http://www.morrissey-solo.com/blogs/55-realitybites Morrissey-solo Forums en Wed, 22 May 2013 21:52:00 GMT vBulletin 60 http://cf.morrissey-solo.com/f/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.morrissey-solo.com/blogs/55-realitybites http://www.morrissey-solo.com/entries/1198-Suds Sat, 18 May 2013 14:34:09 GMT The suds
Won't exit
The drain.
They pool
Around the edges
Of my feet
And in between
My toes.

Go, I say!
I push them forward
And back
To the left
And to the right.
But still
They remain
Clear in sight. ]]> realitybites http://www.morrissey-solo.com/entries/1198-Suds http://www.morrissey-solo.com/entries/1191-Shampoo Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:08:28 GMT I still think of you in the shower
Though I've changed my brand of shampoo.

Memories of you reflecting in the suds
Have taken on a different hue.

You look kind and gentle and
Well you never looked anything other.

But, you also seem happy, at peace
Possibly because you are free of me.

Maybe I am better off too, I decide
As the weight of you exits the drain. ]]> realitybites http://www.morrissey-solo.com/entries/1191-Shampoo http://www.morrissey-solo.com/entries/1190-Blogs-Tab Sun, 28 Apr 2013 14:44:37 GMT Solo now has a Blogs tab sweetly nestled in between the Calendar and Wiki tabs. I am really happy Davidt added this shortcut as it was difficult... Solo now has a Blogs tab sweetly nestled in between the Calendar and Wiki tabs.

I am really happy Davidt added this shortcut as it was difficult to find the blogs prior to this, unless you were specifically looking for them.

My guess is that more people will create blogs at Solo now. And without a doubt, more blogs will be discovered and read in the near future.

Thanks David! ]]> realitybites http://www.morrissey-solo.com/entries/1190-Blogs-Tab http://www.morrissey-solo.com/entries/1177-New-Toy Thu, 04 Apr 2013 02:45:13 GMT Image: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8101/8617368361_a3e0d66d45_z.jpg Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 Chose this tablet instead of an iPad for many...

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1

Chose this tablet instead of an iPad for many reasons:

Less proprietary issues to contend with
External SD card slot
Compatibility with my Galaxy phone
Android powered
Compatible with all my Google accounts
Easy Dropbox synching between devices
Great price at $299.00 with 16GB and an extra 32 on SD card

Also...

Lots of great apps, nice design, great reviews...

So far I am really pleased with it. :) ]]> realitybites http://www.morrissey-solo.com/entries/1177-New-Toy http://www.morrissey-solo.com/entries/1124-Conspicuous-Candy Tue, 26 Feb 2013 16:39:10 GMT In the United States, consumerism and holidays go hand in hand. And nothing displays conspicuous consumption better than the candy isles at large... In the United States, consumerism and holidays go hand in hand. And nothing displays conspicuous consumption better than the candy isles at large retail chains during the preceding weeks before CERTAIN upcoming holidays. Certain being the key word here. Because, as I will argue, not all holidays in celebration make ritual the consumption or gift giving of candy. Oh no, some blatantly deny these sweet treats to be in attendance. So who are the bouncers at the holiday doors? And what are the motives behind the gate keeping?

Let’s look at candy from an economic standpoint. And see how it ties in with holidays in the US.

First off, what ARE the major candy consumption holidays? Starting from the beginning of the year, we have Valentine’s Day in February. Then there is Easter in March/April. Next we have Halloween in October. Then there is Thanksgiving in November—which has embraced candy consumption in the last decade or two. And lastly, there is Christmas in December. Are there holidays in May, June, July, August, and September? Of course there are. And major ones. May has Mother’s Day. June has Father’s Day. July has the 4th of July. But then why don’t they have candy at their cores as well? Well, let’s think about that for a minute. What do those last three holidays have in common that differentiates them from the candy-infested ones? They are all summer holidays. And what are the biggest enemies of chocolates? Heat and humidity. Oh I’m melting! Shipping and storing candy in the warm summer months is economically unsound—too risky and expensive.

So you see, candy's correlation with the cooler, fall, winter, and spring holidays has EVERYTHING to do with economics. The next time you buy those Valentine’s chocolates for your sweetie, ask yourself why it is that you don’t buy Mom chocolates on Mother’s Day. Mom LOVES chocolates! She loves them when Dad gives them to her in February. But alas, there is no candy to be distributed in May. So the next time you get those warm and fuzzy feelings, waxing nostalgic about the loving meaning behind the pastel foil-wrapped chocolate eggs in the crystal dish sitting on grandmother's coffee table, remember this... Those egg have nothing to do with sentimental tradition and the expression of sweet, loving gestures. They are about cold, hard cash! ]]> realitybites http://www.morrissey-solo.com/entries/1124-Conspicuous-Candy http://www.morrissey-solo.com/entries/1123-Oscars-Tonight!-Who-WILL-Win! Sun, 24 Feb 2013 12:48:55 GMT If it is in red, it is also my personal choice. Best Picture ~ Argo Best Director ~ Steven Spielberg Best Actor ~ Daniel Day-Lewis Best... If it is in red, it is also my personal choice.

Best Picture ~ Argo
Best Director ~ Steven Spielberg
Best Actor ~ Daniel Day-Lewis
Best Actress ~ Emmanuelle Riva
Best Supporting Actor ~ Philip Seymour Hoffman
Best Supporting Actress ~ Anne Hathaway
Best Foreign Language Film ~ Amour

The Aftermath!

Argo wins Best Picture! Yeah! Great film and deserving of the top honors. Too bad Affleck didn't win Best Director. He wasn't even nominated in this category. Idiots!



I have a feeling we will be seeing a lot more of Affleck, mostly behind the camera.

Best Director Oscar goes to Ang Lee for Life of Pi. Arrgh. Don't like his films. The critics panned this film. And its religious themes kept me from even seeing it.

Best Actor goes to Daniel Day-Lewis for Lincoln, of course. No one expected otherwise.

Best Actress goes to Jennifer Lawrence for Silver Linings Playbook. Great film. Great performance. But I still think Emmanuelle Riva pulled off a more challenging and memorable role in Amour. Ah but it was in French. The Academy voters shy away from films with subtitles--takes too much effort. And they can't be viewed on their iPhones--text is too small to read.

Best Supporting Actor goes to Christoph Waltz for Django Unchained--another film I didn't see. And as you know, there weren't many. Tarantino's films have become boring, redundant, and predictable.

Best Supporting Actress goes to Anne Hathaway for Les Misérables. She's great in everything she does. Deserved an Oscar. If not for this, then for the sum of all her roles. Do they give Oscars out for past accomplishments? I hear they do.

Amour wins Best Foreign Language Film--and rightly so!

And as for the Best Dressed of the evening. All I shall say is that ALL red carpet walkers were dressed better than me. :p ]]> realitybites http://www.morrissey-solo.com/entries/1123-Oscars-Tonight!-Who-WILL-Win! http://www.morrissey-solo.com/entries/1090-Glorious-Wonderful-Paper-Books! Sun, 03 Feb 2013 20:51:56 GMT I am going to go get all of my books out of storage. Screw it if they have to be stacked floor to ceiling. That's how The Hitch displayed his fine collection.

From storage to hallway...




Stacked on marble table... gosh I miss my bookshelves...












:love:
V V V



]]> realitybites http://www.morrissey-solo.com/entries/1090-Glorious-Wonderful-Paper-Books! http://www.morrissey-solo.com/entries/1081-Favorite-Films-from-the-United-Kingdom Mon, 28 Jan 2013 23:12:27 GMT *These* are my favorite films that were produced by companies located/registered in the UK. Or, ones that really feel like they were made there, thus... These are my favorite films that were produced by companies located/registered in the UK. Or, ones that really feel like they were made there, thus deserving the label. Ha!

Billy Elliot
Trainspotting
The Crying Game
2001: A Space Odyssey
A Room With a View
Sophie's Choice
Shame
Broken
Atonement
Pride & Prejudice
We Need to Talk About Kevin
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
The Elephant Man
Valmont (technically French but feels British--has Colin Firth as its lead, after all)
Love Actually
Bridget Jones's Diary
This is England
A Somewhat Gentle Man
The Trip
Withnail and I
Hunger
A Clockwork Orange
Gregory's Girl
One Day
Control
The Queen
Dracula
Morvern Callar
Don't Look Now
The Full Monty
The English Patient
Sense and Sensibility
The Spy Who Loved Me
Made in Britain
My Beautiful Laundrette
Man on a Wire
Fish Tank
Weekend
Starter For Ten
Goldfinger
Moonraker

Purposefully missing from the list...

The King's Speech (overrated, historically inaccurate)
Tinker Tailor Solider Spy (snooze-fest)
Harry Potter (um, no!)
Slumdog Millionaire (Wasn't my cup of tea.)
Get Carter (Have not seen it, bon.)
Monty Python's the Meaning of Life (Don't have a great excuse.)
Kes (Have not seen it--yet.)
Sweet Sixteen (Am planning on viewing this one this week.)
Monty Python's Life of Brian (Have not seen it.)
Lawrence of Arabia (Embarrassingly, have not seen it.) ]]> realitybites http://www.morrissey-solo.com/entries/1081-Favorite-Films-from-the-United-Kingdom http://www.morrissey-solo.com/entries/1069-TV-Talk-Girls-Season-2 Mon, 14 Jan 2013 13:50:22 GMT Image: http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/Girls-Season-2-Dunham-Driver-HBO.jpg To be updated weekly... * Related articles of interest...*...

To be updated weekly...

Related articles of interest...

Guys on Girls ~ Season 2 ~ What We're Expecting

Girls is Back. Cue the Irrational Reactions

Money Never Sleeps

Lena Dunham on Charlie Rose



Discussion of episodes by Slate's staff writers...

Episode 1 ~ It's About Time ~ January 13, 2013

Guys on Girls ~ Is this show becoming a network sitcom with nudity?


Episode 2 ~ I Get Ideas ~ January 20, 2013

Guys on Girls ~ Does Hannah really think we live in a post-racial world?

In Defense of Marnie, the Most Hated Girl on Girls

All the ways Lena Dunham has (maybe!) given the finger to her critics so far.


Episode 3 ~ Bad Friend ~ January 27, 2013

Is it possible to like this show if you can’t stand Hannah?

Video clip: Where the Magic Happens


Episode 4 ~ It's a Shame About Ray ~ February 2, 2013

Will the characters on this show ever grow up?


Episode 5 ~ One Man's Trash ~ February 10, 2013

Was that the worst episode of Girls ever?

Was that the best episode of Girls ever?


Episode 6 ~ Boys ~ February 17 , 2013

Are the men on this show interesting? Are they even men?


Episode 7 ~ Video Games ~ February 24, 2013

Is Hannah growing up? Is Jessa a child?


Episode 8 ~ It's Back ~ March 3, 2013

Are the characters on this show consistent? Should they be?


Episode 9 ~ On All Fours ~ March 10, 2013

Girls gets dark


Episode 10 ~ Together ~ March 17, 2013

Did men just save the day on Girls? ]]> realitybites http://www.morrissey-solo.com/entries/1069-TV-Talk-Girls-Season-2 http://www.morrissey-solo.com/entries/1066-A-Collection-of-Accumulations Wed, 09 Jan 2013 12:53:21 GMT What is the difference between a collection and an accumulation? A collection is two or more items that were purposefully hunted for and gathered... What is the difference between a collection and an accumulation? A collection is two or more items that were purposefully hunted for and gathered together into a group because they share similar characteristics and qualities. An accumulation is also a grouping of similar objects, however, there was no purposeful intention to access these things... there was no hunting involved.

I have lots of accumulations: cards, books, music, movies, Legos, toys, shoes, purses, makeup, quilts, cooking utensils, knives, ceramic pigs, photos...

Somehow, over time, and quite by accident--almost, these things came into my possession. Some were gifted to me. Others I purchased. I do have lots of things. Too many of the wrong things and not enough of the more pragmatic objects that would make my life more enjoyable and even more productive. In other words, it would be beneficial and pleasurable to have less chotchkies and more electronics! A tablet would be nice, as would a giant, high-definition, in-home movie theater screen. I could think of endless things I'd find practical use for. But in the meantime, sedimentary layers of dust are building up on many of the things that I have accumulated over the years--most of which are in an offsite storage unit across town. That tells you just how salient these items are to my everyday existence and happiness. And nope, I don't even have the privilege of touching or viewing these stored items. It's as if they don't even exist, really. But, I do have to pay $50.00 a month just to keep/maintain them. After a year's time, that comes to $600.00. Is all that stuff even worth $600.00? In another year, will its value increase to $1,200.00? No, it won't. Therefore I really need to rethink this set-up.

Some stuff I have at my flat... stuff I use, such as my music, movies, digital books... and some other stuff, due to it needing to be in a climate controlled environment rather than the storage unit, which is subject to temperature extremes.

Anyhow, I thought I'd share a few pics of some of my accumulations. Keep in mind these are not collections. Don't let the similarities between the objects fool you into thinking otherwise.


A collection of accumulations ( pics were hunted/selected from my flickr account and gathered into a collection)...

Portable digital music players--all but one are iPods...




Morrissey concert tickets... kept them, for some odd reason, haha...




Target gift cards... lifted them when shopping at Target in Flagstaff, AZ between 2005-2010. People buy and sell these on eBay. Want to guess why I took a pic of my accumulation? Sell, sell! Oh, but they call them collectibles on that site...




Books...



I will add more pics of accumulations in the future. Stay tuned. ]]> realitybites http://www.morrissey-solo.com/entries/1066-A-Collection-of-Accumulations http://www.morrissey-solo.com/entries/1065-Brian-Molko-Um-Yum! Sun, 30 Dec 2012 04:05:16 GMT *Pure Morning -...]]>


Pure Morning - Placebo

A friend in need's a friend indeed
A friend with weed is better
A friend with breasts and all the rest
A friend who's dressed in leather



Placebo sound best on an iPod w/ high-quality ear buds...



Or listen to these great tracks on YouTube...

Bitter End
Twenty Years
Every You, Every Me
This Picture
You Don't Care About Us
Running up that Hill
Special Needs
Meds
Bigmouth Strikes Again
Nancy Boy
Song to Say Goodbye to
Where is My Mind?
Slave to the Wage
Taste in Men
Special K
Swallow
Ashtray Heart
Without You I'm Nothing
Broken Promises
Blind
Infra-Red
Johnny and Mary
My Sweet Prince
Passive Aggressive
Burger Queen
Narcoleptic
Sleeping With Ghosts
Allergic

Bizarre Festival Germany 2000

Interview on 4Music (2006):

Part I
Part II

NME Blog: Why I'm Still a Proud Placebo Fan ]]> realitybites http://www.morrissey-solo.com/entries/1065-Brian-Molko-Um-Yum! http://www.morrissey-solo.com/entries/1063-Best-Digital-Distractions-2012-A-Year-End-Roundup Sun, 23 Dec 2012 15:55:49 GMT *Movies: * *Best 2012 releases:* Take This Waltz Amour Argo Looper Bernie Side by Side Movies:

Best 2012 releases:

Take This Waltz
Amour
Argo
Looper
Bernie
Side by Side
Game Change
Zero Dark Thirty
The Hunger Games
Silver Linings Playbook
Pitch Perfect (for fun factor)

Best non-2012 films:

8 ½
Shame
Weekend
Gates of Heaven
2001 Space Odyssey
My Dinner With Andre
Some Like It Hot
The Apartment
This is Not a Film
La Dolce Vita
Bonnie and Clyde


eBooks:

Faves:

Mortality
The Magic of Reality
Poorly Made in China: An Insider's Account of the China Production Game
One Day
Steve Jobs
Hunting Eichmann
Why Does the World Exist?: An Existential Detective Story
Auschwitz: A Doctor's Eyewitness Account


Music:

Fave artist discoveries:

The Courteeners
Chapel Club
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
The Sisters of Mercy
The National
Placebo
Gene
Suede
This Mortal Coil
Grimes
Pulp

Most listened to artists (non-new):

New Order
Joy Division
The Smiths/Moz
R.E.M.
The Cure
Pixies
The Horrors
Pearl Jam/Eddie Vedder
Depeche Mode
The Drums


Fave websites this year:

Social:

Morrissey-solo
facebook
YouTube

Informational:

Charlie Rose
Slate
NME


Television:

New shows:

Girls
Veep
The Layover
Million Dollar Decorators

Non-new shows:

The Big Bang Theory
Two and a Half Men
Mad Men
Downton Abbey
The Good Wife
No Reservations
Gossip Girl

Guilty pleasures:

Flipping Out
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
The Real Housewives of Orange County
Top Chef
Interior Therapy
Project Runway


Podcasts:

Slate's Movie Spoilers

Slate's Cultural Gabfest ]]> realitybites http://www.morrissey-solo.com/entries/1063-Best-Digital-Distractions-2012-A-Year-End-Roundup http://www.morrissey-solo.com/entries/1062-2013-Movies-An-Ongoing-List-With-Ratings Sun, 23 Dec 2012 14:30:16 GMT A Year of Movies
January 1, 2013 - December 31, 2013
(To be updated on an ongoing basis)

Last Year's List (2012)

Slate's Movie Spoilers Podcast With Critic Dana Stevens

2013 Movies Seen:


A Place Beyond the Pines ~ 3.5
Broken ~ 3.5
If You're Feeling Sinister ~ 3.5
TPB AFK ~ 3
Warm Bodies ~ 2.5
Side Effects ~ 2.5
Oz: The Great and Powerful ~ 2.5

Non-2013 Movies Seen:

Amour ~ 4
Before Sunrise ~ 4
Before Sunset ~ 4
The Sessions ~ 3.5
Lore ~ 3.5
Zero Dark Thirty ~ 3.5
Silver Linings Playbook ~ 3.5
Flight ~ 3
Jack Reacher ~ 3
500 Days of Summer ~ 3
How to Survive a Plague ~ 3
Fish Tank ~ 3
Robot & Frank ~ 3
To Rome With Love ~ 3.5
The Amazing Spider-Man ~ 2.5
The 40 Year Old Virgin ~ 2.5
Anna Karenina ~ 2.5
The Master ~ 2.5

Movies I'm Hoping to See:

I'm So Excited
Bridget Jones's Baby
Catching Fire
The Counselor
The Coup
The Devil's Knot
Don Jon's Addiction
Electrick Children
Frank
Freezing People is Easy
Grace of Monaco
Gravity
The Great Gatsby
Hava Nagila: The Movie
Her
How I live Now
Jobs
Kill Your Darlings
Labor Day
Maleficent
Man of Tai Chi
No
The Nymphomaniac
Only God Forgives
Oz: The Great and Powerful
The Place Beyond the Pines
Queen of the Desert
The Railway Man
Romeo and Juliet
Room 237
Serena
Side Effects
Saving Mr. Banks
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
To the Wonder
Trance
Two Mothers ]]> realitybites http://www.morrissey-solo.com/entries/1062-2013-Movies-An-Ongoing-List-With-Ratings http://www.morrissey-solo.com/entries/1060-A-Year-in-the-Life-of-Books-2013 Thu, 20 Dec 2012 17:48:58 GMT *I am so behind on my reading--as if it's a chore!

I have decided to do another reading list with ratings for 2013. My 2012 reading list is now closed--no new books will be added. Last year I read forty books. Not too shabby. Unfortunately, only four of them were fiction novels. Although I have read a fair share of the classics that one is assigned to read by American high school literature teachers, I really have not read many of the novels that are treasured by so many readers. I feel like I am missing out on something. So I have decided to read one novel a month as well as continuing to read non-fiction books. I will include those fiction titles on this 2013 books read list as well as listing them here, in a separate blog post.

Just like last year, this will be an ongoing list--to be updated regularly. I will give each book a rating of one to four points. And I will only list books which I have read in their entirety. Below the list of books I have read so far, is a list of books that I am currently reading. Once each is read, I will rate it and add it to the finished list.


Books Read ~ January 2013 - December 2013:

Packing for Mars ~ 3.5
Gulp ~ 3.5
Morrissey in Conversation: The Essential Interviews ~ 3
Enduring Love ~ 3
A Light That Never Goes Out: The Enduring Saga of the Smiths ~ 3
The Progress Paradox ~ 3

Books I am Reading:

Bonk ]]> realitybites http://www.morrissey-solo.com/entries/1060-A-Year-in-the-Life-of-Books-2013 http://www.morrissey-solo.com/entries/1058-Tales-of-Yesteryear-and-Today-(2013-fiction-reading-goal) Thu, 20 Dec 2012 00:20:33 GMT *Update May 8, 2013: I am failing miserably at following through with my fiction reading goal. I have fallen back into my old, comfortable ways. When... *Update May 8, 2013: I am failing miserably at following through with my fiction reading goal. I have fallen back into my old, comfortable ways. When I have the time, I am reading non-fiction exclusively. Old habits die hard. I think I should just give it a rest. We only have so much leisure time in our lives. Instead of feeling guilty for not reading fiction, perhaps I should just accept the fact that I prefer non-fiction. And that is OK.

I never, ever make New Year's resolutions. If I want to do something, I do it. And if I don't, which is more often the case, I don't. Simple as that. However, I do make to do lists and set daily/weekly goals.

But, as I was driving home today, I thought to myself, I should set a reading goal for this upcoming year... a goal to read one fiction book a month--six classics and six modern novels in 2013.

I don't have a list of what I will be reading yet but I do have some books and authors in mind...


Modern novels:

Enduring Love by Ian McEwan
London Fields by Martin Amis
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
The End of the Affair by Graham Greene
House of Dolls by Ka-tzetnik

Classics:

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
The Code of the Woosters or Uncle Dynamite by P.G. Wodehouse
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I will routinely update this blog entry when I begin a new book and also when I finish the previous one--providing a brief review/summary.

The first book I read is: Enduring Love (1998) by Ian McEwan

Description (from Amazon.com):

On a windy spring day in the Chilterns, the calm, organized life of science writer Joe Rose is shattered when he witnesses a tragic accident. A hot-air balloon with a boy trapped in its basket is being tossed by the wind, and in the attempt to save the child, a man is killed. A stranger named Jed Parry joins Rose in helping to bring the balloon to safety. But unknown to Rose, something passes between Parry and himself on that day--something that gives birth to an obsession in Parry so powerful that it will test the limits of Rose's beloved rationalism, threaten the love of his wife, Clarissa, and drive him to the brink of murder and madness. Brilliant and compassionate, this is a novel of love, faith, and suspense, and of how life can change in an instant.

Summary: A decent read. Not the most compelling story or characters. But the style of writing is top-notch. Definitely want to read more of McEwan's works. I may read Atonement in the near future--possibly his most loved book to date. I didn't read Atonement first, as I had already seen the film based on the book and I was looking for a story that I was unfamiliar with. I give this book 3 out of 4 stars.

The second book I am reading is: The Great Gatsby (1925) by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Description (from Amazon.com):

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s third book, stands as the supreme achievement of his career. This exemplary novel of the Jazz Age has been acclaimed by generations of readers. The story of the fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan, of lavish parties on Long Island at a time when The New York Times noted “gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession,” it is an exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s. ]]> realitybites http://www.morrissey-solo.com/entries/1058-Tales-of-Yesteryear-and-Today-(2013-fiction-reading-goal)