"If you ever go to [insert city], you will always wanna come back".
I think most people have this feeling when it comes to certain cities. I know I do. There are some cities I know I will always come back to. It's not that there are specific things I have yet to do in those cities (even though there are). I just need to be there from time to time. I need the atmosphere. I need the buildings around me. The streets, the people, the corners, the food, the smells...
For me, two cities stand out. Roma and New York. These are two cities I can travel to without any agenda. I can just be there, and that's enough.
Some reasons why I miss New York (in no particluar order):
- Starbucks - Nancy Whiskey Pub - Inwood Park - Playing football for Landsdowne Bhoys in the Bronx - Village Underground - All the great people I've met over there - Food - Central Park
The Village Underground downtown Manhattan
Why I miss Roma (Rome):
- Food - Amaro del Capo and Amaro Montenegro - The streets - The language - The people I've met there - The weather
I need gloves. I don't have any, and as I was biking earlier to play football I realized I need gloves (and I re-realized it as I was playing football). Autumn only made a brief visit to Oslo before Winter came creeping in. I am not a huge fan of cold weather. I like warm weather, and cold weather is totally the opposite. Then again, there are some upsides to Winter as well, Christmas obviously being one of them. The food, the vacation, the food, the traditions (movies, songs, etc)... and the food. Also, it's easy to underestimate how ridicilously awesome it is to get inside after being outside freezing. Being warm is nice. Freezing, not so much.
Christmas is still a couple of months away, but here is a teaser. One of my fave Christmas-tunes from one of my favorite artists.
So, what to do when it's uncomfortably cold outside? Well, obviously a lot of people go skiing, snowboarding, ice-skating etc. Winter-sports. I'm not very good at either, and although I'm not opposed to going outside during Winter, (which would be silly, as Winters in Norway can be quite long), it is a time where one easily can stay indoors in good conscience. Here's a random selection of good movies to keep you company when inside-activities beats outside-activites.
Don't you sometimes wish the day had more then 24 hours? I most certainly do. There are so many things I need to get done during the day, of which none are really of any true importance. I need to watch another episode of a fave show, I need to relax, I need a power nap, I need to study for my finals (that one is pretty important) etc...
Speaking of having more time, here's a catchy tune which most certainly does not speak of the subjects I need to fit into my daily schedule, but the title fits. And that's enough, cause it's a great tune, which a friend of mine shared with me many, many years ago. True story.
Give Me Just a Little More Time - Chairman of the Board
Anyway, I've recently started watching an old favorite of mine when it comes to TV-shows. The West Wing ran for 7 seasons between 1999 and 2006, and even though one might think a drama about politics seems like a boring premise, it certainly isn't. In my opinion, there are several reasons why this show must be considered one of the greatest TV-shows to date.
1. The brilliant writing of Aaron Sorkin.
Even though I'm not usually a fan of fast-paced dialouge in TV-shows, this show is the exception to the rule for me. The dialogue is smart and witty, and the "hey, let's just talk while we are walking around in the building" works quite brilliantly. (sidenote: a funny scene where Sorkin's love of this kind of dialogue is shown when the characters Josh Lyman and Sam Shepard stop up after a chat realizing they've both just followed the other character without having any idea or plan about where they are actually going)
2. The characters.
The characters in the show are written wonderfully. They are far from one-dimensional. They are also very likeable, in that although they have their flaws, they still strike you as pretty normal (and at often times, very funny) people.
3. The actors.
And this is a big one. Rarely have I seen such wonderful casting for a TV-show as is the case in The West Wing. Martin Sheen is arguably the biggest name in the cast, and he does a wonderful performance as the President of the United States, but he is in my opinion not a stand-out in this show. Bradley Whitford might be my personal favorite as Josh Lyman, with John Spencer (Leo McGarry), Richard Schiff (Toby Ziegler) and Allison Janney (C.J. Cregg) pretty much up there with him. Also the chemistry between Bradley Whitford and his secretary Donna Moss (played by Janel Moloney) is amazing. According to trivia I've read on the show, Donna Moss wasn't supposed to have as big a part in the show as she ended up having, but the chemistry was too good not to take advantage off. The rest of the cast are also pretty much perfect in their roles, notably Rob Lowe (Sam Shepard) and Dulè Hill (Charlie Young).
Obviously, as the seasons pass by, lots of new characters are introduced, but this is written on the basis of the first 2 seasons. Also worth mentioning is the appearence of Elisabeth Moss, whom you might know as Peggy Olson in "Mad Men", currently in it's 4th season.
Josh Lyman screwed up in a press conference. Josh Lyman is cool. Fact.
I'll pretend to be IMDb (or amazon) for a little bit, and to the whole "If you like this, then you might like..."
Like I said, Aaron Sorkin's writing is brilliant in this show, and if you like The West Wing, I'd recommend another show he's created. Unfortunatly it only lasted one season, but reunion of his writing and Bradley Whitford, in addition to Matthew Perry (which forms a great duo with Bradley Whitford, is still more then good enough reason to check out "Studio 60 at the Sunset Strip.
Here's a little sample:
Promo for Studio 60
Matt Albie trying (without much luck) to explain that he writes the show...
It's Sunday. Ridiciously early on a Sunday, to be honest. As the week comes to an end, there's a couple of things I'd like to say. One, some tunes are awesome. And just the fact that you can listen to them anytime you want to (not litteraly, but almost?) is pretty freaking amazing. It would be even easier if my iPod touch didn't have a problem with the left sound-channel, but that's another story. (That story isn't really that long. Basically there's a problem with the left sound-channel, and yes I have tried several sets of earphones, and yes, all the stores say I might as well buy a new one.)
This first tune is one that might seem familiar for several reasons. It was featured in the movie Boyz n the Hood from 1991, and is also sampled in Tupac's "Keep Ya Head Up". This performance from Five Stairsteps is from the show Soul Train.
Five Stairsteps - O-o-h Child
Next tune is another song from Melanie Safka, who has featured in this blog before. I can't miss the 60s and 70s, as I wasn't born then, but if I had been born to experience the 60s and 70s, I probably would miss it. Sometimes. Not all the times. (Hence what I wrote about listening to great tunes anytime you want...)
Melanie Safka - Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma
Next tune is one of my fave tunes from The Rolling Stones.
The Rolling Stones - Paint it Black
Also, I am looking forward to the new movie with Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis called Due Date. It's not out until early November, which is annoying, since... well, it's October.
