Tuesday, April 29, 2008

TV Shows that I Like

1. The Simpsons-this show has influenced my youth more than any other show out there. It is much like the Indiana Jones Trilogy, in that my brother and I can basically talk to each other in Simpsons references. While I don't watch the new episodes anymore, I have the first 12 seasons on DVD. And I can name the plot of nearly every episode...along with quotes. I have often said that I could never date someone who wasn't a Simpsons fan. Yes, it's that important to me. Common cultural knowledge. Hehe. It's funny though, because most of my female friends aren't really that big into the Simpsons, which makes my trivial knowledge largely irrelevant. Oh well.
2. Seinfeld-A show about nothing that will remain timeless, precisely because it deals with the minutiae of daily life. I wasn't a regular watcher of the show when it was on, but I started watching it in syndication, and I did watch the last episode live. I didn't mind the ending, as I think it completely reflected the characters and their selfish motivations. I plan on buying all of these seasons on DVD. A fantastic show, and I'm glad it ended before it got too old.
3. The Sopranos-I got into this show in 2006. Jim and I spent a good part of the summer watching the first 6 seasons. It was well worth it. Then we watched the last season on HBO in real time. So it was a perfect way to end the series. An amazing story that ended with some nice ambiguity
4. Twin Peaks-A cult favorite-I have it on DVD, and haven't watched the whole thing yet. But I firmly believe that this show, which came out in 1992 or so, and was on for 2 seasons, is the precursor to every show that has large story arcs and multiple characters with complex motivations.....I'm referring to you, Lost, and you, Heroes. Twin peaks opened the door for those shows, and it deserves some respect. Plus, Kyle Machlachlan is in it, and I like him. I'll include Lost and Heroes in this slot as well, because I enjoy both of those shows. I am not a Lost freak however, since I only started watching it last year and haven't bothered to watch the previous seasons.
5. The Office-The only current comedy that I enjoy. I like the clever, offbeat nature of the episodes. However, I am getting a little annoyed by the Jim/Pam romance. I don't think the show can last much longer if it continues that theme. (I hate romances, did you know that?) I'd also like to add that I have watched all of the British version of The Office (2 seasons plus a special), and I think it is a much better show. It panders less to ratings than to making a realistic story. And the ending, while sad, was way more satisfying. Who knows how long the current US version of The Office will go on. It will probably just get lamer over time.
6. America's Next Top Model-My favorite reality tv show. I don't enjoy the cattiness, but I love the photo shoots. Granted, it does enforce negative stereotypes about beauty, but it motivates me to work out. And I can always use motivation. Seriously, I can.
7. Project Runway-I love fashion, and I love the clever designs they come up with. Plus, the judges amuse me.
8. Top Chef-I just started watching it this year, and I find it very entertaining, despite the fact that I get hungry every time I watch it! This year, it takes place in Chicago, which is fun. I always like Chicago themed shows.
9. American Idol-I love and hate it. I do not take it seriously at all. Unlike the other reality shows that I mentioned, I don't really care who wins. I think the theme nights are ridiculous, and the amount of advertising money spent and the shameless promotions are insane. It is a product of consumerism. I feel bad for people who care about it, but at the same time, I can't stop watching it, mostly because I enjoy when people mess up. I'm evil, I know. I never watch it live. Tivo helps me reduce the viewing time from 1 hour to about 35 minutes, so not too much of my time is wasted.
10. Sex and the City-I never watched this show when it was on the air, and I've only seen a handful of episodes, but I really like it. I like that the characters are different, and that they have different goals and expectations. While it does have that element of cheesy romance, it also has an element of realism that is absent from many "chick" shows. I am looking forward to the movie, and I plan on getting the series on DVD at some point.
11. House, M.D.-The only medical show that I like. Dr. House is evil, and hilarious. I don't make it a point to watch this show, but when I remember to tivo it, I enjoy it.

So there you have it! Luck 11!

Monday, April 28, 2008

TV Shows that I Do Not Like

I need to make sure that I update this regularly. However, time seems to slip by very quickly, and I find that a week has gone by in the blink of an eye. I think part of the problem is that I do not feel like sitting at the computer when I'm at home. I am on the computer all day at school, and by the time I get home, I tend to be sick of it, so I try to avoid the computer (aside from checking Facebook, of course.) I am glad that FB is blocked at school. It really helps keep me focused. :-P.
Anyway, I have decided to focus this post on Television Shows that I Do Not Like. I realized that I have a lot of opinions about TV shows. I will follow this up with a post on Television Shows that I Do Like.
And now, the Do Not Like List
1. Grey's Anatomy-contrived, silly romantic fluff. I am tired of Meredith Grey and her on again, off again adventures with McDreamy. I really just do not relate to these characters. Complete stereotypes. And it keeps going on and on, with no hope of an ending in sight. I used to watch this show regularly. That was 3 years ago. Now, I avoid it at all costs, and am much happier for it.
2. Desperate Housewives-I don't like a lot of ABC shows. This is another one that I used to watch, back in the day.
3. Friends-I'm sorry, but this show is perhaps one of the most cliched, stereotyped sitcoms ever created. Granted, it is a perfect example of the sitcom formula-all the characters are stereotypes, the humor is bland and inoffensive, the typical romance ties everything together. And, this show really shows its 'datedness'. In 10 years, I doubt anyone will want to watch it. I've never been able to get into Friends, and I've never understood its popularity. I am glad it ended.
4. The Hills, and most any other show on MTV-I don't understand why people watch these pseudo celebrities. I guess I'm too old for this station, because I find most MTV offerings dull and lacking in any sort of imagination or creativity.
5. Everybody Loves Raymond-No. Everybody does not love Raymond. I guess I can lump this show in with EVERY OTHER sitcom that has been on TV in the past 10 years. Three and a Half Men, According to Jim, etc. etc. etc. Not funny. Not engaging. Not my target demographic.
6. The Bachelor-The worst reality TV show ever. These women are pathetic and sad. Apparently, the only thing they want in life is to compete with 20 other women for the "love" of a rich guy. I guess because they all have lame jobs and never tried to do anything meaningful with their lives. I think this show has set women back about 1,000 years.
7. Soap Operas-I just think they're boring and they never end.
8. Baseball on TV-I like baseball, but I do not like watching it for 4 hours. Especially if they go into extra innings. Ugh. There is just not enough excitement to keep my interest.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Sin City!

I just got back from Las Vegas. It was a lot of fun. I was very proud of myself because I did not gamble away my money in the slot machines. And let me tell you, slot machines are very addicting. Not the standard spinning wheel-one line slots...I mean video slot machines,with multiple lines. It is such a thrill to win those bonus spins!! I was up about $17, but of course I lost it all. So I only lost about $20 total on gambling. Not too shabby. Especially because I was playing penny slots!

The BF and his brother, on the other hand, did some real gambling-craps and blackjack. So I spent several hours watching them try their luck. They ended up doing ok-they were up about $90, and ended up losing about $100, which is really small potatoes in a place where people lose thousands. Gambling really doesn't interest me all that much though. I enjoy watching people play and thinking about what I would do, but really, I'd rather spend the money on a new pair of shoes...something I can keep. We also went to some fun nightclubs though, which is more my style.

I just read J's post regarding spending and the economy-well, we certainly did our part this weekend. Although I didn't spend a lot of money on gambling, my companions certainly did. I was also lucky because they bought my drinks. And, I did not have to pay cover at most of the nightclubs. So hooray for Vegas-it is always an interesting time.

Perhaps when I have more energy I will write more regarding my ideas on the myths and illusions of Vegas.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

I didn't forget about this blog!

I've been busy. Sorry. But, I hope to update this fairly frequently.

On to my next topic: Favorite Movies. Note: this is not in any particular order...all of them are my favorites.

1. Amadeus-BEST. MOVIE. EVER. I've loved this movie ever since I first saw it, which was probably when I was about 6 years old. It came out in 1984, and my family got it on video probably in the early 90s. I love this movie because it is a great story, despite its historical innacuracies, it has fantastic music (Mozart!), and it really shows his genius. My favorite scene: when Mozart is in his sickbed, dictating the Requiem to Salieri...he demonstrates how all the music is just in his head, and he's talking really fast and Salieri can barely keep up. It's just a brilliant scene. You should watch it. Really.

2. Indiana Jones Trilogy, especially Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade-Another set of movies that I grew up with. We had these on VHS when I was quite small. My brother and I would watch the constantly. Over the years, we have developed a sort of secret language based on these movies. We can just mention one phrase, for example "bad dates" and both of us will start laughing. I have large chunks of these movies memorized. Perhaps the best action/adventure movies ever made. And now I have all 3 on DVD. I am wondering how good the 4th installment will be...

3. Pulp Fiction-I've only seen it twice, but I have it on DVD. The dialogue is fantastic, the story is really cool, and it's a movie that you can quote endlessly.

4. American Psycho-One of the creepiest movies around. It takes place in the era of 80s yuppies. The soundtrack has lots of classic 80s hits. Christian Bale is a great actor. I saw this movie twice, and I finally "got it" after the second watching. Very quotable as well.

5. American Beauty-In keeping with the "American" theme....I love Kevin Spacey. One of his greatest performances, I believe. Amazing story about the emptiness of suburban life...and how we all trick ourselves into thinking that it's what we really want. Eminently quotable (I really like quoteable movies-I think it's what makes the movie memorable for me) "You don't get to tell me what to do...ever again. "

6. The Dreamers-A French/English movie about a young American studying in Paris in the 60s..he meets a pair of twins, a boy and a girl...and they open up his mind and his worldview. It's rather racy and erotic, with lots of sex and drugs. But it's so appropriate for the setting-young revolutionaries trying to change the world. Also, the soundtrack is simply fantastic. Lots of classic rock.

7. Fight Club-A classic, of course. Brad Pitt and Edward Norton are amazing. A clever story, and of course, lots and lots of lines that people quote in their facebook profiles. One thing I like about this movie is that it doesn't seem dated. The concepts apply to any time period. Materialism, rampant consumption, filling our empty lives with posessions....it's still all there. "On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero."

8. Mulholland Drive-David Lynch's sexy, dark, mysterious, masterpiece. I still don't quite get how all the pieces fit, and I love it. A creepy, clever, brilliant, sorta mystery, with many theories as to what everything means. I love it when a movie makes you think about it long after you've watched it.

9. The Right Stuff-From 1983... I didn't see this movie till I was about 17, but I loved every minute of it. It is truly a masterpiece. It's basically a precursor to Apollo 13. Ed Harris is even in it, as John Glenn. It covers the time period from when Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier to the first Mercury space missions. It has excellent music, and lots of memorable scenes. Just an excellent movie. One of my favorite historical epics.

10. Donnie Darko-A neat movie that deals with time travel and wormholes (I think!) in a very non sci-fi way. It has a great soundtrack as well.

11. The Usual Suspects-A thriller with an amazing twist at the end, although I'm sure most people know what it is by now. But still....Kevin Spacey is just so good!

12. Fantasia-Disney's animated exploration of the world of animation, sound, and color. I absolutely love this movie. I love how they animate classical songs-even Stravinsky! I am going to see if I can get this on DVD, because I haven't watched it in several years.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Inspired to Write Again!

I decided to start a new blog in response to my good friend Jaime's interesting and thought-provoking blog. I feel that writing the blog will allow me to write more substantial posts, instead of just responses to comments. And, I will hopefully garner some useful comments in the process.

So, inspired by a post on favorite books, I will now create a list of my own. However, my list is not a typical favorites list, because I have too many favorites. Instead, I will call this list "Books that stuck with me", meaning books that I read, and then thought about for a long time afterwards. These are the books that made me want to find out if the author has written others like it. Most of these books are ones that I have read in the past year.

Books that Stuck With Me
1. As Simple as Snow by Gregorgy Galloway-I spent nearly a week after reading this book researching some of the ideas in it. An engaging, compelling mystery that leaves you wondering at the end. One of the best books I've read in a long time. It made me want to buy a shortwave radio.
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-the last HP book. Loved it. I thought it tied everything neatly together. I love how the characters mature throughout the series, and I think the writing has improved as well. I can't wait for the rest of the movies to come out! And, I still hope that Rowling might want to write one more...although I would be interested in seeing what else she can come up with.
3. Twilight/New Moon/Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer-I liked Twilight a lot. By Eclipse, I was a little tired of the series. I think that the quality has declined, and I think that the books are a little too long. However, I could not put any of these books down. I wanted to know what happened, despite my frustration with the characters of Bella, Edward, and Jacob. They felt very real to me. I am eagerly looking forward to the fourth book in this series, Breaking Dawn, which is due out in August. I think part of my annoyance with this series is the fact that it is soooo teen angsty, and I don't identify with that anymore. The phenomenon associated with these books is fantastic though, and they are probably some of the most popular books in our library. Did I mention that it's a vampire romance? Yeah...
4. Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz-Another vampire book. This time it's like a combo of Gossip Girl and...some vampire story. The first book was really good. I like the vampire lore that de la Cruz has created, and it's different from Meyer's version. However, the second book, Masquerade, was not nearly as exciting. I'm not sure how long this series can go, but I suppose I'll read the next few books, if and when they come out.
5. Unfinished Portrait by Mary Wesmacott-I've read this book probably 20 times. I still never get tired of it. And yes, I did re-read it this year. One of my favorite books ever. It was written by Agatha Christie under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. It fulfills my love of Victorian novels. A semi-romance, semi biography. Old fashioned and fantastic! (also very hard to find in print!)
6. A Great and Terrible Beauty/The Rebel Angels/The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray-The first book was excellent. The second was ok. The third was over 800 pages too long and quite tedious. However, I managed to scrape through it. Really popular with the 16 year old girl romantic/gothic/fantasy novel crowd. I thought the ending to the series was really lame, but the concepts in the books are really cool. It involves girls in boarding school, Victorian England, and a mysterious place called the Winterlands. I really wish it hadn't ended in such a tedious way. But A Great and Terrible Beauty is definitely worth reading.
7. This is All: The Pillow Book of Cordelia Kenn by Aidan Chambers-A unique, massive tome about a girl and her experiences growing up. I didn't finish it, but it's one of those lovely novels that you can kind of drift through in pieces and feel good that you managed to get some of it read. I'll finish it someday!
8. The Red Leather Diary by Lily Koppel-A brand new book that I am still in the process of reading. One of the few nonfiction books that I like! It is about a diary that this woman, a writer for the NYT, found. It was written during the 1920s-early 30s. A very unique young woman was the writer. The story retells her life and her many interesting experiences. An excellent historical piece.
9. The Devil in the White City by Eric Larson-True story of the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. It's cool because it's Chicago history combined with the story of the serial killer who was killing young women at the time...extremely creepy.
Well, that's all for now. I can't think of a 10th.