My long "Almost the end of the Chinese New Year" post

[psyched_out]

Hey, when I did my New Year's resolutions last year, I told one of you to remind me about it! I've just gotta do all the work around here I guess...

for those of you keeping score at home, here's how I did against my drunkenly proposed goals from 2005:

Comments

[xantha]

woo! someone else posted a retro look at their 2006 goals. :) You were much better than I was. Maybe I'll number 'em this year. :)

[I gave a fair amount to Heifer International this year -- they send me what I have come to accept as a normal amount of "donate more!" messages but I like what they do. They're listed on Charity Navigator as Heifer Project International.]

Congrats on 2006, hope you/S/A have a great 2007! :) :D

[psyched_out]

Actually, you were the only person on my friends list to reappraise 2006. Clearly you and I have got our heads glued on straight, unlike some other people...

And thanks - I can always use more recommended charities!

Best to you and N and the animal kingdom in 2007!

[ikahana]

I really wish we could do a monthly coffee to catch up. I have six billion things I want to say in response to this and a gazillion past things, but we are going to watch a couple of "comedies" which is something I just don't do very often and I have to get behind the plate of nachos and beer in two minutes.

I will quickly say that your money to charity goal is really wonderful, really says a ton about you, and I actually was emotionally moved when I was reading it.

I also have some magazine suggestions - along the lines of Democracy Now, but I have to go watch Jack Black in a Mexican Wrestler's costume. I'm not kidding. Best year ever to you!

[psyched_out]

Speaking of comedies, we debated on what film we wanted to see as part of our triumphant "Return To Cinemas!" act and had debated it down to "Volver" or "For Your Consideration." We ultimately decided that it would be FYC, since it was a comedy and that might perhaps give you one of the advantages of the theater, in that its not just the two of us sitting in our living room but a roomful of people, and the contagiousness of laughter really can't be denied in such a setting

[ikahana]

We just came home from seeing FYC! No kidding. How funny. It was between that and Borat (blame Film Comment and NPR for getting us interested in that one) or The History Boys.

Tomorrow I'm solo which means I'll probably do something a bit violent but meaningful. There are three or four I'm looking at - and I'll certainly get to one and maybe two. Full report may follow.

We both liked FYC. Love those films. They may not be laugh out loud knee slappers anymore like the first few, but really good movies that make us smile.

[psyched_out]

We agreed on FYC. It has the feel of a group who knows what they are and aren't capable of so they play it safer for the most part now...but they're still great at what they do. I think my favorite moments were the talk show host's band coming back from the commercial break and his introduction of catherine o'hara's character, and fred willard's love of cellphones...

may you be unleashing havoc on the theaters right now...to be honest half of me wants to see Borat and the other half of me doesn't - it sounds like one of those movies that I'll find funny despite my better judgment...

[rebl1969]

That is a very impressive post. It makes me feel like I did nothing in 2006 but sit on my butt, which is pretty much accurate.

1: Charities: Look at UMCOR (although I like all the ones you listed). Sure, it's United Methodist, but you can select projects like gulf coast hurricane relief or getting mosquito nets to the parts of Africa where the death rate in children from malaria is almost 50%. And, you donation actually will go to these causes, instead of into a general administrative fund.

2: Magazines: The Oxford American seems to have finally gotten back on its feet, and it comes out quarterly so they don't pile up on you. John's a big fan.

[psyched_out]

Thank you for the recommendations! I've actually looked at that charity before and had it on my list, especially after reading an article about malaria not too long ago.

And I nearly bought the latest Oxford American. I've bought it sporadically throughout the years and have always enjoyed it. If memory serves, I think I saw a CD with the new issue that looked enticing too...the best of both worlds...

Happy 2007!

[rebl1969]

If you miss the music issue and want the CD, let us know, I think we have like six years' worth of samplers by now. John is the keeper of the OA, so he'll know for certain.

[inuitmonster]

Regarding Dutch - in the Netherlands they seem to all speak perfect English. I am not entirely convinced that they really have their own language.

[psyched_out]

After having a workmate who was grew up in the Netherlands (his dad managed the Amsterdam Hilton while John and Yoko had their bed-in there, even), I'm convinced that Dutch is a language consisting solely of vulgarities, back-handed talk, and the phrase "I bet you didn't think I could speak Dutch, right?" which he explained was a very useful phrase to apply when someone on a train was using vulgarities or back-handed talk to describe you.

For that matter, everyone makes a big deal about learning how to say "Good morning" or "thank you" in all these languages, but I think a far more applicable phrase to learn is "I bet you didn't think I could speak ________, right?" in as many tongues as possible. You don't even need to learn anything more, as using a phrase like that would tend to immediately silence the room. I've got to make that a 2008 resolution...

[ikahana]

The only way I'm going to be able to comment on this in any detail is in pieces. Let me go for the magazines that may be along the lines of Democracy Now first. You may have heard of these, but here are a few suggestions from the Magazine King:

Z Magazine
From the link above - ...founded in 1988, is an independent monthly of critical thinking on political, cultural, social, and economic life in the U.S. Z Magazine is available in print and online. The print magazine is most often 64 pages, with articles of many lengths and focuses.

In These Times
(for some reason which has me pretty paranoid, I can't get into their website - I get a "Forbidden" message, although I have visited it many, many times in the past.) This is great- a really "easy" read that almost makes you think you are reading something with less content than you really are. Here is what Wikipedia has to say about it all.

The Nation
We actually subscribe to this one right now. We had to cut down on the number of magazines we subscribe to, and fishmael prefers this one.

[psyched_out]

Yes, I knew I could count on Uncle Hyperlinks to help me out!

This is enough to get me going for awhile. Of all of those, I've only checked out The Progressive before and I've long heard of the Nation and seen it on stores but have never picked one up. Not familiar with the others. Looks like a trip to the bookstore is in order! Thank goodness my budget resolution deals only with books and not magazines...

[ikahana]

Uncle Hyperlinks remembered instantly after posting that you have a slow dial up situation that doesn't like the click-click action. Oops.

[psyched_out]

oh its okay - every once in awhile I get the urge to click away so its good to have them there...

I also have about 6 billion things to talk to you about but its always too inappropriate for mere lj comments but if i start writing an email it goes on for about 3 hours - its too bad that we are both such anti-phone people...