Who we are

I'm not sure about the Peter Jennings scandal. Untrue documents? Bad reporting? Truth in journalism? It all went over my head. I didn't watch Peter Jennings and I had no idea whether to root for him or against him. I just know that his voice annoyed me before I watched Jeopardy (note: in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh Jeopardy is on at 7 pm not 7:30, which is bad if you want to catch the Daily show rerun). Still, I felt bad for him.

Then, tonight I saw him on the Daily Show. He is doing a special on UFOs. He said he was a skeptic. He said the government has pushed people who claim to have seen UFOs away. Most likely because I was also comforting my sick mom on the phone, I couldn't really tell what side he was on ("I came in a skeptic, I come out a skeptic").

However, I couldn't help but think that if you were in a scandal before, no matter what you are reporting, does your next major project have to be on UFOs?

But, again, I don't know Peter Jennings. I don't even know if this is his next major project. (I apologize for my lack of research). Maybe thats just who he is - giving a mainstream voice to the craziness that most people push aside.

Then, I think to myself and to you fellow blog readers, did Peter Jennings always know who he wanted to be? Was he always the same? Did he reach his goal?

I guess I could ask this about anyone - MYSELF - but Peter Jennings was on my mind.

Cause I haven't in a few years

Who Am I

Name = Melissa
Piercings = Two; one in each ear
Tattoos = None
Height = 5 foot 3 and almost a full inch
Shoe size = 9
Hair color = light brown with red hair dye (by now probably just some highlights, if you catch it the right way in the sun)Hair length = not long enough - my last hair cut (november) I went for a corporate look, mid-boob
Siblings = thankfully

LAST...
Movies you rented = Y tu Mama Tambien
Movies you bought = I was about to buy "Before Sunset" but...I think it was Masters of the Universe
Song you listened to = Something by M. Ward on an NPR show
Song that was stuck in your head = "Show me love and what its all about, alright" - hey, "Show me love" is a cute, Swedish lesbian, chick flick featuring that song and hence, making it cool :-)
Cd you bought = "We were Born in a Flame" by Sam Roberts
Cd you listened to = Paste CD sampler..mmmmmmm
Person you've called = My parents house
Person that's called you = Doug
Tv show you've watched =
Person you were thinking of = shit, I keep thinking who I was thinking of and thinking of more and more people

DO...
You wish you could live somewhere else = I live in Pittsburgh. This is pretty obvious. Unless you catch me on a good day.
You think about suicide = Yes, and decided that I love my family too much.
You believe in online dating = do I have faith in this stuff? I might be a cynic but I'm not judgmental of others
Others find you attractive = I know Doug does.
You want more piercings = Not now, but when I was younger
You drink = milk? yes. juice? yes. wine? yes. beer? yes. Strongbow? yes. Tap water? No. Its one of my snob traits.
You smoke = no, smell bothers me but (close your kids ears) I think it looks cool.
You like cleaning = Once I get started. But, I hardly ever get started.
You like roller coasters = emotional ones?
You write in cursive or print = kinda like a half and half thing. It also depends if I'm tired or in a hurry. Print usually shows more alertness.
You carry a donor card = No, but I wish it was on my PA

FOR OR AGAINST:

Long distance relationships = For or against seems too limited here. I'm not for them ("sign me up") but I'm not the type to break up with someone who I care about (caveat: depends on time apart - 10 years might be stretching it)
Using someone = If its a mutual using relationship, I won't complain (using is a crass term for doing favors too). Its the one-sided using that gets to me.
Killing people = Yea, not so into this
Teenage smoking = I'm against but I'm not their mom. plus, 18 year olds are teens.
Driving drunk = against and too scared to try
Gay/lesbian relationship = I'm down.
Soap operas = Does the O.C. count?

FAVORITE...
Food = Soup.
Song = Anything thats melancholy and happy at the same time
Thing to do = think
Thing to talk about = hrm, I'll put it this way, I like to analyze people, situations and world problems outloud with friends
Sports = eating
Drinks = smoothies
Clothes = Jeans, t-shirts, dr pants ("scrubs")
Movies = look at my profile
Band/singer = look at my profile
Holiday = Thanksgiving (not for historical reasons)
New nerdy saying = "Wait..."
Disney movie = Beauty and the Beast.
Scent = laundry or Doug's B.O. (a secret: I like the smell of my own spit)
Word = wait, I used to have one. I do love Q words. Quibble sounds nice.
Nickname = I like Mel, hate Melissa, wish I could have the nickname MJ (pre- and post-Spiderman).
Guy name = Douglas
Girl name = Madison, Leah
Eye color = Green
Flower = Gerber Daisies or stargazer lillies
Piercing = don't think I have one
Actress = not sure right now - depends on my mood - Merryl Streep, Uma Thurman, Diane Keaton

Birthday: October 11th
Religion: born Jewis
So...
Whatcha wearing? A green tee and jeans
How long since you've showered? last night
What taste is in your mouth? sore throat.
What are you listening to? the sound of freddi digging in her cage
How d'you feel? sick
What book are ya reading? Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Everything is Illuminated (always a few), not to mention law school books
Sock color? none, but usually black or white (i'm plain)

The last...
Person you kissed: Doug.
Person you hugged: Doug.
Person you dated: Pre-Doug? Mike V, who is engaged btw!
Person who said they loved you: My Dad.
Thing you ate: Yogurt and pretzels
Thing you broke: I guess doug's computer - but it wasn't my fault - the program started downloading itself!
Thing you fixed: I cleaned the bed after Freddi peed next to my head during my nap b/c I wasn't giving her enough attention
Person whose hair you cut? Doug makes me shave his neck.
Show you went to: Rent, time #3. Wait, maybe "Embedded", Tim Robbins play.

Have you ever...
Been in love? Yes
Been out of love? Yes
Been repulsed by someone you thought you loved? Yes
Flooded your house? Does the toilet count?
Flooded somebody else's house? Does the toilet count?
Gone vegan? Never the furthest I'll stay from meat is my no-beef b/c of Mad Cow scare (Mad Cow is much too like rabies for me to not be scared)
Taken a vow of celibacy? I wanted to
Cheated on somebody? Yes
Been cheated on? Not sure

Favorite...
Place: Toronto, Seattle, Maine in the summer
Facial expression: a huge smile
Stand-up comic: Mitch Hedberg!

Who...
Is the most attractive male you know? Doug
Is the most attractive female you know? My mom
Is your hero? Not sure yet, probably my parents or Yorick from Y the Last Man

Preferences...
Girls or guys? Both
Long or short hair? Long for me! On others? I have to see them and then decide
Short or tall? tall
Scruffy or tidy? scruffy but not too scruffy. tidy but not too tidy.
Smoking or non? Non. Did I mention the smell bothers me?
Peaches or pears? Peaches. Wait, nectarines.

Miscellaneous...
What three CD's/records/tapes are you listening to incessantly these days?: the Zombies, Paste's new CD, Arcade Fire (a few weeks ago)
Physical feature for which you are most often complimented: eyes?
Term of endearment that really pisses you off: Monster.
Thing you say most when pissed off: Fuck you.
Play any instruments? Used to play the piano. I can still play the spinning song!

Dead Body

Today, I saw my first dead body. I think. I was on my way to school and I saw the police carrying this body out of a house. The guy was hunched over. It took five police - gravity's a bummer. The guy's feet weren't touching the ground. There was no stretcher but I saw the ambulance come down the street and it didn't even have its lights on, which makes me think it wasn't an emergency for the guy to get to the hospital.

All the neighbors were outside. We like to see news in action.

Now Playing: Paste Magazine's newest cd sampler. Its on par with my mood. Delicious.

wait, still a finisher

For some reason when I posted my last post - I read March 1, 2005, I wrote March 1, 2005 but I absorbed May 1, 2005. I think this is still a little soon, don't you? I need time to grow and growth takes practice. Anyone know of any screenwriting competitions over the summer?

I liked this one though cause the judge is from Pittsburgh.

A finisher

I was going to enter a screenwriting competition today. Actually, I was going to enter a kind-of-screenwriting competition today. It is hosted by Pitt in Hollywood, a group of Pitt students and people in the area, collaborating under the guidance of Carl Kurlander, who co-wrote St. Elmo's Fire, to bring some of the showbiz to Pittsburgh.

I was a little hesistant to enter because I haven't quite flushed out my idea - but the guidelines only said I only needed to turn in one or two scenes and then the premise. No problem.

Until I rented Y tu Mama Tambien last night.

I know that I'm a few years overdue to watch this movie. I heard the movie was wonderful but I always wanted to see it with someone (i feel odd watching movies about good friends by myself) and every someone I know had already seen it. (Even I-hate-indie-flicks Doug, who watched it for a spanish class). Yet, luckily, Doug likes Blockbuster way better than West Coast video because its less pretentious so we often quibble (q-word) over where to rent videos. Since we're egalitarian, pretty much, the loser in the "Who chooses the video store" battle usually gets the consolation prize of some bargaining power as to what goes on the DVD player when we get home. Plus, dudes love soft porn.

After I watched Y tu Mama, I could not even bring myself to turn in what crap I had whatever rough draft stage it may be in. I know, I know. These are high standards. Y tu Mama Tambien is among the best in the movie business. Still, I realized that right now my screenplay was more about preaching my views than sharing poetry with the world. I'm not trying to write like Cuaron brothers but people like to go to the movies for a breath of fresh air and not to inhale my propaganda. I'm a harsh critic.

I know that I've talked to some of my readers about my exquisite potential to start projects with a splash and then completely give up. Thus, my decision to fuck the Kind-of-Screenwriting competition might seem to be a cry of "That idea was so last month" or even, "I'm Scared of rejection". And while its true that I think screenwriting is a dream for me that at this time of my life I do not want to deflate with rejection because my current ego is too fragile, I also think that my perspective right now is too negative to make anything enjoyable for a wider audience.

The first step is necessary.

Today, my project that I've started over and over again and that I vow to finally finish is to find more charm in connotations, find more ecstasy in essence, adore abstracts and leave the negativity to the wind.

Thus, because I am a finisher with a newfound proclivity for dwelling on goodness, I hearby promise on this 21st day of February 2005 that I will share my dramatic morsels with the world by March 1st. And, I expect you to hold me to it. No further excuses.

Like Twins

Last night, Doug and I went to Monroeville for the first time. We were on a search for a nearby Olive Garden, with no nearby computer to give us directions. By instinct, we head out to the closest mall. (Where else are chain restaurants prevalent?) I've never been to Monroeville. But I find it funny that like all Pittsburgh's malls it is perched on top of a hill. (Disclaimer: I've only been to two, including Robinson which is more like a landing zone for super chains like Walmart, Sam's Club and fine restaurants such as Panera, Quiznos, Baja Fresh and McDonalds).

We didn't find an Olive Garden but at Jimmy Corino's (another Italian restaurant, with an Olive Garden-esque vibe), our waitress looked just like someone else I know. Same voice and everything. Sometimes I think there must be four or five of us out there, positioned in different parts of the globe. Living different lives with the same skeletal structure.

What would I be like in coffee-colored version, selling papayas on the side of the road? Would I still have a Jewish nose? How about the me that lives in Seattle - would she like to dance in the rain or would she always run for cover when it starts to pour? Would I find them annoying or intriguing? Maybe one would have all of my bad qualities and another would have all of my good qualities and I would hate them both equally.

In other news, I think I had strept throat at the end of last week. Whatever it was, it made me sick and miserable.