Dancing on the Jetty

I was reminded yesterday by a friend that I haven't updated in a long time. I commented to my wife a couple of weeks ago that I don't think I have been this busy the entire time we've been married. Actually, things are about to get even busier, but I'm not even going to touch that topic right now.

Anyway, so by the end of a day spent typing on the computer and reading drawn out legal opinions, the last thing I have wanted to do is sit down at my computer and type some more. Writing a blog shouldn't feel like a homework assignment, right?

That being said, I will actually do a real update this weekend. I'm not sure what to write about yet, but I probably won't be talking about the new blue retainer that I got this week and am wearing right now (yes, I stopped wearing my retainer and my teeth have moved, so instead of braces they are trying a new retainer. Please let this work because I don't want to show up to court for the first time with a metal mouth).

This entry, which basically talks about nothing, reminds me a bit of when the Chairman of the Fed testifies before Congress, or when a new Supreme Court justice is nominated and has to endure hours and hours of the same questions (Alan Greenspan was a master of "fed speak" ). In both cases, the Chairman or the soon-to-be justice will basically give answers without ever answering the question. That's kind of how I feel about this blog update. I've updated, without really updating, if that makes any sense.

Yo Soy Betty, La Fea

Here's a quote from Entertainment Weekly's review of the first season of Ugly Betty on dvd.

"This audacious twist solidifies Betty's status as the gayest show on TV, in both senses of the word: Not only is it steeped in a queer aesthetic, but there's palpable joy behind the sweet silliness of it all."

That's right, one of my favorite shows has been called the "gayest show on tv." As long as Project Runway, America's Next Top Model, What Not to Wear, and Grey's Anatomy are on tv, Ugly Betty will never be close to being the gayest show on tv.

The reason why I started watching this show is because my wife recognized "Dawn" from the British Office as one of the reporters on the fake fashion tv show. Then she recognized "Maggie" from Extras as the seamstress or whatever she is called at Mode magazine. I figured if this show would go to great lengths to poach two great actresses from Ricky Gervais shows, then I better check it out.

At first, I thought to myself "this show is just too gay for me." Betty's nephew is gay, Wilhemina's assistant is gay, and it seemed like gay was everywhere, but after watching a couple of episodes, either I got used to it or they toned it down a bit. I think I have seen every episode now (thanks to summer re-runs) and I can honestly say that it's one of the best shows on tv. Here are the reasons why I like it so much:

1. The interaction between Betty and Daniel. I can't remember what the guy's name is that plays Daniel, but he does a great job as the sex-crazed editor of Mode. The interaction between the two in the episode where Betty gets a makeover from her sister was great.

2. Vanessa Williams and Rebecca Romijn. These two cougars make the show. Vanessa "formerly Rick Fox's wife" plays the evil Wilhemina and Rebecca "formerly married to Uncle Jesse" Stamos plays Daniel Meade's brother who faked his death only to come back as a woman.

3. The fake telenovelas on tv. If any of you have ever seen a telenovela, then you know how cheesy they are. There were certain times in Guate where every person who owned a tv would be watching the same novela. I think the most popular one I saw was "Sonadores." We'd be walking down the street at 7:30 at night and we could hear the same thing coming out of every house we walked by.

I know that most dudes probably aren't dying to tune into a show about an assistant to the editor of a fashion magazine, but it really is one of the best shows on tv. If you saw "Real Women Have Curves" than it might take you a while to get used to seeing America Ferrara not wearing flesh-toned underwear, but just give it a couple of episodes and it will be worth it.

Foreign Music Friday

Here is another installment about something that absolutely no one (besides me) cares about. For today's pick, I decided to go with Japan. The band is the Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, which is an entirely too long of a name for a band. They've been around since about 1985 and in the first video they team up with J-Pop superduo Puffy Ami Yumi to form one of the most uncomfortable collaborations I have ever witnessed. The girls look like they have no clue as to what is going on, or how to dance for that matter. The song starts off a little slow, but it gets better as it goes along. I always get it stuck in my head when I listen to it and then I have to spend the day mumbling lyrics because I have no idea what they are saying. Prepare to be uncomfortable...




This also marks the first Foreign Music Friday where I will include two videos by the same band. I like the following one better because it better represents Tokyo Skapa (and because one guy is playing a trash can and another is playing a tuba). I have no idea what the guy is yelling to the audience in the beginning, but judging by the audience's reaction I think he is telling them that it's important to stay in school and get a good education. Even if you don't like ska music, doesn't it look like you would have a good time at this concert?

Yo Gabba Gabba

Because I like to support work done by fellow Mormons and The Aquabats, I will put in a little plug for a new tv show on Nick Jr called Yo Gabba Gabba. It's on every morning at 7:30 is highly entertaining, even for adults. Here's a little clip from the first episode (if you have to take a test or have some sort of important meeting to go to and you don't want a song stuck in your head, do not watch this clip).

Who my 6-month old is going to be for Halloween

Foreign Music Friday

A little late, but here's my pick for this week. The band is Midnight Oil (which I think is a great name for a band), the song is "Blue Sky Mine", the country is Australia, and the year is 1990. These guys might be better known for the song "Beds Are Burning" but I like this song more. Probably the best part of this video is watching the singer dance. It almost looks like he has an itch in the middle of his back and he just can't reach it. Anyway, the guy is eccentric, to say the least.

Back To School

Next Tuesday will be my last back to school day and I couldn't be happier. If you would've told me when I was 15 years old that my undergrad degree would be in economics and that I would go on to law school, I would've told you that you were crazy. Here's a list of possible careers that I have considered over the years (in no particular order):

1. Professional baseball player (Kind of hard to accomplish that when you stop playing in high school)

2. FBI Agent (My application is actually completed, but I never submitted it. Had I not decided to go to law school, I'm pretty sure that I would be working for the FBI in some capacity, assuming I could pass the color test.)

3. Police Officer (I considered this a long time ago, but knew it would never really be a possibility. Before we got married, my wife kindly informed me that I would never be a police officer. Oh well.)

4. American History Professor (This is still one of my dreams actually. I love American History. If I was ever offered a job teaching US History on the east coast or in the south, I would do it in a heartbeat. )

5. Commercial Real Estate Broker (I did an internship with a commercial real estate firm in northern California a few years ago to see if it might be something I was interested in. Well, after a couple of months I realized that selling real estate just wasn't for me. The guys I worked with were all very nice, and I appreciated them taking me to a great Vietnamese restaurant for lunch, but without going into too much detail, working there was kind of like being in high school again. That's not a good thing.)

6. Tomato Farmer (I told my wife that for graduation I want a clock that counts backwards starting at 20 years. As soon as the 20 years are up, I'm quitting law and we are moving to central California so I can live out my dream of being a tomato farmer. She actually seems ok with the idea. If I can't afford one in central California, I'll buy a farm in Guatemala and spend my summers there.)

7. Buffalo Rancher (We used to go up to Wyoming every summer, and there was a buffalo farm close to where stayed that I thought was incredible. I would just want to raise and sell them, not slaughter them for meat.)

I'm sure there are more jobs that I have considered over the years, but these were the only ones that stuck out in my mind. Not to get all patriotic or anything, but one of the really great things about living in the United States is that you really can do anything you want as long as you are willing to work for it. In other countries the opportunities just aren't available like they are here. I used to work with a bunch europeans in a plant pathology lab and none of them wanted to go back to their native countries because they said there just aren't jobs there like there are here. The PhD students would get all nervous towards the end of their educations because they knew that their student visas were about to run out and they would have to return to France or Germany or whatever. So, for all of the US's faults, it really is a land of opportunity, even for someone who was a terrible student through high school like I was.