Joie's blog

OH HEY I'M STILL HERE

I have a blog post forthcoming. I had oodles of energy and witty ideas for it earlier, but now I'm exhausted and crabby, so I'll wait till I'm in a better mood for bloggage.  But anyway, pardon my lack of commenting lately.

TV I'm Watching

Lost: The Complete Fifth Season

Lost: Season 5.  I learned last semester people have a tendency to stick with something they don't enjoy once they've invested what they see as a significant amount of time or money in it.  For example, you'll sit through a movie you're hating in the theater when you would turn it off on TV.  If I had to come up with another example of this, I would just say to you: "LOST."  I loved the first two seasons of this show.  I enjoyed three but was starting to wonder about it, and four I apparently didn't even bother blogging about.  I guess that was the point I realized the truth: I do hate this show.  Can't stand it.  But after watching Season 5, I've watched 103 episodes of an hour-long TV show--what's 18 more?  I have nothing to say about Season 5 except that it's still as compelling and still as annoying as its predecessors.  I don't think vacillation and desperate plot twists make a good television show if they're all a show is based on, but they sure as hell make an addicting one.

Coupling - The Complete First Season

Coupling: Season 1.  I've only just started watching this show, but I wanted to go ahead and write about it or else I never will.  This was apparently the UK's version of Friends only with more of a focus on sex.  The first 2 episodes were a little slow but with chuckle-worthy moments; episode 3 had both Brian and me exploding with laughter.  I need to see more before I decide just what I think about it, but so far it's a great show to turn on when I need a good laugh.  Light, silly, cute, and funny.  Edited to Add:  Brian and I just finished the first season (only 6 eps) and loved it!  Great stuff, and it's available to play instantly on Netflix, which is always a plus.

This American Life - Season One

This American Life: Season 1.  Another show whose season I haven't finished yet, but I don't need to to know how much I love it.  I've always loved this radio program and the television show is just as good.  If you've never heard or watched it, it's a program narrated by Ira Glass (who for whatever reason I can only describe as "lovable"--why do I find him so adorable?) in which a theme is chosen and stories of average people are told relating to the theme.  In the radio program there's usually at least one humorous story, but by and large these things usually leave me a little depressed.  Sad though they often are, I absolutely love the stories and the way they're told.  Good stuff.

The Office

The Office: Season 6.  Season 6 is the current season (and you might not want to read any further if you've not watched this season).  Has anyone else been pretty disappointed with this season?  It started off pretty strong I felt, including a few wedding-related episodes that I absolutely loved.  But I feel like it's going nowhere worth going.  In fact, last week's episode was that dreaded curiosity of all sitcoms: the clip show.  (I expected such an episode in the wake of the Writer's Strike, but there's no excuse for it now, especially not after they took a month-long hiatus.)  I don't like how Dwight has lost the charm that made his evil plots anything other than despicable and his annoying antics anything other than... well, annoying.  I also want to ask: when are we bringing Holly back already?!  We all know it's going to happen eventually, and I miss her.  Here's hoping things improve in the next few weeks.

Movie Reviews: Avatar, (500) Days of Summer, Up in the Air

I originally started this blog intending to write mainly about the music and books I was listening to and reading.  Since then it has evolveddevolved changed into more of my personal blog.  For 2010 I'd like to get back into keeping track of the movies, music, and books I'm getting into, while still reserving those fun neighborhood-only personal posts.  So without further ado, let's talk about three very good movies I've seen recently.

Avatar

Technically we saw Avatar for the first time in 2009 at a sparsely attended midnight showing (and we all know that didn't reflect its success), but I cannot not talk about this movie.  Negative reviews of this movie have harped on some legitimate criticisms (such as how the story has been done before) and some absurd points (Can you really criticize a movie for "promoting" worship of nature? And what does font snobbery have to do with movie quality?).  Positive reviewers talk about the exhilaration of the adventure and breathtaking visuals.  Personally, I can see the merit in some criticisms of the movie, but here's the key:

I don't care.

I loved the hell out of this movie.  I can honestly say I haven't been this obsessed with a movie--well, ever.  I cannot afford my power bill, but I have seen this movie three times in theaters (twice in 3D).  Not only have I not been bored for a single second of any viewing, but each time I've had the same feeling of despair--"Nooo, it's over?!"--at the end, like a kid who can't believe her bedtime story was so short and begs her mother, "Read it again!  Read it again!"  The story is perhaps not the most original of all time, but I also haven't noticed many reviewers pointing out: at least it wasn't a book/play/older-version-of-the-movie adaptation, and I'm grateful for that.  I think this movie does everything right--I know how overdramatic this is going to sound, but this movie is an experience, not just a story.  I have to stop myself here or I'll go on forever.

(500) Days of Summer

I had planned on seeing (500) Days of Summer in theaters, but missed it.  All my excitement and enthusiasm vanished ten minutes into the movie when I was overtaken with a fear that this was going to be one of those kinds of movies--the kind that tries to make obsession and infatuation romantic and adorable.  Somewhere in those first ten minutes we're presented with the idea that Summer might as well be called "Snow White," and you begin to wonder when birds are going to come help her dress (an idea the filmmakers were probably pretty conscious of, since animated birds do make an appearance later).  But it didn't take long for me to really start to sympathize with both Tom and Summer, and their not-a-love-story story told in not-chronological order is pretty engrossing.  I think it's pretty easy to relate to either or both of the characters, and I wish more people had seen this movie--it's great.

Up in the Air

Up in the Air is getting a lot of positive reviews, and with good reason.  I can say confidently it will be at least nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture, and due to a lot of factors, I wouldn't be entirely surprised if it won.  George Clooney, who somehow manages to become more attractive and adorable the older he gets (how is this possible?!), plays Ryan Bingham, whose job it is to travel around the country and fire people ("Never say 'fired,'" he would insist).  You can imagine that the way things have been for the last 2 years, this is already pretty powerful stuff; the poignancy is upped by about a bajillion when you know that many of the people featured in the movie are real people who actually lost their jobs.  I can't do it justice writing about it, but it is heartbreaking.  This is just one facet of this amazing story, which also includes Ryan showing the ropes to a naive but competent newcomer to his company who wants to modernize their process, not to mention the unorthodox "love" story between Ryan and his businesswoman doppelganger.  I really, really recommend this one.


I can't decide if I just tend to like any movie I see or if there have been a ton of good movies out lately.  Let's hope I like Moon and Burn After Reading as much, since they're next on my queue.

Practicing positive thinking.

No:  Fritz's tummy woes result in my having to change two litter boxes twice as often.
Yes:  I have become mega efficient at changing a litter box.

No:  Changing two litter boxes twice as often means I'm buying twice as much litter.
Yes:  I am getting twice as many Paw Points from Fresh Step, meaning I'll get a free present for the kitties sooner!

No:  The test for what I suspect Fritz has is going to be hella expensive and will likely have to be done more than once.
Yes:  We've finally narrowed it down and I'm about 90% positive this is what it is, meaning maybe the end is in sight...

Yes:  I got a bonus vacation day this week thanks to Alabama's notorious fear of all things snow and ice related.  Score!

Yes:  I got to see snow this week!

Yes:  I've had an excellent vacation and an excellent weekend so far, and I'm going to see Avatar for the third time tomorrow!

So overall, life is good.

Reductions.

The other day on Facebook I posted a link to The Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, and included this video of a home tour by the company's creator:

Jay's Tiny House Tour

The idea of these houses has been resonating with me ever since I read about them.  I have no experience with camping, RVs, or any sort of "roughing it," and maybe that's why I'm so intrigued.  Whatever the reason, lately I just can't stop thinking about this and other lifestyle changes--an article someone else recently posted about a married couple who sold off almost everything they own struck me, too.  That article (which I can't find for the life of me) pointed out how they (and most of us) were continually having to buy bigger, more expensive apartments/houses simply because they continued to accumulate stuff.  I'm not sure I could or would want to sell everything I own (I'm not even sure it would be a wise choice for most of us) because aside from some things that I require despite their not being "necessities" in the traditional sense, sentimental value would keep me from getting rid of quite a bit of stuff--and that doesn't bother me.  But it is an interesting thought, isn't it?

Another friend recently shared this image someone apparently made cataloging everything they own (I'll let you open it in its own tab to get the full effect).  I wondered what it would look like if I did the same thing, took a look at just the crap I have on my desk alone, and thought, "It would easily be 5 times that picture."  What would yours look like?

I don't think it's necessary to purge ourselves of everything we own, and I don't think it's wrong to have or want possessions, even a lot of possessions.  Our possessions don't make us who we are of course, but they can chronicle our lives--I hang on to books I read as a child not because I need to own them (if I was ever struck by the need to reread Goodnight, Moon, I'm fairly certain any public library could provide for me), but because I read them, held them, loved them as a child.  But when I look at one of my desk shelves and see an uncherished bottle of nail polish I haven't worn since I was 18, I can't help but think, "What if...?"

Things on Tuesday - November 3, 2009

Things I Love:

• Brian announced what he would like to get me for Christmas: ANOTHER KITTY.  You can imagine my excitement.  It is such that I'm beyond even being about to use exclamation points and I have to revert back to using plain ol' periods.  Also, this will be great for Fritz, who we think is getting pretty lonely, especially at night--we don't let him into the bedroom and he's taken to howling at all hours of the night.
• SHOPPING FOR KITTIES ZOMGZ CAN WE HAVE THEM ALL
• How affectionate Fritz has been lately.  As we speak he's sitting in the chair with me, purring away.
• Brian, who despite claiming to have no idea how to get gifts for people has come up with an untoppable gift the second year in a row.
• Threadless, and online shopping in general.  In the last week I have: ordered a Threadless shirt, ordered something from Woot (a WootOff, to be precise), pre-ordered a video game from Amazon, and ordered yet another Threadless shirt.  The first one's already come in:

"The Ultimate Combo"--JUST CALL ME CHUN-LI, YO

Things I Loathe:

• The PetSmart employee who I suppose didn't want to risk getting off even a few minutes late, so she lied to us and told us they don't do adoptions after 8pm.  (They close at 9--we got there right at 8:30.)  I called another PetSmart to confirm this isn't a company policy.  We were going up to look again at a kitty we'd played with and loved last night (AFTER 8).
• My decreasing ability to control my RED IMPOSSIBLE ANGER!  (That phrase is only going to be funny to me because I am a loser who has inside jokes with herself.  I'm aggravated and will cheer myself up however I please, damn it.)
• Procrastination.  Sigh.  I cannot get myself to stick to a reading/study schedule and as a result, have something like 300 pages of (textbook) reading to do in a week before two tests next Tuesday. 
  

An Open Letter to the Douchebags Who Hit My Car and Drove Away

Dear Douchebags,

I can't tell you how much I appreciate the fact that you backed into my car--which was at the time the only car in that particular row in that particular parking lot--and were courteous enough to just leave.  I can only assume you knew how upset I would be, and being the sensitive douchebags you are, I suppose you just didn't think yourselves emotionally capable of seeing me so distraught.  Bravo.

I'm sure it was out of your control anyway, since my car apparently has a first rate magnet stuck in its bumper.  Only that could explain why it would be struck again just a few weeks after it was hit in the parking lot at work.  (Of course, that damage was nicely repaired just in time for you to redamage it.  I'm glad I provided a tidy bumper for you to smash.  And kudos on the extra damage to my trunk!

Anyway, good thing you just drove off--the hassle of exchanging information and taking responsibility for your actions really is just too much to ask.  It's much better that my family and I have to pay our insurance's $500 deductible to get my car fixed (since we don't have your insurance info) than that you be inconvenienced with a minor increase in your insurance rate.  If you even have insurance!  O-ho!

Well, thanks for your time, Douchebags.  I'll think of you when I have to go pick up the police report on my birthday next week.  I can't imagine a better gift!

Best,
Joie

Things on Tuesday - September 22, 2009

I'm in a great mood, and thus I bring you Things on Tuesday: The All Love Edition.

Things I Love:

• Knowing that if I find Fritz's giant plush ladybug stuffed in a corner somewhere, I can put it out in the middle of the floor and when he finds it, it will be like a whole new discovery to him.  This includes war cries/meows, adorably vicious attacking of the giant plush ladybug, and apparently dragging its carcass off somewhere.
• I kicked some major ass on my first test as a psychology major.
• Coffee and vanilla lattes.
• My professor gave an extra credit assignment to those of us who stayed for the second half of class--eat that, people who left when he announced that we'd be watching a video when we returned from the 10-minute break.
  
• Today I wandered into Belk to find a skirt/outfit I fell in love with in May on clearance and in my size.  I got a three piece outfit plus shoes that would've totaled $211.24 for $43.80.  THANK YOU, BELK.  The fact that this is clearly a summer outfit might be a problem if not for the fact that...
• ...I live in Alabama where summer clothes can easily be worn into October.  BOO-YA.
• 

  I have surprisingly girlie tastes, sometimes.
  
  
• Thunderstorms!
• Celebrating the first day of fall with my manfriend by getting some O'Charley's potato soup.

And normally I would complain about this ant bite on my foot that's driving me crazy.  But let's just put a positive spin on that and say that I love that it's only 10:45--meaning I have 15 minutes to go get some Calamine lotion from the grocery store down the street.  HEY-O!

A post purely for some music...

This evening a music theme popped into my head, and I realized it was from this past Sunday's episode of Mad Men, "The Fog."  I knew when I heard the music I recognized it, so I assumed it was some famous classical-something-or-other I'd heard in school or on NPR.  A little research, however, revealed that in fact it's called "Me voy a morir de amor" from the score of the movie Lucía y el Sexo.  If I recall correctly, I think I saw this movie three times in a one month period (which is not as pervy as it sounds)--I watched it a second time to try to understand it better and a third to show it to Brian.  (I gave a brief review after the first time I saw it--you can read here.)  I found this video someone made featuring the music, and it reminded me how beautiful the movie was... I suspect I'll be seeing it a 4th time soon.  Hey-o!

Me voy a morir de amor , de Alberto Iglesias

 

If you'd like to see the scene from Mad Men where this music was used, skip to 4:00 in this next video.  But beware, this is a Season 3 episode and kinda spoils some big Season 2 stuff, so you might not want to watch if you're planning on getting into the show.

Mad Men Season 3 Episode 5 Part 3_6 " The Fog "

 

Things of Monday - September 14, 2009

I actually have things today, and I know if I wait till tomorrow I'll either forget them or forget to blog entirely.  SO DEAL WITH IT.  But out of respect for TonT, I'll switch the format up a bit for TofM.

Loathe:  Ordering what was clearly supposed to be an HP-brand battery from what looked like a reputable seller... only to receive a knock-off (RECGARGEABLE BATTERY, as it was labeled).  The seller's customer service tried to convince me (in terrible English) that the battery comes from a "manufactory" authorized by HP and that because the battery only works in HP laptops, HP did not have the "manufactory" put the logo on it.   Yes.  That explains why my original battery has a giant HP logo.

Love:  Getting hassle-free refunds and being able to leave bitchy negative feedback, completely guilt-free.

Loathe:  That people leaving seller feedback do not seem to understand they are reviewing the seller, not the product.  I NEED ACCURATE INFO, PEOPLE. 

Love:  ...Being able to leave bitchy negative feedback, completely guilt-free?

Loathe:  Even after a year of being out of school (in which time one would assume I'd have done some growing up), I still have the same habit of procrastination and now have a massive amount of reading to catch up on.

Love:  MY CLASSES OMGZ.  I am loving this psychology business.  My Tuesday night class is 2-and-a-half hours long, and I actually feel a little sad when it's over.

Loathe:  How hard Facebook is working to be Twitter.  Also, seeing MAFIA WARS! and FARMVILLE! application notifications filling my news feed.

Love:  ...Being able to tag people/things in Facebook status updates (you got me, FB).  Also, the "Graffiti" application, which is old as Facebook dirt but which I am just now using.

One small complaint not big enough to be a loathe is that I miss having music majors around me in classes.  The other day before class the professor's phone rang, and his ringtone was the third movement to Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.  I looked around excitedly, but no one noticed, cared, or knew what the ringtone was.  It was one of those odd small moments that feels overpoweringly dramatic to the person in it.  I console myself by hoping that when I get into the more upper-level classes I'll find other psychology-nerds with whom I can joke about ... whatever psychology nerds joke about, I don't know yet.