Date: 2009-07-05 20:37 Subject: There are not enough exclamation marks in the world. Security: Public

Okay, this is STILL not a post telling you about the MANY things that are happening in my life. Except it kind of is, because the most important thing happening in my life at this moment is seriously this:

KEVIN AND DANIELLE GOT ENGAGED!!!!!

Man, this is what happens when I basically cannot get online for five days. THIS HAPPENS. I CANNOT BELIEVE that I am just hearing about this now. You guys, you have no idea how ridiculously invested I am in this relationship, or how happy I am that they're actually getting married. And not just because this raises the chances of Nick going to college by like, a million percent. I have been brain-storming ways for them to announce their engagement for a disturbing amount of time. (Speaking of which, People magazine? Really? You're on a World Tour, Kev. Do something creative!)

Date: 2009-06-28 00:01 Subject: Michael Jackson Security: Public

Okay, I have SO. MANY. THINGS. that I have been delaying updating about. These will continue to be delayed! But since this is kind of time-sensitive, I'd like to take a moment to make a special post.

I have no particular feelings about Michael Jackson. As much as I love pop music, he's just not my type of pop. I didn't grow up listening to very much music (insert your snide remark regarding the justification of my musical tastes here), so I was aware of him as a punchline long before I knew him as an artist.

That being said, the media coverage surrounding his death is fairly disturbing to me. I'd like to share a couple of links.

This post by kita0610 is what prompted me to make a post of my own, despite not really having anything to say. Strongly worded opinions are Kita's general MO, and I've never loved her for it quite as much as I do right now.

Am I the only one who is rather disgusted by people referring to Micheal Jackson's "troubled soul"? Uhm. He was a child molester, who got off because he was rich and famous. Child molesters are not "troubled". Charlie Sheen is "troubled". Micheal Jackson was evil. And while I understand the influence he had, and always will have, on the music industry, I am not one iota saddened by his death.

Some great comments on the post include:

jennem: Abusing children isn't "coping" with abuse, its perpetuating it.

eac: I'm inclined to be uncertain whether he was actually a child molester -- because he wasn't convicted and I haven't pursued the subject. Still I can't dismiss the strong possibility that he was. And even setting that large subject aside, I'm incredibly troubled by his efforts to entirely remake himself with plastic surgery.

I feel nothing at all about his death. I was thinking about my lack of response this morning, since it's not really usual for me -- I guess I feel that his musical output in the 70s and 80s was extraordinary, but to me he might as well have been dead since about 1992. So his actual death is sort of irrelevant.

eac: As if Farrah wasn't also an icon, who got swept precipitously off the front page because MJ died...

And I'm so glad that, as almost always, I can count on Tiger Beatdown to provide a beautifully written, thoughtful, pointed post on the subject. (Seriously, I cannot recommend Tiger Beatdown highly enough, just in general.) I mean, clearly I'm going to love any essay that starts with a sentence like: The thing is: celebrities, they belong to you. If you don't know that about me then, well, are you new here? And then it continues to say:

And, given the fact that sexual abuse is common and underreported, and that false allegations are rare, and that children rarely if ever give coherent accounts of it because they are children, and have been raped, I consider the evidence against him to be so very overwhelming as to make any less-than-serious treatment of it - like, say, failing to address it, or minimizing it, or rationalizing it by pointing out that he had entirely understandable issues around Childhood - to be highly irresponsible, and to reinforce the rape culture in which we live, in which rape and sexual assault are regarded as private, umimportant, excusable transgressions, and in which confronting an abuser or talking about his history of abuse openly or insisting it must play an important, even central role in our evaluation of the abuser's life and legacy, is somehow an attack on him.

I don't want Michael Jackson to become another John Lennon. I don't want him to be someone whose abusive behaviors are erased from the record. Something some feminist has to dredge up later. I used to think it was unlikely. Now, I just hope it is.

I don't have much to say on the subject, personally. I just wanted to pass it on.

Date: 2009-04-23 22:47 Subject: "Lovebug" provides me with an unreachable standard. Thanks for that, JoBros. Security: Public

Has delicious been down for everyone today, or is this some weird problem specific to me? It's incredibly annoying, as I literally use delicious constantly. My home page is one of my delicious tags and I generally bookmark at least one page a day (and I often bookmark dozens of pages in a day).

So, here are some items I have previously indicated I would post about.

17 Again This movie is a lot of fun! It is pretty much exactly what you would expect from watching the preview. (Except that it also has Melora Hardin in it!) The concept is fairly well-executed, with strong performances all around. Sterling Knight is amazing, as expected. I predict BIG THINGS from this kid; he's seriously talented. Michelle Trachtenberg was pretty good, and I'm definitely still willing to buy her as a high school student, even though it turns out that she's just 8 days younger than me. M-maybe time to switch to college roles, Michelle? (Also, the things you learn perusing imdb! They made a Dragons of Autumn Twilight movie?? And Michelle Trachtenberg voiced Tika? With Kiefer Sutherland as Raistlin?? Wow. Huh, now I totally want to read some Dragonlance....)

I have two kind of contradictory opinions about Zef's performance. First of all, I think the weakest bits in the movie are Zef's two big emotional speeches, where his delivery really fell flat for me. Michelle Trachtenberg and Leslie Mann do all the heavy lifting in the abstinence and courtroom scenes, respectively. (Both without saying a word, very impressively!) Zef simply could not sell me on his character secretly being an experienced, emotionally mature adult there. On the other hand, I was very impressed with his overall performance. I had a feeling that he was a good actor with real potential, but this is the first major arena in which we've seen that displayed. Most notably, I think he turned in a great Matthew Perry performance. He's a good actor, I don't want to seem like I'm denying it, but you have to admit that Matthew Perry has some unique personal quirks that he brings to every role. And he has had many great roles to showcase this, just as I am sure there are many great roles that he simply couldn't do because of it. And Zef does a great job with that in this movie. He's playing a character named Mike O'Donnell, sure. But, more importantly: he's playing Matthew Perry playing Mike O'Donnell, and he does it really well. (Like he did with the role that introduced me to him, now that I think of it: young Simon in Firefly! He was great as Sean Maher as Simon Tam. Though not as good as the girl playing young River, I have to admit.)

Poppy's Awesome Guy List So, here's the story. For reasons that are actually not related to flirting, one of my supervisors and I were talking the other day about what I might think makes a guy awesome. The qualities of an awesome guy. I quickly stemmed that discussion by saying that I would have to give it some thought. The topic, of course, has not come up again, but I wanted to be prepared in case it did. So I began to work on:

Poppy's Awesome Guy List
(a work in progress)

* someone with whom I can communicate readily
* exceptionally trustworthy
* non-judgmental (perhaps to a fault?)
* smart (-er than me, when possible)
* good at making decisions; does not mind being in control of things
* pragmatic

I welcome your thoughts!

Other things!

I had the weirdest conversation at work the other day. One of the bellmen asked me about how much makeup I wear. He had the impression that I don't wear any. Which is weird, because I'm actually really insecure about the enormous amounts of foundation and concealer that I wear. And I no longer leave the house without at least some eyeshadow. Although those three items do comprise all the makeup that I routinely wear. So, I'm not actually sure whether "you look like you're not wearing any makeup" is a compliment or not. Especially if I am.... Anyway, super weird conversation to have at all.

That is all for now!

Date: 2009-04-20 12:15 Subject: Making an offer that no one could ever refuse Security: Public

It turns out that I only have to talk to Benji for 6 minutes and 14 seconds in order to get a Shakira song stuck in my head.

It's the weirdest thing, honestly. I hang up with Benj, walk into the bathroom, and suddenly realize that I'm singing "Hey You" for no reason at all. I haven't listened to a Shakira song in months.

Date: 2009-04-19 00:42 Subject: So you're saying I can't be Hannah anymore? Security: Public

Since I missed the 7:30 showing of 17 Again, now I have time to eat dinner! And also give you my fairly brief Hannah Montana: The Movie review. (Ha! And then take so long typing this that I can't post it until after work the next day anyway!)

Non-movie notes:

I totally forgot when it was premiering, so I made no plans to go see this last week. Remembering at the last moment, I could only get to the 10:45 showing. Not too crowded! I would have just gone on Saturday, but I was scheduled to work Sat-Tues. Plus, I really try to do movies as close to opening as possible; you just get a better audience, which is a big part of the experience of seeing a movie in the theaters. (Anything genre or cult should always be viewed at a midnight showing.)

So it totally wasn't crowded, but they still started a line for it. Opening day and all, I suppose. There were less than a dozen people in the line when I showed up, and they sent us into the theater almost as soon as I sat down.

Other than that, there was not much to note before it started. One family was particularly amusing: a whole bunch of girls sitting in the first row, with Mom and Dad constantly urging them to move back a few rows. They eventually just gave up and moved back to sit by themselves in the row behind mine. As soon as the previews started though, all the girls realized they were way too close and came to sit in my row, adorably climbing over the seats instead of exiting the row and climbing the stairs. And then they sat just one seat away from me! I was really close to the target demographic and they didn't even seem to notice that I was a weird adult woman attending this movie all by myself! (That kind of made the whole experience for me.)

There was also a pair of older teen girls who sat in the very back row, right under the projector. They looked like more my type -- genuinely there to see the movie and enjoy it, but completely in spite of themselves. Probably at the top of the target demo when the show first started and kept watching it because it's apparently delightful? Maybe just addictive? I'll let you guys know if I ever watch it myself. Luckily, as I was counting on, only a basic idea of the premise of the show is necessary to follow the movie's plot, not any detailed knowledge. (Much like Serenity!)

Notes from the previews:

I'm really looking forward to seeing 17 Again tonight because it will give me a chance to see some normal movie trailers. The last three movies I saw in the theaters: Hannah Montana, The Jonas Brothers 3D Concert Experience, High School Musical 3. It has been a while since I've watched a mainstream movie, basically. One with normal trailers for movies adults might want to see. And that aren't in IMAX 3D. I'm pretty psyched.

That's not to say that there was nothing in front of Hannah Montana: The Movie that was exciting. Oddly enough, I was actually quite taken by the trailer for Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, until I heard it was going to come out in 3D. (Apparently, this is a popular book that one reads in elementary/middle school now. The trailer was kind of hilarious, and only a little awful.)

And poor Ashley Tisdale and her terrible career choices! Um, get a better agent, Tizz? I don't even know what to suggest, seriously. At least this is kind of a goofy comedy. I hope she doesn't have to constantly make the intensely serious face that she's making in the trailer during the entire movie, though. She's just so good for zany comedy! At least the movie has a "stop hitting yourself" moment. That is a seriously underused joke. I mean, honestly. Why have none of Harry Potter movies yet featured the so-called "Stop Hitting Yourself Hex"? Young wizards would be all over that long before our hero HP's story even started.

And most importantly: FAME! Holy crap. I am so excited about this. I don't even like Fame, but the trailer looks soooooo good. And it's directed by Kevin Tancharoen, who I already like by association! My expectations are SUPER HIGH for this one.

And notes on the movie:

( Cut for spoilers? No one cares about spoilers for Hannah Montana. Um, cut for length. )

Overall, I loved it, of course. A+, would party again! Let's say... 3 out of 5? (Also: I'm taking suggestions on rating systems. x out of 5 poppies, perhaps?)

Date: 2009-04-17 17:03 Subject: I wondered why there were firepoles in here! Security: Public

Okay, a real post this time.

First of all, a recent cool links round-up!

* 50 Years of Stupid Grammar Advice. This article makes me so happy. How much awful, mistaken grammar "knowledge" do I possess? Too much! Maybe I just like criticism, maybe I still harbor pointless resentment toward my own high school style guide, The Little, Brown Handbook, maybe I just never understood why the different conventions for bibliographies mattered if they all conveyed the same information. But I like hearing a style guide put down, especially one as revered as Strunk and White.

The book's contempt for its own grammatical dictates seems almost willful, as if the authors were flaunting the fact that the rules don't apply to them. But I don't think they are. Given the evidence that they can't even tell actives from passives, my guess would be that it is sheer ignorance. They know a few terms, like "subject" and "verb" and "phrase," but they do not control them well enough to monitor and analyze the structure of what they write.

* Why are all the prettiest things made out of animals?

* I doubt any of my readership Woke Up Canadian today, but I know that many people did. And apparently it feels just as cool as the video demonstrates. Happy citizenship, new Canadians!

* Derailing for Dummies. I've been reading a lot about privilege lately. As a white, middle-class, straight, able-bodied, thin, formally educated, natural-born American person, I have a lot of privilege to be aware of. And I'm also a woman with a mild mental disorder, so I have some marginalization to be aware of as well. Something interesting at my job is how casually racist some of the white folks that I work with are. Especially considering what a diverse workplace we have. Anyway, this is a neat little link.

Don’t worry though! There IS something you can do to nip this potentially awkward and embarrassing situation in the bud. By simply derailing the conversation, dismissing their opinion as false and ridiculing their experience you can be sure that they continue to be marginalised and unheard and you can continue to look like the expert you know you really are, deep down inside!

Just follow this step-by-step guide to Conversing with Marginalised People™ and in no time at all you will have a fool-proof method of derailing every challenging conversation you may get into, thus reaping the full benefits of every privilege that you have.

* JONAS. I am pretty damn excited about this show, and how wonderfully awful it will be. Bear with the video delay in this promo; honestly, you'll hardly notice it until the end. Watch it, and then tell me you're not excited about this show. Why do they live in an old firehouse? Why does their school have such a lax uniform policy? What can we do to make Joe Jonas wear a monocle more often? What else looks cool in pretend slow motion? THIS SHOW MIGHT ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS! (But probably won't.)

Okay, other news!

I think of lots of stuff to post about, like, at work and stuff, but kind of find them totally unimportant by the time I'm writing a post. Let's see....

I just ran out of my "free trial" of Raw Minerals makeup (well, of the shade of foundation that I actually use, of the two that they sent), so I had to get something new. I decided to go with L'Oreal's line of mineral makeup, and you know what? I LOVE IT. So much better! And it's reasonably priced. You know, for makeup, which is obscenely overpriced at the best of times. I think mineral makeup is a good solution for me. It's true, it does not offer enough coverage for all my blemishes and scars, but my skin is pretty awful so I don't think that anything actually would. And it looks quite natural, which is pretty much the goal.

In terms of actually improving my skin, most sources seem to agree that Exposed is the best thing out there. (Warning, link has annoying video that plays automatically. Find the pause button!) A little expensive, but that's what tax refunds are for! I'm stimulating the economy! I'll keep you posted regarding the results.

Rockstars at work! I saw Dave Murray and some incredibly famous Chinese rockstar whose name I didn't catch last week. Exciting times, I suppose. (Didn't actually have a big impact on me. Or any impact. Do I care about Iron Maiden? No.)

Well, I should get ready to go see 17 Again now, but there is more to say! Look for these posts in the near future: Poppy's Awesome Guy list (a work in progress), reviews of Hannah Montana: The Movie and 17 Again. And more!

EDIT: Well, apparently, the 7:30 showing of 17 Again is sold out by 7. I guess I kinda could have figured that one. But will the 10:20 be so well attended? I don't know when I should try to arrive.

Date: 2009-04-17 01:51 Subject: Just a quick note, longer update forthcoming. Security: Public

I am in the middle of the most recent ep of Sonny with a Chance right now ("With A Chance of Dating"). I know none of you watch it (and you all totally should, by the way), but I just have to say:

I really, really hope this episode ends with, like, Chad and Tawni getting together. Maybe Tawni and Wossname. James! That guy. Anyway, there's very little chance this show can win me over for Sonny/Chad this soon. Or probably ever.

Edit: Yes! Sonny with a Chance, you still have my love. And Chad Dylan Cooper: never, ever change. (I'm so totally seeing 17 Again tomorrow mostly for Sterling Knight.)

Date: 2009-04-08 13:08 Subject: You don't mind the fall until your face hits the ground Security: Public

Well, that whole "getting a new phone this morning" thing didn't exactly pan out the way I planed. But hey, it's my weekend! I'm going to sleep in!

So I'm headed over to T-Mobile as soon as I finish my toast and put on the last of my "light 1" free trial foundation. Well, and do a few other things, like check my email and finish this update. And maybe listen to "Crash and Burn Girl" by Robyn like five more times.

Sleeping in may have been an awful idea, though. At some point since my roommates took showers last night and when I wanted to take one just now (possibly when I was sleeping in this morning), the shower broke. We have a knob that you turn to divert water from the tub faucet to the showerhead. But when I turned it today, the water just... disappeared. Left the tub faucet, and did not reappear from the showerhead. I guess I might take a bath, but the stopper on the tub was broken long before I moved in so that's not even an option.

Luckily, it's my weekend! I don't have to shower immediately. I mean, I'd really like to, but it's not urgent. As I'm sure many of you already know about me, it's really difficult for me to wake up properly until I've showered. Like how some people don't really wake up until they've had a cup of coffee, or a glass of whiskey, or gone for a run? I have to take a shower. So now I feel sleeeeeepyyyyyy.

What else? Oh! My totally breaking stereo/speakers/something on my car is getting even more broken. It's pretty suxors. I may have to cave and get a portable media device soon. Suggestions? I now I've got some serious Apple fans in my readership, but should I really go with an iPod? Something better and cheaper out there?

Date: 2009-04-07 12:45 Subject: crash and burn girl... going down, down, down.... Security: Public

Okay, okay. My job is not horrible. It's... fine. My hatred for it decreases every day. At this point, I'm actually marveling a little bit at the violence of my initial reaction.

IMPORTANT NEWS: my phone totally broke at about 2pm yesterday. If you have called me since then, I will not be able to get back to you until I get a new phone, hopefully tomorrow morning. If I remain incommunicado, check this space for details.

Observation: it's easy to feel bad about not being a very good at typing or 10-key, until you see someone who can't do it at all. And then you just kind of feel bad for them. (I mean, seriously: who can't type at all these days? Well, one of my managers, that's who.)

So, I'm not actually employed by the hotel where I work. The valet services are subcontracted to this parking company (which employs me). So the valets, the cashiers (me), and our bosses don't work for the hotel. But everyone else that I see does. That's the bellmen and the doormen. (And occasionally the folks from sales, catering, front desk, concierge, etc. who wander out.) Here's my point: the doormen who work at this hotel, they have the greatest uniform ever. It has a knee-length coat. There is no one who doesn't look good in a long jacket. (They also wear awesome gold ties and gold pin-striped waistcoats; it's a very sharp uniform.) The doorman who usually works in the evenings (with me) generally doesn't wear his coat, because it's just really temperate in the afternoon and evening. But if I had such a jacket, I would probably wear it all the time.

Date: 2009-04-05 12:52 Subject: Someday I'll construct a satellite, and I'll name it after Omer. Security: Public

I may not have time to finish this update before I have to get ready to go to work!

Thoughts from while I was bored at work and/or on my break yesterday:

1) I hate wearing a tie. I can only imagine how much worse it would be if it were a real tie. I now have a huge amount of sympathy for dudes who have to wear ties in order to look professional, while ladies have the option of looking professional while wearing really low-cut tops. It's binding and restrictive, and I can't adjust my bra strap when it inevitably starts slipping. If I'm wearing my jacket, there is literally no way to get to that bra strap.

2) Diet Coke tastes super gross. How have I never realized this before?? I've never even noticed a substantial difference in taste before, but for some reason I sure can tell now. Diabetics: I am sorry. You are really getting the short end of the stick on this one. At least it's still fizzy?

3) Most of the time, I don't think much of hearing brakes squealing on cars. You hear that a lot, day to day. It's very often coming from my own car. But man, is it ever surprising to hear it in the driveway at the hotel where I work. Because brakes almost never squeal there. It's totally shocking!

Other thoughts:

If I keep working on Sundays, I'll at least get out of my annoying church calling. On the other hand, I'll have to switch wards so that I can attend meetings at all. And I'll probably have to go to a family ward, since singles' wards almost always meet in the afternoons. Man, I really don't want to go to a family ward. Maaaaan. (Note to self: email RS President to apologize for laming out on my calling.)