I'm moving!

Not to a new house or anything, this is far less dramatic.

I've decided to migrate my blog to a new host. So please check out the new location, and update your Bloglines and blog rolls, folks!

http://dancerindc.wordpress.com/

Hope to see you real soon at the new location, and I look forward to feedback on what you think.

Blast From Your Past

Here's another musical challenge for you folks:

What is the last song or album you purchased that's an "oldie" - one that you remember from your youth and just had to have?

photo courtesy of TheAssociationWebsite.com

Yesterday I had to download "Cherish" by The Association. (You might also have heard of the band from their other big hits, "Never My Love," "Along Comes Mary," and "Windy.") It was mentioned in the book I'm currently reading (Flesh and Blood by Michael Cunningham), and my mind whipped back to the days I was a young kid, listening to tunes from the 60's and 70's in my parents' Chevrolet. That was the age of The Carpenters, The 5th Dimension, and of course The Temptations.

I've already mentioned in this space that my all-time favorite oldies song is "Then He Kissed Me" by The Crystals. Although the opening scene from Adventures in Babysitting was a big factor in my love for that song, it was the record in my friend's vintage jukebox that solidified it in my memory for all time. So simple, so perfect.

Now it's your turn - tell me what old song you just have to have on your playlist!

Back to Basics

Oy! What a stressful couple of weeks. No need to go into detail, let's just say it's a whole lot of, "Thank goodness THAT'S over."

It's been so busy I haven't been able to keep up with my entertainment either! No movies, no plays, not even an art show. All I've been able to do is catch a bit of basic TV via the wonders of TiVo.

Well, not always a "wonder." I discovered that conscious human input helps make TiVo work better. Case in point - the machine isn't able to anticipate I want a season pass to The Amazing Race if I don't tell it so. And it won't know that CBS + football = consistently late airings. Translation: I have only seen 30 minutes of TAR so far! Sucktitude. So I can't catch you up. Suffice it to say, some couple is awful to each other, and old people don't last long.

Also in reality news, I did try the premiere of Survivor. (What? I told you to tell me not to, and you didn't.) It was totally the same old thing, nothing has changed. Even the sight of a gay crush and men doing yoga in their underwear wasn't enough to keep me watching.

But there is a beacon of hope in the darkness - How I Met Your Mother, which is still very, very funny! Thankfully Ted came to his senses and came around to the idea that New Jersey is a lovely place. In fact, I am proud to say that whenever we go up to the Big Apple, we always stay in the uncrowded pleasant shores of Jersey. Robin going overseas? Unacceptable!

Top Model recap - Isis is gone! Sad. Clark is gone and no one cares. Lauren Brie? Guaranteed that she peaked too early. My pick to win is Sheena. And can I say that this past week's photo shoot was a bizarre concept? At least a couple photos were stunning.

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Project Runway - Kenley is a self-absorbed whiny bitch. And now everyone knows it! I still am going with my original prediction, that Korto wins.

That's enough for now - I'll try to get out of the house more and do something interesting!

Catching up on the library

It's been awhile since I reviewed for you the books I've been reading. This is in part because I'm now in a book club with friends! It's something I was hesitant about at first, but I find that I'm not only reading more, but so far the club books have all been pretty good. So here's a little catch up on what I've been reading in and out of the club.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman - This engrossing novel takes a personal approach to an epic tale. The gods of various religions and mythologies are living amongst us, but are in a bitter battle against the new gods of man - television, radio and celebrity. This is one that really had us talking in book club, which is the sign of a great novel. Gaiman's book Stardust was also recently made into a (pretty decent) movie.


The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta - Although I didn't love this one, which pits a liberal sex ed teacher against a born again soccer coach, we did talk about it in club for a long time. I think it can really open the door for people to talk about religion and the roots of fundamentalism. Movie fans may recognize Perrotta as the screenwriter and author of Little Children.



Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris - I just finished this one, so we haven't talked about it in book club yet. It's certainly not what I was expecting - I thought it would be a light-hearted tale of office politics and shenanigans, but it is in reality far more serious. I feel ambivalent about it right now.





World Without End by Ken Follett - You might remember my earlier post saying I was going to tackle this tome, and I did finally complete it. Although it's not as fully satisfying as The Pillars of the Earth, it still reads with the same driving excitement that makes you want to see how it all plays out. Follett is still one of my favorite authors (when he writes historical epics).



Luna by Julie Anne Peters - An emotionally charged story about a transgender teen, I kept wanting it to be more than it was. It will certainly prove to be a great way to gently educate readers on the inner turmoil of a transgender person, but as a novel, it falls short.

Unheroic

If you recall in my earlier post, I decided I would give Heroes one last chance to redeem itself. After the vastly disappointing second season, the writers had a lot of making up to do. So last night the show returned with a 2-hour premiere. And just how was it?

Meh.

I did see some sparks of life that reminded me of the show that once was. Claire vs. Sylar in her own home. The potential twist that Ando becomes a supervillain in the future. And Mama Petrelli's startling cliffhanger statement:

Sylar: You're not my mother!
Mama P: Oh but darling...I am.

I swear, if the show was just about her, I'd still be watching. Cristine Rose - fabulous actress.

But that really just wasn't enough to keep me looped in. There was still so much season 2 mess to clean up that I got bored quickly. Future Peter? Go back, please. Mohinder is with Maya - wait, why is she still on this show? Oh, and he suddenly loses all of his rationale and injects himself with an experimental substance. Sylar kills everyone, and Kristen Bell's character is still lame. That little revelation about Ando? Hiro casually mentions it to him, using up any potential plot tension.

I give up. I've got better things to do with my Monday nights, anyway. Barney and Robin on How I Met Your Mother - will they or won't they? THAT is an interesting plot point.