Happy Happy Joy Joy

It's Friday! Lots of reasons to be happy!

- I saw The Painted Veil last weekend, with Edward Norton and Naomi Watts. I love both of them, particularly Edward, who I have long considered one of the smokin'est men in Hollywood. This interview does nothing to diminish my adoration. Why this fantastic movie, and this extremely talented hottie, weren't nominated for Oscars is beyond me.

- However most of these folks were nominated, and it's a pleasure to read a roundtable interview with all these forces in Hollywood. Brad Pitt does love to heckle, doesn't he?

- While Brad's sorta funny, this is freakin' hilarious. I nearly burst out laughing at work, and immediately forwarded it to Josh with glee.

- It's surprising to see how celebrity quotes can be used out of context, even in major publications. Check out Renee Zellweger's quote about marriage in this People piece, then read the original Life article. In the original, she's talking about her thinking when she first got married. In the snipped-up People story, she's talking about her outlook for the future. It's a little thing, but I imagine it must be frustrating to have your words twisted however the publication prefers. Maybe I'm the only one who'd love to be an entertainment journalist and finds this sort of detail interesting...

- Okay, if you found that sort of thinking random and tedious, then you'll probably enjoy these links, which require no thinking at all. Seriously, you only have to use your lizard brain to respond to this insane cuteness. Eeeee!

- Random cat pictures, why do you entertain me so? Is it your drowned alien rat look or your dumb feline expressions? Who can say.

- Though I'm not sure I approve of his penchant for watching pigs get slaughered (a bad joke, perhaps?), I am not immune to Jake Gyllenhaal's charms. Word on the street is he's looking for a good baby mama. The line begins behind me, ladies.

- Tonight I have plans with Abbey. Mysterious plans! No, we're going to go to the salon, out to dinner, then to a movie. As I said to her, it's like a date where your date watches you get ready first! Hee.

What are y'all up to this weekend?

It makes the people come together

I know Corey knows the answer to this one, Jeopardy-style. It's "What is music?" Woo!

In the past few months, I haven't bought many CDs. The last I probably wrote about to all you folks was La Aguilera's Back to Basics.

I don't know why I don't buy many CDs. I think if I had iTunes, I would completely splurge, but I'm waiting to get iTunes until I get my own computer. Maybe I'll do that soon.

At any rate, back in November I bought Regina Spektor's latest CD, Begin to Hope when I heard one of her songs on Veronica Mars. That song was "Fidelity", and it's since become a favorite of mine, particular for loud car-singing. The video's pretty neat too.



After Regina, there was a musical drought until a couple weeks ago, when I bought three CDs. I list them here in order of enjoyment.

Beyonce - B'day
The first single, "Deja Vu", didn't really grab my attention, but I definitely liked the crazy "Ring the Alarm" and the melodic "Irreplaceable". As is the case with the first Beyonce CD, it's the singles that I like best from this one. The rest of the tracks don't really get me going, except for maybe "Upgrade U". So B'day, while it does have some great tracks, doesn't have the consistency that makes it worth regular rotation.



Justin Timberlake - FutureSex/LoveSound
The incessant radio play of "SexyBack" pretty much has me skipping that track every time it comes on, but the most recent single, "My Love", still has me tapping my food when I hear it. There are other good ones on the CD too: "Summer Love" is breezy and fun, and the title track has a groovy Prince-like vibe in my opinion. As with Justin's previous solo CD, the slow ones are the weakness of the album, but it's really "Sexy Ladies" that I wish he'd left on the cutting floor.



Nelly Furtado - Loose
Unlike the two albums above, all the tracks on the album are keepers, not just the singles. In fact, "Promiscuous," the most heavily-played song from the album, isn't one of its best tracks. I would give that honor to her more recent single, "Say It Right" or the more mellow ballad "Wait For You", but really it could be almost any song off the album; my favorite changes every day. With strong beats, it's great to groove to or to work out to -- it's been the soundtrack for most of my cardio the past couple weeks. I'm a big fan of all Nelly's CDs and admire her ability to jump genres and topics while still maintaining listenability. If I'd bought this a couple weeks ago, it would've been my favorite album of all last year.



What's in your CD player these days? Okay, I'm dating myself. What's on your iTunes?

March madness, 2007

Josh is looking forward to March. So am I. He's excited because UCLA is good at basketball this year, so the NCAA championships should be really fun. I'm excited because it's Oscar time again!

If you're not an entertainment fiend like I am, you can find the nominees here.

I won't be going through the whole list at the moment, but it does put me in mind that I've been a bit lazy on watching high-quality movies this year and have my work cut out for me if I want to catch most of the performances and films before the awards night.

Here's what I have on my to-see list:

Half Nelson
The Pursuit of Happyness
Little Children
Dreamgirls
The Departed
Volver
The Queen
Pan's Labyrinth

Really the only Oscar-nominated movies that I've seen are Babel and Little Miss Sunshine. Honestly, I don't think either of them is best picture material. Babel maybe, though it didn't really have a point. But Little Miss Sunshine was just paint by the numbers indie in my opinion.

Sigh...

iTunes (err, WinMedia) 8-ball

I was getting a bit stressed today, trying to make some decisions, so I thought I'd do a silly meme. Most of the questions are part of the standard version, but I added a couple at the end for my own particular confusions.

Here's how you do it: Put your iTunes (or WinMedia) on random, then ask it each question before going to the next song.

What do you think of me, WinMedia?
"Do It" -- Nelly Furtado
You want to groove with me. That's sweet!

Will I have a happy life?
"Shoot the Moon" -- Norah Jones
Apparently I will be lonely. Bummer. Or maybe I will be happy, only seasonally? I have Seasonal Affective Disorder?

What do my friends really think of me?
"Time After Time" -- Cyndi Lauper
A nice sentiment, but I'm not clear on whether I'm always there for them or whether they're the reliable ones.

Do people secretly lust after me?
"Green Grass" -- Bonnie McKee
I'll take that as a yes.

How can I make myself happy?
"Alcohol" -- Brad Paisley
Kind of a dangerous road, WinMedia, but I can't fault you for being vague.

What should I do with my life?
"Through With You" -- Maroon 5
Is life breaking up with me? HARSH.

Why must life be so full of pain?
"Breathe Me" -- Sia
Apparently, it's my fault.

How can I maximize my pleasure during sex? (not my question!)
"It's Good To Be In Love" -- Frou Frou
Duh, I knew that already, WinMedia. Way to be helpful!

Will I ever have (more) children?
"Strano Il Mio Destino" -- Giorgia
My children will be Italian? Or their babydaddy will leave me?

Will I die happy?
"The Right Man" -- Christina Aguilera
Apparently only if I get married. Thanks, WinMedia.

Can you give me some advice?
"Walk Away" -- Kelly Clarkson
Are you threatening me, WinMedia?

What do you think happiness is?
"I Slept With Someone In Fall Out Boy" - Fall Out Boy
Great. So you want me to be a groupie.

What's my favorite fetish?
"Turn Off The Light" -- Nelly Furtado
Seriously, WinMedia? Having the lights off isn't close to a fetish.

Should Josh and I buy a house?
"Rock Your Body" - Justin Timberlake
I guess it'll need a disco ball...

Should Murry and I do a mini-trip?
"Maneater" - Nelly Furtado
Yeah, that's what I've always thought of her, too. ;)

Okay, that was fun! Now let me go write something of actual merit.

2006: A Year in Books

Another year, another list of books. I read 41 "books worth noting" last year (which means I leave out super-trashy romance novels or books I don't read 100% throroughly), which doesn't sound like quite that many. There are some I just forget to write down, so it's probably more than 41, really. But who cares! Let's list 'em, shall we?

The Brothers K by David James Duncan
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klosterman
Bones of the Moon by Jonathan Carroll
Plainsong by Kent Haruf
Truth and Beauty by Ann Patchett
Straight Man by Richard Russo
The Hot Kid by Elmore Leonard
Waking Beauty by Elyse Freidman
Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
Three Junes by Julia Glass
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
Love Monkey by Kyle Smith
Thank You for Smoking by Christopher Buckley
My Boyfriend's Back by Donna Hanover
Brief Interviews with Hideous Men by David Foster Wallace
No Way To Treat A First Lady by Christopher Buckley
Alamo House by Sarah Bird
My Kind of Place by Susan Orlean
More Than You Know by Beth Gutcheon
Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult
Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult
Pearl by Mary Gordon
Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link
Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
Generation X by Douglas Coupland
Brainiac by Ken Jennings
A Woman in Berlin by Anonymous
Otherwise Engaged by Eileen Goudge
Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination by Helen Fielding
Swapping Lives by Jane Green
The Guy Not Taken by Jennifer Weiner
The Little Lady Agency by Hester Browne
The Thing About Jane Spring by Sharon Krum
Apex Hides The Hurt by Colson Whitehead
How To Breathe Underwater by Julie Orringer
Amy and Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout
Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pressl
Twentysomething Essays by Twentysomething Writers by lots of people
I Married A Communist by Philip Roth
The Ha-Ha by Dave King

Fiction: 34

Non-fiction: 7

Favorite: Special Topics in Calamity Physics

Least Favorite: Generation X

There's always more to read -- I have an enormous list of books that grows faster than I can cross items off -- so 2007 looks to be a banner year. I'll aim for a book a week. I think I can do it. I'm always happier when I'm reading a lot.

Got any recommendations? :)

Lazy Tuesday*

By now I assume everyone has watched Lazy Sunday, but I link to it just so you can experience the joy (and recall the reference).

I didn't get to go to Magnolia Bakery when I was in New York, but for Christmas Sar got me the next best thing to being there. Okay, maybe not the next best thing, because that would be an actual cupcake, but this shirt has all the awesomeness and none of the calories. It delights me. (You can click on the pic for a close-up.)


Just look at the smiley cupcakes! Don't they make you happy? If they don't, you might be dead inside.

*The title is a bit of a misnomer. Work was really busy today! I am trying to mellow now by making nonsensical posts about adorable clothing. It's working.

Julie vs. the kitchen, Round 1. Fight!

One of my New Year's resolutions was to cook at home more. (Not like I cook a lot outside home, but you get what I mean -- make food at home instead of picking it up or eating elsewhere.) Twice a month was my goal. Not very lofty, but more than what I do now. And I mean actual meals, not just spaghetti and meatballs or veggie burgers or something. "Dishes", if you will.

I don't know how to make very many things. I've always felt a bit daunted by the act of cooking. It definitely doesn't come intuitively to me. I'm forever overcooking meat (undercooked meat=scary!), undercooking vegetables (impaaaatient), and clueless as to what spices should be used with what foods.

But, I figure I am of average intelligence, and people all over the place cook every day, so I should just suck it up and make some attempts. What's the worst that could happen -- omelets, marmalade, and blue soup? (Actually, that's fairly likely. I consider my culinary skills about on par with Bridget's.)

I've made a few forays into food preparation before -- chicken cheese casserole, white chili, falafel, green minestrone, chicken couscous, veggie lasagne -- all with varying results. The only thing I can make with any degree of tasty reliability is garlic cheese biscuits.

Tonight was my first stab at the edible arts in a long while. After perusing cookbooks for a good period of the day, alternately watching Josh beat The Legend of Zelda and get irritated by Rayman Raving Rabbids on the Wii, I finally selected a menu that seemed within my limited skill set.

Israeli Spiced Chicken with Two-Tomato Relish and Zucchini with Mint

Looks good, right? Here's the recipe. It actually turned out pretty well, and looked not too dissimilar from the picture. If I'd been thinking clearly, I'd have taken a picture of my own meal for comparison. But alas! Next time. (And there will be a next time!)

I cooked the chicken in a pan rather than on the grill. It was tasty, but a bit overdone, which is par for the course for me. I actually prefer dry chicken, but Josh (and most normal people) like it a bit moister. Maybe the grill would've been better for that. The spices were yummy, though -- hard to mess up.

The tomatoes were pretty plain, just a hint of lemon/olive-oil "dressing" (I use the term loosely here, since I don't like things that are generally thought of as dressing). I don't know that I'd make that again, since it wasn't quite Josh's preference, but it was fresh and easy.

The zucchini actually turned out the best in my opinion. I have a long history of trying to cook zucchini and failing to cook it sufficiently. I don't know why. Maybe every time I think, "It can't possibly take this long!" But this time I waited long enough, and it was done enough, and the mint was good, and it were actually quite yummy.

The verdict: not bad. I've been spoiled by my exposure to some really good cooks (my mom, who makes it look easy, and Josh's mom, who has it down to an art), so I've become accustomed to a high standard of culinary excellence. I don't think I'll get near that good, at least not for a number of years, but I'm aiming for a base level of competence.

Know any good recipes? ;)

My hope for 2007? More red here.

Abbey just did a lovely post about New Year's resolutions, but I haven't got anything near so comprehensive. I think all that's on my list is to cook more and write in my journal at least once a week (kind of a daunting prospect, given all the writing I do the rest of the time).

One other thing I want to do is add more red to this sucker. (Red are the countries I've visited.) Maybe something in South America or Asia. Or is it the right time for Beckmann-Szabo Hungary '07??? I think it might be.



create your own visited countries map

What are your New Year's resolutions? Maybe you can help me come up with a few more good ones.

Ay me, work hours seem long

All my life, I've flip-flopped between the important question: Matt or Ben?

This has me veering into Matt territory, for the day at least.