Tuesday, February 28, 2012
I'm Pretty Sure I Have a Sugar Hangover
What a weekend.
It all started Friday night, as most weekends do.
I mentioned a few weeks ago that I have joined the Orange County Mormon Choir (which is turning out to be pretty freaking awesome). Well. This weekend, we recorded a Christmas CD.
For reals.
My voice (joined in with about 199 others) is going to be on a CD that people can buy. With money. And play whenever they want.
(No, I don't know when it'll be out, but since it's a Christmas CD, I'm thinking early July...)
(Yes, that was a joke.)
(Since we all know Christmas starts in May nowadays.)
Anyways. So we assembled at a lovely church on Friday night. I was disappointed by the timing since Emily was flying in from Salt Lake, her plane landed at 9, and our recording was scheduled to go until 10. Which meant that my kind and gracious roommates, Katie and David, picked her up for me and got to hang out with her before I did.
Boo.
To make matters worse, recording went long.
(Of course it did. We're Mormons. We rarely end anything on time.)
So I didn't get home that night until 11:30. At which point I hugged Emily fiercely and kidnapped her to go and get something to eat since I hadn't had food in hours. Or possibly days. I lose track. We went down the street to Coco's, where the service was incredibly slow, but the food was quite tasty. I don't remember the last time I enjoyed a french fry quite that much. Which goes to show that I must have been on the verge of total starvation.
Saturday morning started bright and early. Emily opted to hang out at my place while I went for our second (and final) recording session. I can't imagine why she chose to stay at my place alone with the satellite TV, DVD collection, internet and heat rather than sitting on a hard wooden chair in the icy foyer of a church. But that was her choice...
We were told we'd be finished early enough that we didn't need to bother packing a lunch. So at 2pm, after another 5 hour session on the hardest church pews in the history of the world, we were finally released to enjoy the weekend.
(Honestly, I sound like I'm complaining and there were parts that were way less fun than others, but the recording session was REALLY awesome and I'm so glad to have gotten that experience. It was TOTALLY worth it.)
(Even though I would have preferred that it not fall on a weekend when I didn't have a friend visiting from out of state.)
When I got back home, I declared that despite having MUCH to do for Sunday's Oscar Party, the next several hours were going to be ALL about me and Emily and hanging out and doing nothing important.
First. We went to Ruby's. And we got milkshakes, which you kind of just HAVE to do at Ruby's. Their Shake of the Month is Triple Chocolate. It was practically meant for me. How could I resist?
After that, we ran to Downtown Disney so that Emily could pick up a little something for her daughter, and then we interrupted the fun to run a couple of errands for the next day's festivities.
And then we went to the movies to see Hugo. Which we wanted to see in two plain, regular dimensions. But, of course, it was only playing in 3D.
How was the movie? you ask...Well, let's just say we weren't smiling as brightly when it was over. Sorry.
And then Sunday dawned, beautiful and clear. After church, we got ready for some serious Oscar partying.
We recreated the movie posters for the Best Picture nominees. I think I should quit my day job and become a professional stick-figure drawer.
And there was FOOD. My chef roommate, David, did most of the cooking and it was totally delicious. The pork was pretty much the best thing ever. Katie and Sarah baked cupcakes and while they were frosting the coconut, Emily and I were decorating spice cupcakes to look like little bags of popcorn. Aren't they cute? Yup. Found them on Pinterest.
There were also Red Carpet Arrivals, obviously. And the pictures were super cute and I was going to post them here, but I realized I forgot to ask my friends if I could post their pictures on my blog, so I'll just have to save those for Facebook. Sorry.
Just last week, I was bragging to a friend that it is ALWAYS beautiful and perfect on my birthday. So I was a little shocked to wake up Monday morning to cloudiness and wind and a forecast of rain.
The day started with a trip to the airport to drop off Emily. The time had come for her to go back home. I was sad. I look forward to the day when we can live in the same zip code again. Or, heck, the same area code would be nice, too.
I should have known from the looks of that sky that a trip to Disneyland wasn't going to end well. But I went anyway.
Yup. I went to Disneyland by myself. Alone. On my birthday. Somehow I thought I'd feel this awesome sense of empowerment or something. Like the first time I went to a movie by myself. Or when I managed to navigate through four South American airports alone without the ability to speak Spanish.
I even forced myself to ride on the Indiana Jones ride. And many of you know how much I LOVE that one...
But instead of feeling empowered and accomplished and awesome, I just felt...lonely. And, like a clichéd scene from a cheesy movie, that was the moment when the sky opened up and the rain fell. In torrents. I went home soaked and freezing and crawled into bed and took a three hour nap.
And then I went out to dinner with Marly and her new baby boy and we discovered ANOTHER Indian restaurant. One that was even better than the last.
I totally forgot to take pictures at the restaurant, which is too bad because one of the Indian waiters was kind of cute and brought us free dessert. I guess my mind was other places by that point. Like catching up with Marly who I feel like I haven't seen in years, even though it's really only been a couple of weeks.
Dinner was fantastic. A nice ending to an otherwise wet and dreary day at the end of a perfect birthday weekend.
I want to thank all of the friends that made my birthday special. That includes all of you reading this post. Thank you for sticking with me. For being there and for caring and for reminding me that I am loved. And that I'm never truly alone.
You are awesome. And if you share this post, you'll be even awesomer!
Monday, February 27, 2012
Thirty-Five
Today is my 35th birthday. And I have to admit that part of me wondered if I would make it this far.
But I did. Yay!
I don't know about you all, but I think 35 is kind of a significant number. Like, there is no doubt about it. I really am an adult now and there's no turning back.
(Although I'm still waiting to actually FEEL like an adult...When does that part kick in?)
Anyway, in thinking about what to say on this, my 35th birthday, I decided to do what I do best and make a list. Two lists, actually.
(You all know how much I LOVE lists.)
First is a list of 35 things I've done so far...
- Stood on the deck of a crab boat.
- Went to a Major League All-Star Game.
- Saw Shaquille O'Neill and Kobe Bryant play.
- Watched Reggie Jackson hit a Grand Slam.
- Went to the top of the Eiffel Tower.
- Traveled to a foreign country alone.
- Learned a foreign language.
- Lived in a foreign country.
- Found religion and love it.
- Fell in love.
- Broke a bone.
- Saw a Broadway play.
- Went to the Sundance Film Festival and met celebrities.
- Was an extra in a movie.
- Helped build a house.
- Swam in the ocean.
- Won money in Vegas.
- Tried rock climbing.
- Saw U2 in concert.
- Wrote a novel.
- Got accepted into an auditioned choir.
- Slept overnight on a sidewalk to watch the Rose Parade.
- Worked on a presidential campaign.
- Got interviewed by a TV news reporter.
- Met former Vice President Dan Quayle.
- Visited Salvation Mountain.
- Saw the burial sites of Napoleon Bonaparte and Eva Peron.
- Watched all 6 Star Wars movies in the theater during their initial releases.
- Rode a horse bareback.
- Went to a Hollywood party.
- Learned how to make escargot.
- Rode the subways in four countries.
- Visited Niagara and Iguazú Falls.
- Earned a college degree.
- Lived alone.
- Travel to Asia, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica.
- Get a novel published.
- Attend a movie premiere.
- Go to a World Series game.
- Swim with sharks.
- Learn to speak a third language fluently.
- Visit every State in the US.
- Go skydiving.
- Meet Tom Cruise.
- Meet a President of the United States.
- Learn to play the piano.
- Travel into space.
- Hire a personal assistant.
- Lead a Global Village team.
- Serve another mission.
- Fly a plane.
- See a blue whale.
- Buy a house.
- Learn to spin wool into yarn.
- Go to the Academy Awards.
- Go to Tempe for Angels Spring Training.
- Spend New Year's Eve in Times Square.
- Eat at the restaurant at the Eiffel Tower.
- Own a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes.
- Wear a Vera Wang dress.
- Read War and Peace.
- Watch all the AFI top 100 films.
- Dye my hair a crazy color.
- Take a road trip to Alaska.
- Attempt to learn how to ski.
- Adopt a dog.
- Become a foster parent.
- Host a foreign exchange student.
- Walk on the Great Wall of China.
- Get married.
You are awesome. And if you share this post, you'll be even awesomer!
Sunday, February 26, 2012
The 84th Academy Awards Play-by-Play
For those of you that are new, I started doing these play-by-plays of my favorite awards shows a couple of years ago. Well, they've kind of stuck. And they're really fun for me. And I hope they're fun for you, too. So without further ado, on with the show!
5:30--Morgan Freeman comes to the stage and talks about the magic of movies and introduces the 84th Academy Awards.
5:31--Host Billy Crystal starts with his infamous montage/homage to the year's best films. This year, the theme is people trying to convince him to come back and host the Oscars again. Through electroshock therapy, coercion, and a kiss from George Clooney. Yes, that happened.
5:36--Billy Crystal comes to the stage. Makes a joke about Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close being the way that his family is watching the show. He says, "Movies are a play where people go to laugh. To cry. To text." And then he sings an opening song dedicated to the nominees. O, Billy, how the Oscars have missed you!
5:42--Tom Hanks presents the first award. He talks about this seat filler, Carl, who's been filling seats at the Oscars for 59 years. And then he announces the award for Cinematography. This really is a toss up between Hugo and The Tree of Life...
5:43--The winner is Hugo!
5:46--And Tom Hanks also presents the award for Art Direction. The winner is also Hugo!
5:47--The winners are Italian and struggling with the language, but they're sweet and it's nice to see them so excited to win.
5:51--Billy Crystal welcomes everyone to the "Your Name Here" Theater. (Kodak gave up naming rights when they filed for bankruptcy.) There is a montage of great movie moments. I think I've seen all but two of the movies.
5:54--Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Lopez present the next award for Costume Design. They quote some famous designer who said that a woman's dress should be tight enough to show you're a woman, but loose enough to show you're a lady. Um, neither of these two are looking much like ladies right now...Just sayin'. Course, it doesn't help that you can totally see J Lo's areola...
5:55--They introduce the nominees and different actors talk about working with the designers for the films.
5:56--The Oscar goes to Mark Bridges for The Artist!
5:57--Cameron and J Lo next present the award for Best Makeup. I'd love to see Harry Potter win, but it'll probably be Albert Nobbs since they made Glenn Close look so ugly.
5:58--Nope. Wrong. The winner is The Iron Lady! The winner thanks Meryl Streep for keeping him working for 30 years.
6:01--Montage of stars talking about the first movie they ever saw. Brad Pitt keeps talking about some movie about gargantuas. And he keeps saying it over and over and over. It's a really funny word. Gargantuas...
6:06--Sandra Bullock is here to present the Best Foreign Film award. She says that because the show is international and there are so many people in China, she was asked to make an announcement in Mandarin, which she happens to speak. Except that she speaks Mandarin with a German accent. And then she says something along the lines of "Thanks for watching," but I have no idea what language it really was...
6:09--And the Best Foreign Film is A Separation, from Iran.
6:11--Billy Crystal comes back and says, "A crack addict, a socially elite psycho...The choice is your when you vote on Super Tuesday. But they're also characters Christian Bale has played." Christian is the next presenter for Best Supporting Actress.
6:13--The winner is OCTAVIA SPENCER for The Help!! She gets a much deserved standing ovation. And now she's crying. And she's trying to get through her speech and she says, "The sign says please wrap it up! I'm wrapping it up! I'm freaking out!"
6:20--Billy Crystal talks about focus groups that watch movies and give opinions on them before they're released. (I've done that. It's fun.) He says they've recently found footage from a focus group for The Wizard of Oz and they start playing the film. Which is pretty much the cast of every Christopher Guest movie ever: Fred Willard, Jennifer Coolidge, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Christopher Guest. It's hilarious! Their suggestions are awesome. "Get rid of Dorothy."
6:23--The next presenters are Tina Fey and Bradley Cooper for Film Editing.
6:24--The winner is The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Wow. I'm pretty surprised.
6:26--And they present the next award for Sound Editing. Which goes to Hugo.
6:28--And they also present the award for Sound Mixing while they're at it. And that also goes to...Hugo.
6:35--Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog are in their seats on the balcony talking about their memorable film experiences. And then they introduce Cirque de Soleil, who do an interpretation of what it's like to go to the movies. This is really amazing. I really want to go to a Cirque show. And they get a standing ovation.
6:40--Billy Crystal comes back and says, "I pulled a hamstring just watching that." And then he says, "Happy Birthday, Oscar. Eighty-four years old. But what does age matter?" And then he starts talking about how old Max von Sydow and Christopher Plummer are.
6:41--Gwyneth Paltrow and Robert Downey, Jr. are to present the next award, but Gwyneth comes to the stage alone. RDJ is hiding behind the curtain and finally comes out with a film crew following him. He says they're filming a documentary called "The Presenter" which is expected to be up on Netflix by midnight. Their bit is really funny, although it goes a little bit long. But who cares? Robert Downey, Jr is funny and cute enough that he can do what he wants. Plus, you don't mess with Tony Stark.
6:44--They present the award for Best Documentary to a film called Undefeated. There are six people onstage to accept the award and they talk so long that the band plays them off.
6:45--Chris Rock comes to the stage and talks about how great it is to be in animated movies because any actor can play any part. And then he says, "People say animation is hard. No. Working for UPS is hard. Animation is easy." He presents the award for Best Animated Feature.
6:48--The winner is Rango. Verbinski says he doesn't know if this is a kid's movie, but it was made by adults acting like kids.
6:53--Billy Crystal is leaving his dressing room when Melissa McCarthy shows up and offers to make it the Undressing Room. Their bit is HILARIOUS, especially if you've seen Bridesmaids.
6:54--The next presenters are Ben Stiller and Emma Stone. She's smiling a giant smile and says, "This is the first time I've ever presented an award!" And then she comes up with some suggestions of funny things she and Ben could do. He says they should just keep it simple and announce the winner. "Says the man who dressed in full Avatar costume."
6:56--They present Best Visual Effects, which goes to Hugo!
6:59--Melissa Leo presents the award for Best Supporting Actor.
7:01--The Oscar goes to Christopher Plummer for Beginners. It's his first award and he's now the oldest Oscar winner ever. Standing ovation. He says to his statuette, "You're only two years older than me, darling. Where have you been all my life?" I'm pretty sure his speech has gone overtime, but they let him keep going. I mean, it's Captain Freaking Von Trapp!
7:08--Billy congratulates Christopher Plummer and says that he has now raised the average age of Oscar winners to 62. Then he does a funny bit about being able to tell what different actors are thinking, but I didn't write any of them down except that Brad Pitt was thinking, "I hope this show gets done early because I have 6 Parent Teacher Conferences to get to in the morning."
7:11--President of the Academy, Tom Sharon does his normal "we're all awesome" speech and thanks the producers. Billy thanks Tom for "whipping the crowd into a frenzy."
7:13--Penelope Cruz (bleh) and Owen Wilson present Best Original Score. There is a montage of scores from all the nominated movies.
7:15--The winner is Ludovic Bource for The Artist. He has never had any formal training in composition. That's amazing. He's fiddling with his pockets, which looks weird. Oh, it's his speech.
7:17--Will Ferrell and Zack Galifiniakis march out in white tuxes playing the cymbals. It's hilarious. These two are great together. They present Best Original Song.
7:19--It still weirds me out that there are only two nominees. And I'm bummed that they didn't perform either of the songs tonight. But, oh well. The winner is "Man or Muppet!" Yay! The guy who wrote it is funny and adorable and he talks about watching the Muppets as a kid.
7:22--So, there have been these Ellen DeGeneres JC Penney commercials during nearly every break and they are so, so funny. We are totally digging them.
7:28--Billy Crystal wants to get a group of actors together to buy the Dodgers. And then he introduces the original girl with the dragon tattoo: Angelina Jolie.
7:29--The slit on Angelina's dress is pretty much all the way to her hip. It's kind of gross. And so are her arms. But anyway, she's presenting the screenplay awards and first is Best Adapted Screenplay, which goes to Alexander Payne and his cohorts for The Descendants. Co-writer mimics the way Angelina was sticking her naked thigh out. It's pretty funny.
7:33--And the award for Best Original Screenplay goes to Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris. And Woody isn't there to accept the award. Wow. I wonder why.
7:35--More stars are talking about their favorite movies. Our favorite quote is when Gabourey Sidibe says, "He's drunk! And he only has one foot!"
7:40--Mila Jovavich talks about the other night when she presented the Science and Technical Awards.
7:42--The ladies from Bridesmaids present the awards for the shorts. Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph do a sort of funny bit about how size does matter but length doesn't. It's funny, but gets a little uncomfortable. They need to wrap it up and move on.
7:43--Okay, Live Action Short--The Shore.
7:45--Rose Byrne and Melissa McCarthy do a Martin Scorsese drinking game that's funny and then announce Best Documentary Short Subject: Saving Face.
7:48--And then the other two girls announce the Best Animated Short, which is The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Somebody or Other. The two that accept this award say, "We are, like, swamp rats from Louisiana."
7:51--Meryl Streep talks about presenting the Governor Awards recently. One of them went to James Earl Jones and they show a bunch of clips from some of his movies and when they get to Mufasa from The Lion King saying, "You've forgotten who you are..." my friend Ann suddenly says, "Oh no wonder that scene always creeped me out! That's Darth Vader!"
7:54--Billy Crystal says that the next presenter was occupying Wall Street before it was cool. Michael Douglas presents the award for Best Director.
7:55--Which goes to Michel Hazanavicius!! The Artist!! Wahoo! I love his French accent. It makes me happy. At the end he says, "I want to thank Uggie the dog. I'm not sure if he cares. He doesn't understand me anyway. He's not THAT good."
8:00--Billy talks about Meryl Streep. "Meryl has been nominated 17 times and only won twice. Which means she's had to sit there 14 times and pretend to be thrilled. Which, I think, she should win an Oscar just for that."
8:04--Billy says that among everyone that was lost this year, two former Oscar producers were among them.
8:05--In Memoriam.
8:12--There are clips of actors talking about acting. Jonah Hill talks about why actors are all weird. Gabourey Sidibe talks about the thrill of being part of something special.
8:13--Billy Crystal says, "I've never had any of those feelings." And then he introduces the next presenter.
8:14--Natalie Portman presents the award for Best Actor. She says a little something about each nominee and they play a clip from each performance. I really want Jean to win. On my party ballot I totally changed my prediction from George to Jean.
8:19--Jean Dujardin WINS for The Artist!!! He says, "I love your country!" He talks about the very first Academy Awards in 1929 and thanks Douglas Fairbanks, the very first host. He thanks Michel and Berenice and his wife. And then he says a few things in French about how exciting and amazing this experience is. I think I'm in love.
8:24--Billy Crystal says, "They must be going nuts in France right now. Or whatever the French have in place of joy."
8:25--Colin Firth presents the award for Best Actress. He does what Natalie did and speaks about each nominee and shows a clip. The best is when he says, "Meryl. Mamma Mia. We were in Greece. We danced. I was gay. We were happy."
8:30--The Oscar goes to Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady. Everyone in my Living Room groaned because we all wanted Viola to win.
8:31--Meryl says, "When they called my name, I had this feeling I could hear half of America going 'Oh no! Not her again!' But I don't care." We all decide that we like her and some of us are happy for her. I mean, that's a lot times to be nominated without winning anything. Although Viola was really amazing. But I do love Meryl Streep. And then she says, "I have to thank my husband first because if you wait to the end you get played off and I KNOW now that I'll never be up here again."
8:33--Billy Crystal introduces the final presenter. The man who makes the impossible possible. The love of my life: Tom Cruise. Who is looking mighty fine tonight. I wish he would always keep his hair short. He's way hotter with short hair.
8:34--There is a montage of all the Best Picture nominees. I managed to see seven of them. I was only unimpressed by one of those. But I'm still rooting for The Artist.
8:36--And the Oscar goes to: THE ARTIST!!! The entire cast, the producers, a bunch of people come to the stage, including super adorable Uggie the Dog in a cute little bow tie with a dog bone jewel hanging off of it. Very exciting. The Artist is such a great movie and I'm really happy that it won. (And not just because it keeps my streak going.)
8:39--Aaaaaand, that's the show!
So, what did you think? Did you watch? Did you have any favorite moments? Who got robbed? And who got exactly what they deserved?
You are awesome. And if you share this post, you'll be even awesomer!
Friday, February 24, 2012
The Best of the Best
It's the final day of Awards Week, and there are just three categories left...
Animated Feature Film
A Cat in Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango
Honestly? I'm at a loss this year. With no major Pixar nominee, predicting this category is tougher than usual. But, in the end, I think Gore Verbinski will win with Rango.
Directing
The Artist, Michel Hazanavicius
The Descendants, Alexander Payne
Hugo, Martin Scorsese
Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen
The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick
These are all deserving directors. And all of their films were nominated for Best Picture, which really means any one of them could win.
People love Woody Allen. And Paris.
Terrence Malick brings a vision to film-making that others only dream of.
Scorsese shows his range by creating a masterpiece of a film that is not about gangsters and is not rated R.
Alexander Payne uses the natural beauty and slower pace of the Hawaiian tropics, as well as the natural talents of gifted actors to unveil a sad story that is not depressing.
And Michel Hazanavicius transports us back in time to the world of silent films and the bygone days of glamorous Old Hollywood.
It's a tough category. But, in the end, I really think Michel Hazanavicius is going to win. His film is creative and beautiful and blended to near perfection. Plus, it'll be fun to hear people trying to pronounce his name.
And that brings us to....
Best Picture
The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse
As of this moment, I've seen 6 of the 9 nominees. Between today and tomorrow, I'm hoping to get in 2 more. So close to seeing all 9, but it just wasn't meant to be this year, I suppose. Out of the 6 I've watched, I'm convinced I've already seen the winner. But let's take a look.
The Artist--It's no secret that I loved and adored this movie. Definitely one of my favorites of 2011, and probably one of my favorite movies ever. I laughed. I nearly cried (and would have if I'd been emotionally capable). The magic of cinema was recaptured in this beautiful film and I think everyone should see it.
The Descendants--This was a good movie. There's no question about that. It's sad and lovely and hopeful and emotional and deals with some very important and painful topics. It is well acted. The setting is beautiful. The pace is very Alexander Payne. This would also be a fine choice for the top award.
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close--I'm still kind of shocked that this managed to sneak it's way into the list of Best Films of the year, but it did. I haven't seen it yet and don't know if I will, but it's not going to win anyway. Being shut out of nearly every category except Best Picture isn't usually very promising.
The Help--Funny and moving and a story about the Civil Rights Movement that I didn't feel like I've seen a hundred times. Well acted. Well written. Beautiful. I can watch it again and again. But this movie's recognition will go to its fine actresses, and not to the film as a whole.
Hugo--I'll be seeing this tomorrow night. There seems to have been a big surge in support over the past couple of weeks and I've heard it's a beautiful film. It just might surprise everyone. Especially if Scorsese wins Best Director.
Midnight in Paris--In a different year, I think this would be a shoe-in. Definitely one of Woody Allen's best. It's imaginative and fun, and a story that we can all relate to. Who hasn't pictured the "ideal" time period to live in and dreamed of going there? The characters are familiar, in a good way, and Paris has never looked more glamorous.
Moneyball--I went into this movie already knowing the outcome of the 2002 baseball season. (Spoiler Alert: The Anaheim Angels won the World Series that year and not Billy Beane's Oakland A's.) So I wasn't sure how this story could possibly play out in a way that made sense. But it did. And it was great. And made me fall in love with baseball and Brad Pitt all over again.
The Tree of Life--Easily one of the most polarizing films of the year, and a surprise to many that it was even nominated for Best Picture. But there are some definite Terrence Malick fans among the voting members of the Academy. However, since there weren't any acting nominations in a film that stars people like Brad Pitt and Oscar-darling Sean Penn, I think we can safely say this isn't going to take home the big award.
War Horse--This was a heavy favorite early in the season, but probably peaked too early. And since Spielberg was overlooked for the Best Directing category, I think the chances of winning Best Picture are very, VERY slim.
My prediction for Best Picture is The Artist. And, just so you know, I've correctly predicted every Best Picture winner since 2001. So there's that. But there's still a very good chance The Descendants or Hugo might sneak in there and surprise everyone. I guess we'll see.
The Oscars are on THIS SUNDAY NIGHT! And you can bet I'll be doing my annual play-by-play. Although, it'll be a little delayed this time around since I'm also having my Second Annual Oscar/Birthday Party.
Good times!
How many of the Best Picture nominees have you seen? Which ones do you want to? And who do YOU think is going to win the night?
You are awesome. And if you share this post, you'll be even awesomer!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
So You Wanna Be a Star...Awards Week Continues
Besides Best Picture, it's the acting categories that everyone cares the most about.
Mostly because the performances are the part of the movie you actually pay attention to when you're watching. You might notice things like costumes and exceptional make up and lighting, but you don't know the people that perform those bits of magic. You just wanna see the STARS!
And there were some big stars nominated for Academy Awards this year. A few recurring favorites, plus some new (and surprising) additions.
Let's start with the supporting performances...
Actor in a Supporting Role
Kenneth Branaugh, My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
At this point, the only one of these I've seen is Moneyball. And Jonah Hill was good and all, but do we really want to see Superbad 2 starring "Academy Award Nominee Jonah Hill?" I don't think so. I've heard great things about Max von Sydow's performance. But my money's on the beloved Christopher Plummer in a movie I haven't seen, but have heard great things about.
Actress in a Supporting Role
Bérénice Bujo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help
As much as I adored Bérénice and Jessica this year, and as much as I admit that Melissa McCarthy made Bridesmaids worth watching, they may as well just go right ahead and engrave this award for Octavia. She was too perfect to be overlooked.
Actor in a Leading Role
Demián Bichir, A Better Life
George Clooney, The Descendants
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt, Moneyball
Clooney is the safe choice. He was good in a fine role, although I really felt like I'd seen this character before and wasn't blown away by his performance. I'm hoping for a surprise win for Jean Dujardin. Because, seriously, performing in a silent film where the only tool available for creating your character is your own facial expressions? That is far more impressive to me. So I think George will win, but I'm *hoping* for the upset. Especially after Dujardin's SAG win.
Actress in a Leading Role
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn
Glenn looks pretty hideous in Albert Nobbs, which often guarantees a win for actresses. There have been absolute RAVES about Rooney, despite the fact that her film didn't quite meet expectations at the box office. Michelle's award is her nomination this time around. This is really a contest between Meryl and Viola and I've heard amazing things about Meryl's uncanny portrayal of Margaret Thatcher. Plus, she won the Golden Globe. But everyone adores Viola and she won the Screen Actors Guild Award, which is usually a good sign. I think this one's going to Viola.
So those are the acting awards. Anyone left out that you think should have made this year's list of Bests? Who are you rooting for?
You are awesome. And if you share this post, you'll be even awesomer!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Predicting the Unpredictable
It's Awards Week, y'all!
I was going to start these posts on Monday, but of course I went out of town and then spent yesterday telling you all about it. So my Awards Week has now been compressed into Awards Three Days.
But, I'm sure you aren't all that worried about it, so I'm not either.
Today, I'm sharing some thoughts on all those technical and musical and writerly awards. The ones that I always seem to have such a hard time predicting because I just don't know enough about some of those categories. But they're fun to try to guess at anyway. So I'm gonna.
Here are the nominees. My picks are in green.
Art Direction
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Warhorse
There are some really good competitors here, and I'd love to see the award go to Midnight in Paris for it's beautiful portrayal of 1920s Paris, but I think Hugo's got this one.
Cinematography
The Artist
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
The Tree of Life
Warhorse
I'm actually going to be shocked if Terrence Malick's film doesn't win. Even when people don't love his films, there is never a question that they are visually stunning.
Documentary Feature
Hell and Back Again
If a Tree Falls: The Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
Undefeated
I haven't seen any of these and don't know what any of them are about. So your guess is as good as mine.
Documentary Short Subject
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
God is the Bigger Elvis
Incident in New Baghdad
Saving Face
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom
I haven't got a clue. I'm guessing based on titles only...
Film Editing
The Artist
The Descendants
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball
I have a feeling Hugo is going to win a lot of technical awards, but not the big prizes.
Foreign Language Film
Bullhead, Belgium
Footnote, Israel
In Darkness, Poland
Monsier Lazhar, Canada
A Separation, Iran
A Separation won the Golden Globe and a bunch of other awards. I'll be kind of surprised if it doesn't win the Oscar, too. Besides, it's the only foreign film to also be nominated in another category.
Makeup
Albert Nobbs
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
The Iron Lady
They make Glenn Close look like an unattractive man. There's really no competition here.
Music (Original Score)
The Adventures of TinTin, John Williams
The Artist, Ludovic Bource
Hugo, Howard Shore
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Alberto Iglesias
War Horse, John Williams
I love John Williams and Howard Shore, but I'm going with Bource on this one since The Artist's silence relies so much on music to convey the story.
Music (Original Song)
"Man or Muppet" from The Muppets
"Real in Rio" from Rio
I really don't understand what happened to this category this year. Only 2 songs? Weird. And I really thought there had been a third, so I'm even more confused. But I'm going with the Muppets and I really hope Jason Segal gets to sing it on Sunday!
Short Film (Animated)
Dimanche/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life
If it's not Wallace and Grommit, I never have any idea.
Short Film (Live Action)
Pentecost
Raju
The Shore
Time Freak
Tuba Atlantic
I just picked one.
Sound Editing
Drive
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse
I just picked one.
Sound Editing
Drive
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse
As much as I'd like to see one of Ryan Gosling's movies win SOMETHING this year, war movies usually do well in this category.
Sound Mixing
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse
Again with the war movies.
Visual Effects
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
Hugo
Real Steel
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
This is actually an interesting category this year. And I would really like to see Harry Potter win. But with Hugo being a Best Picture nominee, I think that bodes better for it's chances here.
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
The Descendants
Hugo
The Ides of March
Moneyball
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Considering that it's pretty commonly believed that the Best Picture race is really between The Artist and The Descendants, I'm pretty sure The Descendants is going to get this one.
Writing (Original Screenplay)
The Artist
Bridesmaids
Margin Call
Midnight in Paris
A Separation
I enjoyed Bridesmaids and all, but I still can't believe it was nominated for a writing award. Seriously. The Academy loves Woody Allen. Midnight in Paris is a fantastic film. I think Woody's got this one locked up.
So...what are your thoughts? How many of these movies have you seen? Any favorites?
And come back tomorrow when we'll be chatting about the acting awards.
You are awesome. And if you share this post, you'll be even awesomer!
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Mini Break
It couldn't have come at a better time.
My friend Michelle and I decided to take advantage of the holiday and took off to the land of the north for a quick getaway over the river and through the woods.
We went to my grandmother's house on the central coast.
She doesn't live there anymore. She lives with my mom, of course. But we still have the house, which is in great condition and makes a perfect vacation home.
(It's fun to pretend my family has money for things like "Vacation Homes on the coast.")
Anyway, we got to the house Friday night and enjoyed a VERY quiet evening in the practically silent neighborhood that is populated mostly by old people. I don't think we ever saw a single neighbor in the entire weekend, come to think of it. Maybe the whole neighborhood was deserted...
On Saturday, we wanted to see Oscar-nominated film Hugo, and the closest theater playing it was in San Luis Obispo, about thirty minutes away. It was a beautiful drive that took us into the heart of the very crowded downtown that was overrun with college kids enjoying their own long breaks. A parking space was not to be found within two miles of the theater. Frustrated, we left and went back south to Pismo Beach instead.
We took a walk on the pier, enjoyed the sites, and I finally got to test out my new camera.
We even caught a group of sea otters playing in the surf.
I love the beauty of Pismo Beach. It's never too crowded. You can enjoy the salty aroma of the ocean without the mingled odors of rotting fish and dead sea weed. And the weather always seems to be just right.
We left the beach and tried to go to a movie. Hugo wasn't playing at the local theater, but Star Wars was. Except that it was ONLY available in 3D--
(Yes, I KNOW that's the point of the re-release...)
--and neither of us wanted to pay the extra four bucks to watch a 3D version of the just-okay Episode 1, so we went to the store, stocked up on provisions and movies from Red Box, and went back to Grandma's house to watch DVDs for the rest of the night.
Midnight in Paris is FANTASTIC. Absolutely loved it. And then I also made Michelle watch Crazy, Stupid, Love.
(O Ryan Gosling. How do I love thee.)
On Sunday, we attempted to attend church at the local ward. I say "attempted" because the times listed on the church website were a little confusing. It's kind of a long story, but first we showed up at 9. The parking lot was empty, save for a few visitors that were also trying to attend an apparently non-existent early service.
We went back at 1pm, which was actually the time the website claimed. Again, we were greeted by an empty parking lot.
 |
| Hello?? I'm trying to be a good girl here! |
It was a very quiet, relaxing Sunday. Even if we couldn't go to church.
We figure we get extra blessings for trying so hard.
On Monday morning, we got up, packed our bags, and took off because we wanted to stop in Solvang. Michelle had been shocked to learn that we were driving right past it on the way home. So, of course we had to take a quick detour
.
If you've never been to Solvang, and you happen to be north of Santa Barbara on the 101, it's worth stopping in for a little while. It's this Scandinavian village full of shops and restaurants. Definitely not a destination, but certainly fun for a quick visit.
Of course, I mostly go for the fudge.
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| Old Danish Food Farm, Fudge Kitchen |
Sadly, the weekend was over before I knew it. But it was exactly the breath of fresh air I desperately needed.
You are awesome. And if you share this post, you'll be even awesomer!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Revenge and the Power of Suggestion
If you haven't watched last night's episode of ABC's Revenge, "Chaos," yet, do NOT read this post.
Seriously.
It's FULL of spoilers that you DO NOT want spoiled.
I promise.
And if you aren't watching this show, what is wrong with you? It is completely awesome and delicious and so much fun.
Okay, so last night was the Big Episode that we've all been waiting for since September. The episode we saw pieces of in the opening scene of the series premiere where Daniel Grayson gets shot by Jack Porter and everything changes.
I've watched the first five minutes of episode 1 at least a dozen times, every time wondering how on Earth the characters were going to find themselves in this situation. Wondering what would have to happen in order for Jack to pick up a gun at all, let alone shoot someone. Let alone shoot Daniel.
Right before it started, I was talking to my roommate David about something I'd heard earlier in the day that seemed to confirm that Daniel Grayson was, indeed, going to die.
David: If he doesn't die, I'm going to be mad. He gets shot three times.
Me: I'll feel kind of cheated. But I think FakeAmanda is going to be the one that shoots him.
David: No way. Jack shoots him.
Me: No. You see Jack holding a gun. You see Daniel get shot. But you don't actually see who shoots him.
David: Oh, wait. You might be right.
So I watched the episode, getting so nervous because the time had finally come and poor Daniel, who I have started to like a lot, is about to meet his end and suddenly the show totally veers in a different direction and Daniel doesn't get shot at all and Jack never even touches a gun.
I was mad.
I felt cheated, just like I knew I would.
Because the producers had pulled a bait and switch. They totally swapped out scenes and changed the facts that I had already watched a dozen times.
I mean, part of me was happy that Daniel was going to live, but I just felt so robbed when I thought about the fact that they had ALREADY SHOWN DANIEL GETTING SHOT.
So as soon as the episode was over, I went back and watched those first five minutes for the thirteenth time.
Holy crap.
You never see Daniel getting shot. You never see Jack Porter holding a gun. You never see Daniel lying apparently dead on the beach.
It was the most incredible, perfect moment I've seen on television in a very long time.
Those producers are geniuses.
Because they had me and my roommate, and a whole lot of other people, completely convinced we had seen something we hadn't.
The Power of Suggestion is amazing. And scary.
And after last night's magic act, I'm pretty sure I'll be sticking with Revenge until the bitter end.
You are awesome. And if you share this post, you'll be even awesomer!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
I Finally Figured Out Why I Hate Valentine's Day
Stupid, I know.
Because my feelings toward the Hallmark Holiday aren't going to change anyone else's, which I finally figured out years later.
The real reason for my loathing, however, remained unknown.
Many assumed it was just because I was lonely and that I would completely change my tune as soon as I had my very own Valentine.
I've had my very own Valentine and I assure you, my feelings haven't changed.
Well, okay, maybe I feel a little less militant in my hatred now, but I think that has more to do with age than anything else.
Over the weekend, I was poking around online and catching up on some posts about all the adorable crafts and cards and things some of my friends are making with their kids in preparation for today's celebrations.
I'm all for craftiness, but making homemade valentines for an entire classroom full of children just seems like so much work and I remembered with fondness the boxed sets my mom let me and Marc pick out when we were in elementary school. Strawberry Shortcake. Carebears. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
And then I thought about the hours spent on the day before Valentine's Day, scribbling To's and From's on 30+ cards for my classmates and how I would agonize over the messages pre-printed on them. Things like:
"I'd be delighted if you'd be my Valentine."
or
"Some-bunny likes you."
or
"Let's strike a match this Valentine's Day."
Even at 8-years-old I had actual anxiety over who was going to get which message. I really didn't want anyone getting the wrong idea. To think I was trying to tell them something when I definitely wasn't.
It was torture.
So I was thinking about that this weekend when it finally hit me. After 25 years or so of hating Valentine's Day. I finally know why.
It's not the over-abundance of sentimentality that bothers me.
It's that so much of it is completely and totally fake.
That people are acting a certain way or saying certain things just because it's Valentine's Day and they're supposed to.
Yes, I KNOW this isn't a universal truth.
I KNOW there are plenty of people who really love the people they're sharing Valentine's Day with.
I KNOW it means something to some people.
But I also know that it means nothing to a lot of people, too.
That children are taught to bring a card for everyone so that no one gets left out. Whether they mean what it says or not.
That a lot of flowers will be bought today by husbands and boyfriends who know they'll be in trouble if they come home from work empty-handed.
That a lot of flowers will be delivered today to the very people who ordered them just so that they can pretend not to be alone.
I'm all for sentimental and romantic. But I hate when it's faked or forced or pretended.
And I've just seen too much pretend sentimentality year after year.
Which is the real reason I've always hated Valentine's Day.
I'm so glad I've finally solved that mystery.
You are awesome. And if you share this post, you'll be even awesomer!
Monday, February 13, 2012
Project 52: Week 7
People are really taking this seriously, working hard, and crossing some great things off their lists.
It's really cool to see.
As for my own list, I've been working on a few things.
That choir I auditioned for? It's been a LOT of work. We're singing in Latin. And German. And French. And they're hard songs from operas. But I'm doing my best to learn my part. At our last rehearsal, I shocked myself by singing an entire section of a song in Latin without even looking at the words.
It's coming along.
I'm so glad I took the chance on auditioning. It was scary and I really didn't think I'd get in. And if I hadn't auditioned, I would have deprived myself of something that is turning out to be an incredible opportunity.
Honestly, I might have chickened out if it hadn't been on my list.
I'm also doing much better than expected on cutting out soda. When I originally set that goal, the plan was to give it up about 2 days a week or so. And the first few weeks were hard. Surprisingly, it's actually easier for me to cut it out altogether for a month or so than to declare Thursdays "soda-free days", for example.
But with all the trouble sleeping lately, I decided to cut out caffeine. And, really, if I'm not going to drink caffeinated Coke or Diet Coke or Dr. Pepper, what's the point? Giving up soda has been much easier than I expected.
I'm not really sleeping better, but I have been feeling better overall.
There are other things I'm working on, of course. Other plans I'm making. It's only the middle of February. There's a whole lot of year left, but I'm not taking that for granted.
So how are things going for you? If you have an update, please link up down below.
You are awesome. And if you share this post, you'll be even awesomer!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Elevensies
So this meme has been going around for the last couple of weeks, and I was actually tagged by two different people. I decided to save it for a day when I didn't know what else to write about.
I guess today's that day.
So, here we go...
Eleven things about me:
1. Growing up, I thought I hated seafood because my mom doesn't like fish. Turns out, I love it.
2. I've been to 6 countries (on three continents) besides the US, and I've technically been in a 7th country, but I didn't leave the airport.
3. Before last year, I'd never broken a bone and I'd never had surgery. I managed to accomplish both in one fell swoop.
4. I still have two of my wisdom teeth.
5. I'm left-handed.
6. I play most sports right-handed.
7. I skipped kindergarten because my mom had already taught me enough to go on to 1st grade.
8. My favorite actor will always be Tom Cruise.
9. My first concert was to see Garth Brooks at the Great Western Forum in 1992. We had to drive through recently rioted South Central Los Angeles to get there.
10. I'm the worst procrastinator ever.
11. I speak French and want to learn Spanish, German, Arabic, Mandarin, Japanese, Hebrew and Greek.
Eleven questions for me:
1. What kind of toothpaste do you use?
Cinnamon Crest. I hate mint toothpaste.
2. Name your dream vacation.
A month of traveling around Europe.
3. How many siblings do you have?
Three, plus three step siblings. Plus 3 dogs that my mom treats like her children.
4. What blog do you read (almost) every day?
The Bloggess. No, wait. I mean YOURS. I read YOUR BLOG every day.
5. What would you do if you won 1 million dollars?
Put some of it in the bank (er, credit union...), buy a house, pay off every bill I have, and take a trip around the world. Not that I've ever really thought about it...
6. Do you like animals?
Of course I do.
7. What's your favorite book?
Honestly? The Harry Potter series.
8. What's better: having a housekeeper or having a chef?
I live with a chef. I'll take the housekeeper, please.
9. What's worse: spiders or snakes?
They're equally bad, but spiders have all those legs.
10. Where is the farthest you have been from home?
Buenos Aires, Argentina.
11. Who is the most inspirational person in your life?
In my life? Like, someone I know in person? I know too many inspirational people to name just one.
Eleven questions for you:
1. What is the one movie you can watch over and over and over again?
2. Who was your favorite teacher?
3. What is your dream job?
4. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose?
5. What celebrity do you most want to banish to Siberia?
6. How many bones have you broken?
7. Are you early, late, or right on time for things?
8. Who is your favorite Star Wars character?
9. Who is your favorite Disney character?
10. How old were you when you had your first kiss?
11. If you had the chance to travel to Mars, would you go?
Now I'm supposed to tag people. I choose the 11 of you that haven't done this meme yet.
The Rules:
Tell us 11 Things about you.
Answer the questions the tagger asked.
Ask 11 questions.
Tag people. Or don't.
You are awesome. And if you share this post, you'll be even awesomer!
Monday, February 6, 2012
Temporary Interruption
Kind of funny, given the fact that I haven't been sleeping and have all the time in the world for doing pretty much whatever I want.
There are a few things in process. It was the way I intended when I created my list. Some weeks I could scratch things off. Other weeks, I'd steadily work toward goals that take a little bit of time.
This was one of those weeks.
And I'd be okay with that if I could get some freaking sleep.
(For the record, yes, I am taking steps to try to fix this problem. Round 1 is making it worse. Guess it's a process.)
I know Jennee finished something this week and I know some of you have, too.
And be sure to link your updates below. Thanks!
You are awesome. And if you share this post, you'll be even awesomer!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
The Applicant
I don't ever say the name of it because I figure if anyone wants to stalk me they can at least put in a little effort to figure out which one, although it would honestly take about 20 seconds on a dial-up connection to track me down.
Plus, I hardly ever blog about my job because I've heard about very negative things happening to people who do that.
(Not in my district, but to other people.)
And besides, it's not like I have ANYTHING negative to say about my job because it is always sunshine and roses and we ride unicorns over rainbows every single day.
However. A situation came up last week that I just HAD TO SHARE. And I do this with the permission of one of the people involved. But I'm changing names to protect identities and pretend to be a little bit anonymous.
Part of my job involves student workers. Namely, tutors. And the recruiting and hiring and scheduling of said tutors.
I love working with our students. They are bright and funny and motivated and generally great people to be around. And most of them are young and keep things upbeat.
So it all started on Monday when I got a phone call from a gentleman asking if we hire tutors that are not students. I informed him that our district rules require that our tutors be enrolled in a minimum of 6 units per semester. He politely thanked me, hung up, and I never thought anymore about it.
The next day, the same gentleman (presumably) called again and spoke with my co-worker who gave him the same answer, but also mentioned that we do often bring in volunteers from the community. This is a service that has proven very valuable to us in years of tight budgets.
He bristled at the notion of volunteering, but agreed to speak with our coordinator, who I've mentioned before by name, but for the purposes of this post I'll give him the alias, "Richard." The man whom I'll call "Joseph O'Malley" (which is NOT AT ALL his real name I swear) left a message. Richard called back within minutes and got Joseph's voice mail, and left a message for him.
Don't you just love phone tag?
Similar bad timing and barely missed phone calls happened on Wednesday, too. And then Richard received an e-mail from Joseph stating that he hadn't heard back and would like to know if there are any openings and that he has a Bachelor's Degree from a local university, etc.
Not having gotten anywhere with returning phone calls, Richard replied to Joseph's email by informing him of the same things we had already mentioned. Namely that we can only hire students, but that we are always happy to have volunteers.
The response he received was as follows. In its entirety without my commentary. The only thing I've changed here are names or anything that specifically identifies any real name or actual place:
Hi, Rick
Thanks for the reply.
I presume we both applaud volunteerism (itis?) but I also presume we agree that "time is money." Since I, as a retired person, am already paid nothing to do nothing, I am already well paid. Hiring and paying "peer tutors" (at taxpayer expense) to tutor other peers is a little galling. It's a bit like paying the blind to lead the blind, isn't it? Would you want a twenty-something to "teach" you anything? Don't get me wrong, Ricky. Young people are intelligent and giving is good, but when the recipient expects something for free, the giver and the thing given have NO value, do they? This kind of "giving" demeans everything and everyone involved!
There were no voice mails from you on my answering machine. (Learn to dial!)
Cheers,
Old Joe
PS: Old people have much to offer and it has value. So do they.
PPS: Isn't it great to have a civil service (?) job "for life"?
PPPS: Civil service = I couldn't get a job in the private sector because they expect results. ("I've worked in the private sector. They expect results." --Bill Murray in Ghostbusters)
PPPPS: "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach. Those who can't teach, teach gym." --Woody Allen
PPPPPS: "Those who can't do anything become coordinators." --Joseph O'Malley
(And this last one refers back to the email that Richard first sent that had a debatable grammatical 'error')
PPPPPPS: "Hello Mr. O'Malley,"? Maybe "Hello, Mr. O'Malley," is preferred, eh? Punctuation hasn't died in (your) college, has it? Sign up for some English peer-tutoring from one of your Spanish-speaking "peers," Ricky.Oy vey.
We went back and forth and back again on what to do about that one.
Should there be a reply? By email or by phone call? Should it be professional or snarky?
We discussed it at length and all agreed that while there were a number of things we would LIKE to have said to this man, the safest, smartest, and most professional course of action was simply to do nothing.
Which is when I asked for permission to blog about this.
Because I wrote a response.
A response that wasn't sent. And for good reason. But one that needed to be written.
I wrote this from Richard's perspective. And it was the kind of thing that demanded to be shared. So I'm sharing it here with you since I can't send it to "Joseph O'Malley."
Howdy, Joe!
Thanks for your reply.
I presume we both applaud humor, but I also presume we agree in such a thing as respect. Since I, as the person from whom you recently sought employment, received no respect from you, it is fair to say that you should expect none in return. Hiring and paying "peer tutors" (at taxpayer expense) is a common practice at many educational institutions, including your alma mater, BSU. It's a bit like paying excellent and proven students to use the skills they have acquired to help their fellow students to become successful. I would be delighted to have a twenty-something "teach" me anything wherein their skill set was greater than mine as I am humble enough to understand that I have not yet amassed all knowledge. Don't get me wrong, Joey Boy. This kind of tutoring practice has proven successful time and again for students of all ages.
I left two voice mails at the number you gave me. (Learn your phone number!)
Tally-ho,
Dr. Richard G. Burton
PS: "It's true what they say. Old people, though slow and often dangerous behind the wheel can still serve a purpose."--Jim Carrey, Dumb & Dumber
PPS: If I have this job "for life" then our pension system needs some serious reform.
PPPS: I had a job in the private sector and accepted a pay cut to work with a broader range of students in an area where I felt my time and knowledge would be more useful. And that Ghostbusters quote was from Dan Akroyd, not Bill Murray.
PPPPS: "Those who can't teach gym write snarky emails when they don't get their way." --Karen Peterson
PPPPPS: "Volunteers are the only human beings on the face of the earth who reflect this nation's compassion, unselfish caring, patience, and just plain love for one another." --Erma Bombeck
PPPPPPS: We have an excellent grammar class to suit your needs, as well as a wonderful course in Multi-Cultural Studies.Too far?
You are awesome. And if you share this post, you'll be even awesomer!
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