A Weekend in the Country

I went upstate to Oneonta this weekend to spend some time with my cousins and help them get their cabin ready for their annual Labor Day blowout celebration. Alot of work, alot of fun. The first half of the weekend was a rainy mess, but Sunday more than made up for it.

Survivor: Samoa's Cast

The granddaddy of all reality shows, Survivor, has announced next season's (Survivor: Samoa) new cast members. At first glance it appears to be a nice cross-section of people. Names, ages, and professions are listed below:

- David Ball, 38, LA Fitness Instructor
- Betsy Bolan, 48, Campton, N.H., Police Officer
- Mike Borassi, 62, Marina Del Rey, Calif., Private Chef
- Ben Browning, 28, LA Mixologist
- Marisa Calihan, 26, Cincinnati Student
- Erik Cardona, 28, Ontario, Calif., Bartender
- Brett Clouser, 23, LA T-Shirt Designer
- John Fincher, 25, LA Rocket Scientist
- Yasmin Giles, 33, LA Hairstylist
- Russell Hantz, 36, Dayton, Texas, Oil Company Owner
- Elizabeth Kim, 33, New York City Urban Planner
- Laura Morett, 39, Salem, Oregon, Office Manager
- Monica Padilla , 25, San Diego Law Student
- Jaison Robinson, 28, Chicago Law Student
- Kelly Sharbaugh, 25, LA Hairstylist
- Russell Swan, 42, Glenside, Pa., Attorney
- Ashley Trainer, 22, Maple Grove, Minn., Spa Sales Rep
- Mick Trimming, 33, An La Doctor
- Shannon Waters, 45, A Renton, Wash., Sales Rep
- Natalie White, 26, A Van Buren, Ark., Pharmaceutical Sales Rep

The new season premieres Sept. 17th.

Rites of Passage

A rite of passage is defined as a ritual or ceremony signifying an event in a person's life indicative of a transition from one stage to another, as from adolescence to adulthood. For a baby there's the first haircut, for a young girl there's a sweet 16 to mark her transition into womanhood, and for me, at 41...drum roll please...there's a mammogram.

Yes, I had my first mammogram last night, and as I told my friend at work, that machine is a torture device straight out of the movie Saw. As if the 'pinch' (that's what they said it would feel like, yeah right) from the vise-like grip on my breasts wasn't enough, add to that the technician manhandling my breasts like they were silly putty to get it 'just right' for the imaging. Discomfort and embarassment rolled into one pretty little package. I just hope I never run into that technician in a social setting. Can anybody say "awkward".

I guess now that I'll be having my breasts flattened into an unrecognizable pancake on a yearly basis, I can officially say that I've transitioned into middle age. Yippee for me! I don't even want to think of the great rite of passage waiting for me at 50, a colonoscopy. I'm glad I still have 9 years left to prepare myself for that one, because my butt cheeks are clenching just thinking about it.

Album News from Jason Castro

Jason Castro aka the dreadlocked dude with the beautiful blue eyes (aah, isn’t he just dreamy?) from Season 7 of American Idol has an official release date for his new album, November 17th. The new single “Let’s Just Fall in Love Again” is streaming on his website, and you can pre-order the album as well.

I’m really loving the single. It’s catchy and has a Beatles-like sound to it. If you need to know more, I found this Michael Slezak interview with Jason over at Entertainment Weekly with some inside scoop on the other songs on the album.

Bollywood Meets Hollywood

This was my favorite performance from tonight's America's Got Talent. It's Ishaara, a Bollywood-style dance troupe comprised of students from UC Berkeley.

Want-to-See Fall Movie List

With Summer almost over (thank God!), one thing I'm looking forward to, in addition to some nice crisp Fall weather, is Fall movies. Here's the short-list of movies I'm actually eager to dole out $11 for:

Shutter Island. This is another Scorcese and DiCaprio project. The movie centers around two U.S. Marshalls (DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo) sent to investigate the escape of a female inmate at an institution for the criminally insane. The movie is based on the novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane. Lehane's books have translated well to the big screen in the past, including Mystic River and Gone Baby Gone, and with Scorcese on board I can't imagine that this movie will be any exception. (Release Date: Oct. 2)

Where the Wild Things Are. This movie is based on the classic children's book by the same name written by Maurice Sendak. It's about the wild adventures of a little boy named Max in his make-believe world. (Release Date: Oct. 16)

The Road. Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel written by Cormac McCarthy. The story centers around a father and son in a post-apocalyptic road trip toward safety. Viggo Mortensen is cast as the father. I read the book, so if the movie is even half as good as the book, then it will be worth the money. (Release Date: Oct. 16)

A Christmas Carol. The Charles Dickens classic with Jim Carrey as Scrooge. What else do you need to know? Carrey's "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" is a perennial holiday classic in my home. I'm hoping this becomes one too. (Release Date: Nov. 6)

The Lovely Bones. Based on the novel by Alice Sebold. It's the story of a young girl who is raped and murdered, and then watches her family and murderer from heaven. It's directed by Peter Jackson and stars Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz. This is another case where I've read the book, which was wonderful despite the horrible topic, so the movie has a lot to live up to. (Release Date: Dec. 11)