Force is Strong with this One

Happy Thursday.  "Save us Betty White, you are our only hope."

"'The Last Airbender' is an agonizing experience

...in every category I can think of and others still waiting to be invented." - Roger Ebert, The Last Airbender review, June 2010

I grew up admiring Roger Ebert for his pudginess, snappish demeanor towards Siskel and his character on The Critic. In college I began visiting the movie theater less often and read less reviews. My brother maintained a loyal Ebert following and gobbled up the opinions in books such as The Great Movies and the spectacular Your Movie Sucks, a title inspired by the "greatest" comedic leech of our time, Rob Schneider.  Ebert, love him or hate him, is an author of outstanding imagery and, although I believe he has grown a tad soft over the years, writes even the most shaming of reviews with careful tact.  He has inspired an unknown number of journalists, rooted in his home state of Illinois and elsewhere, to put pen to paper.  Including my brother.

This past March, Esquire came out with the moving article , "Roger Ebert: The Essential Man."  I'm older now, I'm a Chicagoan and smile a little bit when I think that I now live in this man's neighborhood in the midst of his journalistic integrity.  However, the fiery man that once argued with Siskel on a worn-in plush seat is now mute.  Read the article to learn more about his battle with cancer and his relentless ability to continue what he loves.

"On some morning or afternoon or evening, sometime in 2006, Ebert took his last bite and sip, and he spoke his last word."

I don't believe it fair that the web site header says, "what happened to Roger Ebert?"  Roger Ebert may have slipped out of our visual realm but he is very much active.  He still has the Sun-Times page that made him a household name.  More wit shines in freelance writing and his blog, where he wraps his head around current events.  His 190,000+ Twitter followers get a daily dose of sarcasm, insight and of course, film criticism.  Perhaps my biggest praise of Ebert is that he shares the ideas and concepts that others bring to the table.  Each day, he reads and shares the works of people in lists he has entitled the "wise, the sub-continent, the politics and the elites."  He brings it all to the table and encourages others around him to do the same.

 I encourage you to take a page from his book.  Even for a day.

picture from Esquire.com article

Wedding Season Necessities

Bought these on my lunch break, wearing them right now. Plus they're from the 2010 line! Wedding season in my word "begins" Saturday. Wabam.

Not like you care.

Reason #682 I'm probably going to hell.

But millions on Youtube have watched this girl sign on youtube and, guaranteed, very few for the right reason.  So maybe there is heavenly salvation reserved for me...somewhere.  My co-worker, Stella, and I are currently laughing and crying at this. Yes, we are totally haters.  Enjoy.

Nichole337 on Youtube Viewing Stats
as of 7/22/10
Total Upload Views: 29,837,873

Miley's Party in the USA: 3,171,739
Miley's The Climb: 1,320,554
Shania's Man! I Feel Like a Woman!: 658,351

There are also three original songs that I don't dare watch...today.

Holiday Rooooooad

Next month I am going on vacation to Gulf Shores, Ala. with my family. Don't get too excited. We lack the ability to travel to far off lands full of novelty and wonder because of my grandma, as she will be partaking in our trip. I was back and forth on whether to go on this trip until, while at breaking point last week at work, my dad sent me a incredibly non-PC e-mail. It lightened my mood and made me realize that I need a vacation.

Now what to do, what to do? I am a water person and my family really isn't (mostly because my parents are chubby and did not wish to be "those people" who flap cellulite legs all over the water park).

So far my vacation ideas are:

•  Torment Grammy
• Buy a a wiffle ball set, necessities for sand castle building, and a 24-pack while my brother and I get loaded and pretend we're on spring break
• Finally learn how to play Gin Rummy and all those other games mom rambles about
• Build a sandcastle out of dirtied sand complete with an oil moat and set that bad boy on fire
• Clean duckies

More ideas welcome!

Did you hear about the Lebron bobble heads...

...they had to be recalled because the heads were too big.

I admit, I wanted Lebron in Chicago.  I wanted to relive the glorified days of Chicago basketball between 1991 and 1998, minus the baseball years.  I remember wearing my black, number 23 jersey to intramural basketball practice and stopping "little girl" sleepovers to watch Playoff games in my friend Rita's living room.  Every boy I knew had basketball themed birthday parties and some girls did too.  Jordan built an empire with a whitey like Steve Kerr, a total hood rat in Scottie Pippen, a cross dresser with Dennis Rodman, and a smoking Croatian with Toni Kukoc.  My GOD, Chicago was IT.  I have full intentions of how the intro to my wedding reception will play out.  "From SAINT [pause] Louis University...THEERRRRREEEESSSAAAAAA [insert last name here]!!!"

Instead, Lebron needs two other All Stars to accomplish his "goals" and "what will make him happy."  Whatever.  After watching over two hours of his giant head spit out emotionless, rehearsed speeches I don't really care.  ESPN [which I have an extreme love-hate relationship with and that's a topic for another day] took every chance it could to elevate the situation including obnoxious epic voiceovers similar to blockbuster trailers.

There were even ads for DECISION WATER by Vitamin Water, like f off Coca-Cola.

I feel bad for Cleveland which, from what I can piece together, sucks.  (Cleveland Tourism Video, Attempt 2: Our Economy's Based on Lebron James!).  Do I understand why he left?  Totally.  I think it's wrong that he didn't sit down and speak to majority owners with a simple, "I am not intending to stay in Cleveland."  After seven years it's like telling your significant other "it's not you, it's me" except it's in front of millions of people and nationally televised.  The ultimate break up.  So much so that majority owner even wrote the entire city of Cleveland, and indirectly Lebron as well, a psycho ex-girlfriend letter.

To be honest, I am simply tiring of living in a city where I am completely apathetic about how the sports' seasons end.  Sigh.

I'm Not a Sucker for Romance but...

...this may be the sweetest, most kind story I have had the pleasure of reading.  Click to enjoy it for yourself.

I had to go into hospital and have the thing [tumor] cut out immediately. Lay in bed afterwards and vowed that if I made it through I would track the girl down and ask for her hand in marriage. Long story short, I made it through...I sent a postcard to an old address she gave me . Someone read the back of it and realised it might be important and got it to her.  Well, she said 'Yes."

When I Grow Up...

I love to gloat about how fun my friends are, I mean like really fun.  Somewhere along the line, my life was blessed with people that listen when I need an ear, make me laugh, have wine nights and overall better my life.  This came into realization this past weekend when I packed 30 people on a trolley for a bar crawl and tour of the fabulous city I now call home.  Absolutely amazing time, absolutely fortunate to have these kind of people in my life.

However, the point of this post is not to be mushy.  It's really to post two fantastic quotes inspired by the same group of friends.  Shannon, here is your moment to shine and I promised you an entry.  A big shout out to gchat during work hours for making these possible.

Conversation 1: Discussing how weird it was that friends were doing silly things like "getting married" and "buying water softeners for new homes."  Which somehow turned to Pussycat Doll songs.

---

SWF Friend: When I grow up I want to get drunk on trolleys
Me: I just sang that message to the tune of Pussychat Dolls
SWF Friend: Boobies make more sense than groupies
Me:  Exactly, when I was growing up I just wanted some boobies
SWF Friend: Instead of mortgages and diapers I spend money on alcohol and shoes

---

 Conversation 2: Girl stuff

SWF Friend: This is not okay...I just made an appointment with my doctor

Me: Everyone is getting Mirena at the same time.  It's like those teenage girls on Lifetime that all had babies at the same time.  But not at all.  We are like the "no pregnancy pact" or something.

It's moments like this that remind you why you are so lucky.