POTUS v. Oprah

I would like to know who is advising the President. Is it any wonder that his ratings are at a historic low? A prime time address during SWEEPS!!!!!!!! Someone needs to resign over this (because no one is fired in this administration). He is knocking off Oprah's Legend Ball, Grey's Anatomy (a top 5 nationaly rated tv show) has a two hour season finale, Prison Break also has the season finale tonight. This scheduling is a prime example of beltway mentality, because of course the entire nation wants to drop evertything to hear him talk about patroling the borders and workers permits. While the nation will care about immigration at the ballots in November, tonight...well tonight they really only care about what happens to Preston Burke and Denny Duquette!

Prom Revisited

Eleven years ago I went to the senior prom. I wanted to go with a boy I had crushed on ever since Freshman year. The day before he was going to ask me (or so the story was related to me through friends) my friend's brother asked me to go. I was devastated. Sure, I was going to prom, but he didn't like me and I didn't like him (that way). Many tears were shed over the weeks that followed. I was so grateful prom night was over, and vowed I would never cry over prom again. I have broken that promise twice. The first time was the sunday after prom. Local tradition mandated a wearing of the dress to church. I was happy to do this as I thought the dress was GORGEOUS (see previous blog entry Question du jour). But my date went to church with me, and instead of sitting with his family, he came and sat by me. I was humiliated and cried that night...again.

The second time was this morning, while reading the Washington Post. I came across a story I had seen in People magazine and on CNN,but to which I had never really paid any attention, chalking it up as "Fluff". It was the story of a local DC teenager who collected 2800 prom dresses for highschool seniors living in areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina. This is the kind of story that makes you love being a girl.

Entertainment news

Here are a few fun finds I located while surfing the web today.

• Aberdeen, Washington was chosen as the winner of a MI3 premiere screening with Tom Cruise in attendance. A local home furnishings store donated a couch for a jumping contest, but Paramount pictures forced the locals to intervene because it wasn't nice.
• The West Wing will air a repeat of the first episode this Sunday, prior to airing the series finale, because the cast and executives could come to an agreement on pay for a retrospective episode.
• "Oops I Did it Again!" and "Hit Me Baby One More Time" become eerily prophetic as Brit announced officially on David Letterman that she has another bun in the oven. Say it with me one more time, "You can take the girl out of the trailor, but you can't take the trash out of the girl."
• In more Cruise news, Nicole Kidman admits she still loves Cruise and Keith Urban calls off the Tahiti wedding. President Bush's approval ratings are at 31%, whereas Tom Cruise's are at 34% according to a recent Gallup Poll.
• I think I heard that Heather Locklear is back with ex Tommy Lee. So what was the deal with David Spade?

J to the L-O!!

The top ten reasons I love JLo:
1. She made me want to be both a "Fly Girl" and a lawyer at age 10.
2. Let's get loud!
3. Selena
4. She dated Puffy
5. She had Puffy direct music videos for her
6. She went to Puffy parties
7. STYLE...bedazzled do-rags and jumpsuits ala Elvis
8. She dumped Ben Affleck
9. Boo-tay!
10...and something I was completely unaware of until now, she is a SILVER FOX too!!

Top Ten Reads

Every year as summer approaches I find that everyone is looking for books to read. These are my recommendations of books one should read for pure enjoyment, some are literary genius and others are simply a riotous good time.
1. Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy. This book is THE example of perfect literature, there is nothing missing and nothing in excess.
2. East of Eden – James Steinbeck. This novel will make you think about the traditional story of the creation and Cain and Abel in a new light. You will find yourself sympathizing for Cain and feeling more attached to him than his younger, kinder brother.
3. Snow – Orhan Pamuk. The most beautiful work of modern literature I have read. Pamuk addresses the current tensions of western culture and Islam, demonstrating the volatile clashes that erupt as the two attempt to co-exist in a small Turkish border town.
4. The Poisonwood Bible – Barbara Kingsolver. The characters are developed so well that the author can change voice without warning and you will know which of the four girls is speaking to you at that moment. I didn’t want it to end, but I really didn’t want it to end like it did.
5. Life of Pi – Inspires hope and leaves you thinking about reality.
6. Girl in Hyacinth Blue – Susan Vreeland. Demonstrates in literature the various meanings a work of art can have for multiple individuals.
7. The Time Traveler’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger. Explores love as a timeless, eternal experience without bounds, conquering death and weak character.
8. Truman Capote – you’ve seen the movie, now read the masterpieces. I have always loved short stories, but after reading his I feel I had never really read them as a form of art before.
9. Something Borrowed – Emily Griffin. Take it to the beach with you this summer, you will not be bored!
10. Confessions of a Shopoholic – Sophie Kinsella. A must read for anyone who has chosen a new sweater over groceries, ignored bills in the mail, and chosen not to balance the checkbook.

To See or Not To See

To see or not to see, that is the question. There has been the now infamous couch jumping on Oprah (which I had on tv at work and watched with a Congressman), the bitter battle with Brooke, and the scientology jokes and rumored brain washing. Just today in fact, I heard a $40 million pre-nup agreement has been arranged with Katie Holmes, she gets more if she has more children.

We all deal with Tom Cruise's antics in our own ways. One woman in our carpool is boycotting him, a California state delegate introduced a "Cruise bill" that will prohibit the sale of an ultrasound machine to anyone other than a licensed medical professional (if you will remember, he bought one for Katie), I changed his Top Ten, lifetime number 1 spot to a much less respectable "Emeritus Status."

But even so, my heart stopped when I saw a preview for M:I:3. All the memories of watching Mission Impossible for the first time came flooding back, bringing with it a wave of emotions. You see, for me, movie stars are a very personal experience and I have very emotional attachments to their careers. Their great mystique is only further solidified by the fact that the only "celebrity" I have ever met is John Peter Lewis. Most remembered, well only remembered, as JPL: a season 3 Americal Idol non-winner. It was so exciting, I blushed and didnt know what to say.

But now, he BUGS. I mean he REALLY BUGS. But I haven't been so excited to see a movie since War of the Worlds, and before that Collateral, and before that the Last Sammurai...I think you see the trend. So here is my question, can I despise the man and ADORE the film star? Can I keep the persona seperate from the movies? Because I just dont feel comfortable with having anyone else on my number one spot. He is THE one.

I love him. Well him Ethan Hunt, Jerry Maguire, Maverick, Joseph Donnelly, Cole Trickle... you get the point.

I love the 80's

As a child of the 80's I have a great appreciation for leg warmers, the claw, and jelly bracelets. I love catching the nationally syndicated 80's radio broadcasts and just bought OMD's greatest hits (Tesla Girls is a personal favorite) as well as a few Wham songs on ITunes.

I loved Star Wars and couldn't wait for the prequels to be released. I always watched the news broadcasts of the fanatic Star Wars cult followers, but never thought they existed. I work in a cubical next to one now. It is phenomenal. As I write he is telling me all about the VHS, Laser Disc, and DVD releases of Star Wars (apparently the original version, as seen in theatres, will finally be released on DVD in September). He has 12 boxes of "action figures", I use the term lightly as the one that he just received is the Muppets news anchorman. Now that he has it unpacked and displayed on this desk I realize...it is pretty cool. In a "I am a classic IT nerd" kind of way.

AngloMania

I can't wait to visit this new exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Me, the Material Girl and the Met together in June. I can't wait.

Day Club Revisited

As I plan to renew my membership in the Day Club, I have been looking at opportunities to enjoy everything Paris has to offer. With two years, and very careful planning, I am optimistic I can be the ULTIMATE tourist. Just today in fact, I found this list of heretofore closed museums that are opening this spring and summer.

The best aspect of being a member of the Day Club is the capacity one has to fill up "units of time" so completely as to be left wondering how there would ever be time to work. (For those of you unfamiliar with the specific measurement of a unit of time, please see Hugh Grant in "About a Boy.") In Paris, I believe this will become even more true.

At one point, I insisted to a friend that I would have one morning a week dedicated to Museums (4 units of time), another to shopping (2-4 units), and another to a tourist attraction (3 units) not yet visited. I would spend the early afternoon hours shopping in the local grocers market buying food for that evening (1 unit of time). I would take the little one home for an afternoon nap (hopefully 4 units), and prepare dinner (2 units). To me, it seemed the perfect day-- the perfect use of my units of time. Of course the friend scoffed at my good intentions. "Does it ever rain in your Paris?" she asked. Why do the French close their museums and stores for rain!! Good thing for me, Boston Legal's first season comes out on DVD May 23. Apparently, there would be nothing for me to do on rainy days in Paris otherwise.