Another Serious Moment

So I've definitely been neglecting the blog since moving back to Colorado. I have no excuse, really, except to say I've felt less compelled to write in it so I simply haven't. There isn't much to say, really.

Since moving home I've had a hell of a time finding a job. There's been lots of interviews, a few misleading phone calls, broken promises, and networking opportunities that looked hopeful, but didn't end up panning out. I was pretty downtrodden and frustrated. I was in full swing of the Emily pity parade and I let everyone know how pissed off I was.

I was in the Arvada area and decided to stop by my grade school church, Shrine of St. Anne. I haven't been to St. Anne's in years, yet I think about the place a lot. I would not say I'm Catholic anymore, or particularly religious to begin with, but I figured that maybe if I went to a quiet place and asked God for a little help, it wouldn't hurt. I know there's a tiny chapel tucked away in the church that houses all the candles and part of St. Anne's ankle bone (though how they've confirmed this, I have no idea) and I've always wanted to see it.

It was probably the middle of the day when I went in, went to the back chapel, lit a candle, and folded my hands like the little girls in first communion photos, and prayed. I wasn't there long, maybe 15 minutes, and when I came out I saw a man kneeling in one of the pews, his hands clasped together so hard it looked like he was holding on to something valuable. He was talking softly and crying. I couldn't hear anything except for the words 'God,' 'please,' and 'help.'

Here I was thinking I was having a rough time. Clearly something in this man's life was bothering him so much he was emotional. Whatever it was, it was probably something more serious than 'please can I get a job so I can pay for my smartphone, new clothes, and a ski pass.

Think about how many times we use the word 'I' everyday. Or some form of it at least. 'I want a better job' 'I need a new house' 'I've got to stop eating that' 'I want him/her to love me.' Then think about this: odds are, when you're having a tough time, there is someone out there who's having a worse time than you. There's no way to really know, but if anything I do know there are people worse off than me, like people who don't have a job and need one so they can provide for their families, or people living in terrible and sometimes terrifying conditions.

Things will improve for me eventually, they have to, but for the man in the church whatever is wrong in his life may take longer to improve, if at all. Later that week when we have dinner as a family my parents, being good religious people, sometimes make us say a special prayer for someone. Usually I try to think of terrible things that have happened in the news and use that as my special prayer. Lately, my special prayer has been for all the unemployed, including, selfishly, myself. But, for the first time, I felt a real sincerity when I mentioned this man and prayed for him. He needs it more than I do.

Mockingjay: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Recently, the final book in the Hunger Games trilogy was released. I had been looking forward to the release all summer, since I had started the series over a year ago and I was eager to see how it would all end. I read the book in one day and I have lots of opinions on it. There were parts of it that I absolutely adored, parts that I didn't like so much, and parts that were just plain ugly.

**SPOILER ALERT*** If you plan to read the Hunger Games and haven't, don't read any further as there are massive spoilers in here ***END SPOILER ALERT***

The Good

• Katniss saves the day by using her brain. Readers of the series know by now that Suzanne Collins, the author, will throw in a twist of some sort. She did previously and she waited until the last possible minute to throw the biggest loop that made me say 'WHAT?!' At first, I was annoyed that Katniss did not kill President Snow like she desperately wanted to. I really wanted that guy to die at her hands. Instead, he chokes on his own blood and the single arrow meant for him slays Coin. But when I stepped back to think on it, it made complete sense. President Snow was one death's door anyways, and Coin had all the makings of a future dictator that would allow for history to repeat itself. So she ended up making the best decision for all of society in the end. She did what she thought would help prevent this kind of war all over again.
• Katniss choses Peeta, not Gale. Sorry to all the members of Team Gale, but the eerie sibling/cousin comparisons and the fact that something always seemed a little off with Gale never sat well with me. Now, Collins shoved him aside rather quickly, which I have mixed feelings about, but I'm glad Katniss ended up with Peeta. It's not just because Peeta is the more artistic, emotional one, but it's because I see him as someone who balances out Katniss and she needs that. Plus, the kid had been through a hell of a lot in the last book and I really wanted him to catch a friggin' break
• District 13 wasn't some awesome utopia. It would have been easy for Collins to make District 13 out to be some sort of Oasis in Panem, but she didn't. Instead, the world was sort of Orwellian and an interesting personification of the counter reponse to the extravagance and materialism of the Capitol. Perhaps Collins is saying that really a middle ground is what's best.

The Bad

• Love triangle resolution. Poor Gale does get sort of pushed to the side and things are not really wrapped up. It's never made clear if it was his bombs that killed all those children, but maybe we're not supposed to know. I didn't want Katniss to chose him in the end, but I was hoping they would at least have some major fight/discussion instead of such an abrupt dissolution.
• The violence. I'm well aware that war is ugly and characters you like are going to die, but I really could have done without a huge gathering of children all dying terrible, graphic deaths. I already have an issue with reading/watching children suffer (I can't do it, basically) and this was almost too much for me to handle.
  
  

The Ugly

• Unnecessary deaths. DID PRIM REALLY HAVE TO DIE!? That seriously broke my heart and I found it completely unnecessary to plot and Katniss' character development. It was just plain horrific. Plus, I feel super bad for their mother. Hasn't she lost enough? Hasn't Katniss lost enough? Again, I know war is ugly, but seriously. And Finnick. Ouch. It was like the death of Fred Weasley all over again except this time the character had a wife and (eventual) child! Ugh! Breaks my heart.

Overall, I was more satisfied with the conclusion than I expected. I know a lot of people were upset about the love triangle, but frankly I don't think the books are necessarily about that (it's not Twilight!). Instead it's political, dystopian fiction. I would argue that the best book is the first one. It's strange because looking back, that book seems like child's play compared to what happens in the final installment.

The Real Best Comedy on Television

So the Emmys were announced last week and at the end of August we'll finally see the telecast where some golden statues that are not Oscars are handed out and hopefully Jimmy Fallon makes us laugh a couple of times. It's sure to be a bit of a snoozefest, but as I love pop culture and never miss the big award shows, I will tune in.

I've also been watching a lot more TV in the past year. Lots of really good shows have been nominated and if someone doesn't give Jane Lynch an Emmy I will cry. I usually don't care who wins (except I would LOVE to see Conan win), but this year I think there will be a disparaging difference between what should win Best Comedy and what will win.

Who will win? Glee, of course. It's certainly been Ryan Murphy's year and his tour de force show which generates lots of buzz, laughs, and tears got the Golden Globe and the SAG, so, naturally, it will probably get the Emmy as well. And the show is definitely deserving. I always laugh at least once during the hour it's on, and the show's cast and crew work tirelessly. The show itself has gone above and beyond and addressed some heavy subject matter. Plus, the music is really fun sometimes. I thoroughly enjoyed the Madonna episode.

But at the same time, I don't think Glee is necessarily the Best Comedy on Television. I would give that title, and the Emmy for Best Comedy Series, to Modern Family. In the last half of the Glee season, the show almost got self-congratulatory, over-the-top, and slightly cheesey. Also, as much as I adore Kurt, the soul of the show, and every story line with him makes me weepy, I think we were verging on beating a dead horse. It felt almost tiresome at one point to watch Glee. I started to really dislike Rachel and Mr. Schue. And some of the plot lines came out of nowhere. The whole Schue seducing Sue made me want to barf. Seriously. It does not make sense for their characters to enter into any sort of romantic entanglement.

Modern Family, however, has ten perfectly drawn characters, who are funny, yet true to themselves. Love for the show aside, the last half of the Modern Family season was a strong showing. The episode where Phil donned a fake moutsache and got locked in the port-o-potty? Hilarious. How about Cameron spraying Lily with water to keep her awake at the airport? Genius. The show is so funny, yet never over the top. Modern Family makes you feel good after watching an episode. The voice over can be cheesey at times, but it's always cut with something funny. My friend Pat said it perfectly when he said, "after watching an episode of Modern Family, it makes me want to go call my mom."

People say Modern Family isn't topical like Glee is. Um, hello? A gay couple living together in California raising an adopted baby? It's topical without being political. The show shows a gay couple just being regular people. It's fantastic. I know people who watch Modern Family and it's made them less homophobic because they see Mitchell and Cameron struggling with things new parents are always dealing with.

There's also the argument that Glee is more of a dramedy than a comedy, and I agree there. Some episodes are funnier than others. A few episodes were cringeworthy and brought me to tears (see Kurt and Finn's argument where Finn calls him a fag. That KILLED me. I felt so crummy after watching that episode). Glee's best episode, in my opinion, was it's pilot. The hilarious voiceovers from Rachel and Finn, plus the entrance of Sue Sylvester and an enticing plot that actually made me care about Mr. Schuester was fantastic. And then 'Don't Stop Believing' was reborn and it gave me chills. Where has all of that gone? There need to be more episodes like that!

Modern Family's pilot was funny, but I could name at least ten more episodes that came after it that were equally as funny, and for that, I say, in my humble blogger opinion, that it really is the best comedy on television.

Women Authors

Recently I clicked on a photo gallery on Oprah.com of readers 'favorite women writers.' The list of 30 or so literary femmes included Toni Morrison, Joyce Carol Oates, Margaret Atwood, Barbara Kingsolver, and Jodi Piccoult. I've read books or shot stories from all these ladies and I can see why they are beloved. But I couldn't help but notice that some of my favorite female authors are not on the list. Perhaps it's because I am not in Oprah's target demographic, as I'm still in my 20s and I have no children. But the list is not without it's holes.

First of all, if we're going to look at some of the books that have sold the most copies, it's hard to overlook the powerhouses of J.K. Rowling and Stephanie Meyer. I am not a fan of Meyer's novels by any means, but there's no denying the woman got a bunch of other women to read books. I'm surprised that the cougar demographic didn't list the brain that spawned Edward Cullen as a favorite. I'm even more shocked that there is no mention of the fabulous J.K. Rowling. I know she is sometimes discredited because the books, and subsequently the franchise, are a worldwide phenomenon, but she's seriously a good writer. Her plots are thick, characters are colorful and she's got a knack for descriptive writing.

Speaking of women who wrote powerhouse novels, the big series this year is Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games and it's concluding in August. She was recently named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People and she's nowhere on the list. The absence of Rowling, Meyer and now Collins' leads me to believe that YA is once again being wrongfully ignored. And this irritates me.

Moving away from YA, one of my favorite authors, Jhumpa Lahiri, is not on the list. The woman wrote Interpreter of Maladies and it won a Pulitzer. Then she wrote The Namesake and it was made into a movie. People have loved The Unaccustomed Earth (including this girl right here!) and she's not on the list at all. Hm. Interesting.

You know who else is missing? Amy Tan. Sure, maybe she doesn't publish like she used to, but there's no denying she wrote lots of books that people read and one that stands out to me as a personal favorite from high school, The Joy Luck Club. You'd think that the book that analyzes mother-daughter relationships to the extreme would be right up Oprah readers' alley. But not so I guess.

They also failed to include some of the more 'classic' female authors. I didn't mean go back in time and talk about Jane Austen, but there's no mention of the fabulous Harper Lee, who's still kicking at age 84, and this is a big year for her. Fifty years since To Kill A Mockingbird! Give the girl some love.

While I agree with lots of the names on the list (and never heard of some of the others, but that's okay, I'll just research them more) I can't help but notice glaring omissions that I would have noticed if I was the editor.

A Tale of a Vuvuzela

The favorite instrument of the World Cup (and least favorite instrument of viewers of the World Cup) lead me to take a little trip down memory lane recently. Though, since I moved home, a lot of things take me on a trip down memory lane.

My junior year of high school I hung out with my friend Lisa and a bunch of dudes. Some of them were on the football team and we did the whole Friday night game thing. My friend Bryan, one of the few not on the football team (turns out he's insanely good at volleyball), was all about school spirit that year. He painted his face (and then smeared it on me to try and give me a Hitler mustache), wore crazy costumes, and got plenty of noisemakers.

One of these noisemakers, and no doubt the most infamous, was a blue vuvuzela. Of course, we didn't know that is what it was called at the time. We always referred to it as Bryan's horn. Bryan would blow it while we drove down the streets, he'd blow it in his backyard, and he blew it at school.

Well, at one football game, Bryan had the audacity to bring his horn and blow it at all the wrong times. It was so obnoxious that I refused to stand directly next to him. I thought it was funny the first five times or so. Then it got tedious. Turns out I was not the only who thought that. Bryan's horn blowing became so obnoxious for both teams that he was asked to stop multiple times. When he didn't, a technical was called on our Holy Family Tigers because of the "rowdy" fans. The next day, the incident was written about in the high school sports section of the Denver Post. Cue Bryan and his vuvuzela's 15 minutes.

I don't know what happened to Bryan's vuvuzela and his stunt was the talk of HoFam for a few weeks. I don't think anyone was truly mad at him. In hindsight, the incident is absolutely hilarious to me, especially with all the vuvuzela dissing lately.

So if there is a sudden rise in popularity of vuvzelas at Holy Family football games this fall, it's probably because of the World Cup. But remember, Bryan blew it first.

5 Pet Peeves

We all have them, but I used to think I was an exception. I used to think I was so easy going and that little things would never start to bother me. Well, I must be getting old(er) or something because my list of pet peeves only seems to grow. Below are five little things that drive me crazy.

1. People who mispronounce 'Xavier'

Alright everyone, here's the little trick I tell people who pronounce my alma mater "ex-ay-vier." It's like the X in xylophone and Xena: Warrior Princess. "Zay-vier." Not difficult, right? Well, for some reason it still seems to be that way since NBA baseketball commissioners, ESPN broadcasters, and people I'm related to still can't say it correctly.

2. One word text messages.

I hate hate hate it when someone texts me and all it says is 'k' or 'o'. That means nothing to me. It's just letters of the alphabet! And you just wasted one of my valuable texts.

3. Group numbers on American Idol

No one looks or sounds good when they do these. The songs are cheesey, the choreography is cheesey, and it's literally painful for everyone involved. Yet they keep happening. MAKE IT STOP KEN WARWICK.

4. People who root for teams from countries that they were in for a brief period of time over the country of their residency and/or birthright during world-wide sporting events

I understand if you were born in another country and then immigrated here, or if you lived most of your life in a certain part of the world, but just because you were there for two weeks on a college study abroad trip gives you no reason to root for Germany, Ghana, or anyone else, over the U.S. in the World Cup. You don't do it because you love Germany either, you do it just so you can be counter-culture or won't be preceived as being too nationalistic. The worst offense though is when people root for other countries over the U.S. because they are tired of the U.S. being good at everything. It just makes you sound like snob.

Also, if you like that country more than the one you live in, then why are you even here? I don't mind if you leave, frees up the job market for people like me!

5. People who use the wrong you're/your or their/there/they're

This was my biggest pet peeve as a teacher, but I worked with them on it. Afterall, they're only about 11-13 years old and the English language is friggin hard. I understand. But when you're a high school or college educated person and you use the wrong your/you're it just makes you look ignorant.

The Best Kind of Redemption

Recently I finally sat myself down and watched 'The Shawshank Redemption.' It was about time. I had heard time and time again how much of an awesome movie it is and it's on all sorts of lists of best movies and the original novella, 'Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption' was written by Uncle Stevie. And we all know how I feel about Uncle Stevie.

It goes without saying that this is a very good movie and a great story. I really liked it and I was very impressed with Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. Fun fact: Red in the novella is a white Irishman but Freeman is just so impressive that they cast him anyways. And he is impressive. I mean, the man really should just narrate everything. Tim Robbins was also great. In fact, I would argue that he was better than Freeman. I was shocked when I read that he was not nominated for an Academy Award for this.

What's even more shocking to me is the fact that 'The Shawshank Redemption' was a box office bomb. It cost about $35 million dollars to make and only made about $20 million in theaters. Since then it's been well received on cable and is one of the most rented DVDs of all time. It has also made the AFI list of greatest movies ever and was nominated for 'Best Picture' at the Academy Awards (lost to Forrest Gump. Not bad). I use all of this, plus the fact that everyone and their mom at Xavier loved that movie and constantly quoted "get busy livin', or get busy dyin'"as basis for my surprise and general disappointment at the movie going public of America. Again.

I think the thing that hurt 'The Shawshank Redemption' was the fact that it came out in 1994 and not now. I think if it had come out in 2009 it would have been seriously loved by everyone. The theme of the movie is to have hope, which is something that resonates with the movie going public today. The public loves little underdog, inspirational stories like 'The Blind Side.' Back in the mid-90s we were knee deep in Nirvana-angst and 'Reality Bites''-irony. It also wasn't on the same scale of epicness as 'Forrest Gump' and it focuses on people who society tells us not to like (though Andy is innocent).

Since then, thanks to rappers, the 'Prison Break' TV show, and lots of books written about being behind bars, prison and felons and all the taboo things slide right off our backs. So, in retrospect, 'Shawkshank Redemption' is, I would argue, more beloved than other box office success like 'True Lies' and 'The Flinstones' , two of the entries on the list of 1994's Top 10 highest grossing films. To me, being loved and adored fifteen years later is really the best kind of redemption.

In Defense of Twitter

People give me shit about a lot of things in life. Mostly, I deserve it. I claim to be a hard-core music lover, yet I watch American Idol. I get a lot of shit about this and that's okay. I also get teased for my ridiculous celebrity crushes or my bizarre taste in everything made in England, especially melodramas about teens.

But recently I mentioned that I'm on Twitter and how much I love it and the person I told this to blatantly laughed at me. I mean, my parents make fun of me, but they are plus 50 and I've had to explain Facebook to them multiple times. But the person who made fun of me is my age, addicted to the Internet, and loves to be a know it all. Sounds like the perfect person for Twitter, right?!

Well, apparently not so much. This person went out to describe Twitter as creepy and just another way for this already narcissistic generation to indulge themselves.

First of all, Twitter, like all social networking sites, is only creepy if you make it creepy. You are the person who choses what to put on there and you have the control over it. You also have the control to follow certain people and if you don't like them, simply unfollow. This argument can be applied to Facebook as well. I'm tired of people saying it's creepy.

Twitter is fantastic for lots of reasons, but the biggest reason why I love it is because I find out so much via Twitter. To paraphrase the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Twitter lets me get high on information. I am able to know about lots of things, current events, sports, pop-culture, everything all at once. I can go to one place and loads of things are there. I like to follow publishing companies or book reviewers to hear about the exciting things going on in the book world. I enjoy Seth Meyer's running commentary on the World Cup. I hear about cool shows and up and coming artists from the MTV News writers. I even know some of the funny musings of friends on family vacations.

Twitter also makes connections a little stronger. For example, I really miss Conan O'Brien. I became kinda attached to him while he was over at NBC and then he left. But, thanks to Twitter, I still have a little Coco in my life thanks to his once-a-day tweets.

I follow about 200 people on Twitter which sounds like a lot (click here for a list of people I like to follow on Twitter!), but some more active than others. I also use their awesome list option on a daily basis. It's good for a quick update. Now, if they could only get Denver as a trending location, I would be a very happy Tweeter.

This Just Makes Me Happy

It's times like this that I wish real life were more like a musical.

Also, this is not as cheesey as other 'musical' moments in movies, like that painful karaoke song in SATC2.

Is Anyone Original Anymore?

Lady Gaga is a lot of things to a lot of people. One person's icon is another person's delusional weirdo. I personally really like Lady Gaga. I think she's everything overblown pop stars should be; talented, original and super weird.

But lately I've been toying with the whole idea of her being original. The release of another epic music video,'Alejandro,' confirmed to me yesterday that Mama Monster must be getting tired because her ideas are becoming less and less original as time goes on.

If you judge Lady Gaga based on her music, she's 100% original. I really like everything about her music from it's catchy beats to its detailed production. But if we're to judge Lady Gaga on her music videos, which may be what she wants us to do since they're all pushing the 10 minute mark, I'm finding her less and less original and more like Madonna.

For me, the Madonna comparisons started with the 'Telephone' video. I like that it continued the story from her 'Paparazzi' video and I liked all the stuff with her being in jail. But once Beyonce (who I also really like) picked her up and they went on their wild road trip, people cried 'this is a copy cat of Tarantino!' True, the video does have a certain Tarantino flavor to it, but I seemed to be the only person who saw it more like a Madonna video than anything else. Don't believe me? Watch the video of Madonna's 'What It Feels Like For A Girl' below.

Hmm...scorned woman picks up a partner in crime (substitute Beyonce for an old lady) and they go on their own spree of misdeeds in a yellow car. I mean, sure there are differences, but this seems more like Lady Gaga is giving props to Madonna than she is to Quentin Tarantino.

Perhaps it seems like I'm calling her out for not making something 100% original. Truth be told, I think it's fine that she's putting subtle references in there. But now that 'Alejandro' has premiered, I'm wondering if there are any original ideas in music anymore.

The Alejandro video is racey, raunchy, and definitely makes a statement against the Catholic Church. Bor-ring. Hasn't this been done before? I feel like it has...by Madonna! And well I'm pretty sure the 'Like A Prayer' video had lots of blasphemous images in it, or at least one's that were controversial, like burning crosses! In the background of one of the shots in 'Alejandro' there is a screen projecting something that's been set ablaze and I wondered if it was a scene from 'Like A Prayer'. Also, the shots of Lady Gaga dancing by herself in a room that are black and white reminds me of 'Vogue!'

My point is this, the whole blasphemous religious imagery has been done. People who have come before Lady Gaga have made those statements and made them well. I think she's capable of more than this. If this is a song for the gays, which is what she told Larry King, then I think bolder statements could be made. Statements on religion and religious groups are important, but I think Lady Gaga is riding a tired bicycle.

Has anyone ever told Lady Gaga that sometimes less is more? When you put so much in people's faces, which she does in all of her music videos, it may benefit her to pull back and just give us something raw and emotional with little production and little imagery other than just her, in all her psychotic beauty, singing. If you were to ask me which of her music videos was my favorite, or in my humble opinion, her very best, I would say 'Bad Romance' because I felt like it was the most original, the most fun, open to a lot of interpretation, and really showcased her and everything she is about.

Scruffy Ron!

cue irrational excitement for November.

Why Didn't You Perform Like this on 'Idol'?!

This is really good. Too bad he didn't sing like this on the Finale!

The Three Albums That Inspired Me

Recently I read a post in the LA Times about the three albums that influenced the last three contestants on American Idol (turns out Lee DeWyze, who has tool-ish facial hair, does not have tool-ish tastes). I started thinking about what I would list as the three albums that have most influenced me, as someone who has a casual passion for music.

At first it was kind of hard. I had to weed through the pre-teen crap, then the punk obsession, and now my current passion for female singers/performance artists. It's also hard because rarely do I listen to whole albums anymore. We are living in the playlist generation, the one where we can make a mix CD and transport it anywhere at lightening speeds. So, after some careful consideration, these are my three CDs.

Once more, I told myself they couldn't be CDs that I appreciate in retrospect. For example, I had a physical copy of Jagged Little Pill but it didn't make it's way onto my iTunes or into my heart until college. It had to be a full CD, that I appreciated when I first purchased it.

John Mayer--"Room for Squares"

So I first stumbled upon John Mayer when I was a sophomore in high school and I was desperately trying to escape a musical past littered with 'NSync posters from Tiger Beat and roll on glitter. I feel like this CD was my introduction to the singer-songwriter genre, as well as an the first one that seem much more introspective and less whiney than a lot of the punk music I was listening to. "Why Georgia" and "3x5" are still two songs that I play over and over again. It's even nice to listen to this CD and think back to the days before John Mayer grew up to the be The World's Biggest Douchebag.

Lifehouse--"No Name Face"

"Hanging By A Moment" was by far a loved song on the radio when this CD came out, but it was actually one of my least favorite songs on the CD. I liked it that much. Lifehouse, who were formally a contemporary Christian band, were now mainstream, but the metaphysical, religious undertones were still there. I appreciated the hooks as much as I appreciated the lyrics. The songs could have been about love, or they could have been about God. I don't love the CD as much now as I did then, but I played it to death and still listen back on some tracks, like "Unknown" and "Everything."

Michelle Branch--"The Spirit Room"

I'm pretty sure I have Michelle Branch to thank for getting me to pick up a guitar when I was 12. I haven't touched a guitar in years, but I still listen to this CD. On countless trips with my family, I listened to this CD from beginning to end, pretending that I was her, strumming along, and singing my heart out. "Goodbye to You" is a great song about a break up and "If You Wanted" and "Everywhere" were good, almost creepy, but still cute songs about relationships and crushes. She's got some groovy, catchy tracks and some great, quiet moments that show off her perfect pitch. I'm just sad she never did very well after this CD (though The Wreckers CD is pretty good).

Things In Cincinnati I Will Miss

Oh, Cincinnati. We have come to the end of our time together. It's been real. VERY real. First off, I would like to say thank you. You've been good to me. Xavier was the best four years of my life and I'm sad to be leaving behind some of the things, and people, I've grown attached to.

Sure, there is the fact that it's ridiculously expensive to fly in and out of your airport. You also have neighborhoods without sidewalks and this blows my mind. And it's true, I'm not a fan of humidity. And sometimes it makes sense that Mark Twain would want to come to Cincinnati when the world is because it's ten years behind. I know I carry on and on about how I'm excited to move back to Colorado, but there are things I will miss here in the Queen City.

Skyline's

So yummy. And the only way you can get it in Colorado is if you order it off the Internet and it comes in a can and that just doesn't taste the same. Oh well. I'm pretty sure that for the rest of my life, whenever I hear someone sing "what can make me feel this way?" I will sing back "Skyyyyliiinnneee....talkin' 'bout Skyliiiiine."

Hyde Park

So many of my favorite restaurants and hangouts in one convenient place. Arthur's, Indigo, and Teller's are my top 3...not to mention Graeter's!

Mt. Adam's

I never have a terrible time when I go to the many hot spots. Summer nights in this little neighborhood so wonderfully nestled on a hillside are highlights of my plus 21 memories.

Xavier

I will miss going up to campus for basketball games and just the general happy sight of seeing a beautiful blooming spring campus.

Having a "crisis" and my family is there to help

My family has saved me from the following problems:

-My dress for Senior Ball will not zip up. Can I borrow a dress?

-I am freaking out about schoolwork. Can I come to your house and study?

-I have no clean underwear. Can I come to your house and do laundry?

-I'm lost. Where am I?

-I have no where to live. Can I stay with you?

-It's hot. Can I come swim at your pool?

-My flight get in at 8. Can you pick me up from the airport?

-the list goes on...

(They also forgive me when popcorn gets burned while I'm babysitting.)

Hofbrahaus, Oktoberfest, Labor Day Fireworks

Pretty sure Denver doesn't have either of those things and if they do, they are probably very lame.

Clifton: Indian Food and movies at The Esquire

Clifton boasts two of the best Indian food restaurants, Amol which has fabulous naan and a great lunch buffet, and Ambar, which is classy Indian food cooked to perfection. The Esquire, the indie movie theater, not only brings good movies, both mainstream and independent, to Cincinnati, but it has really good deals. Tuesday night tickets are $6, and the student discounts are great. I will really miss an affordable movie-going experience.

Movie Trailer Mash-Ups

Sometimes there's nothing funnier than a random trailer mash-up. I seriously think people who put this stuff together are very clever or very obsessive or both. Either way, they are seriously entertaining. Below are some of my favorite movie trailer mash-ups.

The Dark Knight as Toy Story 2

I laughed at the Morgan Freeman voice belonging to Mr. Potato Head.

Pride and Prejudice as Harry Potter

The lips don't match the words in some of the scenes, but clever nonetheless.

Resevior Dogs as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Watching this only makes me wonder when the TMNT will make a huge comeback.

Secret Shame #6: Guilty Pleasures Playlist

Sometimes I like to think I am a music snob, but a quick glance at my 6,000+ iTunes library will show you that it's not true. At all.

I have music from many different genres and time periods. It's hard to classify what I like exactly. The majority of my iTunes is alternative rock with some pop and hip-hop thrown in there. But if you look carefully you will come across some songs that are just shameful to own. And now I'm laying it out there for the Internet to see. Behold, my Guilty Pleasures Playlist.

"Crush" by David Archuleta

"See You Again" by Miley Cyrus

"Penny and Me" by Hanson

"Crash and Burn" by Savage Garden

"Bye Bye Bye" by *NSYNC

"Hero" by Chad Kroeger

"Heaven" by DJ Sammy

"Back Here" by BBMak

"Holler" and "Stop" by the Spice Girls

"Lose Yourself" by Eminem

"Only One For Me" by Brian McKnight

"Battlefield" by Jordin Sparks

"He Loves U Not" by Dream

"La La" by Ashley Simpson

"Punk Rock 101" by Bowling for Soup (oh, high school...)

"Build A Bridge" by Limp Bizkit

"Why Haven't I Heard From You" by Reba McEntire

"Nobody Wants To Be Lonely" by Ricky Martin & Christina Aguilera

The Entire Soundtrack to "A Very Potter Musical"

"Show Me Love" by Robyn (this song is still awesome)

"No Scrubs" by TLC

"Be Like That" by 3 Doors Down

Oh, this song too....

So much denim on denim.

Thoughts on this Wizarding Independence Day

So today is the anniversary of Harry Potter finishing off You-Know-Who for good (J.K. Rowling said so). I am a self-professed huge Harry Potter nerd and I have loved the books since I read 'Goblet of Fire' back in...was it high school? I think so. Gosh, I can't even remember.

Anyways, this fictional, Internet-fueled "holiday" is the perfect excuse for me to write about Harry. If you do not like how nerdy this post is about to become, by all means, scroll down and read how I vent about 'Glee.'

The thing about Harry Potter, especially for people of my generation, is that we feel a certain sense of ownership when it comes to the books because we were the ones who waited, speculated, argued, and discussed what we thought would happen in the next book. I'm sure at some point people thought about what they wanted to see happen in the series and when that didn't happen, some people got really mad.

I can remember hearing comments like "that wasn't how the book was supposed to end!" or "it didn't go the way it should have" from people when they finished 'Deathly Hallows' three years ago. In fact, some people may even say things nowadays. I think that these people forget that the story comes from a real person. In Jo Rowling's mind, she had it all planned out. She knew how it was going to end, and they are her books, so really she is the one who should determine the ending (at least in my opinion).

So really it's not up to us about how it "should" end, but instead it's up to the writer. Therefore, it's stupid to argue about certain canon things in the book. For example, some people think Harry should have married Hermione. Now, I can understand if you say 'I wish they had gotten married' or 'I always liked them together best.' That's all well and good, we are entitled to our own opinions. But, I can't understand why people say that she should have married Harry, especially after reading the fifth book where Hermione scolds him like she's his mother. Some people even still hold to this claim after reading the seventh book, in which Harry tells Ron that he loves Hermione like a sister and ends up marrying someone who is NOT Hermione!

Sorry, I got on a bit of a tangent there. Clearly I was in the camp that wanted Ron to marry Hermione and I based this on the subtle hints. I just like to read closely (and I believe if you do the hints are there). Another thing that Harry Potter readers complain about is the epilogue.

Now, I myself have a few beefs with the Epilogue, but I completely understand Rowling's thinking behind it. The Epilogue is silly and poorly written. It's clear that she wrote it well before she wrote the rest of the books because the style is just...younger and less sharp. It's also quite trivial. Some of the dialogue is cheesey and almost painful to read. It seems like it was twisted so Rowling could tell us as much as she could about what happened to character who were not the Trio.

If you take a step back and look at the epilogue in an abstract way, it makes perfect sense and really it's kind of sweet. Think about this: when we first meet Harry, before he goes to Hogwarts, we see this little eleven-year-old boy who is neglected and treated horribly by people who are "family" but really act nothing like it. In the span of the first book we see Harry coming to terms with what really happened to his parents. We also see that his heart's greatest desire is to have a family. Throughout the series, Harry is plagued by the shouts of his mother before she died and he's reminded of his father every time he uses his Patronus. They burst out of his wand in the graveyard when he faces Voldemort and they walk with him to meet his death. He comes close to them, but never gets to experience life with them. It's really, really, REALLY sad. I challenge any reader not to feel bad for Harry.

So we get to a point, nineteen years later, at the end of the epic tale of Harry Potter, and we see that Harry got his heart's greatest desire. He was then surrounded by people who he not only loves, but who are his family. He and Ron are brothers-in-law. He has children. He has a wife and instead of foggy images in a mirror or ghostly apparitions they are real people and they act like a real family. After all that Harry's been through, I think he deserves the family he always wanted. He saved the Wizarding World, people! And I think as readers you want the hero of a book series you invest time, money, and possibly your sanity and reputation in to come out on top. And he did.

That was the way that Jo Rowling intended it. I give her props. And really, I feel a certain ownership of the series as well, but I understood that it's Rowling's writings. She's the one telling the story to us. If you want to some interesting insight into her writing Deathly Hallows and her post demons you should watch her 'Year in the Life' documentary, which is on YouTube (this is where she mentions that the anniversary of Voldemort's final defeat is May 2). It's pretty candid.

There's Always That One Person You Don't Like

I am proudly on the Glee bandwagon. I really enjoy the show and it's like a breath of fresh air on television, not only because of the music, but the writing is great. I think the cast is so wonderful. Everyone is very talented in many ways and even supporting characters, like the parents, are good.

I really enjoyed last night's episode. True, it wasn't the bombastic in-your-face type of episode like 'The Power of Madonna,' but a nicer, quieter, more emotional Glee was pleasant to watch. There's another reason why I enjoyed last night's episode; no Rachel Berry.

I like almost every character on Glee except Terri and Rachel. I can't stand Rachel. I have a lot of problems with her, starting from her character-type on 'Glee' and I even harbor a little dislike for Lea Michele.

Now, before everyone goes flying off the handle at me criticizing her, I will admit that she is insanely talented. I agreed with Ryan Murphy when he said on Oprah that Lea has a 'once in a generation' voice. I got chills when she first sang 'Don't Rain on My Parade' and I've listened to it no less than 36 times on my iPod. I like her voice. I also appreciate that she, like me, is tattooed (she has seven and if you look closely sometimes you can see the poor job they do of covering up the one on her wrist and the one on her shoulder). But I've read about how she can be a real bitch and the epitome of a diva. I know she's got a good sized ego because she was on Broadway and everything, but I get a sort of weird vibe from her when I watch her interviews.

The other thing about the character Rachel is I have a hard time sympathizing for her. I really cannot stand her type-A bossy personality. It turns me off to her. Plus, when compared to the other characters, Rachel's story line is hard for me to accept and it's not nearly as compelling. A girl raised by two gay dads (side note: WHERE ARE THE GAY DADS?!) is struggling with the pains of growing up and fitting in. This is a simple story line, but I do not feel any sort of emotional connection to her at all and I should! She has the every-girl story line and it should work, but for me it doesn't. I can' quite pinpoint why this is. Maybe it's because she uber-talented to the point of it being unbelievable. Maybe it's because Lea is an attractive girl and I can't understand her problems with boys because boys like attractive girls. I also find her character to be too much of a Tracy Flick imitation and that probably factors in there somewhere.

Now Jonathan Groff was brought in to to play the male equivalent of her and it turns out that I find him obnoxious as well! His voice is fantastic. I would love to listen to him sing for hours and hours. I just don't feel any connection to his character and it's hard for me to feel connected to Rachel.

My three favorite characters on Glee are Finn, Kurt, and Mercedes. Last night's episode had great scenes with all three of them, especially Kurt, who really is the emotional core of the show. Plus, I feel connected to Finn and Mercedes. Finn is essentially a man-child, but he's not a hallow man-child and he's one of those characters that is changing some. Plus, I feel bad for him that he doesn't have a father. I love Mercedes because she loves herself and that's great to see on screen. And Kurt is wonderful because he's so real and so hilarious. He truly is the emotional soul of the show and they give him great lines!

Compared to these three, Rachel does not really do much, except for dwell on the men in her life. Relationships are very important, but they aren't everything. I find no enjoyment in watching her and Jesse St. James together. I do not care about whether or not he breaks her heart. I don't even want her and Finn to get together just yet (though I think they should). Does Rachel even have any friends? Usually I feel sorry for friendless people, but I don't feel sorry for her because even I wouldn't want to be her friend! In the back nine, so far, I haven't seen Rachel grow as a person. During the first half, she had some remarkable things to say to Quinn and to Mr. Schuester, but now those remarkable things have gone out the window. In fact, I enjoy Quinn more than Rachel now and I used to HATE Quinn.

I guess this is the nature of television. Some characters step back so other ones can develop. So far I find that I can't appreciate, love, and connect with Rachel as much as Kurt, Mercedes, Finn, Tina, Artie, Emma... the list goes on. This could very well change because you never know what the Glee gurus have up their sleeves (and I don't read spoilers).

Dream Themes on American Idol

My mounting frustration with the ratings-juggernaut that is American Idol seem to grow exponentially week after week. When I found out that this week's theme is the Shania Twain songbook, I was positive that it was a sign of the apocolypse.

This theme week comes after Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Elvis weeks, all which seem super-legit (Rolling Stones was cool), but at the same time it seems that American Idol is way behind the times. They're known for having old themes like Rat Pack week, Grand Ol' Opry Week, etc, etc and a lot of these theme nights have been repeated. How about something new and refreshing? Below I have listed some awesome themes that I think American Idol should tackle that would be challening but workable for all styles of the contests. Now, I just wait for my phone call from Fox...

-Tom Petty (with or without Heartbreakers): Seriously, how has his catalogue been almost completely ignored for so long?

-Foo Fighters week: They have been around for almost 20 years and have quite a collection of nice rock tunes (Hero, Times Like These, Best of You) and ballads that everyone enjoys (Everlong...I love that song!).

-Songs chosen by your parents: How cool would this be?!

-Foreigners Appreciation Week: The list of songs would be from people not born in the United States

Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac Night: I put this on the list with some trepidation, just because no one has done 'Landslide' justice on that show. But I'm always open to the idea of redemption.

Break-up songs: A chance to show vulnerability for the contestants because they can either go the hurt route or the angry route. Both would be great.

90s week: Sure, some people say the decade was a bum one as far as music was concerned, but every dark cloud has a silver lining. After all, isn't this when Madonna did 'Ray of Light'?

(Speaking of Madonna, I will not put on this list a Madonna theme week because I don't think American Idol can top Glee when it comes to the Queen of Pop. )

Super-group week: There are bands and then there are super-groups. This week would offer contestants a variety of songs from The Eagles, Dave Matthews Band, U2, and many other groups that sell out arenas and light up music charts.

Music-critics choice: I'm sure that any music critic with an ounce of pride would steer clear of this show, but maybe if they came in and chose songs for the contestants it would open up a whole new avenue for them and the show. People like Rob Sheffield would maybe be open to doing it.

Woodstock Week: Songs by bands that rocked Woodstock way-back when

Protest songs: Nothing like a little political and social drama to make Idol relevant and interesting

Any others?

*Editor's note: It seems that Sir Michael Slezak at EW has done something similar and I agree on a few of these themes. P.S. He is awesome.

Hollywood Careers I Follow with New Interest

Emily Blunt

What she's done: The Young Victoria, Sunshine Cleaning, The Devil Wears Prada

What she's about to do: Wild Target, The Adjustment Bureau (with Matt Damon), Gulliver's Travels

Other than her kick-ass name, Emily is a fantastic character actress but beautiful enough to be the lead in anything. I've loved a lot of her movies, including 'The Young Victoria.'

Carey Mulligan

What she's done: Pride and Prejudice, An Education

What she's about to do: Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps, Never Let Me Go (with Keira Knightly), rumored to be the next Eliza Dolittle and the lead in the English-speaking version of 'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.'

Have you seen 'An Education' yet? If not, go rent it. If you have, than you understand where I'm coming from when you see how wonderful of an actress she is. Watching her on talk shows isn't painful either because she's so effortless and real.

Jeremy Renner

What he's done: S.W.A.T., The Hurt Locker

What he's about to do: The Town (with Affleck bros and Blake Lively), The Raven

Okay, anyone who is about to be in a movie dealing with Edgar Allen Poe is a badass. Also, he was super intense in 'The Hurt Locker' and he just looks like a nice guy.

Garrett Hedlund

What he's done: Friday Night Lights, Four Brothers

What he's about to do: Love Don't Let Me Down (with Gwenyth Paltrow), TRON Legacy, rumored to be in movie adaptation of Jack Kerouac's 'On the Road'

I may be the only one willing to admit this, but the shower scene in 'Four Brothers; where he's all wet and tattooed was the best part of the movie. Other than being something nice to stare at, he's getting a lot of internet buzz for more thespian like chops. We shall see.

Mindy Kaling

What she's done: The 40-Year-Old Virgin, The Office

What she's about to do: Lending her voice to 'Despicable Me,' developing her own NBC sitcom, writing 'The Low Self-Esteem of Lizzie Gillespie'

I put Mindy on this list because of all of her comparisons to Tina Fey, who I adore. Though I can see the similarities (Fey and Kaling are both women in their 30s who are funny and work on their own sitcoms), I see Mindy as being the next Nora Ephron or Nany Meyers. She seems to focus on romance more than Fey (she wrote the episode of Jim and Pam's wedding on 'The Office').

Probably My New Favorite Internet Video

Okay, favorite behind Rizzo and his 'Miracle' speech.

Emily's East Coast Extravaganza!

It's been a while since I went on my 10-day excursion to the East Coast and life has been hectic since returning, so I'm just now writing about it. I went to Philadelphia, New York City, and Washington, D.C. My first two destinations were places I have never been before and D.C. is a familiar city that I grow to love every time I go. So now for some photographs of my fun travels!

My trip started in Philadelphia where my former roommate from college, Kristina, lives. She took me on a nice little tour of the city. We went to see the front of Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and all the cool public sculpture in her city. We also went to Edgar Allen Poe's house, so the English major in me was happy.

We also ate a lot of amazing food and drank some interesting beer. We tried this thing at the City Tavern (apparently it was a former hang out for the likes of George, T.J and others) that was beer brewed or enjoyed by America's founding fathers. Thomas Jefferson's was the best. Yum!

The highlight of the trip was seeing Vampire Weekend at the Electric Factory. Oh Ezra Koenig, you make it possible for academic rock stars everywhere to be adored by loads of girls. Have my babies? Please and thank you.

After this, Kristina and I ventured to the concrete jungle where dreams are made from, the home of Carrie & Co., and the new home of my high school friend Angela. New York City has lots of adventures, and we embarked on our own on Saturday. This included day drinking at NYC's oldest bar McSorely's. Needless to say, we had lots of fun.

Sunday was not my favorite day, as I got sick :( (Stupid fish allergies!) Monday I was feeling much better so I ventured to Rockefeller Center, the Museum of Modern Art, the Empire State Building, SoHo and the WTC site. I saw cool paintings like the one above. The MoMA was probably my favorite thing on that first day. The Empire State Building had a cool view, but it was like waiting in a line to wait in a line. Talk about annoying.

Day Four in NYC saw me riding the subway a lot. I went to Times Square and Union Square both of which are really cool. I had never seen so many people in one place. Times Square was simply bursting with people. There were loads of tourists from around the globe. I ate at PRET which made me happy because it made me think of London. I also stopped by the Met and went to see "Promises, Promises" starring Sean Hayes and Kristin Chennoweth, which had terrible music but an excellent script. Sean Hayes was hilarious.

In NYC I had pizza and Indian food, but did not eat out very much. It's all really expensive. In fact, New York City in general costs an arm and a leg. I could never live there, but it's awesome to visit. Oh, I went to one of the stoops they used for Carrie's apartment in Sex and the City. It's been repainted since.

After that, I headed for D.C! D.C. is loads of fun and I definitely ate a lot of food and drank a lot of beer in this city as well. I had Cherry Blossom beer at a happy hour. D.C. is big on happy hours. I also had lots of wine, courtesy of my friend Kelley, who's apartment I stayed at. I went to art museums in D.C. as well as the Pentagon memorial the Smithsonian Musuem (the one on American History which was overcrowded with middle schoolers. I stayed an hour). I also ate lunch on the White House lawn and felt cooler than I actually am.

Some of my favorite things in D.C. included eating dinner at Lauriel Plaza. They have amazing swirl margaritas and really cool rooftop seating. Too bad it rained. I also went to the Newseum which was definitely my favorite thing on the D.C. portion of my trip. The museum is so well done. I was there for over three hours. They have all sorts of things, like newspapers dating back to the 15th century, an exhibit with Pulitzer Prize-winning photographs and a very moving 9/11 memorial. There's a part of the Berlin Wall, Tim Russert's office and SO MUCH MORE.

So I saw lots of great things in these cities but the greatest was seeing my friends. I guess it's telling of the fact that I'm getting older that my friends are now going in opposite directions, having real jobs, spreading their wings. It was great to see my friends, who I've missed a lot. Now it's their turn to come to Denver!