Actor. Philanthropist. Maker of delicious popcorn. #19 on Nixon's Enemies List.
I loved Paul Newman.
I have a crush on Ron Livingston and am so completely in love with Dan that sometimes, I get tongue-tied and weak at the knees just thinking about it....but Paul Newman? He's pretty much the archetype for the perfect man and I'm convinced that no-one - past, present or future - will come close to ever being as aesthetically appealing as he was.
My thoughts go out to Mr. Newman's family and friends. He was a good man and I'm sad to say goodbye to him.
We were having a conversation about The Notebook at work and a majority of the ladies at the office would pick Lon Hammond Jr. (played by James Marsden) over Noah Calhoun (played by Ryan Gosling).
Dub tee eff?!
Yes, Hammond (played by James Marsden) is rich, charming and good-looking...
...but come on!
Noah built Allie her dream house! And he's a poet! And he looks like this!
In my world, love > money every time.
I guess that's why I'm marrying a writer who kisses me twenty times a day and sings to me instead of a CEO who's never home.
Why? Because Dan and I had tickets to the 9:00 a.m. IMAX screening of The Dark Knight. This meant waking up at 6:20 and waiting in line outside of the theater by 7:00 a.m. When we arrived, there were about ten people ahead of us.
At 11:38 a.m., I was back outside of the theater, blinking in the sunlight and completely mesmerized by what I had just seen.
Even if I could manage to string together a sentence on how shit-rockingly awesome this movie is, I wouldn't want to because I would hate to ruin it for anyone who has yet to see the film.
If you like movies in any capacity whatsoever, see this film (preferably on an IMAX screen). It's brilliant. Seriously.
It's the weekend, I have the day off, I just saw a fantastic film and I'm in a hell of a good mood, so I'm sharing the love:
Tim Whitaker of the Philadelphia Weekly wrote this great piece on Summer in Philly and it got me thinking. When you live in a place where you it isn't perennially summer, you appreciate it more. You make more excuses to stay and play outside longer.
Summertime is tall glasses of sweet tea, beaded with condensation and clinking with ice. Chirping birds, baking asphalt and Latin-tinged hip-hop blaring from car speakers. Smoke, fireflies and fans all floating to Dave Matthews. Soft mango flesh, sweet juice dribbling down your chin. The smell of barbecue, freshly-cut grass, gardenias and coconut sunscreen. Cold Coronas with lime, lemon drops and laughing out loud alfresco. Brown sugar skin, pink toenails and well-worn flip flops
OK, so I know you can't really feel 'infinite' and that Chobosky was merely grasping for a way to express the unabashed optimism and pure, unadulterated hope that suddenly ignites within you, but I get it. I've felt that way too. And every time I have, music was involved.
One of the things I remember most about West Palm is driving northbound on Jog late one night. Stars sprinkled like salt against a sapphire sky and Jimmy Eat World on the stereo. A Praise Chorus to be exact. Crimson and clover over and over and over and over. I don't know where I was going (based on geography, it must have been either downtown or to The Best Friend's place) and I have vague, hazy memories of my late teenage years in El Dub, but that one night is crystalline.
Flash forward a couple of years. I'm walking to my car after class. Past the fountain and past the construction trucks (We call it Under Construction Forever for a reason) when out of nowhere, the strains of My Girl by The Temptations fill the air. Clear and loud. Even though my love life at that time was lackluster to say the very least, I felt like I'd stumbled into some romantic comedy.
Cut to earlier this week. I'm driving to work, falling in love with blushing cherry blossoms and shocks of bright yellow and red tulips working their way out of the ground. Instead of listening to the inane morning DJ chatter, I pop in a CD I made for Dan (The Admiral Moneybags Mix -- a reference to Logan Echolls on Veronica Mars). A little Foo Fighters, a little Silverchair, a little Dashboard and then, this amazing twinkling piano punctuated by an urgent and persistent drone. The winding, one-lane backroads of suburban Philadelphia, Teenage Wristbandby The Twilight Singers and the feeling that in that moment, I was infinite...
Let's say my blog was your boyfriend. He'd be really cute. Kind of like Scott Wolf:
But lately, blog-boyfriend would be a bit of jerk. He wouldn't call nearly as much as he used to and he'd forget that Saturday night was date night and leave you alone in the restaurant, sobbing in your fifth glass of merlot.
BUT -- he's not a bad guy! No, blog-boyfriend has just been crazy busy lately with work and moving into his new place. He hasn't even had time to watch ESPN (and by ESPN, I mean the new season of The Hills, but I hear there is some serious drama brewing. Audrina and Heidi = BFF?! She-Pratt hanging out with Lauren?! Walter Tango Foxtrot, has the world gone mad??)
Anyway, blog-boyfriend still loves you. More than anyone in the world, babygirl. And to prove it to you, he comes bearing gifts...and afterwards, he promises to cuddle all night long.
Wild Horses (The Rolling Stones feat. The Black Crowes) -- I've got nineteen versions of it on my iTunes. Everything from the original to a UPenn acapella choir cover. In fact, this song is even going to be our first dance at the wedding. You'll be hard-pressed to find a mix I won't include it on.
Keep Fishing (Weezer) -- Rolling Stone Magazine called it a hard-rockin’ valentine. I’m inclined to agree. Besides, a video featuring the Muppets? This girl's in love. Question -- who is your favorite Muppet? I have two -- Gonzo and Pepe. Gonzo because he was so sweet and because I saw a lot of myself in him and Pepe because he's just flat out hilarious. Don't believe me? Check it out:
Whutchu Want (Nine) -- A hip hop gem begat to me by Willis begat to him by the man, the myth, the Brizz. I've been trying to figure out what this track interpolates for years now. Anyone out there know?
My Hero [Live] (The Foo Fighters) -- This song makes me wanna fling my boy shorts at Mr. Grohl and company. Hopefully, you’ll play it for someone and have the same sort of reaction.
Hold My Hand (New Found Glory) -- Coral Springs Easy Core at its finest. They put me in such a good mood, they remind me of a time when I wasn’t such totally old and lame and could actually handle being on the periphery of a moshpit. Now, not so much. Kids get all rowdy and I start looking for the nearest place I can get a ridiculously overpriced beer.
Proyecto Uno (El Tiburon) -- South Florida is sunshine and baked asphalt, Publix subs and sweet tea, flip-flops everywhere and meringue hip-hop blaring out of open car windows. I never really realized just how quiet my life is without it. Everytime I feel homesick, I pump up the volume on this track and pretty soon -- I'm back in SoFla again....even if it's 20 degrees and snowing outside.
Into The Groove (Madonna) -- While I'm not a fan of Madonna's latest incarnation (rhymes about soy lattes and Mini Coopers, odes to 16th century rabbis), I adore the old-school stuff. If you ever catch me dancing around in my underwear, odds are -- it'll probably be to an old-school Madonna track. (I'm just realizing that this is the second reference to underwear and music in this post. Hmmm...) For The Mothers In Paradise, For The Fatherless in Ypsilanti (Sufjan Stevens) -- You think banjo and the Deliverance score starts playing in your head, but Sufjan Stevens takes the banjo away from its rural roots and make it sound heartwrenchingly pretty and hipster-approved. I discovered this song thanks to The O.C. and it's been a staple of my most-played list ever since.
Soft Serve (Soul Coughing) -- A funky groove and delicious lyrics. Straight men and gay women -- wouldn't you want to be with a girl who had a body like soft serve?
On Bended Knee (Boyz II Men) -- Because when you're sorry, I mean really sorry -- Boyz II Men know exactly how you feel. See? Oh and Lisa Turtle, why you gotta be such a biggedy-bitch? I mean, damn! You never treated Screech right and now you're busting Wanya Morris' balls too? When will it end?
After spending two and a half hours rummaging through the greeting card racks at Target and Hallmark, I came to a simple conclusion -- Valentine's Day cards for men suck.
They're schlocky, contrived, ostentatious and last time I checked, men don't really give a shit about pink glitter or black-and-white images of kissing strangers.
That's why I made Dan his Valentine -- A piece of posterboard, a whole mess of construction paper and glue, the requisite sweet, punny Valentine and a far-from-complete litany of reasons why I love the guy so much.
Yes, there's something very elementary-school about making a valentine but I think I'm short enough to get away with it.
So, that's my valentine for Dan and here's my valentine for you. I've always believed that music ≥ love. That notes, chords and melodies can alternately break and heal a heart. That being said, here is a collection of tracks about love that I love. I hope you dig 'em too.
Fourteen For The Fourteenth
Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop -- Landon Pigg -- Also known as the song from the diamond commercial. It's lo-fi, very sweet and I don't know a girl who could resist being told that someone is falling in love with her.
Paperweight -- Joshua Radin feat. Schuyler Fisk -- Another sweet, lo-fi song about being happy to be in love. That's my favorite part, I think. Just hanging out in bed on the weekends and not wanting anything more in the world.
Broken -- Jack Johnson -- Another weekend morning track. A little Jack Johnson, some coffee and pancakes and sunshine streaming in through the window. It's pretty perfect.
Diamond Ring -- The Black Crowes -- One of my favorites from the Black Crowes. It captures the euphoria of being in love and that moment when you know you're ready to say, 'I do.'
All Day Love Affair -- Cee-Lo -- As you can probably tell by now, I'm not about the sweeping grandiosity of love. I dig the everyday stuff. Like the Soul Machine says, "Nothing compares to waking up this morning to you."
The Good Witch of the North -- Everclear -- What's got two thumbs and is a sucker for both Everclear and The Wizard of Oz? This girl. This track gets me every time. Especially the last lines.
As You Sleep -- Something Corporate -- When Dan and I were doing the long distance thing, I listened to this song ad infinitum. I remember never wanting to sleep because I considered it time wasted. Now, though? I think I have low-grade narcolepsy. If I'm warm and comfortable and Dan's next to me? Out like a light.
Love You 'Til The End -- The Pogues -- Fun fact about The Pogues? They were originally called Pogue Mahone -- the Anglicization of the Irish póg mo thóin, meaning "kiss my arse." And who says love is dead?
Two of Us -- The Beatles -- All love songs don't have to be epic paeans. Sometimes, sweet simplicity will do.
Here's Everything I've Always Meant To Say -- Jamison Parker -- I've been called 'cute' my whole life. In fact, think of any adjective you'd assign to a Labrador Retriever and odds are, I've been referred to as such. Then, I met Dan and he called me beautiful and he meant it and more so, I felt it.
When I first discovered this song, I developed a theory to go with it. I call it Aural Custody.
See, when you start dating someone, you invariable have 'your song' and every time you hear it, you get a little misty. But then, catastrophe strikes and you break up! Now, you're stuck with hating a song you once loved because it reminds you too much of your jerk-ass ex.
Luckily, my first ex boyfriend decided that our song should be All My Life by K-Ci and Jojo, so no great loss there.
But then, the dude I dated after that? Our song was I'll Be There For You/ You're All I Need To Get By by Method Man and Mary J. Blige which is actually a really good track. I mean, Marvin Gaye/Tami Terrell interpolation and sick production courtesy of The RZA -- what's not to like? Anyway, after we broke up, I could no longer appreciate this track without thinking of Admiral Dickface and that pissed me off. This is a great song. Why should I have to give it up because of some asshole?
So, I came up with aural custody and the musical pyramid. This way should the worst happen, you don't end up hating a piece of music you really loved.
Yes, I am fully aware that I probably love music more than I love people and I'm OK with that. Like Sapphire said, "They don't even know what it is to be a fan. Y'know? To truly love some silly little piece of music, or some band, so much that it hurts."
Anyway, back to the pyramid:
You start off at the base with some generic love song. Something sweet but relatively harmless. A nice little Dave Matthews track. Crash Into Me, perhaps. Sweet enough that you smile when you hear it, but innocuous enough that you won't have a meltdown in the produce section of the grocery store.
Then, Phase Two -- a little more personal but fairly generic. Glycerine by Bush, maybe? Or Stellar by Incubus (P.S. -- Happy Valentine's Day, ladies and gay gentlemen. The shirtless rockstars are for you).
Phase Three -- More personal, less generic. You're getting serious...but not serious enough to give this person custody of your favorite song. Not yet, anyway. Joshua Radin's cover of Only You is a good choice as is Walking After You by the Foo Fighters.
and finally, Phase Four -- the top of the pyramid. If this was A Link To The Past, you'd be gearing up for a boss battle with Ganon, but you're doing something far more dangerous. You are willing giving custody of something you love to someone else. At this point, you trust them with your heart and more importantly, with your favorite song be it Wild Horses, an Elliot Smith b-side or a Billie Holiday gem.
Amazing music you want to listen to again and again.
I'm looking for music primarily in the rock genre but would also appreciate some really good, old-school soul.
Never underestimate the power of a good soul classic. For example -- last night while I was blow-drying my hair, I heard the strains of Sam Cooke emanating from the bedroom and when I popped my head out, Dan swept me up and we spent the next couple of minutes dancing to You Send Me in the bathroom. What can I tell you? The kid's a romantic.
So, if anyone can recommend some well-written, non-schlocky love songs -- I would really appreciate it.
The songs you would use if you were making a mix CD for someone you loved.
Thanks guys!
P.S.
Andrea -- this one's for you. I figure you'd appreciate it:
I've become addicted to Flickr Favorites again. I just go to Flickr, type in any random word, sort by 'most interesting' and find a plethora of gorgeous and inspiring imagery. It's also fun to type in really abstract concepts and see what pops up. Example? I typed in the word 'divine' and got photographs of a cathedral, a sandwich, a hotel, a Blythe doll and a scrap of paper with an Arthur C. Clarke quote scribbled on it.
Anyway, while Flickring around, I discovered this image
and it got me thinking about the perfect mixtape.
Since I missed the mixtape revolution by a hair, I kick it new-school with mix CDs. I love them, constantly make them and am a firm believer that like love, a good mix CD can make a poet out of a mute man.
That being said, here is my perfect mixtape -- a compilation of songs I love fiercely. Songs that whisk me back to a specific time and place in the first three notes. I have all of these tracks on my hard drive, so if you take a fancy to any of them -- let me know and I'll hook you up.
The Perfect Mixtape
Local God by Everclear: Featured on the William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet soundtrack, this was my first introduction to what became my favorite band during my teenage years. It's noisy, raucous, rebellious and they use the F word. In short, a perfect teenage track.
Dressed To Kill by New Found Glory: Another track reminiscent of my adolescence. I remember unrequited serious "like" being a big theme of my teenage years and the lyrics really hit home for me -- "I can't stop pretending/That you're forever mine/And I can't dream anymore since you left/I miss you singing me to sleep." (Although, I should clarify that no-one ever sang me to sleep. None of the boys I liked in high school were ever that romantic)
My Hero by the Foo Fighters: It's like drummer Taylor Hawkins is riding a stampede of elephants through your central nervous system. And I love the lyric, "There goes my hero/He's ordinary." I really like that idea -- just a regular guy...who happens to be someone's hero.
Stars by Hum*: It starts off as quiet and pretty as a lullaby...and then, the stompbox kicks in and the bonecrushing guitars and drums take off. When I was learning to play guitar (a disaster that reminds me of a line from The Simpsons wherein one of the Flanders children asks their father if Reverend Lovejoy is "killing that guitar"), I actually learned to play the opening of this song. There's something pretty amazing about recreating notes that you love...even if they don't sound nearly as good on your crappy little Squire.
The Power of Love by Huey Lewis and The News: Impossible to hear this song without thinking about Marty McFly. Maybe it's not the hippest song on the list, but you can't deny that hearing it makes you smile. Just a little.
Pride and Joy by Stevie Ray Vaughan*: I first learned about Stevie Ray Vaughan freshman year of college. His music was recommended to me, I downloaded a bunch of it, I fell head-over-heels in love and then, I discovered that Vaughan had tragically died in a helicopter crash eleven years prior. My heart was broken. I know I'll always have the music, but the fact that Guitar Hurricane will never come to play in my town? It hurts.
Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin: The apex. The alpha and the omega, baby. Just like a snake charmer entrances cobras, this song hypnotizes the hips. Revving them up like a '67 Cherry Red Mustang. This isn't making love. This isn't even sex. It's the best, longest, dirtiest, most-eye-rolling, heavy-breathing, back-scratching, moaning-screaming-panting-Oh-God fuck you've ever had in your life. And the extended version is 23 minutes long (tell me that's not the best endorsement for a song you've ever heard).
Freebird by Lynyrd Skynyrd: You can take the girl out of the south...And besides, it's Freebird. Come on.
Hotel California by The Eagles: We had the Hotel California album on vinyl when I was a little kid and my dad used to play it all the time. I think it was the first record my sister and I ever listened to all the way through. I also remember having this moment of satori when I realized that Lyin' Eyes was a story within a song.
Cherish by Madonna: Old-school Madonna is one of the greater pleasures in my life. The Immaculate Collection is one of those great albums I can put on at any given time and feel completely sunny and cheery two tracks in.
Juicy by Notorious B.I.G.: I'm not a hip hop head by any stretch of the imagination, but I do love and respect the form. While I'm not so much a fan of the 'booty booty booty booties rockin' everywhere', the 'knob slobbin' and the 'chicken wangs and bottles of Dom,' I do appreciate the deft intelligence, searing wit and urban Algerian folklore that comes with really good hip hop. This track contains all those things and a sick sample of Mtume's Juicy Fruit.
Wild Horses by The Rolling Stones: The world's most perfect song. Honey-dipped guitar chords, Jagger's plaintive cry and incredibly beautiful visceral imagery.
* Can we take a second to talk about how car companies have been pimping out my favorite songs to schill automobiles? I realize someone connected to the musicians sold you the rights, but when I think of Pride and Joy or Stars, I don't want to think about a crappy Altima or Caddy.
