nuTrishn

Tech Reviews: Droid RAZR, Kindle Fire, and Apps

2012-01-02T15:02:00.000-06:00

This past Christmas was a big one in terms of tech stuff for me.As an early gift, I got a Droid RAZR, which is available through Verizon Wireless.

I've been wanting a smartphone for a VERY long time -- my dad is an iPhone enthusiast, whereas I was always more seduced by the BlackBerry and Android phones, and Android ultimately won out.

Keeping in mind that this is the very first smartphone that I have ever owned, I don't have much to compare it to. But, the OS has been fairly slick and reliable for me, and the connection speeds are fairly decent too -- this phone comes with access to Verizon Wireless 4G LTE, where available. Something that some people might also find as a plus with this phone is the size of its screen. I've had comments from family, friends, and passersby about how huge the phone is. It makes it easier for people with vision problems to see, but the disadvantage is that it makes the phone rather cumbersome to try & carry around in your pocket.

The main complaint that I have with it is the battery life -- which, from what I have heard from people who use Android phones, is a common complaint with Android phones in general. Some Droid-owner friends of mine, I believe, have been able to find stronger batteries for their phones ... but with the RAZR being so new on the market, I'm not sure if anything like that is available for it yet.

Another surprise tech gift that I got this year is Amazon's Kindle Fire. The Kindle Fire is basically a step up from previous e-reader devices, because it also gives you access to Internet, email, and Android apps through the Amazon.com app store.The Kindle Fire, as you may have guessed, operates within the shell of Amazon.com. You get access to books, magazines, music, & movies from Amazon, and the Amazon app store gives you access to many popular apps for Android -- such as Facebook, Words with Friends, Twitter, Pandora Radio, Angry Birds, and such. But it does not give you access to Android Market, nor many of the other apps that are otherwise available on Android Market. That, and there are more paid than free apps in the Amazon store, it appears to me.

The bottom line for the Kindle Fire is, if you want the full functionality of a tablet, you're better off spending the extra money for a tablet, as opposed to the Kindle Fire. But, if you just want something that gives you some Internet functionality (browser, email, etc.) and access to some of your favorite Android apps (with better battery life than you get on an Android phone!), a Kindle Fire may be a good choice for you.

Now: APPS! The biggest struggle for me has been finding the perfect app for posting to my social networks. I like the look and feel of the official Twitter app for Android, but it does not give you the ability to post to Twitter & Facebook simultaneously.

One app that I've tried and seem to like is Seesmic. Personally, I don't like the look of it as much as I do the official Twitter app, but it does pretty much everything I need it to do, in the way I like to see it done. It's fast (for an "unofficial" app), there are no ads, it posts to Twitter and Facebook simultaneously, and I prefer Twitter apps that give you buttons to go between your timeline, your replies, and your messages, as opposed to just making you slide from one screen to the other.

Anyway, this is just a start of something, in hopes to get this blog rejuvenated over the coming year. =) Keep watching for a lot of stuff, and here's hoping for lots of good stuff in 2012!

Stephen Sondheim and I

2011-07-17T09:41:00.001-05:00

For me, Stephen Sondheim is one of the “Holy Trinity” of Broadway musical composers – along with Rodgers & Hammerstein and Andrew Lloyd Webber. I guess I first became acquainted with the work of Stephen Sondheim when I was in high school, when my drama teacher showed the class a video of “Into the Woods” – a musical involving many well-known fairy tale characters (Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Rapunzel, etc.) being put into some very real situations.

While I liked the story, I was not conscious at that time that The Name Of The Guy Who Wrote The Music For This Is Stephen Sondheim, And I Should Try To Look Up Some More Of His Work. hehe. I became fully conscious of Sondheim many years later, when I was in college and I heard the soundtrack to the show “Sweeney Todd” for the first time. “Sweeney Todd” is a musical thriller about a barber who slits the throats of his customers, then gets rid of the bodies by giving them to a pie shop owner, who grinds them up and uses them as filler for her meat pies! I had chills the first time I heard the music from that show. Some of you may recall that they made a film adaptation of it about 4 years ago, starring Johnny Depp as Sweeney Todd.

And I also just became acquainted with another show of his, “Company”, which my theatre group will be performing in Spring of next year. It’s about a guy who is celebrating his 35th birthday – most of his friends are married and he’s not sure if that’s what he wants. This particular song is the one that I can’t get out of my head. hehe! Buzz is that they’re making this into a movie too, starring Neil Patrick Harris.

4th of July Parade

2011-07-04T22:12:00.001-05:00

I marched in the 4th of July parade with my theatre group today. It was a lot of fun. We march in the parade every year. This year, it was nice because it wasn’t quite as hot as last year. It was still pretty warm, though, and my skin does not like the sun very much, so I wore lots of sunscreen.

This was our float for the parade:

And here are a bunch of other floats waiting for the parade to get started:

My Car.

2011-06-28T21:25:00.002-05:00

This is my car. I took this picture a few years ago – I think it was the day after I bought it. I need to wash & wax it again so that it looks like this again, ahaha. Perhaps I might try and do that this weekend.

It is also the very first car I ever bought. I have kind of a love-hate relationship with it. It’s fun to drive and everything, but when it breaks down (as it just did about a week ago), it drives me crazy! hehe. I’m going to the mechanic in the morning to pick it up, now that they’re done working on it. Hopefully, it won’t give me any trouble for a while!

There is very little public transportation here in Indiana, so if you want to go anywhere, you pretty much have to drive yourself. If I could come and go as I pleased without needing a car, I probably would never have gotten one. At least this one is not too bad with gas. And even after all this time, I still get compliments on it. Everyone says it suits me. hehe. If I bought another car, I’m not quite sure what I would get.

Two Years.

2011-06-25T15:01:00.001-05:00

Today marks two years since the passing of Michael Jackson. As a little girl who grew up in the 80s, it’s kind of a sad day. hehe. I can’t believe it’s already been two years! So much has happened in my life during that short span of time.

Anyway, this is one of my favorite Michael Jackson songs, from his album “Bad”.

Summer 2011 Playlist

2011-06-18T01:06:00.001-05:00

A start of my hot song list for this summer.

“Rolling in the Deep” by British singer Adele. Blue-eyed soul is making a comeback, people! I am working on singing this one and planning on BLOWING IT UP the next time I go out to karaoke. bwahahah!

“Party Rock Anthem”, by the American electro-hip hop duo LMFAO. Fun bit of trivia: the two guys who make up LMFAO (Redfoo and SkyBlu) are uncle and nephew (respectively), and they are the son and grandson of Berry Gordy, the legendary founder of Motown Records.

My Kitty Mama Story

2011-06-13T23:12:00.001-05:00

Forgive me for sounding like a “crazy cat lady” for sharing this post, but I was somewhat inspired by Kumiko's posts about her cat to go ahead and tell the story of my own kitty: Joey.

Before I got him, I had talked quite a lot about getting a black cat. I feel that black cats get quite a bad rep due to their superstition as being “unlucky” – that’s one superstition I just don’t buy into. (Especially not after I got Joey!)

I got him shortly after Christmas 2008. On Christmas Day, I went to the usual gathering with my mother’s side of the family. My cousin had told me that he and my aunt had been feeding a family of stray kittens at their house, and some of them were black. He asked me if I might want to adopt one, and I said I would.

The day after Christmas was a very nasty day in terms of weather. All morning, the roads were completely iced over. It took my Stepdad six hours to get to work – a commute that takes him 30 minutes under normal circumstances. I was lucky that I was working at an elementary school at the time – we were on holiday break, and so I didn’t have to go in to school.

Anyway, my aunt and my cousin still managed to get Joey to my house. He was a tiny kitten back then, and didn’t do much more than hide and hiss for the first day or two. Vet checkup indicated that he was a healthy kitty (thankfully), and his mood completely changed after a bath. I decided to name him Joey, after Joey Ramone, because I thought he needed a punk rock name!

It’s now nearly three years later, and Joey is my baby. My cousin always checks up on Joey whenever he comes to the house to visit. I’m a proud kitty mama, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

T.G.I.F. + TV + Tonys!

2011-06-12T14:28:00.001-05:00

Katy Perry's Last Friday Night Music Video from Katy Perry

BIG pop culture day today! First off, today is the world premiere of the music video for Katy Perry’s latest single: “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” The vid features several cameos from many well-known faces such as Darren Criss and Kevin McHale from the smash hit TV show Glee, cewebrity Rebecca Black, and 90s music stars Hanson and Kenny G.

Theatre buffs will have their eyes glued to the Tony Awards tonight, which will be hosted by Neil Patrick Harris. In the US, the awards will be broadcast on CBS – check your local listings for time and channel. You can check out the nominees and choose your favorites at the official website for the Tony Awards!

And those of you who have been watching Oprah Winfrey’s new television network – which she has been focusing on since finishing the run of her show – tonight, you’ll get to watch the premiere of Finding Sarah, which chronicles the personal struggles of Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York. Check the Oprah Winfrey Network website for time and channel in your location.

My Latest Theatrical Endeavor

2011-06-12T12:16:00.001-05:00

I have just been cast in Crown Point Community Theatre's production of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” this summer! This is a featurette of the late, great Elizabeth Taylor playing Kate – the “shrew” of the title – in the 1967 film adaptation; Richard Burton (Taylor’s husband at the time) plays opposite her as Petruchio, who tries to win Kate’s heart in spite of her reluctance. The rest of the cast and I will definitely be posting updates on the CPCT blog, so go check that out! Also stay up-to-date by visiting our website, http://www.cpct.biz.

If you’d like some more information about the “Taming of the Shrew” story, you can check out the article on Wikipedia, or you can even read the entire play -- complete with side-by-sides of the original words and a more “modernized” translation -- on the No Fear Shakespeare section of SparkNotes.

Rules

2011-06-11T13:16:00.006-05:00

Movie buffs and pop-culture freaks on the Internet have been abuzz about how the Alamo Drafthouse, a dine-in movie theatre chain based out of Austin, TX, had thrown a texting patron out after two warnings, then made a PSA of the angry (and perhaps slightly inebriated?) voicemail she had left in response to being kicked out without a refund.

What I can say about it is this: there is a difference between watching a movie in a theatre and watching it at home by yourself/with friends. At the movie theatre, you, as part of the audience, do not have the luxury of a pause or rewind button. So when most people (or at least, when I) go to the movie theatre, they want to watch the MOVIE – they don’t want to hear any of your extraneous commentary. They don’t want to hear about your drama with your boyfriend/girlfriend. They don’t want to hear you ask your wife to pick up a gallon of milk on her way home. When we go to the movie theatre, we want to pay attention to what’s going on on-screen. We don’t want to read the text that you’re sending to your bestie. We don’t want to see your unnecessarily detailed play-by-play on Twitter.

Same goes with live theatre. This past winter, I was the House Manager for Crown Point Community Theatre's production of “Inherit the Wind”. Before each show, we do make it a point to tell people to turn off their cell phones, to avoid using flash photography, to be quiet, and to keep purses, hands, feet, and children out of the aisles. Nonetheless, during one performance, there was a couple who brought a 2-3 year old child that they could not keep quiet, nor keep out of the aisles. During intermission, a member of the tech crew complained to me, so I sat by them and kept an eye on it. Halfway through the second act, they got up and left, much to my (and the audience’s) relief.

Now, this is not to say that I don’t love kids. I worked with kids for a number of years. Kids are great. But if you, as a parent, cannot keep control of them – or if you know that your child is too young to have the attention span to keep quiet in a show – then maybe it is best not to bring them.

And people don’t make these rules up just to be jerks. Whether the rules make sense to everyone or not, they are most often there for a reason. Talking loudly and texting IS a distraction, in both live theatre and cinema. It distracts both your fellow patrons AND also, in the case of live theatre, the performers – who are working their butts off to give you and the other patrons the best possible performance they can. Leaving your huge purse in the aisle, or just letting your child lay in the middle of it, is dangerous for your fellows in the audience. In the case of live theatre, it is also dangerous for tech crew who are moving around during the show, and to performers who may be trying to make an exit/entrance through the aisles.

I've witnessed this lack of respect for rules in the professional environment as well. I work in a call center as a telemarketer. It is the company’s strict policy that no cell phones are permitted anywhere in the building. It might seem a little harsh, but there’s a reason for it: it is a fairly well-known fact that in the past decade, cameras – cameras that record both still photos and video – have become standard features on most cell phones. Our center has many different sales campaigns that operate out of it, all of which deal with a large volume of highly sensitive personal information in one respect or another. This poses a security risk, because we do not want any pictures to get out of any of this personal information, either deliberately or inadvertently. This is why cell phones are not supposed to be allowed in the building, and this is why it is company policy that having a cell phone in the building is grounds for termination.

All the same, my supervisor called our entire unit up one day this past week, giving us a lecture because she had found THREE of us within the unit with cell phones at their desks. Keep in mind that this was also on a day when we had executives from one of our campaigns in the building!

All I could do was shake my head at the stupidity, and I recalled a few instances that occurred when I worked in daycare. As I imagine is the case in most states, all daycare centers in the state of Indiana MUST be licensed by the Indiana Family and Social Services Adminstration (known colloquially in daycare circles as “State”) in order to keep operating. In order to obtain and keep its license, a center must be inspected annually by State, and comply to each and every regulation given by State. State has regulations for everything – from what kinds of toys should be available and always accessible for each age group, right down to the exact procedure for changing a diaper. And each of these regulations must be strictly followed.

The point I’m trying to get to is that even my boss at the daycare didn’t agree with each and every regulation given by State. But she understood that State had reasons for these regulations, and if she wanted to keep her center open, she had to make sure that we complied.

So rules aren’t there just so that people can go on power trips and spoil your fun. There are reasons for them. So respect them. If you can’t do that, you can find the door.

So let’s see …

2011-06-01T19:57:00.001-05:00

Gonna try to use this space a bit more frequently. I know you really can’t be too careful with the things that you publish online, but I’ve got stuff that I might like to say from time to time. Stuff that might take more than a blurb or 140 characters to say. So we’ll give this a try. Hopefully I won’t regret it. :-/

On Watching A Director's Previous Work: Alfonso Cuarón

2010-08-29T10:03:00.001-05:00

Alfonso Cuarón is a Mexican director who is perhaps most known globally for being the director of the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, taking over for Chris Columbus, who had directed the film adaptations for the first two Harry Potter books. Years ago, before the Azkaban adaptation came out in theatres, I decided to check out a few of Cuarón's other films, in order to get a feel for his work and get a possible idea of what he might do with the Harry Potter movie.

The movie I rented in order to accomplish this goal? The Spanish-language dramedy Y tu mamá también. And, well ... let's just say that Y tu mamá también is probably about as close to porn as a film can get without actually being porn. You don't wanna be watching this film with anyone that you are uncomfortable watching VERY highly sexual scenes with. Which is kind of a shocker when you're trying to look at it and keep in mind that the man who directed this is the same man directing the next Harry Potter film! He also directed a film adaptation of "A Little Princess" as well, and to go between such extremes of material makes Cuarón kind of an interesting character to me.

Another upside to Y tu mamá también is that it introduced me to Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal -- who, I would say, are the Mexican approximation of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. However, they are both far more talented, attractive, and gutsy than Damon and Affleck, and Y tu mamá también proves it. I could NEVER picture Damon and Affleck doing some of the scenes that these two did, and it would be nice to see them both get a little bit more recognition Stateside.

You can purchase all the films mentioned in this article -- and lots more cool stuff too -- at my Amazon.com Associate Store!

Eat, Pray, Love

2010-07-23T15:21:00.000-05:00

Writer Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir, "Eat, Pray, Love", is a chronicle of the reassessment of life that she undertook after having been through a painful divorce, followed immediately by a painful breakup. With an advance on the novel that she was to write during her adventure -- the novel that was to become "Eat, Pray, Love" -- she financed a year-long "discovery trip" that took her through Italy, India, and Indonesia.

The memoir was a tremendous success for Gilbert; so much so that she was even prompted to write a sequel of the happenings in her life after the end of "Eat, Pray, Love". It is called "Committed", and it is a discussion of the difficulties presented when Gilbert (an American citizen) and her "significant other" (a Brazilian national) discover that in accordance with U.S. law, they must get married, in spite of the fact that both of them have misgivings when it comes to marriage, especially given their combined past experiences with it.

On 13 August 2010, the long-awaited film pseudo-adaptation of "Eat, Pray, Love" will be released in movie theatres, starring Juila Roberts -- her first film role in some years, if I recall correctly. Gilbert's story is pretty interesting, so if you are a fan of the book, this is a movie that you might not want to miss.

Visit my Amazon.com Associate Store to purchase the book versions of both "Committed" and "Eat, Pray, Love", as well as many other items previously mentioned on this blog!

Life Developments and Upcoming Events

2010-07-22T18:47:00.001-05:00

First off, the biggest most recent development in my life is that I have a new job! It's been going fairly well, mostly because I work with good people. But I have a bad tendency of taking myself at work FAR too seriously. Fortunately, I work for a place where we are encouraged to have fun and be outgoing. ;-)

July 10th officially marked the last birthday of my twenties. I'm not sure how happy I am about that .... but at least my friends made it a birthday that I will never forget. ;-) My Daddy & brother also got me a netbook (which I am posting on at the moment), which I have been having lots of fun playing with.

We are also heading full-throttle into Hell Week for "Othello". I am pretty proud of how well I've been getting my lines down. I have to hand it to our directors too ... they have had to deal with quite a few complications throughout this whole process, and they have done it with a great deal of professionalism and grace. My hat is off to you!

Apologies for not updating more frequently. I update my social networks a lot more often than this blog, it seems, but I am going to try to change that. I feel a book review coming on!

A Start of a Fathers' Day Playlist

2010-06-18T08:53:00.001-05:00

In honor of Fathers' Day, I have compiled the rudiments of a playlist of Songs That Daddy Musicians Have Written For Their Children.

Billy Joel - "Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)" - This song was written by Billy Joel for his daughter, Alexa Ray, who is now grown and is a musician in her own right. It is taken from his circa 1993 album "River of Dreams".

John Lennon - "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" - The song John wrote for Sean, his son with Yoko Ono. Recorded for Lennon's last album, "Double Fantasy". This is not the version that appears on the album, but it was the closest I could find on YouTube.

Bob Marley - "Nice Time" - According to Cedella Marley -- Bob Marley's oldest daughter -- her nickname among the family as a child was "Nice Time", and this song was written in part for her. This song was not released on any of Bob Marley's "official" studio albums, but it can be found on several Marley compilations, including "Songs of Freedom".

(Note: As always, click the album titles to purchase these albums via my Amazon.com Associate store!)

The Tony Awards

2010-06-14T10:01:00.003-05:00

Last night's Tony Awards were described by some of this humble blogger's acquaintances as "a hot mess". The #tonys hashtag on Twitter was full of people complaining about the audio gaffes, as well as a few of the performances. (In particular, Catherine Zeta-Jones' rendition of Sondheim's "Send In the Clowns" got a lot of mixed reaction.) We also saw an ever-increasing number of film and television actors transitioning over to the stage, with Denzel Washington winning his first Tony for his performance in this year's revival of Fences, which also got the win for Best Revival of a Play.

Nonetheless, it had some very touching highlights. Of course, there was also lots of fangirling out of me to see some of my favorite ladies of Broadway -- Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, Bernadette Peters, and Angela Lansbury -- as well as much coveting of Scarlett Johansson's dress. It also featured a number of plays and musicals that I would be very excited to see. I'm hoping that some of them will go on national tours soon, so that I might get the chance to see them in Chicago. Maybe before my birthday in less than a month? Hint hint? ;-) HINT HINT? Anyway, here's a list of them.

FELA! The Musical - Produced for Broadway by Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Will Smith, and Jada Pinkett Smith, "Fela!" is a celebration of the life and work of Nigerian musician and political activist Fela Kuti. Fela Kuti is one of many artists responsible for bringing the Afrobeat genre to a global audience, and this musical features a number of his best-known songs. From what I saw at the Tonys, it is an explosive, colorful musical featuring fantastic music and spectacular choreography. In fact, Bill T. Jones took home the Tony for Best Choreography last night for this show. Visit the official site for ticket info, news, and more!

In The Next Room, or the vibrator play - "In The Next Room" is a comedic look at late Victorian-era methods for treating what they called "female hysteria" -- or what in truth is female sexual arousal/frustration/tension. Yes, "hysteria" was a commonly given -- and medically treated -- diagnosis at the time, and doctors would actually treat it by using what amounts to an electric vibrator. (Read more info about all this at Wikipedia.) But this play is more than just a silly comedy with a scandalous gimmick; it's about love and relationships as well. It appears as though the play is not currently open on Broadway, but I do hope to see it performed soon, in both professional and community theatre companies all over!

La Cage Aux Folles - The campy and riotous musical about Georges and Albin, a gay male couple who have been in a relationship for many years, and own a nightclub in Saint-Tropez. Georges works at the club as the emcee, and Albin is the headliner, performing in drag under the name Zaza. Georges also has a son who is engaged to a woman. When Georges' son wants to introduce his fiancée's rigid and conservative parents to Georges and Albin, hilarity ensues. This revival took home the Tony last night for Best Revival of a Musical. The revival stars Kelsey Grammer as Georges, and Douglas Hodge as Albin/Zaza. Their performance at the awards last night was one of the highlights of the ceremony, so if you can get a chance to see it, it is not to be missed! Visit the official site for ticket info, news, and more!

Memphis - And the Tony winner last night for Best Musical! It's about the early days of rock n' roll, underground clubs, the corruption and segregation of radio stations, and the racial tension in general that punctuated the time period. It was said by many Tony tweeters last night that the "Memphis" performance at the ceremony did not do the actual show justice. I would really like to see if the word on the Tweet was right. Visit the official site for ticket info, news, and more!

Kathryn Stockett - "The Help"

2010-05-03T15:33:00.001-05:00

Image from Wikipedia

"The Help" (2009) is the debut novel by Kathryn Stockett, set in Jackson, Mississippi during the early to mid 1960s. It describes the situation of race relations in the South during this period in history, at the onset of the Civil Rights Movement. According to the Wikipedia bio stub about Stockett, she was born in the 1950s and grew up in Jackson herself, raised by an African-American domestic worker more than her own mother. This novel, therefore, has undoubtedly been based on many of Stockett's own experiences growing up. It is an impressive debut for Stockett, garnering best-seller status as well as a great deal of acclaim.

During this time, as we all know, segregation was not only the norm, but the law in the South. Violence against African-Americans was also commonplace. Options/opportunities for education and employment were very slim, particularly for African-American women. One of the few work opportunities open to them was that of a housekeeper/nanny in a white household, where they were often subject to the whims of their employers. "The Help" deals with two African-American domestic workers in particular, and the way they come to befriend a white would-be writer who wishes to tell their story, and solve a few mysteries in the process.

The story starts somewhat slowly, and at first, the characters seem rather token: The Mammy is represented by Aibileen, who becomes increasingly frustrated by her employer's neglect for her children. The Stuck-Up White Southern Princess is represented by Hilly (who is the novel's main antagonist), as well as her minions in the white ladies' social club. The Sassy Black Chick Who Takes No Bull From Nobody is represented by Minny, whose mouth is not well appreciated by the Stuck-Up White Southern Princesses, but you can't help loving (and laughing at) the things she says and does. The Bleached Blonde Redneck, a.k.a. the Anna Nicole Smith-Type Southern White Chick, is represented by Celia Foote, whose efforts to fit in with the Stuck-Up Southern White Princesses of Jackson are constantly rebuffed. The Remorseful White Person Who Wants To Change Things is represented by Skeeter Phelan, who grows increasingly disgusted with the actions of the Stuck-Up White Southern Princesses, and whose character seems as though it could be quite heavily based on the author herself.

However, about a third of the way into the novel, a lot of good action and tension starts to build, and I for one was not able to put it down. One must not also forget the important events and implications surrounding the action of the story. So it is definitely worth a read. Buzz is that this book is also in the works to be made into a movie, so it'll probably be worth watching out for.

You can purchase "The Help", as well as many other items mentioned on this blog, at my Amazon.com Associate store!

LILITH FAIR IS BACK!

2010-04-29T14:30:00.002-05:00

Image of Sarah McLachlan, off the cover of her 1997 album Surfacing.

In the late 90s, Canadian performer Sarah McLachlan helped to found a touring music festival that featured and celebrated female artists. This festival was known as Lilith Fair. According to its Wikipedia article, in the three years that Lilith Fair ran (from '97 to '99), it raised over USD $10 million for women's charities throughout North America.

After being silent for almost ten years, Lilith Fair is now finally BACK, starting at the end of June 2010! It features a pretty stellar lineup this year, including a good mix of Lilith veterans (Erykah Badu, the Indigo Girls, and Sarah herself) and newcomers (Colbie Caillat, Jill Scott, Sara Bareilles). Click here to see when Lilith is coming to an area near you and to buy tickets. It's coming to the Chi-town area July 17th, so hurry and get your tickets now!

The Sandwich Swap

2010-04-29T09:32:00.001-05:00

Queen Rania al-Abdullah is the wife of Abdullah II, current king of Jordan. Jordan has in recent years been the home of a tradition of royal women who are very progressive, politically savvy, and philanthropy-oriented (not to mention breathtakingly beautiful). Along with Queen Rania, the American-born Queen Noor (the last wife of Abdullah's father, the late King Hussein) comes to mind.

I have a particular admiration for Her Majesty's work in advocating education and children's welfare -- having spent much of my working life working with children, this is something that I think Her Majesty and I have in common. The Sandwich Swap is her latest endeavor in this regard. I recently watched Her Majesty on Good Morning America talking about this book, and I knew right then and there that I had to go get it. (My work with children has also left me with an interest in children's books, and a habit for collecting them.) It teaches an important lesson about differences -- cultural and otherwise -- between people, and I would definitely recommend this book to parents of young children.

You can purchase this book, along with many other items, at my Amazon.com Associate Store!

Hedwig and the Angry Inch

2010-04-14T17:00:00.002-05:00

Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001, directed by John Cameron Mitchell) - Continuing with my current penchant for television and movies with a drag and/or transgender theme, this is the film adaptation of the off-Broadway musical. Along with directing the film version of the show, John Cameron Mitchell also wrote the score and starred as the title character on stage. There has reportedly been talk of bringing this show to Broadway (which would be great), and David Bowie himself co-produced the Los Angeles production of the show.

To briefly summarize the plot, Hedwig (Mitchell) is the transgender frontwoman for the "internationally ignored" punk band, Hedwig and the Angry Inch. She goes from town to town, playing mediocre gigs with her band on a tour that is attempting to parallel that of Tommy Gnosis (Michael Pitt), a much more successful young rock musician. Hedwig claims that Tommy "learned everything he knows" from her, and that Tommy stole songs that she wrote. Along the way, we hear Hedwig recount her life story to the audiences she meets: growing up in communist East Germany as a "girlyboy" who worshipped punk and philosophy, the relationship with an American soldier that prompted Hedwig to agree to a sex change operation (which ended up being botched), her arrival in an army base town in America as the soldier's wife, only to have the soldier walk out on her while she watched the Berlin Wall come down on TV, and finally, the formation of her band and her relationship with Tommy.

It is a really well put-together story, and it seemed to me as though there was something not quite linear in the way the story was presented. (If you know anything about me, then you know I can always appreciate a good non-linear plot!) It's also got some really great music in it -- in fact, there is an album out entitled Wig In A Box, in which many well-known rock acts perform tunes from the film/show. In my opinion, this belongs alongside the greatest "rock" themed musicals of all time.

Watch Ticketmaster to keep tabs on any upcoming stage productions of Hedwig and the Angry Inch near you. You can also purchase the film, the soundtracks for both the film and the stage show, as well as the tribute album, Wig in a Box, from my Amazon.com associate store!

Oh yeah ...

2010-04-10T19:58:00.001-05:00

Bloggers, take note ... I just started using ScribeFire for blogging purposes, and it's kinda cool. Basically, it's an extension for the Mozilla Firefox Web browser (which you should be using if you aren't already! *wink wink*) that allows you to write blog posts right from within Firefox! It's very functional too ... and the word from the official ScribeFire site is that there is an extension for the Google Chrome browser (which is also awesome) in beta as well! So ... yeah. There's another rave for you.

"A Thousand Splendid Suns" - Khaled Hosseini

2010-04-10T19:48:00.001-05:00

Image from Wikipedia

A Thousand Splendid Suns was published in 2007, the second book written by Afghan-born author (and physician, if you can believe that!) Khaled Hosseini. As the cover illustration indicates, he is also the author of the best-seller The Kite Runner, which was published in 2003 and made into a film in 2007. Since Splendid Suns' publication, it too has achieved bestseller status in countries all over the world, and there has been some buzz about turning it into a movie as well. Whereas Kite Runner was the story about a friendship between two boys (and later men) in war-torn Afghanistan, Splendid Suns is a story about two women.

Mariam is the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy man. As a child, she was raised by her mother, and longed for a closer relationship with her father. When her mother commits suicide, Mariam's father decides to rid himself of his responsibility to her by arranging a marriage. Mariam's husband, a shoemaker named Rasheed, is surly and abusive to Mariam.

Laila is a woman much younger than Mariam. When her parents are killed in a rocket blast, and she discovers that she is pregnant by the lover that she assumes is also dead, she too ends up marrying Rasheed, in order to conceal the illegitimacy of her unborn baby. Rasheed ends up behaving very abusively towards Laila as well, and the two women begin to form a bond and an alliance as the Taliban claims power in Afghanistan.

You may be wondering why I would mention another story of this nature and rave about it, seeing as how I just recently wrote about about the film The Stoning of Soraya M. and claimed that it followed in the grand tradition of films which presented a negative portrayal of Islam? Well ... the reason is because this is a story that, while there are scenes of war and violence and oppression, and it is a story that will make you cry (believe me -- I hardly ever cry at books or movies, and I cried at this one, so I guarantee that YOU WILL CRY TOO), it ends in a good place -- and it ends with hope.

You can purchase this book, as well as both the book and film versions of The Kite Runner, via my Amazon.com Associate Store, so check it out!

Latest TV Addiction: RuPaul's Drag Race

2010-04-07T12:16:00.004-05:00

Image from Wikipedia

Speaking as a so-called "actual" woman -- and by that, I mean a person who was biologically born female and continues to identify herself as such -- I have always harbored an admiration for drag queens. It has always seemed to me as though they have an outlook, a sense of style, and a perception of self that "actual" women, including myself, can learn from.

Which is probably the reason why I get so much enjoyment out of RuPaul's reality competition on the Logo television network (and also airing on VH1), entitled RuPaul's Drag Race -- which is coming up to the end of its second season. To illustrate what I am talking about when I refer to that perception of self that drag queens seem to possess, but seems to be lacking in many so-called "actual" women, I quote the line that Ru uses to close every episode of this show: "if you can't love yourself, how in the hell you gon' love somebody else?" You certainly get an amen from me, Ru.

In any case, this is a really fun show, with lots of laughable moments, and several competitors who, unlike many other reality shows, you genuinely want to root for. In particular, I refer to Ongina from Season 1, who makes a very shocking and poignant revelation at the end of the MAC Viva Glam episode.

I have included a link in my Amazon.com store where you can purchase episodes that are available for download, or you can also watch full streaming episodes of Season 1 and Season 2 on the official website. Check it out!

Big News!

2010-04-06T14:28:00.000-05:00

This is just an announcement to say that nuTrishn is now an Amazon.com Associate! Whenever I mention a product -- a book, a film, a music album, or whatever -- on my blog, I will place a link to it in my Amazon.com store, where you can purchase it via Amazon.com, and I get a portion of the proceeds! Pretty cool, eh?

You can find my Amazon.com store by clicking here, or you can click on the "Amazon.com Store" link in the upper navigation. ;-) I will be adding more products to it soon, so keep checking it out!

Holla! It's Lolla 2010!

2010-04-06T09:09:00.005-05:00

Image cropped from cover art of Lady Gaga's album The Fame Monster

The whole Chi-town area is abuzz with the announcement of the 2010 Lollapalooza lineup! This year, the annual music festival will be headlined by Lady Gaga, Green Day, and Soundgarden, and also features a diverse array of many other awesome artists.

The dates for this year's festival, which takes place in Chicago's Grant Park, are August 6-8, 2010. Hurry and get your tickets now .... or listen to your favorite Chi-town radio station, as there are sure to be all sorts of ticket giveaways as well.

A Review, plus Thoughts on Religion & Violence in Film

2010-03-31T19:22:00.005-06:00

The Stoning of Soraya M. (2009, directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh) - The relations between the United States and Iran have been rather frought, particularly over the last thirty-odd years, since the overthrow of the Shah and the implementation of the theocracy that is still essentially in power there to this day. Tied into this, of course, is also the relationship between the United States and the religion of Islam. Indeed, among the first "exposures" I had to Iran and to the Muslim world at large was seeing the 1991 film Not Without My Daughter in my middle-school social studies class.

The Stoning of Soraya M. continues in this grand tradition. While it is important to remember that things like this DO happen in parts of the Muslim world, I think it is also important to remember that one should also not make the mistake of assuming that this is standard behavior in Iran or among Muslims. Like any religion, Islam is unfortunately plagued with people who like to use the "name of God" (or Allah, in this case?) to promote their own agendas. (Need I remind you of 2006's Jesus Camp, in which the director of the camp explicitly says that her goal is to get people to lay down their own lives in a similar way for Christianity?)

Having said this, here's the plot: The film is based on the 1994 book of the same name, written by Franco-Iranian journalist Freidoune Sahebjam (played by Jim Caviezel in the film). Set circa 1986, Sahebjam's car breaks down in a small village in rural Iran. While waiting for his car, he encounters Zahra (Shohreh Aghdashloo), a woman who convinces Sahebjam to record her as she recounts the story of what happened to her niece, Soraya (Mozhan Marnò).

Soraya's husband, Ali (Navid Negahban), is an abusive man who wants to be rid of Soraya in order to marry a 14-year-old girl without having to support two wives or return Soraya's dowry. When Soraya agrees to help a recently-widowed man by cooking for him and helping him to look after his son, Ali comes up with a plot to accomplish his goal. He accuses her of adultery, the punishment for which, in accordance with the "Islamic law" practiced in the village, is death by stoning.

Obviously, Soraya is found guilty and sentenced. The film also shows the stoning itself, in protracted, gory detail, which makes this a film that is VERY difficult for even those of us with strong stomachs to watch. It shows all the men of the village -- including Soraya's husband, her sons, and even her own father -- chucking stones at her. This violence and the way it is depicted in the film, however, should probably come as no surprise, seeing as how the film is produced by one of the producers of 2004's The Passion of the Christ.

Which brings me to another point. Films like these always make me question how I justify watching violence on film. I cannot bring myself to watch films like Passion, Glory, or another violent Gibson film, Braveheart. Yet I can watch Michael Madsen slice a cop's ear off with a straight razor in Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs and not be quite as squeamish about it. I can watch Uma Thurman wreak all sorts of gory havoc in the restaurant scene in Kill Bill, Vol. 1 and actually cheer her on as she does it. So what's the deal?

In any case, it is certainly an important film to see in that we do need to be reminded from time to time that these things go on. But don't let it cloud your perceptions as so many films have before ... I suppose that's the most important thing to take away from it.

Upcoming Events

2010-02-10T10:27:00.003-06:00

The 2010 Chicago Auto Show opens to the public this weekend, and I will most likely be making my annual pilgrimage into the city to check it out. The events of past years have been somewhat sparse, and with all the controversy surrounding the issues with Toyota vehicles lately, I will be curious to see how this year's will be handled. Keep an eye on my Twitpic profile, because there will most likely be a photolog on the day I go. ahaha. ;-)

Running somewhat concurrently with the auto show is the Chicago IKC Dog Show, which I might also attend. Definitely fun to visit if you are a dog lover; there are also several local owners and breeders you can get into contact with.

Game Obsession of the Moment: DJ Hero

2010-02-06T00:05:00.003-06:00

DJ HERO
Available for Playstation 2, Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii

The “Hero” franchise moves from the guitar to the turntables, with some pretty fun results. Definitely something interesting for people who have always dreamed about being a DJ, but have to face the cold, hard reality that DJ equipment is not cheap. heh.

If you’ve been following my social networks *subtle hint*, I’ve been raving about this one for a while. The best thing about this game, I think, is the mixes. Many big name DJs have contributed mixes to the game, including DJ Shadow, the late DJ AM, Z-Trip, Grandmaster Flash, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and the most exciting of all (to me, at least) … Daft Punk! And seriously … the songs that the DJs put together for these mixes is absolutely insane, in a good way. Beastie Boys’ “Intergalactic” + Blondie’s “Rapture”? Daft Punk’s “Da Funk” + Queen’s “Another One Bites The Dust”? That’s my idea of heaven.

The gameplay is basically what you would expect from the “Hero” franchise, with an intro tutorial voiced by Grandmaster Flash himself. Some might say it is more difficult than “Guitar Hero”, others (like me), might have a bit of difficulty with certain techniques in the game, particularly crossfading.

In any case, devotees and admirers of the turntables should definitely give this game a look. ;-)

The Oscar Nods Are Here!

2010-02-02T09:47:00.007-06:00

Image from last year's Oscars poster; (c) ABC & AMPAS

The list of nominees for the 82nd Academy Awards has been announced! And to be honest, I am very excited about this list. I’m probably more excited about the Oscars than any other awards ceremony of the season; I think the recent Grammys, say, were a bit of a disappointment.

In any case, to what I presume would be no one’s surprise, James Cameron does it again with a buttload of nods for Avatar (9 in total) -- although it’s questionable how many of those he will actually take home. There’s a lot of stiff competition from awesome films like Inglourious Basterds and Precious.
Click the jump to check out the nods for the big awards, and the horses I’m backing for each.

Best Actor
Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart
George Clooney - Up in the Air
Colin Firth - A Single Man
Morgan Freeman - Invictus
Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker

I’m rooting for either George Clooney, Colin Firth, or Morgan Freeman in this one. They all did great jobs … plus I just adore Colin Firth anyway. ahaha. ;-)

Best Supporting Actor
Matt Damon - Invictus
Woody Harrelson - The Messenger
Christopher Plummer - The Last Station
Stanley Tucci - The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds

This one, I’d like to go to Stanley Tucci (LOVE HIM), or Christoph Waltz.

Best Actress
Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side
Helen Mirren - The Last Station
Carey Mulligan - An Education
Gabourey Sidibe - Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia

Loved Meryl’s performance in Julie & Julia, but I am seriously going to be disappointed if this one does not go to Gabourey Sidibe. She was AWESOME.

Best Supporting Actress
Penélope Cruz - Nine
Vera Farmiga - Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal - Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick - Up in the Air
Mo’Nique - Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire

Gotta go with Mo’Nique on this one, without question. Again, I will be screaming and swearing if she does not win. ahaha. ;-)

Best Director
James Cameron - Avatar
Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino - Inglourious Basterds
Lee Daniels - Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
Jason Reitman - Up in the Air

I would prefer to see Quentin Tarantino or Lee Daniels win, but I have a hunch that James Cameron will be taking this one home.

Best Picture
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

On this one, I'm going for either Precious, Avatar, or Inglourious Basterds.

What are your picks? And how do you feel about the choices for the nods? Please leave a comment and weigh in!

Best Rock Operas

2010-01-28T21:47:00.008-06:00

How does one define a "rock opera" exactly? Well, I consider a "rock opera" to be something that isn't necessarily opera, but still involves more singing than speaking. Here are a few rock operas that are my personal favorites.

Before I begin, however, a few informative tidbits: Album recordings for all the shows mentioned in the following article are quite easily available; you can find them at pretty much any music retailer (iTunes, Amazon, etc.). In addition, all film versions mentioned should also be easily available for purchase or rent via the vendor of your choice. Visit Ticketmaster's Broadway page to purchase tickets to the productions that are currently running on Broadway in New York City, or click here to use Ticketmaster to find a show near you. My fellow Chicagoland residents can also visit Broadway In Chicago to find out the latest information about any Broadway productions that are in town, as well as those coming up.

Image via Wikipedia.

Jesus Christ Superstar (composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Tim Rice)
A chronicle of the last days of Jesus Christ, and the people around him. It particularly illustrates the conflict between Jesus and Judas, the disciple who betrayed him. This is a staple production for local churches and/or community theatre groups around the Easter holiday, so keep an eye out for performances in your area! (It's a great way to have a fun night of theatre on the cheap and/or without the additional travel expense.) The show has also been adapted to film a few times, including the classic 1973 version starring Ted Neely and Yvonne Elliman, as well as an Australian film production from 2000 that gives the play somewhat of a modern touch.
Standout numbers: "I Don't Know How To Love Him", "Jesus Christ Superstar", "Hosanna", "Gesthemane (I Only Want To Say)" , “Damned for All Time / Blood Money”

Image via Wikipedia.

The Phantom of the Opera (composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe)
This recently beat the record previously held by "Cats" as the longest running Broadway musical of all time; it premiered in London in 1986 and on Broadway in 1988. The story is based on the early 20th century novel written by Gaston Leroux; it involves a promising young opera singer, Christine Daaé, and her mysterious tutor, a musical genius who dwells below the famous Paris Opera House, ostracized by conventional society because of his disfigured face. The Phantom harbors a secret love for Christine, and when another potential suitor enters Christine's life, havoc ensues upon the employees of the Opera House.
The original cast from 1988 featured Michael Crawford as the Phantom, and Sarah Brightman (who was Webber's wife at the time) as Christine. The musical was also famously made into a film in 2004, starring Gerard Butler as the Phantom and Emmy Rossum as Christine. There is now even a spectacle based on the show at the Venetian in Las Vegas, and a theatrical sequel, "Love Never Dies", is due to premiere on Broadway towards the end of 2010.
Standout numbers: "Think of Me", "The Music of the Night", "The Phantom of the Opera", "All I Ask of You", "The Point of No Return".

Image via Wikipedia.

Les Misérables (composed by Claude-Michel Schönberg, libretto by Alain Boublil, and lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer)
A sung-through musical based on the Victor Hugo novel of the same name. Set in France as the country struggles to come out from under the thumb of Napoleon, it tells the tale of the life of Jean Valjean, and those people whose lives he touches. Jean Valjean is originally sent to prison for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his sister and her starving family. Upon his ultimate release, he finds himself still condemned by society, and spends the rest of the play evading police and trying to make a good name for himself. Along the way, he encounters many people who, like himself, are living in a constant fight to do what they believe is the right thing in life -- and this is the main message of the work.
“Les Mis”, as it is colloquially known, has received particular notoriety lately due to the fact that UK singer Susan Boyle has been catapulted to fame through her performance of "I Dreamed A Dream", one of this classic rock opera’s standout numbers.
Other standout numbers: "Castle on a Cloud", "Master of the House", "Lovely Ladies", "Bring Him Home", "Stars", "On My Own", "Do You Hear The People Sing", "A Little Fall of Rain".

Image via Wikipedia.

Rent (music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson)
A story of a group of young artist friends relying on one another to make ends meet in New York City. The story is actually a retelling of Puccini’s opera “La Bohème”, modernized to tackle the issues of sexuality, friendship, love, and gender identity – and in particular, the very real threat that is HIV.
“Rent” was Larson’s first major Broadway success, but unfortunately, he passed away (although not due to HIV) before he was able to witness the full extent of its success. In 2005, it was also made into a film that featured most of the original Broadway cast, including Taye Diggs and Idina Menzel, who originally met while performing together in this show, and are now married and recently had their first child.
Standout numbers: "Seasons of Love", "One Song Glory", "Today 4 U", "Light My Candle", "The Tango Maureen", "La Vie Bohème", "Out Tonight", "Take Me or Leave Me", "No Day But Today".
This is just a short list to get you started. There are many others out there, including quite a few more composed by Andrew Lloyd-Webber, so explore and find out which ones you like the best for yourself!

Another test

2010-01-27T16:48:00.002-06:00

to see if Windows Live Writer posts properly. If you're a blogger and you run a Windows machine, it's a really handy little tool. ;-)

OK

2010-01-27T16:30:00.000-06:00

I'm trying to decide whether Blogger or Wordpress is better without a domain, so ... yeah. I wanted to export my posts from Wordpress onto here, but that doesn't seem to be working very well. :-/ I'll give this place a try, though.