Sometimes I only get the chance to blog once a week. And since I can't always get up the motivation to think of a topic, it's nice to have other friends to blog with so we can take turns. I enjoy being challenged to write about stuff that might not normally come to mind and also reading everyone else's thoughts on the same topic. Blog Project 3.0 has been going on for about a year now, even though one of the group members changed after a few months. I love blogging with this group and I hope we can continue to inspire each other.
I chose the topic for the last blog project post of 2014: Make a top 10 list of your favorite blog posts from your own blog in 2014. (Doesn't have to be from the blog project ones.) Write a sentence explaining why you chose each one.
First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic:
Darwin Shrugged
Froggie
Moma Rock
I was inspired by Moma Rock, as she did this for her blog last year. I even did it for mine. I figured we could get two posts out of the way by doing this topic for our blog project. And I'm curious as to what everyone else will pick too!
All I know is that I need to be better about sticking to my writing goals. I was hoping to write a short fiction piece every month but then the High Holiday season threw me off course. I am thinking of ways to write more fiction in 2015, so stay tuned!
Here goes...
1. The Not-so-Ugly Truth about Running a Book Blog: I wrote it for an essay contest and didn't win, so I decided to share it and it received some great feedback!
2. Un-Frozen: Long before Mayim Bialik spoke out, I made it okay for people to admit that Frozen isn't the "end all, be all" of Disney movies.
3. I blog, therefore I am: I put a lot of my heart and soul into this post about why I love writing so much!
4. Breaking up is hard to do: I had fun with this piece and I've actually lost some of the post-pregnancy pounds since then.
5. My Attempt at Fan Fiction: Inspired by the novel Fangirl and my favorite childhood series, I wrote some fan fiction of my own. I really like how it turned out and am considering doing more with it.
6. Get in (or out of) the zone: I enjoyed working with this piece, as well. It was a post about comfort zones and I used a list I had found online to talk about how I stretched mine to the limit.
7. A Stand-Up Kind of Gal: Another story about getting out of my comfort zone...and being fearless.
8. You win some, you lose some: My first fiction piece for a contest. I didn't win, but I ended up getting an honorable mention and some fun swag as a result. Not bad for a first try!
9. Movies that "dare to be stupid": I wrote this for a blog tour and had so much fun reminiscing about these movies. Visit the blog tour link to see the movies that other bloggers chose.
10. Silly Sunday: This was inspired by one of my favorite chick lit novels of 2014. In my story, Moma Rock and I swap places. Visit her link from this post to see what she did when she was me for a day. I still look back on my post and laugh, especially since she said I nailed it without even knowing what I was doing.
I'd love to know what posts of mine you liked best from this past year. It might give me insight on topics for 2015 or other ideas to work with. Thanks!
Wishing you a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
List-a-Mania 2014!
I've decided to take inventory of some past lists I've made, and also wanted to include some new lists. I did this last year, as well. However, this year my favorite blog posts will be in a separate post.
This list was taken from a post about my [not-so] laminated top five list (this time Jason Segel came off the list. Sex Tape just shouldn't have been made.)
1. Chris Messina: Really, all he has to do is dance and I'm sold! :) Actually, he could just stand there and do nothing and he'd still be swoon-worthy. However, I love that, as Danny Castellano on The Mindy Project, he's not afraid to act goofy and vulnerable. Oh, and that smile....
2. Jeremy Jordan: I can't wait to see him in The Last Five Years when that finally comes to a screen near me.
3. Justin Baldoni: Now that I watch Jane the Virgin, I have my eyes on Rafael. *Swoon*
4. Matt Lanter: He's just incredibly hot. He doesn't even have to talk. I wouldn't mind the kind of making out I've seen him capable of on 90210. And he has such a great speaking voice...all deep and intense. He's definitely been on my list ever since he first appeared on the show.
5. Jamie Cullum: I think it's his Harry Connick Jr. appeal (speaking of....I also think HCJ is sexy). He has such an amazing voice that it just sends tingles down my spine. He could seduce me just by singing!
This is my celebrity bucket list, revised from a list created around this time, three years ago. Last year, I took Idina Menzel off the list. This year, the How I Met Your Mother cast gets the cut because I already met Neil Patrick Harris and the series finale felt like a break-up to me.
1. Mindy Kaling. She's so funny and down-to-earth. I can only imagine her being like that in person too. I could totally see us exchanging chick lit novels and joking around about anything and everything.
2. Tatiana Maslany and Jordan Gavaris of Orphan Black. I'm obsessed with this show and it would be an honor to meet either/both of them.
3. Lin-Manuel Miranda. I was hoping to meet him when I saw In the Heights. (He wasn't performing at the time but I had a fantasy that he'd be watching from backstage and would come out to meet his fans anyway. However, that was not the case.) He wrote an incredible musical, does a great job rapping without it sounding unintelligible and even sang "To Life, L'Chaim" to his wife at his wedding. Toss in the fact that he's adorable and you'd want to meet him too! He was even in an off-Broadway production of Tick...Tick...Boom this past year.
4. America Ferrera. She won me over in Real Women Have Curves and completely sold me on her talent in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Then she was in Ugly Betty and completely took on her role as Betty Suarez and made it her own. She just seems like a down-to-earth celebrity who isn't going to go the skanky route that other female celebrities have. I could see just hanging out with her and having fun "girl talk" over dinner.
5. Khaled Hosseini. I didn't get a chance to see him when he was in DC this past summer promoting his latest novel. I still hope to meet him one of these days, as he is on par with Wally Lamb for his incredible writing talent.
Top 10 Favorite Movies that I saw in 2014 (some might be from previous years).
This is in no particular order.
1. Begin Again: A really good story with a great soundtrack.
2. Muppets Most Wanted: Pairing classic Muppet characters with Tina Fey, Ricky Gervais, and Ty Burrell is the perfect formula. And it's a musical too!
3. Saving Mr. Banks: I must have cried a zillion times.
4. Big Hero 6: This says it all
5. Chef: Very clever story that made me hungry by the end.
6. Blended: I don't know why this movie got so much slack. It was adorable!
7. St. Vincent: Great to see Melissa McCarthy in a more down-to-earth role. And I loved the kid.
8. The Skeleton Twins: Very heartfelt and well-written. Also nice to see more comedic actors in serious roles.
9. Neighbors: Hilarious! And it featured my celebrity girl crush, Rose Byrne.
10. Into the Woods: Can't stop singing the songs now!
Top Ten Favorite Books I read in 2014. (Some may be from previous years.)
I'll be sharing my top five chick lit favorites on Chick Lit Central tomorrow, so stay tuned!
Links are all to reviews.
1-3. Amy Hatvany trio: Safe with Me, Heart Like Mine, and Outside the Lines
4. Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda
5. Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
6. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
7. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
8. One Plus One by Jojo Moyes
9. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
10. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
My five favorite TV shows that I saw in 2014:
1. Orphan Black: As I said earlier, I'm OBsessed!
2. The Mindy Project: Season two was amazing and I look forward to seeing where season three will go in 2015.
3. Orange is the New Black: I can't wait to see more in 2015!
4. Modern Family: Consistently hilarious. I love it more and more every year.
5. Jane the Virgin: I am so glad my author friend Tracie Banister convinced me to watch it. Such a fun series. Reminds me of Ugly Betty.
I didn't include The Big Bang Theory only because I'm so far behind on it still. And after a disastrous season five of Glee, I can only hope it will be better in 2015 and win me over again.
This list was taken from a post about my [not-so] laminated top five list (this time Jason Segel came off the list. Sex Tape just shouldn't have been made.)
1. Chris Messina: Really, all he has to do is dance and I'm sold! :) Actually, he could just stand there and do nothing and he'd still be swoon-worthy. However, I love that, as Danny Castellano on The Mindy Project, he's not afraid to act goofy and vulnerable. Oh, and that smile....
2. Jeremy Jordan: I can't wait to see him in The Last Five Years when that finally comes to a screen near me.
3. Justin Baldoni: Now that I watch Jane the Virgin, I have my eyes on Rafael. *Swoon*
4. Matt Lanter: He's just incredibly hot. He doesn't even have to talk. I wouldn't mind the kind of making out I've seen him capable of on 90210. And he has such a great speaking voice...all deep and intense. He's definitely been on my list ever since he first appeared on the show.
5. Jamie Cullum: I think it's his Harry Connick Jr. appeal (speaking of....I also think HCJ is sexy). He has such an amazing voice that it just sends tingles down my spine. He could seduce me just by singing!
This is my celebrity bucket list, revised from a list created around this time, three years ago. Last year, I took Idina Menzel off the list. This year, the How I Met Your Mother cast gets the cut because I already met Neil Patrick Harris and the series finale felt like a break-up to me.
1. Mindy Kaling. She's so funny and down-to-earth. I can only imagine her being like that in person too. I could totally see us exchanging chick lit novels and joking around about anything and everything.
2. Tatiana Maslany and Jordan Gavaris of Orphan Black. I'm obsessed with this show and it would be an honor to meet either/both of them.
3. Lin-Manuel Miranda. I was hoping to meet him when I saw In the Heights. (He wasn't performing at the time but I had a fantasy that he'd be watching from backstage and would come out to meet his fans anyway. However, that was not the case.) He wrote an incredible musical, does a great job rapping without it sounding unintelligible and even sang "To Life, L'Chaim" to his wife at his wedding. Toss in the fact that he's adorable and you'd want to meet him too! He was even in an off-Broadway production of Tick...Tick...Boom this past year.
4. America Ferrera. She won me over in Real Women Have Curves and completely sold me on her talent in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Then she was in Ugly Betty and completely took on her role as Betty Suarez and made it her own. She just seems like a down-to-earth celebrity who isn't going to go the skanky route that other female celebrities have. I could see just hanging out with her and having fun "girl talk" over dinner.
5. Khaled Hosseini. I didn't get a chance to see him when he was in DC this past summer promoting his latest novel. I still hope to meet him one of these days, as he is on par with Wally Lamb for his incredible writing talent.
This is in no particular order.
1. Begin Again: A really good story with a great soundtrack.
2. Muppets Most Wanted: Pairing classic Muppet characters with Tina Fey, Ricky Gervais, and Ty Burrell is the perfect formula. And it's a musical too!
3. Saving Mr. Banks: I must have cried a zillion times.
4. Big Hero 6: This says it all
5. Chef: Very clever story that made me hungry by the end.
6. Blended: I don't know why this movie got so much slack. It was adorable!
7. St. Vincent: Great to see Melissa McCarthy in a more down-to-earth role. And I loved the kid.
8. The Skeleton Twins: Very heartfelt and well-written. Also nice to see more comedic actors in serious roles.
9. Neighbors: Hilarious! And it featured my celebrity girl crush, Rose Byrne.
10. Into the Woods: Can't stop singing the songs now!
Top Ten Favorite Books I read in 2014. (Some may be from previous years.)
I'll be sharing my top five chick lit favorites on Chick Lit Central tomorrow, so stay tuned!
Links are all to reviews.
1-3. Amy Hatvany trio: Safe with Me, Heart Like Mine, and Outside the Lines
4. Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda
5. Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
6. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
7. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
8. One Plus One by Jojo Moyes
9. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
10. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
My five favorite TV shows that I saw in 2014:
1. Orphan Black: As I said earlier, I'm OBsessed!
2. The Mindy Project: Season two was amazing and I look forward to seeing where season three will go in 2015.
3. Orange is the New Black: I can't wait to see more in 2015!
4. Modern Family: Consistently hilarious. I love it more and more every year.
5. Jane the Virgin: I am so glad my author friend Tracie Banister convinced me to watch it. Such a fun series. Reminds me of Ugly Betty.
I didn't include The Big Bang Theory only because I'm so far behind on it still. And after a disastrous season five of Glee, I can only hope it will be better in 2015 and win me over again.
Monday, December 29, 2014
14 in '14
It's my annual tradition to write a list of best things that happened throughout the year. I enjoy looking back on these and reflecting upon the great memories.
1. Celebrating 10 years of marriage and my husband planning special surprises for our day (and night) in Chicago.
2. Book Expo America (BEA) and BookBuzz! See more details here and find out which celebrities I met. I also got to hang out with my friend Linda again.
3. Seeing Disney's The Little Mermaid on stage. It was a fantastic production that left me on a natural high for days.
4. My BFF's visit and our fun girl's day out...getting manicures and going to the thrift store. :)
5. Spending time with my parents and sister during their visits this past fall.
6. Visits from Paula and Christina. So great to see both of them!
7. Seeing Sarah, Jason, and their kids when they were in town from Israel. Can't believe two years flew by so fast!
8. Finally seeing The Last Five Years on stage. I can't wait for the movie to come out in February!
9. Finally seeing Gary Gulman perform live (hilarious!!) and having a date night with my husband at the same time.
10. Being at my job for five years.
11. My daughter starting the hearing loss program at her school and her speech and language taking off.
12. My friend making me a Rent cake for my birthday.
13. Being acknowledged in books by some authors I love: Meredith Schorr, Janis Thomas, and Jane Green (who also gave me a shout out in an interview she did for a magazine).
14. Seeing Into the Woods after waiting all year and actually being impressed with it!
1. Celebrating 10 years of marriage and my husband planning special surprises for our day (and night) in Chicago.
2. Book Expo America (BEA) and BookBuzz! See more details here and find out which celebrities I met. I also got to hang out with my friend Linda again.
3. Seeing Disney's The Little Mermaid on stage. It was a fantastic production that left me on a natural high for days.
4. My BFF's visit and our fun girl's day out...getting manicures and going to the thrift store. :)
5. Spending time with my parents and sister during their visits this past fall.
6. Visits from Paula and Christina. So great to see both of them!
7. Seeing Sarah, Jason, and their kids when they were in town from Israel. Can't believe two years flew by so fast!
8. Finally seeing The Last Five Years on stage. I can't wait for the movie to come out in February!
9. Finally seeing Gary Gulman perform live (hilarious!!) and having a date night with my husband at the same time.
10. Being at my job for five years.
11. My daughter starting the hearing loss program at her school and her speech and language taking off.
12. My friend making me a Rent cake for my birthday.
13. Being acknowledged in books by some authors I love: Meredith Schorr, Janis Thomas, and Jane Green (who also gave me a shout out in an interview she did for a magazine).
14. Seeing Into the Woods after waiting all year and actually being impressed with it!
Sunday, December 28, 2014
A "wish" come true
I had been looking forward to seeing the movie of Into the Woods ever since I knew it was being made. As the time got closer and trailers started showing up online, I got even more excited. "Well, excited and scared." Scared because I was hearing some bad reviews of it and I was hoping they were just from people who didn't see the stage version and had no idea what to expect. Some people reviewing on Fandango were brutal. Did they even see the trailer to know that it was a musical in the first place?!? However, my worries were for naught because I asked friends who had seen the stage version what their thoughts were and received all sorts of good feedback. And then, I saw it for myself.... All I really need to say is that I was impressed. When I saw favorite musicals done as movies in the past, I was annoyed by them and picked them apart. This time, however, I have very few critiques. Here are my thoughts, as I felt this was too long to share on Facebook as a status update. (Since it's 2014, I think giving 14 reasons is enough...)
1. I wasn't sure what to think of Emily Blunt doing musical theater. I never knew she could sing. She has a different singing voice than I'm used to, but it's pretty and she harmonizes well with James Corden. I loved "It Takes Two." They totally nailed one of my favorite songs from the show. She also did well with "Moments in the Woods." So her girl crush factor has gone up a few points as far as I'm concerned and it made the Baker's Wife my favorite character in the movie, as well as in the stage version.
2. Johnny Depp as the Wolf. He was perfectly creepy and it just worked for this role.
3. Lilla Crawford was perfect as Red Riding Hood. I can't even go back and watch Danielle Ferland in the role now because Lilla just owned it.
4. While Daniel Huttlestone (Jack) was cute and all, my one critique is that I was expecting him to sing "Little People" from the London production of Les Miz because his accent was that overwhelming. It just didn't work for anyone playing Jack. I liked Tracey Ullman as his mother.
5. I liked how they made "Giants in the Sky" and "I Know Things Now" so that they were directed at the Baker instead of as monologue songs. I just don't know that I liked watching what happened after the Wolf ate Red. It seemed a bit cheesy and unnecessary.
6. My other critique is that "The Steps of the Palace" was changed to be first person and the time stopping aspect seemed weird. I can see why they did that, but it just didn't feel right.
7. "Agony" was a fun production. I think other people found it funnier than I did, but I still thought it was cute overall. I'm glad they didn't do the reprise as it would have taken away from the direction in which the movie was going.
8. Meryl Streep rocked the role of the Witch. I didn't know she had it in her, but I was pleasantly surprised. And she looked fabulous once the curse was broken.
9. I wasn't sure if I'd like Anna Kendrick as Cinderella, but she really was amazing. I hope she does as well in her role as Cathy in The Last Five Years.
10. I definitely cried a few times toward the end. I do for the stage version too, so the emotional quality did carry over well.
11. The effects and costumes were wonderful. I totally felt swept away into the world of the story. I also got a different perspective on things that couldn't be portrayed on stage as well as they could on screen.
12. While some songs were eliminated, it didn't take away from the story. I wouldn't have minded hearing "Maybe They're Really Magic," but that's okay.
13. I really liked James Corden as the baker. I had only seen him in one other movie prior to this one and liked him then too. He played the role in a different way than Chip Zien did, but he really made it his own and put so much charm and emotion into it.
14. My older son loved it and wants to see it again. And so do I! (We'll probably wait for DVD though.)
1. I wasn't sure what to think of Emily Blunt doing musical theater. I never knew she could sing. She has a different singing voice than I'm used to, but it's pretty and she harmonizes well with James Corden. I loved "It Takes Two." They totally nailed one of my favorite songs from the show. She also did well with "Moments in the Woods." So her girl crush factor has gone up a few points as far as I'm concerned and it made the Baker's Wife my favorite character in the movie, as well as in the stage version.
2. Johnny Depp as the Wolf. He was perfectly creepy and it just worked for this role.
3. Lilla Crawford was perfect as Red Riding Hood. I can't even go back and watch Danielle Ferland in the role now because Lilla just owned it.
4. While Daniel Huttlestone (Jack) was cute and all, my one critique is that I was expecting him to sing "Little People" from the London production of Les Miz because his accent was that overwhelming. It just didn't work for anyone playing Jack. I liked Tracey Ullman as his mother.
5. I liked how they made "Giants in the Sky" and "I Know Things Now" so that they were directed at the Baker instead of as monologue songs. I just don't know that I liked watching what happened after the Wolf ate Red. It seemed a bit cheesy and unnecessary.
6. My other critique is that "The Steps of the Palace" was changed to be first person and the time stopping aspect seemed weird. I can see why they did that, but it just didn't feel right.
7. "Agony" was a fun production. I think other people found it funnier than I did, but I still thought it was cute overall. I'm glad they didn't do the reprise as it would have taken away from the direction in which the movie was going.
8. Meryl Streep rocked the role of the Witch. I didn't know she had it in her, but I was pleasantly surprised. And she looked fabulous once the curse was broken.
9. I wasn't sure if I'd like Anna Kendrick as Cinderella, but she really was amazing. I hope she does as well in her role as Cathy in The Last Five Years.
10. I definitely cried a few times toward the end. I do for the stage version too, so the emotional quality did carry over well.
11. The effects and costumes were wonderful. I totally felt swept away into the world of the story. I also got a different perspective on things that couldn't be portrayed on stage as well as they could on screen.
12. While some songs were eliminated, it didn't take away from the story. I wouldn't have minded hearing "Maybe They're Really Magic," but that's okay.
13. I really liked James Corden as the baker. I had only seen him in one other movie prior to this one and liked him then too. He played the role in a different way than Chip Zien did, but he really made it his own and put so much charm and emotion into it.
14. My older son loved it and wants to see it again. And so do I! (We'll probably wait for DVD though.)
Thursday, December 18, 2014
What's NOT to love?!?
Sometimes I only get the chance to blog once a week. And since I can't always get up the motivation to think of a topic, it's nice to have other friends to blog with so we can take turns. I enjoy being challenged to write about stuff that might not normally come to mind and also reading everyone else's thoughts on the same topic. Blog Project 3.0 has been going on for about a year now, even though one of the group members changed after a few months. I love blogging with this group and I hope we can continue to inspire each other.
This week Moma Rock chose the topic: Tell us about something you really love that others can't relate to.
First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic:
Darwin Shrugged
Froggie
Moma Rock
A while back, I wrote about things other people like that I don't like. So it's interesting to turn the topic around. Especially since I'm so mainstream and like most of the same things other people do. Reading? Check. The Mindy Project? Check. Broadway musicals? Check. Ice cream? Check. The list goes on and on...
There are some things that I know I'm in the minority for liking though. Maybe not universally, but at least in my little world. :)
I'm sure I've mentioned this many times before, but I'm still as addicted as ever to Special K Vanilla Almond. I eat it every single day for breakfast. When the stores have it on sale, I stock up like it's going out of style. My husband used to eat it but he doesn't anymore. Maybe he became satiated? I can't start my day without a bowl of Special K. My quirk is that I don't put milk in it. I eat it dry with a cup of hot tea or orange juice. The only time I don't eat it is the week of Pesach. I wish they'd invent Kosher for Passover Special K Vanilla Almond. Then I'd be all set. Of course, that week of just makes me appreciate it even more.
Next is country music. I know there are a lot of people in the world who love country music, but very few whom I know personally. I'm hard pressed to find someone to attend a Band Perry, Luke Bryan, or Lady Antebellum concert locally. I started liking country music during my senior year of college. After I graduated, I'd buy CDs of my favorite country artists and even went to a Dixie Chicks concert. I still prefer the country station to all other radio stations, no matter how many songs are about girls wearing jeans and riding in a truck.
I have very few friends who have both heard of and love the movies Moving Violations and Sing. I still love both movies so much for their comedic factor or their feel-good factor respectively. If you know me well enough, you know that I can't shut up about these movies. My husband has seen both, but he doesn't appreciate them the way I do. So having people to talk about either or both movie(s) is few and far between. Here are the trailers for both. If you're able to get your hands on either movie and watch them, I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Tell me about something YOU love that others don't appreciate.
This week Moma Rock chose the topic: Tell us about something you really love that others can't relate to.
First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic:
Darwin Shrugged
Froggie
Moma Rock
A while back, I wrote about things other people like that I don't like. So it's interesting to turn the topic around. Especially since I'm so mainstream and like most of the same things other people do. Reading? Check. The Mindy Project? Check. Broadway musicals? Check. Ice cream? Check. The list goes on and on...
There are some things that I know I'm in the minority for liking though. Maybe not universally, but at least in my little world. :)
I'm sure I've mentioned this many times before, but I'm still as addicted as ever to Special K Vanilla Almond. I eat it every single day for breakfast. When the stores have it on sale, I stock up like it's going out of style. My husband used to eat it but he doesn't anymore. Maybe he became satiated? I can't start my day without a bowl of Special K. My quirk is that I don't put milk in it. I eat it dry with a cup of hot tea or orange juice. The only time I don't eat it is the week of Pesach. I wish they'd invent Kosher for Passover Special K Vanilla Almond. Then I'd be all set. Of course, that week of just makes me appreciate it even more.
 |
| I'm not obsessed or anything... |
Next is country music. I know there are a lot of people in the world who love country music, but very few whom I know personally. I'm hard pressed to find someone to attend a Band Perry, Luke Bryan, or Lady Antebellum concert locally. I started liking country music during my senior year of college. After I graduated, I'd buy CDs of my favorite country artists and even went to a Dixie Chicks concert. I still prefer the country station to all other radio stations, no matter how many songs are about girls wearing jeans and riding in a truck.
I have very few friends who have both heard of and love the movies Moving Violations and Sing. I still love both movies so much for their comedic factor or their feel-good factor respectively. If you know me well enough, you know that I can't shut up about these movies. My husband has seen both, but he doesn't appreciate them the way I do. So having people to talk about either or both movie(s) is few and far between. Here are the trailers for both. If you're able to get your hands on either movie and watch them, I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Tell me about something YOU love that others don't appreciate.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Looking up or looking down?
Sometimes I only get the chance to blog once a week. And since I can't always get up the motivation to think of a topic, it's nice to have other friends to blog with so we can take turns. I enjoy being challenged to write about stuff that might not normally come to mind and also reading everyone else's thoughts on the same topic. Blog Project 3.0 has been going on for about a year now, even though one of the group members changed after a few months. I love blogging with this group and I hope we can continue to inspire each other.
This week Darwin Shrugged chose the topic: Bill Cosby is all over the news for his alleged inappropriate activities. Many people struggle with accepting that Dr. Huxtable could have done the things for which he is accused. So I ask this: Is there a celebrity scandal that would really upset you, simply because you love that celebrity/hold him or her in high esteem? Has it already happened? If there's no celebrity, is there a person in your real life like that?
First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic:
Darwin Shrugged
Froggie
Moma Rock
A month or so before the big Cosby scandal became a news story, there was a situation in DC involving an Orthodox Rabbi. I don't want to go into all the details again and I don't really have a personal connection since I never went to his shul, but at the point in time of our shul choosing a new Rabbi, it's given everyone a lot to think about. And since it involved the mikvah, I'm definitely checking for anything out of the ordinary whenever I go to the one close to my house. I know the situation has affected people who used to go to that Rabbi's shul and the reactions could be seen as post-traumatic stress. I remember one of my friends posting on Facebook that she's not sure she'll be able to completely trust any Rabbi. Scary to think about since they're leaders for our faith. I've never encountered problems with any of the Rabbis whose shuls I've attended, and I hope I never have to come into such a situation.
Having said that, time to move on to celebrities. Obviously, I'm having trouble reconciling Cliff Huxtable with the accusations made against him. It seems so unreal (and not in a good way, obviously). I remember when people made accusations about Michael Jackson and his relationships with children. I don't know how much of it is true and don't really want to either. I was a fan of Michael Jackson when I was growing up, but eventually lost interest in his music. I think that was around the time people started turning against him. Here's a recent story of such accusations against him. What can even be done about it now that he's dead?
Then there's Pee Wee Herman's movie theater incident. Upon reading about it again, it was at an ADULT theater. He wasn't doing anything in front of kids, nor was he touching anyone except, allegedly, himself. What else do people do during adult movies? Isn't it expected that it would happen. I don't really see what Paul Reubens does on his personal time has to do with his character of Pee Wee Herman. It doesn't stop me from wanting to show my kids Pee Wee's Big Adventure. It was a funny movie and it came out before the incident anyway. Comedic actor Fred Willard was also arrested for a similar situation. The charges were dropped shortly afterward. I should probably hold him to the same standard that I hold Pee Wee to, right? For some reason, I keep picturing him as his character from A Mighty Wind and saying "Wha' happened?" while he was, to put it nicely, entertaining himself.
George Michael was also arrested for a lewd act in the late 90s. Except this was in a public bathroom. There's a time and place for everything, but it's harder to excuse this than something that happened in an adults only theater. Good thing I wasn't really interested in him at the time, but I still like Wham's music.
A few years ago, Kevin Clash (the voice of Elmo) was accused of sexual abuse. This past year, the charges were dropped. At the time, however, people were blaming Elmo, like he had some control over what happened to the guy who gives him a voice. I'm glad to hear the charges were dropped though.
There are certain celebrities that I would never want to hear about any scandals from. If that happened, it would be a travesty!
* I know Mr. Rogers has been dead for over 12 years, but if a scandal were ever dug up about him, that would completely turn everything on its axis. I recently heard from someone that he is as good of a person as he appears on his show, so that's a relief! I watched his show every day when I was a kid and still see him as this gentle guide when it comes to parenting and even talking to kids about the difficult things in life.
* As you know, I'm obsessed with The Mindy Project and feel that Mindy Kaling can do no wrong. If she ever tarnished her image, I would be extremely disappointed and would be questioning whom I admire going forward.
* While I don't watch Ellen DeGeneres on TV all that much, I still admire her. She's funny, generous, friendly, and--most importantly--the voice of Dory! She even got the Golden Tweet award and it was for something cute and fun. So I can't even imagine her doing anything scandalous or shameful.
* Candace Cameron was my TV best friend growing up and I even got to interview her at Chick Lit Central last year. She has good family values and always seems positive and encouraging. The fact that people had to pick her apart for how she keeps her marriage going strong only shows that there's nothing shady about her. Now her brother, on the other hand.... Let's just say Candace may be boasting about her religious beliefs, but she doesn't cram them down our throats or use them as ways to back up hatred of any population.
* I don't watch The Tonight Show, but I hold Jimmy Fallon in high esteem. I've always thought he was funny and talented. He had me at his impression of Adam Sandler. In any case, I've seen his rise to fame and there have only been good things about him in the news, magazine articles, etc. He loves to entertain and make people laugh and he seems like a total family man too. So I can't see him messing that up anytime soon, nor would I want to.
* My kids were into The Laurie Berkner Band for a while and my younger son even won a Skype chat with Laurie herself. She not only sings cute and fun songs that the whole family can enjoy without getting annoyed, but she's also really nice to all her fans and so down-to-earth too. I think Earth would fold in on itself if she ever did something unsavory.
* Finally, there's a semi-new TV dad whom I totally admire. That dad is Phil Dunphy from Modern Family, played by the ever-so-funny Ty Burrell. I really didn't think much of him when I first started watching the show. He was just another nameless, faceless, TV dad at the time. And he was being overshadowed by all the other equally funny and talented actors on the show. However, he managed to surprise me and win me over pretty quickly. And then I kept seeing him pop up in movies, whether he's a French detective in Muppets Most Wanted or a talking dog in Mr. Peabody and Sherman. These days, if Ty Burrell is in it, you know it's going to be good. I recently heard that he's going to do a voice in Finding Dory, starring the abovementioned Ellen DeGeneres. (He was even on her show this past year.) So, needless to say, I hope Ty stays on the good side of the news for many years to come because I really don't want to see Phil meet Cliff's fate.
What celebrity scandal would really upset YOU?
This week Darwin Shrugged chose the topic: Bill Cosby is all over the news for his alleged inappropriate activities. Many people struggle with accepting that Dr. Huxtable could have done the things for which he is accused. So I ask this: Is there a celebrity scandal that would really upset you, simply because you love that celebrity/hold him or her in high esteem? Has it already happened? If there's no celebrity, is there a person in your real life like that?
First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic:
Darwin Shrugged
Froggie
Moma Rock
Having said that, time to move on to celebrities. Obviously, I'm having trouble reconciling Cliff Huxtable with the accusations made against him. It seems so unreal (and not in a good way, obviously). I remember when people made accusations about Michael Jackson and his relationships with children. I don't know how much of it is true and don't really want to either. I was a fan of Michael Jackson when I was growing up, but eventually lost interest in his music. I think that was around the time people started turning against him. Here's a recent story of such accusations against him. What can even be done about it now that he's dead?
Then there's Pee Wee Herman's movie theater incident. Upon reading about it again, it was at an ADULT theater. He wasn't doing anything in front of kids, nor was he touching anyone except, allegedly, himself. What else do people do during adult movies? Isn't it expected that it would happen. I don't really see what Paul Reubens does on his personal time has to do with his character of Pee Wee Herman. It doesn't stop me from wanting to show my kids Pee Wee's Big Adventure. It was a funny movie and it came out before the incident anyway. Comedic actor Fred Willard was also arrested for a similar situation. The charges were dropped shortly afterward. I should probably hold him to the same standard that I hold Pee Wee to, right? For some reason, I keep picturing him as his character from A Mighty Wind and saying "Wha' happened?" while he was, to put it nicely, entertaining himself.
George Michael was also arrested for a lewd act in the late 90s. Except this was in a public bathroom. There's a time and place for everything, but it's harder to excuse this than something that happened in an adults only theater. Good thing I wasn't really interested in him at the time, but I still like Wham's music.
A few years ago, Kevin Clash (the voice of Elmo) was accused of sexual abuse. This past year, the charges were dropped. At the time, however, people were blaming Elmo, like he had some control over what happened to the guy who gives him a voice. I'm glad to hear the charges were dropped though.
There are certain celebrities that I would never want to hear about any scandals from. If that happened, it would be a travesty!
* I know Mr. Rogers has been dead for over 12 years, but if a scandal were ever dug up about him, that would completely turn everything on its axis. I recently heard from someone that he is as good of a person as he appears on his show, so that's a relief! I watched his show every day when I was a kid and still see him as this gentle guide when it comes to parenting and even talking to kids about the difficult things in life.
* As you know, I'm obsessed with The Mindy Project and feel that Mindy Kaling can do no wrong. If she ever tarnished her image, I would be extremely disappointed and would be questioning whom I admire going forward.
* While I don't watch Ellen DeGeneres on TV all that much, I still admire her. She's funny, generous, friendly, and--most importantly--the voice of Dory! She even got the Golden Tweet award and it was for something cute and fun. So I can't even imagine her doing anything scandalous or shameful.
* Candace Cameron was my TV best friend growing up and I even got to interview her at Chick Lit Central last year. She has good family values and always seems positive and encouraging. The fact that people had to pick her apart for how she keeps her marriage going strong only shows that there's nothing shady about her. Now her brother, on the other hand.... Let's just say Candace may be boasting about her religious beliefs, but she doesn't cram them down our throats or use them as ways to back up hatred of any population.
* I don't watch The Tonight Show, but I hold Jimmy Fallon in high esteem. I've always thought he was funny and talented. He had me at his impression of Adam Sandler. In any case, I've seen his rise to fame and there have only been good things about him in the news, magazine articles, etc. He loves to entertain and make people laugh and he seems like a total family man too. So I can't see him messing that up anytime soon, nor would I want to.
* My kids were into The Laurie Berkner Band for a while and my younger son even won a Skype chat with Laurie herself. She not only sings cute and fun songs that the whole family can enjoy without getting annoyed, but she's also really nice to all her fans and so down-to-earth too. I think Earth would fold in on itself if she ever did something unsavory.
* Finally, there's a semi-new TV dad whom I totally admire. That dad is Phil Dunphy from Modern Family, played by the ever-so-funny Ty Burrell. I really didn't think much of him when I first started watching the show. He was just another nameless, faceless, TV dad at the time. And he was being overshadowed by all the other equally funny and talented actors on the show. However, he managed to surprise me and win me over pretty quickly. And then I kept seeing him pop up in movies, whether he's a French detective in Muppets Most Wanted or a talking dog in Mr. Peabody and Sherman. These days, if Ty Burrell is in it, you know it's going to be good. I recently heard that he's going to do a voice in Finding Dory, starring the abovementioned Ellen DeGeneres. (He was even on her show this past year.) So, needless to say, I hope Ty stays on the good side of the news for many years to come because I really don't want to see Phil meet Cliff's fate.
What celebrity scandal would really upset YOU?
Thursday, December 4, 2014
My kryptonite
Sometimes I only get the chance to blog once a week. And since I can't always get up the motivation to think of a topic, it's nice to have other friends to blog with so we can take turns. I enjoy being challenged to write about stuff that might not normally come to mind and also reading everyone else's thoughts on the same topic. Blog Project 3.0 has been going on for about a year now, even though one of the group members changed after a few months. I love blogging with this group and I hope we can continue to inspire each other.
This week Froggie chose the topic: Unimaginable
First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic:
Darwin Shrugged
Froggie
Moma Rock
Chick Lit Central is currently hosting a giveaway of Dina Silver's latest novel, The Unimaginable. For a bonus question, I asked our readers what is unimaginable to them. One of them said "Life without books would be unimaginable." While I originally had something else in mind to write about, it was a heavier topic and I had trouble tackling it without somehow offending someone. However, this reader hit the nail on the head and I couldn't agree with her more! Take away books from the world and you have tortured me for life. Oddly enough, my son once said that if I ever get in trouble, a good punishment is to have someone take away all my books. (I'm sure the same could apply to him because he also loves to read!)
Anyway, I've talked about my love for books many times. They have been my salvation when I was growing up and dealing with bullies or not having many friends to hang out with. They've also been the reason I've met some of the friends with whom I'm currently close. I can't go a day without having a book to read! And I definitely can't imagine ever not having books in my life. That would be like taking away spinach from Popeye!
Thanks to a meme I found on Facebook recently, I was directed to Bookfessions. There I found some "bookfessions" that really spoke to me. I'm sharing a few of them here so you can truly see why books are so essential to my life.
* 794. People who hate to read scare me. Books have kept me alive.
* 1033. Books are essential to life.
* 1024. Reading has been constant in my life ever since I fell in love with it.
* 997. I actually can't remember a time when I could not read.
* 948. I own so many books that I ended up starting my own library system. (This actually does apply to me and a friend even gave me an embossing stamp for them!)
* 838. I never want to stop reading. I just want to linger on my adventures for as long as I can.
* 828. Being in a bookstore, surrounded by tons of books I want to read, is one of the best feelings I can have.
Having said all this, I want to do a book giveaway. It won't be as big as the giveaways at Chick Lit Central, but maybe it will give a book lover like me something for their collection or will inspire someone to read more often. Whatever the case may be, someone's going to win a book and I hope they'll enjoy it!
How to enter: Use the Rafflecopter. If you have any questions on how it works, please comment below with your contact info and I will e-mail you to answer them. If Rafflecopter is not working on this page, go here to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Worldwide (e-books will be sent to overseas winner)
This week Froggie chose the topic: Unimaginable
First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic:
Darwin Shrugged
Froggie
Moma Rock
Chick Lit Central is currently hosting a giveaway of Dina Silver's latest novel, The Unimaginable. For a bonus question, I asked our readers what is unimaginable to them. One of them said "Life without books would be unimaginable." While I originally had something else in mind to write about, it was a heavier topic and I had trouble tackling it without somehow offending someone. However, this reader hit the nail on the head and I couldn't agree with her more! Take away books from the world and you have tortured me for life. Oddly enough, my son once said that if I ever get in trouble, a good punishment is to have someone take away all my books. (I'm sure the same could apply to him because he also loves to read!)
Thanks to a meme I found on Facebook recently, I was directed to Bookfessions. There I found some "bookfessions" that really spoke to me. I'm sharing a few of them here so you can truly see why books are so essential to my life.
* 794. People who hate to read scare me. Books have kept me alive.
* 1033. Books are essential to life.
* 1024. Reading has been constant in my life ever since I fell in love with it.
* 997. I actually can't remember a time when I could not read.
* 948. I own so many books that I ended up starting my own library system. (This actually does apply to me and a friend even gave me an embossing stamp for them!)
* 838. I never want to stop reading. I just want to linger on my adventures for as long as I can.
* 828. Being in a bookstore, surrounded by tons of books I want to read, is one of the best feelings I can have.
Having said all this, I want to do a book giveaway. It won't be as big as the giveaways at Chick Lit Central, but maybe it will give a book lover like me something for their collection or will inspire someone to read more often. Whatever the case may be, someone's going to win a book and I hope they'll enjoy it!
How to enter: Use the Rafflecopter. If you have any questions on how it works, please comment below with your contact info and I will e-mail you to answer them. If Rafflecopter is not working on this page, go here to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Worldwide (e-books will be sent to overseas winner)
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