As I've stated before, Syracuse so far is the only graduate school to have accepted me. And to offer me a fellowship, which I don't have to do anything for (except be multi-cultural and pursue interests I already had!!).
Well, I visited Syracuse for its Open House. And I learned three things that endear it to me, as it reminds me of my undergrad institution.
1. SU, like U of I, had a racist Native American mascot that people protested against which then had to be removed.
2. The same school colors. I can wear my blue and orange shirts inside out!
3. Renowned for its great basketball and terrible footballs teams.
Ah, Syracuse I feel like I know you well.
A downfall: the airport was tiny. My plane was delayed like alllllllll day. Seriously. Last time this happened, I had my coworkers to drink with and distract me. All I had in the Syracuse Hancock Airport was my thoughts. Oh, and a DVD of California Dreams, season one. Because each episode was roughly 20 minutes, I went through that baby pretty fast. The airline attendants were really helpful though, I'm not sure people in Chi would have been as understanding since they see thousands more passengers every day.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
See You at the Movies
So, the Oscars are going on right now. They're in the middle of the boring technical awards. I hate to say that because I was once a theatre techie in high school, which is the equivalent to the cinema techies, but all those categories in the middle do extend the awards show too much.
To pass the time, I'm compiling my own best/worst/most anticipated film list.
Favorite Movies
1. This Is It - Do I have to explain this one to you? I think if 10 movies were nominated, this one should have made the cut. It has drama, heart, heartbreak, a personal look at the man behind the hits, amazing music and mind-blowing awesome dancing. Speaking of nominations, why didn't a song from the soundtrack make the cut instead of one of those tired Randy Newman songs? Unless you absolutely hate Michael Jackson (or his music) with every fiber of your being, I think you'd enjoy this behind-the-scenes look.
2. Avatar - It has made more money than any movie ever. I think that explains it all. There are crazy special effects, an interesting (though conflicting) storyline, and great action scenes.
3. Star Trek - This movie speaks to men and women. You got the action for the men and all the cute, slightly nerdy eye candy a girl could want. And I believe this movie can cross the sci-fi boundary as well. If you're into the whole Star Trek mythology thing, you'd probably get a kick out of the whole parallel universe thing and the cameo from Leonard Nimoy. And if you know nothing about Star Trek (like me), you get to see an engaging origin story.
4. Up - Pixar gets it right every time.
5. The Hangover - This movie has no pretensions. It is what it is - a raunchy comedy. What I like about this film is that it features guys who are actually funny instead of so-called comedy stars. With guys like comedian Zach Galifianakis and the Office's Ed Helms on board, you knew this thing had to be funny. Every single thing in this movie is so random, you can't help but laugh. A tiger in the bathroom? YES! It doesn't fare as well on second viewing, but with the Mike Tyson cameo, you know why this was the best-selling comedy film (DVD)of all time.
Most Over-hyped
1. Julie and Julia - An OK movie, but I don't get why Meryl Streep was nominated other than because she is Meryl Streep. The main character was ridiculously whiny and I know as a writer/blogger I should sympathize with her, but I can't. She was a total ass to her husband.
2. Inglorious Basterds - I just don't get it. There were too many subplots and I just don't think they were all developed. This movie was long, so really as the viewer, I felt like I deserved a better story. I get that it was supposed to be something of a farce, but nothing made me laugh. I've liked some Quentin Taratino films, but I'm not totally sold on his brand of in-joke hyper-violent machismo pop-culture chop-shop movies.
3. (500) Days of Summer - I've long been a fan of Zooey Deschanel with her wide-eyed sarcastic fake innocence and quirky quips and Joseph Gordon-Levitt has aged well. From Ten Things I Hate About You, to 500 Days, he has retained the same dimples but really grown into an attractive man. I really wanted to like this movie, which was described as being a romantic film guys could like too. But I was left frustrated. The main character needed to man up and stop mooning over the girl who clearly just wanted to be friends with benefits. Honestly, I thought the song-and-dance number was just a gimmick; it wasn't as memorable as critics described.
4. New Moon - Ugh. Twilight. At least the first movie had some charm. Switching directors just changed up the whole tone of the film. Absolutely the only thing this movie had going for it was Taylor Lautner's abs. Not saying the abs weren't nice, but they could not compensate for the terrible posturing (wouldn't call it acting) and limp script.
5. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Movies just never make that same connection that books do. I read all the books and though I wasn't a Pot(ter)head, I enjoyed them. I was engaged in the story and felt Dumbledore's death, but with the film, his death just didn't carry the same weight. They need to hurry up with the last film(s) cuz those young adults are getting too old to pass for teens.
Movies I Look Forward to Watching on DVD
1. Precious - One day, I hope to be like Sapphire, sitting in the audience crying tears of joy when the film script based on one of my novels (or book of short stories) wins an Oscar. I looooved the book Push and I cannot wait to see the film translation. Even just watching clips of Monique and Gabi's performances got to me.
2. Hurt Locker - I really hope it lives up to its awards hype. And I love that a woman made this movie and it's not an overtly female movie. It's the little movie that could, which instantly endears me to it.
3. Up In the Air - I'm intrigued to see if George Clooney's acting is really as good as everyone says it is because I'm convinced he plays the same charmer fast-talker type in all of his movies. That being said, it seems like a really topical movie and I read the director used a lot of real people in bit roles.
To pass the time, I'm compiling my own best/worst/most anticipated film list.
Favorite Movies
1. This Is It - Do I have to explain this one to you? I think if 10 movies were nominated, this one should have made the cut. It has drama, heart, heartbreak, a personal look at the man behind the hits, amazing music and mind-blowing awesome dancing. Speaking of nominations, why didn't a song from the soundtrack make the cut instead of one of those tired Randy Newman songs? Unless you absolutely hate Michael Jackson (or his music) with every fiber of your being, I think you'd enjoy this behind-the-scenes look.
2. Avatar - It has made more money than any movie ever. I think that explains it all. There are crazy special effects, an interesting (though conflicting) storyline, and great action scenes.
3. Star Trek - This movie speaks to men and women. You got the action for the men and all the cute, slightly nerdy eye candy a girl could want. And I believe this movie can cross the sci-fi boundary as well. If you're into the whole Star Trek mythology thing, you'd probably get a kick out of the whole parallel universe thing and the cameo from Leonard Nimoy. And if you know nothing about Star Trek (like me), you get to see an engaging origin story.
4. Up - Pixar gets it right every time.
5. The Hangover - This movie has no pretensions. It is what it is - a raunchy comedy. What I like about this film is that it features guys who are actually funny instead of so-called comedy stars. With guys like comedian Zach Galifianakis and the Office's Ed Helms on board, you knew this thing had to be funny. Every single thing in this movie is so random, you can't help but laugh. A tiger in the bathroom? YES! It doesn't fare as well on second viewing, but with the Mike Tyson cameo, you know why this was the best-selling comedy film (DVD)of all time.
Most Over-hyped
1. Julie and Julia - An OK movie, but I don't get why Meryl Streep was nominated other than because she is Meryl Streep. The main character was ridiculously whiny and I know as a writer/blogger I should sympathize with her, but I can't. She was a total ass to her husband.
2. Inglorious Basterds - I just don't get it. There were too many subplots and I just don't think they were all developed. This movie was long, so really as the viewer, I felt like I deserved a better story. I get that it was supposed to be something of a farce, but nothing made me laugh. I've liked some Quentin Taratino films, but I'm not totally sold on his brand of in-joke hyper-violent machismo pop-culture chop-shop movies.
3. (500) Days of Summer - I've long been a fan of Zooey Deschanel with her wide-eyed sarcastic fake innocence and quirky quips and Joseph Gordon-Levitt has aged well. From Ten Things I Hate About You, to 500 Days, he has retained the same dimples but really grown into an attractive man. I really wanted to like this movie, which was described as being a romantic film guys could like too. But I was left frustrated. The main character needed to man up and stop mooning over the girl who clearly just wanted to be friends with benefits. Honestly, I thought the song-and-dance number was just a gimmick; it wasn't as memorable as critics described.
4. New Moon - Ugh. Twilight. At least the first movie had some charm. Switching directors just changed up the whole tone of the film. Absolutely the only thing this movie had going for it was Taylor Lautner's abs. Not saying the abs weren't nice, but they could not compensate for the terrible posturing (wouldn't call it acting) and limp script.
5. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Movies just never make that same connection that books do. I read all the books and though I wasn't a Pot(ter)head, I enjoyed them. I was engaged in the story and felt Dumbledore's death, but with the film, his death just didn't carry the same weight. They need to hurry up with the last film(s) cuz those young adults are getting too old to pass for teens.
Movies I Look Forward to Watching on DVD
1. Precious - One day, I hope to be like Sapphire, sitting in the audience crying tears of joy when the film script based on one of my novels (or book of short stories) wins an Oscar. I looooved the book Push and I cannot wait to see the film translation. Even just watching clips of Monique and Gabi's performances got to me.
2. Hurt Locker - I really hope it lives up to its awards hype. And I love that a woman made this movie and it's not an overtly female movie. It's the little movie that could, which instantly endears me to it.
3. Up In the Air - I'm intrigued to see if George Clooney's acting is really as good as everyone says it is because I'm convinced he plays the same charmer fast-talker type in all of his movies. That being said, it seems like a really topical movie and I read the director used a lot of real people in bit roles.
I Need to Watch More Jimmy Fallon
Months ago, I caught a bit on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon where Mark-Paul Gosselaar showed up as his alter ego, Zach Morris. That character, with his oversize '90s cell phone and his super-bleached blond hair taught me all I needed to about teenagerhood on the early '90s Saturday morning (and subsequent TBS staple) TV show, Saved By the Bell. I'm not even going to dignify any ignorance by explaining the plot of that pop-cultural icon. What I will say is if you grew up in the '80s and '90s, that was your shit.
What was Mark/Zach on hand to talk about? Why, the reunion of the one-hit wonder band, Zach Attack. Or rather, the Jimmy-Fallon facilitated reunion of Saved By the Bell. In my geeky way, I got excited. Very excited. OMG, if only all the actors would show up as their characters. Slater and Jessie would totally be married by now.
I'm not a big Fallon watcher. My allegiance is to Craig Ferguson and his total abandon of late-night show conventions. But every once in a while, Fallon surprises me by doing something that speaks to the cheesy core of me. Like with the aforementioned bit or with his acoustic version of "Pants on the Ground."
Well, turns out that the reunion can't happen. Fail! Right? Wrong. Jimmy Fallon more than compensated by reuniting the cast of California Dreams and having them present their title song. Why, I reaaaallllllly thought they were lip-syncing.
Thank goodness for Entertainment Weekly. Even though they didn't hire me to intern for the Website, I am still a faithful reader of EW.com. It feeds my pop candy tooth. Without them, I'd never have seen this clip. I was so geeked watching it at work on Friday. Reading through the comments on the EW blog, I felt like I had located my kinsman. These are my people. And hey, there were other people wondering why shy hottie Mark Winkle didn't get a nod on air. I was shocked to learn other people think like me.
California Dreams was no Saved By the Bell, but shoot those kids had a band, which magnified their hotness factor times 10. And there was an Asian character! And she dated the Black drummer! And I was so in love with Mark Winkle, the replacement lead male singer. This past summer, I discovered that Rockford Public Library stocked my beloved show and I rushed home with my rentals. The quality of the film does NOT stand up. But, man do I love every one of those so-terrible-it's-good story lines.
Read their comments here:
http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/03/05/jimmy-fallon-california-dreams-reunion/
Hire me, please, EW!
What was Mark/Zach on hand to talk about? Why, the reunion of the one-hit wonder band, Zach Attack. Or rather, the Jimmy-Fallon facilitated reunion of Saved By the Bell. In my geeky way, I got excited. Very excited. OMG, if only all the actors would show up as their characters. Slater and Jessie would totally be married by now.
I'm not a big Fallon watcher. My allegiance is to Craig Ferguson and his total abandon of late-night show conventions. But every once in a while, Fallon surprises me by doing something that speaks to the cheesy core of me. Like with the aforementioned bit or with his acoustic version of "Pants on the Ground."
Well, turns out that the reunion can't happen. Fail! Right? Wrong. Jimmy Fallon more than compensated by reuniting the cast of California Dreams and having them present their title song. Why, I reaaaallllllly thought they were lip-syncing.
Thank goodness for Entertainment Weekly. Even though they didn't hire me to intern for the Website, I am still a faithful reader of EW.com. It feeds my pop candy tooth. Without them, I'd never have seen this clip. I was so geeked watching it at work on Friday. Reading through the comments on the EW blog, I felt like I had located my kinsman. These are my people. And hey, there were other people wondering why shy hottie Mark Winkle didn't get a nod on air. I was shocked to learn other people think like me.
California Dreams was no Saved By the Bell, but shoot those kids had a band, which magnified their hotness factor times 10. And there was an Asian character! And she dated the Black drummer! And I was so in love with Mark Winkle, the replacement lead male singer. This past summer, I discovered that Rockford Public Library stocked my beloved show and I rushed home with my rentals. The quality of the film does NOT stand up. But, man do I love every one of those so-terrible-it's-good story lines.
Read their comments here:
http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/03/05/jimmy-fallon-california-dreams-reunion/
Hire me, please, EW!
No Money For You
Today, I was passed out in a comatose haze after an Olive Garden meal celebrating my parents' 25th anniversary. I was stirred out of my rest-state by my father, who informed me I had a phone call. NO ONE calls me on my house phone, so I should have known something was up.
Now, I KNOW the University of Illinois is broke. But I wasn't expecting a call from the U of I College of Media asking for hundreds of dollars worth of donations. As someone who now works in the non-profit sector and has been taught about soliciting gifts, I have learned that you're supposed to start high and then go low. But damn. I think the school should know not to ask (sort-of) recent college graduates for a crazy sum of $400. Needless to say, they're not getting any money from me.
I'm not a grouch. I'm willing to give to my alma mater. I credit much of my personal development to the U of I and a lot of my skill development to the College of Communications (now Media). But I'm sorry ... the school didn't help me find a job. So, I don't have the money for that kind of thing. After I publish my first book, I'll donate some big bucks to the U.
Now, I KNOW the University of Illinois is broke. But I wasn't expecting a call from the U of I College of Media asking for hundreds of dollars worth of donations. As someone who now works in the non-profit sector and has been taught about soliciting gifts, I have learned that you're supposed to start high and then go low. But damn. I think the school should know not to ask (sort-of) recent college graduates for a crazy sum of $400. Needless to say, they're not getting any money from me.
I'm not a grouch. I'm willing to give to my alma mater. I credit much of my personal development to the U of I and a lot of my skill development to the College of Communications (now Media). But I'm sorry ... the school didn't help me find a job. So, I don't have the money for that kind of thing. After I publish my first book, I'll donate some big bucks to the U.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
SNL Actually Makes Me Laugh
After laughing my way through an entire SNL sketch (the one above), I was shocked into silence. Long have I stated that SNL fails to live up to its reputation as a comedic institution. And this season has been especially terrible with guests like Blake Lively and Megan Fox, who strike me as mannequins (pretty on the surface with no emotional depth).
But a little Olympic break must have been all the writers needed to write a seriously funny sketch featuring sharp observations.
Everything they point out about the "disastrous" "We Are the World 2" video is spot on. Watch it!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Grad School Part Duex
I got into to one of my schools! It's still early on, I hadn't expected to hear from anyone this month. Ahhh, I feel smart! Honestly, I wasn't sure I'd get into the Newhouse School. I feel WANTED, which is an awesome feeling after well, struggling to find a decent job these last two years.
Not sure if I'm going to go to Syracuse until I get the official letter and hear from the other schools but, this is nice.
As usual, as much as I want change, I fear it too. Hopefully, in the months to come, I get over since I'll be out of employment in September anyway.
Not sure if I'm going to go to Syracuse until I get the official letter and hear from the other schools but, this is nice.
As usual, as much as I want change, I fear it too. Hopefully, in the months to come, I get over since I'll be out of employment in September anyway.
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