List-Obsession: What I Am

~mom
~wife
~LDS
~geek
~underdog
~doormat (sometimes)
~relatively open minded and non judgemental
~seeking a more Zen life
~novelist
~a former poet
~an actress on a long hiatus
~a fan of the Chicago Cubs
~travel obsessed
~collector of bags and luggage
~highly opinionated about the things I know a lot about
~pro life within reason
~accident prone
~very forgetful
~a big time procrastinator
~a little crazy
~A fan of genuine people
~musician
~mildly talented at a lot of things
~a wannabe nomad
~a little morbid
~a Dr Pepper addict
~somewhat antisocial
~very anti conflict
~imperfect
~overweight
~completely uninterested in politics
~a little OCD (but isn't everyone?)
~secretly harboring bohemian tendencies ~a dog lover
~intrigued by the idea of an unconventional pet like a goat, pig, hedgehog, llama, or armadillo
~a bank employee, but not a banker
~in love with Scotland in all things Scottish
~not especially tolerant of high maintenance people
~firmly convinced that people who don't want to travel are crazier than I am

My Annual Oscars Rant

Dear Planet Earth,

The Oscars are not a popularity contest. The Oscars awards given by the film industry for artistic and scientific (yes, scientific) achievement in film. If you want to watch an awards ceremony for movies that were really popular, may I suggest the People's Choice or MTV Movie Awards? If you don't like the Oscars, don't care about the movies and film industry professionals who were nominated, and don't want to sit through a three-hour event, then just don't watch it. No one is forcing you to turn your tv to ABC on Sunday night. Pop in a movie from Redbox, or watch a different channel. And do all of us who do care about the Oscars a favor: stop whining, and leave us alone.

Sincerely,

Fans of the Oscars

Why I Don't Like Most Women

Ahh, women. Being one, you'd think I would understand them a little better than I do. The truth is that most women are as mysterious to me as they are to men.

Women complan frequently, for one thing. I hate listening to it. I accept that it happens, but I do not accept that it must be a part of daily life.

Women are clique-ish, no matter what their age. I'll admit I'm different, but I may as well have the bubonic plague for how hard I find it to make friends with a group of women.

Women are unreasonably and unfairly judgemental. I have been the victim of this throughout my life. I try not to be this way myself, believe me, but biology still finds a way.

Women scrapbook. A minor thing, I know, but I just don't get why you can't just put photos in a album and caption them with the date, who's in it, and a brief explanation. Being an LDS woman in Utah, I'm sure it's worse here, in this community and culture.

Women are high-maintenance. More so than men, anyway. I'll never understand why hair coloring and manicures and 10 colors of shoes are so important to some women. I don't color my hair, I've had 2 manicures in my entire life, and my shoes are either black or white. I use one purse at a time, which must be cross-body style. 

Women watch movies that make me gag. It's not like I don't enjoy the ocassional romantic comedy, but I also enjoy James Bond and Monty Python. I actually am proud of not falling into the Twilight trend. Very proud, in fact.

The Oscars Are Not A Popularity Contest

Ahhh, the Oscars. It seems like once the nominees are announced, the complaints start.

"I've never heard of most/any of these movies!"

"Why don't they ever nominate movies people actually watch?"

If you find yourself saying this, ponder the following question: how much do you know about the Nobel Prize, or Pulitzer Prize? Probably no more than I do, which is virtually nothing.

Here's the deal: the Oscars are given out by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In essence, this means that the Oscars are for achievements in exactly that: motion picture arts and sciences. The Oscars are NOT a popularity contest the way the People's Choice Awards and MTV Movie Awards are. If all you want from your movies is entertainment, stick with those awards shows.

Now, yes, it is true that popular movies are also sometimes nominated for Oscars. "Titanic" is a good example of that, so are "Avatar" and "Star Wars: Episode IV." Unfortunately this seems to lead people to believe that other movies they like should have been nominated, like "40 Year Old Virgin" or "Letters From Juliet." There's nothing wrong with these movies, they just don't have the kind superior achievents in artistic and/or scientific fields that the Academy is going to honor as being outstanding.

Oh, I can hear it now: "Scientific? In movies?"

Uh, YES. Do you like 3D movies? Cool special effects? Digital sound? CG so good that it looks like real life? Those are all scientific applications in the movie business, and they deserve recognition.
They are the backbone of the film industry.

"Artistic?"

Of course! Not in just the obvious ways, either. Screenplays require extensive work to produce a memorable and well-executed story. Editors spend endless hours piecing different shots together to create just the right effect.

I like my movies to be entertaining, but I also like them to be of high quality film-making in every aspect. I like them to make me think. I like them to inspire me, and I'm sorry, but movies like "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" don't.

I have nothing against people who just want their movies to be entertaining. There are plenty of that kind of movie out there. Just please do me the courtesy of not complaining about your cookie-cutter movie not getting nominated for an Oscar when you are a "People's Choice" kind of person anyway.