Fall fall fall

Here's my question not only for my fellow hackers, but just in general (since I haven't decided yet).

What show are we MOST excited about in the next couple weeks?  Whether it's starting new or coming back from recess???

Heidi:  I am so many things that I'm excited for I kind of can't choose just one.  But I'll try and list them out just because I'm borderline narcissistic and think you care :).
First:  Community.  Um can we just say Betty White with blow darts.  Cannot wait for this.  This also opens the door for all the other comedies such as Modern Family (by far the funniest show of last season) and Glee.  Granted Glee should prob be another entry but it just looks way awesome.
Second:  House.  I completely adore House and can't wait for more borderline mean one liners that I can say in my head when I'm judging people.
Third:  Grey's Anatomy/Private Practice.  I actually haven't seen when this starts but I'm excited anyway.
Fourth:  Football.  I won't elaborate but I'm excited.
I think that's about all I have right now.  Or at least all I can rememberize.

Abbey:  Modern Family!!  I need me some Phil!  And Cam!  Funniest show on TV, hands down.  I know, I know, Community could go for that title as well, however, the humor kills me in ModFam.  I like the fake reality show format, it makes for some really excellent situations and comedy. 
Community!!  Joel McHale has been sorely missed in our home, 1/2 an hour a week of the Soup is just not enough!
Glee!!  Duh.  No brainer. 
Grey's/PP!!  I need my drama fix! 
CSINY!!  I'm a sucker for the forensics stuff.
Justified!!  I.need.more.Boyd.Crowder.in.my.life. STAT. Like, soon.  Oh and Timothy Olyphant is a fabulous added bonus. 
All the teenage-y shows I rarely admit I crave-90210, OTH, Vamp Diaries (ok, I'll admit to that one because DAY-UM Ian Smolderhalder is my 2nd favorite person in the world to drool over), and this new Hellcats show that I think I hate but I still want to watch. 

This week in news....

Well I thought I would get this going this week (pretending that we've been doing this every week :). But I really only have one thing. Just the thing that I love this week. And here it is.

Lifetime shows three episodes of Grey's Anatomy per week day. Last week they started from the very beginning of Season 1 which I never saw. Needless to say I am SO excited to have me some Grey's over the summer. And even better (and the part I l.o.v.e. this week): we have reached the part in the season in which one Chris O'Donnell comes to Seattle. He is possibly my most favorite teenage crush. Three Musketeers anyone??!! I'm just fabulously excited to have me some drama that I've been sorely missing over the summer. And it's making me so very excited for the upcoming Fall.

I cannot think of anything I didn't particularly like this week...everything else was just standard.

Kara: Way to get us rolling on this, Heidi! I've been thinking how I need to do this all week, so thanks for providing the motivation.

I'll start with the worst, and this is something Abbey and I have talked about before (she might have even blogged about it too) but I was reminded of again during a few morning nursing sessions this week. I can't stand Regis Philbin. My mom likes Regis & Kelly, and I find Kelly pretty funny and as morning talk shows go, its not bad. But seriously, why does Regis have such a big ego? Why is he even famous? Why does he think he's so much better than everyone around (guests included?) And has he always been this blatant with his pretentiousness? I stopped watching after a few minutes because I wanted to smack his ridiculously blonde head.

That said, the best thing I watched this week was Anderson Cooper guest hosting with Kelly. Those two have really good chemistry, and Anderson Cooper was surprisingly down to earth and funny. He also handled being teased by Kelly really well, which definitely isn't always the case with guys in show business. Case in point: Regis. Ugh.

I also loved this week's (last weeks?) "Royal Pains." I'm really liking the story line with Evan and this new girl he likes, and him getting shot by her father in the rump while hunting was hilarious. I liked when he told Divia and Hank that he was still being her paid escort because it made him happy to see her happy. "Wow," Divia said. "They grow up so fast." "They really do," Hank replied. I've been quoting that all week.

The Best & Worst

All right fellow HACKers, here's my group blogging activity idea #2, sort of a new spin on the Weekly Question. Think TV Guide's Cheers & Jeers or "The Colbert Report" Tip of the Hat/Wag of the Finger: The Best and Worst Thing I Saw This Week. Can be TV, movies, songs even, whatever, but I think it'll be a short enough format we can easily answer it every week (unlike my Emmy nominee which is tantamount to writing a small pamphlet to answer, sorry about that ladies!) and could keep us up to date on things we're not watching or let us commiserate/celebrate the things we all love.

So, for me this week: The Best Thing I Watched was "Covert Affairs," the new show on USA starring Piper Perabo as a CIA agent.

Also, totally loved the premiere of "White Collar," got into "Psych" when they did the all-day marathon before its season premiere on Wednesday, "Burn Notice" was great this week, "Royal Pains" totally took a MacGuyveresque move with Hank saving Tucker and his friend after they fell into a wine vat . . . pretty much everything I see on USA, I love. Funny, since with the exception of "Community," everything I see on NBC, I strongly dislike. But "Covert Affairs" was my surprise love for this week, I wasn't expecting it to be so good. So it wins The Best for me this week.

I don't really have anything totally worthy of The Worst Thing I Saw This Week, except for maybe the five seconds I caught of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" before I fell asleep this afternoon. I do not get the appeal of those shows. It makes me sad to see grown women behaving that way, must Bravo take feminism back fifty years with all of its programming?

Heidi:  I totally support this idea.  I think it's utterly fantastic and I wish I had thought of it first.  Haha just kidding.  Alright let's just jump right into this.  Best thing I saw this week was Timothy Olyphant.  I saw him in three different movies this past week.  First:  The Crazies.  This is a horror movie.  And I realize that Cor and I are the only ones in the group who do horror, but really, horror is about fifty times better when you have him to look at.  The Crazies was a terrible movie that I completely would not recommend to anyone but he was phenoMENal as always.  Then I saw him in Catch and Release which I forgot he was in, and also in Hitman.  Both those movies were randomly on tv.  I just can't get enough of him.  I caught thirty seconds of an interview with Jennifer Love Hewitt about her Lifetime movie The Client List where she turns prostitute to save her family's financials and the girl asked her who she would put on her "list" if she were picking this kind of thing in real life.  Well she added Ian Somerhalder.  So I of course started compiling my own list and it is definitely topped with Ian, and Timothy.  TOPPED.
OH WAIT.  I take that back.  While Olyphant is definitely top this week it was not my absolute favorite.  My absolute favorite is most definitely going to be the return of Eureka.  It came back two weeks ago actually but I've just this week caught up on it and I must say I missed it.  I love that show with my nerdy heart and soul.  Love it to the depths.  It's witty sarcastic and science-y.  What more could a girl want?
The worst thing I saw this week actually has to be Covert Affairs.  Not because it was bad.  It was actually pretty good, and I must say I absolutely adore the blind guy.  But I just wasn't immmmpressed.  I'm so used to the quality of White Collar, Psych (which I haven't kept up with but also absolutely adore when I catch it), and first and foremost Burn Notice.  I feel like it's good for summer when the pickin's are slim but that's all.  I haven't even decided if I'll tivo it or not...

Cory: Ok I also agree that this is a super idea but also hold no illusions about myself and know I will totally forget every week. OK BEST was all the eps of Friday Night Lights I caught up on this week. The show continues to amaze and is all heart. The best thing though is that all the stories are not only original but also extremely well acted. And if that is not enough for you one word girls: Riggins that is all you really need to say.
WORST hmm why I agree I was underwhlemed by Covert Affairs it was more because it is basically a vanilla Alias. My standards were just too high I think. And although I enjoy my lovely Housewives (I think it as more of a case study of crazyiness and it always makes me feel normal), I tihnk it had to be The Good Guys. I was looking forward to this show for the funny that only Colin Hanks can deliver but alas he does not. Oh well after giving it a few weeks it is off the old DVR.  

? of the Week

Ok guys it has been a while since we had a ? and so I thought I would post one. Ok here it is a simple ? from me for once barely any thinking to do. You can answer as much or as little as you want. I am going to call this ? The Roll Call.

What are the last books, CDs & movies you have read, listen to or seen? And what did you think about them? Or what are you in the middle of right now?

I will post my answer tonight, but I love to know what people are in the middle of so that is my ?.

ABBEY. Oh em gee, stop the presses, I am blogging. My brain has been back on static mode and I can't see through it to think about much. It's tuning back in though, so, phew. Here we go *rubbing hands together*:
Books: Slashed through the Vampire Diaries books finally, and I thought the books were lame. The show is 1000 times better, I hate Elena way less on the show than I did in the books. Cdub did a fantastic job with this one, I heartily commend all the (numerous) changes they made. I also read a book my mom gave me a yearish ago called the Whistling Season by Ivan Doig. The writing was probably some of the best descriptional work I've ever read, and I felt myself swooning as I do when I listen to piano music. It was magical to read. The problem was that the story was boring. So boring. Conflicting feelings on this one because it was so great to read, but I wished the entire time there was a little more action. If you're hungering for lovely reading though, then I recommend.
Movies: Saw Couples Retreat, hahlarious. Vince Vaughn is creeping up my list of favorite comedians, I love all the words and the smart stuttering. Plus "There isn't much to say" is probably one of the best lines I've ever heard. The girls were good on this one too, I thought Kristen Bell (new fav girl) was great as a neurotic organized person. I got to see When in Rome (with Kara!), and it was super cute. Josh Duhamel is super cute and a great comedian as well. Plus I enjoyed the return of Napoleon, and Dax Shepard was totally awesome as someone suffering greatly from narcissism ("I'm going to have to say I didn't really learn much from this experience, but I'm glad I got to help you grow!..."). Nice abs too, Dax. Mmmm.
Music: Adam Lambert is still unreachably high on my playlist, and if my computer hadn't contracted a virus no antibiotic would touch, I would also do that review right now too. But since I have a sad pathetic memory, I'll have to wait until I have 3.7 hours to put my music back on this machine. I just moments ago downloaded Ray LaMontagne, and I fully recommend taking a listen to him on iTunes. I don't know why, but I am a super fan of the breathy, raspy men (Matt Wertz is a frickin' fantastic example of this, do yourself a favor and check him out as well). I totally just want to chill whilst listening to my new best bud Ray. I feel calm. Now if my husband were home, we'd totally pull a 1950's married couple and dance together swaying in the middle of the living room.
I need recommendations for books girls, so get 'em up here!

Cory
Ok here we go on the nightstand at the moment The Historian digging it greatly, hardly in but this story is mesmerizing. And all the little European towns in it are very enchanting love to read about places where old meets new. It is also about vampires, but so not! More of an academic mystery. Vamp D books I heard were awful so sorry you had to go through that Abbey. 2 fave authors I recently rediscovered were Alice Hoffman and Billie Letts so check them out as far as recommendations go.

I know I did not say but TV, add that in. Ok I am currently obsessed with Supernatural. I always wanted to watch it but never got the chance, but since there is now cable & syndication & the lovely DVR!!! I got my chance and I am loving Jensen Ackles his whole cocky but actually really sweet guy thing works for me in all the right ways.

Last movie I watched was Kinky Boots a British comedy about a shoe factory that starts to make ummm shoes for men who dress like women. Because it is a market they can sell too and also it might keep their factory open. Besides they too need well made shoes in the latest fashions As always the people in it have more layers than thoughts and the human spirit wins so yay! I also saw When in Rome and agree with all of Abbey's comments. Kristin Bell will always be my girl because of Veronica Mars.

Music V.V. Brown has an amazing CD out it is upbeat and fun yet still smart and the more I listen the more I dig. Brenden Bensen also has a great CD, if you want a more alternative option. Plus I swear at times he sounds just like Paul McCartney which freaks me out in the good way. Ok that is all I got- what about the rest of you?

Kara

Books: I'm working through the collected works of Jane Austen this year. It started over Christmas when I began reading "Sense & Sensibility," but then forget it at my mom's house when I came home. Then I realized my grandmother had given me some of her old classics when she and my grandpa downsized to a smaller house, and she owned a book that has all 6 of Austen's novels. "Sense & Sensibility" was the first one, so I finished it and then kept going. My goal was to finish them all by the end of the year, but its the end of February and I've already read 4, so I may beat that! Although that means I've gotta get through "Mansfield Park" & "Northanger Abbey" before the baby comes . . . probably not going to happen. I love them, I think they're fabulous, but I constantly think, "My word, these women do nothing." Their entire lives consist of visiting people and planning picnics and playing the piano or drawing. It's absurd and totally confirms my opinion that for women, there are no good old days. So far "Pride & Prejudice" is my favorite. Nobody writes smart, opinionated women like Jane.

Music: I haven't been doing too much new with music lately, sad to say, but tonight on the way home from my friend's mom's funeral, I heard a wonderful Pearl Jam song that made me cry. The DJ said its called "Just Breathe," which is a lame title, but it was beautiful. I'm about to download it off iTunes so I can memorize it (and probably cry again) but the line I'm remembering right now that stood out to me was in the very beginning, and he sings something like "I'm lucky to be able to count the people I love on two hands, some people can do only one and some people have none."

Movies: Again, not too much new here, but Abbey and I had a much needed girl's night last week and saw "When in Rome" and I totally loved it. Jon Heder is a genius, and Dax Shepard's line "I'm glad I got to help you grow" (see Abbey's earlier post) still makes me laugh. I'm constantly on the lookout for a chance to use that quote in my life. This isn't particularly a review of one movie, but I'd like to give a shout out to Netflix for making my teaching life significantly easier this semester. Thanks to their vast selection of historical documentaries that are all available for instant streaming, and ASU Poly's super mediated classrooms I teach in, I have been able to stream said documentaries from my personal laptop into the classroom's computer system. This is fantastic, because it allows me to only lecture for 45 mins then do portions of documentaries for the last half hour, and thus allows me to eat on my marathon teaching day. God bless Netflix.

HEIDI - Alright I guess I'm just a massive slacker this past week.... but I'll try and make up for it.
Okay I'll start with Books. I've got nothing. Really in the past two and half months since Christmas I've only read the entire Percy Jackson series (this is really not that impressive because I think each book took me about 4 hours each....). Well I suppose I also read Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom and I totally loved(!) it. I start the Poisonwood Bible on my trip to D.C. and it's interesting but I just haven't been in the mood to read much the past few weeks. Cor told me I should read The Help though so I'll check into that.
Music, I've totally been digging Kesha. I know she's super dirty in most her songs, well the ones on the radio, but if you search through her cd to Boots and Boys and Blind then you'll love it. Her beat is so catchy and just fun to rock out to. I've also been Lada Gaga obsessed a little bit, especially Telephone. And of course Adam Lambert. And I've rediscovered my love of punk rock in the form of my "reject boy" playlist (yes Abbey I am playlist obsessed but this playlist combines my love of Fall Out Boy, All American Rejects, Bowling for Soup, Hawthorne Heights, Green Day, and many others).
Movies....um ya sad to say but the last movie I saw in theatres was Holmes. Totally loved it though! Oh wait haha just a couple days ago Ab, Ben and I saw Valentine's Day. I was all ready to be skeptical of this movie but it was actually super funny and I totally loved it. On netflix I recently got Gamer, which was violent but I really liked it. It made me think in the way that Law Abiding Citizen made me think and love that. Plus the guy who plays Dexter was so amazingly fantastic I can't even describe. So violent but really intriguing. Oh I also watched Couples Retreat and totally agree with Ab on Vince Vaughn. Funny guy. And I watched the end of the world movie with Keanu Reeves as an alien.... can't remember the name right now...dang. It was actually passable. It was definitely about how we're destroying the earth but still had it's interesting parts... Tonight and tomorrow I'll be seeing Shutter Island and Alice in Wonderland so we'll see how those go.
Alright tv shows, on Netflix I've been working my way through Moonlight which is about a vampire who is a private investigator. I like it. I think I may be becoming a genre person in my like of vampire dramas but really they just intrigue me especially the different takes everyone has on the same horror. The past two weeks was taken over by the Olympics and I had to forego all other shows in an effort to keep up with what was happening. It was fun but I will be happy to go home and work through all those shows I've missed. Although I did keep up with The Soup because I can't go without it for a week. Ya I think that's all.

I don't know what to do with my hands.....

So I think that none of us really know what's happening with the weekly questions so I'm just going to slap one up here since I have an idea. I recently saw the movie Holmes and it had a line that made me laugh out loud and honestly I want to remember and quote it for the rest of my life. I should set up the scene for those who haven't seen it yet: Holmes makes fun of the police inspector constantly for being an idiot. So at this point in the movie the Lord Blackwood has come back from the dead and the police are inspecting his grave. Holmes asks the inspector if they've brought up the coffin yet and the inspector replies "We're in the process of doing that right now." Holmes then looks around and sees about 6 officers just standing there looking scared. He then delivers my favorite line: "At what stage in the process are you exactly? Contemplative?" Oh man I loved it, so funny and applicable in SO many situations. And it got me thinking about all the movie lines I use in my life that I shamelessly stole and have adapted to many different situations. So the weekly question is:

What movie quotes have you seamlessly transitioned into your everyday vocabulary and are you favorites??

Cory: So many I probably use and don’t even remember where they are from.

Umm” Fine” I yell this at people at the top of my lungs if they are pestering me with the same questions over and over. From America’s Sweethearts.
And this one is a quote from a kid from a Dr. Seuss movie. “I’m So Excwited.” Like that not the other way. I have never seen said movie but I know this kid very well.
And there is this whole scene from Big Trouble that my whole family quotes,”well I know we are arriving at the aiport but we are departing from here so do we go to arrivals or departures?” Total misquote but imagine a dirty Johnny Knoxville and you get the funny.
We also all quote the entire scene from one of those Griswold movies where they are at the Hoover Damn “You can take as many damn pictures as you would like. You can purchase as many damn souvenirs as you wish. They are many damn visitors each year.”
Most of the other ones just float around in my head and pop up at certain moments when things remind me of them. Like yesterday I saw this Southern Guy and suddenly all I could think of was Sawyer quotes from Lost. Or like Heidi when I see incompetent people I don’t think of the Holmes scene, although now I will. I think of the scene in Departed where Marky Mark says ” I am the guy doing his job, you must be the other guy.“

Kara- There are so many, I'll probably keep adding to this one for forever! Nice question, Heidi, well done! But, off the top of my head, here are two:

1- Ruh-tard. I challenge anyone to see "The Hangover" and not start calling people "ruh-tards." Can't be done.

2- "Why didn't they just build this city on the effing sun?"- In "Fools Rush In" Matthew Perry actually says the real word, not effing, but I'm a good girl like that and really can't even bring myself to say that word even if I'm quoting someone. Also, he says this about Las Vegas as he sits on the leather seats of his black convertible, but I've found at least daily uses for this quote living in Phoenix during the months of April-November.

HEIDI - Ha okay I finally get to it. I had so many floating in my head I had to remember where they all came from. And now that I sit I've forgotten most of them...
* Totally second Kara's Ruh-tard. Love it.
* "You stay classy San Diego" - most often I am being sarcastic and never talking about San Diego but this quote just fits SO often it's hilarious. Will Ferrell in Anchorman.
* "Oh no words are comin out. OH NO!" This is way funnier when Brian Regan is saying it and I'm not typing it out but I say this often...because I say things I shouldn't.
* "Well" Okay this one is from Horton Hear's a Who and it's Carol Burnett and just they way she says the one word is fantastic. Like totally resigned to the situation and whenever I say 'well' now I say it like that.
And I really can't remember any more.... I'm sure they'll come to me soon. BTW the "I don't know what to do with my hands..." comes from Will Ferrell in Talledega Nights when he first does an interview and it's so awkward. I feel this way often.

I have absolutely no idea who's turn it is to get the weekly question rolling again, but since I thought of one I was going to make my own post about, I decided to reinstate it. Here we go, first question of Oh Ten (I'm using Abbey's name for this year. I like it.)

Its a variant on a question I've done before actually, but as I thought about my answer to it, I realized that its pretty revealing about what I've been through in the past year (because I think we're all pretty aware that my family and I are rather thrilled to say "good riddance!" to 2009. May we never see another year like this one again.) So, the question is:

What songs define 2009 for you?

(I'm still compiling my list, but thought I'd put the question out there before I'm ready anyway. Heidi finished her abstract today, so we all know she's itching for something to fill her time . . . :) )

HEIDI - When I first saw this question I thought well this will be easy I'll just pick the songs I listened to the most this year. Well wrong because those songs are pretty much just the ones with the best beat not the ones that I truly feel define my mindset/experiences/attitude. So here they are and please know they are in no order. I don't think I could do an ordered list...
* Broken - Lifehouse - My absolute favorite line in this song is "I may have been lost now, but I haven't forgotten my way home." There have been many experience this past year and my whole life where I've felt lost. But I've been thankful to always know my way home so to speak, to find myself again. Love it so much.
* Come Back To Me - David Cook - This song is of course about a girl leaving him, but I like the principle much more. She needs to find herself but he'll always be there waiting for her. For me it's about being there for people; friends, family, anyone when they're trying to find themselves. You'll be supportive and just so happy when they come back.
* Someday - Rob Thomas - "Maybe someday, we'll figure all this out, put an end to all our doubt. Someday." I guess we can only hope to someday figure every thing out. But until then we'll just stick together.
* If I Can't Have You - Kelly Clarkson - This song illustrates the many crushes I had this year, boys and otherwise, that burned bright and burned out quick. Haha if I can't have you, then I don't want anyone....until I change my mind again. : )
* Never Gonna Be Alone - Nickelback - Truly I got amazingly sick of Nickelback this year so I don't even own this song. But I do love the words about all the things I wish I had told you, and I hope you know you're never going to be alone. I really like this sentiment because when I moved to Michigan I realized how much I had taken for granted with respect to my relationships. I didn't tell the people in my life that I love them enough. So I tried the rest of the year to tell them often. Probably so they're sick of me but I don't care. I miss them and I love them.
* Leave Out All the Rest - Linkin Park - "Help me leave behind some reason to be missed." I think this is such a good way to live your life. I just want to treat people well and not have regrets about what I've done.
And some honorables that perhaps didn't mean as much but ones I just totally loved: Falling Slowly - Kris Allen. Life After You - Daughtry. And finally 99 Times - Kate Voegele.

Cory-So Heidi (yeah You) always has to have a meaning and for me sometimes I am just about the music, not the lyrics and some of these were just all over the place this year so I had to include them.
1. Tik Tok, Ke$ha- I have to add this one I know completely ridiculous but if this song is playing on my clock radio I actually do get out of bed instead of hitting snooze. Which if you know me quite the big deal. It is awful and pretty much if I knew this girl I would find her annoying but in song form I love her for some reason.
2. Countdown, Jupiter One- This song was on one of my fave shows Greek pretty early in the year and since then heavy in rotation on my iPod. But the reason I love it besides the fact that it is just great is I felt like a lot of this year was waiting, waiting for graduation, etc. And then after all the waiting there is the other part of the song which screams wake up at you.
3. Don’t Be So Shy, Boomkat- This song sums up my feelings about all boys throughout the year, do not flirt and then no follow up action. I get the shyness but come on!
4. Hate on Me, Glee Cast- Well umm I love Glee and the music. But this song was my fave and really go ahead Hate on Me when you stop caring what everyone you don’t really care about thinks of you, it is really much easier to be happy in your life. Especially since like in this song it is about them not you. So thanks for that P-S-Hey Glee.
5. Matt & Kim, Daylight-This song was everywhere, and really lovely, I still dig. Plus when a song starts with “we cut the legs off our pants, we walked into the ocean,” you really got me because of the gorgeous pic you just stuck in my head.
Oh and all of these too!
Running Up that Hill, Placebo another song I kept hearing everywhere, it just I don’t even have words, its intense give a listen. Say Hey (I Love You), Michael Franti great fantastic song. Empire State of Mind & Run This Town, Jay-Z so good I don’t even care he calls himself the new Sinatra. Use Somebody, Kings of Leon it was their huge year and I enjoyed hearing this song everywhere and still do.

This is reality....Right?

Okay I don't know how I can top last week's question so I'm not even going to try. Maybe this is too easy but I liked thinking about the answer. So in honor of Survivor's four hundredth season or whatever it is (never liked/watched the show honestly) I would like to know everyone's opinion on their favorite reality show. Now this is not reality like game show kind of think like Jeopardy or anything like that, this is cuthroat, drama-filled off on a island with no tv REALITY show. Haha but we won't go into how reality it is.... So there we are:

What is your favorite reality tv show?!

Heidi: My choice for this is definitely going to be Real World/Road Rules Challenge. I can not get enough of this show. And even though they seem to always have the same people on and the same drama I love it. I mean they breed the drama; endless supply of alcohol, no television, basically the only thing for them to do is drink, hook up, and fight with each other. Which they're awesome at. But the part of the show that I truly love to watch are the challenges. They are so original and more puzzle like than any I've seen. I really really enjoy watching the relatively unintelligent people solve puzzles where they have to spell words or drop 100 feet into the water. It's priceless. And the physical challenges are fantastic because they guys are so macho that they get so unbelievably into the competition. It's fantastic and I just love it. Each round gets more awesome. Well except for the survivor style one, I wasn't that into that one. And they get super hosts to come in each season, like TJ Lavin who although he looks like a total bore to be around, he's still nice to look at.

Cory: Well Heidi kind of stole my answer but then I was thinking about it and I can’t stand when all the guys are like oh the girls, we don’t need the girls and then they hit the puzzle and 9/10 times it is the girl solving it. But since Heidi is a big fat thief! Here is my new choice pretty much any of The Housewives shows I find them hilarious and ridiculous and well they make me feel very normal. For example I find it very funny when a character says when I was 27 I only needed 1 Botox shot and now that I am 32 I need 2 shots. When in my head I am thinking you got Botox when you were 27! That is only a few years older than I am right now! Full of priceless moments like this from all over the country. I can’t even describe why I find it so funny. But that is my choice because I tune in every week.

Dinner Party!?!

It is my week for the weekly ? and since I have a feeling I will be no where near a computer for the next few days here it is early. If you could invite any 3 people to a dinner party at your house from the entertainment industry (books, movies, music, etc.) who would it be? Dead or alive. And magically you would all want to be there, food would be provided, along with a killer outfit and your house would also be clean. So not that we have all that other stuff out of the way,who would it be? Me well I am still contemplating and making some cuts. But who would you send an invite to?


Heidi - Okay whoa this has taken me SOOO long to think up an answer to. I mean there are so many things to consider. Gorgeous guys are a pitfall because, well I'm a nerd and get worse around pretty men. Gorgeous women are a pitfall because well....I don't want to continue this line of thinking. Funny people seem like a must but could also be tragic because I don't want to look super unfunny. Can you tell overthinking this is involved? But I have come to a sort of conclusion. And this weekend Cory, Ab, and I decided that couples count as 1 invite, so keep that in mind. Alright my first invite gets sent with much anticipation and joy to Joel McHale. What can I say I just love the guy, he's good looking, funny would keep the conversation going, it would be golden. I also think he could put every body at ease. But let's face it, I'm just totally in love with him and his funny, he could even bring his wife if he wanted. My second invite is a couple invite to Charlize Theron and Stuart Townsend. I know she is an absolutely gorgeous women but she just sounds like a ton of fun whenever she's on talk shows. And Stuart Townsend is my favorite Dorian Grey. And my last invitation is also a couple one and it's for Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal. They just look like so much fun too and would be easy to talk to. And they're just so dang cute together I can't even stand it. Oh man my party just sounds like so much fun except I need a dang date! So let's just add Ian Somerhalder in there as my date ;).
Some close seconds: Kristin Cavallari from the Hills, just because I'm curious about her in reality. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Okay really no but it would be interesting to see if they're as wacked out in person.....

Cory- Ok it took me a really long time to think of who I wanted to fill these slots and after much deliberation I have my answer. First guest Donnie from the local radio station here The Peak 100.3. He grew up in and still lives in Moriarty and well he is just funny. I think he would be great to have a conversation with and complete fun also I think we would become good friends after and have cupcake dates (or maybe that is just delusional fan thinking). Second guest J.J. Abrams and his wife who he says very nice things about which just makes me like him more. Ok so I would probably lie to JJ and tell him to show up an hour earlier so I could get all my Felicity/Alias/Lost/Fringe questions out of the way before the other guests showed up. What I would have appetizers and really it would be so the rest of the guests could miss this geek fest. Third and final gues and this is the stop I could jsut not fill no one was either cool enough or would mesh well but last night it came to me: Mindy Kaling. You may know her as Kelly on The Office but she actually writes & produces the show too. She also has a blog solely about shopping, so worst case we could gab about that. Either way another fun addition.
Considered but thrown out: Joss Whedon (it would just be too much in one room), John Mayer (so I could tell him to knock it off!), Shia LaBeouf (purely curiosity, although it would wreck my crush because I would see how short he actually is), and stolen from H Kristin Cavillari (I like her!).

Abbey:
This is by far the hardest question yet, and the one you have to really dig deep and think about the most because, let's face it, I want to have the best dinner party of all. My dinner party focuses on the funny, since I think we've established that's all I really do. All of my guests are all couples, that is the best way to get all the funny packed nicely in.
First deliciously designed invitation gets sent of to:
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos (Regis can stay home). I have the hugest girl crush on Kelly Ripa, she is probably one of my top 5 favorite people ever in the entertainment industry. The two of them together are a) the cutest couple ever and b) super funny separately and together. They could carry the conversation, make everyone feel great about themselves, and keep us laughing. Plus then, I could get an in with Kelly and please Lord, become her bff. And I don't want to sound conceited or anything, but Ben and Mark would get along great together.
Steve Carell and Jim Carrey. I am fully aware these two are not a couple, but I am forcing them to be one to save my last slot. I love love love Jenny McCarthy (yet another funny blonde, hmmm, what do you think I wish I was?), but she would spend the evening talking far too much about autism and healthy living and that's just plain a downer, so she can stay at home and hear about how great the evening was from Jim afterwards. I don't think much further explanation on this couple pick is needed, seeing as how their names are Steve Carell and Jim Carrey. Preeeety much the funniest men alive. I want Steve to say something off color and give us all that famous that-was-awkward-but-you-know-it-was-hilarious smile that makes me laugh the hardest whilst watching The Office. That is my wish for the evening.
Darius Rucker. I am aware this is a bit obscure, and so obscure that I don't even know if he's married or not, but I heart him. Hootie and the Blowfish was my very first ever CD purchased, and it still tops all else. My parents thought he was terribly monotonous, but their songs just grabbed me and I love them. They're included on that yet-to-happen list of songs that make me cry. Darius recently went country and his album is fabulous, I still adore him. Really, if it wasn't so blatantly a black name (not in a bad way, back off ACLU), I would've named my son Devin, Darius. If you can have a crush on someone that isn't an attracted-to crush, but an I-just-love-everything-you-do crush, he is mine.
Honorable Mentions: Adam Lambert, I would love to include because even after his super grosso antics on the AMA's, I still have a crush on a gay dude. Excluded because he's a little bit too much and while I appreciate the yell, I don't want it occuring at my dinner party. Rainn Wilson, included because he's so creepily hilarious (my favorite character on The Office), excluded because, well, I'm mean, but he's not very pretty. And I didn't have another spot. Man, she's showin' up everywhere, but Kristin Cavallari. Included because I lately have loved the bad guys in most of the shows/movies I've seen. She's great, I totally love her. Mostly because everyone hates her and I think it's hilarious. Excluded because she'd try to steal the show, and that's unacceptable.

Kara: This post is unacceptably late, and I honestly still don't have a really good answer for it. Way to make me think, Corey! I don't think I've spent this much time mulling something over since grad school. Sad. But, like Abbey, I think my guests would pretty much all focus on the funny. I have very little patience for people who don't have a sense of humor, especially lately, so my guest list is entirely composed of people that I believe would entertain me for the two to three hours that we'd be eating the delicious food Shiloh lovingly prepared.

Jon Stewart: I love him, think he is pretty much a genius and would honestly know very little about world politics if I did not follow "The Daily Show" and then go read up more on the topics he brings up. He's self-depricating, which is a must in humor for me (as Abbey has pointed out, Regis Philbin is also quite funny, but he's so full of himself he's intolerable. So no invite.) I would have to ask him to watch the f-bombs, I realize that if I had actual conversations with him I'd probably be horrified without the Comedy Central censors making his witticism PG-13 for me. But he'd do it, and it'd be awesome.

Steve Carrell: Also hilarious, also self-depricating and extremely humble. Also, I'd invite their wives and kids because both of these two have been married for quite awhile (Steve's wife played his real estate agent on "The Office") and seem to be devoted family men, and I would love to see that play out in person. The other thing with funny people is that sometimes they don't like being around other really funny people because its competition for them, but since Carrell got his start as a correspondent on "The Daily Show," they already get along and now how to play off each other. And the rest of us can just enjoy it!

John Krasinski: Again, really, really funny and adorable in a very relatable, normal guy kind of way. Already gets along with Steve Carrell (at least I think so, never read anything about any of that cast fighting), doesn't have to be the center of attention so he wouldn't be one-upping anyone, just contributing to the general hilarity. He would also bring his fiancee, Emily Blunt, who I think is probably equally funny, and whom I love for uttering one of the best lines ever in "The Devil Wears Prada": I'm just one stomach flu away from my goal weight."

Movies from Books

In honor of the release of Twilight: New Moon lets talk about movies created from our favorite books. Sometimes they are perfect at capturing the scenes just as we pictured them while reading. Other times they are a huge disappointment because the Director/Producer didn't portray things as we would have wished. I generally have a very low expectation when I walk into a movie that comes from one of my favorite books, so I am generally not disappointed in the outcome, but I know people who really wish things had been done differently. So I have two questions for this week...
What is your favorite movie from a book? AND What is the worst movie from a book?

Megan
While I hate to keep pulling the scinece fiction card I have to go with the Lord of the Rings as the best (ever?) movie trilogy from a book. Peter Jackson, the genius behind the movies has actually been labeled a hobbit. He's short, fat and hariy! He is a true fan of the series and it show in his attention to detail and desire to stay true to the story. Granted it did take him over nine hours to portray the story but no one can claim that Tolkien wouldn't be proud to lay claim to the movies. Plus who doesn't like looking at Viggo Mortenson and Orlando Bloom? As for other really good movies from books I would have to name Harry Potter as my second favorite (notice a series theme here???). The Harry Potter series does lose some of it continuity due to all of the different directors, but I still love the way they have managed to keep the same actors from movie to movie.
As for a worst movie, that is harder for me to determine. Like I said I usually have fairly low expectations so I am not easily disappointed. I would have to go with Eragon for the biggest disappointment. I absolutely loved the book, but I felt that they didn't stay close enough to the story when they did the movie. Of course the special effects were great. I just had higher expectations.
In any case it is always an adventure to go see your favorite books translated into moving pictures!

Heidi - Mm okay this is hard. And it's hard because I read a great many books that are also movies (hear here the reference to how awesome I am). I try really hard though to not compare books to movies because they are so different. You can get so much more detail from a book, but a movie offers and environment and emotion that is really hard in a book. Both have their merits. But I do still have some favorites and some not so favorites.
I believe my favorite movie from a book is probably Stardust. This movie actually didn't follow the book very closely at all, but I loved the movie more than the book. The addition of Robert Di Nero as a gay pirate was awesome and Michelle Pfiefer is amazing. As for movies that follow the books most closely I would also have to go with Lord of the Rings. I saw the first movie before I read the books and it was a really good adaptation.
As for least favorites I'm going to have to hit Twilight. It followed the book okay but just that kind of emotion that was throughout the whole book, was really annoying on screen (if you've ever talked to me about this before it's the "look into my eyes" moments I don't enjoy). And the special effects were ridiculously cheesy. I believe laughing occurred when they ran. My other least favorite is one that breaks my rule of trying to keep books and movies seperate and that is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The third book is my favorite of the series and I thought the movie was terrible. They decided they didn't want the movie to be long (because they had such a problem with that before.....losers) so they cut out so much of the back story about Harry and Sirius that was important. Those are the only ones I can think of right now...

Kara- As a general rule, I try to make sure that I read a book before I see the movie. The notable exception to this rule (and reason for its establishment, actually) was the Harry Potter movies. I didn't start reading them until the 6th one came out, partly because I'd been in grad school and had no time for reading that wasn't included on my 700+ comprehensive exams list. But partly because I thought I didn't like fantasy stories, and I don't- I just like the Harry Potter series. After reading the books, I liked the movies even more and now I try to keep the correct order in reading/movie watching. That being said, I have to say the Harry Potter series as a whole is probably one of the best adaptations from a book I've seen. J.K. Rowling has such a vivid, descriptive writing style and the characters and places took root in my imagination, and were amazingly accurate on screen. I only saw the first movie without reading the book, and each time they introduce a new character they seem just like I pictured them when reading. I do agree with Heidi, though, that the third adaptation skipped many significant points- Harry & Sirius' relationship as well as the reason for Harry's patronus being a stag. Seriously, just let the Harry Potter movies be five hours long and get it right. We won't complain. My other favorite adaptation is "Gettysburg" from Michael Shaara's "The Killer Angels." I also love this one because it had such detailed historical accuracies as well, Shaara had done intensive research that included getting conversations between the generals as correct as possible, so seeing that come to life on the screen was about as close to observing those events as I'm going to get.

For worst movie adaptation I have to agree with Heidi again that "Twilight" was pretty bad. Robert Pattinson was a surprisingly bad actor, and the whole angst-ridden teenage romance just didn't work as well on screen as it did in the book (although to be honest I found it annoying in the book too. It was just worse on screen.) Also, a movie like that cannot be done on a small budget without being obviously cheesy, and every supernatural event was obviously cheesy. They did much better with "New Moon," someone sent Pattinson to some acting classes, because they stuck to the book he was absent for a good part of it and the delicious Taylor Lautner was apparently contractually obligated to be shirtless for about 90% of the movie, and the special effects were great. I was cringing just thinking about how terrible watching the werewolves phase would've been with the "Twilight" budget, but fortunately it was awesome.

Abbey
I love going to see movies from books. I love to see what I've read played out in front of me, and I almost don't care that parts get missed. Most people watching the movie have also read the book (couldn't make a movie unless the book was popular in the first place), and so details can get missed and the audience can fill in the blanks. Mostly my favorite thing is just seeing what I've imagined already up on the big screen. I loved the book probably, and I know I'll love the movie too.
I'm going to admit something here, that might seem weird. One of my favorite books of all time is To Kill A Mockingbird. I had to read it in high school (along with the rest of civilization), and I loved it. I read it a few times actually, before I knew that there was a movie. Not entirely sure how I missed that, but. I love Scout, I love Calpurnia, and I love Atticus. When I finally saw the movie, I was totally engrossed. The movie was made in 1962 and I think it's one of the best ever. Watching the movie was like me sitting there reading straight out of the book with all the different accents and all. Atticus was so calm and cool, portrayed perfectly. Scout is just fabulous in any form. My favorite actor in the movie though was Robert Duvall as Boo Radley, he is fantastic. While watching, I feel like I'm sitting right there on the street watching all this happen in front of me in real life, and it's pure joy.
Honorable mentions are those already mentioned: Harry Potter (another one that's like sitting right there in the castle watching it all play out in real life), and Stardust (LOVE). I hope that future movies from books (Hunger Games and the Mortal Instruments and Lovely Bones) are just as good.
Hmmm, as for worst, I don't know. I guess I'll say Twilight too, also because of the effects. But mainly because ROBERT PATTINSON IS NOT CUTE. I'm sure after having said that, a slew of rabid Twi-hards are going to track me down and beat me over the head with his cardboard cut-out, but too bad. He's so not Edward, and that comes close to ruining it all for me. He has girly hands, his eyebrows are trying to overtake his face, his jeans are ridiculously skinny, I just can't find him *ahhhhh sigh* Edward at all. Taylor Lautner is totally adorable though, and in 5 years when he's of age, I'll allow myself to think he's cute as well.
Honorable mentions for worst: Any movie made from a Jodi Piccoult book (mainly My Sisters Keeper) or Nicholas Sparks (mainly the Notebook). These ones are just way too damn sad for me to enjoy them, and I don't go to movies to be emotionally pummeled. Which is also why I won't read their books. Sorry to the majority of females in the US. I know that's blasphemous.

Cory

Ok so not to totally disagree with Abbey but I have tho say the best is The Notebook. And like always there is a story why. I had that book when I was 16, could not stand it sent it home with a friend half done because I could not make myself finish it. Then came the movie where I will admit one of the only movies I have cried at (I know I have the emotions of a robot). And then we took our mom and she cried too. And all of us looked awful walking around Target after. So I thought hmm maybe I need to give this book another chance, wrong! Book still awful and slow and annoying, movie still good. Better even gives a story that breaks your heart and a romance you want to survive.

And I agree with all the comments on the Harry Potter movies & Stardust & To Kill A Mockingbird (brilliant movie and book) I love all of them. Twilight I am not that hard onbecause well not that huge of a fan, and I have to admit I like Rob I don't have stickers on my desk or Team Edward shirt or anything but I like him.

Worst is probably Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts this is a wonderfully warm book about a young pregnant girl in the south who faces a lot of trails to say the least and meets some wonderful people on the way. But the movie was discombobulated at best and while I enjoyed it, it is not nearly as good as the book.

Here Comes Santa Claus!

Four of the five HACKs have lived in the Phoenix area (and I believe Corey has at least visited many, many times), so we all know that in Phoenix, there are no seasons. Well, there are, but they're "What the Rest of the World Calls Fall but We Call Winter" (sort of what's happening today), "Hotter than Anywhere Else Spring," "Welcome to Summer," and "Why Didn't They Just Build This City on the F'ing Sun?" (Bonus points for anyone who can tell me what movie that's from!) So, to create the illusions of seasons at least within my own home, when its still in the upper 90s in mid November for crying out loud, I do many things. I'm not particularly domestic, but I've really gotten into seasonal additions to our decor (see my blog for the Thanksgiving table), I burn candles that smell the way seasons should smell, and I start Christmas early. Really early. Like after Halloween!

Actually, that's a new addition this year, since we leave for ABQ for the holidays around the middle of December, Shiloh said he feels like he gets gypped with our holiday decorations only being up for the two weeks after Thanksgiving. So he gave me permission to start decorating after Halloween this year, and I'm having fun! Its also put me in the mood to start my other create-a-season tradition, watching Christmas movies! I have a long list that I must see each holiday season, and while this is not normally the case, with Christmas movies, I'm a "the cheesier the better" kind of gal. Something about having a tree and snow and Santa somewhere in the movie just makes up for every ridiculously cliche line of dialogue and plot. So, I'm bringing the HACKs with me on this early Christmas journey and asking,

What movies are on your holiday must see list?

Kara: As I mentioned earlier, the list is long. And oddly enough, gets longer every year. I don't know how they keep coming up with ways to work story lines into Christmas scenarios but they do! And I like to see at least one new one every year. But the classics are:

1- "All I Want for Christmas-" loved it since I was a kid, Ethan Embry and Thora Birch before they did "real" movies are fantastic as the kids trying to get their parents back together for Christmas, and Lauren Bacall and Thora do a "Baby Its Cold Outside" duet that's worth the price of admission.

2- "What a Wonderful Life-" this is a classic for a reason, it never gets old and is worth the three hours every single year. And I truly believe that no man is a failure who has friends.

3- "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" & "Frosty the Snowman-" the old school stop motion and animation classics are on TV somewhere several times every season, but I got them on sale at Target after Christmas last year so now I can watch them on my schedule. Love that abominable snowman!

4- "How the Grinch Stole Christmas-" with Jim Carrey, although the cartoon is also fantastic, cracks me up. I like being able to recite the Grinch's too-busy-to-attend-the-festival schedule and want to do my hair like the Grinch women.

5- "Holiday Inn" & "A White Christmas"- make me miss my dancing years and have the best songs and sets.

I love "Shrek the Halls" (watch Puss 'n Boots try to tell the Christmas story while not getting distracted by the ball hanging off his Santa hat) and "A Charlie Brown Christmas" for non full-length feature films, and I think the new movie I want to see this year is "Fred Claus." It came out last year, but I never saw it and I love Vince Vaughn!


Heidi - Okay I love Christmas more than anything but this love manifests itself most often in the form of listening to music 24 hours a day not watching movies. I'm so sorry to everyone but I actually don't like the little motion movies at all. At all. Don't get me wrong I've seen them all but I don't enjoy them. But I have a list nonetheless. (BTW Kara I am ALL for starting Christmas after Halloween :) Not in any order but my thoughts:
1) It's not a set conscious tradition but I do manage to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas, but it's either the live version with my hero Jim Carrey or I listen to it. I really love the music of the Jim Carrey version though.
2) Okay this isn't a movie but I think it counts anyway. When I was small we used to go every year to see the Nutcracker ballet. I love this ballet more than any other Christmas tradition we have (other than looking at lights on Christmas Eve). When we stopped going I miss it every year and secretly wish we could go again.
3) Last but not least White Christmas. Reference my earlier comment about my adoration of Christmas music and you'll understand my love of Bing Crosby. And as someone who has lived in the desert with not much snow at winter time I appreciate completely finding the Christmas spirit without snow all the more.

Abbey: Ahhhhh. Here I sit smelling the fan-friggin-tastic scent of Gold Canyon Cinnaberry, I too am dreaming of a not 90 degree Christmas. Ben flat out refuses Christmas music until Thanksgiving, but trust me, I am waiting with bated breath (yes, that's how it's spelled. I Googled). I know these have all been done already, but too bad.
*I did love Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman when I was little, and every time I see them I get a little sentimental. I haven't watched them for many a year, but now that my kids are around I will have to make these a must watch for my Christmas season.
*How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Jim Carrey style. I love this movie. Jim Carrey is the end-all be-all around our house, so this is always a Christmas must. I could really watch it over and over.
*White Christmas. Oh, White Christmas. This is the first old movie my mom had us watch that I totally loved. Even as a bratty teenager who thought all things old were lame-o, I love this movie. I love their voices, they're all smooth like butter even when they're just talking. The movie makes me want to break out into song, it always has. But if I'd done that as a 16 year old I totally would have destroyed my much worked for persona. It has always been my wish to spend christmas in Vermont. Someday, I will make Ben take us there to spend it at a bed and breakfast. Promise.

Cory- Ok so I actually do know where you are coming from I lived in Gilbert for 6 years and then in Mesa for 2 a time before that. So I get the whole going to Christmas Dinner in shorts and a tee thing. My family is all about the Christmas and really we have every Christmas movie and Christmas CD out there (you think I am joking but literally dozens) and leave decorations up until at least New Year's to make it last much longer. I am with Heidi here though I don't particularly like the stop animation shows and some of the stuff we watch is probably a little unconventional, but here it is.

1. Love Actually: Ok warning British movie so expect boobs and swear words. But this movie set at Christmas is one of my fave movies period. Me and my sister always watch it, it is a bunch of stories tied together and while they are not all the happiest they are some really good moments in this movie and all very well acted and told.

2. The Simpson's Christmas: Umm not so much in rotation now but when we were kids we almost broke the tape. Highlights Bart getting a tattoo for his mom's present. And then he has to get it lasered off and Maggie keeps poking him and all you hear over and over is "Ow, Quit it."

3. The Santa Clause: Tim Allen is the man in our household so one of these always gets pulled out.

4. Whatever we marathon that year: we are weird and usually on Christmas what ends up happening is all of us huddled in the living room in some ridiculous flannel PJs and blankets watching whatever we just got for Christmas. Last year it was Life Season 1 my dad got it, all of us got hooked including my visiting grandparents and Heidi for a spell and it lead to us basically threatening each other like you better not watch this without me! So who knows what it will be this year. I need to see Band of Brothers so that might happen then.

Megan - I totally get the Phoenix thing. I always had such a hard time with it not getting cold for the holidays. Even without snow christmas should be a cold event. I have never really been into the candle thing so I don't really get into the season with smells. For me it is always about CHRISTMAS MUSIC!! Mannheim Steamroller (So jealous that Mom, Dad, Rob and Kelly are going to the concert without me!!), Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Charoltte Church, and then all the pop singers take on Christmas. I usually try and limit myself to only listening after thanksgiving, but I normally give in before that.
When it comes to movies I have to go with all the old favorites that everybody has talked about above. How the Grinch Stole Christmas, White Christmas, The Santa Claus, etc, but each year I also rewatch old favorites like Cutting Edge, Lord of the Rings trilogy, etc. There's just something comforting about curling up on a cold day and watching movies that I've seen a million times.

Outta the Box

Oopsie, little late for this past weekends question,,, since it's almost next weekend. Anyway. My question to all the lovely ladies (all the lovely ladies, all the lovely ladies, all the lovely ladies... Single Ladies anyone?) this week is:
What is your favorite movie that is totally out of your normal "box"? If you are a horror person, let's say, what is your favorite romantic comedy? Etc, etc.

Abbey
I am definitely a comedy person. Comedies, romantic comedies, the like. I do enjoy my dramas (Cast Away, Shawshank, etc), but for the most part I am a comedy person. I really could pass on most thrillers/action movies. Haven't seen the 2nd Transformers yet because I can't handle the stress. It's intense the entire time, and not just intense, but BIG intense, and I just don't want to put that anxiety on top of my own anxiety. So I'll probably see it down the line sometime, but for now, pass. Anyway. That said, I LOVE Gone in 60 Seconds. Love. Can I say it again? Love. I love all the characters, Giovanni Ribissi is probably one of my favorite people ever. Nicolas Cage I can't stand most of the time, but he was fab in this movie. It was before Angelina Jolie was huge and virtuous so she is super fun in this one too. I totally love Gone in 60 Seconds. The music is fantastic and totally makes me want to go out and drive cars super fast (even more than Fast & Furious, which I also enjoy).

Kara

This is kind of a mean confession to make because I have very, very dear friends (and a husband!) who fall in this category, but I am in no way, shape or form a science fiction fan. I have never seen a single show, movie or even commercial on the SyFy channel (I spelled that wrong last time, and one of said dear, dear friends corrected me and I really hope I'm spelling it right now because I'm totally not sure.) I don't like science fiction movies, or even fantasy movies (with everything Harry Potter being the lone exception)- the same goes for books. I love to read, but I have tried to read "The Hobbit" dozens of times and can't handle it. It drives me crazy- unless I'm having a hard time falling asleep and then its fantastic. I think this makes me a bad person in many ways, but there you go. However, as I mentioned, I have friends and a husband who LOVE this particular genre and as such I have seen numerous Star Trek movies on opening night and saw all of the "Lord of the Rings" series on opening nights with a large group of very devoted fans. I had fun with the friends, developed a hard core crush on Viggo Mortensen (but only as Aragorn, he does nothing for me if he's not dripping wet and storming a castle door against threat of attack), and liked the movies, but I've never had even the smallest desire to see any of them again. We own all of them and I think two of them might still be in their store wrapping. And the Star Trek movies honestly frightened me- aside from not being very good, the rabid fans scare me- at one in high school I admitted to a friend that I'd never seen an episode of the show and a man behind me in full costume and speaking Klingon got up and yelled at me, screaming that I didn't deserve to be there and I'd taken a ticket that could've been given to a real fan. He probably had a point, but still, at normal movies that hardly ever happens. Weirdos! So imagine my trepidation when early this summer, Shiloh tells me he wants to go see the new "Star Trek." This is what being married is all about, I go see his stupid movies and occasionally he agrees to be drug to mine, and then we have a few that everyone wants to see. But he was way excited about it, so I knew I wasn't going to get out of it, and I think it opened only a month after we'd lost our daughter Emma, so both of us were into doing anything and everything that could make the other person happy for a few hours. And it turns out, this movie was freaking awesome. So, so good and I would have willingly gone to see it again. My sci-fi/fantasy crushes now equal three with Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine added to the list, and it solidified my opinion that basically anything J.J. Abrams touches is worth whatever time I spend watching it. From "Felicity" to "Star Trek," the guy makes everything awesome.

Cory

This is a really hard ? for me since I really don’t think I have a box, I like most types of movies. So after discussing with Heidi I realized I have an aversion for the Tear Jerker. I think it has something to do with watching Titanic 3 separate times in the theater and the trauma that caused to my pre-teen psyche but I tend to avoid these more than seek them out. After all that, here is my answer Atonement this movie is a wonderful movie! From the acting to the music to the bloody curtain fabric choices everything is perfect. But it will also kill you, emotionally speaking. And while I am not the girl who goes home closes the blinds and watched Sophie’s Choice for the 50th time to cry it out. I do love this movie. And even if you have no interest in the story, the clothes, settings, and the way things are shot make this movie gorgeous to see. Honorable Mention: While I love The Notebook which is a Tear Jerker to the core, I think that just comes from me being a card carrying girl.
And after reading Kara’s I pretty much agree while I dig some fantasy movies like HP and Stardust. I have never been one for SciFi movies in fact they did not even cross my mind that is how far off my radar they are. I too have never seen any Star Trek except the current one and have not seen all the Star Wars or Lord of the Rings. And the only thing that got me out for the new Star Trek was my undying love for all things JJ! And Chris Fine!

Heidi
Ya know I kind of like going last because then I get to comment on everyone else's, think about what they said, and change my answer accordingly. This q was WAY hard for me, even more than Cor I think because I actually do watch Sci Fi (Chronicles of Riddick anyone?) and everything else, horror, romance, old school, action. So I decided to pick my least go to genre. Which happens to be comedy. But not just comedy, stupid comedy. Things like Old School, Scary Movie, things where it's best if you're high or just not wanting to think that day. So my outta box movie is Airplane. I adore this movie. I remember watching it late at night and laughing so hard I couldn't breath. The person who would randomly leap across the background was my absolute favorite and I think I remember my friend Autumn and I doing that at odd times for like the next month. Mostly I don't have the patience for slap-stick kinds of things but Airplane I totally loved and would definitely watch over and over again.
Side note - Go Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto! Love them both!

Megan
I am almost a complete opposite of Kara. I am a total action/sci-fi girl, so I rarely go to comedies. At least not on my own, but I almost never turn down an invitation to go see any type of movie. (Except of course horror, I haven't seen one of those since Big Bird goes to China) As far as an out of the box movie goes...I have to go with Liar, Liar. I generally like Jim Carrey but I have a hard time with the "stupid comedy" that sometimes comes from him. I was plesantly surprised with Liar Liar though.

Reruns

I have a good memory for movie/tv dialogue and also get bored easily. It is for this reason that I do not particularly enjoy seeing shows more than once, even shows that I adore and can not miss weekly. The same goes for movies. I can't really explain it but I just don't do reruns or buying tv seasons or anything, even for ones I love. So this weeks question is one that I pose while not knowing how I'm going to answer it yet.

What tv show would you buy all the seasons of (if they weren't hideously overpriced) and watch over and over again?

Abbey-FRIENDS
Pssssshhhhhh. This one is so easy and I'm glad I'm going first. Duh! Friends! I love Friends, I have since it came out. I bought their compilations of each of the 5 best episodes long before the concept of All-Season DVDs came out and they were......tapes. I bought them in college and watched them probably every single day while I ate lunch after class. Over and over and over and never got tired of them. I can quote every single episode, I love them all. FRIENDS people, Friends. I have all seasons on DVD now and I still love them!
Runner-Up of course is the Office. No explanation needed here. Funniest show ever.

Heidi-The Office
Okay I decided. And while I agree with Abbey I can mostly watch Friends over and over, there's still too much of a story line there. And all the shows I love where you solve puzzles (House, CSI NY, Lie to Me, etc) I def can't pick them because I already know how it ends! But the first two seasons of the Office are priceless. I absolutely love Dwight and everything that Jim does to him. It's fantastic. I think it's gotten a little bit less funny as the seasons have gone on but I still love it and can watch it any time any episode. Basically I just love watching Dwight and everything he manages to make way more serious that it needs to be.
Favorite ep: the one where there's a bat in the office and Jim pretends he's been bitten and has become a vampire.

Kara

Okay, here's what's sad- I apparently don't mind paying exorbitant prices because for TV series because I own a complete set of a ridiculous number of shows. In my defense though, we all know I'm a bargain shopper so I'm pretty sure most of these were purchased for less than $20 when they go on sale at Target and Best Buy (check the weekly ads, they have great sales at Best Buy). Or they were gifts. But anyway, I just checked our entertainment cabinet and we (and by "we" I of course mean "me" because I guarantee Shiloh hasn't watched a single disc of any of these shows) already own "Friends," "Gilmore Girls," "24," and "The Office." I even have last season of "The Office," because I purchased that little present for myself as a celebration after my first OB appointment with baby #3! (This justifies paying the $27.99 for it, FYI.) I am only missing two seasons of "Scrubs" as well. Shiloh is apparently not quite as avid a collector as I am although he watches way more TV, but we have a few seasons of "House," "Family Guy," and "The Adventures of Briscoe County Jr." because of his tastes. And for the both of us, we have both seasons of "Burn Notice" and will absolutely be purchasing the 3rd season as soon as its out. But they do that crazy split season thing where the first half of the season airs in the summer and then the second half airs in January, so it'll be awhile before we can add that to the collection. Gives us time to save!

Cory- So many

I am like Kara pretty much if I am in Target it is on sale and I want to see it again I will buy. There are definitely shows I rewatch all the time. Alias- always get something new. Buffy, McLeod's Daughters, Veronica Mars and Felicity I have every season of and will rewatch if the mood hits me. I also have random one off seasons of The Office, One Tree Hill, Lost & some other shows that never finished airing Keen Eddie, Kitchen Confidential, The Black Donnellys. I have Gilmore Girls tape habitually on my DVR as a backup too. I only watch the eps I like and most of the time it is background noise. These shows were on when I was too young to get them or before the lovely invention of the DVR/Tivo which means a lot of it is new to me. But I will admit if I come across an ep of The Office or That 70's Show I always stop and get sucked in.

Tear Stained Pages…

This sounds like a Taylor Swift song. No just me? Cool good to know.

So here is this week’s question a little early but I pretty much was bored. What was the first book you ever cried over?- actual tears where you were literally so involved that you didn’t notice the crying until the dark stains showed up on the pages. I am really not a crier (I do and am not a robot) but hardly ever do I really cry, which is why a book that makes me do so is so special.

And here is my answer Little Women. Me and a group of friends read this in fourth grade back when we would have awesome read-ins. Oh I miss them. No I have HW-ins and clean house- ins, it is simply not the same. But not to wreck anything for anyone but I pretty much balled like a toddler when Beth dies and literally did not finish the book because of it. It still sits on my shelf and I need to read it all, but like a boyfriend who hit me I will not go back. The whole book just sliced my heart out and put it in front of me, to the Laurie and Jo drama and then him moving on with another sister (not cool dude ever!), burning Jo’s manuscript and so on and on. I have a feeling if I read it today I would not find it as melancholy but in those pre-teen years it was very sad for me.

Honorable Mention: The River King By Alice Hoffman I read this in HS and love her books, there is also a semi-funny story that goes along with this book. But it was another that just broke my heart with its sadness. I want to read it again but can never get my courage back up for the emotional wreck it makes me.

Heidi:
When I was small my mother used to read books to us. We read books like Little Women, Little Men, Adventures of Tom Sawyer, all kinds of things. First off let me say I only cry because of animals. Movies, books, whatever, when there are animals concerned, especially dogs... I cry. When I was 8 or 9 we read a book called Rascal. Wonderful book about a boy who finds a baby raccoon and raises it and finds in Rascal a fantastic friend. I also cannot finish this because I will start crying. I don't remember the entire story but I remember the book and I remember crying over my puppy mischief for a good hour. It was a pivotal moment in my life.
*Runner Up (This was added after Kara's because she reminded me of something) Of Mice and Men. I have spoken on my other blog of my love for Gary Sinese. In 9th grade we read, watched, AND listened to this book. It was narrated by Gary Sinese and when it gets to the end, and Lenny has to be dealt with I was totally crying. In my 9th grade-tryingtobecoolerthanyou-tryingtofitin class. Luckily I was not the only one crying.

Kara:

Like Heidi, my crying books (and movies) all revolve around frakkin' dog stories (or animal stories in general I guess, I've been known to cry over movies with horses in them as well.) Because inevitably, the purpose of an animal in a story is for said animal to die, so that the boy/girl can learn some valuable life lesson. Around age 13, I declared a new rule in my life that has served me very well since then: I Don't Watch Dog Movies. This goes for reading books too. I have not, and will not, see or read "Marley & Me," especially since my family also owns a totally hyper and crazy yellow lab. While I was at my in-laws for Christmas last year, the rest of my family went to see "Marley & Me" and when they came back home, Shiloh and I started laughing because every single one of them was red-eyed, tear-stained and had a headache from crying so much. As far as I'm concerned, there is just no reason to do this to yourself, particularly when my own life often provides ample crying opportunities. I instituted this rule after I had to read "Where the Red Fern Grows" in my 7th grade Enriched Language Arts class. To make matters worse, we had to read that book in class, which meant that I cried in front of the rest of the class (although I don't think I was the only one.) Since then, I've stuck by my rule steadfastly. I love animals, but I don't need to read about their heartbreaking deaths.

Abbey:
Ditto Kara.  Ditto Heidi.  Ditto Cory.  So unexciting, I know, but it's true!  Mostly my problem is this:  I have a horrible memory.  I rememer how I felt and things like that, but not specifics, it's awful!  So all I can think of when Cory asks what book first made us bawl unabashedly, is that the first time I ever really did that was for the movie Powder.  It's not a book, I know, but since Where the Red Fern Grows and Rascal were already taken, it's all I can really come up with, given my awful memory!  So, I'll buck the trend of actually answering the question properly, and go with the movie Powder.  (Memory problem strikes again) I don't even really remember what the movie was about, but I just know I sat on the couch and I had to bring the box of Kleenex over next to me because I was sobbing.  Hiccuping, sobbing, mass amounts of tears, running nose, all of it.  I will think on this question though, and if at some point I remember a better answer, well then I'll change it!

Megan:
I have to go with Abbey on this one. Ditto everybody. Ok, so I have to admit I am a crier. You catch me in the wrong mood and I will cry at a TV commercial, but the first book that I remember crying over was The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. You know the scene. Aslan is calmly walking to his death with Lucy and Susan watching. The White Witch gloats for a while and then they kill him. I also have cried over just about any book, movie or TV show where someone, person or animal, dies. So I can't really judge what makes a book worth crying over, but I certainly remember the parts that tugged on my heartstrings better than any other part of the book.

High School Songs

Driving down Barstow today and turning onto Wilshire to visit one of my childhood friends took me right past my high school, good ole La Cueva High, home of the Bears. It reminded me of thousands of early, early mornings when I'd drive down the same streets for zero hour band rehearsal. Adding to the sense of nostalgia was the fact that blaring on the radio at that moment was Smashing Pumpkin's "1979," and for a second I could literally have been a sophomore in high school again, being driven to school in the back of Bethany's old lady car (I can't remember the make right now) or Rachel's brown Volvo. Thus, I post this week's question: What are your iconic high school songs, the ones that when you hear them you could close your eyes and literally be back to those tumultuous years?

Cory
---Red Wine by I have no idea who this is. Back when I had my black Blazer that was so old I couldn’t wash it because the paint would chip off- but it ran fine. No AC and would drive home in the middle of hot AZ nights with the windows down for some reason this song always came on.
---Hot in Herre- Nelly Yup they always played during our HS lunches at Highland High.
---Pop- NSYNC’ Same reason and I remember there was a girl who knew all the choreography verbatim.
---Alive-P.O.D. Everywhere and anywhere but I loved this song so I did not care.

And these entire CDs remind me of HS:
---Gavin Degraw Chariot- One of the first CDs where I knew all of it by heart. I played it in my car my first day as a senior at my new HS in NM. Yeah I literally can remember what I wore and that feeling of let’s get this over with.
---Jimmy Eat World Bleed American- My friend BMWer copied this CD for me and I loved the whole thing. I can sit here and remember the first time I heard The Middle and saw the music video for it. I can remember sitting in my third car the VW bug and driving into Moriarty for school and there is this line that says “I Don’t care what they say I am getting out. Nothing here can change me.” At that time I especially felt that. 

Heidi:
* Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory -- I realize that this cd makes me sound a lot more hard core than I really am. But I truly loved this cd in HS. I always skipped to the next song when they started screaming but I listened to the cd all the time. I especially listened to this cd while training for soccer and when I was mad at my bf (translate to often). Abbey bought me the cd because I was obsessed with In The End.

*My second year of  HS I received a fun mix cd from Abbey away at college. Most of the cd was Kelly Clarkson and All American Rejects. Songs like Swing Swing, My Paper Heart, Beautiful Disaster, and Miss Independent were worn out in my cd player.
*Weezer - Beverly Hills -- I can't remember any specific moments around this song but I do remember it quite often and jammin out on the way to soccer practice.
*Good Charlotte - The Anthem -- So I was not the person in this song, I knew I was going to college, etc. But I belted the song out anyway because it relieved frustration. Loved it. 
*Lil' Jon - Get Low -- We used to listen to this song (and others but I don't remember them) while warming up for games for HS soccer. I hear it and thing of passing drills, stretching, and sizing up the other team.



Kara:
- As I previously mentioned, for some reason "1979" plays into a ton of my high school memories, mostly involving band events and activities.  We used to have dances and parties in the band room at Halloween and such times (hmm, why did everyone think we were so nerdy? Hmm . . .) and I'm pretty sure that song was played every time.
- Jewel, "You Were Meant for Me," "Near You Always"- and basically that whole "Pieces of You" album remind me of my years as a ballerina in high school, when a few of my friends and I choreographed dances in one of our classes to a bunch of Jewel songs.  Tracy Chapman's "The Promise" from her album "New Beginnings" also falls into this category.  Our whole class choreographed 32 counts and put it together to this song, and I can still do the entire dance today.  (Well, maybe not DO technically, but if I were still in shape I could make a decent attempt!)
- I didn't have a car until my senior year, so I was chauffered around by friends, primarily Rachel and Bethany.  We all had (probably still have) pretty divergent tastes in music, so we would make mixed tapes to listen to while driving together that had a mix of songs we each liked.  Because of this I can't hear Keith Sweat's "Twisted" (not that I have recently, I guess) or anything by The Cranberries without immediately being transported back to high school.


Also, pretty sure my music selections demonstrate how much older I am than Heidi and Cory.  And probably Abbey too.  :)

Abbey
Ok, I'm so late doing this.  Terribly sorry. I loved music in HS, but it wasn't really the music that everyone else did... 
*My first is Harvey Danger, Flagpole Sitta.  This song is just plain fun.  "Been around the world and found that only stupid people are breeding...."  It's like driving a jalopy but through song.  All bouncy and crazy and happy.  My friends and I loved to turn it up, roll down the windows and yell the entire song.  SO fun!!  It didn't come on the radio very often, so it made it even better when it did. 
*Next is the entirity of the Police CD Every Breath You Take:  The Classics.  I think I was the only one of my friends that enjoyed this album, and they all looked at me like..... ?  We're really listening to this?  But yes.  We are really listening to this.  Roxanne, Every Breath You Take, Don't Stand So Close To Me... all of it.  I listen to it, and I'm back to driving in my dad's big blue truck, popping it into the new deck he got just for me while I drove it to school and back.  I can smell the truck, I can hear the songs, I can mentally do the shifting again, oh my gosh.  I can taste it.  And this memory through song is a good one, because it was solely mine.  I alone loved the Police, I alone had a passion for them.  So these were my songs I yellunged (yelled and sung at the same time) while I was on the way back and forth from dates, on the way to Heather or Traci's house, anywhere.  Love it. 
*Anything Third Eye Blind:  Semi-Charmed Life, Jumper, oh gosh they were so good.  I love them.  They are good to sing to, a little bit rock and roll, very entertaining. 

I feel as though I should have a longer list for this question, but these are the songs that transport me straight back to high school, not necessarily my very most favorite songs (although I do love them all).  Remember, that list is coming someday...