I LIKE TV.

Do you know that almost NO NBC shows are in the top ratings on Nielson? Is that complete crap? What is this country watching!??

I'll tell you: DANCING WITH THE STARS. And America is not satisfied with just one night of this stuff, Dancing with the Stars: Tuesday is like number 5!

America - you are being had! Start watching GOOD programming. I will admit that I, too have succumbed to the every-so-often 3 hour "Law and Order" marathon; I have sat through 2 whole minutes of "The Singing Bee"; and I will watch a whole hour of "Desperate Housewives of Orange County". But between all of these sad moments in my life - I watch GOOD tv.

Here's my enjoyment factor list for what I'm watching now:

1. 30 Rock
2. Weeds
3. Heroes
4. SNL

The studios need to pay their writers so SNL can come back. (My heart hurt because I missed out on seeing Michael Cera host SNL at Upright Citizen's Brigade Theater a few weeks ago.) But I am getting a kick out of seeing Amy Poehler and Will Arnett's goofy smiles on the Gap windows on 5th ave on my way to work.

I'm only watching Heroes at this point because I'm committed and need to see how/if they can wrap it all up.

30 Rock is genius and I wish Tina Fey would hire me as her assistant. ("This Earth is ruined. We need a new one!" -- love that) PS - Alec Baldwin just makes me giggle.



And i'll refer you to my latest entry on the secret reason I watch Weeds.

Weeds

I kind of have a girl crush on Mary Louise Parker. Almost like last night's 30 Rock "Judah's gay for Jaime", except I don't want to date MLP, just maybe take her bowling. . . . or we could make fried green tomatoes and then have a flour fight. Wait, maybe I am gay for Mary Louise! (I'm sure my husband wouldn't mind.)

In any case, Weeds is incredible and I'm hooked yet very sad I can't afford Showtime and will have to wait for it on Netflix. Unless -- my sister's crafty boyfriend can find a way to "get" it for me. He he he.

*Note: This is not a particularly attractive pic of Mary Louise Parker. I mean, nobodies knees should be showcased like that! Knees just AREN'T that attractive. But all the red carpet pics of her are just too much. i much prefer the Nancy Botwin pot dealing version of MLP than the red carpet hoighty toighty version.

Nothing to do today but take quizzes online

I got 65%! This quarter quiz is harder than it seems.
My favorite was the one that queries wether the quarter is from N or S Dakota. ?!?!?! Everyone knows South Dakota is way better.

GAUCHO

For my 26th birthday, I had the nerve to ask my vegetarian husband to take me out to a nice steak dinner. Being the incredibly wonderful man that he is, he conceded, and made reservations at Gaucho, in our own Montclair.

Before I asked him to devote a night to watching me indulge in carnivorous behavior, I had made sure that there would at least be something for him to eat. And how he was pleasantly suprised! He had a sweet corn empanada with goat chesse, and the lobster and shrimp cevishes. Being non-Argentinians, we had to ask what most of the menu items were, but our waitress was very patient in explaining the dishes to us. I had the filet, with sweet potatoes! The filet was good, but I read somewhere that the grass fed beef is tougher than corn fed beef. It wasn't as good as the last steak I had, but I only get steak maybe twice a year, so maybe I had only dreamed how good the last one was.

Dinner was nicely paced, and the ambiance was relaxed but still fun. Dessert was EXCELLENT - we had the paqueques, a crepe filled with milky caramel with homemade whip cream! OH! They also offered me a piece of cheesecake for my birthday, and I'm not one to descriminate against cake. I'd give it an 7.75/10, plus .75 for the free cake - make it 8.5/10. (Free cake goes a long way in my book!)

European Vacation

There are many stories to tell from my 2 week European Vacation with my sister, Libby. However, I will let the pictures tell the story until I have the time a patience to either 1) label all of the pictures correctly and/or 2) write some of the aforementioned stories on this blog. And in the mean time, the 2 people that read my blog can ask me questions regarding my trip.

Pictures of Europe HERE.

What would Brad and I do on our first day back together after my 2 week departure to Europe? Go to a great jazz club in the city to listen to his classmate, Mark Lamanno play piano for a great singer - phoot, I can't remember or find her name anywhere. A delightfully un-pretentious jazz singer. Gasp! you say....Do they exist? Yes, and as soon as I find her name, I will post it for the joy of everyone reading. She has a nice light voice and doesn't try to outdo the other musicians. It was very enjoyable, mostly because of the company (Darren, Libby, Brad, Matt, Ozzy, and Mark), but also because of the 2 drink minimum!

But, harumph, it's back to the grindstone today. I cannot really complain, because my poor husband has papers upon papers due for his classes, which can be slightly more taxing than being a temp.

I will soon be posting my pictures from Europe...so check back!

I Think I Love My Husband

Commentary on I Think I Love My Wife

This weekend my husband and I did something that we don't normally do. We went out. And not to the grocery store - we went OUT. To the MOVIES. (gasp.)

As Brad is a fan and student of African American culture, and because Chris Rock is so damn funny, we went to see "I Think I Love My Wife." After we snuck in ShopRite bought snacks (Twizzlers were on sale!) and bought our tickets (for roughly the same amount as my husband and I have both spent on haircuts in the last three years), we sat down to enjoy the commercials, I mean, movie.

Fast forward two hours and Brad and I our doing our delicate dance of post-movie opinion exchange. "What did you think about the movie?" my cinephile husband asked me. My stomach always churns when he asks me this question - we don't often agree. (Let's just say "Chronicles of Narnia" did not win him over.) Having watched a lot of movies in my day, but never really having studied film... or writing... or directing... or photography, the only thing I know about movies is how I feel when the credits start to roll. Did the film seem to drag? Did it make me laugh? Could I relate to any of the characters, or situations? Did I feel like they completed the point of the movie, or left it hanging? Would I watch it again? How was the acting? Usually I know that I've like the move if, when the credits do roll, I wish they hadn't - because I was just that into it.

With this particular movie - Bradley really enjoyed it. I cannot say for certain if this was because it the two lead actresses, Kerri Washington and Gina Torres, (the beautiful actress who played Zoe in "Serenity") were extraordinarily talented or extraordinarily beautiful. His critique: He told me that every person knows a woman like Nikki, a manipulative, seductive woman. And, being the good, kind husband that he is, also noted that he finds those women completely annoying. He also thought that Chris Rock really presented the "every man" very realistically. So, he really enjoyed the movie.

I had two main complaints: length and the portrayal of women. The movie dragged, so much so, that I think I looked at my cell phone during the movie to check the time. They could have done a lot more editing and still gotten the fantasy of Nikki to the same level. I didn't appreciate that the only ways Rock portrays women is either 1) an irresponsible, manipulative sexpot, or 2) an uptight, righteous, controlling wife. I'm not saying here that many other popular movies regard women in any higher fashion; I suppose if you're going to see a Chris Rock movie, you have to expect Chris Rock humor, so I'll give it leeway on that. I guess as a women, i just felt ashamed that this is how so many people see us - as manipulative creatures. When, really, we just have to deal with such idiotic, power hungry, ego-centric men, sometimes we have to be manipulative and bitchy to stand up for ourselves.

However, I will say, that the ending was good, Richard realized that the reality of fantasy is not always as good or as satisfying as the fantasy, itself. PLUS, I guess Rock is a fan of good TV, because he had the sense to cast two actors from the best crime show ever, HBO's The Wire: Michael K. Williams, as Nikki's crazed boyfriend, (his scene lasts around 15 seconds, maybe, and it was incredible) and Wendall Pierce, as Nikki's successful fiance.

All in all it was money well spent (my husband was paying..tee hee). I'd give the movie a B. While the actors won't win any awards, it was entertaining, mostly true to life, and funny. It IS an interesting look at fidelity and commitment. Rent "Head of State" if you want to see a movie with more laughs per minute than "Wife" with less marital conflict, but the same crazy Rock humor. Only go to see this with your unfaithful partner if you have a good sense of humor.

Taxes...Harumph

My husband and I just filed our taxes for 2006. Nothing makes me more nervous and anxious than doing my taxes. A feeling surely not fully born out of rational thought, but it makes me ill, nonetheless.

During the process, I got angry, shoved files and boxes around noisily ( in an attempt to show my frustration, but I think I just annoyed our neighbor downstairs), and, yes, fought with my husband. Definitely not my proudest moment (sorry, honey). But, in the end, finally resigned myself to the terrifying fact that, I did, in fact owe the government. Grrrr.

Did you know that our national debt is now 9.350 TRILLION dollars! That's an increase of 7% from last year. The chart for that much money wouldn't even fit on this poster. Shazam. I know Clinton may have screwed his intern, but at least she didn't charge him 9 Billion dollars for the privilege.

Check out the poster above. It's very information, a little scary, but most of all, intriguing - I've always wondered the age old question "Where's the Beef?" Well, here's the beef, and how it's all allocated.

Things from this poster that I have to question:

1. What is the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and why is it getting 3B (increase of 71%) of our money? It's under Department of State.

2. Renewable Energy got cut 2%. WTF? When is W going to come to his senses?

3.Safe and Drug Free Schools got cut a whopping 62%! Curious. Maybe Laura needed a new injection of botox?

4. Almost all Operations and Maintenance funds for or military is down. Maybe that's a part of the problem why all these soldier are coming home wounded. Their equipment is falling apart.

(For two other voices on the war, check out NPR's piece on Blackwater the corporate mercenary army that's rubbing elbows with almost every major Republican politician, and National Geographic's article on wounded soldiers, showing how good army doctors and nurses are able to care for the hundreds of wounded soldiers they see)

I'm sure there are 100,000 ways to look at this poster. Those are just some of my thoughts. Wouldn't it be cool if we could pick where we wanted our taxes to go? I wonder how that would pan out........