Monday, November 14, 2011

I'm, I'm Just Being Honest...

Saw this the other day and almost died of cuteness overload. Apparently this video's been out for a while and I'm late, but I just had to share. (The channel on YouTube has more videos of them too.)


Hey Ya! OH, OH!

Saturday, November 12, 2011

The "Less-Fortunate" (On Being Poor)

A while ago I came across an article on cracked.com (hilarious humor website. if you like sarcasm, check it.) titled:

5 Things Nobody Tells You About Being Poor

Despite me laughing out loud at the sarcastic humor in said article, ALL FIVE THINGS WERE TRUE. And it got me to thinking: we're always talking about how rich people should help those who are "less fortunate" by donating time to shelters and soup kitchens, items to food banks and churches, and money to charities and foundations.

But what about the people (and I count myself among them) who are too "rich" for food banks but live paycheck to paycheck? Who helps them?

This is what the cracked article was mainly about in many ways. The concept of "the poor" has long been conflated with the image of "the homeless". And while we should help those who are homeless, the majority of the poor are not. They eat (perhaps not 3 square meals a day) and wear clean clothes and work steady jobs. They are not slackers or beggars. They are not homeless and destitute. They are POOR. Sometimes because of bad decisions. Always because of circumstance. And often "poor" is not an adjective that describes a single family or a neighboorhood. It more often qualifies GENERATIONS. In this country, you can honestly (statistically) say that if you were born poor, there's a good chance that you will stay poor... and so will your children.

Now I'm not saying that upward mobility doesn't happen (I'm sure hoping that I will be proof of that one day soon--- and in some ways I already am), but I think it's about time that we stop what I like to call adjectivizing people (when those who are less fortunate become THE "less-fortunate" or like when those who come into the country illegally become "illegals") as a way to distance ourselves. We need to realize that WE are "the poor" and then do something about it.

We can't all be upper-middle class, rich or billionaires, but I believe it is possible for every single person, family, and neighborhood to live above the poverty line, which for 2011 was a $22,350 for a family of four.

Politicians? Let's start with that, k?

Friday, November 11, 2011

FtLoTV: The Half-Hour Comedy (Sitcom)

(I finally did it guys! First real post in the series. Better late than never right? LOL!)

Remember Friends? You know, the delightful, laugh-out-loud, ensemble-cast, scripted, situational comedy (sitcom) that aired for 10 years? I know you remember the back and forth of Ross & Rachel's romance, when Chandler & Monica finally came out of the closet, the realization that Phoebe might be normal once we met her twin sister Ursula, and the "How you doin'?" that was Joey's signature phrase. You know you know all the words to, "I'll Be There For You." You've even got the timing of the clap. You saw the series finale, the 236th episode, full of babies, laughter and a hint of sadness. I mean, how sad was it when they left Monica's apartment for the last time? And how relieved were you when you found out that Ross and Rachel finally got it right?

Yes, I am writing about these fictional characters as if they were real people, still living their lives, albeit without the camera lens, simultaneously the microscope and the window into their world, pointed in their direction. But that's the point isn't it? Sometimes television is SO GOOD that you get invested.

Friends is hands-down one of the most successful sitcoms in the history of television. Hell, each of the six main cast members were bringing in ONE MILLION DOLLARS PER EPSIODE in the final season. If you do a little math: 18 episodes x 6 million dollars = 108 million dollars paid in the final season for the principal cast ALONE--- and remember, this money is for 22 minutes of screen time.

Money aside, clearly both the network (NBC) and the viewers thought this was quality--- dare I say it?--- GREAT television. Nowadays, sitcoms seem few and far between, at least the good ones. The 80's, 90's and early 2000's were chock full.* There was:

Mad About You, Boy Meets World, 3rd Rock from the Sun, 8 Simple Rules, Cheers, Dougie Houser, Full House, Fresh Prince, The Parkers, The Steve Harvey Show, Golden Girls, Hanging with Mr. Cooper, Just Shoot Me, Better Off Ted, Living Single, Married With Children, The Nanny, Reba, Martin, My Name is Earl, Home Improvement, Becker, Girlfriends, Everybody Hates Chris, Dharma & Greg, The Cosby Show, A Different World, Scrubs, Sister Sister, Will & Grace, What I Like About You, Veronica's Closet, Frasier, etc.

... just to name a few. And all these shows ran for at least three seasons, something many shows these days are finding hard to do.

So what is it? Is the sitcom dying? I think not. There are some good sitcoms on TV, especially with the influx of new blood in the Fall 2011 season.

So here it is: the good, the bad, the ugly, and the GREAT.**

The GOOD

Raising Hope. I must admit, when I saw the write-up for this last year, I was not impressed. Considering the premise was that a serial killer got knocked up by an average 25 year-old Joe, who, when she was executed, had to take care of the baby, I did not see how the show could last. There are only so many episodes in that storyline. But all it took was one episode and I was hooked. And considering it's in it's second season, I guess a lot of other people were too.

Honorable Mentions: Whitney, The Big Bang Theory, New Girl

The BAD

Two and a Half Men. I never really watched it regularly before the Charlie Sheen fiasco, but I thought I'd give Ashton Kutcher a try. And while I admire the almost seamless replacement of the lead character, it's still not that funny. Perhaps it's like Seinfield and I just don't get it. And I guess sometimes, there's a joke in there that makes me say, "Ha. That was funny."*** But honestly, I just usually end up turning the channel.

Seriously sad: How To Be A Gentleman

THE UGLY

House of Payne. Though it does seem to be getting better, no one wants to watch someone make a complete ass of themselves EVERY EPISODE.**** It physically hurts. And immediately the viewer has to change the channel to something even SLIGHTLY less idiotic for fear of getting stupider.*****

Disgust: Meet the Browns (Really, Tyler Perry needs to do better.)

THE GREAT

If someone asked me, right now, what my favorite comedy on television was I'd have to say,

How I Met Your Mother

Why, you ask? Because not only is it GREAT television, (both the writing and the acting are superb!), but the lives of the characters are so outrageous, they are actually kind of relatable. And Neil Patrick Harris is so awesome in his role as Barney, sometimes I forget he's not actually his character. Plus, the writers weave in long-lasting storylines that sometime come up seasons later. LOVE IT!



Honorable Mentions: 2 Broke Girls, Happy Endings (it's the dialogue!), Cougar Town

Now, the two glaring omissions are Modern Family and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia which apparently go into the GREAT category, but there isn't enough time in the day to watch the many, many seasons I'm behind. So I'll take the word of their many fans :)


Opinions? Agree or Disagree? Sound off in the comment section. 2000 points for anyone who responds with a TV show they'd like me to rate or a question to answer :)

TTFN!

-----------
* The late 90's, early 2000's were, in my opinion, the golden era for black sitcoms. We should simultaneously thank and kick the WB and the CW for this era and it's downfall. Way to sell out guys!)

** This list does not include: Premium channel sitcoms (which are more 'dramedy' anyway) or animated shows, like Futurama, Drawn Together or Allen Gregory which are all awesome, by the way.

*** If something's sort of funny, I usually just state it. If I actually laugh out loud, then it's either really corny, or extremely hilarious. Those around me can usually tell the difference.

**** Embarass him/herself? YES. We eat that -ish up and think 'oh, I'm so glad that would never happen to me.' But act like a buffoon? NO. When it becomes so dumb that it's painful to watch, I wanna throw up a little in my mouth.

***** Yes, I know "stupider" is not a real word.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Recent (ish) Thoughts

On The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl: I know I'm late ya'll, but wasn't J's date with White Jay going so well until the arrival of "Slutty Nurse"?

On Halloween: Also what is with the introduction of the word Slutty in front of female Halloween costumes? Can't women just be regular nurses, pumpkins and witches? I mean, I pretty much hate Halloween with a hot and fiery passion, but it wouldn't suck as much if there wasn't an overabundance of random cleavage. And Also, I hate to break it to you (and by you, I'm referring to some random woman on a website I came across) there is no such thing as a Slutty Leaf. LEAVES ARE NOT SEXY. And neither is spider-web pantyhose. SPIDERS ARE NOT SEXY.

On Facebook: (status update) "Hey Facebook. You know what's really annoying? When the same person keeps popping up in my "People You May Know" section. Yes, I do know them. Yes, we have 91 friends in common. However, WE are NOT friends, which is why I clicked the little "X" on the right the last THREE times they popped up there. Please remember this time, k? Thanks."

On In Time: Horrible Title. Best Movie Premise Ever. Well worth a trip to the theater. P.S. Justin's pretty hott in this one guys.

On Tower Heist: Ben Stiller did not
disappoint :)

On going to the movies and making it a double feature: Seeing two movies, back to back actually saves you money; you only need to buy one bucket of popcorn. Also, twice the previews. Now I know about another 36 movies I want to see. It's a vicious cycle.

On Google+: Waste of time? Oh, I think so.

On my Father's willingness to go see Breaking Dawn with me: Priceless.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Job Hunting in Chicago or “Maybe I’m Getting Somewhere”

This morning, I got up earlier than I had in a long time in order to be on a 7:24 AM train to downtown Chicago. Why? To register with a temp agency that finally seemed excited to have someone on board with my skill set. YAY!

I knew going in that they wouldn’t immediately recommend me for a job (but I could hope!), yet I went there excited to finally be doing something—because sitting at home, staring at my computer and applying for jobs online sometimes makes me want to kick and scream in frustration.

So when I responded to a call from Kelley Services, I did think, that maybe, just maybe, this job search would finally produce fruit. In other words, I hoped that perhaps the temp-to-hire option would lead to something both equally permanent and interesting.

When I got there, Susan, my representative showed me the ropes. I took some tests (which basically told me that I was kick-ass at Word and PowerPoint and less so at Excel and typing), signed some forms and voilĂ !—technically I am an employed person. (I will not feel that way, however, until I am the recipient of steady paychecks.) But the experience was positive, beneficial and hope-giving (why yes, I did just make up an adjective). At the end of the day, I am just really excited to feel like I’m: A) valuable as an employee and B) making progress on my job search.

And while I will still be searching LinkedIn® and Monster® every day for job opportunities, I’m hoping that I can one day refer someone to Kelley Services and say, “Oh, yeah, you should go there! That’s where I got that wonderful job at [insert name of awesome company here]."

Friday, October 7, 2011

Small Child

It's early here. So early that the sun's not quite a sun, only light.
And it's cold. Cold enough that the edges of my window have registered the frost.

But it's quiet. So quiet without the noise of little one, the pitter-patter of
little feet on the hardwood floor. And suddenly I'm sad, bereft.

It doesn't last long. The sun is out. And the little one is here.
It's not so quiet now. And suddenly I miss the quiet of early morning,

and the frost on my windows. I close my eyes and
I imagine what my life would be like without him.

And I smile when I open my eyes and he is there.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Kenny

I saw him once. Well, to say it was once
would neither be accurate nor true.

I saw him many times, across from me
but only for that season. I wondered
about him; who he was and where he was
from. I made up stories in my head to
pass the time, lonely time, when I was sad.

I wonder: did I sit there on purpose?
Did I know "he" was what I needed then?
When I was sad and he was there and I
could dream? Create a fiction in my mind?
Perfection imagined and therefore safe.

He helped me. I know, because I made it.
I passed. And I did not cry. Not even once.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

HotnessinCelebrityForm: Summer Edition #1

Yeah, it's late. I know that summer's over. But now, once I show you all the wonderfulnessinmaleform that appeared on television this summer, you can go back and watch the episodes at your leisure without trying to catch-up and perhaps skip out on other activities to catch another glimpse at Ben Bass or Lyriq Bent.

And there were SO MANY hotties on TV this summer that we must do it by show in order to keep it straight. So here goes:

The Secret Life of the American Teenager

Yes, I watch this show. No, I am not a teenager. Yes, it is a guilty pleasure. No, I do not care if you judge me. Well, maybe a little. But it's just so wickedly GOOD.


Daren Kagasoff - Two Words: UNDERWEAR MODEL. I would say "nuff said," but then I'd be leaving out his better-than-average acting skills and the fact that he's 24 years old and doesn't strike me as a complete idiot. There's very little tabloid drama surrounding him (just think, Lindsay Lohan's not even a year older) and when he does interviews he doesn't act like a complete a-hole. That's enough for me to think that maybe, just maybe he'll make it to his role model Emile Hirsch's level, or better yet, maybe even Joseph Gordon-Levitt's. (Also, how gangster is a show whose 4th season premier was one week after the season 3 finale? 25 episodes in a row without missing a single week. That's dedication my friends.)

Rookie Blue

I mentioned both of these names above, but Lyriq Bent and Ben Bass are two of the hottest men to ever star in the same show. Seriously, I have a hard time concentrating when they're on the screen at the same time. And if you add in Eric Johnson (yeah, it's Whitney from Smallville), you got a veritable trifecta of hotnessincelebrityform.



Leverage

It's time to come clean and admit my obsession with Christian Kane (our love affair has been building since Angel). While I wouldn't go so far as to say that he's the love of my life, I will say that his hair kind of makes me want to have his babies. Did I mention he plays guitar... in a band? And then there's Aldis Hodge. While not as buff as Morris, or as well known as Taye, his sweetness on screen, coupled with the fact the his character is a hacker-with-a-heart (read nerdy) is enough to make most women melt. Plus, it's the smile. If I saw him in person, our smiles just might match. Oh, and he's on a motorcycle.









Covert Affairs

I have show-stalked Christopher Gorham from Popular to Ugly Betty (Betty's love interest, Henry) and now to Covert Affairs and he has only gotten hotter with age. His main character type rarely changes-- he always plays the nerdy guy girls can't help but fall in love with-- but in Covert Affairs as Augie, he's the hott, ex-army ranger turned CIA tech man whose six-pack leaves one breathless. (Don't believe me? See for yourself.) And despite the fact that I'm constantly pissed off that he and Annie (the leading lady in CA) haven't just torn each other's clothes off already, the show's worth watching in spite of that. Plus he and his real-life family are so ridiculously CUTE!

And the reason he's last on this entry? Because when I say I like tallskinnydarkhairedwhiteguys, he's the archetype.


Till next time :)