I Found A Nice Oklahoman!

So my little blog found its way to the desktop of Kurt Hochenauer, author of www.okiefunk.com, that promises that Oklahoma is NOT full of bigots, and that there are people that are standing in the way of agendas such as Sally Kern's and Brent RineFart's.

Below is a statement that Mr. Hochenauer sent to me directly, followed by a video that is posted on his YouTube channel about Sally Kern.

Sally Kern, a Republican state representative from Oklahoma City, was taped recently giving a speech in which she compares gay people to terrorists. The tape has sparked a national outcry from gay and lesbian groups and rational people throughout the world. Kern, who is married to a Baptist minister, validates the Oklahoma radical right-wing religious folks. Even as her tape became public, she was pushing to pass legislation that would allow students to express religious views at schools even if not applicable to coursework and assignments. The legislation was eventually vetoed by Gov. Brad Henry. Unfortunately, corporate media outlets here—led by the right-wing The Oklahoman—continue to support politicians who use gay people as scapegoats to win the right-wing religious vote in this state. The good news is that there are thousands of decent Oklahomans who stand against Kern’s bigotry and think she is an embarrassment to the state. We will continue fighting Kern and other politicians who practice the politics of hate and intolerance here.

What's With People In Oklahoma Lately!?

First Sally Kern, and her stupid mouth...

...now this!

Remind me to NEVER, EVER go to Oklahoma. Clearly there is something in the water there...

I particularly like what's most important to his agenda, "roads, and bridges, and the homosexual agenda."

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

*facebook users click "View Original Post."

My iPhone Reprieve

Let me begin with saying that no, that is not my iPhone! But, mine was in pretty bad shape. I had some dead pixels on my screen since about a month after I got it (probably from dropping it), and then a hairline crack down by the home button that just magically appeared on Memorial Day. I honestly have no idea how the crack got there, but it did.

So when I was with C'Anna the other day in line at the AT&T store for her to pick up her 16GB iPhone 3G (kind of jealous), I over heard one of the guys behind the counter saying that if there are dead pixels on the screen, the one year warranty covers it. I was thinking wow, this could be a good chance to get a brand new phone. Though, I wasn't expecting an iPhone 3G, I was hopeful that since they have the new ones that I might be able to get one.

Anyway, the hairline crack could have been ruled as accidental damage, so I was scared that may void my warranty. I ended up going to Pittsburgh yesterday to the Apple Store, and having them look at it, and whadd'ya know they replaced my iPhone with a new original one!

I almost forgot how beautiful the original iPhone is, and after having it I have to say I like my model better than the 3G. The aluminum just looks not as cheap, and a lot more sleeker in my opinion. Anyway, I put a cover on it, but for any of you iPhone people out there, make sure that you protect and love your phone.

The Dark Knight

It's becoming somewhat of a fad to talk about this movie in the less than 24 hours that it has been out, but considering most of you know my comic book stance, and considering I love movies, I feel it's justified.

Let me also preface this post with the fact that I was OBSESSED with the original 4 Batman movies. My favorite is Batman Returns, and a close second is Batman & Robin. I knew every single line to Batman & Robin. I was SOOO obsessed with that movie. Okay, that was my attempt to give me some credit to this post because who the hell am I to just talk about movies like my last name is Ebert?

MAJOR SPOILER ALERT: DO NOT READ ON IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED.

This movie is by far one of the best movies I've ever seen. I knew it would be when I found out that Heath Ledger was going to be the Joker. All the hype about his death and the remembrance aside, Heath definitely stole the show. He was in a class all his own the entire time he was on screen. Between the paranoid looks of approval he would give Batman, or the way he licked his lips in excitement, the acting was superb.

That being said I think that Gary Oldman takes a respectable second place in this movie. I was very impressed with how many different sides of Commissioner Gordon we saw. He was concerned, confident, scared, pleading for his life, all at once, and it was very exciting to see that coupled with the performance that Heath Ledger gave.

There were a few things that sort of boggled my mind though:

Rachel Dawes - Explain to me why Batman went to save Harvey Dent instead of Rachel. At first I thought that maybe the Joker gave him the wrong addresses. Then I was thinking, well Batman is a character that would do what's write for Gotham and for humanity, not what's right for himself. He's very selfless in that regard. That's the only thing I could come up with. Anyone else come up with some other reason that I clearly missed, let me know.

Gordon's Son - I didn't really research this much, but it seemed like the character of Gordon's son was alluding to some sort of development. In the comics, Gordon's daughter (whose face we don't see at all in the entire movie) eventually becomes Batgirl, until The JOKER shoots her in the back, and the bullet hits her spine and paralyzes her for life. Funny how they are sort of putting his son in the forefront with a handful of lines, and eventual Batgirl just kind of cowers in fear during that last scene with the family.

Batman - Was it just me or was Christian Bale INCREDIBLY boring in this movie? I understand just as well that Batman's character is very stoic, and non-emotional, he has to be to save Gotham from the situation it is in, but it just seemed very one-dimensional, and at times boring to watch. I think part of this might have been because The Joker was such a show stealer, and I was anticipating his screen time more than others, but I couldn't really feel sorry, sympathetic, happy or sad for Batman or Bruce Wayne.

What's Next? - There had been talks of the next Batman movie reprieving The Joker's role...but what actor would agree to pick up where Heath left off? His performance was amazing, and I can't imagine any actor would want to fuck up their careers by underperforming the Joker. There are rumors that the next villain will be The Riddler, which seems like the obvious segue in to a trilogy. Personally? I've always been a fan of the female Batman villains. There's that female Joker whose name I can't remember, Catwoman, and Poison Ivy...all of whom I loved in previous films. Though with the incredible disaster known as the feature film Catwoman, I doubt we'll EVER see that character emerge again. Uma Thurman was an awesome Poison Ivy...but I doubt they'll bring her back if they do that story line. One last thing to consider with this idea is, now that Rachel Dawes has been blown to pieces, a) who is going to be Batman's love interest (Poison Ivy maybe!?), and b) what are they going to do with a female lead? Maggie Gyllenhaal was a supporting actress in this film but the lead female. Seems like they might have killed her off to bring in some other female. Just my opinion.

In conclusion, this film is a must see. Apparently it has taken in over 18 million dollars JUST in midnight premieres. So, it's obviously going to be huge. Hope you guys liked it as much as I did!

Anxiety

Someone tell me why all I do is worry about my life...so much so that it keeps me up ALLLLLLL night long.

Now, after literally an hour and a half of sleep, I have to drive to Hagerstown to pick up my brother who is home from the Marines. Not a problem, but of all days in the last couple of months for which I needed to be awake, I of course can't fall asleep.

P.S. How awkward is that dog?

Home to the Tunes of The Verve

Touch down to the sound of "Bittersweet Symphony" playing on my iPhone, and it couldn't be anymore ironic.

I'm back in the States, and I have to say this time around I really don't want to be. I love America, and everyone that I know here, but my Italian excursion was much more appealing this time around. I actually thought about extending my time there and changing my flight but, as always, money rules the world, and my life.

That being said, my time back home has been fantastic! I've upgraded about every part of my life. I got a new haircut that I like, new clothes, and best of all A NEW CAR (pictures coming soon)!!

As my previous post outlines, I met the most amazing people on my trip. They made me want to realign my life and live in a big penthouse in Milan and eat fresh fruit every day for the rest of my life. But, that is vacation...or is it? Is there a way I can make this part of my life? I've never been one to parallel my life with what I'm being told to do. I make things happen for myself, and maybe just maybe if I can find a way to eat fresh fruit on a Penthouse roof every day for the rest of my life, I will do it.

My family reunion was the other day. It was kind of chilly and windy, but I had a lot of fun. Check out my aunt Chere's blog here and you can see my beautiful family and all of the pictures she took. She's the best. Aurora and I bonded. I woke up Sunday morning to her poking my eyes. Needless to say she was a handful the entire day. The family loved her. There were some awkward moments when people would ask if she was mine, and I had to explain that she was my deceased uncle's. But, there is a small part of me that realizes that she actually is mine. I'm just as much a part of her life now as Josh would have been. I take pride in that.

It's off to Johnny's to have fun with more little ones! I just can't get enough. They love me. I love them. It's a win-win situation. Hope you all had a wonderful 4th! :)

*Photo is of me, Umberto (left) and Tiziano (right) the day of the final show of my camp in Rome. Love those guys!

The First (And Probably Last) Post from Europe!

Ciao everyone! I am sitting in a hostel in Florence. It's excruciatingly hot here. But, I thought I would just write a bit about my trip thus far. I fly home on Friday (start planning the party now), and I can't wait to see everyone and talk about my experience.

Week 1 - Sanremo, Italy - Training
So, I met 4 Canadians that changed my life in Sanremo. They were there teaching just as I was, but it felt like I had known them all my whole lives and that we grew up playing kickball in a parking lot and running from the cops or some shit. Tommy is literally the funniest person I have ever met. Jen has this aura about her that is unmatched that I am drawn to. Lauren is so relaxed and was my best friend for about an hour while I cried on her shoulder. And Doug is probably one of the most gorgeous people I've ever met (not just his looks) on top of being one of the few people in this world that can communicate with me via our senses of humor. Needless to say I love all four of them and this is only the beginning for us, I am sure.

Weeks 2 and 3 - Rome, Italy - English Camp
So, from Nice, France to Sanremo I was on a train with this guy Rafael. We talked a few times in Sanremo, and seemed like a really nice guy. Turns out he would be at our camp the first week in Rome, and he was also my roommate. Definitely one of the nicest guys I've ever met, and I had an absolute blast talking with him about the things we have in common, and how much shit got on our nerves. He's definitely one of those people that I know I have to see again in my life, even if it's only for a brief moment. He felt like my brother and when he left the apartment we were staying in to go to his second camp in Milan, I got very upset. I still miss him and am hoping to see him in Milan this week.

Final weekend + Week 4 - Florence & Milan - Vacation!
So, now that my camp ended yesterday, I decided I would go spend some time in Milan seeing some of the people that I worked with there 2 years ago. Rachel is there doing her summer camp as well, so I am going to see her, my old school, 3 of the kids from the camp 2 years ago, and her host family from 2 years ago. I am so excited! On top of that, I am going to see Katia (with whom we are staying), Doug, Tommy, Lauren, Jen, Vanessa, and hopefully Rafael, Abi, and Jake...if it all works out. I fly home out of Malpensa which is about an hour from Milan on a bus, this coming Friday. I'm not sure what to expect from Milan because the last time I was there, I was working, but this time I am there with my best friend, 4 new soul mates, and a bunch of amazing people that have been nothing but amazing to me. I can't wait to see how the week unfolds.

I am missing everyone from home, and I am torn about coming home. I want to but at the same time I feel like I'm living a dream here. I love and miss everyone and can't wait to see you!!

America Sucks A Lot

So, as most of you know I have been a very avid David Archuleta fan on this season of American Idol. To be honest, I haven't really liked American Idol in the past. I liked Blake Lewis a little bit, but he's such a douche bag I kind of gave up on him. Carrie Underwood was awesome when she won. Other than that, I haven't been emotionally invested in the show at all. That is until this season.

Tonight, David Cook was named the new American Idol. Cool. Did you know that he already has been signed to a record company and has an album you can buy? Go to Amazon.com and buy it! You can also buy Brooke White's 2006 album here, as well as Kristy Lee Cook's 2005 album that Ren-Hen Records put millions of dollars in to and sold like 900 copies -- here. Not cool. I had a big problem with the show letting formerly signed artists on the show. It's not fair to the people that are trying to be discovered...like my good friend David Archuleta.

Further annoying me was that Simon was doing a media tour promoting David Cook. He didn't do this until Carrie Underwood's season, and it's paid off for the winning contestant. Let America decide on talent not what Simon says.

Anyway, I am not MAJORLY upset about tonight's results. I was in a bit of a shock because all three judges (to whom America listens) said Archuleta won all 3 rounds of singing last night. David Cook gets on stage and says, "Why would I do something I've already done?" and then start crying. BOOM you've got the sympathy votes.

Further adding to my frustration with David Cook...all of his "original renditions" of his songs were actually covers. Remember "Billie Jean?" Look up Chris Cornell's version of it on iTunes. I believe it's actually in the same key as well! HOW ORIGINAL!

I know Archuleta lacked some pizazz, but what he lacked in pizazz, he made up for in raw talent. His voice in unmatched, and no matter who you are (including the haters that love to play devil's advocate with me..aka Mason DeWitt), you can't deny that Archuleta has a phenomenal voice, and tore it up last night during the singing show.

At the end of the day, Archuleta is going to have a record deal, if he doesn't already. We'll hear from him again. I just wanted to see this kid's face light up because he is such an amazing talent, and I'm pissed that I didn't get to see it.

Tell me what you think.

Back To Italy 2008!

Guess what bbs????

I'm going back to Italy! I was waiting for the final confirmations before I started telling people, so now that I know for sure, here it is!

As most of you know, I taught in Milano in 2006. Well, this year I am going to be in ROMA! ! ! !

I am so ecstatic! So here are the deets of my schedule:

June 2: Pittsburgh to JFK; JFK to Nice, France
June 3: Nice, France to San Remo, Italy for a 4 day training. (Keep in mind the 4 day training is on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, CHECK IT OUT HERE!!!!)

June 8: Leave from San Remo to Rome, Italy!
June 9 - 21: Teaching as a tutor at a as yet to be determined school in Rome.

Now, I am going to be traveling June 21 - 27 but am still figuring out the details.

What I do know is that my return flight is June 27...OUT OF MILAN! This means that I am going to be able to visit Rachel who will also be teaching in Milan the same time I am, but I will also get to meet up with the people with whom I worked in 2006! Luca, Edoardo, and Flavia...here I come!

I am so excited and will finish my details later! YAY!

Listen to Hard Candy

Okay so now that I have had time to fully experience Madonna's 11th studio album Hard Candy, I have to say that it is a great dance/hip-hop album. I have a lot of friends that have been hard core Madonna fans. One of them hates it, and the rest love it.

At first I didn't really like the album. I thought it sounded REALLY weird for a Madonna album. But, after I listened to it a few more times I really got in to it. This happens to me with a lot of pop records for some reason. The same thing happened with Danity Kane and Mariah Carey's latest stuff.

Some of the songs that stand out are "Miles Away," "Give It 2 Me" and "She's Not Me." The song "Spanish Lesson" is really out of place and sounds nothing like the rest of the album. "Dance 2night" reminds me of the Beegees which is not a good thing.

At first, I thought the album sounded like a mix of Nelly Furtado and Gwen Stefani. Not realizing that both Nelly and Gwen worked with Pharell who worked on this album. Rolling Stone got it right when they said that Pharell and Timbaland were once the people to work with, but they aren't growing as artists. People can spot a Pharell or Timbaland song now without even thinking about it. What was once new and fresh is now getting old and repetitive.

Anyway, it is what it is. Turns out I love the record, though it is nothing like her previous albums in any way. Confessions remains my favorite Madonna album of all time.