Rest In Peace Phoebe Snow

I just found out that Phoebe Snow past away on April 26th. I also didn't know she suffered a brain hemorrage almost a year ago. I hope now she is at peace. What an incredible voice.

Song of the Week - Loving You Tonight

Here's where I hate iTunes sometimes. I couldn't remember the complete name of this song so I typed in Loving You...this song didn't come up. Seriously, their search engine can suck sometimes. Luckily, my favorite local radio station ALICE 97.3 FM played it about a dozen times this week.

Tom Haverford Knows Camping!

It's been very crazy over at Colleenie's Couch and I haven't been able to blog too much this week. I did catch up on some TV last night, what did I ever do before DVR's? Parks and Recreation sure has come into it's own this season. I laughed so hard during this episode, my sides literally hurt! I'm not a high maintenance gal, but camping is one thing that doesn't really appeal to me. Nature walks, sure, bugs and peeing on the ground, not so much. I certainly wouldn't mind camping with Tom though!

The Productive Writer

Book Review - The Productive Writer by Sage Cohen
If you’re reading this blog you probably have a blog of your own. If you have a blog of your own then I’m sure you’re constantly looking for ways to find more time to write. Well after reading this book by Sage Cohen, it’s going to be difficult to make excuses.

The Productive Writer breaks down all of your writing time and leads you down the path of productivity. In 20 Chapters that cover everything from scheduling your social media to using your commute time, no stone is left unturned. One great tip was to have a workstation in a box. A pre-prepared box of everything you need to set up shop is a great solution to those of us that are space challenged. I personal have a desk, but it’s in the living room and it’s a shared space with other family members.

Overall, I found most of the tips and ideas very useful and I look forward to incorporating them into my life. However I do find that these types of books forget how many hours a traditional job takes up. I often feel like I’m not accomplishing enough, then I remember that my full-time job is not eight hours a day. For starters, people don’t get paid for lunch hours. I’ve been working for 26 years now and I’ve always had to be at work for nine hours because of the lunch break. Now if you factor in travel time, cooking dinner, clean up, homework assistance, weekday errands, prepping for the next day…yeah, there’s not a lot of time left. I leave the house at 7:15am, use my lunch hour to pick my son up from school, go back to work, get home at 5:30 (if I don’t have to go to the library, grocery store, bank, hospital pharmacy or lord knows where else!) then start dinner, eat and proceed to do whatever million items need to be tended to. Don’t forget that if you have children they seem to have endless evening functions you must attend. I have two this week alone. All these disruptions make it difficult to stick to a schedule. When I finally do have a free evening, I want to sit on my butt and do nothing.

Yet, we are all here so we must be driven by that force we can’t control. We need to create and we’ll constantly try to find ways to stretch out that same 24 hours. If I didn’t feel guilty for sitting on my butt, I would have never purchased this book in the first place, right?

One great addition with this book is online downloadable charts and schedules. I’ll definitely start using the social media schedule right away.

I’ve tabbed many sections of this book and it’s one that I will keep close by, even though I still feel I’m a ways away from calling myself a productive writer. The tips are practical and useful and the tone of the book is very encouraging. I felt like Ms. Cohen is on my side trying to help me make the most of my scarcely available writing time.

Song of the Week - The Cave

I love these guys! Their Grammy performance was the best of the night because they looked so happy to be there. So far, I have loved the first two singles off of this album. Cash is a bit tight right now. My last iTunes purchase was the album to benefit Japan, I had to make that purchase. Mumford and Sons is next on my list though. I hope to have a full album review soon.

Audiences Want A Foul-Mouthed King's Speech

Ratings and The King’s Speech

Last week, The King’s Speech was released with a PG-13 rating. This means that the very funny and important scene where Colin Firth’s future King of England spouts the F-word repeatedly, will be altered or cut entirely.

It’s a shame that in an otherwise chaste film, the producers feel it’s necessary to alter this scene. I certainly hope this does not become a new trend.

I actually applauded this film as jumping on the bandwagon for the year of the F-word. CeeLo Green’s F*** You and Mumford and Sons hit Little Lion Man also prominently features the great F-word. Look at me; I censor it too, so maybe we’re simply not ready. However, if we’re attempting to keep this word from children…give me a break! Every cable show simply bleeps it out when it’s obvious what is being said. If Snookie is on a drunken tirade on Jersey Shore and she’s being bleeped, I don’t think kids think she’s saying Fudge!

It’s hard to believe that you can’t explain to kids that the F-word was being used in the context of The King releasing himself and allowing his walls to come down. The makers of this film also need to realize that very young kids would find this film horribly boring so they do not have to worry about six or eight years olds getting the wrong impression. Honestly, they would be asleep before that scene comes on screen. PG-13 means teen right? Seriously, you cannot communicate with older kids that there are words you hear, but it’s not okay to repeat them?

Colin Firth has been very vocal about not supporting this change. The Studios seem to have the feeling that this brings the film to the masses, but if you want a lame watered down version, why not wait until it’s on TV?

The rating of PG-13 was not added until the 80’s when the violence level in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, seriously pushed the limits of what could be considered family entertainment. In the film a guy ripped someone’s pulsing heart out of their chest! The extra in-between rating also helped to develop a new category for films with mild sex scenes and of course, foul language. Yet somehow, the F-word in still considered too much for young peoples ears. So again, you can rip out someone’s pulsing heart from their chest but that little four letter word can never be without the context of an otherwise, completely PG-13 film.

As I write this I’m watching repeats of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia on Comedy Central. It’s 9pm and Sweet Dee just said s**t. They say it at lease once every episode, on basic cable! Can you explain this to me? Hello, antiquated ratings board, wake up and join all of us in the real world.

Song of the Week - Suddenly

billy ocean - suddenly by kareem93
Suddenly – Billy Ocean

Well this weekend my daughter goes to her Senior Prom, so yes I’m feeling nostalgic. My Prom theme song was Simple Minds, “Don’t You Forget About Me,” but this was the song I couldn’t wait for the DJ to play. You probably only remember Billy Ocean for that horrible, “Get Out of My Dreams and Into My Car” song. His voice is gorgeous isn’t it? I wish I could have found a better clip because this is one of the most beautiful love songs of the 80’s and it deserves some respect. I remember hoping it would play so I could slow dance with my date. It did, we did, it was awesome…totally!