NEW TRAILER

They have released the international trailer for "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince", it is almost entirely new clips and IT. IS. AWESOME!!

Raining Jane

Everything we want is not what we need

Leaning on the love that is in between

I wait another minute to see this through

Waiting to let go 'til you let go too

I discovered a delightful band this week. I got to enjoy a Raining Jane concert at the House of Blues. These chicks know how to put on a fun show! The music created by Mai, Becky, Chaska and Mona (as is the order on the Paper Nest cover) comes pouring out of their souls.

The performance was very telling to their personalities: Mona (the percussionist) was farthest left on her cajon (box-like drum), followed by Mai and Chaska on guitars with Becky falling to the right with her bass. Chaska and Mai seemed to be enjoying their groove; they moved in time with the strokes of their guitars, smiles on their beautiful faces. It was the girls on the outside, however, who were so entertaining to watch. Mona was going CUH-RAZY on this drum! She used her bare hands, as is the practice, and she also used a few brush wands for a different sound. She wore a tambourine/bell contraption around her ankle so that she could tap her leg in time. She also had a little table of shakers, bells and fun noise-toys. Her beautiful, full hair was flying around as she threw her entire body into creating this music! She made funny faces (either to entertain or out of pure passion, and probably both) and flailed around in the most amazing accidental dance. I am telling you friends, I have never seen someone have so much fun in my life, and I wanted to join her! Then we have Becky to the right. I certainly mean no disrespect, because she was very talented, but she had such a look of concentration that she almost appeared bored. She barely moved! It would not have even been worth mentioning except for the stark contrast. What an eclectic group of women!

Mai has degrees in Psychology and Women's Studies. She has been playing cello from a young age and has been using it for RJ in increasing amounts.

Chaska has a long family history involving music; her great-grandparents were in a traveling singing group called "Cheeruptimus" from 1890 to 1920. **Incidentally, her great-grandfather's name was James Potter, which makes it even better!** She went to UCLA with a volleyball scholarship; it helps to be 6'1 by the age of 14!

Mona works part-time as a Speech and Debate coach. This does not in any way surprise me. What did surprise me a bit was her "Dream Career"- according to her bio, she dreams of being the first female Persian rapper/whistler...... it's always good to have goals.

Becky majored in English with a minor in Music History. Only an educational background like that could place someone in classes like West African drumming and mariachi guitar, while making your favorite book the dictionary! She also loves Hamlet, which only makes her cooler in my sight.



These amazing girls make amazing music, and I suggest you instantly head over to iTunes and check out Paper Nest. Go ahead, scoot! After that, check out my InEveryWoman blog to hear about their volunteering efforts.

Beyonce

On a slightly negative note, Beyonce would now like to be called Sasha Fierce.

I am not making this up.

She feels that she has an alternate ego that 'takes over' when she performs. This other person is apparently "Fierce!" and needs her own name. Feel free to read the article here.

On the plus side, I just saw her new video for "If I Were a Boy", and it is really interesting. Yes, ladies, it is a teensy bit sexist... that is the end of my thought, actually. Check out the video, and have a little chuckle at the name thing. Enjoy.

Music - Many Posts

Today I will post several music/musician posts. If I can make the time, I will even post one on my InEveryWoman blog.

KISS ME

Someone made a fan video for "Kiss Me" by The Brothers Black!!!!!

My Sweet Father

Last night I was watching Heroes in our bedroom. They were showing a newer character that was introduced last week, one whose power seems to be controlling the movement of others. Well, when they showed him this week his 'location caption' said "Doyle Marionette Theater".
...........you guys know I don't like puppets, right? Especially marionettes. They are Satan's playthings. [shudder]

About thirty seconds later my phone rings, and it is my dad. I answered, and his voice sounded hesitant and a little scared, which of course freaked me out. When I asked what he needed, his response was "Are you watching Heroes?" I told him I was, with a small grin starting on my face. "Well, you do realize there will be puppets moving around on their own, right?" I said, "Yes I had thought of that." Then, my dear, sweet father said, "If you don't want to watch it, that is OK. I can tell you what happens later."

Now, SOME people could have made this same phone call, but in jest. They would have been teasing me, having a laugh, and that would have been OK, seeing as how I wasn't really scared (yet). But my precious daddy was actually concerned! He was being so genuine. It seems silly, and even at the time I thought it was unnecessary, but his intention was so sweet that it almost brought a tear to my eye.

I watched, and the puppets stayed where they were. So no harm done. I just thought I would share this sweet story about my darlin' dad.

A Guide to Tipping

Courtesy of the Bon Appetit Foodist down at Yahoo:

Dear BA Foodist,
Can you set me straight on tipping? I was once told that 20 percent is for great service, 15 percent for bad. Unless a waiter's gone overboard, I'm an 18 percenter, but I was recently accused of being stingy. Am I wrong, or wasn't 10 percent considered fair not too long ago? Give me a tip I can use. --TIPPER G., Albuquerque

Dear Tipper G.,
Ah, the great tipping conundrum. You are not alone. At a meal's end, I often find myself staring at the blank lines of a credit-card receipt, concerned that the effects of too much wine and food will impair my basic algebra skills. (That's what a spouse is for: making sure it all adds up correctly.) Still, I think I can help.
The Foodist waited tables many years ago at a small, well-regarded spot in Brooklyn. (Incidentally, one evening he waited on a major food critic who later gave the restaurant a one-star review. The critic liked the food but described the service as "friendly but very slow and fumbling." Oh, well: If you can't serve 'em, join 'em.) Waiting tables is a job everyone should be forced to do at least once, if only to learn that it's not okay to snap your fingers when you want something, and also to find out what it's like to eke out a living on tips.
It's disappointing to receive anything less than 20 percent of the total bill. Most waiters at today's better restaurants expect that much for average service, and even more if they do it with a smile. So unless you're planning never to go to the same restaurant twice, the days of 10 percent tips--and even 15 percent tips--are long gone.

The BA Foodist's Tipping Rules
RULE NO. 1: Unless the server is rude, condescending, and/or completely absent, tip between 18 and 20 percent.
RULE NO. 2: Never tip on tax. Tip based on the subtotal. And if you're calculating your tip simply by doubling the tax, stop it--you're being cheap.
RULE NO. 3: Unless you drink like Dean Martin or have a taste for expensive wines (i.e., $40 or more, depending on your budget), it's best to include booze when calculating a tip. Bartenders expect a dollar tip per drink (which is usually about 20 percent of the drink's price), and it's no different with waiters.
RULE NO. 4: Never turn a blind eye when others are tipping--especially if they're unfamiliar with our tipping culture (i.e., Europeans). If you think your tablemate is lowballing the service, it's best to hand the waiter a few bills on the way out.
RULE NO. 5: If a few dollars here and there really matter that much to your bank account, perhaps you shouldn't be going out to eat in the first place.

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/dear-ba-foodist-can-you-set-me-straight-on-tipping-285553/

Twilight trailer

Say what you want. Think what you want. But this trailer? AMC just pre-emptively took 49 from me.
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1065091097/

See you November 21st.

Sports Night

Shout Factory has released a 10th anniversary edition of "Sports Night". If you have ever loved me (and can spare $60.99), please buy me this.

This television show was so beyond it's time and it's audience. When we found out it was going to be cancelled (it lasted from 1998 to 2000), my father tried to explain his best guess of why. He said that with a name like 'Sports Night', women thought, "Oh, another show about sports. Pass", and men thought, "Oh, another show about sports. Let's watch. Oh, it's a sitcom. Nevermind". This must have been somewhat accurate, because the show lived for far too short a time. Aaron Sorkin will always hold a soft, squishy place in my heart because of the wonder that is this show.

I leave you, now, with some brilliant quotes:

Dan: Sometimes it's worth it, taking all the pies in the face. Sometimes you come through it feeling good.
Casey: Yes.

Dan: And how was your day?

Casey: Sometimes you just stand there, hip deep in pie.

Jeremy: Fire me.

Isaac: What?

Jeremy: You heard me, I want you to fire me.

Isaac: I'm not going to fire you.

Jeremy: I'm a terrible worker, I'm the last to arrive and the first to leave.

Isaac: You're the first to arrive and the last to leave.

Jeremy: And don't you think that's a little strange?

Isaac: Yes.

Jeremy: I'm a racist.

Isaac: Jeremy...

Jeremy: I am, I'm a terrible racist. I think all those people with the funny accents and weird skin color should go back to wherever they came from and leave this country to the people who rightfully stole it from the Indians... which they deserved.

Isaac: Jeremy...

Jeremy: I'm serious, this country is being ruined by the blacks and the Jews.

Isaac: You're Jewish.

Jeremy: And I have to be stopped!

Casey: "October the Eighth, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety Eight, A.D." A.D.They're worried I might accidentally show up 2,000 years before the birth of Christ!

Natalie: On page 66, halfway down in the NFL injury report, it says "Collins is expected to miss practice this week, the result of a bulging disk."

Dan: Yeah?

Natalie: There's a typo on the TelePrompter. They left out the 's.'

Casey: Collins is expected to be sidelined a week to 10 days with a bulging di--Uh Oh!

Dan: Whoa! That's a big 10-4.

Casey: My next line in the script was "Let's go the videotape."

Natalie: We might have gotten some phone calls.

Dana: You have good ideas a lot. I find myself saying, "Natalie's got a good idea."

Natalie: But you also find yourself saying, "Natalie, if you screw that up again I'll set you on fire."

Dana: By the way, in the memos that are circulating, we're spelling Chattanooga about fourteen different ways. Now what do we know?

Jeremy: Two Os, three As.

Dana: That's it?

Jeremy: No, there are other letters, too.

Isaac: A couple of things. I am not quitting and I am not getting fired, not today and probably not tomorrow. Let me add, Dana, that things I say in my office stay in my office.

Dana: Natalie's my second in command. She's the only one I told.

Natalie: Jeremy's my boyfriend. He's the only one I told.

Jeremy: I told many, many people.

Dan: Can I spread it out for you in a nutshell?

Casey: No.

Dan: I can't?

Casey: No.

Dan: Why not?

Casey: 'Cause I'm tired of you mixing your metaphors. Spread it out for you in a nutshell? "How ya doin'? I'm a professional writer".

Dan: Eleven years ago, he pitched a perfect game.

Rebecca: A perfect game.

Dan: Yes, ma'am.

Rebecca: And a perfect game is good?

Dan: Listen, I know there's a lot of jargon, but some of these are pretty self-explanatory.

Casey: Alyson, did you know that I speak four languages?

Dan: You speak three languages.

Casey: I speak four languages.

Dan: You speak French, Spanish and German.

Casey: I dabble in a little English.

Dana: You're mad at me? You spend six months making me feel guilty for liking my job, then propose to me, then two days later, you tell me you slept with the woman who wants my job? I say fine. I say fine! Then six days after that, you tell me you wanna break off the engagement. Here's the thing. I think only one of us should be angry at a time, and I have a hunch it's gonna be me.

Dana: You're breaking off the engagement because I wasn't mad enough when I found out you were sleeping around? Let's do the whole thing all over again and this time I'll beat the living crap out of you.

Casey: Who knows with Dana? One day she's up, another day she's down. The girl's nuttier than a squirrel's cheeks in October. The point is, she's standing right behind me, right?

Disney Pics!!

Yea, friends and loved ones, we FINALLY got our pictures developed! Woo-to-the-Hoo! Now, be forewarned, that I am not a good photographer (nor am I generally photogenic) and I didnt take nearly as many pics as I thought I had. But I had to include some of my favorites!

This first one (surfers on the wall) is the food court in the All Star Sports, which I will be to abbreviate by saying Sports, since I cant REALLY abbreviate it...

These are from our room. Don't you love the towel Mickey?

Our first stop was Magic Kingdom, and our first task was the get personalized Mickey Mouse ears. We headed to the hat shop, and Brad disocvered this Captain Jack Sparrow hat. Stunning, eh?

Then we got our Mr and Mrs ears. I already have a pair that say Allison, from my trip in high school, so we went for Mrs Phillips and Mr Phillips.

You know what? I'm not going to photo-walk you through the whole trip; it would take far too long and I am at work. I will just plop my favorites in here, and if you see fit you may ask questions. I will post them on Facebook later, and probably eventually on MySpace.

The Wolf

I have been paying quite a bit of attention lately to books, and specifically the Harry Potter series. In conversation with my mother (who loves word origins) we discovered that there must be some definition or origin for the name Fenrir Greyback, the horrible werewolf character in the HP series who "created" Remus Lupin. We came to this conclusion based on the existence of Fenris Ulf in the Chronicles of Narnia. As they are both wolves (or wolf like) there must be some background to the word. So I did a bit of digging.

According to Norse mythology, Fenrir (or Fenris) is the eldest son of Loki and Angrboda, and he is a "gigantic and terrible monster in the shape of a wolf". He was prophesied to be "the destruction of the world", so the gods caged him. They tried numerous challenges to contain him, until they finally succeeded. They commissioned the dwarves to make a magical chain (Gleipnir) that could not be broken.

Long story short (too late) they created a monster by caging and baiting him all of his life. That woudl piss me off, too. I'm just saying. Anyway, I am fascinated by the comparison of the two characters.

Top 15 Sexiest Nerd Boys

That is literally the title of this article. You KNOW I read it. And my comment is: number 15? Really? And calling him a boy is a stretch; he is a full grown man, baby.

15. Hugh Laurie. Nothing says “sexy” like a Cambridge graduate who made his name primarily as a comedic actor, starring alongside Rowan Atkinson on the legendary show Blackadder, who has somehow managed to catapult himself to stateside fame on his hit show House. Plus, he suffers from clinical depression… and if there’s one thing a smart girl loves, it’s a guy who’s really f**ked in the brain.

Oh, and a resounding YES to Daniel Radcliffe making it as number 4!

4. Daniel Radcliffe. While placing a 17-year-old on a list of “hunks” is a lil’ inappropes, because Dan has already had public erections on stage during the Equus production, technically this doesn’t seem to be pushing any boundaries. And even though Dan has grown from boy to slightly taller boy before our very eyes, he’s got all the makings of a nerd heartthrob: Sweet, quiet personality, pasty skin, lanky limbs, soft British accent, and hundreds of millions of dollars.

Dirty Pop...

Tickets Galore

Dear friends, join me in a joyous hurray! Brad and I have just obtained tickets to two very exciting events!

First off, we will be seeing Sara Bareilles and Marc Broussard in concert at the newly opened House of Blues downtown! I haven't been to a concert in ages, and I have been wanting to see them both for a while now.

Secondly, Spring Awakening is coming to Houston!!! We are going in January, and I. CAN. NOT. WAIT!

PotterCast 167

These guys are making my day right now. They crack me up. Even though right now they are on a tangent explaining the Tory party...