Home Sweet Home?

After spending Christmas in NY, M and I returned home to Kaya last night. It always feels strange flying into Chicago - I'm always like, what am I doing here? And then: oh yeah, I live here. Anyway, it was only a short trip, but it felt like ages. We saw a lot of friends, spent time with my sister and my brother-in-law, went to a few museums, a party in a music studio, had Christmas dinner with a friend and a couple of dogs (pics coming soon, perhaps) and otherwise hung out, walked around, ate great food and did some shopping. M gave me some beautiful and wonderful presents and we had a nice time laying around the hotel and shopping at the Strand (2nd fave bookstore in US). Well, hope you all have a happy New Year's Eve and a prosperous 2006.

An Open Letter to Tyra Banks

Tyra, there is only one beautiful but strange girl standing before me. Some of our judges, namely me, think that she is TOO strange to continue to receive our viewership. She's a little mean. And our judges are wondering what's. Up. With. The. Enunciation? We can understand you, you don't have to talk like that. You know how sometimes you tell the outrageous girls that they have TOO much personality and the quiet ones that they don't have ENOUGH personality? Or the short ones that they're too short and the "plus" sized ones that they'll never have enough personality to make up for being a size... 12? Well, WE don't like it when you do that creepy flutter thing with your eyelids when you say "One of you. Will be. Eliminated." Our judges think you need to tone it the eff down. You need to be less. Insect-like. Because you. Scare. Me. TYRA! I have never in my life screamed at a supermodel like I am screaming at you now! Your show used to be cool! And it's like you don't even care! I care! The judges care! So get it together before your next season. Also, get rid of Jay and Miss Jay - they're even more bizarre than you.

movies, music

On Sat. Night Live I saw this cool musician - James Blunt - I'm really digging him. Here are a few songs. Had a pretty nice weekend - met up with an old friend of mine on Michigan Ave. on Saturday. Was a total madhouse down there- tried to do a little Christmas shopping but started getting overwhelmed by crowds and had to leave. Watched Melinda and Melinda which was SO terrible. I've just about had it with Woody Allen. Also saw Bruce Almighty and it wasn't as bad as I've heard - although the pseudo-God bits were really stupid. I hate movies about religion, or rather, movies which dance around religion. Odd trivia: Steve Carrell is in both those movies. I mean, the fact that Woody Allen put him in one of his movies shows you just how much the old man's lost it. Also saw Aeon Flux. It was also mostly terrible but we had a good time watching it.

high school music

Got this idea from Deevan to go to musicoutfitters.com and enter in the year of my high school graduation for the top 100 list of music that year. I'm 1992, a good year, I think - or at least I liked it. Here are the songs I really liked:
7. My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It), En Vogue
13. I'm Too Sexy, Right Said Fred
39. Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen
44. Set Adrift On Memory Bliss, P.M. Dawn
57. Mysterious Ways, U2
60. One, U2
71. Friday I'm In Love, Cure
75. Rhythm Is A Dancer, Snap
100. I Can't Make You Love Me, Bonnie Raitt

Here's what I hated:
15. Achy Breaky Heart, Billy Ray Cyrus 16
16. I'll Be There, Mariah Carey
46. 2 Legit 2 Quit, Hammer
59. How Do You Talk To An Angel, Heights
91. That's What Love Is For, Amy Grant

Yelch, there was a lot of Amy Grant out that year. As you can see, I was a big U2 fan - still am. Hmm... now I just looked up the year I was born. Here are the songs I like:
12. Jungle Boogie, Kool and The Gang
18. Sunshine On My Shoulder, John Denver
20. Hooked On A Feeling, Blue Swede
39. Top Of The World, Carpenters
49. Waterloo, Abba
88. Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing, Stevie Wonder
97. I Honestly Love You, Olivia Newton-John

Wow, I didn't know Olivia Newton-John was that old. I should download Hooked a Feeling, that's a REALLY good song. Top of the World makes me laugh. Probably my mom sang that to me, she loves The Carpenters. Now I just looked up the year I got married. Here's what I liked:
2. The Boy Is Mine, Brandy and Monica
10. I Don't Want To Wait, Paula Cole
28. Sex And Candy, Marcy Playground
35. Tubthumping, Chumbawamba
75. Ray Of Light, Madonna
79. Bitter Sweet Symphony, The Verve

Here's what I hate(d):
3. You're Still The One, Shania Twain
5. How Do I Live, LeAnn Rimes
13. My Heart Will Go On, Celine Dion