Jeez, louize

Holy cow! 3 months of postlessness! I've done some stuff, but really nothing to justify that. I guess that's what happened--not too much, so no need to post. And the omigod-I'm-so-screwed cast of my inner dialog of late hasn't led to much post-worthy observation or insight.
Honestly, I think I've been a bit down about the whole, unemployed again thing. It gets less tolerable the older I get. I'm temping now and I definitely had some fun this summer--I was almost manic in my will to enjoy my freedom from work and a regular sleep schedule. That gets old fast, too, so I'm glad for the nights at home, the budget-minded recreational activities and the fact that the stove, if not the oven, finally works.
I'm a little more zen now that the other shoe has dropped in the form of the writers strike, which completely screws me and offers no direct benefit--especially since I plan to stay on the producers side of the table, career-wise.
On the upside, anticipating an excess of down time (which, thankfully was gobbled up by temp gigs), I volunteered at this year's AFI fest, hoping for some free loot in exchange for my free time. Alas, since I ended up working through the festival, I thought I wouldn't actually get to see any of the movies. But on Sunday, after a couple hours cutting up at the doors and collecting tickets with other volunteers, I got to sneak into the premiere of Love in the Time of Cholera, which was awesome! And afterwards, I was this close to Benjamin Bratt. Also saw Diego Luna, Alfre Woodard and that cute English dude from Fantastic 4. And I genuinely had fun working with the other volunteers on my shifts (thank god, there were a lot of weird fish running around with volunteer badges).
And my kickball team (you read that right) had our first win of the season last week. Tragically, we were eliminated in last night's playoff game, but we all had a good time and I look forward to the Spring season.
I've even done a good deed and walked the Los Angeles AIDS walk, which was a surprisingly tough 10K through West Hollywood. I think the relatively flat, paved terrain was too repetitive for 3 hours. But it was nothing compared to the near-death experience I had hiking in Northern Cali over Memorial Day weekend. That was mad brutal.
Anyway, I hope any readers I might have left had good end-of-summers and autumns. I'm really looking forward to the holiday season (heading to SC to visit my mom) and the new year. 2008 won't have to be very good to top 2007 and even if it's par for the course, at least I'm prepared. I'll try to keep posting through the madnes.

Radio Silence

Oh dear! I've been off the radar for a while!

Since I last posted I have moved, started collecting unemployment checks, turned 27 and spent more or less every day in some state of inebriation. How have you been?

My new place in Koreatown is AWESOME!!! It's a huge house and I have a huge room and many many pet ants...

I've seen a few movies this summer, the only ones worth mentioning are The Bourne Ultimatum and The Simpsons Movie, which were both great. The other week I won tickets to see Maximo Park at the El Rey, which was pretty cool as I've been trying to save money by not spending it on music. Though I did buy tickets to see the Cure at the Hollywood Bowl in October. It's the Cure! You can't miss the Cure!

I am very excited about a few trips I have planned for the end of summer: first going to Denver for the wedding of my dear friends Jake and Katie (tragically, I was unable to arrange for a gigolo to accompany me a la The Wedding Date, so warn the bachelors!), then going camping on Labor Day weekend in Northern Cali, which promises to be pretty cool and very, um, rustic, then finally getting back to civilization and visiting Derrick in SanFran.

I thought being unemployed would suck, but so far, I'm having a damn good time!

I've been tagged

Sara just tagged me...

Apparently I have to list 7 random things about myself then tag 7 other people (Myspace, here I come!):

1) I was born in Hawaii, so my mother tried to convince me to list "Native Islander" on my college apps to get me into better schools (turns out "smart woman from the South" was minority enough).
2) The first school I attended was Echole Maternelle St. Andre, in Bordeaux, France.
3) I spoke Hindi as a small child with my Indian ayah, Philomena.
4) Everyone I've met since I turned 18 and moved away from South Carolina has commented on my lack of accent. Sorry dudes, I learned to speak from the TV, not my neighbors.
5) My middle name is the maiden name of my mother's great-grandmother, nee Bridget Falvey. I really wish they had gone with Bridget instead.
6) I worked 2 jobs (1 full-time, 1 weekend) for 10 months to pay rent when I first moved to Cali. Not recommended.
7) I'm in a kickball league. My team's record is 0-5 and 4-5. Next week we win!

Visa Las Vegas

Yes, I'm broke and facing imminent unemployment and an apartment search, but still I am headed to Vegas in the morning. The force behind this brash disregard of impending financial doom? Easy credit. Thank you Capital One, American Express and Chase for making my dreams of dissipation and debauchery a reality.
Karaoke on Tuesday was not a quickie and I'm sure I only meant to drink one glass of wine...so yesterday hurt a bit. UTIOG won't go on until 10:30 tonight and I need to be on the road before 10 am (I know, boo-hoo, but it is a really long drive to Vegas).
Had a really interesting conversation today about zombie movies and social commentary. It's not the zombies we're scared of, it's what they represent and how we respond. I love over intellectualizing my weird taste in film. Ah well, the only art that matters is the art that resonates, whether it's Picasso or Romero...

Movie Madness

Finally got around to seeing some movies this weekend. Did a scary double feature on Friday with Prince and the gang (no, that's not the name of a band...). Disturbia was much better and scarier than I thought it would be. We were all tense and jumpy in our seats. 28 Weeks Later was awesome, as expected. Less viscerally terrifying than it's predecessor, but more intellectually disturbing. And of course it left room for further installments. By Saturday, after spending a morning doing job applications (woo-hoo) I was ready for some tamer fare, so went to see Waitress, a sweet little movie that's managed not to be completely overshadowed by the murder of it's writer/director/co-star Adrienne Shelly. Though it's been marketed as a sweet bit of down-home rom-com fluff, the film takes a much more adult and realistic approach to the role that romantic love plays in it's characters lives and it's consequences.
Spent Saturday night @ the Scene in Glendale getting up close and personal with Bedtime for Toys, who are going to be huge.
Sunday was more debauched than ever at Prince's BBQ. Took it down a notch last night to play kickball and grab a quick(ish) cider @ Big Wang's with the team.
Tonight will hopefully be a karaoke quickie @ Guy's North.
Then the rest of the week will be relatively quiet, except for UTIOG at the El Rey on Thursday. And driving to Vegas on Friday. By the time I get back I'll have to start gearing up for Tuesday...

DIY

May is national masturbation month. I'm not sure how this was made official (if it ever was--I can only imagine putting that in the hopper...), but I heard about it on morning radio, so it must be true. In any case, I have some catching up to do, and so do you..suit yourself.

The undead are out to get me!

Wow, it's always a great sign when a movie gives you nightmares before you've seen it...I am thrilled to report that 28 Weeks Later (sequel to my favorite zombie flick--and I've seen a lot) is getting great reviews and I woke up, terrified at 3 am while dreaming that I was trying to escape from an evil virus and it's enraged victims. Awesome. I may have to do a double-header with Waitress just so I can sleep.
Actually, I think I'm probably just feeling anxious because a) my office was evacuated during the fire in Griffith Park this week (we're on the southern border) b) the fire damage was extensive and you can see the balded, charred hills from the freeway, which last week were green (if not lush--it's been a dry year) c) there's another fire raging on Catalina Island--a really beautiful, scenic place--which must be particularly difficult for residents who have to flee to the mainland and d) I have a month and a half to find a new job and my resume isn't even updated. Many things to be worried and stressed about. In any case, I'm headed out tonight, have a BBQ tomorrow and am gearing up for Vegas over Memorial Day weekend! So life doesn't totally suck.

Fire Season

Had a fabulous time in NYC! Thanks to Alex & Mike for hosting me and to Colin & Rebecca for making the trek north from DC--it was great to see you all!
The weekend was completely action-packed: the Brooklyn Museum, 3 Tribeca screenings, Prospect Park, The Upright Citizens Brigade, countless drinks, many meals (including hot-dog off the street--yummy!) and Spring Awakening, which was amazing and that's coming from someone who is not a fan of musical theater. In retrospect it seems like too much to fit into 5 days, but we managed (of course, there was no time for pilgrimage to MoMA--boo). I didn't even notice that I missed the opening weekend of Spiderman 3--maybe I can catch it next weekend...but I think 28 Weeks Later is opening.
Flew back last night just in time to enjoy the heat wave and the fires that even now are irritating my eyes and promise to turn my commute into sheer torture--woot. I already miss the Subway. Though I am glad to be back in my spacious dump in the Valley, listening to KCRW and hanging with the coolest karaoke/kickball crew this side of the Rockies. All my east-coast buds are welcome to partake of those benefits as well as the futon in my living room.

Get down tonight

I am on my way to the Big Fat Juicy Apple tonight, but couldn't let 70s karaoke night at Guy's North pass without me. So somewhat dolled-up and with my hair (which refused to feather) tucked under a hat, I made my pilgrimage. It was as crowded as I've ever seen it, though apparently some people did not get the '70s memo. Had a few drinks, danced a few dances, generally made a fool of myself and got to bed at 2:30 am (that's 5:30 am EST). I will surely sleep well on the plane tonight.
So safe travels to you all, wherever you're headed. I'll catch you on the flip side with tales of the city that never sleeps, a perfect destination for the Jess who rarely sleeps.

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Um, yeah, you could say I've been having too much fun, except I ain't never had too much fun! So Tuesday I went to this industry thing, and finally got to see Metal Skool (because midnight on a Monday is past my bedtime, apparently). Afterwards I eventually made my way to another karaoke Tuesday (though technically I didn't arrive til Wednesday) @ Guy's North, which is fortunately very near my place. Unfortunately, I was painfully hung-over on Wednesday (word to the wise, don't end your night with a "bay breeze," that's all I'm sayin'), only to come home and discover the hot water was out in the whole building. Meaning my only option was to wake up early on Thursday and go to the gym, where I hoped the water heater would be working. Finally made it to The Dive on Highland for drinks Thursday night before meandering over to the New York Dolls/Television Tribute night at Safari Sam's--the highlight of which was Peppermint Creeps, hands down, you don't even know. I think I get tonight off--I hope so anyway, cause this weekend will be filled with my first appearance at the book club I joined in January, kickball practice, probably the Walkmen, and a very special 70s karaoke night @ Guy's on Tuesday. Not to mention laundry and packing for my trip to New York next week!! Am I excited? You bet your ass I am!! Life can NEVER be too much fun!

Hip, hip, hurrah

Three cheers for bizarre sex dreams on Monday morning! Not quite as exciting as bizarre sex on Monday morning, but somewhat less messy.

Less thrilling, finding out your Dad had to have his beloved dog put to sleep--he will be missed (the dog, not my dad).

That notwithstanding, been generally having a good time (even in my sleep, apparently) recently: saw a Dodgers game, went whale watching and finally saw Grindhouse last weekend, and of course made the Tuesday night pilgrimmage to karaoke at Guys in Studio City. Saw Hot Fuzz this Friday (hilarious!) and finally made it to Redwood downtown on Saturday (awesome '80s music, I could have danced all night). Spent Sunday slightly hunover and mostly inert, gearing up for another busy week.

Shit! I almost forgot!

Major announcement lost in all the hullabaloo--Jake and Katie tie the knot in August! Yay! Can't wait to party with the Georgetown gang in Denver at the wedding! And thanks to everyone who called me to discuss this most important development on Sunday, so sorry I only had 5 minutes to chat. We will dish all this dirt and more, soon, I swear!

Easter Parade

Had a very un-Pascal weekend: in observance of Lenten abstention, had a crazy all-you can eat sushi dinner on Friday w/ super-trooper from the OC Carol (took her 2.5 hours to get to the Valley-ouch!) & roomie Allison, followed by adventures in Downtown w/ Linda and crew. Original plan was to hit up El Cid, but dinner did that in. Then we were headed to a random warehouse party Downtown, but when we got there it was overrun with teenagers (despite the fact that I got carded to see Blades of Glory, which was hilarious, I do not count myself in their number) and the door was being manned by a bum, literally. So we went to Bordello instead, which was really cool and is allegedly in an actual house of ill-repute. And the bartenders were appropriately attired for the theme. How cute. Saw some random band playing gypsy music from the '30s which, I was drunkenly instructed by Brian, is the root of jazz. You learn something new every frickin' day. Thanks to Andrew for keeping us entertained even after the music stopped. Saturday was off to a very slow start, but we managed a successful shopping trip to buy a wedding present in the ghetto (that's so accurate, I don't even want to get into it) and a dress for Carol for her sis's wedding (not in the ghetto, thank god). Inadvertently had a mocha and carrot cake for dinner (I swear I thought I'd have time and appetite left for a real meal!) then trudged to Dimples for a couple drinks and about 8 rounds of Happy Birthday (my advice, if it's not your big day and you just want a fun night of watching your friends embarrass themselves in Burbank, go to Sardo's instead). Learned a couple polka steps outside of NoBar before beddy-bye time, finally. Showed up for Prince's fabu bar-b-que in less than stellar shape. Still, couldn't help but have a wonderful time with such an energetic host and lovely company.
I know you think I must be done, but I actually spent last night at the House of Blues on Sunset. I couldn't bring myself to drink a drop and left before the show was over to get home and get some zzz's (also got a parking ticket--boo!). Since there's no rest for the wicked (and I am wicked indeed), I'm headed to not-lame karaoke with the crew tonight. Tomorrow I sleep!

Undercover Brother is an idiot

I wouldn't let this guy drive my Corolla, let alone a $1.5 million Ferrari. Of course, I will never own a $1.5 m car...at least the car's owner has some perspective: there are, in fact, "worse things happening in the world."

Hoya Saxa Baby

Finally, all the money I spent on a Georgetown education is paying dividends in the form of NCAA glory! Woo-hoo, let's go Hoyas! I'm no basketball expert (I don't even know the rules, actually, and this was probably the first game I've ever watched the whole way through), but if you missed today's game in which the Hoyas kicked UNC's ass, you really missed something special (particularly for us chronically disappointed Georgetown fans). Even a dilettante like myself can briefly tell you what happened: down six at the half (44 to UNC's 50), the Hoya's came back to tie it up at the end of regulation (81, 81), then dominated the 5 minute overtime period, earning 15 points while allowing the Tarheels only 3 (96 to 84). Kick ass!
I just have to wonder, when do these guys study for their mid-terms :o)

Spring has sprung

I know I'm becoming Californicated becuase I (like most of the Southland, judging by traffic) rejoiced in the climbing of temps over 70 degrees by immediately decamping to the beach, which was lovely. But I do know that highs in the mid-sixties and lows in the 40s for a few weeks does not deepest, darkest winter make. However, it is still quite nice to have some warm temps and not have to bring a cardigan/jacket/hoodie everywhere. I will feel completely the opposite in July and August when it's approximately a thousand and 12 degress in the Valley, and too hot to sleep without AC even at night (fortunatley, I bought a great little window unit last summer that makes it possible to get some zz's even when it's 85 degrees at midnight).
Happy Daylight Savings Time!

I hate it when this happens!

I was really looking forward to 300 (those who know me well know my love of half naked men duking it out on film), but the reviews came in and apparently it sucks ("as violent as Apocalypto and twice as stupid" is not high praise in my book). Bummer! The advertisements looked so good. I really thought they had something. Guess I'll save my $10 and wait for the DVD...

Fool for love

So, in a dumb carpe-diem kinda move not to be repeated for a good long while, I gave my number to random guy at Wang's last night (yes, there's a lot wrong with that statement, don't remind me). I should have known when he made me pinky swear to call him back, but I honestly thought it was a joke. Until I got home about a half hour later and had both a text message and a voicemail from the needy motherfucker. Come on, wait at least until the next day--it's not that hard, you'll sleep through most of the transition. Add to that he's too young and not my type and all my good intentions for being more open and less judgy go right out the window. No fucking way I'm calling a guy who's managed to irritate me within the first hour of our acquaintance. I will freely admit that had he been hot this might be a very different post, but he wasn't so this isn't. You gotta be hot or smooth (or at least not irritating), you can't not be either.

That was relatively painless

Inspired by Sara, I decided to update the look of my blog, which I've been considering for awhile, but reluctant to tackle in the new Blogger. Wow. that was pretty simple. Sticking to the provided templates for the time being, I was able to click, cut and paste to bring over the elemenst from my old template to the new. Changing text colors was a snap. I would prefer a little more control over layout and background colors, but that is beyond my willingness to dive into self-taught HTML editing right now.
This is especially encouraging as I am severly sleep deprived due to some weekend excesses and checking out Great Northern and the Pity Party at the Viper Room last night (which has the surliest doorman in the city, possibly the world).
Hope you're having a lovely Tuesday!

Random Review

I'm totally going to bash a movie I haven't seen and will probably never see, solely on the basis of it's advertising. Based on the billboards and internet banner ads I've seen, Black Snake Moan has to be the worst piece of crap out there right now. (The reviews on Metacritic bear that out, though it didn't score as low as The Number 23.) "Everything is Hotter Down South"?!? Yes, I grew up in the south and I left it eagerly. The weather is gross, the culture doesn't impress me and the accents make me nuts (not to mention the industry I work in is centered in LA). However, there are things to like about the south and it's not really that different from the rest of the country (it's the same endless wasteland of rest stops and strip malls that swarm American freeways across the country outside of cities and farmland). And I can tell you from experience that the San Fernando Valley gets hotter than most places in the south (and dry heat or humid doesn't make that much difference @ 120 degrees). "Everything is hotter down South" tries to evoke the Southern gothic cache of Tennessee Williams or Faulkner. But, while those guys certainly wrote about crazy, libidinous southerners, they never chained a mostly naked Christina Ricci to a radiator. That's overkill. I have to assume that, recognizing the risible result of their billboards, the marketing department thought "It's hard out here for a nymph" was a stroke of genius, calling to mind the (improbable) Oscar winning song from Hustle and Flow, the last movie by this director which I laughed at and never saw. In any case, from the reviews I've read, it's pretty clear the marketing department didn't have much to work with. How else are you gonna sell a movie about Samuel L. Jackson chaining Christina Ricci to a radiator by the director of Hustle and Flow?

Tempest in a styrofoam yogurt cup

Pinkberry, apparently, is all the rage. Personally, I find it pretty inexplicable. While I would never in a million years dream of risking a parking ticket and endureing an hour long wait in line for fro-yo, I was tempted to taste the wonder for myslef when the chain opened a new store in my 'hood. The experience left me wondering what all the fuss was about. I paid nearly five dollars for a cup of sour (in a yummy way) frozen yogurt that was swirled around so the middle remained empty then topped with fruit. Whoop-de-fuck. If I froze a fruit-on-the bottom yogurt then up-ended it (flan style), I would end up with the same thing (and more yogurt) for less than a buck. There's nothing wrong with Pinkberry, there's just nothing so super-freaking-duper about it either. And $5 for a mostly empty cup is a rip-off (it would be a rip-off even if it were full, seriously).

Hail to the Chief!

Had a surprisingly busy President's Day weekend, here's the round-up: Saturday I enjoyed the dark and seedy pleasures of Damiano's Mr. Pizza in the Fairfax district, which in addition to providing a delicious and cheap slice, has an impressive selection of Belgian beers. One overworked waitress left a little something to be desired in the service department and if you mind eating in an unlit room solely by the light of one table candle ensconced in red glass (read, very, very dark), this is def not the place for you. After dinner I joined some friends for an evening of theatre--at least that's what the flier said.
The advertised "Quantum Physics Sex Farce" left much to be desired. If sex farces could be made solely of mildly dirty acronyms (BOOBS=Brotherhood of Organic Beings, etc) and if single entendres were double entendres, they would be made in the shade. As it was, Walking on Sunshine provided a little humor mostly in the form of serious over-acting and many questionable choices in direction. We'll call it a group effort and blame the whole cast and crew. After that I definitely needed a drink, and got a couple at my fav neighborhood spot, NoBar, which sounds pretentious, but is actually fabulous for it's low-key, completely unpretentious not-a-scene scene.

Spent Sunday afternoon wandering Chinatown. Had an acceptable lunch in one of the interchangeable restaurants in the mall and then some yummy bobba downstairs in the tea shop. Then the weirdo weather turned nasty and sent me fleeing back to the Valley.

I learned on Monday that the Getty Center is never open on a Monday, even during a long weekend. However, the Getty Villa in Malibu, where I've never been, is open and we scored passes for that afternoon. Pattered on an ancient Roman villa that was destroyed in the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD, the Villa houses Getty's collection of Greek, Roman and Etruscan artifacts. The grounds are beautiful and, thanks to the rain, which was the harbinger of more cold weather, but cleared the air, offered an amazing view of the Pacific.

Candice inspired me...

To find some images of my favorite character. Enjoy!

Potshots

While she was alive, Anna Nicole was an easy (and sometimes large) target; I'm disappointed in the New York Times for beating a dead horse in it's obit. Being dead doesn't make her (or anyone) a saint, but an obituary in a national paper should make some effort to summarize a life and it's impact without resorting to snide, smug humor at the expense of the deceased. It just seems nasty and mean-spirited.

Breaking News!

Couple of items from the Are We Retarded? and Where Are Our Priorities? files.

First: The Cartoon Network causes a terror scare. Why is this a prime example of municipal dumassery? A) even if you're not familiar with Aqua Teen Hunger Force (and if you're not, you're already a douche), the device is obviously in the shape of a character giving the finger; since when have terrorists eschewed manifestos and creepy pre-suicide videos in favor images of absurdist cartoon characters flipping the bird? B) Those images were up for weeks before anyone even noticed and they are up in many other cities where they have failed to cause problems; it's pretty fucking lame of Boston to blame someone else for their belated over-reaction and C) they arrested the poor schlubs who were hired by the marketing agency which was hired by the network to implement this campaign of terror. I think if most of us were offered a paying gig from a reputable (and who checks that anyway?) marketing firm to place signs or advertisements for a national cable network, we would assume that what we were doing was legal and had been properly cleared. We would not expect to be arrested and publicly paraded around while the CEO of the marketing firm was "out of the office" and apparently immune to both arrest and pesky reporters. Way to go Boston! Your whole town is now the National Asshole. Fortunately, the 24-hour news cycle has radically sped up the process with which the American public digests incidents like this, so you'll be lucky if you even make it onto Saturday Night Live this week before everyone forgets what the joke's about. And what about the fucking first amendment? Shouldn't this be protected as free speech or something? Probably not, but it's kind of terrifying that one can't express oneself via public litebrite display without running the risk of arrest and national embarrassment at the hands of the Boston PD.
The second story concerns the theft of thousands of dollars worth of wine from a mansion in Silicon Valley. A) stealing wine is kind of genius--it's easy to unload, and if you can't, you can throw one hell of a SuperBowl party. B) Stealing from your rich-bitch (I'm assuming here) employer or client is time-honored passive-resistance of the servant class: power to the plebes! C) Bringing a little crime to the NIMBY, gated-community dwellers who care more about a purloined 50-year-old bottle of Bordeaux than the murder of an 18-year-old one town over isn't altogether a bad thing. It's not exactly social justice, but it does smack the teeniest bit of karma.

Shop till you drop

After years of impulse buying and pathological deal-seeking, I've finally admitted to myself that I am a recreational shopper. Even when I'm shopping for things I need, I get a charge out of getting it cheaper or getting a little something extra. I generally hate the mall because name brand stores are not the best places to find deals. Target is good because there's always something on sale and the stock is reliable, though I strangely balk at paying "full price" even if full price is $25 for a dress or pair of shoes. I much prefer places like Loehman's, Ross and Big Lots which reward patience and tenacity. I could (and sometimes do) spend hours sorting through racks, bins and shelves looking for great deals on things I never knew I needed. In some instances this is great--I have replaced every bulb in my apartment with compact flourescents because they were really cheap at Big Lots. On the other hand, I have a pair of bright green, ill-fitting pants in my closet that are approximately 4 inches too long and I've worn them twice--but what a deal! Every time I do walk into a name brand store, I immediately head for the discount rack--usually, I won't shop in any other part of the store. Why pay full price when I know there's a sale every few weeks as one season moves in to replace the last? Of course this approach requires constant vigilance, and I could be beaten out by all those idiots willing to pay full price. Much the same way Sara remembers every meal she's ever eaten at a restaurant, I remember where I bought my clothes, shoes and accessories and what I paid for them. Though I usually won't admit to it.

Confessional

So I have this totally weird thing for Tommy Lee Jones. He's a thousand years old and compeletly haggard and it works for me. He's always represented something very pragmatic and masculine. In any movie I can remember, when TLJ shows up, you know things are gonna be okay, the bad guys will get their asses kicked and the women-in-distress/children/fuzzy animals/plant earth will be safe to blunder into even worse trouble in the sequel. That's what makes this so depressing. Jesus! I feel like I just found out Santa Claus isn't real.
I'm a sad Panda :o(

Notes on a Movie

Saw Notes on a Scandal Monday night, just before the Oscar noms came out for Cate Blanchett & Judi Dench. It was definitely entertaining, but it was entertaining melodrama, the characters were so over-the-top pathological and unable to control their own worst impulses, it's impossible to believe that they live in the real world. Which maybe makes school an appropriate setting. That's not really the real world either, for the teachers as much as the students. In any case, I was entertained and laughed my way through the destruction wrecked by these two careening personalities.
Speaking of destruction: Beware thy kitchen sponge!

Movie reviews

Now that awards season is in full swing (though I couldn't even watch the Globes), I'm catching up on my movie-viewing. I finally saw Children of Men and The Last King of Scotland. So it's been a bit of a downer.
Both were great in there own ways, fictionalizing the real and imagined terrors of the world in which we live, have lived and will live.
Children of Men is a warning of what life becomes when society gives up on it's future. In this case, that is represented by an inexplicable global infertility that threatens to wipe out the human race within a generation. The violent political strife between the English government and the droves of "fugees" from Eastern Europe and Africa (apparently), demonstrated in graphic scenes of terrorism and urban warfare, make a clear point that we don't need to be childless to be hopeless. The thesis of the film (if I may be so formal) seems to be that alienation and complacency result a moribund civilization: the scenes of characters going through the motions of a life without dreams or a future, without compassion for others (beyond celebrities they've never met) seems to invite the inevitable collapse of society around their ears. The lesson questions lifestyles that negate human interaction as well as politics that create us vs. Them. Ultimately the only ways we can survive as individuals, societies or a species is by embracing each other.
The Last King of Scotland, "based on real people and events," is a warning to anyone who thinks he can make a game of nation-building (ah-HEM). Though it's concerned with the aftermath of British colonialism in Africa, the lesson clearly has current applications. Fundamentally, there is a problem when any nation tries to impose their way of doing business on another, whether that's out of post-colonial guilt or a sincere desire to improve lives. There's an even bigger problem when you half-ass the job so you can spend the rest of your time screwing around in exotic locales. That may be too literal an interpretation, and obviously the film is entertaining and disturbing if the characters are taken at face value. I just can't help but think that (beyond providing an "access point" for white audiences) there's a reason to stick attractive white people in peril in Africa (The Constant Gardener and Blood Diamond are other examples of this), it can't help but make a political or social comment. Perhaps, in spite of our political correctness and under the guise of shining light on some issue or another, we (White, European, Western) can't help but see Africa without the spectre of the Heart of Darkness looming over it. It remains, in so many unfortunate ways, a place where it seems law has no rule and the most terrible things can happen. We perpetuate and revel in that notion. Our new manifest destiny becomes saving this damned place. Why else would Angelina and Brad and Madonna make a crusade out of their efforts there? I'm not saying the help isn't needed; it just seems the needs and the lacks of that place are fetishized in our culture as the ultimate Other, a place so opposite and broken that not even democracy works there. It would be interesting to see Africa through it's own eyes, on it's own terms.

Work woes

After thoroughly googling myself to determine that a casual search of my name will not lead here, and knowing that my readership is piss-poor (thanks Sara & Alex!), I feel safe posting about my job. Gulp!
Last week was pretty shitty at work. Frankly, I'm over the details.
The important thing is that I got to meet Daniel Craig. And I totally went retarded. The only sentence I could form was "I saw Casino Royale twice!" in basically the same manner and pitch a three year old would use describing a trip to Disneyland. After that all I could do was retreat to my office to answer a phantom phone ring. D'oh!
So much for sleeping my way to the top :o)
Then later, at a convenience store, I saw his cover with Nicole Kidman on W Magazine. All I could think was, "That is so lame! I can't believe I let that man rob me of intelligent speech!" and "I really can't stand Nicole Kidman, her best work is way behind her (in To Die For)."
He is pretty hot, though.
And to you, my dear readers, please never, never, never link this blog to anything containing my real name--I would like to work in this town again :o)

I'm afraid...

...this is why people resent America. Does this country (as a whole) even care that much about soccer (a word only we use because everybody else calls it football, but we already have a game called footbal in which the players mostly carry the ball with their hands)? Not really. And yet, we can afford to just buy up the world's most famous footballer.
The upshot is, we'll have to deal with Mrs. Beckham...
I wonder if the Galaxy will become the new Lakers?

America is funny

Rented a couple satires that seemed to fly under the radar last year but I'm sure will become DVD hits:
The first, Confederate States of America,

was a funny and pretty scary vision (visa-a-visa a faux British documentary), of the last 150 years of American history had the South won the War of Northern aggression. Some of the best bits were the "commercials" inserted into the broadcast of the documentary ("not suitable for children or servants") on CSA TV. What a great conceit! Terrifying and far too plausible to anyone who's ever encountered Southern pride and the stars and bars...

The next, Idiocracy, was lighter, more commercial fare that was unceremoniously dumped into theaters by Fox with no publicity.

A fierce satire of the wages of stupidity on American culture by Mike Judge (the genius behind Office Space), Idiocracy makes concrete everyone's (mine anyway) secret conviction that she is much smarter than everyone else--that's a premise I could get off on.

I totally scared myself stupid watching The Descent alone. Once I'd regained my senses, I wondered at the possible subtext of a story in which an irresponsible, thrill-seeking American leads her trusting group of English friends into a quagmire from which the only apparent escape is a painful, bloody, violent, terrifying death. There's also emotional subtext.

The ubercable at my mom's house got me totally hooked on BBC programming (via BBC America and the SciFi channel) so I've been rounding out my rental queue with the last few seasons of MI-5 (I know Sara would appreciate the Matthew Macfadyen hotness factor) and Doctor Who.

Happy Holidays!

Yeah, I'm totally 2 weeks behind on the yuletide cheer. I gave myself the gift of a complete vacation while visiting my mom in SC, and did no posting and very little communicating with the outside world. Rest assured, there was much communing with the cable TV (200 channels!--but there was still mostly nothing on...). 2 weeks in SC were relatively uneventful.
Before I left LA last month, I had a lovely visit to the Huntington library and gardens, which I highly recommend to anyone in the Pasadena vicinity.
I also managed to catch the end of the UTIOG tour at the Roxy on Sunset. Grabbed a burger at the Rainbow beforehand--it was a very rock'n'roll on the Strip kind of night. Could not be more bummed that the Rapture is not coming to LA with UTIOG opening! Aaahh!!! How could they collectively do this to me? It's just goddamn cruel.
Got back to LA just in time to party in the Hills on New Year's-- enjoyed too much wine, some amazing views of Hollywood and a complete abscence of lines, bouncers and crowds.
I'm sure there's plenty more fun and frivolity I haven't had a chance to blog about...my resolution is to totally get better about this...I swear. No really, I mean it and I'm going to stick to it. Who am I kidding? Check back in another 3 weeks...