Since it is so un-summer-like here: thunder, torrential rains, me getting soaked to the bone, I thought the recipe of the week should reflect the upcoming season, and the anticipation I have for it. And nothing says summer more than potato salad...but with a twist.
Deviled Egg Potato Salad
2 lbs potatoes, cubed into 1/2-1 inch pieces
salt
1/2 c mayonnaise
1/3 c dijonnaise
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c red onion, chopped
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 c chopped celery
In a large saucepan, fill with water and bring to boil. Add the potatoes and some salt to season. It should take about 15-20 minutes to soften the potatoes, check tenderness with a fork (should be firm but not crunchy still).
In a large bowl, combine mayo, dijonnaise, vinegar, sugar and salt. Add potatoes, celery, red onion. Mix well. Add egg, and fold into the mixture. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Voila, you have awesome potato salad. But don't leave it out too long, that just breeds S. aureus...especially when I make it. Yum.
I HAVE ONE WEEK OF SCHOOL LEFT BEFORE I BECOME A DOCTOR.
Sorry, I just had to say it. I cannot wait. There has been too much drama and all about fuckery that this school has imparted in the past few months that I'm so ready to leave it all behind. The administrators have no idea how to run a successful program and actually celebrate their graduates. Instead, they beat us down and make us hate them even more with their idiotic rules and mandates. T-minus five days and counting. I'm not ready to be a doctor, but I'm ready to be done.
But, how fucked up is it that I'm gonna be a doctor? Don't actually answer that unless you have a death wish.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Keep fishin'
My boyfriend went fishing today, so I got a chance to catch up on internet gossip, movies he won't watch, and books he won't read.
So this is the best coupling since Saylor (Selena and Taylor, get with the times): Cobra Starship and Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester on a song together called (I make) Good Girls Go Bad.
Cobra Starship is this pop punk outfit fronted by former Midtown lead singer Gabe Saporta that all the coolest kids love. All the kids including me! Their debut cd Viva La Cobra! was infused with a lot of tongue in cheek hits for the masses including Smile for the Paparazzi (as heard on the Hills), The City is at War (as heard as the theme of Top Chef: New York), Guilty Pleasure (as heard on every other MTV show) and my personal fav on the album, One Day Robots Will Cry. All of the songs are catchy, electronic infused pieces of pop magic and I love them.
Leighton Meester is Blair Waldorf on Gossip Girl. BLAIR CORNELIA FREAKING WALDORF. For those of you who don't know, instead of reading medical texts, I like to read books geared toward 14 year old girls (i.e. Twilight, Speak, If I Stay). I have loved the Gossip Girl, It Girl, and The Carlyles series from Cecily von Ziegesar since I was in high school. I own every single book of the GG series, actually. These books are salacious, scandalous, and I can read them in about 2 hours, which is about how much free time I have per month. I sometimes like teen books better because books geared towards adult women have the kind of super annoying characters that remind me of the people who are around me on a daily basis. Teen books I can relate to, since it's already happened...it's like nostalgia just without the gratuitous drugs, drinking and sex.
Anyway, Leighton plays Miss Waldorf superbly on the CW series. Two of her other co-stars, Ed Westwick and Taylor Momsen are in bands also, Filthy Youth and Pretty Reckless, respectively. I think with this pairing, Leighton will be the most successful music-wise since she's hit the mainstream with a band that has a rabid fanbase. Her voice is pretty awesome, too. She was recently seen at the Star Trek premiere.
-Speaking of, saw Star Trek yesterday. Umm, awesome. I heart John Cho aka Sulu. In fact, I'm watching his episode of HIMYM right now.
-Speaking of HIMYM, Rachelle LeFevre was on the Moving Day episode which I also watched today. She plays Victoria in Twilight, her hair looks amazing in New Moon. See?
-Speaking of Twilight...since only like one person reads this blog, I'm throwing this in for her and me, because it's real life Edward and Bella! As much as this would be awesome if it were true (squealed in true fangirl style), I'm sure he was just giving her CPR or like looking for a lost contact...with his tongue...in her mouth. I'm seriously surprised it took her this long...have you seen him? I'd have hit that in like the first hour.
-Speaking of Kristen Stewart, I'm going to watch her movie Cake Eaters this weekend. It's about a girl who has Friedrich's Ataxia. She was also in a movie called Speak, and I finished the book it was based on this morning. See people, I can go all night with these segues but I won't because the Angels are playing the Royals soon. Gotta go watch.
So this is the best coupling since Saylor (Selena and Taylor, get with the times): Cobra Starship and Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester on a song together called (I make) Good Girls Go Bad.
Cobra Starship is this pop punk outfit fronted by former Midtown lead singer Gabe Saporta that all the coolest kids love. All the kids including me! Their debut cd Viva La Cobra! was infused with a lot of tongue in cheek hits for the masses including Smile for the Paparazzi (as heard on the Hills), The City is at War (as heard as the theme of Top Chef: New York), Guilty Pleasure (as heard on every other MTV show) and my personal fav on the album, One Day Robots Will Cry. All of the songs are catchy, electronic infused pieces of pop magic and I love them.
Leighton Meester is Blair Waldorf on Gossip Girl. BLAIR CORNELIA FREAKING WALDORF. For those of you who don't know, instead of reading medical texts, I like to read books geared toward 14 year old girls (i.e. Twilight, Speak, If I Stay). I have loved the Gossip Girl, It Girl, and The Carlyles series from Cecily von Ziegesar since I was in high school. I own every single book of the GG series, actually. These books are salacious, scandalous, and I can read them in about 2 hours, which is about how much free time I have per month. I sometimes like teen books better because books geared towards adult women have the kind of super annoying characters that remind me of the people who are around me on a daily basis. Teen books I can relate to, since it's already happened...it's like nostalgia just without the gratuitous drugs, drinking and sex.Anyway, Leighton plays Miss Waldorf superbly on the CW series. Two of her other co-stars, Ed Westwick and Taylor Momsen are in bands also, Filthy Youth and Pretty Reckless, respectively. I think with this pairing, Leighton will be the most successful music-wise since she's hit the mainstream with a band that has a rabid fanbase. Her voice is pretty awesome, too. She was recently seen at the Star Trek premiere.
-Speaking of, saw Star Trek yesterday. Umm, awesome. I heart John Cho aka Sulu. In fact, I'm watching his episode of HIMYM right now.
-Speaking of HIMYM, Rachelle LeFevre was on the Moving Day episode which I also watched today. She plays Victoria in Twilight, her hair looks amazing in New Moon. See?
-Speaking of Twilight...since only like one person reads this blog, I'm throwing this in for her and me, because it's real life Edward and Bella! As much as this would be awesome if it were true (squealed in true fangirl style), I'm sure he was just giving her CPR or like looking for a lost contact...with his tongue...in her mouth. I'm seriously surprised it took her this long...have you seen him? I'd have hit that in like the first hour.
-Speaking of Kristen Stewart, I'm going to watch her movie Cake Eaters this weekend. It's about a girl who has Friedrich's Ataxia. She was also in a movie called Speak, and I finished the book it was based on this morning. See people, I can go all night with these segues but I won't because the Angels are playing the Royals soon. Gotta go watch.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Recipe of the Week: Mi Quang
I'm starting a new feature for this blog, the recipe of the week. Since I purport this to be a lifestyle blog, I have to address the number one love of my life: food. According to mint.com, I spend about 75% of my money on food. If I had actually gone to a real college, I could have totally majored in all things gastronomique with a minor in fast food studies.
For Vietnamese people living in the Midwest, there aren't that many places that offer some of my favorite dishes...including Mi Quang, which is my favorite Vietnamese noodle dish, although it's more like a noodle salad. Typically, this dish would take a really long time to make, as there are a lot of different components, but I developed a quick and dirty version, with substitutes, that tastes just as good as anything you might find in larger Vietnamese inhabited areas such as Houston or Little Saigon in Orange County, where I'm from originally.
photo courtesy of baobingduong.org until I can upload my own picture
Mi Quang: Amy-erican style
1 package wide pho noodles
1 tsp Turmeric
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 white onion, chopped
1/2 lb ground pork
1 8 oz can of crabmeat (Caravelle brand is good) or fresh crab if you have it
5 slices of bacon (the dish is traditionally made with chopped up pork belly)
4 cups of water
1 Mi Quang seasoning cube (can be found in Vietnamese markets, caution contains MSG)
1 15 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes
1 shallot, slivered
1/2 lb jumbo deveined shrimp
1/2 lb fresh bean sprouts
3 cups spinach
1 loaf of cha or gio (Vietnamese ham loaf), cut into thin slices
1 package of banh da, which is a type of sesame cracker
crushed peanuts, cilantro and chopped green onions for garnish
fish sauce, pepper to season
Soak the noodles in a bowl of hot water with turmeric for 20 minutes or until soft. Drain and rinse excess turmeric off noodles with cold water.
In a large pot, heat oil at high heat. Saute onions until they are translucent, add ground pork and brown. Add bacon and crabmeat and continue to saute. When all the meat has been cooked through, add the can of the tomatoes. When everything is simmering, add four cups of water and the seasoning cube. When the soup is boiling, decrease heat to low. Add fish sauce and pepper to season.
In a different pan, heat some canola oil on high. Add the shallot and saute until softened. Add the shrimp and cook until slightly pink. Season with fish sauce and pepper. Take off heat.
In a separate pot, bring water to boil. With a metal strainer, place a handful of bean sprouts and dip into boiling water to soften the sprouts slightly. Place in the bottom of a large bowl. Place a handful of spinach leaves on top of the sprouts. Take a large handful of noodles and place into strainer and dip into boiling water to soften completely. Transfer the cooked noodles to the bowl. Ladle about a cup of the soup mixture over the noodles (the soup should not completely cover the noodles), make sure you get a good mix of the meat component of the soup. Place a few shrimp and some slices of Cha over the noodles. Sprinkle with pepper, and top with the Banh Da, peanuts, cilantro, onions. Don't put the banh da on until you are ready to eat, as they will get soggy. Then enjoy! This soup should make at least four servings.
It sounds a lot more complicated that it is, but it's so delicious when it's done. There are a lot of different ways you can make this, substituting lettuce for the spinach, adding crab claw, stewing pork bones to make a base broth, or adding red cabbage. If you are lucky enough to have a place in your town that serves Mi Quang, I would definitely partake and leave the hassle to the professionals, but I think my recipe is really good for a person who doesn't have hours to stew pork bones.
I'm starting to try and eat healthier, since I tend to overdo it on eating at restaurants. I've started to track myself on daily plate again. Live strong, baby.
For Vietnamese people living in the Midwest, there aren't that many places that offer some of my favorite dishes...including Mi Quang, which is my favorite Vietnamese noodle dish, although it's more like a noodle salad. Typically, this dish would take a really long time to make, as there are a lot of different components, but I developed a quick and dirty version, with substitutes, that tastes just as good as anything you might find in larger Vietnamese inhabited areas such as Houston or Little Saigon in Orange County, where I'm from originally.
photo courtesy of baobingduong.org until I can upload my own pictureMi Quang: Amy-erican style
1 package wide pho noodles
1 tsp Turmeric
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 white onion, chopped
1/2 lb ground pork
1 8 oz can of crabmeat (Caravelle brand is good) or fresh crab if you have it
5 slices of bacon (the dish is traditionally made with chopped up pork belly)
4 cups of water
1 Mi Quang seasoning cube (can be found in Vietnamese markets, caution contains MSG)
1 15 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes
1 shallot, slivered
1/2 lb jumbo deveined shrimp
1/2 lb fresh bean sprouts
3 cups spinach
1 loaf of cha or gio (Vietnamese ham loaf), cut into thin slices
1 package of banh da, which is a type of sesame cracker
crushed peanuts, cilantro and chopped green onions for garnish
fish sauce, pepper to season
Soak the noodles in a bowl of hot water with turmeric for 20 minutes or until soft. Drain and rinse excess turmeric off noodles with cold water.
In a large pot, heat oil at high heat. Saute onions until they are translucent, add ground pork and brown. Add bacon and crabmeat and continue to saute. When all the meat has been cooked through, add the can of the tomatoes. When everything is simmering, add four cups of water and the seasoning cube. When the soup is boiling, decrease heat to low. Add fish sauce and pepper to season.
In a different pan, heat some canola oil on high. Add the shallot and saute until softened. Add the shrimp and cook until slightly pink. Season with fish sauce and pepper. Take off heat.
In a separate pot, bring water to boil. With a metal strainer, place a handful of bean sprouts and dip into boiling water to soften the sprouts slightly. Place in the bottom of a large bowl. Place a handful of spinach leaves on top of the sprouts. Take a large handful of noodles and place into strainer and dip into boiling water to soften completely. Transfer the cooked noodles to the bowl. Ladle about a cup of the soup mixture over the noodles (the soup should not completely cover the noodles), make sure you get a good mix of the meat component of the soup. Place a few shrimp and some slices of Cha over the noodles. Sprinkle with pepper, and top with the Banh Da, peanuts, cilantro, onions. Don't put the banh da on until you are ready to eat, as they will get soggy. Then enjoy! This soup should make at least four servings.
It sounds a lot more complicated that it is, but it's so delicious when it's done. There are a lot of different ways you can make this, substituting lettuce for the spinach, adding crab claw, stewing pork bones to make a base broth, or adding red cabbage. If you are lucky enough to have a place in your town that serves Mi Quang, I would definitely partake and leave the hassle to the professionals, but I think my recipe is really good for a person who doesn't have hours to stew pork bones.
I'm starting to try and eat healthier, since I tend to overdo it on eating at restaurants. I've started to track myself on daily plate again. Live strong, baby.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
The Match Game: Medical School edition
I never got a chance to blog about our match day, but better late than never, I guess.
So, every year, on the third Thursday in March, medical students all over the country await their fate in the residency selection process. Match Day. Dare I say, it was probably the most important day in my life thus far which I guess isn't saying much. I digress, it is the highly anticipated end of a strenuous, trying interview season, which for some lasts from October to February. Not only that, but it is also the culmination of all the man hours, hard work, mental/emotional anguish, and straight up self-doubt and questioning that comes with being a medical student. If you weren't messed up already, don't worry, med school will fuck you up. Just ask this guy.
Match day is the unofficial end of the twisted and winding road (complete with the roadblocks and potholes of Pediatrics and OB/GYN rotations slowing you down) to becoming a doctor. At the same time, it signifies a beginning of the rest of our lives. Poetic, I know.
And it is so effing satisfying when it arrives because then you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Technically, a medical student finds out if they matched on Black Monday, three days before match day. That way, if they do not match, they can participate in the "Scramble" which allows them to apply for any unfilled positions.
In the weeks leading to match, I had a semi-nervous breakdown. Every night, I prayed that I would get into my first choice and I was constantly nauseated and was plagued with abdominal pain. I didn't want to go anywhere else. I was obsessed, every other sentence out of my mouth was "Do you think I'll get in there?" and "What if I don't get in?" and "If I don't get in, I'll ____ myself." I'm pretty sure my friends were contemplating taking me out back, Old Yeller style. Luckily for me, when I ripped open that envelope at 11AM CST, I saw my first choice, my home program.
Then I wept like the girl I am.
The thing is, I was trying to get into Otolaryngology residency, which according to the National Board of Medical Examiners was the fourth most difficult specialty to get into this year (integrated plastics, dermatology, orthopaedics). There were like 370 applicants for 250 spots or something. There are people who are absolutely perfect on paper who do not get into ENT. I am not perfect, on paper or in person, but somehow I made the cut.
It's a very gratifying feeling to know that someone out there wants you when they could have their pick of any other amazing candidate. I imagine this is how it would feel to win the Bachelor or Rock of Love or some other equally demoralizing reality dating show. Demoralizing because on the interview trail, you have the sell the shit out of yourself; you do things that you may not be proud of, and you try to focus on making yourself not look apeshit insane while trying to be memorable. As we've learned from those dating shows, sometimes this is not possible.
Interview season highlights include getting inebriated at my home program; singing 'Livin on a Prayer' during an interview; running through Chicago O'Hare, narrowly missing not one but two flights; visiting Charleston, Milwaukee and Minneapolis, where I'd never been before; and lastly, meeting a lot of cool people although the uncool people are the ones I remember most.
On match day, needless to say, there was a lot of celebrating. A lot. Of. Celebrating. When you start drinking at 1 PM, you tend to burn out real quickly (especially if you lack the aldehyde dehydrogenase enzyme as I do), so we didn't even make it past midnight. Another sign that we're growing up or at least growing old. But it was fun, and it was memorable, and it was everything one of the last gathering of our class should be. I'm not gonna get all emo about this stuff, because that might confuse people into thinking that I actually have feelings, but I'll kind of miss medical school when it's all over. I've known these people for 6 years, and it's been interesting to say the least.
We made with rain, with actual shredded money. We are filthy. And I love it.
So, every year, on the third Thursday in March, medical students all over the country await their fate in the residency selection process. Match Day. Dare I say, it was probably the most important day in my life thus far which I guess isn't saying much. I digress, it is the highly anticipated end of a strenuous, trying interview season, which for some lasts from October to February. Not only that, but it is also the culmination of all the man hours, hard work, mental/emotional anguish, and straight up self-doubt and questioning that comes with being a medical student. If you weren't messed up already, don't worry, med school will fuck you up. Just ask this guy.
Match day is the unofficial end of the twisted and winding road (complete with the roadblocks and potholes of Pediatrics and OB/GYN rotations slowing you down) to becoming a doctor. At the same time, it signifies a beginning of the rest of our lives. Poetic, I know.
And it is so effing satisfying when it arrives because then you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Technically, a medical student finds out if they matched on Black Monday, three days before match day. That way, if they do not match, they can participate in the "Scramble" which allows them to apply for any unfilled positions.
In the weeks leading to match, I had a semi-nervous breakdown. Every night, I prayed that I would get into my first choice and I was constantly nauseated and was plagued with abdominal pain. I didn't want to go anywhere else. I was obsessed, every other sentence out of my mouth was "Do you think I'll get in there?" and "What if I don't get in?" and "If I don't get in, I'll ____ myself." I'm pretty sure my friends were contemplating taking me out back, Old Yeller style. Luckily for me, when I ripped open that envelope at 11AM CST, I saw my first choice, my home program.
Then I wept like the girl I am.
The thing is, I was trying to get into Otolaryngology residency, which according to the National Board of Medical Examiners was the fourth most difficult specialty to get into this year (integrated plastics, dermatology, orthopaedics). There were like 370 applicants for 250 spots or something. There are people who are absolutely perfect on paper who do not get into ENT. I am not perfect, on paper or in person, but somehow I made the cut.
It's a very gratifying feeling to know that someone out there wants you when they could have their pick of any other amazing candidate. I imagine this is how it would feel to win the Bachelor or Rock of Love or some other equally demoralizing reality dating show. Demoralizing because on the interview trail, you have the sell the shit out of yourself; you do things that you may not be proud of, and you try to focus on making yourself not look apeshit insane while trying to be memorable. As we've learned from those dating shows, sometimes this is not possible.
Interview season highlights include getting inebriated at my home program; singing 'Livin on a Prayer' during an interview; running through Chicago O'Hare, narrowly missing not one but two flights; visiting Charleston, Milwaukee and Minneapolis, where I'd never been before; and lastly, meeting a lot of cool people although the uncool people are the ones I remember most.
On match day, needless to say, there was a lot of celebrating. A lot. Of. Celebrating. When you start drinking at 1 PM, you tend to burn out real quickly (especially if you lack the aldehyde dehydrogenase enzyme as I do), so we didn't even make it past midnight. Another sign that we're growing up or at least growing old. But it was fun, and it was memorable, and it was everything one of the last gathering of our class should be. I'm not gonna get all emo about this stuff, because that might confuse people into thinking that I actually have feelings, but I'll kind of miss medical school when it's all over. I've known these people for 6 years, and it's been interesting to say the least.
We made with rain, with actual shredded money. We are filthy. And I love it.
Happy Cinco de drinko, folks
-I'm abnormally excited about the latest coupling that rocked the tween world last week. Taylor Lautner is so cute (how many days until he turns 18?) and Selena Gomez is so the next Disney cash cow...erm, I mean big star. She's currently filming a movie called Ramona and Beezus (I LOVE BEVERLY CLEARY) in Vancouver where coincidentally, Taylor is shooting New Moon (199 days away!). Sneaky, sneaky, kids. She is so Rachel Bilson's mini-me. Miley who?-I have been waiting for this forever. It's totally him, google a picture and compare the ears. Tupac is my favorite rapper of all time, and I'm not going to belabor you with the details, but I'm kind of pissed that he didn't resurface in 2003. For those of you not in the know, this all has to do with the number 7, which has played a prominent role in his life. 2003 would have been 7 years after his death. The Don Killuminati: 7 day theory album was recorded in 7 days. Pac died 7 days after he was shot, September 13, 1996 exactly seven months after his record All Eyez on Me was released. His time of death was 4:03 which of course when added equals 7. Yeah, I know too much about this subject.
-I really don't want to talk about this. I just can't watch anymore games. I hope Kobe doesn't have the swine flu...maybe that's why they didn't win. I don't know, but it better not happen again. Oh, and I really, really dislike Ron Artest...especially now that he has the most ridiculous fade in the history of all time.
-Speaking of swine flu, am I the only person who isn't concerned about it? I mean, it may have killed Edward Masen back in 1918, but umm...people, 101 years later we have something called modern medicine and antibiotics/antivirals (although their efficacy is questionable). Yeah.
-If Brett Favre plays for the Vikings next year, I will gouge my eyes out.
-GO DUCKS. That is all.
-Go Royals! Yeah, I'm just as befuddled as you are. $2 Turkeys for everyone!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Potpourri/Si se puede!
Yesterday I saw the Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, starring the effervescent Matthew McConaughey (read in sarcastic tone) and Jennifer Garner. I actually really liked this movie, the critics totally panned it saying that the leads had no chemistry and that it was saccharine and lame, but you know what? In these trying times, you kind of just want the asshole douchebag guy to end up with his smart, witty first love because he realizes that she is good enough that he is willing to change his caddish ways.
Plus, you should never believe anything Ben Lyons says, I'm pretty sure he's public enemy #1. Last week, he literally referred to Seth Rogen as "Bro-gen." Buddy, you are not bros. You work in journalism, he has to talk to you out of obligation. Also, the definition of "bros" does not include you pleasuring yourself to pictures of the new lighter version of him.
Anyway, GOGP had a great soundtrack because all flashback movies allow the best music to be played. Some highlights:
Get Down Tonight by KC and Sunshine Band
Let's Groove by Earth Wind and Fire
Nothin' But A Good Time by Poison (my second favorite Poison song of all time!)
I Hate Myself for Loving You by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
6 Underground by the Sneaker Pimps (which forever reminds me of Val Kilmer's the Saint)
I try by Macy Gray
Time after Time by Cyndi Lauper (played during an especially funny scene with Emma Stone)
Holding Back the Years by Simply Red (how fucking ecstatic was I to hear this...it is still so relevant and awesome that we're still hearing this song in a new movie in 2009)
I'm totally hoping to not pigeon hole myself in the movie soundtrack blog category, but there have just been some great soundtracks out there. If you want that, go to ReelSoundtrack for a comprehensive music/movie blog.
Pros:
-Emma Stone, who I might be obsessed with now; Jules from Superbad! Come on, she's awesome. Her comic relief made this movie.
-Michael Douglas, somehow they unearthed Mr. Douglas for the role as Connor's legendary badass uncle Wayne, and he was perfect. It's that gravelly voice of his, he's a silver fox.
-Christa B. Allen, who played young JGarn in 13 going on 30 (another great soundtrack), is totally back playing young Jennifer Garner in this movie. Awesome, kudos to you, casting director.
-The rest of the cast was great, Jennifer Garner is as always, perfect with those cheekbones and those pouty lips; Breckin Meyer and Lacey Chabert who are apparently ageless, Camille Guaty (who if you are a Disney Channel Original Movie geek like I am, you will recognize as the lead in Gotta Kick it Up! Si se puede, indeed.)
Cons: Matthew McConaughey. I don't find him charming ever, but I actually didn't want to beat him up while watching this movie. I'm still putting him on the con side though.
--Jack Kemp died. He was the quarterback for the Buffalo Bills in the mid-sixties before there ever was a united AFC/NFC version of the NFL. After playing pro ball for many years, he served as Congressman in Buffalo for 18 years. Of course, he was then Bob Dole's running mate in the 1996 presidential election. This is relevant to me because Jack Kemp spoke at my sister's graduation from college at USC. So yes, it goes without saying, he was a member of the GOP.
--I forgot to mention this last week, but Bea Arthur passed. Now, she wasn't my favorite Golden Girl (that would be Sophia; Dorothy was supposed to be the reasonable one, but she kept Stan around and he bugged me to no avail), but she made that show. And that show made my youth. I'm sure this has been said by many a blogger, but thank you for being a friend, Bea.
--Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao = badass. He reminds me of a young Barry Bernabe.
--If you haven't already, read McBrandon's post on HydroxyCut. Jon Marshall, resident physician belongs at Tool Academy.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Choose Your Own Adventureland
So, this post has been awhile in the making. I saw Adventureland last month and really, really liked it. It was very unexpected. Written and directed by Greg Mottola, most famously and awesomely known for directing Superbad, you'd think it would be a nonstop boob and dick fest, but it wasn't like that at all. There were some funny parts, but mostly it was about relationships and shitty situations and life. It was very real for a moment there.
First of all, it's set in the late 80s in Pittsburgh, providing the perfect backdrop of depressed desperation which is pervasive throughout the movie. 80s = automatic win.
Adventureland is a poignant, coming of age story about a recent college graduate named James (loveably awkward Jesse Eisenberg) whose parents, hard up on times, rescind his summer Europe vacation graduation present. Instead, he gets a nowhere job at a local decrepit theme park where, as always, there are a bunch of lowlifes and eccentrics hanging about. Amongst his zany co-workers is Em, a ray of light in the despondent universe of the Adventureland theme park. She is played beautifully by Kristen Stewart.
I am so team Kristen right now. Not only is she Bella Swan in Twilight, but she was so convincingly emo and flawed in this movie that you couldn't help but fall in love with her. You could totally see her appeal to James here (he's saving the damsel), even though she was having an affair with perennial scuzzbucket Ryan Reynolds. She picks great roles, everything from quirky independents to blockbuster vampire flicks which portends to a great career, if she wants it. And I think she's got this really anti-Hollywood thing going on. She's open with her honesty and frank rejection of any of the set 'starlet rules,' and she's not afraid to say what's on her mind. Plus her boyfriend is hot.
The best thing about this movie was the soundtrack. I love mainstream 80s music, I am actually obsessed with it, and almost every time I heard a familiar opening riff during the movie, I died a little bit more inside...of happiness.
Yo La Tengo did the scoring of the movie, which is another total win.
Stand outs include:
Modern Love by David Bowie
Rock Me Amadeus by Falco
Looking for A Kiss by New York Dolls
Hot Blooded by Foreigner
Pale Blue Eyes by the Velvet Underground
Don't Dream it's Over by Crowded House (!!!)
Let the Music Play by Shannon
I Want Action by Poison
Satellite of Love by Lou Reed
Point of No Return by Expose
Obsession by Animotion
Your Love by The Outfield (!!!)
Just Like Heaven by the Cure (my favorite song ever)
Breaking the Law by Judas Priest
Here I Go Again by Whitesnake
Don't Change by INXS
Soundtrack also includes Wang Chung, The Replacements, Rush, the Stones.
This is going to be a big movie weekend, I'm probably going to be seeing Wolverine and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (don't judge). I doubt those soundtracks will be as good as this movie's was, and I definitely recommend checking it out.
Oh, and Kristen Stewart, along with my current obsession Robert Pattinson and future obsession--when he turns 18--Taylor Lautner, is one of People's 100 Most Beautiful this year. I'm sure she's just thrilled about that. Yeah, she really seems to be the type of person who really gives a shit about meaningless lists and celebrity pandering.
I'm still probably going to buy the magazine though. I'm just sayin'.
First of all, it's set in the late 80s in Pittsburgh, providing the perfect backdrop of depressed desperation which is pervasive throughout the movie. 80s = automatic win.
Adventureland is a poignant, coming of age story about a recent college graduate named James (loveably awkward Jesse Eisenberg) whose parents, hard up on times, rescind his summer Europe vacation graduation present. Instead, he gets a nowhere job at a local decrepit theme park where, as always, there are a bunch of lowlifes and eccentrics hanging about. Amongst his zany co-workers is Em, a ray of light in the despondent universe of the Adventureland theme park. She is played beautifully by Kristen Stewart.
I am so team Kristen right now. Not only is she Bella Swan in Twilight, but she was so convincingly emo and flawed in this movie that you couldn't help but fall in love with her. You could totally see her appeal to James here (he's saving the damsel), even though she was having an affair with perennial scuzzbucket Ryan Reynolds. She picks great roles, everything from quirky independents to blockbuster vampire flicks which portends to a great career, if she wants it. And I think she's got this really anti-Hollywood thing going on. She's open with her honesty and frank rejection of any of the set 'starlet rules,' and she's not afraid to say what's on her mind. Plus her boyfriend is hot.
The best thing about this movie was the soundtrack. I love mainstream 80s music, I am actually obsessed with it, and almost every time I heard a familiar opening riff during the movie, I died a little bit more inside...of happiness.
Yo La Tengo did the scoring of the movie, which is another total win.
Stand outs include:
Modern Love by David Bowie
Rock Me Amadeus by Falco
Looking for A Kiss by New York Dolls
Hot Blooded by Foreigner
Pale Blue Eyes by the Velvet Underground
Don't Dream it's Over by Crowded House (!!!)
Let the Music Play by Shannon
I Want Action by Poison
Satellite of Love by Lou Reed
Point of No Return by Expose
Obsession by Animotion
Your Love by The Outfield (!!!)
Just Like Heaven by the Cure (my favorite song ever)
Breaking the Law by Judas Priest
Here I Go Again by Whitesnake
Don't Change by INXS
Soundtrack also includes Wang Chung, The Replacements, Rush, the Stones.
This is going to be a big movie weekend, I'm probably going to be seeing Wolverine and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (don't judge). I doubt those soundtracks will be as good as this movie's was, and I definitely recommend checking it out.
Oh, and Kristen Stewart, along with my current obsession Robert Pattinson and future obsession--when he turns 18--Taylor Lautner, is one of People's 100 Most Beautiful this year. I'm sure she's just thrilled about that. Yeah, she really seems to be the type of person who really gives a shit about meaningless lists and celebrity pandering.
I'm still probably going to buy the magazine though. I'm just sayin'.
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