Death in Granada

Over the summer I find myself catching up on shows and movies I didn't have the chance to see during the school year.  This, however, includes hours of HBO as well, and while I happened to be watching HBO one day, a refreshing new movie began.  It's name?  Death in Granada or Disappearance of García Lorca.  

This movie illustrates the story of the life and mysterious death of Spanish poet Federico García Lorca in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War.  During the war, Franco (the dictator wanting to come to power) and his army wanted to quiet and silence the opposing force and anything that spoke against them.  Lorca was a much loved poet, but his voice was too strong.  This movie features not only an intimate look at the struggle of Spanish society, but also some A-list actors including:  Andy Garcia, Edward James Olmes (Selena, Time of the Butterflies), and Esai Morales (La Bamba and numerous TV appearances).  

It is in English, so no worries, although I'm sure you can find it in other languages I'm sure.  In fact, I know you can, because it is listed on IMDB in other languages as well.  IF you have a chance, check out his poems - they've been translated to English - but they are moving and very telling about the time period and that era in Spain.

¡Viva España!

Mad Men Contest

Ok, time for a personal plug.  I've been entered into the Mad Men Casting Call Contest!  You can search by name and I'm on page 74-ish (will change as more entries upload), but is under my name:  Stephanie Caprini.  


Please vote!!!  I have been trying to be on the show for a while, and it would be amazing to be in the top 10 most popular photos in order to make it to the semi finals.


Thanks in advance!  

My Beliefs are My Beliefs… Aren't They?

Yahoo news just posted a very interesting article about one of the latest and greatest debates on the separation of church and state / the involvement on religion in a school system setting.  However, it might surprise you to know that this is not about a student's right to worship or say or not say certain words during school, but rather whether or not school counselors should be openly Christian.  


The student argues that she does not believe in homosexuality and that is against biblical teachings, which she has quoted and used in numerous papers in her graduate school study.  This, however, has lead to the school giving her the ultimatum of "follow an action plan to help you change your beliefs and understand diversity and sensitivity towards diversity, or you'll be excused from the program."  This, ultimately, has lead the student to sue Augusta State University for, what she considers, is a strict violation of her 1st amendment right to freedom of speech, religion, etc.


Now, I'm not here to say one way of thinking or another is correct or incorrect.  However, I will say that it would supremely concern me if my school's counselor openly admitted to feeling homosexuality was against God and wrong.  Why would I trust her as a counselor to my students or children?  What, then are her other views?  Isn't a counselor supposed to be open minded and impartial so as to help guide the students through their issues?  Now, again, granted, I have my own set of beliefs on what is right and wrong, but I don't go around preaching them to other people or telling them their wrong for believing or not believing in God, morality, or being homosexual, bisexual, transgender, etc.  To me they're all lifestyle choices and you are free to live in a way that is best suited for you pending you don't harm or push your beliefs on me.  So, if I can separate myself enough to listen and try to work through issues with people, what is to say that this student couldn't as well?  But, I would further argue that if she is already so openly public and adamant about her beliefs in the Bible and in God and His word, then how could she keep herself impartial?  She's obviously making a stance in class as it is, what is to say she wouldn't do that in the workplace?  If a student thought he might be Gay or be having problems with drugs or parents even, how would he (as a student) believe that he could get impartial information from his counselor to help him through his issues?


Questions, questions.  Another debate one heads to the courts.

Living with B

Update!  


First of all, thank you to all of your support with Living with B:  A College Girl's Struggle with Bulimia and Everyday Life.  The book is doing well, and I love hearing all of your feedback! 

Secondly, fun news:  The book is now available on Amazon!  That's right, you can either purchase the book through Amazon (cover picture and inside look to come soon) and Lulu. Again, thank you all so much for your continued support, feedback, and praise.  It means the world and I love knowing that it is not only informative, but helping people as well!  Keep reading and keep me updated on your thoughts as you finish it and maybe even recommend it to friends.

The Bright Side of Disappointment

Disappointment, is … well, disappointing.  There is never an easy way to go about hearing disappointing news, nor is there any great way to give disappointing news, because, inevitably, it's disheartening.  The entire reason for the disappointment is because you were hoping for the change in your life.  Maybe it was a new job, maybe it was a friend's visit, maybe it was an acceptance letter, or maybe it was the beginning of a new relationship.  The hope for these things makes you happy - excited to move forward with the day.  The idea alone makes you anxious for the moment when you receive the good news.  Receiving the opposite of the thing for which you were hoping, therefore, is discouraging.


Initially, there is almost a sense of bereavement after the first wave of numbed shock passes.  Even if you take the news with dignity, the pain lingers.  You want a sympathetic ear, maybe even a shoulder to cry on, and that's okay.  At least for a while.  Feeling the disappointment is important to moving forward.  Allowing it to consume you, however, is not.  Simmering in the pity for too long is detrimental to the next steps in your life, and the next step is? … finding your next goal.


Take the criticism you've been given and run with it.  Maybe you work harder or study more for the next audition, the next application, or the next test.  Maybe you feel the undercurrents of another passion stirring within.  Maybe this "setback" is the opportunity to push your other talents further and develop them into useable and billable talents.  Maybe this is only a "setback" because something better is waiting for your in the future, and you were meant for the second thing and not the first.  The problem is we don't know what the future holds and that can make the onset of the disappointment even more challenging.  However, these other possibilities, these other routes of success are the actual bright side.  They are the promise of success with more belief in yourself and more work and dedication.  


Remember, 
"Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don't recognize them."  ~ John James Ingalls.  
This disappointment is only the door to another opportunity, if you choose to recognize it.  It might not seem that way at first, but it's there.  Seize it.

Inception

All the craze, Inception seems to be taking over the theaters and the movie-goers' topics of conversation.  People are either talking about what they saw, what they think they will see, or telling their friends to stop ruining what they feel will be one of the best movies of the year.  And in fact … it is.  

Inception is everything it promises and more.  I will do my best not to give away the movie, so this will be a short entry, but for those of you who have not been "wow"d by this movie, get yourselves to your nearest theater as quickly as possible.  This movie will awe and captivate you.  In fact, I went and saw it with a friend today and he and I not only discussed the ending for the hour following the movie was over, but found it interjected itself into conversations throughout the rest of the day and night.  The cast is superb, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt performed all his own stunts in the anti-gravity scenes.  

Overall, the movie reminded me greatly of The Matrix.  Not only is it extremely involved (i.e. you HAVE to pay attention throughout the entire film or you will miss key elements), but there are layers of truths and deception as well as the take-away on the part of the viewer of a new look at reality.  What if this were really possible?  Is it really possible?  Does it happen nowadays?  What is the reality of the ending of the film?  Which reality during the film was real?  The viewer leaves the theater with all of these questions spinning through his brain and, personally, I have found myself going over the movie time and time again throughout the entire day.  Thought provoking?  Most definitely.  Cinematographically enticing?  Without a doubt.  The story line kept your mind working, the visuals kept you glued to the screen and the drama kept you at the edge of your seat. Truly an all around perfectly-packaged movie.

Well done, Christopher Nolan.  It was easily one of the best movies I've seen in a while.  

Sweaty +

Ok, you're probably wondering what exactly I mean by the title.  Well, we all know that the English language is known for contractions - making things shorter - and many contractions have arisen in the last few decades alone:  WTF, FML, LOL, BRB, BTW, NOOB, BFF, JK, BIA ("bee-ah" for b*tch), FUGLY (f***ing + ugly), SHARTED (sh*t + farted), WHATCHA (what + are + you) … and, well, you get the picture.


OK, so what does that mean for "sweaty" though?  Well, there are a new string of contractions, and they all have to do with sweat and the body.  Yes, that's right, these contractions are meant to help you explain the current state of bodily discomfort, or the amount of water being excreted from a specific area of your body....or, let's just be honest, to describe that some part of you is downright gross.  :-)  (clearly, since none of us are ever sweaty)…  For example:  Swass = Sweaty + Ass, so you are explaining to someone that your butt is sweaty.  Seems simple enough...took me a few go-arounds to understand (not of course that that says anything about me … … … … …)


Anyway, to make your life easy, and to help you understand these nuances when the arise with your friends, children, or while surfing through the radio, here your list is of a few "sweaty +" words:

Swass

Swalls

Swoobs

Swack

Swuss

Happy summer.  Stay dry.

"Old Spice"-Up My Life

Leave it to me to be a fan of commercials.  Actually, I rather hate them.  They interrupt my intense or half-hearted TV watching experience (granted I wouldn't mind actually being in a TV commercial...but we'll save that for later). 


…Back to the regularly scheduled program.  Ok.  *uhem* as I was saying, one of my new favorite commercials is the Old Spice, "The Perfect Man"  commercials - you know what I'm talking about ladies and gentleman, don't deny it, because I know you all love it.  Yes, this man is the man in a towel, riding a horse, then riding it backwards, and turning oysters into diamonds, all to convince you that you, too, can have that incredible body and sense of humor in your man if you only switch to Old Spice.  Don't know how much I care for Old Spice, but the commercials?  Two big thumbs WAY up!

Apparently, this studly, hunk of a man has not only received raving reviews from commercial watchers and diamond, horseback riding ooggle-ers alike, but he has even received some Twitter requests, which he has be responding to in his "Perfect Man" fashion.  One such Tweet?  Please help me propose to my girlfriend.  Yes, that's right, he created a proposal video for one of his loyal supporters, helping him put the perfect spin on an otherwise very exciting proposal.  How creative.  It is definitely one of the newest means of accomplishing that goal.  But, even if he isn't proposing to me anytime soon, I still love his smooth, seductive cadence, his irrational humor, and, of course, his beautiful, "Perfect Man" physique.     

The Frightful Skies?

"Airline travel is hours of boredom interrupted by moments of stark terror" ~ Al Boliska


My brother and his girlfriend are off to the friendly skies.  Her cousin's wedding in Oregon is calling them out for a few days.  Excited?  My brother is.  His girlfriend?  Terrified.  She's suddenly terrified of flying.  


Even she admits it - it's an irrational fear.  She has been flying a handful of times before, nothing bad ever happened, and yet she still is petrified to fly.  My family and I love it.  Flying takes you everywhere - exotic destinations, private escapes, family fun-parks, and friends and long awaited visits.  She, however, sees it as a blockade into a uncontrolled vessel, one which flies thousands of feet above the ground and leaving no way out should something go wrong.  She hates feeling, "out of control," as she puts it.  I tried to explain that she has just as little control over other drivers, but she still liked the idea of being on the ground.  I also told her that you have a better shot of dying in a car accident than in a plane crash, but that still didn't extinguish her concern.


Movies?  Books?  Music??  These are all good ways to, as the quote insinuates, pass the boring flight - hours with nothing to do or nowhere to go - because it helps you stay busy and think about something other than being in the same seat for hours.  I tried to play these ideas off as means to calm her.  She seemed skeptical.  I hope they work.  She may not have valium or a prescription sedative (which she really doesn't need), but if she keeps reminding herself everything she fears is strictly in her head and she's being irrational, coupled with being with my brother, hopefully she'll make it through the flight unscathed.  Besides, what good is it to be terrified of the form of transportation that can get you to some of the most exciting places on Earth quickly?!  

Restaur-not

I love restaurants.  I love eating great food.  I love great company.


I hate obnoxious patrons.


You know what I mean?  The restaurant goers who don't acknowledge the wait staff, don't say thank you when they bring the food or something for which they had asked, don't tip 15-20% when the service was normal to great, and harass the staff.  These people aren't your servants, they are people just like the rest of us trying to make a living.  Their "living" just happens to be waiting on you at a restaurant.  They aren't clones or robots or scum, so don't treat them as such.


Ok, so you're probably wondering what set off this rant.  Last night I ate at a wonderfully cute Italian restaurant in Ravenswood called Spacca Napoli.  It is relatively priced and serves antipasto and true Italian style pizza - thin crust with fresh toppings and sparse sauce and cheese.  My friend introduced it to me and we spent a wonderful two and a half hours eating pan fried zucchini and mozzarella, arugula and basil pizza while drinking a delicious Italian red wine.  Our waitress was friendly, helpful, and fun, and she did a great job of leaving us alone while we ate and only coming around every so often to check in on us.  We didn't feel rushed or pressured, and we enjoyed our evening.


Much to our surprise, when we thought we should be receiving our check, our waitress brought us samples of Italian dessert wine and mini canolli (btw, fun fast of today: canolli is already plural!  There is no "s" in italian.  the singular?  canollo.) We were utterly delighted and when we asked why she was being so nice, she proceeded to explain that she was thanking us for being such amazingly polite and enjoyable customers.  Apparently the table next to us had a, as she said after apologizing for the use of slang, "dego," who thought he was hot shit and a know all.  She asked how his dinner was (as waitstaff always does) and he said "You want the honest answer?" and proceeded to ask, snidely, if she's ever been to Naples, Italy, because that is where REAL pizza comes from.  She responded that she had actually, which took all the wind out of his sails, and he ended up leaving her a $2 tip as a result.  She was appalled and really appreciated us and our bubbly, happy demeanor even more.  As a thank you, we had dessert on the house.  


So, next time....remember to be nice to your wait staff.  You might not get free food, but you certainly won't get decaf instead of regular coffee, spit in your soup, extra salt on your steak, or super slow service just to annoy you.  Plus, just like you enjoy being treated well, so do they.  Happy eating! 

Sense of Accomplishment

Recently my cousin and discussed lazy summer days.  They're wonderful, but they can also be treacherous.  Because I do teach, I am lucky to have my summers off.  Technically I do not have to wake up in the morning or be anywhere at a specific time unless I have made plans for myself (granted, all that ends when I start teaching summer school tomorrow, but we'll just forget that minor detail for now.)  Therefore, I find that I have the whole day to myself.


Nice, but also tricky.  Yesterday I awoke at 8 a.m. and went downstairs to veg-out in front of the tv for an hour or so before breakfast.  As I walked into the family room it hit me:  What do people who are home with nothing to do all day long do it?  How do they not go crazy?  Understand, I'm not saying having a week or two or a few days here and there to just do absolutely nothing isn't wonderful and necessary.  It's important to recharge your battery after a while, but damn, after that, get off your ass and do something!  I sat there feeling lazy, lathargic, unenergetic, and bummed out.  I had nothing to do all day long.  I had no reason to wake up so early, no plans with people or somewhere I had to be, absolutely no reason for the day, and it was almost depressing.  I had to do laundry and lesson plans for summer school, but because I was already so sloth-like, getting those tasks done felt like a mountain to climb.  They seemed impossible, and, needless to say, I didn't accomplish much of anything.


I changed that today.  I woke up and hit the gym…with a little necessary inner-dialogue argumentative push, I might add…visited my chiropractor and then came home, had breakfast, and showered, all before 9:30 a.m.  Then I sat and finished lesson planning, manually hooked up our wireless printer (accomplishment in and of itself, mind you, and definitely worth a little happy dance at the end), and answered all the emails I had let pile up on my computer, all before *drum roll please* NOON!  It was 12:15 and I had accomplished SO MUCH that morning.  I felt alive, I felt happy and energized, and best of all, I felt like I had a reason for being up today.  


It's amazing how much your mental state can change even after just finishing seemingly trivial things like laundry or emptying the dishwasher, mowing the lawn or taking the dog for a long walk.  These things give you purpose, a reason for being up and who you are, and they help to break up your day.  Inactivity and seeming to lack purpose in your days can lead to depression, even if it's not something from which you or anyone in your family suffers.  It's a nasty little bugger who sneaks up on you unexpectedly, keeping you down and immobile.  Beat him at his own game.  Get up.  Wash the car.  Meet a friend for coffee or lunch. Put together that picture book you've been putting off for months or take the kids to a park and read a book.  Just do SOMETHING!  And then smile.  You accomplished something today.

Baby Diaper Blues

I wish my computer would let me insert a video, but it's on YouTube and not my own, so check out this link:  Huggies Jean Diapers


That's right.  Jean-styled diapers.  Vanity at it's finest.  I absolutely love the commercial and think it's hysterical, but honestly, when did diapers become a designer commodity?  Last time I checked the real issue was a diaper's ability to safeguard against leak protection.  Now we're asking to dress up our little ones in designer poo-receptacles?  Interesting.  How vain are we becoming?  What's next?  In utero fashion?


Okay, okay, I exaggerate, but just think about it.  It is a bit ridiculous. Although, come to think of it, maybe it will mean people won't spend as much on baby jeans? If the diapers look like jeans it's one less clothing item to purchase.  Maybe Huggies is helping it's fellow man save money!  … maybe.


Either way, I still love the commercial.  I honestly waited for the cut-away to the real commercial, thinking this was the part that poked fun at the real issue, but the more I watch it the more entertaining it becomes.  I just love the serious rock-star vibe underlying the whole thing.  The words are so perfectly chosen, rhyming and having absolutely everything to do with pooping.  My personal favorite?  The last line:  "I poo in blue."  Watch the video.  You'll understand.  Next on the list?  The Depends version.   

Eclipse My Heart?

Yes, I did.  I saw it.  I went Wednesday with three friends and paid $12 to see a movie that has captured the attention of pretty much every girl with a pulse.  Some guys.  Mostly girls.  And girls loosely used to describe anyone from 10 years old on up.  


This happened to be one of my favorite books of hers.  It was a tie between this one and Breaking Dawn.  The second book, New Moon, had been a painful excuse for 600+ pages and four days of my life.  Unfortunately, you needed to read it in order to understand the last two books.


The movie?  Sadly disappointing.  The cinematography was wonderful, the graphics amazing, and Bella finally had personality and happiness, unlike the last two movies where she walked around like a depressed, wet mop.  So, that part was refreshing.  Otherwise, it was somewhat anticlimactic.  The big fight, which was the build up for both the movie and the book, fell flat.  It enveloped a tiny percentage of the overall movie and was built up as the main, focal, action point of the movie.  The love triangle was good.  Slow, but appropriate, and the humorous banter between Jake and Edward was encouraging.  However, overall, I would say wait it out and rent it on video.  Eclipse your heart at home for far less than the $10-$12 movie theater.  Buttered popcorn optional.