Sex, Drugs & Cocoa Puffs

This was the March book club book, suggested by the other Amanda:

This book is a collection of 18 essays where each pop culture topic was hit on during the sleepy, unwinding moments before Chuck fell asleep. Interesting premise, I'd say. I hadn't read a collection of essays before, at least not willingly, so that caught my attention. I liked being able to jump around or skip an essay if it didn't really appeal.

Here is the full list of essays (from Wikipedia) (the ones in bold are my favorites):

• 1. This Is Emo: Klosterman recounts "fake love" we are conditioned to pursue, and the false, unbalanced nature of When Harry Met Sally.
• 2. Billy Sim: Klosterman describes his experience with the reality-mimicking videogame The Simsand how The Sims illustrates that "even eternally free people are enslaved by the process of living."
• 3. What Happens When People Stop Being Polite: The impacts of MTV's The Real World and how it led to the development of one-dimensional personalities.
• 4. Every Dog Must Have His Every Day, Every Drunk Must Have His Drink: An ode to Billy Joel, particularly the universality of his album Glass Houses.
• 5. Appetite for Replication: Klosterman interviews and spends a few days with the members of aGuns N' Roses tribute band, "Paradise City," and outlines the significance of tribute bands.
• 6. Ten Seconds to Love: An analysis of how American culture is upset with the unrealistic images of success it has created, as stemming from a discussion of the Pamela-Tommy sex tape.
• 7. George Will vs. Nick Hornby: A rant against soccer (particularly among youth), claiming it supports outcast culture.
• 8. 33: Klosterman explains how the 1980's rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics symbolizes all rivalries in life, including politics, religion, and race.
• 9. Porn: An explanation of how the Internet has proliferated the porn industry, as per the need of the presence of the amateur and celebrity in our lives.
• 10. The Lady or the Tiger: A brief history of the cereal industry, and how Kelloggs was begun as a religious company, but now is a microcosm for coolness. The "cocoa puffs" in the title comes from this essay.
• 11. Being Zack Morris: An analysis of Saved by the Bell and how "important things are inevitably cliché."
• 12. Sulking with Lisa Loeb on the Ice Planet Hoth: Why Star Wars is so overrated, and how it has come to represent basic morality.
• 13. The Awe-Inspiring Beauty of Tom Cruise's Shattered, Troll-like Face: A discussion of the question "What is reality?" as answered by movies such as Vanilla Sky, The Matrix, Memento, andWaking Life.
• 14. Toby over Moby: How the Dixie Chicks are the new Van Halen, as they are one of the only pop bands with musical quality, and how Van Halen's teenage boys have been replaced by the Dixie Chicks' teenage girls. Also how music taste is used to gauge coolness, and those who ignorantly say they like all kinds "except country" only say so to appear cool.
• 15. This is Zodiac Speaking: A description of three people Klosterman has interviewed who have known or met serial killers, and an exploration of "What does it mean to know a serial killer?"
• 16. All I Know Is What I Read in the Papers: Most of the media's bias is accidental, and stories are mainly developed by circumstance and by the interviewee who calls the journalist back first. Also how sports reporters hate sports, and how newspapers are designed for those who cannot read.
• 17. I, Rock Chump: Klosterman narrates his visit to the 2002 Pop Music Studies Conference by the Experience Music Project, and how it was largely an experience without rock and roll.
• 18. How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found: A commentary on the Left Behind Series and the lifestyle of Evangelical Christians. The chapter title refers to the book How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found by Doug Richmond.

I'm not going to discuss each of my favorite essays, but I will say this: if you like reading Bill Bryson, I recommend this book. Chuck has that same conversational tone and approach in his writing. On the flip side, if you liked this book, I recommend reading Bill Bryson (conversational tone stories about his travels; I read the book he wrote about his time in Australia).

My all time favorite part of the book was the interlude with the 23 questions he asks people in order to determine if he can really love them. How interesting a method to determine if you can love someone! Here is a sample question:

Question 18: You have won a prize. The prize has two options, and you can choose either (but not both). The first option is a year in Europe with a monthly stipend of $2K. The second option is ten minutes on the moon. Which option do you select?

That gives you an idea of the sort of questions Chuck asks. Some of them I had quick answers to; others I had to think about; still others I'm undecided about. For Question 18, however, I'd take the first option to see Europe! Visiting the moon would be out of this world (ha, get it?), but for ten minutes? Nah, I'd rather 524,160 minutes in Europe with a total of $24K to spend while there. I've always wanted to go to Europe. I've never had that same desire to visit the moon. I enjoy gazing at the moon in the night sky. I'd enjoy gazing at the moon in the night sky from Europe, too.

Wikipedia Article
Official Publisher Page

-Amanda

OMG, I Bought a TV

I know it's hard to believe, folks, but it's true. Honest!

It's a 32" Sylvania HDTV, 2 HDMI, and I forget the other details. It's been a little while since I bought it: I waited to post this until both Mom and Sam visited, so I could surprise them with the TV.

I don't really have the greatest reasons for making such a big purchase...

Reason 1) I was tired of watching movies on my laptop.
Reason 2) My mom expressed interest in my having a TV for when she visits me.
Reason 3) With TV being such a standard pass-time among so many people, friends wouldn't want to come back to my apartment after observing that I didn't have a TV, haha. I don't want to be thought of as a complete nut. = P

Anyway, there you have it. My budget allowed it, and it has been nice to have a 32" screen to watch movies on rather than huddling over my little laptop screen. I still don't watch TV, although my apartment provides it for free. It's there if I need the news or weather.

Next I'll be investing in a BluRay player and an audio system.


just after having lugged the boxes up 3 stories (thanks for your manly assistance, Aric!)



Kristin & I putting the TV stand together



using the clicker for the first time


Amanda

He Doesn't Like Tea

Sam's visit so far has been quite a good time! It's been lovely having him as a guest in my home and city and state. = )

He got in Thursday evening, and professed that he was starving and craving some Chinese food. We stumbled upon a tasty buffet that proved to be perfectly satiating. We got back to my apartment, I gave him the grand tour, he exclaimed how he loved it. It was a fun surprise for him that I had recently invested in an HDTV that could be used for his Xbox gaming antics. The only thing was Ashes' reaction to Sam, haha. The cat went into hiding immediately and would hiss at Sam when we tried to get Ashes out from under the beds. I'd never seen my beloved feline act in such a way, but whatever behavior that was seems to have gone. It was bizarre, I tell you, but all is well now between the two males. (Silly males...)

After Sam got settled into his quarters we went to see The Hangover. Absolutely hilarious! I loved Allen the best, haha! We were laughing throughout the entire film. Loved it. Sam and I were quoting it the rest of the night!

Friday I went to work and had a really dull time at the dentist in the afternoon. Sam slept until 1 or 2 and gamed the rest of the evening. That evening I decided I would purchase a Blu Ray DVD player to take full advantage of my HDTV. Naturally I had to buy my first Blu Ray DVD: Batman Begins. So Sam got to partake in the breaking in of my latest piece of technology and see an awesome movie (how he hadn't seen the entire movie before, I do not know). We stayed up until 3 AM, haha.

Saturday morning we hit Paradise Beach. The weather couldn't have been more perfect, and the waves were absolutely enormous! I'd never seen them so huge. We played in them for a good while before we tuckered out and retired to layout and relax. Neither of us were burnt; quite happy about that.



Sam & I at Paradise Beach, Melbourne




yours, truly


After the beach we stopped by our Aunt Joan's house so I could work on her computer (dead hard drive). While there I shared Aunt Joan's Ice Cream Sandwiches treat with Sam (it would have been wrong of me not to). Upon returning to Orlando we had some Taco Bell that we had at my apartment complex's poolside. Turns out some of my friends from work who recently moved into my complex were hanging out at the pool. Sam and I enjoyed their company, and I proved myself in a little freestyle race, hehe. I tried to warn Jeremy that I was a bit experience in the great sport of swimming. = P Afterwards Sam and I hung out at the apartment and I got some good reading in for my first book club Meetup. I'm about half-way through Fahrenheit 451 now. I really like it, but more on that later.

Today the two of us spent our day at Busch Gardens, Tampa. Boy, was it fun! It had been a few years since I'd been to a theme park, and who better to spend a roller coaster day with than my baby brother!



Sam & I on the tram to the entrance of Busch Gardens, Tampa


I think SheiKra was our favorite; we rode it twice we liked it so much! It's a short ride, but totally awesome because of the straight-down drops!



The Big Drop on SheiKra


Busch Gardens is a great park because there is more than just roller coasters and miscellaneous rides (the Flight of the Phoenix was my second favorite, by the way - think Kings' Island's Viking Ship but one that goes all the way upside down and in full circle!). Anyway, Busch Gardens is also a zoo! I was like a little kid when we passed by the safari animals on the train ride! Elephants, rhinos, ostrich, giraffe (my favorite this time - usually it's tigers/lions but we only saw one tiger), zebra, an ant eater, and, of course, crocs and gators! I really liked the flamingos, too!



me with the flamingos


Everywhere you looked there were topiaries! I liked the tiger and the lion the best.




Me with the terrifying tiger topiary




Sam & I at the end of the day, next to the majestic lion topiary


Amanda

PS - in case you're wondering what the title of this entry has to do with anything, Sam and I had a candid conversation where he stated how he didn't like any type of tea. The way in which he stated it was very funny because it was exactly like Bubba explaining all the types of shrimp meals his momma could cook up. = ) Tea has become a bit of a running joke for me and Sam.

Folden Visit

Over the Fourth of July weekend some very dear friends of mine stopped in for a lovely visit. It was such a treat to have Kristin & Aric as guests for a few days. It was ungodly hot on the Fourth of July, but we strolled around Lake Eola and took in some of the festivities (including fishy caramel popcorn - ugh, haha!), and then I showed them my favorite place in Orlando: The Drunken Monkey, a fantastic coffee house that I frequent often. It was there that I taught Aric how to play Backgammon. We also "had" to bum around our beloved Waterford Lakes Town Center Barnes & Noble!

By the way, I've never seen Ashes take to people so well as he took to Kristin & Aric. They loved him and he sure did enjoy their company. I loved watching the three of them "race" to Ashes' "room," haha! Too funny!

The next day the Foldens (awe, it sounds so pleasant, doesn't it? The Foldens...) joined me at church. Afterwards they helped me tackle the acquisition of a TV. Aric was very manly and brought it up three flights of stairs to my apartment; the stand, too, which was considerably heavier than the TV. While Kristin and I assembled things, Aric made Folden Chili (sans corn, hehe), and it was delicious! He made lots so that I'd have some to eat through my coming work week. That evening we watched Sunshine on my brand new HDTV and I taught Kristin to play Backgammon (she came around to it) while we did Queen Helene Mint Julep facial masks.

Needless to say, it was a wonderful weekend. = )


Kristin & I



Mr. & Mrs. Folden


Amanda

Indiana Visit

It was so wonderful to see my family! I missed them SO much! Dad picked me up from the airport, so we caught up on the ride home. He was happy to hear that I'd been getting involved with the OCC. That night I survived the barrage of questions fired by my folks (mostly Mom, hehe) about how life was going for me down in Orlando. I assured them that all was well, and we called it a night. Cali is still her rambunctious self, and Creasy has a new hair-do which, as everyone agrees, suits him better.

Friday I slept in, which was unintentional but awesome. I got my hair cut for 50% of the price (yippie!), picked up movie tickets for the group for X-Men, and stopped by the mall and picked up a cool grey and cream striped scarf. It reminded me of Australia.

After being rowdy with Chucky and leaving Dad a hilarious voicemail, haha, Mom, Dad, Chucky & I went to dinner at Fazoli's to load up on carbs for the big race the next morning. I actually drank half a cup of Cherry Coke. I dunno why. After dinner we went to the movies.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine was an action-packed movie! Of the comic book films, X-Men is my favorite, so, naturally, I really enjoyed the flick. Hugh Jackman is a favorite actor of mine, which promoted me to enjoy the film that much more. The story line was pretty decent, and I liked learning about the story behind Wolverine. I didn't care too much for Ryan Reynold's character, but whatever. The film was still quite entertaining.


X-Men Origins: Wolverine



Saturday was the Indianapolis Mini 500 half-marathon; see the post devoted to that event. That evening I headed up to Purdue after soaking in the hot tub and napping a bit - I miss the hot tub!

I had a great visit at Purdue. The most overwhelming feeling was the nostalgia of the last 4.5 years of my life. It was really really strange at times. Part of it is due to the fact that the most recent and best year of my stay at Purdue involved Adam, and we're not the same anymore, so when I was at Purdue it was as if part of it was missing. But upon digging back into the years, back to the days of Earhart and parties at Roy's and Jason/Jared/Josh's, and movie nights at Steve's and the Triathlon Club and NROTC and - I enjoyed remembering my whole Purdue experience. But it was still so bizarre being back as a graduate, haha.

Anyway, I met up for dinner at NIBS with Feras, Alex, Devin, the Sees, Pratt, Roy and Jordan. We had a great time catching up and having a few drinks, then we headed to Brother's for a few more rounds. Being at Brother's reminded me of some good times at Breakfast Club. Afterwards a few of us hit The Hookah, which was definitely not the same, but enjoyed nonetheless. The next day I had lunch with Toni; it was great to catch up with her! We talked about this that and the other, and she gave me a parting gift of a beautiful hand-made necklace! After lunch I met up with Jordan to catch up with him one-on-one before we headed out of Purdue Country. Man, how I'd missed him! I hope he visits me soon here in Orlando!


Jordan and I outside of Grey House


After meeting up with Jordan, I had to make a stop at Von's Bookstore. It's one of my favorite bookstores. I ended up picking up a book recommended to me by a dear friend, Inga. I've heard great things about the book and am currently being blown away while only 1 chapter into the novel.


The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffeneggar


When I got back to Anderson it was time for the cookout at Grandma & Grandpa's for Mom's birthday celebration. The food was spot on, the company couldn't be beat, and Sam even kicked off the Birthday Song - a priceless memory! = P Mom liked her gift, a cute jewelry rack, and we all enjoyed had a nice evening. Here are some photos:


Mom and I reaching for a hug



Grandma, Grandpa & I



my two baby brothers and I just before I hopped in the hot tub that night


-Amanda

Sex & the City

One day, during the wonderful summer of 2007, a dear friend named Kristin said to me, "Amanda, every woman should watch that show." "That show" being referred to could be none other than Sex & the City (SATC). I nodded my head and brushed off her comment. I have never been the chick-flick movie type, why on earth would I watch "that show?"

I've been so transformed since having the pleasure of meeting Miss Kristin. You see, through our friendship I've learned quite a bit about being a woman. Being the only female in your major for college career can suppress your feminine side drastically. Ask any of my boys. So, Kristin helped me nurture my female self.

When I was studying in Australia, the SATC movie came out. Myself and all of my flatmates went out to see it (even the blokes!). As we were exiting the cinema I was completely taken by surprise as I realized how much I had fell in love with the movie, the ideas, the humor, the concept, the characters - everything about SATC! By the way, Inga pointed out that I was most like Charlotte, which I took as a compliment.

For Christmas of 2008 I asked my grandparents for my very own copy of the SATC movie. I was so excited to watch it with my best friend (who doubles as my mother)! There was something really special about watching that particular film with my mom. We laughed and had a great girls night in, despite being forced to watch the movie in my dad's office because his was the only dual-layer DVD reader in the house, haha!

A few nights after moving to the big, fabulous city of Orlando, where I reside as a single woman, I decided I must watch the SATC TV show. I was empowered as I purchased the first season. I am three episodes in and - no surprise - I absolutely love it. I even joined a Facebook group for SATC.

I think the aspect I love most about SATC is that everyone - young, old, single, married, complicated, happy, sad, ugly, beautiful, rich, poor, male, female, newb or veteran and everything in between - EVERYONE can relate to the show. It's brilliant.

Here are some Sex & the City quick links:

The HBO Sex & the City website.

The Sex & the City 2008 film IMDB website.

The Sex & the City Wikipedia article.

-Amanda