Caffeine Shakes and Headaches

Kill All Your Friends

2011-09-12T12:56:00.001-04:00

As I near my 25^th birthday, I look back on everything I have experienced, and the people that have been in my lives. Some people like to say that every person enters our life for a reason. It sounds like a nice theory, but I feel like I'm still trying to find those reasons out. I am by nature an introvert, and probably an extreme one compared to others. I never feel like I represent who I really am in the first couple of months of meeting new people. I come off too quiet, painfully shy, and in my head, kind of ditsy. Still I know, to my real friends, I am none of these things, but in this world, my real friends are very few, and there are so many other people who see the person I am not.

So I just feel like I am out of place in society. The older I get, the more I start to hate people and everything they do. Making friends was so much easier when we were younger, we never had to worry about trust. Now, I feel like I am constantly losing friends. They either move away, which is not really their fault, or I learn that they can't be my friend. We think that just because we've been friends with someone for a long period of time, that we can't stop being their friend. A friendship is just like any other relationship, and it can be broken. We either grow a part, or betray one another.

Again, we are all suppose to be a part of each others life for a reason, so I guess most of us are to teach us lessons. So now with 25 years of experience, I thank every person I have ever met. You have taught me that most of the world is filled with horrible people who probably shouldn't have been born in the first place. Here is to the Hitler worshipers, the Frat boys, the wannabe Oprahs, and the fake bitches all across the world. And to the people who really love me, I thank you for still making me hope that there are more of you out there.

Nostalgia Toy Blast: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

2011-07-19T22:08:00.008-04:00

The year was 1993, I was 7 years old and my new favorite after school show to watch was called Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Five teenagers who were just randomly chosen to be crime fighters by a giant floating head and an annoying helper robot. Man, that was my show! As a kid I don't think I could explain why, and of course now I don't think I can give that answer because with time, now everything just looks silly. What I do remember was that my favorite Power Ranger wasn't Kimberley, the Pink Ranger, which automatically made her the favorite for most girls. My favorite color wasn't pink, it was red, and that's why my favorite Power Ranger was Jason the Red Ranger. He was also my official first crush, because come on! Did you see what he looked like?

Of course being one of the hottest show for kids, they were also the hottest toys that I had to have. I remember for Easter I found in my Easter basket all six PVC figures of the Power Rangers. It was a very happy Easter for me for sure.

Sadly I remember three of my Power Rangers being stolen by an unknown culprit when I brought them to school and I never got those three back. However, these wouldn't be the last Power Ranger toys I would get. As the rest of the gift giving holidays came around, my Power Ranger collection grew, and soon I had all six of the Auto Morphin figures. Thankfully those figures were never stolen or lost, and I still have these figures in my collection today.

Bandai even went one step further to capitalize on the show's success by coming out with the Trini and Kimberley dolls. That was a hot item for Christmas that I remember getting that year under the tree. Though it's no surprise that Bandai never made that many dolls, because playing wise, Trini and Kimberley weren't good dolls. They were about 5 inches shorter than an average Barbie, and also two times thinner than her. Can you imagine that? A doll that makes Barbie look fat!
Of course I did have many other Power Rangers toys, like the bigger action figures with fighting action, that odd battle spinner thing, the weird beeper that made sounds, and of course all the Mcdonald Happy Meal toys when the first movie came out. When something is popular they'll just put their pictures on anything!

Now 18 years later I'm finally able to watch the whole series all over again thanks to Netflix. Of course now when I watch, I finally notice which scenes are from Japan and which is American. That actually makes the show much more of a comedy now than an action. Sure the series still lives on, but it can't ever be as fun and popular as it once was in the beginning.

Feeling Flush: Tad's Steaks

2010-10-13T18:22:00.004-04:00

Tad's Steaks
152 W 34th St, New York, NY 10001-2102

Tad's Steaks is a place that borders between a fast food joint and a restaurant. I guess I should just call it a fast food place because you wait on a line and get your food on a plastic tray. With this in mind, it's no wonder that their bathroom wasn't the best bathroom to use. Still, it was disappointing to see that the women's room was a complete mess. The floor was wet and toilet paper and paper towels were all over the floor. I had two stalls to choose from and I obviously made the wrong choice because I ended up with a toilet that had bloody toilet paper unflushed from the last person's visit.
Not only did I have a disgusting surprise waiting for me in the toilet, but the trash can inside the stall was filled way over it's limit with paper. Then my next disappointment was with the stall door. There was no way I could secure the door because there was no hole for the lock to go in. Who's idea was it to make a door with a lock, and then not put a hole to hold the lock in place? I had to hold the door close the whole time because if anyone came in, all they had to do was push the door and it would open.

The best I can say is that at least the sink worked and had soap in the dispenser.

Rating:
Cleanliness: 2
Function: 1
Design: 1

Feeling Flush

2010-10-13T17:13:00.000-04:00

When you go out, you want to go to a place that has a nice design, is clean, and makes you feel comfortable. Well in my opinion, the restroom of a place is just as important, if not more, so it should be just as presentable as the rest of the place. Just by looking at a restroom, you can really tell a lot about a place. That's why I want to make it my duty to rate the restrooms I come across in the New Jersey/New York area. Ratings will be based on cleanliness, function, and design on a number scale from 1-10. So now I get to take my odd fascination and put it to work!

What a Wonderful World: Toilets

2010-09-07T02:13:00.005-04:00

One of the most important things I appreciate when I go out that many might not is a good bathroom. Call it weird, quirky, dysfunctional...whatever, but you can tell a lot about a place by looking at their bathroom. For this reason alone, I loved being in Japan. No matter where I was, every bathroom I went to was absolutely spotless. This experience was almost liberating, because using a public restroom where I come from is usually a nightmare. I mean I really don't understand what people are thinking when they use a public restroom in the United States. Sometimes I think these people are one step away from taking their crap and smearing it all over the walls! I mean it looks like these women come in and think “Oh no it's so disgusting to sit on the seat, so I'm just going to pee all around the seat cover and leave my piss right there for the next person!” Yeah, that is far less disgusting (sarcasm).

In fact, I have a funny story that happened to me this weekend that highlights my point on this issue. I was at a local beer garden with some friends and was very impressed at how nice the place looked. They really did a good job sticking to the German Oktoberfest theme. Then I used their bathroom and my impression quickly changed. Besides the usual splatter of urine on the seat which I am now very use to, my bathroom came with a complimentary mug of beer left on top of the toilet. Then my friend goes into her stall and she sees a large stain of menstrual blood on the floor! I don't even know what kind of woman you have to be to have your blood running onto the floor and you just walk out without cleaning it up!

That's why when I think about the bathrooms in Japan, I can't help but feel wistful. Even the restroom in a 7 eleven was more clean than any restroom in a American public place. It has to do with the type of people who use the restrooms, and the type of workers who clean the restrooms. To me it looks like Japanese people just have more respect and dignity in this area.

Not only are their bathrooms spotless, but their toilets are surprisingly very high tech. The first time I came across their toilet, I was confused and awed. There were so many different buttons, what could they possibly do? A couple buttons make water shoot up your butt at different speeds, then another one dries it, others send out different pleasing smells, and the most useful one, a button that plays sounds so other people can't hear you pee. Yep, it's like they went out of their way to give you the best bathroom experience next to going in your own home.

The only time I was troubled when using their restrooms was when I came across their traditional toilets. The only places I came across these were at old places like shrines, and some modern places that gave you the option to use this toilet or the modern one. A traditional toilet is a toilet thats placed on the ground that's to be used as a squatting toilet. When I first saw it, I thought I had to sit on the toilet on the ground, and that would have been very uncomfortable. I couldn't use these types at all, I have horrible balance and just don't feel comfortable squatting.

Every now and then when I have to use a public restroom I sigh and think back to my fond memories of the cleanest bathrooms I ever used. One day I hope I'm using those bathrooms again.

What a Wonderful World: Closets

2010-08-20T00:09:00.007-04:00

My first night staying in Japan I was welcomed with my first cultural shock. I was already well aware that you had to take off your shoes when entering homes, and that you sleep on mats on the floor. My shock came when I entered the room I would be sleeping in and saw...the closet. In Japan, the closets are traditionally two sided sliding doors that are usually white. The inside is very roomy, so it's easy to store a lot, a very convenient closet! So what's my problem? Well when I think about Japanese styled sliding closets, I don't see a closet, I see a death trap!

Since this was my first time visiting Japan, I had certain things associated with what I've seen them from. Unfortunately, I've watched way too many Japanese horror movies! I happen to be a fan of the Ju-on: The Grudge series and when I saw that sliding closet all I could think of was a dead body crawling out of it. It was hard to get this creepy imagery out of my head, and suddenly it felt like I was a kid again afraid of the unknown evils in my room. As embarrassing as it was, I even rearranged the furniture in the room so it could block off the closet...you know, just in case anything wanted to crawl out.

Needless to say, my first night sleeping in this room was very challenging. Even though I was very tired from traveling, I found it very hard to sleep knowing that this closet was next to me. It took me a couple of days to get use to it.

What a Wonderful World Intro

2010-08-10T16:49:00.003-04:00

There once was a girl from Jersey who dreamed of nothing more than going to Japan...

That would be how my story would start off if this was a fairy tale. Since as young as I can remember, the Japanese culture has fascinated and amazed me. From the Power Rangers, to Sailor Moon, to Pokemon, the most enjoyable shows that I got into obsessively were Japanese.

As I got older, I added Japanese rock to my list of things about Japan I love. It didn't matter if I couldn't understand what they were saying, the music was enjoyable, new, and comforting. When you're a teenager you either try to desperately fit in with everyone else, or desperately try to be different. So since music has a huge impact on a teen's life, it was nice to listen to something that no one else was.

Later on I got into Japanese horror, because they had a unique gift for making a horror movie grotesque and beautiful at the same time. With so much that I loved about Japan, when I got to college I was excited that I could take Japanese as a language. It was such an exhilarating experience learning a new language I was really looking forward to learn. The more I learned the language, the more I learned the culture, and the more I fell in love.

When I finally got the chance to go, I was excited and scared at what I was getting myself into. Then when I was there, it was the greatest feeling of my life. Even though I was only there for ten days, I had the best 10 days ever experiencing Japan as they do. I love Japan because I love that it's a place filled with vibrant colors and cuteness. From the smallest things that go overlooked, they make it unique and new. They also think of ways to make every day happenings more convenient for everyone. This is why I love Japan, even in the littlest ways.

My Goals

2010-06-14T22:04:00.000-04:00

I have a list of goals in my mind that I want to accomplish before this year is over. I know 2010 has a long way to go before it's over, but with me you just never know how long things might take. So I think if I write out exactly what I want to get done, I will be able to to actually do them. Right now all my ideas are stuck in my head and I have no clear thought process, so that's why I feel so overwhelmed most of the time. I want to do so many things, but I don't know what to do first, or how to get started. So without procrastinating some more, here are my goals:

Of course since I just graduated college, I really would like to find a job in my field. I don't want any more unpaid internships or websites that want to pay me in free stuff. I need money. So I have to stay diligent and keep looking for jobs every day.

I wanted to start a business online that would ensure that I had money while I wait until I find a job. I need to think of a good product that will sell, write a sales pitch, and design a cover for it.

I want to be crafty and be able to make a profit for it, so I want to make my own jewelry and try and sell it. Granted, this is a market that won't be very lucrative, but it will feel rewarding. Plus I'm hoping my first online business will be enough to cover me for my jewelry making.

I came up with an idea to write my own comic book. I have always been a comic book fan and it would be great if I can write my own. I've already come up with the premise, the characters, and the location, and with the help of one of my friends, we've been getting into the design. I have very little drawing skills so that part will have to be left up to my friend, but I have to get cracking on the manuscript.

So these are all the projects I have lined up in my mind, if only I could get enough motivation to start doing them. It's not really a lack of time, skill, or money, it's a lack of will that I've been fighting. Right now I feel like I want to break through these walls and do something worth doing! I just feel like I'm mentally and physically frozen...but I'm feeling that heat, so I'm hoping to break free any minute.

LOST Final Season Retrospect

2010-03-18T03:56:00.004-04:00

When this season of Lost started it looked like this universe was a much happier one for our beloved passengers of flight 815. There was no plane crash, Hurley has had only good luck since his lottery win, and there is no Shannon (sorry girl but your attitude is not wanted). However, first episode aside, this season has been filled with moral dilemmas that seem to be testing the characters to see if they will revert back to who they were on the island or to see if they truly are better off having never crashed.

In last week's episode we see that Ben Linus is no longer an evil mastermind, but a lowly high school History teacher who cares more about the students than the principal. With a helpful suggestion from substitute teacher, John Locke, Ben tries to go after the principal position. Now while the Ben we are more familiar with would have no problem manipulating people to do what he wants, this Ben does. Even when he finds out from his favorite student/former island daughter, Alex, that the principal is having an affair with the school nurse, he's hesitant to go through with the blackmail. The major difference in the two Ben's is that alt world Ben actually thinks of others before himself. He very well could have had that principal position like he wanted, but he chose Alex's happiness over his own. The episode is very bittersweet because while he does seem to be a better man in this universe, he's not happier. If anything, what we've learned from this season so far is that all of these people have problems no matter what universe they're in.

While in hindsight it looked like the island was nothing but a crazy dysfunctional island of chaos, it actually did a lot of good. Without the island, how can Jin become a loving and caring husband? Is he now doomed to be a stressed, angry, sterile husband? Locke will never be able to walk again, Rose will continue to have cancer, and what will happen to Walt?

In this week's episode we finally see a positive change for a character in the alternative universe. We first see Sawyer in bed with a woman once again running his money con, but the twist here is that he's not trying to steal her money, he's trying to arrest her. Ladies and gentleman, Sawyer is now James Ford the cop. In this world he's on the right side of the law with Miles as his partner making this a great buddy cop TV series. While he's a working class citizen now, he's still not happy because he's still plagued by the trauma of his parent's murder suicide caused by the con man Sawyer got his name from. On the island he was able to get his closure and finally kill his demon like he always planned to, here he's still hunting for Anthony Cooper/Sawyer/Locke's dad. So is he better off being a lonely cop still on the hunt for revenge or a surly con man devastated by constantly losing the people he loved?

Well what is happiness anyway? Maybe the whole point of all of this is to show that all of these people can never be happy. They're doomed to be miserable and changing details around isn't going to make a difference. Aww now doesn't that just warm your heart? Maybe they should just release the polar bears again to kill them all.

Orphan Movie Review: That is One Sassy Chick

2009-08-03T21:52:00.005-04:00

Oh, horror and suspense films! How you try to still scare and shock us. Since it feels like we have seen it all, movies always try to go for the 1-up. Sometimes this ends up lame, other times successful...and other times completely laughable. This is the case for the movie, Orphan.

With a very disturbing scene of childbirth to kick off, we meet Jon and Kate, a couple with two children who recently had the misfortune of having their third child stillborn. With this death, it has put alot of trouble on Kate who takes pills every morning and still struggles with the temptation of alcohol as a recovering addict. Jon is just there, he gives support when Kate needs it, but we find out that he also has brought some problems to this marriage in the form of cheating. This story is sounding very familiar...Jon and Kate's just don't work out.

So even though they have a pre-pubescent son, and a young deaf, daughter, they still feel a void from the child they were suppose to have, so they go adopting. There they meet Ester, a sweet looking 9 year old with a charming accent, and an old fashion sense. Of course everything is good at first, but then things start going wrong. She doesn't fit in well with kids, her new half brother is embarrassed to be related to her, and she has occasional violent outbursts.

As the movie goes along she becomes progressively more violent and scary, and it becomes clear she isn't bonding well with her new mommy. Awww, but it's nice that she has a special place in her heart for her daddy. The big twist in the movie, also known as Ester's secret, is one that you really don't see coming. I can't decide if it's brilliant or just damn hysterical! I'll give the movie credit for doing something that isn't so predictable, but it makes the movie more of a comedy than a suspense.

Product Review: Banjees

2009-07-14T22:43:00.003-04:00

Need a place to put all your things when you go out, but just don’t know where? Ladies are you in luck, because now you can use Banjees, the fashion wrist wallet. This stretchable, spandex item resembles a wrist warmer and has a pocket with a zipper so you can store small items. The “fashionable” part is that they come in lots of cute designs that girls will love like floral patterns and sequins, and the really nice touch is that they’re reversible. So just slip it on your wrist and off you go! The problem is that this product boasts that it can “store your cash, keys, id, and a lip stick in the zippered pouch”, but there is no way it can unless your items are the size of Barbie’s accessories. The pocket size is just big enough to hold a card, and because the material is made thin, the pocket can only go so deep. We carry bags for a reason; they look nice, have big pockets, and no one can tell what’s inside. Sure Banjees look nice, but unless the items you put in are paper-thin, the stretchy fabric shows everyone exactly what you have inside, that’s not very fashionable.

TV Commentary: Secret Life of the American Teen

2009-07-07T17:48:00.005-04:00

Last night I had the displeasure of watching "The Secret Life of the American Teen". What looked to me as a very long PSA mixed with one of those lame after school specials, turned out to be the stupidest show on TV for young teens. This show started out as a story about a young teen, Amy, goes away to band camp and has sex with this guy, Ricky, then finds out she's pregnant conveniently right at the beginning of the school year. So right away you think this is a show to educate teens about the dangers of sex and to force religion down their young impressionable throats. That's fine, our teens do need sex education. The problem? The script, the acting, the story lines, are all utterly lame. In fact, I think they're sending the wrong message to our youth.

In last night's episode the focus was on a girl named Grace who was beside herself with guilt because she was convince she killed her dad because she had sex and enjoyed it. I'm not going to even stop and break down how stupid that is. She then goes on to blame the guy she had sex with, who then blames the girl he lost his virginity to. Can you believe that? A guy trying to call the girl a whore because she slept with him, and his reason was because if he didn't have sex in the first place, he wouldn't have wanted more. So the message so far is, don't have sex because you can kill your parents.

Now let's look at the title of the show, The Secret Life of the American Teen. What exactly is the secret life? It can't be having sex because it looks like everyone knows who's doing who...including the parents. We have the lead character, Amy, who since having sex that one time and becoming pregnant looks like she was sucked dry of personality. Plus we have to be clear that she did not enjoy sex! Then we have the character, Adrian, who is suppose to be the slut of the school since she kept saying in one episode, "It's not my fault I like sex!". Let's forget talking about Grace since she's still crying about her dead dad, and forget all the guys too because there is nothing really interesting about them. Well maybe how bad Ben's acting is...He sounds like he's 40 and has the intensity of a rapist. So yeah, there is nothing secret about these teens.

I mean if the point of this show is to teach teens about the dangers of sex, why is it that every scene has them talking about sex. It's nonstop sex talk on this show like that's all teens do. In fact, you could make a drinking game about how many times the word "sex" is said and get very wasted. So their solution to the teen sex epidemic is to show that all teens do is talk about it? It's all very confusing. So first they teach that if you have sex you're going to become pregnant, yet the school slut doesn't have a baby or any STDs. Then they make the deeply religious girl have sex and have her dad die as a punishment. Maybe they'll have her get pregnant to so they can drive home the message that good girls can't have sex because then they'll get pregnant. I guess if you're already a slut, being known as one is your only punishment. Of course for the guys there is no lesson because we still have these double standards when it comes to sex. What's worse is that they don't place a lot of focus on contraceptives. They just like preaching religion and repercussions, and scare tactics are horrible ways to teach teens about important stuff.

Finally let's move on to the "American Teen" part, how is anything they're doing different from the teens across the globe? Shows like Skins and Degrassi have teens doing much wilder things and they're from Britain and Canada. The whole title of this show is just senseless and long. Here's a better title, "The Crusade to Promote Abstinence-Only Education", now that's catchy!

Ayurveda Cafe Review

2009-07-06T00:16:00.000-04:00

I was looking for a nice Indian place to eat at during my lunch break from work. After coming across many expensive, trendy places, I found a very different type of place. The Ayurveda Cafe on 706 Amsterdam Ave in NYC is a vegetarian Indian restaurant that serves meals based on a belief that every meal should have six different tastes. Their menu has only one pre-set meal that they serve and it changes every day. So I walk into the place and the first thing I see is a shrine of Indian gods and pamphlets about what they believe. I quickly grab one and pick a table at the front of the place to sit. All I had to do was pick a drink and choose between white or brown rice, and that was it. It was very refreshing not to have to stare at a menu and think about what's the right thing to order while an overbearing waitress looks over you.

The meal itself was placed on a large metal dish with rice and five little saucers containing five different foods. Each dish was suppose to represent something sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent, and astringent. I was wondering where the sixth dish was, but I would later find out that it would be for dessert. I tried to figure out which dish was suppose to be what taste, but it all blended together after a while.

The first dish was green and tasted like a spinach concoction, the second was chick peas in an orange sauce, the third was yogurt that had something orange in it, the fourth was like a tiny salad with fresh carrots, lettuce, and cabbage, and the fifth was lentils in a spicy sauce. Even though I wasn't really sure what I was eating, I didn't mind and I found it all very filling. When I ate all I could, they took my plate away and put a small dish in front of me. It had strands of what tasted like coconut in a sweet powder, it was very good. When the bill came, it was only about $15 for a six-course meal and a lemonade. For New York, that lunch is pretty cheap!

A Fight Against Obesity: The International Food Challenge

2009-06-30T22:32:00.001-04:00

We are an obese nation, the average are getting fat and the fat are getting fatter. Michelle Obama has recently said,

"Nearly a one third of American children are either overweight or obese, and a third will suffer from diabetes at some point in their lifetime".

This sad fact made me want to do something for myself and find out why for others. I don't want to be another fat number in their statistics, so I decided to try out a study.

My theory is that Americans are fat because everything in the American diet is making us fat. I know, not so original because people have said this stuff before. Still, I will personally test this theory by completely changing my eating habits. This means I will no longer eat pizza, hot dogs, burgers, and fast food, all things popular in an American diet. Instead, I started yesterday eating only International food. So I will eat Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Vietnamese...who knows maybe I'll find places with more exotic food.

I will continue this to see if it has an effect on my weight and health. I know changing your diet alone is not the solution to losing weight, but trying to lose weight on the American diet has not gotten me anywhere. So with this international diet, mixed with exercise, I'll see if there is a difference.

There will be some ground rules and exceptions to this though. First, this will not really change what I drink, because that's harder to do, and I am not giving up caffeine. Hello, look at the name of this blog! Second, it will be very hard and costly to eat international when I'm home. So, I can eat the groceries that are in my house as long as it is something I have to prepare. This does not mean making Chef Boyardee, Hot Pockets, or any other pre-made frozen TV dinner.

The reason for this is because I want to be able to work for my food. I think another reason why this country is so obese is because we have such easy access to fatty foods. We get hungry, we could make chicken breast with some vegetables, but we want something fat so we microwave a frozen White Castle burger. I mean, this has made us lazy too, which doesn't help obesity.

So in my quest to change being just another lazy, fat, American, I hope I can use this study to show people that it's not too late. We can change if we truly want to.

Travel Diary Day 4- Last Day

2009-06-29T16:30:00.000-04:00

I woke up at a leisurely 8:00am with the feeling of finally being on my own. As the rest of my group left at 6am surf, I could finally take advantage of my hotel. It feels like there was so many things I wanted to do and never got to. I never ordered room service, had a drink at their bar, wander the different floors...you know things you should do at a hotel.

On that list of things to do was use their lazy river and private beach, and thankfully that morning I got to do that. The weather was sunny and hot...perfect water weather. I put on my recently purchased swimsuit that I got on clearance marked down 60%, and was happy to see that it looked lovely on me outside the dressing room. When I got down to the pool area it was pretty empty since it was early. I wanted to go on the lazy river first since the beach would get me all sandy. Since no one was using the lazy river yet, I didn't want to be the only one, so I went down to the beach.

I just wet my feet in the water to get use to the temperature and sink into the sand. A couple of minutes later I checked back at the lazy river, and seeing people started to use it, I felt happy to use it. The lazy river was simple and relaxing, the jets under the water pushed my inner tube slow in some areas to enjoy the view, and fast around turns for a little fun. I went around twice before I decided to jump off and go back to the beach.

The beach was nice for families, parents didn't have to worry about big waves taking their kids away. For me, it was nice, but I like the thrill of big waves, it's like a game. I think I spent a half hour in the water before I got out to go back to my room. Check out was at 12pm so I wanted to make sure I had enough time to shower and pack.

Once packed and ready, I went to wait in the lobby to say goodbye to my people. One journalist and her son had already left because they had an early flight. I did get to see everyone else and say goodbye and exchange business cards. At the airport I had to do some last minute cramming because I thought they would let me carry on a gift bag and not count that as an additional carry on bag.

My flight was at 3:17pm so they boarded us at 2:40pm. My seat was in the last row so I was one of the first to get on. This time, my plane was one of the older ones, the ones with no in-flight movie because they had no TVs. I can't lie, I was disappointed. Then as we were all ready to take off, the pilot comes on the speaker to say that Newark is delaying all flights for 2 hours, and since they had already boarded us, we could not get off the plane. So I had to spend 2 and a half hours sitting on a stationary plane. It felt like a nightmare, but it did make me realize something very important, I hate children!

With an annoying baby in front of me who kept turning around and trying to touch me, and even more annoying brother and sister who were loud and wouldn't stop whining, I was in hell. What is it about white parents that won't let them take charge of their children. If your child is loud and obnoxious, tell them to be quiet and say it in a way that they'll believe there are terrible consequences to disobeying. No, this brother and sister were whining and complaining, and fighting, and how does the mother respond, "If you're good I'll take you to Toys R Us" Oh yeah, that will teach them!

Finally, 5 and a half hours later, my plane landed and I didn't want to see another child for the rest of the week. Overall, I think my first press trip was a success, and I hope I have enough to write about for work.

Travel Diary Day 3

2009-06-26T15:40:00.000-04:00

This trip is sure taking a lot of energy out of me, and has made me realize that I haven't had caffeine since Tuesday. No wonder I'm falling asleep on swamp tours! I was a little late meeting my group for breakfast, really only 10 minutes, but our guide likes to keep everyone on time. He left me two voicemails, I didn't think it called for that. As I'm still not accustomed to eating breakfast, my queasy stomach didn't want anything too big. Luckily today's breakfast in the hotel was buffet style so I could take just what I wanted. I went with a cheese omelet and bacon in small portions.

On today's agenda, our first stop was a drive to Butterfly World. This was something that I was looking forward to because I like butterflies. Fun fact, Vanessa is a name for a genus of butterfly. It was interesting to see all the different types of butterflies flying around me, but I was worried about stepping on one of them. If I killed a butterfly this would have been a very sad day. Along with butterflies, they also had many birds flying around which made me a little more worried that they would swoop down on me. Then of course there was a special area with just birds that like to land on people. There was even a sign that said if you have a fear of birds landing on you, you should not go inside. I listened to that.

Everyone else in my group went inside the area but me. I didn't want to be a complete wuss so I went in for about a minute. A bird flew right by my face and then I promptly left. I think it was very smart that I did because six birds landed on one of my group members and were just climbing all over her. I wouldn't have been ok with that.

When we were done at Butterfly World we went to grab lunch at the H20 Cafe. My breakfast had me still pretty filled up so I passed on eating. All I got was ice tea, my first caffeine drink on this trip. I felt I would need this for everything else we were going to do today.

I think what I really would like to do in the future is to go around and rate bathrooms. Ever since I was little and I would go out, I had to always see the bathroom. So far all the bathrooms I have seen here were pretty nice, except the one at the Swamp Safari which smelled like an animal house.

Anyway, I brought up bathrooms because I decided to use the one at the H20 cafe and came out to see my group had left. I actually thought they had driven off, which really didn't have been that upset. Honestly, I would have just walked back to my hotel, because I wasn't that far from it, and relax. Sadly, or rather I should say, Luckily, my group had only walked to the shopping district up ahead to get the tickets for our next activity.

Yes, next was the Duck Tour, and I thought that would be mildly interesting because ducks are nice. This tour was very misleading! It shouldn't even be called a duck tour, it should be called the "History of Ft. Lauderdale Tour...Now with Water!". We didn't see a single duck, the only duck relation was that the overhyped tour guide kept making the bus quack like idiots to the people in the different places we passed. And to top it off, it was raining. It really was just a history tour where the guide pointed to places and told us some information and history about it. Then when we finally hit the water I thought finally this is where we'll see the ducks. No, then it turned to a house tour, poitning at different houses along the water and telling us who use to live there while boating at the slowest speed possible. This tour should have been the one that made me feel like sleeping, and at points I felt it, but I managed to stay wide-eyed.

Then our guide gave us free time to do whatever we want. I was going to go to either the pool or the beach, but since it was still rainy and cloudy I didn't want to. So I just came back to my room and relaxed. I'm planning tomorrow morning to use the pool, hopefully the sun will be shining!

When my free time was over, I met my group back in the lobby for dinner at the Mai Kai Resturant. I really liked the place, it was authentically decorated like a Polyensian village. Even the bathrooms were authentic. Since they knew we were on a press trip, they gave us a tour of the place and gave us a special menu to order from. I had crab rangoon, soy sirlon steak, and tiramasu. I also had my first alcoholic drink on the trip ad it came in a take home glass...I love those! Then they had a show with dinner that was basically alot of hula shaking and fire throwing. It was fun to watch, and they even pulled up my guide to dance on stage. Since they had a gift shop, I decided to look because I thought they must have some nice things.

I saw a very pretty tiki necklace with matching earrings so I asked the worker how much it was. $75! Are they out of their freaky tiki mind? Of course I didn't buy it, but at least I still have my souvienar glass. When we were done, we had to go back to our rooms very fast because we had to be at this sea turtle thing at a certain time.

Now the purpose of going to this sea turtle attraction was because we were suppose to see the turtles come out and lay their eggs. It was very boring for me. What we were really doing was turtle hunting because the entire crew was scouting the beach to see if a turtle was coming out of the water. They had us on the beach watching the waters in silent for 45 mintues.

At this point, waiting to see the turtle wasn't the only problem. All the food that I ate at dinner wasn't blending so well in my stomach and pain was coming in waves. So when we started walking to the other end of the beach I told my guide that I was going back to the main area where the bathrooms were. Then our driver gave me the keys to the van so I could sit inside the car and not be outside anymore. Wouldn't you know it, the damn turtle came out right after I left.

Once again my day concludes back in my room here writing. Tomorrow is when I leave, so this trip is almost over. This time I get to sleep a little more because everyone else in my group is going surfing at 6am, I kindly passed on that one. Surfing would be cool to do one day in my life, but doing it hours before my flight made me nervous. So tomorrow is my day where I can do whatever I want before I leave. I just hope for no rain!

Travel Diary Day 2

2009-06-25T23:27:00.000-04:00

My second day started bright and early at 7:00am so I could get ready and meet my group for breakfast at 8:30. We had breakfast in the hotel's restaurant, and I'm not use to having breakfast so I was worried my stomach wouldn't like it. Food was alright, I had two eggs with bacon, the eggs were just ok, the bacon was better. Then the people from the hotel took us on a tour of the place. Seeing the private beach and the lazy river made me wish I could use it right there, but sadly they just wanted to torture me. Hopefully I'll get time to use them before I leave, even if it's only for an hour.

Then we went on a long drive near the Everglades to Billie Swamp Safari. We had to make sure we had on plenty of bug spray for this place because those critters were everywhere. I got to see nice big tortoises, tropical birds, and snakes in cages. After these preliminaries, we went on an airboat ride through the swamp. I got scared when one of the alligators came right up next to our boat next to me. Next we had lunch at their cafe which had a very disapointing menu for me. Everything was deep friend. And they actually had real alligator nuggets, alligator tail, and frog legs on their menu. It seems weird to me that a place based mostly on the gator, they would respect them...not hack them up and serve them to tourists. Whatever, I wasn't eating that.

After that we went on a swamp buggy tour and for some reason I started feeling really sleepy and was falling in and out of sleep. That wasn't good, and I was trying everything to stay awake. That tour was very long though, and was mostly alot of trees almost hitting me in the face. Then ostriches attacked our buggy and once again one of them was right next to me. I was happy when we finally left because we spent a long time in the sun.

Now it was a long drive back, but we were now heading to Wannado City, a role playing theme park for kids where they can be any profession they want. It was so very cute that I can't even say how cute it really was. They give kids their fake money and credit card so they can run around and either buy things or earn money working jobs. Every profession was made to look very realistic. They had every job from doctor to model. So for instance, in the hospital kids can work in the emergency room, the operating room, or the nursery, and they have realitsic looking instruments, bodies, and tools. It can actually be a little scary for younger kids.

Every profession is run like a time scheduled activity. A worker is in charge of facilating the jobs and when it's time for one to start they will walk the kids through them. Another fun one is working as a firefighter, they have a building on fire and the kids come from the fire station in the truck to put the fire out with real working hoses. If I was still a kid I would love this place.

So yeah I saw all of this on our tour that they gave us. They also gave us a gift bag of press material with a brick...that was weird. Then while we were all waiting for the kids to finish playing we learned Michael Jackson died. Sad. Finally we could move on to dinner at the Grand Lux Cafe. Talk about a fancy looking place! Everything was so nice and spacious. The food was better than anything I had so far. I had the blue cheese salad, it was actually very big. After dinner I was feeling way beyond stuffed and couldn't wait to get back to my room.

So here I am now, and I should sleep much earlier than I did yesterday. I don't want to be falling asleep with butterflies all over me.

Travel Diary Day 1

2009-06-24T22:58:00.000-04:00

As I continue my quest as a journalist, I can cross off some of the things I have already achieved. I have been an Editor-in-Chief, won an award for my writing, and got a lot of free stuff. Now I can cross off being a backpacking journalist, because I am now on my very first press trip in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

I had a mixed feeling of excitement and fear in going because I would be traveling alone, something I haven't done ever. Still there was one thing that made me happy about going alone; I would finally have my own room. My whole life I have never had a room alone, so this was what I was looking forward to.

I had left packing for last night which had my stomach all in knots because I could feel the time passing which put more pressure on me. My flight wasn't until 2:35pm so that meant that I could kind of sleep in, but only a little bit. I still managed to waste my time in the morning because I was not expecting my taxi to come 25 minutes early. It actually was crazy! They called me to say they were outside and I was just beginning to get dressed.

So you know how they always advise people to get to the airport three hours in advance? Yeah, well I didn't need that. It took me all of 15 minutes to check in, get past security, and find my gate, so then I had 3 hours to kill before my flight.

Now I'm not a happy flier, the whole process makes my stomach turn, so getting a window seat didn't make me feel better. I was surprised that my flight actually went well, I didn't have to get up and use the bathroom, no turbulence, I got to watch the TV shows I liked on those tiny screens on the backs of the seats, and the plane landed early.

Once out of the plane I called the guy in charge of the press trip so he could pick me up and take me to the hotel. As the driver took me and another journalist with her kid to the hotel, he gave us a tour of the area we were in. Then there it was, like a white castle upon a hill, our hotel, the Pelican Grand Beach Resort.

When I checked in they gave me a complimentary bag of stuff from the good people taking us on this trip. What a cute tote it was! Hot pink, big, and water resistant. then it was time for what I had been waiting for...my room! Once I opened my door a smile spread across my face as I saw the huge room that was all mine. It has a big closet, huge bed, two TVs, a living room area with two sofas, and a balcony facing the beach. I may have jumped up and down from glee. There even was an envelope with my name on it with more free stuff.

I couldn't enjoy my room for too long because I had to be back in the lobby for dinner in 15 minutes. Tonight for dinner they took us to Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, the chain restaurant based on the Forrest Gump movie. I don't know, I just found the whole place weird. It really wants to be a kid-friendly place, and they have alot of cute things that are interesting that kids might get a kick out of. the problem is that their whole focus is about the movie they were based on. Now that's fine, they should be like that, but why would kids be interested in that? For example, the coloring book they give has trivia questions all from their movie. How would a 6yr old know that?

Another thing I thought was stupid were the signs they placed on the table. They were metal signs, and if you wanted attention from the waiter you would turn the sign to say "Stop, Forrest, Stop", and then if you didn't need them, switch it to "Run, Forrest, Run". Haha, I get it *eye roll*. Anyway, I was very hungry because all I had was a small bag of pretzels from the plane. I ordered their dish, Shrimp New Orleans, because I'm a big believer in getting food they're named for. The wait was long, the presentation was nice, and I can't say anything food about the taste. At first I thought it was good, it was a nice portion of shrimp over rice in a good tasting sauce. After four or five bites it didn't taste so great anymore, it actually made me feel a little sick.

When I decided to stop eating, I couldn't wait to come back to my room because the traveling was catching up to me, and I wanted to rest. Before I went up, I decided to get a milk shake from the ice cream parlor in the lobby for dessert. To my dismay they were overpriced, I paid $6.30 for a small milk shake.

Now I'm just back in my hotel room, enjoying this lovely experience and the free internet. I debated getting room service because that disappointing meal left me wanting, but I'll just wait for the morning. I must think of a way to horde food so I can eat when I'm not with my group. I should sleep soon, I have an early morning filled with activities, and I promise myself I will blog every day I'm out here. I mean, how can I be a writer if I don't write?

So You Think You Can Dance 5/21

2009-05-21T21:02:00.000-04:00

After a really lame and horrible season of American Idol, finally that talentless cloud has lifted and here we are with the premiere of So You Think You Can Dance Season 5. It's a wonderful feeling, just hearing that theme song I know good times have finally come. The show started off in Brooklyn, New York and already I can see talent. Their names? The hell if I know! Chimichanga? I do know that there was a very sweet and charming Japanese guy who liked to pop and lock. The one thing I really love that Idol doesn't do is bring alot of positivity. Whether the dancers do good or bad, they don't make them feel like shit. I don't know, everything just feels more free. Everyone just dance! After New York, the 2 hour premiere moved to Denver and I wondered like I always do, when the camera people have time to shoot the dancers' life story. Do they know they're going to make it before hand or do they wait until they already make it to shoot it? Anyway, I'm waiting to fall in love with a dancer like I always do to make me feel more pumoed for the upcoming season. Benji, Neil,....*sigh* Mark. It may be too soon to tell, it usually takes time for me to fall for a dancer. Also, for the first time there was a male dancing couple..yes only a DANCING couple. Too bad they kind of sucked, like falling on the floor by accident bad. Then the judges had to dance around the awkwardness when judging them. Then there was the girl dressed like a lion who danced with light sabers to the Star Wars theme. She was bad, but poor girl really didn't go as a joke. Overall, this was a great start for the new season and I can't wait to see more.

Nip/Tuck Season 6 Review

2009-01-16T00:20:00.000-05:00

My love affair with Nip/Tuck started when I randomly came across an episode of season 2 when I was channel surfing. It kept my attention and I soon became a fast fan. It was edgy, used good music, had great plot lines, and Christian Troy was hot! The first season built up the characters of the two plastic surgeons and their lives, and they delivered excellent story lines. A priest getting surgery to remove evidence for his molestation charges; they went there. They also created a trademark for executing nice sex scenes that looked hot, not sleazy.

The second season was my favorite, it had edgier plots, more surprises, and they added a masked serial killer, the Carver. The third season is where it kind of went down. While it was still fun to watch, the storyline got kind of stale. Only the fact that we would know who the Carver was, kept my interest up. Even that became annoying because the killer became obvious, and the writers were doing everything to throw us off. Then the fourth season came, and I forgot everything about it. The fifth season came, and it became hard to watch. Their edgy plots turned to outrageous stories just to get shocks. Even the relationships and sex scenes became disgusting, I mean they paired Matt with Kimber, Kimber who slept with both of his dads!

So this long overview brings me to the new season, season 6. I was actually excited to watch because the commercials for this season were great. I guess I can thank Kanye West for that. Now I have only seen two episodes for this season so far, and already I am severely disappointed. I'm going to drop a lot of spoilers right now so if you don't want to know what happens, I wouldn't read. Sean is in a wheelchair because he was brutally stabbed by his psycho stalker. Even though Julia has amnesia, she still has the ability to be pissed at Sean like she has been for five seasons. Matt is starting to shape up and not be weird and creepy like he always has been. Then Christian...Oh, what they have done to Chrisitian has made me so upset! They gave Chrisitian breast cancer!

I heard that this was going to be the last season, and I hope they're right. It's nothing like what it use to be. Instead of being interesting and addictive, it actually makes me cringe to watch. I mean so far in two episodes I've seen a girl put a diaper on Sean during sex, a nasty hooker beating up a weak Christian, a young Indian guy getting a blowjob from an old ugly lady who use to be a guy, and Liz, the lesbian, having sex with Christian. This season will only get more disgusting and sad to watch, there is no doubt. I'll only continue, because I have to know how it ends.

- Nessa C.

Animal House

2008-08-15T02:32:00.000-04:00

“Lions, and tigers, and bears, Oh My!”
Doesn’t even begin to illustrate this Auschwitz-like Toys R Us dream.
The faces are a complete comfort to stare at after a long, agonizing day.
“Yay! Mommy is back! We love you!”
A family of sitting ducks migrate to nowhere.
A slew of alligators lay quietly and never stalk any prey.
A barrel (or two) of rambunctious orangutans stay calm and collected all day long.
A pride of lions relax peacefully and serenely against the stone colored wall.
A family of emperor penguins gleefully enjoy their non-Artic, mid-temperate location.
Everyone else in between, claims the overloaded wicker chair.

This is my room. My very own house of stuffed animals.

-Sha T.

American Idol Fanfiction

2008-08-15T02:27:00.000-04:00

Title: Cry Me A River
Pairing: Cookleta, Castroleta, Mavid, and if you squint slightly, Johnstro
Disclaimer: Do not own these guys whatsoever because if I did, I'd make all four of them perform sexual acts in front of me.
Summary: It's time for some sweet revenge.
Rating: PG-13... yea, i'll go with that

You were my sun
You were my earth
But you didn't know all the ways I loved you, no
So you took a chance,
And made other plans.
But I bet you didn't think your thing would come crashing down, no

Sighing exhaustedly, David Archuleta returned to his bunk on the tour bus, after signing autographs for his adoring fans. Lying down on his back, he closed his eyes to get a couple of minutes of relaxation when he felt his phone vibrate in his pants, notifying him that he had received a new text message. Taking out his blackberry, recognizing Jason Castro’s ring tone, he glanced at the screen and read the message…

”David, come to the back entrance. I think there’s something you should see.”

Scrunching his eyebrows in confusion, he got out of his bunk and discreetly made his way towards the rear entrance of the arena. Taking in his surroundings, David was about to call out to Jason when a shadowy figure made his way over to him.

Not saying a word to him, Jason led David to two rather large doors that were hidden behind boxes and supplies. Jason pointed at the tiny crack of opening and motioned David to look inside.

David gave him a puzzled look, stepped forward and peered inside. His jaw dropped and he almost stumbled back in surprise at the scene before him. Each second felt like a stab in the gut, he wanted to scream but forgot how to. Clenching up his fists tightly, David fought back the tears in his eyes.

Jason finally spoke, “I know you two were never officially together, but I can tell by the way you look at him, you care so much about him. I know how much this is killing you, he -” his throat closed up suddenly, he couldn’t continue speaking. Swallowing a lump in his throat, he pulled David away from the door and quickly took them both back to the tour bus. Sitting David down on his bed, Jason glanced down at him with empathy. "I have a proposition, if you’re interested." he whispered.

David slowly looked up at Jason, and simply stated, "Whatever you have in mind, count me in."

You don't have to say what you did
I already know, I found out from him
Now, there's just no chance for you and me
There'll never be
And don't it make you sad about it

Positioning his video camera accurately towards a slightly larger bunk bed, Jason tossed all the pillows to the floor to give some extra space for the task. Walking back towards the camera, Jason flipped the switch 'on', and went back to positioned himself on the end of the bed, waiting. "David, are you ready?" he called out.

David entered the room and stared down at Jason for a few seconds before removing his t-shirt, and sauntered over to him, pulling him into a hot, angry kiss. Jason wrapped his arms around him and kissed him back with equal force, hands digging into David’s soft, spiked up hair. Groaning, David pulled back, tugging at Jason’s shirt. Jason nodded, peeled of his shirt, and kissed him back. Pulling David onto his lap, making the young man straddle him, he raked his fingers down David’s back, leaving red marks down his flawless skin. David gasped slightly at the action and then moaned in pleasure. Jason roughly pulled David against him, their chests touching, and cradled David’s head in his hands, almost in a loving fashion. "Are you alright?" he asked breathlessly, his chest heaving. David looked into Jason’s blue eyes and gasped out, "Not now," Licking his lips, he then added, "but I will be." Jason nodded and pulled David into a fierce hug, whispering comforting nonsense into his ear, with the camera still rolling, but neither party paid any attention to it.

I know that they say
That something’s are better left unsaid
It wasn't like you only talked to him and you know it
Don't act like you don't know it

Later that night, David Cook entered his bunk bed and noticed a video tape on his bed. Picking it up, he looked at it with confusion and read the little post-it that’s on the tape…

'From Archie'

Smiling slightly, he was about to pop the tape into his portable VCR, when Michael Johns entered his room. "Hey man, I just found this weird note on my pillow telling me to come look at some tape you have." Raising his eyebrow at his Aussie friend, he looked at his hand, which also held a post it. "I guess Archie left this is for both us." he reasoned. Michael shrugged and sat down on the bed. Popping the tape into the VCR, Cook sat next to Michael, grabbed the remote, and pressed 'Play'.

At first, all they saw was Jason sitting on Cook’s bed. "When was he on my bed?" Cook questioned to himself. Not a moment too soon, another person entered the shot…

I refuse, you must have me confused, with some other guy (I'm not like them, baby)
Your bridges were burned
And now it's your turn (It's your turn to cry)
Cry me a river

Cook and Michael could not believe at what they were seeing. Their two friends were passionately kissing on Cook’s bed, shirtless. Michael tore his eyes away from the image and looked at Cook with a panic-stricken expression. Cook ignored him as he dropped his head in his hands, wanting to cry his eyes out. His David was kissing another man, why would he do that to him?

You don't have to say, what you did
I already know, I found out from him

Looking back at the screen, they both saw another image that made their stomach drop a little more. It was a single photograph of Cook and Michael in a compromising position from earlier in the evening, with a caption that read, 'We know what you both did'

Now, there's just no chance for you and me, there'll never be
And don't it make you sad about it

Cook and Michael quickly left the room and halted when they caught sight of Jason and David, both on their laptops with their backs facing them. Somehow knowing they were being watched, they both turned towards the other two. Jason looking squarely at Michael and David fixating his eyes towards, what he thought, was his reason for living.

Still looking at them, Jason hums a familiar tune, while David sings the final verse…

Baby, go on and just
Cry me a river
Go on and just
Cry me a river

-Jess D.

My Back Door

2008-07-31T03:28:00.000-04:00

I never knew it was there, my back door.

I just noticed it today.

Why is it there? It leads to nowhere.
Only to the basement.

Bingo!

I can lead the many boyfriends through there!

No one pays attention to how many cars one household has, but they do pay attention
to the people who walk through the front door.

“Pull round back Dave!
Sal….
Brian…
Anthony…
The names go on and on.

I could sneak out if I wanted to, and we could drive to nowhere land and forget about
Our lives for a few hours,
Or a few glasses of wine,
Or something else…

But too bad for me.

It’s padlocked now.

-Sha T.

Paternity Test: The Musical

2008-07-31T03:22:00.000-04:00

Oh, Mamma Mia here we go again indeed! I guess the summer is never fully complete without a feel good musical that can make you smile. This time, the musical is “Mamma Mia!” the Broadway hit filled with music from ABBA. Amanda Seyfried plays Sophie, a young girl who’s about to be married, and still feels like she hasn’t found herself. She thinks that the key to finding herself will come when she finally finds her father.

The only thing that her mother (Merly Streep) told her about her father was that he was a summer fling, but Sophie finds her mother’s old diary and tries to piece together who he might be. The problem is, Sophie’s father could be one of three men; Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, or Stellan Skarsgard. Sophie’s bright idea is to invite all three of the men to her wedding. That’s when all the wacky fun starts!

For me, this movie was too cheesy to stand, even for a musical. I mean musicals usually are corny and cheese, but they’re fun to watch and listen to. “Mamma Mia!” wasn’t either of those two. Amanda Seyfriend trollops around with her big naïve eyes and this sorority girl spirit which makes you want to like her but you also want push her off a cliff because of her sunny disposition. Her two best friends are just hollow Barbie dolls and her fiancé is even more of a one dimensional character. He has one song in the movie and it’s about how jealous and possessive he feels about Sophie. How sweet. Really, the main focus is on Merly Streep’s character, Donna, and how her past has finally come back to haunt her.

Oh, who is her baby’s daddy? She also comes with two stereotypical best friends. There is the constant divorcee with a love for plastic surgery and the clumsy plump woman. Together they try to keep Donna happy and not worry about her scandalous past by singing happy songs. This is done in a very embarrassing manner where I wanted to go out and get a refund on my popcorn because of how much salt was used. The three dashing fellows are perhaps the only thing that doesn’t make this movie a cheesy girl fest. Pierce Brosnan plays Sam, Donna’s main summer love who had to leave her because he was engaged. Colin Firth plays Harry, a stuffy man who once was a rebellious glam rock lover. Lastly, Stellan Skarsgard plays Bill, the spontaneous sailor who likes to keep his life an adventure.

They really add the reality to the movie because their concerns and fears over possibly being a father is what this situation would have. You wouldn’t have a selfish mother who wants to keep her daughter from having a father just because she wants to be independent. These men do their best to make the musical enjoyable for all of those who aren’t hyped up on their Ya-Ya sisterhood, but their time on screen isn’t enough for that. We just get more zany plans to try and keep the men away from Donna and Sophie, and a dumb small storyline of a young guy falling for the constant divorcee.

Altogether, this movie could have been over and resolved in 20 minutes, but of course there really wouldn’t be a movie. As someone who really likes musicals, I was very disappointed. Actually, I wanted to walk out of the theater and sneak in to see the Dark Knight. To me, a successful movie is one where you go in to see a certain storyline and have that storyline resolved. I didn’t get that with this movie, I feel almost ripped off. At least the movie should have had a message. What was the message? Always remember the people you sleep with?

In the end, watching this feels like watching your mom and her friends try to sing and dance when you just want them to stop. This should have stayed on Broadway, it probably works better there. As for me, the next time I want the “Mamma Mia!” experience I will just listen to ABBA’s greatest hits while I watch an episode of the Maury Povich show.

-Nessa C.

2008-05-31T22:28:00.000-04:00