Celebrity, Politics

Friday Funday

This is not Friday Funday appropriate. But I liked this pic.

Sorry I didn’t post this week. It’s been sort of a whirlwind in the life of Mel, and things won’t wind down until Wednesday or so.

But anyways. I’ll blog really quick, just so I can get some creative juices flowing before I read up on the legendary David Foster Wallace.

Current thoughts on this fine, fine Friday:

+ I’m in complete awe over the uprising countries that are giving their governments the middle finger. Like fire, the revolutionary outcries and protest have spread from Africa to the Middle East. It’s aspiring yet incredibly frightening. I hope to God that all can be resolved without more bloodshed, but wishful thinking hasn’t given anyone peace.

+ In a related note, I feel bad that in a few hours I’ll be en route to Vegas for the weekend while thousands of people are losing their lives in the world. Lady luck should be overseas right now with the protesters and not with dollar slot machines.

+ What’s a post without mentioning J. Biebs? I heard he cut his hair and then sold it for charity. Okay, Biebs: I let you go to the BET Awards, I also allowed you to premiere a low-budget, high-profit movie that’s in direct competition with Topher Grace’s “Take Me Home Tonight.” And that is my second husband right there. But allowing little girls to man-handle little strands of your hair? Ew. Just ew.

And little girls: Why the fuck would you buy a strand of hair for $7,000? That’s pretty sick, you sick SOBs.

+ I like turtles.

Have a good weekend, bitches!

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Celebrity, Movies

Viernes es mi salvador.

Oh Henry! (had to.)

Thanks Google Translate, you’re the best.

It’s sad knowing I spent about $4,000 at UT for Spanish credits, and I can’t even remember how to say Friday.

Anyways, Happy Friday mi amigos!

I’m in a SUPER good mood because I just saw a pic of the new Superman, Henry Cavill (The Tudors, Stardust). OF course he’s UBER attractive. And I don’t expect anything less than the best for the Man In Tights. I mean, Tom Welling AND Brandon Routh were both Mr. Kent, and they’re fine pieces of … well, man. And since they are so good-looking, it’s alright that they can’t act worth a dime. But I have faith in Henry. He was actually supposed to play Edward Cullen, dontchaknow. I’m relieved he chose the right franchise… Jeebus.

Here’s what my plans are this weekend:

+ Spend about and hour or two hours on this website. Pure genius.

+ Dig my toes in Santa Monica sand and ride some rides on the pier. Or throw Cheetos at Seagulls. I hear that’s a smart idea.

+ Give a toast Sunday night to Richard Nixon in honor of President’s Day on Monday. If it wasn’t for you Mister Nixon, Deep Throat would just be a porno.

+ Eat some Ciroc-ified cupcakes. Yes, I did turn Ciroc into a verb. Ya jealous? Anyways, my roommate wants to try out some cupcake recipe with Ciroc in it. Do Diddy proud.

+ Watch a movie. ANY movie. I wish that new Topher Grace movie was out already. I’m sure it’s terrible, but who cares? Anything is better than freakin Gnomeo and Juliette. I’ll pay $10 to see Topher galavant across the screen any day. Plus Anna Faris is in it, who is pretty annoying. But I did see her last week, so we’re sort of like closet BFFs.

And that’s all I can think of. Hopefully your weekend is just as awesome.

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Ruminations

Random thoughts:

I googled "random thoughts." This came up.

I didn’t feel like writing a post with substance. I thought my fleeting thoughts were enough for your consumption.

Here are my thoughts as of now:

1. I’m obsessed with the PC’s ghetto version of the Mac sticky-notes. I have about 10 pink sticky notes total. 🙂 I love post-it notes.

2. I freaking wish I didn’t forget my lunch today. I made a delicious salad with salmon, grape tomatoes with Greek dressing. This Berries GoMega Odwalla bar just isn’t cutting it… ick.

3. I have Matt & Kim on repeat. Block after Block. Again.

4. I could definitely see myself living in Los Angeles if I get a job here. A big IF. I honestly don’t mind the crazy ass traffic and superficiality. I think the weather and good looking people outweigh that.

5. It’s nearly the end of February – geez, what a throw-away month. Aside from my friend’s (and Dad’s) birthdays that are in February, I’d say screw it, we don’t need you February. P.S. February has a weird spelling.

6. My roommate shared this link below of a little Asian girl covering Lady Gaga’s (1,000th Billboard #1) “Born This Way.” I’m not really a fan of the original track, but this little girl does an amazing job. Plus, she looks like she could be my little sister, so props little Melanie.

7. The Politically Correct Cape belongs to Facebook today, for adding “civil unions” and “domestic marriages” to their list of online relationship options. Hooray for partial, sort-of equality!

8. I can’t wait for this weekend. Mainly because it’s the weekend in general and I’ve got no set-stone plans as of yet. I feel like pulling a Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and go crash a car or something.

9. It’s a bummer that my Flip video camera broke. I really want to edit videos/post some up on here. If anyone would like to contribute to The Melanie’s Video Camera fund, all are welcome. It’s a legit charity.

10. I should really focus. But I’m pretty happy that I’m writing just complete nonsense, as I haven’t done that since… well, yesterday. But I missed Oh Mel Gee… !

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Celebrity, Movies, TV

Comedy Central’s 1st ever Comedy Awards

The old logo is SO much better than that shitty backwards C.

Trailing Deadline.com’s breaking news… It’s about time they put this into works!

Comedy Central and MTV are launching the first-ever Comedy Awards, which I assume is a big F-U to “high-brow” award shows like the Emmys and the Golden Globes that don’t think the absurd lives of 5 assholes running a bar is deserving of recognition. (It’s Always Sunny deserves some kind of award, other than a place on my DVD shelf.)

The awards show spans both TV and film and has 15 different categories, including Comedy Series, Stand-Up Special and Comedy Directing.

What sucks about this, is everyone watching expects them to bring the funny. Everyone laughs at lame jokes during the Emmys, the Golden Globes, the Grammys and the Oscars because all people expect are yawns. Maybe this award show is just a ginormously huge prank?

Read the nominees here.

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Politics

Oh Texas… taking strides in progression…

I’m usually not this serious when I blog about the “real world” issues. I mean, who wants to read about the crime, murders and revolutions when the freakin Kardashians are on. (Pffff, *flamboyant hand gesture*)

But seriously, if you all haven’t heard about the Anthony Graves case, I advise you to get schooled.

When I interned at Texas Monthly, I was the lucky one given the task to copy-edit the online edition of the 8-page story that focused on a brutal murder of a family and how Graves was at the other end of the wagged finger. And due to some good ole small-town Texas racism, a corrupt injustice system and the death of the other main suspect, Graves was behind bars for 18 years for capitol murder.

At the end of 2010, Graves was finally released from prison.

Now, Graves is trying to get his rightful compensation (roughly $80,000) for being wrongfully jailed but because of a small technicality, he’ll get nothing. According to the Houston Chronicle:

The October order dropping the charges lacked those words. Graves’ attorneys discovered that only Burleson CountyDistrict AttorneyBill Parham could ask the judge to insert them. The law gave him 15 days to do it.

But Parham, who had vociferously proclaimed Graves’ innocence, refused to return phone calls from Graves attorney Jimmy PhillipsJr. “Once they put the two magic words in there, that would have solved the problem,” Phillips said.

The 15 days lapsed. Without the words “actual innocence,” the Texas comptroller’s office last week refused to qualify Graves for $80,000 compensation for each year of wrongful imprisonment.

LAMESAUCE. I’m really surprised that Graves is taking it so well, at least it seems like it. If I were him, I’d get all Hulk-roided up and slap the crap out of that District Judge.

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Celebrity, Politics, TV

Hiatus = DUNZO.

 

Not gonna lie – it’s been awhile.

Why?

Blame UT’s Advanced Feature Writing, Video for the Web and Magazine Management classes and Texas Monthly, which swallowed my life last semester… And also my distilled laziness.

Anyways, I’m back and in action and in the City of Angels, ya dig?

[I never say ya dig, but I thought I’d try it on.]

Here are some thoughts:

1. Revolution in Egypt. I just wanted to say… “You say you’ll change the constitution… Well, you know.  We all want to change your head… You tell me it’s the institution… Well, you know… You better free you mind instead.”  So yeah, there’s my two cents folks.

2. I’m so into fat shows right now. Well at least MTV’s “health conscious” reality show, “I Used to Be Fat,” where newly high school graduates vow to lose about a thousand pounds before they start their first day of college. Or something like that. Nazi trainers just do it for me, I guess.

3. Jesse Eisenberg is McHotsenberg. I’m not sure why I suddenly find him attractive. Maybe it’s his jumbled, intellectual jargon that makes my heart skip a small beat,  but I decided to rename him.

4. The Bachelor is the funniest sitcom on the network right now. You guys may argue me on this, but I’m totally sold. Girls crying over a guy they may have spoken to twice because they “were just falling so in love with him”? A “group date” consisting of making $5 budget commercials for the Red Cross Blood Drive? And a bachelor who seems slightly retarded? C’mon this is irony at its best. Can’t stop watching.

5. Schadenfreude makes me feel better, especially on Valentine’s Day. I’m not bitter about my past relationships. If anything, they’ve taught me a handful about myself and what I don’t want in a guy. But it does make me feel awesome to know that people had it worse off than I did during those drunk-crying episodes. Pffff don’t judge me, you know you feel the same way! Check out these break-up stories, (via Gawker) and feel better too!

I also have another blog – melzey.tumblr.com that chronicles most of my Cali travels thus far. Check it out, bitches.

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TV

Feeling especially lazy today…

Let’s just say I woke up at 11 a.m., watched 2 episodes of It’s Always Sunny, made some breakfast tacos and bread with peanut butter, and somehow 3 hours have passed and I find myself in bed again.

This week was rough to say the least, but I always feel like I need to do work. And in reality, I need to do work.

But anyways, here’s a lazy-day list of what  I should be doing versus what I will probably end up doing today:

1. I should be doing laundry, I will probably take a nap.

2. I should be cleaning my room, I will probably take a nap.

3. I should start/finish my Magazine Management Circulation section, I will probably clean my room.

4. I should finish my story pitch ideas for Video for the Web, I will probably make some food.

5. I should write a blog post for my RTF class, I will probably do some laundry.

6. I should deposit 2 checks, I will probably take a nap.

7. I should call restaurants for picture for Texas Monthly, I will probably read a magazine.

8. I should gather information for Out and About newsletter, I will most likely sleep.

9. I should do story edits, I will probably watch another epi of It’s Always Sunny…

10. I should go shopping for more biz casual clothes, I’m going to sleep.

It’s a dangerous, inevitable cycle, you see.

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Humor

Oh Wendy’s, Wendy’s

I’m going off the page right now, since I usually don’t blog about fast food.

But geez, Wendy’s, what is up with you?

1. Juicy Chicken Sandwich. I know I’m being nitpicky since everyone likes to entice taste buds by calling chicken “juicy,” but it’s always irked me. Why the hell would I want my sandwich to be juicy? It sounds unappetizing. I just think of bread dipped in chicken juice. Uncooked chicken. Gross.

2. $.99 vs. $1.35 fries. I’m not in business, and i’m not in marketing. But this doesn’t make any sense to me. Why was my $1 cheeseburger less that my small value fries? It reminds me of my days working at Quiznos, when veggie subs always cost more than meat subs. It mainly consisted of lettuce and olives… wtf. Anways, shouldn’t fries be cheaper than the actual sandwich? Is there really that much demand for Wendy’s french fries, that they had to up the price of them?

3. pick 2 for $4.99. I’m not sure how long this special has been going on or how long it’ll last, but this is probably the cleverest thing Wendy’s could think of. Get a side of your choice of premium salad with any of the following: bottle of Dasani water, frosty, any cold beverage, baked potato, small chili, jr. bacon cheeseburger, chicken go wrap. This is like a poor man’s Panera right here. Pregnant women will love this deal.

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Uncategorized

[9/28]

The last time I wrote about death, I rubbed my eyes so hard my sight started to blur.

My head was pulsating and my throat became dry.

It physically encompassed me, and I still hadn’t typed anything on the page yet.

I’ve realized that ever so often, I’m reminded of death in both subtle and extreme ways.

Yesterday was the brink of the pendulum swing.

At 8 a.m. I said bye to my roommate on the bus and got off at the bus stop on the corner of 21st St. and Whitis Ave., in front of the Dobie dormitory. I’ll be honest – I was too lazy to walk to work.

I kept trekking on 21st, with my feet shuffling towards the Main Tower, as if already programmed to do so.

I crossed in front of Littlefield fountain, trying to remember what assignments were due, trying to file away everything I was responsible for that day. Up the Six-Pack, like always, to the Tower. I was in the office in 3 minutes.

After working for about 15 min., I received the same text that thousands of other students received – that a shooter was on campus and everyone needed to stay put. Then I heard sirens wail, a man’s voice spewing out some inaudible words. I didn’t feel the jolt of nervousness that people would usually feel. I was three floors up – no one could come near me. It didn’t feel real.

If the timeline of events are correct, the shooter, reported as wearing all black with a ski mask, started firing shots from his AK-47 at 21st St. and Whitis Ave., before 8:10 a.m. Witnesses said he was waving at them and smiling, and fired another round of bullets at 8:15 a.m., opposite Littlefield fountain.

My mind still can’t wrap around it fully. I had just strode on the exact same pavement that he was sprinting on, with only a few minutes apart.  I didn’t hear anything. I didn’t see anything. And Thank God I didn’t.

He didn’t hurt anyone physically. But I’m certain he hurt people mentally. The aftermath of this tragedy has the UT community split between those pitying the obviously maniacal math major and those glad he’s off the face of this earth. And those that are of course apathetic – they got a free day without classes and that’s all that matters.

I’m on the side regretting that this guy didn’t seek help. He probably thought it was all too much, and he didn’t know how to deal. Or maybe no one listened. Or he didn’t think anyone would understand.

And now, I apologize in advance for being so emotionally preachy, but this sort of thing isn’t something you brush off your shoulder. Again, it’s a reminder that life is short and can be taken away in a moment of desperation.

If you know someone or you yourself have thought about suicide, browse these sites. They can help:

To Write Love On Her Arms

Befrienders.org

S.A.F.E. Alternatives

Ulifeline

– ❤

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Politics

So officially, we’re pulling out…

… That’s what she said?

Anywho, I missed Mr. Obama’s address tonight, due to some hopelessly boring text reading/catching some emotional Make It or Break It scenes while my roomate watched the tube.

But after reading a few articles about it, I’m surprised there aren’t hipsters in the street right now, running around, blasting their Hot Chip.

I feel like I’m getting a little soft on this subject, but I personally feel a little bit torn on the Iraq issue. Oil did play a huge factor in it (duh!), Saddam is gone and apparently so are his “weapons,” and we did get the Kurds back on their feet. And I understand that trillions of money and lives were lost with the whole mess. But part of me is just wondering how I’d feel if a person jumped me and beat me up terribly, and some powerful force shunned him away suddenly, but left me still dazed and bruised. Are the civilians ready to be on their feet or do they still need training, protection, whatever.

Still, there’s all of the domestic mumbo-jumbo problems we have right now. Health care. Drug wars. Recession. Immigration policies. Our money and attention should be stressed on those issues, right? Obama thinks so.

But is Obama using now, right before the mid-term elections, to pull out? Well let’s see – polls recently showed that he did have the lowest approval rating of his career, and I’m sure people aren’t too fond of a government-run health care. I’d say yes.

And wth Republicans hyping up their lead in the polls months before the elections, no wonder Dems are shaking in their Toms. Come November, will they still be the Majority Party?

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