I want to post this link again, because I don't think I gave the credit it was due. I like it because it makes a lot of salient points about the difficulty of forging an equal alliance in any day and age, regardless of each partner's educational, financial, or professional status. I've written papers about that. Also - the writing kicks serious A. I couldn't stop reading it, and not just because I liked the topic. Aside from all that, I've had Mrs. O on the brain because last night I had a dream that I was going down the street to my new neighbor's house - named Michelle Obama - to welcome her and her family and ask her advice on what to do next with my life. But I woke up before I heard her answer.

I haven't forgotten my new boyfriend. I found this fun thing.

Welcome to my new love jones. Christ, this guy is hot. I've been reading a lot of reviews of Quantum before and after my viewing of it, and there is a lot of outrage out there about the amount of violence and action (not the usual kind) that Bond sees in this film. That James Bond is an attitude, not an action hero. I should preface the following statements with the disclaimer that I have not yet seen Casino Royale, the film to which Quantum is a direct sequel (also a first for Bond). But I have a rebuttal to the whole wave against this movie.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but in Royale James Bond actually falls in love and then his love is murdered. Okay, so what did everyone expect him to be like, following his experience with that? Psychologically speaking, he'd be very angry and distant and hungry for vengeance, and maybe a wee bit violent, yes? And he is a spy who is trained to kill, yes? So put those two factors together, and you get a James Bond who feels like beating the shit out of people and protecting beautiful women without getting too close to them. I admit, I was a little bereft when Bond didn't get the usual amount of play (although that redhead was super cute), but it made sense to me.

Maybe it's because I'm a girl and I understand. I empathize. I liked this story because it made sense to me that he had loved, lost, and the suave, cool Bond that we all know and love would develop after all this action went down as a defense mechanism to protect himself from ever being vulnerable to love again, and to avoid killing again if he didn't have to. He decided to choose the cool factor vs. the passion principle for his own sake. I think these two movies are an explanation that the attitude developed for a reason - James Bond was a man before he turned himself into the myth.

Last night I went with the SSLP and her parents to dinner and a movie. It was her dad's turn to choose so we saw the new James Bond. I confess I'm a chick who digs Bond movies. Hot banter, hot chicks who usually put out (a little or a lot), how can you go wrong? This one is my favorite:



I'm a child of the eighties, can't be helped. Anyhoodle, Marc Forster directed and Daniel Craig starred in this new installment, Quantum of Solace. For a definition of the enigmatic title, read this. Forster and Craig are each tasty in their own right. Forster because he directed the cinematic nuggets, Finding Neverland and Stranger Than Fiction. He also did Monster's Ball, which I haven't seen. Too dark for me in a way that hits all my buttons. Craig's tastiness will be expounded upon later.

Aside from the two opening action scenes which were filmed with a gritty realism that may have sounded good on paper but in action turned out so blurry I couldn't keep track of who was doing what and where, I loved it. Beautiful cinematography, delicious dialogue, esp. between Madame M and Bond, and spectacular architecture in each locale. I was struck also by the exchanges between Daniel Craig and Giancarlo Giannini. Giannini almost stole the scene-stealing award from Judi Dench in the last 30 seconds of his screen time.

It was a rollicking ride of a Bond film. And though there wasn't enough proof of it in the movie, I think the new Bond fella might also be a rollicking ride himself. Daniel Craig has a fascinating look, like a man completely carved out of ice. I don't have a "type" per se, but rarely am I attracted to blond men. For him I make another exception. Yowza. And man, can he wear the clothes. He looked so good in his clothes I didn't think it was possible for him to look as good out of them, and he proved me so so pleasantly wrong.

Here he is all dressed.



Here he is all wet.



Above all else, my favorite part of any Bond movie is the Bond song. The latest offering is the first duet on a Bond movie, and it's a pairing orchestrated by the gods. Jack White and Alicia Keys got together on this new ditty titled "Another Way to Die" and my feet couldn't keep still.



This all takes me back to Madonna. Peek here for today's Madonna moment.

There's a rumor circulating that I like to read. When I graduated in spring with my English degree, I took a deep breath and thought, "aaaah. now i get to read what i want to read from now on and forever." (just so you know, my inner monologues are exclusively lowercase)

The funny thing turns out to be, I can't. I've been trying to read for the last three weeks, and I've tried different authors, genres, themes, etc. Nonfiction, fiction, self-help, romance, contemporary lit, classic lit, erotica, sci-fi, teen lit...

Nothing's getting through. I can't seem to stick with anything. I think something's wrong with me. Admittedly, I'm still shaking off that depression from several weeks ago, and doing a fine job. But my attention span is shot to hell.

The whole point of this is, I have a stack of library books next to my bed and I wanted to tell all about them, because they're fine-looking books. Tempting enough for anyone, especially someone with my deranged range of interests.

So here are the books that I can't get through for a bowlful of noodles, and it's killing me:


Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
Henry VIII: A King and His Court
The Thirteenth Tale
Emotional Intelligence
The Business of Fancydancing
Oleanna
The Vagina Monologues
Movement for Actors
The Big Fat Kill

These are the ones I can remember. My to-read shelf is full. Actually, I get a whole bunch of stuff because I never know what's going to get me. Plus, the library allows for three renewals per book, so I should be set for enough time. Wish me luck. And a new attention span.

I'm thinking about changing my look. I chose the old look because I felt like all the business fit with the theme of my brain being constantly busy and full of stuff, but it just got so busy that my eyes watered everytime I looked at it. So I'm going for a simpler design. I can't decide between this and another template, so I might switch it up a couple times before I make the final call. But they're both green with a lot more white space. Green is my signature color.

This weekend I went to the Madonna concert with Auntie Sister. We lived her childhood Madonna-soaked dreams. When she was 8 years old, she wanted to win tickets to the Blonde Ambition tour, but alas - she was 8 and age discrimination dictated that she couldn't even enter the contests.

I tell you, this concert was worth the wait. It was her 29th birthday, and I mean we went on the day of her birthday. A sweet, thoughtful, and no-longer-present friend of mine hooked me up with the manager at the venue, who moved our seats and gave us free drinks and I tell you, I've changed my mind: I can be bought. We went from nosebleed to nosehair (meaning we could practically see Mo's) and we were screaming like children because we could see every glistening Mo-muscle.

Not just that - it was really a fantastic show. She's a great performer, and so so fit. I couldn't believe what she was doing. And I loved how she changed up old songs that really should be tired but were bright and fresh as the tears of happiness that were streaming down our faces because we were there. Borderline on electric guitar, people. Those critics who call Madonna "stale" are either jealous or just not paying attention. Love it. Love it. LOVE IT.

So for the next few weeks my posts might be littered with Madonna minutiae. I do not apologize. If you don't like it, then you can eff off.

Here's something I found that's almost as wonderful as the concert was.



Oh, and off-topic a little bit, but all about inspiring women is a fantastic article I read today about Mrs. Obama.

I've been listening to quiet things and when I can't find anything quiet I listen to loud things quietly. It's a nice change. Oddly enough, sometimes the nuances become more obvious when things are quiet. I'm speaking of music but now that I think about it, I've been turning the volume down on movies as well and reading the body language and the language of the camera more. It's because I'm a severely aural person and I tend to rely most on what I hear, and lose sight of the visual aspect of every single thing. Dangerous habit, that.

Plus, I think I might be slowly and inevitably losing my hearing. So I need to learn other manners of soaking up information.

I like to watch people anyway. Spot their habitual mannerisms and twitches and try to break down the whys of those things - or at least make up a reason for them so I can use them in my writing.

I've been experimenting with my own body language as well, to see how others respond to me. It's frightening, almost, the reactions I get when I hold my head up and maintain eye contact. Confident men take it as an unequivocal sex invite, and not-so-confident women hide from me. Not-so-confident men look back for a moment and then shy away. You can totally tell who's alpha in this world by eye contact.

Anyway, here are a few nice, quiet things: Pink Moon, The Small One, and a quietly beautiful film.

God bless America. Because we all get our say. Whether we like it or not.

I'm back on-track now. Some things I've been hooked on since last posting:

• The Office (BBC)


• Potatoes


• Little House on the Prairie (the television series - don't ask)


• Sparkling Wines


• "Freedom '90" by George Michael


• Halloween


• Moondance by Van Morrison


• Martin Freeman (because of The Office)


• Anything with Steve Carell, esp. Dan in Real Life and The 40-Year-Old Virgin


• Feng Shui


• Moving


• Ceiling Fans


• Eye drops


• New Skin Care Systems to Sustain a Youthful, Healthy Glow

It's all very exciting, I know. I won't go into detail or explanation, because the list speaks for itself.