Will there be blood?

I can't decide if I have any interest in the upcoming release There Will Be Blood. It's directed by Paul Thomas Anderson; I have never seen any of his films. That's a feat to be proud of, no? Two of my friends talked about this movie, not expressing explicit interest either. It's got that indie cutie Paul Dano as well as Daniel Day-Lewis. The music kicks all sorts of butt too, composed by Radiohead's instrumental wizard Jonny Greenwood, who appeared in a recent wizard movie by the name of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

I fear that this blog is turning into one where I post movie trailers and muse about the quality of the feature. I think I'm more interested in the tantalizingly creepy stringed score than the story. Parker, doesn't Dano's character remind you of that House episode with the teenage preacher?

Top Chefed at sassy Perilla

My delightful brunch companion Agent007 and I were lucky enough to have a meal at the West Village hotspot Perilla, best known as Top Chef Harold Dieterle's restaurant. Of course, being the TVphobe reality show disliker that I am, I did not know this until Agent007 informed me of this fact. The restaurant is tucked away on a calmer street of the West Village. The sweet hostess sat us right away even though we were early (it wasn't crowded yet). The restaurant is on the smaller side, with three different dining areas: tables by the bar (where we were seated), some U-shaped booths in the middle, and smaller table/booths in the back. I had the poached eggs, wonderful! 007 and I shared spiced fries and bacon, also the opposite of letdowns. Top Chef enthusiast 007 was bummed not to see the man himself bustling about the tables. But then her mood did a 180 when she happily informed me that she just spotted the chef, and Harold was at the bar. I didn't know what he looked like, so she had to tell me which guy he was. We weren't super close to Harold, but then Parker later told me that he is a hottie, and I can see that. Looks aside, the food is top notch, and we highly recommend Perilla!

Just for Parker, here's a picture link to HD's MySpace.

Mamma Mia!

The Golden Globe nominations were announced today. That movie I blogged about a long time ago, Atonement, got a heap of noms. Once there was a fluff interview with James McAvoy in my Newsweek, and it went on about how attractive he was, and I don't see his appeal. Then again, there are lots of heartthrobs and hot women who I think aren't beautiful at all. But I do have odd taste sometimes. I would post a photo, but I don't want to waste blog space with Britain's answer to Tobey Maguire.

Anyway, the first teaser for Mamma Mia! came out, and it looks cute enough. Agent99 will have to chime in here, since she's the only one to have seen the stage show. I haven't seen it [yet]. Parker, you should consider it. It has the dead Lilly from Veronica Mars (aka Karen from Mean Girls), thespian Meryl Streep, and Mr. Darcy. And lush Greek locales.
If the video below isn't showing up, click this link: http://www.cinematical.com/2007/12/13/first-look-mamma-mia-trailer/

Natalee Holloway

I don't even have to watch Law & Order: SVU when I can turn to the news for just as interesting mysteries.

One case that's been of interest due to some recent developments is the case of Natalee Holloway. Agent99 and Parker, does she still get a lot of buzz in the Ham? After two years, I think it's pretty safe to say that she's no longer alive. The Dutch kid seems to be on the taciturn side, not vehemently denying his innocence. Or perhaps the Dutch are less vocal? The whole thing is a little shady. Maybe Natalee drowned or something. Who knows.

Ultra Clutch Hairspray

I was a little worried before going to see Hairspray that it would be too much like the recently released movie but I was worried for nothing as certain aspects were dead same, but there were enough differences to keep me engaged. It's a color fiesta, song and dance buffet! It'll make you happy. The Tracy Turnblad, Shannon Durig, is golden, and most of the supporting cast is strong too.

Hey Agent 99, The Alien played Corny Collins and he was okay but his speaking voice didn't seem as loud as the other actors. James Marsden wins in that competition. And then Ashley Parker Angel from that lame MTV show we watched once at your house played Link Larkin. He's not much of an actor too. Link isn't supposed to be that deep, but I think he got beat by Zac Efron.

Has anyone noticed that James Marsden seems to play the blandly handsome cuckolded boyfriend in lots of movies? X-Men, Superman Returns, The Notebook, and I guess Enchanted. That must be his specialty.

Cat chat

This is such an adorable video. I hope my co-bloggers like it if they haven't seen it before. Sometimes I am a little behind the times. The family cat used to talk to herself but now she doesn't do that much. Funny. I wish I had a cat!

a real Hottie Hotpants

I am very mildly obsessed with the Broadway musical Xanadu. Hey, it's campy and very tongue-in-cheek and family friendly and funny and has the mark of Olivia Newton-John and has catchy tunes and gives out glowsticks. How come I am the only one who seems to know how to use a glowstick? Anyway, the first time I saw the show, an understudy (the cutie Curtis Holbrook) went on for the lead (the smokin' Cheyenne Jackson), Sonny Malone, the struggling dim artist. We were all disappointed that the lead was out, but the understudy was fabuloso. The second time I saw Xanadu, I introduced an old friend into the fold (Hi D!) and we were fortunate enough that Cheyenne was not out. At the end of the show, he wears some satin booty shorts and they are not long at all. And it hit me: Cheyenne Jackson is a true Hottie Hotpants! HH is Agent99's term for a super attractive fella. I just like saying Hottie Hotpants. And I got my picture taken with this handsome man. I am happy.

In case you're wondering, the infamously bad Xanadu movie is not as rotten as you would expect. Olivia is winsome but the guy who plays Sonny couldn't act his way out of a brown paper bag. The soundtrack is rad and is one of its saving graces. Poor Gene Kelly. I wonder how he got roped into doing Xanadu?

I might be motivated enough to post my other celebrity encounters from this weekend. Stay tuned.

The strike is outta here

The Broadway stagehand strike ended yesterday! Yay, just in the nick of time. I am a happy camper.

Hey Parker, did you see the latest episode of House? Sad, no new episodes until 2008. Maybe we can discuss it in a new post or something. Perhaps I will post the smokin' Hugh Laurie picture again. My HDTV friend and I think Dr. Thirteen is purdy.

Rammer Jammer

Just Watch!

Strike one, strike two

As many of you know, there are two entertainment-related strikes going on at the moment. One is the writer's strike affecting television shows and another is the stagehand's strike affecting Broadway shows. I don't know too much about the writer's strike seeing as I barely watch any television but maybe Parker cares enough to help me out here as I know this is a cause near and dear to her heart. I personally am closely watching the stagehand strike since I have tickets to Hairspray next week and am biting my nails practically, hoping the show will go on. Strikes are no fun for anyone. Let's think good thoughts that everything will be resolved favorably for all sides.

P.S. Both Hairspray movies are buckets o' fun. Watch one today!

Evite etiquette

As a recipient and also a distributor of Evite invitations, I've been thinking about proper protocol for responses. Yet, I'm not the only one, as evidenced by a quick Google search. Hey, if the blog from the all mighty Evite tells you to RVSP, RVSP! It only takes a second or two, honestly. Word to the wise: the host[ess] can see if you've looked at the invitation, so don't try and pull that "I never got it!" trick.

Happy Turducken Day!

Recently I've been hearing a lot about turduckens. According to the all-knowing Wikipedia, a turducken is turkey stuffed with duck stuffed with chicken. And this fowl mutant is thought to be of Cajun origin. Hmm, now I must try this someday, along with deep fried turkey (thanks, southern roots) but not tofurkey, which I've heard is gross. Ooh, there was a bird consisting of 17 birds! Read the turducken entry and look at bustergophechiduckneaealcockidgeoverwingailusharkolanbler.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Smells like a headache

I'm highly sensitive to strong smells, especially chemical ones. Department store perfume counters are mortal enemies. Friday was a painful day in that regard. I went shopping and in my travels, I keep ending up walking behind smokers puffing on their nicotine dispensers. Thus the smoke went up my nostrils and gave me that mild throbbing pre-headache feel. Then I wondered why it seemed like an excessive number of people were smoking? Does cold windy weather promote lighting up? Argh. Smoking should just be banned everywhere. For my health and sanity. And there'd be one less thing that I would complain about.

I don't know if you're familiar with this store, but Lush is a British import much in the vein of The Body Shop, but a lot more aggressive maybe? More in-your-face and modern perhaps. I've only stepped foot in one of these stores in San Francisco, and that was enough for life. The smells are so overpowering that I got the headache sensation again, plus the employees didn't seem too friendly (an accusation I've hurled at H&M before). Friday I merely walked by the store and its open door and got the painful head feelings. Darn store. That's why The Body Shop is tops in my book and Lush and the lame Bath and Body Works are lower tier.

Promises that I couldn't keep

Well, I said I'd tell you about the Ryan Adams concert so here goes. On October 15 (which doesn't seem like a month ago) I went to see Ryan Adams at the Alabama Theatre. The venue was cool, I had never been there. It reminds me of a smaller version of the Fox in Atlanta. The show was good! He played a great mix of songs and we got to hear 4 (maybe 5, I can't remember) of his songs from the new album, Easy Tiger. I could have gone home after he sang, "Please do not let me go" and been happy, but the show only got better after that! In typical form he had a mild temper tantrum. Most of the audience would yell at him to play particular songs when he finished singing. He finally got fed up and put his head on the piano while the lead guitarist explained they were going to stick with the set list. After playing, "What sin replaces love" he left the stage. My friend and I waited for a good 10-15 minutes, but alas there was no encore. Ryan's temper got the best of him I guess.

I'm glad I had the chance to go see him play live, but I wish he would like his fans more. Love the music not the man I guess...

Photos taken at exactly the right moment

Patrick linked to an awesome site with pictures taken at "exactly the right moment" (I'm correcting the OPs grammar to something I prefer). Hilarious and amazing.

I need drugs to deal with the drugstore.

CVS is grinding on my last nerve. Their pharmacy is staffed with brain dead morons. I was trying to fill a new dosage for a current medication but since I had gotten a refill from the old dosage too recently, it was denied. Why couldn't they tell me this when I dropped off the prescription? Now they won't even return that prescription to me. They said they don't have my phone number and couldn't call me and tell me about the situation. Big fat whatever. Then why was I getting missed calls from their pharmacy's number? I would have brought that up, but I was running late and needed to dash. Maybe I should switch to Walgreens. Yeah, I'll do that. Walgreens is closer to me anyway.

Then I went to my bank which was admirable customer service but the line was slow because it's payday Friday and of course, there are people trying to use my bank without bank accounts there. Argh.

While I'm on a roll, don't press those buttons for handicapped individuals to automatically open doors if you're not handicapped. You look like a lazy tool. Thank you. This happened a lot at college because the campus had a lot of those press button doors, but I don't see that as much where I am now.

Have a good weekend! I know I will. :)

Trick or treat

Happy Halloween! What did everyone dress up as? I didn't dress up this year, and I'm sad about it. Next year. Even though I said that last year.

Time Out

In the lobby this evening, a lady was trying to wrangle her two toddler sons. One was screaming and crying his eyes out. Unfortunately this group got on the elevator with me and two other guys. The screaming boy shrieked "Stupid Mommy!" and wouldn't shut up. The older boy agreed with his mom that the younger boy needed a time out. Man, if my kid called me stupid, in front of strangers.... Yes, I wish I lived in a family-free building.

30 days and 30 nights

Is there any interest in participating in NanBloPoMo? Basically you post a blog entry every day for the month of November. And since there are three of us, we only have to do 1/3 (or 0.3333333333) of the labor. And we can put a cute image on the blog.

Off to work now. Don't have a case of the Mondays!

Did I ask for your help? No!

Lately I've been annoyed by people trying to help me when I didn't need their help. Let me explain by using these case-in-points.

1. I left the ladies' room at a clothing store. My friend remarked that the handicapped sign on the door was messed up, so I decided to look at the men's room door to see if its handicapped sign was altered as well. A boy leaving the men's room looked at me, then looked at me again and stated, "This is the men's room." "I know," I replied snidely. Seriously. Do I look like that dumb? If I had a quicker wit, I'd shoot back, "I'm a man in drag."

2. Today in the library, I decided to leave the computer lab and head to the study carrels. I left part of my backpack unzipped since I wasn't moving very far. A man walking behind me said my backpack was unzipped. Duh. I used the "I know" line again. In this situation, I think the man was trying to be helpful, but I didn't want to hear it.

Maybe I'm anti-unsolicited help.

Dumbledore is a friend of Dorothy.

I never thought about Dumbledore's love life but JK dropped the bomb here. He just seemed like one of those fellows who never marries. What do you guys think?

Lars and the Real Girl

Wandering around the city, I noticed some posters up for Ryan Gosling's new flick, Lars and the Real Girl (you can watch the trailer on the site like I did).

Okay, first things first. Ryan and Rachel McAdams broke up which kind of bums me out because they were a cute couple, but on the upside, that means that he's free to date me now. Call me, Ryan!

Back to the movie. It has a weird premise (Lars pretends a life-sized doll is a real person), but I guess that can be expected from a writer who penned episodes of Six Feet Under, a show which I fancy. Why does Ryan have to have a freaky mustache in the movie? Not a good look for him. I suppose he might be able to pull it off. Lars... might be a rental for me at least.

ETA: Ryan dropped out of The Lovely Bones. Smooth move dude! Hooray!

Gonna be lots of days...

I was proud of the effort from the Tigers last night. In my mind we won the game we just didn't score as many points against LSU. I'm not sure my nerves or heart can take many more close calls like that though. This season has been so crazy. Anyway, I leave you with this video from former Coach Pat Dye. I feel as though his words of wisdom carry over into life as well, and don't just apply to football. Enjoy!

Testing...

I'm finally logged back in for posting...just checking to make sure things work. I'll post about the Ryan concert soon!

"This mask is killing me!"

In honor of the fact that I am going to see The Phantom of the Opera [the current longest running show] on Broadway this weekend, I am posting this video of Will Ferrell on Letterman that I found randomly. He would make a funny Phantom, though I have a soft spot for Gerard Butler. Mmm, Gerard Butler. That movie version was hot buttered crap though.

What's the buzz?/Tell me what's happening

(Title of this post is a shout out to Agent 99!)

The building shut off the AC for some reason. The heat isn't on either. Anyway, during the day, I decided to open my window for some refreshing natural air, and a bug must've chosen to pay me a visit, as I had a buzzing guest 'round my head last night while attempting to sleep. The critter showed me affection by biting me three times on my hands. Why? What have I done wrong in my past life to warrant this? It's fall and not summer too, so all biting insects need to die off. I don't know what the bug was, but I looked it up, and I think it's a midge? Entomology is not my strong suit. Maybe Parker can assist me insect identification. Black, bitty, biting, buzzing.

On an irrelevant note, I was typing up a homework assignment and misspelled a word. Microsoft Word suggested I meant to type "peen" which sounds rather vulgar. I looked it up at dictionary.com and found out it is the opposite end of the hammer from the end you use to get nails into things. I guess you learn something new every day.

Terrible ten rude behaviors

While on JHU's website (don't ask why!), I stumbled upon this list of Terrible Ten Rude Behaviors. My comments are in italics.
1. Discrimination in an employment situation.
2. Erratic/aggressive driving that endangers others.
All right, I'll fess up that I have been guilty of this one. But not much now, as I am vehicle-free, the way to be.
3. Taking credit for someone else's work.
I'm pretty sure that I don't do this.
4. Treating service providers as inferiors.
I know how much patience is involved in providing service. Manners are key on both ends.
5. Jokes or remarks that mock another's race/gender/age/disability/sexual preference or religion.
Is it bad if you mock your own race/gender/age/etc?
6. Children who behave aggressively or who bully others.
As a former meek child, I actively dislike aggressive children and aggressive adults for that matter. Gah.
7. Littering (including trash, spitting, pet waste).
That's what trash cans are for!
8. Misuse of handicapped privileges.
Terrible!
9. Smoking in non-smoking places or smoking in front of non-smokers without asking.
As a non-smoker, this bugs me to no end.
10. Using cell phones or text messaging in mid-conversation or during an appointment or meeting.
Oh gosh, how bothersome. I've done it a few times by accident. Can we add distracted drivers to this point?

In other news, I got a flu shot today, and you should too!

Talkin' to yo self

Earlier today, I was in the computer lab, sitting next to a middle-aged man who kept talking to himself. I tried to tune it out, but it was irritating. He kept mumbling things like "shit!" and "good." I'm too polite, otherwise I should have yelled at him in a whisper, because it was the library after all. Weirdo.

Talking to yourself is only okay when you're alone!

Don't stop believin'

Ever since Parker brought up the Awesome 80s Prom, I went to that website, listened to Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" and have had that stuck in my head all morning. Argh! That's not what I need when I'm trying to crunch numbers in my cubicle.

And I'm tired of passing construction workers who use coarse language. I hear enough of that from some of my friends, thanks much.

Jack Sparrow as a demon barber

I'm getting stoked about the new Sweeney Todd movie starring Johnny Depp. I hope it's good. It has to at least not suck since Johnny Depp is in it and it's a musical? I watched the trailer, and it has promise. Traditional gloomy Depp-Burton look, I'd say. Appropriate for me since I'm on a mini-Sondheim kick right now. Since I haven't seen any other stagings of Sweeney Todd, I'm doing into this blind, but I am still looking forward to this flick. And every time I type Todd, I type "toddy." Huh.

Last Week's Shots

I randomly came across this wonkette article. It's the most hilarious message board exchange ever:
A Very Special Last Week's Shots Update - Wonkette

Potty humor

I just saw this on Yahoo and thought it was amusing.
N.Y. human waste raises stink in Alabama

I fell in love with a girl

I found this list when perusing a Radiohead website. New album? Yay. Pick your price? Double yay.

Anyway, the list is from that crappy rag Rolling Stone, but it's the top 20 best live bands. Think it came out this summer.
1. The White Stripes
2. Radiohead
3. Pearl Jam
4. Rage Against the Machine
5. U2
6. Metallica
7. Flaming Lips
8. My Morning Jacket
9. The Hold Steady
10. Arcade Fire
11. The Raconteurs
12. Wilco
13. Yeah Yeah Yeahs
14. Red Hot Chili Peppers
15. Gogol Bordello
16. Kings of Leon
17. Muse
18. Dave Matthews Band
19. Tool
20. LCD Soundsystem

I've seen four of the bands listed above, and they are all quality live acts. One of the rare times I agree with Rolling Stone?

The doctor is back

Before it's Tuesday again, what did you think of House's season premiere? It was more of a fun episode, heavier on the levity and hijinks. Wilson talking into a kidnapper voice machine, the janitor suggesting lupus. I liked it when the janitor kept repeating the same question to the patient's mother. Except the patient storyline of course, that wasn't funny. Cuddy looks quite fetching. But yeah, I couldn't get 100% into the story because static is not my friend.

Is House really hallucinating? He just can't quit those underlings, can he?

Checked out any of the other fall shows?

My favorite ladies come together

I love Amy Sedaris. She's a riot on Letterman (search for those on YouTube, soooo funny), but she is killing me in clips from Martha Stewart's show. Check out both clips on fourfour. Anyone who could tell Martha that no one will like her cheese ball has nerves of steel.

Let them eat cupcakes

I feel like I'm blogging to a brick wall (Hello? Anyone out there?), but I'll post regardless. So yeah, I'm going to type about cupcakes. I don't get them. Yes, I know what they are and they can be yum, but I'm not going to wait in a line that is full of tourists and wraps around the block for a cuppy cake. They aren't that incredible. The baked goods in question seem to be popular in this here metropolis. I stumbled upon one such purveyor and bought three cupcakes: two for a pal and one for myself. It was sweet but not too sweet, moist and fresh. I enjoyed the confection but will not be dreaming about it tonight or planning my next trip to that establishment. No cupcake addiction for me. When you think about it, cupcakes are messy and make waste because of that wrapper that you have to toss away and sometimes you get frosting on your fingers from picking it off. Giant cupcakes seem to be trendy too. When transporting cakes in a cup, you have to be careful so the frosting doesn't get all mussed and your friends don't think you're a klutzy spaz. And that is my cupcake manifesto.

Happy Birthday!

A special birthday shoutout to one of Alacrity's favorite movie stars, Mr. Luke Wilson! 36 years young today!

Cameron, lay off the meth

Oh Parker, I forgot to tell you that I saw the episode of House with Cameron on meth. It was a shorter scene than I expected, but it was freaky, like you said. And for Agent 99, there was a Ryan Adams song used to open and close a different show. I looked it up; the song is "Desire."

Bible Beltin'

Today I walked by a man on the corner who was handing out tiny green Bibles. "Would you like a copy of the New Testament?"
I waved my hand. "No thanks."
For a second, I felt like I was in the south again.
And then I saw another man dispensing Bibles on the next corner. I'm not sure how much success they were having.

This reminds me of how when I stayed at a Hilton this past summer, there was a copy of Conrad Hilton's book about founding his hotels or whatnot. Obviously I had alternative reading material. At least it wasn't Paris's "writing."

Today's Etsy shop is Pulp Tart by Miss Anna Bronwyn. I love Anna's stuff because she uses such striking bold beads married to recycled metal (motorcycle parts) for her jewelry. Her paintings are worth a look too. When I accumulate more cash, I might need to increase my meager Pulp Tart collection.

Though I don't particularly read shopping blogs all that often, I felt the random urge to dabble in that area with this here post. Or I just wanted to waste more time since I don't want to do what I should be doing.

A lot of people know that I love to shop on Etsy.com and I was a bit wary about posting my favorites from that site so people would know where I've been buying my awesome stuff and awesome stuff for them. But some goods are way too marvelous not to hype.

Today I would like to spotlight Circular Accessories. I've gotten tops from this here shop twice and am pleased as punch with them all. Such gorgeous printed clothing! These are some of my current faves:

HybrID HyEGO HySUPEREGO

A Newsweek a couple of issues ago had a story called "A Case of Prius Envy" written by Keith Naughton. I would link to it, but I think only subscribers can read it online. For anyone who cares, it's the September 3, 2007 issue, page 40.

I once told someone that if you have to say you're classy, you're probably not. This was in reference to pop singers or pop tarts, I want to say J.Lo, but I don't remember.

Here's a quotation from the article:

Peter Kessner, a devout environmentalist, bought a Honda Civic hybrid four years ago to show everyone that he wants to save the planet. The only problem: no one noticed, since, other than the hybrid badge on the trunk, it looked like a regular Civic. So he traded it in for a Toyota Prius. Suddenly, strangers began stopping him on the street to ask about his hybrid, with its space-age styling and miserly mileage. "That's a big part of why I bought the Prius," says the Floral Park, N.Y., retiree. "It opens up conversations, and I push my theory that we've got to do our best to conserve." The Honda, on the other hand, didn't deliver what Kessner craved: green street cred. "If I'm driving a hybrid," he says, "I want people to know it."

If you buy a hybrid, you do it for yourself and the planet, right? Why do you have to blab it to the world? Yes, I'm all for promoting environmentalism but I'm not an attention seeker. That's fine, but that's not the point. I might be biased toward Civics, but why not slap on a pro-hybrid bumper sticker or get a hybrid license plate? It's probably secret vanity. You want people to notice and admire you. I've never had a stranger approach me about my non-hybrid car, but that's because my cars have never been remarkable. I don't know, something bugs me about this.

I have a solution! Paste a picture of Al Gore onto your non-Prius hybird. That'll do the trick.

Hipster Olympics

A friend showed me this video last night, and I think it's 'effin hilarious. I have a love-hate deal with true hipsters, probably because I know I could never be one of the cool kids. Anyway, watch and laugh.

Legally Non-Blonde

For Parker: Legally Blonde the Broadway musical will be filmed and shown on MTV. A friend passed along the Craigslist info about free tickets, but I'm not sure I want to deal with a bunch of shrill college chicks. Plus, I don't have a pink outfit. Tragic.

Love Queen, love this song

I've been realizing lately that I like Queen. A lot. I don't know why I didn't realize that the same band played all of my favorites, but anyway... I was intrigued by this Ask Metafilter question: "[Who plays the] alt-rock song... [that] sounds like I imagine Queen might sound if they were just starting out today?" One of the responders hit the nail on the head (the title of this post is a link to the YouTube video).

Inessa, have you ever heard of Mika? They seem quirky enough but maybe too perky for you. I haven't tried any of their other songs yet, but I love this.

Don't be an elevator hog.

If you need to take the elevator one floor down or up, use the stairs! People, they're called legs. Use them. Don't slow down travel for the rest of us who need to traverse multiple floors.

The Flaming Dells

I've seen this Dell laptop ad at the movie theater, before the previews, and I've fallen in love with the song. I Googled it only to realize that it's a Flaming Lips song, "The WAND." Ah ha. I didn't even think it could be them. Oh yeah, and the commercial isn't half-bad either. I might have to think about buying a colorful Inspiron for my new computer.

Tea time with Owen

I caught the blurb on Yahoo that Owen Wilson was doing better, according to Wes Anderson. Reviews for The Darjeeling Limited, which opens September 29 in limited release, aren't too promising. The two which have trickled onto Rotten Tomatoes are splats though. Never fret; we shall keep you posted.

Let's take the Lexus.

I saw a Lexus SUV taxi today. What's next, the Hummer taxi? The Porsche taxi? And for you people who've asked me about the Cash Cab, no, I haven't seen it yet.

Bourne again

I know it came out a month ago, but I saw The Bourne Ultimatum today and had fun. Terrific ass-kicking action scenes galore. I think there should be a Jason Bourne versus James Bond deathmatch.

For people who know me: http://www.observer.com/2007/truth-about-real-estate-bourne-ultimatum (slightly spoilery perhaps?)

Atone home

I read in my Newsweek (the fall preview) about the upcoming film version of Atonement which is directed by Joe Wright (of that blah recent Pride and Prejudice) and stars Keira Knightley (of that blah recent Pride and Prejudice). Atonement is a novel by Ian McEwen which I read a couple of years ago. It's draggy and difficult at times but moved me [to depression] at the end. My main gripe is that I considered the younger sister the main character while the movie will probably feature Keira mostly more than the sister. I used to be on the Keira train, but we're over. She can take her skinny self and Orlando Bloom doppelganger boyfriend and hide out for a couple of years. Bend It Like Beckham rules because Keira plays second fiddle and doesn't get the boy. I love Parminder Nagra.

60,000 Feet Over

Parker, the remix of the Six Feet Under theme was the squishing in your seat/getting the heck off the plane music on my Delta flight.

Interpol, Our Love to Admire

I must declare promptly my love for the first track and the last track on Interpol’s latest, Our Love to Admire. “Pioneer to the Falls” and “The Lighthouse” are massively beautiful gorgeous hymns, some of the best work this group has penned and performed. “The Lighthouse” particularly is sparse and atmospheric, recalling one of my favorite cuts, Radiohead’s “Like Spinning Plates” as well as “Song to the Siren” by This Mortal Coil. You can easily picture in your mind standing on a rocky shoreline at midnight, gazing out into the oily black sea and glancing as the stoic beaming lighthouse. I am not sure if the lyrics are anything about that since I usually don’t pay much attention to Paul Banks’s odd poetry, if I even can comprehend what he’s singing about, and the lyric book, true to Interpol’s spartan mod nature, contains no lyrics. My other choice cut is the first single, “The Heinrich Maneuver,” which is bouncy and jangly but the other tracks tend to warrant many listens before sticking into your memory. I came up with an analogy for this observation. When I graduated from high school, family friends gave me a set of brass bookends with my initial engraved onto them. In my dorm room in college, I used them to contain my textbooks which were mostly for unappealing subjects and classes (I disliked most of my classes). That is just like Our Love to Admire. The bookends are the opener and closer, and the dull textbooks are the tracks in the middle. There might be an occasional non-dud like the aforementioned “The Heinrich Maneuver” as well as “No I in Threesome” and “Pace is the Trick.” Some reviews have lamented the absence of Sam Fogarino’s militant drumming and Carlos D’s dope bass lines. As a consolation prize, new instruments join the fray, such as piano and double bass. Not quite the same. I want my jerky dance-y tunes like from Turn on the Bright Lights! I’ll keep listening though and be quiet.

Fried or fried?

I saw this on the Yahoo front page a minute ago: Mississippi ranked fattest state in nation. But fried pickles are so good! Parker, I had them when I visited Agent 99; they were sour and crispy and addicting, not like those mediocre ones which we had last time. Since that was the first time I had had 'em, I thought friend pickles were nothing special, but oh how I was wrong. Flamin' hot Cheetos? What? Fried okra, drool.

Eli Cash

It's so strange; Parker and I were just discussing Owen Wilson yesterday, rather his upcoming feature with Wes Anderson, The Darjeeling Limited, and then today I read that he attempted suicide. Crazy. Wish Hansel the best and a speedy recovery.

It's in your jeans

Designer jeans baffle me. First of all, they are in that 20 something, 30 something sizing system (European?) so you have to convert from your American size to a different size. Fine, I can deal with that. Then you have the outrageous price tag. I’ll admit I have purchased a pair of low-end designer jeans which I love to death if you could love a piece of clothing to death, but I’m talking about those jeans which retail at $150 on up, you know, those brands like Seven for All Mankind, Rock and Republic, and other brands which I don’t know about since I’m not loaded and ultra-trendy. Those jeans celebs wear. Aside from the price, my main gripe is that I can’t even put these jeans on. Once for shits and giggles, I was in Bloomingdale’s and decided to try on a pair of Seven for All Mankind jeans to see just how incredibly awesome they were (sarcasm). I picked up a pair supposedly in my size, took them to the dressing room, and then attempted to don then which didn’t got so hot as my thigh failed to successfully enter its designated region. I tried on a very large size and found out that the length was for giants. Later I found out that the rationale for this is that if you can afford costly denim, you can afford custom alterations. Bah. This scenario repeated itself at Belk with the devil jeans this time being Paper Denim and Cloth. I can’t even fit my massive thighs into a leg on the garment. Pooh.

Supergood?

Agent 99 and I saw Superbad which opened last Friday, this past weekend. Apart from feeling old from all the teenyboppers packing the auditorium, we enjoyed this high school romp. While there’s a lot of trash-talking and crudeness (especially from Jonah Hill’s character Seth), there is actually a heartfelt story about a close friendship being tested. Okay okay, it’s not as deep as I unintentionally made it sound there. While on the topic of Judd Apatow productions, I have been Netflixing Freaks and Geeks and would like to put in a plug for this show which NBC cruelly cancelled in the 1999-2000 season. It’s effin’ brilliant. Though most us weren’t in high school in 1980 (the year in which the show is set), a lot of us can relate, at least I can because I wasn’t in the cool clique (yes, hard to believe). I’d label myself a geek. Back to Superbad, I laughed lots and so did Agent 99. We were lovin’ the character of Fogell, aka McLovin (Christoper Mintz-Plasse), and I thought Michael Cera turned in a spot-on performance as the straight man, Seth’s best bud Evan. And I'm sure Superbad is better than The Nanny Diaries or other August drivel.

An entry in photos

A friend was passing through the backyard.
I picked some black-eyed susans for a bouquet. Okay, I can't get these photos to align properly!

My sweet baby kitty.

Mmm, Sno Biz!

Took a little trip.

With the recent release of the Transformers movie, I’ve begun to feel old. Not that I haven’t experienced these feelings before, but it just sort of jumps up into your face how hey, Transformers were toys that were popular when you/I were/was a kid. I personally had disdain for boy toys such as Transformers; I was the consummate girly girl who enjoyed She-Ra, My Little Ponies, Cabbage Patch dolls, and Barbies. But those are too wussy to make for bankable summer blockbusters. I did unearth my Mini Pound Puppies and Pound Purries as well as ALF trading cards and Little Miss books. Ah, my lost childhood! They better not bring these puppies (hah) back like they did with a lot of 80s toys; I don’t want to feel vintage just yet. And I found out that Pound Puppies are presently being put out by Mattel (no longer Tonka) and look unappealing.

Apparently I missed out on some big 80s thing: Jem and the Holograms. I don’t know quite how that happened, but that’s what Netflix is for.

As for whether or not Teddy Ruxpin is creepy, that’s another blog entry.

Who's laughing now?
4 Arrested In 'Fire In The Hole' Hot Sauce Prank At Drive-Through Teenagers have always been stupid, but throwing drinks in the face of a fast food worker and posting the video on YouTube is too much. I'm glad these guys will be made an example.

Hey Parker, Chase and Cameron broke up; now's your chance! I think we agreed that you got House and Chase while I got Wilson?

Lumosity - iq_tests:index

Lumosity - iq_tests:index

As a rule, I don't like online "IQ" tests. They aren't reliable and sometimes they are downright silly. I hate to see intelligence-research-haters use them as ammunition. Anyway, these tests on Luminosity are definitely unreliable, but they're like some measures of intelligence, and they're fun. Don't buy too much into the "brain academy" stuff but enjoy the games.

A friend of mine wanted to get tickets to see The Tyra Banks Show and invited me to come along. I was skeptical but decided to give the show a fair chance before saying no thanks. I sat down to watch it Monday afternoon.

This show was about little girls who hate their bodies and rag on fat people. First, Tyra showed some taped segments where she sat down with a gaggle of girls for a gab session. They looked all fidgety and distracted. I looked at the clock. Only 1:05? Can I survive 55 more minutes? Then Tyra returns to the studio and talks to the girls’ moms. A few of the moms have piled on gigantor necklaces and one has gobs of grey eyeshadow and eyeliner with blonde highlights. The commercials give me a chance to catch Finding Nemo on the Disney Channel. Then Tyra shows the girls some pictures of women, and the girls gag over a woman with large thighs. Tyra puts up a picture of a frumpy madam with a little chub and I could tell a mile away that it was Tyra in disguise. Of course the kids say the woman is sad because she is fat. A psychotherapist springs out of the audience and gives insights. Why is William Shatner shilling for an attorney named Mike Slocumb?

Tyra tells one girl that when other kids call her a meatball, she should say, “That’s the best part of the spaghetti, baby!” Um, okay. In a profile, Tyra introduces us to a 9-year-old named Lyric who barely eats and to her curvaceous mom Shantay. Lyric calls me mom fat. A smack is in order. The therapist blames the mom. Another professional offers the family a trip to her fat farm in Arizona. Is Tyra even relevant? Do kids know much about her?

In the last segment, Tyra talks to Mike Tyson’s daughter Michael, and Michael’s mom. Tyra calls Mike Tyson the most famous fighter in the world. I don’t know about that. Poor Michael: her mom put a motion detector in the kitchen and she look just like Mike. Dr. Jenn essentially blames parents. She offers some common sense advice: throwing out your scales, parents fix their own self-esteem issues, and parents setting a healthy example. Whew, it’s over. Let’s just say I won’t be turning in anymore.

PHD Comics: Turf Wars, pt. 5

PHD Comics: Turf Wars, pt. 5

The Turf Wars continue on PhD, so I will share another tidbit about my wartime experiences. We were almost definitely going to lose an office on a set day (say April 10th), and the prof was not happy about it and still fighting for it. The lab coordinators were told that should any departmental action take place before April 10th, we should not stand in the door to block others from moving our stuff out (as if this would occur to us), but we were absolutely forbidden to assist in the moving. Assisting was consenting and we were not giving in.

My foodie friend A.L. recommended that I read Ruth Reichl’s Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise, and for that I salute her. In addition to being a tell-all by a reviewer, I believe it’s also secretly a promo for NYC restaurants being as I was practically salivating all over the glorious food descriptions; Reichl is truly talented at critiquing meals and establishments. I wish I had some foie gras now! While donning a bunch of different disguises and dining at luxurious restaurants sounds appealing, we the readers find that it is quickly draining, especially at such a high-profile daily as The New York Times. As an added bonus are some recipes from Reichl’s own person stash, recipes that don’t look too daunting and sound reasonable. A common theme in the memoir is that there is a balance between total food snob and one who is more proletarian. It reminds me of the dead chef in Ratatouille (yes, I know I won’t shut up about that delightful little film), Gusteau, who champions the notion that “Anyone can cook” or in this case, anyone can enjoy food. You don’t even have to be a food warrior who tries to trip up young sommeliers to appreciate food. Eat what you like! I’m down with that.

Driving seriously annoys me. I'd like to consider myself a levelheaded individual who rolls with the punches, but when it's me behind the wheel of a car, uh-oh. Just the other day, I was out doing errands (bank, picking up lunch). Leaving the bank's parking lot, this car next to me, with a driver who entered his car after I was already in my car, zooms out in a millisecond while I was trying to reverse. OK, no big deal. Then when I was approaching an intersection with a RED light, this dumb car blazes right on through, even while perpendicular cars are proceeding. ??? Then there are assorted headaches such as college students who walk where they please, blinkers not being used, no parking spaces, drivers who can't park worth beans, broken gas pumps, pricey gasoline, cops on your case, and so on.

So glad I don't drive anymore. I have it so good where I live, and when I came back here, ugh. My blood pressure is thankful.

But at least I don't have to pay a quarter for ten minutes and actually have parking and don't get honked at or yelled at constantly.

Robot cars, please exist soon. Love, me.

I think there are too many Starbucks in the world. For instance, there is a corner in the East Village which has a Starbucks, and then there’s one located less than a full block away. Do we honestly need all that gourmet java anyway? I’ll cop to an occasionally frap, but I’m amazed how many folks go there daily for their daily caffeine jolt. And other example is that I went to a fairly new shopping center in the next town over and checked out the Kroger [grocery store chain] which happened to feature a Starbucks kiosk in the entry. Close by to this Kroger is a Target with a, you guessed it, Starbucks by the entrance. And you know what else? Still in this same shopping center is a freestanding Starbucks. Three Starbucks in the same shopping center is a bit overkill, no?

Ben and Jerry’s new Cinnamon Buns ice cream is rocking my world at the moment!

Tune listening to while typing this: "And I was a Boy from School" by Hot Chip

I'm liking this. Parker's writing about school, and I'm writing about entertainment. Hehe.

I snapped up a free copy of Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones (or The Lovely Bores, as I think it should be retitled). It was no great shakes, and it baffles me why it was so popular. And it was surprising to learn that Peter Jackson bought the movie rights, and my boyfriend Ryan Gosling is starring as the father. Maybe they can turn this ship 'round, but I'm not holding my breath. Anyway, the novel is about Susie Salmon who is murdered by a creepy neighbor and how she's looking down on her family from Heaven. My problem is that you don't really care about the Salmon family and they're boring. Each character isn't particularly developed. You have the hellbent father, slutty mother, drink-swilling grandma, brainy sister, and garden gnome brother. Susie becomes super obsessed with this hot Indian boy she smooched once. I bet there are boatloads of studs to lock lips with in Heaven. Oh well, at least it's finished now so I can move onto a better read. I don't know why I insist on punishing myself like this.

Turf Wars on P.H.D.

I'm loving this series of the PHD cartoon because I have been part of turf wars on several occasions. A few years ago, my undergrad advisor told one of the grad students to keep changing out the newspaper on her rarely-used desk so that her officemate would think she was coming by regularly. Why did he think this was important? Because he had once stolen lab space by taking the head of the department to a colleague's room and pointing out a 3-year-old newspaper on the desk. I've learned from the best.

Currently listening to “The Internet is for Porn” from the Avenue Q original cast recording

While burning time in the airport bookstore, I came across one of the latest (I’m assuming, since I’m not in her cult) Oprah’s book club selections, Jeffrey Eugenides’s Middlesex which I read about two years ago. I felt pride in the fact that I had made an Oprah pick before Oprah picked. Seriously folks, it’s an epic read, sprawling through families and time, but it’s pretty rewarding. Pick it up sometime if you haven’t already.

On the subject of books, I’m sad that the Harry Potter series has come to a conclusion. I knew it was ending, but I can’t believe that it’s finally over, after roughly ten years. If only I could go back it time and reread Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows over again, but as if I had never read it before. One summer in college, I was subletting an apartment, and one evening I was going to watch When Harry Met Sally with a friend. One of the roommates told me that she wished she could be watching the Billy Crystal-Meg Ryan vehicle for the first time again. Harry Potter is kinda like that.

Your friendly librarian says toodles! Stay cool kids!

Baby Einsteins: Not so smart after all
I'm so glad to see a popular press article confront the ridiculous claims of Baby Einstein creators. The article was logical, cited relevant research, and didn't parrot any "conventional wisdom" as the gospel-- AMAZING! Now, if only people would pay attention and dump those stupid videos.

Obviously, we're all a little busy with grad school and grade school, but I wanted to try to resurrect this thing by making it easier for me to post stuff of interest (see the shared stuff from Google Reader above). Maybe I can lure Inessa and Agent99 back to Alacrity.

I'm taking comps in less than two months, so I definitely need a source of procrastination. Let's have some fun again!