Category: This & That

Oh hai there

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So, based on where I left off, it may seem life I’ve been mourning the untimely passing of Robin Williams to the extent that I couldn’t bring myself to blog. But alas, no. Sometimes I find myself taking an unplanned break from blogging and social media in general in the interest of unplugging and regrouping and being lazy and all that jazz.

I’ve been practically inhaling books, TV shows, podcasts and movies in the past month. My near-decade long love of the Outlander series has blossomed into a full-fledged obsession thanks to the Starz adaptation. I’ve read so many good books and have so many more that I want to read and my library holds list is overflowing and everything is coming in at once and really, this is a good problem to have, but I’m actually somewhat stressed about just when I’m going to read it all. DAMN DUE DATES AND HAVING TO WORK FOR A LIVING.

And cheers to returning to blogging about all of the above.

O captain, my captain!

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My mother has always cried when a celebrity she liked died, and I always thought it was sort of silly to cry over someone you don’t actually know. (Except when George Harrison died. And even then, her weeks of mourning seemed like overkill.)
But the death of Robin Williams hit me really, really hard yesterday.

Someone wrote that he was a father figure to our generation, and I said “yes” out loud when I read that. I grew up watching Robin Williams. Sometimes he was manic. Sometimes he was calm. Sometimes he was animated. Sometimes he was inspiring. That one time he was a she.

As I read others’ words on his life and his passing, I took an inventory of his roles that meant the most to me personally. I remembered when he made me laugh as the genie in Aladdin, as Mrs. Doubtfire, as Batty in Ferngully. I remembered watching Good Morning Vietnam and his stand-up with my dad, who beamed when I said he reminded me of him. I remembered loving him as a full grown Peter Pan. I remembered Good Will Hunting and how good he was at delivering words of wisdom.

My sister updated her Facebook status to “O captain, my captain,” and I just lost it.

I’ve long attributed my optimism and hope to movies and books, and I think I will always have a deeply rooted affection for any piece of fiction that contributed to that cause when I needed it the most. Dead Poets Society was one of those movies for me. I watched it I don’t even know how many times in the midst of the worst of it with my parents. And I let Mr. Keating’s words sink in and resonate.

I didn’t actually know Robin Williams, but I feel like I did. And I find it ironic that someone who brought so much joy to so many suffered from depression. It breaks my heart into pieces to think that he was ever sad or felt alone. It goes to show that we never really know what is going on inside the minds and lives of others. All we can do is hope that if nothing else, he knew on some level how beloved he truly was.

So beloved that a twenty-something who rolls her eyes when others cry over the death of celebrities, who acknowledges that feeling so inconsolably and inexplicably sad because she didn’t even actually know him, was rendered a weeping mess over his passing.

No, Mr. Williams. Thank you.

Summer Podcast Playlist

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I tend to associate summer with going on vacation, and that means spending some time in transit. And I associate time in transit with time to listen to podcasts. So, whether you’re driving, flying, or just want something to distract if you’re traveling with family, here is my ideal summer podcast playlist:

  1. This American Life: Hit the Road
    The perfect inspiration for a trip is a story about other people going on trips. Or in this case, three stories.
  2. Judge John Hodgman: “Die Flederhaus” (or as it’s affectionately known, “Bats”)
    This podcast regularly makes me think a lot harder than I expect to and suprises me with its depth. But this is not one of those episodes. This episode is just plain HILARIOUS. Two brothers purchase a dilapidated house in Kansas that is infested with bats. Both acknowledge that the bats should be removed, but they are short on funds to pay an exterminator and can’t agree on a preferred alternate method. I have listened to this episode three times and still haven’t heard all of it because of how hard I’m laughing.
  3. This American Life: Day at the Beach
    David Sedaris is known for his ability to make hilarious anecdotes out of mundane experiences. But this is not one of those stories. This is the story of the annual beach vacations his family took when he was a child, and how his sister’s suicide brought the remaining members of his family back to the beach once more.
  4. This American Life: Accidental Deception
    This, however, is a funny David Sedaris story about a time he took the metro in Paris and was mistaken for a Parisian by a Texan. Hilarity ensues.
  5. How Did This Get Made?: Sleepaway Camp
    I am an enormous fan of movies so bad they are amazing. (The recent popularity of Sharknado 2 leads me to believe I’m not alone.) So when I found out there was a podcast about such films, I was ecstatic. How Did This Get Made? is one of my favorite podcasts, and this is probably my favorite episode. I highly recommend that you watch Sleepaway Camp before listening (maybe while on vacation and save this for your trip home?), but it’s an enjoyable listen even if you don’t.
  6. TED Talks: You Are Always Changing
    This is a really interesting lecture on how we change a lot more than we expect to throughout our lives. The effect is surprisingly freeing.
  7. StoryCorps: Annie
    I love love stories and this sweet tearjerker has stayed with me since I first heard it.
  8. Welcome to Night Vale: A Story About You
    I love Welcome to Night Vale, and this is possibly my favorite episode. Probably because it’s a story about me.
  9. The Moth: A New Map of the World
    This is a hilarious story on the perils of confessing too much to a crush.
  10. Radiolab: “Bliss”
    It’s kind of impossible to be in a bad mood after you listen to this. “On day 86 of a 3-month trek to and from the South Pole, adventurer Aleksander Gamme discovered something he’d stashed under the ice at the start of his trip.” This is proof that sometimes, it really is all about the simple things. There’s a video too.

Happy listening and happy summer travels!

Currently anticipating…

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Ooooh, Gone Girl.

I really liked the book. Well, I liked the first 95% of the book (like most people from the reviews I’ve seen), and the ending left me scratching my head. But knowing they changed the ending for the movie is making me SO excited to see it.

I will say, even though the ending is kinda wtf-inducing (so prepare yourself to probably throw your hands up and maybe the book with them), I do really recommend reading the book. It gets inside your head and keeps you guessing and guessing and is just a really… I wouldn’t say “fun” reading experience, but it definitely keeps you on your toes.

(If you haven’t already, check out the first trailer here.)

I saw The Fault in Our Stars over the weekend…

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…and I’m finding it difficult to write a review because I keep getting all weepy and then just want to lay down on my bed and feel. I almost didn’t want to see it in a theater despite loving the book because I don’t really enjoy ugly crying in public. And ugly cry I did. This spoiler-filled BuzzFeed article pretty much sums up my viewing experience.

So! Instead of writing a review I’m just going to say that you should read the book and you should see the movie because both are very good, and you should have tissues handy because man, it is one sad story.