Pumped-up vs. slow workout playlists

I usually work out to the tunes of Ciara, Timbaland, Britney Spears, MIKA, Rihanna, Chris Brown, and Hannah Montana (I'll admit it). But I must admit that the same old hip-hop and R&B songs can get kind of tiring---which should not be happening at the gym, of all places.

My roommate told me that she actually listens to slow music while working out, which, at first, sounded ridiculous to me. But then she explained it to me: "When I listen to the lyrics, I don't pay as much attention to the work that I'm doing."

And THAT made it sound like an amazing idea! So I made the following "slow workout playlist":

Sleeping Lessons, The Shins
Closer, Joshua Radin
Paperweight, Joshua Radin
Winter, Joshua Radin
Whatever It Is, Ben Lee
Those Dancing Days Are Gone, Carla Bruni
At Last the Secret Is Out, Carla Bruni
Please Forgive Me, David Gray
Lightning Rod, Guster
Empire State, Guster
Bird Stealing Bread, Iron & Wine
John Wayne Gacy, Jr., Sufjan
Casimir Pulaski Day, Sufjan
Holland, Sufjan
(Hospital Vespers), The Weakerthans
Fever, Peggy Lee
Cowboy Take Me Away, Dixie Chicks
Turn Me On, Norah Jones
Gold Dust Woman, Fleetwood Mac
Swans, Unkle Bob
Sleep Don't Weep, Damien Rice

Looks pretty sleepworthy, but I'm excited to hit the gym tomorrow and see what happens.

The following is my default workout playlist, which looks lame, boring, and whatever-the-opposite-of-eclectic is, in comparison!

Kiss Kiss (feat. T-Pain), Chris Brown
With You, Chris Brown
Wall to Wall, Chris Brown
Gimme More, Britney
Piece of Me, Britney
Break the Ice, Britney
Radar, Britney
Release (feat. Justin Timberlake), Timbaland
Boardmeeting (feat. Magoo), Timbaland
Miscommunication (feat. Keri Hilson), Timbaland
Time (feat. She Wants Revenge), Timbaland
See You Again, Miley Cyrus
Start All Over , Miley Cyrus
Stronger, Kanye West
Don't Stop the Music, Rihanna
Breakin' Dishes, Rihanna
Grace Kelly, MIKA

Picture credit: Teambath.com

Obsession of the week: Kate Nash

Only drawback to the UK's latest pop badass, Kate Nash? I don't want to have to choose between her and Lily Allen.

Picture source: Guardian.uk

Marion Cotillard is a vision

"There are angels in this city!"

Modest and perfect! Love her!

Picture source: Hollywood-Elsewhere

It's finally time

With the exception of Best Supporting Actor nominee Javier Bardem for No Country For Old Men, I don't think that anyone has really sealed the deal for their statue.

I could see Ellen Page winning. Or Marion Cotillard. Or George Clooney.

It's going to be an exciting night!

Picture source: Realone.com

Still haven't seen Tina Fey's Hillary endorsement on SNL last night?

Enjoy.

I love Tina Fey

Mad mad mad mad mad MAD props to the gorgeous and hilarious and gifted Tina Fey, who plugged the SHIT out of Hillary Clinton tonight on SNL's Weekend Update!! Check out the transcript below...









Tina Fey: Which raises the question, why are people abandoning Hillary for Obama? Some say that they are put off by the fact that Hillary can't control her husband and we would end up with co-presidents. 'Cause that would be terrible. Having two intelligent, qualified people working together to solve problems? Ughhh! Why would you let Starsky talk to Hutch? I wanna watch that show "Starsky"!

And maybe what bothers me the most is t want to say something about those calling Hillary a bitch. Yeah, she is. So am I. So is this one. (She points at Weekend Update news host Amy Poehler.)

Amy Poehler: Yeah. Deal with it.

Tina Fey: You know what? Bitches get stuff done! That's why Catholic schools use nuns as teachers and not priests. Those nuns are mean old clams and they sleep on cots and they're allowed to hit you. And at the end of the school year you hated those bitches but you knew the capital of Vermont.

So I'm saying: it's not too late, Texas and Ohio, get on board! Bitch is the new Black!



...No joke, I nearly cried. Love it. Like she said, come on, Texas and Ohio!


Picture credit: Timeinc.net, Foxnews.com

Cool parking garage

Check out this bangin' parking garage on E. 24th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues in downtown Manhattan.

I was walking home from my friend's apartment late tonight and spotted this place. I felt sketchy going in and taking pictures---it was so late and totally desolate---but I couldn't help myself. Cool, right? And kind of random?

Rediscovery of the moment: Patrick Wilson

Patrick Wilson = hot.

Patrick Wilson's singing voice = dreamy.

Just now, I was listening to all the tracks in my iTunes with the genre "Musical," and "We Have All Been Blind" from Wilson's 2004 movie The Phantom of the Opera started playing. Damn. If you have never heard this man sing---which is understandable, you've probably been concentrating primarily on his shirtless appearance in Little Children---you are definitely missing out on some major soothingness. (That is a word, apparently.)

Sidenote: The Phantom of the Opera I thought was actually pretty badass in film form---much more rock than the actual stage musical. I mean, Gerard Butler's savage voice? Delicious. Emmy Rossum's diamond-drenched costumes? Fantastic.

Anyway, back to the main matter at hand: Patrick Wilson. Basically, he's gorgeous, he's a great actor (though I haven't seen Hard Candy---was advised not to, as I hate movies that have knives in either eyes or genitals), and he's the dreamiest of singers. Too bad he's married. And too bad he's married to that Hottie McHotface who played Mercedes in the Count of Monte Cristo movie. (Also totally badass, by my standards.)

Let's get this man back on Broadway---this time not in a Neil Simon play, please---and closer to me.

Picture source: http://img113.imageshack.us/img113/9426/pmisc3sm5.jpg

Seeing Passing Strange tonight...

I have seen the poster for this seemingly-electrifying show around the city for what seems like over a year. Finally seeing this thing tonight!

Woop! My thoughts on it later...

Picture credit: Playbill.com

Starring Jonathan Groff and featuring Jonathan Groff's saliva

I saw Spring Awakening on Broadway a little over a year ago and wasn't bowled-over impressed. However, I do remember loving the performances and some of the songs---not all. And of course I got the soundtrack right after I saw it, just in case I missed something. After giving it a listen, I still wasn't that impressed. I found the show totally overrated. And yet I still had so much respect for the actors, some of whom are younger and still in high school.

Anyway. It's been a year now, and I decided it was time to give it another chance.

My roommate and I trekked to Times Square this morning at 7:30. It was so cold, our two blankets failed to keep us warm. Our feet became blocks of ice. We could barely move our limbs and faces. (Yet I ended up dragging myself to McDonald's a few blocks over and bought for us three hash browns, two apple pies and 1 steaming hot cup of coff-pee.)

It was so cold. Let me reiterate this. It was so cold.

We waited for two and a half hours with our asses molded to the frigid New York City sidewalk. At 10am, we purchased four tickets for $30 each. Success.

So, anyway, on to what I thought of the show tonight: I really, really liked it. Some of the music still bored me a little...I'm personally not a big fan of "Whispering," "Those You've Known," "My Junk," or "The Guilty Ones." However, songs that stood out for me this time---that didn't at all last time---were "And Then There Were None," "All That's Known," and "Touch Me." Favorites that remained favorites? "Mama Who Bore Me" (both), "Don't Do Sadness/Blue Wind" and "Totally Fucked." Love those. Love those!

Other than the new actors portraying the adult characters, new actors, both named Blake, included Blake Bashoff as Moritz---who had frightening big hair to fill, as he is the first actor to play Moritz after Tony-winner John Gallagher, Jr.---and Blake Daniel, who portrayed Ernst. I thought that both were great singers and exciting to watch. However, and maybe this is because John Gallagher, Jr. seriously cemented the personality and physicality of Moritz during his long run, I felt that Blake Bashoff's Moritz was seemingly an imitation of Gallagher's. I quickly forgot about this, though. His voice is fantastic and his rendition of "Don't Do Sadness" was passionate, aggressive and desperate. And Blake Daniel? His sweet, darling singing voice was boyish and---I'll say it---adorable. I hope he stays in the production for a while. He was wonderful! I fell for him, no lie.


Let's talk about the most surprising aspect of the production: the amount of saliva that lead actor Jonathan Groff (Melchior) sprayed through the course of the performance. It was REALLY IMPRESSIVE, and they should have labeled the first two rows as the Spring Awakening Splash Zone. I mean really, it was intense. But props to him. His performance seemed more driven than a year ago, and it's a relief to know that these actors don't tire easily of the characters that they have to portray 8 times a week. I don't think I could do it.

Other standouts: Skylar Astin's solo in "Touch Me," Skylar Astin's two huge curls, Blake Daniel and Jonathan B. Wright's hilarious-yet-touching (no pun intended) duet in "The Word of Your Body (Reprise)," and Brian Charles Johnson whenever he sings.

One irk: the songs are so "rock" that sometimes I had no idea what was going on. Songs in other musicals---more "traditional-style" musicals, like Grease and Wicked---feature the characters doing something onstage and literally moving the plot along. However, Spring Awakening functions more like a rock concert. Mike stands and everything. And some solos were just so poetic and the characters so stationary that I was totally lost in what they were trying to tell me by singing the song.

But anyway. Go see it. Really. It's bold and touching and everything that everyone says it is.

Picture credits: AOL CDN, TheaterMania.com

Three words: Front. Row. Seats.

I finally did. I saw Legally Blonde: The Musical on Broadway tonight, after having gone through multiple mixed feelings about it. When I first heard about it, I was PUMPED. Then I saw a rehearsal clip on Broadway.com and "Omigod You Guys" just sounded like a generic, more-people-singing version of "Popular" from Wicked. And then I wasn't really feeling it anymore. But then I downloaded "Omigod You Guys" on iTunes when it was free about 4 months ago. And guess what: I fell in love. And then I got the whole soundtrack. (FYI: It's incredible. Versatile tracks, phenomenal vocals, witty one-liners that you'll miss when you listen to it all the first time.) And TONIGHT I saw it on Broadway!

It started with my friend suggesting the student rush early, early, EARLY this morning. We sleepily took the train to the theater in Times Square at 7:45am and sat our weary selves against The Palace Theater's front doors, huddling under blankets and waiting for the clock to strike 10am. We weren't the first people in line---we were, like, the sixth---but we had a great chance of getting tickets, which was all we needed. For two hours we killed time by avoiding creepy men trying to sell us papers we could get for free, giving the evil eye to two girls who seemingly cut us in line (but they insisted they were going to the matinee, and not the evening show), and gossiping about shows and men. It was a good time, actually. And at 10am, we spent TWENTY-SIX DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS for FRONT ROW SEATS.

Yes. The student rush policy IS that good. I highly recommend it for ANYONE who has a school ID. For $26.50, we sat in the front row and watched Laura Bell Bundy work, sing, and kick ass so hard.

Obviously, the show itself was in a word---spectacular. The actors were simply extraordinary. The acting was driven and fierce, the vocals stunning, the choreography meticulous and ridiculous. The songs can stand alone, which is why anyone can get so much out of the soundtrack, but when weaved into the scenes with dialogue, they made the entire production so magical.

Speaking of magic, the sets were impressive to the point of distraction. I don't want to give anything away, but there was magic onstage that I will never forget.

So here we are:

Top Five Reasons to See Legally Blonde on Broadway before Laura Bell Bundy departs:

ONE
Laura Bell Bundy. Though there's no way anyone could have beat Christine Ebersole for that Tony last season, she was definitely a contender that I didn't really understand fully until seeing her perform. Her singing voice has this raspy quality that makes Elle so much less Valley Girl and much more earnest. She really worked and lived onstage tonight. When she cried during the "Legally Blonde" ballad, her tears were real and it seemed that her state was too. She was compelling in every sense of the word. Her acting was specific and subtle---yet animated. She was a joy to watch.

TWO
Christian Borle. I'm in love with him. End of story. (Too bad he's married to the most amazing Broadway actress and triple-threat ever: Sutton Foster. I can't compete with that.) He gave Emmett this quick-witted-ness quality that I thought was missing from the film. It was easy to fall in love with him. And I did. Repeatedly. Plus, his voice might actually soar. Yeah. His voice is so clear and powerful---I simply can't believe I got to see him sing live. PS: He's the guy from that eBay commercial when the store turns into a disco. There was even an eBay joke in the script!

THREE
The sets. Like I said above: magic happened. The sets were beautiful and creative, and they moved so seamlessly that I often didn't even realize that we had changed location.

FOUR
It's nothing like the movie. Yes, the storyline is the same, duh. But the characters are totally different and the humor is, too. So you haven't already seen it.

FIVE
The choreography, which is flawless and freaking FUNNY. I'll just say: full-cast Irish jig.

There you have it. It's such a fun time. No one will disagree!!

Legally yours,
Kim

Picture credit: Blog.fashionwindows.com, City Guide NY

I almost didn't vote on this Super day

So I voted this morning in New York City. Whoo-hoo! It was my first time voting and I rose bright and early to beat the rush. Actually, when I got to my polling place, I saw that there wasn't actually that much of a crowd at all. (Thank you, 8:30 am.) I was nervous about two main things, the first being that I wouldn't have brought the right kind of identification. I don't have a New York state driver's license, so I brought the only one I have. Thankfully, it was sufficient. The second thing I was worried about was that somehow, I would vote for the wrong person on accident. Thankfully, that didn't happen either, but the ancient-looking metal contraptions that process the most important information in the country failed to make voting an easy task. I mean, TAKE A LOOK AT THAT THING. Just look at it!!

I nervously alerted the tiny old lady poll worker next to the machine that I was a first-time voter, and totally clueless about how to even work the damn thing. She said, "Oh, you'll be fine. Just move the red lever [she pronounced it lee-ver] to the right, make your selection, and move it back to the left."

It sounded easy enough.

I stepped through the black curtains and surveyed the dozens of names in Courier font that scattered the face of this prehistoric machine. Joe Biden and Bill Richardson were still on there, which surprised me. I thought that when you withdrew, you withdrew. I guess they must still get some votes.

I spotted my girl's name in the upper left-hand corner and with a sudden rush of adrenaline at the idea of casting my first vote for the first woman president, I seized the red lever and yanked it to the right. Then I reached up and twisted the little knob next to her name. I stepped back to double-check that I hadn't accidentally bumped the knob next to Mitt Romney's name or anything, and then took a deep breath as I grabbed the red lever again and yanked it to the right, ready to make my voice known!

Nothing happened.

I yanked harder. Still nothing. I pulled with all of my might. Still nothing.

Shamefully, I peeked my head out of the black curtain and said, "Um, I'm sorry, but it doesn't seem to be moving."

The lady said, "Jiggle it."

I took my head back and grabbed the lee-ver, shaking it wildly. The big metal machine creaked, but the lever refused to budge. Again I thrust it back and forth, pulling it toward me and pushing it away madly, trying to get some movement out of it. With a grimace, I peeked out again, ashamedly admitting defeat to the lee-ver. I wanted to make my voice known all on my own, but I had no choice but to ask the little old lady for help.

I could tell that she didn't want to come in the booth---voter privacy?---but it was obvious that I was going to be on my own forever if I didn't get some assistance. So she bent her head and plowed through the black curtains. I watched her grab ahold of the red lever and whip it back and forth, to and fro---and suddenly, like magic, and like a vending machine, the lever shifted back to the left side and I heard the clunk of the dinosaur machine resetting itself for the next voter.

I had voted!...with the help of a tiny, 60-year-old woman. I thanked her and we exited the booth together.

I have absolutely NO inclination as to how the polls will turn out tonight, but I am pretty pumped for the horse-race coverage. It will be like the Superbowl, only with less padding and more balls.

Badumssscch.

Happy voting day, everyone!

Picture credit: VA Historical

Tomorrow is the big day!

You can tell who I'm voting for.

Still unsure of your ideal candidate? Check out everyone's campaign issues at CNN Election Center, which include abortion rights, education, the environment, Iraq, Iran, gay marriage and stem cell research.

Happy Super Tuesday, everyone!

Photo credit: CNN Politics

When I think role model, I think Heidi Montag

WARNING: very, very cruel post below.


There are so many things to love about Heidi Montag.

First off:
Secondly,
And third--
Finally...

Okay, actually maybe there's nothing at ALL to Heidi Montag. I just watched the first twenty minutes of her new (and probably only) music video for her single "Higher". If you feel like vomiting up your lunch onto your expensive laptop all for the viewing pleasure of a siliconed tart pushing her plastic boobs together (an impressive feat, as they lie about three feet away from one another), please be my guest and watch it at People.com.

But wait, it gets better! The video was directed by Spencer Pratt, Heidi Montag's ex-fiancee.

But don't get sad. Sure, they used to be engaged, but THEY JUST GO OUT NOW. It's a much better situation, because this way, they can really fulfill all the requirements of a fake relationship, which are basically just sleeping with other people. Getting married would make that more difficult.

Anyway, back to the main point at hand: Heidi Montag thinks a) she can sing and b) she is sexy, and Spencer Pratt thinks that he's Spielberg. Or, at the very least, someone who can look through a lens and focus on something other than fake tits. (Which, for the record, he fails to do. Watch the video. Props if you can get through the 40 seconds.) This pathetic pair is relentless.

A Spencer quote from their priceless Us Weekly interview in December, in which they revealed their broken engagement: "I need to accept that Heidi wants her princess wedding and that she is the boss."

Keep working at it Spencer. And while you're waiting for the big fake day, why don't you invest in some big fake balls?

Okay. I'm done.

Sorry for the God-awful post. They just are so gross.

Picture credit: Evilbeetgossip.film.com

Hard at work, easy on the blogging

Bah. So much for writing daily. It's becoming more of a weekly thing. Thank you, college.

Gonna start back up again.








Picture above: The first image that came up after a search for "college" on Google Images.