UPdates

You know it's bad when your boss tells you that you've been neglecting your blog...so here I am with updates.

I haven't been doing much, but this is what is new.

In music, I have been listening to:
Kate Walsh
Postal Service
Emily Haines

In books I just finished reading:
Speaker for the Dead
A Crazy Little Thing Called Death

I made this shirt for boyan


...for his birthday. If you get its meaning then points for you.

The boy got TWO cakes! He doesn't even like cake. The first was red velvet (the frosting had glitter on it, I've never heard of such a thing) the second was a chocolate cookie monster from Joan.


"COOKIE COOKIE COOKIE COOKIE COOKIE COOKIE COOKIE COOKIE!"

Both the BBQ my parents threw and the party we had last night were so much fun. Here are some fun pics from last night.


left: Joan spilled something in Boyan's eye. right: She's 5ft, He's 6'7"


Joan was about to beat up Efka. She's small but she's scrappy.


Boyan and me at the end of the evening...we were tired.

Beyond that next week I travel to San Francisco for the Ad:tech conference which promises to offer lots of excitement. Plus San Francisco is one of my top five favorite cities. After Newark.

Spring Break is Over!

Obviously the reasons I mourn the end of Spring Break have changed since last year. I'm not saddened by the prospect of returning the to routine of classes, papers and finals, rather it is the end of peace and calm that befalls westwood when the kids go away to play that I will truly miss.

Gone will be the quiet streets, easily acquired parking spots and undisturbed sleep as the rabble of thursday night parties, friday night parties and...saturday night parties will return to bring westwood back to life.

I'm not selfish, I know that the village thrives because of UCLA students. The constant ebb and flow of each incoming and graduating class make this small community what it is.

But that doesn't mean I can't delight in having it all to myself every once in awhile.

It's almost Easter!

Which means my meats and sweets abstinence is almost over!

I remember when Lent first started it was girl scout season and I was so sad that I wouldn't be able to indulge in my Samoa obsession, thankfully my mother bought me a box which is now hiding, in a plastic bag in my cupboard until April 8th when they will be inevitably devoured in one sitting.

If you share my love for Girl Scout cookies you have to listen to this clip from NPR, "Finding Binge Absolution in a Do-Si-Do" about a fellow Girl Scout cookie fanatic and his shameful binging on the beloved treats. It's truly funny and you'll find yourself shouting, "That's me!" while listening to it.

The Onion's Hilarious Headline

I mean...awful headline.

Amy Winehouse...again sorry

Not to be Winehouse-heavy but her album is doing extremely well here in the states.

She did have to cancel her show at Spaceland, but unlike the other shows she canceled it was supposedly because the venue couldn't accomodate her large back-up band.

Anywho--Her album "Back to Black" is currently #7 on the Billboard chart AND its now only $8.99 at Borders with this coupon. Not that i'm trying to promote her or anything but I like her a lot.

Happy St. Patricks Day!

I love St. Patricks Day, not just because it's an excuse to drink Bushmills and Guinness, not because it gives me the chance to blast flogging molly or brag of my Irish ancestry. Simply because I get to wear my favorite color in abundance. That'd be green of course!

I went down to San Diego to visit with Britta, Ausra and Ruth and below are pictures of our exploits on the town.































We made t-shirts to celebrate the holiday. Mine said "Erin go Bragh," which of course no one knew the meaning of.

Britta's "Who's Yer Paddy," was definitely a hit, but Ausra's 0% Irish, 0.08% Guinness was probably the most popular of the night--Thanks to Britta's brilliant marketing mind of course.

It was really great to see the original Dykstra Hall group together again, hopefully it won't be years until the next time. We realized when we were hanging out that we'd known eachother for 5+ years! Its truly crazy to think about. Ruth, Tash, Auj don't feel excluded. I have plenty of then and now pictures of you guys as well.

left: Ausra, Britta and I at SAE's Haunted, October 2002

right: Ausra, me and Britta in front of Beach Break Cafe, San Diego March 2007

Alas another St. Patricks day has come and gone and I'll have to wait a whole year to show my Irish pride. Until then, I'll just have to dig out my copy of The Quiet Man and dream of Innisfree.

Erin go Bragh!

And remember, NO Paddy Fingers!

I told you so!

The LAist has caught my Amy Winehouse fever!


You can read the rest of the review here, or you can see Amy in LA tomorrow at Spaceland. I was going to see her tonight at the Roxy, but I didn't want to drive out to sunset to find out she canceled.

Book Nerd Alert

Just a recap of the books I've read this March:















Boyan made me take a break from reading the Ender's Game series--so I read Howl's Moving Castle...I have quite a few left in the Orson Scott Card series (thank God) but after that I have a feeling I'll be reading a lot of Diane Wynne Jones.

NERD ALERT!




Up next...

Floating Bed

I want one! I want one!!! This is the coolest thing ever.
Courtesy of FrostfirePulse

Seven Brides for Seven Rapists

I have always had a love for musicals, and when I was younger I really LOVED the movie, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers."

Thanks to TCM I was able to watch it again earlier this week and come to several new realizations about the film I had loved so much as a child.

A song came on before the boys went to go kidnap the seven girls from the main town, encouraging the boys to remember the Sabine "Sobbin,'" women and what the Romans did.

-------------------------------------------------------------
"Tell ya 'bout them sobbin' women
Who lived in the Roman days.
It seems that they all went swimmin'
While their men was off to graze.

Well, a Roman troop was ridin' by
And saw them in their "me oh my",
So they took 'em all back home to dry.
Least that's what Plutarch says.
Oh yes!

Them a woman was sobbin', sobbin', sobbin'
Fit to be tied.

Ev'ry muscle was throbbin', throbbin'
From that riotous ride.
Oh they cried and kissed and kissed and cried

All over that Roman countryside
So don't forget that when you're takin' a bride.
Sobbin' fit to be tied
From that riotous ride!

They never did return their plunder
The victor gets all the loot.

And you've never seens so,
They tell me, such downright domesticity.
With a Roman baby on each knee
Named 'Claudius' and 'Brute.'"
-------------------------------------------------------------
I was astonished--were they raising men to be rapists back in 1950? Yea sure the men get admonished later for kidnapping the girls, but even the kidnapped girls romanticize the Rape of the Sabine women, asking to be read the passage in the bible again and again so they could hear the story. I don't think it was a full blown case of Stockholm syndrome--but every time I watch an old movie it surprises me how much things have changed. This sort of reference in a modern movie would cause an uproar.

Amy Winehouse Has Crazy Hair

I don't care if she has a crazy bee hive on top of her head, the girl has soul.


Not everybody has her kind of talent.

Flex Your Hair

When I first saw this Ad on Adverblog I thought, "Wow that's so cool! I wish I could braid MY hair like that!"














Upon further investigation I noticed what it's really supposed to represent which is even cooler, (although they both do look like pony tails don't they?)

I thought this was extremely well done. I for one have ridiculously strong hair--I could pull a car with my ponytail the way they pull cars in the Worlds Strongest Man competition.

Not that I'm bragging or anything...

"Gavin Polone calling for Steven Spielberg"

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

I have a gift for Ann Coulter

Seriously, everything that comes out of her mouth is poison. When she isn't calling the widows of 9.11 harpies she's lowering herself to playground naming calling.

At the Conservative Political Action Conference she made this statement:

"I was going to talk about John Edwards but these days, you have to go into rehab if you say the word 'faggot,'" click here to watch

What? Are you serious? I really can't believe she would say something so stupid. Obviously it has been awhile since the last time she opened her mouth to take a shit and it was due time for her to get some press again. Maybe her book didn't do as well as she had hoped, maybe she shouldn't have said the widows of 9.11 "enjoyed" and "profited" from their husbands' deaths.

I think Andrew Sullivan made a really good point saying, "I'm not being an hysteric about Coulter. Republicans, if they are serious about reaching the people they lost in 2006, need to start distancing themselves from her. She's their Michael Moore."

She is a radical, as far off her rocker as possible. Michael Moore may be thought of as a radical liberal but at least the things he says are backed by some facts--and he uses his common sense NOT to kick the American public in their soft spots.

Do you think, maybe if we ignore her she would just disappear?

Wait a tick? YES. YES! If we ignore her she will just go away! Her persona is dependent on her shock factor and after all the crap she has said I'm not shocked anymore. Let her spout her bullshit, it's a free country we have freedom of speech and protecting that right means letting idiots like her say the stupid things she says.

The only benefit of having her around is getting to watch Keith Olbermann put her in her place.

What's up Italia?

Two headlines from Reuters today:

Teacher cuts pupil's tongue with scissors

Wed Feb 28, 2007 9:50am

MILAN (Reuters) - A Milan teacher cut a unruly 7-year-old pupil's tongue with scissors to silence him, police and school officials said on Tuesday.

Granny finds grenade in groceries

Wed Feb 28, 2007 11:40am

NAPLES, Italy (Reuters) - A 74-year-old Italian grandmother who bought a sack of potatoes at the her local market found a live grenade among the spuds.

WHAT is going on over there?

You can read the stories here and here.

Bald Britney

Can someone please tell this woman that she is 25, has two children, and needs to get her shit together-- Because either she forgot or needs to be reminded.

Thank you.

Musicology

It's Friday again (geez these weeks do fly-by quickly) which means from 2pm to 4pm I'll be tuning into UCLAradio.com to hear my friend Christina's radio show The Philosophers Corner.


Make sure to check it out she plays good music for good times. I've been sick the past few days and I know a little Gubala is gonna make me feel a whole lot better!

of Los Angeles

Sun setting on Santa Monica

The World is Too Much With Us

by William Wordsworth

The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers:
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;
The winds that will be howling at all hours,
And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;
For this, for everything, we are out of tune,
It moves us not.--Great God! I'd rather be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;

Chaucer was a Pimp

Did you know that Valentines Day did not correlate with the idea of "Romantic love," until Chaucer wrote of a 'romantic feast' in Parliament of Foules in the 14th Century? Before that no such tradition existed which connected St. Valentine to romance, love, couples or copulation.

The feast of St. Valentine was first decreed in 496 by Pope Gelasius I, who included Valentine among those people "... whose names are justly reverenced among men, but whose acts are known only to God."

So...does that mean even the Catholic church isn't sure what Valentine did? I told you this holiday was a sham.

Either way hopefully you have someone to spend the day with.


Happy February 14th.

Another Gubalicious Friday!

It's another Gubalicious Friday and in celebrating the arrival of the weekend and my dear friend Christina Gubala's show on UCLAradio.com I'm leaving you with a little Amy Winehouse.


From what I hear she probably needs to go to rehab, but I love her sultry voice, soulful style and hard look. If you like this you should also check out her other new single, "You know that I'm no good."

Ban lifted on Subway tunneling

Subway to the Sea?

On Wednesday, a vote lifted the previous ban restricting tunneling under Wilshire blvd.

The digging could cost up to or more than 4.8 billion dollars and could also depend upon federal funding.

Could this be our first small step towards a better transportation system? I hope so.

Curbed LA
LA Times

of Los Angeles

Boyan at Huntington Botanical Gardens

Get me to the church on time!

If you didn't already know...I'm getting married! And in preparation for that day I must seek perfection in the form of lace, tulle and of course satin. I picked seven dresses that I like, let me know what you think!



































1-4 by Monique Lhuillier
5,6 by Claire Pettibone
7 by Alvina Valenta

Anna Nicole Smith dead

I can't really believe this is true but the Associated Press is reporting she collapsed in her hotel room.


That poor little baby.

Such a crazy world.





One word. TrimSpa

Jobs Points the Finger

"I Didn't do it!!! HE DID IT! HE DID IT!" -Steve Jobs

Read the New York Times article that discusses Steve Jobs attempt to point the finger at the music industries.

And if you weren't sure how I feel about the situation, read other relevant posts.

theater NUT

Some major theater is hitting Los Angeles and I hope to be sitting front and center for the productions listed below:

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Edward Albee


With Kathleen Turner as Martha? Are you yoking me? I will most definitely be checking out this performance going on now at the Ahmanson.

February 7th- March 18th




Speed-the-Plow David Mamet

A Play by David Mamet that makes fun of Hollywood Executives? Great! With Cher from Clueless (a.k.a. Alicia Silverstone) playing a lead role? Superb! Wait, I'm gonna see it for free?!?! Awesome.

January 30th- March 18th

See it at the Geffen. If you're smart you'll be a volunteer usher and see it for free!


WICKED Winnie Holzman and Stephen Schwartz

HOLY GOODNESS!!! FINALLY. Some broadway love is coming to Los Angeles and I plan to be there. Ok, so yea Idina Menzel won't be playing Elphaba but it'll still be tons of fun. See the production at the Pantages.

First performance February 10th.
Opening February 21st


I may go and see:
THE UNEXPECTED GUEST Agatha Christie’s murder mystery set on a Welsh estate. WEST VALLEY PLAYHOUSE, 7242 Owensmouth Ave., Canoga Park; opens Fri., Feb. 2, 8 p.m.; perfs Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2:30 p.m.; thru Feb. 25. (818) 884-1907.

But I definitely WILL NOT be going to see this...

LEVIATHAN ’99 Ray Bradbury’s “Moby-Dick in outer space.” FREMONT CENTRE THEATRE, 1000 Fremont Ave., South Pasadena; opens Sat., Feb. 3, 8 p.m.; perfs Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru March 3. (323) 960-4451.

....ok MAYBE.

I know this isn't a SPERM whale...but 30 points if you know where this photo is from.

"I'm gonna puke"

There was all kind of buzz over the story of some guy who wanted to propose to his girlfriend during the Super Bowl. He had to opt for a commercial break during her favorite show veronica mars and the footage of her watching it is below. It's pretty funny...but she needs to relax.

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!