good music

weekly wrap-up: good trailers, better music, and nora ephron’s final act

by ameena on March 8, 2013 · 2 comments

in internet finds, movies, music, Pop Culture, reasons to smile, television, trailer park fridays

The Best Thing You Will Read This Week

I barely made to the second paragraph before Nora Ephron’s Final Act had me in tears. This piece was written by one of her sons and is another beautiful portrayal of one of my dearest heroines. I think one commenter said it best when they remarked on how interesting it was that we missed her so much that we are still willing to read pieces that bring us to tears just so we can be reminded of her brilliance. Highly recommend this read. It is worth every tear.

The Television

There are only thirty more days until my favorite show of all time returns. I can barely even handle it guys. Until then I am going to keep re-watching the new promo.

Ever since House of Cards was released on Netflix one month ago, I have been waiting for Andy Greenwald to write his thoughts on it. Finally he came through this week and it was everything I wanted it to be.

Entertainment Weekly did some digging on our favorite residents of Orange County. Find out what the residents of The OC have been up to.

The Movies

Christopher Nolan’s has announced his next project and I have all of the excitement!

This week was a great one for trailer nerds like myself. Here are some of the most noteworthy:

My man Ben Affleck starring in To The Wonder is definitely going to force me to get over my Terrance Malick aversion real quick. Check out the extremely Terrance Malicky trailer here.

Sofia Coppola’s The Bling Ring starring Emma Watson and Taissa Farminga looks amazing.

I get less and less optimistic about M. Night Shyamalan’s latest project with each new trailer that I see.

I still have a bad taste from Part II, so I can’t really say that the new The Hangover Part III trailer got me all too excited. Which makes me sad, because if Part III is just as bad as Part II, then I might never be able to watch Part I again.

The second I heard Joss Whedon and Shakespeare in the same sentence I knew I was all in. This trailer only reaffirmed my commitment.

The Music

This mashup wins all mashups. Call Me a Hole – Carly Rae Jepson vs. Nine Inch Nails.

James Blake can do no wrong. Also, Brian Eno! Eff yes. Digital Lion ft. Brian Eno – James Blake

Lana Del Rey remixes make me happy. Summertime Sadness (Ryan Hemsworth Remix) – Lana Del Rey

More Drake! More Drake! 5 Am in Toronto – Drake

I adore Ed Sheeran to pieces. No Diggity – Ed Sheeran and Passenger

The Healthy Stuff

This week I discovered No Meat Athlete and have been lost in his archives. So many valuable pieces of information!

Also, I have started preparing for the SoCal Ragnar race I am running with the internet next month (???) and found this post on what/how to pack and this post on what/how to eat very helpful.

The Internets

In case you haven’t heard, Brandgasm 101 is now open for registration! There are only 12 days left to sign-up. What are you waiting for? Take your design skills and copywriting prowess to the next level!

Sarah of Yes and Yes asked her readers what kind of 65 year do you want to be? The pictures at the beginning of the post are my favorite.

Murad Osmann and his girlfriend, Nataly Zakharova are world travelers. Using the hashtag #followmeto they have managed to document their adventures in a uniquely brilliant and stunning way. Seriously, these are some of the most beautiful pictures, ever.

Speaking of world traveling, earlier this week I was bit hard by the wanderlust bug. These images along with the amazing typography really aren’t helping.

If you, like me, have found yourself in frustrating arguments with the climate change non believers this handy flowchart will help you win every argument forever.

weekly wrap-up: feminism, pop culture, and the oscars oh my!

by ameena on March 1, 2013

in blogging about blogging, good reads, internet finds, Pop Culture, reasons to smile

Here are some of my favorite reads from the internet this week! I decided to do some experimenting with the format. One day I’ll figure it all out. Maybe.

The Politics

This past Tuesday marked the one year anniversary of Trayvon Martin’s unfortunate death. And while nothing will right the wrongs of that day, Think Progress put together eight inspiring things that have happened since February 26, 2012.

I found this piece on Salon to be rather enlightening. It discusses the extremely negative impacts of the bipartisan call to increase security in our schools. Arresting seven year olds? We can do better, America.

“This response to the Newtown massacre is of a piece with a developing post-9/11 American national-security-lockdown mentality — the belief that an armed response will solve most of our problems, domestic and foreign. It’s a habit of thought that leads not figuratively but quite literally to a police state. The over-policing of schools is just a part of the increasing militarization of the police nationwide, which in turn fuels the smoldering paranoia that drives civilians to stock up on AR-15s and the like.”

I don’t remember the last time an article made me so angry, but this piece by Time on the current state of our healthcare system left me steaming for days after. It’s a very long read, but completely worth it. It does a great job of turning the national discussion away from who should be paying our medical bills to why are they so high in the first place?

Everyone should carve out two hours of their time and listen to the This American Life two-part series on Harper High School. During the previous school year, TWENTY SIX students of this Chicago school were shot. Six of them sadly passed away. TAL spent five months with the teachers, administrators, parents, and students as they try to navigate funerals, homecoming, budget cuts, gang violence, being a teenager and everything in between. This will break your heart, make you smile, make you cry, and enlighten you. I could not recommend it enough. Please give it a listen.

The Pop Culture

I just adore Ellie Goulding to pieces. Fun. is alright, too I suppose. Here is some audio of them doing covers of one another.

Rumors are flying that the third season of American Horror Story is going to be about the Salem Witch Trials. Also, Kathy Bates has been added to the already stellar cast. I can’t even. SO MUCH EXCITEMENT.

Demi Lovato’s new song Heartattack. Yes. So much yes.

The last I will ever speak of The Oscars, swearsies

Earlier this week I sort of tried to defend Anne Hathaway, but I think this guy definitely did a much more eloquent job. Whatevs.

As it is in any industry, ambition on a man is seen as attractive; on a woman, it’s grating, unpleasant. “Female stars, more than male stars, are supposed to be humble and not put themselves out there,” says Karen Hollinger, a feminist film scholar. “They’re supposed to break down if things don’t go their way. They’re supposed to fall and pick themselves back up. But she has a patrician quality that never works well for female stars.”

I also rather enjoyed Anderson Cooper’s attempts at defending her as well.

Some people still don’t seem to understand why Seth MacFarlane was a terrible host. Lindy West and Amy Davidson do a great job of breaking it down.

The Blogosphere

I’ve recently begun to suspect that Amanda of In Development and the Super Cool Party People Podcast might be one of my favorite people on the internet. This week she wrote about being a Feminist and Social Justice advocate and why these things matter. It’s amazing.

Earlier this week I discovered that one of my dear friends from high school has one of the cutest DIY and home decorating blogs on the planet. Her stellar personality shines through so well in all of her posts and I just fell in love with her blog so fast. You are the coolester, Kenz!

My Favorite Posts

I really need you all to be watching Pretty Little Liars. There are only three more episodes left in this season and I don’t know what I am going to do with myself when it is gone. Here is my latest recap.

Here is everything I miss about Disney World. I miss Disney World, always.

I wrote a letter to Ben Affleck to congratulate him on his Oscar win. I know he appreciated it.

trailer park fridays: trailers i have already watched a million times at least

by ameena on July 6, 2012 · 3 comments

in movies, Pop Culture, trailer park fridays

To kick off my inaugural Trailer Park Friday post, I am going to start with some of the trailers I currently cannot get enough of. At first I was going to write “trailers for movies I am really excited for”, but if you read my previous post introducing Trailer Park Friday then you already know chances are I will only end up actually seeing one of these movies. Do you guys remember how much I talked about my excitement to see Titanic 3D in theaters? Do you know what I never saw in theaters? Yup. The same story goes for The Avengers and Moonrise Kingdom and Moneyball and Rise of the Planet of the Apes and pretty much any of the movies on this list…

Just tell me where I lost all my cred. I can take it.

Okay, okay the trailers. I’ve been having some difficulty trying to figure out why they aren’t showing up on Google Reader, if you know how I can fix this please let me know. If the trailers aren’t showing up, I promise they are there. You just have to click through, blerg.

Beasts of the Southern Wild.

I can’t. I’m already crying. This movie. That imagery. The most charismatic little girl of all time. Yes.

Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Don’t worry, I’m not gonna to go on and on about how this book changed my life. You already know that story. It’s your story, too. What I am gonna go on and on about is Emma Watson. I think I made a lot of LOUD NOISES when I learned she was going to be playing Sam. I mean, when you really think about it– who else could have played Sam? Also, don’t get me started on her adorable American accent.

Oh and this kills me every. single. time.

Big Easy Express.

Say what you want – I am all in on this Hipster Love fest of a documentary. I’m only like 2/5th hipster and this movie feels like a wet dream. Mumford & Sons and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros are the keys to my heart. Plus, I recently re-discovered ”Wagon Wheel”, so Old Crow Medicine Show is my cherry on top. In fact, immediately after the first time I saw this trailer I made a Spotify playlist purely inspired by the trailer. I need to watch the Mumfords rock out with a marching band. It’s everything I never knew I wanted. I NEED IT.

The Bourne Legacy.

Full disclusure: I’ve only seen the first Bourne movie and I don’t even remember it a little bit. Except for something about Matt Damon being in a cabin at some point (please tell me there was a cabin?). It’s not that I hated the movies; I just never got around to seeing the others and consequently forgot the first. Now, I don’t know what it is but I am so far on board the Jeremy Renner train I am practically driving the thing. If he is in a movie I will see it. It is what it is. Which reminds me, I should probably get around to seeing Avengers.

Celeste and Jesse Forever.

The fact that you can feel Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg’s chemistry in the first ten seconds of this trailer is incredible. I can’t even handle it. I already know this movie will break my heart. Speaking of hearts, that heart thing they do? It is my new mission in life to make that a thing as soon as possible. I want you all to believe me when I say this is for you guys:

Looper.

Back to the Future is easily one of my top five favorite movies. Ever since then, I have always had a soft spot in my heart for time travel movies. So basically that means I’m already borderline obsessed with Looper. But let’s step back from all of the geekdom and talk for a second about Joseph Gordon Levitt. Does anyone else feel like JGL looks like a young Edward Norton in these trailers? I suspect a last minute casting change. Either way, the make up is incredible. I’ll see you all at the theater September 28. I’ll probably be made up to look like a younger Meryl Streep.

some random thoughts on a sunday morning

by ameena on April 1, 2012 · 3 comments

in a day in the life, music, Pop Culture, random musings

there are a whole mess of disconnected thoughts currently floating about my head right now so this post might be a bit all over the place.

i feel as if lately i have just been taking snapshots. grasping desperately to hold on to the moments. as i sit surrounded by my favorite people, i glance around and see happiness. inside jokes. busting chops. uncontrollable laughter. i want the moments to last just a little bit longer.

i rather fell in love with this entire weekend. it was full of outings to the bars and obsessive discussions about my borderline inappropriate addiction to a certain british boy band. insightful conversations abound and i was able to catch up with dear friends that i hadn’t seen in far too long. there was also the incident of the brunch that changed my life and the mostly successful flying of the kites (cinderella tried to make a break for it and ended up in a lake. don’t worry a rather charming dog saved her! but sadly she will never fly again). And to top it all off there was an epic strobe light dance party in a friend’s living room and also the joy of seeing my favorite human live in concert tonight.

on a less than joyful note, i have been having some issues with the jealousy lately. and ya know what, jealousy certainly does not look good on me. i hate to admit just how often i am overcome by the stupid beast. and i know, oh how i know the root of this green monster’s evil, but i can’t seem to shake it. i guess if there is anything jealousy is good at it is playing to my biggest insecurities. cheap shot, i say.

finally, there are two songs i cannot seem to get enough of these days on account of their overwhelming beauty.

and,

but also, i haven’t been able to stop listening to this song because, well, oh ya know…

reasons to smile // archer is the shit

by ameena on August 21, 2011 · 2 comments

in reasons to smile

This week’s reasons to smile:

adele. I think I’m in love. When 21 came out in February it just spoke to my soul and I could not stop listening to it (like many of you I am sure). When tickets went on sale a couple of weeks later we were ALL over that. After months of waiting the big day finally arrived in May. Just as we were about to leave my house for the concert I got a phone call that the show had been postponed. Oh the heartbreak! Well, six months later I am happy to say that I finally saw her live and HOLY SHIT BALLS. She is the absolute best. I wish it never had to end.

the danger zone. I’ve decided to name my fantasy football team the danger zone due to my love for Archer. When shit gets really intense I plan on changing my picture to Tom Cruise as Maverick. You guys, I have so got this. Everyone should just pay me the prize money now.

wednesday night. first of all, the night started off at the Red Iguana. You guys, The Red Iguana is home to the best mexican food in all of Salt Lake City. It speaks to my stomach. The enchilada sauce is to die for. During dinner we decided it was of the utmost importance that we see the Glee movie immediately. Unfortunately, we had an hour and a half to kill between the ending of dinner and the beginning of our movie. As it turns out, an hour and a half is just enough time to stop by the ol’ tattoo parlor and still make it in time for the movie. Sadly, the tattoo was not mine. BUT I’M GETTING CLOSER. Also, Glee movie was everything I wanted it to be. And by that I totally mean all I wanted was for Artie to sing Safety Dance AND THEN HE DID. Oh and also, the Tiny Asian Baby Warbler. You’re welcome.

football. I went to my kid brother’s football game friday night. I don’t know how many times I referenced Friday Night Lights during that two hour game, but I’m pretty sure it was close to 2,000. It’s just when your brother is the Varsity Quarterback and he has a pretty amazing game and you still find yourself missing Coach Taylor and the gang and you’re still not able to get yourself to finish the final season because it’s just too sad to say goodbye – things get a little emotional. Did I mention my brother did amazing? ‘Cause he did.

your kind words. This week I received a lot of compliments on my blog. It was hard not to let it get to me. It seriously means SO much to me. I feel like I struggled for a really long time with finding my voice and figuring out what I wanted out of this whole experience and it just feels so nice that you all care. Thank you so so much.

the internet. I just really appreciate people like Katherine for making videos like this and Pham for his always encouraging words and general badassery, oh and all the people in this video who remind you just how amazing the internet is at making the geographical distance between us disappear in order to be there for one another. lovelovelove.

Some more of my favorite internet finds: 

I have a mad crush on the bride in this photoshoot. Yowza.

I cannot stop listening to the Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat soundtrack. I just wish I had known about the Donny Osmond version sooner.

Some amazing tips on peaceful roommate living.

Zen at Play.

Ragtime renditions of Mario, Harry Potter, and Star Wars. Amazing.

Oh and, papaya salad, “If Gmail worked like Twitter, I would favorite the shit out of that email.” – Nicole, sushi dates, homes with rock climbing walls and halfpipes in the basement, adele, police conventions, my job, clean room!, my roommates (i think great things are in store for us), musical pandora stations, my red hair, rooftop parties, summer nights, and hikes that end at breathtaking water falls. 

Yeah, this week was pretty great.

Now tomorrow – school! ugh.

something in the water

by ameena on August 12, 2011 · 1 comment

in music

I want an excuse to sing this song:

or actually I just want this:

Dear Darren Criss,

I’ll wear the dress if you wear the tie.

Love sincerely,

Ameena

reasons to smile // saying goodbye to harry potter (again!)

by ameena on July 16, 2011 · 1 comment

in reasons to smile

Happy Harry Potter weekend, y’all!

Here are this week’s Reasons to Smile:

Hating Jennifer Love Hewitt. So apparently hating Jennifer Love Hewitt (or as I always like to call her, Jennifer Love Fefferman) is a thing. Well actually, women hating Jennifer Love Hewitt is a thing. I had no idea. To figure out the story behind this hatred I spent some time Googling “Why do women hate Jennifer Love Hewitt” and consequently “Jennifer Love Hewitt’s breasts” because apparently those two things are related. And now I have decided to retroactively hate Jennifer Love Hewitt. Although, to be completely honest, I’m still not entirely sure why.

Still not having game. As pointed out by a friend of mine, the first step in developing my “game” is not blogging about how I don’t have game. Who knew? I will work on this.

Now I Can Die in Peace. I wish I could adequately put in to words how delightful this book was to read. If you love baseball, the Red Sox, the Shawshank Redemption, and/or Bill Simmons as much as I do I guarantee you will love every page of this book.

Horrible Bosses. It’s funny. See it.

Christopher Nolan’s Following. This was one of Mr. Nolan’s earliest films and was made on an extremely low budget, it was even shot in Black and White to save money. Yet despite the low-budget, or rather enhanced by it, this movie was very well made, well acted, and had a surprising non-linear plot sequence that Christopher Nolan has come to be known for.

Compliments. Shortly after arriving in Las Vegas for Bloggers in Sin City, I had the opportunity to meet one of my all-time favorite bloggers, Nicole. It wasn’t long after meeting her that Kaci Johanna (WHO IS GETTING MARRIED TODAY!) observed that “She [Nicole] talks like she blogs” (She totally does, too!). I thought this was such a wonderful, spot-on compliment and decided it is probably one of the highest compliments a blogger can receive. Especially if you are a blogger like Nicole. So you can only imagine my excitement when a friend said those exact words to me yesterday! Complete ecstasy. I mean, it’s only what I have been striving for my whole life.

The Cottage’s brand new coffee table. So here is what happens when I get really bored and don’t want to clean the living room, I drive thirty minutes to Ikea in search of a coffee table. In my excitement for a brand new inexpensive amazing coffee table, I completely overlooked the fact that I drive a rather small car. A car far too small for a coffee table. Stumped and stranded in the emptying Ikea parking lot, I called my mom. Luckily for me I have the type of mom who totally gets me and my crazy antics and rushes to help me in such situations rather than get upset with me. She’s the best.

Madeon’s mashup. This seventeen year old French boy mashed up 39 of his favorite songs in to a three-minute masterpiece. The end result is something I have had on repeat for days.

Banana attacks Gorilla. This is definitely a contender for best News Story of all time.

Harry Potter. Shortly after I graduated high school I finished reading the final Harry Potter book. That was the day my childhood officially ended. I don’t even know how to adequately describe the feeling. I remember spending the entire day walking around in a zombie-like trance. One of my coworkers even asked me what was wrong with me at one point. Because I was never emotionally attached to the Harry Potter movies, I didn’t even have looking forward to those to help soften the blow. It wasn’t until the seventh Harry Potter film that I actually started liking the movies. Oh but then there is the eighth film! Oh my…I just…I can’t even get over how well it was made. I already have plans to see it again tomorrow. And if you haven’t seen it by now, I suggest you get on that.

asking myself what would don draper do, being unapologetically awesome, and beating kristin at life

by ameena on July 8, 2011 · 2 comments

in reasons to smile

Oh what an incredible week! The past seven days have been full of happy holidays, good friends, delicious food, and the added bonus of a four day work week to top it all off. Basically, it was destined for success of epic proportions.

Here are this week’s Reasons to Smile:

Fourth of July Weekend. When I wasn’t busying myself with beating two of my favorite boys at Beer Pong* I was spending my time outside enjoying the cool summer air at one of my favorite bars, eating late night breakfasts at the Bayleaf Cafe, watching grown men passionately debate who would win a two-on-two basketball match without ever actually setting a time to settle the matter, watching episodes of Archer, playing Texas Hold ‘Em, watching fireworks light up the Salt Lake sky from our perch high above the valley, and somehow managing to squeeze in three shifts at work. It was by far the happiest weekend I have had in a while.

*we defeated them 3-0, for the record. But who’s counting, really? (Also, YAY COLLEGE)

Seeing Transformers 3. Very important note: I hated Transformers 3. Just talking about it makes me stabby. But the company made it bearable and the fact that the person who convinced us to see the movie in the first place ended up falling asleep for about twenty minutes when Michael Bay was at his explosioniest is what made it completely worth it. Oh and three hours of air conditioning when your house seems determined to win the heat war with the great outdoors is always a plus. Also, what did Chicago ever do to Michael Bay? Also also, can you really claim to hate a movie when it almost made you cry at one point? Actually, don’t answer that.

The new Mumford & Sons single. I have had this song for less than 12 hours and it is already my most played song. I won’t be happy until I see them live.

Miss Eleni Zoe’s eye-opening post on confidence. So, I recently realized that I don’t have game. Whenever I get the slightest indication that someone is hitting on me, I instantly go in to Bruce Willis circa Die Hard mode and start shooting down his every attempt as if he were a German terrorist. I can’t even explain it, I think it’s just my body’s emergency response system or something. Not only that, but it also recently occurred to me that my obnoxious tendency to apologize for everything has gotten entirely out of hand. Oh you sneezed? I’m sorry. What’s that you say? It’s raining outside? I’m so sorry for the bad weather. For the past couple of weeks I have been obsessing over what these two revelations could mean and, more importantly, what I ought to do about them so when I read this post it was exactly what I needed in order to see the big picture. Confidence. I. Must. Be. More. Confident. With that I bring you my latest mantra: “Be unapologetically you.” I can totally do that.

Ben Affleck. I don’t even know how or why but I really love this man. Even despite his participation in Bennifer.

The Englishman Who Went up a Hill but Came Down a Mountain. When I was in Tenth Grade I had the most amazing AP European History teacher to ever exist. She taught us such things as The Oliver Cromwell song, that only the best days start with a pink cookie in one hand and a hot chocolate in the other, and that Istanbul was Constantinople now it’s Istanbul not Constantinople. But I think my most favorite thing about Ms. Goble’s class was the day she showed us this brilliant movie starring the adorable Hugh Grant. If you haven’t seen it I highly recommend you drop what you are doing and watching it as soon as possible. Then you can find out answers to such questions as who measured the first hill?

Dinner dates with Tian. My former roommate just returned from an epic journey to her motherland (re: China). She brought me back the most amazing gift: Deep Fried French Toast. Here is all you need to know: peanut butter + texas toast + butter + sweetened condensed milk = foodgasm the likes of which the Cottage has never known before.

I’ve decided to start living my life by the code WWDDD? Because really all you ever need is some alcohol and a one night stand at a seedy hotel to solve all of your problems. Don Draper is like the epitome of unapologetic awesomeness. Oh Jon Hamm, the things I would let you do to me.

FINALLY CLEANING MY ROOM. So I moved to the upstairs bedroom about six weeks ago and I only just got around to cleaning it and oh how I love my room! Turns out there is actually hardwood floor beneath my piles of dirty clothes and so much more bed than I ever could have imagined. I used to always bitch (er, joke) to KJ that it was completely unfair of her to get an upstairs bedroom and then treat it like shit all the time so then of course she all of a sudden decided she was going to always have a clean room just to spite me and it secretly killed me inside to see her room all clean and pretty. But now my room is totally cleaner than hers! Haha! I totally feel like one of those women on Maury who were taunted in High School and then come back to be all like “Look how hot I am now, I bet you wish you could get with this. Sucks to be you, asshole.” Too far? Probably.

Oh and if you haven’t heard by now
the lovely ladies of Shatterboxx are launching a new iPhone app - Paper’d
in order to help your iPhone be it’s most stylish self.
Their custom design wallpapers are some of the best I have ever seen
and they are also friends of mine,
so please be sure to check it out and spread the word.

You know you totally want to.