chef Miami and I had the pleasure of seeing him yesterday afternoon (he’s one of my favorite contestants). He was departing a crowded D train that I was waiting to board and struggling with what looked to be a heavy bag (of cooking ingredients?).He was dressed casually in a beige t-shirt and jeans and his hair is exactly the same. My fellow straphangers and I watched for what felt like a full minute for him to make his way through the crowd and allow us to board. He kept his head down most of the way but when he did look up, there is no mistaking that it was him. I wish I had thought to ask him for the name of his restaurant but oh well. I’m glad to see he hasn’t gotten too big to ride the trains.

This brief encounter with Hung reminded me of some of the other close encounters that I’ve had with celebrities. There was Don Cheadle, also riding the train, years ago around the time Hotel Rwanda came out. There were only a handful of people in our car so I had an unobstructed view of him. He pulled his hat low and kept his head down when he caught me staring at him. I guess keeping the head low is typical celebrity behavior. At the West Indian parade 3 or 4 years ago, Buju Banton was sitting on a truck and ducked his head when he saw that I was trying to take his picture with my phone. He didn’t look up for a long time and by then, the truck had already moved beyond my camera phone’s reach. He is still my favorite reggae artist though. Much more recently 50 Cent came to my office and seemed very pleasant in that he kept his head held high and even smiled when he caught me staring at him. I guess he couldn’t exactly avoid me as I was standing in the hallway, specifically waiting for him to exit the bathroom. Of course, since I work in a professional environment I conducted myself accordingly. I’m sure these guys have all appreciated my restraint but maybe next time I see a celebrity, I’ll at least say hello.

Weekend Update: Next Day Air, The Amazing Race, The View

Next Day Air premiered in theaters this weekend and although I didn’t see it (not yet), I really wanted to. The kicker is that very few people seem to want to (It ranked #6 on the weekend box office chart with crap like Ghosts of Girlfriends Past placing ahead of it). This is one of those ‘hood’ movies that do not command the respect of a major Hollywood blockbuster. Without seeing the results, I could have bet that a lot of people chose to see Star Trek instead but this movie looks so funny (see the trailer for yourself). And with a cast like Wood Harris, Mike Epps, and Donald Faison (Turk from ‘Scrubs’) it practically guarantees laughs. This reviewer compared it to Friday and gave it a mixed review but it’s been awhile since I’ve seen a ‘hood’ movie and I could definitely use some of their brand of humor right about now.

The season finale for The Amazing Race aired last night on CBS and although I find all the contestants to be amazingly annoying, I’d come too far not to watch one more time. The final three teams included Victor and Tammy, Margie and Luke, Cara and Jaime. Margie and Luke were ahead going into the final challenge but alas they completely crashed and burned when Luke’s memory failed him. One small hiccup and frustration completely got the best of him. I don’t usually gloat at other’s misfortune but a part of me was somewhat mollified by the fact that they were the last to check in at the final pit stop. Of the three remaining teams, they were by the far the most annoying. NB: you can watch entire episodes of the show on cbs.com – no need to wait for a repeat on the travel channel.

The View photos coming soon…They’ve been transferred to my laptop so I just need to upload them here. It’s surprising more complicated than it sounds. FYI, Steve Harvey is the guest today.

Well, It’s No ‘Project Runway’

Like many faithful viewers of ‘Project Runway’, I was devastated when I first learned that the show was moving to Lifetime. Sure Heidi, Tim, Nina, Micheal Kors and the quirky contestants would be making the move as a whole but it wouldn’t be on Bravo. It just won’t be the same on Lifetime! I love a good Lifetime drama every now and then but they’re not exactly known for their reality series. In my mind, reality has always been Bravo’s niche from ‘Top Chef’ to ‘Millionaire Matchmaker’ or the ‘Housewives’ series. So whose brilliant idea was it to sell one of their best shows to Lifetime? Guess I’ll be tuning into Lifetime a lot more now, that is, once they get the court mess sorted out.

Having accepted that the move was a done deal, I was a bit ambivalent when I learned that Bravo was premiering ‘The Fashion Show’ (Thursdays at 10 pm), obviously to replace ‘Project Runway.’ I was skeptical that it could compete but I was curious to see their concept. First, Isaac Mizrahi and Kelly Rowland (of Destiny’s Child) serve as hosts, judges, and mentors rolled into one. I get Isaac as a choice (he could serve as a stand-in for Michael Kors) but what qualifies Kelly as a fashion judge. Bravo must have anticipated this line of thinking because in one of her first sentences she explains that she’s sat in the front row of many fashion shows for the past eight years. That would mean that anyone who attends fashion shows could have filled that role but I’m not going to judge (anymore than I already have). I expected Isaac to be colorful but Kelly surprised me with her candor. Still, she’s no Heidi and this is no ‘Project Runway’. Fern Mallis rounds out the panel of regular judges and I’m biased but she definitely does not have Nina’s eye for the smallest detail.

Second, instead of contestants presenting their garments solely for the judges’ viewing, ‘Fashion Show’ features an audience of industry people (including Elie Tahari who served as guest judge) who have the opportunity to give their opinion about what they liked and disliked. A brilliant idea actually. But the catchphrase “we’re not buying it” is not as eloquent as “you’re out” (in Heidi voice) followed by “auf Wiedersehen.” And then there’re the contestants. Many colorful characters have passed through ‘Project Runway’ over the entire history of the show but ‘Fashion Show’ seems to have recruited every weirdo that they could find. There’s Merlin the over-the-top, arrogant jerk who you’ll either hate or hate (yes, I said hate twice- no mistake). And James-Paul (the challenge winner) for whom the term creepy is apt. And the fabulous Reco (who I predict will win fan favorite) and Kristin (I think that’s her name) the girl who can’t sew. But as a whole, this group definitely knows their fashion and I can see myself coming to enjoy the show. So while ‘Fashion Show’ does not have the panache that ‘Project Runway ‘does, fashion is fashion and who am I kidding, weird people make for great TV. For those reasons I will be tuning in every week.

Grounded Traveler

I’m the worst sort of traveler. I fantasize and make plans for vacations that I hardly ever take. It’s not that I’m unwilling to leave my home or even that I don’t have the means to do so. I am and I do. It’s more that I like company when I travel. If I don’t have a friend accompanying me or one awaiting me on the other end, then the idea loses appeal. Suddenly, the fantastic trip that I had imagined is clouded with images of me holed up in my hotel room (only coming out in the daytime to take in the sights) due to my fear of being accosted on foreign soil. So much for soaking up the culture! But a woman traveling alone can’t be too careful right?

I would like to think of myself as an adventurer but if I’m being honest, I’m really not. And forget spontaneous (I believe in having a plan). Paranoid is a much more apt description. If there is anything that could go wrong, I imagine that it will happen to me. So, instead of being the type of traveler who jets off to three or four countries each year, I find myself-more often than not-grounded. Like now! I’ve been talking about going to Italy for awhile but now that I know I would have to make the trip alone, I find myself reconsidering. Ok, not just considering. The trip is definitely off as far as the immediate future is concerned. Still, Italy is at the top of my list of places to visit and even though I won’t be seeing it in the next couple months, I am hoping to get there within the next year. Hopefully.

Amazing Race: Three Days Later and I’m Still Annoyed at Jen

I have been watching The Amazing Race for quite a few seasons now and this is the first time I can truly remember being annoyed at a contestant. Sisters, Jen and Kisha, have made questionable decisions throughout the entire race for which they probably should have been eliminated before now, but Jen deciding to stop for a bathroom break before checking in was beyond ridiculous. This was no typical check-in. Had they raced directly to the pit stop, the sisters would have been one of three teams competing on one last leg for a million dollars. Instead, they stopped so that Jen could pee thereby allowing another team to narrowly sail ahead of them and lock them out of the final (they'll have you believe that they lost for another reason but we know the truth). Really, what were they thinking? Ok, I understand that her bladder was full and she really had to go but considering their purpose for being in the race couldn’t she hold it for one more minute? And, her bladder would not have been so full had she not torn the Chinese delicacies (scorpions, grasshoppers, starfish etc.) into bite size pieces and chased each bite with water. Everyone knows that the trick to eating unpleasant things is to wolf them down without tasting them. The cheerleaders got it so in this, they bested the athletes. Sadly, it’s been obvious from the beginning that strategizing was not Kisha and Jen’s strong suit but this seemed a pretty straightforward decision: pee or race for the finish. I know what I would have done.

Twitter-Hater: Is It Just Me?

For some inexplicable reason, I am really starting to hate that word "twitter". And don't forget "tweet". Maybe its because the root word that jumps out at me is twit, which is probably the word I would (ignorantly) use to describe a person who is on twitter. But I know some of you (who I know to be intelligent beings) twitter on a regular basis. Not to mention Oprah, Barbara, and Tyra. Can somebody tell me, what is the appeal here? I get that people can follow your comments in real time but doesn't facebook already provide for that. And what about the phone, email, messenger? With so many communication tools currently at our disposal, I am finding it very hard to see the usefulness in twitter and I have absolutely no intention of opening an account. I plan to stick with that decision even though I didn't initially see a point in joining facebook before I finally caved:)