P. Killingly

Monday Monring Headlines

2011-01-10T12:23:00.003-05:00

Alright, so it might not be morning... more like afternoon, but here goes. Some interesting reading I just found that you might dig as well.. a combination of headlines you may or may not have read:

Farm Animals Get 90% of Antibiotics Sold In The U.S. (keep chowin' it down, America...)

Holland To Start Taxing Prostitutes

Vegan Options On School Lunch Menus?

LOCAL: Funds Needed For Youth Program (Miami Science Museum Upward Bound)

"And I Say To Sarah Palin..." (real slick, Fox News)

Colin Farrell Confirmed For Total Recall Remake (and to this I say... Why?!)

Todd Haynes, Kate Winslet, and Guy Pierce Discuss "Mildred Pierce" (dying to see this!)

A Letter From Your Blogger...

2010-12-20T04:09:00.004-05:00

So I just recently graduated from college and it felt like this might be the appropriate time to come back to my old blog. I've been using Tumblr as of late, but there are certain aspects of it that I don't enjoy that Blogger has a better grip on so I'm planning to post more frequently to this one now. Things to look forward to as far as this blog is concerned?

- Monday Morning Headlines (bringing you the best headlines from multiple sources straight to you!)
- Tuesday Trailers (these are just fun)
- A 2010 Recap entry
- Reviews on local events, television episodes, new albums, and more!

Let's see how it goes.

New Beginnings.

2010-09-18T16:23:00.000-04:00

Here's to new beginnings. Let's see how this works out.

Wild Horses.

2010-06-09T11:56:00.002-04:00

Someone at work was telling me they really enjoyed the song "Wild Horses" by the Rolling Stones yesterday, and then this morning, the Sundays' cover of it played on my Pandora and I realized it's one of those rare instances where the cover is so much more incredible than the original (even though I do realize the importance of the original in inspiring it.) Thought I would share this brilliantly beautiful song with you all.

"Happy" World Oceans Day.

2010-06-08T23:59:00.002-04:00

(taken from the examiner)

With about a minute to spare, I'm just now getting around to my World Oceans Day post. I've been fairly silent about this BP oil spill in the Gulf because I wasn't really sure quite how to approach it. I'm mad, of course. Saddened, most definitely. More than that, I've been keeping my head in the sand (the soon to be tar-ridden Florida sand), hoping that something would happen quickly and that they would be able to stop this. But after reading about some of the most ridiculous ideas ever (golf balls to plug up the hole, anyone?) I realized that more than anything, I need to educate myself about this obvious crisis. Somewhat selfishly because I love the ocean and I love being able to go to the beach at a moments' notice if I should want to, and less selfishly because I don't know how many more pictures of dying and dead animals washing ashore I can take... I implore you to find ways of helping to bring more attention to this devastating situation. Contact your representatives and let them know how pissed off you are. Contact BP and let them know how REALLY pissed off you are. If you're able to, volunteer your time to one of the many organizations that are helping to clean off, save, and rehabilitate as much of our wildlife as possible. Read the blogs that are popping up everywhere, giving us up to the minute information on the situation itself and how you can help.

Here's a few links I was able to put together in just a few minutes time. Imagine all the information you could sift through in more time than that:

NOAA
BP Drilling Disaster
Save Our Seabirds
Greenpeace
National Wildlife Federation
Deepwater Horizon Response
Volunteer Florida Disaster
Friends of the Earth
Not The Answer

And if you're in Miami, why not add your name to the growing volunteer list at our local Audubon Society, who aren't taking chances being caught unawares when it finally hits home.

And there are still other ways....
Try becoming less dependent on oil. Use less plastic. Recycle. Drive less (or not at all). These are little things that anyone can do. They won't stop BP, but honestly this isn't the first time this happens and it certainly won't be the last. Still... we need to work towards the goal of alternative energy. It's ultimately what needs to be done.

The Omnivore's Dilemma?

2010-06-07T00:55:00.001-04:00

yanked from a friend on facebook. feels like i would've won bingo several times over ages ago!

Guatemala City.

2010-06-02T10:52:00.002-04:00

Incredible. I don't even know where to begin except that it seems rather terrifying that such a thing could occur. However, tragedy aside, the fact that they mention possible caves makes me want to go exploring. Wonder if they will and if so, what will be found. Very interesting!

Kindergarten Sex Ed.

2010-05-26T22:18:00.002-04:00

Personally, this seems like a fantastic idea. Kids need to grow up not thinking their bodies are something to be ashamed of and they also need to understand when they are being approached in a way that is uncomfortable to them. The States and elsewhere need to get hip to this.

Moment of Geek: True Blood!

2010-05-26T11:43:00.003-04:00

Ahhhhh it's been almost a year since we were all gushing over Sookie, Bill, Eric, and the rest of the gang and we're finally getting better glimpses of what's in store for Season 3! I'm not sure how I'm feeling about all this werewolf stuff, but i'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to some major Eric/Sookie time. Check out the latest Season 3 trailer and go to the website to watch the (mostly unfulfilling) mini-sodes!

Wednesday Headlines

2010-05-26T10:52:00.004-04:00

Thanks to AfterEllen for posting up these awesome comics by Stacie Ponder

David Byrne sues Charlie Crist? Thanks for the story, Under the Counter!

To Kill a Mocking Bird turns 50... and I scramble to my bookshelf to finally read my old, dusty copy of it!

West Kendall gets a Farmers Market.... but of course the Herald's article doesn't bother to let us know if and when the next one is happening.. (one time thing? every Saturday? Egh....)

NASA's Atlantis touches down on Earth for the (possible) final time... I'm hoping they change their minds though!

NYTimes and The Frugal Traveler

Tuesday Trailers!

2010-05-25T11:54:00.002-04:00

The Killer Inside

Here and There

Love and Ranch

The Scientist

Mic Macs

Insignificant Others

Buried

Holy Rollers

The Father of My Children

Death and Cremation

Stop Arizona!

2010-05-25T11:14:00.002-04:00

In case you haven't heard, last month Arizona recently decided to create a law that allows its' officers to stop any individual they might suspect as being an illegal immigrant and ask them for their proof of citizenship. This... is obviously one of the most inherently racist laws passed in this country in quite a while, I imagine. However, that seems to be fueling the fire of bigotry now as now some lawmakers are considering changing the status of babies born to illegals in this country from "citizen" to "illegal." Why are these people so threatened by immigrants? Most people who come to this country come to work hard and make a better life for themselves and their families. Many of these individuals end up having to work in terrible conditions on par with modern day slavery, and yet this country does nothing for them and/or to reprimand those who take advantage of their illegal status.

Please visit the ACLU's page for ways you can help to stop Arizona's racism in its' tracks and prevent the spread of this kind of hateful thinking!

Monday Morning Headlines

2010-05-24T10:54:00.002-04:00

Random news around the world and back again... headlines I was reading over breakfast this morning...

8th grader climbs to the top of Mt. Everest.. and becomes my hero in the process

Omar Bonilla finally gets his dream and become prom queen... and is immediately kicked out by his parents

Broward dogs face death row after just one incident? Justice or not?

More news about how our University arboretum is being threatened

Moms opting for phone sex jobs more often these days? All kinds of interesting.

R.I.P Dottie Kamenshek who was part of the inspiration for every little girl growing up in the 1990's beloved movie A League of Their Own

Hello, Summertime!

2010-05-17T11:57:00.004-04:00

It's true. I'm a terrible blogger during 3/4th of the year. I get caught up with school work, and then there's actual work, and being a good friend/girlfriend/sister/daughter, etc takes up much of my spare time. Not to mention having some ME time. But! Fret not, for the summer is HERE once again and with it comes at least a good portion of free time for me to get back to blogging. And to get us back in the summer time mood, here's a few sweet funky beats for you to enjoy this morning just as I am. Do a little chair dancing with your morning tea or coffee and expect more updates to come!

The Meters - Funkify Your Life

Peanut Butter Wolf - Umbrellas

The Meters - Cissy Strut

Charizma and Peanut Butter Wolf - Soon To Be Large

M-1 - Love You Can't Borrow

2010-05-07T09:28:00.000-04:00

Definitive Song of the Moment.

2010-04-12T20:50:00.001-04:00

Evening Song.

2010-04-10T19:55:00.000-04:00

The Oatmeal Is Awesome

2010-04-09T16:54:00.002-04:00

...especially if you've worked in an office and have had the joys of working with an evil Printer of Doom.

...especially if you've ever used a Phone.

...especially if you think you've ever Sucked at Facebook (chances are you have).

...especially if you love Halloween.

...especially if you love Caffeine.

...especially if you enjoy Proper Grammar.

...especially if you've ever used Twitter (I think this list is also applicable to Facebook and the dearly departed MySpace).

Seriously... just check it. Or i'll send this guy after you:

Beauty Found in Meklit Hadero.

2010-04-09T00:44:00.004-04:00

Some nights, you're not really sure where your headed anymore. You're not really sure how you even got to where you are and the next step seems almost impossible. And then you hear a song... someone's voice singing out. And then you know that it doesn't matter what the next step is. You'll get to it. You'll get through what you're going through and tomorrow things will be just the same and that you'll be okay. This woman, Meklit Hadero, her voice, is doing this for me right now. A beautiful vocalist as well as a cultural activist, she leaves nothing to be desired from a musician. She's one of those people that make me wish I could sing out and had the bravery to do more. And maybe I will, who knows. For tonight, though, i'll live vicariously through the sounds and notes emanating from her. Enjoy. :)

Happy 20th Anniversary, Twin Peaks!

2010-04-08T16:55:00.003-04:00

It was 20 years ago that Laura Palmer's body was found, "wrapped in plastic." The owls were not what they seemed, you could smell the trees, and the coffee was damn good, among other things. David Lynch is one of my very favorite directors and Twin Peaks certainly falls in my top 10 of best shows of all time. Sure, a lot of it made no sense. Some scenes were completely terrifying (Bob, say what?!) and some were completely comedic (Lucy and Andy's relationship) and some were quite seductive (hello Agent Cooper and the much too young temptress Audrey Horne!) It had everything... mystery, drama, romance, murder, betrayal, rejection, a giant, a midget, owls, coffee, a fire, a woman with a log (aka Log Lady), a pageant, a woman named Diane whom we never get to meet, and just.. everything! And to kind of continue on my Mike Patton kick, here's (one of) his band(s), Fantomas, doing their ultra-sexy rendition of the Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me theme. Rock on, Lynch and Coop and all you other crazies in Twin Peaks!

Fan Girl Thursday: Mike Patton

2010-04-08T15:07:00.002-04:00

I know I'm way late in the game to be talking about how amazing Mike Patton is, how incredible diverse and utterly talented (not to mention stupidly good looking) he is... but still. It's Mike Patton. I had to make a quick post since I've been on a kick and I'm currently stuck at home and this is what I do when I'm ill and bed-ridden.

Don't take offense, Mike. I think you're amazing and would be honored to have one of your love children. I just don't normally have time to gush on my own blog.

Ha!

2010-04-08T10:45:00.004-04:00

Thanks to Feministing for posting this and Natalie Dee for making this.

Angus and Julia Stone

2010-04-07T22:57:00.003-04:00

Just discovered this band, and yeah. Good stuff.

Song for Right Now.

2010-04-06T11:42:00.001-04:00

yes. yes. this.

A Song for 3am.

2010-04-06T03:33:00.001-04:00

Regretting missing their show the other week. I always find out about things too late. But so it goes.

Monday Morning News Break.

2010-04-05T08:20:00.002-04:00

Some headlines with your coffee?

U.S. Admits Role in Killing of Afghan Women (NY Times)

Two killed, 100 injured in Mexican earthquake (CNN)

Anna Paquin comes out as a bisexual! (rawr)

An interesting Porn Vs Romance Novels debate on Salon.com

Analyzing Heaven on Slate.com

The Miami Herald features a very cool little vintage shop in North Miami I'd like to check out

Spring Break Archaeological Field School

2010-04-03T17:50:00.017-04:00

(9am Everglades.)

This past Spring Break, instead of going to the beach and getting drunk like most of my University of Miami cohorts, I opted to attend my first archaeological field school over at the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church Site in Everglades National Park (Chekika entrance). It was definitely a life changing experience and has made me fall in love with archaeology for certain. It was only a week, but it felt more like being away from Miami for a month or more. My professor, Dr. Traci Ardren, is an incredible woman and was both a teacher and a really awesome friend at the same time and made it an amazing experience. I went in to the field school knowing about 2 or 3 of the students from previous classes, and came out with tons of crazy stories, interesting experiences, and very cool new friends I hope not to lose touch with. In between was some debauchery and there's something about working outdoors that makes the hangover worthwhile. We found some bears, lots and LOTS of snake vertebrae, lots of potsherds, a few sea shells, a few shark teeth, and some other stuff. I'll be writing my research paper on the previous owners of the site (rather, the previous owner was a man named Michael Boothe, but before he lived there, the site belonged to the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church, a group of religious individuals who viewed ganja as their sacred sacrament (much like the rastafarians) but were smuggling in so much marijuana through the Everglades that the government eventually shut them down and incarcerated several members. Interesting stuff! Anyway, for now, here's a few choice photographs from the field!

("Lake of Infinite Despaire")

(Inside Boothe's now abandoned house)

(Learning about mapping!)

(Me in front of the lake/pond)

(Bird)

(Rocks. Potsherds. Stuff.)

(Steve, Gaby, and Traci sifting through the dirt for artifacts.)

(Matt being goofy behind me, Gaby looking confused at the camera.)

(Our rockin' professor, Dr. Traci Ardren.)

(Me getting ready to get rained on the day of the Coopertown Air Boat Ride, only to find that it didn't rain.)

(Stratigraphy!)

(Chris Brown digs a hole.)

(Jaw bone!)

(Me and Ali at the End of Dig party @ The Pit!)

Good times.

Misc. Newscasts!

2010-04-03T17:40:00.004-04:00

In case you haven't kept up with my radio newscasts, here's the last two I did after my Spring Break hiatus! Also, I should start my radio rotation show on WVUM 90.5 FM in the next week or two, most likely on Tuesday nights 7-8pm. I'll keep you posted so you can keep it locked!

Newscast 3-25-10 by killingly

Newscast 3-30-10 by killingly

WVUM Newscast

2010-03-11T17:31:00.000-05:00

In case you missed it this morning...

Newscast 3-11-10 by killingly

Tuesday Trailers (Wednesday Edition!)

2010-03-10T08:09:00.003-05:00

Sorry I couldn't get around to this yesterday (had a very long day at school), but here are some ultra fab trailers for you until next week!

The Runaways - I was a little iffy about this at first, but I'm hoping for the best. It's got Joan's personal approval and while she's always been pretty private about her personal life, there's definitely going to be some relationship-stuff between Joan and Cherie. Plus, even though I've never actually seen Kristen Stewart act, and I'm not really thrilled about watching any Twilight films anytime soon, i'd like to see what she can really do.

The Good Heart - Brian Cox and Paul Dano look like they'll be pretty brilliant in this strange buddy film. Plus the bar they're working at kind of reminds me of my visit to McSorely's in NYC, though maybe a *tad* less gruff and a smidge less Irish.

No One Knows About Persian Cats - Rockin In Iran? You bet! This looks really great. I think my favorte line from the trailer was "I love indie rock! 50 Cent... Madonna..."

The Harimaya Bridge - I guess every time an American goes to Japan, i'll first think of Lost In Translation. This looks nothing like it, but not necessarily in a bad way. Addressing racism in a different light, there's definite potential in this flick.

Mid-August Lunch - A man somehow gets stuck being a care taker for the elderly women in his area? In Italian!

WVUM Newscasts

2010-03-09T22:45:00.001-05:00

From now on, I'm going to try and upload my weekly newscasts to my blog. Hope you enjoy the news! :)

Newscast 3-9-10 by killingly

Happy International Women's Day!

2010-03-08T22:48:00.019-05:00

Jane Goodall

Just wanted to get in a quick post to say Happy International Women's Day to all my wonderful ladies out there (and to all others who have special women in their lives in one way or other!!) We're half of the human population and we are the only ones who can carry other human beings to term, amazing beings that we are. And that's not all of course, not by a long shot. Women, who have been made to succumb to the "power" of men historically, are now making their voices loud and clear and making it known that we will not be silent. We've certainly come a long way since the First International Women's Day and we will continue to push foward and strive for a much better, more equal tomorrow.

Kim Deal

Today, like every day, I can say that I am happy, proud, and blessed to be a woman. Even when I'm crouched over in pain, cursing my cramped up uterus, I still love being female.

My female heroes are as talented and incredible as they are diverse. It would probably take forever to list them all, but here's a few for now:

Dian Fossey

Rachel Maddow

Wonder Woman

PJ Harvey

Marlene Dietrich

Kate Winslet

Gladys Bentley

Frida Kahlo

Lorelai and Rory Gilmore

Emma Goldman

Ruth Bader Ginsberg

Ariel Schrag

Ani Difranco

My mom :)

My abuelita :)

Who are your female heroines? Who are the women that inspire you on a daily basis?

Love Your Glasses!

2010-03-08T22:26:00.002-05:00

Love Your Glasses.

So thanks to the wonders of the internet, I was chosen by a random Twin Peaks loving stranger to be on a website about people who wear glasses. Completely random as hell, but I take it as flattery and some self-promotion, cause hey, why not? Check it out if it should tickle your fancy!

Child Onset Schizophrenia.

2010-03-06T01:34:00.003-05:00

Someone on my Livejournal friends' list posted a link to this blog. It's written by a man who, together with his wife, is raising a daughter, January, who has child onset schizophrenia, the most unusual kind. It's completely heart wrenching to read what this man goes through, and to try to imagine the day in the life of someone raising a child that is thus afflicted. If you're interested in learning about the challenges of mental illness, especially such an extreme case, please read:

January First.

LA Times Story about Jani.

Pot Box!

2010-03-04T15:44:00.000-05:00

Florida Needs YOUR Help!

2010-03-04T10:35:00.003-05:00

Antichoice lawmakers are at it again! There's an abortion ban bill underway in our state's legislature that would even prevent abortion in cases of rape and incest. In fact, there are several bills that are working toward slowly minimizing out right to choose. Take a moment to read all about these bills on NARAL's website and what you can do to prevent them from happening!

Pro-Choice Wednesdays

2010-03-03T09:21:00.003-05:00

The right to choice is something i've always felt incredibly strongly about. Hopefully I can continue this as an ongoing weekly component I can add to my blog. Here's some headlines for now:

A woman decided to upload a YouTube video and live Tweet about her abortion experience in order to let people that it isn't as scary or shameful or any other negative thing that people stigmatize it to be. Of course, no good deed goes unpunished, and now she is receiving death threats for being vocal about an experience that too many are forced to be silent about.

- Racial conspiracy on an anti-abortion billboard/campaign? Seriously... "Black children are an endangered species"?? Someone needs to tell these people that ALL HUMANS are the SAME species. And if this statistic about 40% of African American pregnancies ending in abortion IS true, maybe they need to address the more pressing issue of why this is happening, and working to do away with those problems (because let's face it, racism is still strong in America and many African American women don't have the same advantages and privileges that, say, white males do in this country.

- A controversial abortion bill in Utah may end up criminalizing miscarriages if the woman acted in a "reckless" manner. Granted, I'm not too fond of the fact that a 17 year old girl paid someone to beat her up so she might have a spontaneous miscarriage, but then maybe we should wonder why this girl chose such an extreme method in order to induce a late term abortion of sorts. Obviously no one could make such an extreme decision lightly.

Miami Clinic Access Project!

2010-03-03T08:14:00.004-05:00

The Miami Clinic Access Project is composed of an array of wonderful, dedicated individuals whose focus is to make sure that the women in Miami continue to have a choice in their own reproduction. They arrive every Saturday morning at 6 a.m. at A Choice for Woman, a clinic in Kendall, and stand outside with signs and support in order to make the pro-choice stance known. Pro-life/anti-choice activists have been arriving at the clinic for a number of years now to harass and scare off women who are already making a difficult, personal choice. MCAP, therefore, provides a counter-presence, essentially the real voice of the pro-choice movement, and show those who work at and those who require the services of A Choice for Women that they are on their side and that they won't let anyone be intimidated.

I didn't find out about MCAP til perhaps sometime last year. I'll admit, I was a bit intimidated to go. As most of my friends, I thought that I might lash out at one of the pro-lifers. However, I decided to put all this aside and made my way to the clinic last Saturday to essentially show that I am also committed to the Pro-Choice movement. I went with my friend Allie and we met up with another friend, Christian, upon arriving. The pro-life side wasn't as big as I was anticipating (I'd estimate about 15-20 in total) and at least by the time I arrived, no one had any signs with unpleasant looking abortions thankfully. I met the MCAP group whose names sadly all escape me (I'm terrible with names but hopefully I learn all their names soon enough) and was given a sign to hold. My instructions were basically to try and block the view of the pro-lifers whenever a car drove in or out of the clinic. Asides from one old woman with a rosary telling me she thought i'd "make more money as a prostitute"*, there were no real negative incidents while I was there. The group actually has a camera running at all times just in case an incident should occur (I was told by one girl that one time, a man from the anti-choice side ran up to one of our defenders and purposely cut himself on one of our signs and called the cops to try and say we attacked him. Luckily, the cops didn't believe him.)

SnakeGirl actually created this short documentary about the defenders some years ago:

If you're interested in joining the defenders, just show up at A Choice For Women (6660 SW 117th Avenue, Miami, FL) any and every Saturday morning between 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. MCAP provides water, signs, and even coffee, not to mention awesome company :) Make sure to park at the BJ's lot across the street by Sunset Drive. If you want to learn more about the group, contact Julie at juliamiami2@gmail.com. I'm hoping to attend at least once a month from now on and I hope you'll join us!

*I was later told by one of the girls that the anti-choice side has a conspiracy theory that we don't actually want to be there but that we are paid by the clinic. Boy, are they wrong.

Andrew Koenig, R.I.P.

2010-02-26T08:44:00.003-05:00

Yesterday in my newscast on WVUM, I reported that Andrew Koenig had been missing since February 14th. The son of Walter Koenig (the original Chekov from Star Trek), he was best known for his role as "Boner" on the 1980's sitcome Growing Pains. I grew up a big fan of Growing Pains (though don't get me started on Kirk Cameron these days, not so much a fan there) and so it was odd to hear about Koenig after so many years of not. This morning, I read that they found Koenig's body in Vancouver Park and that he had commit suicide. It's always sad when people die (and hell, people die every day who aren't famous at all and it's sad to anyone who knew them), and although some say ignorant things about how selfish someone is to take their own life, it was even sadder still to read that Walter Koenig's understood that his son must have been in a lot of pain.

I can't say I was a huge fan and follower of Koenig, because I hadn't really thought about him since my youthful days of Growing Pains re-runs. However, reading over his life, I'm sad that I didn't know more about him. He was an activist for many causes, including being outspoken about the situation in Burma, being an environmental and animal rights activist, as well as being vegan. Some people grow successful or live off the money of previous success, and do nothing. They enjoy being well off and spend their time on themselves. This man obviously cared about the world and I think it's safe to say that we're all the worse for it without someone like him around.

My heart goes out to Koenig's family.

Still Ill.

2010-02-18T10:14:00.002-05:00

But not in a good way. I'm still sick, so please be patient for updates! Also, i've got 3 exams and a 5 page paper due next week among other things, so next week might be a little silent as well but i'll do my best to update. For now, listen to my newscasts on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:15am on WVUM 90.5 FM - The Voice of the University of Miami (don't mind the fact that i'll sound kind of sick and stuffy on today's newscast.) You can click on the Stream link at the top of the page or you can listen to it via itunes as well.

Thanks for reading :)

Girl Talk Thursday: Olympic Medal In...?

2010-02-18T09:04:00.002-05:00

I missed Girl Talk Thursdays!

If I were to get an Olympic medal, it would probably be in... television show marathon watching. Is this sad? Well, maybe it'll prove to be useful someday! But really... I don't know anyone who devours TV the way that I do. I'm a terrible addict. It took me about 8 months to watch all 8 seasons (and 2 movies) of the X-Files, 6 months to watch all 200 episodes (plus specials and movies) of Sailor Moon in Japanese, and I probably watch about an episode of Gilmore Girls every 2 days. I have a sick addiction to these prolonged story lines and the development of these characters. I guess maybe not so sick since I really enjoy it, but still. And yes, that's the best I can come up with for 9:30 in the morning when I have about 20 other things I need to do right away haha. I'm excited to be back in to Girl Talk, though!

I guess my other Olympic medals could also go in any of the following categories (maybe not Gold, but certainly Silver or Bronze):
-Procrastinating
-Indecisiveness When Knowing Exactly What I Want But Not Wanting To Admit It
-Scouring YouTube For A Song I Want To Hear Immediately
-Spreading Condiments On Sandwich Bread Evenly (actually, this would be a Gold, I think)
-Lucking Out On Getting Jobs When I Need Them Most
-Facebooking
-Being An Organized Mess

Tuesday Trailers - Tiny Edition!

2010-02-16T20:02:00.002-05:00

The Exploding Girl

Happy Tears

Ajami

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Things I'm Digging.

2010-02-10T08:37:00.005-05:00

NPR hs an ode to the Avocado! Just in time, since I have about 3 almost-ripe avocados in my kitchen as I type...

McCain's daughter AND wife being outspoken about gay rights! Seriously, John, get with the program. I wonder if he's secretly okay with it or even for it but doesn't want to lose his Republican followers...

The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time? Pretty big words, but I love a good Muppet Caper! Er, wait, I mean movie...

and speaking of the Muppets...

YES! BEAKER! Much love. BURNINATION!

also... Daria finally has a DVD release date! The nerd in me is swooning!

and finally... a Feminist Teacher blog!? As an up and coming teacher myself (well, Saturday classes for now, but possibly a full-time gig in the future), this is definitely up my alley.

Monday Morning Headlines.

2010-02-08T08:06:00.002-05:00

Random headlines from around the web!

AfterEllen discusses the controversy of the wasn't-aired ManCrunch commercial.

A Dolphins player gets charged on a domestic violence charge.

Holy crap! Le Tigre collaborating with Christina Aguilera?! Whaaaa?!?

Editorial on the need for the Senate to finally pay that dwindling bill on Student Loan Reform. Get crackin', Senators!

A Daily Beast writer plagiarizes from a Miami Herald article.... covered by Slate!

They're re-making The Thing???

Random TGIF-ing!

2010-02-05T07:46:00.002-05:00

It's Friday! Time for... class... and work... and more work. And possibly the Millionyoung show at the Vagabond tonight! Let's get this show on the road.

Miike Snow

Millionyoung

Tuesday Trailers!

2010-02-02T11:06:00.003-05:00

And apparently, there's a lot of great looking movies coming up! Check 'em out:

Daddy Longlegs

Bass Ackwards

Mother

Toe to Toe

Blood Into Wine

Off and Running

Monday Mornings.

2010-02-01T08:53:00.002-05:00

Alright, so maybe I haven't been as active as I promised on here.... but I'm trying! Between semester, freelancing, the radio station, and the new job... and maintaining a relationship and trying to not let my apartment go to hell, it's a little hard.

Anyway, here's a few tunes to get your morning going!

Also, blogging ladies should consider taking part in the Our Bodies, Ourselves online conversation that will be used to update the book! Very rad, indeed.

Staceyann Chin

2010-01-21T20:33:00.003-05:00

Feministing posted something about Staceyann Chin today and thus introduced me to this incredible, brave, beautiful woman. I've been watching some of her work, and the ending of this made me seriously tear up. Fucking awesome.

Just another reason why I love Sadie Nardini.

2010-01-21T10:58:00.000-05:00

Thursday Morning News Brief.

2010-01-21T09:55:00.002-05:00

Haven't really been keeping up with much of the news as of late. It's my fault, I know. I need to keep being a well-informed citizen. I think the holidays kind of zapped me out of wanting to know about reality to completely wanting to AVOID reality. However, I know I don't live in a bubble and so... here's some random news you might have missed:

Focus On The Family is putting up a pro-life ad during the Super Bowl starring Gators Golden Boy Tim Tebow. Completely lame, yes?

Good job, NBC! Conan O'Brien got fucked again! Jay Leno will be going back to his original spot because he's an ass hate and Conan won't be on TV for 8 goddamn months. Granted, they're both going to be enjoying their millions regardless and it really doesn't affect me personally. But shit, I really was with Team CoCo...

Too fucking cool. Kathleen Hanna's papers will be placed in NYU's Riot Grrrl collection at the Fales Library. First off... they have a RIOT GRRRL COLLECTION IN THEIR LIBRARY!? Just... wow. Impressed and it just makes me want to go to NYU for grad school now, hah.

In case you're not familiar with Kathleen Hanna...

A short quip on the Ethics of Looting over at NPR.

And finally... An incredible victory just happened in South Miami wherein the (usually not so fabulous) commissioners have granted benefits to domestic partners in the area! This is seriously amazing and going completely under the radar. Could this be what Miami needs to get the ball rolling?? Maybe I should finally switch my permanent address (I'm on the cusp between Pinecrest and South Miami so I'd need to find out whether it would count...) Seriously GOOD news, though!

I'm with CoCo.

2010-01-17T11:03:00.003-05:00

Since I have access to television right now, I've been missing all the juicy insanity between Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, and everyone on the sidelines. Here's a few clips I dug up, plus an extra surprise at the end.

Oh, and... if anyone was wondering... I am totally with Conan. NBC need to get their heads out of their asses.

Conan griping about the situation. (Not to be confused with 'The Situation')

David Letterman getting his shots in years after he underwent a similar ordeal.

Craig Ferguson laughing his ass off at everyone.

Jimmy Kimmel on Jay Leno Show. Seriously one of the most brutal interviews I have ever seen (maybe I haven't seen enough but... well, holy shit.)

And finally...

SNL Digital Short: Laser Cats 5. Just... cause.

Tuesday Trailers!

2010-01-12T12:54:00.002-05:00

Sorry I haven't done one of these in forever. Here's a few to start off the year!

Red Riding - Script was written by Tony Grisoni of Fear and Loathing fame, plus newcomer Andrew Garfield (from Gilliam's Imaginarium) will be starring. Apparently it's 3 films combined to one, each directed by a different person. Interesting concept, and hopefully it works!

Multiple Sarcasms - I have a feeling the movie might be more entertaining than the trailer... Maybe.

The Beautiful Person (La Belle Personne) - Everything just seems better in French.

Babies - Babies have always been of a bizarre interest to me. Not in that "I want to be a mommy" way, but just fascinating as these tiny human beings to which everything is new and who can absorb so much knowledge without even really trying. This looks like a really fantastic documentary.

Waiting for Armageddon - A frightening look at what religious extremists are seriously convinced of and what their hatred approves of.

Fading of the Cries - Because this trailer was ultimately too WTF to pass up...

The Other Side of Paradise - Starring a bunch of random people including a guy that looks like he could be brothers with Christian from Nip/Tuck... looks interesting enough. At the very least for my netflix queue!

A Prophet (Un Prophete) - All I can say is... looks good!

More next week!

Math LOLs

2010-01-12T10:50:00.003-05:00

(Via wtf_sexism and Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal.)

Review: "Nothing is permanent. Not even death." - The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

2010-01-10T11:25:00.008-05:00

I've been waiting for the Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus for a few years now and it was such a great surprise to find it was playing at my local theater yesterday. I'm a devoted fan of Terry Gilliam, who is a master at weaving fantastic tales and taking his viewers on other-worldly journeys. You'd expect nothing less out of every single one of his films, from the child-like Adventures of Baron Munchausen to the darker yet still innocent Tideland. Imaginarium's trailer seemed to promise no different. Added to this was the bittersweet delight of watching the gone-too-soon Heath Ledger's final performance, cut short by his untimely death, and only completed thanks to Gilliam's directorial creativity and the short but on spot performances of Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Ferrell.

(The spoilers begin here, I'm afraid. If you don't mind having information about the first half of the film, read on.)

The trailer for Imaginarium doesn't give the viewer much except that you know it will look beautiful. From the get go, you realize it's a very different tale from what you might first expect. Doctor Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) is not only a magical old man, but rather an unhappy drunk who made a bargain with the devil to gain immortality. He travels with his daughter Valentina (played by the lovely, up and coming talent Lily Cole), a quick witted little person named Percy (Verne Troyer), and loyal underdog Anton (Andrew Garfield). Parnassus, we later discover, is completely disheveled as the clock ticks closer to Valentina's 16th birthday, the age at which he must turn her over to the devil (played marvelously by Tom Waits). Meanwhile, Valentina's dreams of escaping the life of a traveling street performer are interrupted when the group discover a man (whose name we later find is Tony, and who was played by the late Heath Ledger) hanging from a rope underneath a bridge. The stranger turns out to be a man of many faces and he joins the performers, enchanting ladies to come through Doctor Parnassus' mirror, and essentially, in to Parnassus' very imagination. Without giving too much away, the rest of the film follows the ongoing wagering between Parnassus and Devil, the slow discovery of who Tony really is, Anton's ceaseless devotion to Valentina and her equally unshakable devotion to Tony, and occasional visits in to the beautifully bizarre Imaginarium.

There are a lot of interesting undertones involved in the film. For one, Parnassus was originally part of a group of individuals who tell the story of the universe. Without people to tell the story, the universe would cease to exist. The devil attempts to prove him wrong, but fails because Parnassus realizes that no matter what, someone is always telling a story. This was probably my favorite sentiment in the film, something I think any writer could have a soft spot for. Technically, this scene didn't serve much purpose except to find a way to introduce Parnassus, but I love that Gilliam included it (although I would love to see him follow up on that idea in a separate film.) There is also the battle between flawed-but-good and evil (Parnassus versus the Devil.) Parnassus has incredible powers, but he doesn't want to rule the world. As Percy so eloquently puts it, "he wants the world to rule itself." What a fabulous way to look at and interpret religion/belief. In this world, it's almost as if god is a lonely alcoholic who just wants people to be happy and wants to be happy himself. Heaven lies within his mind and all who enter find their own version of paradise to submit to. Parnassus and the Devil vie for souls and each has their own technique at fooling/enchanting people to submit. But with Parnassus, there is no guilt to be good, to do right, but rather to just be happy. He is flawed as are the souls he takes, but in this world there is nothing "wrong" with that. At the same time, the Devil, who is quite the gambler, doesn't necessarily want to win but just wants to keep the game going. It's no fun if you're going to win all the time and so he presses on wager after wager. Brilliant.

The film itself is beautifully shot, and even with the use of CGI (which I normally can't stand), it actually still worked. It appears that Gilliam's personal touch went in to all of the shots, and he must have had an amazing art direction department to get it all just right. There's definitely some bits of Monty Python that creep out (some of the visuals, as well as the bizarre scene with the dancing male cops dressed in skirts, pantyhose, and heels) which may have seemed out of place if you weren't familiar with Monty Python. Lily Cole is definitely going places, she has a genuine charisma that complements her unusual look. Andrew Garfield, another up and comer, also delivers a wonderful performance. Sure, you can kind of hate him at certain points for seeming to be the immature friend who doesn't get a clue, but you then realize his heart is in the right place and he rises from underdog status before the credits roll. Waits portrayal of the sly, squinty-eyed, thinly moustached Devil steals every scene he's in. Overall, i'd say this was another Gilliam-esque triumph.

One final thing worth noting: If you never fell in love with Heath Ledger in his previous roles, guaranteed you will love him here. It makes me wonder if he was as enchanting in real life as he was in this film. Charming for the most part and then somewhat villainous in others, it's just a shame he won't get to see it, and even more of a shame that we'll never get to see him do it up this way again.

Jackson Health System halts dialysis for poor patients

2010-01-07T11:50:00.001-05:00

I don't even know where to begin with this...

Dozens of patients are facing a life-or-death situation after Jackson Health System stopped paying for treatment for their failing kidneys.

The financially strapped Jackson Health System has stopped paying for dialysis treatments for 175 poor patients with failing kidneys -- a decision that experts say could be deadly.

``It is no game,'' says Emelina García Cordoví, 67, whose treatments at a South Miami-Dade center were cut off Dec. 31. ``We are talking of the lives of persons who depend exclusively on their dialysis.''

Jackson, Miami-Dade's government health system intended to be a safety net for the poor and uninsured, said it expects to save $4.2 million by stopping payments for outpatient dialysis treatment for the 175 patients. Of those, other avenues for care have been found for all but 41, says spokesman Robert Alonso. About a third of those are undocumented immigrants, who are not eligible for government programs.

Read on...

Mornings.

2010-01-07T11:25:00.001-05:00

Happy Drag History Month!

2010-01-06T17:58:00.004-05:00

Thanks, Queers United for turning me on to Drag History Month! Maybe someday we WILL be able to celebrate internationally all out :)

3D Television Channel!

2010-01-05T13:16:00.003-05:00

Always knew it would be a matter of time before this happened. I had this idea as a kid and these bastards have stolen it! I coulda been rich... Hrm.

Discovery, Imax and Sony Form 3-D Television Channel

What I want to know though, is when they're going to make 3D contact lenses or 3D filters for people WITH glasses. Cause i'll be damned if those things don't give me a headache...

First Transgender Presidential Appointee!

2010-01-05T12:57:00.002-05:00

For all of Obama's faults, he does continue to make quiet, positive strides here and there. Just found this buried between posts on Feministing (Via HuffPo)!

President Obama has appointed Amanda Simpson, a transgender woman, to be the Senior Technical Adviser to the Commerce Department.

"I'm truly honored to have received this appointment and am eager and excited about this opportunity that is before me," Simpson said in a statement. "As one of the first transgender presidential appointees to the federal government, I hope that I will soon be one of hundreds, and that this appointment opens future opportunities for many others."

Bravo, Ms. Simpson and Mr. Obama for not allowing narrow mindedness to prevent you from picking the right person for the job.

Monday Discoveries.

2010-01-04T21:54:00.004-05:00

Today I learned that...

Garlic sesame sticks from Whole Foods are one of the greatest snacks in the world. Ever. I think you need to go buy some right now.

Fidel Castro will probably never die. I'm pretty certain of this. Or at least anyone who was around during his initial takeover will probably die before he ever does. Maybe that's what happens when so many thousands of people wish someone dead. Not that I'm a fan of Fidel, but just saying.

Apparently Miami is feeling its coldest winter in 9 years. Meaning the last time it was this cold it was 2001 and I was 16. I actually recall cold winters in my early high school years, waiting at 6am for school to start was always a fun/not-so-fun time for us. A lot of people are complaining about this, but I'm welcoming it with open, shivering arms.

Rediscovering old DVDs is fun. We bought The Animation Show ages ago and I've been reconnecting with some of my favorite animated shorts, like this little gem:

NicCageAsEveryone fever is sweeping the nation! Or at least my Facebook. Okay, maybe I'm just thoroughly amused.

And finally, this isn't something I learned today... but we've been watching Newsradio reruns thanks to Hulu as of late and i'll be damned if I don't fall in love with Bill McNeil (Phil Hartman) during every single episode. With his wit and charm and that goddamn awesome voice... how can you not?? You'll always be missed, Phil!

Things I'm Looking Forward to in 2010.

2010-01-01T14:44:00.005-05:00

Welcome, 2010! So far, it's been a lazy start to the year for me, but definitely a good one. The weather in Miami is perfect and I'm taking it all as good omens. 2010 should be an exciting time, and I'll keep on with the general hope that it'll be an even better year. Here's a few random things I'm looking forward to in this year:

-New Movie Releases! Although looking down the list, I haven't found as many movies to be excited about as I should be, there are a choice few that I'm psyched about (most especially the Nightmare on Elm Street remake!) I seriously need to make more time for watching movies at the theater this year, even if it's just on campus at the Cosford. Regardless, I'm sure 2010 will bring in a few gems, as occurs every year.

-Television! I know, it's sad to admit but I'm going through some MAJOR TV withdrawls. Luckily, Grey's Anatomy (my girlie kryptonite) starts up in a few days. From there, it'll be a long Spring waiting for new episodes of True Blood, Mad Men, and even Weeds, whom I had given up on until I saw that jaw dropping season finale. For now, I need to catch up on Breaking Bad and maybe finally get around to finishing Six Feet Under and some others. Hurray, Netflix!

-The 2010 Fifa World Cup! I'll admit, I don't regularly watch soccer, but I definitely jump on the bandwagon for this. And on a more superficial level, who can really deny how great it can be to watch some of those boys run around for a few hours? ;)

-Finally getting a radio spot! I've been doing newscasts for WVUM 1-2x a week for the last two semesters, but I really want to have an hour to play music and such. Maybe 2 hours. I'm hoping I can get my hands on some new music and maybe get a feel for the radio dj thing. Definitely excited about this on a personal level.

-Vancouver Winter Olympics! Mostly because I never watch the winter games and i'd finally like to get around and do it. I have a secret love of watching professional figure skating.

-TWO Florida Renaissance Festivals! Every year, I go to the Renn Fest over at Quiet Waters Park, but this year it was impossible. Luckily, the people who run that fest are also having an additional fest in January over in Virginia Key. My nerd-self is definitely excited about this!

-Winter Music Conference! I completely missed out on too many good shows last year since school was becoming overwhelming. I'm hoping I can get out to at least one or two this year. The timing sucks because it's immediately after my Spring Break as well, but maybe I can get caught up with things before that time. I need something to top my dancing on stage with 2 Live Crew when they were down for WMC a few years ago! Hell, maybe I'll even make my way to Ultra for the first time ever. Need to start using my WVUM creds for these things!

-MegaCon... and conventions in general! I went to my first MegaCon (and also, my first comic convention ever) two years ago and last year I wasn't able to, but I really hope I can make the time this year. My main literary man (well, sortof), Levar Burton is going to be there!! Other random but also welcome guests in attendance will be Lea Thompson, Billy Dee Williams, and Mr. Hercules himself, Kevin Sorbo hah. But really, I just want to see Levar and pick up some comics and meet some new artists. Hopefully we get a few other random cons here throughout the year as well. I'm still kicking myself for being sick the weekend the cast of Futurama was down for a convention. But at least I saw Bruce Campbell AND got the Bounty Hunter from X-Files' autograph!

-New Music Releases! Lots of bands/musicians are coming out with some long anticipated albums and I'm anxious to hear them. Earlier, I watched the video for Paradise Circus, a track off Massive Attack's latest due in February, I believe. Magnetic Fields, Deftones, Juliana Hatfield, Portishead, Nine Inch Nails (as well as Trent Reznor separately) and Radiohead should also have some new stuff out this year. Best part is new albums generally mean tour dates and i'll be damned if I miss any more concerts. Still a little weirded out by the Soundgarden reunion, but i'd probably want to check em out for the hell of it.

-Super Bowl XLIV! Okay, so I'm not the biggest sports fan around, but it's cool to be in the host city of this year's super bowl. The Dolphins... still.. have a bit of a chance from what I understand, and if they somehow made it that would be ridiculous. However, it should still be a good time (not that I could actually afford to go to the game) and I'm sure we'll have a watching party to go to at any number of places.

-Writing! A novel, some short stories, a comic, whatever. I need to ante up as far as my writing is concerned. Looking forward to creating some horrible (and hopefully in between, some good) writing this year.

What will you be looking forward to in the new year?

I'm Back!

2009-12-10T17:29:00.002-05:00

So, so sorry loyal readers and random looker-uponers! The semester got the best of my but now that it's (mostly) over, I plan to get back to this blog thing here and keep you up to date on the latest in interesting news, random tidbits, upcoming movies, entertaining videos, fantastic music, various vegetarian yumminess, feminist rants, and everything else under the moon I can think of!

For now, I leave you with some Tunes of the Moment, thanks go out to various individuals for spreading my musical horizons as of late:

Canadian Thanksgiving!

2009-11-23T08:32:00.001-05:00

Let's watch some Degrassi!

Rick Roll!

2009-11-23T08:28:00.002-05:00

Although the effect of the Rick Roll is finally losing power a year later, just had to share my favorite part of last year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!

I Love TOfurKEY on Thanksgiving!

2009-11-23T08:23:00.003-05:00

It's the start of Thanksgiving Week! Nothing screams America like gluttons engorging themselves on meat and crazy people trampling each other at the mall! No, but really. I actually enjoy Thanksgiving. Food is a great way of bringing people together. Plus i've got lots to be thankful for this year! Tony and I both have our share of family in town, which doesn't happen often. To get you in the mood, here's the song that always kicks off my ToFURkey Week :)

PS. Vegetarians rejoice! I'll definitely be including my veg-friendly Thanksgiving Meal on here later in the week!

Obvious Hiatus.

2009-11-16T23:56:00.002-05:00

I apologize to any of my readers, I know I haven't written in almost a month now. Unfortunately my semester got a lot more hectic than I realized and I haven't had the time to dedicate to my blog. Fortunately, semester is winding down and I hope to start writing more frequently here from now on. What have I been missing in the blogosphere as of late? What would you like to see me write about once I get back on here?

Be back soon!

- p. killingly

Tuesday Trailer - Halloween Throwback Edition!

2009-10-27T09:58:00.002-04:00

Since it IS Halloween week, I figure I might as well put up some old trailers for some horror goodies you might have missed (most i've seen but some I have to see after watching the trailers.) Check these out, put 'em on your netflix queue, and get ready for some phenomenal scares!

Event Horizon

Halloween (original)

Rosemary's Baby

The Exorcist

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (original)

The Ring

more to come!

Monster Mash!

2009-10-27T09:14:00.002-04:00

I don't know how i've waited so long to listen to this song this season! Guess that what happens when you're overly preoccupied. Here you have the original and a cover as well. Let's do the Monster Mash! It was a grave yard smash, after all!

Bobby 'Boris' Pickett and the Cryptkickers

The Mistfits cover

Puttin' On The Ritz!

2009-10-27T09:13:00.003-04:00

I've been slacking in my Halloween-related posts. Here's a clip from one of my all-time favorite not-so-scary Halloween films, Young Frankenstein:

Peter Boyle and Gene Wilder are magic in this film. So, so good.

An evening.

2009-10-22T21:18:00.003-04:00

for inspiration.

Uh Huh Her - Common Reaction

Alisha Batth covers Ani DiFranco - Grey

So in case you've been wondering...

2009-10-22T16:55:00.003-04:00

...why I'm not as active over here, it's because I've got a million different things going on in my life outside the blogosphere at once. Between school and articles and trying to have somewhat of a social life with friends and family, it gets rather difficult to update on a daily basis. However, feel free to check out WVUM News and The Miami Hurricane when i've been silent here, as I am currently writing pieces for both (WVUM moreso.) Just thought i'd let you all know!

Tuesday Trailers

2009-10-20T09:36:00.003-04:00

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus - They finally have a new trailer for this and it looks absolutely stunning! It also makes everyone very melancholy to think what more this could've done for Heath Ledger. Terry Gilliam remains one of my personal favorites.

Motherhood - Something completely different here from the previous trailer. Uma Thurman is a stay at home mom in Manhattan, a place where stay-at-home anything is probably verbotten. It looks cute and witty and mushy and I can dig it because Uma is a great actress.

That Evening Sun - It's being hailed as a true Southern American Gothic. It's a seriously unique story and the acting looks superb. And hey, isn't that Arlene from True Blood I see? Check this out.

Broken Embraces - Pedro Almodovar finally has a new film! I've only been waiting for... three years for this? As usual, the stunningly gorgeous Penelope Cruz is in it and it's something about the complicated relationships that women have with others and with themselves. Can't wait!

Come back next week for more!

Monday's Minutes.

2009-10-20T00:18:00.002-04:00

- An update in the Elgin Marbles debate! Greece has created an amazing looking museum to convince the British Museum to finally give back the marbles so Greece can display them in their entirety. They said they didn't think Greece could preserve them as well before, but I think they just might have to eat their words now...

- Slate.com addresses something that I never thought about in regards to the HPV Vaccine. I took my Gardasil shot because my doc seemed to think it was a good idea. But reading this, I'm a little pissed to realize it's just another way that women have to do everything and have everything done to them while men get to sit back and reap the benefits. What a crock.

- The NYTimes cut more jobs. And this is just another reason why I dropped out of J-School and opted to write and gather experience on my own time.

-Wherein I'm a complete douche and totally missed the annual Kite Festival for the millionth year in a row. But you can read more about it here since other people did remember.

- I don't have time to analyze this week's episode of Mad Men (something i've been meaning to blog about for a while and hopefully will get a chance to soon), but this gal does a good job for me anyway.

- And finally, IXCHEN, an NGO in my pseudo-motherland of Nicaragua needs YOUR help! Feministing.org was nice enough to post about the recent fire that destroyed this center that provides help (ie. health services) for women and children. The organization needs your help to keep going. I'm definitely going to look in to how else I can help. Here's their blog if you want to know more.

An Ode To Beetlejuice

2009-10-17T10:56:00.005-04:00

Beetlejuice was by far one of my favorite movies growing up. It's a little bit 80s and a little bit goth and a whole lot of Michael Keaton doing his best comedic performance ever. What little girl DIDN'T want to be the faux-depressed pale-face teen, Lydia Deetz? Alex Baldwin was still young and had his looks and was without the gut. Geena David was entertaining as all hell, especially when she has a zipper for a mouth. It's got the principal from Ferris Bueller. Lots of awesome sing-a-longs. Crazy sandworms. Plenty of crass provided by Mr. Keaton. Hell... What

more do you need? Add some Tim Burton (meaning lots and LOTS of black and white striped anything and of course, the illustrious Danny Elfman) and you got yourself one of the best movies of all time. It was so great, in fact, that it was made in to an awesome cartoon some years later, although it was a bit confusing since Beetlejuice and Lydia are friends in the cartoon along with some other crazy looking characters, and Adam and Barbara (Baldwin and Davis) are nowhere to be found. It was still plenty of fun to watch, tho!

Take a look at why I love this film (and cartoon) so damn much:

Meet Beetlejuice!

Shake Senora!

Day-O Song by Harry Belafonte

Beetlejuice TV Show Intro

"Make my millenium!"

What Whoopi Goldberg ('Not a Rape-Rape'), Harvey Weinstein ('So-Called Crime') et al. Are Saying in Their Outrage Over the Arrest of Roman Polanski

2009-10-16T15:42:00.002-04:00

Calvin Trillin wrote a poem in The Nation about the Polanski situation. Yet another person who has articulated my outrage better than I could. Check it out:

"A youthful error? Yes, perhaps.

But he's been punished for this lapse--

For decades exiled from LA

He knows, as he wakes up each day,

He'll miss the movers and the shakers.

He'll never get to see the Lakers.

For just one old and small mischance,

He has to live in Paris, France.

He's suffered slurs and other stuff.

Has he not suffered quite enough?

How can these people get so riled?

He only raped a single child.

Why make him into some Darth Vader
For sodomizing one eighth grader?
This man is brilliant, that's for sure--
Authentically, a film auteur.
He gets awards that are his due.
He knows important people, too--
Important people just like us.
And we know how to make a fuss.
Celebrities would just be fools
To play by little people's rules.
So Roman's banner we unfurl.
He only raped one little girl."

Raccoons Love Jack-O-Lanterns!

2009-10-16T15:32:00.001-04:00

CuteOverload had a Halloween themed pic up. Just thought i'd share. :)

Robert Crumb Fleshes Out Adam and Eve

2009-10-16T13:12:00.003-04:00

R. Crumb has decided to do an illustrated version of The Book of Genesis. I haven't read it yet, but I kind of want to. When I first read the headline, i'll admit, I was a bit more psyched about it. What can I say, I have a soft sport for blasphemy. But apparently it's nothing of the sort. In fact, he changes nothing about the story and from what this reviewer said, "you expect it to be sardonic, but it is not."

However, they also said it was very humanizing, and I guess that's the new word that hooked me in. The bible is nothing if it isn't something written by humans about the human condition. Sex, lies, betrayal, sacrifice, murder, hell... there's everything in it that makes more modern literature and film worth watching. I'll admit, I haven't read the entire book cover to cover. But I have read passages and at the very least, some of it makes for some interesting reading. Crumb's illustrated take will likely be even more interesting to say the least. I'm a little disappointed at his traditionalist depictions of God, Eden, and the "Tree of Knowledge," but then I guess that's what he was going for in a way. Either way, it's worth a look.

I Put A Spell On You...

2009-10-13T09:26:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite Halloween-related songs (well, witch-related, so close enough) has been done and re-done by so many artists. Here's a few of my favorite versions:

Screamin Jay Hawkins

Marilyn Manson

from the movie Hocus Pocus

The Animals

Nina Simone

Trailer Tuesday!

2009-10-13T08:38:00.002-04:00

Women In Trouble - Like a chick flick but less fluffy.

As Seen Through These Eyes - Holocaust survivor artists tell their story.

Oh My God? - Another documentarian on the search of what is god.

Nobody - A movie for every art student and a movie for every college student. Coming of age, yadda yadda.

The Crazies - The remake of George Romero's pseudo-non-zombie film. I'll have to check it out of course, although I'm not digging the use of Mad World in the trailer, since i've reserved that for Donnie Darko alone.

Antichrist - I could have sworn I wrote about this, but I don't recall the full trailer so here it is. Interesting, indeed!

Monday Morning Headlines!

2009-10-12T08:23:00.002-04:00

The Times has a feature on Chef Jamie Oliver and his quest to inform the world on how to cook for oneself in order to break its dependency on fast food. Kudos, Jamie. We need more people to be on the look out since McDonalds won't be anytime soon...

Books and Books in the Gables will be playing the documentary Lumo on Wednesday night at 7pm about Congolese rape victims, presented by the organization HEAL Africa. Go watch and educate yourself and make a donation to this important cause!

The GLBTQ community is no longer staying silent about what they want. Thousands of protesters marched on to Washington D.C. to vocally demand their rights, including repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell and marriage equality for all. The Times has some great pictures from the event.

NPR has a great piece on Alton Brown, the coolest of Food Network chefs, who has just reached a milestone - a full decade of his show, Good Eats.

The LA Times ranks some of the best haunted houses in America this Halloween season!

The Polanski Debacle

2009-10-07T08:22:00.002-04:00

Kudos to Leonard Pitts for saying what's been on my mind for days now since I heard about the Roman Polanski issue. Everywhere, you keep seeing and reading and hearing about how the persecution of Polanski is unjust and unfair. They talk about how he survived the Holocaust, how his wife was murdered, poor Polanski, right? He's suffered enough!

Yeah... alright. I get it. I like Polanski's movies too. Shit, Rosemary's Baby is still my top horror film of all time. But it doesn't mean I'm blind to what the hell is really going on. I know they keep saying the girl he raped (because yes, it IS rape) doesn't want to have anything to do with it anymore... but then what person would want old wounds re-opened? She, the REAL victim, has obviously suffered enough. But Polanski's retroactive punishment doesn't fly with me. If Polanski is now innocent of his crimes, does this mean that I can go commit a few because oh, well I was robbed and beaten and someone killed my loved one and i've suffered enough as it is? I know perhaps it's slightly cruel sounding. The Holocaust especially can be a sore spot for anyone involved. But say he wasn't on the "victim" side of that coin. Say he was an ex-Nazi camp guard. Say he never technically killed anyone but he was, well.. a Nazi camp guard (doesn't that say enough as it is?) And he never got caught until now. Would we want to prosecute him now? What if he had a really hard life before he became a guard though? His german family had lost their business, his mother commit suicide, his father beat him every day for years, his daughter was raped and murdered by some unknown. He had a rough life! What then? You know we'd still want him. I realize maybe this is an extreme case, but I'm just trying to see where the justification lies in giving Polanski a gentle spanking years ago for a heinous crime and then just letting him get away with it because, let's face it, he's famous and well liked in Hollywood.

It's absurd. It really is. I feel for his victim, who I don't blame for not wanting to have to go back to that moment in her life. Thank you, Pitts, for recognizing this absurdity in Hollywood's "justice system," since it seems they already have their hands down everyone else's pocket.

Anne Frank On Film

2009-10-06T08:20:00.003-04:00

I first read the diary of Anne Frank when I was in the 3rd grade. I remember checking it out from my elementary school library and our librarian, Mrs. Edwards, was very impressed that I would be reading such a book at such an early age. Anne Frank's diary is a confessional i've always kept close to my heart. She taught me that it was alright be afraid and just as fine to be brave, to love and to feel and mostly to be an honest writer. If Anne had known that the world would someday read all her thoughts, she most likely would have held back. But out of the tragedy of her brief life came something that is more real than anything else, something that would change the lives of so many as we all got to read on about this young girl's life. The NYTimes has posted a short video of Anne on film that gives me chills. It seems strange to see the girl we've all pictured alive in our minds actually animated.

It's really something. They also posted a short video of her father, Otto Frank, who makes a very true statement. That parents don't really ever get to know their children. It makes me wonder what would happen if all parents somehow managed to read the inner workings of their children's minds. What would they think? How would they react? Funny how we hide so much from those that created us. Still, perhaps it was slightly comforting for Otto to at least really get to know his daughter after she was gone. One can only wonder what Anne would've thought about all this, what she would have written about it...

Thrill The World at UM!

2009-10-04T11:43:00.004-04:00

It all started when I saw someone's instructional YouTube video of the steps to the Thriller Dance. This led me to a link to a website called ThrillTheWorld.com. From there, I found that they're having events all over the world, including some in Miami. Then I clicked on the blog for one of the Miami events, and found out they're holding Thriller Dance Practices right here at my very own school! How exciting is this?! Apparently they hold practices on Sunday afternoons and while I can't move much today, I'm totally making it to the next practice! I also have to start learning the steps here at home and eventually I will make it to the piece de resistance: the official Thrill The World Thriller Event! It's October 24th at the University of Miami Law School! I'm completely psyched about this and you should be too! The classes are open to anyone (just bring $1, I believe all money collected is for charity) and there's a mandatory meeting the day before the event. Check out the Facebook page for more information about upcoming events!

And if you want to share your excellent dance moves again, there's a Thriller Event going on @ Tobacco Road on the 30th!

Get your zombie makeup out. It's gonna be a hell of a time!

Happy First Day of October! - The Asylum Eclectica

2009-10-01T09:04:00.004-04:00

In honor of the start of the month of October, I'm here to bring to you some Halloween goodness every day (or almost every day) until that wonderful All Hallows Eve comes around again! Very excited about it this year (as I am every year.) To kick things off, i'd like to let you know about one of my favorite websites, good all year round but even more so in October.

I first discovered the Morbid Fact du Jour in the late 1990s and subscribed to the mailing list. Every day, I would thus receive an interesting and exceptionally morbid tidbit to ponder throughout the day. Over the years, The Comtesse DeSpair eventually branches away from having just a mailing list and created this interactive website of fun - The Asylum Eclectica, complete with Dark and Gruesome Links, My Brush With Morbidity, and one of my personal faves - Malady of the Month. I confess that I hadn't visited the website in quite a while and now I see she also has a blog up and has even joined the ranks of MySpace, Facebook, and even Twitter! If there's ever been a person that could change with the times, it's the horrifying Comtesse! If you're a fan of Halloween or of morbid-related things, do yourself a favor and check this website out. It seriously has everything (and if it doesn't, it has a link to it!) Support the Comtesse and the Asylum Eclectica! Happy First Day of All Hallows!

Trailer Tues-er Wednesday!

2009-09-30T17:24:00.004-04:00

Trailer time! A day late...

Nightmare On Elm Street (The Remake) - !!!!! I saw this the other day and thought.. well. Okay. But after watching it a second time, I am seriously, SERIOUSLY excited! I would suggest you watch it a few times before making your mind up about it as well. You'll probably have the time to do it too since it won't be coming out until next year. The new Freddy look and sound are actually more terrifying in my opinion. I also love that they're keeping so many of the same shots as the original, and that they're not casting a bunch of the same annoying celeb kids (no Megan Fox or Shia LeBouf thankyouverymuch.) And while this seems to be Samuel Bayer's first real feature film directing gig, I think he'll do a good job if the trailer is any indication. He has made some of my favorite music videos after all...

The House of the Devil - What looks like a well-made homage to the 1970's classic horror films (The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby, and the like), I am really looking forward to checking this out and sincerely hoping it doesn't disappoint. The few special effects they show look spectacular and completely terrifying!

The Box - I reeeeally don't like Cameron Diaz, but this kind of looks interesting. I think it's more of a wait-for-DVD release but I like the concept at least. Very Twilight Zone-esque. Plus its by the same person that directed Donnie Darko, so it's got that going for it. Opinions?

Paranormal Activity - Blair Witch for Ghosts? Could work... I don't like the trailer much to be honest, but the movie could be entertaining. Especially if there's more to it than the few bits shown here...

Afterschool - Not entirely horror, but it definitely look good. A new indie thriller with a bunch of unknowns that might deliver something much better than most of the crap that is sold to us in theaters. Worth a look, for sure.

I'm sure there's more trailers out there to watch right now but... really... after Nightmare, do you really WANT to?

Maddow and Olbermann Fun!

2009-09-28T23:38:00.004-04:00

As I lie on my couch with a pulled groin muscle (yes, you're allowed to snicker at that), I figured it would be a good time to update myself and the rest of the world on all i've been missing on my favorite left-wing journalists! Here we go!

Catching Up With Rachel Maddow:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Countdown with my Main Man, Keith Olbermann:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Barbie - The Plastic Woman With Deformed Feet...

2009-09-27T21:00:00.003-04:00

..Not to mention a lack of nipples or a belly button or any real genitalia. Yes, we all know who she is. I grew up with these dolls. My very first Barbie was I believe Hawaiian Barbie. She had tan skin and dark brown hair and eventually, I broke off her head and lost most of her clothing. Over time, I became the proud owner of several more Barbie dolls, a Barbie bed-room set, and even a few of Barbie's friends (Ken, Skipper, and Stacy.) I can't exactly remember what kind of games I played (I do recall re-enacting the Star Wars garbage compactor scene a lot), but I realize that they definitely skewed my idea of what life would be like in my later years. Somehow I developed the notion that I would grow up to be this blonde, blue-eyed, white beauty with all kinds of luxuries, a blonde, white man by my side and together we'd have white, blonde children. Why the hell I was so deluded for a while there is beyond me, but that's just how it was. I'd like to say Barbie is at least partially to blame for this. After all, she (or perhaps more to the point, her makers) are the same brain trusts behind the "Colored Francie" Barbie doll of 1967 and the "Oreo Barbie" (so you know, they wouldn't seem too racist... right?), the Teen Talk Barbie that proudly proclaimed things like "Will we ever have enough clothes?!" and "Math class is tough!", the "Share A Smile Becky" doll in a wheelchair too big to fit in to Barbie's mansion, and even a Barbie with a "tramp stamp" that has Ken's name on it. It's obvious Barbie has never really had real women or real girls in mind. Anyone with even a slight bit of intelligence can see she sets unrealistic expectations for everyone, my childhood self included.

But anyway... the point is this most famous of little girls' playthings is now getting her own movie. Not only that, but apparently it's going to be live-action! I don't really know how I feel about this. No, I do. It's ridiculous. We seriously don't need any more Barbie crap shoved down our throats, and more importantly, down our daughters throats. I don't know if I would ever buy a potential daughter of mine a Barbie doll. Maybe if she really asked for it, and then i'd have to make sure she has plenty of other toys. I'm really just curious to see who is cast as Barbie. Megan Fox? No... she has black hair. And she's probably too tan for the role, hrm. Guess we'll have to see. Can't begin to imagine what the plot of the film will be. Start pitching your ideas now! Who do you want as the new "Real" Barbie?

Tuesday Trailers

2009-09-22T09:25:00.003-04:00

Sorry for the lack of trailers last week! Here's a new set to tide you over...

Van Diemen's Land - Apparently based on a true story, this one goes either way for me.

The Maid - Interesting tale about someone we might take for granted.

Blind Date - Looks absolutely beautiful.

Up In The Air - Could be something great for Clooney, and something different as well.

This Is It - What can I say? It's still and always will be Michael Jackson.

A Christmas Carol - I have a feeling Zemeckis and Carrey will make me proud.

Monday Morning Two-Minute Headlines.

2009-09-21T08:36:00.002-04:00

The NY Times wraps up the Emmys. Mad Men (one of my new personal favorites) won for best Drama and Best Writing as well (as it damn well should have.) 30 Rock also won a few awards, making me think I really have to finally get around to watching it.

The LA Times writes about the difficulties of rearing a child with schizophrenia. Fascinating and completely heartbreaking, I can only mildly comprehend how exhausted these parents must be.

Eye opening accounts of a severe problem happening in China wherein officials are taking people's children and putting them up for adoption when parents are unable to pay fines.

NPR comments on the evolution of the T-Rex. Fun read for anyone interested in dinosaurs.

As witness to many individuals who claim that "god" has really had a huge impact on them (going so far as to go in to extreme prayer that includes "speaking in tongues"), this report called This Is Your Brain On God is of exceptional interest.

Kudos to this Temecula School for not being afraid to tackle a assigning a book that addresses rape, a situation that is very real in all our communities and unfortunately many times in our schools as well.

A local Feed & Supply store holds a rally against a chain of horse murders in our own Miami-Dade County.

and finally... National Geographic is hosting its' annual International Photography Contest, so go get your cameras and shoot!

Feminist Dinner and a Movie!

2009-09-20T11:36:00.002-04:00

In support of the Women's and Gender Studies Department here at the University of Miami, I want to let you all know about their upcoming Dinner and a Movie series! This fabulous event will put together movies of interest to the study of women and gender together with some delicious food and fantastic professors who will be leading discussion about the films we watch! This upcoming Thursday, we'll be kicking off the series by watching the 2009 animated film Wonder Woman, eating some yummy spanakopita, and leading the discussion will be one of my favorite professors at UM, Dr. Pamela Geller. I'm totally psyched about this event, and it's open to anyone (UM and Non-UM people alike!) so feel free to RSVP and make it out!

For more info, check out the flyer which has details about the who, what, where, when, and how to RSVP!

The Start of The Halloween Season?

2009-09-16T18:51:00.002-04:00

Dead Man's Bones Hypnotism from biz3 publicity on Vimeo.

I'm a huge, huge, HUGE fan of the holidays. I go all out for all the Fall holidays (and I try to do as much as I can with the rest of the years' holidays as well - including St. Pattys, Easter, Bastille Day, Cinco de Mayo, etc.) Seeing as it's mid-September, it seems only appropriate to begin the Halloween season! To kick things off, NPR just put a song by the band Dead Man's Bones (the joint creation of Ryan Gosling and Zach Shields) entitled 'My Body's a Zombie For You,' and let me tell you - it is all kinds of Halloweentastic (yes, I realize this makes me an uber-nerd)!

Upon further research, i've also discovered that the band is planning a tour starting next month! And to make them even cooler, the opening acts will be a talent show featuring local talent from every city they're at! These guys have seriously gained my total respect. Zombies? Halloween? and Talent Show? Sweet mother of jesus! Do yourselves a favor, go listen to the song, and then start bringing out your dusty Halloween decor like i'll be doing this weekend and get ready for the kick off to the best of the holiday season!

Good News!

2009-09-15T22:35:00.004-04:00

Operation Rescue, one of those absurd militant right-wing anti-choice, pro-life groups, is drowning financially! I'm not one to praise the misfortunes of others normally... unless of course you happen to be the kind of people who would wish me misfortune in believing in my right to do what I choose with my body. NPR discusses whether it's really the economy that is hitting the pro-lifers hard, or if it has more to do with the recent death of Dr. George Tiller, who was killed outside of a church by a pro-life nut job. It's truly a shame about Tiller's death (and the deaths of all other abortion providers for that matter), but perhaps one positive thing to come out of it is people's realizations that (although this isn't true for all) many religiously fueled pro-lifers are going too far in their quest to control the lives and bodies of women, using force when they see it as necessary. Either way, I won't be too sad the day Operation Rescue (or any of these other pro-life groups) finally shuts its' doors for good.

Big Thumbs Down to the Ukraine.

2009-09-15T00:50:00.004-04:00

Elton John and his partner of many years, David Furnish, have decided they wanted to adopt a child from an orphanage in the Ukraine. This child is a special needs child as he is HIV positive. This child has a very small likelihood of being adopted (only 30 HIV positive children have been adopted in the last 2 years according to the article.) And yet... under the conditions that he is not "legally married" and "too old," he is being denied the ability to give this child a loving home and an incredible opportunity at a very happy and stable life. Let's hear it for Yuriy Pavlenko, Minister of Family, Youth and Sports in the Ukraine, as well as Ukranian law and the Happy Child Foundation (oh, the irony) who are standing in the way of making this dream come true. If this were Brad and Angie, it's sure that they would be encouraged to make multiple adoptions. But no, this is clearly a case of gay discrimination (gay marriage and other civil unions aren't recognized in the Ukraine, and even if they were, those interviews seem to be opposed to it anyway.) I honestly don't see Elton and his partner doing this as some kind of publicity stunt. And while I recognize that a celebrity adoption one child from a foreign orphanage doesn't help the world entirely, at least he's willing to open his heart and home to someone who might otherwise never be adopted, never know what having parents is, and essentially live as much more difficult life. Shame on you, Ukraine (but let me not point all my fingers at you, as I realize we here in the U.S. have many strides to make as well...)

Goodbye, Patrick!

2009-09-14T20:55:00.008-04:00

So it's official. Patrick Swayze, Mr. "Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner" himself, has checked out for the last time. I wasn't exactly Swayze's #1 fan or anything, but he was a good entertainer when he wanted to be. From Dirty Dancing to Roadhouse to his lovely drag performance in To Wong Foo to being a pederast tendencies in Donnie Darko, he played a wide array of colorful characters and didn't really seem to care to be typecast in one role or another (I have yet to see Ghost or Point Break... *gasp* I know, I know), not to mention he even branched out to have a short-lived singing career in spite of his success as an actor. He may not have had as many parts as some other actors, but everyone know his name and everyone will always remember him as Johnny, as Vida, and even as Dalton.

R.I.P. Patrick. You'll be missed.

Good Morning!

2009-09-12T10:54:00.002-04:00

Some mornings you wonder how the hell you were able to even get out of bed (usually you had to drag yourself out after losing several fights with the alarm clock.) Some morning you feel like the world is against you and you're completely drained of all your energy. But then... Some mornings you wake up feeling all kinds of rejuvenated and ready to conquer the world! Some mornings come and surprise you and you realize that you have your youth and feel revitalized and energized! This is one of those mornings. Feeling good, nay - feeling great! Here's some morning goodness to get you on your way!

Festbier Tapping Party and Happy Hour Sundays!!

2009-09-08T18:43:00.003-04:00

I've never been to Gordon Biersch before, but I'm pretty excited to finally go later this month. They're having 2 different goings-on and they both sounds great! On Friday, September 18th they're having their annual Festbier Tapping Party! What the hell is that, you say? Well, basically, it's like an inauguration party for their Oktoberfest beer and menu for the holiday! They'll have $3 Festbier drafts, giveaways (for more beer, food, and a trip to 2010 Oktoberfest in Munich!), samples of their Oktoberfest menu and live music! It's going on from 6pm-11pm that night!

And if for some reason you miss is, you can also check out their new Sunday specials just in time for football season! Their regular Happy Hour specials (listed below) will be available ALL DAY on Sundays (at least, for the next few weeks!) $1 off lagers, $5 martinis and margaritas, $5 appetizers, and more!

I know I sound like a commercial for this place, but seriously, I'm just excited to try out a new beer venue! Who's with me??

Music Inspired By Someone Else.

2009-09-08T16:28:00.005-04:00

We all have them. People who in some way or other helped shape who we are today. Whether the experiences were good or bad (or just plain ugly), the result is that we're still here now, existing because that's what we're predisposed to do, I suppose. For whatever it's worth, these are songs that remind me of those individuals who impacted me in some way, even if only for a short while. The songs that remind me of those who managed to scratch my surface enough and get right under my skin, whether romantically or otherwise. While most if not all of these people no longer remain in my life, the songs will always stay with me (from the most beautiful to the most god awful - and mind you, some of these are especially cheesy!)

Mellowdrone - Limb To Limb (couldn't find a non-live version, sadly)

La Ritournelle - Sebastien Tellier

Build Me Up Buttercup - The Foundations

Right Here Waiting - Richard Marx

The Get Up Kids - Don't Hate Me

Polo Montanez covering Gilberto Santa Rose - Un Monton De Estrellas

Dashboard Confessional - Ender Will Save Us All

Sublime - Hope

Kathleen Hanna - I Wish I Was Him

Darwin's Waiting Room - Mario Andretti (Bus Driver Man)

One Line Drawing - Crush On Everyone (couldn't find a complete version unfortunately)

Piebald - American Hearts

GlassJaw - Pretty Lush

There's tons more I know and I'm sure i'll remember more as time goes by (god, what a high school flashback!)...

What songs remind you of the ghosts of your past?

Tuesday Trailers!

2009-09-08T09:19:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the lack of trailers last week, but this should more than make up for it!

Lying - What is this, an indie kid's wet dream? Seriously... with super awesome starlets Chloe Sevigny, Jena Malone, and Leelee Sobiesky (the 2 latter of which I am happy to see finally getting some work again!), this is sure to be on every Stephen Merritt fan's list. And let's face it, my inner tragically hip self is also kinda dying to see this as well.

One Good Man - I don't know how I feel about this. It's a uh.. "feel-good" movie about a Mormon family. Mormonism is a.. very bizarre faith in my opinion. But it almost seems like just a run-of-the-mill feel-good flick. Plus there's holidays involved. Probably wait for the DVD, but still. Interesting.

Pretty Ugly People - Yeah... cause behind every depressed fat girl, there's a bitchy but beautiful skinny girl right? At least that's what I'm getting from this trailer... which is kind of annoying. And the only reason I'm posting it is because Sookie from Gilmore Girls is in it. Guess we'll see...

Price Of Life - Documentary about a Philly ex-con's rehabilitation. Could be good?

Leslie, My Name Is Evil - This is being sold as a comedy, but I have a feeling there might be more to it than that. Maybe. It looks interesting anyway, although if it turns out to just be a comedy, it'll be pretty disappointing.

Brief Interview with Hideous Men - John Krasinski's directorial debut. It might be entertaining? Either way, not one, but TWO Law & Order stars are in it. If they got Mariska Hargitay in there, it would be complete.

Possibly more later. If not, definitely by next week!

Go 'Canes!

2009-09-08T00:57:00.005-04:00

I'm not exactly what you would call the typical sports fan. I don't really follow them much and I don't even know much about the rule technicalities. As a child, I only watched football because my brother was obsessed. Back then it was the heyday of the San Francisco 49ers and Joe Montana. I remember names like Drew Bledsoe and Jerry Rice and Dan Marino was still the Dolphins' main man. As I got older, I lost my interest in the game and the only games I watched were the ones my brother played at the quarterback for the G. Holmes Braddock Senior High Bull Dogs. When my brother got injured and was no longer able to play, we both kind of lost much of any interest in football. I've basically only watched the Super Bowl most years for the last decade (and mostly for the commercials, half-time show, and booze.) My boyfriend has become more of a fan in the last year or so and i've been watching more games (although it takes a lot for me to actually leave the comfort of the internet to watch one.) While in the back of my head I think - god, these guys get paid ridiculous amounts for doing bullshit while the rest of us waste our times worshipping their teams, I can see how it can be fun to get caught up in this.

And so, it's with a bit of humility that I confess I am slightly newfound college football convert. I've never watched a college game (except maybe bits and pieces of Notre Dame games when I was younger.) Tonight, though, was different. I go to the University of Miami now and apparently being in to football is all the rage. While I don't exactly see myself becoming a face painter and tailgating every single game, it was actually fun to support my school's team. I was supposed to go to my cousins' place but was unable to so I had to settle for watching it on my TV's ESPN. The game was incredibly intense and I know I'm fooling myself in to thinking every game will be this good. I also think I watched because some of my friends were giving me shit about having the ever-dreaded "school spirit." And if there was ever a game to make a convert out of someone, it was this one! It was back and forth the entire game, and the last 2 minutes literally spread out in to a nail biting, heart-attack inducing about extra half hour or so. Even the final play was questions, trying to figure out if FSU had made a final touchdown (they hadn't.) It was... well... awesome! So does this mean that i'll be joining the news team at the radio station and take part in the homecoming parade? Ehhhh probably not. But at least for a few minutes, I was pretty damn proud of my over-priced university. Go UM! Go 'Canes!

Happy Labor Day!

2009-09-07T16:04:00.002-04:00

Although unemployed at the moment, I will be doing some kind of work today (at least - homework and hopefully more blogging.) However, thought i'd share this cool little mini-playlist NPR has on their website in honor of Labor Day.

Check out the Labor Day Blues and Grooves while you enjoy your barbecues, beach time, and full on relaxation!