Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Last Minute Gift Ideas...

Christmas gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.

- Oren Arnold
American editor and free-lance writer (1900-1980)

Monday, December 14, 2009

Cute Alert!

Before I redirect your attention to my next rant, please go see this video of the First Dog being all kinds of cute-and Michelle Obama and Oprah baby-talking to him. SQUEE!

http://jezebel.com/5425830/bo-reduces-michelle--oprah-to-baby-talk

Next up, because I just can't stop talking about this entitled, narcissistic twat-Chris Brown is going all anger-management-failure in a profanity-laced tirade on twitter (glad to see those mandatory classes are helping him control himself) because Walmart and whoever else doesn't want to carry his CD because he is a criminal and a bad role model. He is tweeting, quote:

“the[y] didnt even have my album in the back… not on shelves, saw for myself. im tired of this s—. major stores r blackballing my cd. not stockin the shelves and lying to costumers. what the f— do i gotta do.”

Also: “im not biting my tongue about sh– else… the industry can kiss my ass.
WTF… yeah i said it and i aint retracting s–”

And finally: “we talked to the managers and the didnt even know anything. wow!!! but they had alicia keys album ready for release for this tuesday comin … the manager told me that when there are new releases its mandatory to put em on the shelves.. BUT NO SIGN OF #GRAFFITI. BS.”

Dear Chris Brown,

Perhaps people will be more likely to buy and/or sell your new CD when you stop being all "what the F- I gotta do" which basically translates to "I'm sorry yall are mad at me" rather than what you should be which is "I'm sorry for that awful thing I did." Maybe, at that point, you can actually grasp that actions have consequences. Even though your ass is not in jail where it belongs for your ACTIONS, some stores choosing not to sell your merchandise because they do not like your actions is what we in the real world call a consequence. Deal with it. And perhaps show a little understanding as to why less than a year later the public is not completely ready to forgive you and give you cash to support the lifestyle which more than likely turned you into an entitled brat and made you forget that it is bad to hit a girl. So get back to anger management and have them teach you how to act when someone tells you "no" and get back to us, OK?

Cause I'd really like to be able to put "Kiss, Kiss" back on my ipod in this decade, but I'm gonna need you to show a little remorse before that can happen.

http://music-mix.ew.com/2009/12/14/chris-brown-twitter-rage-graffiti/

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Another one goes country!

So last year I blogged about all the pop stars that were recording country albums. I had high hopes for Jewel and Darius Rucker (aka Hootie!) and my only hope for Jessica Simpson was that she would quickly fade away. Jewel disappointed, Darius has been awesome! And I was right on the money for blondie if I do say so myself.

Well, a new year, a new round of "gone country" rumors. Michelle Branch is supposed to (FINALLY) get her solo country album out next year (she did one as a duo-The Wreckers-which was AWESOME but there was some MAJOR drama between her and the other girl-nothing I can print here!) and I read today that Josh Kelley, aka Mr. Katherine Heigl aka Dr. Izzie Stevens on Grey's Anatomy (aka namesake of my doggie) is up next to try his hand at country music. And like all the rest before him, he swears this isn't a fleeting fancy but his genre of choice forevermore. The snippet of his song in the link below is too short to judge, but he sounds NOTHING like he did in his pop music (he sang that song from around 2003-2004 or so called "Amazing" that was super catchy and I LOVED it at the time, but he never really had another huge hit-youtube here for a refresher:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VzBWIliVHc&feature=related

Anyway, his brother is Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum, who are the hottest thing in country music not named Taylor Swift. And, he lived in Nashville for a long time right after he hit it big with Amazing, so maybe this isn't totally out of left field. But, I love Lady A, and I will certainly give him a shot to prove that he can be a country *STAH*. And that baby that he and Katherine Heigl adopted is super cute so anything that ups my chances of seeing playdates between her and Sunday Rose at Centennial Park is fine with me. Bring it on, Josh Kelley!

http://music-mix.ew.com/2009/11/19/josh-kelley-goes-country-exclusive-first-listen/

RIP JC Penney Big Book

Aw, this one made me sad. This edition of the JC Penney "Big Book" catalog will be the last. I know it is better for the environment, more cost-effective, etc.-but I can so clearly remember getting the "Big Book" right before Christmas, thumbing endlessly through the toy section and circling all the items on my "Wish List" which would generally include all of the Barbies, Cabbage Patch dolls, or any other doll. Seriously-my Christmas list would have been ten pages of dolls.

I mean, what will the kids do now, bookmark the items they want online and send their parents an email? Ugh.

Anyway, makes me nostalgic for "they way things were." I might have officially just become OLD.

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SmartSpending/blog/page.aspx?post=1390279&_blg=1,1390279

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Total Savings-95%!!!

Since I posted about the coupons last week I've had lots of people ask about how it works. Last week was a great week to stock up on groceries because Kroger was having one of their "Mega" events and Harris Teeter was doing triple coupons. Publix had a pretty good sale too!

So, I ended up having one of my best shopping trips EVER this weekend. I had been to Kroger earlier in the week to pick up a couple of things in the Mega Event, but I wanted to go back AFTER I had hit Harris Teeter for the triples and knew how much room was left in the cabinets/freezer (Answer=Not much). So I made a quick run on Saturday when I was out running around with my mom-what I love about Kroger (and there is not much, haha) is that they actually break down your PERCENT of savings on the receipt. The dollar amount saved is great and usually plenty of motivation for me, but seeing the total "percent off" like you see at other retail stores, but not usually grocery, is kind of neat. So, without further ado, I will summarize my Kroger receipt for you so you can "see how it's done."

-2 Birds Eye Voila Meals in a Bag-Reg. Price 8.29 each, on sale for 5.99 each
-4 I Can't Believe its Not Butter stick packs (yes, 16 total, holiday baking here I come!) Reg Price 2.29 each, On Sale for 1.49 each
2 Larabars (been wanting to try these) Reg Price 1.69 each on sale 1.25 each
1 Bumble Bee tuna pouch Reg 1.65, on sale for .99
4 Birds Eye Steamfresh Frozen Veggies Reg Price 2.49 each, on sale for 1.99 each
3 Frostings (1 Duncan Hines, 2 Betty Crocker) DH Reg. 1.99 each, BC REg 1.89 each, all on sale 3/$5

This would have come to 46.50 pre-tax (over 50 after tax) if I had bought it all at regular price.

So how did I walk out of the store paying only $4.33? (2.01 of that was my tax!)

As Monk would say, here's what happened-
I started by matching up SALES with COUPONS I already had. I had coupons for everything I bought except for the butter sticks. Those were a great price, so I wanted to stock up for holiday baking! Since this was a "Mega Event" Sale, that means that if you buy any 10 "mega" items, they take $5 off your total (which equals 50 cents off of each item). So, I got $5 off for that, I had a Cellfire coupon on my Kroger card for one of the frostings which took another .50 off. Those were my "Kroger" discounts. I had 2 coupons for .40 cents off a Larabar, which got doubled to .80 off each bar, making them .45 each. I had 4 coupons for .50 cents off each (kroger doubled) of the Birds Eye Veggies, making them .99 cents each. I had two coupons that were "Buy 2 Birds Eye Veggies, Get one Birds Eye Steamfresh Meal Free." The cashier made a little mistake, which I didn't realize until I got home looking at the receipt. He manually entered the Meals at 8.99, even though Kroger sells them for 8.29 and they were on sale for 5.99. So, that gave me an extra $6 discount OVER the meals being free. WOO-HOO! I had a $1 off a Bumble Bee tuna pouch, so that ended up being FREE. I had 2 fifty cent coupons for the 2 other frostings that both got doubled to $1, so those 3/$5 frostings ended up costing me 2.50 total after the Cellfire coupon listed above, making them .83 each. Did I mention I am baking for the holidays? Oh yes! And finally I got my 4 packs of butter for 1.49 each, no coupon, but after the frozen meal overage it is probably good that there was something I didn't have a coupon for! I wonder if they would have given me money back if I had come back in the negative?

Grand total of savings, per my Kroger receipt, was $23.38 in manufacturer's coupons, $3.80 in bonus coupons (that means the ones they doubled), 17.10 in Kroger Plus savings (the sales price discounts plus the $5 Mega Sale), giving me a grand total of 44.18 savings, or 95% off the regular prices off all that I bought. I spent 4.33 out of pocket, 2.01 was tax, so my actual food only rang up at 2.32 (you do usually have to pay tax on the point of sale price when you use coupons-each store varies a little).

Do you believe in coupons yet?

Monday, November 2, 2009

How to Buy Everything You Want and Still Have Money Left Over

With cost of just about everything going up (just in time for the holidays! YAY!) I have really been good about using my coupons lately. Smart shopping is just the way I was raised. I love to shop. My mother loves to shop. But my mother always taught me that when you go into a store, the first thing you look at is the clearance rack. Then, you look at the normal sale rack. Then, and only then, do you look at the "regular price" stuff, and only to see what you need to watch for when it goes on sale. Occasionally I get a little good-natured ribbing from friends, family, and coworkers about my obsession with a good sale, but the majority of the time, I am not at all embarrassed to be frugal. So it should be a surprise to no one who knows my shopping philosophy that I have become a coupon lady. I love a good deal, and I work in nonprofit so obviously I am not bringing home the big bucks. And, I'm a Leo so I love to boast about trips to the store where I get $40 worth of groceries for less than $10. :) Recently, I have had several people ask me how I learned the secrets to my shopping strategy, so I thought I would make a little blog post and share.

One of the biggest ways to see the difference in sale/coupon shopping is with your groceries and household items, so that is the perspective I will use for this blog, though you can apply the same tips to anything (ex-I love Ann Taylor Loft, but only shop the extra % off clearances and/or use the coupons they send me in the mail). Here are my best tips if you would like to get started with "couponing":

1. Pick your favorite stores and product brands and sign up for their e-newsletters. They will send you the weekly circulars and coupons. This way, you can work on buying only what is on sale. Also, sign up at the printable coupon sites:
www.coupons.com
www.smartsource.com
www.redplum.com
These "re-set" at the first of every month-this means, new coupons are available and previous offers will be available to you again if you already printed the allotted number of times on your computer (you can print each coupon 2-6 times each month depending on the site).

Also, get the Sunday paper for the coupons-CVS sells them for $1 so I get 2 copies each week which only costs me 25 cents more than buying 1 at the gas station like I used to do. Hard-core coupon ladies will tell you to buy 4-6 copies but being a one-woman household, I don't need THAT much stuff.

2. You have to have a plan. Since I am single, it is pretty easy for me to be more flexible about meals and cooking because I don't have to do it everyday, but I do try to go into the week with an idea of 2-3 dishes that I have the ingredients on hand to cook. If you have 2+ people in your home, do a weekly meal plan and make a list of everything you need, figure out what you already have, and what you need to get. When you are getting ready to go to the store, make your list based on the sale flyers for your store and go ahead and get your coupons ready. Try to create meals around what you have on hand and what is on sale at the store each week. Sticking to your list will help cut down on those evil "impulse" buys! You can be flexible; if you get to the store and there is a great deal on chicken and you were going to buy ground beef, maybe your beef tacos will become chicken tacos instead....you get the idea.

You do have to spend more time shopping, but since I enjoy it that is not a problem. I generally hit Publix, Harris Teeter, and CVS once every week to get the deals I need. I will throw in a Walgreens, Kroger and/or Target visit once every couple of weeks too. Some people go to every store 2-3 times a week to take advantage of a deal multiple times but my time is more valuable to me than that-I try to stick to my once per week shopping schedule, a lot of times over my lunch break. The Harris Teeter by my office has an elevator, a cart escalator, AND a Starbucks, and since I am easily amused shopping there feels like a weekly treat rather than a chore.....but if you are not like me, that's OK, you can hit your one favorite grocery store like you usually do and going in with coupons, a list and a plan will still save you some money.

3. Know your "rock-bottom price" for the items you buy the most. To get a good deal, you have to know what a good deal actually is on a certain product, and since the same item may have a different price at every store in your area, you need to know what you are willing to pay. When things hit "rock bottom" stock up. Buy as many as you have coupons/space for, and by the time you are out there will be another sale. If you end up with too much of something, consider donating the items to a food pantry or women's shelter. (I bought Target brand baby wipes with a coupon I got in the mail for$3 any target brand purchase-wipes ended up being about 10 cents a package. I donated them to a United Way drive going on at the office.)

Buy One, Get One or "BOGO" sales are usually a good starting point for finding items at "rock-bottom" prices. That's basically 50% off, and most stores ring each item up at half price so if you only need one, you get it half off. If you can get an item half off, plus a coupon (and bonus if you are at a store that doubles coupons!) you end up walking away with a great deal. Case in point-last week Publix had Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Pasta (the whole wheat kind) BOGO. Coupons.com had the printable coupons for $1 off 2. They rang up at .60 each, plus I got $1 off every two I bought (I printed that coupon about 4 times) which made them .20 each. I got 8 boxes of pasta for a little over the cost of ONE at regular price. And I won't have to buy any more for MONTHS-and by the time I am getting low, I know there will be another sale. Which brings me to the next point.....

4. Combine coupons with store sales for the best value. Sometimes, you get things FREE this way! Or for pennies like my pasta example above. This is how you really create a difference in your budget. You will probably want to do a little research on each store's coupon policy before you get up to the register. Some stores will limit the number of coupons you can use, some won't accept competitor coupons but some will, etc.

5. Find a website that matches up the best deals in your area and sign up for their newsletter. If you live in Nashville, www.faithfulprovisions.com is a good local one. It covers all the stores I typically shop and shows which items are the best deal based on sale price + coupons. It also has some great resources if you are new to clipping coupons-my favorites are the coupon insert schedule, so I know when I need to buy the paper, and the "lingo" list so you can interpret the list of deals as they use all kinds of abbreviations.

6. Set a limit for how much you want to spend each week. Because really, there are so many good deals you won't be able to get them all. Prioritize-for example, even if pasta goes on sale again in the next month, I won't be buying any because I don't need it. I think the Faithful Provisions lady does $40/week, and I believe she feeds a family of four and that includes all household items like soap and cleaners, as well as personal care like razors and shampoo. I'm not that good! I aim for $30 week and it is just me! But I do buy a lot of fresh produce and there are not as many coupons for those so I really watch sales closely. And I am a product junkie-if there is a new hairspray/lipgloss/etc and I have a coupon I have to have it! If you can get a really good deal, I think it is ok to break the budget every once in awhile. But generally, have an overall monthly budget and even if you go over one week try to cut back a little the next.

A couple of other sites worth checking out/signing up for:
www.southernsavers.com They have a "best prices of all" section which is handy if you are looking for a good deal on a specific item

www.coupongal.net Has a separate section for Retail coupons and Restaurant coupons

http://thekrazycouponlady.com/10-days-to-become-a-krazy-coupon-lady-day-1/
A "10-Day" series on how to become a coupon king/queen-although you can scroll through all ten days in about 20 minutes. She has some GREAT tips on learning your rock bottom prices, how much to buy, what to only "buy" when its free, etc.

The first time you get a receipt where you saved more than you spent, you will love the satisfaction your get from saving money and getting great deals. Happy Saving!

Thursday, October 15, 2009

DOH! My US Senators Make Me Proud Again....NOT

So, I haven't been a good blogger lately, but I've had so much TEEVEE to watch! So what unbelievable world event brought me back to you today? Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize? Titans 0-5? An actual living breathing Republican supporting health care reform?

Why no, it is the actions of my US Senate representation, both of whom voted AGAINST the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act for women earlier this year, and have now taken their hatred of my vagina to a new level. Yes folks, I try to keep this a "family" blog, but this is going to get ugly so take the children out of the room.

In 2005, a woman was working for Halliburton in Iraq and was drugged, gang raped by seven coworkers SO BRUTALLY that her vagina and anus were torn, she was bleeding, and her breast implants had ruptured. Upon, you know, TELLING, she was treated by a doctor and her rape kit was "lost" and then she was locked in a SHIPPING CONTAINER and held captive by armed guards without food or water. She was released only after her father approached the US Embassy for help. As if all that is not bad enough, she had a clause in her contract which prevented her from being able to sue.

So what does all that have to do with Senators Corker and Alexander? Well, they were 2 of the 30 Senators who voted against a bill that would not allow our government to contract with agencies who, like Halliburton and its subsidiaries, force their employees to agree not to sue if they are raped on the job. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THOSE 30 SENATORS? I have no idea if any of them are women. I'm guessing no. I guess that Corker and Alexander are going to look me in the face and tell me that if their wife and daughter were raped by coworkers, they wouldn't sue the pants off of the company that allowed it to happen. I guess they would also tell me that they would have no problem entering into a profitable business arrangement with the company after that happened because that is exactly what they think the government should do.

Why do we want to associate with companies that care SO LITTLE about their employees welfare? Why do my Senators want to condone that type of shady company policy rather than give my tax pennies to companies who value and protect their employees? Companies that are obviously corrupt. I mean, if you watch the Jon Stewart clip in the link below, the same folks who oppose ACORN by saying that taxpayers should not have to support agencies with corrupt and immoral practices are not supporting this bill. Because rape is OK? No, I am guessing that neither Corker or Alexander or any of the other 28 fools who opposed this bill condone rape, or drugs, but they are opposing this solely because it was introduced by a Democrat and for no other reason. I am so tired of these guys playing politics rather than voting for what is right and what makes sense! I mean, Corker, I totally expect, but Alexander will usually not go along with such nonsense so I am really disappointed in him in particular.

Off to write my weekly love note to the Senators' offices. Boy are they going to get an earful this week!

http://jezebel.com/5382655/republicans-defending-rape-victims-is-a-political-move

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Again, what is the problem?

Stephanopulos: So what's the problem with the public health option?

Landrieu: Well, many of us believe, George, that it will undermine the private insurance system.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/13/AR2009091301485.html

When a Democrat says something like that, I am starting to get really worried about this health care thing. Um, isn't the public option supposed to "undermine" in a sense, the private system? The one that is making millions (and giving their execs big bonuses while denying OUR claims) while the rest of us are out of jobs and losing our homes but giving them some fair competition is a bad idea? And wouldn't a public option CREATE jobs? I'm just dumbfounded that we can't get this together.

Next thing you know, people are going to be saying we should scrap the public school system because it's unfair to the private schools, and that we should really limit the power of the police in favor of more vigilante justice.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Things I Thought About While Waiting in Line at the County Clerk's Office

1. WHO TOLD that there is a county clerk's office in Green Hills?

2. Does this line have anything to do with Cash for Clunkers?

3. That couple at the front of the line is VERY oddly matched.

4. Mattie, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

5. Wow, Grace's Plaza has great light. Wonder if anyone would say anything if I brought someone here for a photo shoot?

6. I really hope this doesn't take up my whole lunch break. I am RIGHT NEXT DOOR to Trader Joes's and I want to go!

7. They could at least put some chairs out here or play some elevator music.

8. I am going to Trader Joe's no matter what. I will take personal time if necessary. I AM GOING!

9. Too bad it would look funny if I started doing squats or lunges while I'm waiting. I HATE WAITING.....

10. Seriously, WHO TOLD?????

Apparently well-kept secrets never say that way!

Things That Made Me Smile This Morning....

1. Bob Dylan is recording a Christmas album, scheduled for release Oct. 13th. Also, he's in talks to become the voice of your GPS. Mine is currently a bossy chick I named Roxie-I don't think you could convince me to give her up for Dylan, only because he doesn't enunciate very well. I will, however, consider buying that Christmas album!
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2009/08/27/2009-08-27_like_a_rolling_sleigh_bob_dylan_releases_art_drop_date_for_christmas_album.html

2. California is having a garage sale. On Ebay. You know, to get out of debt. The Governator is even autographing select items! Not a huge Arnie fan, but I will admit this is creative-I mean, I sell stuff on Ebay when I'm low on cash, so why shouldn't the government?
http://blogs.moneycentral.msn.com/topstocks/archive/2009/08/26/california-unloads-on-ebay.aspx

3. Celebrating the life and work of Ellie Greenwich. Heard this on my way home yesterday as I was listening to NPR-Ms. Ellie was writer of all my favorite "girl group" songs that my daddy made me a mix tape of when I was a little girl, like "Leader of the Pack," "Da Do Ron Ron," and "Chapel of Love." She also wrote one of my favorite songs ever "Be My Baby" (you know, the one that plays at the beginning of Dirty Dancing?). Not only was she a songwriter, but also a producer, very uncommon for women at that time. He songs have been in tons of movies and TV shows-in other words, pop culture junkies like me owe a lot to Ellie Greenwich!

http://jezebel.com/5346348/legendary-girl-group-songwriter-ellie-greenwich-dies-at-age-68/gallery/
http://www.elliegreenwich.com/musicography.htm

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Your Best Angles Only, I Promise!

So, I have this little photography hobby that has actually turned into an extremely small business. After giving up retail as a second job after ten years last winter, I miss the money but not the work. So naturally, I'd like to make a little more money doing something I really enjoy!

I'm going to be doing some "Mini-Sessions" in September, which is a great way to get some portraits made for your Christmas cards, just for fun, or for someone special!!! I have details on my website, www.mattiecallahan.com, there is a tab at the top for the mini-session info.

I would love to take your photo, you and your sweetie's photo, your family's photo, your kid's photo, etc. and have you try out my work and see if my style is for you! These sessions are shorter and cheaper than my "regular" ones, plus you get a CD with selected prints included (not purchased separately as usual!) so please tell your friends! I would love to book a full day and then have to schedule another one!

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word

So, have you seen the youtube video of Chris Brown apologizing for beating down his then-girlfriend Rihanna in February? I think this video "apology" pisses me off nearly as much as "the incident" as he calls it. What is wrong with the video? Let me count the ways.

1. I don't think he means it.
He "acts" sincere. While the body language is right, the words are just...okay. Sorry, regret, accept responsibility, let people down, yada yada. He's saying the right things. Why don't I believe him? Maybe its because I can't forget that he's party-hopped and cavorted around with a Rihanna look alike for the past six months. He hasn't been laying low like someone who was, say, EMBARRASSED AND ASHAMED of his actions would do. The actions and the words do not match up here, and it is a little disturbing.

2. What took ya so long?
It took him 6 freaking months to publicly apologize. I mean, did he just not think it needed to be said until now? He uses the ol' "my lawyer told me to shut it" excuse, but in the next breath says he's glad to finally "accept responsibility." Say what?

3. No responsibility has been accepted here.
He pleaded NOT GUILTY. Now, I know this is legal stuff here, that if he had pleaded guilty it probably would have been a straight shot to jail time, etc. SO??? He committed a crime. There is a penalty in our society for that. If you want to take responsibility, then you SHOULD do the time. PERIOD. Accepting responsibility also means accepting the consequences to your actions. He has not done that here.

4. He still manages to blame Rihanna.
He talks about wishing he could have handled the situation better, or something to that effect. Not wishing he could have controlled his temper, wishing he had made a better choice, no-he still insinuates that there was a "situation" that CAUSED him to react. Again, not taking responsibility for HIS action and HIS action alone. He still doesn't seem to understand the magnitude of what he did wrong.

5. He still wants to be a role model.
Excuse me? Ok, if this doesn't scream "I'm just trying to save my career" I don't know what does. Instead of saying he's going to take time to work on himself, do all this community service he's been court-ordered to do, he's basically finishing up with code for "I got a new record coming out so I need yall to trust me again so the little girls can buy my record." If he wanted to be a REAL role model, I can think of many ways to go about it. He could be donating money to domestic violence shelters, working on public service announcements, volunteering for women's causes. Nope. This guy is looking out for number 1. He's not going to jail. He's going to avoid associating himself with the issue as much as he can. If he made a mistake, which is never going to happen again, then he should have taken the punishment, come out a changed man, and made this his cause. To talk with other young men about how it happened, and how to make better decisions. Being a role model is not about being perfect-it is about learning from your mistakes and becoming a better person because of them. I don't see how he's really done either here. He's not been accountable-all he has learned is that if you have enough money and good lawyers you can break the law and get away with it. He's not shown how he's trying to become better-just this flimsy attempt at "I'm sorry about that incident I can't talk about which I'm ashamed of and want to take responsibility for except still blame my girlfriend and not get punished for it."

Maybe I'm just super cynical here....but I don't think he has learned a thing except how to hire a criminal defense lawyer. SIGH.

http://www.celebitchy.com/61243/chris_brown_releases_video_apology_what_i_did_was_inexcusable/

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Psychology of Giving

This past Sunday there was a featured article in the Tennessean about a "tent community" outside of Nashville in nearby Wilson County. Not exactly homeless people, but people living in tents and/or RV's on a campground (in which they do pay rent) instead of a house or apartment. They have community showers/bathrooms. Most are here because of lost jobs and houses due to the current economy. Today, there was a follow-up article on the outpouring of assistance that residents of this encampment, particularly the ones featured in the article, have received in the past 48 hours.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090714/NEWS01/907140355/Campground+residents++struggles+hit+home+with+readers

I used to work for a program that was often given positive press, which is always great because you definitely get a spike in donations and general community awareness of your cause. What always bothered me though, is that people were really insistent that they wanted to help the family that was featured in the article. We would get a few "general" donations of cash or material items, but most wanted to give specifically to the family. They'd call and ask for the kids' clothing sizes, donate Kroger cards, and many times write personal checks-made for hundreds or even thousands of dollars-directly to our client. They'd often include personal notes about how the story touched them in some way and they just felt like they needed to give. The good fortune of our agency choosing a family for the focus of an article literally could bring them more cash in a week than they'd make on their own in months. And the other hundreds of families we served, each as needy, each of their stories just as heartbreaking/inspiring, didn't get the same attention as they anonymously went about their lives, trying to make ends meet. At a point, I'd be instructed to try and gently steer people away from direct donations to a particular family and mention the many other families we could assist if a general contribution was made. I had people tell me that if they couldn't donate to the "featured" family directly, they wouldn't make a donation at all, despite being told that the family's current needs were all met but there were others they could help instead. What kind of logic is that? Because you don't have a visual of any of these other families, they are easy to ignore, but the one that you see that is in need you feel compelled to assist? Why we choose to give, and who we choose to give to, is fascinating to me.

It seems, based on this follow-up article today, that some of the same "psychology of giving" has affected this situation too. The article actually mentions someone that brought a photo from the paper of one of the residents in order to identify him and offer him employment. I mean, ultimately, that is good news, the guy may get a job, but for the residents of this community who weren't named and photographed for the article, will anyone reach out to them and offer employment to all? Now-I will note-the article does also mention donations of food, clothing, etc. that were made in general. But there were folks who offered to take one woman in particular to the store, doctor's appointments, etc due to her health problems. If another resident asks these same donors for a ride, will they agree to help?

I don't have a lot of money, but I'm the kind of person who thinks "every little bit helps" and you never know what your gift may mean to the person you are helping. How many of us have a friend or neighbor who might need a simple kindness every once in a while? Would it take an article in the Tennessean for us to feel bad enough about it to make an offer to give someone a ride, or offer to pick up extra groceries at the store? What a great reminder that not everyone in need will have a "help me" sign attached or be featured in the newspaper. Why not just offer help when you can give it, donate money or goods when you can, even if you don't have a photo you can look back on to say "look who I helped." Just because you can't see those who your donations or volunteer hours help doesn't make your assistance any less appreciated-or important.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Drop Your Stones

I haven't blogged in a while. I went on vacation, and came back to a world that has been kind of nauseating these past couple of weeks, and I feel like I rode the Hangman at Opryland one too many times, and my head hurts a little bit from all the jarring against the headrest.

Last night I sat on my couch, watching the televised memorial service for Steve McNair. If you are not a Nashvillian and/or NFL fan, Steve was our Tennessee Titans quarterback from the time the team moved from Houston to Nashville until about three years ago, when we couldn't afford to keep him anymore and he played his last two seasons with our arch-rivals the Baltimore Ravens, who at the time seemed to be trying to snatch up all of our players one by one. Anyway, Steve and his family still maintained ties in Nashville and moved back here upon his retirement. He's probably the most famous and well-respected athlete our city has ever been able to claim, and the fact that he claimed us right back made him one of our most popular residents. You really never heard anything bad about him, even when he was arrested a couple of times for DUIs, most people criticized the police for "just wanting to say they arrested a famous person." If anything, stories of his good works around town were par for the course, how he'd just show up at a school or children's hospital, no press, no media coverage. It seemed he was actually a really nice guy, genuinely interested making a difference.

But on the 4th of July, my best friend and her husband showed up at my parent's cookout with bad news-Steve McNair had been fatally shot, along with a woman, in an apartment near downtown. It was surreal-my first thought was perhaps a drug deal gone bad, or maybe something involving a prostitute. I mean, for someone to kill STEVE MCNAIR, our golden boy, there had to be something really shady going on-he had such a great reputation, I knew it would be something shocking. They weren't naming the woman, which seemed strange. Soon after the coverage began, they identified the woman as not his wife, but still no name. They also began stating the McNair had been killed, and the other woman "found dead." Not killed. I said to family and friends around the table that the wording seemed like a read-between-the-lines way of saying, murder-suicide. After a few days, and many salacious details about an extramarital relationship with a girl still in her teens when it began, that theory I formed sadly proved to be true. At first I was kind of angry-not even at this "role model's" poor choices and colossal lapse in judgement that cost him everything (which did irk me-why would a guy who had everything be such an idiot?), but at all of his friends and former teammates that basically pulled the "guy code" card when asked if any of them ever talked to him about the choices he was making. Stay out of your friend/teammate's business. As a girl, I cannot understand that logic. Friends, take note: If I ever witness you engaging in self-destructive behavior, I will confront you about it.

While most in Nashville are shocked by the manner in which his life was taken, most fans and media have chosen to focus on his extensive community service and athletic accomplishments, and ignore the elephant in the room. Our local papers and news outlets have referred to the woman as Steve's "girlfriend" while ESPN, Fox Sports, and a local Baltimore paper in which I read some coverage all called her the "mistress." Some bloggers blasted McNair by saying that real leadership begins at home, not on the field or in the community, while locally papers have listed the many charities he was involved in. Others used his death and the circumstances leading up to it to chastise all American men who may provide their families with plenty of money to take care of them but are otherwise absent. In fact, we don't know how much time he was spending with his children in the months up to his death while he was involved with this girl, and all evidence we have doesn't point to a lot, but many assumptions have been made that we can't verify in order to make an "example" of Steve McNair. In the aftermath of the Michael Jackson death, where reaction has been similar, it is an interesting concept to ponder-is all forgiven when we die? Whatever mistakes we have made in our lives, has the good we have contributed to society enough to make everyone forget about our flaws? Is it unfair or inappropriate to "speak ill of the dead" even if it is true? On one hand, flaws are what make us human. In Steve's case, I think this was the major point of shock for many: Air McNair, the larger than life athlete with an infectious smile, who we'd put on a pedestal, was human. He made mistakes. Like WE ALL DO.

Last night, while watching Titan's coach Jeff Fisher, an assortment of teammates, and charity associates eulogize Steve McNair with stories of athletic triumph and personal generosity, none of them mentioned Steve's now-obvious flaws. But when McNair's pastor, Bishop Joseph Walker III, took the mic for his turn, he walked right up to the "elephant" in the room and basically climbed on for a ride. But his message was beautiful, fitting, and immediately dissipated my anger and frustration about the coverage of this event, and gave me a peace about a lot of the discomfort I've felt while reading coverage of the deaths of Steve McNair and Michael Jackson. Bishop Walker told the story of the woman caught in adultery, brought to Jesus by the religious leaders of the community who wanted to stone her, according to law. Of course, Jesus drew the line in the sand and gave us one of the most often quoted verses of Scripture ever, "Let ye who is without sin cast the first stone." Bishop Walker then called for us all to "Drop our Stones" when we think about this tragic event, or when we Twitter, blog, or chat with each other. We are a very judgemental society. I know I often judge people unfairly. I'm female! We pick each other apart! I am aware of this. I also try very hard to be compassionate, and to remember that I don't know what someone has been through, is going through, or may soon be facing. But, I'm not perfect and clearly like to get on my high horse just like most everyone else-but if you read this blog you know that already.

While I didn't know Steve McNair, his death has served as a reminder for me: Drop Your Stones. None of us are perfect, but God loves us all and has commanded us to show that love to one another-in good times, in bad times, when we make mistakes, and even when we hurt each other. Rest in Peace Steve, and I pray that your children and family find comfort.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090710/SPORTS01/907100377/Excerpts+from+McNair+memorial+service+in+Nashville

Monday, June 15, 2009

"I'm tired of charring my a** on your back burner. "

That will make no sense if you did not see the season premiere of True Blood last night. But, even if you missed it, surely you will agree that it is one of the best tv quotes ever! Since I can't imagine when I will ever need to say it in real life, I thought I would say it here. Hee, hee.

I've been a neglectful blogger, but I've been a little overwhelmed. There was so much news in the past couple of weeks that would have been blog-worthy, but sometimes when it all hits at once I can't decide what to blog about and don't blog anything.

The good news today is that Nashville/Tennessee seems to have survived simultaneously hosting CMA Fest (aka the country music festival formerly known as Fan Fair) and Bonnaroo. As for me, I avoid the interstate and any event within a five mile radius of Broadway during this particular time of year. But all seems to have gone well, and ticket sales were up 7% despite this little recession we are in. While 4-day pass sales were down, single day tickets were up nearly 20%, so they assume the locals pitched in this year. Not me. While $30-$40 bucks for an evening with the superstars of country music is a GREAT deal (unlike the Fleetwood Mac concert this weekend I almost bought tickets to, until I found out they were nearly $100......yikes!) I just can't deal with the crowds.

We still have one more hurdle to get through...the CMT Awards are tomorrow night, and I hear that T-Pain will perform with Taylor Swift (huh?) and that Bill O'Reilly is a presenter (he knows that Nashville is a Blue City, right?). Stay tuned!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Too Much TV!

With the abundance of season finales taking place this time of year, I've been spending way too much time in front of the TV lately! Not that the weather lent itself to me doing much else until this week came around, but I have been feeling like a bit of a couch potato and am beginning to wonder what I might do with all of this extra time once all of my "shows" are on hiatus.

Who else has been watching too much TV? Last week we had the season finale of LOST, Grey's, the Office, etc. This week-American Idol! The Mentalist! NCIS! (Nobody spoil me on that last one, I am a couple episodes behind). And if you haven't seen any of the aforementioned, and don't want to be spoiled, skip the rest of this post. I warned you!

Let's see...where to begin? How about LOST! OMG-deaths! fake death(s)?! Jacob is revealed! Who is the man in black? Did the losties really change history? If so, will they remember their little jaunt through time and space? Is Juliet really dead? Where the frak were Penny and Desmond? Better yet, what the frak ever happened to CLAIRE???? And how many boxes of Kleenex did you use crying over Juliet and Sawyer's tearful end? WHY IS KATE STILL ALIVE?So many questions....so few answers...so much room to speculate! So first off, I at first thought that maybe the bomb didn't really go off, that they just time traveled again, but now maybe I think it is a combination-Juliet did really set off Jughead, and as a result of all that energy colliding, and of course, the course of history changing and "course-correcting" everyone is set back into another time-I'm just not sure when. The present? Before the plane crashed? Have no idea how this will work! And did yall notice in the flashbacks where Jacob visited the losties at critical moments in their lives-he touched all of them? He also touched Ben at the end after he stabbed him. Something must happen when he touches you-it marks you in some way. Again, I have no idea how that works exactly. Another interesting development-apparently the visions of Christian, Claire, and other "dead" people are the Man in Black using their bodies to further his own mission-to kill Jacob. Apparently, dead is dead, and poor Locke was not resurrected but simply used as a vessel to create a "loophole" for MIB to be able to complete his plot against Jacob. Hmmmm. Must think more.

Grey's....well, I was hardcore about this show in the beginning, and lost a little interest as time went on and they kept changing the date/time the show came on. But, I have watched the last couple episodes, as I was interested in the Izzie/Alex wedding story and whether or not Iz would die. I mean, I did name my dog after the girl! Needed to see her through. But the more compelling storyline turned out to be a John Doe patient who was hit by a bus when he ran in front of it to push a woman out of the way, saving her life, but nearly ending his in the process. Badly burned and unidentifiable, unable to speak, the residents work to save his life. In the true OMG moment of the night, perhaps the whole series, the patient takes Meredith's hand and traces something into her palm: 007. George's nickname. Before Mer had even put it altogether, I had jumped up off the couch and gasped so loud it scared my dog. But, about that time, she also gets it and starts screaming "ITS GEORGE!!!!!" about the same time Izzie codes in Alex's arms after brain surgery and the team attempts to revive her despite the fact that she signed a DNR. Like, I thought I needed a Vicodin or something after this episode-I was a wreck. At the end, Iz and George meet on the elevator, him in a military uniform (he joined the army earlier that day, LOL) and her in her "prom dress"-the one she was wearing the night Denny died. Now, I think they both kicked the bucket big time, but apparently the blogosphere thought this was all ambiguous. Whatever, I think they are dead, and if not, I may actually be mad because I kind of cried and I don't like to cry if its not worth it. So they better be dead.

Office.....what can I say-Pam is pregnant! Can we say shotgun wedding next season?

And of course tonight-Idol crowns its winner. Didn't I tell yall to watch out for little Kris Allen? That's how those southern boys are-they sneak up on you with their charm and their quiet confidence. I knew early on he had a shot at the big prize-I believe I may have blogged so, but I am definitely too lazy to go back and look. So, will America prefer the subtle, laid back stylings of acoustic rocker Kris, or the in-your-face, dramatic stylings of glam rocker Adam Lambert? Folks have been calling this the Adam show from day one, but Kris obviously had a strong enough fan base to get him this far, so I would not totally count him out. Either way, they are both getting record deals at this point, and I will probably buy Kris's in a heartbeat, Adam's, not so much. Just not my type of music, but the boy can sing and I think he's a great role model-he's so comfortable in his own skin! That's always a good thing. They're both so different, and as long as Danny wasn't in the finals, I'm good with however it turns out. :)

So, after I catch up on some shows that I've missed (Gossip Girl, which I heard was underwhelming, and of course NCIS among them) I'll be done with TV and need a new hobby. Any suggestions?

Monday, May 4, 2009

Before and After



So I know this is not my photo blog, but I can't resist posting a before and after of my brother cutting TEN INCHES of hair off this weekend! I'm still not sure he is happy he did it but he is sending it to Locks of Love, so at least his will grow back if he wants and someone else will benefit!

In other news, since I've kind of slacked from blogging lately, yes, I am still watching American Idol, although if it ends up being a Danny-Adam finale I don't think I'll be watching then. This top 4 would be ok if Danny had gone home instead of Matt (still want to punch Danny, still don't know why). Poor Matt-I think his nerves just got the best of him most of the time. I'll totally buy his album though. I think he's a star! I saw this video of him on Ellen-I'm not sure he EVER sounded that good on the show, which means that he is probably going to do really well on the tour this summer just singing for fun. LOLz at Ellen jumping on the piano! Hopefully Danny goes this week (could happen-he's never been in the bottom three BUT his fan base has also not been scared silly into power-voting for him like Kris's and Adam's will be after they were B3 last week). Ok, probably wishful thinking on my part. A girl can dream.
And I totally meant to do an "Obama's 100 days" post, but just didn't have the time! So for your political snack today, I have been Netflix-ing documentaries like crazy lately. Last night I watched one called "The Education of Shelby Knox" which was part of a PBS teen-issue series. It follows a virginity-pledged, Republican parented, average teenage girl in Lubbock, TX, home of the highest teen pregnancy/STD rate in the US, as she becomes an activist challenging the policy of teaching "abstinence only" in high schools and discovers that many of her long held religious and social beliefs don't actually make a lot of sense to her once she thinks logically about them (her parents are also an interesting part of the story, as her mom and dad clearly don't agree with all of her decisions but are supportive of her anyway, her mom even going with her to a protest about gay rights). The contrast of Shelby's evolution as her own beliefs were challenged with a town that clearly had no ability to evolve was unbelievably striking.
So today, I had to google Shelby Knox to see what became of her, as the final credits simply have her going off to college with aspirations of becoming President one day. And, my search did NOT disappoint-Miss Knox did go to college, move to New York City, and is a full time writer/activist/feminist doing all kinds of fancy functions with Gloria Steinem and Lily Ledbetter and other feminist pioneers. She also has a blog that I'll be checking in on from time to time now chronicling her experiences and "continued education." Watch out for this one folks! If you watch the film you will see-she takes NO crap and is not afraid to tell it like she sees it, but is charming at the same time (her telling one particular Pastor he had no right to tell her she was a bad Christian-yowza! pretty ballsy for a teenage girl)....and you will love watching her and her arch-nemesis on the youth council (a "young Republican" who plans to run for Mayor of Lubbock one day). Anyway, interesting and very entertaining, and worth seeing the early days of this lady who is certainly going to be making headlines for many years to come.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Miss California....sigh.

So, I can't say that I watched Miss USA whenever it was it came on the teevee, but I have heard all about runner-up Miss California. Poor Miss North Carolina (the winner)! Miss C is stealing all her thunder-those pageant girls sure can be mean! No one is talking about her but everyone is talking about the feud between Miss Cali and blogger Perez Hilton. If you have somehow missed this whole debacle, Miss C's question came from Perez Hilton (if you are not familiar: snarky gay celebrity blogger who draws penises coming out of celebrities' mouths and white trails coming out of their noses, among other things), and was along the lines of: Vermont just became the 4th state to legalize gay marriage, do you think the rest of the states should do the same?

Now, Miss C answered like this (quote): "We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite. And you know what, I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that's how I was raised."

Now Miss California says that she believes her beliefs about gay marriage may have cost her the crown. And maybe she is right-I mean, talk about biting the hand that feeds you! Or in her case, did her hair, makeup, and designed her gown. But on the other hand, maybe, just maybe, she lost because her answer was incoherent and did not actually answer the question. I mean, "OPPOSITE" MARRIAGE? LOL! What is she talking about? And the whole point was that MOST people in this country DON'T have the choice-only four states do, but she stated that in this "land' everyone can choose. And "I think that I believe that" is totally bad grammar! If you are stating it, honey, we assume that these are your thoughts and your beliefs, you don't have to clarify that. And then, "No offense" is what you say when you know what you've said is offensive-basically a "sorry, but not really!" kind of thing. Thing is, Perez wasn't really asking her what her personal beliefs were-she offered them up freely! She could have said something like, "YES, since each state determines its own marriage laws, now is a great time to give the people of every state the opportunity to vote on this issue, like we did here in California." She could have left her views out of it, answered the question, and probably won.

Now, clearly she is proud of her stance, and has done many interviews defending her choice not to give a politically correct answer and stay true to her religious beliefs. To say that she lost because of it leaves out the fact that the answer was a rambling mess, regardless of the other implications. Her answer was simply ridiculous. So for her now to basically be saying that she was discriminated against because of her religious beliefs is completely ironic! Maybe if she had a hint of self-awareness she'd think, "hmm, it doesn't feel good when someone leaves you out because of the way you live your life," and connect the dots to see that is what she did when she told the people that fixed her hair, did her makeup, coached her, and were judging her that while they were good enough to give her highlights they weren't good enough to have what she has-the right to marry the person of their choice.

Oh, and to top it all off, this is the woman Michael Phelps is supposed to be "dating." I guess smoking pot and drinking are fine in this religion of hers. Oy!

Monday, April 6, 2009

It's Almost Tuesday...

Another Tuesday, another American Idol. Country week was pretty awesome, probably from low expectations, Motown week was a'aight, probably because Motown is awesome and as long as you sing in key its pretty hard to totally ruin it, although a couple of them tried (Megan-how could you do that to Stevie? And Danny Gokey-OMG-"Re-tay" is not a word, "Ready" is).

Then came last week. "Top Downloads." In other words: Sing whatever you want, we can't afford mentors every week in this economy. So this is the week they've been waiting for, the week they can be "current" and sing a song out of this decade, right? RIGHT? Sigh. NOT RIGHT. Only three contestants even picked songs sung in the last 10 years, and both got SLAMMED hard. Only one, Matt, picked a song out within the last year-and he got slammed hard-and didn't deserve it. Was it a little "soundalike" as one of the judges said? Sure. But Gokey's Rascal Flatt's cover didn't stray too far from the original either. (Side note: I really hope he is not trying to be a country singer.) Matt always looks so dejected when the judges criticize him. It makes me feel bad for him. It makes me mad that the judges only like him when he sings what they want him to sing. When he sings what he likes, they are mad because its not what they told him to do. Now, I know that (arguably) they are "professionals" and the kids should listen to them to a certain extent-after all, if they knew it all, they wouldn't have had to go on AI to try and get a record deal. BUT, if Matt wants to sing rock, they need to help him figure out how to mesh his abilities with that style. Note to Matt: Forget the Fray. (Love them, liked your in-the-round performance, but trying to keep you in the competition after multiple trips to the B3) Go listen to Amos Lee, Ray Lamontagne, James Morrison, and Ben Harper. Bluesy voices, making it work without having to sing R&B. That is your homework.

Anyway-someone who did knock it out of the park last week was little Kris Allen. Took an old song-one of the best songs EVER IMO-Bill Withers' Ain't No Sunshine-and made it current, playing the piano (we'd seen him on guitar or solo up to this point-man of many talents!), singing the H-E-C-K out of it, this kid didn't miss a note-and that is a HARD song. Best of all-he experimented with the phrasing and melody, so it wasn't "soundalike" (I think that is the new buzzword for this year). Loved.It.

And tomorrow is going to be "Songs from the Year you were Born" week (which brought us David Cook's "Billie Jean" moment last year) which is essentially 80's week, save for youngin' Allison, born in 1992. So, with everyone else being born between 1980 and '86, I think, here is what I think we could possibly hear come tomorrow night: Pat Benetar, George Michael/Wham, Prince (although I am not sure he clears his songs for Idol), Bryan Adams, Lionel Richie/Commodores, and maybe Bruce Springsteen. Its hard for me to think EARLY eighties because I was pretty young-I think Bon Jovi was probably a little past these folks birth date, but lots of AI peeps have done interesting Bon Jovi covers (the band themselves did an acoustic album of their eighties hits a few years ago). I can totally see Scott doing REO Speedwagon for some reason. LOL. Don't know why...anyway, I am sure I am way off but it is fun to guess!

I hope to NOT hear Phil Collins (or anyone else's version of True Colors for that matter), Chicago/Peter Cetera, Journey, Billy Joel, or Stevie Wonder. Nothing against any of them-love some of them very much-but folks had the chance to do Stevie last week, and the others are just WAY overdone on this show and unless you are going to change it up big time, it's probably not a good idea.

Anyway, I guess we'll see! And SHOUT OUT to the ladies of country music this week-despite country music long being a good ole boys club, the ladies DOMINATED the ACM Awards last night, with the biggest awards of the night going to two pretty young ladies-Carrie Underpants becoming the 7th woman ever to win Entertainer of the Year, and Taylor Swift winning album of the year for "Fearless." Now, I'm not a big Carrie fan, and I've seen her in concert and calling her a master entertainer is fine if you like people with the stage presence of a paper clip-but I am happy to see a lady win nonetheless. (Now Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland-that is an entertainer. But I digress.) And while Taylor Swift is pretty polarizing, you can't deny that selling a bajillion albums in four months doesn't deserve some kind of award, especially when we keep hearing how album sales are in the crapper and the music industry is dying. And I will admit that I am slightly biased, as my best friend's husband is one of Taylor's studio musicians AND I went to high school with that red-headed guy you saw on TV last night accepting the award (her producer). He used to charge me and his sister to drive us around in his old gas guzzling pickup truck. Anyway, happy to see people I know have success! Mazel Tov to the winners.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Nashville on the Big Stage!

There is a lot going on around town this week-the annual songwriters festival, Tin Pan South, which will bring BIG STARS like Michael McDonald and Hanson to town, not to mention the MANY, MANY local peeps that are totally too many to name-not that I can be stopped: Amy Grant (and ex-hubby Gary Chapman, but not current Mr. Vince Gill, but who wants to bet he pops in between golf games?); Liz Rose (Taylor Swift's co-writer); Bill Lloyd (80s/90s country duo Foster and Lloyd); impossibly pretty Aussie Sherrie Austin; Dave Barnes, Landon Pigg, Shawn Mullins, Ashley Cleveland, Leigh Nash (Sixpence None the Richer fame) and Mindy Smith, who are all some of my fave singer-songwriters; as well as a host of country artists like Lila McCann, Richie McDonald, Kix Brooks, Trent Tomlinson, Suzy Bogguss, and Jamie O'Neal, to name a few. And strangely enough, a girl from One Tree Hill, named Bethany Joy something, who I am guessing wants to sing now?

And the folks that write just about every song you have ever heard, at least on country radio but also beyond like Matraca Berg, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Gretchen Peters, Skip Ewing, Victoria Shaw, Brett James, Jim Lauderdale, Wayne Kirkpatrick, Mark Selby and Tia Sillers.

And, a couple of American Idol connections (because I keep trying to tell you-it always comes back around to Nashville, y'all): Regie Hamm, who wrote the Idol "coronation song" that went platinum for Mr. David Cook last year, "Time of My Life" and Josiah Leming, who auditioned a couple of years back, didn't make it very far-maybe not even past Hollywood? But he was the kid that was from Tennessee (I think) and living in his car, so they did feature him quite a bit.

So seriously, it might look like I named everyone that is going to be there, but I totally just gave you a taste-check out the website for more info! And check out some great shows this week if you have the time/money.

In addition to all that, apparently we are also hosting a soccer game of some kind at LP Field and some other kind of sporting event at the Sommet Center (women's basketball? Gymnastics? I can't remember) so with all of these tourists I am feeling a little fortunate to be leaving town for a couple of days on business......but if you are here, probably a great time to spot some stars around town. I saw Taylor Swift at the mall last week! Anything is possible kids....

http://www.tinpansouth.com/

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Back in the Saddle....Again!

Oh, America Idol, you heard my cries! Am I blinded by the country music theme week? Did you really not suck tonight? Ok, so I have to be out of the office all day tomorrow-I'll be rubbing elbows down at the Capitol in the morning for some advocacy work....so I thought I would go ahead and post my AI recap thoughts NOW, while I still remember, than wait until Thursday when it's all fuzzy. Let's see. Where to begin? Did I already say that I didn't totally hate it tonight? Was it low expectations allowing me to be suprised? Is it that I've seen these folks perform three times now, and I feel like I am starting to get a sense of what the contestants are really about and what they are capable of musically? Are my feelings all just a result of the awful Top 36 format they used this year? Anyway. On to the music.

First up...Michael. Garth Brooks! Score one for Mattie. I told yall someone would sing Garth! Bad song choice though. Michael, you have obviously never seen Garth perform this. His energy is cra-zazy when he does! Mikey was kind of like a limp noodle. He did appear to remember the gazillion words to this song, Ain't Goin Down, but he has no star quality. Really, we had to sacrifice Ricky Braddy for this guy?

Ok. I may not remember the exact order everyone went in. Who was next? I don't know. Let's just move on to Lil. She sang a Martina song. Score 2 for Mattie! Maybe I am better at this than I thought. I was sooo glad she did not sing IWALY a la Whitney. She actually tried to sing a country song! The judges HATE it. They told her she should have sung IWALY. WHAT? Judges clearly on drugs. Was it great? No. But that is because Lil is no as good as they have led us to believe. Not because of the song. What was with the Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend getup? That is what I thought she might sing based on the outfit. LOLz.

Oh, and Randy Travis is the mentor. Love me some Randy Travis! His "wife" is in the audience. *cough* sorry, couldn't resist. Anyway....Randy is pretty cute with the Idols, and acts like he actually has watched the show before. He tells every contestant that "Garth" or "Dolly" or whoever is REALLY going to like the Idol's version of their song. Its cute.

Back to singing. (This is what you get when I blog at night....I get a little ADD.) Kris! I told yall Kris would do well tonight. He sings...another Garth! To Make you Feel My Love. Ohmygosh I LOOOOVEEE this song! Its from Hope Floats. Trisha Yearwood has a version of it too, but Garth's is soooo pretty. Kris sings it, no guitar, changes up some melodies a little, and its quite pretty. I worried it might be a little too understated for the judges (they love ADAM, and if they love him how will they love something this simple?) but they ALSO loved it. Mattie is on FIRE with the predictions!

Allison....sings Patty Loveless's Blame it on Your Heart. Makes me think of my childhood! Not a great choice for her. She sang it fine, and I love Patty, but she should have toned it down a bit. She should have done Patty's You Hurt Me Bad (In a Real Good Way). Its slower but not a ballad. I did not predict anyone singing Patty. Mattie's record begins to slide.

Let's see....I totally cannot remember when anyone sang. LOL. SVU is wierd tonight. Let's see...Scotty on the piano. He ALSO sang Martina-Wild Angels. Kind of strange. He rearranged it, but he's got to break out of the slow-piano inspirational sounding mode. Pianos can rock out too! OMG it is almost my bedtime. Best part of Scott's portion of the show was when he went rogue and told the judges as they were knocking his song choice that he "lost a lot of hat-draws" this week-indicating-ANOTHER POINT FOR MATTIE-that there was a lot of fighting over songs this week! I knew it! I wonder what he really wanted to sing. Hmmm. I bet ALways on my Mind.

Yep, Anoop redeemed himself this week. I knew he had it in him! He sang a lovely arrangement of Willie Nelson's Always On My Mind-so beautiful. Perfect choice. The judges adequately acknowledged his return to greatness, and Simon apologized for saying last week that he was sorry they put him through. Woo-hoo! More like this, please.

How have I written this much and not talked about ADAM yet? O.M.G. What the HELL did he do to Johnny Cash? He sang this bizarre-at best-version of Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire. Um, I think June is rolling over in her grave as she did not intend for that song to ever be abused like that. Adam had a major fall from grace this week. Simon hated it. Paula loves him. Kara is on the fence. Randy thought that if NIN covered Johnny Cash, that's what it would sound like. Um, no. Johnny covered NIN and there is no way that they would do that to his song in return. BAD. BAD. Might this not be a Gokey v. Theater Boy finale after all?

Speaking of Gokey. When I heard that Danny-boy was going to sing Carrie Underpants' Jesus Take the Wheel, I changed the channel. I did not need to see that. I did see a clip during the recap at the end of the show, and I was right-I did not need to see that. I don't know why I want to smack him. That jacket he had on was not cute. Aren't people dressing them?

Poor Megan. Who is apparently now Megan Joy, not Megan Joy Corkrey. She did Patsy Cline's "Walking After Midnight" (I am soooo psychic!) and actually did a god job! She looked pretty too-much better makeup this week. I haven't been "getting" her, but I did this week. And apparently she went to the hospital with the flu this week. Good for her! She really doesn't seem to feel well.

Matt....Matt did very well too-another Carrie Underpants song (if Jorge and Jasmine had been in, they were singing Carrie too-good grief, might as well have Carrie night next year) and Randy Travis told him he did not think it would be a good choice before Matt sang it for him. Randy changed his mind-Matt als changed it up, and since this is one of the few Carrie songs that I actually kind of like, I was happy. The judges loved it. He obviously got the pimp spot for a reason, they like to go out on a high note. Who have I forgotten? That's only ten.

Oh no-Simon was right! ALEXIS! He said that people would forget about that in ten minutes, and I totally did. Not good! She sang Jolene. It was just average. She wanted to show a softer side, but I don't think she went soft enough. Hello, listen to the lyrics. This is a desperate song. She lacked the emotion and relied on oversinging instead of interpreting Dolly (holla, another point for me!) She talked back when the judges criticized her. Is she getting a little "high school bitchy" to quote Tina Fey? She is rubbing me the wrong way tonight.

Ok...so overall, I was pleased. I will keep going into Motown week next week. *sigh* I wish I could quit you, AI. All of the judges' pets got ragged on, and that made me happy too. Of course, it could just all be part of the producer's diabolical plan....

I think Alexis or Allison will get sent home. They both underwhelmed tonight. A lot of the contestants got smart with the judges, and people don't like that. If Alexis makes it through, I hope she improves her attitude.

ps blogger won't let me spell check, so sorry for all the typos. lol

Flattery will get you EVERYWHERE....

I meant to tack this on to the Idol post, as it is music related.

Apparently Music Row's economy is JUST FINE as they are still throwing epic parties for the A-list country crowd. There was a recent party for Keith Urban to celebrate his album release (comes out today) and the fact that his song "Somebody Like You" has been played on the radio over 3 million times, which is apparently in the range of songs by artists like the Beatles. They showed a snippet of his thank you speech on the news this morning (yes, this kind of thing makes the NEWS in MUSIC CITY) he thanked his "muse" wife and fancy movie actress Nicole Kidman, but also thanked the city of Nashville for being "so damn good to me" and that he and his wife had been all over the world, they could live anywhere ya know, but they choose here because we are a beautiful city and let them live a normal life and they chose to raise their daughter here because we are AWESOME. I wonder what sales will be like for Keith's album in Nashville today? ;) I know people knock on Keith and Nicole, saying it won't last, but I think they are lovely and maybe I'm immune to the cynicism because of our mutual love of Nashville but I hope those two crazy kids make it, ya know? Anyway, now that I know they are in town I'm going to resume stalking all the Starbucks in Green Hills and trying to spot the Bentley!

And in other news....former AI winner Ruben Studdard filmed his most recent music video in Nashville yesterday. There is always a Nashville connection! I'll let yall know if I spot the Velvet Teddybear around town.

American Idol, this is your last chance!

OK, so I said I'd tune in tonight for Grand Ole Opry Week, and then decide whether or not to finally stop flipping between AI and the Mentalist for the next several weeks and just tune in to CBS for that hot piece of man, Simon Baker. ;)

So I love trying to predict what people might sing on theme nights, and I'm pretty terrible at it (well, actually, I think I pick great songs for the contestants, they are the ones who make bad choices, lol). Take that back, I am terrible at predicting ACCURATELY, but they should totally sing what I tell them to! The problem this year is that so many of the contestants are so similar to each other-and not a one of them is a "country" artist this time around. I think there was probably A LOT of fighting for certain songs behind the scenes this week! So, based on that list I posted last week, here are a few predictions. I think that we will dfinitely hear someone sing a song by the following: Carrie Underpants, Garth Brooks, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Martina McBride, Dolly Parton, and Trisha Yearwood. Since most of them claim to not be very familiar with country, they are all going to pick something more "mainstream" or something that's been done as a pop/rock version at some point. Particular songs? Crazy by Patsy, How Do I Live by Trisha (I totally think Michael is going to do this-he does NOT want to be pegged as the country guy, so he will do a country-pop song). I am thinking that we may hear more than one Garth song. I read somewhere that Kris likes Garth, and I could see Danny and Adam also picking Garth songs. We may also get some Brad Paisley-he is going to be on the show Wednesday, and some of his bigger hits are relatively mainstream. I think Alexis and Lil will go the Martina/Trisha/Carrie route. I wish no one would sing Carrie, but she is also going to be on the show, and people LOVE to sing Carrie songs, even though they usually get slammed for it. I think Megan or Allison may pick a Patsy song-they are not afraid to go a little retro. And, a song like Crazy has been covered so many times in so many different ways, they could easily find a less "country" arrangement. Dolly's "Jolene" has also been covered a lot, so that might happen tonight as well. Anoop-I have NO IDEA. He has not shown a great amount of sense in his song selections, so I am scared. I think next week is Motown and I hope he sticks around for it. But tonight might be an epic fail for him if he can't pick a good song. As for our piano men, Scott and Matt, they could also get "Crazy" and do Patsy on the piano, and I think they will both do something reasonably "old school" country. You know, Ray Charles did several country albums, I don't think he was a member of the GOO and I am too lazy to go back and look at that list of song choices, but I bet there is at least ONE song on there that he covered that Matt could do to stay in the judges good graces or another week.

All I can say is, if Lil does I Will Always Love You Whitney style, or Danny does "The Dance" or anything that will remotely refer to the dead wife, I am turning OFF the tv. I feel like I have no idea what any of these people are capable of musically and I want some suprises this evening, or I am giving up. (Or maybe giving Motown week a shot....MAN I think I am going to have trouble letting go here!)

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Cookie Time?

Ok, so I have to say that in spite of spending three years working for Girl Scouts, cookie time came and went this year and I never once encountered a cookie booth, or had any of my old contacts ring me up to buy cookies. So, for the first year in forever, I did not buy a single box of Girl Scout cookies. My mom gave me a box she bought, and a couple of people brought some into work, so I've EATEN a few, but it did get me wondering how someone so well-connected to the Girl Scout universe never got asked to buy. Then I saw this article online today-once again, accusing the GS (rightly so) of being "behind the times" and not living up to their claim that they are a progressive organization for young women.

The article is right on! It talks about a girl in North Carolina who made a You Tube video advertising that she was selling cookies. She did not exchange money via the Internet in any way-folks were simply able to contact her and she would take the order and deliver the cookies in person. GS does have a rule about "online sales"-the rule is that they are not allowed. The controversy here is whether or not what she did fell into the sales or advertising category, and whether it was "fair" Because not all girls have computers and what about the rural areas, etc. Well, she certainly wasn't taking customers from a rural resident who doesn't have a computer either, right? So that was kind of a dumb argument. Besides, competition does exist in the marketplace....get used to it! The other argument, and the more valid one here, at the center of the rule itself, is the safety of this kind of thing. I have not seen the video but I'm guessing as long as she did not give out her address via the WWW or anything, and her parents knew about it, its probably just as safe as going door to door. The child's parent makes a great point-you want my daughter to learn sales and marketing, but you don't want to allow her to use CURRENT methods? Come on-very few salespeople are "door to door" anymore. Most use the Internet, mass mailings, email, YOU TUBE, etc to get info out-I mean, look at the last presidential election for an example of using technology to spread a message and create "customers." Now, GS says the program is designed to teach "face to face" sales and marketing techniques, and I get that, but the girl WAS doing that to "close" her sales-she was just using the Internet as a tool for online advertising. I think she is super-savvy and we will see her as a CEO one day! GS has simply got to get with the times and allow girls to use technological resources-in a safe, responsible way-to carry out the cookie program. And they wonder why membership is on a steady decline.....
http://www.newsweek.com/id/188714?GT1=43002

Dear American Idol, Please don't make me dump you.

OK, its that time again, and while I am still trying to emotionally recover from my last reality show abusive relationship with the Bachelor (What.A.Tool.) I've jumped into another one, with my old boyfriend American Idol. However, I may have to dump him, because he sucks. I have not blogged about the show so far-partially cause the Feds are visiting my office next week and I've been trying to make it appear that I know what I am doing at my job; and partially because I HATE HATE HATE this crappy Top 36 format where people only have one shot to get into the Top 12. There has been no time to get attached to any of the contestants, that is if you are like me and have not been blown away by the select few contestants who have been shoved down our throats by the producers (Danny Gokey, Adam Lambert, Lil Rounds). The ones that I LIKED from the Top 36 mostly did not make it through, particularly Ricky Braddy who went to Nashville's Belmont University (like Melinda Doolittle!). Seriously, that guy was certainly the best singer that we saw (sorry Gokey) and was pretty unceremoniously dumped on by all the judges but Paula for having "no personality." Ok, that ticks me off. Just because someone is reserved, conservative, shy, etc, does not mean they have NO PERSONALITY, or that they are "boring". That IS their personality. If that is not what the show is looking for, fine. Say that. Say, you're too shy for this show. But that's never what they say. They say the contestant is VOID of any personality simply because they are not over the top, loud, in your face unreasonably outgoing, or clinically insane (a la Tatiana del Crazy). I also liked Jesse Langseth (maybe this is because I knew she is Johnny Lang's sister and I luv him). The other Nashville contestants, Kristen McNamara and Anne Marie Boskovich, also failed to hit a home run with their ONE performance. Seriously, would David Cook have made it through with this format? His cover of "Hello" was his THIRD performance in the semi-finals.

So, I'm scared to get emotionally invested because it all just seems really contrived this year. It doesn't really matter who I like-Paula already gave us the spoiler on this week's show that its going to be a Danny vs. Adam finale. Where is the mystery? The suspense? The OMG will my favorite make it through? They've already told us they expect these two guys to be duking it out until the end, which just makes it a guessing game of what order the rest will fall. Its like it's your favorite scripted drama series (say, NCIS or something) but a major character gets killed off every week until there is no one left on the show at the end of the season and then they start over. Would you watch that? I wouldn't. And I may not watch this much longer either.

That being said...they are pulling out country week-make that Grand Ole Opry week, more specifically-very early this year. Its this coming week. Vote for the Worst has a list of songs it claims is the list that the Idols were given to choose from. Take a look here if you are so inclined.
http://www.votefortheworst.com/20090305/spoilers_upcoming_american_idol_8_theme_weeks
Apparently Randy Travis is the mentor. Which makes me scratch my head a little-considering that not one of the Top 13 this year was a "country" contestant, do any of them even know who Randy Travis is??? Anyway. Most people hate country week since usually there is only one country performer in the group. And, the rest of the group has to scramble to make something work. Last year's country week was specifically Dolly Parton week, and while that initially scared me to death, it ended up being pretty great. Most of the contestants did really original arrangements and it worked well. Of course, I have no idea if any of these years contestants possess the personal artistry or musical ability to pull that kind of musical makeover off since we've seen them perform, oh, all of twice so far. On the upside, that could make this performance-number 3-someones "Hello" of last season. My bet is on Kris Allen. I think he's the dark horse here-he's super cute, and while Simon never should have made the comment about hiding his wife (even though I think he was right), girls will like him and guys won't hate him (he's married, he's not a threat, lol). Plus, I was pissed that only Randy made any sort of reference to his arrangement on the song he sang last week for Jackson week. I think this may prove to be crash and burn week for quirky Megan, possibly Anoop (this would make me sad), and maybe even Allison "OMG she's just 16!" I think Kris and Gokey will be fine, as well as the JT lookalike Matt, and all have the best chance to do something nice musically with a recognizable song. This may even be Matt's breakout week if he picks the right song-I mean, country is really first cousins with blues, so he should be able to make this work easy. Sarver will be karaoke. Alexis and Lil are from Tennessee, albeit Memphis, so they've no doubt at least HEARD some country, and can likely pick a decent song (although if either one of them does I Will Always Love You I will HURL). I am hoping that Adam will tone it down about 14 notches this week and not scream at me and sing a nice ballad or Patsy Cline or something. Show those vocal chops that you have in a way that does not make me want to stuff my ears with cotton. And for the "blind guy" Scott-I think he's adorable but honestly not a good enough singer to last much longer. He'll be able to find a nice, message-y, piano country ballad and do fine, but I don't think Simon is going to be kind to him this week. Just a hunch.

Anyway, is it just me or does anyone else want to kick Idol to the curb this year?

Monday, March 2, 2009

Wow. Just Wow.

OK, so I have been off of the wagon lately when it comes to being a good blogger-so many things to write about, so little time! But reading this article on the Tennessean's website a minute ago made me come straight over to blogger to have a little chat with yall.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090302/NEWS0201/903020340?GID=B+KEZk89r0NJXGCVWrjuYySW15uYg7FJsL9k6SaKODM%3D

Seriously, please read this article, all five pages of it. I know it is long, but my blood is STILL boiling. So that you know what I'm getting you into here, the article is about a law proposed by two State Representatives from Memphis-one Democrat and one Republican-to prohibit unmarried couples from adopting children from state custody in Tennessee. I have no idea where to even begin on how sad this is for children in state custody who are adoptable (over 300 at the end of January, according to the article, and over 7,000 in state custody period, who may eventually be adoptable). Here's the thing folks: I am very familiar from a variety of work experiences with children in foster care. Many of them have special needs-mental, physical, both-and people are not lining up begging to become their parents. These are the "hard to place" children. The ones that have been left behind-by their own parents/families, by other foster parents, by the educational system....you name it. But many of them are loving, bright, beautiful children that want to have a family, and I am willing to go out on a limb and say that they would not be that picky about what kind of family they got, as long as they were loved.

So if a stable, qualified adult wishes to give one of these children a permanent, loving, stable home-I DO NOT CARE if that person is black, white, gay, straight, Christian, Catholic, Jewish, married, living in "sin", living alone, living with 2 cats and a goldfish-I want that child to have a permanent home. PERMANENCY is what is best for children.

Apparently these crazies from Memphis only think that straight, married couples are qualified to be parents. OH MY GOD. Seriously? Are we STILL on that "traditional" family model being the "be all, end all"? Because half of marriages end in divorce, guys. And what are we saying to all the kids who are being raised by non-married couples-or, my gosh, gay couples???? That their family is WRONG? See, that is what I think this is really about. I mean, why else target "non-married" couples, other than to target the folks who can't legally be married in the eyes of the law? These two men want to prevent gays from adopting because somehow they think the kids will catch it or something. Like gay is a disease. SERIOUSLY? While I am sure that avoiding giving children to heterosexual couples who just don't want to get married for whatever reason is an added bonus to these fools, the crux of the matter is that they don't think gay people should be allowed to have kids, and this is step one in preventing that from happening.

But where are we going to draw the line here? Because what will happen is that straight or gay non-married couples will start filing for adoption as singles. So are we then going to decide that singles can't adopt? Well I am single. Does that make me categorically unqualified to raise a child? What about my friends that are single moms? Do they need to worry that the state is going to come take their child and give it to a married couple so that the child will be raised in an acceptable family? Does being married to someone of the opposite sex suddenly make you a better parent?

The good news is that DCS doesn't support this, the Tn. Commission on Children and Youth doesn't support this-anyone who has seen the heartbreak of a child who only wants to be loved by someone-ANYONE-and taken in to a permanent home, seems to be against this.

I would invite Reps. Crazy and Crazier to spend a day talking with a children in state custody. Look through the "notebook" of children who are available for adoption-all 300+ and then tell every one of them that they must stay in foster care, never knowing if they will have a permanent home base to come back to after they graduate high school. Wondering what will happen to them the day they turn 18 and no one is legally responsible for them anymore. Wondering why no one loved them enough to make them their child.

Then tell that child that there were people who wanted him/her, but unfortunately they weren't married and its against the law. See if that child gives a hoot.

The best part? Neither of them would talk to the reporter about this story-one even going to far as to say that if you wanted to know his reasons for introducing the legislation, you could call his office and he would take you into his office privately and tell you his reasons. What a cowardly jerk.

I can't say anything else about this without having a coronary.