1982

Saw this on another blog, and had to post it for my dearest and oldest friend, Maggie.

Break out your leather bracelets & rock out.

White Wedding: Literal Video Version - watch more funny videos

Breaking and Entering - Part I

Our building manager was fired yesterday. Apparently the firing did not go well, all sorts of yelling, pleading, etc. The building owner stuck to her guns, reclaimed his keys, key fobs, etc., and told him he had 30 days to vacate his loft. I know this because I'm good friends with the weekend leasing agent, who will now be taking over the manager position. It's a bummer situation, as the fired manager is a very nice guy, he just wasn't doing his job.

Neither the building owner or my friend expected trouble.

They've got trouble.

SO...I'm up at 4:45 a.m., as usual, to walk Oliver. When I get out of the elevator on the first floor of the building, I see that the office door is open, the light is on, and I hear noises coming from inside the office.

Then I see the fired office manager's dog peek it's head out the office door. What's he doing there?

I proceed to walk through the lobby and as I'm going out the front door, I look back and see the fired office manager peeking his head out the office door.

Not good. WTF is he doing in the office at 4:45 a.m.? Trouble.

After I get back into my loft, I sent a text my friend, the new manager, to let her know that the fired office manager was in the office. She calls me back a few minutes later, and tells me that she heard/saw fired manager's car leaving the parking lot.

Couple scenarios here...

1. Fired office manager took building keys, unit keys, etc., and is getting copies made.

2. Fired office manager took personnel files and is having copies made.

3. Fired office manager is generally up to no good.

My friend calls the owner, gets VM. So, my friend is headed down to the office to see what's missing. She said she might gather all of the unit and building keys, extra fobs, etc, and bring them back to her loft with her until the owner can deal properly with this situation.

Just heard back from my friend. She already had all unoccupied unit keys in her possession, including some others (mine, hers, a few more). She checked out the office, everything seems in order. She didn't bother to take any of the remaining keys, but said that she'll go down every hour to check out the situation until the owner calls her back.

The definition of trespass: An unlawful intrusion that interferes with one's person or property.

Kind of a sticky situation. Probably the quickest way to resolve the situation would be to change the locks on the office and maintenance door, and recode all resident key fobs. As for the fired office manager, do you expidite his removal from the property? Call the police and press charges?

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. I expect some drama, in light of the fired office manager showing his true colors. Hopefully not too much.

Spring Cleaning

I'm tired, but it's worth it.

I had all sorts of energy last night after class, and stayed up to do a little "spring cleaning" in certain areas of my life.

My first order of business was to trim my friend list on Facebook. I defriended. I'm now down to 94 (was at 144).

I got tired of the constant updates from former acquaintances and classmates who were never really friends to begin with. Yeah, I can choose to see "Less About" these people, but why go through the trouble? We've shared our stories. We're caught up. Cool. Fine. I'm over it. Defriend - I like this word. Sounds harsh, but it's just trimming.

Second, I think it's kind of gross when I see people who have 500+ friends. Seriously??? Are you really friends with all of these people? How do you find the time to breathe, blink or sleep? Collectors. It's an ego boost, to be sure, but also a bit pathetic. I value privacy and human connection, not human collection.

AMAZING Exhibition

There is a new exhibition at the Sheldon Art Gallery that I've been looking forward to checking out, and it's finally here:

Visions of Sound: Masterpieces from the Hartenberger World Music Collection
February 20 - May 9, 2009

The photo is a Burma Saùng-gauk (Arched Harp), just one of many instruments in this über-cool collection. The exhibit showcases samples from Dr. Aurelia Hartenberger's 2,000-piece collection she's acquired from six continents (Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, and Australia).

Looks to be amazing. I grew up in a musical family, and play/played my share of instruments (piano, flute, guitar, bass), so I appreciate the craftmanship, culture and the universal connection that music evokes. How incredible would it be to sit in a room with these thousands of instruments and attempt to learn how to play each one?

I will be checking it out this weekend - thinking it will be a great way to spend a cold & potentially snowy Saturday morning.

7-8-9 That's the magic number...

No Doubt will be in St. Louis on 7/8/09. Tix go on sale 3/7.

Hell yeah!

Job Market Solutions...

Happy Tuesday. Enjoy.

The Job


Embrace Your Paper Monkey

Let It All Hang Out...

Here are a few photoshop disasters. More here.

In lieu of a playlist...

I really didn't listen to much this weekend, but here are a couple selections I recommend:

This is a video the Living Things produced to promote their new album, Habeus Corpus, that dropped 2/17. Pay close attention at the 2:10 mark, that hoser Beatle Bob is shown onstage (as usual). Their new album is in heavy rotation in my car/home.



The Vox Jaguars are my new favorite band (this week):


Roll The Tanks - Police Me (obvious influences, and I like it)


Crystal Stilts - Love Is A Wave (crap audio, they are on iTunes, looks like they would be decent live)


Asobi Seksu - Me & Mary (from their new album Hush) Love them.

It Ain't Me, Babe....

Oscar, I'm breaking up with you. You started off the evening in all the right ways - I was prepared for an outstanding, spectular event. But it went downhill from there. Fast.

The Foreplay:Smiles and Shivers
I was taken with your very shabby-chic rendition of Best Picture nomination-mashup. Anne Hathaway was clever, she was a great little helper. Who knew she had such chops? Bravo.

The Buildup: A Promise
Bringing out the elite group of former Best Supporting Actresses was very thoughful, a nice touch. Class, all the way. Eva Marie Saint, Whoopi Goldberg, Angelica Huston, Tilda Swinton and Goldie Hawn. What a collection of broads. However, someone should tell Goldie to come in from the 1970's beach. And either grow out or cut those bangs!

In The Throws: Akward
I was let down when Maniston came out on the arm of Jack Black (actually a fitting combination) and proceeded to talk down in her usual way to the audience. All smarmy and smug - she's no Friend of mine. She didn't belong, and it was written all over her face. Can you say uncomfortable?

The Climax: A Letdown
The announcement of Heath's win for Best Supporting Actor came rather quickly from Alan Arkin, as if he expected it. There was no build up. Kevin Cline was the only ray of light on that stage at that moment. Heath's parents were gracious, as were the gratuitous shots of certain weepy audience members. Just kind of felt rather planned and unspontaneous. A turn off.

The Cuddling: None

On that note, I am afraid I have to let you go. The lights are dim on what once was a bright and reciprocal relationship. There's no spark. The passion is gone. And there isn't any blue pill on this planet that will get our connection back.

I have a confession to make. I've met someone new. It just kind of happened, and it just feels so right. And since I just don't see you and I going anywhere, I'm excited to try this new direction.

Her name is Emmy.

2009 Oscar Picks

Awards season is about to end with the live broadcast of the Academy Awards this evening. I usually get excited about this particular show, as it's the be-all end-all of glam and gush. However, I am thinking about skipping it this year, as I feel let down by some of the nominations (and lack thereof).

I've listed the nominees in various categories, who I think has the best odds of winning, who I think should win, and who I feel was left out:

BEST PICTURE
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Who Will Win: Slumdog (decent entertainment, but formulaic and predictable)
Who Should Win: Milk or The Reader (unique, unformulaic, moving, real)
Who Was Left Out: The Dark Knight, Rachel Getting Married, The Visitor, Frozen River

BEST DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle 'Slumdog Millionaire'
Stephen Daldry 'The Reader'
David Fincher 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'
Ron Howard 'Frost/Nixon'
Gus Van Zant 'Milk'

Who Will Win: Danny Boyle 'Slumdog Millionaire'
Who Should Win: Danny Boyle 'Slumdog Millionaire' (first time actors, unfamilair location)
Who Was Left Out: Jonathan Demme, 'Rachel Getting Married', Clint Eastwood, "Gran Torino'


BEST ACTOR
Richard Jenkins 'The Visitor'
Frank Langella 'Frost/Nixon'
Sean Penn 'Milk'
Brad Pitt 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'
Mickey Rourke 'The Wrestler'

Who Will Win: Sean Penn 'Milk'
Who Should Win: Sean Penn 'Milk' or Richard Jenkins 'The Visitor'
Who Was Left Out: Philip Seymour Hoffman "synecdoche, new york', Leonardo DiCaprio 'Revolutionary Road', Clint Eastwood, 'Gran Torino'

BEST ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway 'Rachel Getting Married'
Angelina Jolie 'Changeling'
Melissa Leo 'Frozen River'
Meryl Streep 'Doubt'
Kate Winselt 'The Reader'

Who Will Win: Kate Winselt 'The Reader'
Who Should Win: Melissa Leo 'Frozen River'
Who Was Left Out: Kate Winselt, 'Revolutionary Road', Sally Hawkins, 'Happy Go Lucky'

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Josh Brolin, 'Milk'
Robert Downey Jr., 'Tropic Thunder'
Philip Seymour Hoffman, 'Doubt'
Heath Ledger, 'The Dark Night'
Michael Shannon, 'Revolutionary Road'

Who Will Win: Heath Ledger, 'The Dark Night'
Who Should Win: Heath Ledger, 'The Dark Night' OR Michael Shannon, 'Revolutionary Road' Both equally riveting, passionate, and character-driven performances
Who Was Left Out: David Kross, 'The Reader'


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, 'Doubt'
Penelope Cruz 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona'
Viola Davis, 'Doubt'
Taraji P. Henson, 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'
Marisa Tomei, 'The Wrestler'

Who Will Win: Viola Davis, 'Doubt'
Who Should Win: Penelope Cruz 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona'
Who Was Left Out: Katherine Keener, 'Synecdoche, New York', Evan Rachel Wood, 'The Wrestler',

OTHER NOTABLE FILMS RELEASED IN 2008:

The Business of Being Born - Documentary, astounding
In Bruges - Colin Ferrel, Ralph Fiennes, visually stunning, hilarious, sad, moving)
Forgetting Sarah Marshall - not Academy Award material, but dirty and a great laugh
Then She Found Me - a guilty pleasure, Helen Hunt at her best in years
Reprise - for me, the BEST FILM OF 2008
The Edge of Heaven - beautiful
Bigger, Stronger, Faster - great documentary about steroids
The Foot Fist Way - laugh-out-loud funny
Savage Grace - Julianne Moore, will watch her in anything
Mother of Tears - Dario Argento's very watchable third installment of the "Three Mothers" trilogy
Baghead - EXCELLENT movie, brought to you by the creators of the very overlooked "The Puffy Chair"
Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson - moving and eclectic tribute
Lou Reed's Berlin - Julian Schnabel did a fine job with this concert documentary of my fantasy boyfriend
Transsiberian - Hitchcockian thriller on a train in Russia....really great story, surprise ending, and Woody Harrelson holds his own
A Girl Cut In Two - Ludivine Sagnier from "Swimming Pool" is fantastic to watch
Christmas on Mars: a Fantastical Film Freakout Featuring the Flaming Lips - no explanation needed
Towelhead - unexpected reality. Ferocious in the telling. Heartbraking.
Obscene - great under-the-radar documentary about the fight for defeating cencorship
Religulous - Bill Maher as the ultimate point man for exposing religion, good and bad, in this doc
Blindness - hidden gem of a movie, scarily realistic, apocalyptic, and raw (Julianne Moore again, fine performance)
Quarantine - fun and scary remake of a Spanish horror film "REC"
Filth and Wisdom - can't go wrong with the frontman from Gogol Bordello
Stranded: I've Come From A Plane That Crashed In The Mountains - doc about the soccer team from the movie "Alive" who survived by feasting on their fallen friends
I've Loved You So Long - Kristin Scott Thomas tour de force, raw
Let the Right One In - OUTSTANDING SWEDISH VAMPIRE MOVIE!!!! Like nothing you've seen before. Sweet little love story, mixed with all the right elements of horror
Wendy and Lucy - sad, sad, sad. Good, good, good. Michelle Willams and a dog. Nuff said.

A good day

It was a tough week, for many reasons of which I won't go into just now. I believe I had talked myself into illness last night, as my throat was a burning wasteland and my energy level was nil. Had Joy Division been playing and some random rope been at hand, well...I might have practiced some sailor knots while grooving to Ian's solemn promises of sadness and despair.

My good friend, to whom I confessed my unusual mood, cheered me up by taking me all over St. Louis today for some fun.

Now, I'm not one to really enjoy shopping (not your typical gal), but I do have some favorite stores through which I don't mind wandering aimlessly. We started out at Trader Joe's, the ultimate fun food store. Got all sorts of tasty vittles. We then headed over to Petsmart for dog toys - and I'm happy to say that Oliver is the proud owner of a new Ducky.

Target was a short walk away, and we ventured over there to partake in their housewares section. Picked up some smelly candles, and then traversed the parking lot to explore another of my favorite haunts, World Market. Some days, I just want to live there. Take a shower using their Red Tea/Pear milled soap, dry off with the Flint/Fog Floral Turkish Cotton Bath Towels, curl up in a papasan chair with a glass of
Provenance Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon.

While at WM, I remembered I had on my list to pick up some incense. There is a little shop in the Loop, Sunshine Daydream, that sells them by the stick, and we jetted to that part of town to peruse around. I picked up 10 sticks of Jasmine. Good stuff. A little goes a long way. I don't burn incense very often, but when I do it reminds me of being a college freshman, discovering the joy of living on my own, midnight poetry, bourbon, patchouli, and Birkenstocks. All good things in my life, past and present.

It was still early, about 10, and we had a ton of time to kill until lunch. My friend knows how much I like the zoo, so we drove to Forest Park, hapened upon some rockstar parking, and walked on up to the primate house. We saw the neatest thing ever - a ring-tailed lemur had a baby last night, and she was holding it in her arms, cleaning it. It was the tiniest little beast, all spidery legs and stripey tail, and every so often the mother would look up at us and stare. Creepy and lovely all at the same time.

Hunger overtook us, and we ventured to the CWE and had us some delicious India Rasoi. Chicken Tikka Masala, naan, palak paneer, malai kofta, and gulab jamun. Just what the doctor ordered.

After an afternoon of lazing about, napping, playing with pups and watching the first five minutes of what looked to be a way-too sinister Italian WWII movie (my bad Netflix choice), I was whisked away to the Fountain on Locust, a very eclectic eatery in downtown/midtown St. Louis. It has a very soda-fountainy feel, and each booth has a small speaker that you can turn up the volume and listen to a "radio soap opera" that is new every two minutes. Kitschy! I got the 1/2 sandwich and salad dealio, which was delish. My friend had the soup trio and a Spaten. The proprietor was very chummy, and brought us an extra martini concoction that he had "mistakenly" made, which was outstanding. Great food, good atmosphere, awesome drinks and desserts. Does it get any better?

I am not sure what surprises my friend has in store for me this evening, but all in all he has succeeded in making me laugh, taking my mind off my current troubles, and being a great friend. And for that, I am thankful.

Hopefully someday, I can return the favor.

Album Cover Experiment

My friend Jeff posted this to his FB page today. It's a fun way to wind down for the weekend...

To Do This
1 - Go to "wikipedia." Hit “random”
or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first random wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2 - Go to "Random quotations"
or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.

3 - Go to flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”
or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days
Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4 - Use photoshop or similar to put it all together.

I've included three that I did below. Check out Jeff's blog to see his and others catchy creations.

Happy Weekend

TGIF.

Hurry while supplies last...

You can bid on this priceless piece of art - it's on the auction block at MJ's Neverland sale.

Burned In My Brain...Pt II

Update: Apparently, the Trolls are no longer living next door.

I talked to the building manager, who gave me the scoop. He said that a new neighbor moved in a couple weekends ago (guess I was gone when the move went down).

I don't know anything more than that (right to privacy and all), but I think he probably looks a lot like this.

SO dear readers (if there are any), looks like the gross-out factor possibly has been removed from the situation.

I should be a kind neighbor and take him some muffins, don't you think?

An Airline Steps Up

JetBlue Airways Corp. announced it will issue full refunds to customers who lose their jobs after buying the ticket. Of course there are restrictions, but still. That's a great deal.

Read the article here.

Muffin Wisdom

Someone burned my chocolate chip muffin. Charred badness, no lovin came from my oven.

But wait.



Inside it was as light and fluffy as a cakey cloud.

The moral? Don't judge a muffin by it's crusty exterior. You might just miss the best part.

Burned In My Brain...

I just heard the neighbors hittin' it. Hard.

Wanna know how? Because it sounded like someone was attempting to break on through to the other side.

I thought this loft was pretty darn soundproof. Guess not.

Grody.

I wouldn't normally say anything negative about getting a little "sumpin' sumpin'". It's healthy (as a former friend used to say, quite often). Outstanding.

But dear me, if you knew my neighbors, you might even use more colorful language.

They're not nice people. They're weird. They have a monster dog that they cannot control that wants to eat my dog. And they're not pleasant to look at (toothpaste, anyone?). Truth? They're like trolls out of a Grimm fairy tale. Swear.

So, the knocking, accompanied by the high-decibal verbalization that somehow permeated the plaster dividing our living spaces, has left an imprint on my psyche that I'm attempting to expel.

At this point, I see two options. I either retaliate in kind, or hit the bottle.

Looks like I'm out of vodka.

I FOUND IT!!!

Okay, when I was very, very young, I used to watch those After School Specials. Back in the 70's, they dealt with very racy subjects like hitchhiking (Michelle Green from LA Law), angel dust (Helen Hunt jumps out of a window), boozy parents, swingers, death, and alcohol in a very kitschy, overly-dramatic way. They were GOOD, right??!!

So, there was one episode that really tore me up. I mean, I still think about it to this day. Obsession in the purest sense.

The problem was, I couldn't for the life of me FIND IT. All I knew (or thought I knew) was that Jane Krakowski from 30 Rock was in it. WRONG!!

So I'm hogging the computer and perusing YouTube tonight, puting in key words like "Jane" and "Horse after school special" and "bumps head on tree". I've done this often, in my quest for this episode. I was SO FREAKIN OFF it's amazing, but I actually, finally found it.

The name of it is (okay, get this.....) "Beat The Turtle Drum". WTF??? The title comes from a book it was based on, but still.....okay, whatever. At least I found it.

Jane Krakowski was not in it, but guess who was? Melissa Sue Anderson!! Oh yeah! Blind Mary from Little House On The Prairie. One of my all-time, favorite shows. Eva. Don't be hatin' - it's the shizz.

But I digress.

The crux of the story is, Blind Mary, being an older sister, wants to grant the birthday wish of her younger sister of getting her a horse. (This is where my "horse" remembrance comes in) They rent a horse for a week, the little sister is all happy and cute.

THEN.....the little sister falls out of the treehouse and dies. DIES!

So, my little 6-yr old peabrain remembers a horse, a blond girl riding said horse, said blond girl hitting her head and dying, and somehow, somewhere, there is a tree involved.

Hey, I was close. Kinda.

In any case, I am finally free of this mystery. I feel like a huge load has been lifted. 30 years I've been searching. Ahhhh...sweet relief.

And guess what? It's available through Netflix (isn't everything?). So, I have just moved this After School Special (1976-1977) up to #1 on my Netflix queue.

Aww yeah. Party at my house later this week. I'll have the Jiffy Pop, Fig Newtons and Tab at the ready.

You, and you, and you, and you.....

We'd been discussing Dissociative Identity Disorder (or what used to be called Multiple Personality Disorder) in class, and I thought this video was interesting as it shows the subject (Eve) clearly moving from one identity to another.



The statistics of how many people actually have mutliple personalities and don't know it are astounding. 3% of the population are affected by DID. That breaks down to 1 in every 33 people. Chances are you may know someone that has been or is affected by it.

So if your boss is being a bit more asinine, ignorant, or two-faced, check out the warning signs below to diagnose:

-Fugue states/sleepwalking
-auditory hallucinations
-identity confusion
-headaches, amnesia, time loss, trance
-depression, anxiety, distrusting others, hostility as an adult
-two or more personalities that switch off, usually during times of stress

On a lighter note, there is a new series on Showtime called "The United States of Tara", (written by Diablo Cody of Juno fame) in which the main character (played by the most awesome Toni Colette) has four separate personalities. I have watched the first episode a la YouTube, and it's premium. Word.

Weekend Playlist 2/13/09

Interesting weekend. Started out all kinds of loud and furious, then halted, shifted, and drifted softly into a mellow embrace of calm.

1. "Kids" - MGMT
2. "Shake Your Rump" - Beastie Boys
3. "Pony Ride" - Bumblebeez
4. "Hand Of Law" - Radio Birdman
5. "Atomic" - Blondie
6. "Cha Cha Cha" - MC Lyte
7. "Headstrong" - 10,000 Maniacs
8. "Foux du Fafa" - Flight Of The Conchords
9. "Tonight Let's Dance" - Elefant
10. "Love and Interruption" - Page France
11. "Arms of a Woman" - Amos Lee
12. "Make You Feel My Love" - Adele
13. "Let Me Touch You For Awhile" & "New Favorite" - Alison Krauss & Union Station
14. "I Envy The Wind" - Lucinda Williams

Happy SAD (Singles Awareness Day)

Today is officialy Singles Awareness Day, not to be confused with Singles Day (October 1st). The common greeting is "Happy SAD!".

So, if you're single, shout it out. Celebrate your aloneness or couplessness with style. Spend quality time with yourself. Go see a romantic movie - alone. Have a quiet candelit dinner - alone. Make that special someone happy in the bedroom - alone. Today, it's all about YOU!

If you don't want to be called "single", there is another moniker you can adopt, which is "quirkyalone". Umm, yeah....ok.

It's also a great day to head to Walgreens and take advantage of the 75% off buggy Valentine's Day candy. Stock up - the average shelf life of chocolate is 2 years.

Zombie Cat

This makes me crack up. Maybe the owner is feeding the kitty crack? Notice how it's sitting, paws dangling, in the zone. Hilarious.

And yeah, I know it's too early to be posting. I'm not addicted, but have a fun day planned which doesn't include the computer. Or a phone. Or a tv.

I'm attempting to disconnect. Does a body good.

And the winner is....

The new Friday the 13th was very good. I kept waiting for it to disappoint, and it didn't. Some highlights (little spoilers):

- a couple of the boy campers in the film had Peter Frampton do's. Yeah, big curly hair. Kinda nice. Yes, this is a highlight for me.

- good use of Night Ranger's "Sister Christian". Surprising, didn't expect to hear such an oldie, made me smile.

- Jason is faaaast. Really. Like Isaac Bruce fast. He doesn't lurk as much as he lunges. Total powerhouse.

- Jason is creative. He hasn't lost his touch.

If you're in the mood for a good scare, check it out.

Valentine's Day - Skip It

Valentine's Day is pretty sucky for everyone, when you think about it. For single folk, it's another screaming-in-your-face reminder that you are alone - sad, and alone, eating chips. For those who are coupled up, it's either a let-down (no proposal, we're eating where?, what no flowers?) or a complete drain on your bank account (the on-average spend is $119.67).

So, here are some tasty facts/ideas that might help you to overlook this waste-of-space holiday and be good to yourself:

1. The Food and Drug Administration allows up to 60 insect fragments per 100 grams of chocolate. But that's not so bad. Up to two rodent hairs are allowed for every 8 ounces. That translates to 16 insect parts and one hair per average chocolate bar. Yum!! Make mine a vanilla cream w/roach. On the serious side, once I did find an insect leg in a chocolate pudding cup. Yeah, no more store-bought puddin for me.

2. A rose by any other name is tetanus. According to the State of Maine's Rose Society, "There are various forms of bacteria in addition to C. tetani and several species of fungus that can invade the body and cause serious illness through thorn injury. Treatment for these diseases is usually unpleasant." Be careful of those pricks, gals!

3. Rent a movie. Lose your singles sorrow in one of the many Hollywood classics where the happy ending does not require the girl getting the guy or vice versa. Make some popcorn and cozy up with "The Bride of Frankenstein," "Fatal Attraction" or "The Silence of the Lambs." Make sure you have a nice chianti on hand....

4. Read a book. From the classics to pop culture, fiction offers many inspiring tales of unrequited love and thriving singledom. For example, "Cyrano de Bergerac" (he dies), "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" (he dies) or Catherine in "Wuthering Heights" (she goes mad and then dies).

After all this, if you still want to celebrate the damn holiday, here's an idea. Take your date to your local no-kill animal shelter, APA or Humane Society, walk around and check out all of the homeless dogs and cats that will more than likely be euthanized by the 15th, and either give one a loving home OR donate money to the shelter.

Now that's having a heart. :-) The photo is of Alma, who is up for adoption at Stray Rescue.

Friday the 13th - Old vs. New

The trailer from the original movie (above), circa 1980, was pretty scary for it's time. See how it fares next to the newest version (below):



I hope to be seeing the new movie this weekend. I'm a horror movie fanatic, good or bad, and the last movie that surprised me (in a sinister and not boo kind of way) was The Strangers. Not the best movie, but good use of masks.

I'm hoping for the best, but expecting the worst. I wish that Rob Zombie had a hand in the remake, as he did such a splendid job with Halloween. One can only dream...

Baby's Best Friend

Craziness.

Buy This Now

It's the 20th anniversary of the Beastie Boys "Paul's Boutique" and they've digitally remastered it for the first time. It includes track-by-track commentary by the boys.

Also, quite possibly the greatest inclusion of cowbell on any known album. Justified.

Makes me feel kinda old. Also makes me feel like dancing.

Dead Rabbit (R.I.P Bear)

This rabbit, named Bear, was the first toy ever given to Oliver. It used to have a squeaker into which Oliver could sink his tough little noshers. The squeak was loud, unnerving, and I imagine everytime Oliver got Bear to make that sound, a little bit of Bear died (probably to Oliver's delight).

It's with sadness that I share with you the news of the untimely death of friend Bear. No squeak will ever come from that poor, defenseless friend again. The only sound that emits from his tiny little toy lungs is a wheeze and a click. No squeak. Just a death rattle.

His eyes are gone, as is his nose. His ears, once perky and regal, now hang at odd angles, a broken weathervane.

His coat, once lustrious, now gnarly and patchy.

Even after all of this, the friendship goes on. Oliver will not relinquish Bear - none of his other friends will do. Not Birdie, not Bone. Oliver is steadfast, true-blue to the end.

Bear is now just a faceless, deformed and misshapen shell of what he once was - but for Oliver, that's alright. That's just fine.

There's probably a lesson here. Something along the lines of when friendship gets worn, tattered, and seemingly useless, there's always some shred of good to remember, to hang on to.

Or maybe it's just a dead rabbit.

Movie Review - Blindness

I rented this movie from the Big Red Box last night, watched it as the rain came pourin' down. Perfect weather for this little gem.

The story takes place in a nameless metropolitan city (most of the movie was shot in Canada, but also Brazil and Uruguay) and the premise is that most of mankind is afflicted with an epidemic that makes people go blind. Not the normal blind, but what they see makes them think they're "swimming in milk". So white blind. Or, the White Sickness, as it's called in the film.

People are contained. Humanity takes a serious nosedive. Jewelry and valuables are bartered for food, then when they run out of possessions they use women. It's like Lord Of The Flies in a forgotten hospital ward. Hardcore, and not for the squeamish.

Julianne Moore is the lead, with Mark Ruffalo (I like the guy, but he has no range...the same in every movie) playing her doctor husband. She's really great in this film, as usual. Other players include Danny Glover and Gael Garcia Bernal.

This movie had the eerie feel that Safe did, a film Julianne did in the 90's. That individual-apocolyptic atmosphere.

I wonder if the title and premise were changed to "Jobless", the same story would play out?

On a scale of 1-10, I'd say an 8.

Going Greek

I received an interesting email today in my university account, and am pretty jazzed about it. Thought I'd share.

I just received an invitation to join Chi Sigma Iota, which is the international honor society for professional counselors. I'm almost halfway through with my M.A. in psychological counseling, and have kept up a 4.0 grade average, which is part of the criteria for being invited to join (the other is a nomination from the head of the department).

While I am aiming for a PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, having this affiliation sure won't hurt, as there are scholarships, grants, and internships available to members.

I guess it's never too late to go Greek.

Randomly Star-Struck

So a girlfriend of mine from Jr. High/HS posted a great recollection of her past celebrity encounters, so I thought I'd contribute my list of contenders:

-Most recently, I saw Scott Baio walking on Broadway as I was leaving the Princeton Review New York headquarters. This was about the time he was doing that loser show "Scott Baio is 45...And Single" (dork). I forgot, briefly, what a douche he appeared to be on that show and was transported back in time to my infatuation from his "Charles In Charge" days, and screamed at him out the window. He turned to look at me and smiled, and I have a very blurry photo of what IS Scott Baio. I swear.

-When living in Los Angeles during the summer of 2006, I was sitting on the Sunset Strip one early evening eating pizza at Frankie & Johnnie's, and Tom Skerrit walks by. Woo hoo!!! Oh, I love me a little Tom Skerrit...he was in such blockbusters as Alien, Top Gun, Up In Smoke, Ice Castles, A River Runs Through It. The guy has range, and is in my opinion the ultimate Hot Older Gent (Sam Elliot, Sean Connery and Michael Caine are up there as well). He was very dashing, more handsome in person than on screen. I kept repeating his name, as if in a trance, telling my fiance "It's Tom Skerrit! It's Tom Skerrit!" and I believe he heard me because he did look back....and gazed longingly into my eyes. Okay...maybe not longingly, but it's my fantasy, dammit.

-I met Billy Bragg only because I am his biggest fan, and decided to wait in the line (yeah...no line) at 2:00 before his 9:00 show. So, I got to hear his soundcheck, and was almost plastered to the side of the building as he and his bandmates came slamming out the front door on their way to the hotel. He said "Hi", and I'm still not sure what I said in return...maybe just drooled?

-I met John Doe when his band X came to St. Louis. For someone who seems so damn dangerous and imposing on stage as well as in film, in person he's very non-threatening. Probably 5'6 if that, ropy thin. What he lacks in height he more than makes up for in person. So gracious, standing there for at least a half hour after the show, shaking peoples hands and chatting them up a bit. I don't recall our conversation (again, big case of StarStruck) but I walked away thinking he was someone with whom I could order in Chinese and maybe even share.

-I was in a thrift shop in the 90's in the Loop, and was anticipating attending the Indigo Girls show later that evening. I hear some women laughing, look up, and see Amy Ray and the bass player checking out the rags at the rack a few feet away. Since I was all about the IG back then, it was a good day for me. I didn't talk to her, but probably stared enought that it creeped her out. I'm a craaaazy fan.

-During college, I walked down to the riverfront with some friends late one night, just a gaggle of college kids looking for trouble. We saw a small boat docked in the park, and came upon Michelle Shocked and Jeff Tweedy (former of Uncle Tupelo, now fronting Wilco). They were recording something for Michelle, and were taking a break. They gave us some beers, and we all hung out for awhile. Very laid back. It made for a good story when we got back to the dorms, and for the next few weeks tons of students ventured down to the water to see if they'd show again...alas, they did not. SO we got to be supastars for awhile. You had to pay a dollar to touch the greatness that was me.

-I saw a reality television star three times at three different airports, and she was always doing the same damn thing. It was Kara from the Chicago Real World, who is actually from St. Louis. She was always sitting against a wall, legs crossed, talking on her cell phone in a very loud and animated way. Annoying. In real life, and on the show. This was not a brush with greatness, more like an itch with banality.

-in 2001, while lunching at Brandts, I sat next to the actor and actress who played Chloe and Brady on Days Of Our Lives. This was kinda cool, as DOOL was the only soap I have ever watched, starting when I was in grade school. Pretty in real life. Seemed normal. Not a big deal. I think they had the hummus.

February Holidays

Today, 2/9, happens to be Clean Out Your Computer Day. Also Toothache Day. ???

Here is a list of remaining holidays for the month of Feb. If you abhor Valentines Day as I do, you could always donate an organ whilst riding a ferris wheel. Hey, just a suggestion.

9 Clean out Your Computer Day - second Monday of Month

9 Toothache Day - ouch

10 Umbrella Day

11 Don't Cry over Spilled Milk Day

11 Make a Friend Day

11 White T-Shirt Day - be sure to roll up a pack of cigs in the sleeve

12 Abraham Lincoln's Birthday

12 Plum Pudding Day - maybe get $240 worth?

12 Winter Olympics - not 'til 2010

13 Blame Someone Else Day - first Friday the 13th of the year. (LOVE THIS ONE)

13 Get a Different Name Day - I've had three different names, kinda done with that.

14 Ferris Wheel Day - whee!

14 National Organ Donor Day - ouch.

14 Valentine's Day

15 Candlemas - on the Julian Calendar

15 National Gum Drop Day

15 Singles Awareness Day - oh, I'm sure they're aware......

16 Do a Grouch a Favor Day - be sure to watch Sesame Street so Oscar gets some higher viewership

16 President's Day - third Monday of month

17 Random Acts of Kindness Day

18 National Battery Day - so do we use them more, or give them a break?

19 National Chocolate Mint Day

20 Cherry Pie Day - wonder if this came before or after the Warrant classic

20 Hoodie Hoo Day - WTF? Hoodie Koo, maybe....

20 Love Your Pet Day - This should be celebrated every day

21 Card Reading Day

22 George Washington's Birthday

22 Be Humble Day - oh, gosh, I get to celebrate on this day? That's so nice of you!

22 Walking the Dog Day

22 International World Thinking Day

23 International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day

23 Tennis Day - serve it up with a net and make lots of racquet.

24 National Tortilla Chip Day ....undele, get your Tex-Mex on!

25 Pistol Patent Day .....yeah, ok, whatever.

26 Carnival Day - yeah, I need another goldfish and AC/DC mirror.

26 National Pistachio Day - it's a nutty day!

26 Tell a Fairy Tale Day

27 Polar Bear Day - hit the zoo.

27 No Brainer Day - this day is for me!

28 Floral Design Day

28 Public Sleeping Day - does this mean sleep "in" public, or the public should sleep?

28 National Tooth Fairy Day - watch Darkness Falls to celebrate proper, or pull a tooth

Weekend Playlist 2/6/09 (late)

1. The Eels - Souljacker
2. Sundays - I Kicked A Boy
3. Beat Happening - Bad Seeds
4. Lemonheads - 6IX
5. The Specials - Too Much Too Young
6. The Cramps - Songs The Lord Taught Us (album)
7. Sam Cooke - Bring It On Home To Me
8. Sugarcubes - Birthday
9. Velvet Underground - I'm Waiting For The Man
10. They Might Be Giants - The Guitar
11. James Brown - Get Up Offa That Thing
12. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (album)
13. Lupe Fiasco - Superstar
14. Spencer Davis Group - Gimme Some Lovin'

Good weekend

Overall, it was a good weekend. Outstanding weather helped fuel a lot of it.

Friday night was low-key - was treated to tequila and tacos at nearby El Borracho's (highly recommended), then spent the rest of the evening watching movies.

Saturday was good - ran some very early errands, spent considerable time outdoors, talked to my mom, and had friends over during the afternoon and most of the evening for coffee, spirits, board games and switched off playing DJ. Got a bit nostalgic and brought out the Lemonheads, Sundays, and Beat Happening. It was good to hear those old tunes.

Sunday was slow-going. The morning was lazy and filled with NPR programming (Speaking of Faith, TTBOOK), went to a friend's for lunch, and then it was a dog-day afternoon, literally. Tried out the dog park on Locust (nice!) and then ran around in the park area across from City Hall. Oliver had a great time, but attempted to escape the dog park by wedging himself between the bars of the gate. Good thing he got stuck...he's a fast little dude! Ended the evening having a good conversation with my grandma, and catching up on the news.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for some good news this week. February looks to be a
"make it or break it" kind of month, so I'm staying as optimistic as possible and thinking good thoughts.

Lazy Sunday

Happy Sunday. Enjoy.

I'll Have What She's Having...

No explanation needed....right?

Survivalist Book Club

One of my favorite books, Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales, is a fabulous non-fiction suvivalist tome which apparently has some new and worthy competition.

I just discovered what looks to be a great read, The Survivors Club, recently published. It's touted as sharing with the reader "the secrets and science that could save your life".

These types of books fascinate me. While I hope never to be in a situation where I'll need to take any of their advice, it's good to have the knowledge that could tip the scales in the direction of life, rather than death, if need be.

Some final recommendations would be The Children's Blizzard, by David Laskin, and Everyday Survival, also by Laurence Gonzales.

Good stuff to read when you're stuck inside on a bad-weather day.

62º

Gorgeous weather predicted today in our fair city. Most definitely good enough in which to bike.

I'll be taking my Fuji out to FP by way of Delmar downtown around 3:00, in case anyone cares to join me.

Weekend Selections

So, knowing I will never, ever get to see the Cramps again has given me cause to search out what musical offerings will be gracing St. Louis venues with their presence this weekend. Following are a few that look interesting:

Friday 2/6

- Vicky @ Schlafly Tap Room

Saturday 2/7

- The Blind Eyes w/Athens @ Mangia

- Target Market, etc. @ Firebird (formerly the Bluebird)

R.I.P. Lux Interior

It's a sad day for punk rock. I just heard from a friend that Lux Interior of the Cramps died yesterday from an existing heart condition.

I'm very glad I got to see them when they were in St. Louis a few years ago. It was an amazing show.

I ran across an old video of theirs while up Tuesday night, scroll below to see them in action.

Sad day.

Koalas are hot (hot-tubbin that is)

This photo made me laugh, hard. Then I read the story, and felt bad that I laughed.

But then I looked at the photo again, and laughed even more. He's got that "come hither" look about him, like he's a little Don Juan of koalas. "Join me in a dip, my sweet? The water's warm.".

Missouri has kamikaze squirrels, Melbourne has koalas. I'm thinking Australia is where it's at.

Get it off your chest

Here's a spot-on mash of Bill O'Reilly and Christian Bale losing their cool, seemingly together. Intense and kinda funny...



I can count about 5 situations this week alone that have made me want to scream. I think blowing off steam is a great way to lower stress - yell, run, beat your face into a pillow, whatever.

Late night wanderings

My brain will not shut down. Still obsessing a bit.

I found this video of the Cramps singing "Tear It Up". Reminds me of the good time I had when they played Pops. Yup....Pops.

Hobbit: You Had Me At "My Precious"

I just read a story about the possible existence of Hobbits. No, they didn't find them in the Shire, and Saruman wasn't the cause of their extinction.

Apparently, there is this raging debate in the scientific community over whether they are a separate human species or just "a microencephalic victim of a small-brained pathology".

????

Kinda sounds like someone I dated, years ago... Although he wasn't as short, and had a protruding and pronounced sloping brow. Oh, and he could bang on rocks with sticks like the dickens.

Stylizer, je t'aime

My hair stylist, Erin, is the shizz. She's as honest as they come, nothing she ever does is painful, she gives good wash, and her knowledge of stylization blows me away (sometimes literally).

She does amazing blow-out as well. You expect a red carpet when you leave her capable little hands, she's so damn good.

The salon she works at, Bouffant Daddy, is also the shizz. It's like stepping into a hot mess of fun, where you know you're guaranteed a good time and then some.

Everyone should love their stylist like they love their man. It took me 30-something years to find mine. About damn time.

Future Lawyer...

My friend Maggie, the future lawyer, just reminded me of a conversation we had yesterday.

We were walking around the CWE. The following exchange took place:

M: "So, what are you going to do with the rest of your day?"

K: "I'm probably going to check out the monkeys. It's monkey time."

M: "Cool. Where are you going to see the monkeys? Like, at the zoo?"

K: (Yelling) "Yeah, at the zoo. Where else do monkeys live in St. Louis?"

She doesn't have many brain farts, but when she does they're doozies.

That'll teach you to stay up so late, little gurl.