Bostini Fini

Fridellaneous: Funny or Die Takes a Turn for the Adorable

2010-07-02T14:46:00.000-04:00

Undercover Karaoke with Jewel from Jewel

I loved this video! It wasn't so much funny as heart warming, but I'm ok with that.

What to Watch Wednesday: Toy Story 3D

2010-06-23T15:05:00.004-04:00

This weekend I had the pleasure of spending some of my Father's Day watching Pixar's new movie, Toy Story 3 in 3D. The 3D part aspect of the movie wasn't actually a choice as the theater I went to was only playing it in 3D. If I had the choice, I would have avoided the annoyance. Note: you can see Toy Story 3 in normal old no-dirty-used-3d-glasses-necessary 2d at the Boston Common Loews, the Regal Fenway and Somerville Theater (but notably not at the Harvard Square Loews).

Now, it's been about ten years since Toy Story II came out and fifteen years since the original Toy Story came out so understandably I remember little to nothing about the plot of those two preceding films. Luckily TSIII is a movie for children and not the Matrix, so no re-watching or other preparation is required. TSIII opens with Andy all grown up and heading off to college. The toys anxiously await their fate as Andy decides what to keep and what to throw out. The toys are donated to a day care where they believe they will be played with every day and live in a Utopian existence. However they are banished to the room with the younger children who destroy and abuse them on a daily basis. The toys have to work together to escape toddler hell and return to their rightful home.

My expectations were pretty low for TSIII probably because it's a sequel to a sequel and sequels usually suck. Pixar did a great job with this one though. There's comedy for the kids and adults and the heartwarming ending might make the adults shed a tear or two. It's no wonder that up until very recently TSIII enjoyed a 100% rating on (my favorite movie site) Rotten Tomatoes. Unfortunately, one or two heartless quote unquote critics had to ruin it all. This guy for example, is a moron. He gave Jonah Hex a better review. Shameful.

Pixar has really been on a roll lately (following the Cars slump). Wall-E and UP were amazing. If anything, Pixar is proof that a fun working environment inspires the best possible outcome. I wish my office had fun. Or cool inside jokes... I'm so jealous!

Fridellaneous: Oh Sookie!

2010-06-18T12:50:00.002-04:00

OMG two Fridellaneous posts in one day? Well now you know I love you.

Assuming that Snoop wrote all of this himself, I am really impressed with how big a fan he is of True Blood! I love watching fan tributes like this, but it's a whole different level of awesome if the fans in question have fans themselves.

Fridellaneous: Crazy Cute

2010-06-18T10:55:00.001-04:00

This is just so adorable! I love it. Aww.

What to Watch Wednesday: Get Him to the Greek

2010-06-16T15:48:00.008-04:00

I'm feeling super lazy today (hello, posting Wednesday's post on Thursday afternoon!) so I posted Peter Travers' review of Get Him to the Greek below instead of writing something original. Travers reviews films for Rolling Stone and usually picks them well. Only watch the first 2 minutes unless you care about the Splice review.

I agree with Travers' assertions that there are no good summer movies out there, and certainly very little original concepts. Unlike Travers, I didn't find GHttG too preachy at all (although maybe my generation is a little less observant to puritanical trends in culture, unlike the graying hippie Rolling Stone writers/readers). Considering the competition in the box office right now, GHttG is a great choice if you're in the mood for a comedy. Admittedly it's not perfect. It's slow in places and something you can't put your finger on is missing when you compare it to Forgetting Sarah Marshall (to which GHttG is a sort-of-sequel). It might be Jason Segel (both his presence and his writing) or it might be multi-dimensional female characters. The two leading ladies (if you can call their roles "leading") are boring and unoriginal. But hey! There are some parts where you forget that 'cause you're laughing so hard! Ha!

Newsday Tuesday: Gulf Troubles

2010-06-15T15:26:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking along similar lines lately... Scott Brown said the other day that he doesn't expect Obama to put on a wet suit and swim down to the leak and plug it himself, but he does expect the president to do something. He's doing things, you just can't take dramatic shots of paperwork or conferences or whatever...

Money Monday: The Regal Beagle

2010-06-14T16:21:00.007-04:00

Regal Beagle, 308 Harvard Street, Brookline, M-F 11:30 am-1 am, S&S 11 am-1am

Coolidge Corner was dying for a place where you could order a cocktail without getting stared down by a gruff bartender and drink it without being surrounded by families or blaring sports channels. The Regal Beagle seemed like the antidote when it opened last November, but I didn't actually bother to find out until last week. Attempts were made, mind you, but it seemed like the couple times I stopped in I either had too many people or not enough time to wait or both.

That's the biggest problem with Regal Beagle: the size. It's miniature. It's not so much an open space as it is a hallway with tiny tables pushed up against the sides. Therefore, you can expect a 30 or 45 minute wait in the evening. Don't think you can wait in the bar though- there are a total of 8 stools.

While the inside is tiny, as long as you don't mind sitting with one foot (not an exaggeration) between your table and the full table of people next to you, the interior is quite dapper. I love the wall paper (see picture above) paired with the dark wood of the tables and chairs.

The drink menu is fun- there are eight different signature cocktails featuring different flavor and liquor types. Tequila loving patrons like myself appreciate that. The menu has some pricey options with small portions, but I can't comment on the entrees specifically as I only had dessert. I had a piece of chocolate tort which was the special for the night. I can't say I was crazy about it (I know I could have gotten a better piece at finale around the corner for around the same price).

As a place to go with one or two friends just for a cocktail, I would give R.B. 4/5 stars provided you don't have to wait longer than 15 minutes. Coolidge Corner could use 3 more places like this with cheaper food (or better quality food) and a shorter wait.

Fridellaneous: Fresh Pots!

2010-06-11T21:35:00.000-04:00

I love Dave.

What to Watch Wednesday: Iron Man II

2010-06-09T11:05:00.006-04:00

Ok so this has been out for a while, and thus this review may not be of use to anyone. For that reason I'll keep it pretty short.

The first Iron Man surprised me with how good it was- the second one surprised me with how mediocre it was. IM2 had some issues, which I've conveniently listed below:

1. Too many bad guys. Even though Hammer and Vanko were technically co-conspirators, it was just too much. Despite the fact that Micky Rourke and Sam Rockwell are awesome actors, they weren't given a lot to work with. There was minimal character development for these guys and too many bad lines. ("If you make God bleed than the people won't believe in him and there will be blood in the water and then the sharks will come"... wait, what? This particular bad quote reminded me of an old Clone High clip:

Abe: “Oh, I understand. You sold us all a bill of goods, and those goods turned out to be bad. Then you sold me up the river.”
Joan: “That may be, but I sent you up that river with my heart as a paddle!”
Abe: “But you took that paddle, and smacked me in the face, and I wear my heart on my sleeve, so when I wiped my face, I got heart all over it.”

2. Too many good guys. It went from Tony Stark, Pepper Pots and (occasionally) Rhodey to Tony, Pepper, Rhodey, Natalie, Samuel L Jackson with an eyepatch, the driver and the agent guy. Not a single character or relationship was developed further than they already had been in the first movie. Oh, I take that back in regards to the 2 villains though- their strained hate/hate relationship is given about 25 minutes of attention! (Like you couldn't guess that two one-dimensional bad guys would probably not get along.) Look, if you're going to bring in an additional super hero (Black Widow for example) how about giving that character more than 5 minutes of plot time? Just a suggestion. Which leads to...

3. Too much flying around. It looks cool for an instant, then you start to feel like you're watching a video game- its boring... and a little nauseating. Basically the whole end fight scene could have cut about 20 minutes of flying around in my opinion. I don't mind the action. On the contrary, I like action, I just think that this movie had too much flying. The best action sequences in the whole movie were Vanko chopping up a car and Black Widow taking down a gang of security guards. Notice something? Those didn't involve Iron Man.

If the franchise keeps progressing like this, this may be the last Iron Man movie I see. If you haven't seen IM2 yet, don't bother- just go see Prince of Persia or something else you expect is going to blow.

Newday Tuesday: Oil Soaked Animals in the Gulf

2010-06-08T10:55:00.000-04:00

I can't write about other news when this is happening. The link is to The Big Picture blog at the Boston Globe. It's a great blog if you like to visualize the news. Unfortunately the news is often heart breaking.

Money Monday: Summer Jam 2010

2010-06-07T14:45:00.006-04:00

(Jam'n 94.5's Summer Jam 2010 at the Comcast Center)

Dark clouds and tornado warnings had no effect on the persevering crowd at Jam'n 94.5's sold out Summer Jam this weekend. Why would it, though? The weather is probably the least annoying aspect of the outdoor Comcast Center - one of the Boston area's worst venues. First of all, for an arena that's in the middle of nowhere, and should be able to be accessed from any direction, there are ridiculously few entrances to the parking lot (read: one). So unless you splurge for the $30 or $40 VIP parking, you will inevitably spend more than an hour in the car after the show. Second annoyance: the price of drinks - $9 for a beer- I mean, they're not even that expensive at Fenway Park. Third: it's too far from Boston, and there is no public transportation that will take you there. It's so sad when you realize you have a 40 minute drive to make AFTER you just drove through the parking lot for 2 hours. Fourth: Too many tweens - and I don't think that's a result of who's playing, I think it's because the Comcast Center is out in the 'burbs and the kids can borrow Mom's car and sneak around with a water bottle of vodka. [Side note: If you collected all the hair bumps I saw off of all the 17 year old girls, we could probably soak up most of the BP spill.]

With the complaints out of the way, I think it may now be evident how excited I was for the artists at this year's Summer Jam since I was willing to deal with the above mentioned crap. I arrived in time for Nicki Minaj's performance, opting to skip the token white performers that opened the show. I thought I was in love with Nicki before, but now I truly am. She was such a fun performer - I can't wait for her to come out with some new music. Highlights included Nicki bringing up a 6th grader on stage and signing a ton of girls' boobs (6th grader and boobs unrelated).

Here's her tweet about the show:

@NICKIMINAJ: Jus shut it down for 20K ppl. Massachusetts is POPPINGTON. Thank u guys. U guys were INCREDIBLE. Jamn 945. LETS GOOOOOOOOO :)

OK, an emoticon, abrevs, caps and a word she made up? The woman knows how to tweet.

B.O.B. was forgettable, as catchy as "Beautiful Girls" is. Drake proved that he's deserves all the hype he's been getting lately, performing a number of Lil Wayne songs. Trey Songz focused his energy on vomit educing strip teases rather than his songs which whipped the tweens into a disturbing frenzy. The number of sweaty shirts Trey threw into the audience was ridiculous. (Why Tre performed AFTER the much more talented Drake I still can't fathom.) Luckily Ludacris rescued the show from its downward sweaty shirt spiral. Luda performed hits from throughout his ten year career, which was much appreciated by me and the rest of the "old fans" (aka mid-twenty year olds). Ludacris was obviously the most talented performer on the stage. I would definitely pay to see a Ludacris show if he decided to tour around Boston.

All in all Drake, Luda and Nicki stole the show - Loved it.

Fridellaneous: What the what??

2010-06-04T16:16:00.004-04:00

Why do we live in a world where this is happening??

What to Watch Wednesday: Will you see Splice?

2010-06-02T15:34:00.004-04:00

(Splice opens on June 4 in Boston, Rated R, Horror)

I'm torn with regards to Splice, starring the love of my life, Adrien Brody. It's supposedly about some renegade scientists who create a hybrid creature so that they can dissect it or some sciencey junk. On one hand, I really like science fiction (despite the sarcasm above and any comments that very well may follow regarding science in general) but on the other I hate horror movies. If you've seen any of the trailers for this movie, it really does seem like a full fledged horror movie. I've been dead set on not seeing Splice for a while now. Today, however, I read a really good interview of the director, Vincenzo Natali, on Cinematical which has made me reconsider the film.

For one thing, Natali and Cinematical discuss how the marketing of the movie is very different from the movie itself:

Natali... "When Warner Brothers came on...they're such a beast, such a monster that they figured they could, and quite rightly, that they could rebrand the film any way the want. And I think they've deliberately chosen to sell the horror element of the movie and sidestep some of the more emotional aspects of the story. It's very scientific, let me tell you. It actually freaks me out when I see how they market test all their materials. It is done like they're geneticists, like they're doing an experiment.

I trust that they know what they're doing and that they're doing it the right way, but it isn't the movie. It'll be interesting to see how people responded. But I guess they're used to it, to a slightly different kind of product being marketed than what we really have.

Cinematical: It was sort of a shock to me yesterday at the screening, I will admit. The film on screen is not the film that's in the trailer. "

OK, so supposedly there are many more layers to the film than the generic creature feature. That's good news. Is it so different from the trailers that it could be considered a genre difference though? I think I'm going to wait for the reviews to tell me.

It's an interesting interview (Cinematical has great interviews sometimes). I wanted to include some more of it in this post, but be warned that I do so specifically for my nerdy friends (of which I have many). I don't think you'll find it too engaging unless you work in a lab and cut up little animals for your research (or some junk).

"Cinematical: Where did you begin your research for the script? And once that was done, where did you begin research on production design?

Natali: It was all about staying pretty close to the truth, pretty close to reality. When co-writing the script it was all done in close consultation with a real geneticist. And I was consistently amazed when I would propose something I wanted to do in the script and whether or not it was possible and invariably he would say yes. I was really amazed how my fiction was so potentially close to reality. That was affirmed even more as time passed on and the real science evolved exponentially to the point where when we started to shoot the film they had legalized the creation of animal hybrids in the UK.

So I really didn't feel the need to exaggerate too much. In no way is this a documentary, it is larger than life. At the time I tried not to go over the top, particularly in the design of the labs and the design of Dren herself. We just tried to stay close to what is possible and what is real and I'm glad that came through. It was a little bit of a scary choice for me as a filmmaker, you know, because genetic labs are actually kind of boring. They're very industrial and not particularly photogenic.

Cinematical: One of the reasons the design stuck with me is I actually used to build datacenters in labs for a living.

Natali: Oh, you're kidding.

Cinematical. Nope, and you really got a lot of the little touches down, of giving everything an air of functionality.

Natali: Well we had a really great production designer, Todd Cherniawsky, who has been an art director on huge movies like Avatar and Alice and Wonderland. He's really good with the tech, he knows his stuff.

Cinematical: Have you screened Splice for any bio-chemists?

Natali: No, we should do it. We've stayed in touch with the geneticist that I worked with and we'll be seeing him there in Toronto when we present it. I'd be curious to see how they respond. Most of the people I was in contact with were very supportive of the project, of the idea of it. None of them took it too seriously, I don't think they took it to heart. They saw the humor in it.

I'd love to screen it for a room full of geneticists. I hope we don't inspire them too much.

Cinematical: You totally should. I know that Duncan Jones screened Moon at the NASA Johnson Space Center and did a Q&A after. You should do the same somewhere like Johns Hopkins.

Natali: Yeah, that's a great idea, it really is. I've found that working in the film business doors will open for you because there's this misguided belief that it's a glamorous business. And the geneticists are as interested in us as we are in them. Consistently I've met amazing people."

OMG did you read the part where the Cinematical dude tells the director that he used to build datacenters in labs??? What a freak!

Newsday Tuesday: The Worst Man-Made Environmental Disaster of All Time

2010-06-01T18:56:00.005-04:00

I know the day is practically over- I've been avoiding this post because I've been avoiding the news in general lately. The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is so incredibly, cripplingly depressing that it inspires bouts of hopelessness in me which are less than ideal when trying to function like a normal person. I can't look at the news sites at all. They put me in a bad mood and I end up responding to every question with a forlorn, "I guess"followed by a slow sigh:

"Do you want to see that movie later?"

"I guess."

"Do you have that file I asked you to work on?"

"I guess."

"Is your boss excited to have her baby?"

"I guess."

They're running out of creative article titles at this point. CNN might as well just title them all, More Stuff Getting Oil Covered. Anyway, it seems almost disrespectful of me to write a news post about anything else when this is happening, so this post is related.

Greenpeace UK is having a little logo redesigning competition for BP's green flower logo. There have been hundreds of entries, like the one above, which cleverly portray all of our new found hatred for the company. Greenpeace actually printed one on a flag and hung it from the BP corporate headquarters recently. These three are my favorite, but you can look at the whole collection on Flickr. If nothing else, Greenpeace is encouraging creative expression, which is a great outlet for frustration (as opposed to depression... i guess).

Peruse Through Thursday:

2010-05-27T17:43:00.005-04:00

(Autobiography of a Recovering Skinhead by Frank Meeink with Jody M. Roy, Hawthorne Books, 2010, 316 pgs, $15.95)

A lot has happened in Frank Meeink's life. By the old age of 17, Frank Meeink was already in a federal prison for his violent crimes. He was already an alcoholic ninth grade dropout Neo-Nazi gang leader with his own public access Nazi TV show. He'd already gotten a girlfriend pregnant (one of 4 women he impregnates and then abandons). He'd escaped a mental institution by jumping through a glass window. He'd grown up with a junkie mother, a seriously abusive step-father and an alcoholic deadbeat father. He can't remember how many helpless victims he's beaten to the brink of their life for reasons that don't even make sense from a Nazi point of view most of the time. Somehow, don't ask me how, but somehow, his life just becomes even more depressing after prison.

Autobiography of a Recovering Skinhead is like an extended real-life American History X (so much so that when the movie came out a producer who had spoken to Meeink called him in a huff demanding why he had sold his story to someone else). Skinhead's so engrossing. I really didn't want to put it down. In the book, Meeink very honestly tells the story of his life, which just spirals downward and downward - lower and darker and more twisted. It's like a car crash that doesn't end and you can't look away. And the deep dark spiral includes the recovery part of Meeink's life. When he gives up being a Neo-Nazi, he switches to being an addict - every type of addict there is.

It's not hard to see the lesson in Meeink's life. He was dealt a fucked up hand and it lead to a fucked up life. He grew gangs of anti-Semitic, racist, violent Nazis from scratch by protecting the outsiders of society and giving power and a sense of order to people who had none. Basically, if kids (and adults) don't receive love and attention, they'll find it somewhere to get it. They'll become loyal to some other identity if they're ashamed of the identity that comes with their family. Maybe you'll be lucky and your kid will become a weirdo androgynous teen wolf instead of a member of a psycho suicide cult or some trigger happy gang member. Maybe.

Good for Meeink for telling this story- not because his life was so hard, but because it's just as hard now since he tells his story. His past is unforgivable, and for it people will hate him. Leaving Nazism is unforgivable to Neo-Nazis, and for that he will not be forgiven by them. He's hated by everyone now! That must suck. I read a review on Amazon of this book in which the review wrote that Meeink doesn't deserve the acclaim he's received for this book because all he's done in his life is be a junkie and a loser and don't the people who lead normal lives deserve more than he does? That review made me so annoyed. You think that a bunch of future gang kids want to listen to a motivational speaker that's a straight edge normal Joe? "Well, kids, I've mowed my lawn 800 times and I posted a book review on Amazon and for that I am so inspiring." No. This is a guy who skinheads aspired to be telling kids (as he cries) that the glamorous gang life made him suicidal.

I think what I appreciated most about the autobiography was the understanding of how tied together some of the issues were. Nazism is one of the things to blame for Meeink's life, but so is poverty, drugs, a dangerous city (South Philly), an unsafe school environment (and a lack of education) and a weak family structure. Don't dismiss people with messed up ideologies and crazy - they have them for a number of reasons.

What to Watch Wednesday: MacGruber

2010-05-26T14:46:00.004-04:00

Don't say it. Don't even think it. I can tell you're thinking about thinking it right now. I can't express how tired I am of people saying that SNL "isn't funny anymore". I can't stand how so goddamn popular it is to say that. I'm pretty sure most of the people who like to throw out that phrase haven't even watched SNL in the last 5 or 10 years. And if you're young and you say that, you just sound like an idiot because you're either copying the viewpoint of older critics or spending a lot of time watching the "Best of Will Ferrell" dvd on repeat. Look, you're allowed to not like SNL, just don't pretend to be some kind of comedy elitist.

Sorry I had to put all that negativeness out there, but I had to get it out of the way before I could tell you how much I loved MacGruber. I really did. I love Jorma Taccone and Will Forte's dumb sense of humor - and you need a dumb sense of humor to fully enjoy the movie. You also can't feel embarrassed about laughing at things like a half naked man with a piece of celery in his butt or a villain with the name "Dieter Von Cunth". It's not all stupid, mind you - some of the jokes are actually pretty clever. For example at one point MacGruber says, "You're loco, man" and subtitles cheekily pop up to translate it to, "You're crazy, man".

So here's why I loved it: I was already in love with Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, Ryan Phillippe and director Jorma Taccone. I was also already in love with the MacGrubber SNL sketches. (Don't watch them on tv, btw, watch them back to back online.) So, essentially, all it really took for me to love the movie was a theater full of equally enthusiastic fans and some popcorn stolen from the high dude sitting next to me. Here's the thing, people talk a lot about how SNL movies always flop - that's not exactly true. SNL movies are made for the fans, not really for the wider audience and definitely not for critics. They ARE successful... with the people they're made for.

Money Monday: Intermission Tavern II

2010-05-24T14:24:00.004-04:00

The Intermission Tavern • 228 Tremont Street • Boston, Massachusetts • 02116
(617) 451-5997

As much as it truly pains me to do it, Bostini Fini hereby revokes its positive review of Intermission Tavern given last October for the reasons stated below:

1. One particularly enjoyable evening I was finishing my dinner and drinks at the IT when the gentleman at the neighboring table pointed out a large specimen of cockroach crawling on the wall above my head

2. Despite the commotion regarding the 2 inch long bug in question, there was a considerable lack of action taken to amend the situation by any of the Tavern's staff

3. Lacking any of the presence of mind one would require to remain patiently seated until help could arrive, I took it upon myself to dispose of the cockroach myself. I stood on my chair, caught it with a glass and plate, and presented it to my waitress who emphatically suggested I remove it from the premises

4. Outside, the waitress seemed unmoved by my belief that the bug should be terminated rather than set loose to ultimately destroy the rest of my favorite bars in the theater district. I was resolute, however, and bludgeoned the insect to death with the glass it was being held captive in

5. Upon receiving the bill I learned that the prize for my extermination efforts was merely the price of one beer, rather than the price of all of the mostly consumed food we now regretted ordering

Boo, Intermission Tavern. I can't deny that I'll come crawling back to you, but it'll only be for drinks, I swear.

Remember that blog that used to be here?

2010-05-24T14:01:00.005-04:00

I think Bostini Fini readers deserve a little apology from me for the blog's disappearance. For the past few months Bostini Fini, I'm sad to say, fell by the wayside as my focus diverted to classes and work and other silly "real life" issues. However, the semester is over now and I plan on paying some much needed attention to my little blog. Sorry for any disappointment you may have experienced (you did experience some, didn't you? yes?). Hopefully you'll get a little warning next time the blog goes on hiatus.

Fridellaneous: The Lonely Island - Boombox

2010-03-19T10:15:00.000-04:00

Last weekend's SNL episode featured the video of "Boombox" off of The Lonely Island's album. It features the singer from the Strokes, Julian Casablancas. All I have to say is, Andy Samberg, will you please come make sweet, hilarious and large-nosed love with me?

...the music was way too powerful!

What to Watch Wednesday: Alice in Wonderland

2010-03-17T10:26:00.001-04:00

Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland was not as bizarre as I would have liked. When I first heard about Burton taking the project, I thought that it was perfect: the most bizarre director to interpret the most bizarre author. Maybe it was because Disney was involved, but whatever the reason, Burton didn't live up to my expectations in the weird category, although he succeeded in making well established characters endearing in new ways.

There were things I liked about this version of the Alice story. For comparison: the books consist of Alice passively traveling from place to place, meeting strange characters along the way. There's not really a plot - it's more of a trippy dream sequence. A big blockbuster movie can't do the same thing (at least it's never successfully been done to my knowledge). And so Burton's Alice depicts a war-torn land under dictatorial rule, and Alice finds herself to be a pawn in the war between the Red and White Queens. I had mixed feelings about this plot line. On one hand, Alice is elevated from merely being the main character to being a true hero, which I love. On the other hand, ending a movie with a grand battle scene is cliche and boring.

Newcomer Mia Wasikowska did well as the 19-year-old Alice, but the show was stolen by Burton's common law wife, Helena Bonham Carter, whose portrayal of the Red Queen was phenomenal. This was possibly the best role ever written for Carter. She was scary and cruel but funny too. J. Depp did a great job, per usual, as the Mad Hatter, who in this version is Alice's confidant. The big surprise for me was Anne Hathaway, whose character, the White Queen, was hilarious. The White Queen character is like if Cruella De Vil had some kind of revelation and decided to act like Glinda for the rest of her life. Like if Glinda had a personality.

Of course, I'm judging this version of Alice through the lens of loving the original Disney cartoon from the 50s. Unfairly, I found myself enjoying the parts that reminded me of the cartoon more than the new parts. My favorite part of the 50s movie is the song, A Very Merry Unbirthday. (See clip below). Depp would have been awesome at this.

Lastly I'd like to comment on the 3-D aspect of the film: unnecessary and poorly utilized. The effects could have been used to make Alice feel a little more drug induced, but instead they were a lame afterthought. Plus I had to wear those stupid glasses the whole time. I look bad in those.

Newsday Tuesday: Best Week Ever

2010-03-16T11:52:00.004-04:00

("News" from Boston.com)

It's depressing and pathetic, I know, but I seem to be getting my news these days from the Best Week Ever blog. That's like 4 steps below The Daily Show (at least). Mostly I blame the Boston Globe for being plastered with pictures of either flooding or babies and dogs in St. Patrick's Day clothing - I mean how many of those things do you have to see?? Once you've seen one flooded car/leprechaun baby you've seen them all. CNN is ironically as addicted to Tiger Woods as Tiger is addicted to being a sex maniac. Fox makes me cry and hunch into a ball. Rachel Maddow has been getting meaner and you all know I'm too dumb for the Times.

Best Week Ever blog is entertaining and it's about entertainment. Doesn't that just seem right?? Read it.

Peruse Through Thursday: Goldengrove by Francine Prose

2010-03-11T14:40:00.003-05:00

(Goldengrove by Francine Prose, Harper Perennial, 2009, 288 pgs, $13.99)

Goldengrove follows Nico, a 13-year-old girl, through the hardest summer of her life. Her older sister, who she looks up to and adores, drowns in the lake by their house leaving Nico, her parents and her sister's 17-year-old boyfriend, Aaron, alone with their grief. Bonded by their mutual obsession with the sister, Aaron and Nico develop a kind of default relationship, which they keep secret from everyone else. It begins in a seemingly innocent way - the pair go get ice cream together - an activity that they usually did with the sister. However, as Nico grows a few inches and slims down to her sister's body shape, and as Aaron requests that Nico wears her sister's old clothes and perfume, things get messed up.

Prose's writing style is very enjoyable. She includes great descriptions and details which reflect the feeling of each scene. Overall, I found the novel entertaining and addictive. As it became increasingly predictive however, I wished that Prose would have included more flashbacks to the sister or incorporated more characters somehow. (Oh, you're surprised at the negative this revie just took? You don't read Bostini Fini very often.) Despite the plot being very linear, it was often difficult to tell how much time was passing in the book. The entire thing takes place over a few months, but it was hard to follow. There's a chance that the feeling was intended by Prose to mimic the experience of time by the grieving characters, but I don't really care about that. If it's inconvenient when you're trying to read, then it's got to go.

I don't know that I'd really recommend the novel to anyone. The only reason I picked it up is because when I asked my mother what she had read recently, she said, "I don't know." I asked, "what do you mean you don't know?" She replied, "I don't remember what it's called. This. Here, you can have it," and she left the book at my house.

What to Watch Wednesday: A Serious Man

2010-03-10T14:26:00.004-05:00

The Coen Brothers' newest film, A Serious Man, was the worst movie I've seen since Valentines Day (and maybe before that, as sad as it is to say). In an attempt to see all of the movies nominated for the Best Movie category of this years Academy Awards, my boyfriend and I rented this one last week. So bad.

Admittedly, I'm not a Coen Brothers fan. I think The Big Lebowski and O Brother Where Out Thou! are their best movies, and the others don't do a lot for me. This newest one was more than a disappointment - it was actually painful to watch. The film is about Larry Gopnik, a Jewish Physics professor in the Midwest. Larry struggles to find meaning in his life as it collapses around him. Bratty teenage kids, a pathetic leeching brother, a wife leaving him for a slime ball of a man, anonymous libelous letters to his tenure committee and rabbis without answers plague him, and indirectly the audience, throughout the entirety of the movie. It felt like a suffocating mountain of troubles had been dumped into my arms, and I was powerless to do anything about them. A Serious Man is how I learned that an interesting and unpredictable plot does not a good movie make.

Maybe if the characters (is 1 too much to ask for?) were likable or relate-able I would have been more inclined to appreciate the (well-made) movie. Unfortunately, the "hero" of the story is a spineless, sniveling, pathetic excuse for a person, and all the side characters are despicable. The only times I thought I liked Larry were the scenes in his dreams. If only he really would have had sex with the neighbor or put his brother on a boat to Canada...

My suggestion is that you watch the first 10 minutes, which depict a made up folk tale that is completely unrelated to the following torture session of a movie. Oh, and you can read the New Yorker's review for a much more eloquent explanation of why it blew hard core.

Fridellaneous: I...You...We...ROBOT Art Exhibit

2010-03-05T10:29:00.001-05:00

(Longing by Carly Mazur)

You have two more weekends to visit the "I...You...We...ROBOT" exhibit at Space 242 (which, frankly, sounds like the name of a robot lair to me) on East Berkeley Street to see artwork inspired by robots by more than seventy artists. I took a peek through the flickr gallery, which has photos of about 50 of the pieces, and what I saw was pretty entertaining. If you go check out the gallery in person, we may run into each other on Fridays 6:30-8 PM or Saturdays 11:30 AM - 1 PM. I'll be the one pronouncing it "Row-bit".

(Unit 01 Self Portrait by Adam Szymczak)

Peruse Through Thursday: The Best of Simple by Langston Hughes

2010-03-04T11:30:00.004-05:00

(The Best of Simple by Langston Hughes, Hill and Wang Publishers, 1990, 245 pages, $14)

The Best of Simple is a collection of Langston Hughes's favorite short stories featuring his famous character, Jesse B. Semple, a sort of African American everyman of the time. Written in the 1940s and 50s for a weekly column in the Chicago Defender, the Simple stories consist of the narrator, a man very much like Langston Hughes himself, discussing work, relationships, money and life over a few drinks in a bar with Semple. Semple is a blue collar worker living paycheck to paycheck with an opinion about everything.

The man has problems to deal with: a demanding land lady, an ex wife who wants a divorce, a girlfriend who wants to go on expensive dates, a girl on the side who wants to drink till the daylight, and various family members who knock on Semple's door looking for a place to sleep or some money to borrow. If you overlook the obnoxious fact that the majority of the causes of stress in Semple's life are women, the book is really enjoyable.

Hughes's craftsmanship of Semple's character is so impressive. Hughes narrowly avoids making Semple come off as an unattractive stereotype and instead succeeds in truly endearing him to the reader. Semple is uncultured, speaks improperly, and spends more than she should on beer (at least in the eyes of the narrator) but he's hardworking, funny and generally kind. Semple and the narrator's discussions about race relations remain pertinent to this day. Both characters, on almost all topics, seem to me to be very wise.

I'm not a poetry person, so I don't know that I'll read more Hughes any time soon, but I would recommend this collection of shorts, and I would consider reading more Simple stories.

What to Watch Wednesday: The Lion King at the Boston Opera House

2010-03-03T10:49:00.000-05:00

The Lion King, the musical, is playing at the Boston Opera House through the 21st this month, and I highly recommend going if you can still find tickets.

I'm a musical lover - always have been, always will be - and as such I was really pumped to see that The Lion King was coming to Boston. Some of my family visited last week and we took a trip to the be-a-utiful Opera House to see the play. Now, this musical has been around for about 15 years, so chances are you know all about it and the original Disney movie already. Awesome costumes, good music, beautiful to look at etc etc, so I'll spare you the plot synopsis and all that. Here's my two cents: Loved every part except the songs that were written just for the musical. In a word, they blew. Elton John's songs and the score from the movie are AMAZING and those corresponding parts in the musical were heart stopping, eye popping, jaw dropping, but those newer songs... barf.

If you want a more colorful synopsis of The Lion King, here's a video narrated by a dude who can't remember if he's British or Irish.

Little Bostini Fini tip: If you're googling the times of the show or whatever, make sure you don't type in "Loin King" by accident - you will not like what you get.

Fridellaneous: I've been a bad blogger

2010-02-12T15:46:00.006-05:00

I know, I know. You hate me, and this is the laziest blog you've ever seen. Here are some things to read instead of Bostini Fini:

Money: Young House Love is a blog with a bunch of great How Tos and tips for projects in your house or apartment. The author, Sherry, has great ideas for how to make things beautiful on a budget. Since I'm moving this week, I found her blog particularly helpful.

News: The Winter Olympics start tonight but already things are looking bad from Vancouver: A member of the Georgia luge team died today in practice. Boston Globe Article here.

TV/Movies: The final season of LOST started back up and lovers of the show might enjoy this blog on Buzzine called "OMG!! 'Lost' Blog" It's long-winded and rambling, which might tip you off that I picked it completely based on its name. That's right, I goodled "OMG Lost blog" and I found these mediocre posts. It does go over the details nicely and use pictures generously. Bonus points for that I guess.

Books: I'm currently reading A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. I'm about 400 pages in and I'm still waiting for it to be half as good at The World According to Garp. I'll let you know what I think when I finally get to page 630. I picked Owen based on the author and a good review from an acquaintance. You know what? I think I might have to switch back to judging books by their covers. If I do that for my next book, although I know nothing about it except what you see here, I plan on reading this:

Misc: I've been thinking of putting this Valentine's note in some mailboxes in my neighborhood:

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Christmas is Over

And Hanukkah too

So take down that crap

and shut off your lights

If that shit's still up later

We'll get in a fight

Happy Valentines Weekend, readers! Lots of love from Bostini Fini.

Fridellaneous: Pink at the Grammys

2010-02-05T16:49:00.002-05:00

Obviously this is from last week, but I'm still in love with it.

Peruse Through Thursday: The World According to Garp by John Irving

2010-02-04T10:04:00.010-05:00

(The World According to Garp, Balantine Books, 1997 (originally 1978), 528 pages, $16)

I'd previously never read anything by John Irving before reading The World According to Garp. After finishing the novel yesterday I went out and bought two other novels by Irving - that's how much I loved every moment of reading it. TWAG was one of the best books I've ever read if not the best. Love love love - you have to read it.

Garp is about the life of (big surprise) T. S. Garp, the bastard son of a nurse in New England. Jenny Fields, Garp's mother, chooses to live outside of what is expected of her in the period during WWII - living alone and intentionally having a child without any father in the picture. Her autobiography makes Jenny famous and a beloved feminist figure in America despite the book's literary weakness. Jenny embraces this new iconic position, however unexpected, and is a natural at providing emotional and physical help to all women who seek her out.

While Garp holds some reservations toward members of Jenny's feminist posse, he mostly supports his mother and even becomes best friends with one of her followers: a transsexual ex-pro football player named Roberta Muldoon. Garp marries Hellen, the girl next door, a brilliant professor of literature, and raises a family with her while working as an author himself. Garp's work, despite being excellent for it's literary merits, remains unpopular until his third book is published. This book (Garp's worst book) is a sensation thanks to it's dramatic and violent content and makes the Garp family quite rich and famous. This fame enhances the danger to Garp's loved ones however, and keeping them safe becomes his new obsession.

The book contains excepts of Garp's fictional novels which I found interesting. I loved how Garp's book was imitating life within the book and The World According to Garp is imitating real life. Layers like these can be found throughout the novel. Garp's editor calls his third book "an x-rated soap opera" which can be said about TWAG itself. Every character, even the ones the reader is meant to despise, is multi-faceted and absolutely fascinating. Themes of love, sexuality, gender, violence and death swirl together and produce a complicated and almost never-ending story where nearly every character introduced is followed throughout their entire life. Every moment is funny or heartbreaking or anxious - never dull or unnecessary.

As a woman who has (sometimes excessively) concerned myself with politics relating to gender and sexuality, I was really impressed with how TWAG discusses those issues. Irving incorporates polarity into each theme in the book (woman vs. man, life vs. death, healing vs. violence) and it comes through loud and clear concerning feminism. In the novel, there exist polar opposites even within a group. Specifically there are mild feminists, like Jenny and Helen (and sometimes Garp) who are not self-proclaimed feminists but nevertheless are, because they fit the definition. On the other end of the spectrum there are the radical/extremist feminists who quickly resort to hatred and violence. Basically, there are crazies in every group and every group is fractioned and when you believe in what the group stands for, the fractioning breaks your heart.

Amazing book - please read it.

What to Watch Wednesday: The End of Ugly Betty

2010-02-03T10:04:00.000-05:00

Sad, sad news, friends. Ugly Betty, the super fun and funny show on ABC staring the chirpy America Ferrera has been cancelled. Que triste!

If you don't know what Ugly Betty is, then you're the reason why the show is getting cancelled and so I hate you. Just FYI thought, it's an adaptation of the Spanish-language soap opera, “Betty La Fea,” which is also about an ugly assistant working at a fashion magazine. The show stars America Ferrera as the lovable Latina who's smart and hilarious. Ferrera won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for acting in her first season for being on the show.

Anyway, ABC has pulled the plug on Ugly Betty, now in its 4th season, and given the show until April 21 to wrap things up. In Entertainment Weekly the producer of the show revealed that Betty's iconic braces will be coming off. "There's a big fantasy element to it. We'll ask the question, 'What if Betty had perfect teeth?'" I think the answer is, she'll look just like America Ferrera (below) -- It's not a hard concept to wrap your brain around, and if that's the only big surprise at the end of the season, it's going to be disappointing.

Apparently the writers are planning on addressing the topic of Justin's sexuality, which I think seems to be clear to everyone but Justin. Another predictable topic will be Betty's carer beyond Mode. She's always wanted to work at a news magazine and somehow I have the feeling she just might get her chance in the next 5 episodes.

Meanwhile, ABC has decided to replace Ugly Betty with this:

I burst out laughing at 0:50, which was embarrassing since I was watching it with headphones at work... Poor Ugly Betty.

What to Watch Wednesday/Peruse Through Thursday: January Review Compilation

2010-01-27T04:00:00.001-05:00

I did actually read and see some movies in the month of January. Here are some quickie reviews without all the plot summaries or the drawn out blah blah blah you usually get on Bostini Fini. (Well, a little blah blah blah might be included.)

Movies:

Sherlock Holmes

I want to preface my opinion with the fact that I am deeply in love with Guy Ritchie. I love his movies (yes even RocknRolla). Snatch is one of my favorite movies of all time. I knew this was a Guy Ritchie movie going into it, and thus, I was determined to love it. All that prejudice aside, I think fans of the Sherlock Holmes stories, if they allow themselves, will enjoy this reinvention of the classic character. We can all at least agree that Robert Downey Jr. makes a great Brit. Meanwhile, Jude law is adorable and Rachel McAdams is forgettable. Bring a friend (if it's still playing) - you'll find it extremely bromantic.

Avatar

Chances are you've already seen this and, like me, your once perfect vision has diminished slightly as a result of staring at flashing neon colors for 3 hours. The over all experience in IMAX 3-d was pretty awesome. But as complicated and intricate as the graphics were in the film, that's how uninspired and one dimensional the plot and characters were.

Avatar felt like a 16 year old wrote it. A white male 16 year old who writes himself in as the main character and thinks he's pretty open minded for making his character realize that he's part of the evil people but not open minded enough to realize how egotistic it is to have the tribe's survival rely entirely on him saving them. Oh, gee, thank you all powerful white man for saving me from... the other white men. I mean really- he becomes a na'vi permanently and lives happily ever after? Seriously? You know why Titanic was so good, Mr. Cameron? Because Leo DIED in the end. In the cold ice. Jake Sully should have stayed human- it's just more interesting.

Books:

(Fourth Comings by Megan McCafferty, Crown Publishing, 2007, 320 pages, $13.95)

The fourth installment of the Jessica Darling series happened to be the first one I've read. A friend recommended the series to me but she only had the 4th one to lend out. The book is good like a bag of potato chips - it isn't very filling and it's over quickly. You know you're not getting anything good out of it but it's enjoyable and fun because it's discouraged. Every once in a while it is totally fine to have a bag of potato chips and despite what others say, it's ok to like them!

(Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, Penguin Books, 2007, 349 pages, $16)

Three Cups of Tea was just like drinking three cups of tea... jk - just making fun of how that potato chips thing got a little out of hand above.

3 Cups is about a jobless, homeless mountain climber collecting up a meager amount of American dollars and taking it to Pakistan - a place where he doesn't know the language, land, religion or culture - to build a school for a village that was once very kind to him after a tough climb. One school becomes 3 schools becomes 30 and Mortenson finds himself to be the leader of an amazing non-profit doing more for Middle Eastern/American relations than any military could ever do.

I like how Mortenson knows that he's clueless. He doesn't know how to actually build a school or what the best way to help people is, he just knows that he wants to give something lasting to the children he meets. Many books about non-profit stars glorify the do-gooder in a way that I find distasteful. In 3 Cups, our american hero is actually a bit of an anti-hero. He's bumbling and slow. He messes up and he doesn't know what he's doing. I appreciated that honesty.

(The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, Mariner Books, 2004, 560 pages, $14.95)

I found this book addicting. Not amazing necessarily, but captivating. The short version of the plot is that the main character randomly pops into a different time - most often returning to emotional moments in his life - and in this way he knows his wife from the time she's a child throughout her adult life. From her perspective his age is nonlinear - one day he's 37 the next week he's 28 and sometimes there are two of him at once. It's the uniqueness of this concept that makes the book so fun to read. The love story is ok too.

I haven't seen the movie but I put it on my list although it's supposed to be about as good at Gili.

(PUSH by Sapphire, Vintage, 1996, 192 pages, $13)

My major complaint about PUSH is that it's too short. Frankly, I feel that less than 200 pages is practically a novella. If you've seen Precious or the previews for it you know that the main character of PUSH (on which Precious is based) is an illiterate African American teenager, pregnant a second time by her own father. For how light the book is physically, it's content is way heavy: rape, violence, poverty, teen pregnancy, homophobia, racism and AIDS to name a few of the issues tackled.

The most impressive part of PUSH is that it's written in first person as a journal that Precious is writing. While that may not seem extraordinary or new, keep in mind that the narrator has only recently learned the alphabet, and in her own choppy narration is trying to express the full and developed ideas of an adult woman. I really recommend it and I anticipate the movie being amazing.

(On the Beach by Nevil Shute, Ballentine Books, 1957, 312 pages, No longer in print)

This Social Sci-Fi depicts a world in which the northern hemisphere has blown each other to oblivion using nuclear weapons around the time of WWII. In Australia, people wait for the winds to carry the nuclear fallout to their country and poison them all. The book follows five adults as they decide how to live out the last few months of their lives - the last few months of everyones lives.

While it may sound dark, parts of On the Beach are funny and even hopeful. The book can definitely be viewed as a metaphor for a global warming disaster rather than a nuclear one. Of course the author didn't intend that as he wrote it in the fifties, but with the exception of technology used in the book (radio! ooooo! high tech!) the novel refrains from being dated. Apparently there's a made for (British) tv movie that updates the technology but otherwise looks quite bad.

Read On the Beach if you like a good Social Sci-Fi now and again.

Fridellaneous: Bostini Fini's Status

2010-01-22T14:44:00.005-05:00

(M.I.A. and ready to commit suicide)

Some readers have noticed that Bostini Fini has been MIA this January, and I think you all deserve a brief explanation.

I've been participating in Prana Power Yoga's 31 classes in 31 days challenge this month, and as a result my free time (the kind of time in which I have the capacity to perform simple motor skills like typing) has been depleted considerably. When I get back from the 95 degree room of physical torture each day, I use all the remaining power in my tired body to drag myself to the shower and then to sleep.

OK, it hasn't been all that bad. Heated yoga is definitely a tough gig to go to play every day (yeah, you got me, only 5 or 6 times a week), but I'm enjoying the challenge of it. While I'm not sure that I've lost any weight since December, I do feel a lot stronger than when I started.

I'm sorry to leave you all without Bostini Fini for one more week, and I'm truly flattered that you so much as noticed my hiatus. As a little symbol of our commitment to each other, I promise to share my before and after measurements when the challenge is over on February 1st (except for weight because I refuse to own a scale).

Fridellaneous: Happy New Year

2010-01-01T13:54:00.000-05:00

A missed connection from our friends at Emails From Crazy People:

Fridellaneous: Bye Bye 2009

2010-01-01T09:35:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year from Bostini Fini! Enjoy your day off work and have a little post hangover dance party.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Peruse Through Thursday: Too Much Money by Dominick Dunne

2009-12-31T12:03:00.000-05:00

(Too Much Money by Dominick Dunne, Crown Publishing, 2009, 288 pages, $26)

Published posthumously, Too Much Money meanders through the rich and juicy lives of (predominantly) older members of New York's high society, never failing to stop and spread the gossip along the way. Dunne's main character and alter ego, Gus Bailey, is a writer for a well known arts and cultures magazine and made his name chronicling the scandals and crises of the richest of the rich. Dunne's characters experience bankruptcy, jail time, affairs and death. Of course, exposing dirty laundry equates to making powerful enemies for Bailey, and he experiences this in slander lawsuits and his funding being cut off for the last novel he plans to write in his lifetime. Bailey, at the same time an outsider to high society and an insider as everyone's favorite confidant, manages to get the last laugh.

Dunne died in August of this year at the age of 83 of cancer (just like his character Bailey). It becomes apparent to the reader near the end of Too Much Money that Dunne intended this book as a way to get in the last word in a real life struggle he had with the celebrities who inspired his characters. Due to this realization, the book becomes a bit sad in my opinion. Bailey's climactic confrontation with the third richest woman in the world (who has been throwing her money around in an attempt to permanently silence him) hinges on the comment he makes that while her name might be plastered onto the front of the library building, people will come to read his books with his name plastered on the front. While the comment sets the bejeweled lady off in the novel, I couldn't help but add, "but they read your books because they're about her..."

Really, the issue I had with the book wasn't that it was about these horrible rich people who I can't relate to and whom I have no sympathy for. I enjoyed Dunne's novel and it's gossipy style (The horribly written sex scenes are another matter though.) It was that all the characters are representative of real New Yorkers who I would only recognize if I read the society pages and attended all the charity galas that I had a problem with. But I don't read the society pages. I don't care about all the tongue in cheek bull references to real people. Dunne is a good writer and I wish he would have written something completely fictitious that he'd have no one to thank for but himself. Unfortunately the despicable people who may call themselves his muses can claim partial responsibility. Boo.

The characters are reoccurring and the book is meant for Dunne's fans who have read his other books before Too Much Money. I would avoid it unless you are one of those people.

What to Watch Wednesday: Up in the Air

2009-12-30T21:47:00.005-05:00

This week I decided to go see the most far-fetched movie I could find in the theaters. One that is totally and completely incomprehensible in the real world. Not the one with the blue cat people. One that features something even more unbelievable: a man who enjoys airports. Let me stop you before your "Waaaaaa?" goes on for longer than your lungs can sustain: just take my word for it, it exists, and it was believable.

Up in the Air stars George Clooney as Ryan Bingham, an executive who spends more than 300 days a year on the road as a doer CEOs' dirty work: firing employees. Some of the film's strongest moments are actually the reactions by laid off employees to the bad news (and also some of the most poignant in today's economic environment.) Side characters aside, the leads in this film are amazing. Clooney is totally believable as a commitment-phobic loner who believes in numbers (frequent flyer miles, time saved) rather than people or family. Vera Farmiga's appeal as Clooney's love interest extends beyond the screen so much so that I found myself wishing she had a larger role. Finally, Anna Kendrick steals the show as recent grad and business newbie, who's new ideas and bigger picture threaten Bingham's way of life. Kendrick's character, Natalie, puts up a tough-as-nails facade in the workplace but in reality her crumbling idealistic expectations for post graduation life are breaking her. Maybe it's because I found her the easiest to relate to, but I was totally impressed with Kendrick - she definitely proved herself to be the best actress to come out of the Twilight Franchise (or actor, now that I think of it).

Up in the Air is about both the banality and the joy of living. Bingham collects miles and time and money and it's all just numbers. His lifestyle may seem flashy but it's his ordinary sister and her hum drum fiancée who end up with the most desirable lifestyle. Their wedding is cliche and boring, but the wedding scene is the happiest for all of the characters involved. As Bingham puts it, life's better with company, but just like the people he fires, this realization makes him question how irrelevant his life up to this point has really been.

Money Monday: Prana Power Yoga

2009-12-22T14:37:00.005-05:00

I hate working out. I detest gyms and their membership schemes. I abhor treadmills, ellipticals and weights. Sure I'd like to be skinnier and healthier - wouldn't we all - but it's just not worth the trip to the gym. Of course, come January 1, gyms will see a spike in attendance as people attempt to adhere to their new year resolutions. I will not be one of those people, as admirable as I think they are. I do, however, like yoga.

Yoga is the opposite of gyms:

Yoga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gyms

feet planted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . running

you try to quiet your mind . . . . . . . . . . watch tv

more women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . more men

move as a group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . move as an independent person

smells like incense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . smells like man sweat

Yoga's not better than a gym per se, it's just the opposite. I happen to like power yoga. (That's where the moves flow together quickly). It took me a long time to get used to the heated studio that I go to, but once I did, I really enjoyed it. The only problem is that I can't get myself to go more than once a week at best. Partly because I don't have a lot of money (classes are $15 each), and partly because I don't have the motivation. You're not supposed to eat before you go to yoga and I'm a pretty big fan of eating.

Prana Power Yoga is attempting to change that. They have a "31 Classes in 31 Days" challenge happening next month. The company has studios in Winchester, Newton and Cambridge, and each offer 5-8 classes of heated yoga per day. (They've recently added some non-heated classes if you prefer the temperature to be below 90 degrees). The instructors are really encouraging and nice. They're definitely not yoga elitists and they don't promote competitiveness. Some of the rich-as-fuck kept women that show up in their designer yoga outfits and diamonds are another matter though. Just ignore those women. The Prana Power Yoga January challenge is essentially an unlimited one month pass for $131 - which is a little over $4 per class if you go all 31 times. Now, money-wise, a gym would be a better buy. I could probably get a pretty good membership for $50 per month. Unfortunately, I hate the gym.

The variable that I'm most worried about, however, is me. I don't know whether or not my body could even survive 2 classes in a row let alone 31. I really don't know, but I'd like to try. And if I happen to loose some of my arm fat in the process, that would be a bonus. So what do you think? Should I go for the challenge? Regular readers know that I failed my last one month challenge (when I wrote only 35,000 words of my 50,000 goal). I have 8 days to decide...

If you are thinking about going to a power yoga class, all schedules and pricing can be found on their web site. Don't forget to bring: a yoga mat, a towel and WATER.

Peruse Through Thursday: Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice

2009-12-17T10:23:00.000-05:00

(Interview with the Vampire by Anne O'Brien Rice, Ballentine Books, 1976, 352 pages, $16)

This is a short review due to holiday laziness: I was not crazy about this book. I thought it was pretty boring and read sort of like an action book without any action. To be fair, I had pretty high expectations for it, and although I didn't like it and considered not finishing it, it's still the second best vampire book I've ever read (after Dracula). Sorry Stephenie Meyer.

Available for free on Google Books (except for the last 16 pages): here.

Money Monday: Cheap Gift Wrapping

2009-12-14T11:17:00.000-05:00

After carefully attempting to budget your holiday expenditures, I think it's common to find that you've spent more than you intended, and on top of that you need to spend more to have the gifts wrapped and shipped to your stupid friends and ungrateful family who live like infinity miles away. Shipping you can't really control except to buy smaller, lighter items for far away friends, but wrapping things cheaply is definitely an option. Many thrifty people reuse wrapping paper from the year before. Those people are super ridiculous (that includes you, Mom). I don't like preserving paper, folding it up and squirreling it away somewhere. I wouldn't be able to find it again if I did.

So the question is how to be cheap and eco-friendly without recycling actual gift wrap? Although now in his twenties, my younger brother still likes to wrap gifts in the comic section of the newspaper. I'd like to do something a little more refined than that, (no

offense, Bubbs) so I turned to Martha Stewart for help and what I found ranged from plausible to ridiculous. Let's examine:

1. Chip bag wrapping (picture above): Take potato chips bags, wash them and then wrap your gifts with the shiny side facing out. I think this is a sweet idea, except it might be weird once the person opens it and realizes it's a chip bag and asks you if you looked in the trash can for the wrapping. Does Martha even eat potato chips? From a store?

2. Paper "bag" wrapping: Wrap an item with one sheet of tissue paper, then make three folds in a pretty piece of paper, and tie it with a ribbon or twine- much cheaper than a gift bag and actually a lot prettier!

3. Recycled shopping bag wrapping: This is a lot like the funny papers wrapping, but it looks

fancier and it won't rub off on your fingers. Just cut open grocery or shopping bags (or lunch bags) and wrap your gift with them. Since there's no pattern, decorate your gift with ribbon, a cutout like Martha did below, or other embellishments. This year I spray painted some dried twigs and leaves gold and taped them to gifts for decoration.

4. *Winner of most ridiculous wrapping idea* Wrapping stuff in leaves: I don't know what Martha was thinking when she included the wrapping idea below. It's eco-friendly for sure, but she was watching too many episodes of survivor when she thought of this. Then there's the added difficulty of it being winter. There are no leaves to harvest to execute this Lord of the Flies craftacular, even if I didn't think it would look ridiculous to begin with.

5. Paint the boxes: If you're giving something that already has a box, like jewelry or clothes, it's a viable option to just paint the box. That gold spray paint I mentioned above came in handy for a few jewelry gifts. Just put a ribbon on it and it's done. Yay! Now you can afford to send things to your stupid far away friends who you love and who love you no matter how many times you call them stupid!

Martha Stewart Wrapping Ideas

Fridellaneous: TV show posters

2009-12-11T10:09:00.000-05:00

Hooray for Friday! Today I want to share some eye candy with you (that is if you enjoy streamlined design and cable tv).

Australian designer Albert Exergian created a series of posters for popular tv shows which feature an over simplified single objects that represent the entire concept of each show. I think it would be a lot harder to design these than it sounds. I never would have thought of, for example, the Scrubs poster above which is just the main characters' scrubs and doctor's jacket colors, but when I saw the image I knew exactly what show it was for. I really like the poster for Dexter, below, featuring the blood sample slides Dexter keeps as mementos of his many kills. The entire collection can be viewed here where they can also be bought for a staggering 50 pounds. See if you can guess what show each poster is for before reading the title. Beware! There are simplified depictions of both a single boob and a vagina! Of course, you wouldn't know that's what they were unless you read the names of the tv shows they are depicting: Nip/Tuck and Californication.

What to Watch Wednesday: Fantastic Mr. Fox

2009-12-09T14:12:00.004-05:00

Wes Anderson has made many of my favorite films, so it was a no-brainer for me to go see Fantastic Mr. Fox, the director's first stop-animation movie. Although it wasn't quite as Wes Anderson-erific as usual, the overall effect was similar and the film was visually rich and as detail oriented as Anderson's other films. The movie is based on Roald Dahl's book of the same title in which a neighborhood of animals get swept up in a war with three vicious farmers thanks to the insatiable stealing habits of one Mr. Fox. George Clooney is charming as the title character and Anderson managed to gather up some of his friends from projects past to add to the mix.

Part of the reason I enjoyed the characters so much was that I could envision Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray and others delivering their lines without their furry facades. The video below persuades me to believe that Anderson might have wanted it that way. That being said, I didn't recognize one of the most unique voices that american actors have to offer: that of Willem Defoe. I guess the creepy southern accent threw me off.

I don't know how popular the film will be with children since it was more clever than funny, but on the other hand recent movies like Up prove that children's films can be thoughtful (rather than immature) and successful. Anderson must have been in a nostalgic state of mind making the film since it was, apparently, the first book he ever owned. Adorable!

Money Monday: 33 Restaurant & Lounge

2009-12-07T19:22:00.006-05:00

33 Restaurant & Lounge, 33 Stanhope St. Boston MA 02116, (617) 572-3311

Friday was a going out day. December is the best month in winter to go out in because it's not too cold, the snow is minimal, and the unlimited holidays are a good excuse to dress up more than necessary and celebrate a little more than you can afford. My friends and I decided to do so at 33 Lounge last weekend, and while I had a good time, I really don't think it was worth the price tag. Cover, which I argued my way out of paying, was ten dollars for everyone else. In a place with a live band or huge dance floor I might have accepted that, but if you've been to 33, you know it's pretty small and may not even have a dj let alone a band. Here's my tally for the evening out, which I think is actually pretty reserved as far as number of drinks:

Cover: $10

Coat Check: $2

Mixed Drink: $11

Tip for 2 drinks: $2

Which comes to just under forty dollars before thinking about cab fare. Some places are worth that, but I'm not convinced 33 is. It's not that there's anything wrong with the place per se, although I did manage to slice up my thumb on the banister, which they really should look into, but there's nothing exciting about it either. There were a handful of people dancing to the music from ten years ago that was playing, but that was it. If you're going to play music that no one wants to dance to (except for some loser blog writer because the song was on the Save the Last Dance soundtrack), then play it at a volume that people can have a conversation over.

My Verdict: It was only fun and exciting because I was with fun and exciting people. So I guess just don't go with your English teacher or someone boring like that.

Peruse Through Thursday: The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance

2009-12-03T14:50:00.007-05:00

(The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance by Elna Baker, Dutton Adult, 2009, 228 pages, $25.95)

There is something weird about Mormons: everything. I don't have any close friends who are Mormon and so as you would expect, I have the same amount of preconceived notions regarding people who practice Mormonism as the average joe on the street might have. They live in Utah, the don't drink caffeine or alcohol, they have secret weddings lay people aren't allowed to go to where they wear special underwear, they own Marriott and they think Native Americans are Jewish or something.

The author of The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance (from here on to be referred to as Dance) deals with people like me and their partially true partially crazy conceptions of her religion every day as a twenty-something actress in New York. In her really enjoyable memoir, Elna Barker recalls snippets of her life centering around her young adulthood starting with attending NYU and living with a gay roommate and ending with choosing between a marriage to a hot Mormon man or a relationship with an atheist doctor working in Africa. Baker is constantly trying to find a way to live between two ultimately opposed worlds, and the effect it has on her relationships with men, her family, her body and most of all her faith are permanently altered because of it.

Baker's style of storytelling is highly entertaining because of her awesome sense of humor. In what could have been a cheesy, over the top narrative about the hardships of being more righteous than the New Yorkers around her, Baker is witty, thoughtful and honest about her misadventures with life and love. She's at the same time self absorbed (on a quest to be the prettiest sister) and self demeaning (calls acting "look at me, look at me!"), serious (experiences emotional pain) and joking (thinks "Idaho Jesus" is hideous), pious (first kiss at 22) and naughty (constantly thinking about sex) - she's paradoxical and it's addictive. Her retelling of one Halloween where a fortune cookie costume she created ended up looking much more like a vagina with a tampon string sticking out was particularly funny.

My Verdict: Really easy to relate to for someone who has ever lived with a label that people used to define you.

What to Watch Wednesday: New Moon

2009-12-03T13:42:00.005-05:00

I did actually end up going (and paying) to see New Moon. The result is the following quasi flow chart which is in order of how enjoyable each is from least to most.

New Moon the Book - Twilight the Movie - Twilight the book - New Moon the Movie - the clip below - The Prince and Me 3 : A Holiday Honeymoon

So I guess the real question is: Is Edward>Edvard?

Newsday Tuesday: 30,000 Troops to be Sent to Afghanistan

2009-12-01T12:50:00.003-05:00

If you choose to watch the Presidential Address last night (or if you suffer from basic cable like me and didn't so much choose to watch it as were forced to) you heard President Obama's rationale for sending 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan in the near future. In my opinion (although it's not like the opinion of the Bostini Fini author means a hill of beans) he was patriotic, eloquent and forthright. I think for once he decided to take full responsibility for whatever happens - it wasn't like a mess that was left for him to clean up, he described it more like a project he was taking personal ownership of. That's all I have to say on the issue because, let's not kid ourselves, this is not a blog you come to for a political discussion (OMG Twilight post tomorrow!), however I did include the below clip from The Daily Show. Skip to around 6:20 for the funniest part where he creates the ideal speech out of clips from war movies.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

30,000

http://www.thedailyshow.com/

Daily Show
Full Episodes

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Health Care Crisis

Blog Announcement: Failure! aka The Blog is Back

2009-12-01T12:01:00.000-05:00

Well, I failed National Novel Writing Month. I only achieved around 35,000 words out of the 50,000 goal. I suck. A coworker told me at least I have 35,000 more than when I started, but I still feel like I didn't accomplish a lot. Maybe if I hadn't have eaten so much goddamn turkey on Thanksgiving weekend I would have been awake long enough to write the 15,000 more, I don't know. The good news (hopefully) is that the blog is back. Enjoy.

Last Week of NaNoWriMo: Bostini Fini will return in December

2009-11-23T13:39:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to post to reiterate that NaNoWriMo has stolen all of my writing from the blog this month. I'm not dead (although I'm starting to wish I was with more than 20,000 words still to write this month) and I will return to Bostini Fini in December. Happy Thanksgiving.

Bostini Fini Week in a single post

2009-11-13T15:11:00.015-05:00

First of all, I'm sorry I've been slacking with the blog. I wish I could give you an impressive word count on my novel to prove that the time was well spent on that instead, but unfortunately I'm behind schedule on that too. I should have 20,000 words by now and I have a measly 13,500.

OK, enough about my unsuccessful life, here's what I would write about on Bostini Fini if I had the time and finger typing strength:

Newsday Tuesday: Scientists Detect Water on the Moon

Yeah, I know that was just announced today, but I could have known about it beforehand. You don't know where my sources are, so don't even pretend. Don't even.

What to Watch Wednesday: Dollhouse Cancelled

Who knew such an expected action could hurt so much? Joss Whedon's amazing sci-fi show was cancelled by the idiots at FOX. You can't expect high ratings from a Friday TV show with all the episodes available online.

The rest of the Season 2 episodes will begin to air December 4th and then, who knows, maybe there will be another Firefly/Serenity type movie in the works to tie up loose ends. Poor Joss Whedon suffers from having the most dedicated fans who still somehow don't pay the bills. Bummer.

Peruse Through Thursday: The World Without Us

(The World Without Us by Alan Weisman, Thomas Dunne Books, 2007, 336 pages, $16)

One thing that can be said about the author: Alan Weisman know how to depress a girl. This book's intention may not be to make you want to kill yourself for all the horrible things you've done to the earth, but that's what it did. I picked it up to get some ideas about life on Earth without people for the novel I'm working on and what I got from it instead was the surmounting dread that humans are past the point of no return as far as the environment goes. At times, Weisman comes off a little bitter, suggesting that people stop reproducing (or at least slow to 1 child per mother). Some of the book was fascinating in it's description of how powerful and enduring nature can be, but other parts were tedious and went into too much scientific depth for my taste. It's an interesting read - I'd recommend it to Ecologists and people of that "nature". OMG a pun!

And lastly....

Fridellaneous: Excited for Fantastic Mr. Fox

I'm so excited about this. Love love love Wes Anderson.

Money Monday: Berry Freeze

2009-11-09T14:56:00.009-05:00

Berry Freeze

Coolidge Corner

273 Harvard Street

Brookline, MA 02446

After my unhappy experience at J.P. Licks, I was excited to try a new frozen treat place in Coolidge Corner this weekend. Berry Freeze offers self serve frozen yogurt that's priced by the ounce (35 cents/oz) as well as smoothies and things of that nature. I like my fro-yo to be more on the side of pretend ice cream rather than tart yogurt as far as taste is concerned. Berry Freeze was only so-so in that regard (yogurt fanatics rejoice). The best part was the toppings bar, which put me right back in my college days at the dining hall (sigh). I got exactly how much blueberry for-yo I wanted with frosted flakes on top for less than $2. If you compare that to how much you spend at J. P. Licks, that's a pretty amazing deal! The only downside was that my frosted flakes were a little stale, but the taste was there.

I would recommend Berry Freeze as a place to walk by when you in the mood for diy fro-yo, but just check the flavors before getting a cup. I would have liked to have seen chocolate when I was there. Be careful with the tables as well- they spin, which is super fun until you spin your fro-yo off the table. Eek!

(The pink and blue highlighted interior of Berry Freeze)

Fridellaneous: Once Upon a Win

2009-11-06T16:40:00.005-05:00

Have 4 hours to kill? Once Upon a Win is there for you if you were born before 1995. The site is pretty much like scrolling though all the stuff from VHI's I love the 80s and 90s but without all of the annoying D list celebrities blabbing on and on about it (Except for Michael Ian Black of course). This site gets one of two reactions from me each time it adds a post: "OMG, I had that!" or "OMG, I wanted that soooooooo bad." Most recently: Books on tape. Had like a million of them. My dumb Mom gave them away to my cousins. Now, 20 years later, I actually have to read picture books to myself. Sheesh.

In a slightly related story, I've been trying to remember the name of this old computer game that I had as a kid. You had to put stories back together again by finding important parts and giving them to the main characters (i.e. finding Cinderella's pumpkin and bringing it back to her). I swear I thought it was called Bookworm but I can't find it on Wikipedia or anything. Did you have that? Was your little brother scared of the hairy bad guy too and insisted upon leaving the room each time he came on the screen?

Peruse Through Thursday: The Gates by John Connolly

2009-11-05T13:04:00.003-05:00

(The Gates by John Connolly, Atria, 2009, 304 pages, $24)

If Halloween put you in the mood for cute versions of scary things like those cute candy crazed trick or treaters, you'll enjoy The Gates by Irish author John Connolly. The novel, which is appropriate for younger or older readers, is focused on the adventure of happy-go-lucky Samuel Johnson and his equally adorable dachshund, Boswell. A few days before trick-or-treating begins, Samuel witnesses some dark events in the basement of his neighbors at 666 Crowley Road. The gates of Hell are being opened and Samuel is the only one who can do something to save Earth from impending doom.

The main character and his pup? So lovable. The plot? Adventurous and almost always funny. The intended audience? Children, but people are allowed to read young adult/children's literature whenever they want, OK? OK??

What to Watch Wednesday: Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day

2009-11-04T10:28:00.004-05:00

Well, if you're interested in how my 50,000 word novel is going, my goal for the end of today is to have 6,670 words, and I currently have 3,512... In short, I can see this is going to be a little harder than I might have originally thought. I write about 300 words a day for the blog, but 300 words times 30 days does not a 50,000 word novel make. Also, pictures count as 0 words in the word counter, not 1000 as my preference would be. Is it bad form to complain on day 4?

Needless to say I haven't been watching a ton of tv or movies this month. I did go see All Saints Day, which I was super excited about (see last week's blog post about the same for more info). It was exactly what I expected it to be. Age has worn down the saints beautiful faces slightly but their naked butts look just as good in the shower scene. The new sidekick, Romeo, is just a version of the killed off Rocco added for comedic effect. In fact all of the deep thought and commitment to friendship is reserved for Rocco in a dream sequence, leaving Romeo's motives for tagging along a little on the superficial side. The new agent does great with what she's given (sexy but not a love interest? Is that possible?) but was set up to fail in comparison to Willem Defoe in the first movie. The script isn't as good, but it's funnier and has less gore.

All in all, it's well worth it for fans of the first Boondock Saints to go to the sequel. The ending disappoints no one, I promise.

Good News! All Saints Day made enough money that it's going to be released in more cities across the nation like: Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego, Chicago, Detroit, Dallas, Atlanta and Houston. I suggest you keep an eye on the listings.

Newsday Tuesday: Vote No on 1 in Maine Today

2009-11-03T10:05:00.005-05:00

(Image from NPR)

Today's election in Maine includes a proposition (much like the infamous Prop 8 in California) giving voters the choice of whether or not to support the gay marriage law that was passed only 6 months ago. That law made Maine state number five to support equal rights and allow gay people to marry. There are only six states where it is currently allowed (Iowa, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont and *Massachusetts*) and after today it may decrease to five. NPR reported that early polls showed "no" voters and "yes" voters to be evenly divided. Gay residents can only pray that enough voters turn out to keep the law in place.

The video below is testimony from an 86 year old WWII vet at a public hearing in Maine, who makes an emotional plea to the public about allowing equal rights for his gay son and the gay community. The life long Republican says in the speech that he fought for America proudly because he believed he was fighting for liberty and justice for all Americans. It's really quite patriotic, and made me think about why so many states are allowing these propositions to come about at all. Isn't one of the reasons America is a Democratic Republic (as opposed to a straight Democracy) that the rights of the minorities get trampled on when the majority has all the power?

Similarly, the election in Washington state gives voters the option of overturning a bill known as the "everything but marriage" bill, which allows for gays in civil unions to benefit from all the same rights as married straight couples (but without the title of "marriage"). Does a rose by any other name smell as sweet? Maybe, but it's still insulting to the rose to call it a dandelion.

Good luck today, Maine and Washington, I think I speak for MA (and at least for Boston) when I say I hope your civil rights are protected.

Wednesday Update: The good news is that Washington state voted to uphold the "everything but marriage" law which protects civil unions and gives couples in them very similar rights as married couples. The bad news is that Maine voters voted to overturn the gay marriage law. From the news articles, it seems like the campaign against gay marriage won votes by spreading rumors that if the law was kept in place, gay marriage would be taught in schools and teens might be encouraged to experiment with their sexuality. My question is, since when do schools EVER talk about marriage of ANY kind? And what school the the United States is encouraging ANY type of sexuality in teens?? Last time I checked, they just teach the different kinds of STDs and leave the rest to student's imaginations. It's all so very disappointing, Maine. This morning I have the very depressing feeling that the generation now in their middle age in America is going to be remembered as a hateful and bigoted generation.

Blog Announcement: NaNoWriMo

2009-10-30T11:31:00.005-04:00

I'm both excited and hesitant to announce that your Bostini Fini author will be participating in National Novel Writing Month for the next 29 days. If you visit the site you'll see that the goal is for each participant to write 50,000 words by the end of November. The prize for completing the competition is the novel you always thought you could write albeit in a rough and unedited form.

The downside is while I'll be struggling through this self imposed ordeal, the blog will be in limbo. I'll try to post when I can and maybe invite some guest bloggers but in general, November will be a quiet month for Bostini Fini. I promise to return in December and restore the blog to its 5 post a week status. Have a good November- please don't be mad at me!

Yours very truly,

Bostini Fini Author

Peruse Through Thursday: Cheating Death by Sanjay Gupta

2009-10-29T13:49:00.000-04:00

(Cheating Death by Sanjay Gupta, Grand Central Publishing, 2009, 282 pages, $25)

Cheating Death is a non-fiction book written by CNN's Medical Correspondent and almost U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Cheating discusses how doctors decide when to pronounce someone dead vs. alive, and provides numerous seemingly miraculous examples of people who "came back from the dead", so to speak. The stories are great - they're the medical miracles that show up in the paper from time to time that we all respond to by saying "that's just amazing." The book is teeming with instances like waking up from a 20 year coma, surviving three days buried in snow, and having memories while the heart is no longer beating. I found the book fascinating in that it lays the path toward forward thinking in medicine - not in terms of new fancy drugs or anything like that, but reevaluating when death occurs and using simple non-flashy procedures to save a life.

My complaints about Chasing Death stem from my general complaints about non-fiction as an entire genre. Non-fiction that's written like a super long magazine article, as this one is, can feel disjointed in how it hops around back and forth between individuals and their stories. There were times when I had to flip back and try to remember which patient/doctor Gupta was talking about now. Another part I questioned was the chapter about fetal surgery (that is, surgery on a fetus while still in the mother to prevent defects that lead to death). The theme of the book is the gray area between being alive and being dead, and I just didn't see how operating on fetuses fit in with cases where the patient is alive, then dead, then alive again. It was, however, thoroughly impressive to read about the doctors who can be successful in such an operation for both of their patients (the mother and the baby).

I would recommend Cheating Death to anyone interested in the medical profession who enjoys reading case studies written for people (like me!) who know nothing about medicine or the human body (ok, I know like 3 things... the arm bone's connected to the shoulder bone...)

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Sanjay Gupta

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

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Peruse Through Thursday: Decisions by Shaun Priest

2009-10-29T13:24:00.011-04:00

(Decisions by Shaun Priest, Small Dog Publishing, 2009, 180 Pages, $13)

Decisions, by Massachusetts raised Shaun Priest, follows big time health care software salesman Jack "Fitzy" Fitzpatrick on his business trips to Reno where he's trying to make the sale that could save his company. Unfortunately, Reno is a dangerous city for Fitzy since it's also where he's gambling himself further into debt and starting an extramarital affair. Back in Boston, Fitzy struggles to keep his dangerous Southie bookie and nagging wife at bay while he discovers in his company's accounting records that he's not the only one lying about finances. Meanwhile, agents of the FBI are looking to crack down on underground gambling and Fitzy is walking right into their net.

Priest's debut novel has all the right ingredients for a modern crime thriller but it never really follows through. I very quickly came to despise almost every character in the entire novel, especially the ones we are meant to like the most: Fitzy and his wife. Mrs. Fitzpatrick is nagging and obnoxious even when her complaints are valid and Fitzy is dull and skilled only at taking advantage of other people. Priest glosses over the positive interactions that the couple has (i.e. "they had a nice dinner") but writes in detail about their fights, which lead me to silently root for their divorce. In general, I don't have a problem with reading about characters that I don't like - some of the most interesting characters in literature are unlovable - but I need a stronger plot to balance it out.

Somewhere deep inside Decisions there is an exciting novel with a fast paced plot, but Priest would need to cut about 80 pages of his book to find it. All of the interesting plot advances occur in the second half of the book as the first is dedicated to Fitzy's downward spiral - a spiral that could have been 10 pages long instead of 100. Additionally the reader is forced to wallow through some real-life sales procedures that add nothing to the book unless you accidentally picked it up instead of Selling Things for Dummies. I assume that Preist explains every monotonous detail of the sales models for the benefit of those readers unfamiliar with such things, however those are the people who also have no interest in reading about them to begin with. If you can make it through all that, there's a pretty interesting ending waiting for you. Priest seems like a good story teller who just needs to work on translating that to written work.

I recommend this book to people who are on the lookout for new authors and those who hate contractions even in emotional dialogue. (i.e. "It is over between us! I do not want to see you again!" - Well at least he was proper about it.)

What to Watch Wednesday: Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day

2009-10-28T12:09:00.000-04:00

(Boondock Saints II opens in Boston on Friday, Ocotber 30)

Although it's difficult to be over optimistic about sequels, this is the most excited I've been to see a movie since Iglourious Basterds. If you haven't seen the first Boondock Saints, shame on you, you are not a good Bostonian. The movie was about two Irish brothers and their crusade to find and kill all members of organized crime and general low-life assholes in our fair city.

Boondock Saints II depicts the McManus brothers' and their father's return to Boston in order to clear their name in a murder charge in which they have been framed (and, I'm guessing, to get their vengeance on whoever did it.) The same cast and characters from the first Boondock Saints will reappear including dear old Rocco, who will come in for a dream sequence. The exception to this of course is Special Agent Smecker, played by William Defoe. Losing Defoe is a huge blow to the film, but in his place will be new character: Special Agent Bloom played by Dexter's Julie Benz (she plays Rita on Dexter).

(The two new characters in Saints)

In a long and interesting interview with Cinematical, the director, Troy Duffy, explains that Agent Bloom is a smart, fast, strong female character, and that he had his female fan base in mind when he added her to the script. He is well aware that the only women in the first movie were strippers and Rocco's cat-owning girlfriend. As a result, Duffy has included another present for the ladies (the straight ones anyway): a nude shower scene in the beginning of the film. Yes please! From the Cinematical interview,
"Oh yeah. I was looking out for my girls on that one. I mean, like, when you're on a set full of dudes, and you're making kind of a dude movie, it's really easy to get locker room talked out of doing nudity, you know? [laughs] But I just knew we had to... It was a really cold night in that barn, and they actually didn't have hot water for those showers they're taking; the showers they're taking are cold. It's an annoying thing for an actor to go through, but I just kept going. I kept focusing on the ladies. I'm like, this one's kinda for the ladies."

(Hopefully the Dad's not in the nude scene...)

The only thing that remains to be seen is if Rocco's replacement character, Romeo, can provide the comic relief that his non-mulleted predecessor did. I'm hoping yes.

If you have a love for all things Irish, Boston or vengeful, make sure you see this movie, which other people around the country aren't so lucky to have playing in their towns.

Newsday Tuesday: Stabbing at MGH

2009-10-27T19:21:00.004-04:00

(MGH surrounded by police vehicles. Boston Globe)

Around 2 pm today, a 37 year old psychiatric patient at MGH stabbed his doctor and consequently was shot dead by an off-duty security guard. The psychiatrist is stable, according to the Boston Globe report. The strange part is that this is the second attack in a week at MGH - the other being an assault by a homeless man on a female employee in a bathroom on Thursday (Boston Globe's story here).

On the one hand, a hospital is a good place to have a medical emergency... on the other hand it's so depressing that medical professionals would be attacked by the people they're trying to help. Sad.

(A crowd of workers and patients waiting outside. Boston Globe)

Money Monday: OMG, shoes! (boots edition)

2009-10-26T18:29:00.000-04:00

(Pretty boots!)

Now that the winter is setting in (eek, November is this week?) my need to purchase some boots to protect my toes from harsh Boston chills is imminent. I currently own a pair of casual flat brown leather boots and an embarrassingly slutty pair of stiletto boots that I can only wear when going out to a club or dressing like a witch. Thus, I need to pick up a stylish work-appropriate pair of fairly comfortable boots that I can commute through the slush in (such as the mid-calf pairs above or the celebrity favorites below). And they can't be peep-toe, although I think those are the cutest.

(Apparently berets are also in fashion this fall/winter.)

Can I afford boots that walked off a runway somewhere? Decidedly not. So, DSW it is for my boot shopping needs! Here are some I found appealing:

(Steve Madden, on sale for $50) (For $85, I think these would look amazing with tights)

(These are right on the edge of being too casual... or too piratey... but I like them)

For all the fashion conscious men out there, boots are an option for you, as long as they're short and are worn under your pants. If you appreciate manly fashion, check out Nerd Boyfriend, a blog featuring vintage-ish pictures of celebrities and links to items of clothing you can get to achieve their look. Recently featured: Jimmy Stewart, Bill Murray and Jackie Chan.

Peruse Through Thursday: Robinson Crusoe

2009-10-22T12:37:00.005-04:00

(Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, (Originally published in 1719), Barnes and Nobel Classics, 2003, 352 pages, $4.95) (Alternatively, for free online here)

I picked it up Daniel Defoe’s classic, Robinson Crusoe, from my English teacher boyfriend’s shelf having never been forced to read it in school, and actually enjoyed it (with some reservations). The book depicts around 30 years of Robinson Crusoe’s life in the 1600s, much of which is spent shipwrecked on a deserted island in Central America. Crusoe learns how to cultivate the land, build elaborate shelters for himself and tame animals on the island. After years and years of living as happily as you can by yourself, Crusoe discovers that natives from a mainland not too far off make trips to his island to perform cannibalistic acts on the beach. Eventually he finds an opportunity to save one of the men who would be eaten and keeps him for a slave (oh lucky day!). Crusoe names his slave “Friday”, teaches him English and converts him to Christianity. Together they form a plan to escape from the island and return to England.

If you can look past the blatantly ignorant depiction of the native people of Central and South America, it’s not such a bad little book. For example, I’m not sure how historically accurate it is that all of the native people were violent cannibals, and in fact I think that was a perpetuated stereotype at the time so that European colonialists could claim people as their slaves without remorse. It’s absolutely ridiculous that a native would not only allow himself, but desire himself to be enslaved for the rest of his life when the alternative is to get in a canoe and go back home. It’s slightly insulting as well that Friday speaks like some kind of monkey/Tarzan man, even though Crusoe teaches him English (not to mention is the only person he talks to at all) for more than 5 years.

Crusoe discovers religion when he is on the island. Although he had never prayed before coming to the island, he reads the Bible and even has a “rebirth” at one point when he goes to sleep for a day and half. While he tries to become a good man, and believes that he has succeeded, Crusoe points out for the reader that he really faces no temptation or lust or anything of that manner on the island – essentially, it’s impossible to not be good when stranded on an island. And as we find out later, once those temptations are back in Crusoe’s life, his morality worsens in correlation. Crusoe begins to believe that everything happens as God intends it, and that God punished him by putting him on the island for the sin of going against his father’s wishes (which seems a little farfetched). Somehow the fact that he got shipwrecked when he was on his way to capture some slaves for his plantation slips his mind when he’s thinking of why God punished him. Despite his spiritual awakening, as soon as Crusoe manages to escape the island, his only interests concern money and how to amass it. Case in point: he visits his family just to see if he was left an inheritance. What a great guy.

If you look at the book from the perspective of an Englishman (emphasis on man since the only women in the book are shipped to the island as goods, like cattle) who is obsessed with the idea of colonialism, capitalism and slavery, it’s a pretty good adventure book. It was the original “what would you do on a deserted island” story, and we can thank it for all the adaptations it spurned, some of which, it can be argued, include William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, the 2000 movie Cast Away and tv’s Survivor.

P.S. Did anyone actually see that Crusoe show on NBC last year? Was it any good?

Pierce looks so good with dreads... mmm....

What to Watch Wednesday: Zombieland

2009-10-21T15:11:00.006-04:00

(Zombieland, 2009, Rated R)

The first rule of surviving in the virus ridden Zombieland, main character Columbus tells us, is "Cardio". Zombies are quick on their feet and you should be too. The second rule is to "Beware of Bathrooms" where you're most vulnerable. Don't get caught with your pants literally down. The third is to "Keep Your Seat Belt On" because you don't want to get ejected out of your car into the hungry arms of preying zombies. Rule four establishes that Zombieland is intentionally spoofing the zombie genre : "Double-Tap"- You need to shoot a zombie and then shoot it again to make sure it's dead. Don't be stingy with those bullets. This is the movie's favorite rule and demonstrates it repeatedly. The rules of surviving Zombieland are the best part of the movie and do continue, although not as extensively as the audience would have liked.

Zombieland follows the formation of an unlikely troup of survivors in an America rife with zombies: a nerdy college virgin named Columbus, a trigger-happy killing machine named Tallahassee, a sexy con artist named Wichita and her adorable con-in-training sister, Little Rock. The four go on a kind of pilgrimage to the furthest amusement park posible and experience plenty of zombie close calls along the way. The overall genre leans almost completely toward comedy and away from horror - although you wouldn't know that from the first 15 minutes. That first 15 minutes contains all the gore needed to push Zombieland into the R ratings (as well as a nasty pair of zombie boobs and a surprisingly scary chase scene at a gas station) but after that gets worked out of the film's system, the film becomes focused on building up the characters and being funny. In fact the film isn't really even zombie-centric, since the zombies are really there for thrilling comedic effect.

The characters are all really quite lovable (important since they're the only ones in the whole movie), so developing them further is a good thing. Jesse Eisenberg plays the lead character but comes off as a poor man's Michael Cera. Luckily he's endearing anyway, especially in comparison to his rugged, BAMF, twinkie-loving travelling companion played by Woody Harrelson. The two female characters are underdeveloped in comparison to the guys, but Emma Stone (from Superbad) and Abigail Breslin (from Little Miss Sunshine) do the absolute best with the lines they're given.

I don't consider myself a zombie fan, and I rarely go to horror films (scary or gorey), but I did enjoy Zombieland and all the living dead jokes that came along with it. The best part by far involves a hilarious cameo by a certain middle aged comedian who plays himself. Look forward to that and try not to look up who it is before you go. Oh, and all "Los submarinos" as well.

Newsday Tuesday: The Amazing Worcester Tree House

2009-10-20T14:21:00.006-04:00

(Picture from the Boston Globe)

Michael Chapman, a resident of Worcester, is being forced to tear down a four story tree house he constructed around the boughs of a great old oak on his property. The tree house is beyond amazing with it's multitude of stairways and platforms. Chapman built the structure, which cost more than $12,000, as an homage to a childhood desire to have a tree house, but unfortunately his neighbors don't possess the same childlike whimsy that he does. They're complaining that it's unsafe, unattractive, and provides Chapman with a way to spy on them in their homes. The neighbors brought the house to the attention of the town, and now the town is forcing Chapman to take it down by November 2, just a few days more than a month after it's creation, or face $300 per day fines. The Boston Globe reports that at least one neighbor has threatened Chapman with arson or death if the tree house didn't come down (link above).

The house in the clip below is absolutely amazing and (at least for me) brought back a moment of excitement and anticipation to explore it that must have been left over from my childhood. Even if this structure was over my property I would be all for keeping it up. It's hardly an eyesore, and can't be very dangerous if it can hold the weight of a handful adults at the same time. (No more dangerous than the plywood slice-of-pie-shaped tree house with a rope ladder that my Dad build for me, anyway.) Maybe if Chapman hosted a neighborhood cocktail party in the tree house none of this drama would have happened. It's just one more downside to living so close to other people.

Money Monday: The Intermission Tavern

2009-10-19T12:59:00.001-04:00

The Intermission Tavern • 228 Tremont Street • Boston, Massachusetts • 02116

(617) 451-5997

When you’re showing your lady (or gentleman) friend a nice time in the Theatre District, it’s important to go out for dinner or drinks in conjunction with your show to make the date really special. Obviously you could just go to a show but that won’t provide much opportunity for conversation or, more importantly, drunkenness. My favorite date night place to go before a show is The Intermission Tavern on Tremont Street. It’s a smallish darkish pubish place with excellent food and a naked pin-up above the bar. They have a nice selection of beers including Sam Adams Brick Red, which I’ve been drinking fairly often these days.

The only downside is that the kitchen is on the slow side and the (only) waitress has her hands full getting everything together. Last night the waitress forgot my side salad, but my steak tips were too good to complain. Plus, why would I want to eat salad when I can eat a huge mound of buttery mashed potatoes? Beer’s a vegetable, right?

As long as you plan to have a few extra minutes before the show in case service is slow, I highly recommend the Intermission.

Fridellaneous: Am I cursed?

2009-10-16T11:44:00.004-04:00

(Snow in the Boston area this morning... last year at this time the temperature was in the low 60s)

Many of you Bostonians may have looked out your window this morning and observed the impossible: snow. I myself wondered how long I had been asleep... had it been a week? a month? I had been telling my boyfriend just last week how I was finally ready to embrace fall and all the crisp air and falling leaves that come along with it. This morning I had to dress for winter, and I wondered, is it just an unseasonably cold day, or am I cursed? Let's examine the facts:

I made plans with some friends to visit an orchard tonight with a corn maze and hay rides and all that wholesome farm-ness. I was already expecting our plans to get rained out, but the possibility of something worse never occurred to me.

My boyfriend and I were planning on a romantic leaf peeping trip to Vermont on Saturday and Sunday. Apparently Mother Nature is not so much on board with that idea.

The snow didn't just hit MA this morning either. In my old home town of State College, PA, they received as much as 4.5 inches and experienced massive power outages. This marks State College's earliest snow of the year on record, the previous record being October 18, set in 1901. What does this have to do with your humble author you may wonder? Well, this weekend I decided to lend my car (something I rarely do) to my friend who happens to be taking a trip to Penn State for homecoming weekend. Location: State College, PA. Have a fun drive Allison!

This week I read Robinson Crusoe, in which the main character of the same name very much believes that everything happens for a reason, and the reason always has something to do with him. I blame this book for placing me in such a self centered frame of mind. However I can't seem to shake this notion that the weather occurred as some sort of direct punishment for me. What other hardships the weekend has in store to spite me remains to be seen, friends, but you may rest assured that I will not miss my opportunity to complain about them to you.

What to Watch Wednesday: Whip It!

2009-10-14T13:25:00.001-04:00

I saw Whip It when it came out a couple weekends ago, and I've been thinking about it ever since - I've already bought the "Hurl Scout" uniform and skates to be a roller derby girl for Halloween.

Whip It has a fairly generic plot line in which an angsty teen (Bliss, played by Ellen Page) who wants to escape small town USA rebels against the lofty goals forced upon her by her parents (in this case to be a beauty queen) in favor of what inspires her on a an intimate personal level (Roller Derby). You've seen this movie before in various ways (many of them sport related). The inevitable moment where the parents find out about the betrayal and the teen screams, "(insert activity here) is your dream, not mine!" and runs out of the house comes and goes in Whip It, and surprisingly, you don't care.

You don't care that it's cliche and overdone nor do you care that you could have predicted most of the dialogue - what you end up caring about are all the characters played by *amazing* women and a couple men. These actors are the best part of the movie, and they're good enough that you'll consider paying to see the whole thing again.

The Amazing, Hilarious Cast:

Ellen Page (Bliss aka Babe Ruthless) - Ellen Page proves she's no one trick pony, but can in fact play more than one layered smart female. Ok, the "alternative high schooler" part is the same.

Kristen Wiig (Maggie Mayhem) - SNL's star is a hot single mom and strong role model for our main character all wrapped into one.

Eve (Rosa Sparks) - Our lovely singer is not so much an actress, but the tiger tattooed lady brings some BAMF factor to the team.

Juliette Lewis (Iron Maven) - The pro actress induces hatred all across the board as Bliss's sexy nemesis.

Zoe Bell (Bloody Holly) - Zoe Bell is the ultimate stunt woman BAMF. She may not be riding on the hood of a car or killing members of the Crazy 88 in Whip It, but she gets to have a character (!) and knock some ladies around the track.

Drew Barrymore (Smashley Simpson) - What an fun, bubbly, girl powered directorial debut! Great job Drew! You're not going to earn awards but I'm going to go see your next movie for sure.

Alia Shawkat (Pash) - We know this half Iranian beauty from her snarky lines on Arrested Development. She plays Bliss's best friend and confidant, which makes sense since the women are both friends in real life and have both made out with Michael Cera.

Marcia Gay Harden (Bliss's Mom) - The Oscar winner initiates some deep and memorable scenes as Bliss's mother who is living vicariously though Bliss.

Andrew Wilson (Coach Razor) - Yes, the other Wilson brother. Wilson plays the shaggy haired coach of the Hurl Scouts (man candy!)

Jimmy Fallon (Hot Tub Johnny) - Jimmy plays the sleazy announcer who hits on the ladies, gets rejected, and delivers some funny one-liners during action scenes.

Oh yeah, and the dude from Home Alone plays a very endearing Texan Dad.

Newsday Tuesday: Congratulations Obama

2009-10-13T18:59:00.006-04:00

I totally agree with Rachel Maddow. On Friday we found out that our President won the Nobel Peace Prize, and I was never quite so proud to be an American. I don't consider myself a member of "Obamamania" or any of that, but I did vote for the guy, and on Friday I experienced a feeling I can only describe as patriotism.

As a young adult, I only began to understand politics and America's role in the global community while President Bush was in office. This left a lot to be desired. If Obama doesn't deserve the award for what he has accomplished as president, or what he symbolizes as the first African American president, or for his promises concerning de-proliferation, or for his goals, he deserves it in my book for renewing my faith in government. I speak for American young adults when I say, congratulations, Mr. President! You are working diligently to make our country a better place for our citizens and a better leader for the world. Although you face *loud* criticism from your own people (which has attracted a great deal of media attention) you can believe that there are (tenfold) people like me who are applauding you in private for this well deserved award.

Money Monday: J. P. Licks

2009-10-12T18:15:00.000-04:00

(J. P. Licks at Coolidge Corner, 311 Harvard Street, Brookline)

When suddenly hit with hunger pangs for ice cream this Columbus Day, a group of friends and I hit up the Brookline J. P. Licks to solve our collective sweet tooth. J. P. Licks is the kind of place I always walk by but never have any reason to go into, and I realized on Monday that I should have just kept walking by. My expectations for this Boston based creamery were pretty high - in my head it was supposed to be the Ben and Jerry's of Massachusetts - but J. P. Licks didn't stand up to any expectation except perhaps decor (which was as cow themed as you could desire.)

Two small ice creams with one topping each somehow totaled pennies under $10 (and we're not talking fancy toppings here... like rainbow sprinkles). My "Kowlua" was enjoyable for about 6 minutes until I discovered a golf ball sized lump of... something. It was a different color than my ice cream and I didn't really feel like exploring further. So all in all, it was a pretty disappointing ice cream experience. If I wasn't there 95% as an excuse to spend another half hour with my friends before trudging home, it would have been completely unsuccessful.

Don't be fooled by this seemingly adorable cow.

Fridellaneous: Places Where I've...

2009-10-09T12:35:00.003-04:00

This is a little poem type writing from my personal collection. Enjoy.

Places Where I've...

the bed
the living room floor
in the car
on a plane
at my parent's house
in Ireland
the bathroom at work (3x!)
at a Notre Dame football game
front row of a Broadway musical

...gotten a bloody nose.

Newsday Tuesday: Non-Drinkers More Depressed than Drinkers

2009-10-06T13:59:00.004-04:00

TIME magazine posted an article today describing the findings of a recent study conducted by a professor at the University of Bergen in Norway concerning the correlation between drinking/abstaining and the risk of depression/anxiety. In line with common knowledge, those in the top fifth percentile of drinkers were most likely to have anxiety but contrary to popular belief, those in the study who abstain from drinking had the highest risk for depression. OMG!

The study attempted to find an explanation for the finding (other than the reason that abstainers may be ex-alcoholics, which only accounts for 14%) and decided the most likely reason that abstainers were more depressed was that they have less close friends than drinkers, and have more trouble creating deep friendships. Hey, I can see that - I wouldn’t be close with my friends without beer goggles. Also if you avoid drinking at bars and parties I guarantee you will not enjoy yourself. There’s nothing like being forced to take pictures of friends whose eyes are half closed in every picture anyway and listening to them talk/sing/try to read when there’s no other sober person to make fun of them with to increase the likelihood of depression.

I was surprised by the findings partially because the happiest, most-often-laughing woman in my office doesn’t drink and partially because drinkers (according to my own, personal study) are less healthy, heavier, have less money, have dirtier kitchens, have more bruises from falling and have more embarrassing tagged pictures on Facebook. On the other hand, the study was done in Norway, and if my limited stereotypical knowledge of Norway is correct, life is tough for a non-drinker. Let’s review:

It’s cold there. – Alcohol makes you feel warmer. I would be depressed if I was cold all the time.
They fish a lot. – Fishing is boring and boats are not fun in the cold.
They’re rich. – They don’t have to worry about spending all their rent money at the bar like I do. They can also buy the yummiest alcohol available assuming they have it in Norway.
It’s in Europe…kind of – Drinking is a big part of every European nation. They never went through a prohibition period like the US, and they start drinking at younger ages over there. Norway is only kind of in Europe though because it’s way north of the cool countries and only touches Sweden and sort of touches Finland and Russia. I think if a Norwegian spent more time pondering how far away he was from the cool parts of Europe and less time drinking, he would be more likely to become depressed for sure.
The capital is Oslo – I don’t know how this might effect the study but that was the only other thing I knew about Norway and frankly a list with only 4 items just looks amateur.

Hooray for drinking... in moderation according to the study.

Money Monday: Tis-tiK Jewelry Shop

2009-10-05T12:35:00.006-04:00

(Tis-tiK, 54 Church Street in Harvard Square, www.shoptistik.com)

Tis-tiK is a cute little jewelry store in Harvard Square that sells handmade jewelry produced by artisans in developing countries (and Mexico). Some of their jewelry is sort of boring and/or ugly, but most of it is really beautiful. They feature a number of different artisans, each with their own style. There's a lot of silver and colored glass in the shop right now if you're into that. I imagine the merchandise changes pretty frequently.

(The inside is pretty cute)

I was wandering around Harvard Square on Friday and I picked up a gift for a friend's birthday and a gift for myself (because if you're thoughtful enough to buy someone a gift, you obviously deserve something too). I got rings similar to the ones below for around $20 each.

(I got one like this but with slightly fewer, slightly thicker bands)

(I got one like this but with a little more texture and the band is thinner.)

I would for sure go there again to shop for gifts.

Fridellaneous: Learn Something Every Day

2009-10-02T11:58:00.004-04:00

Learn Something Every Day is a fun little blog put together by a design firm in the UK that does what the name says: gives a little factoid with a cute picture to accompany it. If you're into useless trivia or simple sharpie drawings, you could spend a lot of time on this site. I think these would make a sweet page a day calendar for your desk. Right now they're just for desktop.

Bright colors and funny pictures! Yay!

Peruse Through Thursday: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

2009-10-01T09:57:00.000-04:00

(The Lost Symbol, by Dan Brown, Doubleday, 2009, 528 pages, $30)

The Lost Symbol is the third installment of Dan Brown's novels centered on his favorite professor of symbology, Robert Langdon. The book follows Langdon and his female sidekick/disposable love interest, Katherine Soloman on their 24 hour race to discover ancient wisdom hidden somewhere in Washington D.C. before the CIA does and before the crazy bad guy, Mal'akh, kills Peter Solomon, Langdon's mentor and high power in the Freemason underground society. The book takes the reader on a historical conspiracy themed tour of D.C. while simultaneously mixing it with cutting edge (read:science fictiony) science being conducted at the Smithsonian by Katherine. Just as in Angels & Demons and The DaVinci Code, Brown points out to the reader just how intertwined all of the ideologies that people hold dear or let die out really are.

The villain in the book is pretty decent, although I don't really consider 6'3" to be "towering" as Brown describes him multiple times. He's smart, cruel and surprising, but confused as are all of Brown's twisted bad guys. Additionally, there's an on again off again villain, Director Sato of the CIA, who may or may not be doing the right thing. The lady character (you know, the women that Brown adds to each book and then throws out for the next book) is a science genius, and just interesting enough that you'll be happy that she's in the book but won't care that she doesn't show up again.

Brown's writing isn't great, but that's not why you read his novels. (And certainly don't read them to learn anything, although he researches his books thoroughly). You read Dan Brown novels to delve into the "what if" of every conspiracy theory and be lead by the hand through a scavenger hunt puzzle you don't have to put any thought into. I think a good portion of the book could have been chopped, and the number of chapters could have been reduced (seriously, Brown, you can have more than 2 pages in a chapter) but of course I was highly entertained on the bus and thus can't complain too much.

While the Financial Times called Brown out for what he is (a sucky writer) when they said, that the book is, "filled with cliche, bombast, undigested research and pseudo-intellectual codswallop", Brown could pretty much just laugh in their face since his novels sell like crack. The Lost Symbol was the fastest selling adult-market novel in history, selling more than one million copies on the first day it was released. (Note to self, write 5 novels and be set for life.) You don't need to add to Brown's ever-growing bank account though - the paperback comes out in a couple of days.

Spoiler Alert! Only read this part if you've already read The Lost Symbol!

The biggest, most exciting surprise moment of all for me, didn't actually happen... you know what I'm talking about... the part that included a coffin filled with liquid... I allowed myself to believe for a single moment that Brown would have to balls to drown his billion dollar character and let the semi-interesting lady complete the journey without Langdon's slightly obnoxious historical ramblings. Maybe next time, dear readers.

What to Watch Wednesday: Black Eyed Peas One Take

2009-09-30T14:19:00.006-04:00

Some kids at Quebec University proved that every so often Canada can do cool things when all the stars align and reminded me how much I wish I was still in college when they made this video. It's a music video shot in a SINGLE TAKE for the Black Eyed Peas song, I Gotta Feeling, which is so freaking catchy despite it's mediocrity. It took the organizers about a month to plan and they did one or two rehearsals and then boom! one take video! I love it and I think the kids are adorable and fun- I'm just in love with all of them.

Why are one-take videos so fascinating anyway? Is it because we spend so much of our days on the computer that we can't imagine an unedited photo or video? Do we think it's impossible to make things amazing without technology? I think sometimes simple things like hand drawn animation and one- take videos turn out all the more impressive because they're simple.

In the one-take do-it-yourself family (but with more of a focus on the funny factor than the awe factor), these one minute movies were entertaining and clever. The group responsible for the videos below have a few similar ones... maybe a Star Wars and a zombie one... at their you tube site.

Yay What to Watch Wednesdays! Such time wasters! So much fun!

Money Monday: Chair Makeover

2009-09-28T12:42:00.004-04:00

Before:

This weekend I took a set of four chairs that my boyfriend and I originally rescued from one of our neighbor's stoops on trash day and gave them a little makeover to brighten up our apartment. At first we kept the original retro orange and white cushion covers but they were starting to fall apart and look crappy, so it was time for a change. Here's the cost rundown:

Spray Paint $10

Fabric $15

Chairs Free

Total $25, or $6.25 per chair. Not too bad at all!

Now, I'm more than willing to admit that neon corduroy might not be everyone's bag, but I think the end result of my project was some funky chairs that will make my kitchen happy.

After:

Fridellaneous: Rotten Tomatoe's Worst of the Worst List

2009-09-25T15:18:00.006-04:00

Scroll through Rotten Tomatoes' picks for worst movies of the past decade and see how many you've seen. I've wasted my time watching two of them, #56 and #40. Lucky me.

Peruse Through Thursday: the Dexter series by Jeff Lindsay

2009-09-25T10:29:00.011-04:00

I'm sorry for the delay of this post... it's 3 books so what do you say you cut me a little slack.

If you've seen the Dexter series on Showtime, you're already familiar with the entrancing power of the charming main character, Dexter. By day, Dexter Morgan is a 30 something year old regular Joe with a cute girlfriend and a clean apartment who works in the forensics department of the Miami police... by night, he's a serial killer who has an insatiable need to murder his fellow Floridians. Thanks to a deeply traumatizing childhood followed by the guidance of a cop foster father, Dexter finds himself unable to control his need to murder, but fully able to control the choice of who he kills. Dexter only kills people who have killed before and specializes in killers who have hurt children. The result is a less-flashy more down to earth Batman-esque anti-hero.

While the plot of the completely addictive show is entirely independent of the books with the exception of the first season (which is based on the first book), 100% of the credit for creating Dexter (the character) goes to author Jeff Lindsay. Lindsay has written four Dexter novels, three of which I've reviewed below. For the record, the show is better than the books in more ways than one. However, I still recommend the books to fans of the show as a way to continue to enjoy the characters you love in an alternate plot.

Book 1: Darkly Dreaming Dexter, Vintage Publishing, Reprinted 2009, 368 pages, $7.99

Fans of Showtime's Dexter will recognize much of the plot in this novel, with some twists. Much of the novel is devoted to developing the Dexter Morgan we know and love as well as the driving force to kill that possesses him, endearingly referred to by Dexter as his "Dark Passenger". As an expert in blood spatter, Dexter is equally perplexed and fascinated by a series of grisly murders in Miami that involve a great deal of severed limbs but interestingly enough, no blood. Dexter recognizes the "art" involved in the killings and is torn between helping his cop sister solve the case and earn a position in the Homicide Department, and finding this killer himself to express his respect for another killer's craft. However, when Dexter begins to have strange dreams accompanied with sleepwalking and premonitions of the murder scenes, he begins to wonder if he knows the "ice truck killer" more intimately that he first suspected.

The first novel is dominated by Dexter, which is a good thing because he's the most enjoyable character, but also briefly introduces the other characters that eventually become so incredibly developed on the tv show. Deborah, Dexter's foster sister, and her inability to speak without a minimum of 50% curse words is the second most developed character, although she's a little different than her tv version. Deborah knows more about Dexter's deadly side in the books for example, and her body type is drastically different as well.

This first book, as is the case in most popular novel series, is the best of the three that I've read, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys crime novels including people who have seen the show's first season - don't worry, you don't know the ending.

2. Dearly Devoted Dexter, Vintage Publishing, 2006, 292 pages, $10

Dearly Devoted Dexter is centered around a series of almost-murders being done by a crazy veteran nicknamed Dr. Danco. The victims are kept alert with the use of drugs while the "Dr." performs numerous amputations over the course of several weeks until eventually every appendage of the victim's body is gone including eyelids, nose and tongue. Meanwhile, Sergeant Doakes, the only person who has ever been able to see through Dexter's charming facade and fake emotions, has taken to stalking Dexter, blocking him from performing his deadly deeds. Realizing that Sgt. Doakes is connected to the Dr. Danco attacks, Dexter submits to Deborah's pleas for help in solving the case.

The second book of the Dexter series gives a little more attention to the relationship that Dexter has with his girlfriend, Rita, and her two children, Astor and Cody, since Dexter is forced to spend more time than usual with them to convince Sgt. Doakes that he is a normal non-serial killer kind of guy. Rita's involvement in Dexter's life would be minimal if Dexter had his say (after all, the guy can't feel emotions like love), but one night after accidentally proposing to Rita, he realizes much to his chagrin that the relationship is going to require more of his time and intimacy.

My verdict: worth the easy read, although Sgt. Doakes' stalking prevents Dexter from making very many kills, which are my favorite moments in the books.

3. Dexter in the Dark, Vintage Publishing, 2008, 320 pages, $10

The third Dexter book takes an unwelcome turn towards the fantasy genre when sacrificial murders are being performed not by one person, but by a series of people possessed by the same killer demon. Dexter's personal murderous demon, the "Dark Passenger", when faced with a double murder with an with ominous cult-like theme, goes into hiding, leaving Dexter desperately searching for his motivation to kill as well as his purpose in life without the Passenger.

Dexter in the Dark is a good deal longer than the previous two Dexter books (the page numbers are similar but the font is tiny), which gives Lindsay a little more opportunity to develop who Dexter is and why he is the way that he is, but frankly, I thought it was crap. If it wasn't for the role of Dexter's soon to be step-children in the plot, I might have actually put this book down and moved on to something else (an act of laziness I rarely perform).

Dexter realizes that Astor and Cody have a kind of "Dark Passenger" that they share but resides in Cody, which is the product of an alcoholic father's multiple beatings. Dexter decides to take them under his wing and train them in following the code of killing which was taught to him by his infamous foster father, Harry. The interaction between the kids and Dexter is what ultimately keeps this book from being horribly dull. The kids decide in one part of the book to kill a neighbor's dog, which might seem a little gruesome to outsiders, but in the world of Dexter, it's sort of a cute little stepping stone to becoming Dexter.

My verdict: Skip it unless you love Cody and Astor (and you know you love Cody and Astor)

4. Dexter By Design, Doubleday Publishing, 2009, 304 pages, $15 (hardcover)

I have yet to read Dexter by Design because I'm not willing to spend the 5 extra dollars for a hardcover... pretty cheap I know, but when you buy books as often as I do, it's worth waiting to save a few extra bucks. I do plan on reading it and when I do I'll let you know if it's, "The Best Dexter Book Yet" as the advertisements promise.

What to Watch Wednesday: Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

2009-09-23T12:17:00.006-04:00

When you were watching the Emmys on Sunday (yeah, I know you watched that shit, you don't have to lie) you might have noticed the interruption above. This was my first glimpse into the world of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, and from now on I plan never to look away. The musical went on to win an Emmy in the category of ‘Outstanding Special Class – Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Program’ whatever that is, and I went on to watch the 40 minute musical in its entirety, which I have included below for your viewing pleasure.

I have no idea how I missed this. It's more than a year old and involves all my favorite people. It's written and directed by the Whedon family - Joss Whedon directed some of my obsessions: Dollhouse, Firefly, Buffy. It features the acting skillz Nathon Fillion, star of Firefly, Serenity and Castle (oh jeez, I admit I watch that too). And most obviously it stars Neil Patrick Harris, the whole reason I was watching the Emmys to begin with - the man who's good at everything except being straight unfortunately for me. I don't know how the sing-along goodness slipped past me but I plan on keeping a watchful eye on the fan blog for news about a new episode of the Dr. Horrible extravaganza. I also plan on buying the DVD.

Watch and learn all the words, future Dr. Horrible fanatics:

Money Monday: Busy Bee Restaurant

2009-09-21T14:17:00.007-04:00

The Busy Bee Restaurant [1046 Beacon St., Brookline. 617.566.8733]

After a sloshingly fun evening Friday night, liquids and nutrients needed to be replenished on Saturday morning. And only a breakfast serving diner could satiate my desire for butter and fried meat so early in the day (read: 11:45 AM).

The Busy Bee Restaurant on Beacon street is perfect for this type of hunger pang. Furnished with Tiffany teal booths and a long soda jerk-esque bar, the old school decor of Busy Bee is matched only by the old school gruff attitude of the aging wait-staff. These ladies mean business and they will pressure you into quick decisions. The upside is any decision is a good one at the Busy Bee since all the breakfast items are delicious and inexpensive. I had the dreamiest stack of blueberry pancakes with a side of bacon, coffee and a glass of milk (like I said, replenishing those vitamins) for less than $9. Seems like a pretty amazing deal. As long as you didn't have visions of lattes or fresh flowers accompanying your brunch, Busy Bee is perfect for a casual AM date.

Peruse Through Thursday:Yang Ya-ching's 100 Kiss Project

2009-09-17T18:59:00.013-04:00

" It was a fleeting moment, I didn't feel much, but I do think that there was a touch of romanticism in it. He smiled, put his glasses back on and wished me a good day. Actually, kissing a stranger is like having an autumn leaf fall into your pocket." -Yang Ya-ching about her first of 100 kisses with strangers.

Yang Ya-ching is a 27-year-old woman studying music in Paris whose 2 year goal is to collect and document 100 kisses with strangers during her time abroad. So far in her adventures around Paris with a photographer and her little dog, she's received 54 kisses, which can be seen on her blog's photo page. Apparently her blog has become a bit of a sensation in Taiwan, and also a bit of a controversy. Naturally there are a group of people saying that Ya-ching is nothing but a slut and other nasty things, but from what I can see of the articles about her in English, the overwhelming reaction is positive fascination. I definitely fall into this category. Remembering your time in the most romantic city in the world with an album of professional photographs capturing 100 beautiful little moments is an amazing idea.

French people kiss each other on the cheeks all the time, so I don't think it's a huge step up in intimacy to kiss a stranger on the mouth. It's just a celebration of being in a beautiful place at the same time. One somewhat valid point from Ya-ching's critics is that if the genders were reversed for this project (if a man was soliciting kisses from female strangers) it would be considered inappropriate. I agree the whimsical feel is somewhat diminished under those circumstances, however I think as long as the kisses remain "pure" and touching is at a minimum it could work. It would be reminiscent of the Alfred Eisenstaedt photo of the soldier kissing a nurse in Times Square, which as we know occurred between two strangers.

Ya-ching's blog is sort of difficult to follow because of the language barrier, but you can tell from her comments that she's recently been thrust into the spotlight in a way that she didn't really sign up for. It seems to me (again, feel free to interpret the broken English of the google translation yourself) that she started out representing a dreamy personal fantasy and has been forced into a position of representing Taiwan's women in the Western world. I think she's super brave to continue her project in the face of a critical media.

All I can say is, good luck with your lovely project, Yang, and enjoy one more year in lovely France. Who wants a kiss?

What to Watch Wednesday: Billionaires for Wealthcare

2009-09-16T12:31:00.005-04:00

You might have heard of the "Billionaires for Wealthcare" showing up at teabaggers rallies, but in case you haven't, here's their five minutes of fame on the Rachel Maddow show. Honestly, I think the idea of a satirical protest group is hilarious and brilliant and I would be pumped to show up at a rally in the most formal gown I own.

A couple of their more clever signs:

Newsday Tuesday: Bush didn't like Palin

2009-09-15T12:08:00.003-04:00

In an article in the October 2009 issue of GQ magazine, Matt Latimer, a speech writer for President Bush during the later part of his last term, previews his upcoming book entitled Speech-Less: Tales of a White House Survivor. The most surprising excerpt from the article, which can be read in its entirety here, details a rare moment of clarity from Bush, where he denounced Governor Palin as being unfit to be running for Vice President. I found the following fascinating:

“I’m trying to remember if I’ve met her before. I’m sure I must have.” His eyes twinkled, then he asked, “What is she, the governor of Guam?”

Everyone in the room seemed to look at him in horror, their mouths agape. When Ed told him that conservatives were greeting the choice enthusiastically, he replied, “Look, I’m a team player, I’m on board.” He thought about it for a minute. “She’s interesting,” he said again. “You know, just wait a few days until the bloom is off the rose.” Then he made a very smart assessment.

“This woman is being put into a position she is not even remotely prepared for,” he said. “She hasn’t spent one day on the national level. Neither has her family. Let’s wait and see how she looks five days out.” It was a rare dose of reality in a White House that liked to believe every decision was great, every Republican was a genius, and McCain was the hope of the world because, well, because he chose to be a member of our party.

Money Monday: Decorative Terrarium

2009-09-14T12:41:00.009-04:00

Terrariums are a lovely way to bring the outdoors inside, and they can look pretty chic if they're made in decorative jars with interesting silhouettes. The idea is that the closed containers create a mini eco-system and can live independently without watering. Terrariums like the picture above can be found for sale on sites like Etsy for more than $4 an inch (the one above is $48 for 12x5). Likewise, the terrarium below, which I love because of the adorable little mushrooms in it, stands at 6.5 inches and goes for $28.

These terrariums are simple to make (remember 4th grade?) and can be achieved for way less than $50. I set out to prove that statement this weekend.

Materials:

- Glass Jar - T.J.Maxx, $7

- Bag of pebbles - Lowes, $3.50

- Small plant (optional) - $4

- Moss - free

Total: Less than $15

I also had enough plant and pebbles left over to make 2 or 3 more terrariums. Grouped together in different sizes, three would probably look nice on an entry way table (if I had an entry way table). I'm not going to insult your intelligence with instructions (again, did you complete the 3rd grade?) but it will suffice to say that creating my terrarium took about 10 minutes. It's definitely worth the effort if it survives for a few seasons.

Ta-da! The finished product (please ignore my poor photography skillz):

Fridellaneous: Disney's The Princess and the Frog

2009-09-11T10:34:00.006-04:00

'Princess and the Frog' Theatrical Trailer @ Yahoo! Video

The trailer for the new Disney princess movie is available now- and as you can tell, it looks like it has the potential to be pretty awesome. I love that they're using the classic 2D hand-drawn animation - it really looks good in the trailer. This is of course Disney's first black princess, but as far as I can tell, the film may not feature Disney's first black prince. Let me know what you think, but from the trailer he looks like he's white to me. The character is played by a Brazilian-American actor so perhaps this is Disney's first Latino prince and first interracial couple? I guess we'll just have to find out in a couple months.

Update: Oh, I forgot that Pocahontas and John Smith are an interracial couple, but they don't end up together so do they really count? They were more of a fling.

Peruse Through Thursday: The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks

2009-09-10T13:59:00.005-04:00

(The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks, Grand Central Publishing, 2003, 256 pages)

You may know Nicholas Sparks for his mushy romance novels, but chances are you know him better from his stories that have been adapted into movies: Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, Nights in Rodanthe and of course The Notebook. (Three more of his books are scheduled to be made into movies.) I'm not a terribly large romance novel fan, but every once in a while I like to read something sickly sweet and easy to read - the two dominating characteristics of Spark's books.

The Wedding documents the mid to late life of couple Jane and Wilson Lewis, daughter and son-in-law to The Notebook's Noah and Allie Cahoun. After Wilson forgets their anniversary, in addition to years of neglect on his part, Wilson realizes that his marriage is on the verge of collapse and fears his wife may no longer love him. When their daughter brings them the surprise announcement that she's getting married, Wilson takes the opportunity to prove himself to Jane and effectively save their marriage. With the knowledge that their relationship was never as romantic as his in-laws from The Notebook, Wilson embarks on the most difficult mission in his life: making his wife fall in love with him over again.

The plot is so cheesy that I couldn't avoid the summary being so as well - sorry. Spark's stories are filled with traditional kind of guys making romantic gestures for their traditional kind of girls. Sparks is a smart man (a fellow Notre Dame grad), but his writing is extremely simple, to the point of being dull at times. As long as you fully understand the lovey dovey type of book you're jumping into, and you're ok with being able to predict the ending by page 25, then by all means, enjoy The Wedding. When you finish it after about 4 hours, there are 17 more or so written by Sparks where that came from. I am being completely sincere when I say that I loved reading The Wedding... I just hated myself for it.

What to Watch Wednesday: SNL Season Starts September 26th

2009-09-09T18:13:00.006-04:00

I've been getting progressively more and more excited for the upcoming Saturday Night Live season to start, but unfortunately my enthusiasm came to a halt when I found out that two of my favorite ladies are being cut from the show: Michaela Watkins and Casey Wilson. Before I go on a feminist angry rant, I should point out that the women are being replaced by 2 different women. My natural reaction to that is, of course they're being replaced with 2 women, there's only 4 women in the whole fucking cast and they need more than 2 every so often. But hey, I just wanted to lay out all the facts.

Rumors are that Wilson was cut because she was overweight, which I'm hesitant to believe just because Watkins is being dropped simultaneously, although if it were true it really wouldn't surprise the hell out of me. SNL isn't the only show I can think of that lets male comedians get by being overweight but wants its women trim. That shit goes back to The Honeymooners, to Cheers, to Seinfeld, to King of Queens, including pretty much every sitcom except Roseanne.

It's hard for women on Saturday Night Live to earn a fan base when there aren't a ton of female roles being written without Kristen Wiig in mind. Listen writers, Wiig is awesome and hilarious, but honestly, there are other women in the cast who are getting fired because they don't have repeat characters. Watkins was hilarious as Barbara Walters, and the blogger chic (included below) and Wilson was funny although she never got any really killer characters to play. So anyway, watch the clips and say goodbye. Sadface.

SNL's Casey Wilson Reads Internet Comments from Casey Wilson

This last one has Wilson in a side role but I think it's hilarious:

Newsday Tueday: Obama's Back to School Speech

2009-09-08T12:44:00.007-04:00

President Obama delivered a back-to-school address to students today...or tried to. The speech, which was intended to be aired to schools across the nation was based on the importance of education, as reflected in this excerpt:

"This isn't just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you're learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future."

However, many schools felt pressure from parents to keep the speech out of the classrooms out of fear that the President might try to "indoctrinate America's children to his socialist agenda", as Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer put it. While the President holds a position of high respect according to Greer, it's apparently not so much respect that he would stop himself from shouting out against the White House providing a simple message and lesson plan to American schools.

Personally, I know exactly what these Right Wing parents are worried about. Watch out parents, you don't want your kids seeing this! Here are the 5 experts from the speech I found most dangerous:

1. When I was young, my family lived overseas. I lived in Indonesia for a few years. - Suggesting that living outside of America is acceptable. It is not.

2. I've talked about your parents' responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and you get your homework done, and don't spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with the Xbox. - This is not a good time in our economy to dissuade purchases of TVs or video games. Dangerous, Mr. President.

3. The future of America depends on you. What you're learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future. - As Bill Hogset from Dallas so eloquently put it, "I believe this is the greatest country on Earth, and I try to teach that to my children. ... I don't want them hearing that there's a fundamental flaw with the country and the kids need to go forward to fix it."

4. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mom who had to work and who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn't always able to give us the things that other kids had. - Blatant bashing of the Traditional American Family. And lastly...

5. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who've had the most failures. J.K. Rowling's -- who wrote Harry Potter -- her first Harry Potter book was rejected 12 times before it was finally published. - Unacceptable reference to evil book about witches and sin. Also, children should not read books.

Peruse Through Thursday: Emails From Crazy People

2009-09-03T18:31:00.007-04:00

Emails From Crazy People is a hilarious relatively new blog that I can't stay away from. As the blog name would suggest, it features emails, letters, texts and tweets sent from crazy-face people to people who think they're funny enough to contribute to the blog. Alternatively but equally funny are emails from normal people directed to crazy people who probably won't get the deep sarcasm that their letters are laced with.

In honor of back to school week...I thoroughly enjoyed this one:

I'm slightly concerned that I might end up like this one day...

From: Marney

As you all know a fabulous Thanksgiving Dinner does not make itself. I need to ask each of you to help by bringing something to complete the meal. I truly appreciate your offers to assist with the meal preparation.Now, while I do have quite a sense of humor and joke around all the time, I COULD NOT BE MORE SERIOUS when I am providing you with your Thanksgiving instructions and orders. I am very particular, so please perform your task EXACTLY as I have requested and read your portion very carefully. If I ask you to bring your offering in a container that has a lid, bring your offering in a container WITH A LID, NOT ALUMINUM FOIL! If I ask you to bring a serving spoon for your dish, BRING A SERVING SPOON, NOT A SOUP SPOON! And please do not forget anything.All food that is to be cooked should already be prepared, bring it hot and ready to serve, warm or room temp. These are your ONLY THREE options. Anything meant to be served cold should, of course, already be cold.HJB—Dinner wine

The Mike B Family
1. Turnips in a casserole with a lid and a serving spoon. Please do not fill the casserole all the way up to the top, it gets too messy. I know this may come as a bit of a surprise to you, but most of us hate turnips so don’t feel like you a have to feed an army.
2. Two half gallons of ice cream, one must be VANILLA, I don’t care what the other one is. No store brands please. I did see an ad this morning for Hagan Daz Peppermint Bark Ice Cream, yum!! (no pressure here, though).
3. Toppings for the ice cream.

4. A case of bottled water, NOT gallons, any brand is ok.

The Bob B Family

1. Green beans or asparagus (not both) in a casserole with a lid and a serving spoon. If you are making the green beans, please prepare FOUR pounds, if you are making asparagus please prepare FIVE pounds. It is up to you how you wish to prepare them, no soupy sauces, no cheese (you know how Mike is), a light sprinkling of toasted nuts, or pancetta, or some EVOO would be a nice way to jazz them up.

2. A case of beer of your choice (I have Coors Light and Corona) or a bottle of clos du bois chardonnay (you will have to let me know which you will bring prior to 11/22).

The Lisa B Family

1. Lisa as a married woman you are now required to contribute at the adult level. You can bring an hors d’ouvres. A few helpful hints/suggestions. Keep it very light, and non-filling, NO COCKTAIL SAUCE, no beans of any kind. I think your best bet would be a platter of fresh veggies and dip. Not a huge platter mind you (i.e., not the plastic platter from the supermarket).

The Michelle B Family

1. Stuffing in a casserole with a serving spoon. Please make the stuffing sans meat.

2. 2.5-3 qts. of mashed squash in a casserole with a lid and serving spoon

3. Proscuitto pin wheel – please stick to the recipe, no need to bring a plate.

4. A pie knife

The June D Family

1. 15 LBS of mashed potatoes in a casserole with a serving spoon. Please do not use the over-size blue serving dish you used last year. Because you are making such a large batch you can do one of two things: put half the mash in a regulation size casserole with lid and put the other half in a plastic container and we can just replenish with that or use two regulation size casserole dishes with lids. Only one serving spoon is needed.

2. A bottle of clos du bois chardonnay

The Amy M Family (why do I even bother she will never read this)

1. A pumpkin pie in a pie dish (please use my silver palate recipe) no knife needed.

2. An apple pie in a pie dish, you can use your own recipe, no knife needed.

Looking forward to the 28th!!

Marney

What to Watch Wednesday: Shaq Vs.

2009-09-02T13:46:00.004-04:00

Shaq Vs - Shaq vs. Misty and Kerri

(Shaq Vs., ABC, Tuesdays 9PM)

I'm not usually crazy about sports themed reality tv, but I watched Shaq vs. last night and I thought it was pretty entertaining... so much so that I watched another episode online. The basic premise involves Shaquille O'Neal challenging professional athletes in their own sport. The hour long show consists of about 60% trash talk and "training", while the last 40% is the actual competition. It's really just a silly enactment of hypothetical "who do you think would win if..." questions.

I will tune in to anything that can drag me away from America's Got Talent - a show that I watch with enthusiasm and then immediately regret. TV in the summer, as I've complained about before, is all around terrible. Some of the shows I like are starting back up like Project Runway, but otherwise summer TV blows. Shaq Vs. however, is curiously addictive in a non-regrettable way.

The first episode was Shaq vs. Ben Roethlisberger from the Steelers, the second was Shaq vs. Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh (the women's volleyball Olympic champs) and the third which aired last night was Shaq vs. Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals in a home run derby. Shaq gets to have some kind on handicap on the show, but as you may have already guessed, it doesn't help him. Upcoming episodes feature boxing champ Oscar de la Hoya and gold medal winner Michael Phelps. Oscar de la Hoya I could see Shaq having a small chance against since there's no way Oscar can reach Shaq's face, but unless Shaq is challenging Michael to pot smoking or sandwich eating, I don't know that any handicap in the world is going to help.

Supposedly some ESPN radio guy is cliaming that the idea for Shaq Vs. was stollen from his unknown book, Andy Roddick Beat Me With a Frying Pan, in which the author, Todd Gallagher, answers "what if" questions of a more rediculous and less athletic nature. The rumor is Gallagher is taking legal action against Shaq, but seriously, why? No one wants to see some random guy play against a pro athlete. That's way lame. Plus Gahhagher didn't even write his own questions- they were submitted by ESPN readers/listeners/watchers. In Shaq vs. unknown ESPN guy, I think Shaq would win.

Newsday Tuesday: Gay Marriage in VT

2009-09-01T13:35:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to all the newlyweds in Vermont who were allowed to legalize their vows as of 12:01 AM today! Same-sex marriage is now allowed in Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa and New Hampshire (in January of 2010). Maine is on it's way while RI, NY and DC recognize same-sex marriage performed in other states.

FYI, the adorable heart picture is taken from the blog, Pavoreal's jewelry box.

Fridellaneous: Elementary My Dear Hotty!

2009-08-28T16:16:00.012-04:00

I just wanted to bring your attention to the creation of a Sherlock Holmes movie by Guy Ritchie today.

I love Guy Ritchie movies although I'll admit that I build them up in my mind more than they probably deserve. Ritchie is probably never going to have a better movie than Snatch, but if he does make one, I want to be there in the theater to see it.

You may feel some slight confusion after viewing the trailer. There seem to be a few more explosions, fist fights and romantic encounters than you may recall in the short stories. The fact of the matter is that this movie is not based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Holmes - it's based on Lionel Wigram's graphic novel containing the classic characters, which is yet to be published to the best of my knowledge. One change I'm totally fine with: the lack of stupid hunting cap and cape that the stereotypical Holmes (although not necessarily the literary Holmes) wears. Ritchie said on the matter, "there is only one person in history who ever wore a deerstalker." Roughly.

More than 70 other actors have played Sherlock Holmes in movies through out cinematic history, but something tells me that Robert Downey Jr. is going to dominate. Downey obviously worked hard on the over worked character, saying in interviews that "Sherlock Holmes is easily the toughest job I've ever had,". Sidekick, Dr. Watson, is played by man-candy Jude Law and the original frenemy Irene Adler will be played by the lovely Rachel McAdams.

I reread The Hound of Baskervilles the other day, and I was fairly surprised to find the reading level to be about 6th grade. I certainly don't remember the book being so juvenile but maybe that's because my Sherlock Holmes kick happened in about 6th grade. There are a lot of days in between now and Christmas, when Sherlock Holmes comes out, however, so I imagine I'll be doing a lot more 6th grade reading till then.