We all know that girl; you know, the one who will easily spend ten minutes in a public place with her arms fully extended, snapping a dozen photos of herself making a variety of faces.

Yeah… I’m that girl. But now, thanks to a new social-media venue, I’m taking that ridiculous habit and putting it to semi, but not really whatsoever good use.

That’s right, I jumped on the DailyBooth bandwagon. Ultimately this means I have complete and total permission to look like a damn fool exert my slightly unwarranted vanity and take daily pictures of myself to share with the world.

Is there an actual, real point to this site? Not to my knowledge. However, it’s yet another vessel in the world of social media allowing people around the world to connect in new, innovative ways. Society is changing, the Internet is changing, and I’ll be damned if I’m left behind.

* “Simply put, DailyBooth is ‘your life in pictures,’” according to its website.

Share This

Hide Sites

I’ve been waiting years for this moment. I truly have. And finally, the day is here. No longer are things like hoverboards and vacuum jackets little more than fictionalized tales. Driving on roadways? Psh, that’s so 1985… I, for one, am damn excited to fly home, cook up some instant Pizza Hut and watch the Chicago Cubs kick some Miami butt. That’s right, folks, the future depicted in that classic gem Back to the Future II has arrived. It is the future.

Wait… That was a rumor? Are you seriously telling me that Marty McFly didn’t make an appearance at 1:21 a.m. yesterday in our lovely year of 2010? That was a hoax!? A photoshop prank!?!?

Ugh.

False reports swirled the Internet today (and yesterday) that July 5, 2010 marked the date Marty would find himself in “the future,” per the plotline outlined in that movie my dorky self cannot get enough of Back to the Future II. But alas, that information was incorrect — BTTF die hards and blogs were VERY quick to note that — and my heart broke ever so slightly.

But hey, this does mean someone better get their ass in gear and invent a hoverboard. Time is quickly ticking away. I simply do not wish to reach the real, genuine “future” in 2015 — Oct. 21, to be exact — and be denied the awesomeness that McFly and Doc Brown promised. That, indeed, would be quite a shame.

Share This

Hide Sites

It was nearly 11 p.m. and only one hour remained before the latest installment of the Twilight saga, Eclipse, was set to begin. And as I waited in line, semi-patiently, there were several items worth noting about the crowd that assembled at my theater. Sure, we were all there for one solitary purpose — to swoon over Taylor Lautner to watch the words on the page unfold onto the big screen — but we most certainly weren’t all of the same “type.”

I could bore you with details about the film versus the book, reviewing the two-hour movie as many others have done. Or maybe I could even carry on, and on, and on, and on about my over-the-top infatuation with the character of Jacob Black*. But instead, let me rattle off the strange and electic various groupings of people I saw among the nearly 1,600 — that’s right, more than 1,500 tickets were sold among eight theaters at the movie complex in Mooresville, NC — in attendance late Tuesday evening.

• Tweens and teens — As this is the target audience for both the books and films, an abundance of way-past-their-bedtime children was to be expected. Some donned their favorite “Team Edward” or “Team Jacob” T-shirts for the midnight showing, while others arrived in pajamas, escorted by mommy dearest. Either way, this particular group comprised the majority. And they were undoubtedly the loudest and most excited. Jake appears on the screen? Giggling and wooing erupt. A glimpse of Edward? Faint clapping from the 12-year-old in front of me. Clearly they are quite a marketable and ideal audience for these saga installments.
• Parents — Some children were simply too young to attend alone. Boohoo. But I must say, it takes a rather awesome parent to tolerate a movie of this nature — unless, of course, they are parents who enjoy Twilight — at midight just for his/her child. Kudos to those parental figures, indeed.
• Twihards — While only a few were to be seen throughout the night, several individuals arrived in full costume, displaying their favorite Twilight character. Apparently they didn’t get the notice that this isn’t Harry Potter, Batman or the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Those movies, they understandly see dozens upon dozens of folks in attire resembling the cast, but Twilight? Aside from jeans, a flannel shirt and some sneakers, the only real accessory differentiating these people from the rest of us were fake droplets of blood, fake tattoos, pale makeup and ridiculous wigs. A bit much, if you ask me.
• Weirdos — This is broad, as clearly the Twihards could fall into this category, but I saw some chick last night with pink hair and kitten ears on. She was also carrying an Edward blanket… Enough said, I hope.
  
  

  (TEAM JACOB...!!) Posted this photo before, but had to again. Why? Because my old blog using this picture comes up on the second page of "Team Jacob" Google image searches. How awesome is that? Ha.

• “Adults” — My friends and I were among this group. You know, those of us who are in our 20s, 30s and beyond who read the books and absolutely felt a need to watch the tale leap off the pages. We were also the ones who overtook the nearby Applebee’s in the hours before the movie for a few pre-Twilight cocktails. Oh, and the ones cursing the kiddos in front of us at the snack line who just kept allowing their friends to cut in line and prevent us from enjoying both popcorn and previews prior to the movie’s start.
• Dudes — Boys and men were few and far between at the Twilight premiere. Those in attendance were likely a) dragged there by a significant other, b) at the movie simply to impress a girl or c) gay. I cannot imagine a straight, single male sitting through two hours of love triangles, teen drama and semi-science fiction for any other reason than the three listed above.

And there you have it, a short and sweet breakdown of the crazy characters at last night’s Eclipse premiere. I’m probably missing one/two/a few so please add to the list and let me know what interesting folks you encountered as you ventured toward Twilight.

* I’m pretty sure I already did that before though in another blog. =P

Share This

Hide Sites

After seven years of silence and syndication, an animated gem is slated to make its return to television tomorrow evening.

No more tolerating Bart Simpson’s lame jokes or attempting to overlook the repetiveness of flashbacks that litter “Family Guy” episodes. The days of silly spinoffs about patriotic fathers and aliens are officially over. That’s right, “Futurama” is back and the little girl inside of me aching for cartoons could not be happier.

It was 2003 when this science-fiction comedy went dark, leaving many of us loyal viewers rather disappointed. We longed for new stories about Professor Farnsworth and his crazy Planet Express crew, but instead we resorted to repeats, watching Fry’s journey to the year 3,000 unfold for the fifteenth time and then seeing, yet again, his lust/love for the one-eyed beauty known as Leela develop.

For years, hope seemed futile so we patiently waited for late-night airings of our favorite episodes, from the truth behind Slurm’s creation* to the discovery that Leela was, indeed, a mutant. Who didn’t watch and love everything from Xmas (not Christmas, Xmas) to Zapp Brannigan? It was a cartoon for nerds, one that didn’t require much more than a complete admiration for all things weird and geeky. And finally, after seven long years devoid of that humor, it returns.

Thursday night marks the “Rebirth” — the title of the one-hour Season 6 premiere — of this sci-fi animation and my ass will be firmly planted on the couch as it airs. It may have disappeared once, but this sketch treasure** has returned for a reason.

Futurama fans unite and let’s ensure that this dorky display remains on the boob-tube.

* Only Futurama viewers might get these… Sort of Sorry to alienate some of you.
** Really, how many times can you use the words “animation” and “cartoon” without being repetitive? Cut me some slack here, people.

Share This

Hide Sites

New Moon book cover

That’s right, another Twilight post. Er, New Moon rather. And the only reason I’m writing about it is because, damn it, I can’t get the book out of my head! Trust me, I’d avoid writing about this topic if humanly possible, but I have so many things swirling through my mind and not a single soul I *actually* know (to my knowledge) has read the series. Thus, I turn to my blog – which is typically far more serious than this post will be, so I’m extremely apologetic if this is your first visit – to get my rant on.

If you haven’t read New Moon (or Twilight, for that matter) yet, or you are waiting for the film version and prefer to avoid spoilers, stop reading immediately!

…Any lingerers still here? ‘Cause you’ve been properly notified that I might ruin the story for you.

…Last chance.

Okay. I want Bella with Jacob. That’s right, I said it.

I read Twilight and although I had numerous issues with the book – mostly coming from my English-degree standpoint – I continued the series because I truly enjoyed the tale of Bella and Edward. I had wanted to see their love flourish and grow, plus discover if/when Edward decided to make his love a vampire and how that would unfold.

And then the breakup occurred in New Moon, and like I probably would have reacted if the same event happened to a real-life friend of mine, I grew quite angry with Edward. I saw it coming, of course, thanks to a spoiler I accidentally read, but that one event changed my feelings toward a character who I previously held in high regards, concerning this storyline anyway.

So when Bella started turning to Jacob to fill the “hole in her heart,” or at least ignore its existence, I could feel the same butterflies in my stomach as that friendship blossomed into something a bit more. Jacob put his feelings on the line on multiple occasions, hoping to win over the still broken-hearted Bella, and it was difficult not to cheer him on. Perhaps somewhere in my head, he was the kind of boy that my teenage self would have wanted, saying all the words a girl that age – or hell, even older maybe – would want to hear. To me, Jake was written as the guy every girl would be lucky to call her own.

I was rooting for Jake, through and through. And then with maybe 100 pages left in the book, Edward returns and any hope for a real loving relationship between Bella and Jake becomes little more than a memory. With her Edward-relationship seemingly blissful again, poor Jacob is thrown to the side and become little more than a friend, though more like an enemy.

Once Edward made his reappearance, I was notably less interested in reading. I was perturbed that he could just apologize, offer a few hugs and kisses, and instantly be forgiven. And all the while, this other guy who genuinely cared for Bella was dismissed without another thought.

New Moon made me dislike Edward, and I wonder if that will change as I continue the series. I’ll most certainly be purchasing Eclipse later tonight and reading it as soon as possible. But I’m also remaining on Team Jacob and crossing my fingers that these books don’t turn out as I’m expecting them. For once, I’d seriously like the underdog to win the girl.

P.S. Please don’t tell me what happens. I’m assuming what will go down already, but no confirmations or denials, if you don’t mind.

P.P.S. I need to find more serious, thought-provoking topics to discuss here before my blog becomes overwhelmed and overrun with my thoughts on Twilight. I desperately tried to avoid writing about this series – for a second time – but sometimes, I need to use this blogging outlet as it was intended, for my each and every share-worthy thought, rather than just somewhat intellectual garble.

Share This

Hide Sites

When my company implemented furloughs – required unpaid days off work – it came as no surprise. Most media outlets were already jumping on that bandwagon, forcing full-time workers into 32-hour weeks to save a few million dollars. But I never realized how grateful I’d be for the free time and the lost wages.

Unlike many others who work in this environment, I have a supplementary income from the restaurant I serve at on weekends. So when the furloughs were announced – one per month through September – I figured an extra shift or two each month would even out the monetary loss. And with just as much cash in hand, I took advantage of the work-free days by relaxing at home, conducting massive cleanups of my entire house or heading out of town to enjoy a long weekend*.

September arrived and I scheduled the last of my furloughs – used, along with paid vacation time, for a trip to the Outer Banks of NC. And then, shortly after returning, the news came: More furloughs would be necessary.

At first I was disappointed. Talk of wage raises was swirling prior to this announcement, but that quickly faded as six additional work-free eight-hour days were planned before 2010. 

Less than a day later though, my anger and agitation turned to relief as I remembered how much these furloughs allowed me to do so far this year that was previously beyond my reach when I worked six or seven days each week.

Not only did I visit Scranton on a non-holiday weekend in August, but I traveled to the Outer Banks this month, Virginia Beach in July, Penn State in April, Carowinds in June and so much more. (And thanks to the newly implemented furloughs, I’m heading back to Penn State in two weeks for a four-day weekend.)

These furloughs have strangely provided me with an amazing year of adventures and fun. So perhaps I won’t get a raise – bummer! – and maybe I’ll have to grit my teeth through a few more waitressing shifts, but with so little paid time off, these furloughs have helped me attain a happiness that was slightly missing in 2008 because all I seemed to do was work.

I guess this somewhat defines “turning lemons into lemonade.” I have seriously made the absolute best I could out of a very crappy situation, and what more could I have asked for? My wallet might struggle here and there, but I’m genuinely happy and that’s worth eating Ramen noodles for an entire week on occasion, for sure.

So, have you been in a similar situation where you’ve been able to “turn lemons into lemonade”? I’d love to hear about it. And if you’re in the media business, how have furloughs impacted your lives? I’m curious to find out.

* I suppose it should be noted that I can afford and often schedule one weekend off at the restaurant each month as well.

Share This

Hide Sites

Strange little post here for you fine folks, but I’m curious about something: Are there words in the English language that you simply cannot pronounce or say?

For me, it’s “specifically” or any variation of the word “specific.”

But what about the rest of you? What is that one word that you try to utter, yet it repeatedly comes out a bit wrong?

Years ago, I had a high school teacher who couldn’t say “aluminum” – Mr. Mazzino for any of you former West Siders – and I always thought it bizarre that he could not pronounce such a simple word. Then I realized that “specific” alluded my lips, being said more similar to “pacific” somehow, and I noticed he was not alone.

And I’m betting many of you out there face the same dilemma with a word or two. So spill the beans and let me know. I’m feeling nosey today!

Share This

Hide Sites

He's finishing up the tattoo, and I love this picture.

“Perhaps” is a fancy “maybe,” and isn’t life little more than one “maybe” or another? Maybe you’ll get married, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll have kids, maybe you won’t. Maybe your dreams will come true, maybe they won’t. Maybe you’ll die tomorrow, maybe you won’t. And all of those maybes are interchangeable with its fancy synonym – perhaps. So I wanted it tattooed.

Noel as he tattoos my wrist.

I carefully watched as Noel tattooed each line and letter with such preciseness. It was the first time I watched myself get tattooed. The bit of pain and my slight anxiety over getting my first tattoo kept me from watching as the Penn State Nittany Lion paws were carved into my foot. And with the Beatles lyrics, well, it’s more than a bit difficult to watch the back of your neck get inked. But this one? I was able to watch and tweet, omgiamlame, the entire time and snap a few photos with my phone as well.

After 20-30 minutes, and zero pain**, there it was. “Perhaps,” all lowercase, forever on the inside of my left wrist. And although it’s a bit bolder and bigger than I had originally imagined, I absolutely adore it.

My tattoo. What do you think?

Share This

Hide Sites

…You HAVE to watch this. It’s a brand-spanking-new commercial from Wendy’s promoting their Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty, and it’s seriously a riot.

Backstreet Boys, anyone?

The marketing strategy surrounding the “Frosty Posse” is not only hilarious, but absolutely brilliant. And for a company that often seemingly relies on advertising their product quality above all else, it’s definitely straying from the norm. However, I think it just might pay off.

Now, am I going to run out immediately and purchase a Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty? Probably not, but hey, I’m not a coffee drinker – and quite possibly the only journalist who isn’t. But I have spent two days searching through YouTube to find this video before doing so this morning, and I’ve likely watched it ten three times already. Obviously there’s some sort of appeal there.

And to add to the hilarity of the “Frosty Posse,” I found the following video on YouTube to accompany the commercial. Apparently it’s a “behind the scenes” look at the making of their “music video.”

Personally, I think this was a great market ploy for Wendy’s and a nice change from their typical advertising, but what do you guys think? Was it a bit ridiculous? A little laughable? An excellent ad campaign? Or did the folks at Wendy’s fall a little short in their attempts? Let me know! 

Share This

Hide Sites