Counterfeit Tix, Bitchy Seat Neighbors, Awesome Bands: KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas

This past Sunday we went to night two of KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas. I'm a dumbass so I'd missed the general public sale date which meant I had to sit my ass in front of a computer for the week preceding the show refreshing my browser on Cragslist in the hopes that someone would be descent and post a pair of tickets at face value, which of course they don't do that early on, because they have the luxury of time for selling their tickets to people who can't be at their computers obsessively refreshing their browsers for a week, for two to three times the face value of the ticket. And I know why they do it, and I know that they can, but it just really pisses me off. I mean, some people were selling them for $500 a ticket. Really? And people buy them at that price? Why? Actually, I know people who'd buy them at that price because they go to one show a year and they don't know any better. Don't know how to search for tickets and be patient. But anyway. I really couldn't spend more than face. Quite literally I did not have the money for it, so it had to be face or below, or nothing. And I knew it might come down to the day of, standing outside the venue, haggling with some scalper, but I was prepared to do it, because I really wanted to go.

So, I found a guy, who eventually sold his tickets to me for a little below face, without me even asking him to bring down the price and yeah, it was a bitch of a drive to get them, but it was worth it for being able to get into the show and for paying less than face. As we were going in to the venue, we saw two "kids", probably late teens, who'd unknowingly bought counterfeit tickets - you know, the kind that are sent via e-mail and you print at home? Yeah, never buy those for that reason. I'm sure there are some legit people selling those, but why risk it? I felt so bad for them because they looked so upset. There were two cops looking over the print-out and the line (there were only a few of us there) was being held up while they investigated. More than looking mad about it they looked disappointed and my heart went out to them because I could imagine how much it would suck to really be looking forward to going (as I was) spending the money, being at the door and being told your tickets are no good. Sometimes, people just suck. Especially Craigslist people. As the line opened up and we went through security I heard the girl ask the cop "isn't there anything you can do?" and I wished I'd had the money to run out and get them a pair of tickets from a scalper so they could get in. It also made me want to text my seller and thank him for not being a scalper, but he might have thought it weird to get that text...

The seats were pretty good if a little to the side. Unfortunately, my seat neighbor had a stick up her ass. I go to a fair amount of concerts a year, so it's all kind of second nature to me. I know how it works- I know people are going to be getting up to get beer or go to the bathroom, I know you might end up next to an annoying talker or shouter, and sometimes you luck out and you get cool people who just enjoy the show and don't annoy the crap out of you. I think I'm a fairly good seat neighbor: I'm sober, I don't shout annoyingly, I don't get out of my seat often for beer or whatever and when I talk to my friend, I talk into his/her ear and not out loud so the whole section can hear me. I do dance in my spot though, and every now and then, I might accidentally elbow the person next to me (not hard), after which I quickly apologize. Cool people don't usually mind. They understand it happens, as I do, when it happens to me. This woman was a giant bitch. I was reaching down to get something from my purse and accidentally bumped into her leg. I quickly apologized only to have her give me the stink eye and cross her arms. She crossed her arms for about half the freakin' show. It's a five hour show! At one point, she'd left her seat and I moved over because I was recording and I had a clearer view from her spot. She came back just as the song was ending and I told her in a friendly way that I'd move in about five seconds. She sighed heavily and crossed her arms again. Her seat was next to the isle, I mean, it wasn't  a hardship to give me a few secs. When I was done I thanked her for waiting and smiled and she said nothing back. See? Bitch.


Anyway, as for the show, I thought it was great. This was my third year going (not consecutive) and I feel like this year was smoother than last. No stage issues and no lag time between bands. I think they do a good job of keeping it moving. I saw Broken Bells, The Temper Trap, Florence + the Machine, and The Black Keys for the first time and loved them all. Florence + the Machine and The Black Keys were especially great. Florence has great stage presence and a powerful voice, and the Black Keys are just so good and so much fun. I could not stop dancing. Loved. Them.

I'm not a Neon Trees, or Vampire Weekend fan, but I knew a few of their songs, so their sets seemed to go by quickly. Brandon Flowers was entertaining, I guess. I used to really like The Killers, but I've moved on from them, and him and so I wasn't sure if I was looking forward to seeing him or not. I liked that he did a cover of Betty Davis Eyes, and did a Killers song (or was it two? I've got the worst memory) but overall I was pretty indifferent about him. Phoenix closed the show, and while I like them very much, I'm not sure they were the best choice to close. I find it interesting that they were the choice because from what I could tell, Vampire Weekend had the bigger fan reaction (which baffled me, but what do I know? I don't listen to radio). Anyway, Thomas Mars, the lead singer seemed a bit tired but they still put on a good show.  I think the choice to play Love Like a Sunset was interesting... just because it seemed people got restless and then started to leave. I may be overgeneralizing, but I think people who are regular radio listeners (or who mostly only listen to radio) don't care for songs with no lyrics or catchy hooks. They just don't know what to do with those.

All in all I was so thrilled to have been able to go. I loved the bands, even the ones I didn't love, just because I was giddy to be there. Concerts/ live music in general make me giddy, so five hours of it, even next to a bitchy, anal seat neighbor was fun!

Here are some vids:

Sally Hawkins Is My New BFF. In My Head.

Exactly a week ago today, I went to a screening of Made In Dagenham. I didn't write about it sooner, because I'm lazy. But anyway, for financial reasons I'm on a self-imposed no-movies-in-theaters ban. I just can't afford it. That being the case, I wasn't expecting to see this movie until it came out on DVD but as luck or fate would have it, an opportunity to go to a free screening followed by a Q&A with Sally Hawkins arose, and I was very happy to pounce on it. 

 I confess I'm a sucker for anything "feminist" so I was predisposed to like the movie. And even before going I'd heard good things, and I really like Sally Hawkins, so you know it was going to have to suck majorly for me to do anything but love it.  And love it I did. I want to think I'm not the only one though. The movie inspired our screening crowd to cheer at some scenes and hiss at others. Twice I got misty-eyed. It's that whole girl-power thing I can't help but love.

In any case, after the screening Sally Hawkins came out, adorably humble when the interviewer told her how great she was and how happy they were she was there. I'm sorry to say, however, that adorable Sally Hawkins is quite a rambler. It was a little bit awkward. Any question they would ask her would take her forever to answer, and she never quite got to the point. People got fidgety, started shifting in their seats. Ok, it was really awkward. In any case, I still found her adorable, if long winded.

By the time the questions were over, only maybe half the audience remained and I decided to head for the front of the stage in the hopes of getting a pic. A small group had gathered and Sally was literally on her hands and knees signing things for people. These people came prepared! They had posters, DVD's and pictures. Why it didn't occur to me to take my Persuasion DVD with me, I just don't know. In any case, I did have a note pad and some pens, but just as I got up to her her manager was telling her that she really needed to get up off the floor. I didn't want to hold her up too much, so I didn't ask her to sign anything, but I did ask if she'd mind taking a quick picture, which she agreed to, getting back on her knees for so we'd both fit in the frame. As she positioned herself, I told her I loved her as Anne Elliot, and she replied, "In Persuasion, you mean?" and I said, "Yes, it's my favorite" (I don't know why I said that, since Pride and Prejudice is actually my favorite, but it's what came out!). Anyway, she said "Yes, it's my favorite too" and smiled. And as far as I'm concerned, the fact that we not only talked, but talked Persuasion, and how it's both our favorite (albeit not entirely true) now makes us BFF's. Or at least I'm that much closer to it than I was with Halle Berry. At least. I so wanted to ask her about the lovely (and by lovely, I mean hot) Rupert Penry-Jones, but there was just no time, unfortunately. Maybe next time. Right, because there'll be a next time.

Maybe I was delusional in thinking Sally might get a Golden Globe nomination, or maybe I was just wishing it for my new BFF, I don't know, but I'm bummed she didn't. And Angelina Jolie got one for The Tourist. Ok, whatever. Anyway, I know an Academy Award would be a long shot, but if she did get it, it'd be great because I thought she was that good in this.

It's also really disappointing that the movie is not getting all that much attention in the States (that I'm aware of). I think it'd make for a great Girls' Night Out movie: a group of girlfriends, dinner, the movie and then some drinks after to discuss how far we've come and how great the movie was. Just sayin'. Maybe when it comes out on DVD I'll have a Girls' Night In...

Seriously, if you're a woman, I don't see how you can watch this and not get chills. You should want to rush out and see it!

Halle Berry: Frankie & Alice Screening. Oh, and We Didn't Become BFF's.

This past Wednesday, I had another of those "only in L.A." sort of evenings, that I still can't believe I get to experience. For free no less. Who knew this stuff went on? And available to the general public if you know where to look! I got to attend a screening of Halle Berry's new movie Frankie & Alice followed by a Q&A with her.  

Now, I've never been a terribly deep thoughts kind of person and I'm not about to get all film critic on you now, because it would quickly become apparent to all of us, that I don't know what I'm talking about. All I can say about any movie is whether I liked it or not and if I feel strongly about it either way, I might go into detail, but otherwise I like to paint with a nice broad brush. I liked this movie, overall. Yeah, I thought the psychiatrist's (Stellan Skarsgård) story line didn't seem completely fleshed out and I didn't love how they wrapped up the end, but overall, these things did not bother me enough to make me not like the movie.

Of course, the acting by everyone was great. Chandra Wilson as the jealous, bitter sister gave us a tiny bit of levity and provided a couple of laughs while Phylicia Rashad was the seemingly-in-denial, wrought mother - though I don't think I could ever see her and not think, "Mrs. Huxtable!" (at least just at first. I mean, seriously!). As I said, both were great; I only wish there had been a bit more of them.

I can't remember ever having seen a Halle Berry movie in theaters-and I hesitate to admit this next thing because it makes me sound totally shallow- but I have to say from time to time I couldn't help being distracted from the performance because I couldn't stop myself from thinking how beautiful she was. Good lord, she really is. A screen-sized Halle Berry is hard not to take notice of. Despite being distracted by her ridiculously good looks, I paid enough attention to know that the Oscar buzz surrounding her is warranted. We'll see what comes of it though.

In any case, she showed up after the film for the Q&A, and and again I freely admit my shallowness overtook me. I struggled to pay attention to anything she said for the first ten minutes because I couldn't get over how beautiful she was and could not stop thinking that I was somehow, impossibly, in the same room with her. I'm female and I'm straight, but as I've no doubt made clear, I can appreciate hotness in a woman when presented with it, what can I say? Anyway, I was about five rows back from the stage, though a bit off to the side, but even from there I could see she she's got perfect skin. Must be nice. In any case, though the person I went to this screening with said he was nervous for her having to come out and face a crowd that had just watched her film, she seemed perfectly at ease. She got a standing ovation and seemed flattered but a bit embarrassed.

She talked about how she'd been trying to get the film made (off and on) for twelve years, and how everyone in the cast was her first choice and she was surprised that they'd all agreed to be in it. It shot in twenty five days and though the budget didn't allow for too much "fancy" stuff, they did have plenty of Ding Dongs around (a reference to something in the movie). She talked about how being a mother has helped with her acting, but how that doesn't affect the roles she chooses to take.

A woman asked her about any advice she might have for someone who is of mixed race (in this case, the woman who asked was asking for her 12 year old daughter who was there) and how they should approach casting situations. Berry basically said that early on she decided she identified with being African American and that's just what's always felt right for her because of how she looks, and that the daughter in question should do what felt right for her,  that there's no right or wrong and no matter what, she's beautiful as she is. I'm not judging and I do agree that people should absolutely do what's right for them, but the way she spoke made it sound as though she almost does not acknowledge (for lack of a better word) being half white. Out of sheer curiosity, I would love to ask Berry's mom, who is white (and from what I understand, raised Berry mostly on her own) what she thinks about all that.

Anyway, when the Q&A wrapped up, there was a rush to the stage to get pics and autographs and for a moment I was a little scared for her. She took a few pictures, signed a couple of things and then they managed to get her away from the over-eager crowd. And there I stood thinking: Good Lord, I was just in a room with an Oscar winning actress! Not many movie-loving, non-celebrity folk get that opportunity and I know that, so I was not about to take it for granted.

In the end, Halle Berry did not pick me out of the crowd to become BFF's as I imagined she would before I got there, but I'm sure that's only because she was rushed by so many people so soon after the Q&A that there was just no time. Yep, that's what it was. That aside, it was a really good evening and I'm happy that I got to go!

We Need To Talk. People Still Do That, Right?

Ages ago I had a friend who was one of the most intelligent people I knew. He wasn't necessarily over-the-top freakishly smart, he was just well read in a lot of subjects, and I imagine now, having some perspective, that he just paid attention to people and experiences. In any case, he was one of my favorite people to talk to. We would get together after work, order some coffee and then just talk and talk for hours. Any topic I threw at him he would easily take up- music, classic movies, books, Philosophy, History. It's safe to say, at the time my scope was fairly limited, so the fact that he could do that may not have been a big deal at all, but it seemed like a big deal to me and I loved picking his brain. Often, a lot of what he said was over my head, I'm not going to lie, but that was okay because it pushed me to go out after our talks and look stuff up, to learn more. He never made me feel dumb and he always encouraged me to ask questions and to freely give my opinion, even when I disagreed. It was delicious bliss. I was aware of it then, but I know it even more now because I've not been able to have those kinds of conversations with anyone since him. I miss them desperately.

I miss talking to people. Maybe it's the head space I'm currently in, or maybe it's an actuality, but I feel that lately, very few people- or at least my friends- really talk. People talk at me, but there's seldom any give and take. Thanksgiving at my house this year was an especially eye-opening and frustrating experience. It was a gathering mostly of friends and family within my age, and despite trying to ban cell phones at the table, they still managed to come out once or twice. When there was conversation (primarily amongst the males in the room) it was about Youtube videos they'd all watched. It was literally a recounting of videos they'd seen, one after the other, ad nauseam. As soon as dinner was over and the cell phone ban was lifted, they were rushing to pull up the videos so we could all watch them. And I wanted to tear my hair out. I quite literally wanted to cry because I am so starved for genuine conversation. Books, movies, restaurants, travel, hell even politics which I hesitate to discuss in a mixed group. I don't care, I just want to talk. I want to hear other people's thoughts and ideas and give some of my own. Do people still do that?

Now I've become hyper-sensitive to the whole thing and have become rather foul-tempered when anyone tries to tell me about the last video they saw on Youtube. Maybe I wouldn't be if I had some outlet for conversation but I don't. I really don't. And I am frustrated as hell. I am not especially brilliant, sadly, and I don't necessarily have deep thoughts, but I do read a lot. I travel and get out locally as much as possible and every now and then it'd be nice just to exchange thoughts and ideas with other people. Is that too much to ask?

The Brewery Art Walk, Fall 2010

Admittedly, when I first heard of the Brewery Art Walk I pictured people walking around, imbibing large quantities of beer while perusing art which I didn't think was necessarily a great combo, but certainly a fun idea. I thought for sure this would guarantee I could get any male friends to come as they'll go just about anywhere if there are drinks to be had. It turns out that's not really how it works. There is beer, but that's hardly a main point. By and large, I did not see too many people drinking beer and only once did I see anyone with beer in hand inside an actual studio and she was making me nervous with it, I'm not going to lie. She was definitely there for the beer.

Anyway, what it actually is, based on the little bit of info I managed to gather, is an old Pabst Blue Ribbon Brewery (hence the name) which is no longer in use, but has, for some reason become a little community of artists who live and work in the lofts/studios within the complex. I find the whole idea of a bunch of artists living and creating all within a complex that used to be Brewery very, very cool, especially when you're within the space and get a vibe of what it might be like to live there. If I'd had the nerve I might have asked if it's as cool as it sounds, or if it's pretty much like living anywhere else which I honestly can't imagine being the case.

Two weekends a year they open up this little compound of theirs and let the public into their work spaces which are also, essentially their homes, and let us have a look at their art which pretty much ranges through every kind of genre and medium you can think of. There were quite a few pieces I'd have loved to have purchased (but maybe I couldn't realistically afford). At some point though I really want one of these lamps by Peri Shefik: 

I've got my eye on the alphabet lamp. Maybe for Christmas...

Or this print by Andre Miripolsky:

 And I loved just about everything by Amy Lynn Stevenson:

Then of course, there was some stuff that well... were unlike anything I've seen before. Namely that of Ryan Patterson which was one of the coolest and creepiest lofts we went into. They were serving some kind of alcoholic beverage in test tube as you walked in, and the entire thing was like something out of a scary movie. I half expected one of these dolls to jump out and attack me. Totally creeped me out but it was great. (Sorry for the not so great pic, didn't want to use flash and couldn't get a good angle without a shadow).

I went on Sunday and made the mistake of waiting until around two to get there. There is much to see and getting there that late in the day made it hard to get to everything I wanted to. I imagine I saw about half of the entire thing. It didn't help that I stopped about an hour in to have a late, late lunch as I hadn't had anything to eat, and couldn't concentrate on the art because I was busy trying to suppress my loud stomach grumbling. So, yes, there's food- mainly hot dogs, chili, a few salads and some baked goods. Not a lot of variety or options but will do in a pinch.

I fully intend to go again next year, though earlier and better fed so that I can see more!

Here aresome additional, random pics I took:

I unfortunately did not get the name of this artist...

I want this!

Additional artist links:

Kasey McMahon

Meghan McMahon

Gallerie Rafael  (Gorgeous, gorgeous stuff! I wanted it all!)

Jill Sykes

Michael Miner Photography

Bookfinger (Rare, used bookstore)

Delicious TV: The Good Wife

Can I just talk about how much I love this show? As far as I'm concerned, everything about it is perfection. Every time I watch it the word that repeatedly comes to mind is delicious. Just everything about it is simply delicious.

First off, the actors are not only perfectly cast but are just ridiculously good. They're all amazing. I almost can't stand it. I watched ER, but I don't think I appreciated Julianna Margulies until now. She's great. And her chemistry with Will? Electric. As for Chris Noth (Peter), I don't even think of him as "Big" (from Sex and the City) anymore- and seriously, that's saying a lot, because what woman from the age of twenty and up doesn't know him from that show? Anyway, moving on. I was positively giddy when I found out Alan Cumming would be joining the show because I've been a fan for a long time, and he didn't disappoint. I love him as Eli Gold. I only wish there were more of him. And Christine Baranski? Please. I could watch an entire episode of just her talking.

The wardrobe is absolute eye-candy, is it not? It makes me want to work at that law firm so that I can be an impeccable dresser too, because I assume it just comes with the job, yes? I would think Alicia's attire would pose some problems as far as keeping it interesting because it seems like it could be a bit limiting, but it's always great! And don't get me started on her make-up!

Does Calinda ever wear anything other than boots? I don't know and I don't care but I do want them all. She absolutely rocks them and if it weren't so cliché I could almost see them doing a little montage of all her kick-ass scenes to Nancy Sinatra's These Boots Were Made for Walking, can't you?

Last but not least regarding wardrobe: the men. All I have to say is Sweet Jesus, I love them all because they are absolutely gorgeous in their beautiful suits! Cary Grant would be proud.

Lastly, can we talk set design? Because, really, that is the thing, maybe more than anything else, that just makes me squirm in my seat (in a good way) and possibly distracts me from the actual dialogue. I cannot stop staring at the sets! First of all, that law office. If I worked there, I'd be happy to put in over time. In fact, I'd probably need to because I'd be distracted all day just by staring at all the beautiful furniture around me.

And I want to live in Alicia's apartment. I honestly cannot watch a scene that takes place there and focus on dialogue because I am busy just looking at wall colors, and bookshelves, and that kitchen! Lord, I want that kitchen- and it's not even a color scheme I ever thought I was interested in, but it's gorgeous and I want it and until I can afford to redo mine like that, I just I wish Alicia would spend more time in there cooking, or at least hanging out in there talking to her kids or Peter, so I can look at it some more .

But then there's the living room with the gorgeous bookshelves. I'm a sucker for a room with bookshelves. It could be a crappy room with bookshelves and I'd be in love, but a gorgeous room with bookshelves? Well, there are no words. I guess it'd be ok if she wanted to spend more time hanging out there, just drinking some wine or whatnot.

So yeah... all in all I just love this show. I love looking at the show and I want to live in it. Yep, I want to pour myself a glass of wine in Alicia's kitchen, wander over to the living room and then just sit there staring at everything in the room. Maybe have Will come over in one of his gorgeous suits and have some wine with me... while Eli yells at someone-I don't care who- on the phone in the beautiful kitchen. 

Conviction and Sam Rockwell

I've been seriously, seriously broke for some time now. It sucks, make no mistake, but if I opt for the glass half full view of things, I have to say the upside is that it's really forced me to get creative with how I find ways to keep busy, and I've been finding some fun, interesting and free stuff to do. Truth be told, I probably would have preferred not to be broke and have gone on in ignorance, but alas, here I am, and damn it, I'm gonna make the best of it. I guess. To that end, I spend a lot of time scouring websites, blogs and newspapers for stuff to do that's free or practically free. It was through one of these websites that I found a free screening of the movie Conviction, followed by a Q&A with Sam Rockwell. How awesome is that? Not only do I get to watch a free movie, I get to hear from one of the actors after. Not too shabby!

The screening was hosted by Backstage and held at The Linwood Dunn Theater which is on Vine in Hollywood. Never hear of it? Yeah, neither had I. So imagine my surprise when it turns out it's within walking distance of one of my favorite places to visit: Amoeba Records, on Sunset Blvd.. I'd never noticed it there because it's actually not your average movie theater where there are multiple screens, and a concession stand. It's only one theater, with a 280+ people capacity inside what appears to bee an average office building from the outside, which apparently is the Academy of Arts and Sciences (or "the Oscars") Mary Pickford Center of Motion Picture Study. In any case, it's a nice little theater which is in pristine condition and actually still smells brand-spankin' new, which I'm pretty sure it is. Then again, I could be wrong, I really don't have a clue about that. The outside lobby and hallways are lined with large, colorful and quite beautiful Classic Movie posters, as well as a few large Oscar statuettes. Despite having a camera on me, I was not sure if we were allowed to use them inside so I didn't dare take any pictures. I didn't want to get kicked out so quickly upon arriving, as you might imagine.

As for the movie, it's based on a true story about a man (Sam Rockwell) who is sentenced to life in prison for a murder he did not commit and his sister (played by Hilary Swank) who puts herself through law school and pretty much dedicates her life to proving his innocence and setting him free. In addition to Hillary Swank and Sam Rockwell, the cast includes Minnie Driver, Juliette Lewis and Peter Gallagher. With actors of that caliber I imagine it's not necessary for me to say how great the acting is. But if you're thinking it is necessary, perhaps you should go out and rent some movies. I'm just sayin'. The movie is a bit slow at times but I found the story and the acting to be good enough that I didn't get restless. Juliette Lewis has a small amount of screen time but I thought she was amazing. I don't know that she had a big enough role to be able to be nominated for an Academy Award, but she was that good, in my opinion. As were Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell.

After the movie, as I mentioned, there was a Q&A with Sam Rockwell. He was interviewed by someone from Backstage for some time before taking questions from the audience. As a lot of the people there were apparently SAG members, there were a lot of questions about method, craft and representation, and while I'm very much not in the business, I still found a lot of that quite interesting. Also, I might mention, it was a damned well-dressed, good looking crowd. Is it a SAG thing? I don't know.

But back to Sam, he did tell this story which got a laugh (not so much because of the story but because of the answer to the question after) ,about The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and how he, Jeremy Renner and one of the other guys from the cast (can't remember who) all auditioned for Casey Affleck's role (Robert Ford) because that's the part they all really wanted. When he didn't get it, he was offered the part of Charley Ford which he really didn't want to do. Apparently, Brad Pitt really wanted him to take the role and kept trying to convince him to do it but Sam kept turning him down. Brad, who wasn't going to take no for answer, apparently showed up at Sam's door out of the blue and unannounced to talk him into it. After hanging out for a little bit at the house, Sam agreed to take the role. When the interviewer asked how Brad had even gotten his address to show up unannounced, Sam just shrugged his shoulders, shook his head and said "He's fuking Brad Pitt!".

He told another story about how a film canister containing sixteen hours of film was destroyed at the airport after being x-rayed despite being sealed with tape saying "Do not X-Ray". As it turned out, the film that was destroyed was of the hardest scenes he and Hilary had in the movie, both physically and mentally. So much so, that one of the actors or crew (he couldn't remember which) remarked that they wouldn't want to have to do that again! To break the news to them, Samuel Goldwyn, the director, asked to speak to Sam and Hilary in Hilary's trailer. After telling them they'd have to shoot it all over again, Hilary, trying to stay positive, according to Sam, (and maybe wishfully thinking) asked Goldwyn, "Are you sure it was the whole thing? How about the middle of the spool? Did they check that? Maybe some of that can be saved?"  And then, Sam, (acting as Hilary) making a circle with his finger that indicated the spool was getting smaller and nearer to the center, asked, "or how about just in there? Could any of that have made it?", which got a sympathetic laugh from the audience. None of it was salvageable of course, so it did need to be re-shot, the prospect of which made Sam stress out so much he felt nauseated. In the end he said he felt it was actually a better performance on his part, so it worked out.

After the Q&A, Sam and his girlfriend Leslie Bibb, who'd been sitting in the audience, took off out a side door. Had I known that side entrance only lead to the lobby and that he'd be out there talking to some people and taking pictures, I'd have hauled ass out of the theater. Unfortunately I did not know that, and by the time we got out he was just about wrapping up the conversation and picture taking and seemed in a hurry to get out of there, so just as I was working my way through the remaining crowd, toward him, camera in hand, he took off! Bummer.

Anyway, all in all, it was a very good, free evening!

Celebrities I'd Like to Punch In the Face

I really believe for all of us, there are certain celebrities, who for whatever reason (be it your own personal quirks, or the celebrity in question just sucks) you just want to punch in the face. They come on the screen and immediately you feel like hitting something, or hitting them.

Lately I've been quite irked because there's been way too much Leah Michele on TV. I cannot stand that girl, and because of the Emmys, and because her show is about to come back on the air, this girl is everywhere and I wish she weren't. This is basically what got me thinking about this list. If I gave it more thought, it would probably be longer, but off the top of my head, these are some women who cause impassioned and angry rants every time I see their face.

Leah Michele:
I've never watched an episode of Glee nor do I intend to. Maybe if I did I would "get" this girl. I understand she's supposed to have a great voice and I'm not arguing it, I just don't care. Her face bothers me. Something about her mouth absolutely irritates me. I think it's that overbite and those teeth! I just want to punch her mouth. Whether true or not (and I tend to believe it is true) I read a lot about her being quite the diva, and that just adds to my dislike. Please.

Renee Zellweger:
Well. What can I say about this one? There were about five minutes back in the time of Jerry Maguire where I thought she was cute and lovely, but like I say, that lasted about five minutes. I remember seeing her in an interview (maybe it was with Barbara Walters) and the way she spoke, all breathy and soft seemed so fake and put on, it made me want to scream. Then she just got worse. Always showing up to events looking like she's trying too hard, posing over the top. And honestly? Her face is effed up. It's all squished (for lack of a better word. She's also always doing something with her mouth that irks me. It's that little pouty thing. She does it all the time. Very annoying.  She's got a good figure but her body grosses me out. And still, she shows up to things posing as though she's the hottest thing there but often just looking ridiculous. It's annoying. Really, really annoying. Renee Zellweger: Sit down!

The Mouth thing.

Up close.

Miley Cyrus:
I'm now starting to think maybe I just have a problem with mouths?? Here's another one. My problem with her is not just her mouth though it does annoy the hell out me. What really makes me want to stab my eye with a dull pencil is her voice and the way she talks. I don't know that I've ever heard an entire Miley Cyrus song, so I can't speak to her singing voice, but her speaking voice makes my ears bleed. Awful. Nails on a chalkboard would be soothing compared to listening to her speak.

Mariah Carey:
She's just ridiculous. Everything about this woman is ridiculous. I see her show up to awards shows in tight-ass dresses with her boobs up to her chin, in shoes she can't walk in, speaking in her affected tone,  and it's all I can do not to throw my shoe at the TV. I. Cannot. Stand. Her.

Lindsay Lohan:
Everything about this girl, I am sick of. Her family, her problems, her ugly botoxed face, her bad hair extensions. Everything. I don't care if she's "talented". There are plenty more out there who are talented and don't have all the baggage she comes with. Let's move on! She needs to grow up, stop blaming everyone else for her problems and get her shit together. It would have been nice if she'd been incarcerated for a couple of years. We could have used the break.

Runyon Canyon, "Celebrities" and L.A. Trendiness

View of Hollywood sign from Runyon Canyon

Ok, so in my continued effort at getting out and enjoying nature, I decided to try Runyon Canyon which I've known of for ages but had never actually gone to. Wait, I take that back. I had gone once, years ago, drove around in circles looking for parking, got frustrated and left never to go back again. Until about a month ago, that is.

First let me say this: I don't do trendy. At least not comfortably and without obvious awkwardness. And when I decided to go, I didn't realize it kind of was trendy. Maybe I should have, but I'm quite clueless that way. If I had to clarify what I mean by trendy I'd say that it's the fact that it's smack in the middle of Hollywood, where supposedly a lot of celebrities go, and there are a lot of people who look like Ken and Barbie. On one of my days there, two tall willowy girls slowly meandered while chatting, holding (glass) bottles of Perrier in their hands. No joke. I mean, seriously?

So here's the thing: parking still sucks, but I've been going a bit earlier in the day so it's not as bad as it could be. When you enter from the Fuller entrance, it does reek of dog pee, but after you get going it's not as bad, though that's' not to say it doesn't still smell in some places because it does. There are a lot of off-leash dogs there, so if you're not a dog person, this isn't the place for you. I have two dogs, which I took on several occasions and really loved watching them go crazy and play with the other dogs. Neither the dogs nor the icky pee/poo smell really bother me but I can see how it would be an issue for others for sure.

There are several trails, though I couldn't say how many total, and out of those I've only tried two. The steeper, stepped one really kicked my ass, but I'm also not in great shape. I've taken to doing the less steep one with no steps a couple of times over until I can do the other one without feeling like I might pass out.

Lastly, about celebrities. Because I'm not one of those people who are just to cool to notice or care. Of course I was staring at everyone who walked by the first couple of days. I was wearing sunglasses, but who's to say they couldn't feel my eyes on them? Or, you know, notice the full body tilt towards them as I tried to place their face? When I looked it up online for directions, I came across pics and reviews saying Jake Gyllenhaal and Reese Witherspoon have been spotted there at one time or another, along with other big names. While I was hoping (to put it mildly) for a Jake sighting, I'm sorry to say I saw neither him nor any other major celebrities . I saw the evil woman from last season's Amazing Race a couple of times (the brunette pictured here):

I wanted to chase her down and tell her how much I hated her on the show and how evil she was, but as it turns out, she is in shape and I never did quite catch up with her the first day. I saw her the next day too, but I worried she'd chase me and I knew I couldn't outrun her.


I saw Matthew Davis whom I know currently from The Vampire Diaries but has been in lots of other stuff:

And he actually looked very much like he does in this picture, which is to say he was shirtless. Loved it.

And funnily enough, I'm about 85% sure I saw Chris William Martin who was most recently also on Vampire Diaries, but whom I know mostly from Felicity. And maybe you're wondering how on earth anyone remembers a fairly minor character from an old TV show that ended ages ago. The answer is no less pathetic than because I am that crazy fan who never got over that show and watches it on DVD quite regularly still. Don't judge me. We've all got our issues, no? Anyway, this is him:

Admittedly, as I've gone enough times now, I don't stare as much. I actually just concentrate on my hike/work-out and try not pass out from the heat. Of course I still keep an eye out, but either there's no one else to see, or I'm just not looking very closely because I only see the regulars: Matthew Davis and The Amazing Race woman. I think Matthew Davis is on to me though. Maybe it was elbow to the ribs I repeatedly gave my friend while pointedly staring, that gave me away, but I can't say for sure.

Anyway, here are some pics I've taken. I should also mention that on some of these, my camera lens was dirty, except I didn't catch that until after I loaded the pics on my computer, so that's not a UFO up in the sky.

Woman on the floor taking a "wildlife" pic.

Enjoying Some Nature in Los Angeles

I'm not really a nature person, which is not to say I'm a hater either. It's just not something I spend too much time thinking about and I don't go out of my way to become one with it or whatnot. However, not too long ago during a drunken phone conversation with a nature-loving friend we playfully argued over the attractions we'd like to visit on a possible road trip we'd like to take from Los Angeles to Seattle. He mentioned beaches, mountains and hikes while I mentioned places like Hearst Castle, Steinbeck's House and the fantastically "haunted" Winchester House. When he expressed a disinterest in my ideas, I got, shall we say, miffed, and angrily slurred at him that if he didn't want to do any of my stuff, I was not interested in doing any of "that nature shit" he'd mentioned.

The next day, I'd just about forgotten the conversation until he kindly reminded me about the "I'm not doing any of that nature shit" remark. And then I felt bad. In all honesty, while it's really not my favorite thing to do, I'm quite okay with it in moderation. So, spurred into action by that conversation and my embarrassment at dissing his passion, I took it upon myself to become just a little more outdoorsy. Emphasis on a little.

I took it upon myself to try some beginner's hiking at Eaton Canyon in Pasadena and found that though I'm badly out of shape, I quite enjoyed my hike. Admittedly though, on the day I was there we encountered a couple of busloads of kids (probably from summer camps) which was annoying. It deterred my friend and me from going on the trail leading to the waterfall because we couldn't deal with all their screaming. The one we ended up on was steep and kicked my ass, but was a welcome work-out. On our way back from that trail however, we encountered a group of teenagers. Incredibly loud, cursing, obnoxious thirteen year-olds. They were somewhat lost and asked if they could follow us back out which I agreed to only on the condition that they quit their screaming and cut the cursing out (I'm not opposed to cursing, as previously evidenced, but not by smart-ass, obnoxious teenagers in the middle of my hike). Luckily, they agreed.

I went back a few days later and in a way it was a better experience. For one, I knew what to expect and there were no buses of kids, which was great. We took the waterfall trail which I quite enjoyed probably because there weren't too many people on it that we had to wait on or move around. I understand it gets quite busy during the weekends though.

Both times I went I couldn't help but note how incredibly friendly everyone out there was. Almost everyone we passed said hello or bid us a good morning with a smile. It was great! Is this a nature people thing? I don't know, but I liked it.

Later today I plan to go to Runyon Canyon to give that a try. I've actually been wanting to go there for ages so I'm really looking forward to it.  I'm not necessarily sure it counts as hiking but it's definitely more nature-y than shopping right? So it should count towards my effort to get outdoors more. I'm just sayin'.

Here are my pics from Eaton Canyon:

The Eclipse Soundtrack. Why the hate?

Last week, one of my Facebook friends was complaining that he refused to pay $15 for that stupid Eclipse movie soundtrack despite the fact that it contained a handful of songs he wanted. Since then I've seen a few other things (blogs, status updates, tweets) in which people are complaining about something along those lines. And honestly, I don't get it.

Ok, yes, the soundtrack is tied to the movie, but buying the soundtrack does not force you to become a fan of it. It's just music. Really good music. Who cares why it was compiled? You don't have to watch the movies to be allowed to buy the soundtrack. The purchase of it does not mean anything more than you have good taste in music. What's the problem?

I can sort of understand how if you're a big fan of a certain artist you may take issue with them being involved with the franchise. I know Muse fans (of which I am one) had nothing good to say about the band's involvement with the movies (on a side note, click here  for an article I love about Matt Bellamy talking about what he thinks of that). But that's not really the case with people who complain about having to buy the soundtrack to get some of the songs they want, and that's why I'm confused. My aforementioned Facebook friend was not complaining about the artists being on the soundtrack. He was complaining about having to buy the Eclipse soundtrack.

I can't help thinking, at this point doesn't everyone know that if nothing else, the movies produce really good soundtracks so that if you were "caught" with it on your iPod, most people would just give you a pass? You may hate the movies, but the music has always been good and original and there are few who could really argue that. So I can't help but ask again, what's the problem?

Here's the delicious Florence + The Machine song Heavy in Your Arms which I honestly can't stop listening to. It's just too good.

Apparently, I'm a music snob.

The other day someone close to me half jokingly called me a music snob and I took issue. The song I refused to listen to was If I Had $1000000 by Barenaked Ladies, and, really? Firstly, I've never liked Barenaked Ladies and secondly, I especially never liked that song but because I now listen to mainly Indie stuff, the fact that I don't like a particular song by a band I never cared for makes me a snob? I beg to differ.

Years and years ago I started to very slowly meander away from the herd of mainstream music and started finding seldom heard of artists to listen to. Not because I was setting out to be a "music snob" as it were, but for the simple reason of, well, liking the music. It was purely accidental and I can peg it back to Damien Rice's O. My break-away from radio was done at a snail's pace so that it wasn't terribly noticeable at first and no one complained. A new artist here or there throughout the year and I mainly kept them to myself. But I'd say that over the last two years, it's now "my thing" and it can be several new artists or albums a month (on a good month) and I don't seem to hear the end of it from my friends.

I am forever reading music magazines, reviews, blogs, websites and so on in the search for new music. Again, I don't do it so that I can be "different", I just genuinely can't get enough. I get antsy knowing there's great stuff out there that I might not be listening to. And there's nothing better than when you take a chance on an album and find you can't stop listening to it for days, weeks, or months. There's so much good stuff out there I find it a shame that it doesn't get more attention, which is actually something I'm still baffled by.

The fact that I like music that doesn't get played on the radio shouldn't deem me a snob, I say. And, actually, there are quite a few bands I like that do get radio play, so that's not entirely accurate.  But overall, I cannot (though Lord knows I try when I need to) help it if I find listening to the radio to be incredibly mind numbing. It's the same ten songs played over and over and over again.

I can't help it if during road trips (which I take often with friends) I get genuinely bored or restless listening to the same artists and albums they (my friends) can't seem to move past. Even within the new artists I find, some albums I get attached to for years, while others make much shorter appearances on my iPod. My restlessness is not  reserved only for mainstream music. Again, I don't feel my impatience with music that doesn't stimulate me should make me a snob. Maybe it's musical ADHD, I don't know.

Lastly, a lot of the music I like is arguably questionable and certainly not critic proof, so I don't think I can be called a snob when I myself have questionable taste. At the end of the day, we all like some stuff that makes others scratch their heads in wonder. What I do have an issue with and find incredibly frustrating is people that never try anything new, who blindly accept those overplayed ten songs on the radio and think that's all there is. In that case, if that makes me a snob, then yes, I'd readily admit I am.