Weekend Review

1. Waiting for Steve to mad-type his assignment so we could leave work
2. The three halves (I don't know why they do three) of a grilled cheese on sourdough at Training Table on 400 S. and 800 E.
3. Jim Gaffigan at the Kingsbury Hall (Hot Pocket!)
4. Saturday lunch of Chick-fil-a with Dani (Mmmm... Eat More Chiken)
5. "Pandorum" at the District. Ben Foster, Dennis Quaid, and Cam Gigandet - eye candy for all ages - in a well done sci-fi flick (I'd give it a B)
6. Creating a Facebook page for Dani
7. Following the bas-ackwards directions from Carmen the Garmen (Jen's GPS) to the Bombay House for yummy indian food and a sample of their strange onion salad.
8. Jen trying to find an AM station on the radio to hear the RSL game (while driving on I-80)
9. Telling Cindi to help Jen find the RSL game on the radio so we didn't perish
10. Four single girls listening to a sporting event on the radio
11. Jen angry from the announcement that her player Will Johnson was substituted out of the game
12. Jen and Cindi sitting in the car (at the E-Center) listening to the game while Dani and I walk to the venue entrance
13. Strange mariachi band opening for the Killers
14. The Killers (need I say more)
15. Brandon Flowers (again, need I say more)
16. Sean's comment about "The guitarist gets more metal with each song" and the commenting that he looked like Dave Mustaine toward the end of the show
17. "I got soul but I'm not a soldier" with the confetti
18. Crazy drunk woman dancing by Tarika
19. Tarika switching Sean so he was able to enjoy standing next to crazy drunk lady
20. Realizing that spilt beer on metal flooring creates human fly paper
21. Crazy drunk couple in row 2 (we were in row 3)
22. Arriving at Lisa's by 11:30
23. Police, keg, beer pong, acoustic guitar concert in the living room area...
24. home at 2:30, bed by 3:00

Dr. Horrible Returns

Hurry and watch Dr. Horrible at the Emmy's before they yank it off YouTube.

One, Gopher-Hunting, Chubby Dachshund for Rent

The dachshund "was developed to scent, chase, and flush badgers and other burrow-dwelling animals," according to Wikipedia. In the last few weeks, I have found that I agree with the popular wiki's definition due to the holes my very own pet has created in the backyard.

Ellie, the chubby family pet dachshund, has taken it upon herself a mission to rid our yard of gophers. During her mission, our family has become owners of the best backyard security known to man - tiny holes and trenches that cover the yard in anticipation of some unsuspecting burglar who would most likely break a leg or get a really nice sprain before they ever reached the house.

The determined chubby puppy would not stop digging - even when a ball was thrown in the hole to distract her.

Or when Zorro came in close to see what she was doing... he doesn't understand her craziness either.

In an effort to save the dead grass that lightly covers the backyard, my dad bravely walked up to Ellie. He lightly coaxed, then nudged, then finally picked her up (risking a finger or two) and removed her from the cavern she was digging.

And for a few minutes Ellie was too distracted by Zorro and a ball to notice my dad was filling in her entrance into the gopher's trail.

So if you want a cheap security system for your backyard or a dead gopher then Ellie is for rent... and all she requires is a fresh batch of popcorn.

Kayne Officially Announced He's a Douche Bag

MTV Shows

Usually I record (now DVR) the MTV award shows. Why? They usually are filled with incredible performances... and, of course, the scandal. But during Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for Best Female Video Kanye West decided to run on stage and steal her spotlight. He grabbed the microphone and announced that Beyonce should've won the award because (according to him) Single Ladies was the best video. Shots of an embarrassed Beyonce in the audience showed that she was the unwilling participant in Kayne's childish antics. As the crowd cheered for Swift, the stunned and mortified teen country star didn't continue her thank yous and just walked off stage.

Beyonce - who I liked before but now consider incredibly humble and classy -later won the Video of the Year award. She thanked everyone and said that she remembered what it was like to be a 17-year-old winning her first award at the VMAs with Destiny's Child. She then called Taylor Swift on stage so that she could have her moment.

MTV Shows

If Kayne thinks that his "so-called" talent gives him the license to act like a complete prick then someone should take it away. My hope is that music fans around the world will rally against him. His utterly despicable behavior at the VMAs should be met with the same kind of contempt that the Dixie Chicks (undeserved) received after lead singer, Natalie Maines, said some choice words about President Bush. That prat should be sent into the "Where are they now?" file and hopefully that will teach him the humility and tact of which he is in desperate need.

Vampire Diaries: A Review

A discussion in my office today was spawned from a co-worker asking about vampire lore. While the stories vary, we decided that everyone has their own opinion on what a REAL vampire should be. There have been so many renditions of the classic story: Brom Stoker's Dracula, Buffy: the Vampire Slayer, Twilight, Dracula 2000, True Blood, and so on.

The most recent interpretation is featured on the teen/young adult station, The CW. A brief look at the new retelling shows some traditional vampy traits mixed with some new ones. The CW vampires can live in the day but must wear a special ring to keep from burning

up (very Joss Whedon and the ring of whatever-the-name-is). They live forever at the age they turn, drink blood of living (animals or humans), but I don't know if they turn people they bite but not kill. Also, there is a weird thing with controlling fog and crows.

token 'good/lovestruck' vampire: Stefan

mood : broody, tortured soul (if he has a soul), reflective

lifestyle: attempting to

live among people as a journal-keeping teenager in a small Virginia town

diet: animals

past: sense that he was bad but is now good, possible dead true love named Katherine

damsel: Alaina

mood: broody, reflective

lifestyle: a teen girl who writes in her journal, hangs out in cemeteries, tries to pretend everything is "fine", taking care of drug addicted bro who loves a girl that just got snacked on by a vampire.

claim to fame: looks like the long lost love of Stefan

past: parents died when drove car into lake, Alaina survived

token 'bad/interesting' vampire: Damon

mood: devilish, charming

lifestyle: living it up while immortal, has a knack for commanding fog and crows

diet: enjoys snacking on the living (including Stefan's new classmates)

past: left little bro Stefan 15 years ago, supposedly got him into the vampy lifestyle, promised to be a pain in Stefan's ass

With the onslaught of vampy stories on the horizon, will Vampire Diaries be able to stay afloat? I think that this might be the teenie-bopper's vampire fix while the older folk will go for the more adult True Blood. The show is not as Twilight as the preview featured and, in fact, I would say that it could be closer to the Whedon-vampires. Vampire Diaries features serious broody vamps with a lot more vicious, evil and entertaining vampires to heckle/torture them. I would never say that Vampire Diaries is like Buffy (that would just be blasphemous) but the show's writers are seriously taking a cue from Whedon, Buffy and the Mutant Enemy group instead of the fluffy world of Stephenie Meyer... and with that small difference Vampy Diaries could hold my interest and is worth a slot in my DVR queue.

Plus they had at least one decent song in their soundtrack that wasn't among the usual CW suspects, Placebo's "Running Up That Hill."

Obsessed...

I'm usually the one who starts these things... I torture a friend [who shall remain nameless - but you know who you are] with a song (Lollipop), drag her to a concert (Framing Hanley), she gives me the "what is so great about this guy look," and then she looks up the video on YouTube. Fast-forward 24 hours and my small interest becomes a huge obsession. As for me, I just don't usually take it to that "next level" but now I'm the one with the uber obsession.

His name is Michael Fassbender - the German-born actor who grew up in Ireland. The obsessing began with "Inglorious Basterds" where I recognized him as another friend's eye candy (but now she won't admit it) from the film "300."

In "Basterds," Michael plays the "adopted basterd" from the British Army who is supposed to help the American Basterds infiltrate a cinema full of the Nazi high command. "Basterds" began a huge weekend full of YouTube clips, rewatching "300," and updating my Blockbuster Online account with any movie containing Michael.

For those who are thinking, "who is this guy?"

In "300", he plays Stelios, a war loving Spartan with the best line in the movie (sorry Gerard!).

Shuush, girl. Shut your lips...

Mark your calendar for the 2009 Video Music Awards on Sept. 13. They will feature performances, skits, and celebrities to boot. One thing I know that Jen won't want to miss is the exclusive clip from the second Twilight film, "New Moon".

Well, if twilight isn't enough of a pull for you then just vote for your Favorite New Artist. My choice was simple... 3OH!3 "Don't Trust Me". If those boys are willing to wear wrestling singlets, loin cloths, and sing an awesomely ridiculous song that mentions Helen Keller, they should take home the moon man. There only competition Lady Gaga and her bubble outfit.

CLICK HERE TO VOTE

India Fusion and the Breast Feeding Painting

I wish I had been collected enough to snag a picture but I was just shocked at how tacky the painting was.

Tonight, I ate a delicious dinner at India Fusion with some friends. At some point during the meal I went to use the facilities. Now I've used them before but never noticed the gaudy art piece in the women's leu. I guess I was just, uh, busy. Anyway, Jen mentioned this great work of art and so I made a point to notice. And how could I not. The 3 foot by 5 foot painting was hung above the chair rail and right in view of anyone who was sitting on the porcelain throne.

The fact that the restaurant had displayed art in the restroom was not the shocking bit - it was the image on the painting. The image was a simple yet almost "Madonna and Child"-esque pose except for the fact that the mother was breast feeding the child. My first question is this: Is this something that one would say "Hey, I want to paint that!"? And then who decided that it should go in the women's restroom right in front of the toilet?

The other thing that was special about their restroom was the fact that it was a single-user lavatory. So it's just you... in the giant room... doing your business... with the breast feeding painting. But it gets better because if you do not continually move, the motion sensor lights shut off about every minute. So then you are in the giant room with the painting waving your hand up and down like a ninny.

While the facilities are quite a production, the food is excellent, the wait staff is hopping, and on weekends they have belly dancers shaking it to India's own style of hip-hop. All in all it's a win-win situation.

New Christopher Nolan Flick

During the credits of Inglorious Basterds, the trailer for "Inception" was played. It's a teaser and it looks amazing. Christoper Nolan (Dark Knight, Memento) looks like he has created an intriguing film with exceptional special effects. If you have not seen this trailer you should check it out below. And let me know what you think.