Have you been watching the Winter Olympics? Johnny Weir was SO robbed right? He at least deserved bronze. And was there anything more beautiful than last night’s Canadian Ice Dancing team’s winning final performance. And they are both so cute!!!

I’m one of the rare people who is actually more into the Winter Olympics than the Summer Olympics. I mean come on. Figure Skating! Ice Dancing! Ski Jumps! Ski Cross! Snowboard Cross! There’s just so many weird sports.

This year I discovered a new weird sport to love. I legitimately am really into curling. I find it to be an exciting game of strategy. It’s a lot like watching a great game of pool at the bar, but more absurd, on ice, and utilizing actual giant stones. Also, what are their shoes? Because they don’t wear skates but they glide so gracefully.

And have you noticed? Strategies between women’s and men’s curling are super gendered! The women are super passive aggressive, putting one stone in the house (or, my preferred spelling, “the hoose”)  and then guarding the shit out of it. The men are more outwardly aggressive, knocking opponents stones or  just clearing the board when it stops going their way. It really makes me want to watch a co-ed game.

And more importantly, the game seems to be filled with secret crush worthy guys. Really, who had any idea that there were so many totally handsome men who were into curling?

For your viewing please, here’s a list of some of the most attractive men in curling I could find online. And of course I drew all over their pictures like a middle school girl in luuuuv!!!

[Look, I'm not even sure what some of my so-called innuendos I drew below are even supposed to mean. I just write this shit, ok?]

John Morris of Canada:

Thomas Ulsrud of Norway:

The dreamy stoner looking dude, Jason Smith, of the USA:

Jan Henri Ducroz of France:

The twinkalicious Oskar Erickson of Sweden:

The striking Raphael Mathieu of France:

And the very handsome and very fashionable (via the pants) Haavard Vad Petersson:

<3 these kewties <3

I was having this conversation with a buddy recent about the current state of music. We didn’t think the current climate was bad per se, but we couldn’t help but ask “WHERE IS THE ANGST?!!!” I mean, we’re in a depression, all our jobs suck, politics are more cynical than ever, and somehow most of popular culture still remains firmly rooted in a dedication to escapism. Why is our entertainment so seemingly happy when the rest of the world kind of sucks right now?

Well, it looks like Xiu Xiu’s upcoming album being released Monday, February 22, is aiming to provide some beautiful depressive catharsis. Xiu Xiu has consistently been one of the only bands I will shell out for whenever they come to town. The shows always have an amazing sense of live experimentation (For example, the last show I went to, they experimented with percussive tones using a yield sign placed on a saw horse). Jamie Stewart, the driving force behind the project, is magnetic on stage with an amazing ability to communicate on a personal level with large crowds. I was also always a big fan of Caralee, who unfortunately is now listed as a former member. (True story side note: I once went on a very unsuccessful date with a guy I met at one of their concerts!)

While the live performances have always been amazing, I always found some of their recording to be hit and miss. Sometimes the experimentation just doesn’t translate in recording. Don’t get me wrong. The most recent Women As Lovers was GREAT. Fabulous Muscles was a HUGE standby when I needed to emo out alone in my room in college. I actually can’t name an album I don’t like. I even liked the covers compilation released 3 years back. My point is more that I understand why people might NOT like it. Which is why these three leaked tracks from the upcoming Dear God, I Hate Myself have me really excited.

All three tracks go back to the sort of alternative electronic vibe that I first came to love about this band while adding in a kind of New Order 80s dance sensibility. Basically I have hopes that this could be one of the most accessible, successful, and listenable albums the group has done in a while. None of that is meant to sound patronizing, I think being “listenable” within this genre is actually a truly great quality.

I was looking at the YouTube comments to see what other people think. I think this mm60503642 has a good point but maybe doesn’t get the music?

However, I think I am more inclined to agree with VomitShovel.

Check out the title track “Dear God, I Hate Myself”:

Here’s another very dancey one called “Gray Death”:

And lastly my favorite of the leaked tracks, “Chocolate Makes You Happy.” You know, it’s just a simple song about binging on chocolate and then throwing it all up to try and make yourself feel better:

I still got some mp3 gift cards left over from Christmas that I know I will be using Monday.

I’m not joking. I really don’t know who Justin Bieber is and he seems to be a constant trending topic on Twitter and the like. Instead of Googling him, I figure it’s just better to write a post, right? Also, this video by some YouTube pop group named Menya is apparently a dirty cover version of one of his songs.

According to Joe My God these are all NYU freshmen? Having ‘been there’ (meaning having been an NYU freshman) I have some advice.

Letter number 1:

Dear unremarkable girl who is obviously the star,

Please get a new look. You have a great voice for autotune. You obviously like to perform. You can go far! You just need to refine your look a little, you’re being way overshadowed by your Asian friend’s obvious hipness. I know i can be hard to out-hip Asians with good haircuts, but you could at least try harder. Also you should talk to your friends in film school and get some lights and greeen screen. The video would be way better if you had b-roll backgrounds that made it look like you were flying over mountains or in a jungle or something.

You also look like you might fit in better in California than New York. That’s not an insult. I am just sayin’.

Sincerely -

A former unremarkable NYU Freshman

Letter number 2:

Dear girl who looks like Ginger Takahashi -

You are probably the best thing about this video. Keep up the good work. Are you in art school? If so your whole look and steez makes me thing of this awesome girl named Ginger Takahashi who is in some fun bands. One of them is called The Ballet but I don’t really know what they are doing anymore? The other is called Men and is with JD Samson of Le Tigre fame and they are playing tomorrow night at the Bell House.  You should go study her, because I am her fan and I want to be your fan too.

Best -

Former wanna be art kid

Letter number 3:

Dear really good looking but self conscious NYU otter cub -

Please learn to get into the dancing more. You are super cute and if you weren’t doing that ‘I am sooo self conscious so I look dead in the eyes’ thing every gay man in the east village and williamsburg would be sweatin you. You would have so many boyfriends. AND DON’T YOU WANT SOOOO MANY BOYFRIENDS????? (that’s rhetorical).

Best -

Former NYU Freshman who wants to have a crush on you

Thanks for uploading to YouTube Menya!!! Now please tell me who Justin Bieber is?

So I went to go see Valentine’s Day on Valentine’s Day. Buying a ticket for 1 adult online makes me laugh so hard at myself.

I should have shown up with a box of chocolates all for myself and then gone to a restaurant and yelled, “Excuse me! Waiter! I’ll be having the ‘Sweetheart’s Special’ for 1 please.”

True story though: I actually saw it with two of my besties and just bought the ticket by myself and we had juice boxes of pinot grigio. So in reality not as funny and actually kinda a normal experience!!!

But let’s talk about the movie.

I don’t want to do a full exegesis or review. I don’t think I can do better than Manohla Dargis’ brilliant take on the movie, describing the film as  a “dire romantic comedy.” And boy is this movie dire!!!

The film is just so full of anachronistic elements, so I am just gonna throw them all out there:

• The Taylor Swift/Taylor Lautner storyline has no real plot arch, but somehow is one of the best parts of the movie?
• Shirley MacLaine’s performance is the only thing that saves her storyline.
• Anne Hathaway/Topher Grace’s plot line is laughable. Anne Hathaway is in no way a convincing phone sex operator and I didn’t think for a second that Topher was actually pissed off or turned off by her chosen profession.
• Julia Roberts is in the movie for 6 minutes and it’s been reported she made 3 million dollars.
• Jessica Biel is WAY too hot (and her character dresses like she knows it) to be a believable dorky outsider.
• Patrick Dempsey juggles lemons to make a really obvious pun on how he’s cheating on his wife with Jennifer Garner.
• The gay “surprise” is pretty weird and involves a mystery man appearing to tickle Eric Dane’s face with flowers.
• A large part of the action takes place at an Indian Restaurant for no real reason.
• Ok, I almost cried at the end of Julia Robert’s plotline, when she shows up at home and hugs her kid.
• Queen Latifah, as always, was flawless. But can she please play a lesbian already?

So, if you liked In Her Shoes and weren’t bothered by the random Jamaican Wedding at the end, you will probably love this movie! That being said, it’s entirely “sit through-able.” I didn’t once feel like it was totally unwatchable. If you decide to watch this, just make sure you have a box of wine nearby.

2010 guys! It’s been a month! Can you believe it? I’m sure you can!

I have have been sick with a horrible hacking cough so hence small hiatus from this here personal blog. Be back when I’m back on my game.

But I saw this today and ya’ll just need to know about it. I been watching this ‘like a hawk in the sky, a bird of prey’ aka on repeat.

His music has strong powers. First I was like, “hey look a goofy looking white dude” but by the end of the video I was kinda in <3. Maybe for 2010 I should get married to this guy.

[via w33d]