Happy Halloween!

Blogger's has decided to trick versus treat on both IE and Firefox, so I haven't been able to upload any pictures.

Today is the birthday of my college best friend. With mine on April 1, we thought it was ironic that we had the days that people always pulled pranks on each other. One year on her birthday, I decorated her dorm door and then put a condom on her doorknob and she couldn't get her door open. Now, that was damn funny (and yes, she thought so too).

Some friends across the hall from me turned pranks into a competition. One time, I called one of the girls and pretended to be the nurse from the Health Center saying that she couldn't refill her birth control pills because they ran a test and discovered she was pregnant. As I was going through the story, she realized it was me and just laughed and gave me points for cleverness (if you've heard my voice, you know it's not easy to disguise).

So, what's the best prank you've ever pulled?

Have a fun and safe holiday!

continuing a discussion

A friend of mine and I were discussing some of the difficulties of friendships. Sure, they are one of our greatest assets in life, but as with anything worthwhile, it's not always easy. Two questions came to our mind that led to a volley of conversation, and I'm curious to see how others might answer:

1. How do you know when it's okay to deliver news or advice that your friend may not want to hear but probably needs to hear? Are you better friend to not interfere or by not allowing them to continue on what might be a self-destructive course? Or does it depend on the severity of the issue?

2. If you can't act like "yourself" around a person and feel obligated to behave a certain way in order for them to accept you, can you really be considered good friends?

the art of the con

I was watching the movie Matchstick Men for the first time on cable last weekend. If you haven't seen it, Nicolas Cage stars as a con man with a huge bout of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and paranoia. As part of his therapy, he meets and gets to know his daughter, whom his wife had just after their divorce 14 years earlier.

The daughter realizes what the dad does for a living and wants to learn how to do it herself. In this picture, they're getting a lotto ticket with the previous day's winning numbers. They scratch the date off, and then "accidentally" drop it in a laudromat. Another lady picks it up and gets excited about it and talks to the daughter, thinking it was hers. They check the newspaper (Cage "just happens" to be in the laundromat reading) and realize they won $600. Well, the daughter has to go home, so lady offers to go to the ATM and give her 50% of the take on what will be a phony lottery ticket. Hence, the scam.

I couldn't help but be reminded of news stories of people that give their social security number or credit card information to random people that call the house. Or, you hear about how they wrote a check out to someone that came by the house asking for charity donations. And, I always have to wonder "how stupid can be people be?" How is it not common sense to not give out your personal information or just hand over your money because someone tells a good story? As soon as the story starts, you can tell how it's going to end.

At some point, Cage's character is confronted by his therapist about what he really does for a living (instead of antiques) and Cage rationalizes it by saying, "I'm not a criminal, I'm a con man. People just give me their money. I've never conned anyone that wasn't greedy or incredibly stupid."

And then my cycnical twin wondered whether or not I have less sympathy for people that allow themselves to be conned (especially given all the stories warning us about scams), or do they some how "have it coming" by being that naive or greedy?

A & Q

I have to admit that I really liked the way some of you thought out your response to the post below, and it was interesting how I could've changed things by including a few more details. I know you've all been anxiously waiting, so here are the answers:

1. True
2. True (based on the TV post the previous day and everyone's comments)
3. So true, and it got even cheesier. He was not my type. Trust me.
4. Underwear was on the floor, and those of you of you that guessed this one b/c I seem too clean were on the right track -- for the pair was sitting in the pile of darks waiting to be washed. I did slip, but did not actually fall down.
5. True, and though Bud had a clever reason why (b/c of #2), I was just cleaning the kitchen.
6. True. It was a vintage costume shop, so it wasn't what you'd call a traditional sales environment where they care about what they say. And Barry had another clever reason for his guess on this one (my modesty), but you can judge proper boobal liftage through a smock:)
7. True. I would normally check the times for a show, but I trusted that my music-loving and concert-whoring friend would've known better.

That was fun -- I'll have to do it again when more weird stuff goes down (though all but one really happened in the past week).

_________________________________________

Now, I turn the tables and bring back my list of 10 questions:

1. Say you're suddenly blessed with super powers, like the show Heroes. Would you use them to save the general public, or would you be secretive and just help those that are close to you?

2. What are some products for which you will always buy name brand?

3. If you could get away with the perfect crime, would you?

4. Do you keep in touch with any of your former teachers or professors?

5. When is your birthday (my list is outdated)?

6. You get an extra week off of work this year. What do you do with it?

7. What is one dish that you make better than anyone you know?

8. What is one thing you don't like about where you live?

9. How fast do you type?

10. Are you dressing up this year for Halloween, and if so, as what? If you're not, what is your most clever costume you've ever had?

Guess which one hasn't happened

1. I bought a gyro at Pike's Market and ate it while I walked up Pike St. Some scuzzy-looking guy came up to me and said "that looks good, can I have a bite of it?"

2. I realized that I apparently watch more TV than anyone I know.

3. A guy that I met on the sidewalk while walking my dogs struck up small-talk and upon finding out that I work in marketing, he said, "What do you market? Your cheeks or your smile?"

4. I slipped and fell on my underwear that was lying on the floor.

5. My neighbor knocked on my door the other night to tell me that he found a strange man straddling the fence between my patio and his. I was home with my dogs and none of us heard a damn thing.

6. When trying on my costume for the Halloween party next week, the lady at the shop told me that my bra is "for shit and that I need to watch Oprah and learn how to find the right kind." And in case you wanted to know what she thought, "Victoria's Secret's is crap."

7. I tried to see a Rolling Stones concert by showing up a couple of songs in so that a scalper would sell a ticket for a cheap rate. And it might've worked if either my friend or I had actually checked to see that the show started at 6 p.m. and not 8 p.m.

small screen review

I know that I always talk about movies, but I have to admit that I like TV just as much. I thought it might be interesting to go through my list of regulars and give a review of some of the newbies for this season.

Now, just bear in mind (before you wonder if I have a life) that I do not stay at home and watch TV all night -- I have a DVR through the cable company so I record it and catch up whenever I can. I'm telling you, the DVR is worth every penny of the extra $10 a month it costs (plus I record movies and have access to OnDemand).

Shows I Love
24
Entourage
Lost
Grey's Anatomy
How I Met Your Mother
The Office
The Sopranos

Shows I Like
Big Love
Desperate Housewives
My Name is Earl
Prison Break
Smallville (the Green Arrow storyline looks interesting)
Supernatural
The Unit
What About Brian (this may go below if it doesn't turn soon)

Shows that have been on but I just started watching and they're pretty decent
Veronica Mars
Battlestar Galactica

Shows that have either jumped the shark or suck, yet I still watch
Gilmore Girls
ER
Las Vegas
Ghost Whisperer
Nip/Tuck

New shows that I really like
Heroes
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Six Degrees

New shows that I kind of like and am still "trying out"
Jericho
30 Rock
The Nine

New shows that I tried but didn't like
Justice (lawyers are too arrogant)
Friday Night Lights (I'm over high school stuff)
Vanished (bo-ring)
The Class (too desperate to be Friends)
Runaway (painful-to-watch couple mis-match)

New shows that I liked but have already been canceled
Smith
Kidnapped

Holy crap, this is a lot of TV. I didn't realize how much I watch until I typed this list out (a few of the "love" shows aren't even on the air right now so that helps...a little). What are some of the shows you like?

Btw, Izzie's a dumbass.

desperate reminders

One of the things that terrifies me about the thought of ever having kids is the idea that no matter what you do, they can still turn out to be total hellions. I think we all know families like this, where you wonder how in the hell some great people turned out such a difficult child.

Since I'm not even dating anyone, I really don't think about actually having kids. But when I saw Desperate Housewives this past Sunday, it brought these thoughts back to mind. In case you didn't see it, let me quickly recap. Bree (the anal/perfect housewife) has two kids that have turned out to do just about everything wrong that's possible.

Bree said to her son that she doesn't know what she did wrong because she worked so hard to teach them what's right. Her son then said that it's not that they don't know the difference; it's just that they choose wrong. He goes on to say that when a parent pushes so hard in one direction, the other one starts to look really appealing.

It reminded me a lot of my own family. I'm the oldest of four, and my younger three siblings caused their fair share of trouble during their teens (though all is well now). My mom is so quick to tell them how to raise their own children AND tell me how my siblings should raise their own children -- her way, of course.

I had to remind her that things weren't exactly perfect on our end, and no one person is really an expert on how to raise a child. I told her something along the lines of Bree's son in that it wasn't like she didn't teach us what was right and wrong, but the others just didn't care. They wanted to do what seemed fun to them.

I, on the other hand, am an entirely different story. My parents were so strict that I was too scared of them to ever do anything that was really bad. I told my mom this and pointed out that it can't be a coincidence that I'm the one that is probably the least close to her, not to mention the well-known aversion to hugging or any physical touch. After some thought, she agreed that might the case, and then I asked her: "so was it worth it?"

And for once, she didn't have an answer.

she'll be coming 'round the mountain

One of my goals is to take advantage of this cool area in which I now live and see some of its major sites. This Saturday, a couple of friends and I went down to Mount St. Helen's for a day trip (about three hours each way). This now makes two active volcanos that I've been able to see -- this one and Kilauea in Hawaii and I musts say that I find them fascinating.

The shot was taken from the Johnson Observatory, which is the closest visitor's center to the crater (about six miles away). What I find so interesting about Mount St. Helen's is how the top literally looks like it was scooped out -- it's even cooler to see flying over the top in a plane and looking straight down.

Everything you see down the mountain and toward the bottom of the picture is still barren of vegetation. You can even see some downed trees that, for some reason, have never been removed. Btw, you can also hike around the volcano with a permit, and my co-worker said she walked almost right up to the crater's edge.

A zoomed-in shot of the dome. You can see the puffs of smoke confirming that this is still an active volcano. The dome itself has been rising for the past year and a half, and scientists are estimating that if it continues at the same rate, then it will take 10 years to look the way it did before the eruption on May 18, 1980.

It's about a 50 mile winding drive up to this particular visitor's center, and what surprised me the most is how much of the vegetation has come back due to major replanting efforts. As you get closer to the visitor's center, then you see the evidence of the blast with thousands of dead trunks, left over from when the trees were snapped off from the blast.

What was interesting was how much the weather changed as we drove up to the top. Seattle had the worst weather I've seen since May, with fog rolled in quite low. And the fog didn't let up during our the 120 trek down I-5. We were about to head on down to Portland for lunch instead, when we decided to just hit the first visitor's center and see if someone could tell us the top was clear. Sure enough, it was bright, sunny and about 20 degrees cooler than the base (the pictures don't seem that clear due to a haze from the volcano). So, don't trust the base weather, if you're ever going to journey to the Mount.

And....that would be all the shots I have, thanks to my lame ass Canon battery that was working fine the last time I used the camera and then suddenly died on me after two shots without much of a warning. Needless to say, I was a little annoyed at driving that distance and getting only two measly pictures. My next goal: Vancouver, B.C.

Film reviews

The Departed: A-

I have to admit that it’s been a while since I’ve looked forward to a movie this much and even more so since it actually delivered as hoped. I’m not sure if there’s anything more interesting than watching a human chess match of equally smart and clever characters, trying to see who is going to outwit whom. Then you add a cast of equally entertaining supporting characters that upstage even already talented leads, and then you have The Departed.

Set in Boston, Leonardo DiCaprio plays a cop that’s undercover within Jack Nicholson’s mob crew, while Matt Damon plays a rat within the force for Nicholson. As each side begins to realize that there’s a traitor among them, it’s an edge-of-your-seat ride of suspense as you try to figure out who’s going to get exposed first and how.

The acting in this film is phenomenal and DiCaprio should easily get nominated for an Oscar for this role, though he probably won’t because he just isn’t eccentric or old enough to appeal to the voters. For some reason, he still seems to suffer from a lack of respect due to his catapult into stardom by Titanic. Kate Winslet has long since shed that stigma and it’s about time he does too (and if you don’t believe me, watch Gangs of New York or The Aviator).

Damon continues to impress me with his diverse choice characters and not wanting to play the same type of person – he doesn’t seem like he’d play a crooked cop too well but he’ll prove you wrong quickly. And Nicholson. Well, he’s Jack and mesmerizes me in just about everything he does, with much of his dialogue similar to that of his character in As Good As It Gets. He says rude and insensitive comments to people, but I couldn’t help but laugh (maybe it's his knack for such a dead-pan delivery). I sometimes wonder if he improvises his own lines or if it’s just a coincidence that all these screenwriters seem to come up with the same tone and sense of humor for him.

Rounding out the supporting cast are Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin and Martin Sheen who are cops as well adding to the mystery of trying to figure out if they’re good or bad. Nothing is certain in The Departed. Along with Nicholson, Wahlberg and Baldwin were gifted with some choice lines of dialogue throughout the film that kept me snickering for quite a while (you are officially no longer just the underwear dude, Marky Mark). Here’s an example:

Jack: How’s your mom?
Underling: She’s on her way out.
Jack. Well, we all are. Act accordingly.

What makes this film so interesting, unique and appealing is that -- unlike many films that have been released lately -- there’s actually a plot. And it makes sense. And it keeps you entertained. And it’s well-paced. And the dialogue is realistic, yet strangely funny. And it can appeal to both men and women. And it respects the audience rather than trying to dumb it down.

Now to the nit-picking: it can’t get an A because of a couple of things, most of which I can’t discuss without spoiling any part of the story. One of the things that irked me was the fact that the Boston accents faded in and out, with the exception of the two natives, Damon and Wahlberg (though no movie accent will ever be as offensive as Kevin Costner in Robin Hood). There is also a couple of sub-plots that are subtlety introduced, yet don’t go anywhere. And I have to admit that I wasn’t a huge fan of the romance aspect of this film and felt it was more of a distraction than a necessity. Though the woman did serve a purpose, it could’ve been easily fulfilled by one of the men in the film.

This film is rated R for a reason. It’s Martin Scorsese, Jack Nicholson and the mafia. Do not go to this film expecting it to be tame, though I thought it was one of Scorsese’s less violent films, or perhaps I’ve become immune to it. For me, it was easily one of Scorsese's best films, and I hope he finally gets awarded for his talents (who else could do Goodfellas and The Age of Innocence back to back?).

It’s been a while since I’ve been so satisfied. Shame on Hollywood for leaving me hanging for so long.

Little Miss Sunshine: B+

Believe it or not, writing out reviews takes quite a while for me, so I pushed this one to the side when I became so busy with work. But, I think it deserves a quickie, as this was an interesting and funny film.

It’s about a young girl that finds out that she’s made the finals of the Little Miss Sunshine pageant in California (she qualified when she was visiting relatives), so she and her family take a road trip. All together. And the awkward hilarity ensues.

This film is reminded me a lot of National Lampoon’s Vacation, but in a more twisted and depressing way. And that’s not to say that the Griswalds are a normal family by any means, but the Hoovers seem to take it to a new, uncomfortable and yet realistic level. Or, maybe it’s just a reflection of how much our society has changed in 20 years, from the freewheeling 80s that didn’t seem to take itself seriously to the gloomier, chemically treated 00s.

I really did enjoy this film, and found it to be cute and funny in its own quirky way. Though Toni Colette is no stranger to the indies, It was interesting seeing Steve Carrell in such a different role than his norm. Greg Kinnear also succeeded in his desperate attempt at being the inspiring motivator, yet often wound up being the biggest a-hole in the room.

Definitely worth the rental.

my cynical twin wanted to post today

A couple of weeks ago, Elizabeth Edwards appeared on both the The Today Show and Oprah promoting her new memoir. Though the publishers are claiming that the book isn't just about Edwards' battle with breast cancer (the diagnosis of which came the day after Kerry/Edwards lost the 2004 election), it was the primary promotional point on both shows.

I was a little turned off by it. And, maybe it's because I've known people that have gone through that and much more and didn't earn a dime off their life story, even though they could've really used it. I've never really understood the inclination to pay to read about a well-known person's troubles, especially when that person probably already has more than most.

I know that some have said that these memoirs are inspiring, but the reality is that these people don't write their own books. It's not even their words -- well, maybe some from interviews. And I think that if most of us were given a tape recorder and asked to comtemplate about our lives over the course of a few days, we would say some funny and/or interesting things too (at least enough for a professional writer to make us sound good).

I know there are times when celebrities can bring awareness to issues or diseases that the public would otherwise ignore. But somehow, it just doesn't feel quite right when they profit from it. Maybe I'd feel differently if the proceeds were donated to charity or the book was sold at-cost to the public.

a sphincter says what

I have to admit that it was nice to blow off some steam last night by joining a friend's get-together at a dueling piano bar called 88 Keys. My friend and I cabbed it over, so we didn't have to worry about driving home. I honestly don't drink all that often, but I was just in the mood to do so, and the liquid courage enabled me to have the courage to screech out some of those infamous piano bar tunes like "Piano Man" and "Build Me Up Buttercup."

I suddenly catch the drunk guy across the table staring at me -- not in a lustful way but more dazed-like. He suddenly says "I have to tell you that I love your shirt. That's a really cool shirt you're wearing, I just like looking at it." You're probably wondering what kind of shirt would cause a straight man to say something like that, so I'll share that it's this one.

Somehow we started talking about travels and whatnot and he suddenly says to me, "You know, don't take this the wrong way, but I really thought that you'd be a boring person when we first met. You didn't seem to have a lot of stories to tell, but you're actually really interesting."

And it gets better. He says:

"I wish I were more sober to talk to you."

I know that he wasn't interested in me, but was just kind of intrigued by someone that has moved around by herself and knows about Roman history. Still, it made for a damn funny story in the cab ride home with my friend.

I'm taking a poll here. When someone in your party is going all out to Rocky Horror's "Time Warp," is it a bad thing when total strangers from across the room start to take pictures (and no, it was NOT me).

a grey day in seattle

I took work home and just finished. It's 10:57 p.m. I'm also suffering from a runny nose, sneezing, a cough and just overall fatigue (but not enough to stay home).

Given all that, what's really on my mind is why I assumed that the principle actors of Grey's Anatomy would not actually be there, when my friend text messaged me to say they were shooting scenes downtown at lunch on Wednesday.

I missed the opportunity to see McDreamy in person, so this is courtesy of my friend Erin whose office is right near where they were filming. To me, Patrick Dempsey is one of those men that looks A LOT better at 40 than when at 20 (when he was in Can't Buy Me Love).

Isn't it strange how Meredith Grey is actually the least likeable character on the show? And how in the Hell does a woman like Meredith have two men like McDreamy and McVet fighting over her? It's just perpetuating the frustration that it doesn't matter how a woman behaves as long as she's skinny and has bright blue eyes.

Is there a character that annoys you, even though they're on a show you like?

i want those abs

Yeah, no, that’s not me. But you were thinking it weren’t you? Last Friday, I went to Columbia City Cabaret, which was the first one I’d ever been to. I’m always looking for something different to do, other than the movies (yes, as much as I like them, I try to vary it up).

If you’re in to different types of entertainment and don’t mind risqué performances, I would definitely recommend something like this. There were some burlesque dancers that went down to their pasties (as pictured), but there was also a clothed dancer, an aerialist, and a violinist. The show changes every week, with the only constant being Tamara the Trapeze Lady (as pictured).

What I thought was interesting was that one of the burlesque dancers was actually…quite large. I had to give the girl credit because she definitely had the dance moves down, but I wouldn’t have had the courage to shake and jiggle like that in front strangers. People cheered her on, though, so more power to her. The funny part was that she had this red star on her stomach for decoration, but during her first number, I thought it was this really nasty red bump and I couldn’t understand why she would flaunt that.

Something I learned is that they not only have burlesque dancing schools, but they also have lessons specifically for tassel twirling. And there’s even an art to designing pasties because the ball-bearing tassel attachment allows the tassel to “swing freely in either direction” without flying off.

And ladies, in case you were wondering, even the skinny women that remain au natural are lop-sided too.

So, what’s something different that you’ve done lately that you should share with us?

My next quest: Gay Bingo Night in January (they dress up as drag queens, as I think it might be too late in the year for river rafting.

putting things into perspective

My long-time friend, Alex, called me today and during the conversation, she told me a story about one of her good friends that I’d met many times when I also lived in San Antonio. Let’s call them Beth and Alan.

About two weeks ago, Alan was coming home at night on his motorcycle. He got into a fender bender, so he and the other driver exited and pulled over to exchange insurance information (both were sober). A drunk driver exited and mowed Alan down…and kept going. The police tracked the driver down, and even found Alan’s blood all over the car. The driver was arrested, arraigned and out on bail but has now disappeared.

Alan spent the first few days fighting for his life with his cracked vertebrae and mangled right arm. He’s had six surgeries so far, including the amputation of his right arm all the way up to the shoulder (and he was right-handed). At this point, the doctors expect him to survive, but Alan’s life will obviously be changed forever. He will have to learn how to write, eat and perform the most basic functions all over.

Even at the age of nine, I knew there was something terribly wrong about my dad driving us around while he was ripped out of his mind. No one told me what to think – I just formed my own conclusion if that if someone can’t walk down a street without falling into bushes, then he/she should probably not be driving. It seems odd to me that I figured that out at such a young age, when so many adults haven't yet. Our culture seems to give more credence to "don't run with scissors" than "don't drink and drive."

I know there are many ways that people can die, but drunk drivers have already caused more deaths of people I know or among friends of friends than any other reason. It is real, and for those that take it lightly, I wish I could show them a picture of my neighbor’s smashed motorcycle after a drunk driver plowed into them at a red light and instantly killed the wife.

Like my mom’s house burning down, this kind of tragedy unnerves me because it shows how vulnerable and fragile we are. No matter what precautions we take and how responsible we are, our lives are often at the mercy of others.

I’m not usually afraid to take risks, but I can definitely say that this particular one is just not worth it.