So seriously people...to find out that people want me to blog, I have to log onto my mothers blog? I'm a "words of affirmation" type of love language person; I need to hear that I'm wanted in order to feel wanted.
So anyway, I hate this month, it's the worst month of the year, and all this snow has been pretty depressing. What has been going on this month while I've failed to blog?
1. Steelers - I was at the AFC Championship game, and it was a blast. One of the best moments at a sporting event that I can remember was when "Here We Go" was playing and 65,000 people in unison were singing "Pittsburgh's goin to da Super Bowl". You could even heard the Pixburgh accent in the chorus. It was awesome. And, I think I blacked out during the Polamalu interception. My buddy Colin went with me to the game, and when he intercepted it and crossed the endzone, Colin squeezed me so hard in a hug, and I had tears of joy streaming down my face...then I don't remember anything for about 40 seconds. What a moment!
2. Cavs game - I went with Dave, Keith, and Luke to the Cavs game the other night. The weather was frightful on the way home and it made for a bad commute. At Cavs games, the fans are so lame that they have to flash hated teams logos on the Jumbotron while the opposition is shooting free throws, in the hopes of getting the fans to boo. So they flash teams like Michigan, the Yankees and Red Sox, the Celtics and Pistons, and the Ravens and Steelers. They did the Steelers more often than most. So the last time they do it, with about 4 minutes left, it got real quiet, and I just shouted: "Here we go Steelers, Here we go!" I was immediately booed, and I got a couple of people who screamed an "f--- you!" to me from the section next to us. Everyone around us was laughing real hard though.
3. Idol - well, the auditions rounds have kind of sucked. I'm afraid that America might not have any talent that is unmined anymore. I guess we'll have to wait and see. I do love the Hollywood rounds; they start next week.
4. TV - so the sound on my TV stopped working and I took it to Best Buy to get fixed. They ship it out and I pick it up three weeks later (last night)...only to find that its not fixed! I took it back tonight, it will take another week or two before it's back. Argh!
5. Pitt hoops - thinking of the 'nova game is just going to make me angry. Jer and I went to Morgantown, first time I'd ever been there for a hoops game. It was sweet, we played well and killed them, and all those dumb WVU fans...well, they just looked dumb.
6. Bachelor - I like the way the show is shaping up. I think I favor Melissa. I'm still waiting for someone to nominate me for the Bachelor. My mom won't do it, and dates like the one that they had last week in the tent aren't going to make her nominating me any more likely. So if someone else wants to volunteer, let me know.
Fortunately, this month is almost over.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Favorite Things: American Idol Edition
Well, the season 8 premiere just finished, and I have to admit, I will be hooked again to this show for at least the next 6 weeks or so. This favorite things edition precedes my favorite things about winter. You may ask this question: why? Well, I just can't come up with many things I like about winter. I mean, consider this: $200 gas bills to heat your apartment to 55 degrees, standing at the bus stop in 20 degrees, cold/flu season, cold floors with no socks in the morning, frozen nose hairs, having to warm up your car for 8 minutes...what is there to like? I suppose a few things. One of them is American Idol, which led me to this, the favorite things of Idol.
1. The auditions - I love the first few episodes because of the great mix of hysterical performers and good performers. There are certainly things you could get annoyed about, like how it seems the producers pick out their favorites and push them every year. Just let the cards fall! But, I like to see the start of the journey; therefore, I like the audition rounds.
2. Hollywood Week - this is the best part of the show. I love the drama that the pressure creates. I love the teenage girls that get into catfights because they are divas and prima donnas and they don't want other people screwing it up for them.
3. The Room Selection - I don't think they even did this last year, but by this I'm referring to the fact that they put Hollywooders into four hotel rooms and select entire rooms to continue on in the process. Who doesn't love to sit there and say, well this room is going home because of X, or that room...how did A and B end up in the same room?
4. Democracy - nobody can ever complain about who wins this contest, because you can influence it. OK, like most democracy, it's not pure; the producer problem discussed earlier comes to mind with this (they influence the "election" process, they are the media of the show). But, lots of people cast lots of votes for Idol; I am not ashamed to say that I have cast many votes before (usually for the cute girls).
5. The Sex Appeal - C'mon, we need more hot girls to look at every year. I need the sex appeal factor to be way up there this year. Need more Kellie Pickler's and fewer Gina Glocksen's.
6. Mike Slezak's reviews on EW.com - So Slezak reviews every show and he does a great job, DVR-ing, catching names and places, making sure to watch and re-watch...it's a great review. I don't have exactly the tastes that he has, but that's ok.
7. Elliott Yamin - still the best singer to be on the show since I've paid attention. I also was a big fan of Blake Lewis and his creativity.
8. The Opening - This...is American Idol. Classic. Gives me goosebumps, especially like tonight during the season opener.
9. Feel good stories - there are always people whose parents have died, or have cancer, or whatever else (kids involved is a plus). Tonight we saw the blind guy. Of course I'm rooting for Blind Guy; I love Blind Guy.
10. The Weirdos - For those who have ever been to a Curry family function, you'll understand. I like the confirmation that there are weirder people out there than my family, and I think this is universal. Like tonight, the Deep Voice Guy. High comedy at its finest.
11. Seacrest - My friend Colin swears he's gay; he points to tonight, when Bikini Girl wanted to make out with him and he was reticent. I think he's not gay, just very professional. He's a great host, I love his corny jokes, and I love his hilarious jokes. He gets good zingers in on Cowell too.
Well, those are some of my favorite things about the show. What are some of yours? Do you even watch?
1. The auditions - I love the first few episodes because of the great mix of hysterical performers and good performers. There are certainly things you could get annoyed about, like how it seems the producers pick out their favorites and push them every year. Just let the cards fall! But, I like to see the start of the journey; therefore, I like the audition rounds.
2. Hollywood Week - this is the best part of the show. I love the drama that the pressure creates. I love the teenage girls that get into catfights because they are divas and prima donnas and they don't want other people screwing it up for them.
3. The Room Selection - I don't think they even did this last year, but by this I'm referring to the fact that they put Hollywooders into four hotel rooms and select entire rooms to continue on in the process. Who doesn't love to sit there and say, well this room is going home because of X, or that room...how did A and B end up in the same room?
4. Democracy - nobody can ever complain about who wins this contest, because you can influence it. OK, like most democracy, it's not pure; the producer problem discussed earlier comes to mind with this (they influence the "election" process, they are the media of the show). But, lots of people cast lots of votes for Idol; I am not ashamed to say that I have cast many votes before (usually for the cute girls).
5. The Sex Appeal - C'mon, we need more hot girls to look at every year. I need the sex appeal factor to be way up there this year. Need more Kellie Pickler's and fewer Gina Glocksen's.
6. Mike Slezak's reviews on EW.com - So Slezak reviews every show and he does a great job, DVR-ing, catching names and places, making sure to watch and re-watch...it's a great review. I don't have exactly the tastes that he has, but that's ok.
7. Elliott Yamin - still the best singer to be on the show since I've paid attention. I also was a big fan of Blake Lewis and his creativity.
8. The Opening - This...is American Idol. Classic. Gives me goosebumps, especially like tonight during the season opener.
9. Feel good stories - there are always people whose parents have died, or have cancer, or whatever else (kids involved is a plus). Tonight we saw the blind guy. Of course I'm rooting for Blind Guy; I love Blind Guy.
10. The Weirdos - For those who have ever been to a Curry family function, you'll understand. I like the confirmation that there are weirder people out there than my family, and I think this is universal. Like tonight, the Deep Voice Guy. High comedy at its finest.
11. Seacrest - My friend Colin swears he's gay; he points to tonight, when Bikini Girl wanted to make out with him and he was reticent. I think he's not gay, just very professional. He's a great host, I love his corny jokes, and I love his hilarious jokes. He gets good zingers in on Cowell too.
Well, those are some of my favorite things about the show. What are some of yours? Do you even watch?
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Gran Torino and Assorted Notes
So this morning I braved the elements to head down to the South Side Works to see the new Eastwood movie, Gran Torino. I've been looking forward to this movie for a couple of weeks; without further ado, my review:
It was astounding.
More? OK. Fantastic. Marvelous. Magnificent. Get the picture? Maybe the best movie I've seen in the theaters since The Last King of Scotland.
Clint Eastwood stars as a Korean War vet who's racist, anti-religion, old and stubborn, and he's just lost his wife, and you can see throughout the movie that she was really his world. He's a retired laborer in the Detroit Ford plant, and he lives in a neighborhood of Detroit that is becoming "overrun" with minorities in his opinion. His sons and their families are spoiled and embarrassing to him. He rejects the attempts of the local priest to discuss the death of his wife. He's alone in the world except for his dog Daisy and his '72 Gran Torino.
Living in this section of the city, he is confronted by his racist tendencies every day, sometimes often. What transpires through the movie is a changing of attitudes through a series of events. I think that this movie is what the stupid movie Crash was trying to be four years ago. You may recall Crash, the movie that Sandra Bullock told you determined whether you were racist yourself. It took a bunch of people of differing colors and ethnicities and made them interract with each other in insipid ways, and forced you to believe that this was possible, and said "racism is bad." Well, Gran Torino is a much more believable and relatable discussion of prejudices and self-exploration. It was just very well done. I would say that you need to see this movie right away.
A couple of other notes from the weekend:
1. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the #1 basketball team in the land, my Pitt Panthers! Sure, they'll lose a few games, probably won't win the National Championship this season, but it's a big step for us (it's the first time in school history). I can't wait to watch them take on the Johnnies tomorrow at noon as the top team in the land.
2. I have found out a few times recently the perils of living on Mt. Washington when it snows...
I think that's it. Go Steelers!
It was astounding.
More? OK. Fantastic. Marvelous. Magnificent. Get the picture? Maybe the best movie I've seen in the theaters since The Last King of Scotland.
Clint Eastwood stars as a Korean War vet who's racist, anti-religion, old and stubborn, and he's just lost his wife, and you can see throughout the movie that she was really his world. He's a retired laborer in the Detroit Ford plant, and he lives in a neighborhood of Detroit that is becoming "overrun" with minorities in his opinion. His sons and their families are spoiled and embarrassing to him. He rejects the attempts of the local priest to discuss the death of his wife. He's alone in the world except for his dog Daisy and his '72 Gran Torino.
Living in this section of the city, he is confronted by his racist tendencies every day, sometimes often. What transpires through the movie is a changing of attitudes through a series of events. I think that this movie is what the stupid movie Crash was trying to be four years ago. You may recall Crash, the movie that Sandra Bullock told you determined whether you were racist yourself. It took a bunch of people of differing colors and ethnicities and made them interract with each other in insipid ways, and forced you to believe that this was possible, and said "racism is bad." Well, Gran Torino is a much more believable and relatable discussion of prejudices and self-exploration. It was just very well done. I would say that you need to see this movie right away.
A couple of other notes from the weekend:
1. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the #1 basketball team in the land, my Pitt Panthers! Sure, they'll lose a few games, probably won't win the National Championship this season, but it's a big step for us (it's the first time in school history). I can't wait to watch them take on the Johnnies tomorrow at noon as the top team in the land.
2. I have found out a few times recently the perils of living on Mt. Washington when it snows...
I think that's it. Go Steelers!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Resolutions for New Year
So, this year I am making some New Years resolutions so that I can track myself on how successful I do regarding these.
1. Less fast food – I eat too much fast food. It’s unhealthy. I am resolving to eat fast food only once a week, if that. Fast food is defined as anything like Arby’s, Wendy’s, McDonalds, Sonic, etc. I don’t include places like Subway or Jimmy John’s, because otherwise I’d starve during the day at work.
2. No soda – Soda is expensive and bad for you, even when you drink diet soda almost exclusively, as I do. Instead I am drinking tea and water.
3. Working out – I’m currently in the process of looking for some exercise mechanism, like a treadmill or a punching bag. I am going to work out to lose some weight.
4. Hobbies – my new hobby is going to be writing a screenplay. I am going to get a rough draft written this year, with Keith, my writing partner. We have an idea, and I purchased software, so now we have to get going.
5. Church shopping – I am going to find a new church where I am comfortable in the next few months. I am wary of putting a timeline on it, because I don’t want to force myself anywhere. But my church search was lackadaisical in 2008; in 2009 it will be more focused.
6. Time in the Word – I will be spending more time reading the Bible this year. Also, I am going to make a concerted effort to read more books on theology this year. I am going to get into Christian Apologetics this year; it has long been an interest of mine.
These are my resolutions for the new year. Help me stay faithful to these! For example, if we are out to lunch somewhere (Mom), remind me that I don’t drink soda anymore!
1. Less fast food – I eat too much fast food. It’s unhealthy. I am resolving to eat fast food only once a week, if that. Fast food is defined as anything like Arby’s, Wendy’s, McDonalds, Sonic, etc. I don’t include places like Subway or Jimmy John’s, because otherwise I’d starve during the day at work.
2. No soda – Soda is expensive and bad for you, even when you drink diet soda almost exclusively, as I do. Instead I am drinking tea and water.
3. Working out – I’m currently in the process of looking for some exercise mechanism, like a treadmill or a punching bag. I am going to work out to lose some weight.
4. Hobbies – my new hobby is going to be writing a screenplay. I am going to get a rough draft written this year, with Keith, my writing partner. We have an idea, and I purchased software, so now we have to get going.
5. Church shopping – I am going to find a new church where I am comfortable in the next few months. I am wary of putting a timeline on it, because I don’t want to force myself anywhere. But my church search was lackadaisical in 2008; in 2009 it will be more focused.
6. Time in the Word – I will be spending more time reading the Bible this year. Also, I am going to make a concerted effort to read more books on theology this year. I am going to get into Christian Apologetics this year; it has long been an interest of mine.
These are my resolutions for the new year. Help me stay faithful to these! For example, if we are out to lunch somewhere (Mom), remind me that I don’t drink soda anymore!
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