Thursday, April 28, 2005
ufo
First, yes, I know there are actually twelve pyramids now. Well, NOW I know that. That's what I get for taking an AOL-linked article at face value. Anyway, I've been doing this Self challenge thing, and I wanted to keep track of my nutrient intake. Self's challenge log has a food diary, but it doesn't tell you calories, vitamin C, whatever, you just write down what you ate and that's that.
So I started using My Pyramid Tracker, in which you select the food you ate from a sort of drop-down menu, and at the end of the day you can see how your intake stacked up against your specific pyramid recommendations. Yeah, that lasted two days. There are a few problems with it: 1) they have some brand-name foods, but not others (Sprite but not Sierra Mist, for instance); 2) you can't go back to the previous day and enter additional info, or at least I couldn't figure out how to do it; 3) they don't list, like, "bran muffin," but they do list "McD's Apple Bran Muffin," which is okay if you just want to figure out rough substitutions, but is a little bit of a pain. Also, there's no way to freeform an entry, like, enter something not on the list and type in the nutritional info. So after two days of that I gave up on it and am just using Self's food diary.
However, I'm sure I could just pick one random previous day from the food diary, enter it all in the Pyramid Tracker, and see how your day stacked up. So complicated. (Just call me Avril.)
So I started using My Pyramid Tracker, in which you select the food you ate from a sort of drop-down menu, and at the end of the day you can see how your intake stacked up against your specific pyramid recommendations. Yeah, that lasted two days. There are a few problems with it: 1) they have some brand-name foods, but not others (Sprite but not Sierra Mist, for instance); 2) you can't go back to the previous day and enter additional info, or at least I couldn't figure out how to do it; 3) they don't list, like, "bran muffin," but they do list "McD's Apple Bran Muffin," which is okay if you just want to figure out rough substitutions, but is a little bit of a pain. Also, there's no way to freeform an entry, like, enter something not on the list and type in the nutritional info. So after two days of that I gave up on it and am just using Self's food diary.
However, I'm sure I could just pick one random previous day from the food diary, enter it all in the Pyramid Tracker, and see how your day stacked up. So complicated. (Just call me Avril.)
Monday, April 25, 2005
production
Last night was the first night in ages that I've spent staying up late CRAFTING. It was so much fun; I've almost gotten all the leaves for the mobile finished and will probly finish them off tonight. It actually seems to be coming together quite nicely, much better than I thought it would, considering I've never done this before. All the craftiness I've done has involved either very small-scale crafts or painting. So it kind of makes me nervous, but at the same time, I'm glad that I actually feel confident enough to handle this sort of thing now. (I know this isn't a big project compared to the stuff a lot of crafters do for a living or a major hobby, but this is all new to me.)
The only downside to my springtime creative streak is the fact that my reading list will be pretty much invisible for the next few months. I've been browsing a lot of craft books (and I just ordered a few from YesAsia, inspired by the flurry of Japanese craft book ISBNs that showed up on so many crafty blogs), but they don't count. I guess it's a good thing I got so far ahead in my one-book-per-week goal, because it probably won't pick up again until mid-summer or early fall. Spring and summer tend to be magazine months for me, if you know what I mean.
In other news, I've been looking for inspiration and prettiness to hang on my bare walls, so I've ordered a few (mostly tiny) prints. I'll list them and link to them as they come in. So far I've received Caroline Hwang's Dreaming My Dreams print. The colors are even better in real life. My favorite part of this project, I think, will be choosing how to frame these prints. It's exciting because I've never really bought artwork before.
Strangely, I find I'm doing a lot of "grown-up stuff" so far this year that I've never felt confident enough to do before. I guess twenty-five really IS the beginning of official adulthood.
(Oh, psst, I've ordered some zines and stuff from My My recently, and that is some of the fastest shipping I've ever seen! A++! And I also ordered some zines from Sweet Candy Distro a little while back, and that was another A++ experience. Good times. If you need a zine fix, I recommend both distros. I still recommend Fork 'n Spoon (free shipping until the end of April!) too, in case you're wondering. I know you are.)
The only downside to my springtime creative streak is the fact that my reading list will be pretty much invisible for the next few months. I've been browsing a lot of craft books (and I just ordered a few from YesAsia, inspired by the flurry of Japanese craft book ISBNs that showed up on so many crafty blogs), but they don't count. I guess it's a good thing I got so far ahead in my one-book-per-week goal, because it probably won't pick up again until mid-summer or early fall. Spring and summer tend to be magazine months for me, if you know what I mean.
In other news, I've been looking for inspiration and prettiness to hang on my bare walls, so I've ordered a few (mostly tiny) prints. I'll list them and link to them as they come in. So far I've received Caroline Hwang's Dreaming My Dreams print. The colors are even better in real life. My favorite part of this project, I think, will be choosing how to frame these prints. It's exciting because I've never really bought artwork before.
Strangely, I find I'm doing a lot of "grown-up stuff" so far this year that I've never felt confident enough to do before. I guess twenty-five really IS the beginning of official adulthood.
(Oh, psst, I've ordered some zines and stuff from My My recently, and that is some of the fastest shipping I've ever seen! A++! And I also ordered some zines from Sweet Candy Distro a little while back, and that was another A++ experience. Good times. If you need a zine fix, I recommend both distros. I still recommend Fork 'n Spoon (free shipping until the end of April!) too, in case you're wondering. I know you are.)
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
the tiny beast
Normally when I get a shiny and new crafting tool, I put off working with it because I don't want to know how miserably I'll fail at whatever it is that the tool does. But I decided to jump right in with the sewing machine because I've been waiting to get it for so many months. (Good thing I did, too, because I ended up paying $20 for it instead of $30.) Also, I learn best by blindly heading into new experiences. So Sunday I sewed the little crappy pillow that you can see on the crafty blog, and yesterday I started working on the bird/leaf mobile for Rabbit.
The mobile is based on the one in this Angry Chicken post. Differences: I'm using brighter colors, more leaves, a different bird shape, and I think I'm going to do a little embellishing, too. The leaves and bird are made from two layers of acrylic felt, which was an interesting lesson in and of itself. It took me about 45 minutes to figure out how to successfully sew two sheets of felt together. I skipped one of the thread guides and the thread kept coming out of the needle, then I kept forgetting to put the presser foot thingy down, then I kept trying to feed the felt through backwards, then I kept pushing the felt through instead of just guiding it, and on and on. FINALLY, about two hours later, I ended up with twelve leaf shapes. I was actually really enjoying myself by the end. I still have to do the veins, but I had to do laundry, so I forced myself to stop.
I was surprised by how (relatively) easy the whole process was, once I got the hang of it. Maybe I'll eventually get a thrifted Singer or something, I'll have to see how this goes. I kind of have a fear of sewing my hands together, so the small machine is less intimidating and a better fit for me right now. And to be honest, I didn't think it was capable of sewing through two layers of felt, so it's already surpassed my expectations. What a lovely tiny beast.
The mobile is based on the one in this Angry Chicken post. Differences: I'm using brighter colors, more leaves, a different bird shape, and I think I'm going to do a little embellishing, too. The leaves and bird are made from two layers of acrylic felt, which was an interesting lesson in and of itself. It took me about 45 minutes to figure out how to successfully sew two sheets of felt together. I skipped one of the thread guides and the thread kept coming out of the needle, then I kept forgetting to put the presser foot thingy down, then I kept trying to feed the felt through backwards, then I kept pushing the felt through instead of just guiding it, and on and on. FINALLY, about two hours later, I ended up with twelve leaf shapes. I was actually really enjoying myself by the end. I still have to do the veins, but I had to do laundry, so I forced myself to stop.
I was surprised by how (relatively) easy the whole process was, once I got the hang of it. Maybe I'll eventually get a thrifted Singer or something, I'll have to see how this goes. I kind of have a fear of sewing my hands together, so the small machine is less intimidating and a better fit for me right now. And to be honest, I didn't think it was capable of sewing through two layers of felt, so it's already surpassed my expectations. What a lovely tiny beast.
dealing
We have an effing ant invasion going on right now. I don't know how to get rid of the little monsters without setting off a hand grenade under the house. They were in the kitchen; we got rid of them with ant traps. They showed up in the living room; we used the ant-killing gel/food stuff. They migrated to the back door; we used the gel again. Now they're in the master bedroom and bathroom and, most nastily of all, our closet. I just want an infestation-free house, that's all I ask for. Well, not ALL, but a significant portion of what I ask for, anyway.
Rabbit calls ants "spiders" and she likes to catch one on her finger and bring it over to us, like it's a little pet. Needless to say, we're doing the handwashing thing so much that I dream about soap now.
(My favorite handwashing liquid, by the way, is Method's Sweet Water handwash. It's the best we've ever used, so good that it's making me pimp effing HAND SOAP.)
In other news, I find the new food pyramid much more interesting than the new pope. But I'm not Catholic, and this pope kind of makes me nervous, so I think it's pretty understandable. Seriously, the fact that they've made up six different pyramids is really hott.
Rabbit calls ants "spiders" and she likes to catch one on her finger and bring it over to us, like it's a little pet. Needless to say, we're doing the handwashing thing so much that I dream about soap now.
(My favorite handwashing liquid, by the way, is Method's Sweet Water handwash. It's the best we've ever used, so good that it's making me pimp effing HAND SOAP.)
In other news, I find the new food pyramid much more interesting than the new pope. But I'm not Catholic, and this pope kind of makes me nervous, so I think it's pretty understandable. Seriously, the fact that they've made up six different pyramids is really hott.
Crafters for Critters is open again! Buy cute stuff and support a worthwhile cause while doing so! Like Girl Scout Cookies without the calories -- unless you buy the vegan chocolates, I guess.
Monday, April 18, 2005
re: craft-o-rama
How good was my weekend? So good I wrote a giant entry about it on my crafty blog. With pictures!
I could get used to this internet-at-home thing, man.
This week is moderate spring cleaning week. I have a few swaps to work on (zine swap, a little person-to-person swap, the city swap, mail-art/magnet swap), and the house needs a good cleaning SO BADLY. It's hard to buckle down and clean when there are so many art-y things I'm itching to do.
To make up for the lack of updates: Kraf-O-La. Follow ALL the links. And those links beget more links. It's a little crafty circle I hadn't discovered yet. Have you noticed that? How there are little pockets of crafty people all over these fancy internets? It's kind of like a fun version of high school.
I could get used to this internet-at-home thing, man.
This week is moderate spring cleaning week. I have a few swaps to work on (zine swap, a little person-to-person swap, the city swap, mail-art/magnet swap), and the house needs a good cleaning SO BADLY. It's hard to buckle down and clean when there are so many art-y things I'm itching to do.
To make up for the lack of updates: Kraf-O-La. Follow ALL the links. And those links beget more links. It's a little crafty circle I hadn't discovered yet. Have you noticed that? How there are little pockets of crafty people all over these fancy internets? It's kind of like a fun version of high school.
Thursday, April 14, 2005
something added somewhere
My crafty blog has been updated with pics from the spring swap.
Scenes from an unbelievably long week:
a) I finally got the internets installed at home (hence, a post on a Thursday . . . wait, it's actually Friday morning now. God, I'm tired). HOWEVER, instead of using Verizon's dial-up, I'm having to use AOL, which is actually really embarrassing. But Verizon's dial-up setup kept crashing on me, so oh well. Whatever it takes, I guess.
b) I've been trying to build up my tolerance for reading in a car. Ben had an interview an hour away Tuesday, and I tagged along and tried to read. I fell asleep two pages in. It's weird, if we're in Ben's car, I feel sick when reading, and if we're in the van, I fall asleep. I used to be able to read nonstop in the car. I WILL get back to that before our next Alabama trip or I'll go nuts. Last trip, I couldn't finish a chapter because I kept falling asleep; it was incredibly frustrating. Even magazines didn't work.
Ah, there's a spot on for "Arrested Development" in which Michael sings "Crazy." I love that show. Oh, that's another one:
c) We have Dish! Granted, the Dish people screwed up and didn't give us DVRs, but it's so nice being able to watch "The Daily Show" and "Gilmore Girls" again that I DON'T CARE. Based on her responses today, Rabbit missed "Sesame Street" and "Backyardigans" -- excellent choices, at least compared to watching the "Quack, Quack" episode of Dora on DVD OVER and OVER. Of my list of things I want to be able to quote, no, it doesn't rank so high. I even caught five minutes of "Crafters Coast to Coast" today during a nap break.
d) Ben's brother's wedding was last weekend and it was lovely. Shortest ceremony I've ever seen, longest reception. The picnic afterward was killer, though. Almost literally, since one of the groom's friends decided the best way to start a bonfire was to pour gasoline all over the wood in the firepit. Several times, including a few times after the fire was already blazing. Those crazy kids. But it really was a great capper and altogether it was one of the best weddings I've attended.
e) Best moment of the day: I lost a nail clipping after I cut my fingernails this afternoon. (I HATE when that happens, it makes me think of the bad roommate ep of "Buffy.") But no, that wasn't the best moment. THAT was two hours later, when Rabbit demanded that I pick up the coasters that "fall down!" under the table, and I got down on all fours to retrieve them and ended up with a FINGERNAIL CLIPPING slicing into my skin. It went pretty deep into my palm, too. Such a gross injury.
What is up with iTunes only letting you download purchased music onto one comp? Directly from your account, I mean. Blah.
Another good weekend shaping up, mostly because we're going to head downtown so I can take pictures for the City Swap. Also to see if the Farmers' Market's out yet. Mostly aimless otherwise except for cleaning and returning a few things to stores. Pleasantly paceless. (Not Pacey-less, that would be UNPLEASANT.)
I should probably go to sleep now. All the good Adult Swim stuff has been off for a while, and the work I can get done tonight is done. Only fifteen hours until the weekend's here!
Scenes from an unbelievably long week:
a) I finally got the internets installed at home (hence, a post on a Thursday . . . wait, it's actually Friday morning now. God, I'm tired). HOWEVER, instead of using Verizon's dial-up, I'm having to use AOL, which is actually really embarrassing. But Verizon's dial-up setup kept crashing on me, so oh well. Whatever it takes, I guess.
b) I've been trying to build up my tolerance for reading in a car. Ben had an interview an hour away Tuesday, and I tagged along and tried to read. I fell asleep two pages in. It's weird, if we're in Ben's car, I feel sick when reading, and if we're in the van, I fall asleep. I used to be able to read nonstop in the car. I WILL get back to that before our next Alabama trip or I'll go nuts. Last trip, I couldn't finish a chapter because I kept falling asleep; it was incredibly frustrating. Even magazines didn't work.
Ah, there's a spot on for "Arrested Development" in which Michael sings "Crazy." I love that show. Oh, that's another one:
c) We have Dish! Granted, the Dish people screwed up and didn't give us DVRs, but it's so nice being able to watch "The Daily Show" and "Gilmore Girls" again that I DON'T CARE. Based on her responses today, Rabbit missed "Sesame Street" and "Backyardigans" -- excellent choices, at least compared to watching the "Quack, Quack" episode of Dora on DVD OVER and OVER. Of my list of things I want to be able to quote, no, it doesn't rank so high. I even caught five minutes of "Crafters Coast to Coast" today during a nap break.
d) Ben's brother's wedding was last weekend and it was lovely. Shortest ceremony I've ever seen, longest reception. The picnic afterward was killer, though. Almost literally, since one of the groom's friends decided the best way to start a bonfire was to pour gasoline all over the wood in the firepit. Several times, including a few times after the fire was already blazing. Those crazy kids. But it really was a great capper and altogether it was one of the best weddings I've attended.
e) Best moment of the day: I lost a nail clipping after I cut my fingernails this afternoon. (I HATE when that happens, it makes me think of the bad roommate ep of "Buffy.") But no, that wasn't the best moment. THAT was two hours later, when Rabbit demanded that I pick up the coasters that "fall down!" under the table, and I got down on all fours to retrieve them and ended up with a FINGERNAIL CLIPPING slicing into my skin. It went pretty deep into my palm, too. Such a gross injury.
What is up with iTunes only letting you download purchased music onto one comp? Directly from your account, I mean. Blah.
Another good weekend shaping up, mostly because we're going to head downtown so I can take pictures for the City Swap. Also to see if the Farmers' Market's out yet. Mostly aimless otherwise except for cleaning and returning a few things to stores. Pleasantly paceless. (Not Pacey-less, that would be UNPLEASANT.)
I should probably go to sleep now. All the good Adult Swim stuff has been off for a while, and the work I can get done tonight is done. Only fifteen hours until the weekend's here!
Friday, April 08, 2005
check-up
Yeah, no fun posts because work is crazy PLUS I've had the baby to myself all week because Ben has been working on a new/old truck at night. And this weekend is my brother-in-law's wedding. No rest for the wicked.
I think because my life is usually so slow, these weeks where everything is all crammed together hit harder than they should. This week I've had to deal with finding something to wear to the wedding, getting the phone line installed, getting my hair cut (always a dreaded task), taking Rabbit to her two-year well check, getting belated thank you notes written, working around not having an oven, getting the Dish installed, and more that I'm sure my frazzled brain has forgotten for my own safety. I know, that's not a big list compared to that of a person with an actual LIFE, but I like my normal little peace-and-quiet routine.
Surprisingly, Rabbit's well check went pretty . . . well. I'm not sure whether the questions the nurse asks (can she walk up stairs? can she stack blocks?) are, like, low-expectation type questions, or if Rabbit's just incredibly advanced, but we blew through those things with flying colors. It's good, because since she was premature she was expected to be behind everyone else developmentally, but she seems to be caught up. Beyond caught up, even.
Of course, the day before the check-up, she had to try to climb from one kitchen chair to another and ended up getting a nice bump on her forehead. This is pretty much a tradition in my family, though. Doctor visit coming up? Let's look like we just got in a fistfight with an angry chicken and a moose!
I think because my life is usually so slow, these weeks where everything is all crammed together hit harder than they should. This week I've had to deal with finding something to wear to the wedding, getting the phone line installed, getting my hair cut (always a dreaded task), taking Rabbit to her two-year well check, getting belated thank you notes written, working around not having an oven, getting the Dish installed, and more that I'm sure my frazzled brain has forgotten for my own safety. I know, that's not a big list compared to that of a person with an actual LIFE, but I like my normal little peace-and-quiet routine.
Surprisingly, Rabbit's well check went pretty . . . well. I'm not sure whether the questions the nurse asks (can she walk up stairs? can she stack blocks?) are, like, low-expectation type questions, or if Rabbit's just incredibly advanced, but we blew through those things with flying colors. It's good, because since she was premature she was expected to be behind everyone else developmentally, but she seems to be caught up. Beyond caught up, even.
Of course, the day before the check-up, she had to try to climb from one kitchen chair to another and ended up getting a nice bump on her forehead. This is pretty much a tradition in my family, though. Doctor visit coming up? Let's look like we just got in a fistfight with an angry chicken and a moose!
Monday, April 04, 2005
credit where it's due
In all my nattering on about "A Current Affair," I forgot to mention my favorite segment, a "story" about Prince Charles and his sons.
Have you ever played that game where you put your TV on mute and say stuff for the characters? Stuff that's really out-of-character or nonsensical or 'shippy if you're into that thing. Yes, take that and put it on a news show and you have the segment. And the stuff the writers put into Prince Charles's mouth was not even funny. It was splendidly awful. Awful like, "how the hell did they talk someone into letting them put that on TV?"
I have to say I was impressed by Tim Green's attempt to laugh merrily after the segment was over. Good god, it was so lame I couldn't even have PRETENDED to be amused.
Don't worry, I'm not planning on referencing the show anymore, I just had to get that out there. I'm actually not planning on WATCHING the show anymore. It was fun while it lasted, Green.
Have you ever played that game where you put your TV on mute and say stuff for the characters? Stuff that's really out-of-character or nonsensical or 'shippy if you're into that thing. Yes, take that and put it on a news show and you have the segment. And the stuff the writers put into Prince Charles's mouth was not even funny. It was splendidly awful. Awful like, "how the hell did they talk someone into letting them put that on TV?"
I have to say I was impressed by Tim Green's attempt to laugh merrily after the segment was over. Good god, it was so lame I couldn't even have PRETENDED to be amused.
Don't worry, I'm not planning on referencing the show anymore, I just had to get that out there. I'm actually not planning on WATCHING the show anymore. It was fun while it lasted, Green.
highlight reel
Our weekend:
1) Rabbit has learned to say "dammit!" Your life is not quite complete until you hear your two-year-old daughter mutter "Dammit. Puzzle. Dammit." I think it's kind of funny, but of course not funny enough to let her know I think it's funny or to be an enabler, etc. etc. Mom is appalled but hides it pretty well, considering the lectures I got growing up for saying "oh, my gosh." And anyway, it could be worse. Much worse. Oh god, this could get ugly.
2) Sin City was excellent, if a bit (haha, a bit, I'm totally understating there) violent. I heard somewhere that the first few MINUTES were violent. I think what the reviewer meant was the first few HOURS. But have to consider the source material. It wasn't surprising. It was a beautiful movie, though, stylistically. I wish there were more movies done like that. If there are, please let me know so I can sit down with them all and go into a beautiful comic-book-ish noir movie coma.
3) We are getting old. Ben and I went into Target about half an hour before closing, and when we were getting ready to leave, a posse came in obnoxiously squeaking their shoes on the floor and shouting at each other and just generally being teenagers. As soon as we got outside, we both started to say something like "those darned kids!" Eek, we are so old.
4) Warm weather does not equal spring when it RAINS ALL DAMN DAY. All weekend. I had to start my seeds inside. Not so bad unless you have an ant infestation, which we do, which means there may or may not be ants in the seed-starting mix. I don't think any got in. At least I hope not.
5) I am having some wicked hormone swings for some mysterious reason. Between the breakdown at the pediatrician's office last Tuesday (long story) and my pure fishwife hatred of Ben when he got home on Sunday, I think I'm turning into my evil, depressed twin. Lovely combination. GET HERE ALREADY SPRING!
1) Rabbit has learned to say "dammit!" Your life is not quite complete until you hear your two-year-old daughter mutter "Dammit. Puzzle. Dammit." I think it's kind of funny, but of course not funny enough to let her know I think it's funny or to be an enabler, etc. etc. Mom is appalled but hides it pretty well, considering the lectures I got growing up for saying "oh, my gosh." And anyway, it could be worse. Much worse. Oh god, this could get ugly.
2) Sin City was excellent, if a bit (haha, a bit, I'm totally understating there) violent. I heard somewhere that the first few MINUTES were violent. I think what the reviewer meant was the first few HOURS. But have to consider the source material. It wasn't surprising. It was a beautiful movie, though, stylistically. I wish there were more movies done like that. If there are, please let me know so I can sit down with them all and go into a beautiful comic-book-ish noir movie coma.
3) We are getting old. Ben and I went into Target about half an hour before closing, and when we were getting ready to leave, a posse came in obnoxiously squeaking their shoes on the floor and shouting at each other and just generally being teenagers. As soon as we got outside, we both started to say something like "those darned kids!" Eek, we are so old.
4) Warm weather does not equal spring when it RAINS ALL DAMN DAY. All weekend. I had to start my seeds inside. Not so bad unless you have an ant infestation, which we do, which means there may or may not be ants in the seed-starting mix. I don't think any got in. At least I hope not.
5) I am having some wicked hormone swings for some mysterious reason. Between the breakdown at the pediatrician's office last Tuesday (long story) and my pure fishwife hatred of Ben when he got home on Sunday, I think I'm turning into my evil, depressed twin. Lovely combination. GET HERE ALREADY SPRING!
Friday, April 01, 2005
except for the flooding
My weekend is looking great: we got a bonus this month so tonight I'm paying overdue bills and maybe even getting groceries; tomorrow I'm coming in to catch up on work (good because I like a clean desktop), and then tomorrow night we're going to go see Sin City while Rabbit's with my sister J; Sunday is R&R and probly starting seeds (a little late, but better late than never).
(Apropos of nothing: I knew I saw Rory in the promos for Sin City! I am not insane after all. Well, not where that's concerned.)
Tuesday we're getting the phone line put in and next Sunday the Dish is being installed. I'm very thrilled about the Dish because we're shelling out the extra $10 a month for DVR. I cannot show you with words how excited I am about that. So boo to not being able to get cable/DSL that far out in the woods, but yay for the necessary Dish. And it will be nice to have a phone (and internet access!) again.
This month is shaping up very well so far. Now if only it would stop raining during weekends.
(Apropos of nothing: I knew I saw Rory in the promos for Sin City! I am not insane after all. Well, not where that's concerned.)
Tuesday we're getting the phone line put in and next Sunday the Dish is being installed. I'm very thrilled about the Dish because we're shelling out the extra $10 a month for DVR. I cannot show you with words how excited I am about that. So boo to not being able to get cable/DSL that far out in the woods, but yay for the necessary Dish. And it will be nice to have a phone (and internet access!) again.
This month is shaping up very well so far. Now if only it would stop raining during weekends.
affairs of the brainless
I waited. I waited two weeks before judging it. But I can wait no more.
Have you seen the new, revamped "A Current Affair"? I was too young when it first came on way back when to remember anything but the logo, the theme cha-chung, and the overblown promos.
Oh my god, I've missed out on so much. This is the most hilarious show in the entire world. It's like a live-action "Space Ghost," with even more awkward pauses.
For starters, Tim Green was an incredibly bad choice for the frontman of this "news show." Or . . . was he an incredibly GOOD choice? Because he's definitely playing a big part in the horrible hilarity of the thing. From the very first day, when he thanked a correspondent and told her she did a good job reporting the story (pretty condescendingly), to the "on-the-street" interviews that seem so out of sync that it makes "The Daily Show" look incredibly high-end, the duh never stops. Seriously. There was a story about a woman who was killed by her husband (they advertised it as a story about a woman with a "smile just like Laci's," which is pretty irrelevant at best), and he was all teary when they stopped the taped report and cut to him. Why? Because he was "thinking about [the woman's mom] and his kids." Eeeeehhh. Okay. Way to kind of make it all about yourself there. Or how about the story following a love triangle that cost a woman her country club membership? Afterward he said something along the lines of "Who really cares? Don't worry, we have something more interesting coming up." Why run the story at all if it's that uninteresting? (Don't get me wrong, it really WAS that uninteresting.) Should I bother to ask? I thought yesterday's tribute to Terri Schiavo actually bordered on offensive, but when you think of the source, I suppose it was as tasteful as they get.
I really have no words that can do this show justice. Take "The Daily Show" and fill it up with totally pointless stories that can be tied by tiny weak threads to current, interesting stories, and (this is the most important part) have it take itself more seriously than a thirteen-year-old kid. And then watch it at least once if only to marvel at the fact that this was a show that someone thought was worth reviving.
Seriously. You can't watch it and not get the "Space Ghost" vibe. I can't wait until we get the Dish installed, so I can watch the real thing instead.
Have you seen the new, revamped "A Current Affair"? I was too young when it first came on way back when to remember anything but the logo, the theme cha-chung, and the overblown promos.
Oh my god, I've missed out on so much. This is the most hilarious show in the entire world. It's like a live-action "Space Ghost," with even more awkward pauses.
For starters, Tim Green was an incredibly bad choice for the frontman of this "news show." Or . . . was he an incredibly GOOD choice? Because he's definitely playing a big part in the horrible hilarity of the thing. From the very first day, when he thanked a correspondent and told her she did a good job reporting the story (pretty condescendingly), to the "on-the-street" interviews that seem so out of sync that it makes "The Daily Show" look incredibly high-end, the duh never stops. Seriously. There was a story about a woman who was killed by her husband (they advertised it as a story about a woman with a "smile just like Laci's," which is pretty irrelevant at best), and he was all teary when they stopped the taped report and cut to him. Why? Because he was "thinking about [the woman's mom] and his kids." Eeeeehhh. Okay. Way to kind of make it all about yourself there. Or how about the story following a love triangle that cost a woman her country club membership? Afterward he said something along the lines of "Who really cares? Don't worry, we have something more interesting coming up." Why run the story at all if it's that uninteresting? (Don't get me wrong, it really WAS that uninteresting.) Should I bother to ask? I thought yesterday's tribute to Terri Schiavo actually bordered on offensive, but when you think of the source, I suppose it was as tasteful as they get.
I really have no words that can do this show justice. Take "The Daily Show" and fill it up with totally pointless stories that can be tied by tiny weak threads to current, interesting stories, and (this is the most important part) have it take itself more seriously than a thirteen-year-old kid. And then watch it at least once if only to marvel at the fact that this was a show that someone thought was worth reviving.
Seriously. You can't watch it and not get the "Space Ghost" vibe. I can't wait until we get the Dish installed, so I can watch the real thing instead.
