5 Thizzles You Ought To Know for Friday – 3.23.07

1. March Madness – Just like the mighty Mississippi, the basketball madness just keeps rolling along. And anyone with a pulse would have to admit it, these games do not disappoint. KU guts out a gritty win against SIU to make it to the Elite 8. Breezing past Niagara and Kentucky in Round 1 was the easy part, now boys – Let’s take the hill! Memphis pulls in another big win against Texas A&M and makes school history. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT BACK-TO-BACK Elite 8s for the TIGERS – Go Tigers Go. As you might guess I’m only a smidge happy to be able to keep Rock Chalking along this weekend!

2. Mr. Smith Goes to Minnesota – I woke up this morning to news that Tubby was leaving Kentucky for colder pastures. I feel really bad for the next person to enter Rupp Arena as head coach for the wildcats. They expect perfection every year during tourney time, while the pretty people sit back, watch the game and down another mint julep. And Tubby’s winning style and dedication to his players should please the Golden Gopher faithful. It’s the little touches that make Tubby Smith a stellar college coach and all around good guy.

3. Britney’s out of Rehab – The bald beauty is back on the mean streets after "successfully completing" a stint in rehab. I for one will be sleeping easier, knowing Britney is back in the public eye. And I’m just curious about what she will do next. I’ll admit it – she’s like a train wreck, you don’t really want to watch, but you just can’t seem to turn your head away.

4. Pet Food Recall - It was revealed that Rat Poison was the containment in many major brands of pet food. It's very scary to think the food you purchase could possibly cause kidney failure of your favorite four-legged friend. My condolences to those out there who lost their pets during this incident. I'm just lucky I choose to feed the Parkster hippie, organic dog food made in California. But that still doesn't stop him from the occasional lasagna he finds at Shelby Farms or the massive amounts of chicken he consumes as mid-day snack from my step-dad.

5. Movies - Why are there so many mediocre flicks out in the theater right now? Seriously, it's downright depressing the lack of visual or thought-provoking stimulation provided so far this year by the movie industry. I guess it's a good thing there is a lot of engaging action in March Madness.

Well that's the 5 Thizzles You Ought To Know for the week. Check back soon and TGIF!

Rallying Behind Yet Another Polar Bear

This proves one thing – I’m a sucker for those cute, white polar bears! Yes, I’m quite aware that some of these animals grow up to be vicious carnivores, but when they are small they just seem so DARN CUTE! And as they get larger they still look pretty DARN CUTE. They seem like such wonderful creatures to visit and observe.

This week however has been a very controversial time for the Berlin Zoo. They’ve been keeping a baby polar bear (Knut) alive by feeding and caring for it after it’s mother rejected the young cub and his brother (who didn’t make it). Normally zoos in Germany let these animals live by the law of nature (and do nothing), but not in this case. The Berlin keeper sleeps, feeds and even strummed him some Elvis Presley tunes (yep there is always a Memphis connection). "Cute Knut" as he was dubbed by the press earlier this week has really become somewhat of a celebrity polar bear. He's even had a photo session with famous entertainment photographer Annie Leibovitz. So what’s not to love about our new furry pal…

2008 Presidential Predictions

Got to love Chris Rock's 2008 Presidential predictions he viewed on SNL on Saturday night. Definitely had me in stitches, but check it out for yourself:

Rachiley Bloggy Blog – What Thizzles Should I Know?

To increase my posting percentage for 2007, I was thinking about adding the following weekly or bi-monthly post to my blog. It would be sort of a way to capture either top stories/current happenings in my life or around the world that I may wish to share with ya’ll. Post in the comments and let me know if you think this item should stay or go?!?

5 Thizzles You Ought To Know for Friday –3.16.07

1. Daily Light Savings Time – I hate losing that hour of sleep in the beginning, but I love the extra hour to play outside after work in spring/summer. Does the extra hours of sun help decrease our energy costs? I’m not so sure. Does it increase my level of happiness? Definitely!

2. March Madness – Basketball at it’s finest and lots of it! People of all ages and even those who normally don’t even get into sports become basketball experts in March. Picks are made, money is bet and families are divided. Then everyone sits back to watch drama unfold and brackets bust. Not a bad idea Mr. Phog Allen (of KU), not a bad idea at all. My only wish for this March is a little Rock Chalk Happiness!

3. Edmund Ford & MLGW – SHAME ON YOU EDMUND for not paying either of your Light, Gas & Water bills which equate to roughly $13,300. Do you think your special? Newsflash your NOT! I’ll bring you by a candle and a box of saltines if you’re running that low on cash. Or better yet, why don’t you borrow from another Ford family member.

PS – MLGW, you in particular disgust me for allowing this to even occure. Pardon my french, but WHAT THE F*%$! If I didn’t pay my bill for months you would be leaving me in the dark for at least a week. Then make ME patiently wait between a window of 7am-10pm for your arrival to reconnect my utilities as I pay in cash from now until eternity.

Seriously dude, pay you’re freaking bill and MLGW, stop this type of madness because I’m tired of it being the top story of every newscast.

4. October Road – Am I sucker or what for new television shows? The dialogue was extra cheesy - “I think you forgot what side of October Road you belong!” And the plot is super predictable, but who doesn’t like a little brainless filler now and then.

5. Wikipedia Revives Sinbad – like Rodney Dangerfield some comedians can’t get any respect, not even in cyberspace. Here’s hoping you can extend this publicity into at least a made for TV movie or a few more comedy shows.

Ok, that's all folks...Remember post your comments and let me know if you think this should be a keeper. TGIF!

Day Filled with Fun - Part Duex

The second 1/2 of my day started off with the hustle and bustle of lunch downtown. One of my most favorite things I miss about working downtown is going to Calgary’s Waffle Shop during lent. Even though I don’t share the same religion, I appreciate the spiritual uplifting they bring to downtown year after year with their preaching series and lunches.

The waffle shop raises money to support their outreach ministry program. What a great way to celebrate with community by providing spiritual and substantial nourishment. Although there wasn’t a lunchtime speaker on Wednesday, Sarah and I definitely enjoyed chatting with the folks at our table about religion, weather and the delicious food being served. What could be better then fresh homemade waffles and sausages?

After we bid farewell to our new friends from church, we headed back toward the car with every intention to head back out east to the spa. But as we walked down the street we noticed the Memphis Fire Museum on the next block. Immediately we both became distracted/intrigued by the prospect of seeing a fire truck.



The museum did not disappoint. We spent at least an hour touring the museum and learning about fire safety. I think the highlight of the tour for me was either “Billy” the talking old firehouse horse or the “Fire Room.” We were told before the start of the demonstration that this exhibit was not for the faint of heart.

The “Fire Room” simulated in a safe environment what it’s like to be in a real fire. It included very, very dark room, heat, a movie covering a whole wall, smoke behind a glass and orange strobe lighting. We were also lucky to experience this room with 15 screaming kids from Fireside Temple Daycare of Memphis.

Lessons learned from the fire museum:
1. Stop, Drop & Roll!
2. Don’t play with matches or lighters!
3. Rethink visiting the “Fire Room” with small children

Finally we rounded out our day with an afternoon of beauty. Sarah selected a Facial, Scalp Treatment and a Swedish Massage. I went with a Facial and Hot Stone Massage. I believe in the future I can live without the facial, but what I wouldn’t give to have a Hot Stone Masseuse at my beck and call. Seriously the combination of heat + massage= one loose goose!

The day ended with an impromptu happy hour at YaYa’s and a fleeting rainstorm. What a marvelous way to spend the day! Now it's time to keep my head back in the game for the rest of the week.

Plan to Free Cran/Day Filled with Fun

Today started out unlike any other Wednesday – I took the DAY OFF! I know surprise, surprise I ventured out of the norm to relax and have fun. My plan actually started small and simple with a request for a day off.

Then I decided to ask my friend Sarah to join me since she was off all week from student teaching. Our sole plan was to try to utilize some spa gift certificates we both had received over the holidays (ya know way back in December 06).

But then during a planning phase earlier this week Sarah presented the zoo option (of course I was only interested if weather permitted) at first. This simple act turned me onto the discovery of Cranbeary’s (the polar bear) injuries, which made the trip a “must do activity” for our Wednesday outing.

To be honest I wasn’t sure the weather would hold, but I got up bright and early ready to head to the zoo – rain or shine. I so wanted to spring Cran from zoo hospital.

When we got there I decided to actually buy a membership. I figured why not – I live pretty close, you get such a pleasant walk and I can visit all my favorite animals now whenever I wanted. As an added bonus - it’s tax deductible :-) Only problem after I paid for the membership Sarah noticed a sign that revealed the Polar Bears would not be out in their habitat today. I was sad, but with the weather clearing we decided to spend the morning tooling around the zoo anyway.

First we checked out Cat Country. Then we encountered a “spring break camp” that was learning about Hippos – what they eat and dung wars (I kid you not, this was discussed in the same sentence. e-mail me for more details). Then we watched the keeper feed both Julie and Splash. Here is a picture of splash enjoying some fresh cantaloupe:


Next we walked over to see the giant pandas. They are so darn cute! And today was extra special because Le Le was OUTSIDE. I’ve come to the zoo maybe 8 or 9 times since the pandas arrived, but NEVER have I seen them out of their glass enclosures. Of course all Le Le was doing was eating, but she was outside and now I have proof.


Finally, even though I knew Payton & Haley would not be on display we headed to the Northwest Passage exhibit. I went to sit and mope in front of the polar bear display while Sarah checked out the gift shop. When she found me on the bench, she mentioned that the polar bears would be in their habitat for feeding @ 1pm. Next thing I know I looked up and I saw a large white bear walking around. I said it out loud and started pointing like a 5-year old. A lady in front of me said, “Sugar, the polar bears aren’t coming out today.” I looked her square in the face and said, “Well then what is that?!?” She turned to look and next thing I knew she was hollering for all her kids to come join her to watch Payton.

It got really crowded, really quick so we walked out. Sarah drifted over to chat/flirt with a zookeeper. I joined her a minute later after looking at Payton from another angle. Turns out that keeper works with Cranbeary. He gave us a full update and probably TO MUCH INFORMATION, because by the end of my visit/interrogation I had a pretty good idea of where Cranbeary was located within the zoo property. But he did also give me earful about how Payton was getting a raw deal in this story.


Upon hearing the dialogue from the keeper I decided it would probably be best to let Cranbeary heal without my help. She’s already got Smith & Nephew plates and screws now holding her together. The keeper did mention the bear is putting weight on her hind leg, which is a good sign. Plus now as a member I could come visit whenever I get the urge.

Our time at zoo came to a rapid close when Sarah and I both realized it was time to grab a bit lunch. And let’s face it, eating at the zoo with wafting smell was just not an option. Stay tuned for tomorrow to recap the second 1/2 of the day.

Dedicated to the one I love...

Ok, not really the one I love, love but actually something I love - Cranbeary the 5-year old Polar Bear living at the Memphis Zoo. Our paths first crossed last spring when I took the day off from work and headed out to the zoo. I was drawn to the Northwest Passage exhibit at zoo and I immediately feel in love with Cranbeary & The Polar Pals. The polar bears playful swam, tussled or slept on the rocks while I observed with the rest of the crowd. Her massive paw touched the glass where my hand laid, almost as if she was giving me a high-five*. I wanted to take Cranbeary home, but I was told “no, no time to see the rest of the animals.”


I saw dear Cranbeary featured a few times on local billboards or in the newspaper, but didn’t have a chance to revisit in person. Apparently though she had a pushed beyond the edge courtship in February 2007. So now she’s under lock & key recovering from surgery in a private suite.


I guess prepping stuff 24/7 for work in February really left me in the dark. So now I’d like to send a speedy recovery to my friend Cranbeary with a heart felt Ipod Shuffle Mix below. Or you can send her a get-well greeting too.

Cranbeary’s Speedy Recovery, I will Not Hold It Against You Payton Mix:

1. Summer Daze – Luscious Jackson
2. Splendid Isolation – Pete Yorn
3. Qu’avons-nous fair – Autour De Lucie
4. Your Eyes Open – Keane
5. So I Can Love You – The Emotions
6. Juarez – Tori Amos
7. Need You Tonight – INXS
8. Take What You Take – Lilly Allen
9. Island In The Sun – Weezer
10. Girlfriend In A Coma – The Smiths
11. Cool Jerk – The Go-Go’s
12. Simon Says – The Central Standards
13. All You Need Is Love – The Beatles
14. Circle – Sarah McLachlan
15. She Don’t Use Jelly – The Flaming Lips

*A bit of creative licensing with may have been taken in recollecting my first Cranbeary encounter from last year.

Bracketology '07

The thrill of March Madness has just begun. The weekend was filled with a prelude of NCAA tournament action, which starts this Thursday. I watched in anticipation as my beloved KU took on OU and K-State before reaching the Big 12 finals against Texas.

The Texas rematch looked well…UGLY in the beginning. Everything that could go wrong was going wrong for the Jayhawks in the first half. The shots didn’t seem to fall and Durant looked impermeable. All of a sudden KU was down by 22 points. I sat stunned into silence, hoping someone, ANYONE on the KU squad would take the game into their hands. Of course no one did, instead the KU played as a team. They showcased their tough defense, unselfishly passed the rock and kept taking shots. The hard work paid off as KU began to slowly chip away at the Texas lead.

Texas literally looked worn out and tired in the second half. Durant seemed winded and sometimes confused. And KU just kept just played it cool as a team, even when every hard foul and every possession seemed like a dire straight just to get back ti even. Finally KU took a brief lead with under 10 minutes left only to watch the lead evaporate to a back and forth game until the final minute. In the final 30 seconds it looked as if Texas might pull out the victory, but again KU stayed calm. After a Texas couldn’t capitalize on both free throws to seal the game, KU went down the court and tied it all up with a 3 that was nothing but net.

You could have called the game then and there. You could feel the excitement in the air - THIS IS MARCH MADNESS! We had Texas on the ropes, they were running on fumes and overtime would surely be the final nail in the coffin.

KU emerged at the end of OT victorious. Big 12 Regular Season Champs, Big 12 Tournament Champs and minutes later the #1 seed in the West of NCAA Road to the Final 4 Tournament.
Officially I’d consider myself just a passive Bracketologist in March/April, but I would have to warn all those in the path of KU right.

Get ready to be rock chalked!

I’m predicting that a phog will be rolling into a city near you. It’s hard for me not to predict seeing KU in Atlanta in April. KU is intact, hungry and ready to continue rolling over the competition.

Conspiracy of Happiness

Sometimes you can feel so alive by the people and things that surround you. Then there are the occasions where you run into people or see things that make you feel as if you’re trapped inside a conspiracy of happiness.

In my case the last few weeks have definitely been a rough & tumble time of trying to comprehend/digest the balance of my true self vs. what is being perceived upon me. I was out and about last night when I heard the Duncan Sheik song “On A High” that was on a really old mix cd I made for some friends. It really did spark a correlation to some of the emotions I have been feeling as of late.

Maybe I should start off my day like Stuart Smalley or Duncan in his "On a High" music video!

Why Don't You Get Lost In Amsterdam

It's hard to believe that 6 months ago today I was getting lost in AMSTEREDAM. Ahh, good times, very good times! Here is a little Guster to get the memories flowing. Although I was without my Ipod during the trip, this song was definitely running on a constant loop in my mind and occasionally seeping out of my mouth as I wandered around the city.

1 Dot, 2 Bam, 3 Crack...Challah MAHJONG!

I I don't want to start off this blog with something that sounds like an ethnic joke, but it might seem to sound that way. What one thing do Chinese people and Jewish Women of all ages take passion and pride in?

No, no it's not the food, but I'm thinking that would actually come in a close second. I know you might be thinking since we tend to share Christmas Day with Chinese folks, we are like kindred spirits. And I believe we are, but not with a food feeding frenzy (sorry J, I know how much you live for your daily Asian food intake).

I believe our true passion and kinship is connected through a little game, centuries old, called - Mahjong!

1 Dot, 2 Bam, 3 Crack...Challah MAHJONG!

Honestly I’ve known about the game since I was a little tyke. My mom has always had a regular Mahjong night, even if that did mean it changed from Monday to Thursday, before settling back on Wednesday night. The cast of players became revolving door of people joining the group, quitting the group and eventually rejoining.

And all along I became this mostly silent observer of a weekly ritual that looked more like a opportunity/excuse to gossip, get away from the kids, husbands and the rest of the world for a couple of hours. I even attempt in elementary school or jr. high to learn the game so I could be “a seat filler” when folks took a break. My reasoning was to do the following:

1. stay up maybe an hour later then I was supposed to
2. eat some delicious snacks that were prepared or bought when my mom hosted the games
3. listen to what I thought was adult conversation (needless to say looking back it was never anything I cared about anyway)

So I learned to play Mahjong and did for a year or so, even getting my own player card. Before promptly realizing I had better things to do with my adolescent time.

And that’s where I left the game of Mahjong for many, many years. It was that game that, “My Mom plays every Wednesday night.”

That was until last night, where I gave it another go. I sat down with Jewish women across the age range, learning to play their game of choice. I struggled with the first two hands as I tried to focus and equate it to Gin Rummy, which provided disastrous results.

Finally I got that epiphany of what game everyone else was playing. I started to follow along and actually started enjoying myself – Go figure. I guess that point was driven home when I woke from a deep sleep dreaming of Mahjong patterns. Who knows if I will be addicted to the game as much as the Chinese, my mom or some of the other Jewish women that surround me, but I’m not going to lie – my curiosity has been stirred.

Furry Happy Monsters

Why can't the rest of life be so simple and pleasant as the Muppet Show. In the immortal words of Michael Stipe - ""Come on monsters, you don't have to cry... we can be HAPPY...YEAH!"

Weddingpalooza

The year of 2007 shall now be deemed WEDDINGPALOOZA. You see I’ve already received 6 wedding invitations that span over the next 4 months. I’ve been quite comfortable over the last two years attending a wedding here or there, but with so many so close to each other this might call for additional evening wear. Ok, these occasions definitely call for additional evening wear especially since many folks WILL BE crossover engagements.

It just kind of amazes me that there seems to be to wave of weddings of my friends as of late, but I guess there is an ebb and flow cycle for these events too.

My last big wave of weddings was about 3-4 years ago. I definitely spent a lot of time traveling the wedding circuit (and utilizing my frequent flyer miles) to attend weddings of old friends, new friends, and family. Occasionally I even had to decline some invitations because weddings fell on the same day, were in too exotic of locations or it conflicted with family commitments. What I can say though is that many of those marriages I witnessed or miss out on have proved to be fruitful producing many a bouncing baby girl or boy.

The weddings on my future agenda will each have their own special meaning. I will watch friends from elementary school, high school, coworkers (past and present) and friends from various other stages of my life brave a new-fangled frontier with folks who’ve engaged them in the game of their lives.

I wish them all the best of luck and the ability to continue to spread the joy/love that they’ve shed onto my life into their future nuptials. And who knows maybe this weddingpalooza will bring me something new, borrowed or blue.

The Future of My Digital Rights

As most of ya'll know I'm a music fanatic, but did you know I occasionally am an Apple freak. I love my powerbook and my various evolutions of Ipods. Don't get me wrong you can do pretty much everything on a PC too, but Apple is just so, dare I say it, user friendly!

My Apple products have always been easy and fast to use. And I'm never really worried about it catching some sort of crazy virus (that PC always seem to encounter) either. Plus Apple is SO creative about their products and how they go about launching them. Indeed they are a marketing machine/dream to aspire to be…

But unfortunately things might start to get real ugly, real quick for Apple and Itunes over digital rights management. This involves my favorite subject – MUSIC. Digital Rights Management (also referred to in the media industry as DRM) is the process that Apple and other companies use to a. license the music we download from big music companies and b. controls how we use that music once it’s been downloaded.

In lay terms this means that once the music is purchased and downloaded, that music downloaded (MP4 file) can only play it on a certain number of computers and/or burn it to a an audio CD a certain number of times.

Apple in my humble opinion seems to have done a very ethical and fair job of DRM. They’ve been fair to the big music companies and artists with the licensing agreements for the music. I’m just sad they can’t license everything out there (see some people don’t want to play fair still).

Plus the consumers are winning too. You can download exactly what you want - one song or the whole album. Gone are the days of buying an entire album just to listen to track #4 (again and again).

All this being said, I’m not trying to advertise or promote the use of Itunes. I’m just trying to get us all to contemplate the benefits of how they manage their current DRM and the effects this could have on our future downloading habits. I believe it’s an interesting debate with our current growth toward technology.

Who knows where it will lead to, but let me know your thoughts. Or you can check out what Mr. Steve Jobs has to say about this subject...

February is…NO FUN!!!

Yes, the BLOG duties were neglected for one week! See I admit it, some things are easier said then done, especially when you’re dealing with those darn new years resolutions. If you're keeping a scorecard on my resolutions or other things in my life, check out the my list of other ignored items off my to do list from last week:

• Sweep the house
• Make the bed
• Unload and load the dishwasher (that sink gets full awfully fast)
• Pay bills
• Return rented movies
• Return phone calls/e-mails

But really, who's counting during this month? What's a girl like me to do when February rolls in and chaos consumes my waking hours! First off this month shortchanges us a few days to complete any and all tasks.

Secondly my current position is the equivalent to racehorse being pumped full of steroids to win the race. It always starts out with good intentions of just finishing the race first, but inevitably it leaves the workhorse crippled, strung out and flailing as the finish line becomes visible. And the finish may not always be graceful, but eventually the pressure of the race does subside.

This faltering feeling leads to my hesitation to fully embrace the month of February. So just try and trot out Puxatawny Phil or those tiny candy hearts to entice me into a better mood. It’s not going to make a dent until February completely unfolds.

I will however jam out to my new power pop/rap mix (which inspired and infused by kids this weekend) :

1. Smile - Lilly Allen
2. My Love – Justin Timberlake featuring T.I.
3. Irreplaceable – Beyonce
4. I Wanna Love You – Akon featuring Snoop Dogg
5. Me & U – Cassie
6. Ridin’ – Chamillionaire & Krayzie Bone
7. Through the Wire – Kayne West
8. Run It – Chris Brown
9. Bills, Bills, Bills - Destiny’s Child
10. You Make Me Wanna – Usher
11. Sabotage – Beastie Boys
12. Can’t Get You Out Of My Head – Kylie Minogue
13. Pump It – Black Eyed Peas
14. Tipsy – J-Kwon
15. Can I Get A…- Jay-Z

NPR Morning Musings

This morning as I drove into work, I was listening to NPR. They always have a number of stories that seem to pique my interest, even on the days where I’m hesitant to let anything penetrate or percolate in my mind before a reasonable hour of 9am or at least one cup of coffee. Today was no exception, so now matter how hard I tried to think I was leaving my world of CD music this morning for a brief update on the news, weather and traffic, I ended up flipping to NPR and staying for my duration of my ride into the office listening to the morning edition.

I was initially sucked in by the story about the history of Motown in comparison to the fictionalized, multi Oscar nominated film Dreamgirls. Where a debate ensued about whether the film was really doing a disservice to the History and Evolution of Motown Sound.

The other story focused on how the U.S. is still very conflicted over many issues that divide us (i.e. class, gender, religion, etc.) in our society, but how Race still seems to out pace all the other characteristics. The story invoked images of Katrina…And even utilized the first stanza of an Emily Dickinson poem to draw comparison:

I’m nobody! Who are you?
Are you nobody, too?
Then there’s a pair of us—don’t tell!
They ’d banish us, you know.

It’s interesting to me that in the days, weeks and years following numerous celebrations of freedom from many things that we still just keep gravitating toward the same issues of racism. We pretty all start out as nobodies and end up as nobodies, I guess it’s just the filler in between that defines who we used to be…Just a little something to digest and mull over.

We Can’t Work With Out Music…

The brilliance of Ricky Gervais never ceases to amaze me. He cracked me up when I first started watching The Office on BBC America a few years ago. Let’s face it, the original is and will always be awesome (I can rewatch it without hesitation). And the American version of The Office, which Gervias is behind too, still manages to blow me away with fresh original episodes that sometimes hit way to close to home. Seriously we’ve all seen some of these character types in our own workplace.

But honestly I’m the most captivated by his new show Extras, which premiered it’s second season 2 last night on HBO. I’ve waited well over a year for it to come back to TV and it was still worth the wait. The Brits don’t pump out the mass volume of episodes that American sitcoms release during a season. But what they lack in volume they certainly make up in quality.

Name one other show on television that writes hysterical parodies for real life celebrities to act upon. With the guise of being behind the scenes of a movie or tv set, the viewer is treated to a reveal of what these actors are like behind the celebrity through the eyes of the “extras” working with them. Here are examples of a few of my favorite guest star appearances:

Ben Stiller – being the jerk behind the camera.

Kate Winslet – giving tips and fantastic analogies that can be utilized in any phone sex situation.

Orlando Bloom – promoting his dashing good looks, while simultaneously bashing on his Pirates of the Caribbean co-star Johnny Depp for his indie attitude.

Chris Martin – portraying an egotistical self-promoting musician who’s not really the activist we thought he was. In reality of the show he’s simply a man all about self-promotion and payoff for his band Coldplay. Check out the clip below that shows Chris in a new light promoting Coldplay "Greatest Hits Album" to some workers in a factory who can't work without the music:



Seriously, if you’re tired of the drab American comedy that lack substance, give this britcom a try. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed with this little gem.

Blinded By Bad Light

So I’m sitting here at work this morning, basking in the rays of the florescent tubes perched above my head/cubicle walls. My thoughts every so often drifting to the phrase I constantly ponder as I sit in my cubicle, repeating – “what’s next?!?”

But my mind keeps drawing blanks. And the humming, sputtering of my computer sends me back into shocking reality. I will remain here, seated calmly until I can find a more suitable means of expressing myself that also provides a slight profit. It’s almost like I’m waiting for that airplane ding to signify, “you’re now free to move about with your life!”

Part of me would love nothing more then to leave cubicle life behind forever. Do something brash and unruly by just walking away. But the realist in me knows that I need to keep somewhat of a level head, until I can figure out my next move.

Because really, what will 2007 bring me on this chilly, rainy January morn? Then I sit back and take a sip of my tea. I shield my eyes from the blinding light and am clearly drawn to the fortune hanging on my tea bag, which states, “Your greatness is measured by your gifts, not your possessions.”

What a great ideal to believe at this moment. What a great ideal to strive for in my life. What a great mindset to venture toward today and tomorrow. To realize that there is a hope of what’s next could really be something to covet. An opportunity to share of my time and myself is probably the greatest gift. And realizing maybe when I stop asking questions I should start truly worrying…

Here is a list of tunes that were the first tunes springing from my Ipod today. Indeed they were helpful in combating this cold, rainy attitude:

1. Walking Out of Stride – Badly Drawn Boy
2. Day Tripper – The Beatles
3. How It Is – Jackopierce
4. How to Save a Life – The Fray
5. Still – Long-View
6. My Stupid Mouth – John Mayer
7. Pop Song 89 – R.E.M.
8. Maggie’s Farm – Bob Dylan
9. Jumpers – Sleater-Kinney
10. Crystal Ball – Keane
11. We Haven’t Turned Around – Gomez
12. I Predict A Riot – Kaiser Chiefs
13. London Bridge – Fergie
14. Shut Down – The Beach Boys
15. Something to Say – The Connells
    

Wave Bye-Bye 2006

Can you freaking believe it? 2006 and is almost over and out. I’m still finding it quite hard to comprehend how freaking quickly this year has gone by for me. Maybe it’s due to the lack of concentration I’m experiencing from sinus difficulties. Or could it have something to do with the fact that I seemed to pack in a lot of stuff, but I still feel I accomplished very little throughout the year.

Whatever the case, just noting the promise of a new year on the horizon always brings occasion for reflection, redemption and ever-feared “resolutions”.

Here are some highlighted reflections from the year:
· Spending time with friends and family (without any bloodshed*)
· Loads of live music experiences
· Traveling (oh how I missed discovering things by putting one foot in front of the other)
· Making new friends
· Discovering new music and then sharing it on wicked awesome mix cds**
· Collecting many a fortune from fortune cookies (seriously- I’ve probably eaten more then my fair share of Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese food in 2006)

Here are few things I’m going to try to redeem in 2007:
· Be less sarcastic to my family and friends
· Put less pressure on myself
· Try to complain less
· Live more in the moment
· Learn to listen better and not interrupt

Finally here are my resolutions. I must preface this with the fact I normally, never, ever announce these out loud for public consumption, but just this once I’m going to try it out. Let’s see if I can stick with some of these now that they are out here online. My hope is that it will even motivate me a tad:
· Write at least 1 blog a week (that’s right folks 52 new postings will be happening in 2007)
· Train and complete a half marathon
· Complete one entire Bikram Yoga class (this means every position, every set without laying on the floor belly aching about it)
· Take at least two trips (which MUST be non-work related, unless there is a way to piggyback fun with friends for more then a day after the work has been completed)
· Prepare dinner for someone else (I know many folks believe this is a pipedream, but contrary to popular belief I can do things besides bake)

There you have it. I’ve laid it out there and let’s see if I can make good on these resolutions. Now I better scoot on out and enjoy my remaining moments of 2006. I leave you with my last minute Ipod shuffle of the year:

1. I’m Waiting – All American Rejects
2. Breakfast at Tiffiany’s – Deep Blue Something
3. Purple Stain – Red Hot Chili Peppers
4. Undone - Weeezer
5. Move Along – Chris Isaak
6. Picking Up The Pieces – Widespread Panic
7. That’s Incentive – Death Cab for Cutie
8. Bullet Proof…I Wish I Was – Radiohead
9. Inaudible Melodies – Jack Johnson
10. Nothing’s Gonna Change Your Mind – Badly Drawn Boy
11. I Never – Rilo Kiley
12. Memory – Sugarcult
13. Beatnik Beach – The Go- Go’s
14. The Finish Line – Snow Patrol
15. Into Dust – Ashtar Command


* My philosophy has been the same since I was a young soccer player - “ No Blood, No Foul. Yes occasionally we might hurt or get hurt, but we are quick to recover!”

** These CDs are strictly for personal use only and should not be copied without explicit consent from the artists!!! (Sorry my lawyers have instructed me to make sure this comment appears.)

How Do You Spell Hanukkah?

Ok, for most people it’s the season to be jolly. That’s not quite the case for me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I'm pro or con against Christmas. Plus I wouldn’t classify myself as a scrooge either, but it's a season of commercialization and craziness for most of the folks that surround me. And it seems to get earlier and earlier every year.

And I can consume and get excited about all the spiffs that entrap us during the holiday season. In fact I think many companies look to me and my friends throughout US to hit their target sales budgets between November to December. But this year I'm really trying to curb my appetite for goods and services. I’ll admit it, I’m not going to turn away gifts that people give me, but I do realize that the holiday I celebrate is not based on 8 days of presents.

In fact Hanukkah isn’t even the real Jewish holiday where you’re supposed to receive gifts. In actuality that holiday is Purim (a subject for a later date). But in American society based on good & services, we’ve chosen to compete for space and attention by commercializing our holiday. And now the festival of lights is filled with 8 crazy nights full of gifts (at least in some households).

It’s especially shocking when you have to explain this to co-workers. Either they really know very little about Hanukkah outside of the fact there are 8 days of gifts. Or they don’t quite comprehend that you don’t celebrate Christmas too. Over the years I’ve tried to get over some people’s insensitivity about workplace “Holiday Celebrations” that excluded not just my religion but others. But my threshold for being wished “A Merry Christmas” sometimes wears thin as we get closer to December 25th every year.

I do however appreciate the fact in the past few years many people have tried to make Hanukkah much cooler and hip. You’ve got Adam Sandler singing about who is Jewish to the world. So many of my Jewish friends and Non-Jewish friends alike have been educated on who grabs their harmonica and puts on their yarmulke.

And last year my friend Sarah introduced me to The Leevees who ask the age old question – how do you spell Hanukkah? The rest of their Hanukkah Rocks! CD really brings a smile to my face during the season filled with “Oh Holly Night” & “Little Drummer Boy”. Seriously The Leevees music is fun, witty and dare I say hip.



They’ve become a great way for me to ring in the holiday season with a little Jewish flare. What more can you ask for during the most commercialized season? I guess this really turned into more of rant about holidays then anything else, but it’s just a little something for ya’ll to ponder during this time of the year.

But seriously I do wish each of you a Happy Holiday season (no matter your faith) and a wonderful new year on the horizon!