Kings of Leon

I am this moment downloading Kings of Leon's 2001 album Aha Shake Heartbreak. How did it take me so long to discover this band?? I mean, they've been everywhere, yes? Weren't they on SNL a while back? I usually fast-forward through the musical acts when I watch it, though. Probably just skimmed right by them to the next lame comedy sketch. Anyway, they're wonderful. I'm listening to Taper Jean Girl on repeat right now. I have some catching up to do, don't I?

I finally saw Milos Forman's Goya's Ghosts. I enjoyed Stellan Skarsgard's performance, but the movie felt kind of pointless. Bardem was at his creepy best, and Natalie Portman's make-up in the latter half of the movie terrified me, but there was something missing. The film just felt incoherent and totally devoid of heart or humor. The final credits were my favorite part of the film, simply because we then see a slideshow of Goya's work. Dark, horrendous, beautiful. If only the movie could have captured the art and the artist.

* * * *

In other news ...

O.J. is finally going to serve his time.

Strangers can make you happy!
Guess this means I'll have to stop ignoring all the people around me.

Joe Satriani is suing Coldplay.
You know you're gay when you're suing Coldplay.

And I can't wait to see this movie.

But for now, I'm pouring myself a hot cup of tea and I'm going to bed. Mmm, sleep.

Proposition 8 and MUSIC!!

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

Oh, this video is so hilarious. A friend of mine posted it on facebook, and I just about died laughing. Jack Black is perfect. Well, they all are actually. And, if he were not gay, I would marry Neil Patrick Harris if sparkly cheekbones won't have me.


* * * *



I’m not a big country fan, but I like bluegrass, and I really like what I’ve heard so far of Jack White’s band The Raconteurs. It feels natural and the sound is fluid. I’m enjoying it.

I’ve been thinking a lot about Abbey Road lately. That album is just so perfect; every moment of it is a joy. Ringo’s best drumming (his only drum solo in their catalogue) is in “The End” which may be The Beatles' most incredible piece of music. But the entire album really is just brilliant.

Go here to see live webcam images of Abbey Road, and it's famous crosswalk.
http://www.abbeyroad.com/visit/

I listened a bit to Jason Mraz’s new album and wasn’t that impressed; I like his voice but the whole album felt bland and sometimes reminded me of an 80s Basia album. It has all the cheese of Stevie Wonders "I Just Called to Say I Love You," without the cred. His track “A Beautiful Mess” was a shade lovely, though the lyrics were corny and disjointed.

* * * *


My brother turned me on to The Innocence Mission, and I’m officially in love with Karen Paris’ voice. I'd only heard one song from them in the past – "Bright As Yellow" off the Empire Records soundtrack, and liked it but didn’t love it. However, their lullaby album Now The Day Is Over is simply gorgeous. I highly recommend everyone own it; it’s that beautiful.

I’m also in love with this little-known Austin band called Belaire (flor, I sent you a song on itunes – you’d better redeem that sucker!) They’re very Stereolab, light pop wonderful, but they can still rock out. I’d love to see them live.

I’m already wishing Interpol, Fiona Apple, and Radiohead would release new albums. I know the creative process takes time, but I need more!! I can only listen to Our Love to Admire, Extraordinary Machine, and In Rainbows so many hundreds of times. I got this snarky little comment off of Rolling Stone's website:

"It’s nice to know some of the U.S. budget might not going to the Iraq War: A few key members of the White House, namely deputy press Tony Fratto, downloaded copies of Radiohead’s In Rainbows."

Rivers Cuomo’s cover of "Don’t Worry Baby" is darling; I adore it. Really the whole album is great – he’s released two discs of the album Alone: The Home recordings of Rivers Cuomo 1992-2007. It’s Weezer heaven, especially for fans of their older work. I am upset that their Christmas songs are exclusively being released on Iphone - it's such corporate BS.


Oh, on a totally different note, read this great article by Denis Leary. It’s so incredibly sweet and surprisingly lyrical – makes me hope I’ll find this kind of connection someday:

Denis Leary on Love at First Sight

Ah, love, and/or the promise of love ...

I'm signing out with Nick Drake :)

Stellllaaa!!!!

Today in history, Joseph Conrad was born and Streetcar Named Desire Marlon Brando premiered on Broadway. Let's face it, Tennessee Williams is a lyrical genius, but that play is melodramatic beyond belief. It's Brando's broken, fierce performance that made the play and the 1951 film. We had never seen an actor like him onstage before, raw and painfully real. As for Conrad, his life reads like an adventure story - makes one ponder the question: Does one have to travel, to experience, to explore in order to write about the human condition? You could offer Emily Dickinson as a counter to that - a woman who lived a sheltered existence and never really traveled anywhere of note. Speaking of Brando, I'm dying to see Last Tango in Paris. It was featured on the IFC network the other night - brilliant series about sex on film. The episode was called Indie Sex:Censored, and it's available on Netflix and on Amazon.com. It was extremely educational (and why do I feel naughty just writing that - seriously, I don't mean it that way... really).

I had a steroid shot (yay! I mean, ouch!), and am recovering speedily. I keep thinking of that line from Dune: "Fear is the mind-killer" and if that is so, then stress is surely the body killer! I need to stress less and live better. God, I'm sounding like a self-help book.




Next year, a movie premieres about the strange relationship between Federico García Lorca and Salvador Dalí called Little Ashes (with he of the mighty cheekbones as Dalí). This got me thinking about other literary or artistic figures I would love to see portrayed onscreen, so I started searching for something with a focus on Wordsworth and Coleridge. The film is Pandaemonium and it centers on the stormy relationship between the two men and on Coleridge's opium addiction. I've added it to my netflix queue, and I'm hoping it will be good. I'm also hoping Little Ashes will be poignant rather than laughable, but we'll see.

* * * * *

I finally saw Everyone Says I Love You (I'd previously only seen snippets), and I'm glad I did. It was so incredibly charming; I adored it. The cinematography is brilliant, those colors just pop out at you; it's so vivid and delightful. The actors (Ed Norton, Tim Roth, Goldie Hawn, Alan Alda, Natalie Portman, and that's only a fraction of the cast) give beautiful performances, specifically the hilarious Roth as convict Charles Ferry. Oh, and the songs... I think my favorite aspect of all Woody Allen movies is the music. The Dandridge's reminded me so much of my own large family, talking over each other with affable frustration, discussing everything from love to art to politics. I just wish Woody Allen would bring back Diane Keaton as a love interest (zero chemistry between his Joe Berlin and Julia Roberts' character Von). I forgive him, because before the dreaded entrance of Von, he ruefully sings "I'm Through With Love," which is another one of my all time favorite standards.

I love movies :)

My favorite thing about Christmas: All the lobbies in the world begin to play Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Oh, and la flor and I make scary-looking cookies.

On Health Care (cue the violin)

Sick Girl

Mark Ryden

I'm so ridiculously sick. Hacking, coughing, wheezing sick. And yet here I am at work, spreading my germs and trying to keep the pile of tissues in check. It got me thinking about the health care situation in the country and the notion of sick leave (I say 'notion,' because in a lot of work environments, it's just that - a notion). My presence here has nothing to do with my bosses, who are incredible, but just in the system itself. When we are sick, we are expected to buck up, get in our cars, drive to our school/jobs and cough through the days, in the process (again) spreading our sickness to our fellow students and co-workers.

I watched Michael Moore's Sicko a while back, and while I know one must take any Moore documentary with a grain of salt, I found so much of what he had to say compelling. The film wasn't as bombastic and melodramatic as most of his work; it was sound and practical, specifically much of what he said regarding Canada and Europe and their respective systems. I found this great Business Week article to back up certain claims he makes:

http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jun2007/gb20070613_921562.htm

The article examines France and Britain's health care approach and finds that Britain's is rather lacking, while France seems to have the right idea. It's 62 million citizens are healthier than Americans, and "per capita spending on health care is also roughly half as much." The U.S. ranked terribly in a Commonwealth Study assessing the health and quality of our lives.

Meanwhile, the John de Graaf article "Thinking Differently About Health Care" notes that "Americans rank 45th in life expectancy, right there with Albania."

http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/008803.html

"Finally, and this is no small matter, every other industrial country guarantees its workers paid time off from work when they are sick; only the US does not. In many cases, as much as a month of leave is allowed. These countries know that without paid time off, workers will come to work sick, as many American workers do. They will get others sick and stay sick longer, often requiring more expensive treatment for their illnesses. This is not rocket science. Most Americans get this immediately. That is why more than 80 percent of them favor a law that would guarantee paid sick days for workers."

The article is fascinating because it focuses on preventative measures, and not just matters of cost and insurance. If we take care of ourselves in the first place, and if policies are implemented which ensure we are taken care of at our places of work when we are ill, billions of dollars may be saved in medicine and care. But thinking long-term is simply not our forte. We love our credit cards and we eat our hamburgers, and the debt, illness, and fatigue that may follow get little consideration.

{cough, cough}

I'm out.

Great Big Moon, Poor Rosie, and My Throat Hurts!

I have so little on my mind right now, because I'm exhausted. Thanks to a certain blonde-headed flake, I'm working early hours on my day off. I got up at 6 in the morning cursing said blonde girl's name. But it's overtime, so I suppose I should be happy :) What brings me more delight than extra cash is the following Washington Post article.

The Jupiter-Venus conjuction takes place tomorrow night, and it should be spectacular:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/29/AR2008112901775.html

Even better -

"The full moon Dec. 12 will be at its closest (356,556 kilometers, or 221,554 miles) to Earth since 1993, and the full moon won't be this close again until 2016."

Get your telescopes ready!

* * * *

Rosie O'Donnell's new variety show bombed, which is not a surprise. I watched it with my brother the other night, and it was terrible. Stale jokes, bizarre set concept, and mystifying acts (and not 'mystifying' in a good way whatsoever). I actually like Rosie, and I feel sorry for her. But, man, was that terrible.

* * * * *

This new Elvis Costello show on Sundance looks amazing:

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2008/11/30/2008-11-30_elvis_costello_puts_serious_eye_on_music.html

Spectacle is an indepth music show featuring Lou Reed, Jenny Lewis and The Police. It premieres this Wednesday.

* * * * *

My throat is killing me today, so my supervisor gave me this recipe; I'm making it as soon as I get home:

1 cup milk

1 tsp butter

1/4 tsp turmeric

1. Place milk and butter in saucepan. Bring to a boil.

2. Add turmeric and set stove to lowest setting.

3. Simmer a few minutes and serve.

4. Don't ingest anything for at least an hour.

I always thought dairy was bad for the throat, but I'm curious to see how this works out. I'm also a little desperate, so I'll try anything!

Mitzi Gaynor, You Bore Me!!

Last night I watched The World is Not Enough and then Anything Goes. Because I am a crazy person, and I don’t sleep. I have to say that Anything Goes was kind of lame. Great music (Cole Porter was a genius), but all performed with a kind of bland winsomeness. Even Donald O’Connor couldn’t save this movie, and I LOVE Donald O’Connor. Mitzi Gaynor’s rendition of the title song had me yawning, and really made me long for Ethel Merman and Ella Fitzgerald. Sorry, Mitzi Gaynor, you bore me. Now, The World is Not Enough, that’s another story. Like all the ridiculously-named, sex-on-legs women in all these movies, I have a soft spot for Bond. The gadgets, the stuntwork, that classic score. I’d never seen this one before, and I have to say two things.

1) I hate Denise Richards more than Mitzi Gaynor and

2) Sophie Marceau terrified me. I mean, scariest Bond girl ever.

Oh, a third thing, I love Pierce Brosnan. He’s just perfect. I don’t know if I like where they’re taking the franchise, but Daniel Craig’s chest is so distracting I didn’t really follow the storyline anyway.

* * * * *

OCD’ers rejoice! Antibacterial soap is on sale at Bath and Body Works (4 for $10). Speaking of sales, apparently Black Friday didn’t go so well. Earlier in the week, the Commerce Dept announced that we’re seeing the lowest consumer spending since the early 80s. This is going to be the kind of Christmas where we all make awkward-looking cookies and handmade gifts. How is it that despite the financial lameness of the holiday, Radio Shack still ran out of TDK DVD-Rs (only $8 for 50) and CD-Rs ($10 for 100) – the only things I wanted. Well, I also wanted a really expensive camera that I can’t afford, but let’s be realistic. Despite the slump, Wal-Mart did well. Wal-Mart always does well; they’re like the cockroach of the industry – they’ll survive anything, even a nuclear holocaust. The world will be rubble and Wal-Mart will still be standing. Which I’m really glad about, because even though they are evil, I love nothing better than wandering through the aisles at 3 in the morning.

The country is in trouble, but we’re still doing better than everyone else. Probably because we’ve borrowed so much money from the rest of the world, we’re floating on that. I blame a lot of our troubles on outsourcing. Can someone Please, Please defend outsourcing to me? I have an open mind – if someone can please tell me how this is a good thing for the country in the long term, I will listen. Outsourcing = good for big business and Indians, but bad for the country overall.

* * * * *

Well, the death toll in Mumbai is now 195. The Pakistani prime Minister denies his country’s involvement. Zardari believes it’s a group set out to undermine India-Pakistani relations. This would make this situation just like the James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies, in which evil Jonathan Pryce plots to set China and the U.S. against each other using the evil power of the media. I love Jonathan Pryce; I kept expecting him to break out into song and start hoofing it in that film. Don’t even get me started on Michelle Yeoh.

* * * *



I’m Listening to Sam Cooke’s rendition of Little Girl; and it’s fracking amazing. Sam Cooke and Otis Redding may well be the greatest male singers of the last century. Incredible. I’m working on a version of Redding’s I’ve Been Loving You Too Long. I’m obsessed with that song, I sing it like ten times a day. The bad news is eventually I’ll start to bore myself as much as Mitzi Gaynor bores me, the good news is practice makes perfect and I’m starting to perfect a killer version of that song. It’s good to be singing again, even if I’m only singing for myself.

A last note, and I didn’t want to write it, but it somehow feels wrong if I don’t acknowledge it, since it's the primary thing on my mind. David died ten years ago today, and the passing of the decade hasn’t made me miss him any less. I still secretly pray for him to come back, though I know it's irrational. I'm like a child in that way.








well, that's all.

I'm stupid.

Yes, it's official. I'm stupid. I took the Mensa workout test - which you can take here:

http://www.mensa.org/index0.php?page=12

and it informed me of that which I have already known for some time now. I am stupid. I stopped using my brain and it has become even more squishy and spongy than before. (See, I just ended a sentence with a preposition! Proof that I have become stupid!) I had long suspected this, and said as much to my friend Roxane the other day. I just had that very strong feeling that my IQ has dropped several points. Maybe it had something to do with my five year relationship with a man who had the intelligence of Goofy (and kind of looked like him, too. hmm.)

Maybe it was my diet, or the fact that I stopped writing, or the fact that I kind of stopped doing anything and everything at all. A few weeks ago, a fortune cookie revealed to me: "Knowing and doing nothing is the same as not knowing at all." And that pretty much sums up the last few years of my life ... well, with the exception of graduating from college. Somehow, I managed that despite the drastic drop in my intelligence. I haven't taken an actual IQ test yet (Mensa doesn't provide a score), and I probably won't until I've sufficiently exercised my brain back to strength.

Which may take a while.

* * * * * * * * *

In other news, it turns out corrupt Iraqi officials have stolen 18 billion dollars - half of it our money (taxpayer cash) and, due to amnesty laws, there is absolutely NOTHING we can do about it.

http://www.pigbird.com/images_war.html

WHY are we in Iraq again? Why did we go over there in the first place? It just seems to get worse and worse. Well, at least they've finally decided to pull the troops out by 2011. It might not happen, but at least we now have a number.

Meanwhile, 143 people are dead in India (and counting) as a result of the recent terrorist attacks; and no one knows yet who is responsible. Praying it's not Pakistan, because that would pretty much shatter India-Pakistan relations. God, Obama's got a lot on his plate.

* * * *

And in much, much lighter news (the kind of news I like because my underused brain gets to relax and be squishy), The Onion reports that drinking red wine allows you to tell your mother what you really think:

Study Finds Link Between Red Wine, Letting Mother Know What You Really Think

I love this line specifically:

"However, medical experts are quick to point out that red wine is not, in itself, sufficient to promote a healthy psyche. Similar positive effects have been found in other food and drink items, such as White Russians, vodka tonics, Canadian Club whisky with flat ginger ale, and anything served at a wedding."

Tonight I'll watch the Cole Porter musical Anything Goes with a glass of red wine, and I will call my mother in Colorado and tell her exactly what I think: That I adore her :)

p.s. Read this book, it's brilliant:

Listening to: Vast - Don't Take Your Love Away

Twilight Film Review, Crazy Girlfriend, and 42nd St.

So I haven't posted anything in ages. But teenage pandemonium and mass hysteria has prompted me to post a Twilight review, and, no, it's not bad.

Anyway, I heart this movie. In all its goofy, utter sincerity. It has not one cynical bone in its body.

Although Robert Pattinson doesn’t completely succeed on all levels (there are moments of unintentional garish hilarity and he sometimes looks like a pained mime about to hurl), his overall performance was brave and nuanced. He brought humor and pathos to a role that could have been played as an expressionless, bloodless hair model/stalker. There is no better actor than a brave one. An acting coach once told me, "When struggling with objectives and actions, make the riskier choices." ... of course, I could just be saying all of this because he is incredibly hot.

I thought some of the effects worked. The baseball game was electric and fun. The tree stuff was nice. The transition from treetops and mountain views to the lullaby sequence was gorgeous. Carter Burwell’s score was majestic and sweet, but I admit it sometimes reminded me of cheesy 80s scores for films like Ladyhawke (another sincere, cheese-fest I love). I hated some of the wire work and the running; I think some creative editing could have saved them from the tacky look of certain effects. The makeup was at times just dreadful. I really think the makeup artist could have made them appear pale without turning their faces into kabuki masks. The vampire's lipstick shade I believe was mulberry.



Overall, it was frank and funny and bold, ultimately cheesy, and a even a bit campy. But it was sincere and self-absorbed as first love always is. This film reminds me of that innocent time when I really believed loving someone could mean everything ... secretly, I still partially believe that.

*****

In other news (let's shift from the sincere to the cynical for a moment, shall we?), this is the funniest thing I've read all week:

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/god_help_him_but_area_man_loves

My favorite line -

"Maybe it's the way she dumped her nail polish on my pool table when I insulted her sister, or the way she cries every time I eat veal, but damned if I don't adore her crazy ass," Shearer said. "I'll kill her someday, I swear, but that wack-job is going to end up being the mother of my children."

Why does this feel more like an accurate description of real relationships than the star-crossed lovers in the above review? Heh heh.

*****



I saw 42nd St. recently as well (the 1933 film version), and it was spectacular. Ruby Keeler gives a diamond of a performance, and Dick Powell is adorable. I adored this film. It made me long for that more innocent time (a time which has more in common with Twilight's universe than with most films today), when watching people hoof it on a stage and fall in love was enough to temporarily salve the everyday agonies of the Great Depression. It's a resilient, hopeful film with a sharp, winking eye. And it's got one of the best, most classic movie lines ever: "You're going out there a youngster, but you've got to come back a star!!" It doesn't get any better than that ... unless it involves a pair of sparkly cheekbones ;)