15 posts tagged “vox hunt”

As his time in office comes to an end, we'd like to as you to share your favorite "Bushism" from the last eight years

I have to say my favorite is "Families is where our nation finds hope, where our wings take dream," because it makes ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE. 

I only hope that we, as a collective nation, can find some way to poke fun at Obama after the honeymoon period is over.  I like my presidential comedy to be bipartisan. 

A.A. Milne, the author best known for his books about Winnie-the-Pooh, was born on this day in 1882. To celebrate his birthday, show us which Winnie-the-Pooh character you think you're most like.

I think I am a lot like Piglet.  He was my favorite when I was little, at least.

Piglet

I liked Eeyore a lot too, though.

Eeyore

Penguins, sequins, jingle bells and more... Show us your "unique" holiday sweater.

Okay, this picture is too funny not to post, and I don't think either of us are recognizable because we're so little.

When I was six, during the winter of 1990, my French grandmother sent me a Christmas sweater. It was bright red and it was full of items for "Santa's List." I remember being offended when one of the items on that list was "a boyfriend."  "Ew, boys!" I remember thinking.  "Why would I want that on my list?" (Obviously, times have changed.)

So my mother made me wear it on Christmas so that when my dad took pictures of us (with Polaroids, of course! How sad that they're being discontinued), she could show my grandmother that I wore it. 

Jen and Pat, Christmas 1990

You can see the list format on the sweater (I got Little Miss Magic Hair that year.  Also, what you do not see is that I'm missing my top two teeth). It had random splatters of snow, Santa's face, and other items (I think some reindeer) on there that no person over the age of 10 who possesses any good taste would wear. In other words, it's a perfect "teacher" sweater. 

But of course, who's looking at the sweater? Pat and I look HILARIOUS.  Patrick looks like he started drinking at the ripe old age of three.  And I still remember why I have this murderous look on my face. It's not going to make me sound good.  I got some Christmas candy that morning, and, in typical Jenny fashion, I was shoveling it down.  My mother told me to stop eating the chocolate or else I wouldn't have an appetite. Of course, she banned me from having any more chocolate right before she took the Polaroid.  You can see how happy that made me. A note to mothers everywhere: if you want a happy Christmas photo, do not ban your children from having any more candy right before it.   

Share a song that gets you psyched to exercise.  

I like to save this song for the end of a run, when I need any bit of motivation I can muster.  The song's cadence even makes me run faster.  It's so kick-ass that it's impossible not to feel motivated while listening to it.

Show us the best way to bribe you to do something you really don't want to do.

Starburst Jelly Beans

Or something to that effect.

Share a song you loved way back in the day.

I will share TWO. 

Julian Lennon-Too Late for Goodbyes

This was my favorite song when I was seven or so. I have no idea why. I just remember really loving it when I was little.

Seal - Kiss from a Rose Version

This song came out when I was ten.  I still love it, because it's so pretty.  It was the first song I ever called a radio station to request.  My best friend's sister, Courtney, was babysitting us and I was bored.  Unfortunately, I called some alternative station and requested it because that was the number Courtney had given me (she was friendly with the DJs and would talk to them on the phone a lot, calling herself "Courtney Love").  Not only did I call the wrong station, but Courtney took the phone from me and started talking to the DJ, so I never got to hear my request played. 

Share your favorite Oscar moment.

My answer isn't from yesterday's Oscars (which, from what I watched, was pretty dull.  Though Jon Stewart did a great job considering he had less than 2 weeks to prepare).  Nope, my favorite Oscar moment is from 1997.  I actually remember watching this when it happened:

I've seen some pretty stuffy acceptance speeches (like I die inside everytime someone digs out a sheet of paper and starts thanking people "from the bottom of my heart').  But I just love his exuberance and sheer joy.  Man, if I ever win an Oscar (ha!), I think that's how I would react.

What was the last good movie you watched?

The last good movie that I've already seen before was A Christmas Story. I love that movie.  The last good movie I've seen for the first time is Walk Hard. I liked it!  I know it has been getting mixed reactions.  If you walk into the movie expecting a high-brow satire, this movie is not for you.  If you enjoy over-the-top satires along the line of Not Another Teen Movie, then you'll really like Walk Hard.  I loved how it poked fun at pop music during each decade-my favorites were Dewey Cox's Bob Dylan and "Pet Sounds" phases.  I've been hearing grumbling that it dares to make fun of Johnny Cash, but it really isn't spoofing Johnny Cash. It's mainly making fun of all the music biopics from the last couple of years (i.e. when Dewey Cox gets upset, he'll just tear sink after sink out of the wall.)

Here are examples of its humor, from my favorite scenes in the movie:

Show us a childhood hero.
Subitted by Eric's Page.

My immediate family members have always been my personal heroes, but I think everyone can gather that much from reading my journal. So I'd like to talk about another hero of mine, one that I've never met but whose personal story touched my life greatly.

Anne Frank

If you all haven't read Anne's diary, then I strongly suggest that you do.  Anne was this old soul, someone was so precocious and inquisitive.  Even when writing about the "mundane" events in her life, she wrote with wit and grace. And yet, she was a typical teenage girl-she was boy-crazy, she had disagreements with her family, and she dreamed about her future as a writer. I've re-read the book many times over the years, and it never failed to put anything in my life into perspective.  If someone who was constantly living in fear could find so much beauty in the world, then what did I have to complain about? 

Reading Anne's diary made me curious about other personal struggles and stories about the Holocaust.  I've read amazing and terribly sad personal accounts, but few have impacted me like Anne's diary did (the others were Night, and Alicia: My Story.)  I was also extremely fortunate enough to hear one of her best friends (Jacque van Maarsen) speak, and to attend another lecture and personally meet her other best friend (Hannah Goslar) when I was thirteen.

I lifted a part of my journal's title ("Little Bundle of Contradictions") from an expression Anne uses in her second-to-last diary entry, and I live by one of her quotes-"Think of all the beauty that's still left in and around you, and be happy."  Anne Frank remains one of my heroes for her incredible grace in such hopeless conditions.

Show us a book that scared you as a child.

Through the Looking Glass.  I was only five, so I didn't read the whole thing, but the book frightened me solely because of this picture:

Jabberwocky