Chick Chosen

Dinosaurs need vacations too

2011-01-12T18:32:00.002-05:00

Mitochondria 5 - Self-esteem

2011-01-04T22:01:00.002-05:00

Mitochondria 4 - New Dress

2010-12-28T22:00:00.000-05:00

Click on image for larger view.

Mitochondria 3 - Reproduction

2010-12-21T21:58:00.000-05:00

Click on image for larger view.

Use the force... quit

2010-12-16T22:48:00.004-05:00

Source: Comixed

Mitochondria 2 - Gandalf

2010-12-14T21:57:00.001-05:00

Click on image for larger view.

'Tis the Season for Procrastination

2010-12-12T19:56:00.007-05:00

So I have a paper due soon. Of course, being the Queen of Procrastination, I didn't work on it too much.

No, instead I drew 50 still images of a fish then strung them together into an animation which I set to Christmas music.

Makes perfect sense, right?

Animation by me.

Music by The Drifters.

The Sing Off

2010-12-09T13:33:00.006-05:00

I am dorkily overly exciting by the fact that The Sing Off is back!

I don't normally like these judged singing contests... For example, I am bored to tears by American Idol (and so, I don't watch it). And seriously, did I really hear that Simon isn't even on it anymore? Why would anyone watch that? BOOORing! It's better than those figure skating shows, though... what is up with those? Why do people watch them? Well, there's no accounting for taste, I guess.

The Sing Off, though... Love! LOVE! Maybe it's Nick Lachey, the host, who, I can wisely/smugly inform my not-very-interested-in-popular-culture husband, used to be married to Jessica Simpson and they had that show Newlyweds. Do you remember that? To which he inevitably replies, "Who is Jessica Simpson?" Dude. I know SO MUCH MORE STUFF than you! I win!

I love showing off like that.

Aaanyway. I got a bit off topic there.

The reason this season is SO VERY exciting is not Nick Lachey, because who cares about him? It is the fact that the YouTube stars who I like to call 'Those Guys Who Sang That Lady Gaga Song' are on it. Yay! Go forth and vote internetz! Do not let them down.

I see from my YouTube search to find this video that they are called On The Rocks. On the rocks? Really? I like my name for them better.

What dorky stuff excites you? Are you also into a large group of frat boys* covering Gaga?

*boys are not guaranteed to be frat

Mitochondria 1 - Depressed

2010-12-07T21:20:00.003-05:00

Click on image for larger view.

Bathroom Etiquette

2010-12-06T20:14:00.007-05:00

I hate using the toilet in public bathrooms. HATE.

And as if the act of emptying my personal waste in a tiny stall with a flimsy door in a public place wasn't bad enough on its own... I find myself plagued by bathroom etiquette morons.

This is not rocket science... I know you can do it. Just follow these 3 simple rules:

1. GIVE PEOPLE THEIR SPACE

When you arrive in a public bathroom and someone is in a stall, you do not take the stall directly next to them unless there are no other stalls available.

So, for example, what would you do given the scenario in the below picture:

Have you had enough time to look at the picture and put together your response?

The correct answer is C. Because I like C and also, more importantly, because the third stall from the left is already occupied by a hobbit, you would take the stall with the star on the door, leaving an empty stall between you and the hobbit and thereby giving you both a false sense of privacy and dignity.

The next person to arrive should take the stall to the far right so that they will only have a person on one side of them. A stall between two people must only be taken under extreme conditions - Armageddon, zombie apocalypse, karaoke, monkey plague, etc.

2. DO NOT MAKE STRANGE NOISES

Stop signing, humming, grunting and gurgling. These noises can be odd in many circumstances (board meetings, dentist offices, space shuttles, etc.)... in the bathroom they border on terrifying.

3. HYGIENE!

Flush until your stuff is gone. A clean toilet is its own reward (trust me).

And for the love of all that is good in this world WASH YOUR HANDS.

Soap is your friend.

See?

It's really not all that hard.

What rules of etiquette do you wish people would follow?

Annoying Orange Feat. Weezer

2010-10-10T10:40:00.004-04:00

Ah, the Annoying Orange. I subscribed to the Annoying Orange after watching their spoof of The Ring. Their spoof of The Ring is hilarious... You should totally check it out. In the meantime, though, check out this video - Classic annoying orange with a twist (heh orange with a twist): the party platter and bonsai tree are voiced by the dudes in Weezer.

Choose your ad providers carefully

2010-10-08T20:00:00.001-04:00

Dear Bnet,

Your sponsored ads do nothing except make me question the credibility of your article:

No, I do not need to meet plus-sized women. Nor do I require womens diapers. Thank you for offering, but I was really just looking for an overview of the stages in the lifecycle of a document.

I think I will look elsewhere for those too.

Sincerly,

Chick

Gentlemen, choose your weapons

2010-09-25T09:27:00.002-04:00

Source

The object to my left is my 8 year old son. I would say I'm screwed, but I'm sure he can be trained to be a top-notch zombie killing machine.

Internet Hero Will Wheton

2010-09-23T22:25:00.002-04:00

Will Wheton is so cool he's infinity.

Source: Break

The Strutting Leo

2010-09-22T22:04:00.004-04:00

Source

Know your meme: Leo Strut

Also? Is anyone else excited about The Walking Dead? Zombies! On TV! Awesome.

Cutest friendship

2010-09-20T21:05:00.003-04:00

This made my day.

These two are best friends. Are they not the most adorable thing you've seen today?

From the original post: "After losing his parents, this 3 year old orangutan was so depressed he wouldn't eat and didn't respond to any medical treatments. The veterinarians thought he would surely die from sadness. The zoo keepers found an old sick dog on the grounds in the park at the zoo where the orangutan lived and took the dog to the animal treatment center. The dog arrived at the same time the orangutan was there being treated. The 2 lost souls met and have been inseparable ever since."

Click over to Barn Mice to read more about it and to see more adorable pictures.

The Internet

2010-09-19T10:21:00.004-04:00

Source: Very Demotivational

Internet memes that appear in this image (click on them for an explanation from the Rocketbook institue for internet studies' Know Your Meme):
Sad Keanu
Strutting Leo
Antoine Dodson / Bed Intruder
Courage wolf
Chubby bubbles girl
Crasher squirrel

There are also two dogs included in the image that I can't identify by meme name.

Do you see anything I missed?

Laundry Day

2010-09-18T21:39:00.001-04:00

This made me literally laugh out loud.

What would NPH do?

2010-09-16T22:12:00.002-04:00

Source

Dancy hand people?

2010-09-15T23:38:00.001-04:00

I'm not sure what's going on here, but I like it.

source

White

2010-09-14T07:00:00.000-04:00

Today I am wearing a white skirt.

I am wearing white after labour day.

I reject society's rules! I am a crazy rebel. I am living outside the law!

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!

The Best Movie Reviews

2010-09-13T21:29:00.001-04:00

I just discovered Spill.com. I've been following spillcom on youtube since a friend of mine recommended them to me. And I love spillcom.

"Who is this spillcom... this 'them' you speak of," I hear you asking.

Spill.com is a group of 4 human and 1 robot movie reviewers. Their reviews are often the best part of the movies they review. At least they are once you get to know the reviewers and especially for the crappy movies. They provide some real laugh out loud moments.

Anyway... back to my original point. Their youtube channel only goes back a couple of years. Their original site, though? It has 300 pages of reviews and you can sort by rating - Some ol' bullshit, Rental, Matine, Full Price and Better than sex.

My new project? Find out what all the Better than sex movies are and WATCH THEM.

Update: there are only 3 (Cloverfield, The Dark Knight and District 9)... and I've already seen two of them. So... yeah. Short project. That's weird though because I know I've seen other movies get Better than sex. Scott Pilgrim got Better than sex from at least one of the guys, par example... Weird.

And a related aside: I can no longer hear the word Cinnabon without thinking 'I aint got $7.50 to pay'. Even though those are not even the lyrics... those are just the lyrics in my head.

I want his Bad Romance

2010-09-12T19:21:00.005-04:00

When did the kid from 3rd Rock from the Sun get hot?

Don't think he's hot? You obviously haven't seen Inception.

Here, for your viewing pleasure, is the kids from 3rd Rock from the Sun, who will henceforth be knows as the hot guy from Inception, covering Bad Romance by Lady Gaga.

That's not just hot... that's AWESOME

He is so on my list.

Elevator

2010-09-07T23:00:00.000-04:00

Sometimes when I step on the elevator at work it does a little bouncy thing.

It makes me feel both fat AND terrified.

I hate elvators.

Apparently they hate me too.

Fall TV

2010-09-07T18:57:00.004-04:00

So it's that time of year again - FALL PREMIERES! Squeee!

I love fall premieres. I'm a great big dork like that.

Every year I look into what's new and happening in the world of TV and choose which shows I'm going to check out.

Now, what you need to know about me is that I am dork about a lot of things, like:
1. I love goofy internet memes and stuff (lolz, prancing Cera, sad Keanu, strutting leo, double rainbow, etc.) (although the double rainbow guy did an ad for Microsoft and people are saying he sold out and stuff. Me? I'm not so worried about that and more interested in the awesome funny that is double rainbow) (what does it MEAN?)
2. I love comics and graphic novels (and regular no-pictures, just words books too)
3. I love TV, especially MY shows: Supernatural, Bones, Big Bang theory, House... I think I might be missing some. I PVR these shows and discuss them with my friends. i love the characters.
4. I am dorky in my love of Buffy, Harry Potter, Wolverine and probably a bunch of other dorky stuff that I also love but that I can't think of off the top of my head while writing a list of things I love... Blogging fail.
5. I write about how much of a dork I am on the internet (the ultimate in dorkiness, no?)

So yes. I am a dork. We have established this.

Based on my dork status (as established above) these are the new shows I plan to check out:

1. My generation. Why? Because I am a dork about documentaries that show how people change over time. Awesome. I bet some of them didn't amount to anything... And I bet some of them opened internet companies or traded stocks or something and made piles of money then lost it all. Someone probably moved somewhere tropical. Someone is now gay. It's going to be epic. Either that or it will suck and I will watch the first 2 episodes and give up on it.

2. No Ordinary Family. Why? It's an ordinary family who survives a plane crash only to come down with a bad case of SUPER ABILITIES. I know I will be able to relate. Plus I like the actress who plays the daughter despite the fact that she was in that Traveling Pants movie.

3. Mike and Molly. Why? Because it's about fat people and I am a fat person. I like shows about fat people. So sue me. If, however, they are treated like giant fat JOKES I will stop watching. From the picture (I'm too lazy to check further) it looks like it stars the fat chick from Gilmore Girls and that's kind of fun. So I'll check it out.

4. Shit my Dad Says. Why? Bill Shatner. I like him. It might suck, though. I don't have very high hopes for it, but I'll give it a chance.

5. The Event. Why? I have no idea... somehow they pulled me in with those ads they've been airing. Hopefully it will be fun or, at least, have some hot guys in it.

6. Outsourced. Why? It looks funny, I guess... but the main reason is that I had a job that was outsourced to India. So... yeah.

7. Friends with benefits. Why? I watched the preview and it looked fun. Plus it's about sex and relationships... and sex.

8. The Cape. Why? The super hero angle again. Although it looks quite lame. I mean, in the preview dude's cape actually reaches out and grabs a knife. I mean, why?

9. Harry's Law. Why? Two words: Kathy. Bates. She will break your kneecaps if you don't write another Misery book... and watch this show. Plus I love her. She's awesome.

10. The Walking Dead. Why? ZOMBIES. omg ZOMBIES! On tv! yay!

I know this seems like a huge time commitment but the truth is I only watch a few episodes and if a show doesn't capture my interest by then, I don't bother watching anymore. Plus, I have a PVR so I don't need to watch stuff when it's actually on.

What shows are you looking forward to this season?

Golden Age of Video

2010-03-20T00:35:00.001-04:00

Finally! A Personal Philosophy I Can Support

2010-01-16T20:47:00.002-05:00

Librarian Culture

2010-01-15T18:06:00.002-05:00

Ever wonder what happens at library parties?

Ever wonder what a librarian would do if the library was overrun by zombies, who stole books and played irresponsibly with the book carts?

This video from the National Library of Autralia's 2008 Christmas party will answer both your questions.

Source

I'm studying to be a librarian now (I'm doing a Masters of Information Studies, in case the non-readership was wondering) and I think I'm going to fit right in.

I'm also happy to see that librarians are indeed trained to deal with a zombie invasion. One can never be too careful. Must protect the brains!

Rabbit Halucinations

2010-01-13T13:53:00.000-05:00

Mustache Win

2010-01-07T09:06:00.009-05:00

I don't normally like mustaches on men. I think they're kind of skeezy looking.

But I've found the exception to the rule: Jude Law.

Observe:

Jude Law without a mustache -

Jude Law with a mustache -

Very nice. And witness the mustache in actions:

Adorable.

Maybe mustaches are not such a bad thing after all.

Caps Lock

2010-01-06T09:06:00.003-05:00

Source

Books of 2010

2010-01-04T09:29:00.006-05:00

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Reread - 1st read in high school, then again in my grade 12 high school English class, and numerous times since then.

This is a great book. This is not your usual love story, it is the story of obsessive, happiness killing, love that tears apart the lives of several generations of two families. You can't help but wonder if Catherine's men would be a little less fond of her if she chewed fewer pillows. Was her intensity part of the reason their love was so obsessive?

A must-read, a favourite of mine: 10/10

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

New read

As a lover of both Jane Austen and Zombie-related entertainment I was sure I would love this book, but I was disappointed. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is indeed funny, in a novelty book kind of way, but I think that it's been dumbed down too much - a lot of the social description and character development that made the original so great has been removed. The addition of 'trained zombie killer' to Elizabeth Bennet's character cancels out a lot of the wit and charm that makes her one of the best female characters of all time, and the book suffers for it. If you find that the finale to the description on the back of the book, "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies transforms a masterpiece of world literature into something you’d actually want to read," makes you smile instead of cringe, then definitely check this out.

Meh: 3/10

Neo Won't Robot with JT

2009-12-15T10:06:00.003-05:00

This video is a gem. It combines all the best things life has to offer - spoofs, orgies, the robot, killing kung fu moves and fart jokes.

This leaves us with one important question: How can you say no to Justin Timberlake when he invites you to dance the robot?

I mean, would you?

Muppets Rock!

2009-12-11T08:00:00.007-05:00

This is adorable and hilarious, which, if you ask me, is a killer combination.

This video is all WIN and no FAIL

source

My favourite moment:

Fozzie (wearing an arrow-through-the-head gag head-band and holding a rubber chicken): "Let me joke!"
Statler and Waldorf: "We do not like your jokes!"

But then, my favourite muppet moments always have been and always will be Fozzie. That's just how I roll.

What was your favourite moment?

Fall TV Premier List at Sidereel

2009-08-26T07:00:00.000-04:00

Have you checked out Sidereel?

According to Sidereel's FAQ page, they're "an entertainment guide and community site for television and film enthusiasts." I like Sidereel for its interesting and informative articles about TV. It's a great to site to visit if you want to get an idea of what's hot and what's not on Television.

The fall season is just about to start and there's lots of great shows returning and a bunch of interesting new shows to check out. If you're wondering when you're favourite show is going to premier this fall, Sidereel has the premier dates for all your favourite shows, listed all in one place.

And if you're looking for information on the new shows starting up this season, Sidereel can hook you up with their New TV shows page. Just scroll down and the shows are organized by network. Click on a show to get to its information page.

I'm looking forward to checking out these new shows this season:
Eastwick
V
Couger Town (for Courtney Cox Arquette)
Accidentally on Purpose (for Jenna Elfman)
Melrose Place (not sure why, didn't like the original and yet... something compels me)
Glee (LOVED the teaser episode, did you see it?)
Community
Parenthood
Mercy

And I can't wait for the new season of my favourites:
House (last season's finale was so good... I wonder what's going to happen!)
Bones
Supernatural
Lie to Me
United States of Tara
Being Erica

What are you looking forward to watching this season?

My Generation by The Zimmers - Cover Tunes Tuesday

2009-08-25T07:00:00.001-04:00

The Zimmers are a rock band entirely made up of people over the age of 80. According to their wikipedia entry, the band was formed for a BBC television documentary, giving a "voice to the feelings of isolation and imprisonment suffered by the elderly."

The cause is serious and I support it, certainly. The song helps underline how it must feel. 'Why don't you all fade away?' I'm glad the Zimmers haven't.

I also think this video rocks. I love to see people having a good time and The Zimmers are obvious having a blast and enjoying the music. The lead singer's voice is unique and I like his delivery and I love the guitar and drum smashing, and the guy who flips the bird at the very end; it's just so rock star.

How To Avoid Mom Jeans by Grasping for Objectivity

2009-08-24T07:00:00.001-04:00

The dreaded mom jeans
(picture of Mom Jeans commercial by SNL)

Rachel from Grasping for Objectivity in my Subjective Life knows the evil effects mom jeans can have on a woman's figure. When her friend Lydia told her that she fears developing a 'long butt' like those she'd noticed on some women as she gets older, Rachel sprang into action.

Rachel pointed out that the fault wasn't with the women, it was with their jeans. They were wearing the dreaded mom jeans. To prove her point, Rachel headed to the store with two friends in tow and, like a true fashion scientist, she had them try on various styles of jeans while she took pictures and noted what works and what doesn't.

The result is Mom Jeans and the Dreaded Long Butt, an excellent post which offers tons of easily applicable advice on how to buy jeans which will flatter your figure and are guaranteed to not give you the dreaded 'long butt' of Lydia's nightmares or a nasty 'front butt' (my personal mom jeans fear) .

Where the Hell is Matt?

2009-08-21T08:08:00.006-04:00

I know this video is old news but I want to post it anyway. It never fails to make me smile. Just consider this a little bit of happy for a Friday morning.

Matt Harding quit his job and traveled the word, video taping himself dancing at each destination.

Source

There is just something so joyful about this. I love it.

My favourite moments are:
● When the crowd first runs in to join Matt.
● That guy who falls down in Paris (can you imagine being 'that guy who fell down' on an internet viral video? I hope he wasn't hurt!).
● Dancing in the Demilitarized Zone, Korea (whoa! I think I'd be scared to dance).
● The guy in the orange crocks in Munich, Germany.
● The wave in Tonga!
● The Bollywood moment in Gurgaon, India.
● The two little girls doing their own dance move in Soweto, South Africa.
● The umbrellas in Montreal, Quebec (represent!).
● The wheel chair dancer in Los Angeles, California.

What are yours?

Blast from the Past

2009-08-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

These songs were in heavy rotation at school dances and parties when I was in my early teens, back when all problems could indeed be solved by pumping up the jam and busting a move.

Bust a Move by Young MC:

source

Pump Up the Jam by Technotronic:

source

The Host by Stephanie Meyer - Book Review

2009-08-19T07:00:00.001-04:00

The Host, Stepanie Meyer's newest book, is a departure from her overly (I thought largely undeservedly) popular vampire fiction, the Twilight Series. It's her first book for adults and there are no sparkly vampires and very few brooding teenagers to be found.

In The Host a parasitic alien race has taken over the Earth. The aliens are placed into human hosts and take over their lives. An alien known as The Wanderer is placed into an adult host body, that of Melanie Stryder, and is unable to completely subdue her. Based on Melanie's memories and emotions, The Wanderer is convinced to seek out the surviving humans, mainly Melanie's lover and brother. She eventually wins them over and against all odds forms relationships with them, even to the point of being completely accepted by the humans and joining the resistance.

I didn't enjoy Twilight and was pleasantly surprised by how much fun this book is. This is a sci-fi/romance/thriller; it's like science fiction for girls and it's a great read. The drama feels less forced and melodramatic than in the Twilight Series and the characters are certainly much better developed and less cheesy.

Don't let a dislike of the Twilight mania discourage you from picking up this book. If you enjoy sci-fi, definitely pick it up. It's a fun read - an exciting romp through the what ifs of alien invasion.

If you did enjoy, or even love, the Twilight Series then what are you waiting for? This is Stephanie Meyer's latest and well worth a look.

Holiday by Hayseed Dixie - Cover Tunes Tuesday

2009-08-18T07:00:00.003-04:00

Hayseed Dixie started as an AC/DC cover band. They took AC/DC's hard rock and turned it into bluegrass. The transformation in all their covers is entertaining, the band is talented on violin, guitar and banjo and Hayseed Dixie has a sense of humour about it, too. For example, the lead singer wears overalls and black eye liner in a nod to the country roots of bluegrass and theatrics of hard rock.

My favourite cover by Hayseed Dixie is not an AC/DC song, it is Holiday by Greenday. Their version is a catchy, fun, sing-along romp. Check it out:

Source

Advice for Being Green by Erin at The Mother Load

2009-08-17T07:00:00.002-04:00

How important is living Green and the environment to you?

Erin from The Mother Load is so passionate about living Green that she is working to make it easier for those around her to recycle. Erin sent flyers to her neighbours offering (in rhyme, no less) to collect their used juice pouches and recycle them. I always find it admirable when passion translates into action and Erin is not only talking about being Green, she's living her words.

In her post Green Tips Erin shares a list of 25 easy, doable ways to live a little Greener.

These days working to save and improve the environment is not just important, it's stylish, too. So check out Erin's posts and see how easy it can be to live a little Greener everyday.

Leslie Hall - The Story of an Extraordinary Internet Diva

2009-08-14T07:00:00.001-04:00

Have you heard of internet sensation Leslie Hall?

Photo Courtesy of Hefty Hideaway.com

Leslie Hall's climb to internet stardom began in 2000 with her collection of Gem Sweaters. Hall picked up her 1st gem sweater, from a bin at a used clothing store, to wear to a high school dance. She instantly fell in love with its sparkly glamour. As her collection grew, she decided to share her sweaters with the world so that people could, "view them in a natural setting" in order to save them from being, "neglected and forgotten." So she created a website in their honour. The website features a series of photos of Hall wearing the sweaters along with gold spandex pants, 80's style hair and makeup, and a blank facial expression. Each photo is labeled with the sweater's name, which was lovingly bestowed upon it by Hall at the time of its purchase.

Leslie Hall Wearing "Midnight Roller Coaster"
Photo courtesy of Hall's Gem Sweater Gallery

Hall found that many of the visitors to her Gem Sweaters website were commenting on her gold spandex pants more than on the sweaters themselves. Picking up on her pants' popularity, Hall decided to form a hip hop band, Leslie and the LYs, in order to further promote them. She cut an album, entitled Gold Pants, and sold it over the internet out of her bedroom/office. In 2004, Hall produced her first internet video, Gold Pants Lullaby, in which she tells the story of her rise to fame on the internet in her own words:

Leslie and the LYs have produced 3 albums to date, Gold Pants in 2005 , Door Man's Daughter in 2006, and CeWEBrity in 2008. Leslie and the LYs are currently on tour. You can check for concert dates at their website or at Leslie Hall's MySpace page.

Leslie and the LYs
Photo courtesy of the Leslie Hall Flickr group

Here's another of Hall's videos, from her CeWEBrity album, How We Go:

Hall is also touring with her Gem Sweater Museum:

Many of Hall's fans show up to her concerts wearing their own gem sweaters. You can too! All you need is a sweater and a Bedazzler with which to decorate it. Who wouldn't want a gem sweater? I know I do! For other great Leslie Hall memorabilia, check out her online store, Hefty Hideaway.com, where you can order her albums and other great Leslie Hall items. My two favourites are the Periodic Table of Gem Sweaters Pen (which features a pull out chart of the Gem Sweaters Gallery) and the truly fabulous Jezebel Lightning poster.

I love Leslie Hall for her humour, her guts, her creativity, and her drive. Lots of people do. Her video, How We Go, became one of the most watched on the internet. And if you don't love her, that's okay too. According to Hall, in a 2007 article at Wired.com, "Any response is fun, I have to say. Plus, I don't think they'd say it to my face. And if they don't get it, who needs 'em? I have 800,000 other internet friends, all virtually loving me."

What do you think of Leslie Hall? Who is your favourite internet celebrity?

Refs:
Leslie Hall.com
Bedazzled, May, 2005, Boston.com
Leslie Hall's Youtube site (especially her 1st television appearance, in 2004) on Unscrewed with Martin Sargeant)
Wired.com, 2007
Wikipedia
Flickr's Leslie Hall Group

Originally posted at Adventures of the Reluctant Housewife

United States of Tara - Television Review

2009-08-12T07:00:00.004-04:00

I happened upon United States of Tara one evening when I was searching in vain for something to watch after the end of the last television season. Summer TV is so frustrating.

image source

I decided to give Tara a try when I saw that it starred Toni Collette, who I've adored ever since she played Muriel in Muriel's Wedding. I loved Muriel's Wedding and Toni Collette was entirely loveable as Muriel.

United States of Tara tells the story of Tara, a woman struggling with Dissociative Identity Disorder (previously known as Multiple Personality Disorder). Tara, a cool, stylish working mom of two, shares her body with 4 other personalities: T - a rebellious teenager, Alice - a Stepford style housewife, Buck - a Vietnam vet and beer swilling biker guy, and a primitive Id creature who runs around at night in a raincoat and pees on things.

The psychology geek in me ('I took several undergraduate psych courses so sit down right here on my couch and tell about your motha') was instantly engrossed. I watched the entire first season in a matter of days (don't judge, I know I watch too much TV).

The acting is phenomenal. Toni Collette is so good that you can see the personality changes happen almost before they do. Each personality has its own quirks, hairstyle and clothes but Collette doesn't need costume to distinguish between them. She's great.

The other characters in the show are equally compelling: Tara's husband, played by John Corbett, is wonderful as he supports his wife and struggles with his relationship with the other personalities who inhabit her body. Tara's teenage children, played by Brie Larson and Keir Gilchrist, each have their own struggles outside of dealing with their mom's disorder. I especially enjoy the relationship the family has with their gay son. Their acceptance of him for himself is wonderful to watch and completely modern. It is fascinating to watch the interaction between Tara's family and her various personalities. Their stories intermingle with Tara's struggle to figure out and come to terms with whatever event(s) in her past caused and contributed to her disorder.

The writing is witty and intelligent. The acting is excellent. The story is compelling. This is really good stuff, don't miss out on it!

Watch United States of Tara on Showtime (US) or on The Movie Network (Monday nights @ 10:30pm, starting in September) in Canada, where it's being brought back for a second season in the fall. Yay!

Hounds of Love by The Futureheads - Cover Tune Tuesday

2009-08-11T07:00:00.009-04:00

I love cover tunes. I know they're often not as good as the original song but there's something about them that is just so much fun. I'm going to share my favourite cover tunes with you every Tuesday. I'm calling it Cover Tunes Tuesday (because that's its name). So hooray for Tuesday and hooray for tunes!

When I was 14 or 15 years old, my friends and I would sit in the dark, with only a dim fiber optic lamp for light, listening to Kate Bush and talking about anything and everything: parents, school, life, love, movies, books, kissing, boys... You name it, we discussed it.

I have fond memories of those evenings and, as such, Kate Bush's music has a special place in my heart. Every time I listen to it I'm enveloped in the dim, multicoloured light of a fiber optic lamp and transported back to my youth.

This cover of Kate Bush's Hounds of Love by The Futureheads is spectacular. Sung and modernized by an adorable band of british boys, it still manages to maintain enough of the original to transport me.

I love it and I hope you will, too.

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Advice For New Bloggers by Absolutely Bananas

2009-08-10T07:00:00.001-04:00

Figuring out the woolly world of blogging can be challenging and overwhelming at first.

How often should you post?
How important is the look of your blog?
Will anyone ever read it?
Why do you blog?
How can you get a piece of the cash and fame the big bloggers seem to be raking in?

Established Seattle mom blogger Jen at Absolutely Bananas offers answers to some of the questions new bloggers are asking in her fun and fabulous post series:

5 Essential Pieces of Advice for the New Blogger

1. Branding yourself
2. Protecting yourself and your family
3. Establishing a readership
4. Finding balance in blogging
5. Taking it to the next level

Jen covers her 5 topics in 8 well-written, fun to read articles, all with great advice and handy tips useful for new bloggers and established bloggers both. It's definitely worth checking out.

Her Morning Elegance by Oren Lavie

2009-08-09T17:12:00.004-04:00

I love the look of this video, it's just so pretty. The stop motion animation using live people thing is brilliant. I especially love the bit with the red scarf and the bit with the tiny white baby sock fish. The song is nice, too. Quiet and melodic. I adore the cello solo although I'm glad I don't have to dodge floating cellos so soon after I get out of bed because, unlike the girl in the video, I am not elegant in the morning.

One more thought: First time the guy shows up, his pants arrive before he does. Dude, one word: Laundry. One more: Yesterday.

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