yes, i did like it

I've fully admitted before to liking cheesy no-brainer girly flicks. I don't really give a good goddamn how it makes me "look". And last night was no exception.

After a nice dinner at Mongolian BBQ, Mark & I went and saw A Lot Like Love, you know ... the new Ashton Kutcher and Amanda Peet movie? First off, I adore Amanda Peet. I think she's way cute and a pretty good actor. Anyways, to most people this movie is probably a bore or way too predictable and just plain blah. But I liked it and I'll admit it, guilt free.

If you're looking to spend a measly $7 or $8 to not have to really think, not get bogged down, not be stressed out or insanely on the edge of your seat, but just want to kick back and watch a couple of dopes fall in love ... go see this movie.

christmas in april

First off, it's snowing. wtf? i hate it.

Secondly, so I'm putting in some cd's into the stereo to have a nice mix to listen to while sitting at the computer and then getting showered and stuff.... I put in Sinead's "I Do Not Want...," Damien Rice "O," Beth Wood "Late Night Radio," and then I decide I really should listen to Leona Naess. It's been a while. I open the case and what do I find? AHH! My Sons of the Never Wrong cd that I've been searching for for about 1 year! (yes, it's been that long since I've popped the Leona disc in). It was like getting a gift! So, of course, I put that cd, "Consequences of Speech", in too.

Next, in the mail today, I received a DVD copy of last October's Austin City Limits with both Damien Rice AND Patty Griffin performing. Some nice fella from the Mad Mission mailing list offered to make copies for people and I was one of the lucky ones. wee! It's such a great copy too! Another gift!

Finally .... I have to go and turn up the frickin' heat in this mutha sucka. My extremities are turning blue. :(

happy earf day, yo

Well, today is Earth Day and yes I'm going to say it, as cliched as it is: every day should be earth day! okay. now that i got that off my chest ... I took this little quiz at the Earth Day Network site and although I am an environmentally conscious person and an avid recycler, animal activist, etc. ... there is so much more I could and should be doing. The car/gas questions really killed me. I need to get around on bike more. Or foot. Or Detroit needs to build an subway or some mass transit system. Here were my results:

Shit. that makes me feel really bad. i gotta work on that. and i hope that more people will take some time out of their crazy lives to really reflect on what this planet GIVES us and then what we take in return. we love our cars, our malls, our convenient gadgets and gizmos (hi, this computer?), our sushi restaurants, our fun dance parties ... but none of that would be remotely possible were it not for the basic resources provided to us by Gaia. Poor thing. She really deserves better. And I, for one, am going to try to make a conscious effort to treat Her better.

Okay... now that we're all sufficiently depressed and have a nice vision of "The Day After Tomorrow" in our heads, let me tell you about a great band I saw last night! I went out to Hamtramck, to Small's, to see my friend Pablo's band. They're an L.A. based band called Malbec, who have been touring the midwest recently and were in town last night (Pablo is from here and went to my high school). They're basically an indie rock band with some cool electro beats thrown in for good measure. You can check their stuff out at their site or at CDBaby. It was a fun time and I was happy to see them live. especially since they'll probably go far and I can say "I saw them when..." Plus, I got to see Carina which is always a plus. She's the cutest thing ever, the little brat. :) AND she graduates from med school in about 3 weeks. damn, dude. i got friends in high places.

vacuum turds

I just witnessed the most amazing thing. After spending about an hour and some change trying to unclog my vacuum hose, i got fed up. i took the entire thing apart, had vacuum parts and screws and DIRT everywhere! I soldiered on trying to remove the clog by sticking the cat toy stick in it, a broom handle, my fingers, shaking and jumping ... I finally called my mother (when in doubt...) and she suggested running the hose, which was indeed fully detatched, under HOT water and loosening the clog up that way. My mother is brilliant; cleaner extraordinaire. This is precisely what I did. It took some time for the water to really get in there and also some shaking and twisting of the hose tube. Finally ... PLOP! Out comes this giant muddy nasty wad of dirt/hair/cat fur/dust ball thing. It was sopping wet yet still holding together it's form, looking like a big piece of horse crap. GROSS.

At least I can finally vacuum up all the popcorn crumbs without having to ask Mark to bring his vacuum over. Having freshly vacuumed carpet is a little weight off my shoulders sometimes. It's a feel-good moment.

Benedict XVI

So yeah ... a new pope was chosen today, Papa Ben. At least, that's what Trent and I are calling him. But see, prime example of why I came to leave the Catholic church was made frighteningly clear today while watching PBS. Several different people were interviewed and one priest in particular, from the Catholic University in Washington, D.C., was asked whether or not Benedict XVI would support female priests. He had this to say (and I'm paraphrasing): "There's an old anecdote that goes 'I asked God whether or not there would ever be married clergy and God said 'not in your lifetime,' then I asked Him whether or not there would be women priests and God said 'not in MY lifetime'"

Mark and I briefly discussed this, after throwing our arms up in disgust and making some sort of noise like "aaarrrrghrrrrmmmmbbbb", and realized that in order for any female spirituality to be a possibility to Catholics or any earth spirituality, or... hell, any other form of ANYthing, God has to DIE.

But see, that is what happened for me. God died. At least the Catholic form of God. And I found so many other open, loving and welcoming gods of which to pray to and find solace in. Some men, some women, some creatures of the earth, some just within myself.

I'm happy for the Catholics of the world today; they have a new leader. But I'm happier for me. I found that the only leader I need is the one I feel within me and yet I can still appreciate the faith or lifestyle that someone else chooses without it being "wrong" just because it doesn't suit me. I wish that other sects of religion were more open to this.

Welcome, Papa Ben. May you serve your people well.