Resolutions II

Last year was the first year that I actually wrote down and sealed in an envelope my new year's resolutions. I'm leaving my parents' house in Toronto for my small town apartment today, so it will be this afternoon that I get to open up the envelope and see how I managed this year in achieving my goals. I remember what a few of them were, but not all, so we'll see how I did!

I'd like to make some new resolutions for this year, too. Obviously there's RC-3, but what else...? I'll figure them out over the next few days and then seal them up for next year. Moving onward and upward...

Speaking of goals and resolutions -- I GOT MY G1!!! Hoorah! I told you I'd do it. Now I just have to keep up the momentum and drive (PUN!) and schedule some driving lessons. I don't need to do the full program, as I've done it before, but I need at least a few refresher courses. I'll definitely keep you posted on the progress.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Resolutions

MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL!

Whatever holiday you do or don't celebrate, I hope you've had a fantastic season! Mine has been filled with love, friends, family, food, gifts, and a lot of laughter (and some relaxation). I have no complaints at all!

I've been sort of too busy running around seeing friends to read much, but I did finish the 6th HP book, and I really enjoyed it! I remember finishing the book before, but I really didn't remember much of the content. I'm excited to read the 7th though, because I know I haven't read that one before. Since I wasn't able to read the 7th in time for the movie, I'm not in a huge rush to get to it, as long as I read it before the 2nd part of the 7th movie. So, before I get to HP7, I'm trying another one of the books lent to me by a woman I just met, called Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. I'm 8 pages in, and loving it already!

So, Reading Challenge #2 was to read 8 books by December 31st, and 50% had to be fiction. I've achieved one of the goals as every book I've read in this challenge has been fiction, but I don't think I'll read two books before the deadline. No matter! My plan is to let Reading Challenge #2 seamlessly lead into my next challenge...

Reading Challenge #3 (RC-3): I challenge myself to read a minimum of 20 books in 2011. There are no stipulations about fiction or non-fiction, it's just about reading 20. I was going to make it 24 (2/month), but I want to give myself some wiggle room. I very well may read 30, but 20 is a nice solid number to be proud of, so that's the goal! The final two that I read for RC-2 may be included in RC-3.

Reading Challenge #2 - Update:

1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
   
2. Franny and Zooey
3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
4. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
5. By Nightfall
6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
   

ADELE IS BACK!!!

This just (or recently) in. Adele is coming back with a vengeance and it comes in the form of her sophomore album, entitled "21". Her first was called "19". Are these references to her age? I'm feeling rather old and uninteresting all of a sudden. Who cares?! Her first single, which premiered on "Ellen" (live performance below) is called "Rolling in the Deep" and it's stunning! I can't wait for it to come out.

I will say it now. I will see her on her next tour. She is an artist not to miss live. I hope she stops at Massey Hall again -- that was epic. If she goes to the Sound Academy I will cry, but I'll still drag my ass there... just for Adele.

My Shameful Secret

I have an issue with time. I'm very rarely late, so that's not the issue. The issue is that I always over-estimate how long things will take me. Sometimes this results in being extremely early for things. Sometimes it means I have tonnes of time to kill in my own home. My friend is going to be here in the next 1.5-2 hours. I had a whole bunch of stuff to do so I hurried home to get it done. Now I've basically finished the main things I need to do. Therefore, I will blog.

I was thinking about something on the way home from the grocery store, and I need to get it off my chest.

I can't drive.

It's not that I'm a bad driver, or that I don't have a car (I don't, but I could), it's that I don't have my license. I did have a G1 once, but it expired. Why didn't I get my G2? Well, I tried. I tried 3 times in fact, but I failed all 3 times. Sad, I know. I tried 3 times when I was 17 and then I just decided it wasn't worth the heartache and anxiety. Plus, I grew up in Toronto, where having a car is pointless a lot of the time. I lived near the subway, I could get anywhere I needed to go by TTC, and so I forgot about driving.

Then I went to university, where I didn't need a car either. First I lived on campus, then for the next 4 years after that I lived near campus; just a walk or bus ride away. I didn't need a car in university, and I didn't need to drive.

Now I've graduated and moved to a small town for a great job. Guess what? I need a car. Well, I don't need one obviously because I don't have one and I've been managing, but it'd be nice. I'm pretty isolated without one as I don't really go anywhere further than a 20-30 minute walk. In a small town especially, that can get pretty boring. During the summer it was okay, but now it's getting nasty outside and so my shameful secret is becoming all the more hard to bear.

I've decided to confess this so that you, my readers, can hold me accountable for my driving-related goals.

1. Get my G1 by December 31, 2010 (3 weeks to go!).
2. Get my G2 by August 31, 2011.
3. Get a car by December 31, 2011.

I think about how much I wish I could drive pretty much every day. It's time to take action.

To leave this on a positive note, there is something pretty great about depending on your own two feet to take you everywhere!

Rest in Peace, J.L.

He is my hero. He wasn't a perfect person, but that's what I love about him. He was rude and crude and said stupid things and did stupid things... but he was always human. He was always so beautiful in his flaws. Above all things, he just wanted peace. His message hasn't vanished, but the need for it has grown. He is always remembered and his spirit still lingers. 30 years since his death, let's keep trying to make his dreams come true.

EM-TEE-VEE

“MTV doesn’t even play music videos anymore!”

Have you ever said this or heard someone say this? If so, you or they are right! Rarely does MTV play music videos, and these days if it does, it’s not usually the whole video. When it was originally launched in 1981, MTV (Music Television) was intended to be a channel dedicated to music and music videos. In 2010, MTV no longer includes “Music Television” in their logo. They are not a music television channel. Perhaps it would be more fitting to call them an entertainment channel; they play reality shows, a little bit of music news, live talk shows, and sometimes documentaries. They don’t pretend they’re all about music, and they’ve shown that by rebranding themselves (and excluding the Music Television from their logo).

How do I feel about this? Well I love music, and when I was younger I watched the MuchMusic countdown the whole way through most Friday nights. However, I don’t really care about music videos anymore. I listen to music almost exclusively on my iPod, and I’m usually doing a bunch of other stuff while listening. I don’t sit down on the couch to “watch” music.

It’s not about me though. Even if I was a die-hard music video fan, I’d understand why MTV wasn’t catering to me. Most people don’t care about music videos anymore! If they do, they’re going to watch them on YouTube, and not wait for them to come up on a music channel’s rotation. Most people DO care about seeing celebrities on television, and say what you will about that fact, it’s a fact. Why would MTV cater to a small audience when they could meet the needs of the masses? It’s just the way it is.

If people care about celebrities (and by people, I mean people ages 14-28, which has always been the MTV audience), then MTV should work to be the network showing the best celebrity content, or even better – creating celebrities themselves. Did I know who Snooki or The Situation were before Jersey Shore? No. But I certainly know who they are now! If you don’t care about Jersey Shore, then I understand, but you are unfortunately of the minority.

As always, take what I say with a grain of salt. I just think that what MTV puts out meets and exceeds the desires of their majority audience. Music videos or not, they’re a force to be reckoned with.

To-ist

Latest obsession: this series of videos.



In other news, I'm definitely enjoying Kanye's new album.

Additionally, I find "Black Friday" (L'il Kim's Nicki Minaj diss) highly entertaining. Yes, I really enjoy Nicki Minaj, and yes L'il Kim is getting a bit desperate (haven't heard much from her since "Magic Stick"), but she lays the chirps on thick.