Show me your 'O' Face

I just hope it doesn't look like this:

I should give these people the benefit of the doubt, because I have no idea what crazy face I would make if Oprah had just given me a new car that hadn't even been released yet so only the silhouette of which could be revealed, a scholarship, built me my own school in my African village or took me on a trip down under. My O face might look very different.

Perhaps something like this.

This is what I look like on my birthday. I imagine Oprah makes everyone feel like it's their birthday when they visit Harpo Studios. Unfortunately for me, I'll never know.

[Also, I was very generous with the picture selection of my O face. This is unfair to the people shown above and for that, I apologize. But, it is my blog. And you met Oprah. So we're even.]

The one time I did meet Oprah, was at the Academy Awards in 2004. I use the word meet loosely, as we were about 60 feet away and there was no formal introduction. Unless she has excellent hearing and heard me whisper "I love you Oprah" from the bleacher seats, which I'm sure she does and did. She was radiant. As my three friends and I ate our free bread (the only thing the fine Academy gave to us "bleacher creatures" in the 9ish hours we sat out there), I dreamt of being able to talk to her, to have a conversation with the icon herself. Ask her a question. What in the world would I ask her? Instead she went to Maria Menounos who asked her, "Who are you wearing?" What a waste of a question, Menounos. I should've slapped Maria when I saw her again in Park City this last January for Sundance and simply said, "That's for Oprah."

Okay, now I'm just dropping names.

Oprah has been on the air 93% of my life. I've never known a world where Miss Winfrey did not exist. However, Oprah and my relationship didn't really blossom until I was in college. In a world before DVR's, I wasn't able to watch Oprah on a daily basis as I was probably running around a soccer field or track through most of my middle and high school days. When I was in college, I was usually home in the afternoons to watch her show. College is probably the best age to start watching Oprah because now you've seen a little bit of what happens outside of your hometown-albeit I was in Corvallis, OR which was voted one of the most liveable towns in the nation. Although, 'The Oprah Show' did have an unfortunate connection with Corvallis when a young woman, Brooke Wilberger, was kidnapped from an apartment building and later murdered, and Oprah interviewed Wilberger's parents.

Love or hate her [there usually seems to be no middle road with O] you must give credit where it is due. This woman changed television and further than that, she changed lives. And we watched her change along with us. It's easy to invite people onto your show to engage in a staged and intimate quarrel for entertainment value, but it is quite another to take an interest in someone's life and help them improve it. Sometimes this was in the form of material items, but most often other times, it was giving them validation. Hey guess what, I care. It's something we don't say enough to the people in our own lives and it was such an apropros message she shared on her finale yesterday. People need to feel a sense of validation. That they matter.

And if nothing else, she gave us "Oprah voice." It's one of my favorite ThIIIIIIiiiinnngggs!

Note: I have come to love and often use Oprah voice on friend's birthdays, holidays, and sometimes just for kicks on their voicemails. I've tried to transfer this onto the wall's of Facebook, but it's just not the same. I think this has been Oprah's biggest impact on me. And it makes people smile, so that's enough. Thanks for helping me get a laugh out of my friends, O.

Cheers, Oprah. You done good. Now start writing your book already.

“Find your calling. It lights you up and it let’s you know you’re doing exactly what you’re supposed to do and you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. You in your own way can illuminate the world.” -Oprah Winfrey 5/25/11

The Year's Best.

Forget that Ebert fellow.

Forget that silly "Top 20" on your iTunes homepage. I mean, are you really going to trust a list that rotates Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift as the best songs week after week? Come on.

And Oprah's Book Club? That was so last year. [Oprah I didn't mean it, it was nearly a persuasive tactic, I still love you].

In fact, in honor of you, let us take a look at my favorite ThiiiIIIIIIngs of these last 365 days/12 months/8760 hours/525,600 minutes (thanks to 'Rent' I didn't even have to calculate that last one):

The Tunes.

1. 'Dog Days are Over' Florence + The Machine: I was a little late on Florence + The Machine, but when I first saw her, it was during an amazing performance on the Music Television...they were actually playing music and not bad reality television. Her striking red hair should be an indicator of what her voice is capable of, but it isn't. This woman has pipes like no other and her album is appropriately titled "Lungs." Her voice doesn't quit.

"And I never wanted anything from you. Except everything you had and what was left after that. Oh!"

2. 'Sailing to Nowhere' Broken Bells: A collaboration of a local Portland favorite of mine, 'The Shins' and Danger Mouse of 'Gnarls Barkley' fame, I heard this band for the first time toward the end of the year and was pleasantly surprised to see them in concert a few weeks later with a friend of mine with an extra ticket :). They delivered. I love it when you can go to a show and feel the music not just in bass, but in the performance of the musicians. I feel my entire system alter to keep time with this song. I wish it was as lengthy as "Hey Jude" or "American Pie" with just the beat. Oh well, listening to it on repeat works just as well.

"Running in circles, a mouse on the table, I try to feel. I just don't."

3. 'No More' Eminem Feat Lil Wayne: The beat comes from the popular "Haddaway" song made famous from the "A Night at the Roxbury" sketch on SNL. Eminem and Lil Wayne both have such unique voices that breaks up the mundanity that rap can be. It is a bit profane, but they did a clean version on SNL and it was still just as awesome.

"I'm alive again. More alive than I have been in my whole entire life."

4. 'Power' Kanye West: I don't really care for Kanye as a person due to the douchey things that he has done and the ignorant comments he continues to make, but he has a talent. And that is spittin mad lyrics (yes, I just said that). Oh well, guess you can't have it all.

"I'm livin in the 21st century doin something mean to it. Do it better than anybody you ever seen do it."

5. 'Creep' Scala & Kolacny Brothers: If you saw the first trailer for 'The Social Network' this was the song. This is a beautifully haunting cover of Radiohead's classic hit. The 'Brothers' ' outstanding arrangement with the sweet melody of the piano accenting the voices of this all girl's choir will give you chills. The good kind.

"I want to have control. I want a perfect body. I want a perfect soul."

The People (Real & Fictitious).

1. Ty Burrell/Phil Dunphy: If you haven't started watching 'Modern Family' by now, you must hate life and not enjoy laughing. You're probably also the awkward one at work that fake laughs during the coffee cooler conversation. No but seriously, I highly advise that you tune in Wednesday nights. Ty Burrell, who happens to be a native Oregonian, plays the hilarious "cool" dad of a family of 5. You can't help but love him, laugh at him, feel sorry for him and then secretly wish your future husband acts exactly the same way.

2. Jimmy Fallon: My not-so-secret late night crush not only has the best band in late night (The Roots!) but has the best show no doubt. Jimmy captures the true elements of a variety show using his talents in song, humor and athletic competition. I mean, who else can slow jam the news with Brian Williams and challenge Betty White to Beer Pong? That's what's up.

3. Tina Fey/Liz Lemon: If I could have someone else's life, it would probably be Tina Fey's. We already have the same initials, so we're almost there. I admire Fey for her talent first as a writer and secondly, her ability to deliver such written brilliance. What a woman. She deserves all the success.

4. Jon Stewart: I just love listening to him talk. The fact that he's funny when he talks is everything one wants and needs in this life really. Before his book 'Earth,' I hadn't done the whole audiobook thing, but I feel like I had the complete experience listening to him rather than just reading his words. Simply wonderful. I hope I get back to NYC sometime soon so I can go to a taping of 'The Daily Show' again...after my trip to 30 Rock to see Jimmy Fallon and maybe run into TF in the halls. It could happen.

The Films.

1. The Social Network: The first scene of this film is intense, hilarious and awkward, which basically describes it in its entirety. The movie sets Zuckerberg up as the intelligent antagonist who we should be hating but by the end, you are so blown away with Eisenberg's performance that you in fact shamefully, kinda like Zuckerberg.

Take-Aways: Keep your friends close. Your real friends. Not the randoms on Facebook. While you're at it, delete the ones who you are uncertain of who they are and what the origins to your so-called friendship are. If you have to call your friends for confirmation in a conversation that goes something along the lines of, "Was that the guy that sat behind me in Physics?" Do not accept the friend request. We are using the term "friend" a bit loosely.

Oscar Worthy: Jesse Eisenberg, prepare your Best Actor speech. Hopefully they allow more characters than those pesky limited status updates.

2. The Black Swan: I'm still wrestling with what went on in that theater. This film was insane. Unlike other psychological thrillers (ie: Fight Club) where the different characters existence are made clear, this one is not. It leaves the viewer with the opportunity to decide what really occurred and what was only an act of cerebral games.

Take-Aways: Don't lose yourself and transform into a bird. Especially one that looks like it has been covered in oil like that one episode of 'Saved By The Bell' with the oil spill. Poor Becky.

Oscar Worthy: I've forever been a fan of Natalie Portman and I think she brought it. She made us uncomfortable but also created an understanding of the desirous place her insanity came from. Best Actress: Done.

3. The Fighter: This film based on true events shows the solidarity of family...ghetto fabulous family, but kin no less. Micky, the younger of the two brothers, is a struggling boxer with all the pressure on him from his family to be a success. Micky relies on his crackhead brother to train him while his managing-mother's concern for his career seems to be influenced by the fact that Micky supports the family. There's street fights. Jail Time. Some ass kicking.

Take-Aways: If you haven't learned it from Whitney already, crack is whack. Just looking at how unattractive a normally attractive Christian Bale looks when he is simply pretending to be on fake crack, is DARE program enough for me. Just say no.

Oscar Worthy: Bale. Let me preface this with saying, I am not usually the biggest Bale fan in the slightest. But his character Dickey made you feel every emotion from disgust and hate to sadness and joy, which is an incredible task for someone playing a has-been fighter turned crackhead. I hope you pick up your Supporting Actor statue, but spare us from using your creepily annoying 'Batman' voice. Adams might also be looking at Supporting Actress because she was kind of a badass. Go girl.

4. Inception: I already devoted an entire blog to how spectacular this movie is. So read that here: http://relentlessreflection.blogspot.com/2010/07/bravo-nolan-bravo-reflections-on.html

Take-Aways: Don't be content with the wonder or be confused to know if your dream could exist within a dream. Within another dream. Also, purchase a spinning top if you ever need to discriminate between the two. Or three.

Oscar Worthy: I just really want Leo to get an Oscar already. How many Oscar winning movies must one be in before they individually get recognized?! That being said, this wasn't his best performance by any means and if he's against Eisenberg, I'm going to have to go with Jesse. Nolan better go home the gold, no doubt. It was kind of this year's 'Avatar' but Nolan and co. actually created the sets.

5. The Kids Are Alright: Firstly, I must mention that this is a Sundance film which makes me incredibly happy. I love it when a well-written story still is able to be told and well-received, even in the absence of special effects that are implemented by a program on the computer.

Take-Aways: Life is complicated. It's even more complicated when you're a lesbian who used sperm from an anonymous donor and then your child wants to find the sperm responsible for his existence. And then your lesbian mom sleeps with said sperm donor. Wait, why couldn't they just do it the old-fashioned way in the first place if coitus was inevitable?

Oscar Worthy: I'm always in Annette Benning's corner, but she will be beat out by Amy Adams (if nominated) or at least, should be.

And there ya have it. I tell no lies.

Set your DVR, alter that Netflix queue and tell Regal Cinemas I sent you.

Happy New Year, folks!

Pity Party? Not on Oprah's watch.

I am starting to become frustrated with how easily our society complains. About everything. Collectively-I'm not just pointing my little finger at you, because we all know how that pointing thing works. Three are looking right back at me.

As I'm looking forward to starting work here in a week, I am overcome with what I consider to be severe anxiety. I tend to always fill my plate to the brim at a buffet and manage to never be able to finish it all. I do the same thing in life.

This Fall term, I now have both my full-time teaching position at a university that won't be named due to public forum and my fear of stalkers, but I also took on a part-time teaching position at a community college. Teaching 6 classes is apparently much more than the 4 I was teaching before. Especially when they were all the same time duration and all the same subject at the same location. No big. I've added a different subject, 2 different textbooks (not by choice) and my classes range from 1 hour sessions to 3 hour sessions. Currently, my Monday has me teaching from 8:30AM and ending at 9:00PM at night...in a town that still fords me a delightful hour and a half commute home.

The thought alone makes me want to curl up in a ball and turn on Oprah. So that's just what I did.

Apparently Oprah's show was not inundated by the jovial demeanor of her premiere this past Monday where she'd selflessly surprised her entire studio audience with a free trip to AuuussTRAAAALLLiiiiaaaaaa!!!! And her favorite white guy John TraVOOOOlllttaaaaa, was also not there piloting the plane as we was on Monday.

Instead, 4 segments featured families/people who were suffering from the most traumatic of situations that they'd ever been in their lives:

1) 2 men held hostage just 2 weeks ago at Discovery and how they made it out alive.

2) The family of a woman who had strangled her 2 baby boys, placed them in car seats and then drove them into a river. Of course she's still alive.

3) A man who's 2 little girls and wife were murdered in front of him and he was the only who was able to escape and make it out alive.

4) The story that hits closest to home, because it's happening in my home, Kyron Horman's poor parents going on their third month of having no idea where their sweet little boy is.

These are real problems.

I turned off the set, looked next to me at my pile of textbooks and daunting computer screen with the ever-so-annoying blinking cursor. Ain't lookin so bad after all...

Really?? I have absolutely nothing to complain about. Here I am sitting in this beautiful condo with everything I could want and much more than what is necessary, stressed with the pressure of 2 jobs in an economy that has most people without employment at all. Not okay.

It's all about reframing what we might think is initially problematic or what triggers our stress-o-meter and then thinking, is this really cause for complaint? Or am I just a lucky bastard to be breathing? Sometimes it is...and I get that. But let's not let the Debbie in us get us down about things that are actually our fortunes.

Who knew I'd turn into an optimist....

Thanks Oprah.

(I was at the Academy Awards when this picture of O was taken. Another reason I can't complain. I've been to the Oscars.)