Nonsense, Drivel, and Balderdash

A few things I have been thinking about lately: -My church here in madrid recently moved its services into a concert venue that is empty on sunday mornings. It is the well known Sala Galileo, where quite a few famous people have played (I saw kate rusby there last year). But because of this, I think we are probably the only church around that has a strawberry flavored condom machine in the bathroom - Where does the word "boil" come from? Is boiling water said to be boiling because it develops boils on the surface, or does our skin develop boils because it looks like it is boiling? - Why do we say, "I have a hunch" when we mean that we have an inclination towards a certain idea? Does a hunchback ever use that expression? - Are babies really cute? Women only think they are cute because they are hormonally predisposed to do so. If not they would chuck em. I think newborns are weird looking. Wrinkly, red, with squashed little faces. I mean, after a few months they get ...

In retrospect, I was looking at this list and noticed a few things. There is only one girl and one non white person. While I am sure that there are other actresses and ethnic actors I would like to see make it big, the reason I haven't noticed as many is probably due to the fact that they aren't as visible. Fact is, there are more serious acting roles for men than women out there. I can think of hundreds of movies where the guy does a decent acting job but the girl doesn't get a chance because her role is simply that of a pretty face with no room for development. And many of the strong roles are simply handed over to the same actresses over and over again. Which is why I can think of plenty of actresses I like, but not that many that are "breakthrough" or "underrated". Of course, this is not always true. I'm sure I could come up with some more if I thought about it more... The same goes for ethnic actors, most of whom are simply filling a stereotype ...

Every now and then I see a movie or television show and think... "Man! why don't you see *insert actor or actress' name* more often?" Because this is my blog, and most of what I write here is fairly inane anyway,Here is a list of actors and actresses that haven't gotten the recognition that they deserve yet. I would like to them with more leading roles: Sam Rockwell He has actually been around quite a bit, culminating, in my opinion in "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind," where he was absolutely brilliant. He is a great actor with a comedic sensibility. It is perhaps that funny side of him that keeps him from getting more leading roles. Mary Louise Parker I first noticed her in the HBO version of Angels in America. She was so good. Then she disappeared from my radar for a while until the television show Weeds came out. Once again, I love her in Weeds. Lets hope she sticks around. Paul Bettany He has been in several blockbusters, but never quite managed to ...

I forgot two songs. One I am more or less ashamed of, and the other I am not. Oh Holy Night, by... *cough cough* NSYNC *cough* First of all, this is a nice song anyway. So before you judge, think of the song and agree with that part at least. Second of all, I am not sure how I ran across this song. I think I was downloading random a cappella songs, which I lamely have a a lot of. But that brings me to my second defense. It is an all vocal arrangement. And most of those guys can actually sing well, nasally, but well. And the arrangements aren't half bad. I rest my case. Judge me as needed. Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis, by Tom Waits Ah, Tom Waits. Your gravelly voice, your poetic lyrics, your old barroom musical style. What isn't to love? You are the beat poet of the music world, the Bukowski of the songwriting scene. Always a slant that makes me cringe or smile. And almost always a look at the grungy side of society. This song is just like that. The title is fairl...

Due to my new job, I have been spending a lot of time in public places writing. I can't do my translation/editing stuff at home very well because of a little thing they call the internet. It is way too distracting for me. I start working and then look up a word or verify a fact online and end up going from wikipedia entry to wikipedia entry with a couple stops at BBC news and a detour through a blog or two and never get anything done. So I leave my house and head over to the nearest Starbucks. I don't particularly like Starbucks. I used to hate it, but have come to begrudgingly accept it out of necessity. Madrid is sorely lacking in coffee shop type places. It needs some variety. A couple snooty tea rooms. A few dreadlocked coffee houses. Mix it up. However, recently my tenuous acceptance Starbucks has begun to wane. The problem is that it is the Christmas season, and Starbucks really likes Christmas. They have their seasonal blends, their special drinks and cookies, limited ...

A friend's blog brought to mind the issue of being deceived by your family. Not deceived in the sense of cheated out of the will, or not told that you are adopted, or any really negative thing like that. I mean deceived as in used as a child for personal entertainment. Being pranked or lied to by adults for their own amusement. My friend recounted one such tale, and it brought a couple of my own experiences as a child to mind. My dad used to mess with our mind from time to time when we were small. One time, when we were visiting America, we were driving up to the mall, but it looked like we were driving up to ToysRus. We didn't have massive toy stores like that in Spain when I was a child, in fact, we barely had malls until I was in high school, when they suddenly started popping up all over the place. So malls were quite a novelty when we came to america. Even more so were the superstores. Massive shops dedicated to one thing. Barns and Noble, Borders and BooksaMillion were a...

December is here. The air is cold and crisp. Chestnut vendors have appeared on street corners, with their steel barrels filled with hot coals, roasting the nuts and filling the air with a delicious aroma. And all over the city lights are starting to appear over the streets, in shop windows, even hanging awkwardly from some balconies. It would all be fantastic if it wasn't a herald for the christmas season. Yes. Christmas is coming, and I'm not very happy about it. I know, I know... "Ryan, you're a grinch." Well, maybe I am. Sue me. Nothing like a lawsuit to celebrate the season. I don't know when my "grinchness" started. When I was a child I loved christmas. I loved the lights, the repetitive songs, the presents, the family, the food. I loved decorating the tree and picking out presents. But sometime during my teen years it changed. I am not sure when. Perhaps it was the year my cousins moved away and suddenly christmas was a family-less affair. That...