Seemingly Entitled

A couple of months ago, I had lunch with a friend who I hadn't seen in years because he moved to Upstate New York. We were discussing how our lives have changed since when we last saw each other, and I was telling him how I had an epiphany - that in my life right now, I have had a change in priorities. I told him how now I value experience more than material things. Over the years, I have realized that material things fade, but memories of life experiences can never leave you. No one can ever take those away from you. He told me that he saw a big difference in me, and in those years when he knew me, he thought I valued too much emphasis on material things. I laughed his comments off, since I know it was very true. So I was very surprised to get a package from him Christmas time. He sent me a book, "The Privileges," by Jonathan Dee. He told me he thought of me while he read it, and told me that he wanted me to read the book, so he gave me his copy, and then greeted me Merry Christmas. 


The first ting I will say about the book is that it is so impeccable written. Sentences flow like golden champagne - they sparkle, they have zing, they have elegance. Voices change in mid-paragraphs and they are done in such an organic way that you feel every single note of every single feeling conveyed. It is a modern morality tale of money, greed, and how the rich live. I will not pretend and say I am familiar with how these lives are lived, but at the same time, it held no big revelations wither. Mr. Dee fleshes out the four main characters in the book pretty well, yet we somehow don't really get too close to them. And he may not have the best fondness for them either, and yes they are morally bankrupt. I thought I didn't to read a story about a family of privileged, seemingly-entitled people, and right you are they are as unsympathetic - and pathetic - as I thought they were going to be. Yet, I was immediately drawn to them, caring enough to see what would happen to their lives. In the end, nothing major really happens to them, and we don't really know much more, yet I found myself very entertained by the novel, and...it made me think. I devoured the whole book in a little more than a day, and I even dreamt about them. When I turned the last page over, I even missed them...

BC/2

Men Oh Pause

Last night, I woke up shivering (like a little girl quivering) It was really not so unusual, because it was 15 degrees outside, but it was just such a weird feeling. I wondered if I was getting sick again, and even contemplated on getting up and taking Tylenol, but I just bundled up and either I fell asleep and I guess the chills subsided...only to wake up hot and sweaty. Am I getting hot flashes now? Is it the start of menopause? Oy, I tell you. Maybe I should play Katy Perry's "Hot And Cold."


What is this world coming to? Dead birds falling from the sky, thousands of crabs washing ashore, dove turtle doves dead, and now an Arizona Congresswoman getting shot in broad daylight. Could this really be the start of the end of the world? It cannot be all coincidence, can it? Someone is sending us a message, and maybe that message is that Sarah Palin should be silenced forever.  Yeah, I think that's what it is...


Oh, and I just cannot let another day pass by without another picture from the L & L Love Story:

Aral - A Bombet Birthday Special

Like Grits

I have never been a fan of Westerns. Maybe because I am too fey for it? I, also, have never been a fan of the Coen Brothers' movies. Something about their wit is so pretentious for my tastes that I just don't get them. I respect them and the people who stand by their work, but I have tried and tried, and can only shrug and say, "not for me." So I do not know why I sat through 100 or so minutes of their remake of "True Grit."  I did not enjoy any minute of it. Well, that may be a bit of a stretch: I liked the Iris DeMent song that was played over the closing titles. 


Hailee Steinfeld plays Mattie Ross, who hires Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to avenge the death of her father. I know some people have raised 14 year old Ms. Steinfeld to high heavens, but he just did not do it for me. Her performance, for me, was akin to a 14 year old playing dress up as a cowgirl. I never believed it. Since this movie is doing so well, a lot of people are betting that she wins the Supporting Actress Oscar, and I hope not. For her to beat Melissa Leo would be unthinkable. But back to the movie, I also think Jeff Bridges gives one of the worst performances of 2010. You can barely understand a word he is saying between the grumps and mumblings. That's pretty weird considering a lot of people commend the Coens for the wit of their screenplay. How will we hear it when it is mumbled? 


So call me grumpy, call me fairy. This just doesn't work for me. "True Grits," for me is like eating grits" rough and tasteless. 

Snow Flash

Snow again. Although we are not getting a blizzard this time, it's still a storm, and it's still a drag. I had to go to the hospital early this morning with my father since I make it a point now to monitor his health and waking up in the wee hours of the morning (he had a 8 am appointment, and we had to get a cab early) was just a trip. But the good thing was the visit was basically painless since a lot of the other patients canceled their appointments so we had minimal wait and was out of there in a flash.  

Things to remember:
1) The worth of character;
2) The improvement of talent;
3) The influence of example;
4) The joy of origination;
5) The dignity of simplicity;
6) The success of perseverance.

~ Marshall Field

Love Crunches Us

So here, we go: the first book completed for my 2011 Book Challenge. I really wanted my first-read book to be a blockbuster one, either commercially, or artistically. But it turns out that I finished one that is more subtle. THE BIG CRUNCH is a YA (Young Adult) title, but there is a big trend nowadays for established authors to write YA literature. Pete Hautman, the author of this book is no lightweight - he's won a National Book Award.  


THE BIG CRUNCH is a simple love story. And it has no gimmicks - no vampires, no angels with wings, no zombies. However, I think everyone will relate to the story it tells, and it is of your first love. Most of our stories have no frills - we just meet someone, things happen, and then boom, before we know it we just wake up one day that we are head over heels in love with someone. The book captures that simplicity, but it is not without depth. We feel the gravity of it in the book, and we realize how it changes our life forever. The story may seem ordinary, and it is, but that makes it more relatable. We will see ourselves instantly in any or both of the characters. I liked the book a lot, it has an effortless charm that will have you hooked instantly. It made me reminisce about when I was younger, and I could just easily fall into my emotions. At my age now, I don't have the luxury, or the energy to do that anymore. It is a perfect first book for my challenge: in moving forward, we need to look back and see how far we have traveled, to give us the insight to where we are going. The book will not change people's lives, but it will just make them *feel* their lives fuller. 


Here is the book description:



Jen and Wes do not "meet cute." They do not fall in love at first sight. They do not swoon with scorching desire. They do not believe that they are instant soul mates destined to be together forever.

This is not that kind of love story.

Instead, they just hang around in each other's orbits...until eventually they collide. And even after that happens, they're still not sure where it will go. Especially when Jen starts to pity-date one of Wes's friends, and Wes makes some choices that he immediately regrets.




BC/1

Poetry In Motion

I was trying to write something before, but Blogger was done. I guess this would be the downside now that I have transferred. Since the service is free, I cannot and shouldn't complain and bitch. Besides, it was only down for a small amount of time anyway, maybe it's a maintenance kind of thing. Anyway, so the New York Time is reporting that Barbra (yes, no surnames needed) is in talks to do a film version of "Gypsy," and I say...whaaaat? One, I think she is too old now to playa Mama Rose, and secondly, she cannot sing the part anymore. Well, since the score would be recorded, they can probably pro-tool the hell out of that in her voice, but seriously, I don't think it is a good idea for her to star. Now, maybe she is in talks for it to be a directing vehicle for her, and that would kind of make more sense. Either way, it certainly has a lot of people talking.


While walking today, I chanced upon the SoHo branch of The Housing Works bookstore. What a great place. I don't think I have been there before, although I have been at other branches. The selection was vast, and the prices were incredible. They are all (cheaply priced) used books, of course, but there's nothing I like more than reading a gently-read book. I just imagine the previous owner, and how the book changes his or her life. It's a romanticized version of a dream of course. The previous owner was probably clearing up clutter and donated the book to Housing Works. I just thought it was interesting because earlier in the morning, I donated a pile of books I have read to our local Goodwill store. And, well, I thought the whole day was just poetic.


Oh, and I just can't stop posting pictures of L & L:

Broken Marriage

Love hurts.  The same love that once made you so happy can hurt you, and can break your marriage. That seems to be the lesson to be taken from BLUE VALENTINE. This film is a portrait of a marriage gone awry, and for my money, the most romantic movie of 2010. But beware, though: it is also the most painful movie to watch - we can easily watch buildings crumble, or for that matter, for the word to end, but witnessing how love is broken down? It tore me apart. 


Above all, I will never forget this movie for two reasons: Michele Williams and Ryan Gosling. They deliver what to me are the most honest performances in film on any given year. It is one thing to convey pain, but it is more difficult to essay happiness. Their chemistry is so palpable it explodes in front of your eyes, so when you see them part ways, you are scarred for life. You realize that even though on paper they seem to be the perfect match, the things that brought them together - innocence, spontaneity, recklessness - are the same things that destroyed them. In one pivotal scene, I found myself helplessly sobbing. I can't remember the last time I got so attached to characters on screen, and up to now find myself still thinking about them. This movie is more character study than plot, but boy do these characters make a lasting impression. You'll never forget them. 

On Second Thought

When I see a movie in the cinemas, it is very rare for me to see it again on video. I always say, there are always other titles out there to see and explore. However, last week I was read an interview with Patricia Clarkson and the interviewer was telling her how she should be a major Oscar contender for her performance in "Cairo Time," and she laughed it off. I was struck then about how true that is - that she should be one of the frontrunners in the Lead Actress category. If it was a bigger movie supported by a major studio, she would be a shoo-in. Well, that gave me the inspiration to Netflix the movie, and yes I am just as amazed by her performance. What a quiet introspective film, and she anchors the whole movie. In a lot of ways, I felt like I was seeing a reality series, for not even a minute did I see that Ms. Clarkson was a character on screen: she moved, walked, and acted so real. Now when people ask me for renting recommendations, I will always suggest this first.


I read my January Horoscope from Susan Miller and it promises all sorts fo wonderful things for the month of January.  Oh, if only... 

"A pearl is a beautiful thing that is produced by an injured life. It is the tear [that results] from the injury of the oyster. The treasure of our being in this world is also produced by an injured life. If we had not been wounded, if we had not been injured, then we will not produce the pearl."

- Stephan Hoeller

Hello Young Lovers

Be brave, young lovers, and follow your star,
Be brave and faithful and true,
Cling very close to each other tonight.

A Reunion In London

Could you find a lone red star shining bright?
The lone red star has been passing times to times
It witnessed many reunions and many partings
I wish you gazing at it there
I am too gazing it here
In a distance we are separated
But our hearts won't be divided

The Year Of 50

So today it's acid reflux. It just, pardon the words, flared up, and I had to get Pepto Bismol, and get Pepcid AC. Or this may be just gas - as I said, all the crap I ate during the holidays is coming back to haunt me. Too much oily stuff, too much fat, just too too much of everything. It's cleanse time. I will try to purge as much of it as possible. 


One of the things I want to do more in 2011 is read. And not just reading status updates or surfing the web. I want to read books, because I truly believe that it makes me a better communicator. I don't even care if it's a trashy tome, but I always take something from every book I read, there's always a life lesson I take from it, and this makes me understand the human condition much better, and then I apply it to myself and in the end I end up being a better person. I know this is a reach for some people, but it's what I believe. I have seen a lot of goals for some people, but the one I was most comfortable with was a 50 book goal for the year. The way I figure, it would be just a little less than a book a week, which is very doable. I remember in the olden days when I would finish three or four in a week. All I really need is just motivation. My "dream goal" would be 100 books in a year, but that may be just a little too much. But you never know...

"Behold, I make all things new."

- Rev 21:5

And Then It Went Bang!

I am finally feeling almost okay, and I thought today, Oh how the Holidays went by, and it was fine. Nothing to really be unhappy about it, and that's just fine. I have been trying to uneat the past two days, since my stomach was starting to bother me, what with all the crap I have been eating the past two weeks, and that's when I started feeling better. SO there must be a correlation there somewhere. It was an "aha" moment, as Oprah would call it. And I am not even being ironic about this. I think. 


One of the best discoveries for me in 2010 was Marc Jacobs' men's perfume "Bang."  I am glad to see it on a lot of "Best Of" lists from the perfume community. It was love at first smell for me, and I can even say that I have never been a fan of Marc Jacobs' scents. This had a very L'artisan quality, I thought, and is quite unique for a commercial scent: white pepper mixed with cedar. It turns sweet on me, as usual, but the pepper gives it that spice and kick that makes it interesting up until the drydown. It is pretty linear, and it doesn't last as long as I want, although some people say it is pretty big for them.  For a designer scent, it is pretty adventurous - no aquatics, no mens amber - so I hope it is successful so other commercial houses will be as adventurous. For its price point, it can compete with all the best niche houses out there. 

Hope is not a granted wish or a favor performed;
no it is far greater than that.
It is a zany, unpredictable dependence
on a God who loves to surprise us out of our socks.

~ Max Lucado

1/1/11

2011. Can you even believe it? So how has it been, you ask? Pretty uneventful, and good. I want to say that I slept the New Year away, but I had my insomnia thing last night. But it's all good. I must say that one of the highlights of the evening for me was the NKOTB/BSB thing. Pathetic, I know...ha ha. Today it's 50 degrees (!) so I just hope that a lot of this snow melts. I know it would result to muddy puddle, but at least it would clear the roads and sidewalks. 


2010 wasn't the very best year for me, but there were great things too. I was blessed to be able to go to The Holy Land, and that is an experience I will never forget for the rest of my life. The rest of that trip was just as memorable, but I will cherish that I was able to go on a trip with my very best friends in the world, and that makes everything priceless. I truly believe no that wonderful experiences are infinitely more important in my life than any material thing. These memories will never ever fade in my mind - no one can take them away from me. 


I have been watching OWN - The Oprah Winfrey Network - and I like the shows I have seen so far. I do wonder if Oprah will find success with this - she will have to strike a fine balance between feel-good shows and entertainment. But I suspect she has enough followers that it won't be an initial washout. For now, though, I'm in. 


Resolutions : same old. I want to read more. I want to save. I want to put things in order those which are not. I will live life, and be happy. I try to choose things that I know I can do, so I do not disappoint myself. In the end, I am the most important thing in my life. 

Showgyrrrr

So I had a great date with myself last night to watch Bette Midler's show "The Showgirl Must Go On" on HBO. I was actually looking forward to it, since I don't think I have seen Bette Midler live since "Diva Las Vegas" and for my money, among all the "divas," she is tops for live performance. Well, bottom line is that I wasn't disappointed with what I saw last night - this is the fiery, irreverent Bette I have always loved, although age does catch up with everyone, since I have never seen her so...exhausted, I guess is the most appropriate word. She jokes about it, but I get that she isn't entirely unserious. The Colloseum stage at Caesar's Palace almost dwarfs her, but all in all she makes the most of it. I can just imagine what kind of barn that space is.  She has a pretty big show that fills it physically, but in content I wish it was just a little more vast. She sings all the "hits," and I am sure that is a great crowd pleaser, but I feel like she didn't throw a bone for all of us "fans" who have been with her from the very beginning. For every "Wind Beneath My Wings" that we have to suffer through, I don't think it would have hurt to have inserted a "Surabaya Johnny," for example. Still, this is entertainment to the highest degree, and watching her is seeing a living legend in action. They don't make 'em like they used to, folks, so we should just sit back and enjoy it while we still can.