let down your hair

The newest release by Disney is great! Tangled, which is based on the classic story of Rapunzel, is a movie that really dazzled me. In the last decade or so, Disney has been releasing all these crazy Disney-Pixar movies that are aimed to please parents just as much as the kids. What's with that? Shrek is cute, but I really don't need jokes aimed at adults and the constant references to pop culture and current events. What ever happened to the great Disney films like Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and The Lion King? Finally, Tangled has meet our needs for an old-style Disney classic but with modern animation that looks beautiful. I have to say that the eyes of the characters were amazing! Also, despite my general annoyance with Mandy Moore and her breathy-whispering style of singing, I thought she did a great job at filling the main character's voice.

hugh h engaged againn

playboy sweetie and weirdo, hugh, is engaged. i have to say, i'm proud. she's 24 this time. not 18. i wonder how many of the girls living in the house have been 18. that's pretty gross.

what i wonder is, when does the 24 year old get to experience love in her life? after they break up? if she has to wait ten years to start over, that seems pretty grim. its obviously not the end of the world and people wind up single and divorced in their adult life all the time. but deciding to knowingly cut yourself short at a shot of love right now? i dunno. i think it's weird.

Weekday boredom

Routines.
Some people love them, some people hate them.
Some people say they could never ever have a routine life.
But isn't it true that most people settle into a comfort level with some sort of routine?

Let's face it. Most people in America get up, go to work, come home, cook dinner, check email, watch tv, hang out with friends or significant other if lucky enough to do so, and go to bed.

Is that a bad thing? 

I don't think so.  I think it can be a great thing. Sure, if you get a little bored sometimes, that's ok, that's normal. Throw in something new here and there. Go for a drive somewhere special during the week. Plan a dinner out or a mini-trip somewhere special. But a routine can actually be nice. It can be comforting. What's wrong with the stability of a routine?

My fear in having a routine would not be of a life without adventures. I could always add those in; I like doing new things. My fear in having a routine would be that a partner would bore of it. What if they wake up one day and can't stand a routine? Or, would it just be their fault for not accepting that a routine is essentially part of life?

I found a website with tons and tons of comments from random people on this topic. Check it out to see what these people say they are doing at night. Here

On this topic, I'm sure you've noticed yourself saying during the week, "What is there to do? There's not even anywhere to go." But really, you just need to remember the simple things in order to have things to do during the week.

Weekday activities you can do:

• Go to the movie theater. You can do this by yourself. I suggest going to a movie that didn't just come out that week. This way, you can avoid packed theaters where you're more likely to focus on the fact that you're there by yourself. A less popular theater causes less stress and lets you just enjoy the movie. You can totally get into the movie now.
• Go to trivia. This is a great mid-week activity that doesn't run too late, therefore allowing for enough sleep before work the next day. Yet, it's still something fun that you can do with a friend or a group, especially when you're not sure what to do but you want to get out of the house.

Activities to avoid when you have no company for the night:

• Don't work out. Sure, a Friday night alone can seem depressing and you may want to do anything to fill it and keep yourself busy. But don't do this! No matter how much you might feel you are accomplishing or occupying yourself with, I promise that at some point during your work out you will feel sad. Ever walk by a gym at night, look in at the people, and think 'Wow, they must be lonely' or 'I feel bad, that guy is kind of a loser' ?? 
• Housekeeping. Yea, you might want to get ahead of some laundry or cleaning, but it's a bad idea. Once you finish up and realize you still have hours left in the night, you'll just feel more lonely.

Reasons that men need space

1. to regain testosterone on his own

2. to spend time with the guys, watch a game, play poker for guys' night

3. to actually let you know he hates you without having to say it

4. to play video games without feeling like a loser

5. to break up with you by eventually making you do it

6. but really, just because, guys just need some space.

Coffee is cheap?

Millionaire Matchmaker = my current favorite TV show. I just can't get enough of Patti Stanger and her blunt-bitchy comments. She makes me laugh every time. And what a great combo this show has with Patti's wit + creepy weirdo millionaires who don't have social skills. To me, it's a recipe for a reality TV love story.

What do ya think about this Patti quote? "Coffee is cheap, drinks are an audition, lunch is an interview, and dinner is romance." 


Let me tell ya what I think.
~Coffee is really good for a first date. I don't agree with Patti here that coffee is cheap. Don't commit to a full length dinner or date until you've had coffee with that person. What if within the first ten minutes you realize that you're dying to go home and get away from this person? Well, if you're at dinner, you're stuck. You have another hour and a half minimum to smile and make small talk. Go to coffee first. If you find that the two of you are chatting for a while and you seem to like them, then dinner should be fun.
~Drinks are alright. If you pass the audition, the date can kind of go anywhere. You can decide to end it after drinks, or someone can come up with an idea for something else to do next. Be careful that neither of you drinks too much though- and Patti does have a two drink maximum at her millionaire's club. Good idea.
~Lunch takes a little bit of the pressure off and does allow for that awkward dating interview process. Really though, ick.
~Dinner has the potential to have romance. But honestly, I think that comes later on. What first or second date at dinner is romantic? Dinner is usually super awkward and nerve wrecking.

Let's go outback tonight?

Outback Steakhouse

Ok, I really don't care if you're one of those people who just haaates chain restaurants. Yes, most of them just microwave up some frozen food pounded with salt so that we love to eat it. But still, some chains out there are enjoyable.

I recently went to Outback Steakhouse and really enjoyed my entree. I ordered the Teriyaki Filet Medallions- so good! The teriyaki flavoring was done very well- not too much, just right. The meat itself was great, and that's coming from someone who rarely bothers eating meat cuz it kind of grosses me out. The dish also came with green and red peppers, rice, and veggies. I'd get this one again.


I was really enticed by the photo of their Chicken Artichoke Flatbread on the menu. At chain restaurants I usually try their artichoke and spinach item (love Applebee's artichoke and spinach dip, hate Friday's version of it). However, it wasn't as good as I had hoped. It was really cheesy and unfortunately that cheese overpowered the artichoke and spinach. A lot. It was also a tad burnt on the edges so it was crispy in a non-tasty way. But it was a good idea, Outback. Cute picture too.... misleading though.

One thing though, Outback. Can you please get rid of those stupid bathroom signs? It's trying to be clever and cute in true Aussie style I suppose- but when I have to stare at both bathroom doors to figure out which one is the little girls' room, I've done too much work.



Bonefish Grill


While I'm on the topic of chain restaurants, I just have to mention how much I love Bonefish's Bang Bang Shrimp. It's soooo good and the Bonefish near me has $5 specials for it on Wednesdays. The shrimp is a little spicy, but not too much- if I can handle it, so can you. It's served over crisp salad which makes it sooo delicious. I have to say that in general Bonefish always does an excellent job on every meal I've had there. The service is always great, the bread is delicious, the fish is prepared very nicely, and they have a nice drink selection. I also love their Pan Asian sauce for the fish entrees and their vegetable medley is my favorite out of any other. A+. In my opinion, Bonefish Grill is the best chain out there.

Movie Review: Love & Other Drugs

  

Tee-oh-tall-ey totalllyy disappointed.

When I saw that Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway were going to be in a movie together, I was super excited. What's not to love? Jake has been the cutest white boy around since his Donnie Darko days, and Anne is just altogether like-able. I figured it'd be an A+ for me, someone who loves girly movies with cheesy plots.

But that really didn't help. Am I the only person who hates when a movie is flooded with sex scenes? Is the story that bad that we need Jake's chiseled body and Anne's bare breasts shoved in our faces in order to keep our attention? The sex between them was almost constant and I quickly found myself not even enjoying the movie. Like, um, hellooo I think I may have understood that they were into each other without all the sex scenes.

The acting was fine, but I have to say that Jake Gyllenhaal has lost his boyish smirk that grasped hold of me in my teen years. What happened, Jake? You're supposed to stay cute forever! Plus, his obnoxious character in the movie never won me over despite his weaknesses. I blame poor writing.

The story itself had good intentions of opening our eyes to the life of someone who has a daily struggle due to a disease, someone who doesn't want to put too must trust or responsibility on another person due to said disease- good thinking points for a well written movie. But it came across as too contrived or something. I wanted to feel bad for Anne's character, to feel compassion for their relationship, but I kind of didn't care.

Boo. C+. Ok, maybe I can give it a B. I'm just disappointed.

WOman, lucky to be in the US

Honor killings. Forced marriage vs. arranged marriage. 

These are things I didn't totally realize the truth about until recently.

In 2008, I first journeyed to India where I learned first hand from friends and people I met. They taught me about arranged marriage, why people make it work, and if it's better or worse than love marriages.

In 2010, I read an amazing book titled "Daughters of Shame" written by Jasvinder Sanghera. This book changed my outlook on everything and made me really open my eyes to the culture and life around me. Do yourself a favor, and read it. Educate yourself. Educate yourself about this. Order it, even if it's the only book you read this year

I went back to India this year and talked more with my friends about marriage. 

I've learned that although some families say that the woman always has some part in the decision-making or choice of a marriage, it's a total crap shoot. If a woman doesn't "choose" the same thing her family does, she'll often be disowned from the family, hurt, or killed.  Maybe the divorce rate on forced marriages is so low because women are totally screwed if they leave- safety wise and financially - for the rest of their lives.

Why is it that women have learned that it's better to stay in an abusive home than to be disowned by the family that hurts them? 

Why is it ok for men in these situations to live however they want, to do whatever they want- but women are expected to remain virgins until the day they are married?

How is it fair that a woman abroad who gets picked to be the wife of an American basically has to become a sex slave to someone they don't like in exchange for US citizenship and papers?

I also recently saw a news clip about a girl from Afghanistan who was brutally hurt by the men in her life. This type of action happens every day. 

Here's her story

I'm not saying that these cultural 'norms' will ever change. I just wish there could be a bigger women's empowerment movement to at least education women about their other options, sustainable ways out, and a chance to learn what they're really capable of.

Welcome!!!

Hi kids!

This blog is a 'wanna know what I have to say?' or a 'here's what I think about that' type of place. We all think about different issues throughout the day. They can be meaningful and life changing. They can be pointless, about celebrity news, or filled with garbage that won't help develop our minds. It can be anything, really. But let's see what you think about these things. Let's see what I have to say. I've always wanted to do some freelance writing, especially with a degree that practically translates to 'Writing' - so, I figured I'd get myself some new material by starting this blog. Sometimes I'll bring you a rant, sometimes a silly thought, or maybe something new to think about. I hope you enjoy it.