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November 29, 2005
You Mean You Want to Hear Baby Got Back?
Saturday night Karyn and I took Em out for her 30th birthday. Photo essay here.
While getting a club reccomendation from our cab driver, Sam, we said we wanted to dance to hip-hop, mixed crowd, not too hard core - to which he replies "you mean you want to hear Baby Got Back?"
After getting up off the cab floor, I replied that while we would shake our back if that song came on, odds are that the type of crowd that would flock to a place known to play Baby Got Back would not also be at the type of place we were really looking for. A few more back and forths, and he, resigned, takes us to Nectar.
Within 5 songs, the played Baby Got Back.
And we shook it.
Posted by nikl at 01:41 PM | Comments (0)
Gobble Gobble
Photos from Turkey day.
Posted by nikl at 11:36 AM | Comments (0)
November 24, 2005
Medium
Lifetime picks up Medium for syndication in 2009. Perfect fit.
Posted by nikl at 03:20 PM | Comments (0)
Rent Rent Rent Rent, Rent
After much anticipation (previous post) yesterday, the moment finally came.
With our office traditionally closing early the day before Thanksgiving, Melissa and I had been planning on getting our butts to the movie theatre ASAP on opening day. We got tickets for the 3:50 show, and roped a handful of other folks to go along with us - some just as excited as we were.
I was pretty sure that I would cry my way through the entire movie, but that wasn't the case. I wasn't as blown away as I thought I'd be, but I definitely have to say that it's becoming more and more powerful in retrospect.
Alone, it was incredible to see these actors get to recreate these roles that they created 10 years ago. To see names in the credits of folks he worked on the original production. To know first hand how cool it is that this thing that took over their lives 10 years ago, that seemed like just another gig, became so huge. Launched careers. Spawned marriages. Became an inescapable (for better or worse, and I'm sure sometimes seemingly for the worst) part of who they are.
Also to know that some people only know these folks from very different roles. I know this is a shocker for some of us, but some people don't even know that Rent was a broadway show first. Or if they do, that the "guy from Law and Order" or the "kid from Adventures in Babysitting" or the "jamaican hottie from Stella Got Her Groove Back" were in it. I love that people will go because they love those actors and get something very, very different.
And I can't even talk about Wilson. Some of you know why.
Overall it was great. Amazing to see the story come to life on screen in multiple locations. It was clear that they sat down and looked at the story FIRST. They weren't afraid to leave peices of the stage version aside. In the end, it served them well.
***SPOILERS*** Even if you already know the story like the back of your hand, ***SPOILERS*** about how the movie is different.
Loved the choice to open the movie on the stage. The one and only nod to where it all started. I liked it.
It was really cool to hear the opening number with SO MANY VOICES. Same for all the "group" numbers.
I was a fan of the spoken lines. I think they did an excellent job of walking the line, fully realizing that some things that worked on stage or in a "stage musical" setting, weren't going to play on the screen - or could be better served on the screen. It may just be becuase I know the story so well (I'll be anxious to hear from folks who don't know the whole album by heart), but I felt they successfully went between speaking and singing.
I missed the answering machine messages (which is odd, b/c they are kind of annoying). I often found myself waiting for the rhyme and then it wouldn't come, and I would miss it, but then I'd be glad. Ok, now I'm repeating the paragraph above.
There were significant pieces of the stage version missing (I missed "Happy New Year" among them), but again, when you thought about them, really, it was clear why they left them by the wayside. Speaking of "happy New Year," LOVED the Wiz store behind them in the scene where that song would have gone.
There were a few moments (the end of "No Day But Today," Rodger driving across country, and consequently singing from the mountains of Santa Fe) that bordered on the edge of musical thatre movie hell, but I bought them anyway. Anxious to hear if I bought them only because I'm willing to give the movie slack, or I thought they were on the edge of musical theatre movie hell because I'm a musical theatre snob.
Along those same lines, it was also clear to me a few times who the really great actors were versus those who, well, just had trouble making the whole "I'm in a movie, I'm in real life, but yes, I am TOTALLY singing" work. Rosario and Wilson looked challenged a couple times. However, Jesse L. could sing the ALPHABET and I'd believe it were part of normal conversation.
I think my favorite thing was the restaging of "Take Me of Leave Me." Though, that many black folks in the Greenwich Country Club? I don't think so...
The way they approached "Tango Maureen" made the song finally work for me. Similar to how I HATE Chicago the stage show, but within the film medium, LOVE IT.
I also loved them all coming home TRASHED on Jan 1 to find the place padlocked. That was definitely my favorite Wilson moment.
Ok. We're now watching Roll Bounce and I can no longer look away. And the peach cobbler and ice cream just came out.
Posted by nikl at 11:55 AM | Comments (1)
Thank You Toni Braxton
Toni Braxton has lost her mind.
Or, as I'm hearing, has always been crazy.
Did anyone else see her sing the national anthem at the Falcons/Lions game? WHAT IS SHE ON?
A, she was wearing a short sleeved sweater over a white blouse, demostrating why this persistent fad only works on people under a size 4. It just looks wrong.
B, I don't know what language she was singing in, but it was barely English. No words were fully pronounced, my favorite example being "th bom bu 'sin in air"
C, Dynamics honey, are not a toy.
D, It's the National Anthem, it's Thanksgiving, we're at war, and you are singing in the lowest key known to man - NO NEED TO WIPE YOUR BROW, SAY "WHEW," AND WINK IN TO THE CAMERA WHEN YOU HIT THE "HIGH" NOTE.
E, for mostly the same reasons, in addition to the fact that you are supposedly a professional who's been doing this for years, there's also no need to put your fist up in the air on the last note like "yeah, I did it!"
Somebody help this child. Please.
Posted by nikl at 11:43 AM | Comments (0)
November 22, 2005
Get Down Girl, Go 'head Get Down
My friend Elizabeth is a rock star.
Well, at least in the children's DVD world she is!
Today is the release date for two DVDs she helped create for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder . She wrote and plays all the songs on the DVDs. You can see clips from each of the DVDs at the website.
congrats, E - I'm so proud of you!!
Posted by nikl at 11:15 AM | Comments (0)
November 21, 2005
OMG.
Tivo is about to bust it wide open.
Posted by nikl at 04:46 PM | Comments (0)
November 20, 2005
I am amazed...
And I know not what to say... (btw, what's that from?)
Moxi (the DVR software used by Charter) offers - are you sitting? No, really.
Karaoke OnDemand.
This is all I can muster about this for the moment.
Posted by nikl at 10:45 PM | Comments (1)
November 11, 2005
What a Difference a Day Makes
Yesterday it took me 2.5 hours to get to work. TWO AND A HALF HOURS.
Today it tookk 30 minutes.
Hi.
Posted by nikl at 10:41 AM | Comments (0)
November 07, 2005
Beep Beep
I had to make it to work for an 8am meeting this morning, so I left my house much earlier than usual. Now, I'm almost sure that in the past when I've left that early, that I have never seen as much traffic as I did this morning. They always say that backup on 55/70 begins at 203, but it never actually DOES. Madness I tell you, madness.
Posted by nikl at 09:32 AM | Comments (0)
November 06, 2005
How I Spent My Sunday
Today I redesigned my friend Sharon's website. I've been saying I'm going to do so for weeks, and today I had the time and the inspiration to get it done, and actually, I'm kinda proud of what I came up with :). Though most of it looking awesome has to do with the fact that Sharon is fabulous, and she has a bunch of really awesome photos to choose from!
I also went to church this morning, did 45 minutes on the treadmill, worked on Raise the Praise music, caught up on DVR'd TV, performed at our church SIUE free food and music night and now am watching the live West Wing (pretty darn cool) w/ the 'rents.
Ok. And now I should be going to bed and we're watching tonight's Rome.
Posted by nikl at 10:56 PM | Comments (0)
November 04, 2005
It's Friday Night and I Just Got Paid
Not really. It's the off Friday. But it's still a good song :).
Tonight I was supposed to meet Cameron for dinner, but some drama at the Post put an ixnay on that. I had said (for the 900th time) that depending on this or that, after dinner I might meet Melissa and Susan out at Felix's to see Susan's husband, Tim, perform. Well, when Cameron had to bail on dinner, the prospect of heading back to E'ville and catching up on DVR'd TV sounded pretty nice... the gig didn't start until 9, and now that there was no dinner to be had, why hang around in the Lou...
But Melissa convinced me that I knew better, and thus began one of the funnest evening's I've had in a while! Tim's show is GREAT. He's literally a one man band, and you should definitely catch him if you can. He draws a fun crowd, and a good time was had by all. I even did a little Bobby McGee :)
And I was so bad on the way home. I not only drove through the McDonalds on Hampton for fries on my way home... I drove through the McDonald's in Edwardsville for more fries... AND A (small) CHOCOLATE SHAKE. So worth it... but why I've been on the treadmill all weekend.
Posted by nikl at 11:32 PM | Comments (0)
Kindergarten Class Reinacts Rosa Parks Incident
Posted by nikl at 10:29 AM | Comments (0)
Speak it
See last paragraph of this post courtesy of Ordinary Whirled.
Amen.
My happy story for the day is that this morning on the way to work, I caught up with my former roommate and one of my best friends, Jim. I'd been thinking off and on for the past few months that I haven't spoken to him in ages, and that I needed to give him a call. I am so thankful for the friends I've made that I can not have spoken to in ages and feel as though it was yesterday when we finally do talk. Yay.
Posted by nikl at 10:09 AM | Comments (0)
November 02, 2005
Another Cheesey Forward I Like
A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked,
"How heavy is this glass of water?"
Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.
The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter.
It depends on how long you try to hold it.
If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.
If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.
If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.
In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes." He continued,
"And that's the way it is with stress management.
If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden! becomes increasingly heavy,
we won't be able to carry on. "
"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden."
"So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down.
Don't carry it home.
You can pick it up tomorrow.
Whatever burdens you're carrying now,
let them down for a moment if you can."
Take a while to just simply RELAX.
Put down anything that may be a burden to you right now.
Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while.
Life is short.
Enjoy it!
Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:
- Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.
- Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
- Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
- Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recall! ed! by their maker.
- If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
- If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it
- It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
- Never buy a car you can't push.
- Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because ! then you won't have a leg to stand on.
- Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
- Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
- The second mouse gets the cheese.
- When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
- Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
- You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
- Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
- We could learn a lot from crayons...Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
- A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
Posted by nikl at 01:49 PM | Comments (0)