No Squares Allowed

I faced a dilemma this morning as I was packing up my breakfast to take to work: No round tupperware was left. They were all in the sink waiting to be washed. All I had was a cupboard of square or rectangle tupperware containers.

Cereal cannot be eaten from a square bowl. Only circular containers will do.

After digging around desperately, I found a round tupperware dish. Relieved, I packed up my cereal and headed out the door.

Am I just crazy, obsessive? Or am I right?

It's Been A Bad Day

Uh-Oh

I'm feeling a little under the weather again. My back is sore. I'm getting overly warm overly quickly.

But, I also have not been sleeping well. Murray, my dog, has taken to waking up multiple times throughout the night. He gets up, shakes, which then rattles his collar. This initially wakes up. Then he wanders around the bedroom for 10 minutes panting, his nails clicking on the wood floors. This happens about every couple of hours. And I wake up every time.

I'm trying to get some work done so I can take off a bit early from work today guilt free. I need to go home and get some sleep.

The last time I was sick at work, I posted the 25 songs playing on my iPod that helped me get through the day.

So here's another one. 25 songs as the iPod played them:

1 "Never Said" - Liz Phair
2 "Making Noise" - Damien Rice
3 "Cripple Creek Ferry" - Neil Young
4."Straight Ahead" - David Cook
5 "BYOS" - Regina Spektor
6 "54-46 That's My Number/Ball and Chain" - Sublime
7."A Sorta Fairytale" - Tori Amos
8."The Hardest Part" - Hayden
9."Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie" - Bob Dylan
10."Musicology" - Prince
11. "Slide Away" (live) - Noel Gallagher
12. "It's Margaret Cho" - Skankin' Pickle
13. "Lit Up" - The National
14. "Sea of Love" (cover) - Cat Power
15. "In Your Eyes" - Peter Gabriel
16. "Not For You" - Pearl Jam
17. "Sara" - Fleetwood Mac
18. "Displaced" - Azure Ray
19. "Jackie's Strength" - Tori Amos
20. "Round a Pole" (live) - Ani Difranco
21. "The Desperate Kingdom of Love" - PJ Harvey
22. "Valerie" - Mark Ronson feat. Amy Winehouse
23. "How?" - John Lennon
24. "Pop Queen" - Ben Lee
25. "Delia" - Johnny Cash

So Much Shouting, Not Much Laughter

Alright. I finally have a moment to report on the Ani Difranco show I went to Sunday night.

The title to this post sums it up well.

I knew this was a club show. I knew drunken sorority girls would be everywhere. I knew there would be talking over songs, sight blockage, screaming, pushing, etc. But I had no idea it would be so bad.

Having never seen Ani in a small club before, I had made a pact to myself that I would get there and work my way to the front and stand there the whole time. No fluids, no bathroom breaks.

But when we got in line, my husband overheard the bouncer say the first act doesn't go on until 9. It was 7. 2 hours of waiting for just the opening band in a cramped space did not sound appealing. So I opted out of my original plan.

We ended up finding a pretty good spot off to the side of the stage. If they were seats, we'd be about row 5. We were on a platform, so I could see the stage perfectly. We were surrounded by loving lesbian couples quietly caressing each other.

Right before the opening act began (which ended up being at 8:10 - husband heard wrong), a rowdy group squeezed in right in front of me. Up until that point, the row I was in had created a nice walkway for the First Avenue staff. But then this group came, cocktails in hand. They danced. And not just fun concert dancing, but get down and dirty booties in the air dancing....to a folk singer. The opening guy was a total folky. No hip hop dancing should have happened. But it did.

When they weren't dancing, they were talking -loudly. The blonde in front of me bore a striking resemblance to America's Next Top Model winner Whitney Thompson. She seemed to have the same stank attitude, as well. And I couldn't see over her hair. So I moved.

We wandered around for a bit until I saw that there was an opening down on the ramp that leads to the main floor. I took it. I was elevated so I could see perfectly. It was the perfect spot. Until Ani started.

The next thing I knew, everyone suddenly had a best friend on the main floor and continued to push and shove me throughout the entire show. I've been to plenty of rock shows at plenty of different venues and I have never experienced a more rude crowd than this.

To make matters worse, a group of drunken sorority types had gathered behind me. Once proclaimed with the utmost pride, "I'm so drunk! I can't even think straight!" She and her friends then proceeded to plan their big unveiling to Ani during the first five songs of her set. I waited for this moment with dread. Finally, during the first verse of "Smiling Underneath", out it came: "I LOVE YOU ANI!!!!!!" screamed with the shrillest choir of voices. I saw everyone around me cringe.

They continued to talk through the set. My husband told me later that most everyone had asked them to please be quiet repeatedly, to no avail. Eventually, he retired to the bar.

I waited it out until - about 10 songs in - some guy and his gals came up behind me and started, once again, having a loud conversation about everything besides the performance in front of them. Finally, to the point of frustration, I turned around and said, "some of us are trying to enjoy the show, a great place for conversation is outside." He gave me his nastiest queen look and made some remark about how "it's not that serious." He then started to repeatedly rub my shoulders and say, "it's okay sweetie, calm down." I asked him to please refrain from fucking touching me.

At the end of the song I heard him say to his gals,"she won't move." To which the girls replied, "just push her." Which he did. When I asked him again to please not touch me, he told me his friends are down on the floor and he wants to join them. I said, "his and everyone else's". He once again told me it's not that serious and then grabbed my hips and tried to move me to the side. I told him again, please do not fucking touch me. He then shoved me to the side and walked in front of me calling me a bitch, cunt, and countless other names and to not test him right now. His hand raised in the air, palm out and he continued to shove his way to the front.

All of this was happening while Ani was singing some of her more positive, everybody love each other, don't forget to have a good time songs, and I couldn't help but see the irony.

Was I being a bitch? Sure. But I had come to listen to my favorite musician perform, not hear the myriad of drunken conversations around me.

I ended up leaving early.

We walked out while Ani rocked out to "Which Side Are You On?". I was super bummed.

I won't be going to another Ani show for a very long time.

As for her set and songs I wanted to hear, well, it was also a disappointment. Maybe I see her too often. But there has been no change in her set list (barring new songs) for the past 5 years. She has 20+ albums. Hundreds of songs.

Here is what she played that I saw:

Anticipate (best version I have heard - new guy killed it on the drums)

78% Water

Modulation

Manhole

Fuel

Splinter

Nov. 4th

Names, Dates ,Times (solo)

Two Little Girls (solo)

Smiling Underneath

Present/Infant

Life Boat

Which Side Are You On (this is when I left)

A friend who was there also said she played Both Hands.

Songs I Want To Hear

Tonight is Ani DiFranco at First Avenue. I am very excited.

I read up on her set lists all the time, and unfortunately, they've grown quite stale as of late. But it's always different when you're there watching it unfold.

Taking that into account, here is a list of songs I would love to hear tonight that could actually show up in the set:

-Emancipated Minor

-Way Tight

-Hypnotized

-Sunday Morning

-Rain Check

-Phase

-I Know This Bar

-Two Little Girls

-Dilate

-Joyful Girl (really reaching with this one)

-Not A Pretty Girl

-If He Tries Anything

And for the love of god, please leave Alla This and November 4th off the set. Thanks.

HOORAY!!!!

My husband got a job today!!!!

Via Con Dios

Patrick Swayze died yesterday. Pancreatic Cancer. 57 years old.

I love Patrick Swayze.

You don't realize how cool Patrick Swayze is/was until you look back at his career. The man was in some classic, classic films. He is a pop culture icon. Just think of some of the lines he's brought to the world:

"Pain don't hurt" - Roadhouse
"Ditto" - Ghost
"If you want the ultimate, you've got to be willing to pay the ultimate price. It's not tragic to die doing what you love" - Point Break
"Now get up here and piss in the radiator" - Red Dawn

And of course...

"Nobody puts Baby in the corner" - Dirty Dancing

He starred in The Outsiders, Red Dawn, Roadhouse, Dirty Dancing, Ghost, Point Break....all culturally relevant movies.

Dirty Dancing was the first "dirty" movie I ever saw. I was 8 years old. I wanted to see it so bad, so my dad rented it for me. I remember hiding my face in my pillow during all of the suggestive dancing.

He also starred in one of the top 5 greatest Saturday Night Live skits of all time:



I will raise my glass in a toast to Mr. Swayze. Thank you for the entertainment.

And I hope you all have a very Swayze Christmas....

Tweet

Twitter is a crazy thing.

I held off on joining for so long. My social networking started out with MySpace. Then that got old and crowded and spammed, so I ended on Facebook and still enjoy my time there very much. But, Twitter just looked so dull. Just status updates and the occasional "twitpic". There didn't seem to be much social interaction to be had.

For whatever reason, though, I decided to join recently. I think it was mainly just to see what it was all about.

It's very strange.

For the shamefully open celebrity obsessed person like myself, it's a crazy cyberworld. With just a click of the follow button, I can see what the likes of Courtney Love, Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, Scott Baio, and Jessica Alba are all doing at any given time. Do I normally give a shit about these people? No. But I just find it fascinating to see these little snippets of the celebrity lifestyle played out in real time. I can't even begin to tell you why. I think it's my nosey nature. I work in HR for a reason.

Sure, most of them just use it at as an advertising tool, relentlessly pushing their latest album, concert tour, movie premiere, or cause (Yoko Ono, I'm looking at you). But some, take Lindsay Lohan for example, display their entire lives via 140 character messages at a time. Arguments between her and girlfriend Samantha Ronson play out in real time over the internet.

Just yesterday, Courtney Love went on a tweeting rampage over the use of Kurt Cobain's image in the new Guitar Hero game. Being attacked by "Followers", she responded in depth to all of the legal battles surrounding Kurt's estate and was not shy in damning former Nirvana bandmates, Dave Grohl and Krist Noveselic.

As a private person (funny, considering how nosey I am) I am surprised by all of these celebrities who do live their lives openly on a social networking site. I could not imagine my husband and I having an open argument on Facebook or Twitter. Or expounding on Twitter all of my legal and financial woes.

But that's just me.

On the other hand, when you find a celebrity you do feel fondly for and can openly engage with someone you admire, it makes it a truly wonderful site. When Erin McKeown or Ingrid Michaelson twitter and tweet and respond to twitters and tweets from their fans, it really makes you feel connected to the artist and makes the world feel like a smaller, closer place.

Unnecessary Basterds

Another movie review for you.

I saw Inglourious Basterds this past weekend. While watching it, I found myself completed uninterested most of the time. I actually left twice to use the bathroom and was in no rush to run back in.

But, as the days have passed, it's memory is growing on me. I find myself thinking about it more and more and responding to these thoughts fondly.

The movie is split into chapters. As with most Tarantino movies, it contains three different stories that mix and mingle and intertwine with each other until they all come together in the end.

The first chapter is one of the greatest scenes I have ever seen. The acting is outstanding. Christopher Waltz is Col. Hans Landa. A German "Jew Hunter". He is out on the french dairy farm of Perrier LaPadite (played by the extraordinary french actor Denis Menochet) investing the disappearance of an unaccounted for Jewish family. This scene is mesmerizing. It's quiet, intense, incredibly shot. In the quiet moments when all you see is the fear in Monsieur LaPadite's eyes, you can hear the cows gently mooing in the background, the wind rustling outside. I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. Mr. Waltz and Mr. Menochet should both get Oscar nods for their performances. Yes, Denis Menochet was only in the movie for the first scene, but if Judi Dench can be nominated and win for less than 10 minutes of screen time, why can't he?

Unfortunately, Chapter 2 begins with Brad Pitt. I don't know what happened to him. But he is a terrible actor. Just terrible. I don't know if it's because his looks have finally gone and maybe that was all that was masking his acting "talents" before, but I could not bear to watch/hear him on screen. He speaks with a southern accent in this movie. I'm fairly certain Mr. Pitt has a natural southern tone to his voice. Why he felt the need to go all Slingblade, I will never understand. But he doesn't pull it off and it's not funny.

Brad plays the leader of the Inglourious Basterds, an American government supported rag tag bunch of vigilantes who want nothing more than to "kill Nazi's." And not just kill them, no, Mr. Pitt also requires their scalps.

It speaks to Brad Pitt's acting/persona that I can't for the life of me remember his character's name. I think part of his problem is he has grown too big to really sink into a role anymore. It's the same with Tom Cruise. I can't watch either of them anymore without thinking: hey it's Brad Pitt/Tom Cruise acting.

I also found the Inglourious Basterds to be completely unnecessary to the movie - besides the title. Yes, I can see where they fit in. But it really just seemed like their main purpose was for the old Quentin gore factor and to add some light, comedic moments.

This movie has several amazing scenes that keep you glued to the screen. But every time Brad Pitt showed up, I just wanted to walk out.

I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. Being that I am not a Quentin Tarantino fan, this speaks a lot.

District 9 is still the frontrunner for my movie of the summer.

Finally, A Good Summer Blockbuster

I can't believe I haven't written about this yet.

Last Friday I saw District 9. I had been hearing so much about it and didn't want to get spoiled, so this was one that could not wait until it came out on DVD.

This movie is insane. It was so intense, I left the theater shaking. I wanted to start bawling, but I was too embarrassed to let it all out as I walked out of the theater. It's not that the movie is overly depressing, though it is rather sad, it's just so intense. I almost couldn't handle it.

The story is amazing, the action is intense (can I say that word enough?), the characters are riveting (even the alien ones), the CGI is unbelievable.

This is not a shoot 'em up, blow 'em up movie. Yes, it has that element to it, but it is so much more than that.

Please go see this movie.

The Way She Is

Ingrid Michaelson released a new album last week titled Everbody. As with Regina Spektor's album, Far, I was very excited about this album. I don't think Ingrid is a visionary musical genius. But she's quirky and cute with an adorable voice and an amazing way with melodies.

Her previous album, Boys and Girls, was good. Not great, but good. Her EP, Be OK, was fantastic and made my top 10 albums of 2008 . I think Be OK represents Ingrid at her best: stripped down and melodic. She's been releasing one off singles ahead of Everybody's release - and those are great. Stripped down and melodic.

Everybody isn't that.

Sure, the melodies are there, but there is nothing new there. It sounds like an album made to be played during trailers for tv shows. Like I said, I didn't expect a masterpiece, but I expected something. I don't even know what...but it wasn't this.

In other music chick news, Juliette Lewis also released an album this week. Yes, the same Juliette Lewis from Natural Born Killers, Kalifornia, and The Other Sister (we won't talk about that one). The complete opposite of Ingrid, Juliette has a raw, manic approach to her music. She used to be in a band called Juliette and the Licks, a more straight up punk/pop group. Juliette has moved onto a more blues sound on her solo debut.

I'm intrigued. I really dig her voice, but I don't know if it's music that I would listen to regularly which is making it difficult to shell out the whopping $10 - even though I've been sitting on $30 worth of iTunes gift cards that I have no idea what to spend on.

Speaking of that, why is it so easy for me to blow $10 of my own money on Skid Row and Bon Jovi songs on iTunes, but when I get a gift card, I suddenly become super picky? Although, I think if I wasn't so disappointed in Ingrid's new album, I would have bought this one already. It's like reading a bad book. It makes it hard to want to jump into another one right away out of fear of disappointment.

Whatever.

I'm pretty sure I will be attending Juliette Lewis's live show at Station 4 in October. She supposedly puts on a good show, it's a cheap show, and it's a super tiny venue.

I was wanting to attend Ingrid Michaelson's show at The Fine Line in October, as well. But, after hearing this album, I'm not so sure.