olympic fever

olympic fever has officially settled over our once quiet land.  i don't know why, i don't know what has been so different about these games than all the others, but i am certifiably obsessed.

the athleticism alone is sort of staggering, you know?  i mean, i've never skied or snowboarded, so i can barely even fathom standing up on those things, let alone competing at that level on a nearly vertical slope.  it's practically insane.  who decided that it would be a good idea to strap a couple of long pieces of wood to your feet, speed down a hill, and then jump off of ramp so that you're vaulted into the air at more than 60 mph, to land a whopping 300-some-odd feet from where you began?  crazy people, and people waaaay more talented then me, that's who!

these men and women train for years to be able to compete in events that are over in minutes.  and its been so heartbreaking to watch when it doesn't work out, and so inspirational to watch when it does.  the stress has been killing me.  i can barely watch any event that lindsey vonn (possibly the most accident prone olympian ever) is in because i'm so concerned that she'll get injured again.  i almost cried when she won her first gold this year.  when france's ophelie david crashed during women's ski cross, and the camera found her 10 year old daughter lilou looking on, i did cry.

they're fearless.  that's really what it comes down to.  throwing a grown woman in the air so that she can spin and land ten feet away on razor sharp blades?  racing around an ice rink filled with more than 20 other people who are all, again, on razor sharp blades?  and, god, to go down mountains and winding slides of ice after knowing how many people have been injured and, worse yet, killed on them already?  i can't help but have so much respect for these athletes.

i've decided that my favorite events this year are moguls, women's downhill and super combined, speed skating, and, of course -- because i'm a girl -- ice skating.  i'm a particular fan of the commentators of the men's snowboarding event, who were kind enough to explain all that snowboard lingo and tricks to the uneducated me.  i am not, however, a fan of the curling commentators (or the sport, for that matter) who taught me absolutely nothing about the game.  in fact, i'm actually convinced that there are no rules in curling; you simply push your rock (yes, i said rock) with as medium force as possible, sweep the ice in front of it vigorously until it just shines, and ignore the target/bullseye at the end of the lane -- it means nothing anyway.

the scots come up with such interesting ways to occupy their time.

anyway, (even though i'm posting this tomorrow morning) i'm actually in the midst of watching a bunch of women with thighs bigger than my midsection push bullets-on-blades down an icy course before jumping into said bullet and hoping no one falls out.  that's right, it's bobsled time.  (why  is it called a bobsled anyway?)  i have a mini-surprise coming up next week relating to the olympics, so keep posted, and enjoy the games!

couch potato

i have a confession to make.

i like bad tv. i really, really do. and i'm totally unashamed of that fact. i like shows that many people adults would never [admittedly] watch, and which many teenage girls would never miss. it's the same for books, actually. in fact, after a conversation in which i laid this reality out to her, one of N's closest friends said, and i quote, "kahea, you are one of the stupidest smart girls i know."

if we both weren't drunk, and if i didn't know what she meant by that statement, i'd have punched her.

but i did know what she meant, because i realize that i have very shallow, base-level standards for what i consider entertainment to be. and that's it really: it doesn't need to be good, it just needs to be entertaining. i'm not watching prime-time tv to learn something. i go to school for that. i'm watching it so that i can take my mind off of the important things for an hour or two.

so with that said, i present you with my initial tv series reviews (out of 5 stars) for this season!

one tree hill (season 7)
airs: mondays @ 8pm
3 1/2 stars

if i'm honest with myself, the reason this season is getting a low 3 1/2 stars is because the characters of peyton and lucas are gone AND their absence hasn't even been explained! it's driving me nuts! plus, i feel like things are sort of floundering right now, with story lines not really going places at the moment (except for maybe nate and haley's). i do, however, like the additions they made to the cast, though i wish those character developments would happen already. but GOD the music is still so good!

gossip girl (season 3)
airs: mondays @ 9pm
2 stars

am i being harsh with the 2 stars? i don't think so. this season has been, and i'm sorry but it has, BORING. who cares about serena's dad (or any of her other problems for that matter)? and where did blair's backbone go (DO something already!)? will nate ever get a story line in which he's not a man-whore? does vanessa have to be so annoying? and where the heck is little j?! at this rate i'm not sure this show will survive the college shift. at least not for me. :(

glee (season 1)
airs: wednesdays @ 9pm
5 stars

in answer to your question: yes, it's as good as everyone is saying it is. it's probably better, actually. the script is clever, the story is something that keeps you coming back, and the singing. well, that's just amazing. so if you haven't yet, i would suggest you go online and watch all the episodes before next week, and then jump headfirst onto the bandwagon. maybe even hop onto iTunes and purchase all the songs from the show. because it really is the cast singing, and they are great.

eastwick (season 1)
airs: wednesdays @ 10pm
3.75 stars

is this show really a nearly-4 star? probably not. but you need to understand something about me: this is right up my alley. i love these kinds of story lines. you've got a small town and three witches? i'm there. the writing is fun, the women aren't annoying, and there's a nice mystery unraveling. what's not to like? note, however, that i haven't read the book [yet].

the vampire diaries (season 1)
airs: thursdays @ 8pm
4 stars

i'll admit i was worried. you think twilight was personal? this was personal. (e.g. i wanted to name my future daughter elena for most of my young life because of this series). but as it turns out, i happily don't remember just enough of the books that i'm not seriously offended on some deep, elemental level by each episode. plus, i mean, have you seen the guys they've got playing stefan and damon? and the story's okay too. i'm always worried what damon will do, and stefan's got that dark, broody vampire thing down. elena's not annoying (which clearly is how i judge whether shows are good or not...), and i don't hate her (as i think i did at one point in the books). i wish bonnie's story would develop quicker, but whatever. oh, and the cw has another total win on the music front.

and because i love it as well, i'll post my rating/review of "legend of the seeker" when the second season premiere's on nov. 7th. but for now, go watch some bad tv!

thoughts regarding the glitz and glam

so this post is gonna be a little different. i'm watching both the E! pre-show and the grammy's, and i thought i'd just post my thoughts as they come during the show. it'll be like you're all watching the grammy's with me!

*note: the links may not go to the right pictures after a while b/c they've been updating the photos and changing everything around online. sorry!*

• is it just me, or is katy perry super cute? the bubble-gum pink dress and lipstick is working for her. as is the glam 'do. and does anyone else think she looks a lot like hilarie burton?
• "you don't take sand to the beach" - paris hilton, whose dress is as short as her hair.
• why was ryan seacrest being such a douche to taylor swift?!
  
• uh-oh. did chris brown go ike turner on rihanna?
• HOLY SHIT U2 OPENED! love love love love love. favorite. band. EVER. also, i love that bono feels he can act a fool just because he's bono. at least now we know that bono can't really dance.
• i find it odd that no one really "hosts" the grammy's anymore. it's just really a bunch of different presenters. saves us the painfully unfunny jokes, i guess.
  
• whitney's out of rehab?! too bad she can't sing anymore. what an american tragedy. and did she get plastic surgery?! wait, is she HIGH?!
• al green, justin timberlake, keith urban, and boys to men as back-up. nice save, grammy's.
• now, i love carrie underwood. but she needs a new album like ryan seacrest needs a punch in the face. but i gotta love her glitter mic's.
  
• that's 1 for coldplay.
  
• i muted kid rock. enough said.
• alright, so am i the only one on earth who actually listens when miley cyrus sings? because she can't sing. she's cute, but homegirl cannot sing! and next to taylor swift, who sounds so delicate? omg. i may have to mute this too.
• jennifer hudson is like a throwback to the singers of yesteryear. when talent mattered more than the size of your waist. she's so classy. and it's so nice to hear music being celebrated again.
• stevie wonder and the jonas brothers?! i'm gonna be honest right now and say that i don't understand the whole jonas brothers thing. talk about a wannabe hipster version of a the boy band phenom. but i guess no one understood the nsync thing years ago either, huh? what goes around... but man, stevie...what were you thinking? superstitious would have been great all by yourself.
• BLINK 182 REUNION ANYONE!? and how much do i love that mark hoppus just clowned the jonas brothers?
• that's 2 for coldplay.
• katy perry looked like a fruit basket during her performance. lol. but i think that was the idea. although she's not the best performer all in all. a bit disappointing.
• over it, kanye. but damn, your songs are catchy as hell. your hair, on the other hand? killing me. all that jheri curl/fauxhawk needs in its beginning stages is some soul glo.
  
• although i haven't fully boarded the adele train, i'm glad she won. she seems like a cool chick.
• so morgan freeman and kenny chesney are bff's now? that's not weird.
  
• robert plant (makes me want to write robert pattinson, but what doesn't? lol.) and allison krauss are owning the grammy's right now.
  
• the fact that M.I.A. is at the grammy's, and is performing, on her due date is out of control. who does that? performance kinda killed it though, i'm not going to lie.
  
• kate beckinsale is officially about an inch thick around the waist. is it okay to hate her?
  
• for the life of me, i can't figure out why i don't care for john mayer's music very much. but he won best male pop vocal, so maybe i should jump on the bandwagon.
• adele is performing barefoot, and she didn't do a costume change. that alone is commendable.
• gotta give it up to the grammy's for all the creative/strange collaborations this year. timberlake, al green and company? mcartney and grohl? sugarland and adele? radiohead and the usc trojan marching band? lil wayne and robin thicke (the wannabe timberlake)?
  
• so t.i. is my secret hip-hop crush (minus the arms dealing, obviously). just thought i'd put that out there. really loved his performance with justin timberlake. and how he is desperately trying to mitigate his sentence with his good-message songs and reality community service tv show.
• more obama love/expectations. did you not expect it?
  
• "sweet caroline...ba, ba, bahhhh! good times never seem so good...so good! so good...so good!" - neil diamond. why is this the perfect i'm-drunk-in-a-bar-in-a-foreign-country-with-a-bunch-of-my-drunk-friends song?
  
• just fyi: i feel like this is the never ending grammy awards. every time i think it's over, some new performer comes on. i'm sleepy. end already!
• new orleans still got it!
• someone get t-pain and will.i.am. a mirror, stat.
• zooey deschanel is adorable, but what is she doing at the grammy's?
• i usually love allison krauss, but this plant/krauss song is putting me to sleep right now.
• album of the year: like i said, plant and krauss killed the grammy's this year.
  

overall, a good show. ok, seriously, good night everyone!

no, no, you need a REAL job.

just some randomness tonight:

over break, my mother said something interesting to me. i tried talking to her about the fact that i'm not sure i still want to be a lawyer. i tried talking to a bunch of my family about that and got the same stunned disbelief from everyone. none of them can understand why i would pass up the opportunity to get such good paying jobs when i have them at my fingertips. i guess a part of me still understands that. it wasn't too long ago that my driving force was the fear of being poor again. it's not an easy life, and i can see why my family, my parents in particular, need to believe that i'll go through with becoming a lawyer. i'm the first college graduate in my family. i'm the first to go to law school. i'm the first to, in the most conventional senses of the word, "succeed." so for my mother, hearing me say that this career that i've worked so hard for may not be what i want must be terrifying.

i've never not known what i wanted. in fact, i may be the only one in my family who has ever set out to do something ambitious and followed through with it. it's what i'm known for. my stubborn ambitious drive. if i will something to happen, it'll happen simply because i refuse to accept anything less. i guess the fact that i wasn't a hot success at law school (aka, i'm not top 10% in case you're wondering) has kinda showed me what all that stubbornness has got me: not a whole lot.

i'm not happy. that's just the bottom line. i'm not happy.

and when i sit and think about what really makes me happy, i can think of things i'm interested in (indigenous rights and policy, environmental and wildlife conservation) and the things i'm passionate about (writing, travel). and so over break, i told my mother that i really want to write something. i want to write a book. now, this is a huge confession for me, to say this out loud and approach it, well, realistically.

and my mother says this: "well, maybe you need to do that. maybe you just need to get it out of your system before you get a real job."

i almost died on the spot.

how can my mother, this woman who loves me so much, who comforts me through any hardship, who knows me so well, actually know me so very little when it comes down to it?

sigh.

all this is just to say that i've started writing again. tonight. i've started writing for fun, for myself, and it feels like it's been forever since that last happened.

maybe i'll get it out of my system.

but i doubt it. this is me. this is who i am. and one day i'll let them see that, and they'll understand.

other than that, here's some fluff for you:

1. i'm obsessed with O.A.R.'s "shattered" at the moment. i predict it'll be on repeat for the next several days. but it's inspired me, so i'll just go with it, as usual.
2. if you're following me on twitter, you know i've become a fan of "the city". i wasn't huge on "laguna beach" or "the hills" but for the some reason, i love this spin-off. there's just something about it. maybe it was that whitney found an apartment in tonight's episode, and i'm desperate for an apartment at the moment. i need to move out. need. but if that's not it, then hot jay doesn't hurt either. incidentally, tonight's episode also had the best song placement that i've heard in a while. you tube it. the last scene with beyonce's "if i were a boy".
3. i've begun the ever-looming post-graduation job search. here's what i've got so far: i'm applying for an internship (another internship! will i never get a real job?) with penguin group, as well as a 1-year associate position at random house. yes, those are publishing houses. no, they have nothing to do with law. yes, they are in new york city. and yes, i do realize i'm in a long-term monogamous relationship with a high school teacher in the bay area. (we'll deal with this when/if the time comes). i'm also applying for a few fellowships, which are in fact legal in nature (including the one at the firm i'm currently at), a public policy publishing internship, and one internship position located in wellington, nz. yes, new zealand. SO, here's my plea to everyone out there (readers, commenters, lurkers alike), if you come across any interesting open positions in the fields of public interest law, public policy, indigenous rights, environmental rights/law/protection, wildlife conservation, publishing, editing, travel, writing, and/or research, please send them my way (mandyland67@gmail.com). lol. until the writing thing pans out, this is obviously my search for a REAL job.
   

finding balance

first question: can someone please explain to me how guys can just throw on whatever, run their fingers through their need-a-haircut 'dos, grin, and still be completely photogenic? (search carter oosterhouse - yes, of HGTV green living fame). i mean, shouldn't they have to apply eye-liner and mascara like the rest of us?!

*sigh* anyway. that was my pointless question for the day.

so after my mini-meltdown this passed weekend, i decided to just take the week as it came. i compartmentalized my days and dealt. monday sucked other than the 2 hours of mindlessness i spent glued to the tube watching - wait for it - GOSSIP GIRL and OTH premiere night!

dear gossip girl: what's with the cougar? as if they need anymore beautiful people with zero to nothing morals in this small slice of heaven? and can i just say that this show has managed, in a matter of minutes, to redeem social-climbing-back-stabbing J for me? awesome. S and D irritated me as usual. B was great, even when she was getting a verbal ass kicking from mr. british. and eww, chuck. there's my review, nutshelled.

as for oth: soooo glad it was peyton. sooooooo glad. ... that's actually all i have to say about that episode. oh, except what's with the return of psycho nannie carrie and the crimes against humanity?! hello oth, kids are watching this crap!

*huff*

my 2 days of class so far has been okay. you know all that reading i mentioned for ethics? totally pointless. didn't pay one single like of attention in that entire class. and one of my authors (christine feehan - paranormal romance with a twist) just came out with the latest installment of a series i read, so i of course had to go and buy that and finish it before i could concentrate on school again. buy federal indian law went great today, as usual. i love that class. i actually feel like i'm learning something worth my while, and interesting to boot!

and i started work again at the firm! yay! talk about the perfect place to be employed. i'm not gonna lie, i'm a little worried about the work load, but i can handle it...right?

RIGHT?!

do you love to gossip?

get on gossip girl if you aren't already.

that's all i have to say about that.