Words to Live By...

Thanks to ZenHabits for this quote from the Dalai Lama:

"Everyday, think as you wake up, ‘today I am fortunate to have woken up,
I am alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I
am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart
out to others, to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings,
I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get
angry or think badly about others, I am going to benefit others as much
as I can."

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Reality Bites...

As you read this post, keep in mind that I was watching What Not to Wear when I started writing it. I've almost decided that I can't watch any more reality television. Earlier today when I made this decision, I had swornoff all non-scripted shows. The yearly punishment endured by American Idol hopefuls, potential Brett Michaels girlfriends, and "New York" suitors have completely jaded me toward the reality medium. A common defense for the shows is that participants, who have watched years of these programs themselves, fully expect everything that happens to them in the course of production.

I would counter, however, that even in the most open of situations the majority of reality shows exist in and perpetuate an environment of exploitation that debase the producers, the participants and even the viewers at home. Toward the end of each season people tune into Fox for good singing on American Idol, but this is after viewers ridicule the wannabes for weeks while watching auditions that make better punchlines than lyrics. Reality TV is now the all too common path for celebrities who need to augment their position relative to other, brighter stars and minimum wage workers looking for their 15 seconds of fame. Just Google Scott Baio, Salt N' Pepa, and Celebrity Rehab and see what floats to the top of the list.

Even the freaking Miss America pageant is now a reality show. I'm old enough to remember when that was a national event. Vanessa Williams built an entire career off the infamy from losing the Miss America crown. Tonight if you want to see the newest Miss America you better know where TLC is on your cable or satellite TV lineup. You'll only see the final 15 contestants because the rest were cut by the viewers of TLC's newest reality show called Finding Miss America. That's right, folks. The standard for American womanhood (ah-hem) was chosen by a relative handful of REALITY TV FANS!!! I always thought the pageant was a bit foolish, but oh, how the mighty have fallen.

I wish I had the strength to swear off all reality TV, but there are still a few decent shows (mostly of the contest/game show or personal improvement variety.) I already admitted to liking What Not to Wear, and I usually follow the latest iteration of Survivor. I think the Amazing Race is a great show, even though I've not followed it for the last year or two. Mostly though, I wish I had the discipline to swear them off completely. I've enough problems living my own life without enduring the distraction of everyone eles's edited, publicized and tabloid-covered lives.

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Blog Reco: Write to Done

I discovered a fantastic new blog this week that every writer (or wannabe writer -- especially the wannabes) should read. It's called Write to Done, and is written by Leo Babauta, the author of the already wildly successful (if you think 36,300 subscribers at the time of this post is successful) author of ZenHabits. Leo recently quit his full-time job because he's turned himself into a full-time blogger and soon-to-be-published author.

Leo writes ZenHabits about achieving goals and basically living your life better -- however you define better. Write to Done, in Leo's own words, is "a way to share some of what I’ve learned as a writer, with new (and
experienced) writers looking to improve their craft and their art. Leo is no johnny-come-lately to the writing biz. He has worked as a reporter for the last 17 years. When it comes to he habits and life of writing, he know his stuff. For someone as discipline-challenged as me, every word he writes is golden.

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Movie Review: 27 Dresses

Some of my best friends have accused me, at times, of just out-and-out being a girl. I'll be the first to admit that I'm strongly in touch with my feminine side and often get along better with women than men. Even some of my better women friends have said I'm like having a girlfriend.

I did nothing to dispel any of these assertions last night. When a planned dinner party at a business partner's house was canceled our kids still wanted to sleep over at my sister-in-law's, and we found ourselves with a free night of no kids. Pre-kids, we would easily see at least one or two movies a week. Now with a 4 and 6-year-old, we're lucky if we've heard of most movies by the time they make it to DVD.

We had plenty of choices when we pulled up to the theater last night: Juno, Oscar-nominated indie comedy; Cloverfield, JJ Abrams monster-marauding-through-NYC-pic; and 27 Dresses, a popular romantic comedy starring Katherine Heigl (Grey's Anatomy) and James Marsden (X-Men movies, among others.) There are plenty of reasons I'd want to see the first two. Juno seems excellently written and acted, and in Cloverfield Abrams blows up a lot of shit in dramatic and exciting ways.

I chose the chick flick, and I'm glad I did. Dresses, while containing the required romantic comedy cliched plot points, was smartly written and Heigl and Marsden had palpable on-screen chemistry. The basic plot centers around the always-a-bridesmaid-but-never-a-bride world of Jane (Heigl) whose Mom died when she and her sister were very young. Jane had to help her dad raise her little sister, and in the process learned how to put everyone's needs before her own. Consequently, she has convinced herself that one of the most wonderful things in the world is to support all her friends as a bridesmaid on their most important day.

Kevin (Marsden) is the talented but jaded writer of the Commitments section of the New York Journal magazine, but sees weddings (with their expensive cakes, designer gowns and custom floral arrangements) as nothing more than fuel for the $80 billion per year wedding industry. Naturally when the two of them get together sparks fly and hijinks (including a memorable karaoke rendition of Benny and the Jets) ensue.

I don't want to give away too much of the plot, especially since there's very little that can be given away in this type of movie. I enjoyed watching it and Heigl and Marsden turned in some very nice performances. If you're looking for a good date movie, or you're a big manly man with a deep connection to your feminine side, this chick flick is for you.