The Obsession How-To Guide

The Obsession How-To Guide

A Step By Step Instruction Guide to Understanding Obsessions and Developing Obsessions for the Non-Obsessive Individual

 This is not going to be a regular obsession post as I'm not really inspired by anything during today's lunch/blog break.  Instead, I was inspired to do something a little different today for your entertainment and reading pleasure.

First, the back story as to what brought me to write this.  I was having a conversation with a friend and we were discussing possible future purchases for home entertainment collections.  My friend suggested that rather than continue to feed my obsessions, I branch out and offer a wider a variety of viewing material to people who may be interested in watching a movie at my house.  She suggested that people might not be interested in the same things/actors/actresses that I was interested in, yet they found themselves with very little to choose from if that was the case and they wanted to watch a film at my house.  

I had never considered this before.  No one has ever voiced a problem with my obsessions before.  Yes, there are many recurring themes and faces throughout my movie collection, but it is a surprisingly large collection with a wide variety of genres to choose from.  

Needless to say, I mulled over the idea for a bit before completely rejecting it.  If I'm going to purchase movies for my collection, then the only really important thing is that I like my movies.  (Yes, there was a little toddler voice inside my head that said that.)

That being said, it did make me think.  There are, perhaps, many people out there that aren't obsessive like me.  They probably don't understand what it's like or how it happens.  What if these poor souls are obsessive but don't want to admit it?  What if they want to exercise their obsessiveness but don't know how to go about it?

Well, here's your handy dandy guide to both understanding obsession, living with it, and developing it.  ENJOY!

I read somewhere the other day (or saw it on television?) that internet addiction is chemical and genetic, like addiction to drugs or alcohol.  Basically, it's another great thing that science has found that we can blame our parents for.  Thanks science, parents everywhere love you.

So if that's the case, then I thought that obsessive traits could also be genetic (and therefore you can blame your parents for all your obsessions).  

Step one to the entire process which follows is this: Stop denying your obsessive personality.  Embrace it.  You are who you are, and unless you are stalker-type obsessive you're not hurting anyone.

 Now, don't you feel better about yourself?  Now that you've let go of the denial and have fully embraced your obsessive personality, you can move on to step two: Identify your obsession.

This step is not as easy as you might think.  Obsessions can come in many shapes and sizes.  If you're just accepting yourself as an obsessive person then you make take a little more time with this step.  It's OK, it's not a race.  Take as much time as you like.  Remember, this is a process you will repeat many times in your life.  

Once you have identified your obsession, or once you have encountered a new obsession, you may proceed to the next step.  Feed your obsession.

This can be done in a variety of ways, and some of them depend on the obsession.  Times have changed with technology, so feeding obsessions is now easier than ever before.  Though the tools used to feed obsessions may change, the overall methodology remains more or less the same.  You'll need to identify key aspects of your obsession before you proceed.  Once you are familiar with the process this will be automatic, however, until you reach that point I've provided some sample questions that you can explore.

1.  Is it a person, place, or thing?  
2.  Are there pictures or video available?
3.  Will you be looking for music?
4.  Are television and film important?
5.  Is it a food?  If it is, should you indulge often or feed your obsession sparingly?
6.  What possible sources of information are available to you?
7.  Is your obsession harmful to anyone or anything?

That should get you started on feeding your obsession.  I'd like to add here a disclaimer for questions number 5.  If your obsession is a food product, then I do NOT recommend feeding your obsession as often as I would for any other possible obsession.  It could be harmful to your health...unless maybe you also have an obsession for exercise.  Also, if you answered YES to #7 then STOP NOW AND SEEK HELP.  I am only interested in promoting healthy obsessions.

Assuming that you have identified your obsession at this point and have also verified that it is not harmful to yourself or any other living creature, you can move on.  Usually for me the next part of the process happens in various different ways.  You'll need to mix and match and personalize for them to suit your particular needs.

1.  The Internet

Now that we've entered a world of technology where everything is always at our fingertips, the first stop for me is usually the internet.  Here I can find out background information on whatever I'm obsessing over.  I can also figure out how best to proceed in order to maximize the amount of information I can find.  

2.  The Television Guide

If your search results tell you that movies or television might be a place to find out more about your obsession, then you'll likely want to skip on over to the television guide to see when something of interest will be airing.  In ages past obsessives like me had to sit in the floor on Sundays with the guide and go page by page hilighting things that would be of interest.  Now you can find most guides electronically.  Pinpointing any upcoming viewing will help you further plan your attack.

3.  YouTube

In times past we also did not have YouTube.  However, the times have changed and this is a very handy tool for any obsessive individual.  YouTube puts many things at your fingertips that you wouldn't have been able to see otherwise.  This will help you to catch up on interviews and appearances you may not be able to find on current television.  This beautiful stockpile of media also offers you plenty of appearances you would have missed, music videos if your obsession is musical, and a wide variety of other possibilities.  Pace yourself with YouTube, however, and realize that you don't have to watch all the videos in one day.  You can come back.

4.  Books and Magazines

Ah, yes...the go-to classics.  Books and magazines never go out of style, and most of the time you can find plenty of stuff to read that will help feed your obsession.  You can also find Blogs, e-zines, etc. on the internet to add to your reading material.  This way your mind gets a little bit of a work out in between the viewing/listening marathons that you'll be doing.

5.  Music

If your obsession is a musical obsession, in addition to the steps that you have taken prior to this one, you'll want to try to listen to everything your obsession has to offer.  Go ahead and pile all the hits into your IPOD.  Then you can have your obsession on the go!  

6.  Movies and Television

If your obsession can be found in movies or on television, be prepared to boob out in front of the tube.  Many channels play a variety of shows and movies that are sure to feed most any obsession.  If you can't find it there, Netflix and Amazon are prime places to find what you're looking for, and you can always slowly add to your home entertainment collection.

Congratulations.  You have now accepted your obsessive personality and you know how to feed it. With a little practice you'll be adding obsessions to your life frequently and helping them to grow with time.  We sincerely welcome you to the club!!!

If you are a non-obsessive person (or if you are still in denial) dealing with obsessive individuals in your life, then you understand better now the process they are going through, but there are a few more things you need to know.

1.  Obsessive people are not broken.  They do not need to be fixed.  Furthermore they do not want you to try to fix them.  Chances are your obsessive friends would find you much more interesting if you would embrace your inner obsessions (and everyone has them).  If you're interested in this, please jump back to step 1 and proceed from there.

2.  No obsession is "cooler" than any other obsession.  An obsession is an obsession and each person will be obsessed with what most appeals to them.  Your secret obsessions may seem cooler to you, but they're not.  Anyone not obsessed with them will always find your obsessions just as lame as you find theirs.  Get over yourself.  

3.  You can suggest other possible obsessions, but be prepared for the obsessive person in your life to either reject them for lack of interest or to become obsessed with what you have suggested, thus leading them to restart the cycle.  If you don't like someone's obsession,  you can always suggest something to them, but there's no telling if that obsession will stick or not.  If it does, be prepared to let it run its full course.  Remember, obsessions are stronger in the beginning, and though they may be long-term, the intensity will die down a little after the initial cycle is complete.  

I hope  my little How-To Guide has been helpful to those who are obsessive, those who think they might be, and those who have to live with the ones of us who are.  Happy obsessing everyone!  

Paula Deen

Paula Deen

Obsession Level: I'm As Obsessed With Her As She is With Butter!

Hey y'all!  Today's obsession inspiration was brought on by the weather.  Seriously.  I woke up to find it cold and rainy outside.  I hate that kind of weather.  It makes me want to be depressed and sleep, but it's not  much good for anything else.  The funk lead me to decide that I wanted some good home cooking to perk me up a bit.  I made chicken pot pie.  It's delicious and I'm eating it now.  

Now, the recipe that I use is not from Paula Deen, so that's now how I landed on this obsession for the day.  Rather, whenever I think of home cooking I always think of Paula.  I love her and I watch her show mostly just to watch her.  She's like having an extra grandmother on television that you can watch and wish she would just drop by and bring you cookies.  

In my cookbook collection I have several cookbooks written by Paula, as well as quite a few of her magazines.  Let's face it, her food is good.  Prior to this new health food revolution that has taken place since she was diagnosed with diabetes it wasn't advisable to eat her food very often, but the recipes are good and can be tweaked a little so that you don't feel like you're setting yourself up to die of a massive coronary episode after lunch.  

I've made quite a few of her recipes, and she's my go to girl whenever I want to try something new or something that can be tricky (like homemade dumplings).  Still, I admit that I do alter the recipes from time to time (especially the butter) since I have found that there are many places where one stick of butter works just as well as four.  That's Paula, though, we know she loves her butter.

Butter jokes aside and recipe remarks out of the way, I'll tell you another aspect of Paula that I love: her husband.  Michael is just the cutest thing in the world!  At least on the show it appears that his personality goes right along with hers and they are an absolutely adorable couple.  They look like something I'd like to decorate my house with at Christmas!  (Actually, that might be creepy...scratch that thought.)

Still, he's precious and they are adorable to watch together.  The holiday specials are my favorites.  

Paula has a restaurant in Savannah.  I've never been there, but I do have some souvenirs from a trip that my parents took.  Yes, I proudly wear my Lady and Sons t-shirt.  I'd like to go sometime just for the experience.  I'm sure the food is great, and I imagine that there are a lot of healthy options available now for the weight and cholesterol conscious diner.  

So there you have it, my favorite television chef.  Although I mostly watch the show thinking of her as a television personality that happens to cook some very tasty looking dishes, I love catching her show.  Her recipes are definitely scrumptious, but I wouldn't recommend them for daily consumption and I would certainly recommend editing them a little if you're using cookbooks prior to her diabetes announcement.  All in all, though, she's great and I always think of her when I'm cooking (and eating) comfort food.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to finish my dinner.  Best dishes everyone!  

(Seriously, how cute are they!  He is a great Santa!)

Wife Swap

Wife Swap

Obsession Level: Train Wreck Obsession?

This particular obsession is one that I'm not really proud of, in fact, it's downright embarrassing.  I never meant to get hooked on this show, but it just happened.  Actually, in my defense I'm not hooked in that I watch the show religiously, but I am hooked in that I will flip over and check it out if I see that it's on.  

That being said, I have to say that this show is about the equivalent of a television train wreck, and that's where it gets you.  You sit down and start watching it innocently.  You're thinking that you'll just check it out, maybe watch until the commercials, and then you'll flip away because it's probably just another boring reality show, right?  Wrong.  It's so out there that you can't look away.  Once you start watching it you won't be able to turn the channel for the sheer shock that some of these people actually exist!

I'm serious on this one.  I had absolutely no idea how many really shocking people there are in the world.  I've seen everything from families that live like life is a boot camp to families that spend their entire lives dressed as super heroes and running around "saving" people.  In fact, each episode pretty much has someone that will leave you sitting there with your mouth open, like a codfish, staring at the t.v. and trying to decide if you really believe this can be real.  

I admit that I've done some searching online, and even though everything says that the show is an actual reality show and these people are actual people, there's really a part of me that deep down cannot believe that some of these people did not just come up with some kind of gimmick to try and get on the show.  I really just cannot believe that people this nuts can actually be out there living an "everyday" life.  I could be wrong, but it just seems like too many of the people are just way over the top.

I'm also shocked constantly by what some of the people say and the absolutely outlandish beliefs that some of them have.  I am quite sure that many of the ignorant beliefs that are presented on the show are beliefs that people have (and probably more than a comforting percent of the population), but the real shock for me comes in thinking that these individuals are on television saying these things.  They know they're being recorded and that this is going to be broadcast nationally and they still choose to say these things?  I certainly don't think I could do that if I couldn't very confidently assert that I am merely playing a part and my part had a less than tasteful script.

Well, there you have it.  Wife Swap is one of my obsessions but, as I have said before, it is an odd kind of obsession since I can't say I like the show as much as I am always amazed by it and therefore sit through an episode before I even realize how much time I've been watching it.  I guess what I like most about the show is the shock value that it provides by showing me some of the really quirky, crazy, and downright strange people that there are in the world.  It's like people watching and being guaranteed you're going to see something that will surprise you.

Also, this show is great if you're feeling like your family is a little crazy.  This show will make you feel like your family is TOTALLY normal...after all, they probably don't spend all their time dressed as and acting like superheroes!  

(See, I'm not even joking...superheroes.)  

Commander in Chief

Commander in Chief

Obsession Level: I Actually Don't Mind Politics 

When I first heard about Commander in Chief it had been out and cancelled for about 8 years.  Yep, I'm way behind on television.  Anyway, it came on at a time in my life when I never, ever had time to watch.  

So, I found mention of the show while doing a search to see what I had missed by one of my already mentioned obsessions, Geena Davis.  I wasn't too enthusiastic about the idea of the show at first.  Not that I have anything against the plot of the show, but I just don't really care much for "political" shows.  I tend to lose interest quickly.  Still, it was Geena Davis, and she was president, so I got the first (and unfortunately only) season for Christmas.

When I first started watching the show I have to admit that it took me a little time to get into it.  I think that's mostly owing to the fact that, like I said before, I just don't really care too much for political shows.  Still, the show was a little catchy and I had a lot of time to kill (I was on vacation and had no intention of doing anything productive) so I went on one of my marathon television viewing experiences and watched all the episodes in probably three or so days.  

By the time that I finished the season, I was hooked.  I absolutely LOVED the show!  I loved everything about it.  I loved the characters, I thought the plot was captivating, and I was totally involved with it.  I was actually not minding politics at the time and was even considering going in search of some other similar television show (which I never did, but it's possible that I will in the future.  The West Wing, maybe?)

So let's talk about the show and the characters.  Mackenzie Allen is a great president.  In fact, I've recently been rewatching the show with a friend of mine who is not a Geena Davis fan in the slightest (so that you know I'm not just biased by my blind obsession), and she turned to me several episodes in and said "You know...I think I'm actually starting to like Geena Davis as president."  What followed was a joking conversation about writing Mackenzie Allen in as president in the upcoming election.  We're both convinced she'd be a great candidate.  

Then there's her husband, Rod.  He is very disagreeable.  He doesn't seem to get along with anyone and their relationship seems strained the entire time they're married.  He's not exactly my favorite.  

Nathan Templeton is a sneaky, sinister character.  Things you'll notice right off about him (other than his abnormally unruly eyebrows) are that he seems to be eating eggs at least once in every episode (while wearing a bib...?) and he apparently spends all day, everyday, watching television and plotting.

Jim, although a character that I like, is humorous because he ALWAYS looks likes he's concentrating really hard.  Kelli seems a little dingy, but she holds everything together.  The kids are fine, except the teenage daughter.  She's a drama queen and I'd have probably slapped her on a daily basis if I had to live with her.

All jokes aside, the cast is pretty good.

The worst thing about this show is that it only ran for one season.  I know that there was some kind of scheduling problem with the second season that put it at some really random time frame (11:00 p.m., I think) that caused viewers not to watch it (because they had to work the next day, probably) and so the show was cancelled before the second season got going.  That's disappointing since it really was a good show and it was certainly something I could have enjoyed for a few more seasons.  The only other annoying thing about the show (and this is nit-picky) is that each episode opens with "previously viewed scenes" that take far too much time, and then the opening theme doesn't actually appear until 9-12 minutes into the show.  I just feel like that's a really random place to put the opening theme since you've already been watching for a significant amount of time before they even tell you what you're watching!

All in all it's a good show and I recommend it to anyone looking for a one season show (18 episodes...so about 16 hours worth of viewing pleasure).  I'd also recommend it to anyone who likes political sitcoms, and of course to anyone who loves Geena!  

Twilight

Twilight

Obsession Level: The Sparkly Anti-Obsession

Ok, so this should stir up a little debate and get things going on at least with the people who, unlike me, are obsessed with this book.

Let me tell you a little about myself and my reading habits.  To put it lightly, I'm an avid reader and I always have been.  By avid reader I mean that I make my way through one to two large, dusty, dense, academic tombs a day when forced to do so.  I can devour, however, five to six novels elected for pleasure in a day.  Needless to say, I'm a fast reader.  This means that when I'm on vacation and I have time to read, there's no stopping me.  I usually drop by some nice little hole-in-the-wall thrift shop or flea market and pick up all I can carry of the twenty-five to fifty cent reading material that they have to offer.  This means that I've read a lot of books.  In fact, I've read so many books that I can't even begin to remember half of what I've read unless it left an impact.  Let me just say an impact can be good or bad.

That little bit of background info being on the table, it's story time.  This is a story about how I came to read Twilight.  

I was on vacation for a few days and it was going to be great.  It was almost spring outside when it was just starting to become warm enough to be bearable and it was still cold enough that you didn't really feel motivated to do anything except curl up on the couch and indulge in inside activities.  I had the use of a quiet little beach house for a few days, all the junk food that one person needs, and time all to myself to read.  I had packed books for the trip, intending to spend the entire four days doing nothing but going through novel after novel.  I think I brought five with me, intending to make a stop at one of the aforementioned little shops when I arrived to stock up on the rest of the necessary reading material.

So I unpacked, headed out to the shop, and stood in front of the poorly arranged and overflowing shelves just dripping with possibility.  I immediately search out my favorites.  Any Dean Koontz books or Larry McMurtry books that I haven't read go into the basket first.  Then the wild card selecting happens.  The first thing I typically do in that situation is to think about books that I have heard people talk about or scan for titles that I remember them mentioning to me.  If the book or author came recommended, those are typically the second books to go in the basket.  Lastly, when all those possibilities are tapped out, I generally look around for any random title that catches my attention and I give that a go.  That's where things get sticky, and that's where you either end up with some gem that you're thrilled you discovered, or you end up with a twenty five cent book that you wish you could get a refund for.

This particular day I had packed my little basket when I saw a copy of Twilight laying there among the other stacks of unwanted and picked through books.  At this moment it was all the rage.  I seldom read any book that is all the rage until long after the  initial glory surrounding it has died down.  This is my practice simply because I've learned that books that aren't very good lose that initial glory rather quickly and then disappear from sight.  Those that were truly worthy of the glory remain very popular and therefore I am more assured of wisely spending my quarter and the few hours it will take me to read the book.

Still, I had a friend who had been nagging me for a while about this particular book.  She was in love with the series, patiently waiting for the new books to come out, and she said I had to read this book.  She swore that I would love this book.

I hesitated, a while, my heavy basket in hand, and finally decided to buy the book.  It was fifty cents, a bit more than I would have liked to spend for it, but it would shut her up and I had four days to read.  Also, the sheer size of the book promised, if it was any good, to provide me with possibly a full day of reading, which none of my other novels were going to be able to do, and four days was a long time to fill with reading material.

I took the book home, and I curled up in the chair.  I started reading and tried to hold off on my disappointment.  The book was written, at best, on a seventh grade reading level.  The grammar was atrocious.  The author apparently used a thesaurus and used it poorly.  The book was very long, yes, but it was so repetitive that half of that could have been removed without leaving any noticeable gap in what I suppose you could call the plot.  Furthermore, being a longtime vampire enthusiast, I found it utterly ridiculous that anyone could write about sparkling, vegetarian vampires.  To sum it up, the book took me three hours to read from cover to cover and that's three hours that I will never be able to get back in my life.  

I called my friend after that and asked her not to recommend anymore literature to me.  I'd had just about all I needed from that one experience.  We talked about the book, for a little while, but I had nothing positive to say about it, so we left it.  Luckily for me the rest of my vacation was salvaged by the one or two gems that I pulled off those dusty shelves, along with a few other decent books that, though not noteworthy, were not nearly as bad as the train wreck that Twilight is.  I took the giant book home with me from that vacation and debated what it could be used for.  It would make a nice doorstop, or a very large paperweight...in the end I think I ended up giving it to some teenage enthusiast of poor excuses for literature.

No, I never read the other books.  No, I never saw the movies.  I'd like to save myself those few hours of my life.  I did, however, eventually forgive my friend for such a terrible recommendation.  I still hold strong on my assertion, nevertheless, that she can no longer recommend any kind of book to me.  

Socially Obsessed!

Completely Obsessed has become socially obsessed!

I interrupt your normal viewing of this blog (you are normally viewing it, right?) to announce that we've gone social!  In an effort to connect with more people, generate more interest, and share more of my obsessions and more of yours, I've now created two new ways for you to connect and enjoy even more obsessions than you'll find here!  

First off, there's Facebook.  The blog now has a fan page and I'll be updating it frequently with videos, photos, and posts.  I'd love for you to hop on over and join in the fun!  I'm looking forward to hearing about your obsessions too!  

To find me on Facebook you can swing by here: https://www.facebook.com/CompletelyObsessed

Please find me, and you know the drill...click on that lovely little blue button (featured below for those who need identification assistance).  

I hope you'll like me and join in the fun.  Comment on my obsessions posted there and share some of yours!  Upload videos, photos, and share your opinions!  I'm really excited about hearing from you!

Also, if you're more of the quick update kind of person, there's now a profile dedicated to the blog on everyone's favorite super-quick social connection: Twitter.

You'll find me on Twitter at @CompletelyObses  I'll share updates there from time to time and try to link you to some of the things that I'm completely obsessed with!  

@CompletelyObses

Follow me on Twitter and I'll follow you back!  I look forward to meeting everyone somewhere out there in the social realm to share more obsessions.  

Even if you're not into social media, though, don't forget to check back here for more obsessions, add my silly little Blog to your following list (and I'll follow you back) and feel free to post your opinions on anything you see here!  

Geena Davis

Geena Davis

Obsession Level: Where Does it Even Begin?

My obsession with Geena Davis goes back a long time.  I can't even really remember where it began or when.  With the movies Beetlejuice and The Fly it's a matter of the chicken or the egg.  I don't know which one was the first one I saw, or which one was the one that finally got my attention, but it was certainly one of the two.  I believe it was Beetlejuice that I first saw, but it wasn't an instant obsession...actually very few of my obsessions are instant.  I usually need a little more exposure to someone or something to be caught hook, line, and sinker.

If I remember correctly, it was The Fly that cemented the obsession.  I even remember where I was and what I was doing when I watched the movie.  I was visiting at my grandmother's house and started watching television.  This was some time ago, so I'll date myself.  The television was one of those that had the aluminum foil wrapped antennas that you had to adjust all the time.  Sometimes you felt like the only way to get a decent picture was to touch the antenna, stand on one foot, stick out your tongue and touch the end of your nose with the index finger of your other hand.  Even then you weren't guaranteed a complete absence of squiggly lines.  

That's how I watched The Fly the first time. (Ok, perhaps I'm exaggerating a little...)  I was hooked immediately, and it was all down hill from there.  The search for movies was on and I was determined to see as much as I could possibly find.  This was difficult, of course, because I was navigating in a world where the internet was pretty new and the local movie rental places had about seven videos in each one and they weren't all Geena Davis movies.  Still, the obsession has lasted so long that I'm arriving closer at my goal of having seen everything that she's done.  That being said, it's a pretty wide variety of movies that you can watch.  She's played just about any kind of role that you might fancy.  I'll spare you the details of each and every one of the movies, but here's a sample platter of some of my favorites.  

Thelma and Louise was the movie that I saw after The Fly.  Besides the fact that I love Geena Davis (and because of this movie I also love Susan Sarandon...but we'll get to her eventually), the movie is a wonderful story of friendship.  It's also got drama, excitement, action, etc.  I consider this movie a classic and I don't think that anyone who calls themselves a movie buff can really do so if they haven't seen this movie.

If serious action is more your style then you cannot miss The Long Kiss Goodnight.  I have to admit that I thought the beginning of the movie was a little slow, but once you get sucked in then you're really hooked.  Geena Davis kicks major behind in this movie and Samuel L. Jackson works great with her.  It's a blood pumping movie that I've watched with people who don't share my obsession at all, and many of them have walked away saying that it's one of the best action movies that they've ever seen.  

Of course a little light-hearted comedy is also nice when you're looking for a movie to watch.  Something to veg out and watch for a laugh is always appreciated in my world and Geena doesn't fail to deliver in that department either.  Earth Girls are Easy is one of my favorites for that.  It's has a really good cast and lots of funny little moments.  Not to mention that it's just a classic late 80's movie that will appeal to anyone that likes that genre.

To continue in the vain of slap happy humorous movies, there's the cult classic Transylvania 6-5000.  This movie is just as goofy as they come, but it's good for a laugh and an easy watch.  No drama here!  Geena's role in the movie is very small (but no worries, the rest of the cast is great too) and she seems to be there more as an object/place filler than anything.  She's Odette, the nymphomaniac vampire, and she probably has about 6 lines in the whole movie.  Still, it's a funny movie and she at least does well at delivering her 6 lines.  LOL

I also like drama, but I don't like politics.  However, Commander in Chief (an excellent television show that SHOULD have continued longer than it die) was a great show.  Geena was an amazing president.  She pulled the role off wonderfully.  It was also just an all around good show since I actually wanted to watch it despite my dislike of politics.  I have the entire first (and only) season on DVD, so needless to say I've seen every episode several times.  

My most recent viewing experience was The Accidental Tourist.  It came about because I've been on a hiatus from doing anything that is going to challenge my brain too much.  I've recently reached a point in my work where I've just jumped a very large hurdle that required too much of my brain, so I'm giving myself a little vacation to get over that stress and strain before I get back to the grindstone.  That being said, Netflix seemed like a great place to play.  

So, one night during this mental mini-vacation I decided to watch something.  I only get the streaming videos on Netflix so the choices can be admittedly limiting at times.  I usually begin a search on Netflix like any completely obsessed individual: by deciding which obsession I might want to feed that night.  Usually it takes so long for new movies to become available that I've seen all the ones offered, but sometimes you get luck and something new comes along.  That was the case when this movie appeared.

It's great.  It has a little drama, lots of humor, and it has Kathleen Turner (who I also love) in addition to Geena Davis playing an adorably quirky individual.  The corgi is cute too.  I can recommend it now, so I'm glad that Netflix decided to let me watch it finally! 

If forced to pick my FAVORITE Geena Davis movie, however, it gets difficult.  I really do like them all for what they have to offer.  I guess that if I had to pick, though, it would come down to two...and both of them are very different.

Probably my favorite of the two in question would be Cutthroat Island.  This movie didn't do so well when it came out and I honestly believe it's because it was before its time.  It is a great pirate action movie and Geena is stellar (not to mention she does her own stunts, so she'll impress you here).  It may have been a flop at the box office because of when it came out, but the first time I saw it I was nuts about it!  

The other possible favorite, or possible runner up, is A League of Their Own.  It's more dramatic, I think, than Cutthroat Island.  It has a lot of funny moments too, however, and it is a classic in its own right.  I know plenty of people who quote the movie on a regular basis in order to explain daily situations.  For instance any disruptive kid can be called Stillwell Angel and I've heard "Evelyn, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to kill your son" from a wide variety of people.

For me, the most classic part of this movie is the battle between Tom Hanks and Geena Davis when they're giving signals to the team.  Priceless.

So there you have it...my obsession with Geena Davis.  I'm always impressed by her.  She's beautiful, funny, and involved in a lot of organizations.  She's athletic, does her own stunts, and was a finalist to be an Olympian from the U.S.A.  On top of that she's a great actress who has shown that she can play just about any kind of role thrown at her and she can play it well.  She's truly a star!

Song Pop

Song Pop

Obsession Level: Why Won't You Play Me Back NOW?!?

I'm pretty sure that just about anyone who has found the internet has also found Facebook and knows that it offers a wide variety of games for anyone looking to blow a couple of minutes/hours/days of their life.  I also know that many people won't admit to playing these games, insisting that they never play (and would never waste their precious time that way, being the EXTREMELY productive citizens that they are).  I call bull on that one, especially since many of them don't even realize that you can see in a variety of ways what games your friends are playing.  

Now I have admittedly sampled a wide variety of Facebook games in the past few days.  I've been on a sort of semi-vacation and have been giving my brain a well deserved rest from the taxing work that I normally do.  This means that I have attempted to entertain myself with the most mindless things possible...imagine solitaire marathons and you'll understand what I'm saying.  I could write reviews of many of the games on Facebook at this point, but that may come later.  Today we're just going to talk about one: Song Pop.

I love music.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE music.  I like many different kinds of music, some more than others.  My tastes typically go for older rock music (50's, 60's, 70's, 80's rock), country music (let's say from the 90's back), love songs (from already mentioned eras), and especially it focuses on artists that I am a fan of.  My lack of contemporary music knowledge does not come from a distaste for the music, rather it comes from seriously not having had the time in the past three years to listen to the radio.  It also comes, I admit, from stockpiling music I do like on my IPOD (named Elton) and then just plugging that in while I'm in the car.  I do that because I know I'll like most of what is on there (yes there are things on there that I'm like "What in the world is this?!) and because I can change songs quickly.  I'm an impatient person and I hardly ever make it through an entire song.  

All that being said, I think this game is so much fun.  It's positively addicting.  I like the challenge of seeing how well I know music.  I also like getting to hear snippets from songs that I have never heard before because they come from categories that I have little to no knowledge of (think Contemporary Rap).  There are, however, some tweaks that I would make if they let me change the app a little (and we all know that things would run much better in this world if everyone got my opinion on how to do things).

1.  I hate that you only get to choose between three categories to challenge someone.  If I have a bunch of different lists, then I'd like to be able to choose between all of the ones I own.

2.  I hate that each challenge is only 5 songs.  It's too much fun to limit you to 5 songs.  I think 10 would be way better.  

3.  The waiting for your friends to play back is excruciating.  It makes you kind of like a crazy person because you're sitting there, staring at this stupid game and wondering what in the world your friends are doing that they're not playing back.  You lose all sense of the fact that people have a life.  It's really bad.

4.  I think that they should have a "play alone" option.  This option would let people like me just sit there and play themselves.  It wouldn't be like winning challenges, rather it would be a separate option that would allow you to "beat your own high score".  It would also allow for endless play for someone who has decided to spend their entire day doing completely useless activities instead of making them go in search of other games or explore other obsessions.  I think it would be a nice little addition.

So there you have it, my first game review.  I recommend Song Pop to anyone who likes music, but I warn you that you may turn into a totally obsessed person and you may start to become annoyed at your friends for taking too long to feed your obsession.  If you'll excuse me, now I have a challenge to go take care of!  LOL

Marlee Matlin

Marlee Matlin

Obsession Level: I'll Scream About it Now!!!

It's been a while since I updated, but no worries.  Personal life gets in the way sometimes, but my obsessions continue on and I keep adding new ones.  That's how it is, I guess, when you end up completely obsessed about things.

The newest obsession in my life is not likely to go away any time soon.  It's Marlee Matlin.  I don't know how I missed this person throughout my  life, but somehow I did.  I discovered my obsession for Marlee while watching the L Word with a friend of mine.  Needless to say it has taken me some time to actually watch all the seasons, but I'm sure that's going to be a new obsession of mine that is going to appear and reappear from time to time.

In seasons 4 and 5 we meet Marlee, who is Jodi on the show, and she and Bette have a relationship for a while that ends when Bette cheats on her with Tina (ahem...I'll come to that...)

On the show Jodi is a deaf artist who, like Shane, doesn't exactly believe in monogamy.  Bette can't handle that aspect of Jodi because seeing her with other people bothers Bette (and we all know that Bette is a wonderful character to be demanding monogamy from anyone...).  Jodi decides that her relationship with Bette is one that she values, and therefore swears off other lovers and devotes herself to Bette.  She falls in love with Bette and then later finds out that Bette has gone back to Tina behind her back.
   

So there you have it, the scoop on Jodi.  Marlee, however, is a little bit different than her character.  She is married with four children and does tons of charity work, focusing especially on children with hearing problems.  She has won an Oscar for Children of the Lesser God (amazing performance), she has been on Dancing With the Stars (and can dance much better than many people who CAN hear the music), she has a star on the Walk of Fame, and she was on Celebrity Apprentice to earn money for charity.  That's just to name a few things.  She's basically amazing and a great role model.  She has shown everyone that being deaf wasn't going to stop her from achieving anything that she put her mind to doing.  Needless to say, I'm a little awestruck by this person!

Now, returning to the whole L Word fiasco...I am NOT a Tina fan.  I just don't like her character (I have no judgement on Laurel Holloman, I'm like Switzerland on that point).  Tina is a whiny, needy, manipulating individual who can't make up her mind what she wants.  She doesn't want Bette because Bette is too much for her to handle, but she doesn't want anyone else to have Bette either.  That's my take on things.  Even though she tells Bette that Jodi is perfect for her, as soon as she sees that Bette is going to make that work, she goes all sentimental and decides to rekindle their love (behind Jodi's back...although she gets all hurt when Bette cheats on her...pot, meet kettle).  She declares constantly that she doesn't want to hurt Jodi, but there she goes...Trust me...it annoys me to no end.

Then let's talk about Bette.  Seriously?!  Seriously, Bette?! KEEP IT IN YOUR PANTS!  Bette is a natural born cheater.  That's what she does...she cheats.  It's just like Alice says in Season 5.  That's what Bette is all about and she comes through by cheating yet again on Jodi...with Tina...who she cheated on...That's just a mess.  Now I know that most people are all TiBette and think that Tina and Bette are the greatest couple and meant to be together so that justifies everything, but I have to admit that I'm JoBette all the way!  I know they are characters and couldn't control the script, but I really have to scoff at the idea that someone who had Jodi would go back to Tina.  If I wrote the story it would have gone differently.  I can also say that had their been other seasons, I'm positive that Bette ended up cheating on Tina again...after all, she does that.  Maybe it was with Jodi...who knows.  

So enough about that.  I could go on for days.  The point being, however, that the show was where I became obsessed with Marlee Matlin, but it was just the beginning.  I became even more obsessed when I branched out and began exploring her work in other programs, movies, etc.  This woman does it all!  If you haven't discovered her then you're really missing out.  Not to mention that enough interviews, movies, television shows, etc. with her in them will have you automatically learning sign language and leave you with the desire to learn more!  LOL