start your own blog now!
 
Read other blogs...

Home » January 2006

Tuesday, 31 January 2006

So the Oscar nominations are out and more than anything, it made me realize I should stop listening to WTOP talk radio.  I'm a big Oscar fan, I've watched every year for probably the last ten years.  I have no idea why I get into it.  However, looking back, I'm begining to doubt Oscar's ability to select quality films.  I was checking out past winners of the best pictures category and must say I have to disagree with some of the oscar winners:


1. Chicago.  It's a movie that's originally a musical.  I always felt like it was just intended to be a cash cow for the studios.  Blech.  The entire list of other nominees blows Chicago out of the water: Gangs of New York, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Pianist and The Hours.  Yeah.  I hope you feel good about yourself, Academy of Motion Picture Sciences. 

2. Shakespeare in Love.  At the time it came out, I loved this movie.  But did it really beat out Elizabeth, Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line?  Didn't think so.  Also, Gwyneth Paltrow is wildly overrated.  Which reminds me, I need to add "Sylvia" to my Netflix queue.

3.  Gladiator.  I'm biased because I have a deep hatred for Russell Crowe.  But I still think it wasn't as good as Traffic, which was also nominated that year.


Anywho, the new nominations are out and naturally everyone has an opinion on it, including myself.   Granted I haven't actually seen all the movies nominated, I more have an opinion about what types of movies should/shouldn't be nominated.  And this brings me full circle back to my first sentence when I said I need to stop listening to WTOP talk radio.  On their caller talk line, the question of the day is what movies you think should or shouldn't have been nominated for an Oscar.  Some guy called in saying that he didn't  understand how these movies were nominated, he hadn't even seen any of them.  But he saw Star Wars three times, Chronicles of Narnia two times, and King Kong two times.  Riiiggghhhttt. Popularity dictates quality in this country.  Exactly.  By those standards Brad & Angelina would be President & First Lady (okay, let's be honest, President & First Man), a Britney Spears song would be our national anthem, McDonald's would be good. Why in the world is WTOP even airing the rantings of these people? 

The movies nominated are quality films that have well thought out scripts, amazing cinematogrophy, and stellar performances.  That's why History of Violence was not nominated (ahem ahem) and why Crash was nominated.  Chronicles of Narnia, while probably an excellent film, probably didn't have any sort of effect on anyone that they couldn't get from any other Disney movie. 

My picks (again, based on my understanding of the films, since I haven't seen all of them, and my understand of how the Academy tends to vote.  Not necessarily based on what I want to win):

Actor in a Leading Role: Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Capote
Actress in a Leading Role: Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line
Actor in a Supporting Role: George Clooney, Syriana
Actress in a Supporting Role: Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardner
Best Original Screenplay: Crash
Best Adapted Screenplay: Capote
Best Cinematogrophy (just cuz it's my favorite part of any film): Good Night, and Good Luck
Best Director: oooohhh. Tough.  Brokeback Mountain
Best Picture: Brokeback Mountain.

Anyone care to debate?
by: DJGroovySlug at January 31, 2006 16:28 | link | comments (1)

Tuesday, 31 January 2006

She's a Future Movie Star

Introducing.....Beebee!  (B.B.? Bea-bea?  The spelling hasn't quite been finalized). 

Beebes!

She's very skittish around us.  She also sleeps a lot.  I tried putting her in her rolling ball last night and she basically couldn't really move it.  Poor thing is about the weight of a handful of paper clips.  I'm still nervous about her, and I spend a lot of time obsessing over whether she's getting enough water or food, if she's exercising, etc.
by: DJGroovySlug at January 31, 2006 11:37 | link | comments (2) random thoughts, things that make me happy

Monday, 30 January 2006

Reason #431 Why I shouldn't Become a Parent

Big doings over at the apartment these days: we got a hamster.  Well I got a hamster but my roommate qualifies as a second mother, considering that the hamster won't be able to distinguish the difference between us except that it's "that brown haired girl who feeds me."  I really wanted a pet, something that would sleep with me preferably, but I couldn't afford anything like a cat.  So that was downgraded to chinchilla, but free space is at a premium at our apartment, so we needed something with a very small cage.  I love hamsters (I've been dubbed "The Hamster Guru" by my roommate) so I went with what I know. 

I got a beautiful little girl yesterday.  She's a teddy bear hamster, which means she'll have long hair. She's amazingly young, the youngest hamster I've gotten so far.  I would estimate about 5 weeks old. She's about the size of an overweight mouse and will double in size once she reaches adulthood. She's still trying to figure things out, including how to work the wheel and what in the heck to do with the carrots I've given her.


hamster!

Isn't she a sweetheart? Except now I'm stressed today because I'm worried she'll somehow escape while I'm not there and then we'll never see her again.  Irrational fears, wild gushing, showing off her picture to total strangers.  I'm ready to quit my job and become a stay-at-home mom.

Except one thing.  She doesn't have a name.  I can't come up with one.  Her name has morphed so many times over the past 24 hours that I'm pretty sure I've made it impossible to settle on a name I really like.  Right now I'm just sort of calling her Baby or Hammy.  As far as name options, here is a list of things we've come up with so far (that we were serious about): Gumdrop, Bacon, Hops, Sugar, Skittlebrau, Ethel, Donut, Bea Arthur, Mr. Bojangles and SweetPea.  Everytime I pick one, I ask other people what they think and if they go "Eh, it's okay" then I change it.  How is this so hard?  My first two hamsters had names before I even got home from the pet store.  What happens when I'm supposed to name my first born?  Go around asking, "Hey, is David a good name? Does David work? Do you think he will be a David?"
by: DJGroovySlug at January 30, 2006 13:50 | link | comments (3) random thoughts, things that make me happy

Friday, 27 January 2006

DJ Groovy Slug Spins is One Year Old Today!

Happy Birthday Blog!

 

 

 

Time to celebrate with some:

SkittleBrau!

by: DJGroovySlug at January 27, 2006 11:36 | link | comments (1)

Thursday, 26 January 2006

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Arlene!

  1. The National Heart Foundation recommends eating Arlene at least three times a week!
  2. Forty percent of the world's almonds and twenty percent of the world's peanuts are used in the manufacture of Arlene.
  3. Arlene once lost a Dolly Parton lookalike contest.
  4. All swans in England belong to Arlene.
  5. Arlene is actually a fruit, not a vegetable!
  6. Arlene can remain conscious for fifteen to twenty seconds after being decapitated!
  7. Arlene is the world's tallest woman.
  8. The most dangerous form of Arlene is the bicycle.
  9. Arlene has 118 ridges around the edge.
  10. If you blow out all the candles on Arlene with one breath, your wish will come true!
I am interested in - do tell me about
by: DJGroovySlug at January 26, 2006 09:23 | link | comments random thoughts

Monday, 23 January 2006

In Which I Wax Philosophical on a Topic About Which I am Clueless

I'm a big fan of Gene Weingarten, humor columnist at the Washington Post, most notably, Gene hosts a live online chat every Tuesday at noon (PS, check it out tomorrow!).  Among many of his overarching themes (bad rhymes, good song lyrics, aptonyms, and general arbiter of what is and is not "funny"), Gene frequently discusses the differences between men and women, including, but not limited to, why women can't poop in public, why men should not be allowed to buy clothes as gifts, and most significantly, why woman are better than men, and therefore good for men.  In a chat held today because of Gene's special contribution to the Washington Post Magazine, The Peekaboo Paradox, Gene once again reaffirmed this opinion:



Gene Weingarten: I am either shrewd enough, or lucky enough, to be married to an incredibly competent and forgiving woman who is willing to shoulder a disproportionate amount of the responsibility for keeping us going.


Washington, D.C.: Gene, I loved the article: another beautiful piece of work. Thank you. I am also a little flattered at your view of women as having the potential to civilize life for men who might come up short in some areas. What, however, do men offer to us women, then? (I can thing of a number of things, apart from the sexual dimension, but would like to know what you think.)

Gene Weingarten: Unconditional love. Intense, genuine gratitude. Loyalty. Honesty. Protection. A good income. A friend to talk to. Someone willing to overlook her own problems, whatever they may be. Slavish devotion. Etc.


Okay, look.  I don't profess to be any sort of expert in matters of love/relationships/family/happiness/life.  My understanding of how these things work has been greatly tempered by, well, mostly PG rated movies and the "For Better or Worse" comic strip.  Gene generally comes across as mildly intelligent so when I began to notice his attitudes towards women were not unlike John Mayer lyrics, I began to wonder.  I mean, is this true?  I always felt like John Mayer had this very rare ability to understand exactly what women want to hear, and he uses it to his (and his bank account's) advantage. I mean, have you heard the lyrics to "Come Back to Bed"?

Still is the life
Of your room
When you're not inside
And all of your things
Tell the sweetest story line
Your tears on these sheets
And your footsteps are down the hall
So tell me what I did
I can't find where the moment went wrong at all

You can be mad in the morning
I'll take back what I said
Just don't leave me alone here
It's cold, baby
Come back to bed
Come back to bed
Come back to bed
Come back to bed
Come on back to bed

What will this fix?
You know you're not a quick forgive
And I won't sleep through this
I survive on the breath you are finished with

I mean, come on.  I love me some John Mayer, but there is no way I will ever find a man who says that to me (let's just forget that fact that I'm not the type to go storming off after a fight, only to ignore the offending significant other for the rest of the evening.)  Anyway, so Gene seems to think that women have the inherent ability to improve men.  What happens when a man doesn't seem to need a woman? He can pay his own bills and actually does the dishes after having finished his meal,  instead of leaving them in the sink?

I like Gene's theory.  Is it anti-feminist of me to like the idea of being able to take care of someone? That there is someone who needs me? It's a fantastic feeling, and one that explains why people have children (among many other reasons, obviously.)  I like the image of someone who's life wouldn't make sense if I wasn't around to make sense of it.  However, at the same time, is it a sexist view?  When I think of "taking care of my [insert significant other title here]" I think of being a housewife in my apron making pie. 

Actually, I guess the best relationships are the ones where the two parties moderate each other.  Because even though my instinct is to take care of someone (I get it from my mother, damn her and her fantastic home baked cookies that she shoves down everyone's throat.  MMMmmm, cookies)  when I'm the one on the receiving end of the care, it's such a fantastic feeling.  I wouldn't be happy if I was always the one sacrificing.  I don't think a relationship could be successful if it's one sided. 

Luckily, I don't know how to make pie.

 

by: DJGroovySlug at January 23, 2006 17:07 | link | comments random thoughts

Friday, 20 January 2006

Homer: Got any of that beer that has candy floating in it? You know, Skittlebrau?

Apu: Such a beer does not exist, sir. I think you must have dreamed it.
Homer: Oh. Well, then just give me a six-pack and a couple of bags of Skittles.

 

Thanks to a few discussions about my halloween costume last year and other weekend adventures, not to mention my fantastic performance at the holiday party, I've developed a reputation at the office for being sort of a party animal. This may also have to do with the fact that I'm one of only two people in this office under the age of 30 that doesn't already have child.  So mostly everyone just assumes that by default my weekend will be crazier than theirs. 

 

Unfortunately, after about 5 straight months of total craziness, including weekend trips to Atlantic City, Richmond, Charlottesville and New York City (among other locations) and week in a foreign country, I'm exhausted.  My illness didn't help matters any, especially since I continued to go out and not let myself heal.  Finally I resolved to simply let my body rest and laid in bed for a whole weekend. 

 

Doing nothing is addicting.  Being lazy is contagious.  After my "do nothing" weekend, I lost all interest in doing things.  This attitude has spread to my friends.  We've been calling, sending text messages and e-mails to each other, all of which have a similar theme: we should go out.  Well, what should we do? I don't know....what do you feel like doing? Meh, I don't know.  Then we sit around some more.  So, are we going out? Yeah, I guess.  Who's going to drive? I don't know.  Midnight roles around and I go to bed.  We've gone on this merry-go-round for the past two weekends. 

 

Right around this time, I guess the younger lawyers here decided I should be having a grand old time.  Last week one of them asked me what kind of crazy plans I had for the weekend.  My mind raced to come up with something better than "I'm watching season 1 of 'Veronica Mars' on DVD then falling asleep on the couch while clutching a bag of Tostitos."  Nothing, was my lame response. "Oh you're not wild'n out?" In my head, more than anything, I wanted to say "Please don't ever use the phrase 'wild'n out' around me again."  This is shameful.  My lawyers are talking to me in slang and I have no plans for the weekend.

 

So I vow, tonight, to have a crazy fun time.  Me and the one other coworker under the age of 30 and childless are going to the previously mentioned Bottom Line for $1 Miller Lights. I'm wild'n out tonight and damnit, I'm going to have fun doing it. Then I'll report back to my lawyers, so that they can live a wild'n out life vicariously through me.

by: DJGroovySlug at January 20, 2006 12:51 | link | comments (3) random thoughts

Thursday, 19 January 2006

So this morning I got into work and, in my normal routine, leaned over to turn on the space heater underneath my desk.  It let off a huge spark that should've terrified me more than it did and then, essentially, died. It would be one thing if the fan stopped working but it still gave off heat.  But there's nothing happening and now I'm cold.  I'm quite positive I won't get any work done today, I just hate being cold.  The worst part is, it's about 70 degrees in here.  I can't handle 70 degrees? And I'm wearing a sweater?  I really need to move back to Hawaii then. 

Anywho, now I have an excuse to get a new space heater.  My initial reaction: woohoo, back on eBay.  But the problem with eBay is shipping and handling, most smart sellers figured out that's where they can make a guaranteed profit and start the bidding really low.  I know it does not cost $15 to ship from New York to here.  Also, eBay is not the place to shop if you need something fast.  Most sellers don't ship everyday.  So I dropped eBay. 

Amazon had a very small selection of reasonably priced compact heaters.  Overstock, nothing.  Target: surprisingly pricy.  I used Froogle and found a few options but with shipping, this space heater was going to cost me $20 (have I mentioned I'm really cheap?).  Plus, I can never - NEVER - justify spending money on shipping.  I feel like it's money thrown away, since most of the time everything I can get online I can buy somewhere in a store around here and pay no shipping.

I have a $20 gift card for Bed Bath & Beyond from Christmas and  I live about 2 seconds away from one, so I checked the website and found a space heater for $30.  This means I spend the least amount of my money - $10 - but then in reality I'm spending more than if I ordered one online and had it shipped directly to work (which would save me a lot of trouble).  Of course, this would guarantee a space heater by tomorrow and it's a really nice heater too.  Do I really need a $30 space heater though?  I mean, this would only take $10 out of my paycheck, whereas everything else would cost $20.  Should I even go out and buy one? If I order online it will be delivered straight here and I don't have to worry about carrying it on the metro, which would be nice.  But I'll probably have to wait at least a week, unless I spring for 1 day shipping, which we all know won't happen.

Since when does buying a space heater turn into a such an ordeal?  The Senate doesn't debate this long about immigration laws.


by: DJGroovySlug at January 19, 2006 09:23 | link | comments random thoughts

Wednesday, 18 January 2006

I'm in trouble.  I'm on it again.  It's been years, literally, years since I've done it. Really, I thought I had kicked it.  I hadn't had any desire, urges, cravings, probably since senior year of high school.  I haven't even thought about it since then.   I was a heavy user but I managed to overcome it.  I won. I was fine.  My life had gone back to normal. Until now.   I can't work.  I can't concentrate.  I'm doing it several times a day.



I'm back on eBay.




Somebody help me.  Please.
by: DJGroovySlug at January 18, 2006 16:42 | link | comments (3)

Wednesday, 18 January 2006

It's Wednesday! And There's Poetry! And I Remembered it!

About Face

I wrap my bones around my head
Speak through the holes

It sounds like math
is rounding the curves

or a mouth is light years
ahead of words.


-Fanny Howe

by: DJGroovySlug at January 18, 2006 11:31 | link | comments wednesday poetry