RAIN

Dear Nature:

Stop Raining

Seriously

Enough

Love,
Everyone

TV Time With Sarah

*Good for you Conan. Because it really is true that you can only get pulled around by the nose so many times before it isn't worth it anymore. In the long run it doesn't matter to anyone much but you yourself, but that makes all the difference, right?

*I keep seeing ads for this show My Life As Liz. Here is a synopsis of the show:
"My Life as Liz" explores high school life through the eyes of Liz Lee, a precocious, sometimes sarcastic, always witty teenage girl trapped in a conservative Texas town. Ever the outsider, the series explores Liz's attempt to make the best of her senior year by carving out a place of her own among her more "normal" peers. While Liz's off-kilter outlook and impeccable comedic timing make her journey of self-discovery an often humorous one -- her openness and honesty allow viewers to bear witness to the truest and most tender moments of being a teenage girl. "

Here is a picture of Liz:







Does she remind you of anyone?












*I know there is no way that the new Showtime show with Matt LeBlanc "Episodes" can be as funny as Lisa Kudrow's The Comeback (one of the most painful, funniest shows of all time) But this actually looks pretty good, and I will probably watch it:

Jezze!

Thank you for your wonderful, thoughtful comments. Ha! I feel like my blogs are comments to your sweet blog comments. As usual you rock my socks right off

GREAT Idea

Mister Rogers' Sweater Drive!

Do it!

Pied Piper

I don't have anything to report really today, I took a shower, I watched Cash Cab, I couldn't sleep last night because I was using some new sheets and they make my "Princess and the Pea" skin too sensitive.

I recently heard on a history podcast that I like that The Pied Piper might have been based on a true story. Hamelin is a real place, and 185 children did disappear from that town in a single incident- however it is unclear from the towns history what that incident was. Yikes!

Like the Miracle Worker, there is a specific incident in the Pied Piper that I like to reference, but this reference is almost universally misunderstood- is the story of the Pied Piper familiar to most people?

Blood Diamonds

Just watched Blood Diamond on TV, I just don't understand why things have to be so bad in the world, there is really no reason for it. It may seems simplistic-- but it really just doesn't make sense to me at all.

I was reading about the Bubonic Plague (like you do) and it got me to thinking how lucky I am to be living now, and if the inevitable other shoe will drop in my lifetime. This made me wonder if in the history of time more people have lived in horrible traumatic times (war, disease, famine) or in relatively normal times like we are in (or at least I am in)now? Is "normal" the exception or the rule. There hasn't been an entire generation of Americans who lived without a major war, and least as far and I can tell. I don't know if it is a post 9-11 syndrome or what, but a lot of times I feel like I am on eggshells

The Fantastic Mr Fox is just so Fantastic

By some wonderful chance, I caught The Fantastic Mr Fox in Theaters Last night. Well we were headed to the Imaginarium of Dr Parnasus, but my companion was nice enough to make a last minute surprise switch. I know that I read this book maybe 20 years ago, but I couldn't remember any of the story. I spent half the movie giggling and the other half sighing with delight. Fun, nice, wonderful

Stop motion animation is really one of my favorite medias, it is so magical and so inventive, it just fills my heart with joy

Articles of note

Well documented is my absolute disdain for the NYT Best Sellers! And finally vindication from the New Yorker:

We have a rubric on this blog called "Best-Seller Bizarre," which pretty much sums up what I think about the genre. When I get the Times's Sunday Book Review, after glancing at the table of contents to see who has written about what, I invariably turn to the best-seller lists with a vulgar curiosity—it's the reality television of a book nerd.

Yes! But this article is really interesting! It is about a website the chronicles the best sellers for the last century! It is pretty interesting, well to me anyway

First blog contest

Guys! My blog views have almost doubled this month! That means my little blog is being viewed upwards of 14 times this week! ha ha ha

Anyway thanks for reading! I have a special suprise! Here is a blog trivia question for you- if you can answer it correctly you can win a fabulous prize!

Here is the question:

Q) Who are the only two US Presidents to deny a salary while they were/are in office?

Put your answers in the comments!

Courtney Love love

I had a couple of things I wanted to blog about today: the weird pressures put on women when they eat, the weird people who ride on my us, the weird history of Andrew Carnegie, but all that can be put on hold for a sec while I blog fondly and probably futilely about a possible Hole Reunion in 2010.

I can't even believe it And I don't believe it, because it will never happen. I don't even care if it is a whole Hole reunion, I want Courtney to go on tour so badly. I have never seen her, and I'm scared to see her. I'm afraid she would be mean to me, and she has meant so much to me as a symbol and as a musician in my young life.

It is true, there are very few other women who have had the kind of success that Courtney Love has for better or for worse. When I was just starting out as a wee lass listening to DC 101 there were not a lot of angry female voices (and oh how I was an angry young female). Pre-internet I had no idea the comfort that awaited me in peeps like Kathleen Hanna and Mia Zapata, and so had to wade through the Toris and the Natalies bored bored bored. But one gravely voice cut through, about a sky that was all violet or violence I could never tell, and I would jump up and down in my knock off converse.

As I grew up and sort of fell apart for a little while, it was always so nice to know no matter how badly I fucked up, it was ok because Courtney fucked up too. It was ok to try wearing make up and keeping the company of people who were bad for me, and to fall down- a lot (and I did fall down a lot). Because not matter how lost she/I were, there was below the surface a core that was strong, that made her/me different than those aforementioned bad people she/i had surrounded herself with. Plus, she says things like "I will rock my way out of this" and means it.

I knew this, about this depth about Courtney because of her songs. Ms Love once famously said "I lie a lot but never in my music" in the height of one of her craziest periods she released America's Sweetheart, still to this day one of my favorite albums from any artist. Even as the very people she allowed to interview her mocked and mourned her, her sad, strong songs stood up for her in a way she could never stand up for herself.

I can't even go into all the ways I was sort of obsessed with Courtney Love because it is too personal and in some ways too painful (I will however never stop talking about this if you get me going over a pitcher of booze) But all I can say is, a lot of magic is gone from rock for me now for many reasons. But in the back of my closet behind my graduation gown and my old halloween costumes still hangs pineapple baby doll dress. I save it for you Courtney, incase one day you come back.

The Simpsons are my kind of people

I don't watch The Simpsons very regularly, but I am not sure why. I really really enjoy it when I do watch it. It is just a nice little show that makes me chuckle out loud quite a bit.

But the reason I like the Simpsons the most is because it is the only show I know of that doesn't stereotype or discriminate against black Cats!!! Snowball!!:















Most shows portray all black cats only as the pets of witches or as harbingers of evil! (Im looking at you Sabrina the Teenage Witch) Even my beloved Cats 101 on Animal Planet rarely IF EVER shows black cats at the models. In fact, the only time I can recall an all black cat being on the show is when there was a freak fat cat. Anyway- give those poor little black cats a break! They have a hard enough time keeping up a positive body image.

SO the Simpsons are great examples of pet owners! Their dog is a stray they adopted and their cat is a wonderful black cat. Afterall black cats are the best- I have warmed up toes thanks to one right now!!

(While I was researching this blog I saw that PETA spays and neuters black cats for free on Halloween! That's quite a treat for owners, but a trick for cats!)

PopChips

Have you tried PopChips? They are so good! Crunchy and salty and almost no calories or fat. I first learned of those from a snackpack on an Airplane (yes the very same airline of Now and Zen cookie fame) I never imagined an airline as my go to guide for cutting edge snacks. But maybe I shouldn't be so suprised, after all Alaska Airlines has the all out hands down best cranberry juice I've ever had. I watch that beveridge cart fondly up and down the entire aisle.

I can't lie, I have been feeling pretty down in the dumps lately. Its the post holiday blahs I think. As nice as it is to be back in my house with my Tunahead, I also miss my family a lot, and I miss having fun stuff to do all the time a lot too! Life should be like Christmas all the time. It doesn't feel like 2010 doesn't have a lot of promise, just feels like another year.

No word yet from the computer store. . . no news is good news?

Stalling

No sooner than I vow to try and blog every day- then my computer is struck down by some horrifying "error" and will not start

I am watching Adventureland right now- this movie feels like it could have been so much better. Is it necissary for them to have food continually thrown at them? And they all love the Velvet Underground? But mostly Kristian Stewart is in no way believable as any kind of counter culture icon. Nice Husker Du shirt, chick from Twilight. No person is that cool and that good looking (well, no one except for Andy).

I am really just stalling right now before I go to the computer store. I am dreading the computer store- they are nice enough there but the trip will inevitably cost me A) A Lot of money and B) a lot of stress.

OH the in and out list

How I love you! You have brought me so much snarky glee and thanks to the miracles of the internets my West Coast friends can enjoy you too! Enjoy!!

Oh! in my ongoing quest to be hoplessly uncool I now have a twitter:

http://twitter.com/lunarsuperstar

So follow along at home if you want too

so this is the new year

Perhaps compelled by some sense of my own mortality, I have enrolled in personal health insurace, and although I suppose I had some sense of how expensive it would be, I got my first bill today and it literally took my breath away. Although they have not sent me my card or any information on my coverage- they have sent me my bill for the first two months (Interestingly enough I didn't get approved for coverage on roughly the 26th day of the first month, so essentially they are charging me for a month of not covering me)

The thing is- the monthly cost isn't that much more than when I was working, but I didn't mind splurging on things like "insurance" when I was making 2/3rds more money (PS COBRA would have charged me three times as much). An irony of the siduation is my coverage doesn't cover the kind of doctors appointments I need (like eye) so by paying for insurance I can no longer afford to get the health care I need.

Also I was so frustrated by the whole siduation I slammed my hand down on my coffee table really hard the jokes on me.

But still it is important and while I am being glib here, I am now safe to break my ankle while walking down the street or slip in the bathroom or get pink eye or any of the other of hundreds of horrifying scenarios that would lead me into crippling debt that I thought about all day every day until now. And I am a person with no dependents. I can't imagine what kind of person would not support universal health care. Or I suppose I just realize that that kind of person has never had to face the choice between buying enough kitty snacks or paying for their monthly premium.

This restructuring of my monthly budget will maybe help me spend less money on junkfood - helping with my New Years Resolution to lose ten pounds. Speaking of resolutions- I am also resolving to write a blog everyday of this year (well every day that is reasonable and that I have access to a computer) so there is that! 2010 will be the year that makes or breaks Lunar Superstar I feel. I will be interested to see what happens!

A potpourii of nothing much

I havent been too blog because I have been a total slob (slobg?) I don't even have that much to talk about, but I am going to try to get some stuff out there!

*I have been listening to a lot of NPR lately while by computer was in the shop. I LOVE it! A) Because I feel so grown up, and B) I have so much more knowledge of the world.

*I have also been having some tentative adventures in cooking. Lets just say- its maybe not the happiest of endings, and I can only appreciate the patients and faked sounds of gastronomical delight of my favorite guy. How do you even cook anything?

*I am starting to feel the slow panic of Christmas shopping overwhelm me. I am so so so so behind (well actually im not behind at all, because to be behind i would have had to have actually started)

* This cold snap has made a little tuna head incredibly lovey and snuggly. Nothing puts a cat in a lap like subfreezing tempatures in an apartment warmed by a spaceheater

Reflections on Seeing the Pixies to-night

1. The Pixies are awesome
2. Doolittle came out a really long time ago (I was 7)
3. People who like the Pixies are really bad dancers

When all words fail she speaks, her mixtapes a masterpiece

I was recently talking to a friend of mine about how I wish there was a way to go back and see every song I had put on every mix tape I had ever made. Not even the love ones! The friendship ones, and especially the angry ones! I am sure it would range from the embarassing to the sublime, I had always fancied myself quite the mixtape master, but even going back and listening to tapes I made for myself cause me to squirm.

http://www.cassettefrommyex.com/

This is an awesome website where you can check out the track listing from mixtapes from all different decades, and also all different types of people and look at the "art work" but ALSO listen to them if you so desire. This is the next best thing since the demise of Mixwit !

The Golden Olive

What is the Golden Olive you may be asking yourself? It is nothing related to Tom Robbins magical golden ball, and it's no where near Golden Gardens. The Golden Olive is a wonderful Greek resturant in Wallingford. AND you may be wondering why I am blogging about a resturant. Well the reason is easy-- the Golden Olive is awesome and the owner ordered us to do after our meal!



Truthfully, we didn't even set out to eat at the Golden Olive! We didn't even set out to eat Greek food, we were trying to eat Japanese before a movie. However all the Japanese resturants in Wallingford were packed out or shady and it was pouring down rain and we were on foot-- so my much smarter companion suggested well why don't we just eat Here- which like most great discoveries was the happiest mistake.


We ordered appetizers, and a salad and main plate to share. I was a little nervous when I went in because Greek food is generally not very "veg friendly" and, but the menu had lots of options. Like a ton of options! We had a Spanakopita, Mediterrianian Shrimp Salad and the Pistachio Mushroom Spaghetti. Everything was delicious! The Spanakopita was flaky and light but still filling, and the Pistachio Spaghetti was salty and delicious. But the best was the salad, with fresh tomatos, mozzerella and basil- AND it really made me really appreciate the difference between good basalmic vingar and just regular type I buy at Trader Joes. The dressing was tart but also a little sweet and pinched the glads right between your jaw and your neck.



Also- all the employees were women! And really Greek! At the end of our meal we were thanking our waitress(slash owner maybe?) and she told us very sternly if we do not go on the internet and tell everyone about our dinner The Golden Olive would close. Rather than risk that- here you go! It's not often you get homework with your dinner!

Here is the website right HERE http://www.thegoldenolive.com/ but the website doesn't really do the place justice.

Yo! Ga!

OH! I have finally returned to Hot Yoga (Birkam). It was TOUGH after almost two months off. My goal is to start going at least twice a week- but neither of the studios I like have very easy bus access, and really who wants to ride the bus when you are so so sweaty! Bikram makes your body tempature so high, even a slight change in temperature is uncomfortable. I went for a walk after my most recent class, almost a half hour and a shower later and I was freezing!

Of course my worst pose (or as my yoga mentor JB would say "your least successful part of your practice, and thats why it is a practice Sarah), (but really worst pose) is Locust-- it looks something like this:

My version looks something like this:

I have absolute minimal sucess with this posture. I was looking up ways to improve this posture on a Birkam message board, and I found out that this posture is especially difficult for. . er. . . well endowed women, which is encouraging (aka I am not just a weakling)

I as much as I complain, I really love Bikram Yoga- I feel like it is the first type of excercise that I have tried that works for my body and brain. I know I have the capacity to do it very well, and my sucess depends on what I am willing to bring to each practice, and my ability to go deeply into the practice is a great evaluation of where I am in my life (mentally) at the time.

This is one of my favorite postures, I've never gotten my head to my knee but I can kick out (sometimes) likethe first picture:

Anyway- if you ever want to go (aka give me a ride there) let me know! Yoga is best when it is shared!