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!

Can You Believe That I Haven't Seen - Saw

Welcome to my third installment in this series. In January I watched The Shawshank Redemption, February was three hours with The Godfather and for March I spent some time with Jigsaw by finally watching Saw.

In the grand scheme of great movies, it’s not strange that I never watched Saw. This is a specific type of genre that you’re either into or you’re not. The reason I decided to finally give it a try is because so many people over the years told me I would like it.

My brother-in-law made the mistake of mentioning that he always meant to watch this too, so I recruited him as my movie buddy when he came over this weekend. Then my husband, who was not going to watch it, ended up taking a seat and getting involved in the story line.

Well, I think there are six Saw movies now so I probably don’t need to tell anyone the plot, but just in case, this deranged dude kidnaps people and sets them up in would you rather situations. Like, would you rather dig inside this guy’s stomach and find a key to unlock the bear trap I put on your face, OR be chicken and die when the trap timer goes off and explodes your head? Simple, ordinary stuff.

I was most surprised by how non-gory this film was. I think each film began to push the envelope a bit more, but this first time out, the gore was quite low. I will say that the plot held my interest, even if I wasn’t completely won over. I did feel they fell into cliché several times when bad guys were caught and not shot at. Really? I’m mean we’re not talking about someone caught robbing your house so you’re holding a gun on them. This is a sicko; you’re going to plug the guy! Hey, maybe that’s just me.

As a fan of the TV series Lost, it was quite freaky to see both Miles and Ben in this film. I felt like I was the last to know a something.

In the end, this film was okay. I don’t regret watching it, but it didn’t convert me to a fan of the genre. And I’m certainly not running out to rent II thru VI! At least now, though, if I say I don’t care for these types of films and someone chimes in with, “Well you should see Saw.” I can say, “Yeah, I saw that.”

Sidenote* I did find him pretty funny on his little trike!

Next month – Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

Song of the Week - One More Night

A couple of weeks ago I read an article that Phil Collins is retiring from music. Apparently, he has a physical limitation that makes drumming difficult and he claims that he’s sort of done with all of it anyway. It really made me feel like you don’t realize how much you’ll miss someone until they’re gone. I started thinking about all the great Phil songs. Of course “Against All Odds” is fantastic and for a white guy, he did a pretty decent remake of The Supremes, “You Can’t Hurry Love.”

“One More Night” has always been one my favorites. He says the line so many times, it should annoy the heck out of you, but instead his pleading really does make you want to give him one more night.

Phil always seemed like a nice guy to me. He was a regular bloke who could sing and play piano and bang the drums like nobody’s business. I even saw Phil in concert back in the 80’s. When he did “In the Air Tonight,” he brought the house down! I’ll miss you Phil. I hope you enjoy yourself, and we’re here if you ever want to come back.

Half A Life - Book Review

About a month ago I was driving home from work and had a close call.

We have a very long bike trail in my county. It links all our surrounding cities together and is widely used. Parts of the trail though must end and you’re forced to cross through auto traffic before you can pick it up again. These transitions are set up safely. The section for my encounter has a traffic light; the biker just decided not to obey it. He ran a red light and crossed right in front of my car. I was going the speed limit of 40mp and had to slam on my brakes. I’m not a honker. I really think honking should be used to alert other drivers of danger and nothing more. Honestly though, I laid into that horn! And what did this douchebag, that I could have killed, do? He flipped me off! He ran a red light and if he was going faster, if I was going slower, if things were timed one more second either way, I could’ve killed this guy. Even though he was completely in the wrong, I had this split second flash of my brain not comprehending what was in front of me. I remember thinking, “Why is something right in front of me? That doesn’t make any sense.” BRAKE! A few blocks later I thought about how horrible I would have felt even though it would not have been my fault. If my fate was entwined with the extermination of a life, it would be a large cross to bear. This experience reminded me of a book I recently read, but never got around to writing the review.

I have not read Darin Strauss’ fiction. Actually, I just remembered, I started reading More Than It Hurts You, but it was on loan from the library and I couldn’t finish it in time. I think I picked up a used copy at some point, but obviously, still did not read it.

Anyway, this book is far from fiction. It’s a memoir, but only about one specific time in Mr. Strauss’ life. When he was a teenager, he struck a bicyclist with his car. She was a teenager too and the accident killed her.

What’s different about this book is how he was never blamed for what was deemed as an accident. However, this does not escape him from feelings of guilt and responsibility. It’s an interesting examination and carefully written by Strauss. It’s clear that this is not a pity-party and he’s cautious of the fact that one person is dead and the one that is alive never wants you to feel he was the unfortunate one of the situation.

It’s important for people to know though how this psychologically affects a person. Even though an investigation did not find him at fault, you know some people actually do think you’re to blame and in some ways, you do too. Why weren’t you more aware? Why couldn’t you see it coming or reacted faster? This, of course, would replay in your mind forever.

It doesn’t help that the girl’s parents decided to sue Darin after it was already determined that he was not at fault. This dead-end court case looms over him during his college years and has a hold on him that I could not imagine carrying around at that young age.

I was attracted to this book for somewhat sadistic reasons. Hitting someone with my car is one of my top fears in life. I did not learn to drive until I was 30 years old and I really don’t get behind the wheel more than I have to. I never drive on the freeway and if I’m going into my beloved San Francisco, I’ll take public transportation thank you! So it probably wasn’t the best idea in the world for me to read this. Sometimes I think I’ll be better if I rip off the band-aid and immerse myself in “the worst that can happen.”

Fortunately, this is a small book, so just when you feel that you can bare it no longer, it’s over. For Darin Strauss, I’m sure this was more a therapeutic exercise than a literary work. Writers need to write these things out and I hope by putting this experience on the page it has helped him achieve another level on the road towards peace.