February 2012
27 posts
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a southerner shares his thoughts on race...
Last week I asked if you’d help me understand America. I was thrilled to hear from people, and hope to feature everyone who expressed interest. Today’s the first in the series.
Cullen is a 38-year old married father of three who lives in Memphis. He was born in rural Louisiana, and has lived everywhere from Arizona to Idaho to Mississippi (with a stint in Okinawa and a seven-month...
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anarchy & scotch explains everything →
I keep waiting for the punchline of the Republican nomination battle. Surely, at some point, Ashton Kutcher is going to just walk out and tell us we’ve all been punked, right? Right?
This strikes a chord because I bought and read Herman Cain’s memoir.
Also, you can read the entire post from Anarchy & Scotch here. (It has nothing to do with politics.)
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i can't decide if crowdsourcing is brilliant or...
What do you think?
proof that anything is possible!
Me: I was really surprised you replied to my email so quickly.
Mom: I sent it from the plane.
Me: How?
Mom: I learned how to use my iPad!
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“Don’t run! You should only run from two things: an angry spouse, and the...”
– man who held the elevator door for me today
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do you know something about america that i don't?
Yes! Ha! Of course you do!
One of my hopes in starting this blog was to “understand America.” Obviously, that’s ridiculously giant and amorphous goal. (And a total fail according to all goal-setting literature, which advises you to set concrete aims and measurable benchmarks.)
Does “understanding America” refer to Red State versus Blue States? Race relations? Mall of America?...
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blame it on evolution
When I was 19, a frat guy explained to me that men cheat because it’s how humans evolved. In primitive days, males who spread their seed were more likely to have healthy offspring than guys who risked it all with one mate.
At the time, I thought it was an interesting idea, because I hadn’t taken Anthropology in college. (And apparently, I hadn’t read a non-fiction book, either.)...
a good life lesson
Me: Mom, what advice would you give yourself 35 years ago?
Mom: chill
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“…and so on we go, exploring the denomination, larger Christianity, faith...”
– Way to say it, amywhipple!!! I so often appreciate what that lady has to say, and this is a good excuse to share my enthusiasm for her blog. You can read the whole post here.
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can you imagine running 12 marathons blindfolded?
This is my friend EJ. We met in 2003 at an improv comedy theater in Los Angeles called IO West, where we both performed.
Now he’s legally blind because he has an inherited, degenerative disease called choroideremia, (pronounced ka-ROY-dah-REE-mee-yah). To raise awareness this year, he’s running 12 marathons in 12 cities, blindfolded.
Can you imagine?! I am so inspired and awed by him.
Besides...
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it’s good when people say no to you, and other...
Talk about paradox of choice… I have so many idiotic pictures of myself in Memphis, it’s hard to decide which one to share.
Here I am standing on the spot (note the “x”) where Elvis cut his first album at Sun Studios.
(Okay, I’m almost standing on the spot.)
That’s where I heard my favorite Elvis Theory (every fan has one), from our adorable tour guide....
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apparently mom is not the elvis fanatic i thought...
Me: Mom, I went to Graceland this weekend!
Mom: [not interested at all] That's nice.
Me: Do you remember where you were when Elvis died?
Mom: Hmmm... No, I remember when Kennedy died.
Me: Are you sure? You were pregnant with me.
Mom: How do you know that?
Me: Elvis died on August 16, 1977.
Mom: Oh. Well then, I was thinking about what it would be like to be your mother. That's what I was doing when Elvis died.
*everyone laughs*
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the march of the ducks
I’ve been desperate to tell you about the March of the Ducks at the Peabody Hotel. It’s a dream tourist attraction—part schmaltz, part history, plus adorable animals (with no obvious signs of cruelty). In fact, it’s the first time I’ve seen performing pets and thought, wow, those guys have it better than I do.Here is what happens: at 5pm every day, the ducks march...
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tennessee is my italian vacation
It’s official: Tennessee is now my favorite state in the U.S. that’s not California or New York or Hawaii. I’ve been there twice: Nashville in 2009 and Memphis this weekend, and I finally figured out why the place (state motto: “America at its best”) has such a hold on me.
I love going to Tennessee for the reasons most Americans love going to Italy: it has amazing...
January 2012
22 posts
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let's give paula deen a year, y'all
I’ve been fascinated by the reactions from friends, celebrities, and other coastal liberals to Paula Deen, ever since her announcement that she has Type 2 Diabetes and is endorsing a medication to treat it.
There seem to be two general responses to this:
1) That’s too bad—hope she uses her platform for good!
versus:
2) That fat fuck finally got what she deserved. How dare she make...
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7 things brady learned from a broken bone →
Brady, aka, relovingit, posted a cool list about what she’s learned from being on crutches for almost two months. I thought they were good tips—for life, for health, and also for helping others in this situation—and wanted to share!
1) A slower life is a better life. Because I can’t rush, I don’t. I take my time getting out of bed, bathing, changing the laundry, making coffee,...
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“Take the money we’re no longer spending at war, use half of it to pay down our...”
– President Obama (via iwantcupcakes)
I love the idea of “nation-building” actually meaning ”nation-building.”
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the pantry of an ironman champion
One of the most inspirational people I know is a professional triathlete named Hillary Biscay. This could sound surprising because I don’t do triathlons. Pretty much the only cardio I get is when I wake up in the morning and leap to check Rich and Chelsea’s blogs. The reason I know and adore Hillary is that we grew up together, carpooling to swimming, and she’s been one of my...
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my uncle don's review of young adult
Obviously, this blog is NOTHING if not a forum for serious, intellectual discourse.
Recently I wrote a glowing review of the movie Young Adult, which I thought was fantastic. My Uncle Don (pictured above) disagreed, and even took the time to send me his take on the film.
Once I read his review, I knew had to share it with you, and he gave me the OK. UNCLE DON’S REVIEW
“This...
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the dark side of retail politics
Wouldn’t it be a *trip* to be in South Carolina today? I’m kicking myself for not getting my act together in time to see three of my biggest American stereotypes in one place: Republicans, conservatives, and Southerners!
Lucky for me, South Carolina resident Jim stumbled upon my blog a few weeks ago while googling mall-walking. (“Don’t ask,” he said, but I did...
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fat, sick, and nearly dead
If you’d told me when I was a little kid that I’d grow up and be the kind of person who spends $6 on juice, I would’ve hated you. Of course, you would have been right. When you overthink juicing, which obviously I do, it can seem too precious and privileged. No food for me, thanks. I’m cleansing.
And I swear I was not looking for reasons to rationalize juicing when this weekend I...
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my review of young adult
I was a teensy bit nervous to see the movie Young Adult, especially with my mom. I knew it was about a young woman who writes books using a pseudonym, drinks a lot, and is generally very self-centered. This package describes me a few years ago, possibly describes me today, and I didn’t want Mom to worry or wonder. (Although, for the record, I’ve never tried to ruin a marriage nor have...
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proof that my doctor understands how to...
DOCTOR: So you're getting a blood test. Did you fast?
ME: Yes. I didn't even have coffee!
DOCTOR: Oh, that's not easy.
ME: I know. It's one of the hardest things I've ever done. I'm amazed I'm even here.
DOCTOR: We can achieve so much when we push ourselves to the limit.
ME: It might be harder than residency.
*pause*
DOCTOR: You're probably right.
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7 ways to make complaining work for you
I imagine men will hate that headline.
One of my goals for December was to not complain, and I wanted to give you an update: I failed. I knew I would, it’s very hard for me to be quiet about anything.
I did have a few small victories, moments when I stopped mid-sentence, took a breath, and was silent. However, the bummer about this kind of success is that friends and family have no way to...
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things i thought i'd get by the time i became a...
“Modern dance” is one of those things I thought I’d get by the time I turned 25, much like:
* How to cook Thanksgiving dinner * Political primaries * How to not kill indoor plants * The joys of opera * The ability to quote from The Godfather without consulting imdb.com
Growing up, I watched my parents grasp all these things, and assumed they’d come effortlessly with adulthood, like height...
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loving where you are in life, literally
Something I find charming about my dad is that he loves Los Angeles so much. Even though he’s been all over the globe, he thinks his hometown is the greatest place on earth. Like the boy in The Alchemist, but minus all the agita.
And as a result of my upbringing, I grew up believing that the whole world really wanted to be in Los Angeles—they were all just waiting to sort out their...
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December 2011
28 posts
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