A Season for Reflection

Lent is upon us. Forty days and forty night of sacrifice is upon us. But what I find is that people forget the true purpose of Lent-- it's supposed to be a time when we reflectupon our lives and learn how we can lead our lives more faithfully and live more closely to the Bible. So this year I'm not giving up candy. I'm not giving up cursing or Facebook. Instead I've decided that I'm going to use these forty days to evaluate my life and make decisions to create a more faithful life.

Faith used to play a big part of my life. Especially when I was part of the Peer Ministry at home, I was very into living my life through faith. I miss that. I miss those people. They were some spectacular people that I can't believe I shared so much of my life with. The first year I did, I was the awkward young one, the outsider who was different in a few ways from everyone else. But we had a common thread and common goal. We all lived by the Bible and we all wanted to spread our message of love and acceptance to our peers. I had tried to get out of it-- I was worried about getting a job and becoming an editor at my school newspaper (and how well that turned out!), but Mrs. Riley told me to try it out anyway. I can't believe that I almost missed out on such a group of people. I miss planning Antioch, getting excited to go to Camp Merryheart and leading prayers and discussions where you get to see those around you and yourself opening their hearts and minds and becoming better people for it. I miss listening to White Snake and "Lean on Me" incessantly and singing them when I couldn't hear them. My friends who didn't know what I had experienced would roll their eyes at me, but I really didn't care. I couldn't expect them to understand because I hadn't understood either.
But now, I really only go to Mass when I'm at home and mainly because my parents make me. Why did I let that happen to myself? I guess with the hecticness of college living, church just fell by the wayside. The half hour commute to the center ws a little too much for me. And while college students have been part of the Peer Ministry, I find it nearly impossible to leave on the weekends. So I miss out on those bonding events, the planning meetings, and worst of all, I miss out on Antioch. I still hear "Lean on Me" and think of those amazing people, and everytime I hear "Here I Go Again" I can't help but yell "Hats off for Whitesnake!" even though people just look at me like I'm an idiot.
I miss feeling connected to my faith and feel ashamed that I think of it as too time consuming in my life at school. I wanted to go to Ash Wednesday services today. I felt like if I were to go for a service at the beginning of Lent, I could start reconfirming my faith. Unfortunately my schedule just really doesn't allow for it--that's terrible! I just said how I'm ashamed that I have the feeling that religion is too time consuming, but the fact of the matter is that I do have a lot of school work to get done and that is why I'm in SU.
Anyway, I feel that getting ashes in a reconfirmation of my faith is just too public. I often find myself too public with my faith and don't want to be like that anymore. One Bible passage that always sticks with me is the direction about following a life of prayer and fasting:

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
Matthew 6:05-08, 16-18

I have been thinking about the begining of Lent and what it has to be for me this year, and I feel like that is the true purpose of this day. It's a somber day when we reflect on our faith and the 40 days ahead of us until we celebrate our salvation. And for Lent, that's just what I'll do.

I remember being Confirmed, and honestly I think that was a lot easier. But now I venture out into reConfirmation, I hope that I can find the strength that I had around within me.

I dont know where Im going
But, I sure know where Ive been
Hanging on the promises
In songs of yesterday
An Ive made up my mind,
I aint wasting no more time
But, here I go again
Here I go again

(Hats off for Whitesnake!)

And the Oscar Goes To...

So I guess a lot of people write about the Oscars. There are always a few good topics to go off of: the fashion for the red carpet lovers and the awards for the the film fans. I am one of those people who fall under both. I need to talk about both of the topics that filled my night last night.
As I watched, my friend, slightly inebriated (alright, he was drunk*), wrote a "Live Oscar Note" which I had great fun talking to him about and, at times, offering my own insights on the evening.
*Please note that mentioned friend is 21 years old and there was no illegal underage drinking involved.

Here is MY chance, though, to share my thoughts and feelings on everything from beginning to end. But don't worry, I won't comment on everything--just award my own superlatives and comment on a few things.
Let it begin!
Just like they begin, I will begin with fashion on the Red Carpet:
Best Dressed: Amy Adams.
I realize that there are people who weren't fans (ahem, Perez Hilton) of Miss Adam's look on the red carpet, but I absolutely loved the red/turquoise combination. It's elegant and sophisticated in my book. Also, it's not really a color combination that many people see on the red carpet, giving her a unique, unexpected look. I will admit that I wasn't completely sold on the necklace at first: I thought it was a bit too heavy for her petite frame, but as I examined her ensemble further, I realized that it was that piece that really sold me on the entire look. The dress is simple enough to warrant such a loud piece and it dresses up her chest and shoulder area quite a bit. I also appreciated that her other accessories, including her hair and make-up did not compete with the jewelry. I hate when anyone goes with several loud pieces, but the simplicity of the rest of the entire get-up only accentuates her choice in the piece and her beauty. I'm actually really impressed by this because I'm really not a fan of redheads wearing red.
Other nominees: Taraji P. Henson and Penelope Cruz

Worst Dressed: Tilda Swinton.
I really, really, really want someone to tell that woman (really?) that sacs are not appropriate for the red carpet! At least this year it wasn't a black velvet one. I will, in fact, admit that Swinton looked a lot better this year, the two tones at least broke up the bagginess of the ugliness. Maybe I'm opposed to her Red Carpet looks because I find her not very attractive at all (am I really alone on that one?), but I think the woman (again, really?) could use some guidance from Valentino or Galliano.
Seriously, I think that if she were to have a dress with a gorgeous silhouette and her hair done in such a way that was a little less harsh than all pulled away from her face and lost the harsh red lip that she wouldn't appear as appallingly scary as she does usually. I realize that she is a bit older than some of the women strutting down the Red Carpet and is not going to don a slink number or anything too glittery, but can't she take a page out of Merryl Streep's book and look sophisticated but glamorous and fashionable? I really don't think it's all too much to ask for.
Other Nominees: Jessica Biel and Reece Witherspoon

Best Red Carpet Interviewer: Tim Gunn.
I'm biased. I would love for this man to be my best friend. He's a perfect gentleman, he knows fashion and is just such a pleasure to talk with. At least, I think he would be. Man, if only I could meet him and talk to him. It would be such a pleasure. Unfortunately, ABC was not doing very long Red Carpet interviews, so Tim Gunn had very little extensive screen time. But when he was on the screen, he was so nice, respectful to the stars and so complimentative. Plus, you KNOW he's best friends with Heidi Klum, which is awesome (even though she almost made the worst dressed nomination list. She let that dress wear her.)
No other nominees as Tim Gunn has stolen my heart. Tim Gunn, if you're there, please, let's get lunch soon! And we'll go shopping so you can teach me what I need to know.

Worst Red Carpet Interviewer: Ryan Seacrest.
No one likes him. He's annoying, he's nosy when unnecessary and he gets way too much screen time. The only reason E! keeps him around is that they like having the exclusives from American Idol. Totally not worth it.

Best New Aspect of the Academy Awards: (Supporting) Actor/Actress Presenters.
Receiving an Oscar is a very prestigous achievement. Each winner is essentially initiated (or re-initiated in the case of the amazing and lucky ones) into an amazing fraternity of talent and respect. The fact that they had previous recipients present the acting awards really showcased that initiation. The montage before each category was not annoying and the personalization of each nominee's intro was a classy touch. It really kicked the show up a classy notch, unfortunately I cannot say the same thing for including Sophia Loren in the Best Actress presentation. As my inebriated friend proposed to his readers: "Sophia Loren looks like a zombie. Toss up: who's more dead - Mickey Rourke or Sophia Loren?"
Other Nominees: Not having the host on the stage for very long.

Worst Aspect of the Academy Awards: Incorporating Vanessa Hudgens (and Zac Efron*) into the Musical Medley.
I found the medley to be weak in general. There were some really rough transitions between songs and some of it was a bit sloppy. Then there's all the talk about Beyoncé pulling an Ashlee Simpson. Did she lip sync? Maybe she did, and maybe she didn't; but at least everyone knows she does have the voice (I can admit despite not being a fan) where as Ashlee? That's debatable. But what really threw the the reputation of the number out for me was the incorporation of Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron. I don't think they really had any right to be on that stage on a night dedicated to the theatrial elite. I realize that ABC is a faction of Disney, Inc., but I would really like if they stopped forcing their teeny-bopper, cookie-cutter stars into my life. I deal with hearing all about Hannah Montana and High School Musical from my seven-year-old cousin at family functions. Can't the adults have one night free of these hyper-commercialized teens?
*Please not that Efron's performance/inclusion was less obnoxious because of his role in Hairspray, BUT his true association is still with Disney.

Luckiest Cast and Crew: Slumdog Millionaire.
Alright, so I haven't seen the movie--yet. But I feel like it shouldn't have SWEPT 8 awards! Wall-E had a phenomenal sound mixing. In fact no one probably would have liked Wall-E as much had it not been for the awesome mixing. It's also probably unfair that Slumdog won both Best Score and Best Song.
Don't get me wrong-- I'm happy that Slumdog was celebrated, but it's not longer the strong-hearted underdog movie that people want recognized. Now it's the massive bully movie that makes all the other movies feel like shit.

Most Deserved Win: Dustin Lance Black AND Heath Ledger
Maybe some people won't greewith this because his win was for a screeplay bout a gay political activist. What do I mea? Let's face it: there's a bias in the Academy. Afterall, these are people voting for these so objectivity is impossible. So some people that that a screenplay about queer political activism winning is just playing into that. I disagree. Okay, so this another movie that I haven't seen (YET!), but I've heard so many good things about it, especially the writing. Maybe I'll change my mind once I've seen it, but I have an idea that it really is an amazing screenplay. Sean Penn's win, however, may be a result of that subjectivity. Let's look at a little bit of history of actors in gay roles: Phillip Seymour Hoffman for Capote--WIN. Tom Hanks for Philadelphia--WIN. But writing is different. If it's bad writing, not even Marlon Brando could save it (yes, he is my stand-by reference for an acting god), but wen the writing is good, it's gool. And it seems like Black had gold and Penn just got to reap the benefits.

And regarding Heath Ledger: Duh. Tragedy or no tragedy, when an actor can transform himself into something completely unrecognizable to become such a pop culture symbol, that's Oscar Worthy.

Just Give it Up

It's evident that artist Sean Delonas is suffering. The New York Post cartoonist has been receiving flack for a while now, and yet he thinks that he can still make reprehensible drawings that will entertain the viewers.

Today's Post included a pathetic attempt to send the country back into raging racism. Depicting President Obama as a monkey is racist and in poor taste. Delonas needs to grow up and join the more civilized society that has formed around, and obviously without, him.
But what I find really strange is that the Post would actually print such a cartoon. Is there no one to check the cartoons for their appropriateness? It scares me that someone or even several people looked at that cartoon and thought that it would be a good idea to publish it. There have been several instances of this happening with Delonas cartoons, but this seems to be the clearest cut form of persecutory discrimination, that and the stupid cartoon relating same-sex relationships to bestiality (obviously, Delonas and I can never be friends). So what does that say about the higher ups at the New York Post? So in a sense, it can't be totally Delonas's fault--though I would love to blame him and only him. What I've realized is that this means that Delonas isn't the only pathetic bigots with the power to share their opinions on a mass level.

I realize that political cartoons are supposed to be provocative, and they can't always reflect everyone's feelings, but this is going too far. Delonas has taken provocative and made it offensive and ignorant. I hope the Post has learned its lesson and chooses to NOT use any more drawings by this man.

It's Been Awhile

I haven't written in a rather long time--things happen and priorities are sorted. I doubt anyone really minded because it's not like I have a readership at all. Oh well though. I will start writing once more. I think it's good for me to have somewhere to vent, discuss important topics or draw attention to things that I have found that I like (or hate for that matter). 

 Topic of today's discussion: New Year's Resolutions-- or the breaking of them.

So here we go, my resolution to make 2009 the year of progress: 

 Stop watching so many bad VH1 reality shows a la Rock of Love and I Love Money (Yay for a second season!)

Reason for this Resolution: Isn't it obvious? They're not good programming. They're mindless and I have a feeling they may have a negative impact on my intellect. Also they're terrible time wasters as they're always on repeat during the day

and aid in my horrible habit of procrastination.

Resistance: They're amazin

gly entertaining. Althou

gh they may have bad effects on my own intelligence, these shows and the antics of the poor people with such pathos really do entertain me. I find them hilariou

s. I didn't watch Real Chance of Love to see women throwing themselves at two reality show veterans. No, I watched to see how low the American population can be (or how ADORABLE they can be in the case of Corn Fed!). Also there was something exciting about tuning in to find out how Real would wear his hair: straight or curly locks-- or BRAIDED PIGTAILS?!?

Resolution Revised: I must limit the amount I watch these shows, but I do not have to cut them out of my life entirely. Also, I must engage in something that is productive for my mind-- attending class not included. I'll read another newspaper online

 or read one of the recommended articles that my professors post to Blackboard but do not require (does anyone read those?).

Obviously there are other resolutions, relating to academics, weight loss and relationships, but this one is the biggest one for me.

While keeping your resolutions, I hope that the whole idea is to make yourself a better person, not to torture yourself. So maybe you might want to consider revising that resolution to make your life still enjoyable but more improved at the same time. You'll find that it's a lot easier to handle and perhaps we won't forget by February 1st that any of us had ever made any resolutions.

So what are these resolutions that you've made? Are you sticking with them? Have you, like me, revised them to make them easier but more achievable? Or do you think I'm a crock who just gave up on her resolution too? Let me know in the comments.

TIll I think of another topic to discuss. . .

-Carolyn 

A funny thing happened when I got an apartment

Weird things are happening now that I live in an apartment:

-I clean all the time now. Unfortunately it doesn't look like it from the appearance of everything. I take into consideration that I still have more of an affinity toward throwing things around than cleaning them, but that doesn't mean that I don't clean MORE now than I used to. I don't think my roommates are even aware that I've cleaned the toilet twice since we've been here, and yes, we have been here for less than 2 months. Do you even own a toilet bowl scrubber?

-I like to cook. What I cook may be bland. It may not be fancy. But it's good and I enjoy it. I'd rather defrost some chicken, throw some seasonings and grill it and melt cheese on it than cook up some macaroni and cheese. I feel more accomplished.

-Living with people in an apartment is completely different from having a roommate. We have more of a home now than I had last year. And what comes with that is that we each have our own ways of doing things that we've grown up with that we sort of clash. Like I say dirty dishes go into a tub with hot soapy water so that they don't just accumulate in the sink. Others say, have them accumulate then fill the entire sink with hot soapy water. I still can't seem to wrap my head around that one, but that's what I've always done, so my way seems strange to others.

-I hate not being able to control the temperature of this place, especially in my room. I do not understand why my room is always several (NOTICEABLE) degrees colder than the rest of the apartment. When I say noticeable, I'm not making things up. I have had several people vouch for me that my room is, in fact, the coldest. What I can't seem to understand is why that happens when I keep my room door open all day. You would assume that the heat would flow among all the rooms. I'm considering talking to the Ghostbusters about some possible spiritual happenings that may or may not be occurring in my bedroom and whether or not this has an effect on the frigid climate.

This is all for now.

Syracuse Adventure: Pastabilities

I understand that a lot of people have been to Pastabilities before, but last night was a first-time opportunity for me.
The other day was my birthday and my friends and I decided to go out for a special dinner--we decided on a carbo-load---and OH what an experience.
It wasn't too difficult to get to. From Main Campus, it is easy for students to take either the Warehouse Route or Connective Corridor bus downtown, conveniently near Armory Square and the restaurant.
It's a large restaurant, much larger than it appears from the outside. However Pastabilities is a local favorite and can get very busy, so it is recommended that you get a reservation for during the week, or arrive early on the weekend when they don't accept reservations.
My friends and I, a group of 7, arrived around 5:30 and were seated within 5 minutes.
The menu is a little limited. I was expecting a few more dishes to be offered, and was disappointed that there wasn't much more to choose from. But the choices they did have all seemed enticing. Everyone in my party wound up getting something different and enjoying it greatly.
The portions were large, but not unmanageable. I hate when you go to a restaurant and can't even fathom how they expect you to finish the dish in front of you within a week. I was only able to eat half of my Seafood Marinara before I started feeling full. Had I not eaten so much bread beforehand, I probably could have eaten almost all of the pasta.
The pasta was excellent, as I would expect. My meal came with scallops, which were so delicious!
The one thing that did surprise me was the bread. I was a little disappointed that the bread they serve is not warm. However, instead of butter or oil being served with it, a slightly spicy, warm tomato sauce was served and it was just so good!
The prices for the meals were steep, but not astronomical. Expect about a $15 charge per plate, plus anything else you order.
I will definitely going back sometime soon. My eyes are set on some their other dishes.

Vodka is the Best Stuff on Earth

Here's the proof that vodka is probably the most useful stuff on earth.

When reading, please disregard the fact that in many instances, vodka is used as a cleaning agent, which isn't a good sign about our consumption of it.

My particular favorite is the fact that you can use it to clean up vomit. Hopefully, by the time you need it for that purpose, you still have some in the bottle. I also think that it's ironic that the probable cause of the vomit is also the cleaner.