10 Things I Like

This is my favorite feature to do, so I figured that my blog resurrection should include this. Here is is, the 10 Things I really like right now.

This TV Show

Mad Men

Don Draper, you are slightly closed minded and a serial adulter, but holy smokes do I love you. Jon Hamm plays the leading man in this popular TV show that I recently got into thanks to Netflix. I absolutely love it. It's smart and visceral, and it makes you think. Unlike the usual zingy, face paced world of TV, this show isn't afraid to take it's time so it can really pack an emotional punch. It does this often, since I cry pretty much every 3-4 episodes. My favorite seasons were the first and fourth, but really they are all wonderful. 

This Song

"Heart Skips A Beat" by Olly Murs

As my friend Kathryn would say, "why are all the good ones imports?!" Olly Murs is another winner from the UK X-Factor, but that doesn't mean he hasn't got talent. With a distinct voice, plenty of charisma and glee, and very interesting instrumentation to back it up, he puts out a very fun song. The American single includes Chiddy Bang, but both versions are excellent. It's just a fun pop song with a modern, slightly throwback production. The world can never have enough of those. 

This Actor

Chris Hemsworth

Of all, of all the Hemsworths, Chris is my favorite. I mean, the man is basically a real life Disney prince. He's a fine actor with plenty of charisma and it doesn't hurt that the man is really really really ridiculously good looking. He's also happily married with a baby and can tell an amusing, non-boring story about being a parent on a talk show. He's the total package!

This Actress/Writer/Director/Awesome person

Lena Dunham

Lena Dunham is pretty much my hero. Well, okay, that's a little over the top, but I really do admire any 25-year-old who has her own show and is so unafraid to be naked. Lena's show is funny, touching, hopeful, and terribly honest. 'Girls' was something I was prepared to loathe and instead I loved it. The seventh episode, "Welcome to Bushwick, aka The Crackcident" was my favorite half hour of TV ever. 

This Book

"The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green

Everyone who I discuss books with knows that I simply adore John Green. His book came out at the beginning of the year, and I'm still thinking about it now (it's August, by the way). The book is about a girl named Hazel who has terminal cancer and falls in love with Agusutus, a boy whose cancer is in remission. They have adventures and John Green's amazing prose will make you love this triumphantly sad, and surprisingly hopeful, novel. Also, he makes Indianapolis sound cool. 

This Album

'Electra Heart' by Marina and the Diamonds 

I simply love things that are fun to listen to, and this album is just that. The album is infused with electro-beats and sung by a girl who sounds like she's talking, instead of singing (in a good way). It's like the musical version of being in some diva's backstage dressing room. There's no one out there like Marina and the Diamonds. They're part pin-up girl, part European club goer, part mysterious chanteuse. 

This Website

Grantland

Though I barely understand professional basketball (someone teach me), I've been following Bill Simmons, a great writer whose written for past publications such as Sports Illustrated, on Twitter for a long time. Naturally, when he launched his website Grantland, which comments on both pop culture and sports, I was immediately hooked. I love when people can write intelligently and still make it appealing, and the writers on this website almost always accomplish this. Also, I enjoy listening to the BS Report podcast, especially when people like Lena Dunham and Chuck Klosterman stop by. 

This Movie

'The Kids Are All Right'

I spend most of my movie watching time watching films for my 2012 project, but this is one I discovered recently though it hit it's cultural height two years ago when it was nominated for a slew of awards at the Oscars, including Best Picture. I love this movie because it has a few principal cast members, all of whom are excellent, and it tells a very simple story about a family. It's well done from every angle. I only wish I had seen this when it came out!

This Restaurant

The Sink

Boulder is such a college town, right? Well, that doesn't mean this post-grad can't enjoy the food. The Sink is a popular place on the hill that serves very delicious burgers. It's a huge restaurant, yet it feels like a hole-in-the wall. The low ceilings and the freedom to graffiti the walls makes it feel like an undiscovered place, even though Obama went there (and subsequently some poor girl spilled her yogurt on him). 

This Singer

Ed Sheeran

I guess all the musical entries will be British-themed. Ed Sheeran is someone I found by simply going over to the BBC website to see what's on the charts across the pond (I do this regularly because I'm a weirdo...and the Brits sometimes have better taste). He's a singer-songwriter who strongly resembles Ron Weasley, but certainly does not sound like him. A gifted guitarist who loves music (he often plays solo and relies on looping, or "playing with pedals" as I call it), he writes songs with quirky lyrics. Though some of the tracks on his debut album, +, are juvenile, he shows real potential and maturity on tracks like "Lego House" and "Small Bump." His best track, and the one on American radio now, is "The A-Team." It's officially the best song about a heroine-addicted prostitute since....well, I don't know many others about that particular subject. Still, he's great. Keep and eye on him. 

In which Emily has lots of thoughts and feelings about 'The Dark Knight Rises'

So I really enjoyed 'The Dark Knight Rises' and that surprised me. I had very low expectations going into the film because I only watched two trailers and I avoided spoilers, clips of scenes, and reviews. I'm so glad I did this because it really allowed me to look at the movie with fresh eyes and so much of it was unexpected. I may have to start doing this from now on!

There's been a lot of talk about how this final film holds up to the rest of the trilogy. Here's the thing; none of the movies in the Dark Knight trilogy are bad. In fact, all three of them are really good stand alone films. The third had an epicness to it that the other two don't. It's fitting for a finale though. I enjoyed the third movie the most, though I think it will be the second movie, 'The Dark Knight,' that stands the test of time the most. It was the movie that changed super hero movies, it has one of the best villians of all time, and it really made people sit up and pay attention to Christopher Nolan. 

All of the characters in TDKR had their own story line and I thought Nolan & Co. balanced them all very well. What was interesting to me was how Bane was such a terrifying force in the first two acts, and then in the third act he takes a step back and lets chaos reign. We find out that he is really just single minded, and it's not on destruction, but on saving someone he loves. 

(Side note: I had no trouble understanding him, but I can see why some people did)

There's also been a lot of chatter about the Batman trilogy and how they are reflections of our post-9/11 world, particularly the chaos that's reflected in 'The Dark Knight.' It's not hard to miss the political sub-text in this film either, but for me I was more concerned with seeing how Batman was going to overcome his own psychological demons in the wake of a changing and sometimes rebellious world. 

Speaking of Bruce Wayne, how awesome is Christian Bale? I sometimes forget he acts so differently in real life and I'm always taken aback when I see his interviews. He's a fabulous actor. The journey he took as Batman is remarkable. He can be a badass who shows up out of nowhere to save the day, but he can also be a broken recluse. 

In the grand tradition of other hero journeys, Batman has to go to the underworld and emerge unscathed. Bruce Wayne has to literally go to the pit of hell, conquer his fear, and emerge triumphant. The journey back to the prison where it all began was a great way to tie in the first movie. 

My only complaint about the movie was the Miranda Tate story line. I thought the big reveal about her came out of nowhere. I would have liked a little more warning. That may have been Nolan's intention though. He may want to show how truly surprising people can be, especially when they are evil, which she clearly is. I felt bad for Bruce though. I mean, Miranda may have been a rebound, but still, can't the poor guy catch a break?! Oh well, it gave us a sexy scene was a shirtless, hunky Christian Bale and I will never complain about seeing him in his Batman physique. 

I thought the ending was fitting. Though I feel like many super hero films require the man guy to make the ultimate sacrifice for the good of the city (like Tony Stark/Iron Man in 'The Avengers'), I really did think Bruce Wayne could be dead because with Nolan films, you really never know. I like that he simply gave himself a blank slate, something that Selina Kyle (otherwise known as Catwoman, who I also enjoyed) wanted as well. 

I saved my favorite part for last, which is Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He's my favorite in a lot of things, but I thought he was the best in this film, which is hard if you're playing an idealistic cop. He was great though. I loved the ending that showed his taking up the torch, so to speak. Anyone else catch what his real name was and chuckle? I did. I love it when things tie in like that, especially when I don't see them coming. 

I feel very satisfied to the ending of the trilogy, which I can't say happens at the end of series (example: The Hunger Games), though I am sort of sad Nolan won't be around to make more great super hero movies. That's okay though because if the short film that dubbed as a trailer for Superman is any indication, I think there are more films to look forward to. 

Feeling Sentimental

Yesterday I received an email from the current Editor-in-Chief of The Xavier Newswire, the campus newspaper I worked out for three wonderful, crazy years while in college. As with all mentions of the Newswire, and a peak at the list of who it was sent to, it makes my heart surge with nostolgia, in a good way.

I met some pretty awesome people while I worked at the Newswire. I still keep in touch with three of them, one even lives out here in Denver, and I look back at my time there with a huge smile, though it wasn't always the case. Sometimes it was unnaturally stressful to spend my entire week thinking about Tuesday night. There were always interpersonal conflicts of varying degrees and dramatics, but that happens whenever a group of people get together (especially when they are "creative types").

That's not the main thing I remember when I think of my time at the student newspaper. I think of cackling with my office mates over something stupid on the Internet, or the late night food runs, the times we would all get together at parties and dance and drink and enjoy one another. I think of putting together the April Fool's issue and making fun of our advisor.

As I mentioned earlier I still keep in pretty steady contact with three people I worked there with, at the very least. Others I say hello to on Facebook or when I run into them in Cincinnati. There's one person I worked with, whom I haven't spoken to in almost two years, and that makes me sad. Perhaps life will bring us back together one day and we can be friends again. It's weird that simple things like an email can make me miss him.

Basically feeling nostolgic is a good thing, as long as it happens every now and then. If there were no happy memories, nostolgia wouldn't happen at all. 

Why the World Needs Taylor Swift

I'm pretty sure that if we were to comprise a list of people who ruled the world Taylor Swift would be pretty high on the list. Talk about motivating the masses to buy music and at times everyone is talking about her. Of course, with success comes backlash, and the ever popular 'she can't really sing' or 'I'm just so tired of her and her blatant, candy-coated optimism.' I used to have torn feelings about Taylor Swift and I would definitely agree that her voice isn't her strongest suit (but then again, neither is Katy Petty or Ke$ha's). But, after having listened to her new album 'Speak Now' about a hundred times, I have to come to terms with the fact that I really do appreciate Taylor Swift and no longer ashamed to admit it.

'Speak Now' is the kind of album that is like a buffet of material. Not only does Swift stick to what she does best, singing about storybook love and making it seem like it really is possible, she has branched out from singing about heartache to singing about other things, like losing one's innocence by growing up. I feel like she has expanded and grown and her songs are more mature. She's sometimes angry, sometimes hopeful, and sometimes wise beyond her years.

I feel a sort of sisterly kinship with Taylor. She's about four years younger than me, the same age as my brother, and I can relate to a lot of the things she has gone through. It's one of those, 'been there, done that, sister' kind of things. Surprisingly, even though she's constantly photographed and has a list of celebs she's been involved with, her reputation is fully in tact as a girl who just wants to love and enjoy life.

The other thing I like about Taylor is that she's not afraid to speak her mind, whether it's lamenting about how much pain she's in, pointing out flaws in others, or how much she herself has messed up. The album is so personal, yet so out there in the public. I think the thing I like most about the her is her bravery. The world needs people like her to speak for all of us when we are hurting or joyful. That's really why the world needs music to begin with.

Top Five Best Episodes of 'Friends' (in my humble opinon)

5. The One With Phoebe's Wedding

First of all, Phoebe looked absolutely beautiful in her wedding dress. I loved how it looked in the snow, how she just radiated next to Mike, and how all the friends were involved in the wedding. Mike himself was a good addition to the cast and fit in well with the six friends though he never tried to take away from the show being about the six of them.

4. The One With George Stephonopoulos

The first season of Friends is interesting to watch because it's so 90s and sometimes the humor is a little off. I love it when the Friends pair off by gender and this one is the best because both the ladies and the guys are funny in their own way.

3. The One With The Embryos

This is probably one of the classic Friends episodes purely because of the game of who knows who better. There were jokes about jokes in those segments, my favorite of course being who the TV Guide is addressed to (that's Ms. Chanandler Bong) and Joey's imaginary friend who was a Space Cowboy. On the flip side, we had a more serious story line with Phoebe getting artificially inseminated, but it still had the old Phoebe charm and made the line "my sister is gonna have my babies!" possible.

2. The One With The Rumor

Guest stars on Friends are hit or miss, but this guest spot by Brad Pitt was definitely a hit. He was hilarious and totally hot as Will, a friend from high school who also used to be fat. Thanksgiving episodes are a great Friends tradition and they rarely let you down. This one exceeded expectations.

1. The One Where Everybody Finds Out

This is probably my favorite episode of Friends because it's hysterically funny, and very sweet at the end. It never fails to make me laugh. I love Chandler and Monica together, and the fact that they hid it from people was pure comedy. The great 'they don't know that we know' line is from this episode, as well as the end of an era, as Ross gets Ugly Naked Guy's apartment.

Honorable Mention: TOW the Holiday Armadillo, TOW Chandler Can't Cry, TOW All The Thanksgivings

William's picks for Round 2

East

Ohio State, Villanova, West Virginia, Kentucky, Xavier, Syracuse, Washington, North Carolina

West

Duke, Tennessee, Arizona, Oakland, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Penn State, Northern Colorado

Southwest

Kansas, Illinios, Vanderbilt, Louisville, Georgetown, St. Peter's, Texas A&M, Akron

Southeast

Pitt, Butler, Kansas State, Belmont, Gonzaga, BYU, Michigan, Florida

Five Concerts to See Before I Die

I've been to some pretty good concerts in my time. John Mayer before he hit it big and became a terrible person, The Killers closing out Lollapolooza, and Sara Bareilles' recent show here in Denver which could only be described as awesome. I love going to live shows and my list is always growing, but there is definitely a divider between those I want to see and those I must see. Below are five acts I have to see in my lifetime (or theirs since most of them are older than me).

Bruce Springsteen

I think it's safe to say that the next time he tours and comes to Denver, I will be there. I don't care if I'm by myself, if I'm the youngest person there, or if I have a seat in the very last row, I've got to see Bruce sing some songs and really rock out. I hear it's awesome and I'm sick and tired of being left out. I've always read or heard how great he is live, how he puts everything he's got into singing and playing for his audience. I could go on and on about my love for this man, which only started about a year and a half ago, but feels like forever. If he songs get to me just when I listen to them, then I can only imagine what it would be like to see and feel them as well.

Paul McCartney

Since he's probably the closest I'll ever get to seeing the Beatles lives, I'm determined to see Paul McCartney before the man retires from music. Paul was always my favorite Beatle, really. He didn't attract attention like John Lennon did, but that doesn't make him less of a genius. I mean, the man wrote 'Hey Jude' and 'Let It Be,' two songs that our world would sorely miss if they never popped out of his head. Also, the man went on to write some pretty great songs with Wings and his own solor career. I hear he can still really jam when he's live. A friend of mine saw him in concert and texted me afterwards. The text read “face=melted.” If that's not a rave review, then I don't know what is.

Adele

Adele's voice is amazing, and it's definitely something I want to hear live and in person, but it's not just that. I want to feel Adele's voice live and in person. There's something about the way she sings that really gets under your skin and I have a feeling that going to her concert would be a moving experience. I've watched a few of her smaller, radio shows and she has a good rapport with her band and with the audience. She's witty and charming and even has that fantastically thick accent. Her show in Denver is sold out, so we'll see if I get to go or not.

Kanye West

Oh, Kanye. Such an enigma. While the man walks the fine line between world's biggest douchebag and world's biggest genius (a link to his Twitter account could easily prove both), there's something about the way he performs and the way his music is assembled that would make me want to see how he pulls it off in front of thousands. West feeds off an audience, too, and they seem to really energize him. Kanye concerts are just him rapping though. He puts on a show. I would much rather see him over other performance-based artists simply because he would give us something to talk about and even think about.

Billy Joel

It's a simple things really, a man, a piano, and some songs, but with that man is Billy Joel, the simple thing becomes a beautiful thing. I've heard great stories of people at Billy Joel concerts, which attract all ages, getting up and just dancing to his music. The man has been around for what seems like forever, and his personal life may be in shambles, but he sure does know how to write a good tune filled with melancholy, heartache, hope, or a great beat that makes you tap your feet.