Blurred Lines?

Confession.  I heard this song and thought it was just about the best thing since sliced bread.  Then I kept listening to it, over and over and over.  Suddenly I was learning the words. Wait, the words!  What was I singing?  Hold up.

I'm a music person first.  A song catches me with the beat, not the words.  And man is this song catchy.  Why do those have to be the words?!  Why can't I just enjoy a fun summer song.  Can people make music that isn't so demeaning?  I would never in a million years let my daughter listen to this, so why am I?

And don't get me started on that video.  I mean, what is that?!  Aren't these guys all married?  Are their wives really happy that they are cavorting with naked ladies for no reason.  Ugh, I just can't.  What's worse, I read that it was directed by a woman.  Really?!

So as much as it pains me to do it, when Blurred Lines comes on the radio I shall be switching stations henceforth.

Dear JT, I'm not too happy about your boobies video either.  At least yours can be characterized as artistic, so I'm going to let it pass.  Please don't do it again though.

Christian Men Don't Date

Ok, ok, that's a very broad statement.  What I should say is, in my experience, the Christian men I have encountered don't seem to be too overly concerned with dating.  Sure, some of them do and to them, I say kudos!  Well, as long as you're not a serial dater.  I don't see many of those though.  Most of the guys who actually ask girls out eventually find one and get married.  Weird how that works out.

This is a continuing discussion among my single lady friends.  Actually, it's not much of a discussion anymore.  We've pretty much tired of the topic and just approach it with an "it is what it is" mentality.  But I can't seem to get it out of my head lately.  The more at peace with it I become, the more infuriated I get.  I was never one of those girls who dreamed about her wedding and had it all mapped out.  I was always focused on school and career goals.  And that's not to say I had blinders on, I just wasn't all wrapped up in the husband chase during the college years.  But never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined I would be sitting here at 33 still single without a prospect in sight (on a side note, I keep thinking I'm 34, but that's a whole different story).

"But what are you doing about it?" is often the refrain I hear from those who are married.  No, I'm not in bars trolling for guys.  I'm not at the gym on the lookout.  I don't pass by cute strangers and strike up a conversation.  You know where I go?  Church.  Yep, church.  Why you ask?  Because the Bible tells me I'm not supposed to be unequally yoked.  It also tells me I'm supposed to be submissive to my (future) husband, and let's be honest.  Being on the prowl from the get-go doesn't bode well for my submissiveness, now does it?  No, I'm supposed to wait for the gentleman to ask me out.  He's supposed to pursue.  He's supposed to lead.  Our courtship should be the model of our marriage.  But here's the problem.  Christian men aren't dating.

I see them.  They're there.  They exist.  I know them.  They are my friends.  But evidently we Christian ladies actually in the church just aren't appealing to them.  Maybe this is a bigger problem because I choose to live in LA and every other girl out here is drop dead gorgeous actress wannabe and my guy friends are under some false delusion that they deserve that type of woman regardless of whether she is a Christian or not.  While this doesn't help the situation, I don't really think it's the culprit.  I think this is happening in churches across the country.  These men are in a suspended state of adolescence and don't seem to want the responsibility of a family.  And for some reason, the church is just turning a blind eye to it.

I know what you're thinking.  Terri, find ways to meet more guys!  I hear you.  But I also work a 9 to 10 hour day and commute about 45 minutes each way, so the weekdays are out.  I joined a men's softball league and am having a blast, but there doesn't seem to be anything there.  I'm on e-harmony.  I even joined Christian Mingle.  The next step is to leave my small church plant and go to a bigger church where the odds might be better.  Except they won't because my friends have done just that and the result is the same.  No one is getting asked out.

Instead, we get together on Monday nights to watch The Bachelor and laugh at it (but secretly long for that same pursuit in our lives) and plan how long until we can afford to buy a house in the hills together and finally embrace our spinster destiny...while the church doesn't seem to notice or care.

ADDENDUM: The boy said I should update this because, well, he asked me out.  I still stand by the original thoughts though.  As one of my friends jokingly stated (and lucky for me) "evidently he didn't get the memo."

I promised something more saccharin for my next post...

This is a note my niece gave me a couple of months ago...

I cracked up when I read it.  Evidently a friend of hers was a flower girl in a wedding, and she desperately wants to be one, too.  I'm not certain why she thinks cute boys are at the "haircut place."  Her haircut place must be a bit different than my haircut place.  ;)

This is all funny and lighthearted, but it leads me to my next post...

What's on my mind?

Hello blogosphere.  I haven't posted in a year.  There should be a lot on my mind, right?  Wrong!  I feel like nothing has been on my brain much the last year, that's why I haven't posted anything.  Or maybe it's just that I felt the need to interact with real live people.  Oh, who am I kidding.  I was just addicted to my iPhone and sick of my desktop.  And now I've got a shiny new laptop, so watch out.  I may actually post a couple of times this year...or not.

Actually, something has been on my mind that prompted my annual blogger login.  And that's this whole gay marriage debate.  I know, I know.  I've already posted about this before, you say.  And no, my views haven't changed.  I'm still anti-anti-gay marriage.  In case you're confused by that double negative, I'm not against gay marriage on a government level.  I just hate saying pro-gay marriage because Biblically I'm against it.  But that's a separate issue.

Here's what's annoying the crap out of me though.  Why do I have to agree with your lifestyle?  News flash - I DON'T!  And that doesn't make me a bad person.  And I don't think you're a bad person.  Quit projecting that hatred onto me just because I have a different opinion.  Quit telling me that my opinion is only ok if it aligns with what you've decided I should believe.  I believe in the inerrancy of the Bible. It's not outdated.  I can't pick and choose what I believe from it.  It's all truth.  If you want to sit down and have a more detailed conversation about that and any questions you may have, then I'm game.  Let's do it.  I love talking about Jesus!  Let's just be civil with one another.  You have your beliefs.  I have my beliefs.  Why do we have to be enemies?  Calm down!!

And hey there, friend.  Guess what?  Remember, earlier, I said I was anti-anti-gay marriage?  That's right.  I'm one of those Christians who's kind of on your side.  Don't get confused, I'm not a liberal Christian.  Check back to that last paragraph in case you're confused.  I get flack from my Christian brethren for my position on the issue and I'm ok with that.  But I get ticked off when you attack them.  I get worked up when I read about lawsuits against them because they don't want to bake you a cake for your wedding.  What point are you making?  There are plenty of people out there who would be happy to help with your big day.  Go give them your business.  Leave those people that don't want to support your marriage alone.  Drop the lawsuits.  Walk away.  Be happy that you're succeeding in your fight for equal rights.  Surround yourself with those who support you.  Give your business to those who support you.  This isn't a discrimination issue and don't try to make it one.  I'm sure any of those business owners would be more than happy to make you a birthday cake.  They just don't want to support your marriage because it goes against their beliefs.  And why should that bother you?

So help me if you start attacking churches and pastors that refuse to perform your marriage ceremony...

Ok, rant over.  Go about your business everyone.  Maybe next post I'll talk about puppy dogs or something equally saccharine.

The Lost Art of Letter Writing

Does anybody handwrite letters anymore?  I was just doing some spring cleaning and found some letters my grandma has written me over the years.

My grandma wrote me quite a few letters, and I'm sure she did it for all her grandchildren because that's just the kind of lady she was.  However, in my adolescence, I didn't see the value in keeping them, and unfortunately probably trashed quite a few of them.  Luckily, some of them struck my fancy, and I kept them.  I made a point of starting to keep them in college, and I am so thankful that I did.

My sweet sweet grandma has Alzheimer's and is in a nursing home, so I haven't received a letter from her in many many years.  Unfortunately, neither have I been able to have a substantive conversation with her in a very long time either.  But this weekend, I read through all of those letters and could envision her sitting down at her desk or her kitchen table and putting pen to paper writing down her sweet and encouraging thoughts that always made me feel so loved.  On the one hand, it made me sad because I don't get to talk to her anymore, and I feel like I never really got to say goodbye to her as she has slowly slipped away.  But more so it made me thankful.  Thankful that God blessed me with such a lovely grandmother who cared enough to sit down and write me notes.  Thankful that I get the joy of opening them up every few years to be reminded of her love for me.

My pappaw carried on the tradition after grandma couldn't remember anymore.  His notes were limited to birthday cards, but I love them none-the-less.  Usually he was just updating me on the progress of his garden and grandma's health or who came over for dinner the night before, but I love that he cared enough to write more than just "Happy Birthday."  

In the days of email, we can stay more easily connected which is great.  But let's be honest, how many of us are going to browse through our inbox reading old emails?  It's so much more impersonal.  So my challenge to you is this.  Sit down and write someone an old-fashioned handwritten letter.  It may take a bit more time and would require you to purchase some actual stamps, but I promise you the person receiving the letter will be so happy to be on the receiving end of it.  And I'm betting they just might stick it in a drawer and find it in a few years and experience the same joy re-reading it and thinking back fondly of you.

What is funny?

A discussion this weekend got me thinking, what is funny?











My friend and I watched The Five Year Engagement and were perplexed because there were two scenes in particular that had us busting out laughing.  In fact, we were both brought to tears.  One involved a wedding toast by the sister of the bride who couldn't stop crying.  The other involved an argument between said sisters disguised in the voices of Elmo and Cookie Monster as it occurred in front of one sister's children.  Evidently we were the only ones that found those particular moments funny because you could've heard a pin drop were it not for our laughter.

Now, I'm going to be honest here.  I've always fancied myself a fan of intelligent humor (see Arrested Development, 30 Rock, Parks & Rec, etc).  I don't get Two and a Half Men.  I don't get The Big Bang Theory.  I don't get Adam Sandler movies.  I don't get the Three Stooges.  Farting isn't funny.  Burping isn't funny.  Poop jokes aren't funny.  Basically, low brow is just not my kind of humor.  But is it fair to look down on it?  Because I do.

But really, what is funny?  It would be boring if we all found the same things funny.  I may like humor that makes you think a little.  You may like poop jokes.  Does that make me any better than you?  Well, obviously yes.  But I'll try my best to stop being a snob about it.

I Love LA

It's no secret.  I have a massive love affair with Los Angeles.  Sure she angers me and sometimes I hate her, but most of the time I'm head over heels in love.  I love the culture.  I love the people.  I love the neighborhoods.  I love the food.  I love the weather.

I stumbled across this love letter on a blog the other day and felt the urge to post it because it so accurately captures the awesomeness that is Los Angeles.

Copied from http://foodlatio.com/post/9960190970/los-angeles-i-love-you

You met her at a bar.
She was a perfect 10.
Actress. Model. Dancer. Whatever.

You’ve seen her in pictures, watched her on TV, and heard about her from friends but you always wondered. And now she is right in front of you, but there’s just one problem, she’s a raging bitch.

She rarely pays attention to you.
She makes you feel insignificant.
She hates your friends.
She hates your apartment.
She hates your car.
She is always looking over your shoulder at someone else.
She four squares everything.
She loves TMZ.

She makes it really hard to love her.

Her name is Los Angeles.

I am part of the rare breed of Native Los Angelenos, yes we do exist.  I grew up in the neighborhood of Atwater Village (you know that strip of land in between Intelligentsia and Armenia). After 27 years of living and growing up in this town I can say I hated it. I was sick of the traffic, $14 martinis, the Ed Hardy, the yogis, the vegans, the valley, everything. So I moved away. I moved to Connecticut for a glimpse of the countryside, the “better life”. I worked there for 2 years, paid super low rent, and spent weekends in New York. But about half way through that endeavor I realized I missed LA.

I missed the culture.
I missed the style.
I missed the 24 hour restaurants.
I missed the music.
I missed living in a place where “limited release” movies were actually released.
I missed the weather.

There was a period during winter in Connecticut when I didn’t see the sun for two weeks. I decided to get in my truck and drive south until I hit sunshine (it took 3 hours). While I met some amazing people in my time in the Northeast I knew it wasn’t for me.

And so I came back to California. I took an almost 40% pay cut to come back to the Angel City because I missed her.

I came back to her culture.
I came back to her fashion.
I came back to her culinary mecca.
I came back to her art.
I came back to her opportunities.

The movie industry films here because its 70 degrees and sunny every day so you can work year round. While other parts of the country have snow, heat waves, and humidity I rarely go a day without sandals on my feet. You can take your tornados and I’ll keep my earthquakes (we don’t even look up from our iphones for less than a 5.0). Each neighborhood has it’s own personality may it be from the hipsters in Silverlake, the key grips in the valley, the plastics in Beverly Hills, La Raza in Boyle heights, or the stoners in Venice. Sure there is ubiquitous traffic that everyone complains about but that’s only from people that don’t actually live here. People that live here accept that its part of the package deal and don’t complain about it. It would be like New Yorkers complaining about that weird smell in the subway or all the graffiti. Celebrities that constantly complain in interviews about how everyone here is “so fake” might want to re read their job description and then hang out with a different crowd. There are real people here and I have seen them in these streets that I know so well working as a Paramedic. I have rubbed elbows with them at In N’ Out, we have waited for our Grande soy sugar free vanilla lattes together, and I have cheered with them at the upper deck of Laker games. So don’t belittle my city celebrities, a city that has brought you so much.

Most tourists hate this town too but LA is like a fungus, it grows on you. There is no immediate visual pull like San Francisco, or history like Paris, or skyline like New York. There is no real town center like most any other city of the world. Think about it, what do you tell out of towners to do once they get here? I have no idea either. Besides Hollywood blvd. there is no Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty, or Wrigley FIeld. When they ask you where to stay you say, “it depends”. When they ask you what to eat, “it depends”. Each neighborhood has a personality as does each cuisine and each person here. While we may not have many marquee attractions, what we do have is a bunch tiny pieces to the mosaic that makes up this great city.

Don’t get me wrong though, as with any relationship you sometimes hate each other. The parking, pretentious hostesses/bouncers, cupcakes, greenpeace volunteers, menus that tell you what’s NOT in your food (no preservatives, gluten-free, no dairy, flourless, etc.). Sure she may nag you, tell you to take out the trash, or ask you if you think these pants make her look fat but this is the place you, me, and that guy next to you in the Prius have chosen to live.

This is where I grew up and this is my town, and if you don’t like it get the fuck out, because traffic here is a bitch.

Los Angeles, I love you.

Eternally Yours,
Chris Backley
(foodlatio.com)

You know what movie I forgot about?!

I completely forgot this movie came out in 2011. It was even my birthday gift to myself. Failure on my part. I'm not certain exactly where this fits in on my list though. Honestly, I think it's tied for #1. It was so much fun to watch. I could watch Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph read a phone book. I just find them utterly hilarious. And the other girls were great, too. I loved this movie because it managed to be laugh out loud funny and still tell a thoughtful story that had heart. Let's give it up for the ladies!

The Long Delayed Annual Movie Post

To sum up my feelings about the 2011 movie season, I'll go with pretty good but not really great. I felt overall it was pretty ho hum. To utilize a sports metaphor...there weren't too many that hit it out of the ballpark, but there was a lot of good, solid small ball. I usually go with a top 10 list, but there just weren't enough deserving of that. In honor of the Oscars weird nominating rules, I'm going to populate this with a weird number between 5 and 10. Remember, this list consists of movies that I feel are the best of the year. And by best, I mean my favorite. Because honestly, I've only got three best picture nominees on my list.

I'm thinking we do a countdown, so let's go.


7) The Descendants. I almost left this movie off of my list, but ended up throwing it in. I didn't love the movie; I liked the movie. But I loved the performances. The performances are why this movie made my top 7 list. George was great. The girl who played his daughter was great. Judy Greer stole the show in all of the 5 minutes she was on screen. And they brought back Matthew Lillard? C'mon?! The story was compelling, but I can't figure out if I like Alexander Payne. I loved Election, but didn't like Sideways or About Schmidt. And there was something that I just didn't connect with in this movie, but I can't put my finger on it. I'm gonna put the blame on Payne and his style of storytelling.


6) Moneyball. I love movies. I love baseball. A movie about baseball?! You don't have to do much selling there. I was late to the game watching this one for some reason. I really didn't expect it to have as much baseball as it did because everyone kept saying it's not really that much about baseball. Are you kidding me? It was all about baseball. They just made it interesting and told a great story, so people cared and could look past the baseball if it wasn't their cup of tea. Brad was good, but he usually is. He's not my favorite and I don't find him dreamy, but he's a solid actor and you can usually bank on a pretty good performance from him. Good, not great. I've yet to see greatness in him.


5) The Help. I was excited when I found out they were making this move, but a little scared that it would turn out too saccharin. Thankfully it didn't. Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer were phenomenal, and they both deserve Oscar gold. This movie also introduced me to Jessica Chastain who was in about every movie that came out this year. And that's ok by me. She was great as the outsider who couldn't fit in. I have a feeling she'll get her some Oscar gold, too, before her career's over, but not for this role. The spotlight belongs to Ms. Davis and Ms. Spencer.


4) Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. Why this movie wasn't on more year end best lists is baffling. It was the best action movie I've seen in a long time. I'm a sucker for a good action movie, and I love the Mission: Impossible franchise. Save for #2, let's just forget about that one. I'll admit that I was a bit partial to this one because a good chunk of it took place in Dubai at the Burj Khalifa and came out the same time I got back from Dubai where I stayed overnight at said Burj Khalifa. But that connection aside, I still would have loved the movie. Tom Cruise may be a nut, but he's still a stud. Breaking out of prison, infiltrating the Kremlin, scaling the side of the tallest building in the world, a car chase through a dust storm, fighting til near death in a weird circular parking structure. There's nothing he can't do. If I'm ever in peril, I hope they send Ethan Hunt to save me.


3) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I'm surprised this film didn't get nominated. Honestly, I wasn't looking forward to it. I'm not gaga about the books like some people, and I've seen the first two of the Swedish films which are alright. The trailer is what got me intrigued about the movie. It had the single greatest movie trailer I've ever seen. "The feel bad movie of the year." Brilliant. I love David Fincher's films, so the trailer got me hooked. I thought this version far exceeded the Swedish version and really captured the tone of the book and the title character. She's this fragile, yet incredibly tough and resourceful girl who's had an incredibly difficult life. The subject matter is intense, and I hated a couple of the scenes but I knew they were going to be there because they were lifted straight from the book. It was just beautifully shot, and I can't wait for the next one. Hopefully Fincher sticks around for part 2.


2) Take Shelter. My two favorite movies are probably two you've never even heard of, but don't let that stop you from seeing them. Although, I'll warn you. These aren't for the masses. If you like your stories neatly tied up by the time the credits roll, you'll want to avoid them. Take Shelter was my second favorite movie of the year. It was written and directed by fellow Arkansan, Jeff Nichols. It's also the second Jessica Chastain movie on my list (there was almost a third, but I left The Debt off at the last minute). The story is about a husband and father who starts having apocalyptic visions. The movie sucks you into his paranoia about whether these visions are real or whether he's succumbing to the mental illness that plagues his mother. Great story, great performances, great filmmaking. I can't wait until his next movie comes out, which he just so happened to film entirely on location in Arkansas and stars a couple of people you may have heard of...just Reese Witherspoon and Matthew McConaughey.


1) Martha Marcy May Marlene. This was hands down my favorite movie of the year. You may have heard of it only because it was the first major role for Elizabeth Olson, younger sister of Mary Kate and Ashley, and that fact got it a lot of press. Smart move on the director's part casting her and bonus, she's amazing! The movie centers on a young girl who escapes from a cult and is trying to assimilate into her estranged sister's life. The film jumps back and forth between her time with the cult and her time with her sister. The movie develops the viewer's sense of paranoia along with the title character's as she becomes increasingly convinced that she can never escape the cult. Fair warning, this movie contains a couple of intense scenes that I wish they wouldn't have included, but I can understand why they did. Elizabeth Olson and Sarah Paulson gave two of the best performances of the year, and I'm kind of disappointed they didn't get more major awards season love. Although I think Elizabeth Olson did get an Independent Spirit Award nomination, which is much deserved. I realize that if you don't like to feel the character's paranoia, then you probably won't like either of my top two. But if you like a good psychological drama, then you should check them both out.

And there you have it. My 7 favorite movies of the years. What were yours?

What happened?

I remember one year ago vowing to start blogging again. Then I made all of 4 posts during the month of January. But it's time for my annual Top Movies of the Year list. I still have about 4 or 5 to see before I make my picks. But rest assured, it's coming...hopefully.

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

This week, I went to the zoo! That was my LA activity for the week. I've lived here for 8 1/2 years and have never gone. What's worse is I've never lived that far away. In fact, I've lived exactly 5.4 miles away for the last couple of years. It's practically a hop, skip, and a jump away. So I finally made the trek out to Griffith Park and visited the zoo.

I haven't been to many zoos in my lifetime, so I was excited. I did manage to go to the San Diego Zoo, but my zoo inexperience left me befuddled with how fancy that one is supposed to be. I liked it. I had fun. But I wasn't in awe as I had nothing to really compare it to. I think I went to the St. Louis Zoo and maybe Tulsa or Little Rock when I was super duper young, but I barely remember it. Maybe I need to go back to fully appreciate it.

But back to the LA Zoo. It was super fun! I was like a little kid frolicking around oohing and awing over all the animals. I watched the elephants give themselves a dirt bath. I watched a baby orangutan showing off for his mommy and daddy. I watched some tigers lounging. I watched a bear playing with a piece of wood. I saw some kangaroos hopping around. Turns out they were actually wallabies. Learned that wallabies look a lot like kangaroos. I tried to take a picture of one that had a baby in its pouch, but you can't really tell. Needless to say, it was cute.

All in all, it was fantastic, and I'll definitely be headed back soon. Now I wonder what my next LA adventure will be?

Movies I Liked: 2010 Edition

Since Oscar nominations are out tomorrow, I thought it was time for my annual list of favorite movies of the year. Overall, it was a terrible year for movies, but thankfully there were a handful of great ones that salvaged it. So without further ado, here we go.

Honorable Mentions: In no particular order, Scott Pilgrim v. the World, The King's Speech, Get Low, Toy Story 3, and Despicable Me (which I actually enjoyed more than Toy Story 3) would round out my top 10.

5) The Social Network. This was a great mainstream film. I look for it to take home the Oscar, although I don't necessarily think it's the best movie of the year. I love all things Aaron Sorkin, and he delivered a flawless screenplay. His ability to consistently write amazing dialogue is unparalleled. The screenplay was executed to perfection by all involved. However, I didn't really think a thing about it after I walked out of the theater. I think the love for this film is amped up because of the current social media craze. Twenty years from now when we're far removed from today's facebook obsession, I think this film becomes a forgotten footnote in the history book letting the reader know that they should check out The Social Network for more information.

4) True Grit. I loved this movie for two reasons: 1) Fort Smith in the movies! and 2) The dialogue. I've never read the book, but my understanding is Portis wrote the novel in the eloquent, almost Biblical language used in the film. Bottom line, I loved it. I'm not a big Coen Bros fan, but they do such a good job with Americana. They capture the spirit of a region and don't mock it, which can't be said for many people who set stories in Arkansas or Minnesota or Mississippi among others. I was blown away by Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross. The girl deserves an Oscar and I'm hoping she snags it.

2b) Inception. I couldn't decide how to order the next two movies, so I've decided they tie for #2. Inception was the only summer movie I was looking forward to. I love Christopher Nolan and will watch anything he makes. He's the most gifted storyteller we have today. He does it all. He writes. He directs. He takes too long between projects! But I'm ok with waiting because it's always worth it. I don't think I need to say why I like Inception. Everybody saw it. It made you think. I love that Nolan makes smart films and assumes the audience can keep up. Inception delivered, now on to Batman 3.

2a) Winter's Bone. Did you see this movie? I hope you did. I know it made it to Fort Smith because I told my parents about it and they saw it. This film was Southern gothic/noir at its best. What I was most struck by was the authenticity. It was shot entirely on location in the Ozark mountains of Missouri. The cinematography is breathtaking, and the filmmaker perfectly captured the poverty of the area. Like the Coen Bros, the filmmaker did not make any judgements on the area. She simply told a compelling story and captured a slice of rural America not often seen in films. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.

1) Black Swan. I never want to see this movie ever again. Now I realize that's not something you would say about your top movie of the year, so let me explain. I don't like Darren Aronofsky films, so I didn't expect to like this. In fact, I didn't even want to see it. But what I discovered was a mesmerizing psychological thriller. If ever there is a case for film as art, Black Swan should be one of the prime examples. Everything about the film, from the writing to the acting to the camera shots to the editing to the music, took you along for a ride into the maddening descent of Natalie Portman's character as she came to literally inhabit her role. It's not for the faint of heart and if you don't appreciate film as art, then you probably didn't enjoy the film and I can understand that. For me, however, it was beautiful and haunting and disturbing...but I never want to see it again.

Well folks, that about sums it up for me. Wonder what 2011 has in store?

Let's go see some comedy!

My first foray into doing "LA" things involved going to a comedy show. I liked it so much I went to another one this week. Comedy wasn't really on my list of things to do. I've never really been a big stand-up fan. Let me clarify, I'm not a fan of blue stand-up and that seems to dominate. But what I've discovered is there are actually comedians out there who are "clean" and super funny. You just have to look for them.

Thanks to a brief plug by Judd Apatow in the LA Times back in November ("Comics on Comics"), I discovered the comedy of Maria Bamford. If you look closely, you may recognize her as the crazy Target lady from the black Friday ads. Even if you were annoyed by that particular ad campaign, I encourage you to give her a shot because that's the least funny thing I've seen her do (although I personally find the Target lady hysterical).

Through the magic of the Internet and Twitter, I learned that local comedians put on shows practically every night of the week. And they're super cheap! I guess it's a chance for them to perfect their jokes and/or delivery before actually performing for a paid audience. I went to a show in the back of a comic book store last week for the low, low price of $8. And this week, I went to one that was completely free. Granted, for such a low price, you have to take the good with the bad. But I was really only there to see Maria Bamford, so it was well worth it for me.

I'm posting some of her bits below. The first is her performing on Craig Ferguson and the following two are my favorite jokes she does. Fair warning, there is a curse word in the second clip. If you like funny things, I encourage you to check her out. If not, just sit tight and maybe my next post will be something that interests you more.

Hello Blogosphere!

I'm back. Although I think I've said that before, but maybe this time it'll stick. I hope the world is treating you well, dear readers. Wait, I wonder if I have any readers left? Oh well, regardless, here goes...

Since it's the new year, I thought I'd start with new years' resolutions. I only have two this year and for the first time in forever neither of them involve working out. I somehow managed to jump on that boat in the fall and am still chug, chug, chugging along. My resolutions involve doing things that make me happy. I had a realization in December that I was letting life happen to me rather than living my life. So my goal is to flip that on its head in 2011.

My first and primary resolution is to do fun LA things. There are so many things to do around the city that you can't do anywhere else, and I've failed to take advantage of it. I've got a long list of things to do, and I've already started. I found a hole-in-the-wall comedy show that I went to last night which was super-awesome. I'm going to try out restaurants, museums, improv shows, and even take a workout class with Richard Simmons! After the great start with the comedy show, I'm even looking more forward to doing stuff. Sometimes I forget that I like to do things because my couch is so comfy. But I can have the best of both worlds and I intend to.

My second resolution is to blog more. I like to write. It's about the only creative thing I do. And the easiest way to write consistently? Blog! It's so easy. Why did I let it slip away? I'm going to make myself be more consistent with this here blog. I don't know how often I'll write, but whenever I feel like sharing I'm going to do it.

So here's to the new year! Happy 2011!

Farewell 20's

Things that happened during the last decade of my life:

- Graduated from college
- Moved to California
- Interned at Miramax & Comedy Central
- Got my MBA
- Graduated from law school
- Passed the bar
- Worked at Michael's and Target while looking for my first legal job
- Got my first real job
- Got fired from my first real job
- Suffered through 6 long months of unemployment
- Went to Germany & Paris for the first time
- Found my second real job
- Suffered through my second real job in the face of a depressing economy
- Went to Germany & Paris for the second time
- Became an aunt for the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th time
- Said goodbye to 3 of my 4 grandparents
- Totaled my beloved Civic
- Became a Mac user greatly opposed to the PC
- Learned to navigate as a single gal in the big city

Not quite the list I expected, but a good one none the less. If you would've told me at 20 that getting married and at least pondering the idea of kids wasn't going to be on that list, I would've laughed in your face. Funny how God has different things in mind.

Bring on the 30's!!

Today's rant is brought to you by the letter "S"

"S" is for Satan, and how he takes no greater pleasure than in distracting Christians from our mission. No, he may not be able to claim our hearts, but he sure can screw with our heads and create chaos.

The topic of the day is dissension in the Church. As you may or may not know, I'm a member of a small church plant in Hollywood aptly named the Hollywood Church. I haven't been with them from day one, but I've been with them for over 2 of their 2 1/2 years of existence. I love my church, and am so thankful that God led me to it and the people involved with it.

Lately, we've been experiencing our fair share of "disgruntled" members, and it's resulted in a significant flight from our church. In the grand scheme of the size of the church, the numbers aren't too terribly overwhelming. But because it's a good chunk of my very small core group, it's a significant amount in my world.

Unfortunately, I started to let myself get caught up in the issues and considered bailing myself. But then I realized I wasn't going to be "one of them." I'm not going to bail on my church because it's not satisfying my every need. I'm sorry, but that's just selfish. Do I have issues with certain aspects of the church? Absolutely! But I'm sorry, unless these issues get in the way of the gospel message being preached each and every Sunday, then they're trivial. Should they be addressed? Yes. But should they cause you to leave? No.

So I challenge each and every one of you to quit running from problems in your church and instead be a part of the solution. Pray, communicate, get your hands dirty. It's not supposed to be easy. The Christian life isn't a walk in the park. And I'm not just addressing the issues we're having at the HC. This goes on everywhere. Probably even more so in the Bible Belt than out here. Quit leaving Grand Avenue for First Baptist. Quit leaving Eastside for Grand Avenue. It's ridiculous. Quit leaving your church without fighting for it. You're letting Satan win.

T-Minus One Week...

...until Vacation!!!!! Woohoo!!!

I will go here....

And here....

And here...

And here...


That's right! I'm going back to Germany and Paris one last time, and I CAN'T WAIT!!

Oscars

Mo'Nique.

Christoph Waltz.

Sandra Bullock.

Jeff Bridges.

Kathryn Bigelow.

The Hurt Locker.

Avatar: All Techy Awards.

The End.

Politics again?!

You know how I'm always like, "I'm not going to talk about politics anymore," but then I always do? Yeah well, here we go again. I can't help it. I find it interesting. Good news though. This will be short, and I'll just post links to the articles I read. That way, you can check them out, or not. Your choice.

Palin Should Cut Out Hypocrisy

Why Dissing Palin Won't Work For Dems

As you've probably figured out from the headings/picture, they're about Sarah Palin. They're both editorials. One essentially pro, and one anti. Oddly enough, I agree with both of them. She may be the face of the new conservative movement, but let's be honest. There's not that much there to back it up. I faulted Obama for lack of experience, and I'm not going to let Palin slide for it either. She doesn't have much under her belt, and she quit the one big thing she was elected to to bask in the celebrity spotlight. On the other hand, the Democrats need to quit bashing her and wake up. She's connected with middle America, and you might just want to figure out why. Democrats have control, yet they're somehow disconnecting from the typical American more and more each day. 2012 is not going to be a good time for them if they don't do something about it.

Here's my solution. Republicans are dumb. Democrats are dumb. Let's forget parties and all become INDEPENDENTS!! Geena Davis for president!! And yes, that is a dated television reference. I'll let you IMDb that one.

A Church on Mission

A friend posted this on Facebook, and I thought I would share. It's a great 2 minute video on the idea of a missional church.