1. My iPhone response time was, well, quite unresponsive.
2. My monthly bills, no matter how often a representative and I “reevaluated my current usage” were $100 or more (which did not include unlimited anything).
3. Even paying that much, I had limited service in all my most frequented locations and almost every one of my calls ended up dropping at some point during the conversation.
4. After almost a year of having the phone, and jail-breaking it to make it more useful, I just got sick of it. Apple doesn’t make it easy to customize anything and when you jailbreak it in order to personalize your iPhone, it makes it complicated to maintain apple software updates.
5. Now that the Evo has come out and been on the market enough to drop in price significantly, I figured it was time to get my money’s worth in regards to product offerings and reliable service.
6. And to boot, when my EVO screen breaks, I won’t have to break my warranty just because I’d rather have a 3rd party repair shop fix it than have Apple charge me 5x as much. Just sayin’.

I must say, it is sad seeing my iPhone sit on my desk, lonely and unused, but when rationality kicks in again- my EVO does everything (and much, much more) than my iPhone ever could have (Thanks Steve Jobs). It was getting on my nerves that Apple was limiting the capabilities of my iPhone so that they could constantly release new versions of the same phone, as a result, my new EVO phone has better functionality and can do more than the current iPhone 4.

It is safe to say that my $60-a-month, 1400-minutes, unlimited data, unlimited text messaging *and* 4G, is far better (and cheaper) of an investment. I am no longer following the footsteps of the mindless consumers that believe iPhone rules all.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my iPad and my new MacBookPro, but when it comes to phone service, I want what I pay for- and the iPhone just wasn’t meeting those expectations.

:: Six Months Later:

Hey All! I’m updating this post six months into my contract with Sprint and 6 months into using the less trendy but far more efficient HTC Evo phone. So far, it’s been smooth sailing. The phone, when plugged in to my computer, acts like any other USB storage device and I can simply drag and drop music, files, photos etc. onto the phone without using iTunes and without waiting an hour for the whole process to be completed. My phone service and reception have been great thus far. I really can’t complain about it. The 4G has worked great where 4G is available, the Apps in the Droid Market are seemingly unlimited and offer nearly every app that the iPhone does.

To be honest, I’ve been seeing a LOT more Droid phones out there, and everyone seems to be loving theirs just as much. Success!

If you’re thinking about changing from an iPhone to an Adroid- supported phone, feel free to ask me questions here. I’d love to help!

-Mia

Dog On It

Narrated by Chet, the police-trained dog that was eliminated from the final round of police training for an act that we can only assume was out of Chet’s character; Dog On It provides an entirely new point of view. For the first time, we are given the chance to step away from those things that we understand most clearly and see the world from a dog’s point of view.

While Chet may not understand the human behavior and the idiosyncrasies we all maintain on a daily basis, his understanding of the world relies entirely on his senses and strong canine intuition. Bernie, the down on his luck detective, seeks refuge in his relationship with Chet, speaking to him as if he were his human detective partner and often asks questions with the hope that one day he may offer a response. While Bernie struggles to find his next paycheck the disappearance of teenage Maddison gets Bernie back on track, both fiscally and emotionally.

Former Williams College graduate, Spencer Quinn- a pseudonym for Peter Abrahams, writes from Chet’s point of view with an insight you’d expect from a canine expert. We’ve all wondered, at some point, what a dog was thinking or feeling and Spencer Quinn gives us the opportunity to cease those curiosities.

We cannot help but wonder how Spencer Quinn becomes the dog’s voice in the novel and find that it must be a result of his living in Cape Cod with his wife and beloved dog Audrey. His knowledge of canine thought and dog-like behavior is uncanny, leaving the readers with a profound new sense of understanding of their own pets.

The first few chapters really delve into Chet’s psyche. His every movement is narrated. From the comfort of laying under the table up against a cool wall to the smell of a braised rawhide setting his senses wild, the reader is left with the answers to questions any dog owner has ever wondered- what is going on in my pooch’s mind right now?

The story opens in suburbia, somewhere West of New Mexico, with Bernie’s inebriated entrance late one night. After the divorce, Bernie found himself desperate. Although late coming home, Chet forgives him and indulges in a nice scratch behind the ears just the way [he] likes it.  We begin to feel for Bernie’s loneliness as Chet describes what he sees and smells. The smell of alcohol on his breath was difficult to mask, although he probably wasn’t trying, Chet explains. By the time Maddisons eccentric mother pleads for Bernie’s help, we are almost thankful that something has ceased the endless sorrow and desperation in Bernie’s life.

The mystery begins with the disappearance of young Maddison and her uncharacteristic involvement with unsavory characters prior to her disappearance. In contacting The Little Detective Agency, Bernie Little’s own detective agency, Bernie is given another chance to make his life a success- regardless of how much his former wife took with her.

Private investigator Bernie Little and his canine counterpart, Chet tackle the challenge of finding the gifted student after her last encounter with a drug dealer and only after making contact with the drug dealer, Ramirez, does Bernie find evidence that her disappearance is entirely unrelated. During their investigative adventures through the desert following leads, Bernie and Chet end up in the most precarious of situations with unlikely foreign individuals with thick accents, undistinguishable in nature.

The story follows the typical mystery guidelines, however, the canine twist sets it apart from all other mystery novels we’ve seen. The novel, meant for adult readers, may be better suited for young adults and pet-friendly readers, as the canine voice and intelligence is far below the common adult. Though unchallenging a read for most adult readers, the story and perspective lends itself to becoming one of the most unique novels of 2009.  Aside from several references to drugs and guns, Chet’s otherwise juvenile-speak would be a great story for young adults looking for exciting new variations of fiction mystery novels.

Quinn’s first effort at a first-person, canine narrative is brilliant. Not only are we forced to see the world through the eyes- and ears and nose- of a wise canine detective, but we are also forced to step out of the human perspective- in return, gaining more knowledge than we expected. The obviously studied perspective of our underrated pet pals is impressive and comforting because for once we can feel a deeper connection with our pets. For those of us who have, or ever have had, a pet, Dog On It is a great novel for expanding our narrowly human perspectives on life.

Reviews by noted publications such as Publishers Weekly claim Dog On It a winning debut…that fans of classic mysteries are sure to appreciate.” And its 7^th place standing on the New York Times best-seller list in March of 2009 is clear indication of success. Chet, although a fictional character has adapted to the virtual realm and has his own Facebook fan page, Twitter account and website at www.chetthedog.com. His following is primarily one of dogs and dog-owners; uploading photos and comments from dog-fans nationwide. The following itself is evidence enough of how involved readers become with Chet’s character.

Dog On It is great because we don’t become too involved in the trivial human challenges in life which is a true respite from the dramatic and otherwise exaggerated best-selling novels in its company. A lovely Private Investigatory tale – or should I say tail.

A few weeks ago I made a trip up to Los Alamos, CA to visit Full of Life Flatbread, the home of some of the most amazing food I’ve ever had. I struggled with this post (hence it being weeks overdue) because there simply weren’t words for how impressed I was. Putting all fabrication and exaggeration aside, I was truly stunned when I set foot at Flatbread to find out that the production room doubles as a restaurant Friday-Sunday and that all of their ingredients are from local farmers within 40 miles of the restaurant. Not to mention that they ship their pizzas nationwide!

Touring the dessert fridge

When I arrived, Clark Staub, a former Angeleno in the music industry (formerly the VP of Marketing for Capitol Records) and now owner of Flatbread Full of Life restaurant, directed our attention to the fresh fava beans and pink lemons that had just arrived. I was even lucky enough to taste their homemade pink lemon whipped cream and witness the making of the Easter-inspired chocolate eggs filled with fresh berries and creme.

For dinner, we headed back to Flatbread and dined on some of the most delicious Pepperoni and Poblano Pepper pizza, Clam stew, Duck salad followed by a variety of other fresh flatbread wood fired pizzas. The one that I was most intrigued by was a pizza topped with cooked stinging nettles. Yes, nettles.  Apparently, when cooked, they’re incapable of stinging and actually quite tasty. By the time dessert came, I knew I was in for a treat. Remember that pink lemons we saw earlier? They were made into a delicious lemon tarte, topped with sweet and savory pink lemon whipped cream. I could have eaten it for days!

Clark Staub, Chef/Owner

Flatbread owner, Clark Staub explained to us a bit about the production of Flatbread pizzas. With only one hearth and limited bakers, Full of Life Flatbread produces over 200 pizzas per hour, each day of the week. Being as Los Alamos is a small town, locals from the vocational training center not far away, are employed to help build Flatbread frozen pizza boxes and knead dough.  Many of the individuals hired for this process are in need of job opportunities for those with mental or physical disabilities.

Locals from and around Los Alamos, gladly serve some of the most delectable and original dishes. Many employees I spoke with seemed to share Clark’s view of great food service and production.

“Full of Life is my own quest for simplicity and my own demand for quality food. Food made with and inspired by friends. Food that has a sense of place. Food made by real people without pretense or fashion. Food shared with our neighbors. Food that we ourselves eat. Food that is real and good and is part of the world that surrounds us.” – Clark Staub

I had the pleasure of meeting a great group of Flatbread employees after closing shop that night.  Pictured to the left is owner and chef, Clark Staub sharing an uplifting moment with his employees…then he sends them home with a pizza!

The elegantly lit dining room sets the stage as a central focus while jazz ensembles fill the room with unique tones.

The night I visited Vibrato Grill, Son Mayor ( www.sonmayor.com ) graced the stage with an extraordinary collection of Cuban Jazz.  Not only was I in the company of a great, live ten-piece band, I was in the company of a great  food, a fantastic ambiance and great people.

For dinner, I ordered:

Chilled Oysters:

Shallot Mignonette, Cocktail Sauce, Spicy Seaweed Salad

Mac and Cheese
Bacon Brioche Crust

New York Strip

Not only am I a fan, I’m dying to go back!

El Pollo de Oro boasts brightly-colored tablecloths, pointsettias galore and sure-to-have-been hand-layed brick. The ambience, however, is not the first thing I would mention when recommending this authentic mexican joint- it would be the chicken. El Pollo de Oro slow cooks whole chicken on rottisserie for hours. When it arrives at your table be prepared- the skin is flavorful, crisp to perfection and the meat is tender and moist.

The best part? A quarter chicken with rice, beans and tortillas- only $3.50 USD! GASP!
Although the service is reliably slower, El Pollo de FANTASTICO far surpasses the experience I had at one of Lonely Planet’s top 5 recommended restaurants, O Mole Mio.

El Pollo de Oro is open for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner from 7:30-10:30pm.
Located at the corner of Cardenas and Morelos.

In a feeble attempt to reacquire the hearts of otherwise comotose Brit fans, Miss Britney Spears opted to film a confessional expose on the inexcapable crises we’ve all had the pleasure of witnessing over the last couple years. Whether by choice or not, tabloids, local news channels and radio have made it nearly impossible to avoid the dramatic intricasies of Britney’s “personal life challenges.”

From artificial English accents to head-shaving, Provigil to fishnets, rehab to custody battles and paparazi courtships to divorce, we’ve just about witnessed what we can only hope to be the worst of Britney’s war against pop-ism.

The MTV sponsored “documentary” followed Britney Spears for three months in 2008, with interviews about her motives, feelings and why she’s acted so outrageously. She seemed to brush over details and focus on putting on a facade that might win the hearts (and album sales) of those that have lost faith in her character. Who is Britney anyways?

The documentary, promoted as a “tell-all documentary” following the life of Britney for three months, consisted of dance rehearsals, makeup sessions, shopping sprees and “heartfelt” interviews with the director.  She’s got it rough, eh?  As was advertized, we were all hoping for a documentary explaining the cause of Britney’s woeful existence within the last few years.

For The Record took a stab at baring and sharing all, yet answered very few of the questions we’ve all been asking.

Why is she making this documentary?
“I wanted to make this film because I started to feel like I wasn’t being seen in the light that I wanted to be seen in. I’m not sure what light that is exactly. This is an opportunity to set the record straight and talk about what I’ve been through and where I’m headed,” Britney said.

Why the relationships with Paparazi, Adnan? Why the constant alterations to her identity? Why the prolonged English accent that was claimed to be genuine? Why the spontaneous vegas wedding to a childhood friend? Why didn’t she care about her children? Why? Why? and more Whys.

What did we learn?

• That Brit has two new fragrances coming out this December
• Can still lipsync, gets all of her clothes for free and wants her dance routine to look like Janet’s. Great.
• Britney breast fed; a little sidenote to divert the interviewers questions
• She thinks she’s smart (and that everyone shaves their heads)
• Her breakup with Justin sparked the downward spiral ( 6 years ago)
• She’s lost and can’t take responsibility for her actions (Blame it on the break-up, Brit)

Britney came accross as lost and trapped within the confines of fame but the documentary didn’t even succeed in making us feel bad for her trials and tribulations…why? Because it didn’t tell us anything about them, except that her predictably erratic behavior was just a “rebellious” phase.

All in all, MTV produced a great infomercial for Britney’s new album entitled Circus and to be quite frank, I will continue to believe her life really is one.

The End.  Or is it…

Growing up in Beverly Hills isn’t exactly my idea of a culture-rich adolescence and I guess that is why people are shocked when I admit that for thirteen years I too was trapped in the Beverly Hills Triangle, the sister Triangle known for swallowing the souls of otherwise productive members of society.

Beverly Hills can consume you if you let it, and it will, trust me.  It did for the Wentworths; Becky, Judith, Gus and more shockingly- Conrad and it is on a constant prowl for others. It will consume the very core of your human development and cause great delusions of superfluous and (seemingly) necessary desire. Unbeknownst to the victim’s conscious mind, these delusions can cause the misconception that things will fill voids and mend vulnerabilities. Each of the characters in The Wentworths’ subconscious minds seeks to fill voids by obsessing about their own desires.

The Wentworths, by Katie Arnoldi, is a novel of desire that goes far beyond the daily recommended dose.  The Wentworths’ desire runs their lives into the ground. Conrad’s desire for wealth and women, Judith’s yearning for perfection, and in contrast, Paul’s desire for normality.

In order for her to create the only reality she can exist in, Judith Wentworth must control anything and everything within her reach. Like most aging, posh and menopausal women of the Beverly Hills region, perfection is key. Her existence is based around the need for everything to be flawless.

Judith Wentworth spends more time looking in the mirror than she does communicating with the world around her. She analyzes, she studies, she improves (Arnoldi 14). In order to escape the fact that her picture-perfect family is not so picture perfect, Judith focuses on her appearance and leaves everything else on the backburner.

Inevitably so, this mindset creates dissonance between what is reality and what we create to be our own reality. In comparison, the media promotes this lifestyle by airing shows like The Hills and The Real Housewives of the O.C. The women in these shows are far more concerned with their fabricated reality than reality itself.

Contrary to popular belief, women are not the only ones affected by the Beverly Hills Triangle. It is widely known that cultures like those seen in Bel-Air and Beverly Hills foster the growth of shallow, distracted and pretentious individuals; even in men. Conrad Wentworth is the perfect specimen.

Conrad has a constant desire to fill the shoes that his mother never fit in to, but instead of finding a woman that could do so, he found young girls and sexually promiscuous women that all had a striking resemblance to Judith.  In order to get the amount of attention he needed, he got involved with girls that were unstable and overly attentive to him. His need for this attention ends up getting him in deep. 6 feet deep.

Conrad will go to great lengths for wealth. This includes knowingly defending guilty rapists and murderers because they have the money to pay him. Conrad is a real famous attorney. Thirteen year-old accuses a rap star of rape?  Conrad can probably get him off. It’s gonna cost, but that’s what money’s for.  (Arnoldi 16) The lifestyle he lives is that of a morally bankrupt individual.

In contrast to the moral bankruptcy, feeble attempts at perfect and hunger for affluence, Paul Jones is the example of an individual not yet corrupted by the Beverly Hills Triangle of doom. He desires in a healthy way, and desires healthy things.

Throughout the novel, Paul plays the role of the moral rock. Steady and logical (and obviously undamaged), he becomes the voice of reason. Paul recognizes that the realities of life would make Becky angry so he deals with them himself.  An example of this is when he finds, hidden in the mattress, things any normal boy might hide.

Paul’s desires consist of those things any unaffected individual might desire; a dog, a happy family and a healthy wife who has long given up the habit of popping sleeping pills to escape.

It is hard to believe that any one individual could remain untouched by such surroundings, but it is not an unreasonable idea.  Growing up and living in Beverly Hills really is a triangle similar to the Bermuda Triangle; before you know it, you have been consumed and it is a hard comeback to achieve.

The Wentworth’s constant desire is a disease that affects many. I have seen it first hand and could have easily fallen into the triangle.  With a lot of introspection and world-traveling,  I was able to pull myself out before it became too late. Reading The Wentworths by Katie Arnoldi was as close to reading the biography of life-long neighbors, only this time it was easier to shut the book and walk away.  The real housewives of the O.C. really have nothing on The Wentworths; and to be honest, they should be proud.

I had the opportunity yesterday to see the premier of a soon-to-be Broadway musical performed in an 80-person capacity, solar-powered, Venice Beach theater.

Adapted from the 2000 film also titled The Flunky, directed by Vincent Van Patten, The Flunky: A New Musical portrays the life of rockstar named Tyler Mann and his “flunky” ( a diehard fan dedicated to the service of said rockstar) along the path of betrayal and moral tension. Like any good musical, The Flunky: A New Musical left me humming out the door. Those who know me, though might argue I do that anyways.

The musical starred Jimmy Van Patten, Actor and son of long time T.v. star Dick Van Patten, teen icon Deborah Gibson and triple-threat comedian, P.J Griffith. Van Patten, often recognized for his role on The Odd Couple and more recently in Saw IV, shook the stage with talent. Van Patten’s character, Tyler Mann, sings and dances his way through a Hollywood comeback, all the while making and breaking co-dependent relationships with frauds and fans.

Deborah Gibson, playing the role of Sandra, brings to the show immense talent and passion. With over 16 million albums sold and world recognition as the youngest female singer/ songwriter/ producer of a #1 Hit Single on the Billboard Hot 100 List, there is no doubt it will become one of Broadway’s finest comedy musicals. Gibson was the show’s lyricist.

P.J Griffith, as the role of Flunky, Jackie, so convincingly played the role of a diehard fan that you might not have expected him to have his own fan club. Griffith has appeared in roles on shows like House MD, Without A Trace and worked on popular TV series such as: Mad TV, Penomenon, Comedy Central Presents…, and Days of Our Lives.

The Flunky: A New Musical bares all in their “truth-be-told” portrayal of Hollywood phonies. With songs like “Hey Man,” “Too Rich, Too Thin” and “Rock Star’s Life,” The Flunky employs the ideas and criticisms of things we’ve all seen in grocery store tabloids.

Reviewer Rating: 5 Stars!

Until Broadway… Ciao!

There are three fairly significant differences between the film and short story, one of which is character involvement. In the film, Mike Enslin is portrayed as a skeptic across various verticals of life, yet the audience is taught to forgive this close-mindedness. Mikael Hafstram directs the film in such a way that the audience learns of Enslin’s tragic back-story. Obviously not long before his return to New York, (Enlin’s lawyer asks concerning “Are you sure you’re ready to come back?) Enslin loses his only daughter, Katie to sever health issues. As a result of their loss, Enslin can no longer look at his wife without seeing Katie and uproots to Boston to start a new life sans emotion and faith. Hafstram tugs at the audience’s heartstring such a way that we hope for the best outcome possible in Mike Enslin’s favor.

Mike’s tragic back-story about the death of his young daughter, and separation from his wife allow audiences to develop a strong rapport with Mike’s character. In the film, however, because we do not develop a strong affinity for Mike and his hardships, readers feel less connected to him and therefore care less about the outcome of Mike’s trials in room 1408.
The short story offers little connection to Mike’s character and dedicates significant time to the fore-story and after-effects of room 1408. I believe these variations, however, are not negative aspects; Hafstram and King are merely reaching different goals in different ways.

Along with variation in character involvement, the story doesn’t focus as much on the climax as the movie does. Less time is spent dwelling on the actual horrors of the room than in the movie. This could be that King’s goal differs from that of a film director’s.

It is possible that King intended for the story to affect the reader’s perception of reality and faith in their own lives, whereas Haftsram may have been more focused on being portrayed as a psychological thriller as well as a horror film. The special effects used in the film: frozen room of doom, warping Karen Carpenter’s vocals, and intricate set designs get the audience visually involved in the mental chaos Mike Enslin experiences.

The main difference between Stephen King’s original version of 1408 and that of the 2007 film rendition is very obviously the different endings. The end of the story written by King has a damaged feel. The reader can see how much damage the room has ultimately caused Enslin.

In addition to problems with his blood-pressure, severe burns and enflamed prostates, Enslin sleeps every night with the lights on, has given up writing, had all the phones removed from his home and has consistent nightmares.
In the meantime, though, he sleeps with the lights on in his bedroom, so he will know at once where he is when he wakes the from the bad dreams. He has had all the phones taken out of the house and when the sun goes down, he pulls every shade and blind and drape in the house. He sits like a man in a darkroom until his watch tells him the light- even then last fading glow along the horizon-must be gone. (King 24)
This quote shows a man who has been affected greatly and who has faith that there is something greater than he; a man with a newfound faith.

In an attempt to cater to the likes of Hollywood moviegoers however, Hafstram twists the ending more positively. At the end of the film, Enslin is seen sitting at his computer while his wife unpacks boxes. Far from the chaos and mental destruction seen at the end of the short story, Enslin and his wife listen to a recording of their late daughter’s voice in their pristine and inviting home while Enslin narrates that he will soon be publishing a new book. Although it is common for pieces of writing to be adapted as a film, most films do not accurately portray the story as the writer intended. I believe that although the short story and film are different in many ways, the film does a good job (if not a better job) representing the mental turmoil Enslin experiences.

In the comfort of my own bed, and soft music, I sat quietly and began my trek through Hebrew sacred literature. I didn’t know a great deal about the text when I began this trek, but as Bjork played on my stereo and as my eyes scrolled up and down the pages of the Torah, I came to know the story within the first five books of the Torah. These five books were The Five Books of Moses.

BERESHIT. I thought to myself that I hoped they didn’t always use profanity in the Bible. After my moment of humor surpassed, I decided that I needed to crack down on the reading. To my surprise, the reading went quickly. Before long I was able to rest my head on the pillow that had so temptingly sat behind my back.

While I turned pages, my mother came into my room and saw that I was now consumed by the Hebrew ways of life. When I told her of our assignment she told me she was sure it would be a great experience. She left the room, and let me relish the time I had to spend with my new best friend, the Torah. By the number of pages in this book, I knew we would grow very close and understood the relationship this was about to become a long one.

Still sitting on my bed, my eyelids lifted dumbbells, each blink was harder and harder to resist. Deuteronomy came to a conclusion and so did my night. I had enjoyed the reverent interpretation the Jewish Study Bible had offered me.