Things That Are Awesome (Part 2)

For a few years now, I look forward to one show and one show only during the summer crap phase of television:

That's right readers!!!! Big Brother NEVER fails to bring some drama to my life. It's usually all that I can think about, talk about, dream about at night. I'd have to say that my favorite season of all time (I've only seen two seasons by the way) is definitely Season 8 (cast pictured above). I mean, if you were a watcher, who could forget these RIDICULOUS characters?:


Amber "Waaaahmber" Siyavus, most remembered as an emotional cocktail waitress and single mother. Amber would cry at ALL situations such as veto competitions, nomination ceremonies, and evictions, seemingly for no reason at all, even if she didn't like the contestant. She is most remembered for swearing on her daughter's life and making Anti-Semitic statements. She claimed that she could 'recognize a Jew by the size of their nose or their last name'.

Richard Louis "Evel Dick" Donato was very abusive to other house guests in terms of ridiculing their sexualities, religious beliefs and/or ethnicities. Although he was extremely crass, he was very popular with the public and went on to win Big Brother 8 and the prize of $500,000. Dick is an acquaintance with several celebrities, one being Cher who he claims to have had dinner with once. He is a devout atheist, although his mother is an ordained minister.

Jennifer Marie Johnson is a nanny, estate manager and a bikini model. During a live feed, she admitted to Kail (super annoying) that she worked for Vanna White. Jen was arguably the most arrogant member of Season 8, most memorably wearing T-shirts that said "I'm a Jensa Member", "Jenth Degree", "I am a Jenius", and also parading around in a red unitard that was a gag prize. However, Jen LOVED the red unitard. No really.


Jameka Linette Cameron is a school counselor who was seen for being deeply religious. She had an air-tight alliance with Waaahmber and once was caught on screen praying aloud saying "God you are a gangster God." She believed that God wanted her to play for the person's name that she drew in a Veto Competition, regardless of whose name she drew. Jameka chose to forfeit five HoH competitions and rejected a $10,000 personal offer when seeking the Veto for Eric in her alliance. What. An idiot.

So as you can see, I am pumped about Big Brother 11's premier on Thursday. Watching this show three times a week is going to be the best thing about my summer, I'm certain of it.

Things That I'm Not Over

There are two things that can make me tear up at the snap of a finger. #1 would be for me to think about anything happening to Sue and Keithy to where they were taken away from me, if it be by death, or ninja kidnappers (I doubt that they would be kidnapped because Keithy is very handy, with any type of tool or supply. He was an Eagle Scout growing up and a modern-day version of MacGyver.)

#2 involves the Johnny Cash song/music video for his cover of Trent Reznor's "Hurt." John makes fun of me big time because even at the mentioning of the song, I immediately become inconsolable. A few minutes ago, "Hurt" came on my Pandora and I became a blubbering idiot. I couldn't 'Next' or 'Thumbs Down' it because I'd reached my max in an hour.

When this song/video came out in 2003, it would frequently come on VH1 or MTV or whatever was cool to watch at the time in college. I was not a big Johnny Cash follower, but I knew the basics. Louisiana Hayride. Old school Country music singer. Married June Carter. Man in Black. Folsom Prison. That was about the extent of my knowledge (which was pretty good for someone who didn't care about country, really).

However, when the video came out, I was mesmerized. I couldn't stop watching it. Everytime it came on, I would stop what I was doing and sit and basically weep. It is so moving. Most music videos are about glamour, bright lights, eye catching photography, sex, drugs, fame and fortune. This video is about the complete opposite: Reality.

It shows a weathered Johnny behind a piano and playing a guitar while looking back upon key moments in his life. The video also includes June Carter with Johnny, taking walks with their family and visiting the House of Cash Museum, which has been the victim of a flood and is now pretty much decaying. The images of June and Johnny are enough in themselves to break my heart:

Sure, we've all seen 'Walk the Line.' We all know that they had a rocky relationship. But who doesn't? Just listening to the lyrics of so many of his songs shows how obviously in love with June he was. I hope that my relationship turns out just like theirs (minus the drugs and stuff). June Carter Cash passed away with Johnny at her side on May 15, 2003. He passed away three months later.

Here is the video if you feel like squawling your eyes out, watch it:

New Poll of the Week!

Well, well, well. There are apparently more art lovers that read my blog than I thought. I am so proud that there was an overwhelming vote to visit the Louvre first after you arrive on your trips to Paris! And why wouldn't you, when you can see 'The Big Three' that the Louvre is famous for housing. These include:

Ah, the beautiful Mona Lisa. Which, by the way, is not as large as you would think. She is actually around the size of an 11x14 inch painting. Which is TINY considering the rest of Leonardo DaVinci's work is GIGANTIC!!! Sigh.

The enchanting 'Venus de Milo' (some know her as the 'Aphrodite of Milos') who was made around 120 BC and was found by some peasant rooting around in Greece in 1820. Turns out that, the French had to return their former most beautiful statue in the world (Medici Venus) to Italy after Napolean went and stole it from them. What an ass! Anyway, when the Venus de Milo was found, Parisian art critics promoted it to be the most beautiful statue in the world, thus gaining her (and France) worldwide fame. It's up to her viewers to make that call. However, she is absolutely breathtaking (I mean, if you like art and stuff).

The last of the "Big Three" is what I call the 'Wings of Victory' but her actual name is 'Winged Victory of Samothrace' also called the 'Nike of Samothrace'. To me, Wings of Victory is just easier to say and remember. According to research, she was made to celebrate a naval victory in the city of Rhodes. She is famous due to her naturalistic pose as well as the rendering of her drapery to depict a strong sea breeze. According to Wikipedia, the wings were included to illustrate her descent from the skies to the prow of a triumphant fleet. She was made around 250BC and is considered to be one of the great surviving sculptural masterpieces from the Hellenistic Period. This sculpture probably has the best spot in the Louvre. She sits between two major corridors. One leads to the crown jewels and the other leads to the Mona Lisa. Can't get much better than that!

You are welcome for the art history lesson.

Not that you were wondering, but the first place that I went when I arrived in Paris 5 years ago (seriously, has it been that long?) was the Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral (which if you weren't aware means Our Lady of Paris in French.) Literally, we got off the plane, dropped off our luggage at the hotel and walked over immediately to Notre Dame (we had to stay awake to properly adjust to the jet lag). Notre Dame is one of the most beautiful places that I have ever had the pleasure to set foot in (it is considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture.) It's treasury, which costs 5 euro to see, was definitely Top 5 of the things I saw while there. I will leave you with two of my personal photos from Notre Dame de Paris.

PS. Take the new poll on Britney! She is coming to Shreveport on September 19th!!!! My hopes are to be front row.

John's Big Adventure

As I am typing this, John is driving cross-country from Baton Rouge to San Diego behind the wheel of a U-Haul truck. No, he isn't moving away. He is helping his brother Jim with the moving of his belongings from House B (Baton Rouge) to House S (San Diego). His friend Mark went along with him to share in the driving duties. People ask me why I didn't go with him and I reply, "We have enough relationship tests already. I don't want to have to bury him somewhere along the Mexico border. I guess a shovel would be relatively easy to pack, though."

John doesn't get good service along I-10 (also known as the Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway says Wiki), so the way that I know that he is alive and well is through photos via email. Using my Scientific Method Reasoning Skills, I decide where I think each photo was taken. Every few hours or so, I get one of these:

I think this one was taken somewhere in Texas.Probably El Paso. He is intrigued by the mesas (Mesa is the Spanish word for 'Table'. Thanks Senorita Stinson!) he says. Who knows where it really is. Here is another:

I am usually not lucky enough to get captions, however this one was entitled "Sunset in Mexico." I didn't know he was actually going through Mexico, but perhaps that is it over there in the distance.

This one I received around 11ish last night so there's really no telling. Maybe near Las Cruces, New Mexico? He stayed in Tuscon last night, so maybe this was along Arizona somewhere. The mountains are pretty! I applaud him on getting the least amount of glass reflection as possible.

This one just in:

Nice use of bird crap in the composition! From an artsy point of view, of course. This must be somewhere between Tuscon and Yuma, Arizona. (I whipped out my Geography skills and decided that soon or probably already, they have re-routed from I-10 to I-8. I hope at least.) So they must have about six hours to go until they are finally in the Whale's Vagina!